bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LncRNA-MALAT1 Regulates Cancer Glucose Metabolism in Prostate Cancer via MYBL2/mTOR Axis
Authors: Mu Xiangyu , Shen Zhou , Lin Yao , Xiao Jun , Xia Kaiguo , Xu Congyun , Chen Biao , Shi Ronghua , Zhu Anyang , Sun Xinzhe , Tao Tao , Song Xiaoyuan , Xuan Qiang
Published: May 2022

It is known that the long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) MALAT1 is associated with tumorigenesis and progression in various cancers; however, its functions and mechanisms in prostate cancer (PCa) initiation and progression are still unknown. In the present study, our findings revealed that MALAT1 plays a critical part in regulating PCa proliferation and glucose metabolism. Knockdown of MALAT1 affects the protein and mRNA levels of MYBL2. In addition, MALAT1 enhances the phosphorylation level of mTOR pathway by upregulating MYBL2. Knockdown of MALAT1 or MYBL2 in PCa cell lines significantly inhibits their proliferation capacity. Silencing MALAT1/MYBL2/mTOR axis in PCa cell lines affects their glycolysis and lactate levels, and we verified these findings in mice. Furthermore, we explored the underlying tumorigenesis functions of MYBL2 in PCa and found that high expression of MYBL2 was positively associated with TNM stage, Gleason score, PSA level, and poor survival rate in PCa patients. Taken together, our research suggests that MALAT1 controls cancer glucose metabolism and progression by upregulating MYBL2-mTOR axis.
Modified Atmosphere Packaging of Chicken Thigh Meat: Physicochemical and Sensory Characteristics during the Frozen Storage Period
Authors: Al-Hilphy Asaad R. , Al-Asadi Majid H. , Khalaf Jalilah H. , Mousavi Khaneghah Amin , Faisal Manzoor Muhammad
Published: May 2022

This study aimed to explore the utilization of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) for chicken thigh meat pieces (CTMP) during frozen storage periods (FSP) of 1, 30, 60, and 90 days at −18°C. The treatments were divided into seven groups which are control, vacuum, 15% O2/15% N2/70% CO2, 30% N2/70% CO2, 50% O2/50% N2, 30% O2/70% CO2, and 1.5 ml clove essential oil. The results showed that treatment of 30% N2/70% CO2 was associated with a lower pH value than control. The pH, drip loss, TBA, peroxide number, and fatty acid percentage values were significantly (

p
<
0.05

) increased as FSP rises. The effect of the MAP and muscle fiber index (MFI) was significantly different (

p
<
0.05

) by the FSP. A decrease in the drip loss during storage and cooking when samples were treated with a MAP of 15% O2/15% N2/70% CO2, 30% N2/70% CO2, and clove oil groups were noted. The lowest values of TBA, peroxide number, and fatty acid percentage were recorded using 15% O2/15% N2/70% CO2, 30% N2/70% CO2, and clove oil groups, respectively. There was an improvement in all sensory characteristics of all MAP and clove oil treatments.
Engineering Education Understanding Expert Decision System Research and Application
Authors: Ye Huajie , Li Cuifeng
Published: May 2022

Engineering education is based on technical science and aims at training engineers who can transform science and technology into productive forces. In recent years, due to the emergence of new technology revolution, engineering science and production technology have achieved new development, and higher engineering education is also facing new challenges. Engineering education is to cultivate talents in an international environment and update the traditional engineer training model from the aspects of educational philosophy, mode, goal, approach, and means. The author believes that in the process of exploring the new talent training model, we must first change the educational concept and correctly understand and deal with various relationships in engineering education. To solve various decision-making problems in engineering construction, this study introduces the concept of engineering education certification under the background of new infrastructure and engineering education certification, analyzes the current situation and existing problems of engineering education understanding in recent years, and carries out reform and exploration from different aspects. The achievements in engineering education are analyzed. The engineering education project is analyzed and researched using the engineering decision-making scheme. It can be seen from the experimental analysis that the method has a good effect.
Multimer Detection System-Oligomerized Amyloid Beta (MDS-OAβ): A Plasma-Based Biomarker Differentiates Alzheimer’s Disease from Other Etiologies of Dementia
Authors: Dominguez Jacqueline Cotoong , Yu Jeryl Ritzi Tan , De Guzman Ma Fe , Ampil Encarnita , Guevarra Anne Cristine , Joson Ma. Lourdes , Reandelar Macario , Martinez Ma. Socorro , Ligsay Antonio , Ocampo Ferron , Kim SangYun
Published: May 2022

With emerging amyloid therapies, documentation of the patient’s amyloid status to confirm the etiology of a clinical diagnosis is warranted prior to instituting amyloid-based therapy. The Multimer Detection System-Oligomeric Amyloid-β (MDS-OAβ) is a noninvasive blood-based biomarker utilized to measure Aβ oligomerization tendency. We determined the difference in MDS-OAβ ratio across the groups: (a) no cognitive impairment or subjective cognitive impairment (NCI/SCI), (b) Alzheimer’s disease (AD), (c) non-AD, and (d) mixed Alzheimer’s disease-Vascular dementia (AD-VaD). MDS-OAβ level was not significantly different between AD and mixed AD-VaD, but both groups were significantly different from the NCI/SCI and from the non-AD group. An MDS-OAβ level of >1 could potentially indicate clinical variants of AD or mixed pathology (AD-VaD).
Targeting BCAT1 Combined with α-Ketoglutarate Triggers Metabolic Synthetic Lethality in Glioblastoma
Authors: Zhang Bo , Peng Hui , Zhou Mi , Bao Lei , Wang Chenliang , Cai Feng , Zhang Hongxia , Wang Jennifer E. , Niu Yanling , Chen Yan , Wang Yijie , Hatanpaa Kimmo J. , Copland John A. , DeBerardinis Ralph J. , Wang Yingfei , Luo Weibo
Published: May 2022

