bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Διερεύνηση της προγνωστικής αξίας αναίμακτων δεικτών στα πλαίσια πρωτογενούς πρόληψης αιφνίδιου καρδιακού θανάτου σε μετεμφραγματικούς ασθενείς με διατηρημένο κλάσμα εξώθησης αριστερής κοιλίας
Authors: Τριανταφύλλου Κωνσταντίνος
Published: March 2024

Εισαγωγή: Η διαστρωμάτωση κινδύνου για αιφνίδιο καρδιακό θάνατο σε μετεμφραγματικούς ασθενείς με διατηρημένο κλάσμα εξώθησης αριστερής κοιλίας (ΚΕΑΚ) παραμένει μία πρόκληση. Αρκετοί μη επεμβατικοί ηλεκτροκαρδιογραφικοί δείκτες (ΜΕΗΔ) έχουν συσχετιστεί με δυσμενή έκβαση και χρησιμοποιήθηκαν για τη βελτίωση της διαστρωμάτωσης κινδύνου. Αυτή η μελέτη έχει στόχο να αξιολογήσει την απόδοση των ΜΕΗΔ που εξάχθηκαν από σύντομες (45λεπτες) ηλεκτροκαρδιογραφικές καταγραφές (ΣΗΚ) Holter σε ηρεμία, στην πρόβλεψη της πρόκλησης κοιλιακής ταχυκαρδίας με προγραμματισμένη κοιλιακή διέγερση (ΠΚΔ) σε μετεμφραγματικούς ασθενείς με διατηρημένο ΚΕΑΚ. Μέθοδοι: Μελετήσαμε 99 μετεμφραγματικούς ασθενείς (μέση ηλικία: 60,5 ± 9,5 έτη, 86,9% άνδρες) χωρίς ενεργή ισχαιμία, με ΚΕΑΚ ≥ 40%, τουλάχιστον 40 ημέρες μετά την επαναγγείωση. Όλοι οι ασθενείς υποβλήθηκαν σε ΠΚΔ και ΣΗΚ υψηλής ανάλυσης. Αξιολογήθηκαν οι ακόλουθες παράμετροι: μέση καρδιακή συχνότητα, κοιλιακές αρρυθμίες (έκτακτες κοιλιακές συστολές, ζεύγη, ταχυκαρδίες), διάρκεια QTc, μεταβλητότητα καρδιακής συχνότητας (ΜΚΣ), ικανότητα επιβράδυνσης του καρδιακού ρυθμού, στροβιλισμός καρδιακού ρυθμού, όψιμα δυναμικά και εναλλαγές κυμάτων Τ. Αποτελέσματα: Η ΠΚΔ ήταν θετική σε 24 ασθενείς (24,2%). Η ΜΚΣ, που αξιολογήθηκε με την τυπική απόκλιση των διαστημάτων R-R από φυσιολογικό προς φυσιολογικό (SDNN), ήταν σημαντικά ελαττωμένη στην ομάδα θετικής ΠΚΔ (42 έναντι 51 msec, p = 0,039). Οι τιμές SDNN < 50 msec συσχετίστηκαν επίσης με θετική ΠΚΔ (OR 3,081, p = 0,032 στη μονοπαραγοντική ανάλυση και 4,588, p = 0,013 στην πολυπαραγοντική ανάλυση). Δεν εντοπίστηκαν σημαντικές διαφορές για τους άλλους ΜΕHΔ. Η παρουσία σακχαρώδη διαβήτη, το ιστορικό εμφράγματος μυοκαρδίου με ανάσπαση του ST (STEMI), και το ΚΕΑΚ < 50% ήταν επίσης σημαντικοί προγνωστικοί παράγοντες θετικής ΠΚΔ. Συμπεράσματα: Η ΜΚΣ μετρούμενη σε ΣΗΚ, σε συνδυασμό με άλλες μη επεμβατικές κλινικές και ηχοκαρδιογραφικές μεταβλητές (σακχαρώδης διαβήτης, ιστορικό STEMI, ΚΕΑΚ), μπορεί να παρέχει ένα αρχικό, πρακτικό και γρήγορο εργαλείο διαλογής για την εκτίμηση του αρρυθμιολογικού κινδύνου σε μετεμφραγματικούς ασθενείς με διατηρημένο ΚΕΑΚ.
How to Successfully Build a System of Patriotic and Civic Education in a Modern School?
Authors: Shevchenko Natalya , Pevcova E.
Published: March 2024

The purpose of the study was to identify new approaches to the civic-patriotic education of schoolchildren and youth in modern Russia. The article examines changes in the field of patriotic and civic education, identifies the challenges and risks of the emerging practice of civic-patriotic education. The authors define new guidelines in civic-patriotic education, and also propose ways to achieve them.
Neurological Paraneoplastic Syndromes in most Common Cancers in Poland
Authors: Piątkiewicz Julia , Krzyżanowska Maria , Głogowska Karen , Wojtas Mikołaj , Sztybór Mateusz , Maleszewska Monika , Żmijewska Aleksandra , Nowak Gabriela , Kapica Marcin , Kopacz Wojciech
Published: March 2024

