bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Capacity‐basedoptimization using whale optimization technique of a power distribution network
Authors: Simachew Bawoke , Khan Baseem , Guerrero Josep M. , Padmanaban Sanjeevikumar , Mahela Om Prakash , Alhelou Hassan Haes
Published: September 2021

In the power distribution network, real power loss and voltage profile management are critical issues. By providing active and reactive power support, both of these issues can be managed. Distributed generation (DG) and capacitor bank (QG) can be utilized to solve these issues. Therefore, this paper utilized optimally placed and sized DG and capacitor (QG) to minimize losses and improve the voltage profile. The overall problem is optimized using an upgraded method of the fitness assignment and solution chasing based on the aggregate approach called multi‐objective whale optimization algorithm (MWOA). Wind and solar photovoltaic sources with biomass are utilized as the DG sources with their probabilistic outputs. The developed method is tested using two practical feeders of Bahir Dar city distribution network, Ethiopia. The results of loss minimization and voltage profile enhancement with MWOA are compared with multi‐objective particle swam optimization (MPSO) with an equal number of iterations to show the superiority of the developed method.
Microglia modulate hippocampal synaptic transmission and sleep duration along the light/dark cycle
Authors: Corsi Giorgio , Picard Katherine , di Castro Maria Amalia , Garofalo Stefano , Tucci Federico , Chece Giuseppina , del Percio Claudio , Golia Maria Teresa , Raspa Marcello , Scavizzi Ferdinando , Decoeur Fanny , Lauro Clotilde , Rigamonti Mara , Iannello Fabio , Ragozzino Davide Antonio , Russo Eleonora , Bernardini Giovanni , Nadjar Agnès , Tremblay Marie Eve , Babiloni Claudio , Maggi Laura , Limatola Cristina
Published: September 2021

Microglia, the brain's resident macrophages, actively contribute to the homeostasis of cerebral parenchyma by sensing neuronal activity and supporting synaptic remodeling and plasticity. While several studies demonstrated different roles for astrocytes in sleep, the contribution of microglia in the regulation of sleep/wake cycle and in the modulation of synaptic activity in the different day phases has not been deeply investigated. Using light as a zeitgeber cue, we studied the effects of microglial depletion with the colony stimulating factor‐1 receptor antagonist PLX5622 on the sleep/wake cycle and on hippocampal synaptic transmission in male mice. Our data demonstrate that almost complete microglial depletion increases the duration of NREM sleep and reduces the hippocampal excitatory neurotransmission. The fractalkine receptor CX3CR1 plays a relevant role in these effects, because cx3cr1GFP/GFP mice recapitulate what found in PLX5622‐treated mice. Furthermore, during the light phase, microglia express lower levels of cx3cr1 and a reduction of cx3cr1 expression is also observed when cultured microglial cells are stimulated by ATP, a purinergic molecule released during sleep. Our findings suggest that microglia participate in the regulation of sleep, adapting their cx3cr1 expression in response to the light/dark phase, and modulating synaptic activity in a phase‐dependent manner.
Spatiotemporal changes in diffusivity and anisotropy in fetal brain tractography
Authors: Machado‐Rivas Fedel , Afacan Onur , Khan Shadab , Marami Bahram , Velasco‐Annis Clemente , Lidov Hart , Warfield Simon K. , Gholipour Ali , Jaimes Camilo
Published: September 2021

Population averaged diffusion atlases can be utilized to characterize complex microstructural changes with less bias than data from individual subjects. In this study, a fetal diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) atlas was used to investigate tract‐based changes in anisotropy and diffusivity in vivo from 23 to 38 weeks of gestational age (GA). Healthy pregnant volunteers with typically developing fetuses were imaged at 3 T. Acquisition included structural images processed with a super‐resolution algorithm and DTI images processed with a motion‐tracked slice‐to‐volume registration algorithm. The DTI from individual subjects were used to generate 16 templates, each specific to a week of GA; this was accomplished by means of a tensor‐to‐tensor diffeomorphic deformable registration method integrated with kernel regression in age. Deterministic tractography was performed to outline the forceps major, forceps minor, bilateral corticospinal tracts (CST), bilateral inferior fronto‐occipital fasciculus (IFOF), bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), and bilateral uncinate fasciculus (UF). The mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) was recorded for all tracts. For a subset of tracts (forceps major, CST, and IFOF) we manually divided the tractograms into anatomy conforming segments to evaluate within‐tract changes. We found tract‐specific, nonlinear, age related changes in FA and MD. Early in gestation, these trends appear to be dominated by cytoarchitectonic changes in the transient white matter fetal zones while later in gestation, trends conforming to the progression of myelination were observed. We also observed significant (local) heterogeneity in within‐tract developmental trajectories for the CST, IFOF, and forceps major.
Transient asystole related to carbon dioxide embolism during transoral endoscopic parathyroidectomy vestibular approach
Authors: Aygun Nurcihan , Sarıdemir Demet , Bas Koray , Tunca Fatih , Arici Cumhur , Uludag Mehmet
Published: September 2021

Background

Rarely, during the endoscopic thyroidectomy, carbon dioxide (CO2) embolism may occur.