Branched-chain amino acid transaminase 1 (BCAT1) is upregulated selectively in human isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wildtype (WT) but not mutant glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and promotes IDHWT GBM growth. Through a metabolic synthetic lethal screen, we report here that α-ketoglutarate (AKG) kills IDHWT GBM cells when BCAT1 protein is lost, which is reversed by reexpression of BCAT1 or supplementation with branched-chain α-ketoacids (BCKA), downstream metabolic products of BCAT1. In patient-derived IDHWT GBM tumors in vitro and in vivo, cotreatment of BCAT1 inhibitor gabapentin and AKG resulted in synthetic lethality. However, AKG failed to evoke a synthetic lethal effect with loss of BCAT2, BCKDHA, or GPT2 in IDHWT GBM cells. Mechanistically, loss of BCAT1 increased the NAD+/NADH ratio but impaired oxidative phosphorylation, mTORC1 activity, and nucleotide biosynthesis. These metabolic alterations were synergistically augmented by AKG treatment, thereby causing mitochondrial dysfunction and depletion of cellular building blocks, including ATP, nucleotides, and proteins. Partial restoration of ATP, nucleotides, proteins, and mTORC1 activity by BCKA supplementation prevented IDHWT GBM cell death conferred by the combination of BCAT1 loss and AKG. These findings define a targetable metabolic vulnerability in the most common subset of GBM that is currently incurable.

Significance:

Metabolic synthetic lethal screening in IDHWT glioblastoma defines a vulnerability to ΑΚG following BCAT1 loss, uncovering a therapeutic strategy to improve glioblastoma treatment.

See related commentary by Meurs and Nagrath, p. 2354
Diminished Immune Surveillance during Histologic Progression of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms Offers a Therapeutic Opportunity for Cancer Interception
Authors: Hernandez Sharia , Parra Edwin Roger , Uraoka Naohiro , Tang Ximing , Shen Yu , Qiao Wei , Jiang Mei , Zhang Shanyu , Mino Barbara , Lu Wei , Pandurengan Renganayaki , Haymaker Cara , Affolter Kajsa , Scaife Courtney L. , Yip-Schneider Michele , Schmidt C. Max , Firpo Matthew A. , Mulvihill Sean J. , Koay Eugene J. , Wang Huamin , Wistuba Ignacio I. , Maitra Anirban , Solis Luisa M. , Sen Subrata
Published: May 2022

Purpose:

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) are bona fide precursors to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). While genomic alterations during multistep IPMN progression have been well cataloged, the accompanying changes within the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) have not been comprehensively studied. Herein, we investigated TIME-related alterations during IPMN progression, using multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) coupled with high-resolution image analyses.

Experimental Design:

Two sets of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples from surgically resected IPMNs were analyzed. The training set of 30 samples consisted of 11 low-grade IPMN (LG-IPMN), 17 high-grade IPMN (HG-IPMN), and 2 IPMN with PDAC, while a validation set of 93 samples comprised of 55 LG-IPMN and 38 HG-IPMN. The training set was analyzed with two panels of immuno-oncology–related biomarkers, while the validation set was analyzed with a subset of markers found significantly altered in the training set.

Results:

Cell types indicative of enhanced immune surveillance, including cytotoxic and memory T cells, and antigen-experienced T cells and B cells, were all found at higher densities within isolated LG-IPMNs compared with HG-IPMNs. Notably, the TIME of LG-IPMNs that had progressed at the time of surgical resection (progressor LGD) resembled that of the synchronous HG-IPMNs, underscoring that attenuated immune surveillance occurs even in LG-IPMNs destined for progression.

Conclusions:

Our findings provide a basis for interception of cystic neoplasia to PDAC, through maintenance of sustained immune surveillance using vaccines and other prevention approaches.
Ultrasmall Nanoparticle Delivery of Doxorubicin Improves Therapeutic Index for High-Grade Glioma
Authors: Aragon-Sanabria Virginia , Aditya Anusha , Zhang Li , Chen Feng , Yoo Barney , Cao Tianye , Madajewski Brian , Lee Rachel , Turker Melik Z. , Ma Kai , Monette Sebastien , Chen Peiming , Wu Jing , Ruan Shutian , Overholtzer Michael , Zanzonico Pat , Rudin Charles M. , Brennan Cameron , Wiesner Ulrich , Bradbury Michelle S.
Published: May 2022

Purpose:

Despite dramatic growth in the number of small-molecule drugs developed to treat solid tumors, durable therapeutic options to control primary central nervous system malignancies are relatively scarce. Chemotherapeutic agents that appear biologically potent in model systems have often been found to be marginally effective at best when given systemically in clinical trials. This work presents for the first time an ultrasmall (<8 nm) multimodal core-shell silica nanoparticle, Cornell prime dots (or C′ dots), for the efficacious treatment of high-grade gliomas.

Experimental Design:

This work presents first-in-kind renally clearable ultrasmall (<8 nm) multimodal C′ dots with surface-conjugated doxorubicin (DOX) via pH-sensitive linkers for the efficacious treatment in two different clinically relevant high-grade glioma models.

