bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RWA, SDO and race: A study of prejudice in South Africa
Authors: Brubacher Michael R. , Sidanius Jim , Silinda Fortunate T.
Published: May 2022

Right-wing authoritarianism is concerned with adhering to conventional norms, while social dominance orientation supports racial hierarchy. As such, if conventional norms are opposed to racial hierarchy, it is possible that RWA and SDO would function in opposite directions. In South Africa, a normative view regarding equal civil rights across races has been promoted since the fall of apartheid. Therefore, RWA and SDO might have opposite relationships regarding beliefs in equal civil rights. To test this, South African undergraduates completed scales measuring RWA, SDO and two types of prejudice: beliefs in inequality regarding civil rights and desires for racial separation. For Black participants, RWA was a negative predictor of inequality regarding civil rights but was a positive predictor of racial separation. For White participants, these relationships involving RWA were nonsignificant. On the other hand, SDO was a positive predictor of both prejudices for both Black and White participants. Overall, SDO was a consistent predictor of prejudice while RWA was more variable and even supported egalitarian views.
A Data Structure for Integrity Protection with Erasure Capability
Authors: Kuhn D Richard
Published: May 2022

This document describes a data structure, referred to as a data block matrix, that supports the ongoing addition of hash-linked records while also allowing for the deletion of arbitrary records, thereby preserving hash-based integrity assurance that other blocks are unchanged. The block matrix data structure may have utility for incorporation into applications requiring integrity protection that currently use permissioned blockchains. This capability could for example be useful in meeting privacy requirements such as the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which requires that organizations make it possible to delete all information related to a particular individual, at that person’s request.
Zasady wpisu na listę stałych mediatorów w Polsce – w kontekście dyskusji nad profesjonalizacją zawodu mediatora
Authors: Przylepa-Lewak Agata , Myślińska Marzena
Published: May 2022

The interest in the profession of a mediator increased with the popularisation of mediation in Poland. The tendency was supported by the legislator’s liberal defini-tion of requirements for performing this professional function. In the article, we raise issues related to the principles of entering in the register of permanent mediators in Poland. We present the currently applicable legal regulations and we analyse them, focusing on the requirement to have knowledge of mediation and to be skilled in it. This requirement is interpreted in different ways by individual authorities that enter candidates’ names in the register of permanent mediators (presidents of district courts), and its interpretation is also evaluated differently in both Polish literature and case law. The purpose of the article is to show the areas of legal regulations that require changes and unification, on the basis of analysing the results of statistical research conducted by the authors. It is significant particularly from the perspective of the ongoing discussion on the professionalisation of mediators in Poland, especially in the context of the planned changes and the introduction of the National Register of Mediators. The accomplishment of the task undertaken by the authors is primarily served by the formal and dogmatic method as well as the comparative method used in the statistical research. The purpose of that method was to show discrepancies in interpreting the regulations concerning mediation.
Obama, Trump y Musk: «el bueno, el feo y el malo» en la tensión entre libertad de expresión y desinformación
Authors: López-Borrull Alexandre
Published: May 2022

Podría decir que el orden de los nombres es fortuito, pero no lo es y, aunque la Wikipedia me informa de que hay una divergencia en el título entre el Estado español y Sudamérica (en el primero era El bueno, el feo y el malo, mientras que en el segundo era El bueno, el malo y el feo), es evidente que no soy equidistante entre los tres personajes y que el orden tiene sentido y de momento, todavía, Trump es el malo y Elon Musk es el feo, no por temas estéticos sino porque le ha tocado. Veamos cómo se está comportando cada uno de ellos en el tablero de las redes sociales, en la tensión –como veremos– entre libertad de expresión y desinformación.
Eastern and Western Dragons. Characteristics of Image Perception and Interpretation
Authors: Stalinskaya Ekaterina Pavlovna
Published: May 2022

The article analyzes the features and meanings of the fantasy image of the Dragon in China and in European countries, their symbolism in historical traditions and in modern culture. In China, the Dragon is an example of the embodiment of a positive attitude of people, a symbol of goodness, well–being and universal worship, in Europe since ancient times it has been a symbol of evil and dangerous power, and the images of the legendary "dragon fighters" are recognized as heroes. The purpose of the article is to comprehend the resurgent interest in modern society in the peculiarities of the interpretation of this zoomorphic symbol in the cultures of the East and West. The concepts of the interpretations of the eastern and Western images were created in accordance with the spiritual needs that influenced their characteristics. A special contribution of the author to the study of this topic is the comprehension of the national influence of cultural traditions on the formation of artistic qualities in creating the image of a Dragon. It is concluded that the peculiarities of the evolution of images were manifested in the fact that in European art the images were oriented to realistic persuasiveness, and in Chinese art - to decorativeness. In addition, it was determined that the formation of this fantastic phenomenon occurred in accordance with the national mentality and the national picture of the world.
Lighting up protein design
Authors: Kudla Grzegorz , Plech Marcin
Published: May 2022

