bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Effects of Empagliflozin on Acute Lung Injury in Rat Intestinal Ischemia-Reperfusion Model
Authors: Gokbulut Puren , Kuskonmaz S. Mehlika , Koc Gönül , Onder Cagatay Emir , Yumusak Nihat , Erel Ozcan , Nural Arzu Sakallı , Culha Cavit
Published: June 2022

Background: Empagliflozin is a selective sodium-glucose co-transporter (SGLT2) inhibitor that is accepted for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Positive effects of empagliflozin on systems other than diabetes have been detected. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of empagliflozin on acute lung injury induced by intestinal ischemia/ reperfusion (I/R). Materials and methods: A total of 27 male Wistar albino rats were divided into 3 groups: sham, I/R, and I/R+ empagliflozin; each group contains 9 animals. Sham group animals underwent laparotomy without I/R injury. After I/R groups animals underwent laparotomy, 1 h of superior mesenteric artery ligation was followed by 2 h of reperfusion. In the empagliflozin group, 7 days before I/R, empagliflozin (30 mg/kg) was administered by gastric gavage. All animals were killed at the end of reperfusion and lung tissue samples were obtained for immunohistochemical staining and histopathological investigation in all groups. Results: Serum glucose, AST, ALT, creatinine, native thiol, total thiol, and disulfide levels and disulfide–native thiol, disulfide–total thiol, and native thiol–total thiol ratios as well as the IMA levels were analyzed and compared among the groups. While intestinal I/R significantly increases serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and creatinine levels; Thiol/Disulfide did not cause any change in homeostasis parameters and IMA level. Empagliflozin treatment had no significant effect on biochemical parameters. Empagliflozin treatment induced a significant decrease in positive immunostaining for IL-1, IL-6, TNF-alpha, caspase 3, caspase 8, and caspase 9 compared to the I/R group in lung tissue samples. Intestinal I/R caused severe histopathological injury including edema, hemorrhage, increased thickness of the alveolar wall, and infiltration of inflammatory cells into alveolar spaces. Empagliflozin treatment significantly attenuated the severity of intestinal I/R injury. Conclusions: It was concluded that empagliflozin treatment may have beneficial effects in acute lung injury, and therefore has potential for clinical use Keywords: empagliflozin, intestinal ischemia/ reperfusion, acute lung injury, anti-inflammatory
Definitive surgery and intraoperative photodynamic therapy for locally advanced non–small cell lung cancer: A case report
Authors: Jung Hee Suk , Kim Hyun Jung
Published: June 2022

Backgound: Locally advanced lung cancer (T3 or T4) has no straightforward guidelines are available to manage it. Although surgery has traditionally been regarded as the mainstay of treatment and the only curative modality, it has limited relevance in patients with locally advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a clinically approved cancer therapy; it is an established treatment modality with curative intent for early stage and superficial endobronchial lesions. However, the efficacy of PDT in advanced lung cancer is controversial and it primarily has been used in palliative care.Case presentation: This case report describes a 70-year-old male who had a right upper lung cancer and endobronchial lesion that extended into the distal trachea. A biopsy specimen was obtained upon bronchoscopy, and the result confirmed squamous cell carcinoma. We performed a definitive sleeve lobectomy and intraoperative PDT. Gross total resection of the tumor was achieved, but the presence of microscopic residual tumors was inevitable. Complete anatomical resection of the primary tumor by pneumonectomy was not possible due to poor lung function and endobronchial extension to the distal trachea. We decided to apply intraoperative PDT to the lumen and outer wall of the bronchi and distal trachea for local tumor control. The patient is alive with no evidence of disease after 13 months of follow-up.Conclusions: This is the first report to describe the feasibility and efficacy of intraoperative PDT as part of multimodal therapy for locally advanced NSCLC.
Micronodular thymic carcinoma with lymphoid stroma: a case report
Authors: Zaitsu Koki , Nishida Haruto , Kondo Yoshihiko , Kawamura Kazuhiro , Kusaba Takahiro , Oyama Yuzo , Daa Tsutomu
Published: June 2022

Background: Micronodular thymic carcinoma (MTC) with lymphoid hyperplasia is believed to be the malignant counterpart of micronodular thymoma (MT) with lymphoid hyperplasia. Since MT and MTC share a similar morphology, MTC is considered a malignant form of MT; there have been a few cases of malignant transformation from MT to MTC. We report a case of MTC with lymphoid hyperplasia.Case presentation: Our 53-year-old patient presented with an incidental tumor on chest X-ray. The resected tumor consisted of nodular epithelial nests and lymphoid tissue within a surrounding germinal center. Some epithelial nests showed apparent malignant morphology. Atypical epithelial cells with large vesicular nuclei formed nests, some of which showed comedo necrosis. These cells showed transition continuously to benign type B thymoma-like cells, demonstrating cord-like arrangements. Carcinomatous elements, showing a high Ki67 index, expressed Glut1, CD5, CD117, and BCL2; conversely, benign nests displayed attenuated expression of these markers and a low Ki67 labeling index. GTF2I point mutation and Langerhans/dendritic cells, which are indicators of favorable thymoma prognosis, were not detected. Due to pleural metastasis, the patient was treated with lenvatinib 27 months postoperatively. Conclusions: This is the first report of a partially benign, GTF2I-negative MTC. Histological and genetic findings might be predictive of patient prognosis.
The Prediction of Hypertension Risk
Authors: Massaro Alessandro , Giardinelli Vito O.M. , Cosoli Gabriele , Magaletti Nicola , Leogrande Angelo
Published: June 2022