Methods

Case 1: A 65‐year‐old female who was seen with prolonged fatigue and generalized bone pain was diagnosed primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) based on her preoperative biochemical profile. Transoral endoscopic parathyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOEPVA) was planned.

Case 2: A 52‐year‐old male patient was seen with weakness and hepatosteatosis and was diagnosed PHPT based on the laboratory workup. TOEPVA was planned.

Results

After subplatysmal dissection with vascular tunnel probe, both of the patients developed severe bradycardia and hypotension leading to asystole during the CO2 insufflation. The possibility of CO2 embolism was considered and insufflation was terminated. After a successful cardiac massage, sinus rhythm returned.

Conclusion

TOEPVA may develop CO2 embolism leading to asystole during the CO2 insufflation.
Influence of particle size on thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity of water‐based Indian coal fly ash nanofluid
Authors: Kanti Praveen , Sharma K. V. , Raja Sekhar Y.
Published: September 2021

This study investigates the influence of particle size on thermal conductivity (TC) and dynamic viscosity of stable water‐based Indian coal fly ash nanofluid. Coal fly ash particles with an average particle size of 114, 89, 55.5, 30.36, and 11.5 nm were considered in the present study under the temperature range of 30–60°C with 0.5 vol% concentration at a pH range of 7.5–9. These nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscope for morphology, dynamic light scattering was used to assess the average particle size, and zeta potential (ζ) for the stability of nanofluid samples. The difference in maximum TC enhancement between 11.5 and 114 nm sample was 9.4% at a temperature of 60°C and a volume concentration of 0.5%. Also, the maximum viscosity enhancement was 13.3% at a temperature of 30°C and the same volume concentration of 11.5 nm sample. The experimental results noticed that stability, TC, and dynamic viscosity increase with a reduction in particle size. Also, TC increases, whereas viscosity decreases with temperature increment.
Racial/ethnic differences in postmenopausal breast cancer risk by hormone receptor status: The multiethnic cohort study
Authors: Sarink Danja , White Kami K. , Loo Lenora W.M. , Wu Anna H. , Wilkens Lynne R. , Le Marchand Loïc , Park Song‐Yi , Setiawan V. Wendy , Merritt Melissa A.
Published: September 2021

There are racial/ethnic differences in the incidence of hormone receptor positive and negative breast cancer. To understand why these differences exist, we investigated associations between hormone‐related factors and breast cancer risk by race/ethnicity in the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) Study. Among 81 511 MEC participants (Native Hawaiian, Japanese American, Latina, African American and White women), 3806 estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and 828 ER− incident invasive breast cancers were diagnosed during a median of 21 years of follow‐up. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to calculate associations between race/ethnicity and breast cancer risk, and associations between hormone‐related factors and breast cancer risk by race/ethnicity. Relative to White women, ER+ breast cancer risk was higher in Native Hawaiians and lower in Latinas and African Americans; ER− disease risk was higher in African Americans. We observed interaction with race/ethnicity in associations between oral contraceptive use (OC; Pint .03) and body mass index (BMI; Pint .05) with ER+ disease risk; ever versus never OC use increased risk only in Latinas and positive associations for obese versus lean BMI were strongest in Japanese Americans. For ER‐ disease risk, associations for OC use, particularly duration of use, were strongest for African Americans (Pint .04). Our study shows that associations of OC use and obesity with ER+ and ER− breast cancer risk differ by race/ethnicity, but established risk factors do not fully explain racial/ethnic differences in risk. Further studies are needed to identify factors to explain observed racial/ethnic differences in breast cancer incidence.
Colon fibroblasts from Pirc rats (F344/NTac‐Apcam1137) exhibit a proliferative and inflammatory phenotype that could support early stages of colon carcinogenesis
Authors: Tortora Katia , Margheri Francesca , Luceri Cristina , Mocali Alessandra , Ristori Sara , Magnelli Lucia , Caderni Giovanna , Giovannelli Lisa
Published: September 2021

The role of fibroblast APC mutation in carcinogenesis is not clear. Apc+/− colon fibroblasts have been previously characterized: however, little is known about their behavior at very early‐stage of colon carcinogenesis. We cultured colon mucosa fibroblasts (PCF, Apc+/−) of Pirc rats (F344/NTac‐Apcam1137) at an early stage of tumorigenesis, in absence of preneoplastic lesions, and of age‐matched wt (WCF): DNA damage levels, inflammatory phenotype and the expression of known markers of CAFs were analyzed. The latter were also assessed by microarray analysis on colon normal mucosa of Pirc and wt animals. PCF exhibited higher proliferative rates (P < .001) and delayed replicative senescence onset (P < .05) compared to WCF, along with a lower level of oxidative DNA damage (P < .05). Furthermore, a constitutively higher expression of COX‐2 and sensitivity to inflammatory stimuli was found in PCF compared to WCF (P < .05), accompanied by higher invasive capability (P < .05) and presence of cytoplasmic chromatin foci (cytoplasmic chromatin foci, P < .05). However, they neither expressed CAFs markers (α‐SMA, IL‐6) nor responded to CAFs activating stimuli (TGF‐β). Accordingly, CAFs markers and activating stimuli resulted down‐regulated in Pirc normal mucosa compared to wt, whereas DNA damage response and tolerance pathways were overexpressed. These data show for the first time that a proliferative and inflammatory phenotype characterizes Apc+/− colon fibroblasts since very early stages of colon tumorigenesis, and indicate a role of Apc mutation in driving fibroblast phenotypic alterations that could support the establishment of a protumorigenic environment. Early pharmacological targeting of these dysfunctions might impact on tumor prevention in FAP patients.
Effects of increasing credit limit in digital microlending: A study of airtime lending in East Africa
Authors: Shema Alain
Published: September 2021

