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All the diagnostic criteria of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) include histopathology. However, some patients may delay getting this examination due to concerns about the risks of liver biopsy. Therefore, we aimed to develop a predictive model of AIH diagnostic that does not require a liver biopsy. We collected demographic, blood, and liver histological data of unknown liver injury patients. First, we conducted a retrospective cohort study in two independent adult cohorts. In the training cohort (n = 127), we used logistic regression to develop a nomogram according to the Akaike information criterion. Second, we validated the model in a separate cohort (n = 125) using the receiver operating characteristic curve, decision curve analysis, and calibration plot to externally evaluate the performance of this model. We calculated the optimal cutoff value of diagnosis using Youden's index and presented the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy to evaluate the model in the validation cohort compared with the 2008 International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group simplified scoring system. In the training cohort, we developed a model to predict the risk of AIH using four risk factors—The percentage of gamma globulin, fibrinogen, age, and AIH-related autoantibodies. In the validation cohort, the areas under the curve for the validation cohort were 0.796. The calibration plot suggested that the model had an acceptable accuracy (p > 0.05). The decision curve analysis suggested that the model had great clinical utility if the value of probability was 0.45. Based on the cutoff value, the model had a sensitivity of 68.75%, a specificity of 76.62%, and an accuracy of 73.60% in the validation cohort. While we diagnosed the validated population by using the 2008 diagnostic criteria, the sensitivity of prediction results was 77.77%, the specificity was 89.61% and the accuracy was 83.20%. Our new model can predict AIH without a liver biopsy. It is an objective, simple and reliable method that can effectively be applied in the clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the sensor selection problem for remote state estimation under the Quality-of-Service (QoS) requirement constraints. Multiple sensors are employed to observe a linear time-invariant system, and their measurements should be transmitted to a remote estimator for state estimation. However, due to the limited communication resources and the QoS requirement constraints, only some of the sensors can be allowed to transmit their measurements. To estimate the system state as accurately as possible, it is essential to select sensors for transmission appropriately. We formulate the sensor selection problem as a non-convex optimization problem. It is difficult to solve such a problem and even to find a feasible solution. To obtain a solution which can achieve good estimation performance, we first reformulate and relax the formulated problem. Then, we propose an algorithm based on successive convex approximation (SCA) to solve the relaxed problem. By utilizing the solution of the relaxed problem, we propose a heuristic sensor selection algorithm which can provide a good suboptimal solution. Simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed heuristic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In remote state estimation, data transmitted by a sensor through a wireless communication channel may be overheard by an eavesdropper. One possible way to avoid information leakage is to encrypt the transmitted data all the time. However, this may impose an extra operation energy burden on the sensor. In this paper, we investigate the optimal encryption scheduling in order to protect data privacy and ensure estimation accuracy under an energy constraint. Specifically, the sensor computes its local state estimate and then quantizes it using a non-subtractively dithered quantizer. Before each transmission, the sensor determines whether encrypting the data or not in order to strike a balance between data privacy and estimation accuracy. As the information about eavesdropper is unknown to the estimator, we introduce the concept of eavesdropper-invariant schedules and derive associated structural results. In addition, we propose a practical algorithm that compares a finite number of points to obtain an ε -optimal encryption schedule. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate performance benefits of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

He, Y.; Huang, L.Y.; Ding, C.; Zou, Y., and Huang, P., 2020. A correlation coupling prediction of island tourist based on multi key words of web search index: A case study of Gulang Island in Xiamen. In: Bai, X. and Zhou, H. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Environmental Protection, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 115, pp. 373-378. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. With the rapid rise of the Internet, people rely more on the Internet to collect tourism information when traveling. This paper will make a model by Baidu search index of keywords in scenic spot, use weighted calculation and composite index, take Gulang island in Xiamen as an example to verify the feasibility of the model, and conduct heat prediction analysis of scenic spot through prediction model. Through analysis and research, it is found that the Baidu search index has a strong positive correlation with the tourist volume of scenic spots, and the tourist volume and popularity of scenic spots can be predicted by the search volume of Baidu. This conclusion is conducive to the coordination and control between the government and the scenic spots, the market analysis of tourism enterprises, and the tourists' comfortable experience of peak travel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