Using a neural network to predict how green fluorescent proteins respond to genetic mutations illuminates properties that could help design new proteins.
Eradication Rate Using a First-line Triple Therapy for Helicobacter pylori Infection in Yeongdong, Gangwon Province, Korea
Authors: Gong Eun Jeong , Bang Chang Seok , Seo Myeongsook , Seo Hyun Il , Park Jong Kyu , Lee Sang Jin , Han Koon Hee , Jeong Woo Jin , Kim Young Don , Cheon Gab Jin
Published: May 2022

Background/Aims: The eradication success rate of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection with a first-line standard triple therapy (STT) has been decreasing in Korea. However, treatment outcomes of H. pylori infection in Yeongdong, Gangwon Province have been scarcely reported. This study aimed to investigate the treatment outcomes of H. pylori infection in a single tertiary care hospital with regional characteristics.Materials and Methods: From July 2018 to June 2019, a total of 592 patients who underwent STT consisting of a proton pump inhibitor, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin for 7 to 14 days as a first-line H. pylori eradication therapy were included. Demographic data and treatment outcomes were retrospectively reviewed using medical records.Results: The median age of 592 patients was 58 years (range 23 to 86) and 329 patients (55.6%) were men. The indication for eradication therapy included chronic atrophic gastritis (57.9%), peptic ulcer disease (19.6%), and gastric neoplasm after endoscopic resection (5.9%). Most patients (92.2%) received a 7-day course of STT. Eradication rate of STT was 64.0% (379/592). Rescue therapy was performed in 146 patients, and the final eradication rate reached 85.6% (507/592).Conclusions: Eradication rate of STT in Yeongdong area of Gangwon Province was unsatisfactory, warranting the consideration of a first-line eradication regimen other than STT.
Identifying defective solar cells in electroluminescence images using deep feature representations
Authors: Al‐Waisy Alaa S. , Ibrahim Dheyaa Ahmed , Zebari Dilovan Asaad , Hammadi Shumoos , Mohammed Hussam , Mohammed Mazin Abed , Damaševičius Robertas
Published: May 2022

Electroluminescence (EL) imaging is a technique for acquiring images of photovoltaic (PV) modules and examining them for surface defects. Analysis of EL images has been manually performed by visual inspection of images by experts. This manual procedure is tedious, time-consuming, subjective, and requires deep expert knowledge. In this work, a hybrid and fully-automated classification system is developed for detecting different types of defects in EL images. The system fuses the deep feature representations extracted from two different deep learning models (Inception-V3 and ResNet50) to form more discriminative feature vectors. These feature vectors are then fed into the classifier layer to assign them into one of different types of defects. A large-scale, challenging solar cells dataset composed of 2,624 EL images was used to assess the performance of the proposed system in both the binary classification (functional vs defective) task and multi-class classification (functional, mild, moderate, and severe) task. The proposed system has managed to detect the correct defect type with less than 1 s per image with an accuracy rate of 98.15% and 95.35% in the binary classification and multi-classification task, respectively.
Potential and functional prediction of six circular RNAs as diagnostic markers for colorectal cancer
Authors: Liu Li yuan , Jiang Dan , Qu Yuliang , Wang Hongxia , Zhang Yanting , Yang Shaoqi , Xie Xiaoliang , Wu Shan , Zhou Haijin , Xu Guangxian
Published: May 2022

Background

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been discovered in colorectal cancer (CRC), but there are few reports on the expression distribution and functional mining analysis of circRNAs.

Methods

Differentially expressed circRNAs in CRC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were screened and identified by microarray and qRT-PCR. ROC curves of the six circRNAs were analyzed. A series of bioinformatics analyses on differentially expressed circRNAs were performed.

Results

A total of 207 up-regulated and 357 down-regulated circRNAs in CRC were screened, and three top up-regulated and down-regulated circRNAs were chosen to be verified in 33 pairs of CRCs by qRT-PCR. 6 circRNAs showed high diagnostic values (AUC = 0.6860, AUC = 0.8127, AUC = 0.7502, AUC = 0.9945, AUC = 0.9642, AUC = 0.9486 for hsa_circRNA_100833, hsa_circRNA_103828, hsa_circRNA_103831 and hsa_circRNA_103752, hsa_circRNA_071106, hsa_circRNA_102293). A circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network (cirReNET) including six candidate circRNAs, 19 miRNAs and 210 mRNA was constructed, and the functions of the cirReNET were predicted and displayed via Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses on these mRNAs and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the hub genes acquired by string and CytoHubba.

Conclusion

A cirReNET containing potential diagnostic and predictive indicators of CRCs and several critical circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory axes (cirReAXEs) in CRC were mined, and may provide a novel route to study the mechanism and clinical targets of CRC.
Evaluation of Hyponatraemia among Paediatric Patients having Lower Respiratory Tract Infections Visiting a Tertiary Care Centre
Authors: Akshatha SP
Published: May 2022