The recent decade has witnessed a significant increase in digital micro‐lending in Africa, boosted by the surge in popularity of mobile phones and, especially, mobile money. Starting with airtime and cash lending through mobile money, numerous other products are now offered, including prepaid electricity vouchers. However, these innovative loan products are often hampered by a lack of credit history from customers. Thus, lenders resort to issuing small loan amounts that are expanded as customers make timely repayments. Research from the credit card industry shows that increasing credit limits can lead to increased indebtedness and spending. Working with an airtime lender, this experimental study finds that people with increased credit limits behave similarly to credit cardholders, by increasing their borrowing. However, this increased borrowing negatively affects their repayment rate and long‐term usage of communication services. Additionally, customers' characteristics, such as their borrowing experience, influence their responses to increases in credit limits. Based on the results of this experimental study, we present key recommendations for digital micro‐lenders to minimize the potential negative impacts of increasing credit limits. We also discuss the use of randomized experiments as a research method in ICTD studies.
Three‐dimensional printing of cell‐laden microporous constructs using blended bioinks
Authors: Somasekhar Likitha , Huynh Nicholas D. , Vecheck Amy , Kishore Vipuil , Bashur Chris A. , Mitra Kunal
Published: September 2021

Hydrogels such as alginate and gelatin have shown potential as biomaterials in various three‐dimensional (3D) bioprinting applications. However, parameters such as viscosity, porosity, and printability influence the performance of hydrogel‐based biomaterials, and there are limited characterization studies conducted on the behavior of these constructs. In this work, a syringe‐based extrusion bioprinter was used to print 3D constructs with bioink composed of various concentrations of alginate and gelatin along with fibrinogen and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Instead of crosslinking the gelatin, the gelatin was left uncrosslinked to provide microporosity within the system that can impact the cellular response. Mechanical and biochemical characterization was performed to evaluate the structural stability and integrity of the printed constructs along with viability of embedded cells. Bioprinted constructs of a higher total concentration of alginate and gelatin yielded better stability and structural integrity after culture. More importantly, higher amounts of gelatin (i.e., 1:9 instead of 2:3 alginate:gelatin) were shown to improve printability, which is different than most studies that instead use alginate to improve printability. In addition, higher amounts of gelatin impacted the changes in surface morphological features of the constructs after incubation, and ultimately improved biocompatibility with our system. Overall, this study demonstrated that an uncrosslinked gelatin system can provide flexible printing parameters and surface morphologies, but careful control over the printing parameters may be required. The bioink concentration of 10% (w/v) with minimum alginate and higher gelatin concentration exhibited the best printability, cell survival, and viability.
Cell growth and removal capacity of ibuprofen and diclofenac by Parachlorella kessleri at bench scale
Authors: Jiménez‐Bambague Eliana M , Florez‐Castillo Juan S , Gómez‐Angulo Rosa D , Morales‐Acosta Paola A , Peña‐Salamanca Enrique J , Machuca‐Martínez Fiderman , Madera‐Parra Carlos A
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND

The presence of pharmaceutical compounds has been studied in several countries in Latin America, and many xenobiotic compounds have been identified in wastewater, surface water and even drinking water, including ibuprofen and diclofenac. Microalgal‐based systems have been identified as a good alternative for removing these micropollutants, particularly under tropical conditions, and they are associated with low operational cost and high removal efficiency. Although studies for removing pharmaceutical compounds with Parachlorella kessleri are scarce, this microalga has demonstrated good performance in the treatment of wastewater.

RESULTS

Using doses of ibuprofen of 1000 and 16 000 μg L−1 and of diclofenac of 100 and 500 μg L−1, the removal efficiency of P. kessleri was evaluated under controlled conditions for periods of 12, 48 and 96 h during cell growth. A hormesis process was identified after an alarm phase at the first 12 h and a recovery at 48 h for ibuprofen, because the diclofenac curve achieved an early death phase, which was associated with oxidative damage. Total removal of up to 51.3% and 55.7% was obtained for ibuprofen and diclofenac, respectively. These removal efficiencies were mostly influenced by microalgae by the process of bioaccumulation/adsorption (23.3% for ibuprofen and 37.1% for diclofenac) and by other mechanisms (40.6% for ibuprofen and 44% for diclofenac).

CONCLUSION

Removal efficiencies were mainly associated with the presence of microalgae and removal mechanisms such as bioaccumulation and biodegradation for diclofenac, and biodegradation for ibuprofen. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Novel triangle tip‐jet knife increases efficiency in peroral endoscopic myotomy for achalasia
Authors: Motomura Douglas , Hew Simon , Bechara Robert
Published: September 2021

Background and Aim

Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is performed globally for the treatment of achalasia. A newly available endoscopic knife, the triangle tip‐jet (TTJ) (Olympus Triangle TipKnife‐J, KD‐645L), has the capability of knife dissection along with submucosal injection. We aim to present our experience with the TTJ knife in comparison to the conventional TT knife in POEM, with a focus on procedural characteristics including time, efficiency, and the number of instrument exchanges.

