bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT and MRI features in patients with high-risk and very-high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Kawaguchi Masaya , Kato Hiroki , Matsuyama Kanako , Noda Yoshifumi , Hyodo Fuminori , Matsuo Masayuki
Published: January 2022

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of 18F-fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) and MRI features in patients with high-risk and very-high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC).

Methods:

This study included 54 consecutive patients with surgically resected primary high-risk and very-high-risk cSCC who underwent pre-operative FDG-PET/CT and/or MRI. Among them, 14 patients (26%) had recurrences. We retrospectively reviewed the FDG-PET/CT (n = 34) and MRI (n = 48) and investigated the clinical significance and prognostic value of imaging features in cSCC.

Results:

On FDG-PET/CT, the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the primary tumor (13.0 ± 6.4 vs. 6.9 ± 5.3, p < 0.05) was higher in cSCC with recurrence than in cSCC without recurrence. On MRI, the maximum diameter of the lesion (46.8 ± 24.1 mm vs 30.4 ± 17.0 mm, p < 0.05) and the frequency of muscle/tendon/bone invasion (42% vs 11%, p < 0.05) were significantly greater in cSCC with recurrence than in cSCC without recurrence. In the univariate analysis, prognostic factors for recurrence were SUVmax of the primary tumor (p < 0.01), the maximum diameter of the lesion (p < 0.05), and depth of invasion (p < 0.05). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of the SUVmax (0.78) were superior to those of the maximum diameter (0.71) and depth of invasion (0.60).

Conclusion:

SUVmax, maximum diameter, and depth of invasion were useful parameters for prognostic factors predicting recurrence in patients with high-risk and very-high-risk cSCC.

Advances in knowledge:

SUVmax represents a prognostic factor.
Male genital injuries treated at a tertiary hospital in the western region of Nepal: A two-year snapshot.
Authors: Atreya Alok , Baral Suman , Menezes Ritesh G , Nepal Samata
Published: January 2022

Background: Male genital injuries are urological emergencies which if not promptly treated with correct therapeutic intervention may lead to loss of fertility due to infections and anatomical disruption of normalcy. This study highlights the clinical scenarios, etiology and outcome of male genital injury cases that were managed at a tertiary care center in Nepal. Such injuries are not frequently encountered as patients are hesitant to report such injuries. The present study is the first from Nepal which depicts a comprehensive report on male genital injuries.  

Methods: A retrospective analysis of discharge summaries of the cases of male genital injuries was reviewed during June 2020. All the treated cases during the two-year period from April 2018 to April 2020 at Lumbini Medical College, Nepal were included in the study. 

Results: There were eight cases of genital trauma admitted and treated during the study period. All the patients were males and age ranged from six to 71 years with a mean age of 33 ± 21.45 years. Fall injury and road traffic accidents (RTA) were observed to be the primary cause in the majority of cases. 

Conclusion: Superficial injuries to the penis and scrotum do not require surgical exploration and could be managed conservatively. However, deeper and complicated injuries, testicular preservation, the functionality of the part and cosmetic issues are taken into consideration which might require a multi-disciplinary approach. Apart from the medical issues pertaining to genital injuries, there are legal and psychological aspects of such events too which should not be ignored.
Hygienic knowledge and practices of milk vending machine handlers in the informal settlements of Nairobi, Kenya
Authors: Kevin Holi , Njue Lucy , Abong George
Published: January 2022

Background: Poor milk handling practices due to lack of knowledge or deliberate adulteration compromises the safety of milk and that of the consumer. With the increase of milk vending machines in informal settlements, the knowledge and practices of vendors concerning milk hygiene are critical in determining milk safety. The operation of milk vending machines is guided by strict regulations that aim at ensuring proper practices among milk handlers, but the level of implementation among milk vendors is questionable. This study sought to establish hygienic knowledge and handling practices of vendors operating milk vending machines in Nairobi’s informal settlements of Kibra and Dagoretti North.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design, 37 milk vendors were interviewed at the study setting with the aid of questionnaires. Data was then recorded in datasheets and analyzed using frequencies, correlation, and t-test with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences software.

Results: The mean percentage score for knowledge and practices was 68.83% and 54.05%, respectively. The knowledge and practices of vendors significantly improved with the increase in their level of education (p=0.04 and p=0.02). There was a significantly positive correlation between knowledge and practices (r=0.626, p=0.000).

Conclusions: There is a low level of hygienic knowledge and poor practices among vendors operating milk vending machines in the study area. The efforts by the regulator to ensure proper implementation of the regulations was also not sufficient. Training is required to improve the hygienic knowledge and practices of milk vending machine handlers in informal settlements. Frequent inspections should also be carried out in the informal settlements to ensure proper implementation of regulations on the operation of milk vending machines.
Affordable and effective optokinetic response methods to assess visual acuity and contrast sensitivity in larval to juvenile zebrafish
Authors: Gómez Sánchez Alicia , Álvarez Yolanda , Colligris Basilio , Kennedy Breandán N.
Published: January 2022

The optokinetic response (OKR) is an effective behavioural assay to investigate functional vision in zebrafish. The rapid and widespread use of gene editing, drug screening and environmental modulation technologies has resulted in a broader need for visual neuroscience researchers to access affordable and more sensitive OKR, contrast sensitivity (CS) and visual acuity (VA) assays. Here, we demonstrate how 2D- and 3D-printed, striped patterns or drums coupled with a motorised base and microscope provide a simple, cost-effective but efficient means to assay OKR, CS and VA in larval-juvenile zebrafish.