Introduction: Serious health risks arise from Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (LRTI). In particular, this infection is very evident in children among less than 5 years of age group, who require hospital admission and sadly contributes to the thirty percent of annual deaths worldwide. Aim: To evaluate the incidence of Hyponatremia in Lower Respiratory Tract Infections among paediatric patients less than five years. Materials and Methods: The prospective study was conducted from January 2019 To February 2020. All patients having quantifiable indications evocative of heightened lower respiratory tract infectivity were assessed in detail at hospital, on Inpatient Department (IPD) basis. Patients having serum sodium value <135 mEq/L were assessed for Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone Secretion (SIADH) with the refrigerated sample of urine and the second serum sample. Estimation of the following parameters was done in these patients-blood urea, blood glucose, urinary sodium, serum creatinine, serum osmolality, urinary creatinine, urinary urea, and urine osmolality. Results: Fifty eight of the total numbers had hyponatremia that ranges to the 38.66% of the total count. Out of these cases, forty nine, comprising a total percentage of 84.4% were due to SIADH. Out of the total 59 hyponatremic cases, four were suggested to have difficulty in the form of seizures followed by altered sensorium that comprise 12.12% of the total figures. Conclusion: Existence of hyponatraemia in LRTIs further increases the morbidity in the affected children in the form of extended hospital stay and incidence of seizure attacks, followed by deranged sensorium, in a number of cases. Hence, children admitted for LRTIs should be assessed not just clinically, but also for their serum levels sodium at the time of hospital admission.
Realization of Enhanced Long‐Term Visual Memory for Indium–Gallium–Zinc Oxide‐Based Optical Synaptic Transistor
Authors: Kim Dongwoo , Min Won Kyung , Kim Hyung Tae , Chung Jusung , Kim Min Seong , Kim Hyun Jae
Published: May 2022

Amorphous indium–gallium–zinc oxide (IGZO)‐based optical synaptic transistor using visible light as the signal that shows a clear difference between long‐term memory (LTM) and short‐term memory (STM) is introduced in this study. However, since oxide semiconductors, including IGZO, do not sense visible light due to their high band gap energy of around 3.0 eV, defects are generated intentionally within IGZO channel layer to enable sensitivity to the visible light by inserting two layers of mesh‐structured titanium dioxide (m‐TiO2) inside the channel layer. Additionally, a layer of thin film‐structured hafnium dioxide (HfO2) is inserted inside the channel to increase the persistent photoconductivity (PPC) effect. This increased PPC effect causes the device to maintain the current long after the light signal is removed. Therefore, the average difference between LTM and STM is achieved ≈110 times, showing a clear difference between LTM and STM. Additionally, 721% of maximum paired‐pulse facilitation (PPF) is achieved. Thus, the device introduced in this study is believed to lead the coming technology such as interactive appliances including displays and robots.
Nanophotonics for Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Furasova Aleksandra , Voroshilov Pavel , Sapori Daniel , Ladutenko Konstantin , Barettin Daniele , Zakhidov Anvar , Di Carlo Aldo , Simovski Constantin , Makarov Sergey
Published: May 2022

Solar photovoltaics based on synthetic halide perovskites have revolutionized solar energetics in the last decade. Since 2009 the overall efficiency of the sunlight‐to‐electricity conversion in perovskite solar cells increases from 3.8% up to 25.5% (for thin‐film single‐junction perovskite solar cells) and more than 30% (for affordable tandem solar cells with top photovoltaic layer of halide perovskite). On the other hand, nanophotonics has made a huge progress in the direction of light manipulation at nanoscale, which is highly important for various thin‐film technologies. In this review, implementation of various nanophotonic designs for improvement of perovskite solar cells efficiencies is discussed. In particular, different methodologies are covered for devices nanopatterning, nanotexturing, and nanostructuring of perovskite solar cells. Moreover, how these changes in the solar cell architecture would not only affect optical properties, but also modify charge carriers transport and harvesting are discussed. Finally, recent progress in machine learning for the perovskite solar cells design optimization is overviewed.
α‐Aziridinyl Carbenium Ion Intermediate and Stereoselective Dehydroxylative Diarylation of Aziridin‐2‐yl Carboxaldehyde
Authors: Ranjith Jala , Jeong Yeolib , Kim Hyunwoo , Ha Hyun‐Joon
Published: May 2022

α‐Aziridinyl carbenium ion as an intermediate was observed for the first time from the reaction of aziridin‐2‐yl arylmethanol with Lewis acid BF3 ⋅ OEt2. This intermediate was further reacted with various nucleophiles including electron‐rich arenes to afford the adducts in highly stereoselective manner as singly isomers. α‐Aziridinyl carbenium ion intermediate was observed spectroscopically as a crucial intermediate, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations show the origin of stereoselectivity based on thermodynamic preference for the reaction.
Event‐triggered‐based finite‐time cooperative path following control for underactuated multiple marine surface vehicles
Authors: Fu Mingyu , Wang Lulu
Published: May 2022