Methods

All patients with achalasia who underwent POEM between March 2016 and March 2020 at a single tertiary academic center were included in the retrospective cohort. Demographic, procedural, and outcomes data were compared.

Results

Ninety‐two procedures, 48 using the TT knife, and 44 with the TTJ knife were analyzed. Demographic data were similar. Procedure time was reduced using the TTJ knife (87 vs 61 min, P = <0.001) despite similar myotomy lengths (16.5 vs 15.2 cm, P = 0.09). Efficiency was increased in the TTJ group (5.5 vs 4.3 min/cm of procedure, P = 0.005). The number of instrument exchanges (16.7–1.7, P = <0.001) and usage of coagulation forceps decreased (1.7–0.5, P = <0.001). There was no difference in the procedural difficulty (POEM difficulty score [PDS] 2.2 vs 2.4, P = 0.4). Patients with higher procedural difficulty saw a greater improvement in procedural outcomes. Procedural success was high in both groups (96% vs 100%, P = 0.2). No serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusions

The use of the TTJ knife increases efficiency during POEM for Achalasia. The total procedure time is decreased by 28–41%, and procedural efficiency is increased by 22–34%.
Tractometry‐Based Estimation of Corticospinal Tract Injury to Assess Initial Impairment and Predict Functional Outcomes in Ischemic Stroke Patients
Authors: Li Yuanhao , Yan Su , Zhang Guiling , Shen Nanxi , Wu Di , Lu Jun , Zhou Yiran , Liu Yufei , Zhu Hongquan , Li Li , Zhang Shun , Zhu Wenzhen
Published: September 2021

Background

Corticospinal tract (CST) injury has been shown to exert a major influence on functional recovery after ischemic stroke.

Purpose

To evaluate the prognostic value of CST injury estimated using a recent developed tractometry‐based method.

Study Type

Prospective.

Population

Forty‐eight patients with CST damage induced by stroke lesion who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging within 7 days from onset.

Sequence

Diffusion‐weighted imaging (b = 1000 seconds/mm2) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) spin‐echo echo‐planar sequence with three b‐values (0, 1250, and 2500 seconds/mm2) at 3.0 T.

Assessment

A recently developed approach that combines tract segmentation and orientation mapping was used for CST‐specific tractography and tractometry. CST injury was estimated using the proposed method with diffusion metrics extracted from DKI sequence and with the first principal component (PC1) of the metrics. We also calculated the weighted lesion load (wLL) for comparison. Clinical evaluation included the National Institutes of Health Stroke Score in the acute phase and the modified Rankin scale at 3 months post‐stroke. The correlations between CST injury and initial motor impairment, as well as the prognostic values of CST injury for functional outcomes were evaluated.

Statistical Tests

Pearson correlation and logistic regression. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

CST injury calculated with diffusion metrics except fractional anisotropy all showed significant correlations with initial motor impairment. PC1 achieved the largest correlation coefficient (R = 0.65) compared with wLL and other diffusion metrics. In addition to wLL, DKI_AK, AFD_total, and PC1 maximum all showed predictive values for functional outcomes.

Data Conclusion

Structural injury to CST is important for the assessment of the extent of injury and the prediction of functional outcome. The method proposed in our study could provide an imaging indicator to quantify the CST injury after ischemic stroke.

Level of Evidence

2

Technical Efficacy

Stage 1
Effects of algal–bacterial ratio on the growth and cadmium accumulation of Chlorella salina–Bacillus subtilis consortia
Authors: Yu Qingnan , Li Peihuan , Li Benwei , Zhang Chen , Zhang Chunhua , Ge Ying
Published: September 2021

Algae–bacteria consortia have been proven effective in the removal of metal pollutants, but the effects of algal–bacterial ratio in the metal accumulation and resistance by this symbiotic system have not been systematically investigated. In this study, we set up consortia with various ratios of Chlorella salina–Bacillus subtilis, determined their growth, Cd accumulation, levels of intracellular glutathione (GSH), extracellular polysaccharide, phosphorus (P) in the culture medium, and functional groups of consortia after Cd treatments (0.1, 0.5, 1 mg L−1) for 7 days. With the addition of B. subtilis in the C. salina culture, the dry weight and specific growth rate of the consortia significantly increased compared with C. salina alone, reaching 68.33 mg and 0.382 (mg L−1) d−1 respectively at the 1:4 algal–bacterial ratio with 1 mg L−1 Cd treatment. Maximum Cd removal (51.66%) was also observed upon the same Cd exposure and algal–bacterial ratio. Cadmium was mostly taken up into cells at 1 mg L−1 Cd whereas its adsorption dominated the accumulation when Cd was 0.1 and 0.5 mg L−1. The amounts of extracellular polysaccharides, GSH, and P of the symbiotic system were also increased by the bacterial addition. Besides, Fouriertransform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis showed that functional groups like N–H, O–H, and P–O–C were involved in the Cd complexation. Taken together, a higher bacterial ratio promoted the Cd accumulation and detoxification by the C. salina–B. subtilis consortia through intra‐ and extracellular processes.
Changeable wettability of electrospun membrane by adjusting self‐assembly micelles structure of amphiphilic block copolymer
Authors: Wang Lingxiao , Liang Xinyue , Xu Guilong , Hu Jian
Published: September 2021