Results:

Optimal drug-per-particle ratios of as-developed nanoparticle–drug conjugates were established and used to obtain favorable pharmacokinetic profiles. The in vivo efficacy results showed significantly improved biological, therapeutic, and toxicological properties over the native drug after intravenous administration in platelet-derived growth factor–driven genetically engineered mouse model, and an EGF-expressing patient-derived xenograft (EGFR PDX) model.

Conclusions:

Ultrasmall C′ dot–drug conjugates showed great translational potential over DOX for improving the therapeutic outcome of patients with high-grade gliomas, even without a cancer-targeting moiety.
Trabectedin and Durvalumab Combination Is Feasible and Active in Relapsing Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Digklia Antonia , Coukos George , Homicsko Krisztian
Published: May 2022

The combination of chemotherapy and immune therapies still promises to synergize for prolonged tumor control. However, the quest for optimal combinations tailored for tumor histology remains ongoing. A recent study provides evidence on the feasibility of the trabectedin/durvalumab combination and reports on interesting preliminary efficacy.

See related article by Toulmonde et al., p. 1765
Niraparib Shows Superior Tissue Distribution and Efficacy in a Prostate Cancer Bone Metastasis Model Compared with Other PARP Inhibitors
Authors: Snyder Linda A. , Damle Rajendra , Patel Shefali , Bohrer Jared , Fiorella Anna , Driscoll Jenny , Hawkins Rebecca , Stratton Christopher F. , Manning Carol D. , Tatikola Kanaka , Tryputsen Volha , Packman Kathryn , Mamidi Rao N.V.S.
Published: May 2022

Patients with prostate cancer whose tumors bear deleterious mutations in DNA-repair pathways often respond to PARP inhibitors. Studies were conducted to compare the activity of several PARP inhibitors in vitro and their tissue exposure and in vivo efficacy in mice bearing PC-3M-luc-C6 prostate tumors grown subcutaneously or in bone. Niraparib, olaparib, rucaparib, and talazoparib were compared in proliferation assays, using several prostate tumor cell lines and in a cell-free PARP-trapping assay. PC-3M-luc-C6 cells were approximately 12- to 20-fold more sensitive to PARP inhibition than other prostate tumor lines, suggesting that these cells bear a DNA damage repair defect. The tissue exposure and efficacy of these PARP inhibitors were evaluated in vivo in PC-3M-luc-C6 subcutaneous and bone metastasis tumor models. A steady-state pharmacokinetic study in PC-3M-luc-C6 tumor-bearing mice showed that all of the PARP inhibitors had favorable subcutaneous tumor exposure, but niraparib was differentiated by superior bone marrow exposure compared with the other drugs. In a PC-3M-luc-C6 subcutaneous tumor efficacy study, niraparib, olaparib, and talazoparib inhibited tumor growth and increased survival to a similar degree. In contrast, in the PC-3M-luc-C6 bone metastasis model, niraparib showed the most potent inhibition of bone tumor growth compared with the other therapies (67% vs. 40%–45% on day 17), and the best survival improvement over vehicle control [hazard ratio (HR), 0.28 vs. HR, 0.46–0.59] and over other therapies (HR, 1.68–2.16). These results show that niraparib has superior bone marrow exposure and greater inhibition of tumor growth in bone, compared with olaparib, rucaparib, and talazoparib.
Olfactory Receptor OR2H1 Is an Effective Target for CAR T Cells in Human Epithelial Tumors
Authors: Martin Alexandra L. , Anadon Carmen M. , Biswas Subir , Mine Jessica A. , Handley Katelyn F. , Payne Kyle K. , Mandal Gunjan , Chaurio Ricardo A. , Powers John J. , Sprenger Kimberly B. , Rigolizzo Kristen E. , Innamarato Patrick , Harro Carly M. , Mehta Sumit , Perez Bradford A. , Wenham Robert M. , Conejo-Garcia Jose R.
Published: May 2022

Although chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing T cells have proven success in hematologic malignancies, their effectiveness in solid tumors has been largely unsuccessful thus far. We found that some olfactory receptors are expressed in a variety of solid tumors of different histologic subtypes, with a limited pattern of expression in normal tissues. Quantification of OR2H1 expression by qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis of 17 normal tissues, 82 ovarian cancers of various histologies, eight non–small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs), and 17 breast cancers demonstrated widespread OR2H1 expression in solid epithelial tumors with expression in normal human tissues limited to the testis. CAR T cells recognizing the extracellular domain of the olfactory receptor OR2H1 were generated with a targeting motif identified through the screening of a phage display library and demonstrated OR2H1-specific cytotoxic killing in vitro and in vivo, using tumor cells with spontaneous expression of variable OR2H1 levels. Importantly, recombinant OR2H1 IgG generated with the VH/VL sequences of the CAR construct specifically detected OR2H1 protein signal in 60 human lung cancers, 40 ovarian carcinomas, and 73 cholangiocarcinomas, at positivity rates comparable with mRNA expression and without OR2H1 staining in 58 normal tissues. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated ablation of OR2H1 confirmed targeting specificity of the CAR and the tumor-promoting role of OR2H1 in glucose metabolism. Therefore, T cells redirected against OR2H1-expressing tumor cells represent a promising therapy against a broad range of epithelial cancers, likely with an admissible toxicity profile.
Colchicine-Binding Site Agent CH-2-77 as a Potent Tubulin Inhibitor Suppressing Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Deng Shanshan , Krutilina Raisa I. , Hartman Kelli L. , Chen Hao , Parke Deanna N. , Wang Rui , Mahmud Foyez , Ma Dejian , Lukka Pradeep B. , Meibohm Bernd , Seagroves Tiffany N. , Miller Duane D. , Li Wei
Published: May 2022