In wild-type, five days post-fertilisation (dpf) zebrafish, the 2D or 3D set-ups of 0.02 cycles per degree (cpd) (standard OKR stimulus) and 100% black-white contrast evoked equivalent responses of 24.2±3.9 or 21.8±3.9 saccades per minute, respectively. Furthermore, although the OKR number was significantly reduced compared to the 0.02 cpd drum (p<0.0001), 0.06 and 0.2 cpd drums elicited equivalent responses with both set-ups. Notably, standard OKRs varied with time of day; peak responses of 29.8±7 saccades per minute occurred in the early afternoon with significantly reduced responses occurring in the early morning or late afternoon (18.5±3 and 18.4±4.5 saccades per minute, respectively). A customised series of 2D printed drums enabled analysis of VA and CS in 5-21 dpf zebrafish. The saccadic frequency in VA assays was inversely proportional to age and spatial frequency and in CS assays was inversely proportional to age and directly proportional to contrast of the stimulus.

OKR, VA and CS of zebrafish larvae can be efficiently measured using 2D- or 3D-printed striped drums. For data consistency the luminance of the OKR light source, the time of day when the analysis is performed, and the order of presentation of VA and CS drums must be considered. These simple methods allow effective and more sensitive analysis of functional vision in zebrafish.
Band acro-osteolysis in a Black woman: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Dan Jin-Myoung , Ha Cheungsoo , Lee Ho-Jae
Published: January 2022

Acro-osteolysis is a bone resorption reaction that progresses slowly in the distal phalanx of the hand and foot and is associated with various diseases. It can be classified as idiopathic or secondary. Although the mechanism of acro-osteolysis has not been fully elucidated, the presence of a chronic ischemic injury appears to have a significant effect, and bone metabolism dysregulation due to the accompanying calcinosis or peripheral neuropathy also appears to contribute. Acro-osteolysis can show various clinical and radiological features, and the differential diagnosis of the underlying etiology is essential. It is a rare and sporadic disease worldwide. The authors experienced a case of acro-osteolysis suspected of idiopathic cause in a Black woman; therefore, we report this case with a literature review.
Inverse Mixed Integer Optimization: Polyhedral Insights and Trust Region Methods
Authors: Bodur Merve , Chan Timothy C. Y. , Zhu Ian Yihang
Published: January 2022

Inverse optimization—determining parameters of an optimization problem that render a given solution optimal—has received increasing attention in recent years. Although significant inverse optimization literature exists for convex optimization problems, there have been few advances for discrete problems, despite the ubiquity of applications that fundamentally rely on discrete decision making. In this paper, we present a new set of theoretical insights and algorithms for the general class of inverse mixed integer linear optimization problems. Specifically, a general characterization of optimality conditions is established and leveraged to design new cutting plane solution algorithms. Through an extensive set of computational experiments, we show that our methods provide substantial improvements over existing methods in solving the largest and most difficult instances to date.
Integrated care is needed, now more than ever: a professional's perspective
Authors: Black Sara-Marie
Published: January 2022

Sara-Marie Black offers a personal account of the last 18 months and its emotional, personal and professional impact. While presenting an unprecedented challenge, COVID-19 has also provided an opportunity to learn and reflect, and has emphasised the need, now more than ever, to work collaboratively across health, social and voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors.
Nurse-led projects for people experiencing homelessness and other inclusion health groups: a realist evaluation
Authors: Abbott Stephen , Bryar Rosamund
Published: January 2022

Nursing service development or innovation projects, even small-scale ones, can be difficult to deliver and evaluate, due to a lack of resources and support. Results can also be difficult to disseminate, limiting transfer of learning. This paper presents findings from a realist evaluation of 10 small projects supported by the Queen's Nursing Institute Homeless and Inclusion Health Programme to deliver innovation in health care for people experiencing homelessness and other marginalised groups. These nurse-led projects were funded by the Queen's Nursing Institute and the Oak Foundation, and were largely successful in achieving outcomes to support the improved health of people experiencing homelessness and other marginalised groups. This realist evaluation explores the factors that contributed to the delivery of positive outcomes. All were impacted by the context and the response (mechanisms) of people experiencing homelessness and staff within these settings. It is hoped that the lessons learned will enable better support for nurse innovation projects in the future.
Changing perceptions of telemedicine in a surgical outpatients clinic
Authors: Sammut Mark , Sammut Matthew , Chircop Daniel M , Chircop Kurt-Lee , Muscat Craig , El Hadi Zakria , Caruana Clifford
Published: January 2022

Background/Aims

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine was not widely used in surgical departments. Despite its increased use during the pandemic, there is a lack of data on the patient perspective. This study investigated patients' views of telemedicine in a surgical outpatients clinic setting.