This paper develops an event‐triggered‐based finite‐time cooperative path following (CPF) control scheme for underactuated marine surface vehicles (MSVs) with model parameter uncertainties and unknown ocean disturbances. First, a finite‐time extended state observer (FTESO) is proposed, in which the FTESO can estimate the velocities and compound disturbances in finite time. Then, the finite‐time LOS guidance law based on velocity estimation values is designed to obtain the desired surge velocity and the desired yaw rate. In order to realize the cooperative control of multiple paths in finite time, the cooperative control law for the path variable is designed. In addition, the relative threshold event‐triggered control (ETC) mechanism is incorporated into the formation control algorithm, and an event‐triggered‐based finite‐time CPF controller is designed, which not only effectively reduces the update frequency of controller and the mechanical loss of actuator but also improves the control performance of system. Furthermore, by using homogeneous method, Lyapunov theory, and finite‐time stability theory, it is proved that under the proposed finite‐time CPF control scheme, the formation errors can converge to a small neighborhood around origin in finite time. Finally, numerical simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
Dysfunction of goal‐directed control in patients with depression and nonsuicidal self‐injury
Authors: Chen Qi , Liu Meng , Wen Rongzhen , Xu Chuanyong , Wei Zhen , Zhang Wei , Seger Carol A. , Peng Ziwen
Published: May 2022

Background

Non‐suicidal self‐injury (NSSI) is a common problem associated with dangerous outcomes. Dysfunction of goal‐directed behavioral control may contribute to NSSI. To test this, we used a novel experimental paradigm (Pavlovian‐to‐Instrumental Transfer, PIT) to test whether patients with NSSI utilize Pavlovian conditioned stimuli (CSs) during goal‐directed control of ongoing behavior.

Methods

Thirty‐five depressed patients with NSSI (D‐NSSI) and thirty‐four healthy controls performed a PIT task. We measured the influence of positive and negative background CSs on instrumental responses for rewards.

Results

The results showed that D‐NSSI performed significantly lower PIT than controls, and PIT measures were negatively correlated with NSSI frequency. Furthermore, in a subset of patients exhibiting high levels of compulsivity, PIT positively moderated the relationship between compulsivity and NSSI frequency.

Conclusions

These results indicate that D‐NSSI patients have difficulties in using different CSs to control ongoing behavior in a goal‐directed manner, and the dysfunction of goal‐directed control may contribute to NSSI.
The making of imperfect indicators for biodiversity: A case study of UK biodiversity performance measurement
Authors: Sobkowiak Madlen
Published: May 2022

This paper seeks to understand the process by which biodiversity performance indicators can be developed. In doing so, this paper examines how biodiversity performance measurements are inherently imperfect and reflects on the implications of that imperfectness. Using document analysis and semi‐structured interviews, this research outlines the case of the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and their work in developing biodiversity indicators. Based on the concept of imperfect measurements, this paper outlines the conditions under which imperfect biodiversity indicators can be productive measurements leading to fertile debate and constant improvements, rather than flawed measurements that actors ‘make do’ with. This paper concludes the biodiversity indicators construction process requires a collaboration between a broad set of diverse organisations, including NGOs and research centres. Lastly, this paper outlines the need for ongoing and rigorous review of adopted measurements to reduce the potentially harmful nature of imperfect biodiversity performance measurement.
Untersuchung der Flüssigkeitsverteilung in additiv gefertigten strukturierten Laborpackungen
Authors: Sarajlic Nadin , Stadler Michael , Ashour Mohamed Adel , Neukäufer Johannes , Grützner Thomas , Paschold Jürgen , Knösche Carsten , Klein Harald , Rehfeldt Sebastian
Published: May 2022

Zur Untersuchung der Flüssigkeitsverteilung über den Querschnitt an diskreten Stellen entlang einer strukturierten Packung im Labormaßstab wird ein modularer Teststand genutzt. Additiv gefertigte Packungsmodule werden mit Klickverbindungen gestapelt und mit einem gefärbten Lösungsmittel berieselt, wobei die Fließpfade gefärbt zurückbleiben. Der benetzte Querschnitt wird automatisiert optisch ausgewertet. Die reversible Verbindung der Module ermöglicht die wiederholte Durchführung des Versuchs mit identischen Versuchsbedingungen. Der einfache, kostengünstige Aufbau verschafft einen Einblick in die Packungen und generiert schnell Ergebnisse, die zur gezielten Verbesserung von Packungsstrukturen bezüglich ihrer Flüssigkeitsverteilung genutzt werden können.
‘You are trying to teach us to think more slowly!’: Adapting Metacognitive Training for the acute care setting—A case report
Authors: Fischer Rabea , Scheunemann Jakob , Bohlender Alison , Duletzki Patric , Nagel Matthias , Moritz Steffen
Published: May 2022

Psychological group interventions for the acute inpatient care setting are scarce. Whereas Metacognitive Training for patients with Psychosis (MCT) provides a widely accessible, easy‐to‐implement intervention for patients with mild to moderate symptoms, it is less adequate for the acute care setting with respect to length and density of information. We present the adaptation process and the resulting adaptation of MCT, MCT‐Acute, for the acute inpatient care setting. We report the case of a first patient, NK, who participated in MCT‐Acute during her mandated stay on the locked acute ward due to an exacerbation of schizophrenia. NK participated in MCT‐Acute 12 times, evaluated the training overall as positive and reported that she used exercises she had learned during training to improve her mood. She also described changing her behaviour in everyday life to think more slowly and make less hasty decisions, which is a central topic discussed in MCT and MCT‐Acute. Conducting an adapted version of MCT in the acute care setting is feasible, and the present case report suggests that MCT‐Acute may be a useful complement to a multidisciplinary treatment plan to stabilize patients with severe mental illness in acute inpatient care.
Clinical practice of precision medicine in lymphoma
Authors: Ji Lili , Hua Fanli , Wu Yu , Qiao Tiankui , Gu Jianying , Zhang Xiaohui , Liu Peng , Li Feng , Cheng Yunfeng
Published: May 2022

Background

Lymphoma is the most common malignancy in blood system. There are still unmet treatment needs in Hodgkin's and non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Materials & Methods

We searched reviews and clinical trials on genetic medicine of lymphoma in Pubmed, the prevelance of lymphoma in Pubmed as well as SEER.