This article presents an estimation of the hypertension risk based on a dataset on 1007 individuals. The application of a Tobit Model shows that “Hypertension” is positively associated to “Age”, “BMI-Body Mass Index”, and “Heart Rate”. The data show that the element that has the greatest impact in determining inflation risk is “BMI-Body Mass Index”. An analysis was then carried out using the fuzzy c-Means algorithm optimized with the use of the Silhouette coefficient. The result shows that the optimal number of clusters is 9. A comparison was then made between eight different machine-learning algorithms for predicting the value of the Hypertension Risk. The best performing algorithm is the Gradient Boosted Trees Regression according to the analyzed dataset. The results show that there are 37 individuals who have a predicted hypertension value greater than 0.75, 35 individuals who have a predicted hypertension value between 0.5 and 0.75, while 227 individuals have a hypertension value between 0.0 and 0.5 units.
Estimating the Effects of Regulating University Face-to-Face Lectures on the Spread of COVID-19: Evidence from Japan
Authors: Okachi Michinao , Youn Haewon
Published: June 2022

Universities are the only institutions that have conducted most lectures online during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, but no researcher has analyzed the effects of nonface-to-face lectures on containing the spread of the novel coronavirus. This study is the first attempt to estimate these effects. Applying a multiple-event study negative binomial regression model, we find that changing the ratio of online lectures had only slight effects on the numbers of COVID-19 infections among university students. For example, if universities regulate almost all lectures in-person from lectures consisting of more than a half of in-person style, the number of student infections declined by 5.5 per 10,000 students between seven weeks prior and posterior to the change. Other lecture style changes show milder differences than this. Considering these results, minimizing or restricting face-to-face lectures does not appear to be particularly effective for preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
Fast in vivo assay of creatine kinase in human brain by 31P magnetic resonance fingerprinting
Authors: Widmaier Mark , Lim Song-I , Wenz Daniel , Xin Lijing
Published: June 2022

A new and efficient magnetization transfer 31P magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MT-31P-MRF) approach was introduced to measure the creatine kinase metabolic rate kCK in human brain. The MRF framework was extended to overcome challenges in conventional 31P measurement methods in human brain in vivo by reducing specific absorption rate deposition, incorporating system imperfection into a model, and expanding the size of parameters. In order to compute such complex high dimensional data sets, we propose a nested iteration interpolation method (NIIM). The method delivers an efficient way by breaking the exponential growth with parameter size of the dictionaries into sub solutions of linear order. The MT-31P-MRF combined with NIIM provides T1PCr , T 1ATP , and kCK estimates in good agreement with those obtained by the exchange kinetics by band inversion transfer (EBIT) method and literature values. Furthermore, the test-retest reproducibility results showed that the MT-31P-MRF achieves less than 10% of coefficient of variations for T T1PCr , T 1ATP , and kCK measurements with 4 min 15 s scan time, which is four times faster than the EBIT method. We conclude that MT-31P-MRF in combination with NIIM is a fast, accurate and reproducible approach for in vivo creatine kinase metabolic rate assay in the human brain, which enables the potential for investigating energy metabolism in a clinical setting.
Bioprotective potential of lactic acid bacteria for Salmonella biocontrol in vitro
Authors: Evangelista Alberto Gonçalves , Matté Eduardo Henrique Custódio , Corrêa Jessica Audrey Feijó , Gonçalves Francieli Dalvana Ribeiro , Santos João Vitor Garcia dos , Biauki Gabrieli Camila , Milek Mônica Moura , Costa Leandro Batista , Luciano Fernando Bittencourt
Published: June 2022

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are an important option for Salmonella control in animal production, resulting in lower use of therapeutic and zootechnical antibiotics. The objective of this research was to isolate LAB for in vitro verification of their bioprotective potential. 11 bacteria were identified as Pediococcus acidilactici, two as Lacticaseibacillus (Lactobacillus) rhamnosus, one as Lacticaseibacillus (Lactobacillus) paracasei paracasei, one as Limosilactobacillus fermentum, and one as a consortium of Lactobacillus delbrueckii bulgaricus and L. fermentum. All bacteria showed effectiveness against Salmonella, with emphasis on the inhibition halos of P. acidilactici PUCPR 011 against Salmonella Enteritidis 33SUSUP, S. Enteritidis 9SUSP, S. Enteritidis 56301, S. Enteritidis CRIFS 1016, Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC™ 14028®, and Salmonella Gallinarum AL 1138, with inhibition of 7.3 ± 0.5 mm, 7.7 ± 1.0 mm, 9.0 ± 1.8 mm, 7.3 ± 0.5 mm, 7.7 ± 1.0 mm, and 7.3 ± 0.5, respectively. The isolates P. acidilactici PUCPR 011, P. acidilactici PUCPR 012, P. acidilactici PUCPR 014, L. fermentum PUCPR 005, L. paracasei paracasei PUCPR 013, and L. rhamnosus PUCPR 010 showed inhibition greater than 2 mm against at least 3 Salmonella strains, and were used for encapsulation and in vitro digestion. The encapsulation efficiency ranged from 76.89 ± 1.54 to 116.48 ± 2.23%, and the population after 12 months of storage was from 5.31 ± 0.17 to 9.46 ± 0.09 log CFU/g. When simulating swine and chicken digestion, there was a large reduction in bacterial viability, stabilizing at concentrations close to 2.5 log CFU/mL after the analyses. The analyzed bacteria showed great potential in vitro for application as bioprotectors, and further analyses are required to determine their in vivo effectiveness.
Lung recovery from graphene oxide induced DNA damage is dependent on size, dose and inflammation profile
Authors: Luna Luis Augusto Visani , Loret Thomas , Fordham Alexander , Arshad Atta , Drummond Matthew , Dodd Abbie , Lozano Neus , Kostarelos Kostas , Bussy Cyrill
Published: June 2022