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive type of breast cancer. Unlike other subtypes of breast cancer, TNBC lacks hormone and growth factor receptor targets. Colchicine-binding site inhibitors (CBSI) targeting tubulin have been recognized as attractive agents for cancer therapy, but there are no CBSI drugs currently FDA approved. CH-2-77 has been reported to have potent antiproliferative activity against a panel of cancer cells in vitro and efficacious antitumor effects on melanoma xenografts, yet, its anticancer activity specifically against TNBC is unknown. Herein, we demonstrate that CH-2-77 inhibits the proliferation of both paclitaxel-sensitive and paclitaxel-resistant TNBC cells with an average IC50 of 3 nmol/L. CH-2-77 also efficiently disrupts the microtubule assembly, inhibits the migration and invasion of TNBC cells, and induces G2–M cell-cycle arrest. The increased number of apoptotic cells and the pattern of expression of apoptosis-related proteins in treated MDA-MB-231 cells suggest that CH-2-77 induces cell apoptosis through the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. In vivo, CH-2-77 shows acceptable overall pharmacokinetics and strongly suppresses the growth of orthotopic MDA-MB-231 xenografts without gross cumulative toxicities when administered 5 times a week. The in vivo efficacy of CH-2-77 (20 mg/kg) is comparable with that of CA4P (28 mg/kg), a CBSI that went through clinical trials. Importantly, CH-2-77 prevents lung metastasis originating from the mammary fat pad in a dose-dependent manner. Our data demonstrate that CH-2-77 is a promising new generation of tubulin inhibitors that inhibit the growth and metastasis of TNBC, and it is worthy of further development as an anticancer agent.
Converting Tumoral PD-L1 into a 4-1BB Agonist for Safer and More Effective Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Li Zihai , Azar Joseph H. , Rubinstein Mark P.
Published: May 2022

Dose-limiting toxicities are thought to temper the efficacy of single-agent 4-1BB agonists. To overcome this hurdle, in this issue of Cancer Discovery, Muik and colleagues report preclinical and clinical studies describing a first-in-class bispecific fusion protein targeting 4-1BB and PD-L1.

See related article by Muik et al., p. 1248 (9).
Karyotype Evolution of Talking Thorny Catfishes Anadoras (Doradidae, Astrodoradinae): A Process Mediated by Structural Rearrangements and Intense Reorganization of Repetitive DNAs
Authors: Takagui Fábio Hiroshi , Baumgärtner Lucas , Viana Patrik , Lima Moema C.C. , Bitencourt Jamille de A. , Venere Paulo Cesar , Lui Roberto Laridondo , Moreira-Filho Orlando , Feldberg Eliana , Almeida Simões Fernanda , Birindelli José Luis , Giuliano-Caetano Lucia
Published: May 2022

Anadoras is a thorny catfish genus widespread through the Amazon and Paraguay river basins. It includes 2 nominal species, A. grypus and A. weddellii, plus Anadoras sp. “araguaia,” an undescribed species only recognized morphologically. Since Anadoras occupies a basal position within the Astrodoradinae phylogeny, it is crucial to identify its cytogenetic features to comprehend the mechanisms involved in the chromosomal diversification of this subfamily. Therefore, we performed a comparative cytogenetic analysis including all species of Anadoras. Furthermore, we applied a species delimitation analysis based on 600 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene to investigate the taxonomic status of the species. Cytogenetic markers revealed a high degree of similarity among Anadoras weddellii and Anadoras sp. “araguaia,” both have 2n = 56 chromosomes (24m + 10sm + 22st/a), single NOR sites on acrocentric pair 28, and 5S rDNA sites on submetacentric pair 15. A. grypus has the most divergent chromosomal characteristics because, even though it also has 2n = 56 chromosomes, it exhibits several differences in the chromosome formula, heterochromatin distribution, and number/position of the rDNA sites. In sum, we believe that the chromosome diversification of Anadoras is due to 4 mechanisms: centric fusion, pericentric/paracentric inversions, nonreciprocal translocations, and activity of transposable elements. Additionally, our phylogenetic tree revealed well-supported clades and, by barcode species delimitation analysis, confirmed the existence of 3 molecular operational taxonomic units, including the putative new species Anadoras sp. “araguaia.”
Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Liver: Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Fakhreddine Omar , Fadlallah Yasser , Turfa Jawad , Hassan Mona Ali , Chamseddine Nathalie , Assi Hazem I.
Published: May 2022

Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the liver is a rare cancer type. The overall survival of this cancer is short despite treatment and prognosis are poor. To our knowledge, there are around 30 cases of primary SCC of the liver described in the literature. Primary SCC of the liver is thought to be associated with a wide variety of hepatic conditions such as hepatic cyst, hepatolithiasis, or hepatic teratoma. We present the case of a 33-year-old male patient diagnosed with primary keratinizing SCC of liver associated with a hepatic cyst.
Unusual Patterns of HER2 Expression in Breast Cancer: Insights and Perspectives
Authors: Grassini Dora , Cascardi Eliano , Sarotto Ivana , Annaratone Laura , Sapino Anna , Berrino Enrico , Marchiò Caterina
Published: May 2022