Method

A single-centre cross-sectional study was performed, involving patients who were due to attend the surgical outpatients clinic of one surgical team. Independent investigators contacted the patients by telephone after their virtual telephone consultation to administer the questionnaire. Patient satisfaction rates were recorded using the PSQ-18 questionnaire. Patient consultation preferences were recorded and analysed.

Results

A total of 223 patients participated in this study. The majority of patients' perceptions shifted in favour of virtual consultations after the onset of the pandemic (P<0.05). Sub-group analysis showed no significant differences between the preferences of older and younger patients before or after the onset of the pandemic. Overall, patients reported high satisfaction rates with their virtual consultations.

Conclusions

Patient perceptions are changing in favour of virtual telemedicine consultations. Training healthcare providers in this method of service delivery is essential to maintain a good quality of care.
The ongoing challenge of managing and preventing hospital-acquired infections
Authors: Williamson Lucy
Published: January 2022

Lucy Williamson discusses the issues that often lie behind non-compliance with infection prevention strategies among healthcare staff, and how managers can improve compliance by facilitating cultural change.
A Comparative Study on Child Abuse and the Absence of Legal Protections for Male Child Sex Abuse Victims in Major South East Asian countries
Authors:   Guanghua Law School, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, Ansari Ali Raza , Davis Alexandra Jane ,   Guanghua Law School, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, Soomro Nishan-E-Hyder ,   School of Law and Economic, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
Published: January 2022

The focal point of this paper is in highlighting the grim picture in dominant Asian countries China, India, and Pakistan where no practical application of the law is found to protect against the sexual abuse of children, particularly underage boys. An analysis regarding the conditions of sexual abuse in the aforementioned countries is carried out using the scarce reports issued by national governments, which will be supplemented with information from prominent NGOs and media reports. Thereafter, certain gaps in the justice system and law enforcement are identified. Simultaneously, the Western perspective is studied to ascertain how this issue is being addressed in Western societies and to what extent this heinous crime has impacted the lives of individuals. Finally, there is deliberation as to what the East could learn from Western practices for curbing the often-hidden menace of male child sex abuse. Keywords: Child abuse, Child sex abuse, Comparative study, Eastern practice, Gaps in justice system, Law enforcement, Male child abuse, Media reports
Focal Myositis of the Deltoid Muscle: The Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Diagnosis
Authors: Ricks Matthew , Ramsingh Vasantha Kumar , Cole Andrew , Cox George
Published: January 2022

Introduction:Focal myositis is a rare condition first described by Heffner et al., in 1977, as a self-limiting condition of unknown aetiology. It presents as an inflammatory pseudo tumour in skeletal muscle and can present diagnostic difficulty, being commonly mistaken for tissue of vascular, inflammatory, or neoplastic origin. Diagnosis is traditionally confirmed by muscle biopsy. We present a case where magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to confirm the diagnosis without need for biopsy.

Case Presentation: A 19-year year-old female presented with a two2-year history of intermittent swelling of the deltoid associated with pain and tenderness to palpation. . There was no history of trauma or systemic illness. . She was symptomatic with pain, swelling, and tenderness over the left deltoid with no restriction in range of movement of the shoulder or neck. Plain radiographs were normal and MRI magnetic resonance imaging showed diffuse odeamatousedematous signal changes on the proton density weighted sequence within the deltoid muscle and no plexiform neurofibroma. Nerve conduction and electromyography studies were within normal limits excluding an axillary nerve lesion. The patient underwent extensive screening for connective tissue disorders and creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase levels were within limits. The patient underwent neuromuscular specialist review confirming that this appeared to be a rare case of focal myositis in the deltoid. . The serial MRI scans confirmed resolution of the condition.

Conclusion: Focal myositis of the deltoid is a rare cause of shoulder pain. . We have shown that sequential MRI scanning can obviate the need for muscle biopsy, which has historically been required for diagnostic confirmation. The MRI appearance on the proton density weighted sequence showed diffuse odeamatousedematous signal changes and no plexiform neurofibroma within the deltoid and is a description that has not been previously used for this rare diagnosi
Kinematic analysis and visualization of Tetraselmis microalgae 3D
motility by digital holography
Authors: Sirico Daniele Gaetano , Cavalletti Elena , Miccio Lisa , Bianco Vittorio , Memmolo Pasquale , Sardo Angela , Ferraro Pietro
Published: January 2022