Results

Genetic analysis helps the practice in lymphoma. For some molecules have become diagnostic markers in some subtypes of lymphoma. Some genetic disorder could forecast the prognosis. Besides, new target drug could be chosen as individual treatment according to the genetic changes in lymphoma cells.

Conclusion

Precision medicine has shown promising future in the field of lymphoma.
Lipids and genes: Regulatory roles of lipids in RNA expression
Authors: Wang Xiangdong , Han Xianlin , Powell Charles A.
Published: May 2022

Nuclear lipid metabolism and metabolites play important roles in regulation of lipid–lipid, lipid–gene, lipid–chromatin, lipid–membrane and lipid–protein interactions to maintain the nuclear microenvironment, three‐dimensional chromatin architecture, gene expression and transcription and biological function. This Editorial highlights the value of lipid–gene interaction in the identification and development of biomarkers and targets and emphasizes the significance of inter‐regulation between lipids and genes in innovation and application of precise therapies for patients. Regulatory functions of nuclear lipid dynamics and biophysics modify transcriptomic expression, and modification (lipotranscriptome) can be a new approach for discovery and development of disease‐specific diagnoses and therapies, although there are several challenges to be overcome. Better understanding of how lipid‐based changes of nuclear functions and transcriptomic profiles modify clinical phenomes will provide new insights to understand molecular mechanisms of diseases and to develop spatiotemporal molecular medicine diagnostics and therapeutics.
A stitch in time…: Comparing late‐identified, late‐emerging and early‐identified dyslexia
Authors: de Bree Elise H. , van den Boer Madelon , Toering Boukje M. , de Jong Peter F.
Published: May 2022

When dyslexia is diagnosed late, the question is whether this is due to late‐emerging (LE) or late‐identified (LI) problems. In a random selection of dyslexia‐diagnosis case files we distinguished early‐diagnosed (Grade 1–3, n = 116) and late‐diagnosed (Grade 4–6) dyslexia. The late‐diagnosed files were divided into LE (n = 54) and LI dyslexia (n = 45). The LE group consisted of children whose national‐curriculum literacy outcomes did not warrant referral for dyslexia diagnosis in Grades 1–2; the LI group of children whose literacy outcomes did, but who were referred for diagnostic assessment after Grade 3. At the time of diagnosis, the percentage of poor performers on word‐level literacy measures generally did not differ between the groups. Only the LE group contained fewer poor performers than the early‐diagnosed and LI group on some word‐reading measures. All groups showed similar distributions of phonological difficulties. There were no indications of compensation through vocabulary, memory or IQ in either late‐diagnosed group. Our diagnosis‐based study confirms and extends previous research‐based studies on LE dyslexia. Moreover, it shows that LI dyslexia exists, which can be regarded as the existence of instructional casualties. The findings speak to issues of identification, diagnosis and compensation and call for further efforts to improve the early identification of dyslexia.
Trade‐offs associated with occupancy models in a multispecies grassland plant population study
Authors: Middleton Elizabeth L. , Vining Ivan
Published: May 2022

Occupancy models have been underused in multispecies plant studies. We evaluated the effectiveness of occupancy models to document impacts of management on grassland plant species populations in a pilot study. The study was designed to answer three questions: (1) From a list of 44 plant species, how many will have sufficient frequency to be analyzed? (2) Within a single site, which factor (sampling year or unit) influences occupancy and detection of each plant species? (3) How does the number of plots and visits affect the number of species with sufficient frequency for analysis? In 2012 and 2013, occupancy and detection probabilities of 44 plant species were assessed using permanently marked plots on two different grassland sites. Within each site, a fire and grazing managed unit and a burn‐only control unit were used to test the efficacy of occupancy modeling for multiple plant species and study design. Four of the 44 species had sufficiently high known presence (π) on both sites and years to be analyzed. There was little evidence to support that occupancy was different between years, despite very different weather patterns. There was support that occupancy was different in the burned and grazed unit compared with the control for Rhus copallinum L. Detection was highest (≥0.8) for R. copallinum, while the other species analyzed varied. In 2012, eight species had sufficient π for analysis. In 2013, 12 species had sufficient π for analysis. Occupancy models can be useful for investigating multiple plant species; however, a priori investigation of species' distribution is necessary to ensure species can be analyzed. Detection of plants was never 1, and therefore, detection should continue to be incorporated in plant population models, regardless of modeling technique.
Modern practices in electrophoretic deposition to manufacture energy storage electrodes
Authors: Chakrabarti Barun Kumar , Gençten Metin , Bree Gerard , Dao Anh Ha , Mandler Daniel , Low Chee Tong John
Published: May 2022