The biomarker human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) has represented the best example of successful targeted therapy in breast cancer patients. Based on the concept of “oncogene addiction,” we have learnt how to identify patients likely benefitting from anti-HER2 agents. Since HER2 gene amplification leads to marked overexpression of the HER2 receptors on the cell membrane, immunohistochemistry with clinically validated antibodies and scoring system based on intensity and completeness of the membranous expression constitute the screening method to separate negative (score 0/1+) and positive (score 3+) carcinomas and to identify those tumours with complete yet only moderate HER2 expression (score 2+, equivocal carcinomas), which need to be investigated further in terms of gene status to confirm the presence of a loop of oncogene addiction. This process has demanded quality controls and led to recommendations by Scientific Societies, which pathologists routinely need to follow to guarantee reproducibility. In this review, we will span from the description of classical HER2 evaluation to the discussion of those scenarios in which HER2 expression is unusual and/or difficult to define. We will dissect HER2 heterogeneity, HER2 conversion from primary to relapsed/metastatic breast cancer, and we will introduce the new category of HER2-low breast carcinomas.
Prevalence of Myopia and Influencing Factors among High School Students in Nantong, China: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Zhou Yue , Huang Xiao Bo , Cao Xin , Wang Min , Jin Nan Xi , Gong Ye Xun , Xiong Yao Jia , Cai Qi , Zhu Yan , Song Yu , Sun Zhi Min
Published: May 2022

Introduction: Myopia is an increasingly serious health problem in China. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of myopia and the factors associated with it among students in Nantong, China, to show the current status of myopia prevention. Methods: This school-based, cross-sectional study examined students from all high schools in an urban area of Nantong, China. At least two classes were randomly selected from each grade of each school. A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect the required information. Univariate analyses were performed to identify associations between myopia and various parameters. Noncycloplegic autorefraction and visual acuity were assessed for each student. Factors that were statistically significant in univariate analyses were selected for multivariate analyses. Myopia was defined as a spherical equivalent refraction of ≤−0.5 diopters. Results: The completion percentage of students out of the whole high school was 6.5%. The overall prevalence of myopia was 94%. The response percentage of the number of validated questionnaires was 90.2%, of which 50.2% (n = 1,466) were from male participants, and 49.8% (n = 1,452) were from female participants. The mean (SD) of age was 15.22 ± 1.75 years, ranging from 12 to 18 years. Factors such as female sex, older age, parental myopia, sitting in the back of the classroom, increased homework time, and minimal outdoor activity were significantly associated with a higher risk of myopia (p < 0.05). In the myopic population, most students (67.9%) did not take measures to prevent further progression of myopia. Conclusion: The prevalence of myopia among high school students was 94%. Female sex, older age, parental myopia, sitting in the back of the classroom, increased homework time, and minimal outdoor activity were significantly associated with a higher risk of myopia. Most students with myopia (67.9%) did not take measures to prevent further progression of myopia.
Retinal Capillary Hemangioma Leading to a Diagnosis of von Hippel-Lindau Disease in a Patient with Retinopathy of Prematurity
Authors: Lozano Lola P. , Tucker Budd A. , Hinz Connie J. , Boldt H. Culver , Binkley Elaine M.
Published: May 2022

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a rare inherited cancer syndrome that results in the development of tumor formation in multiple systems. In the eye, retinal capillary hemangioma (RCH) can lead to severe vision loss. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is likewise a rare disease in which abnormal retinal vasculature develops in premature infants. Hallmarks of this disease include temporal dragging of the macula and retinal vessels. Here, we describe a 36-year-old myopic woman with a known history of ROP who presented with a vitreous hemorrhage in the right eye. As the vitreous hemorrhage cleared, she was found to have not only a retinal tear but also a juxtapapillary RCH that lead to a diagnosis of VHL disease in the patient, her mother, and her aunt. This is the first reported case of an individual with concomitant ROP and RCH from VHL. Her vision was remarkably well preserved over 25 years of follow-up despite having a moderate-sized laser scar temporal to the disc from treating the juxtapapillary RCH, likely due to the temporal macular dragging from her underlying ROP. This case highlights the importance of being aware that rare diagnoses can co-exist, and one must be aware of the protean manifestations of VHL.
Nasal Mucociliary Clearance and Sinonasal Symptoms in Healthcare Professionals Wearing FFP3 Respirators: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Yildiz Selçuk , Yankuncu Aykut , Zer Toros Sema , Tepe Karaca Çiğdem
Published: May 2022

Introduction: The purpose of the present study was to assess nasal mucociliary clearance (NMC) and sinonasal symptoms of healthcare professionals wearing filtering facepiece-3 (FFP3) respirators. Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at a large tertiary care academic center. Thirty-four healthcare professionals working at a coronavirus disease-19 patient care unit were included in the study. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores of sinonasal symptoms (nasal discharge, postnasal discharge, nasal blockage, hyposmia, facial pain/pressure, facial fullness, headache, fatigue, halitosis, cough) and the NMC times of the participants were assessed immediately before wearing FFP3 respirators and after 4 h of work with FFP3 respirators. Results: The mean age of the participants was 28.82 ± 4.95 (range, 26–31) years. Twenty participants were female and 14 were male. After wearing the FFP3 respirators for 4 h, a statistically significant increase was observed in total VAS scores for all sinonasal symptoms and NMC times (p < 0.001). When the VAS score of each sinonasal symptom was evaluated separately, a statistically significant increase was found for VAS scores of nasal discharge, postnasal discharge, nasal blockage, hyposmia, facial pain/pressure, and facial fullness (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The present study shows that nasal mucosal functions might be affected significantly after 4 h of using FFP3 respirators. The long-term effects and clinical significance of these short-term changes should be investigated on healthcare professionals in further studies.
Molecularly Confirmed Female Donor-Transmitted Lobular Breast Cancer to Male following Renal Transplantation
Authors: Cooper Jonah M. , Samueli Benzion , Mazor Elad , Kian Waleed , Goldvaser Hadar , Ben-Arie Gal
Published: May 2022