INTRODUCTION: Paraneoplastic Neurological Syndromes (PNS) represent a heterogeneous group of diseases associated with the presence of neoplasm. The appearance of PNS can precede cancer diagnosis. The estimated frequency amongst cancer patients is about 1%. Malignant tumors represent a serious health problem and are the second leading cause of death in Poland. The aim of this study is to collect information about PNS focusing on cancers mostly diagnosed in Polish adults.
REVIEW METHODS: The analysis was conducted based on information regarding PNS gathered from PubMed and Google Scholar within the context of selected cancers.
THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE: PNS develop from an autoimmune reaction in which onconeural antibodies are produced. The recent classification divides PNS to high risk, indicating a likely paraneoplastic origin and intermediate risk, if this association is less evident. Diagnosis is difficult and usually relies on exclusion methods. The symptoms described are non-specific and the diagnostic process may require the involvement of various specialists. The main approaches include cancer treatment, especially tumor removal and immunotherapy, which in certain may prove to be effective.
SUMMARY: Although PNS is relatively rare, its detectability has recently increased.
Many syndromes are especially associated with lung cancer (mainly small cell carcinoma).
Breast and prostate cancers have also shown associations with certain syndromes.
They can present with nonspecific symptoms related to different organ systems.
Awareness and understanding of this phenomenon can be helpful amongst many specialists.
Canine separation-related problems: Part 4: first steps in resolving owner absent problems
Authors: Hargrave Claire
Published: March 2024

‘Canine separation-related problems’ cover a range of behavioural presentations that occur while a dog is separated from its carer. These problems can result from activity in an array of emotional networks and can be motivated by various factors within the dog's environment and social relationships. Given the broad range of factors that are associated with separation-related problems, assisting carers in supporting their dogs as they develop the capacity to cope during carer absence can be complex, exhausting and time consuming for both the rehabilitation team and carer. Yet, supporting carers as they create an underlying sense of safety for their dog is a common requirement that is critical to all rehabilitation plans. For some dogs, an improved sense of coping and safety may be all that is required to enable the dog to progress to spending time independently of their owner.
Selecting appropriate diets for management of chronic enteropathies
Authors: Gaylord Laura , Tolbert Katie
Published: March 2024

Gastrointestinal signs including inappetence, vomiting, diarrhoea and weight loss that persist for more than 3 weeks are described as chronic enteropathy. Chronic enteropathies are further classified as food-responsive enteropathy, antimicrobial-responsive enteropathy, immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy and non-responsive enteropathy. Diagnosis of each type of enteropathy relies on the exclusion of other causes, along with the response to various therapeutic interventions including diet trials, use of therapies directed towards the microbiome and/or immunosuppressant medications. Chronic inflammatory enteropathy is a diagnosis based on the chronicity of clinical signs while inflammatory bowel disease can only be confirmed by obtaining tissue biopsy demonstrating histopathological evidence of intestinal mucosal inflammation. Diet may play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic enteropathies, but it is critical to the management of these patients. Since between 50% and 66% of cases are food responsive, diet trials are essential in the management of these patients. The selection of appropriate therapeutic diets relies on thorough patient nutritional assessment, detailed dietary history (including both historical diets and current diet) and inventory of feeding management practices and the patient's environment.
EFEITO DA PROPENSÃO EMPREENDEDORA NO DESENVOLVIMENTO HUMANO DE PROFISSIONAIS DA INDÚSTRIA CRIATIVA DO ARTESANATO
Authors: Pereira da Silva Jorge Cleber , Rabêlo Neto Alexandre , Hipólito Bernardes do Nascimento João Carlos , Sanchez Paradizo de Oliveira Romina Julieta
Published: March 2024

A temática do empreendedorismo na indústria criativa tornou-se foco das discussões de órgãos e comunidades internacionais, sendo apontada como estratégica para o crescimento e o desenvolvimento econômico e social de países desenvolvidos e em desenvolvimento, quer seja através da geração de emprego e renda, quer seja por meio da promoção da inclusão social, da diversidade cultural ou do desenvolvimento humano. Partindo desse pressuposto, o trabalho analisa o efeito da propensão empreendedora no desenvolvimento humano dos profissionais atuantes na indústria criativa do artesanato. Utilizou-se um Survey, aplicado a 350 respondentes. Utilizaram-se técnicas de análise multivariadas e modelagem de equações estruturais. Os resultados apontam que os constructos ‘necessidade de realização’ e ‘postura estratégica’ influenciaram positivamente o constructo ‘propensão empreendedora’; o constructo ‘propensão empreendedora’ exerceu efeito positivo sobre o constructo ‘desenvolvimento humano’ dos profissionais atuantes na classe criativa do artesanato.
Clinical and microbiological characteristics of onychomycosis in a tertiary hospital: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Widaty Sandra , Oktarina Caroline , Marissa Melani , Adawiyah Robiatul , Rozaliyani Anna , Kartika Emiliana , Tugiran Mulyati
Published: March 2024