He, Y.; Huang, L.Y.; Ding, C.; Zou, Y., and Huang, P., 2020. A correlation coupling prediction of island tourist based on multi key words of web search index: A case study of Gulang Island in Xiamen. In: Bai, X. and Zhou, H. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Environmental Protection, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 115, pp. 373-378. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. With the rapid rise of the Internet, people rely more on the Internet to collect tourism information when traveling. This paper will make a model by Baidu search index of keywords in scenic spot, use weighted calculation and composite index, take Gulang island in Xiamen as an example to verify the feasibility of the model, and conduct heat prediction analysis of scenic spot through prediction model. Through analysis and research, it is found that the Baidu search index has a strong positive correlation with the tourist volume of scenic spots, and the tourist volume and popularity of scenic spots can be predicted by the search volume of Baidu. This conclusion is conducive to the coordination and control between the government and the scenic spots, the market analysis of tourism enterprises, and the tourists' comfortable experience of peak travel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the problem of sensor selection for distributed systems, where a large number of sensors are located spatially in many different locations. Specifically, we consider both perfect and packet-dropping communication channels. While the original problem is NP-hard, by adopting a sparse design, we can solve the problem via convex optimization and reduce the computation cost significantly. Our method not only handles correlated measurement noise but also can be easily extended to actuator selection or sensor-and-actuator (SaA) selection problems. Simulation shows that our sparsity-based approach performs similarly to the brute force optimal strategy while consuming significantly less computation time. Additionally, our method is shown to outperform the state-of-art method notably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates sensor scheduling for state estimation of complex networks over shared transmission channels. For a complex network of dynamical systems, referred to as nodes, a sensor network is adopted to measure and estimate the system states in a distributed way, where a sensor is used to measure a node. The estimates are transmitted from sensors to the associated nodes, in the presence of one-step time delay and subject to packet loss. Due to limited transmission capability, only a portion of sensors are allowed to send information at each time step. The goal of this paper is to seek an optimal sensor scheduling policy minimizing the overall estimation errors. Under a distributed state estimation framework, this problem is reformulated as a Markov decision process, where the one-stage reward for each node is strongly coupled. The feasibility of the problem reformulation is ensured. In addition, an easy-to-check condition is established to guarantee the existence of an optimal deterministic and stationary policy. Moreover, it is found that the optimal policies have a threshold, which can be used to reduce the computational complexity in obtaining these policies. Finally, the effectiveness of the theoretical results is illustrated by several simulation examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ba-Qi-Rougan formula (BQRGF) is a traditional and effective compound prescription from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) utilized in treating hepatic fibrosis (HF). We aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of BQRGF on HF and explore the underlying mechanisms of action. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technology was employed to identify the material basis of BQRGF. Mice with carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4)-induced HF received BQRGF at three doses (3.87, 7.74, and 15.48 g/kg per day). We examined serum and liver biochemical indicators and liver histology to assess the therapeutic impact. Primary mouse cells were isolated and utilized for experimental analysis. MSMP expression levels were examined in vitro and in vivo experimental models, including human and mouse tissue. Furthermore, lentivirus and small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfections were employed to manipulate microseminoprotein (MSMP) expression in LO2 cells (human normal liver cells). These manipulated LO2 cells were then co-cultured with LX2 human hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Through the modulation of MSMP expression in co-cultured cells, administering recombinant MSMP (rMSMP) with or without BQRGF-medicated serum, and using specific pathway inhibitors or agonists in LX2 cells, we elucidated the underlying mechanisms. A total of 48 compounds were identified from BQRGF, with 12 compounds being absorbed into the bloodstream and 9 compounds being absorbed into the liver. Four weeks of BQRGF treatment in the HF mouse model led to significant improvements in biochemical and molecular assays and histopathology, particularly in the medium and high-dose groups. These improvements included a reduction in the level of liver injury and fibrosis-related factors. MSMP levels were elevated in human and mouse fibrotic liver tissues, and this increase was mitigated in HF mice treated with BQRGF. Moreover, primary cells and co-culture studies revealed that BQRGF reduced MSMP expression, decreased the expression of the hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation markers, and suppressed critical phosphorylated protein levels in the