A study on locomotion in a 3D environment of Tetraselmis microalgae by digital holographic microscopy is reported. In particular, a fast and semiautomatic criterion is revealed for tracking and analyzing the swimming path of a microalga (i.e., Tetraselmis species) in a 3D volume. Digital holography (DH) in a microscope off-axis configuration is exploited as a useful method to enable fast autofocusing and recognition of objects in the field of view, thus coupling DH with appropriate numerical algorithms. Through the proposed method we measure, simultaneously, the tri-dimensional paths followed by the flagellate microorganism and the full set of the kinematic parameters that describe the swimming behavior of the analyzed microorganisms by means of a polynomial fitting and segmentation. Furthermore, the method is capable to furnish the accurate morphology of the microorganisms at any instant of time along its 3D trajectory. This work launches a promising trend having as the main objective the combined use of DH and motility microorganism analysis as a label-free and non-invasive environmental monitoring tool, employable also for in situ measurements. Finally, we show that the locomotion can be visualized intriguingly by different modalities to furnish marine biologists with a clear 3D representation of all the parameters of the kinematic set in order to better understand the behavior of the microorganism under investigation.
Automatic numerical focus plane estimation in digital holographic microscopy using calibration beads
Authors: Brault Dylan , Fournier Corinne , Olivier Thomas , Faure Nicolas , Dixneuf Sophie , Thibon Louis , Mees Loïc , Denis Loïc
Published: January 2022

We present a new method to achieve autofocus in digital holographic microscopy. The method is based on inserting calibrated objects into a sample placed on a slide. Reconstructing a hologram using the inverse problems approach makes it possible to precisely locate and measure the inserted objects and thereby derive the slide plane location. Numerical focusing can then be performed in a plane at any chosen distance from the slide plane of the sample in a reproducible manner and independently of the diversity of the objects in the sample.
Performance degradation and recovery of irradiated spaceborne fiber amplifier
Authors: Cai Yuefeng , Liu Haifeng , Liu Bo , Lin Wei , Zhang Hao , Qiao Yuanzhe
Published: January 2022

The output performance of the spaceborne fiber amplifier will degrade when exposed to radiation in aerospace environment. In this work, we have proposed a two-stage erbium-ytterbium-co-doped fiber amplifier (EYDFA) and studied the degradation performance under irradiation and recovery through the annealing process without employing any additional device. An irradiation experiment is conducted to test the performances of the amplifier under the irradiation environment, and experimental results indicate that the output power as well as optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) exhibit similar irradiation responses. The amplifier was annealed through photobleaching and natural annealing processes. The output performance almost recovers to its initial level, and it is verified that the annealing efficiency for high intensity photobleaching is about 240 times as much as that for the case of natural annealing. This work confirms that the spaceborne fiber amplifier could achieve performance recovery after being irradiated, which is beneficial to the enhancement of the radiation hardness for future spaceborne fiber optical devices.
Review of ultrafast fiber oscillators based on Mamyshev and dissipative soliton resonance mechanisms
Authors: Stepien Witold , Marciante John R.
Published: January 2022

This work presents a comparative review of two classes of advanced,
ultrafast, fiber lasers: dissipative soliton resonance (DSR)
oscillators and Mamyshev oscillators. These two classes have received
significant attention in recent years and have arguably the highest
potential among new ultrafast fiber oscillators, which motivated this
work. Working principles are carefully described, and the mechanisms
used to mitigate or exploit nonlinearity are highlighted and
discussed. An analysis of existing laser systems based on the two
classes is performed, with focus on pulse duration, energy, and peak
power. Examples of both classes based on ytterbium-, erbium-, and
thulium-doped fibers are presented. It is found that the DSR laser
generally achieves higher pulse energies than the Mamyshev oscillator,
but the latter results in shorter pulse durations. Finally, it is
concluded that Mamyshev oscillators perform better in terms of peak
power and stability since they do not rely on suppressing
nonlinearity. Suggestions for further improvements are made.
Dual-task convolutional neural network based on the combination of the U-Net and a diffraction propagation model for phase hologram design with suppressed speckle noise
Authors: Sun Xiuhui , Mu Xingyu , Xu Cheng , Pang Hui , Deng Qiling , Zhang Ke , Jiang Haibo , Du Jinglei , Yin Shaoyun , Du Chunlei
Published: January 2022

In this paper, a dual-task convolutional neural network based on the combination of the U-Net and a diffraction propagation model is proposed for the design of phase holograms to suppress speckle noise of the reconstructed images. By introducing a Fresnel transmission layer, based on angular spectrum diffraction theory, as the diffraction propagation model and incorporating it into U-Net as the output layer, the proposed neural network model can describe the actual physical process of holographic imaging, and the distributions of both the light amplitude and phase can be generated. Afterwards, by respectively using the Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) as the loss function to modulate the distribution of the amplitude, and a proposed target-weighted standard deviation (TWSD) as the loss function to limit the randomness and arbitrariness of the reconstructed phase distribution, the dual tasks of the amplitude reconstruction and phase smoothing are jointly solved, and thus the phase hologram that can produce high quality image without speckle is obtained. Both simulations and optical experiments are carried out to confirm the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. Furthermore, the depth of field (DOF) of the image using the proposed method is much larger than that of using the traditional Gerchberg-Saxton (GS) algorithm due to the smoothness of the reconstructed phase distribution, which is also verified in the experiments. This study provides a new phase hologram design approach and shows the potential of neural networks in the field of the holographic imaging and more.
Satellite-derived bathymetry using Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A images: assessment of atmospheric correction algorithms and depth derivation models in shallow waters
Authors: Duan Zhixin , Chu Sensen , Cheng Liang , Ji Chen , Li Manchun , Shen Wei
Published: January 2022