Introduction: Lobular breast cancer represents 10%–15% of breast cancers in women but is virtually nonexistent in men, related to the typical absence of the anatomic breast lobule structure in male breast tissue. We describe donor-transmitted metastatic lobular carcinoma to a male after kidney transplantation. Determining whether a post-transplant cancer is transplant associated, donor transmitted, or donor derived is significant for treatment, prognosis, and possibly management of other organ recipients. Case Report: A 74-year-old Caucasian male presented to the emergency department with lower abdominal pain and macro-hematuria. Past medical history included two renal transplantations. Computed tomography identified a 4–5-cm space-occupying lesion in the native left kidney. A left native nephrectomy was performed. Histology pathologic examination demonstrated lobular (as opposed to ductal) breast carcinoma. Fluorescent in situ hybridization probes to identify X- and Y-chromosomes showed tumor cells with an XX genotype, whereas the surrounding host cells were of XY genotype. These findings confirmed the female-sex origin (donor) of the tumor within the XY native male (current patient) tissues. Discussion/Conclusion: Due to discordance between the donor and recipient sex, fluorescent in situ hybridization as a molecular technique correctly identified the origin of an individual’s cancer in the post-transplant setting. The metastatic breast cancer behaved more indolently than usually seen. Expanded criteria donors (ECD) are those who cannot donate under standard criteria for organ transplantation; expanded criteria widen the potential organ donor pool at the expense of increased risk for post-transplant complications (e.g., graft failure, the transmission of malignancy). The case provides a potential area of future research into considering allowing ECDs with a distant history of cancer with very low transmission risk when the biochemical environment of the recipient would, in the unlikely event of transmission, induce the tumor to pursue an indolent clinical course.
Esophageal Intramural Pseudodiverticulosis: A Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Study of 2 Cases
Authors: Shintaku Masayuki , Ohta Makoto , Noguchi Akito , Shintaku Masako
Published: May 2022

Esophageal intramural pseudodiverticulosis (EIPD) is a rare disorder characterized by an abnormal, cyst-like dilatation of the excretory ducts of esophageal submucosal glands. We aimed to elucidate the histopathological features and immunohistochemical properties of the epithelial lining of the cyst-like lesions in EIPD. We performed a histopathological and immunohistochemical study of 2 cases (one autopsy and one surgical) of EIPD. The ductal walls consisted of inner ductal cells, which were cytokeratin (CK) 7-positive and CK5/6-negative, and outer basal cells, which were CK7-negative and CK5/6-positive. The ductal epithelium frequently showed squamous metaplasia and rarely simulated a false diverticulum. Immunohistochemistry for CK7 was useful for distinction between the conditions because the surface epithelium was negative for CK7. We also confirmed that myoepithelial cells in the acinar portion of submucosal glands were well-preserved in EIPD, the finding that explained the periodic opening and closing movements of orifices of cyst-like lesions in this disorder. The immunohistochemical properties of the epithelial lining of cyst-like lesions in EIPD were essentially similar to those of the normal ducts of submucosal glands.
Atypical Cogan’s Syndrome with Choroidal Effusion: A Case Report
Authors: Oh Won Hyuk , Lee Jee Hye , Hwang Je Hyung
Published: May 2022

Cogan’s syndrome is a rare form of autoimmune vasculitis that manifests with ocular and audiovestibular symptoms. The clinical presentations of Cogan’s syndrome can be classified as typical and atypical, and the auditory symptoms are classically similar to those seen in cases of Meniere’s syndrome. Without treatment, Cogan’s syndrome could become severe, resulting in sensorineural hearing loss in over 50% of patients. This report describes a rare case of uncontrolled intraocular pressure and choroidal effusion in a patient with atypical Cogan’s syndrome. A 51-year-old woman was referred to our clinic on account of bilateral distortion of visual acuity and ocular pain following admission to the internal medicine department for bilateral hearing loss, acute renal failure, and fever. Upon ocular examination, we observed bilateral 2–3+ cells in the anterior chamber and closed-angle glaucoma, and choroidal effusion in the right eye. The intraocular pressure could not be controlled with topical and systemic medications, and a bilateral valve implant surgery was performed subsequently. Two weeks later, after systemic corticosteroid therapy, the choroidal effusion resolved. Cogan’s syndrome can provoke angle-closure glaucoma with choroidal effusion in patients with a short axial length and shallow anterior chamber.
Examining the Combination of Cefixime and Amoxicillin/Clavulanate against Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates
Authors: Thelen Haedi , Dilworth Thomas J. , Mercier Renée-Claude
Published: May 2022

Introduction: Community-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli have limited oral therapeutic options and pose significant clinical challenges. The goal of this study was to evaluate the in vitro synergy between CFM and AMC against ESBL E. coli with aims to identify an oral treatment option for UTIs. Methods: Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of CFM in the presence of AMC were determined for 46 clinical isolates by placing a CFM Etest on a plate with AMC impregnated in the agar. Isolates with CFM MIC ≤1 μg/mL in the presence of AMC were considered susceptible to the CFM and AMC combination. Five isolates were then selected for further testing using time-kill analysis in the presence of CFM, AMC, and CFM with AMC. Time-kill curves were plotted to determine synergy over 24 h. Results: AMC improved the activity of CFM against ESBL E. coli isolates by 128-fold in the Etest analysis with 85% of tested isolates being susceptible to the combination. A fourfold or greater reduction in CFM MIC was exhibited in 44 of 46 (96%) isolates when in the presence of AMC. Synergy and bactericidal activity between CFM and AMC were exhibited in each of the five isolates tested by time-kill analysis. Discussion/Conclusion: This study found that AMC improves the activity of CFM against ESBL E. coli and that this antibiotic combination has potential as an oral therapeutic option to treat ESBL E. coli UTIs.
Schweres Asthma, Telemedizin und selbst verabreichte Therapie: Zuerst auf den Patienten hören
Authors: Guarnieri Gabriella , Caminati Marco , Achille Alessia , Vaia Rachele , Chieco Bianchi Fulvia , Senna Gianenrico , Vianello Andrea
Published: May 2022