The applications of electrophoretic deposition (EPD) to the development of electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices such as batteries and supercapacitors are reviewed. A discussion on the selection of parameters for optimizing EPD electrode performance, such as light‐directed EPD, co‐deposition of active materials such as metal oxides and materials manufactured with high porosity and fibrous properties is highlighted. Additionally, means for overcoming obstacles in the improvement of the mechanical properties, conductivity and surface area of EES materials are discussed. The exceptional benefits of EPD such as low cost, small processing time, simple apparatus requirements, homogeneous coatings, binder‐free deposits and selective modification associated with thickness and mass loadings leading to effective EES electrode materials are highlighted. Finally, EPD processes have evolved as modern manufacturing tools to produce technologically improved solid electrolytes and separators for lithium‐ion and/or sodium‐ion batteries, and further research and development programmes are encouraged towards industrialisation.
Modified search and rescue optimization algorithm for identifying the optimal parameters of high efficiency triple‐junction solar cell/module
Authors: Houssein Essam H. , Nassef Ahmed M. , Fathy Ahmed , Mahdy Mohamed A. , Rezk Hegazy
Published: May 2022

The Search and Rescue optimization algorithm (SAR) is a recent metaheuristic inspired by the explorations behavior of humans during search and rescue operations. Similar to many of the metaheuristic algorithms (MAs), SAR may suffer from drawbacks, such as being trapped in minimum local regions and improper balance between exploitation and exploration phases. To overcome these weaknesses, this study proposes an alternative algorithm of Search And Rescue optimization algorithm (SAR) called (mSAR) to improve its diversity and provide a soft balance between the exploration and exploitation stages of the original SAR algorithm. The mSAR introduces an adaptive strategy to boost the algorithm performance. To assess its reliability, the proposed approach is validated through IEEE CEC'2020 test suite against six state‐of‐the‐art algorithms namely the Adaptive guided differential evolution algorithm (AGDE), Evolution strategy with covariance matrix adaptation (CMA‐ES), the Whale optimization algorithm (WOA), Harris hawks optimization (HHO), Archimedes optimization algorithm (AOA), Cuckoo search algorithm (CS) besides the original SAR algorithm. A robust strategy based on a mSAR to create an equivalent circuit for a high‐efficiency triple‐junction solar cell/module (TJS/M) has been proposed. The suggested strategy is used to determine the best parameters of the TJS/M model based on the measurement datasets. During the optimization process, the aim is to minimize the integral time absolute error (ITAE) between the measured and estimated currents. The suggested mSAR is compared with other optimizers considering statistical tests of Wilcoxon sign rank, Friedman, and ANOVA. For the case of TJSC based PV module, the best (minimum) objective function is achieved at a value of 0.00178 by the proposed mSAR, whereas the worst value at 0.02476 is obtained by the CS. Furthermore, for the single TJSC, the minimum objective function is achieved at value of 0.04277 by the proposed mSAR whereas the worst value at 0.19987 is obtained by the CS. The best average cost value at 0.00663 is achieved by the proposed mSAR, whereas the worst value at 0.0402 is obtained by the HHO. The best SD value at 0.0061 is achieved by the proposed mSAR, whereas the worst value at 0.03845 is obtained by the AOA. The obtained results proved the superiority of the proposed mSAR in determining the best parameters of the TJS model.
Hepatocellular cystathionine γ lyase/hydrogen sulfide attenuates nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by activating farnesoid X receptor
Authors: Xu Wenjing , Cui Changting , Cui Chunmei , Chen Zhenzhen , Zhang Haizeng , Cui Qinghua , Xu Guoheng , Fan Jianglin , Han Yu , Tang Liangjie , Targher Giovanni , Byrne Christopher D. , Zheng Ming‐Hua , Yang Liming , Cai Jun , Geng Bin
Published: May 2022

Background and Aims

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) plays a protective role in NAFLD. However, whether cystathionine γ lyase (CSE), a dominant H2S generating enzyme in hepatocytes, has a role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD is currently unclear.

Approach and Results

We showed that CSE protein expression is dramatically downregulated, especially in fibrotic areas, in livers from patients with NAFLD. In high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced NAFLD mice or an oleic acid‐induced hepatocyte model, the CSE/H2S pathway is also downregulated. To illustrate a regulatory role for CSE in NAFLD, we generated a hepatocyte‐specific CSE knockout mouse (CSE
LKO). Feeding an HFD to CSE
LKO mice, they showed more hepatic lipid deposition with increased activity of the fatty acid de novo synthesis pathway, increased hepatic insulin resistance, and higher hepatic gluconeogenic ability compared to CSE
Loxp control mice. By contrast, H2S donor treatment attenuated these phenotypes. Furthermore, the protection conferred by H2S was blocked by farnesoid X receptor (FXR) knockdown. Consistently, serum deoxycholic acid and lithocholic acid (FXR antagonists) were increased, and tauro‐β‐muricholic acid (FXR activation elevated) was reduced in CSELKO. CSE/H2S promoted a post‐translation modification (sulfhydration) of FXR at Cys138/141 sites, thereby enhancing its activity to modulate expression of target genes related to lipid and glucose metabolism, inflammation, and fibrosis. Sulfhydration proteomics in patients' livers supported the CSE/H2S modulation noted in the CSE
LKO mice.