Satellite-derived bathymetry (SDB) has an extensive prospect in nearshore bathymetry for its high efficiency and low costs. Atmospheric correction and bathymetric modeling are critical processes in SDB, and examining the performance of related algorithms and models will contribute to the formulation of reliable bathymetry strategies. This study explored the effectiveness of three general atmospheric correction algorithms, namely Second Simulation of a Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum (6S), Atmospheric correction for OLI ‘lite’ (ACOLITE), and QUick Atmospheric Correction (QUAC), in depth retrieval from Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A images using different SDB models over Ganquan Island and Oahu Island. The bathymetric Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data was used for SDB model training and accuracy verification. The results indicated that the three atmospheric correction algorithms could provide effective corrections for SDB. For the SDB models except log-transformed band ratio model (LBR) and support vector machine (SVM), the impact of different atmospheric corrections on bathymetry was basically the same. Furthermore, we assessed the performance of six different SDB models: Lyzenga’s model (LM), generalized additive model (GAM), LBR, SVM, multilayer perceptron (MLP), and random forest (RF). The bathymetric accuracy, consistency of bathymetric maps and generalization ability were considered for the assessment. Given sufficient training data, the accuracy of the machine learning models (SVM, MLP, RF) was generally superior to that of the empirical inversion models (LM, GAM, LBR), with the root mean square error (RMSE) varied between 0.735 m to 1.177 m. MLP achieved the best accuracy and consistency. When the depth was deeper than 15 m, the bathymetry error of all the SDB models increased sharply, and LM, LBR and SVM reached the upper limit of depth retrieval capability at 20–25 m. In addition, LM and LBR were demonstrated to have better adaptability in heterogeneous environment without training data.
Coherent terahertz wireless communication using dual-parallel MZM-based silicon photonic integrated circuits
Authors: Lee Wonkyoung , Han Seungjun , Moon Sang-Rok , Park Jongwoo , Yoo Sanghwa , Park Heuk , Lee Joon Ki , Yu Kyoungsik , Cho Seung Hyun
Published: January 2022

Coherent terahertz (THz) wireless communication using silicon photonics technology provides critical solutions for achieving high-capacity wireless transmission beyond 5G and 6G networks and seamless connectivity with fiber-based backbone networks. However, high-quality THz signal generation and noise-robust signal detection remain challenging owing to the presence of inter-channel crosstalk and additive noise in THz wireless environments. Here, we report coherent THz wireless communication using a silicon photonic integrated circuit that includes a dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) and advanced digital signal processing (DSP). The structure and fabrication of the dual-parallel MZM-based silicon photonic integrated circuit are systematically optimized using the figure of merit (FOM) method to improve the modulation efficiency while reducing the overall optical loss. The advanced DSP compensates for in-phase and quadrature (IQ) imbalance as well as phase noise by orthogonally decoupling the IQ components in the frequency domain after adaptive signal equalization and carrier phase estimation. The experimental results show a reduction in phase noise that induces degradation of transmission performance, successfully demonstrating error-free 1-m THz wireless transmission with bit-error rates of 10−6 or less at a data rate of 50 Gbps.
Balanced detection spectral-domain optical coherence tomography with a single line-scan camera
Authors: Wan Mingming , Liang Shanshan , Li Xinyu , Duan Zhengyu , Zou Jiebin , Chen Jun , Yuan Jin , Zhang Jun
Published: January 2022

This paper describes a balanced detection spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (BD-SD-OCT) system for suppressing autocorrelation (AC) artifacts and increasing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The system employed three optical fiber couplers to generate two phase-opposed interference spectra that were acquired by a single line-scan camera simultaneously. When compared with conventional unbalanced detection SD-OCT systems, the developed BD-SD-OCT system improved the SNR by 5.4-6 dB and suppressed the AC term by 5-10 dB. The imaging quality of the BD-SD-OCT system was evaluated by in vivo imaging of human nail folds and retinas.
SNR enhancement for Brillouin distributed optical fiber sensors based on asynchronous control
Authors: Zhang Peixuan , Wang Biwei , Yang Yanan , Azad Abul Kalam , Luo Kuo , Yu Kuanglu , Yu Changyuan , Lu Chao
Published: January 2022

We propose the asynchronous control of anisotropic diffusion (AD) algorithm, and such asynchronous anisotropic diffusion (AAD) algorithm is demonstrated experimentally to reduce noise from the sensing signals obtained from Brillouin distributed optical fiber sensors. The performance of the proposed AAD algorithm is analyzed in detail for different experimental conditions and compared with that of block-matching and 3D filtering, two-dimensional wavelet denoising, AD, and non-local means algorithms. Some key factors of the proposed algorithm, such as the impact of convolution kernel size on the performance of AD algorithms, the influence of low sampling point number (SPN) on the quality of Brillouin frequency shift and the selection of diffusion thresholds are analyzed and discussed with experimental results. The experimental results validate that the AAD algorithm can provide better root-mean-square error (RMSE) and spatial resolution (SR) than the other four algorithms, especially for higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement and higher SPNs. For lower SPNs, the performance of AAD is also not inferior to the RMSE performance of NLM and AD. The runtime of the AAD algorithm is also quite low. Moreover, the proposed algorithm offers the best SR performance as compared to other noise reduction algorithms investigated in this study. Thus, the proposed AAD algorithm can be an effective candidate to improve the measurement accuracy of Brillouin distributed optical fiber sensors.
Subwavelength-resolution imaging of surface plasmon polaritons with up-conversion fluorescence microscopy
Authors: Thi Nguyen Lam Yen , Lee Yi-Hsin , Chang Yu-Fang , Hsu Chia-Chen , Lin Jiunn-Yuan , Kan Hung-Chih
Published: January 2022