BACKGROUND Onychomycosis is a common fungal nail infection with a low cure rate. While dermatophytes are the most common causal agent for onychomycosis, the incidence of Candida and nondermatophyte mold (NDM) onychomycosis is increasing. This study aimed to analyze the clinical and microbiological characteristics of patients with onychomycosis.
METHODS Patients who visited the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, and were diagnosed with onychomycosis from 2017 to 2022 were included. Diagnosis was established through clinical examination, supported by the result of direct microscopic examination with potassium hydroxide.
RESULTS Of 171 patients, 93.6% had onychodystrophy, 65.5% were females, and 62.0% were aged 19–59 years. Most patients had onychodystrophy in more than three nails, affecting fingernails (31.6%) and toenails (34.5%). Interestingly, 84.8% of patients had no history of nail diseases. The median onset of disease was 24.0 (1–1,040) weeks, while the median onychomycosis severity index was 10.0 (2–40). Most cases were caused by Candida albicans (48.3%). Fusarium was the only NDM documented (2.3%). Some patients were resistant to itraconazole (11.4%) and miconazole (4.5%). Overall, 49.1% of the patients were declared not cured.
CONCLUSIONS Candida was the predominant cause of onychomycosis, and onychodystrophy was the dominant feature. Current treatment regimens with systemic or topical antifungal agents did not yield satisfactory results, with more than half of the patients deemed not cured.
Indonesia's High-Stakes Handover
Authors: Slater Dan
Published: March 2024

Abstract: The man who has spent the past three decades doing more than anyone to deny Indonesians the right to elect their leaders has now been elected Indonesia's leader. Riding the coattails and benefiting from the brazen interventions of Joko Widodo, the wildly popular outgoing president, Prabowo Subianto has completed his quarter-century-long political rehabilitation from Indonesia's most notorious human-rights abuser to the world's third-largest democracy's commander-in-chief. The murky circumstances of Prabowo's electoral landslide, combined with the likely prospect that he will rule effectively unopposed, seem certain to accelerate recent processes of democratic erosion in the world's largest Muslim-majority country.
How Strategic Violence Distorts African Elections
Authors: Wahman Michael
Published: March 2024

Abstract: While violence is a common occurrence in African elections, most attention has been focused only on a handful of cases with extreme levels of fatal election violence. Not only are these cases unrepresentative of the African continent as a whole, but focusing narrowly on these cases is also misleading when trying to understand the broader role that electoral violence plays in contemporary African democracies. Far more pervasive is the non-fatal type of low-scale election violence, which has become a common form of electoral manipulation in African elections. While low-scale violence does not threaten national security, it is an effective form of manipulation with less severe consequences for perpetrating parties. The insidious effects of low-scale violence on political participation and the quality of elections are demonstrated in Zambia, where fear of violence has come to seriously erode the quality of democracy.
Why Malawi's Democracy Endures
Authors: Dionne Kim Yi
Published: March 2024

Abstract: While other African states experienced democratic erosion, Malawi has defied the odds and weathered attacks on its democracy, including those initiated by its powerful presidents. As a "hard place" for democracy—a poor country with a long authoritarian past and politically relevant ethnic divisions—what explains the resilience of Malawi's democracy? The courts and civil society served as countervailing forces against democratic backsliding. Through legal challenges and popular mobilizations, they have countered attempts by presidents to consolidate power and extend their terms. Unfortunately for Malawians, these countervailing forces were likely facilitated by other negative conditions, namely economic distress and presidential unpopularity. Malawi's experience, complemented by Zambia's recent pivot away from authoritarianization, provides some optimism for those concerned about democratic backsliding in Africa by demonstrating the potential for resilience even in challenging contexts.
The Limits of Liberalism
Authors: Galston William
Published: March 2024

Abstract: Bryan Garsten's essay suggests that liberal polities should be understood as offering "refuge" from overweening public power. While there are sound arguments to support this approach, it downplays the affirmative exercise of public power in the liberal state and leads to policy proposals—such as a more generous stance toward refugees—that may not make sense when taking into account both the right of political communities to put the needs of their members first and the considerations that have led to rising doubts throughout Western democracies about accepting large numbers of refugees at this time.
A Refuge from Liberalism?
Authors: Deneen Patrick J.
Published: March 2024

Abstract: Bryan Garsten claims that most treatments of liberalism today take the form either of "autopsy" or "demonology," and that defenses of liberalism are either "plaintive or desperate." While the former might be true, the latter description misses the mark. In the American case, "Refuge" as the basis of a political order is merely the progressive telling not just of what become hidden forms of "exodus," but a particular kind of exodus that has been bound up with liberalism's origin and history. In the current era, the state is seen forcing "refuges" such as churches, religious organizations, and other traditional communities to conform to progressivist ideology. Even as the progressive liberal state has insinuated itself into every facet of life, a different kind of exodus has predominated in contemporary U.S. society. That exodus—no longer inspired by a belief in "refuge"—takes the form of individual detachment from any community or membership. We are faced now with the prospect of having to live together, a nation of refugees who must cease an exodus into our interior deserts and instead learn the art of making a common home.
Silicon-based high-resolution and low-power-consumption two-dimensional beam scanner integrated with hybrid wavelength-tunable laser diode
Authors: Misugi Yamato , Nakano Tomoki , Kita Tomohiro
Published: March 2024

Optical phased array (OPA) is a useful device for achieving the solid-state beam scanner required in compact light detection and ranging. However, conventional OPAs actively control the phase difference between arrays. Therefore, power consumption is extremely high in a high-resolution OPA. Herein, we fabricated a passive OPA with a 128-channel silicon arrayed waveguide and Si-dot grating antennas with large apertures. Moreover, we integrated a hybrid wavelength-tunable laser diode with a passive OPA. The field of view was 43.9° × 10.4°, and the FWHM of the beam width was 0.233° × 0.0495°. The power consumption per antenna was 0.397 mW.
Magnomechanically induced transparency and tunable slow-fast light via a levitated micromagnet
Authors: Bayati Sahar , Bagheri Harouni Malek , Mahdifar Ali
Published: March 2024