Fiber membranes with high specific surface area can be produced when using electrospinning technology combined with amphiphilic block polymers. Due to the solubility difference between the two segments of amphiphilic block polymers, it is easy to be self‐assembly in solvents, which affects the morphology of the spinning fiber and the surface properties of the membrane. In this work, the relationship between the self‐assembly of the amphiphilic block polymer and the morphology of the spinning fiber and the wetting performance of the spinning membrane was explored. Membrane is produced by electrospinning amphiphilic block copolymer PS‐b‐PHEMA (polystyrene‐block‐poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) by using co‐solvent system. PS‐b‐PHEMA with controlled molecular weight (Mw) and polymer dispersity index (PDI) was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The electrospun membrane have both super‐hydrophobic and super‐hydrophilic by adjusting the ratio of mixed solvents, demonstrating that the wetting performance of the fiber membrane mainly depends on the shell structure of the self‐assembly micelles.
Automated facial–vestibulocochlear nerve complex identification based on data‐driven tractography clustering
Authors: Zeng Qingrun , Li Mengjun , Yuan Shaonan , He Jianzhong , Wang Jingqiang , Chen Zan , Zhao Changchen , Chen Ge , Liang Jiantao , Li Mingchu , Feng Yuanjing
Published: September 2021

Small size and intricate anatomical environment are the main difficulties facing tractography of the facial–vestibulocochlear nerve complex (FVN), and lead to challenges in fiber orientation distribution (FOD) modeling, fiber tracking, region‐of‐interest selection, and fiber filtering. Experts need rich experience in anatomy and tractography, as well as substantial labor costs, to identify the FVN. Thus, we present a pipeline to identify the FVN automatically, in what we believe is the first study of the automated identification of the FVN. First, we created an FVN template. Forty high‐resolution multishell data were used to perform data‐driven fiber clustering based on the multishell multitissue constraint spherical deconvolution FOD model and deterministic tractography. We selected the brainstem and cerebellum (BS‐CB) region as the seed region and removed the fibers that reach other brain regions. We then performed spectral fiber clustering twice. The first clustering was to create a BS‐CB atlas and separate the fibers that pass through the cerebellopontine angle, and the other one was to extract the FVN. Second, we registered the subject‐specific fibers in the space of the FVN template and assigned each fiber to the closest cluster to identify the FVN automatically by spectral embedding. We applied the proposed method to different acquirement sites, including two different healthy datasets and two tumor patient datasets. Experimental results showed that our automatic identification results have ideal colocalization with expert manual identification in terms of spatial overlap and visualization. Importantly, we successfully applied our method to tumor patient data. The FVNs identified by the proposed method were in agreement with intraoperative findings.
Flexible strain sensor with ridge‐like microstructures for wearable applications
Authors: Wang Meng , Mu Lin , Zhang Hao , Ma Suqian , Liang Yunhong , Ren Lei
Published: September 2021

The flexible stretchable sensors have great potential for implementation in various applications, such as intelligent soft robots, health monitoring, and motion detection. However, most of the flexible stretchable sensors with microstructures and high sensitivities are fabricated by expensive templates and complex processes. In consideration of large‐scale fabrication, a low cost and efficient way is in great demand. Herein, electroless plating on Nafion films with decent swelling ratios are proposed to fabricate stretchable sensors with wrinkle‐structured electrodes. By adding isopropanol (IPA) to the electroless plating process, the H2O‐IPA sensor with larger swelling ratio shows deeper surface wrinkles, higher surface roughness, and better sensitivity to strain. At the same time, the H2O‐IPA sensor exhibit good durability (500 cycles). By mounting the sensor on the joint of human finger, the motion of the finger bending and even the bending degree can be accurately detected, indicating the potential use in the field of wearable devices and soft electronic skins.
Licochalcone A inhibits MAS‐related GPR family member X2‐induced pseudo‐allergic reaction by suppressing nuclear migration of nuclear factor‐κB
Authors: Xue Zhuoyin , Zhang Yongjing , Zeng Yingnan , Hu Shiling , Bai Haoyun , Wang Jue , Jing Huiling , Wang Nan
Published: September 2021

Licochalcone A (Lico A) is a natural flavonoid belonging to the class of substituted chalcone that has various biological effects. Mast cells (MCs) are innate immune cells that mediate hypersensitivity and pseudo‐allergic reactions. MAS‐related GPR family member X2 (MRGPRX2) on MCs has been recognized as the main receptor for pseudo‐allergic reactions. In this study, we investigated the anti‐pseudo‐allergy effect of Lico A and its underlying mechanism. Substance P (SP), as an MC activator, was used to establish an in vitro and in vivo model of pseudo‐allergy. The in vivo effect of Lico A was investigated using passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) and active systemic allergy, along with degranulation, Ca2+ influx in vitro. SP‐induced laboratory of allergic disease 2 (LAD2) cell mRNA expression was explored using RNA‐seq, and Lico A inhibited LAD2 cell activation by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining. Lico A showed an inhibitory effect on SP‐induced MC activation and pseudo‐allergy both in vitro and in vivo. The nuclear factor (NF)‐κB pathway is involved in MRGPRX2 induced MC activation, which is inhibited by Lico A. In conclusion, Lico A inhibited the pseudo‐allergic reaction mediated by MRGPRX2 by blocking NF‐κB nuclear migration.
Quantum Artificial Synapses
Authors: Meng You , Yip Sen Po , Wang Wei , Liu Chuntai , Ho Johnny C.
Published: September 2021