BackgroundA key aspect of any new material safety assessment is the evaluation of their in vivo genotoxicity. Graphene oxide (GO) has been studied for many promising applications, but there are remaining concerns about its safety profile, especially after inhalation. Herein we tested whether GO lateral dimension, comparing micrometric (LGO) and nanometric (USGO) GO sheets, could have an impact on the formation of DNA double strand breaks in mouse lungs. We used spatial resolution and differential cell type analysis to decipher between DNA damages on epithelial and immune cells. Single as well as multiple lung exposures were performed to evaluate the importance of using more realistic scenario when evaluating the potential genotoxicity of materials.ResultsDNA damages induced by GO were size and dose dependent, in both single and repeated exposure scenario. A fast recovery was found after single exposure, irrespective of the dimensions of the GO sheets. However, the LGO induced long-term DNA damages in lung alveolar epithelia, at 84 days after repeated exposure. A multiparametric correlation analysis of repeated exposure data revealed that transient or persistent inflammation and oxidative stress were associated to either recovery or persistent DNA damages. For USGO, recovery from DNA damages was correlated to efficient recovery from acute inflammation. In contrast, the persistence of LGO in the lungs and the long-lasting presence of multinucleated macrophages were associated to persistent DNA damages. Conclusions Overall these results highlight the importance of the exposure scenario used. We showed that LGO was more genotoxic after repeated exposure than single exposure due to persistent lung inflammation. These findings are important in the context of human health risk assessment and toward establishing recommendations for a safe use of graphene based materials in the workplace.
Insulin prescribing, administration, and glucose monitoring trends in Irish hospitals: scope for improvement?
Authors: Hogan-Murphy Diana , Reddington Lisa , Dennedy Michael C. , Egan Laurence , Okiro Julie , Given John , Donnellan Sinead , Salehmohamed M. Ridhwaan
Published: June 2022

PurposeInsulin is a high-alert critical medicine used in the treatment of diabetes which bears a heightened risk of causing significant patient harm when used inappropriately and has been identified as a medication safety issue in Galway University Hospitals. The aim of this study was to conduct a local prospective audit on insulin prescribing, administration, and glucose monitoring trends in order to identify and develop quality improvement initiatives. MethodsThis audit was conducted over one day in March 2022, approved by the local Clinical Audit Committee, piloted on two inpatients, and communicated to all data collectors prior to commencement. Generated data were anonymous and securely stored. Independent analysis was conducted by three researchers to confirm reliability of results.Results454 inpatients were reviewed of which 17% [75] had diabetes and 9% [41] were prescribed insulin. The overall insulin error rate with one or more errors comprising prescribing and/or administration per inpatient drug record was 90% [37]. In total, 95% [235] insulin brand names and 89% [220] dose units were clearly prescribed, 84% [208] administration times were clearly specified by a prescriber, 87% [214] orders were signed, 58% [25] prescribers clearly documented their registration number/bleep/name at least once for contact purposes, 35% [30] meal time supplements were documented clearly by a nurse, 70% [202] administrations were double checked by a second person, 53% [142] administration times were documented by a nurse, and 26% [10] of inpatients were administered insulin by a nurse when not prescribed.ConclusionResults will assist in developing quality improvement initiatives to optimise patient care.
New Insights into Mechanisms of Berberine in Alleviating Reproductive Disorders of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Anti-inflammatory Properties
Authors: Xia Qing , Wang Wenjing , Liu Zijie , Xiao Jiaying , Qiao Cong , Zhao Yu , Li Bowen , Liu Yuanli , Peng Yahui , Yang Xinyu , Shi Jiabin , Gao Xu , Wang Dayong
Published: June 2022