In this paper, we theoretically investigate the magnomechanically induced transparency (MIT) phenomenon and slow-fast light propagation in a microwave cavity-magnomechanical system which includes a levitated ferromagnetic sphere. Magnetic dipole interaction determines the interaction between the photon, magnon, and center of mass motion of the cavity-magnomechanical system. As a result, we find that apart from coupling strength, which has an important role in MIT, the levitated ferromagnetic sphere’s position provides us a parameter to manipulate the width of the transparency window. In addition, the control field’s frequency has crucial influences on the MIT. Also this hybrid magnonic system allows us to demonstrate MIT in both the strong coupling and intermediate coupling regimes. More interestingly, we demonstrate tunable slow and fast light in this hybrid magnonic system. In other words, we show that the group delay can be adjusted by varying the control field’s frequency, the sphere position, and the magnon-photon coupling strength. These parameters have an influence on the transformation from slow to fast light propagation and vice versa. Based on the recent experimental advancements, our results provide the possibility to engineer hybrid magnonic systems with levitated particles for the light propagation, and the quantum measurements and sensing of physical quantities.
Ultrasensitive optomechanical strain sensor
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Du Simin , Yang Shiwei , Wang Quansen , Zhang Jie , Wang Doudou , Li Yongmin
Published: March 2024

We demonstrate an ultrasensitive optomechanical strain sensor based on a SiN membrane and a Fabry-Perot cavity, enabling the measurements of both static and dynamic strain by monitoring reflected light fluctuations using a single-frequency laser. The SiN membrane offers high-quality-factor mechanical resonances that are sensitive to minute strain fluctuations. The two-beam Fabry-Perot cavity is constructed to interrogate the motion state of the SiN membrane. A static strain resolution of 4.00 nɛ is achieved by measuring mechanical resonance frequency shifts of the SiN membrane. The best dynamic resolution is 4.47 pɛHz-1/2, which is close to that of the sensor using high-finesse cavity and optical frequency comb, overcoming the dependence of ultrasensitive strain sensors on narrow-linewidth laser and high-finesse cavity with frequency locking equipment. This work opens up a promising avenue for a new generation of ultrasensitive strain sensors.
Entanglement signatures for quantum synchronization with single-ion phonon laser
Authors: He Si-Wen , Deng Zhi Jiao , Xie Yi , Wang Yan-Yi , Chen Ping-Xing
Published: March 2024

The entanglement properties of quantum synchronization, based on a single-ion phonon laser subjected to an external drive, have been studied. It is found that the maximum value of steady-state entanglement between the ion’s internal and external states occurs near the noiseless boundary from synchronization to unsynchronization, accompanied by noticeable oscillatory behaviors during the corresponding time evolution of entanglement. In addition, the later time dynamics of entanglement also indicates the occurrence of frequency entrainment, as evidenced by the strong consistency between the bending of the observed frequency and the emergence of Liouvillian exceptional points (LEPs) in the first two eigenvalues of the Liouvillian eigenspectrum. Moreover, the emergence of LEPs, which is intimately associated with frequency entrainment, should be widely observed in quantum synchronization and can be explored in LEPs-based applications.
Human activity recognition using a single-photon direct time-of-flight sensor
Authors: Mora-Martín Germán , Scholes Stirling , Henderson Robert K. , Leach Jonathan , Gyongy Istvan
Published: March 2024

Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) direct Time-of-Flight (dToF) sensors provide depth imaging over long distances, enabling the detection of objects even in the absence of contrast in colour or texture. However, distant objects are represented by just a few pixels and are subject to noise from solar interference, limiting the applicability of existing computer vision techniques for high-level scene interpretation. We present a new SPAD-based vision system for human activity recognition, based on convolutional and recurrent neural networks, which is trained entirely on synthetic data. In tests using real data from a 64×32 pixel SPAD, captured over a distance of 40 m, the scheme successfully overcomes the limited transverse resolution (in which human limbs are approximately one pixel across), achieving an average accuracy of 89% in distinguishing between seven different activities. The approach analyses continuous streams of video-rate depth data at a maximal rate of 66 FPS when executed on a GPU, making it well-suited for real-time applications such as surveillance or situational awareness in autonomous systems.
Joule-class sub-nanosecond pulses produced by end-pumped direct bonded YAG/sapphire modular amplifier
Authors: Yahia Vincent , Kausas Arvydas , Tsuji Akihiro , Yoshida Mitsuhiro , Taira Takunori
Published: March 2024

A Joule-class room-temperature diode-pumped solid-state laser was developed. The energy scaling of the 100 mJ 1064 nm seed pulse was realized by a series of two diode-pumped amplifiers. The gain medium consists in free combinations of Nd:YAG ceramics bonded to sapphire transparent heat sinks, to relax the thermal load induced by the 34 kW pump power. At low repetition rate, parasitic lasing was the main limitation to energy scaling. By choosing a gain module combination producing a step-like gradual doping concentration profile, mitigation of parasitic oscillations was observed, and the system delivered 2.8 J, 800 ps pulses at 2 Hz.
Design and fabrication of a tellurite hollow-core anti-resonant fiber for mid-infrared applications
Authors: Zhu Jun , Feng Shaohua , Liu Chengzhen , Cai Liyang , Xu Yantao , Xiao Xusheng , Guo Haitao
Published: March 2024