Patienten mit schwerem Asthma haben ein erhöhtes Risiko für größere Komplikationen und müssen regelmäßig überwacht werden. Die COVID-19-Pandemie hat sich deutlich auf die Ressourcen des Gesundheitswesens ausgewirkt. Der telemedizinische Ansatz bei der Nachsorge von Asthmapatienten hat sich bei der Überwachung der Krankheit und der Therapietreue als wirksam erwiesen. Das Ziel unserer Studie war es, die Zufriedenheit von Patienten mit schwerem Asthma vor der Aktivierung eines telemedizinischen Managements sowie ihre aktuellen Erfahrungen mit der Selbstverabreichung der Injektionstherapie zu untersuchen. Ein Ad-hoc-Fragebogen wurde entwickelt und per E-Mail an 180 Patienten mit schwerem Asthma gesendet. Die meisten Probanden, 82%, waren von der Idee überzeugt, Selbstmessungen durchzuführen und ihre Krankheit selbst zu managen. Außerdem sprachen sich 77% der Probanden für virtuelle Kontrollen und Telemedizin aus. Was die Behandlung zu Hause betrifft, so hielten 93% der Patienten die Selbstinjektionstherapie für einfach, 94% der Probanden fühlten sich sicher und 93% waren bei der Selbstverabreichung nicht beunruhigt. Bei 22% der Patienten wurden nach der Selbstverabreichung nur leichte unerwünschte Ereignisse gemeldet. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen eine Übereinstimmung zwischen dem, was das Gesundheitspersonal für notwendig und praktikabel hält, und dem, was die Patienten mit schwerem Asthma in Bezug auf die Behandlung und Kontrolle der Krankheit mit Telemedizin wahrnehmen. Biologika haben ein Sicherheitsprofil und können problemlos zu Hause selbst verabreicht werden.
Enhancing extreme learning machines classification with moth-flame optimization technique
Authors: Alade Oyekale Abel , Sallehuddin Roselina , Radzi Nor Haizan Mohamed
Published: May 2022

Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) algorithm assigns the input weights and biases in a “one-time stamp” fashion, this method makes the algorithm to be ill-conditioned and reduces its classification accuracy. The contribution of this work is the enhancement of the performance of ELM with the Moth-Flame Optimization (MFO) algorithm to improve classification accuracy. A hybrid of the Moth-Flame Optimization and Extreme Learning Machine (MFO-ELM) algorithm is implemented in MATLAB. MFO ensures a concurrent simulation of exploration and exploitation of the search space to select an optimum candidate solution. The candidate solution is reshaped into input weights and biases for ELM classification. The hybrid algorithm is validated on five life-selected datasets. The performance improvement of MFO-ELM is compared with ELM-optimized Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO-ELM) and Competitive Swarm Optimization (CSO-ELM) algorithms. The improvement rates are qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated to show the improvement of MFO-ELM on ELM and the other meta-heuristic algorithms. MFO-ELM improved the accuracies of the basic ELM in all 100% of the simulations and performed better than the other meta-heuristic algorithms in 80% of the simulations. The performance of MFO-ELM is more competitive, and it is recommended for solving classification problems.
Guided genetic algorithm for solving unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem with additional resources
Authors: Abed Munther H. , Kahar Mohd Nizam Mohmad
Published: May 2022

This paper solved the unrelated parallel machine scheduling with additional resources (UPMR) problem. The processing time and the number of required resources for each job rely on the machine that does the processing. Each job j needed units of resources (rjm) during its time of processing on a machine m. These additional resources are limited, and this made the UPMR a difficult problem to solve. In this study, the maximum completion time of jobs makespan must be minimized. Here, we proposed genetic algorithm to solve the UPMR problem because of the robustness and the success of genetic algorithm in solving many optimization problems. An enhancement of GA (GGA) was also proposed in this work. Generally, the experiment involves tuning the parameters of GA. Additionally, an appropriate selection of GA operators was also experimented. The GGA is not used to solve the unspecified dynamic UPMR. Besides, the utilization of parameters tuning and operators gave a balance between exploration and exploitation and thus help the search escape the local optimum. Results show that the GGA outperforms the SGA, but it still didn't match the results in the literature. On the other hand, GGA significantly outperforms all methods in terms of CPU time.
Review on maintenance of photovoltaic systems based on deep learning and internet of things
Authors: Hammoudi Younes , Idrissi Idriss , Boukabous Mohammed , Zerguit Youssef , Bouali Hicham
Published: May 2022