Neuromorphic in‐memory computing systems, comprising artificial synapses and neurons, can overcome the energy inefficiency and throughput limitation of today's von Neumann computing architecture. Recently, powered by the unique properties of quantum materials, for example, high mobility, outstanding sensitivity, and strong quantum effect, researchers have built quantum artificial synapses to mimic the biological ones. These quantum electronic/photonic synapses can precisely define their conductance state (or synaptic weight) for emulating synaptic behaviors, which shows bionic performance unreachable by other conventional materials. In this review, the significant achievements in quantum artificial synapses are summarized. First, potential quantum materials used in artificial synapses are discussed with particular attention to quantum dots, nanowires, layered materials, and quasi‐2DEG interfaces. Then, the major quantum effects that are utilized in quantum artificial synapses, for example, Josephson effect, quantum tunneling, and spin memory, are reviewed. In addition to the discussion on a single synaptic device, the macroscale integration into artificial visual systems and artificial nerve networks are also highlighted. Finally, the associated future research trends and target applications are also discussed.
Photothermal and Enhanced Photocatalytic Therapies Conduce to Synergistic Anticancer Phototherapy with Biodegradable Titanium Diselenide Nanosheets
Authors: Duo Yanhong , Luo Guanghong , Li Zihuang , Chen Zide , Li Xianming , Jiang Zhenyou , Yu Binlu , Huang Hao , Sun Zhengbo , Yu Xue‐feng
Published: September 2021

Nanomaterial‐based photothermal and photocatalytic therapies are effective against various types of cancers. However, combining two or more materials is considered necessary to achieve the synergistic anticancer effects of photothermal and photocatalytic therapy, which made the preparation process complicated. Herein, the authors describe simple 2D titanium diselenide (TiSe2) nanosheets (NSs) that can couple photothermal therapy with photocatalytic therapy. The TiSe2 NSs are prepared using a liquid exfoliation method. They show a layered structure and possess high photothermal conversion efficiency (65.58%) and good biocompatibility. Notably, upon near‐infrared irradiation, these NSs exhibit good photocatalytic properties with enhanced reactive oxygen species generation and H2O2 decomposition in vitro. They can also achieve high temperatures, with heat improving their catalytic ability to further amplify oxidative stress and glutathione depletion in cancer cells. Furthermore, molecular mechanism studies reveal that the synergistic effects of photothermal and enhanced photocatalytic therapy can simultaneously lead to apoptosis and necrosis in cancer cells via the HSP90/JAK3/NF‐κB/IKB‐α/Caspase‐3 pathway. Systemic exploration reveals that the TiSe2 NSs has an appreciable degradation rate and accumulates passively in tumor tissue, where they facilitate photothermal and photocatalytic effects without obvious toxicity. Their study thus indicates the high potential of biodegradable TiSe2 NSs in synergistic phototherapy for cancer treatment.
Exploring the Role of H‐Bonding in Organic Electrochemistry – From Supramolecular Applications to Mechanistic Investigations
Authors: Smith Diane K.
Published: September 2021

H‐bonds can exert a substantial impact on the course of organic electrode reactions due to their ability to stabilize charged intermediates and products formed during these reactions, as well as facilitate proton‐coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions. This has fundamental implications for the mechanism of organic electrode reactions, but also practical impact in supramolecular chemistry and potentially synthetic electrochemistry. My group's main focus has been on the supramolecular applications, using electron transfer to alter the strength of H‐bonds to create highly redox‐responsive H‐bond dimers. Initially we sought to avoid proton transfer because we feared that would lead to irreversible electrochemistry. However, inevitably proton transfer did show up, but, to our surprise, did not lead to irreversible electrochemistry. To explain this, we developed a new mechanism, the “wedge scheme”, that shows how H‐bonding can facilitate reversible electron and proton transfer. This insight recently led us to a new PCET‐based design strategy for the creation of our most highly redox‐responsive H‐bond dimers yet.
Silting and Tilting for Weakly Symmetric Algebras
Authors: August Jenny , Dugas Alex
Published: September 2021

If A is a finite-dimensional symmetric algebra, then it is well-known that the only silting complexes in Kb(projA) are the tilting complexes. In this note we investigate to what extent the same can be said for weakly symmetric algebras. On one hand, we show that this holds for all tilting-discrete weakly symmetric algebras. In particular, a tilting-discrete weakly symmetric algebra is also silting-discrete. On the other hand, we also construct an example of a weakly symmetric algebra with silting complexes that are not tilting.
Topic modeling in software engineering research
Authors: Silva Camila Costa , Galster Matthias , Gilson Fabian
Published: September 2021