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex reproductive disorder which seriously harms female reproductive health and decreases their quality of life. Although spontaneous or assisted ovulation, women with PCOS suffer from poor-quality oocytes and embryos, lower fertilization and final pregnancy rate. Therefore, it is urgent to reveal new pathological mechanisms and discover the underlying therapeutic targets for the reproductive disorders in PCOS. Berberine, one of the famous traditional Chinese medicines, has been shown to improve ovulation and live birth rates in women with PCOS. The effects of berberine on insulin resistance and abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism for restoring reproductive health of PCOS are well recognized and widely studied, but much less attention has been paid to its anti-inflammatory properties. Chronic low-grade inflammation as the unifying feature of PCOS may contribute to reproductive disorders in PCOS. Berberine can tune the inflammatory state of ovaries and uterus in PCOS. The anti-inflammatory properties of berberine may provide new insight into mechanisms of berberine in alleviating reproductive disorders of PCOS. Here, we summarize the most recent insights into anti-inflammatory properties of berberine in reproductive disorders of PCOS, inspiring researchers to go in new study directions of berberine.
Generalized Empirical Depth-based Classification
Authors: Rahman Jafer , Liu Xiaohui , Luo Shihua
Published: June 2022

The empirical likelihood is a fully data-dependent method which inherits many advantages of the parametric likelihood approach and requires comparatively less assumptions. In this paper, we consider empirical likelihood-based depth notion the so-called generalized empirical depths to introduce a nonparametric classification procedure. The existing classifiers based on data depths such as the halfspace and the zonoid depth suffer from the “outsiders”. The proposed method suitably considers those points to include in the convex hull of each class observations and completely gets rid of the “outsider problem”. Moreover, unlike other empirical likelihood-based procedures, it has advantage of having non-degenerate population version. The performance of the proposed approach is examined using simulated as well as real datasets, and the results are compared with those based on the zonoid and halfspace depths. In most of the cases, the proposed classifier performs comparably with aforementioned procedures across a range of settings and outperforms in many cases with encouraging results.
Correlations of palatal surface area with anthropometric dimensions of head and face
Authors: Assy Z. , Jager D. H.J. , Brand H. S. , Bikker F. J.
Published: June 2022

Purpose: Saliva distribution over the palatal surface plays an important role in the perception of dry mouth. It is envisaged that non-invasive estimation of the palatal surface area by anthropometric measurements of head and face, can be useful in the assessment of oral dryness. For this purpose, the relationship between the palatal surface area and anthropometric measurements of the head and face was investigated. Methods: The palatal surface was measured in 51 healthy volunteers using an intra-oral scanner. The distances between anthropometric landmarks of the head and face were determined using an anatomical sliding caliper. Correlations between the palatal surface area and the anthropometric landmarks were investigated.Results: The median palatal surface area for the total study population was found to be 2120.6 mm2. Virtually all anthropometric measurements showed significant differences between females and males. Various head and face measurements had a significant correlation with the palatal surface area. However, these correlations disappeared when the participants were stratified based on their sex, with the exception of mandibular length and palatal width in females. Conclusion: The surface area of the palate correlates with nearly all anthropometric measurements of the head and face included in this study. Yet, the clinical applicability seems limited to females.
Outcomes of recurrent incisional hernia repair with different mesh repair approach: A retrospective cohort study in a single institution
Authors: Chen Fuqiang , Nie Yusheng , Guo Yingfeng , Bittner Reinhard , Yang Huiqi , Chen Jie
Published: June 2022

Purpose
There is a scarcity of studies on different surgical approaches for recurrent incisional hernia and associated complications. The aim of our study is to describe the management of recurrent incisional hernia repairs at a single institution over 5-year period.
Methods
Consecutive patients who received one of four surgeries of interest for recurrent incisional hernia were identified. Clinical outcomes were evaluated and compared across different approaches. A stratified analysis by defect size was conducted according to the European Hernia Society (EHS) width classification.
Results
A total of 292 patients were analyzed: 74 (25.3%) underwent open sublay repair without the component separation technique (CST; Group I), 50 (17.1%) had open sublay repair with CST (Group II), 131 (44.9%) had laparoscopic mesh repair (Group III), and 37 (12.7%) had a hybrid procedure (Group IV). Patients in Groups II and IV had higher rates of complications (48.0% and 54.1%, respectively) compared to those in Groups I (21.6%) and III (20.6%). Within a median follow-up period of 36 (12–70) months, four patients in Group I (5.4%), one in Group II (2.0%), five (3.8%) in Group III, and two (5.4%) in Group IV developed recurrence, and the between-group difference was not significant. Multivariate analysis identified higher body mass index, smoking, longer operative time, and EHS width class W3 ≥ 10 cm as the risk factors of postoperative complications.
Conclusion
Tailored surgery is recommended for repair of recurrent incisional hernias. Both CST and hybrid techniques are feasible approaches for complex hernias. Larger defects are associated with an increased risk of complications.
Timing matters: Age-dependent impacts of the social environment and host selection on the avian gut microbiota
Authors: Maraci Öncü , Antonatou-Papaioannou Anna , Jünemann Sebastian , Engel Kathrin , Castillo-Gutiérrez Omar , Busche Tobias , Kalinowski Jörn , Caspers Barbara A.
Published: June 2022