Many solar plants have been installed globally, and they must be continuously protected and supervised to ensure their safety and reliability. Photovoltaic plants are susceptible to many defects and failures, and fault detection technology is used to protect and isolate them. Despite numerous inter-national standards, invisible photovoltaic defects continue to cause major is-sues. As a result, smart technologies like AI (Artificial Intelligence) and IoT are being developed for remote sensing, problem detection, and diagnosis of photovoltaic systems. Solar plants generate not only green electricity but also a lot of data, such as power output. With AI, a clear picture of electricity yields should be possible. The output of entire solar parks could be monitored and analyzed. The AI could also detect malfunctions within a solar park, according to the research. This would speed up and simplify maintenance work. Deep learning (DL) and IoT applications for photovoltaic plants are discussed. The most advanced techniques, such as DL, are discussed in terms of precision and accuracy. Incorporating DL and IoT approaches for fault detection and diagnosis into simple hardware, such as low-cost chips, maybe cost-effective and technically feasible for photovoltaic facilities located in remote locations.
Collaborative learning through virtual tools: Analysis of the perception of student satisfaction of teaching performance
Authors: Chamorro-Atalaya Omar , Marcelo-Veliz Belmira , Morales-Romero Guillermo , Trinidad-Loli Nicéforo , Villar-Valenzuela Darío , Caycho-Salas Beatriz , León-Velarde César
Published: May 2022

The objective of this article is to identify the results of the evaluation of collaborative learning through technological tools as part of the pedagogical strategies in the virtual teaching process. For the evaluation, the SERVQUAL model was used, through which it was identified that 97.73% satisfactorily evaluate the reliability and security of pedagogical strategies through technological tools used in collaborative learning in the teaching process in virtual environments. The optimal evaluation regarding the reliability of collaborative learning is 100% related to compliance with the syllable, to the teacher's disposition to help them in the use of technological tools and to the conformity of the technological tools used in the subject. Regarding the security of collaborative learning, 100% of the satisfactory evaluation is related to the trust and kindness that the teacher transmitted with the use of technological tools in teaching in virtual environments.
Application of machine learning algorithms for predicting outcomes of accident cases in Moroccan courts
Authors: Haidar Aissa , Ahajjam Tarik , Zeroual Imad , Farhaoui Yousef
Published: May 2022

Due to the large number of legal cases, the processing of them by the courts is generally very slow. Among these cases, we find accidents cases, which require a great speed of judgment to compensate the victims of those accidents. To this end, we thought of exploiting the possibilities offered by machine learning in order to simulate the work of judges and contribute to speeding up the time of decision. Further, we applied different machine learning algorithms, such as linear regression, decision trees, and random forests. According to the results achieved, the Random Forest is the most perfect model for with the utmost accuracy about 91.05%
Recognition of Arabic handwritten words using convolutional neural network
Authors: Lamsaf Asmae , Ait Kerroum Mounir , Boulaknadel Siham , Fakhri Youssef
Published: May 2022

A new method for recognizing automatically Arabic handwritten words was presented using convolutional neural network architecture. The proposed method is based on global approaches, which consists of recognizing all the words without segmenting into the characters in order to recognize them separately. Convolutional neural network (CNN) is a particular supervised type of neural network based on multilayer principle; our method needs a big dataset of word images to obtain the best result. To optimize our system, a new database was collected from the benchmarking Arabic handwriting database using the pre-processing such as rotation transformation, which is applied on the images of the database to create new images with different features. The convolutional neural network applied on our database that contains 40320 of Arabic handwritten words (26880 images for training set and 13440 for test set). Thus, different configurations on a public benchmark database were evaluated and compared with previous methods. Consequently, it is demonstrated a recognition rate with a success of 96.76%.
Multi-level inverter with novel carrier pulse width modulation technique for high voltage applications
Authors: Sreelakshmi Sanka , Sujatha Machineni Sanjeevappa , Rahul Jammy Ramesh
Published: May 2022

The present work deals with multilevel inverters (MLI) with modified carrier pulse width modulation technique and its application, especially in solar-based applications due to its modularity in structure and suitability for medium or high-power applications. Several multilevel inverters are introduced for various applications. One of the drawbacks of these inverters is high total harmonic distortion (THD) value in the output which impacts the power quality. The main objective of this work is to improve the power quality, thereby increasing the life and performance of the overall system at the consumer side. The most popular and compact cascaded multilevel DC-link inverter (CMDCLI) is considered for study and employed for 11-level operation. In general, sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM) technique is used for control of inverter. However, the present work proposes a modified carrier-based hybrid pulse width modulation (HPWM) technique and has been tested with CMLDCLI. This novel technique compares the THD performance results with normal carrier wave considering R-L load. The results are analyzed in MATLAB environment and are validated with experimental results.
Early fault identification for operating circuit breaker based on classifier model system
Authors: Hussain Abadal-Salam T. , Ahmed Shouket A. , Taha Taha A.
Published: May 2022

One of the most important switchgear in a substation is the circuit breaker (CB); it is used either in the transmission or distribution sections. Currently, the maintenance of a CB is done by capturing the trip time using a handheld device; the trip time is the time from trip initiation to the moment of current flow cessation in the load side of the CB. For the maintenance staff of the Iraqi National Power Board (INPB), their decision is mainly aimed to pinpoint the specific problem of the CB, the breaker parameters, such as latch, buffer, mcon, acon, and end which can be analysed using data mining methods such as K-means clustering and Sammon mapping (KCSM). The advantages of this approach include early identification of faults and saving more cost and time of repairing and replacing damaged CBs as the number of damaged CBs can be decreased. The problem with this method is the prolonged time of testing the conventional trip as it requires removing the CBs from service and planned outage. Furthermore, the CB may not capture the crucial information that causes slow tripping. Hence, the main objectives of this work are to analyse CB trip coil current data and study the effect and relationship between two different analytical approaches to analyse the data. The result of this technique showed excellent identification of the switch faults.