Topic modeling using models such as Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) is a text mining technique to extract human-readable semantic “topics” (i.e., word clusters) from a corpus of textual documents. In software engineering, topic modeling has been used to analyze textual data in empirical studies (e.g., to find out what developers talk about online), but also to build new techniques to support software engineering tasks (e.g., to support source code comprehension). Topic modeling needs to be applied carefully (e.g., depending on the type of textual data analyzed and modeling parameters). Our study aims at describing how topic modeling has been applied in software engineering research with a focus on four aspects: (1) which topic models and modeling techniques have been applied, (2) which textual inputs have been used for topic modeling, (3) how textual data was “prepared” (i.e., pre-processed) for topic modeling, and (4) how generated topics (i.e., word clusters) were named to give them a human-understandable meaning. We analyzed topic modeling as applied in 111 papers from ten highly-ranked software engineering venues (five journals and five conferences) published between 2009 and 2020. We found that (1) LDA and LDA-based techniques are the most frequent topic modeling techniques, (2) developer communication and bug reports have been modelled most, (3) data pre-processing and modeling parameters vary quite a bit and are often vaguely reported, and (4) manual topic naming (such as deducting names based on frequent words in a topic) is common.
Reconceptualising fair access to highly academically selective universities
Authors: Boliver Vikki , Banerjee Pallavi , Gorard Stephen , Powell Mandy
Published: September 2021

The higher education regulator for England has set challenging new widening access targets requiring universities to rethink how merit is judged in admissions. Universities are being encouraged to move away from the traditional meritocraticequalityof opportunity model of fair access, which holds that university places should go to the most highly qualified candidates irrespective of social background, in accordance with the principles of procedural fairness. Instead, they are being asked to move towards what we term the meritocraticequityof opportunity model, which holds that prospective students’ qualifications should be judged in light of the socioeconomic circumstances in which these were obtained to enhance distributive fairness, a practice known in the UK as contextualised admissions. In this paper, we critically discuss the theoretical underpinnings of these two competing perspectives on fair access and review the existing empirical evidence base, drawing together for the first time insights from our ESRC and Nuffield Foundation funded studies of fair access to highly academically selective universities in England. We argue that reconceptualising fair access in terms of distributive fairness rather than procedural fairness offers a more socially just set of principles on which to allocate valuable but scarce places at the most academically selective universities in England, unless or until such time as the vertical stratification of higher education institutions is reduced or eliminated entirely.
In What Ways Does Health Related Stigma Affect Sustainable Employment and Well-Being at Work? A Systematic Review
Authors: van Beukering I. E. , Smits S. J. C. , Janssens K. M. E. , Bogaers R. I. , Joosen M. C. W. , Bakker M. , van Weeghel J. , Brouwers E. P. M.
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Studies are increasingly showing that health related stigma is a barrier to employment, but it is not known how. The aim of this systematic review is to identify, appraise and analyse studies that have directly or indirectly addressed ways in which stigma affects sustainable employment and well-being at work of people with disabilities.

Methods

Using a multiphase screening process, this review is based on a comprehensive literature search (2000–2019) carried out in six electronic databases: Embase, Web of Science, Medline Ovid, Cochrane CENTRAL, PsycINFO and Google Scholar.

Results

7.263 publications were identified; 96 studies were found eligible to be included in the review. 72% of the studies were conducted in North America or Europe. Few studies directly assessed how stigma affects the employment of people with disabilities. Most studies highlighted that attitudes and behaviour of employers formed a barrier to employment, as well as anticipated stigma and self-stigma in people with health problems. However, the findings also showed that the attitudes and behaviour of co-workers, health care professionals, reintegration professionals, customers, and family and friends could act as a barrier to employment although these influences are under-researched. Although many similarities were seen in the relevant findings of studies about both physical and mental disabilities, several nuances were found.

Conclusion

Stigma hampers sustainable employment and well-being in multiple ways. Whereas the number of publications on this topic is rapidly increasing, the roles of health care professionals, reintegration professionals, co-workers, customers, and family and friends particularly warrant more attention.
Cardiopulmonary exercise testing in patients with moderate-severe obesity: a clinical evaluation tool for OSA?
Authors: Vecchiato Marco , Neunhaeuserer Daniel , Quinto Giulia , Bettini Silvia , Gasperetti Andrea , Battista Francesca , Vianello Andrea , Vettor Roberto , Busetto Luca , Ermolao Andrea
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a widespread comorbidity of obesity. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been demonstrated very effective in treating patients with OSA. The aims of this study were to investigate whether or not cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) can characterize patients with OSA and to evaluate the effect of nasal CPAP therapy.

Methods

An observational study was conducted on patients with moderate to severe obesity and suspected OSA. All patients underwent cardiorespiratory sleep study, spirometry, and functional evaluation with ECG-monitored, incremental, maximal CPET.

Results

Of the 147 patients, 94 presented with an apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 15 events/h and were thus considered to have OSA (52 receiving nasal CPAP treatment; 42 untreated) while 53 formed a control group (AHI < 15 events/h). Patients with untreated OSA showed significantly lower oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate, minute ventilation (VE), and end tidal carbon dioxide (PETCO2) at peak exercise compared to controls. Patients receiving nasal CPAP showed higher VE and VO2 at peak exercise compared to untreated patients. A difference in PETCO2 between the maximum value reached during test and peak exercise (ΔPETCO2 max-peak) of 1.71 mmHg was identified as a predictor of OSA.