CCR2/PI3K/AKT pathway. These findings were further validated using CCR2/PI3K/AKT signaling inhibitors and agonists in MSMP-activated LX2 cells. Collectively, our results suggest that BQRGF combats HF by diminishing MSMP levels and inhibiting MSMP-induced HSC activation through the CCR2/PI3K/AKT pathway. [Display omitted] • BQRGF effectively attenuates hepatic fibrosis in CCl 4 -induced mice. • MSMP is correlated with the development of hepatic fibrosis in human and mice, and can activate HSCs directly. • BQRGF reduces MSMP levels in hepatocytes and inhibits MSMP-induced HSC activation through the CCR2/PI3K/AKT pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which has a male predominance, lacks effective therapeutic options. Previously, the cardiac glycoside analogue bufalin has been found to inhibit HBV infection and HCC development. As yet, however, its molecular role in HBV-associated HCC has remained obscure. Methods: Colony formation and soft agar assays, xenograft and orthotopic mouse models and HBV X protein (HBx) transgenic mice with exposure to diethylnitrosamine were used to evaluate the effect of bufalin on HBV-associated HCC growth and tumorigenicity. HBx-induced oncogenic signaling regulated by bufalin was assessed using PCR array, chromatin immunoprecipitation, site-directed mutagenesis, luciferase reporter, transcription and protein expression assays. Synergistic HCC therapeutic effects were examined using combinations of bufalin and sorafenib. Results: We found that bufalin exerted a more profound effect on inhibiting the proliferation of HBV-associated HCC cells than of non HBV-associated HCC cells. Bufalin significantly inhibited HBx-induced malignant transfromation in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo. Androgen receptor (AR) signaling was found to be a target of bufalin resistance to HBV-associated hepatocarcinogenesis. We also found that bufalin induced both AR dephosphorylation and cell cycle-related kinase (CCRK) degradation to inhibit β-catenin/TCF signaling, which subsequently led to cell cycle arrest via cyclin D1 down-regulation and p21 up-regulation, resulting in HCC regression. Furthermore, we found that bufalin reduced > 60% diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in HBx transgenic mice, and improved the sensitivity of refractory HBV-associated HCC cells to sorafenib treatment. Conclusion: Our results indicate that bufalin acts as a potential anti-HCC therapeutic candidate to block HBx-induced AR/CCRK/β-catenin signaling by targeting AR and CCRK, which may provide a novel strategy for the treatment of HBV-associated HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study was to evaluate myocardial stiffness in hypertensive patients by measuring the intrinsic velocity propagation (IVP) of the myocardial stretch and to explore the correlation between IVP and cardiac systolic and diastolic functions. Eighty-one hypertensive patients and 53 healthy patients were prospectively enrolled in this study. IVP was measured using high-frame rate tissue Doppler (350-450 frames per second). IVP was significantly higher in hypertensive patients than in the control group (1.53 ± 0.39 m/s vs. 1.40 ± 0.19 m/s, p = 0.031). In the hypertensive group, IVP was significantly higher in patients with electrocardiogram (ECG) strain than in those without ECG strain (1.63 ± 0.46 m/s vs. 1.45 ± 0.32 m/s, p = 0.047). Moreover, IVP exhibited a good correlation with interventricular septal thickness at end-diastole (r = 0.434, p < 0.001), left ventricular posterior wall thickness at end-diastole (r = 0.439, p < 0.001), E/A ratio (r = 0.245, p = 0.004) and global longitudinal systolic strain (r = 0.405, p < 0.001). IVP was significantly higher in hypertensive patients, which indicates elevated myocardial stiffness in this cohort of patients. This novel measurement exhibited great potential for use in clinical practice to assess myocardial stiffness in patients with hypertension non-invasively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field measurements of air-sea CO2 exchange in three coral reef areas of the South China Sea (i.e. the Yongshu Reef atoll of the Nansha Islands, southern South China Sea (SCS); Yongxing Island of Xisha Islands, north-central SCS; and Luhuitou Fringing Reef in Sanya of Hainan Island, northern SCS) during the summers of 2008 and 2009 revealed that both air and surface seawater partial pressures of CO2 (pCO2) showed regular diurnal cycles. Minimum values occurred in the evening and maximum values in the morning. Air pCO2 in each of the three study areas showed small diurnal variations, while large diurnal variations were observed in seawater pCO2. The diurnal variation amplitude of seawater pCO2 was ~70 µmol mol-1 at the Yongshu Reef lagoon, 420-619 µmol mol-1 on the Yongxing Island reef flat, and 264-579 µmol mol-1 on the reef flat of the Luhuitou Fringing Reef, and 324-492 µmol mol-1 in an adjacent area just outside of this fringing reef. With respect to spatial relations, there were large differences in air-sea CO2 flux across the South China Sea (e.g. ~0.4 mmol CO2 m-2 d-1 at Yongshu Reef, ~4.7 mmol CO2 m-2 d-1 at Yongxing Island, and ~9.8 mmol CO2 m-2 d-1 at Luhuitou Fringing Reef). However, these positive values suggest that coral reef ecosystems of the SCS may be a net source of CO2 to the atmosphere. Additional analyses indicated that diurnal variations of surface seawater pCO2 in the shallow water reef flat are controlled mainly by biological metabolic processes, while those of deeper water lagoons and outer reef areas are regulated by both biological metabolism and hydrodynamic factors. Unlike the open ocean, inorganic metabolism plays a significant role in influencing seawater pCO2 variations in coral reef ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]