Background: The establishment of the gut microbiota in early life is a critical process that influences the development and fitness of vertebrates. However, the relative influence of transmission from the early social environment and host selection throughout host ontogeny remains understudied, particularly in avian species. We conducted conspecific and heterospecific cross-fostering experiments in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) and Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata domestica) under controlled conditions and repeatedly sampled the faecal microbiota of these birds over the first three months of life. We thus documented the development of the gut microbiota and characterised the relative impacts of the early social environment and host selection due to species-specific characteristics and individual genetic backgrounds across ontogeny by using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing.Results: The taxonomic composition and community structure of the gut microbiota changed across ontogenetic stages; juveniles exhibited higher alpha diversity than adults. Furthermore, in early development, the microbial communities of juveniles raised by conspecific and heterospecific foster parents resembled those of their foster family, emphasizing the importance of the social environment. In later stages, the social environment continued to influence the gut microbiota, but host selection increased in importance.Conclusions: We provided a baseline description of the developmental succession of gut microbiota in zebra finches and Bengalese finches, which is a necessary first step for understanding the impact of the early gut microbiota on host fitness. Furthermore, for the first time in avian species, we showed that the relative strengths of the two forces that shape the establishment and maintenance of the gut microbiota (i.e., host selection and dispersal from the social environment) change during development, with host selection increasing in importance. This finding should be considered when experimentally manipulating the early-life gut microbiota. Our findings also provide new insights into the mechanisms of host selection.
A Comprehensive Characterization of Threats Targeting Low-Latency Services: the Case of L4S
Authors: Letourneau Marius , Doyen Guillaume , Cogranne Rémi , Mathieu Bertrand
Published: June 2022

New types of services with low-latency requirements have become a major challenge for the future Internet. Many optimizations, all targeting the latency reduction have been proposed, and among them, jointly re-architecting congestion control and active queue management has been particularly considered. In this effort, the L4S (Low Latency, Low Loss and Scalable Throughput) proposal aims at allowing both classic and low-latency traffic to cohabit within a single node architecture. Although this architecture sounds promising for latency improvement, it can be exploited by an attacker to perform malicious actions whose purposes are to defeat its low-latency feature and consequently make their supported applications unusable. In this paper, we analyze the set of weaknesses of the L4S proposal and we show that application-layer protocols such as QUIC can easily be hacked in order to exploit the over-sensitivity of those new services to network variations. By implementing such undesirable flows in a real testbed and characterizing how they impact the proper delivery of low-latency flows, we demonstrate their reality and give insights for research directions on the detection of flows threatening low latency services.
WITHDRAWN: Computational modeling of transport phenomena in low-dimensional systems using numerical algorithms
Authors: Chen Junjie
Published: June 2022

The study of transport phenomena concerns the exchange of mass, energy, charge, momentum and angular momentum between observed and studied systems. While it draws from fields as diverse as continuum mechanics and thermodynamics, it places a heavy emphasis on the commonalities between the topics covered. Mass, momentum, and heat transport all share a very similar mathematical framework, and the parallels between them are exploited in the study of transport phenomena to draw deep mathematical connections that often provide very useful tools in the analysis of one field that are directly derived from the others. However, the currently available methods for solving unsteady convection-diffusion problems are generally not able to offer excellent accuracy in space and time. The unsteady convection-diffusion equation in low-dimensional systems was solved by using numerical algorithms through combing the Runge-Kutta method with a compact difference scheme. The combined method has fourth-order accuracy in space and time. To check the accuracy of the numerical algorithms, low-dimensional transport modeling processes were performed and comparisons were made with the Crank-Nicolson method. The analysis results indicated that the combined method is numerically stable at low wave numbers and small Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy numbers. The velocity field is a function of time and space. The combined method has higher accuracy than the Crank-Nicolson method. The convection-diffusion equation can be derived in a straightforward way from the continuity equation, which states that the rate of change for a scalar quantity in a differential control volume is given by flow and diffusion into and out of that part of the system along with any generation or consumption inside the control volume.
Scaling optical neuromorphic processing to the PetaOp regime with Kerr soliton crystal microcombs
Authors: moss david
Published: June 2022

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are able to distill the hierarchical aspects of raw data. They are central to machine learning functions including speech and pattern recognition, medical diagnosis, playing board games, computer vision, and many other areas [1–7]. Optical neural networks (ONNs) in particular can significantly increase the computing speed of ANNs in order to overcome the intrinsic bandwidth bottleneck of electronics. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs), are inspired by biological systems such as the visual cortex, and are a powerful approach to greatly reduce the parametric network complexity in order to enhance the accuracy of the predictions of the system. In this paper, we demonstrate a universal optical convolutional accelerator that can be used in conjunction with both electronic and optical neural networks. It operates beyond 10 Tera-OPS (TOPS - operations per second) and produces convolutions of extremely large scale images of 250,000 pixels in size with a resolution of 8-bits. It generates 10 convolutions simultaneously in parallel, with 10 different kernels. This processing simultaneously — enough for facial image recognition. After demonstrating this, we then use the exact hardware to form a convolutional neural network consisting of a convolutional front-end followed by a deep optical neural network fully connected layer, together forming a CNN with ten neurons at the output. We successfully perform the recognition of all 10 hand written digits, each consisting of 900 pixel handwritten digit images. We achieve an accuracy of 88% which is very close to the theoretical accuracy of 90%. We use an approach that exploits the simultaneous multiplexing, or interleaving, within the time, space and wavelength dimensions, using an optical frequency comb supplied by an integrated Kerr micro-comb source. We compare the performance of different optical neural networks, explicitly showing that our approach is intrinsically scalable in both size and speed, up to the PetaOPs per second (POPs) regime in speed and to well over 24,000 synapses in size. We perform theoretical evaluation of the scaled system performance and show that it is trainable to much more complex networks for real-world demanding applications including real-time video recognition and autonomous unmanned vehicle control.
Genome-wide analysis of the bHLH transcription factor family and the functional identification of bHLH genes related to puerarin biosynthesis in Pueraria lobata var. thomsonii (Benth.)
Authors: Xiao Liang , Huang Ding , Wu Zhengdan , Shang Xiaohong , Cao Sheng , Zeng Wendan , Lu Liuying , Shi Pingli , Yan Huabing
Published: June 2022