Imaging and characterization of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are crucial for the research and development of the plasmonic devices and circuits. Here, we report on direct imaging of SPPs propagation on SiO2/metal interface with subwavelength spatial resolution using up-conversion fluorescence microscopy, that exploits rare-earth ions, such as Er3+, Yb3+, and Nd3+, doped nanoparticles as the fluorophores. We demonstrated that by further taking the intensity ratio of the image obtained with fluorescent emission at different wavelengths, we are able to substantially enhance the features associated to the SPP wavefronts in the image for quantitative analysis, such as the wavevector and propagation direction of the SPPs. Our results agree with the theoretic prediction of the SPP wavelengths quantitatively. We further demonstrate the evolution of the SPP wavefronts due to refraction SPPs, and reproduced the experiment with finite difference time domain (FDTD) method simulations. The relative refractive index of SPP estimated from the experiment also agrees quantitatively with those extracted from the theory and the simulation.
Ring-shaped photoacoustic tweezers for single particle manipulation
Authors: Zhao Zijie , Xia Jianping , Huang Tony Jun , Zou Jun
Published: January 2022

This Letter reports ring-shaped photoacoustic (PA) tweezers that are capable of manipulating single or multiple micron-sized particles. By illuminating a thin layer of an optically absorptive liquid medium with a focused annular pulsed laser beam and a higher pulse repetition rate (e.g., 800 Hz), both acoustic radiation force and instantaneous vaporization repulsion are generated within a certain distance of the illumination region. This makes it possible to conduct continuous and versatile locomotion of single or multiple microparticles. In this Letter, interactions between two or more particles are demonstrated, such as separation, attachment, and grouping of microparticles. The PA tweezers combine some of the advantages of conventional optical and acoustic tweezers and are expected to be a useful alternative approach for the manipulation of microscale objects.
Photonic reservoir computer based on frequency multiplexing
Authors: Butschek Lorenz , Akrout Akram , Dimitriadou Evangelia , Lupo Alessandro , Haelterman Marc , Massar Serge
Published: January 2022

Reservoir computing is a brain-inspired approach for information processing, well suited to analog implementations. We report a photonic implementation of a reservoir computer that exploits frequency domain multiplexing to encode neuron states. The system processes 25 comb lines simultaneously (i.e., 25 neurons), at a rate of 20 MHz. We illustrate performances on two standard benchmark tasks: channel equalization and time series forecasting. We also demonstrate that frequency multiplexing allows output weights to be implemented in the optical domain, through optical attenuation. We discuss the perspectives for high-speed, high-performance, low-footprint implementations.
Fos regulates macrophage infiltration against surrounding tissue resistance by a cortical actin-based mechanism in Drosophila
Authors: Belyaeva Vera , Wachner Stephanie , Gyoergy Attila , Emtenani Shamsi , Gridchyn Igor , Akhmanova Maria , Linder Markus , Roblek Marko , Sibilia Maria , Siekhaus Daria
Published: January 2022

The infiltration of immune cells into tissues underlies the establishment of tissue-resident macrophages and responses to infections and tumors. Yet the mechanisms immune cells utilize to negotiate tissue barriers in living organisms are not well understood, and a role for cortical actin has not been examined. Here, we find that the tissue invasion ofDrosophilamacrophages, also known as plasmatocytes or hemocytes, utilizes enhanced cortical F-actin levels stimulated by theDrosophilamember of the fos proto oncogene transcription factor family (Dfos, Kayak). RNA sequencing analysis and live imaging show that Dfos enhances F-actin levels around the entire macrophage surface by increasing mRNA levels of the membrane spanning molecular scaffold tetraspanin TM4SF, and the actin cross-linking filamin Cheerio, which are themselves required for invasion. Both the filamin and the tetraspanin enhance the cortical activity of Rho1 and the formin Diaphanous and thus the assembly of cortical actin, which is a critical function since expressing a dominant active form of Diaphanous can rescue theDfosmacrophage invasion defect. In vivo imaging shows that Dfos enhances the efficiency of the initial phases of macrophage tissue entry. Genetic evidence argues that this Dfos-induced program in macrophages counteracts the constraint produced by the tension of surrounding tissues and buffers the properties of the macrophage nucleus from affecting tissue entry. We thus identify strengthening the cortical actin cytoskeleton through Dfos as a key process allowing efficient forward movement of an immune cell into surrounding tissues.
Factors associated with excess all-cause mortality in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: A time series analysis using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink
Authors: Strongman Helen , Carreira Helena , De Stavola Bianca L. , Bhaskaran Krishnan , Leon David A.
Published: January 2022

Background

Excess mortality captures the total effect of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on mortality and is not affected by misspecification of cause of death. We aimed to describe how health and demographic factors were associated with excess mortality during, compared to before, the pandemic.