Conclusions

FXR sulfhydration is a post‐translational modification affected by hepatic endogenous CSE/H2S that may promote FXR activity and attenuate NAFLD. Hepatic CSE deficiency promotes development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. The interaction between H2S and FXR may be amenable to therapeutic drug treatment in NAFLD.
Recent technological advances in the management of chronic wounds: A literature review
Authors: Ongarora Benson G.
Published: May 2022

Background

Wound treatment comprises a substantial portion of the healthcare budgets in developed countries. Studies suggest that about 50% of patients admitted to hospitals have wounds, while 1%−2% of the general population in the developed world suffers from chronic wounds. Chronic wounds fail to repair themselves within the expected period of 30 days. Technologies have been developed to address challenges encountered during wound care with the aim of alleviating pain, promoting healing, or controlling wound infections.

Objective

The objective of this study was to explore the technological improvements that have been made in this field over time.

Methods

To gain insight into the future of wound management, a systematic review of literature on the subject was conducted in scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Medline, and Clinical Trials).

Results and Discussion

Results indicate that wound dressings have evolved from the traditional cotton gauze to composite materials embedded with appropriate ingredients such as metal‐based nanoparticles. Studies on biodegradable dressing materials are also underway to explore their applicability in dressing large and irregular wounds. On the other hand, conventional drugs and traditional formulations for the management of pain, inflammation, infections, and accelerating healing have been developed. However, more research needs to be carried out to address the issue of microbial resistance to drugs. Drugs for managing other ailments also need to be designed in such a way that they can augment wound healing. In addition, it has been demonstrated that a coordinated integration of conventional and traditional medicine can produce laudable results in chronic wound management.

Conclusion

Accordingly, collaborative efforts and ingenuity of all players in the field can accelerate technological advances in the wound care market to the benefit of the patients.
Cdk2 suppresses IL‐23 expression and the onset of severe acute pancreatitis
Authors: Ma Yanpeng , Liu Longlong , Li Bin , Wang Wenyao , Zhao Tingting
Published: May 2022

Background

Acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas. Although interleukin‐23 (IL‐23) is associated with the severity of acute pancreatitis, the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Herein, its regulatory mechanisms were explored in this study.

Methods

RNA‐sequencing analysis selected the differently expressed genes in cerulean‐induced acute pancreatitis mice. Polymerase chain reaction analysis determined IL‐23 expression in cyclin‐dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2) short hairpin RNA (shRNA)‐pretreated or DDB1–cullin‐4‐associated factor‐2 (DCAF2)‐overexpressed RAW264.7 cells or CDKs inhibitor AT7519/cullin ring‐finger ubiquitin ligase inhibitor MLN4924‐treated bone marrow‐derived macrophages in the presence of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Pancreatic damages were evaluated in AT7519‐treated pancreatitis mice.

Results

Pancreatitis mice displayed an increased expression on IL‐23 and a decreased expression of Cdk2. Inhibiting Cdk2 by shRNA or AT7519 significantly induced IL‐23 expression in LPS‐treated RAW cells. Moreover, AT7519 treatment significantly aggravated the severity of acute pancreatitis in mice. Furthermore, AT7519 remarkably increased DCAF2 expression, which was also induced by MLN4924 no matter with or without AT7519 in vitro. On the contrary, overexpressing DCAF2 blocked the stimulatory effect of AT7519 on IL‐23 expression.

Conclusion

Cdk2 negatively regulates IL‐23 expression by inhibiting DCAF2 in acute pancreatitis, indicating that Cdk2 might serve as a promising therapeutic target for acute pancreatitis.
The heparan sulphate proteoglycan Syndecan‐1 (CD138) regulates tumour progression in a 3D model of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast
Authors: D'Arcy Christopher , Zimmermann Clarissa Constanze , Espinoza‐Sanchez Nancy Adriana , Greve Burkhard , Schmidt Annika , Kiesel Ludwig , von Wahlde Marie‐Kristin , Götte Martin
Published: May 2022