Plant basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors are involved in diverse biological process. Several bHLH transcription factors have been functionally characterized in various crop species. However, no systematic and comprehensively identification of bHLH members has been in Pueraria lobata var. thomsonii (Benth.) (P. thomsonii), a traditional Chinese herb that is an excellent source of puerarin. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 219 bHLH genes were identified in the P. thomsonii and classified into 13 subfamilies. All the PlbHLH genes were distributed on the 11 chromosomes unevenly and the number of PlbHLH genes on each chromosome varied from 12 to 44. Both of tandem and segmental duplications were key factors driving bHLH gene family expansion in P. thomsonii. The gene structure analysis indicated that 20 conserved motifs were found in PlbHLH gene family, 185 PlbHLH members contain more than two introns, and genes within the same subfamily appeared to share similar intron-exon gene structures. The Ka/Ks analysis indicated PlbHLH gene family undergo purifying selection during evolution. The hierarchical clustering analysis indicated that 41 PlbHLHs showed root-specific expression patterns, and seven of them exhibited up-regulated expression pattern after MeJA treatment within 24 h. Using qRT-PCR validation, five puarian synthesis genes had a similar expression pattern with the seven PlbHLH genes in response to MeJA within 24 h. Together, our study provided a good foundation for further research into the regulatory mechanism of the seven candidate PlbHLH proteins for pueraria biosynthesis in P. thomsonii.
Triple Cation perovskites: Exploring the optimal process parameters of slot-die coated n-i-p perovskite solar cells
Authors: Dagar Janardan , Munir Rahim , Li Jinzhao , Flatken Marion , Mathies Florian , Maus Oliver , Többens Daniel M. , Unger Eva
Published: June 2022

Upscaling of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is the most decisive approach towards commercialization of this technology via optimization of scalable manufacturing processes. Here, we report lab-scale slot-die coated “triple cation” Cs0.05FA0.79MA0.16PbBr0.51I2.49 (Cs-MAFA) perovskite solar cells with ~ 16% power conversion efficiency (PCE) measured under 1 sun illumination. This study provides thorough optimization of coating temperature and perovskite ink concentration to obtain favorable morphology and thickness of perovskite thin film. We realized that FACl additive were found to be determining factors to obtain the high performance PSCs. In-situ-GIWAXS measurements were carried out to analyze the perovskite film formation process of perovskite layer with and without FACl additive. This work is important for the development of PSCs modules as well as tandems.
Upregulated lncARAT in Schwann cells promotes axonal regeneration by recruiting and activating proregenerative macrophages
Authors: Yin Gang , Lin Yaofa , Wang Peilin , Zhou Jun , Lin Haodong
Published: June 2022

Keywords
: Schwann cells, Macrophages, Exosomes, LncARAT, Peripheral nerve repair.
Background
Axonal regeneration following peripheral nerve injury (PNI) depends on the complex interaction between Schwann cells (SCs) and macrophages, but the mechanisms underlying macrophage recruitment and activation in axonal regeneration remain unclear.
Methods
RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was conducted to identify differentially expressed long noncoding RNAs (DElncRNAs) between crushed sciatic nerves and intact contralateral nerves. The putative role of lncRNAs in nerve regeneration was analyzed in vitro and in vivo.
Results
An lncRNA, called axon regeneration-associated transcript (lncARAT), was upregulated in SCs and SC-derived exosomes (SCs-Exo) after sciatic nerve injury. LncARAT contributed to axonal regeneration and improved motor function recovery. Mechanistically, lncARAT epigenetically activated C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2) expression by recruiting KMT2A to CCL2 promoter, resulting in increased histone 3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) and CCL2 transcription in SCs. CCL2 facilitated the infiltration of macrophages into the injured nerves. Meanwhile, lncARAT-enriched exosomes were released from SCs and incorporated into macrophages. LncARAT functioned as an endogenous sponge to adsorb miRNA-329-5p in macrophages, resulting in increased suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) 2 expression, which induced a proregenerative function of macrophages through a signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1/6-dependent pathway.
Conclusions
LncARAT may represent a promising therapeutic avenue for peripheral nerve repair.
Stress analysis of the lower lumbar spine three-joint complex according to different pelvic incidences
Authors: Lai Qi , Yin Jun , Chen Shaofeng , Zhang Zizhen , Yang Jie , Wan Zongmiao
Published: June 2022