Methods and findings

We analysed a time series dataset including 9,635,613 adults (≥40 years old) registered at United Kingdom general practices contributing to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. We extracted weekly numbers of deaths and numbers at risk between March 2015 and July 2020, stratified by individual-level factors. Excess mortality during Wave 1 of the UK pandemic (5 March to 27 May 2020) compared to the prepandemic period was estimated using seasonally adjusted negative binomial regression models. Relative rates (RRs) of death for a range of factors were estimated before and during Wave 1 by including interaction terms. We found that all-cause mortality increased by 43% (95% CI 40% to 47%) during Wave 1 compared with prepandemic. Changes to the RR of death associated with most sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were small during Wave 1 compared with prepandemic. However, the mortality RR associated with dementia markedly increased (RR for dementia versus no dementia prepandemic: 3.5, 95% CI 3.4 to 3.5; RR during Wave 1: 5.1, 4.9 to 5.3); a similar pattern was seen for learning disabilities (RR prepandemic: 3.6, 3.4 to 3.5; during Wave 1: 4.8, 4.4 to 5.3), for black or South Asian ethnicity compared to white, and for London compared to other regions. Relative risks for morbidities were stable in multiple sensitivity analyses. However, a limitation of the study is that we cannot assume that the risks observed during Wave 1 would apply to other waves due to changes in population behaviour, virus transmission, and risk perception.

Conclusions

The first wave of the UK COVID-19 pandemic appeared to amplify baseline mortality risk to approximately the same relative degree for most population subgroups. However, disproportionate increases in mortality were seen for those with dementia, learning disabilities, non-white ethnicity, or living in London.
Analysis of coding variants in the human FTO gene from the gnomAD database
Authors: Souza Junior Mauro Lúcio Ferreira , de Sousa Jaime Viana , Guerreiro João Farias
Published: January 2022

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the first intron of the FTO gene reported in 2007 continue to be the known variants with the greatest effect on adiposity in different human populations. Coding variants in the FTO gene, on the other hand, have been little explored, although data from complete sequencing of the exomes of various populations are available in public databases and provide an excellent opportunity to investigate potential functional variants in FTO. In this context, this study aimed to track nonsynonymous variants in the exons of the FTO gene in different population groups employing the gnomAD database and analyze the potential functional impact of these variants on the FTO protein using five publicly available pathogenicity prediction programs. The findings revealed 345 rare mutations, of which 321 are missense (93%), 19 are stop gained (5.6%) and five mutations are located in the splice region (1.4%). Of these, 134 (38.8%) were classified as pathogenic, 144 (41.7%) as benign and 67 (19.5%) as unknown. The available data, however, suggest that these variants are probably not associated with BMI and obesity, but instead, with other diseases. Functional studies are, therefore, required to identify the role of these variants in disease genesis.
Engaging Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) for cardiovascular diseases risk screening in Nepal
Authors: Rawal Lal B. , Sun Yuewen , Dahal Padam K. , Baral Sushil C. , Khanal Sudeepa , Arjyal Abriti , Manandhar Shraddha , Abdullah Abu S.
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) have become the leading public health problems worldwide and the cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is one of the major NCDs. Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) in Nepal are the key drivers to implementing frontline health services. We explored the potential for engaging FCHVs for CVD risk screening at the community level in Nepal.

Methods

We used multiple approaches (quantitative and qualitative) for data collection. The trained FCHVs administered CVD risk screening questionnaire among 491 adults in rural and urban areas and calculated the CVD risk scores. To maintain consistency and quality, a registered medical doctor also, using the same risk scoring chart, independently calculated the CVD risk scores. Kappa statistics and concordance coefficient were used to compare these two sets of risk screening results. Sensitivity and specificity analyses were conducted. Two focus group discussions among the FCHVs were conducted to determine their experiences with CVD risk screening and willingness to engage with CVD prevention and control efforts.

Results

The mean level of agreement between two sets of risk screening results was 94.5% (Kappa = 0.77, P<0.05). Sensitivity of FCHV screening was 90.3% (95% CI: 0.801–0.964); and the specificity was 97% (95% CI: 0.948, 0.984). FCHVs who participated in the FGDs expressed a strong enthusiasm and readiness to using the CVD risk screening tools. Despite their busy workload, all FCHVs showed high level of motivation and willingness in using CVD risk screening tools and contribute to the prevention and control efforts of NCDs. The FCHVs recommended needs for providing additional training and capacity building opportunities.