The hollow core anti-resonant fibers (HC-ARFs) based on soft glass are in high demand for 3-6 µm laser delivery. A HC-ARF based on tellurite glass with 6 touching capillaries as cladding was designed and fabricated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. A relatively low loss of 3.75 dB/m at 4.45 µm was realized in it. The effects of capillary number, core diameter, wall thickness of capillary, and material absorption loss on the loss of the HC-ARF were analyzed by the numerically simulation. The output beam quality was measured and the influence of bending on the fiber loss was discussed. The results of numerical simulation suggested that the theoretical loss of the prepared fiber can be reduced to 0.1 dB/m, indicating that tellurite HC-ARFs have great potential for mid-infrared laser applications.
Compact efficient high-power continuous-wave Nd:YVO4/KGW/LBO Raman lasers for selectable wavelengths within 559-603 nm
Authors: Huang Hsin-Jia , Chang Xiu-Wei , Hsieh Cheng-Li , Li Di , Chen Yung-Fu
Published: March 2024

Compact efficient high-power continuous-wave Nd:YVO4 Raman lasers for selectable wavelengths within 559-603 nm are achieved by using KGW crystal for intracavity stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and lithium triborate (LBO) crystal for intracavity sum frequency generation (SFG) and second harmonic generation (SHG). The LBO crystal with the cut angle in the XY plane for the type-I phase matching is used to perform intracavity SHG or SFG. Experimental results reveal that the participated Stokes lines include the internal vibration mode at 901 cm-1, the external vibrational mode at 209 cm-1, and the combination mode of the 901 cm-1 and 209 cm-1 Raman shifts. By tuning LBO temperature for attaining the maximum output power, the output spectrum reveals the triple peaks of 588.7, 595.7, and 603.1 nm with the intensity ratio of 10:4:1. Under this circumstance, the output power can reach the highest value of 10.8 W at a pump power of 40 W. Furthermore, the output spectrum can be simply concentrated on the single peaks among 588.7 (orange), 565.7 (yellow), and 559.1 nm (lime) by tuning LBO temperature to fulfill the selection of the critical phase matching. The output powers at a pump power of 40 W can be up to 8.0, 6.1, and 9.8 W for the single-peak emission at 588.7, 565.7, and 559.1 nm, respectively. Finally, a dual-peak emission of 565.7 and 572.3 nm with total output power of 5.2 W can be generated by tuning LBO temperature to match the SFG for 572.3 nm.
Origins and consequences of asymmetric nano-FTIR interferograms
Authors: Németh G. , Bechtel H. A. , Borondics Ferenc
Published: March 2024

Infrared scattering-type near-field optical microscopy, IR s-SNOM, and its broadband variant, nano-FTIR, are pioneering, flagship techniques for their ability to provide molecular identification and material optical property information at a spatial resolution well below the far-field diffraction limit, typically less than 25 nm. While s-SNOM and nano-FTIR instrumentation and data analysis have been discussed previously, there is a lack of information regarding experimental parameters for the practitioner, especially in the context of previously developed frameworks. Like conventional FTIR spectroscopy, the critical component of a nano-FTIR instrument is an interferometer. However, unlike FTIR spectroscopy, the resulting interference patterns or interferograms are typically asymmetric. Here, we unambiguously describe the origins of asymmetric interferograms recorded with nano-FTIR instruments, give a detailed analysis of potential artifacts, and recommend optimal instrument settings as well as data analysis parameters.
Global estimation of range resolved thermodynamic profiles from micropulse differential absorption lidar
Authors: Hayman Matthew , Stillwell Robert A. , Karboski Adam , Marais Willem J. , Spuler Scott M.
Published: March 2024

We demonstrate thermodynamic profile estimation with data obtained using the MicroPulse DIAL such that the retrieval is entirely self contained. The only external input is surface meteorological variables obtained from a weather station installed on the instrument. The estimator provides products of temperature, absolute humidity and backscatter ratio such that cross dependencies between the lidar data products and raw observations are accounted for and the final products are self consistent. The method described here is applied to a combined oxygen DIAL, potassium HSRL, water vapor DIAL system operating at two pairs of wavelengths (nominally centered at 770 and 828 nm). We perform regularized maximum likelihood estimation through the Poisson Total Variation technique to suppress noise and improve the range of the observations. A comparison to 119 radiosondes indicates that this new processing method produces improved temperature retrievals, reducing total errors to less than 2 K below 3 km altitude and extending the maximum altitude of temperature retrievals to 5 km with less than 3 K error. The results of this work definitively demonstrates the potential for measuring temperature through the oxygen DIAL technique and furthermore that this can be accomplished with low-power semiconductor-based lidar sensors.
Detecting changes in generation and serial intervals under varying pathogen biology, contact patterns and outbreak response
Authors: Pung Rachael , Russell Timothy W. , Kucharski Adam J.
Published: March 2024

The epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 transmission have changed over the pandemic due to emergence of new variants. A decrease in the generation or serial intervals would imply a shortened transmission timescale and, hence, outbreak response measures would need to expand at a faster rate. However, there are challenges in measuring these intervals. Alongside epidemiological changes, factors like varying delays in outbreak response, social contact patterns, dependence on the growth phase of an outbreak, and effects of exposure to multiple infectors can also influence measured generation or serial intervals. To guide real-time interpretation of variant data, we simulated concurrent changes in the aforementioned factors and estimated the statistical power to detect a change in the generation and serial interval. We compared our findings to the reported decrease or lack thereof in the generation and serial intervals of different SARS-CoV-2 variants. Our study helps to clarify contradictory outbreak observations and informs the required sample sizes under certain outbreak conditions to ensure that future studies of generation and serial intervals are adequately powered.
Learning environment-specific learning rates
Authors: Simoens Jonas , Verguts Tom , Braem Senne
Published: March 2024

People often have to switch back and forth between different environments that come with different problems and volatilities. While volatile environments require fast learning (i.e., high learning rates), stable environments call for lower learning rates. Previous studies have shown that people adapt their learning rates, but it remains unclear whether they can also learn about environment-specific learning rates, and instantaneously retrieve them when revisiting environments. Here, using optimality simulations and hierarchical Bayesian analyses across three experiments, we show that people can learn to use different learning rates when switching back and forth between two different environments. We even observe a signature of these environment-specific learning rates when the volatility of both environments is suddenly the same. We conclude that humans can flexibly adapt and learn to associate different learning rates to different environments, offering important insights for developing theories of meta-learning and context-specific control.
Recombination, admixture and genome instability shape the genomic landscape of Saccharomyces cerevisiae derived from spontaneous grape ferments
Authors: Ward Chris M. , Onetto Cristobal A. , Van Den Heuvel Steven , Cuijvers Kathleen M. , Hale Laura J. , Borneman Anthony R.
Published: March 2024

Cultural exchange of fermentation techniques has driven the spread of Saccharomyces cerevisiae across the globe, establishing natural populations in many countries. Despite this, Oceania is thought to lack native populations of S. cerevisiae, only being introduced after colonisation. Here we investigate the genomic landscape of 411 S. cerevisiae isolated from spontaneous grape fermentations in Australia across multiple locations, years, and grape cultivars. Spontaneous fermentations contained highly recombined mosaic strains that exhibited high levels of genome instability. Assigning genomic windows to putative ancestral origin revealed that few closely related starter lineages have come to dominate the genetic landscape, contributing most of the genetic variation. Fine-scale phylogenetic analysis of loci not observed in strains of commercial wine origin identified widespread admixture with European derived beer yeast along with three independent admixture events from potentially endemic Oceanic lineages that was associated with genome instability. Finally, we investigated Australian ecological niches for basal isolates, identifying phylogenetically distinct S. cerevisiae of non-European, non-domesticated origin associated with admixture loci. Our results illustrate the effect commercial use of microbes may have on local microorganism genetic diversity and demonstrates the presence of non-domesticated, potentially endemic lineages of S. cerevisiae in Australian niches that are actively admixing.
A smart mask to enforce social contracts based on IOTA Tangle
Authors: Zhao Lianna , Ferraro Pietro , Shorten Robert
Published: March 2024

In this paper we present the design for a smart-mask to mitigate the impact of an airborne virus such as COVID-19. The design utilises recent results from feedback control theory over a distributed ledger that have been developed to enforce compliance in a pseudo-anonymous manner. The design is based on the use of the IOTA distributed ledger. A hardware-in-the-loop simulation based on indoor positioning, paired with Monte-Carlo simulations, is developed to demonstrate the efficacy of the designed prototype.
Population, distribution, biomass, and economic value of Equids in Ethiopia
Authors: Asteraye Girma Birhan , Pinchbeck Gina , Knight-Jones Theodore , Saville Klara , Temesgen Wudu , Hailemariam Alemayehu , Rushton Jonathan
Published: March 2024

Background

Equids play a crucial role in the Ethiopian economy, transporting agricultural inputs and outputs in the dominant subsistence agricultural systems and the critical link for value chains throughout the country. However, these species are often neglected in policies and interventions, which reflects the data and information gaps, particularly the contribution of working equids to Ethiopia.

Objective

To assess population dynamics, distribution, biomass, and economic value of equids in Ethiopia.

Materials and methods

Equine population data were obtained from the Ethiopian Central Statistics Agency (CSA) annual national agriculture surveys published yearbooks from 2004 to 2020. Parameters such as the number of effective service days and daily rental value were obtained from interviews and literature to estimate the stock monetary and service value of equids. Descriptive statistics were used to assess population dynamics and the geographical distribution was mapped.

Results

The estimated total Ethiopian equid population increased by more than doubled (by 131%) between 2004 and 2020 from 5.7 (4.9–6.6) million to 13.3 (11.6–15) million with 2.1 million horses, 10.7 million donkeys, and 380 thousand mules. Similarly, the number of households owning a working equid has increased. Equine populations are unevenly distributed across Ethiopia, although data were lacking in some districts of the country. The per human-capita equine population ranged from 0–0.52, 0–0.13, and 0–0.02 for donkeys, horses, and mules, respectively. The equid biomass was 7.4 (6.3–8.4) million Tropical livestock unit (TLU) (250 kg liveweight), 10% of total livestock biomass of the country. The stock monetary value of equids was USD 1,229 (651–1,908) million, accounting for 3.1% of total livestock monetary value and the services value of equids was USD 1,198 (825–1,516) million, which is 1.2% of Ethiopian 2021 expected GDP.