Background: Pelvic incidence is closely related to degeneration of the facet joint and intervertebral disc and is related to the orientation of the facet joints. Currently, very few studies have been conducted on the force analysis of the three-joint complex in patients with different pelvic incidence measurements under different sports postures. We designed this study to better assess the influence of pelvic incidence on the stress of the lumbar three-joint complex. Finite element analysis can provide a biomechanical basis for the relationship between different pelvic incidences and degenerative diseases of the lower lumbar spine.Methods: We developed three nonlinear finite element models of the lumbar spine (L1-S1) with different pelvic incidences (27.44°, 47.05°, and 62.28°) and validated them to study the biomechanical response of facet joints and intervertebral discs with a follower preload of 400 N, under different torques (5 Nm, 10 Nm, and 15 Nm), and compared the stress of the three-joint complex of the lower lumbar spine (L3-S1) in different positions (flexion-extension, left-right bending, and left-right torsion). Results: In the flexion position, the stress of the disc in the low pelvic incidence model was the largest among the three models; the stress of the facet joint in the high pelvic incidence model was the largest among the three groups during the extension position. During torsion, the intradiscal pressure of the high pelvic incidence model was higher than that of the other two models in the L3/4 segment, and the maximum von Mises stress of the annulus fibrosus in the L5/S1 segment with a large pelvic incidence was greater than that of the other two models. In the flexion and extension position, range of movement (ROM) of the high pelvic incidence model was higher than that of the other two models in the L4/5 and L5/S1 segment.Conclusions: The stress and ROM of the lower lumbar facet joints and fibrous annulus of individuals with a high pelvic incidence is greater than that of individuals with a low pelvic incidence or a normal pelvic incidence. Therefore, people with high PI are more likely to develop lumbar degenerative diseases, such as lumbar disc herniation and lumbar spondylolisthesis.
Diversität an Hochschulen: Einblick, Umsicht und Aussicht
Authors: Auferkorte-Michaelis Nicole , Linde Frank
Published: June 2022

Diversität spielt in Hochschulen eine immer wichtigere Rolle. Man muss sie aber auch sehen lernen. Der übliche Blick richtet sich auf die zunehmende Vielfalt der Studierenden, ihre Bildungshintergründe, ihre familiären Umstände oder auch ihre ethnische Zugehörigkeit. Ebenso sind aber auch Hochschullehrende divers. Ein weiterer Aspekt der Diversität ergibt sich – und das ist konstitutiv für Hochschulen – aufgrund der fachlichen Zuordnungen aller Akademiker:innen zu bestimmten Fachwissenschaften. Neben der Frage nach den verschiedenen Formen von Diversität an Hochschulen ist es für einen analytischen Blick hilfreich, verschiedene Handlungsfelder zu identifizieren, in denen zentrale Diversity-Aktivitäten stattfinden: Lehre, Forschung, Strukturen sowie Kompetenzen der handelnden Akteur:innen. Auf dieser Grundlage geben wir einen Einblick in die strukturelle Verschiedenheit von Hochschulen am Beispiel von NRW. Anschliessend zeigen wir zwei Modelle, die dabei helfen können, sich in jedem der vier Handlungsfelder «umsichtig» zu bewegen und der Diversität von Menschen in Institutionen angemessen zu begegnen. Abschliessend geben wir einen Ausblick auf das Zusammenspiel von Diversität und Digitalisierung im Lehr-Lern-Kontext: Digitalisierung kann zwar diversitätsgerechtes Lehren und Lernen unterstützen; dies aber im Lehralltag produktiv zu nutzen, ist in vielerlei Hinsicht voraussetzungsvoll.
Green Technology for Business: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Dewi I Gusti Ayu Agung Pradnya , Krisnawijaya Ngakan Nyoman Kutha , Yunita Putu Irma , Korry Putu Dyah Permatha
Published: June 2022

Green technology has gained prominence this decade since the core of green technology preserves the resources and the environment while enhancing business sustainability. However, few pieces of research present literature reviews of the application of green technology for business despite its importance in providing the map of a conceptual framework for identifying research gaps, inconsistencies in prior studies, and the “state-of-the-art” snapshot domain for future research. The research contributed to the limited literature reviews regarding the application of green technology in business research by using a novel approach, which was bibliometric analysis. The research aimed to provide evidence of collaboration between authors and the most influential countries related to applying green technology for business research using co-authorship analysis. It also analyzed the knowledge structure of this topic and determined the primary and emerging issues through co-word analysis. Furthermore, the research performed the analysis of co-citation to identify the intellectual backbone of this research domain. On top of that, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach was used to provide better accuracy in identifying and extracting the data for a bibliometric review. As the result, the research finds 735 journal articles related to green technology for business research from 1995 to 2020. In addition, four clusters are found to describe the current state of green technology for business research: environmental performance, circular economy, sustainable development, and climate policy. Then, research trend is also proposed to guide potential areas for further research to ascertain that the researchers have an inclusive insight on this topic.
Recent Advances in Nanotechnology-Based Targeted Therapeutics for Breast Cancer
Management
Authors: Alhalmi Abdulsalam , Beg Sarwar , Almalki Waleed H. , Alghamdi Saad , Kohli Kanchan
Published: June 2022