Conclusion

We conclude that there is a potential for engaging FCHVs to use simple CVD risk screening tools at the community level. The findings are promising, however, further studies engaging larger number of FCHVs and larger population would warrant feasibility of such tools within the existing healthcare systems in Nepal.
Attention based automated radiology report generation using CNN and LSTM
Authors: Sirshar Mehreen , Paracha Muhammad Faheem Khalil , Akram Muhammad Usman , Alghamdi Norah Saleh , Zaidi Syeda Zainab Yousuf , Fatima Tatheer
Published: January 2022

The automated generation of radiology reports provides X-rays and has tremendous potential to enhance the clinical diagnosis of diseases in patients. A new research direction is gaining increasing attention that involves the use of hybrid approaches based on natural language processing and computer vision techniques to create auto medical report generation systems. The auto report generator, producing radiology reports, will significantly reduce the burden on doctors and assist them in writing manual reports. Because the sensitivity of chest X-ray (CXR) findings provided by existing techniques not adequately accurate, producing comprehensive explanations for medical photographs remains a difficult task. A novel approach to address this issue was proposed, based on the continuous integration of convolutional neural networks and long short-term memory for detecting diseases, followed by the attention mechanism for sequence generation based on these diseases. Experimental results obtained by using the Indiana University CXR and MIMIC-CXR datasets showed that the proposed model attained the current state-of-the-art efficiency as opposed to other solutions of the baseline. BLEU-1, BLEU-2, BLEU-3, and BLEU-4 were used as the evaluation metrics.
Association of circulating MR-proADM with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the general population: Results from the KORA F4 cohort study
Authors: Gar Christina , Thorand Barbara , Herder Christian , Sujana Chaterina , Heier Margit , Meisinger Christa , Peters Annette , Koenig Wolfgang , Rathmann Wolfgang , Roden Michael , Stumvoll Michael , Maalmi Haifa , Meitinger Thomas , Then Holger , Seissler Jochen , Then Cornelia
Published: January 2022

Background and aim

Despite its vasodilatory effect, adrenomedullin and its surrogate mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) have been found to be positively associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. However, the underlying mechanisms thereof remain unclear and the associations were mostly shown in geriatric cohorts or in patients with chronic diseases. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the possible involvement of abdominal obesity, selected adipokines, and biomarkers of subclinical inflammation in the association of MR-proADM with mortality in a population based study cohort.

Methods

Prospective analysis of the KORA F4 study; median follow-up 9.1 (8.8–9.4) years. Complete data on MR-proADM and mortality was available for 1551 participants, aged 56.9±12.9 years (mean±SD). Correlation and regression analyses of MR-proADM with overall (BMI) and abdominal obesity (waist circumference), selected adipokines and biomarkers of subclinical inflammation. Cox proportional hazard models on the association of MR-proADM with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality with adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and selected biomarkers in study subgroups (n = 603–1551).

Results

MR-proADM associated with all-cause (HR (95%CI): 2.37 (1.72–3.26) and 2.31 (1.67–3.20)) and cardiovascular mortality (4.28 (2.19–8.39) and 4.44 (2.25–8.76)) after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors including BMI or waist circumference, respectively. MR-proADM was further associated with four out of seven examined adipokines (leptin, retinol-binding protein-4, chemerin, and adiponectin) and with five out of eleven examined biomarkers of subclinical inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, myeloperoxidase, interleukin-22, and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist) after multivariable adjustment and correction for multiple testing. However, only IL-6 substantially attenuated the association of MR-proADM with all-cause mortality.

Conclusions

We found an association of MR-proADM with (abdominal) obesity, selected adipokines, and biomarkers of subclinical inflammation. However, the association of MR-proADM with mortality was independent of these parameters. Future studies should investigate the role of IL-6 and further characteristics of subclinical inflammation in the association between MR-proADM and all-cause mortality.
Perceção e comunicação do risco na Área Metropolitana do Porto (AMP), Portugal
Authors: Martins Bruno , Nunes Adélia
Published: January 2022

A Área Metropolitana do Porto (MAP) localiza-se no litoral norte de Portugal e caracteriza-se por um conjunto complexo de dinâmicas que fazem com que o espetro de riscos existentes acompanhe essas mesmas dinâmicas. Com o objetivo de avaliar a forma como a população perceciona o risco e a sua comunicação, e compreender os fatores que mais determinam essa perceção, foi aplicado um questionário intitulado "Perceção de Risco na Área Metropolitana do Porto (MAP)" a 128 sujeitos. A análise de variância (ANOVA) foi realizada com o intuito de identificar os fatores primários associados à perceção do risco. Foram também avaliadas as diferenças entre vários grupos sob o mesmo fator explicativo. Os resultados sugerem que o nível de escolaridade e a idade dos inquiridos determinam significativamente a perceção do risco, evidenciando também diferenças significativas entre os grupos no modo como percecionam a comunicação do risco. Neste sentido, a eficácia da comunicação do risco deve considerar, para além do contexto sociocultural, as características especificas da população, em particular alguns fatores como a idade, o género e a educação. Espera-se que os resultados possam contribuir para políticas mais eficazes de comunicação dos riscos, bem como, do desenvolvimento de estratégias de gestão de risco.