Conclusion

The Ethiopian equine population has grown steadily over the last two decades. Equids play a central role in transportation and subsistence agriculture in Ethiopia and contribute significantly to the national economy. This pivotal role is insufficiently recognized in national livestock investments.
The effect of different resistance and assistance loads on 30-m sprint kinematics
Authors: Chang Fuzong , Qian Dexing , Zong Shouxin , Shen Yanfei
Published: March 2024

Resisted sprint and assisted sprint are the two main types of training methods used by athletes in sprint training, so optimizing resisted sprint training and assisted sprint training process is beneficial for improving athletes’ sprint performance. Kinematics is the most intuitive parameter that reflects the quality of training during running process, and it is particularly important to analyze the gait of athletes during resisted and assisted sprint process. Therefore, this paper investigates the effects of resisted and assisted sprint on the sprint kinematics of sprinters in the first 30 meters to demonstrate the targeted effects of resisted and assisted sprint training. The experimental results show that compared to the unloaded running, male collegiate sprinters increase their total step count, decrease their step length, increase their step time, increase their contact time, whereas have almost no change in the flight time when performing the 30-m resisted sprint. Male collegiate sprinters decrease their total step count, increase their step length, increase their step time, decrease their contact time and increase their flight time, when performing the 30-m assisted sprint. In addition, it is found that resisted sprint training is beneficial for improving the athletes’ power and explosiveness during the acceleration phase, thereby improving acceleration ability. However, prolonged and frequent resisted sprint training may reduce the step length and step frequency of athletes. Assisted sprint training is beneficial for shortening the contact time of athletes, improving their step length and flight time, and enabling them to overspeed, thereby increasing their maximum speed ability.
Collaborative optimization model and algorithm for airport capacity and traffic flow allocation
Authors: He Peinan , Pan Weijun
Published: March 2024

How to efficiently utilize the existing airport capacity without physical expansion and considerable economic inputs to meet air traffic needs is one of the important tasks of air traffic management. To improve the efficiency of capacity utilization, it is necessary to find the actual airport capacity properly. In this work, taking Shuangliu International Airport as an example, a methodology for capacity estimation is proposed that combines the empirical method with an analytical approach that uses historical performance data from the airport to construct a capacity envelope to approximate the airport’s actual capacity to the greatest extent, establishes a collaborative optimization model that reflects the inherent relations between airport capacity and arrival and departure traffic demand, adopts an improved optimization algorithm to solve the model, and generates an optimal flight allocation scheme. Priority ratio is introduced to dynamically adjust management preferences for arrival and departure traffic demand to further reveal the synergy mechanism between departure and arrival traffic flow demand and the airport capacity. The result shows that the Flight On-time Performance rate is lifted by 6% in the case study which proves the feasibility of the proposed method, demonstrating its value for maximizing airport capacity and traffic flow demand without requiring expansions on airport scales.
Branch error reduction criterion-based signal recursive decomposition and its application to wind power generation forecasting
Authors: Xiao Fen , Yang Siyu , Li Xiao , Ni Junhong
Published: March 2024

Due to the ability of sidestepping mode aliasing and endpoint effects, variational mode decomposition (VMD) is usually used as the forecasting module of a hybrid model in time-series forecasting. However, the forecast accuracy of the hybrid model is sensitive to the manually set mode number of VMD; neither underdecomposition (the mode number is too small) nor over-decomposition (the mode number is too large) improves forecasting accuracy. To address this issue, a branch error reduction (BER) criterion is proposed in this study that is based on which a mode number adaptive VMD-based recursive decomposition method is used. This decomposition method is combined with commonly used single forecasting models and applied to the wind power generation forecasting task. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed combination.
Metabolic impairments associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus and the potential effects of exercise therapy: An exploratory randomized trial based on untargeted metabolomics
Authors: Zhang Furong , Chen Xixi , Yang Mingxiao , Shen Xiaoyu , Wang Yiliang , Zhong Dongling , Zeng Fang , Jin Rongjiang
Published: March 2024

Background

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a common condition that is characterized by metabolic impairments. Exercise therapy has proven effective in improving the physiological and psychological states of patients with T2DM; however, the influence of different exercise modalities on metabolic profiles is not fully understood. This study first aimed to investigate the metabolic changes associated with T2DM among patients and then to evaluate the potential physiological effects of different exercise modalities (Tai Chi and brisk walking) on their metabolic profiles.

Methods

This study included 20 T2DM patients and 11 healthy subjects. Patients were randomly allocated to either the Tai Chi or walking group to perform Dijia simplified 24-form Tai Chi or brisk walking (80–100 m/min), with 90 minutes each time, three times per week for 12 weeks, for a total of 36 sessions. The healthy group maintained daily living habits without intervention. Glycemic tests were conducted at the baseline and after 12 weeks. Serum and urine samples were collected for untargeted metabolomic analyses at baseline and 12 weeks to examine the differential metabolic profiles between T2DM and healthy subjects, and the metabolic alterations of T2DM patients before and after exercise therapy.

Results

Compared to the healthy group, T2DM patients exhibited metabolic disturbances in carbohydrates (fructose, mannose, galactose, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis), lipids (inositol phosphate), and amino acids (arginine, proline, cysteine, methionine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine) metabolism, including 20 differential metabolites in the serum and six in the urine. After exercise, the glycemic results showed insignificant changes. However, patients who practiced Tai Chi showed significant improvements in their post-treatment metabolic profiles compared to baseline, with nine serum and six urine metabolites, including branch-chained amino acids (BCAAs); while those in the walking group had significantly altered nine serum and four urine metabolites concerning steroid hormone biosynthesis and arachidonic acid metabolism compared to baseline.