Despite the great efforts that have been achieved in breast cancer treatment, it remains a significant cause
of death in women and is a serious health problem. Treatment with chemotherapy drugs faces various challenges,
such as toxicity and chemoresistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, which hinder their therapeutic success and clinical
experiments. This review focuses on targeting nanocarrier approaches to target chemotherapy drugs to receptor targets
that are overexpressed on the surface of breast cancer cells. In particular, the most commonly targeted nanocarriers
for the chemotherapeutic agents examined by the different researcher groups, such as liposomes, dendrimers,
polymeric micelles, lipid particulates, polymeric nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes, have been reviewed. Moreover,
we summarized the molecular receptors or targets that are the most commonly overexpressed in breast cancer
cells and the natural and synthetic ligands studied for use as targeting moieties to functionalize chemotherapeutically
loaded nanocarriers for potential specific breast cancer targeting.
Noncoding RNAs: A New Layer of Functional RNAs
Authors: Gurer Dilek Cansu , Akgül Bünyamin
Published: June 2022

The conventional central dogma of molecular biology dictates that the genetic information
contained within deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is passed onto messenger ribonucleic acids
(mRNAs), which are then used as templates to synthesize proteins. Although these types of proteincoding
genes have been historically prioritized in typical phenotype-genotype studies with a parallel
disregard to the rest of the genome, the completion of genome projects has unveiled a surprising
layer of genetic information that can play critical roles in cellular processes without coding for proteins.
These types of genes are called noncoding genes as they do not code for proteins. Noncoding
genes come in different sizes and shapes, and they are just as versatile in carrying out cellular biochemical
processes as proteins. In this review, we cover a comprehensive review of housekeeping
and regulatory noncoding genes and their mode of action.
Molecular Docking and Simulation Studies of Flavanone and its Derived
Compounds on PI3K-AKT Pathway Targeting against Cancer
Authors: Swamy K. Venkateswara , Nagare Sagar , Lokhande Kiran Bharat
Published: June 2022

Background:

Flavanone compounds and its related derivatives are reported to participating in controlling cell cycle, Angiogenesis, and metastasis. Phosphoinositide 3-kinases is major drug target.

Methods:

Crystalize structure of Phosphoinositide 3-kinases-Akt complex obtained from Protein Data Bank (PDBID: 3CQW) was selected as receptor protein and binding site has been identified with PDBSum Database. Flavanone and its derivatives were retrieved using freely available existing drug database like Drug Bank, Zinc and PubChem. Modifications of new derivatives was performed by altering the flavanone at Beta ring position this modification would help in maintaining stable structural conformation and retaining better anticancer activity. Retrieved Flavanone derivatives from the drug database were docked against 3CQW Protein with advance docking tool FlexX. MD simulations of best molecule were performed with Desmond package by calculating nonbonding interactions such as electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bond stable and favorable conformations were calculated.

Results:

These interaction studies would help in identifying new potential drug candidate with the help of computer aided drug designing techniques.

Conclusion:

Natural chemicals have received a lot of attention because of their vast range of applications in human health and disease prevention without creating any negative side effects. Molecular docking is an essential approach for drug development since it allows for effective screening of potential therapeutics in a short amount of time. We hypothesized in this paper that natural Flavanone and its derivatives may be effective as Akt-1 inhibitors.
Gd-EOB-DTPA Enhanced MRI Features of Liver Hemangiomatosis
Coexistent with GCH
Authors: Ye Aihua , Hu Chunhong , Liu Dong , Qiao Zhenguo , Xu Lihua , Fu Fangfang
Published: June 2022

Objectives:

This study aimed to clarify features of giant cavernous hemangioma (GCH) and
liver hemangiomatosis, existing simultaneously on gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic
acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods:

A total of 17 patients with reported hepatic hemangiomatosis between 2015 and 2017 were
identified retrospectively. All our patients underwent pre-contrast MRI, triphasic (atrial, portal, venous)
Gd-EOB-DTPA dynamic enhancement and hepatobiliary phase (20 minutes delayed). The location,
size, morphology and signal characteristics on T1-weighted (T1WI) and T2-weighted images
(T2WI), and Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI of liver hemangiomatosis were evaluated.

Results:

Hemangiomatosis involved the liver adjacent to the edge of the GCH with no normal liver
tissue found in 13 cases; in the other 4 patients, a small area of normal liver tissue separated GCH from
hemangiomatosis was seen. On non-contrast MRI images, hemangionmatosis presented as numerous
microcystic lesions, with low signal intensity on T1WI and high signal intensity on T2WI, compared
with unaffected liver. After administration of Gd-EOB-DTPA, heterogeneous enhancement was presented
in the arterial phase, during portal and venous phase imaging, becoming more homogeneous. 11
cases showed hypointensity in the hepatobiliary phase (6 cases with intratumor necrosis), and 6 cases
showed hyper-intensity in the hepatobiliary phase with a remaining unfilled portion.

Conclusion:

Hemangiomatosis is extremely rare in the liver adjacent to a GCH. MRI is of great diagnostic
and clinical value for this kind of tumor according to the configuration, size, signal, and style of
enhancement, but the final diagnosis depends on pathology. Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI may help
in diagnosing hemangiomatosis coexistent with GCH.