Conclusion

Patients with moderate to severe obesity and untreated OSA presented a distinctive CPET-pattern characterized by lower aerobic and exercise capacity, higher PETCO2 at peak exercise associated with a lower ventilatory response. Nasal CPAP treatment was shown to positively affect these cardiorespiratory adaptations during exercise. ΔPETCO2 max-peak may be used to suggest OSA in patients with obesity.
Investigation of the γ′ Precipitates Dissolution in a Ni-Based Superalloy During Stress-Free Short-Term Annealing at High Homologous Temperatures
Authors: Rakoczy Łukasz , Grudzień-Rakoczy Małgorzata , Hanning Fabian , Cempura Grzegorz , Cygan Rafał , Andersson Joel , Zielińska-Lipiec Anna
Published: September 2021

The equiaxed Ni-based superalloy René 108 was subjected to short-term annealing at five temperatures between 900 °C and 1100 °C. The phase composition, phase lattice parameters, microstructure, stereological parameters, and chemical composition of γ′ precipitates were investigated by thermodynamic simulations, X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Analysis of the γ and γ′ lattice parameters using the Nelson-Riley extrapolation function showed that the misfit parameter for temperatures 900 °C to 1050 °C is positive (decreasing from 0.32 to 0.11 pct). At 1100 °C, the parameter becomes negative, δ = − 0.18 pct. During the short-term annealing, γ′ precipitates dissolution occurred progressing more rapidly with increasing temperatures. The surface fraction of γ′ precipitates decreased with increasing temperature from 0.52 to 0.34. The dissolution of γ′ precipitates did not only proceed through uninterrupted thinning of each individual precipitate, but also included more complex mechanisms, including splitting. Based on transmission electron microscopy, it was shown that after γ′ precipitates dissolution, the matrix close to the γ/γ′ interface is strongly enriched in Co and Cr and depleted in Al.
Dlg1 Knockout Inhibits Microglial Activation and Alleviates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Depression-Like Behavior in Mice
Authors: Peng Zhixin , Li Xiaoheng , Li Jun , Dong Yuan , Gao Yuhao , Liao Yajin , Yan Meichen , Yuan Zengqiang , Cheng Jinbo
Published: September 2021

Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is widely perceived as a contributor to numerous neurological diseases and mental disorders including depression. Discs large homolog 1 (Dlg1), an adaptor protein, regulates cell polarization and the function of K+channels, which are reported to regulate the activation of microglia. However, little is known about the role of Dlg1 in microglia and the maintenance of central nervous system homeostasis. In this study, we found thatDlg1knockdown suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation by down-regulating the activation of nuclear factor-κB signaling and the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in microglia. Moreover, using an inducibleDlg1microglia-specific knockout (Dlg1flox/flox;CX3CR1CreER) mouse line, we found that microglialDlg1knockout reduced the activation of microglia and alleviated the LPS-induced depression-like behavior. In summary, our results demonstrated that Dlg1 plays a critical role in microglial activation and thus provides a potential therapeutic target for the clinical treatment of depression.
A comparative analysis on the entrepreneurial ecosystem of BRICS club countries: practical emphasis on South Africa
Authors: Bate Adisu Fanta
Published: September 2021

The effectiveness of entrepreneurial activities is not only determined by the quality of entrepreneurs but also by the ecosystem of entrepreneurship. The entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) that nurtures low-quality “moppets” to highly impactful “gazelles” is being widely debated and on-demand in literature. This study, therefore, is aimed to advance the discussion and make a comparative analysis of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, which has been given a little attention, of BRICS club countries with an especial focus on South Africa, Brazil, and India. Various entrepreneurship-economic growth-related measures including Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI), Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), Index Economic Freedom (IEF), and Legatum Prosperity Index (LPI) are used to compare the countries’ entrepreneurial ecosystem. Especially, the data set (2012–2018) of GEI was utilized for the analysis. According to GEI and GCI of 2018, China is leading BRICS club in terms of growth and entrepreneurial ecosystem. On the other side, LPI, IEF, and GEI put South Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem in a favorable position as compared to Brazil and India. South Africa performs poorly in startup skills, while both the latter ones are better and stand at the same level. This shows that South Africa’s tertiary education, coupled with low skill perception, is less effective in equipping the population to be entrepreneurs as compared to India and Brazil. Whereas Brazil and India are at their worst in internationalizing the country’s entrepreneurs and technological absorption, respectively. South Africa is more like India in product innovation and risk acceptance. On the other side, it is more like Brazil in risk capital, technological absorption, opportunity perception, and in their sluggish economic growth. Overall, South Africa (57th/140 as of 2018) is categorized among those poorly performing countries in terms of start-up skills, networking, technology absorption, human Capital, and risk capital pillars. The government of South Africa needs to primarily work on these bottle-neck pillars to improve its EE. To increase GEI by 5%, it should invest 77% of its extra resource on start-up skills, 18% on risk capital, and 5% on technology absorption. Applying GEI set up, this paper claims to have uniquely contributed to how to make a country comparison on the EE. Further empirical research can be done including all BRICS countries to bolster their development effort and on how to promote EE by tackling the underlying bottlenecks.