Conclusion

T2DM patients displayed impaired carbohydrate, lipid, and amino acid metabolism, and exercise therapy improved their metabolic health. Different modalities may act through different pathways. Tai Chi may improve disrupted BCAAs metabolism, whereas brisk walking mainly regulates steroid hormone biosynthesis and arachidonic acid metabolism.
Causal role of metabolites in non-small cell lung cancer: Mendelian randomization (MR) study
Authors: Li Qian , Wei Zedong , Zhang Yonglun , Zheng Chongqing
Published: March 2024

On a global scale, lung cancer(LC) is the most commonly occurring form of cancer. Nonetheless, the process of screening and detecting it in its early stages presents significant challenges. Earlier research endeavors have recognized metabolites as potentially reliable biomarkers for LC. However, the majority of these studies have been limited in scope, featuring inconsistencies in terms of the relationships and levels of association observed.Moreover, there has been a lack of consistency in the types of biological samples utilized in previous studies. Therefore, the main objective of our research was to explore the correlation between metabolites and Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Thorough two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) analysis, we investigated potential cause-and-effect relationships between 1400 metabolites and the risk of NSCLC.The analysis of TSMR revealed a significant causal impact of 61 metabolites on NSCLC.To ensure the reliability and validity of our findings, we perform FDR correction for P-values by Benjaminiand Hochberg(BH) method, Our results indicate that Oleate/vaccenate (18:1) levels and Caffeine to paraxanthine ratio may be causally associated with an increased risk of NSCLC [Oleate/vaccenate(18:1)levels: OR = 1.171,95%CI: 1.085–1.265, FDR = 0.036; Caffeine to paraxanthine ratio: OR = 1.386, 95%CI:1.191–1.612,FDR = 0.032].
Framing the wild: A qualitative analysis of environmental news coverage during the 2020 coronavirus lockdowns
Authors: Sowers Joseph W.
Published: March 2024

News media coverage of the natural world frames perceptions and policies related to the environment. Studying its reporting brings insight for how meaning is assigned to humanity’s relationship with nature and wildlife. Through qualitative content analysis, this study examines digital articles on the environment, published from March to December 2020, amidst mass lockdowns due to the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Claims about the impact of humanity being locked down were analysed using framing theory. Findings revealed four major frames generated in connection to (1) wildlife behaviour, (2) a new normal post-COVID, (3) climate change being displaced and (4) human–nature symbiosis. The results of qualitative inquiry offer a more nuanced understanding of how media frames the complex human–nature relationship, which tends to feature negative and hostile associations. This furthers the notion that such framing can limit perspectives, even if unintended, and arguably weakens viewing our relationship with nature as symbiotic.
Relações étnico-raciais na literatura infantojuvenil: Resenha do livro o pequeno príncipe preto
Authors: Araújo Santos Taislaene , Lucini Marizete
Published: March 2024

Resenha do livro de literatura infanto-juvenil, O Pequeno Príncipe Preto, de Rodrigo França, releitura do clássico O Pequeno Príncipe, de Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Essa nova versão, apresenta a história do pequeno príncipe preto e de sua companheira, a baobá, com quem convive no pequeno planeta. O menino, carregando consigo as sementes de baobá e uma pipa, viaja por outros planetas espalhando as sementes, e junto com elas o amor e a empatia. Nesta resenha, buscou-se evidenciar as relações étnico-raciais e o respeito a diversidade na obra literária, bem como a análise de seus pontos positivos ou negativos.
Paradoxical Reaction and Parastomal Pyoderma Gangrenosum Emergence With Secukinumab Therapy
Authors: Zaher Anas , Castillo Michael
Published: March 2024

Paradoxical reactions are characterized by the emergence or worsening of a pathological condition that typically responds to the administered drug while treating the patient for another condition. Certain drugs, such as tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, can induce pyoderma gangrenosum. Recently, the drug secukinumab has been implicated in a few case reports as a potential cause of pyoderma gangrenosum after initiation. We report the first case of biologic-refractory ulcerative colitis presenting with parastomal pyoderma gangrenosum after the initiation of secukinumab. While these associations are still being investigated, they highlight the importance of monitoring patients for possible adverse skin reactions when starting new medications.
Brasil adota oficialmente o guia de tratamento da EFP
Authors: Kahn Sérgio , Cortelli Sheila C.
Published: March 2024

Os guias de entidades profissionais podem fundamentar a prática clínica e mesmo estar no topo da pirâmide de evidências a depender de como foi elaborado. O guia de prática clínica para tratamento da periodontite estágios I - III publicado em 2020 pela European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) contempla as exigências de um guia que se baseia tanto no "consenso de especialistas" quanto na melhor literatura disponível, sendo, portanto, classificado como grau S3. Sumariamente, as principais características do grau S3 de evidência são as de uma revisão sistemática que seleciona, sintetiza e gradua a evidência disponível sobre o tema, e as de um grupo representativo de líderes de opinião, inclusive de áreas correlatas, que não apenas constroem, mas também moderam o processo até que haja um consenso.