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a form of breast cancer that is restricted to the lactiferous ducts and has not yet invaded the surrounding breast tissue. Dysregulation of the transmembrane heparan sulphate proteoglycan Syndecan‐1 (Sdc‐1) plays a role in tumour progression of invasive breast cancer (IBC). In DCIS, Sdc‐1, c‐Met and E‐cadherin are part of a proangiogenic expression signature. In this study, we employed a siRNA knockdown approach in the DCIS model cell line MCF10A DCIS.com to investigate a potential connection between Sdc‐1 and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), proteolysis and the Rho kinase pathway. Analysis of gene expression data of the TNMplot.com database revealed that Sdc‐1 expression was higher in primary breast tumours compared to metastases. The impact of Sdc‐1‐depletion on the cellular phenotype was investigated in a Matrigel‐based three‐dimensional cell culture model. Sdc‐1 depletion resulted in the formation of larger spheroids and the formation of invasive protrusions. Application of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and Rho kinase inhibitors could block the Sdc‐1‐induced phenotype. qPCR analysis of Sdc‐1‐depleted cells in two‐dimensional culture revealed upregulated expression of the EMT‐markers CDH1, FN‐1, CLDN1, the proteolysis markers MMP3, and MMP9, and HPSE, while MMP2, VIM and ROCK‐2 were downregulated. Immunocytochemistry confirmed upregulation of MMP9 and fibronectin, the latter being particular prominent after ROCK inhibition. STRING analysis confirmed an interaction of the investigated gene products at the protein level. Our results suggest that diminished Sdc‐1 expression plays a role in DCIS progression to IBC through deregulation of proteolytic factors and a partial EMT.
Comparison of engineered cartilage based on BMSCs and chondrocytes seeded on PVA‐PPU scaffold in a sheep model
Authors: Taghizadehjahed Masoud , Sepahdar Asma , Rabiee Navid , Nazbar Abolfazl , Farzad‐Mohajeri Saeed , Dehghan Mohammad Mehdi , Shokrgozar Mohammad Ali , Majidi Mohammad , Mardjanmehr Seyed Hossein , Aminianfar Hossein , Akbari Javar Hamid , Bonakdar Shahin
Published: May 2022

In this study, polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel chains were crosslinked by polyurethane in order to synthesize a suitable substrate for cartilage lesions. The substrate was fully characterized, and in vitro and in vivo investigations were conducted based on a sheep model. In vitro tests were performed based on the chondrocyte cells with the Alcian Blue and safranin O staining in order to prove the presence of proteoglycan on the surface of the synthesized substrate, which has been secreted by cultures of chondrocytes. Furthermore, the expression of collagen type I, collagen type II, aggrecan, and Sox9 was presented in the chondrocyte cultures on the synthesized substrate through RT‐PCR. In addition, the H&E analysis and other related tests demonstrated the formation of neocartilage tissue in a sheep model. The results were found to be promising for cartilage tissue engineering and verified that the isolated chondrocyte cultures on the synthesized substrate retain their original composition.
A novel four‐gene signature predicts immunotherapy response of patients with different cancers
Authors: Liu Yuanli , Ni Mingyue , Li Lamei , Wang Junyan , Tu Zhenzhen , Zhou Haisheng , Zhang Siping
Published: May 2022

Background

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has demonstrated favorable clinical efficacy, particularly for advanced or difficult‐to‐treat cancer types. However, this therapy is ineffective for many patients displaying lack of immune response or resistance to ICB. This study aimed to establish a novel four‐gene signature (CD8A, CD8B, TCF7, and LEF1) to provide a prognostic immunotherapy biomarker for different cancers.

Methods

Transcriptome profiles and clinical data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to establish a four‐gene signature. The R package estimate was used to obtain the immune score for every patient.

Results

Risk scores of the novel four‐gene signature could effectively divided all patients into high‐ and low‐risk groups, with distinct outcomes. The immune score calculated via the estimate package demonstrated that the four‐gene signature was significantly associated with the immune infiltration level. Furthermore, the four‐gene signature could predict the response to atezolizumab immunotherapy in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer.

Conclusions

The novel four‐gene signature developed in this study is a good prognostic biomarker, as it could identify many kinds of patients with cancer who are likely to respond to and benefit from immunotherapy.
Gender-dependent frequency of unconventional T cells in a healthy adult Caucasian population: A combinational study of invariant NKT cells, γδ T cells, and mucosa-associated invariant T cells
Authors: Singh Parvind , Szaraz-Szeles Marianna , Mezei Zoltan , Barath Sandor , Hevessy Zsuzsanna
Published: May 2022

This study tested the hypothesis of gender bias in frequency of unconventional T cells. Unconventional T cells exist as minor subsets of T cells in peripheral blood. Despite their low number, they play a crucial role in various immune-mediated diseases such as inflammation, autoimmunity, allergy, and cancer. Gender-based frequency of these cells altogether on large number of healthy individuals are unestablished creating hurdles to manifest association with various immune-mediated pathologic conditions. In this study, we used a multicolor flow cytometric panel to identify iNKT cells, γδ T cells, and MAIT cells altogether in the peripheral blood samples of 93 healthy adult males and 109 healthy adult females from the Caucasian population. The results revealed iNKT cell median value (% T cells) in females was higher: 0.114% ranging from 0.011 to 3.84%, than males: 0.076% (p value 0.0292), ranging from 0.007 to 0.816% and found to be negatively correlated with age in females (p value 0.0047). However, γδ T cell median value in males was higher: 2.52% ranging from 0.31 to 16.09%, than females: 1.79% (p value 0.0155), ranging from 0.078 to 12.49% and each gender was negatively correlated with age (male p value 0.0003 and female p value 0.0007). MAIT cell median values were 3.04% ranging from 0.11 to 10.75% in males and 2.67% ranging from 0.2 to 18.36% in females. MAIT cells did not show any statistically significant difference between genders and found to be negatively correlated with age (p value < 0.0001). Our results could be used for further gender-wise investigations of various pathologic conditions such as cancer and their prognosis, autoimmune diseases, allergies, and their pathogenicity.