bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Financial Incentives for Physical Activity and Sports Participation in Young People
Authors: Simpson Catherine EM , Curtis Rachel G , Virgara Rosa , Crisp Michelle , Licari Simone , James Michaela , Reece Lindsey , Maher Carol A
Published: March 2024

Physical inactivity is a global health problem. Childhood is an opportune time to establish healthy physical activity behaviors, including the participation in organized physical activity, such as sports. We hypothesize that financial incentives can improve young people’s participation in physical activity and sports. The design of the incentive and the context in which it operates is crucial to its success.
Are Recreational Sports a Relic of the Past OR a Solution for the Future?
Authors: Butler Lauren S. , Janosky Joseph , Knell Gregory , Ulman Sophia , Latz Kevin
Published: March 2024

Children's participation in sport is a critical component to their physical and social development and as such, efforts should be made to provide all children with the opportunity to play. In recent years, there has been an observed shift in the focus of youth sports from that of participation for the health benefits of physical activity and fun to that of winning and competing. As a result, there has been a rise in club sports offerings and a subsequent reduction in recreational sports opportunities. This change presents unique challenges to children's access to sport and may not adequately support their overall physical, social, and emotional development. This commentary will discuss the benefits and barriers to increasing recreational sport opportunities using the Social Ecological Model as a framework. It also will propose solutions that can be implemented at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and public policy levels to revive recreational sports.
Environmental security perceptions, policies, and inefficiencies of the European Union
Authors: Καντεμνίδης Δημήτριος
Published: March 2024

Η παρούσα διατριβή περιγράφει πώς προέκυψε, αναπτύχθηκε και ποιοι περιορισμοί υπήρξαν στην εφαρμογή της ατζέντας Περιβαλλοντικής Ασφάλειας της Ευρώπης. Η θεωρητική ανάλυση της Περιβαλλοντικής Ασφάλειας και τα εμπειρικά ευρήματα είναι οι δύο κύριοι τομείς μελέτης αυτής της έρευνας. Αναλύοντας τους στόχους ασφάλειας της Ευρώπης, αυτή η έρευνα επιχειρεί να παράσχει στοιχεία που εξηγούν «Γιατί οι περιβαλλοντικές πτυχές της Κοινής Πολιτικής Ασφάλειας και Άμυνας (ΚΠΑΑ) δεν ενσωματώνονται ουσιαστικά στις δράσεις άμυνας και ασφάλειας της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης;» Η παρούσα διατριβή ακολουθεί τις εννοιολογικές εξελίξεις στον τομέα της Περιβαλλοντικής Ασφάλειας για να εξηγήσει το ευρωπαϊκό πλαίσιο. Η σύγχρονη συζήτηση για την Περιβαλλοντική Ασφάλεια χρονολογείται σε λιγότερο από τέσσερις δεκαετίες από τότε που ξεκίνησαν οι πρώτες ακαδημαϊκές προσπάθειες ώστε να συνδεθούν οι ανησυχίες για την ασφάλεια με τα περιβαλλοντικά ζητήματα. Το εύρος της ακαδημαϊκής έρευνας για ζητήματα περιβαλλοντικής ασφάλειας έχει αυξηθεί σημαντικά, ωστόσο, συχνά οι συστάσεις προς τους υπεύθυνους χάραξης πολιτικής βρίσκονται σε αντίφαση. Πολλές ερμηνείες σχετικά με τον τρόπο αντιμετώπισης περιβαλλοντικών ζητημάτων στον τομέα της ασφάλειας δημιουργούν σύγχυση στους υπεύθυνους χάραξης πολιτικής καθώς είναι διφορούμενες και δεν ξεκαθαρίζουν ποιες πολιτικές ασφαλείας θα αντιμετωπίσουν αποτελεσματικά τα περιβαλλοντικά ζητήματα. Έτσι, οι υπεύθυνοι λήψης αποφάσεων συνεχίζουν να έχουν μια κρατοκεντρική και μιλιταριστική προσέγγιση, αγνοώντας τη σχέση περιβάλλοντος-ασφάλειας. Τα ευρήματα αυτής της μελέτης οδηγούν στο συμπέρασμα ότι παρά τα 15 περίπου χρόνια σύλληψης και ανάπτυξης του Ευρωπαϊκού πλαισίου Περιβαλλοντικής Ασφάλειας, η εφαρμογή και οι παραγόμενες πολιτικές εξακολουθούν να αντιμετωπίζουν πολλά εμπόδια. Διαφορετικά κράτη, θεσμικά όργανα και φορείς χάραξης πολιτικής αντιμετωπίζουν τα περιβαλλοντικά ζητήματα με διαφορετικές ατζέντες ασφάλειας. Οι διάφορες εννοιολογήσεις του προβλήματος είναι πολύτιμες και επωφελείς για τα συμφέροντα ενός δρώντα ασφάλειας, αλλά φαίνεται να έχουν αρνητικές επιπτώσεις για τη συνολική ασφάλεια της Ένωσης. Οι φορείς ΚΠΑΑ που καθορίζουν την ατζέντα για την ασφάλεια της ΕΕ στις διακηρύξεις τους και στα διατάγματα τους λαμβάνουν πολύ σοβαρά υπόψη τον περιβαλλοντικό παράγοντα και δίνουν προτεραιότητα στον προσδιορισμό της φύσης των περιβαλλοντικών απειλών και στην κατάλληλη ανταπόκριση σε10αυτές. Ωστόσο, για να ενισχυθεί η αποτελεσματικότητα της ΚΠΑΑ, όλα τα εμπλεκόμενα μέρη στην διαμόρφωση της ατζέντας ασφάλειας της Ευρώπης θα πρέπει να υιοθετήσουν πολιτικές και δράσεις περιβαλλοντικής ασφάλειας προσαρμοσμένες στους κανονισμούς, τις δυνατότητες και τα συμφέροντά τους ενώ ταυτόχρονα θα πρέπει να υπηρετούν την Κοινή Πολιτική Ασφάλειας και Άμυνας της Ευρώπης.
The Value of Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Human Geography and Bioethics
Authors: Jones Daniel P. , Hens Kristien
Published: March 2024

Human geography and bioethics both take pride in their interdisciplinary approaches. Relatively little cross-pollination has occurred between human geography and bioethics. This paper takes three cases to highlight the generative potentials of both disciplines, dedicating time and space to learning from each other. Through doing so, we highlight these potentials by focusing on how navigating public spaces subverts the expected uses of particular spaces. We demonstrate that these are entangled with questions of responsibility that both geographers and bioethicists might find helpful. Human geographers and bioethicists can, and should, look for non-naïve ways to care for space, and we hope for this paper to be an example of where to start in the collaborative future of our disciplines.
Differential expression analysis of binary appearance patterns
Authors: Vitkin Edward
Published: March 2024

Differential expression analysis of biomarker measurements in two conditions is a basic step in understanding the relevance of the selected molecule to the difference between these conditions. In cases, when the biomarker of interest can disappear completely in some of the tested samples, it can be beneficial to replace the quantitative measurements with a simple binary appearance indicator. Standard differential expression approaches, working on quantitative measurements and addressing non-existing molecules as measured with zero intensity, are designed to evaluate the change between low- and high-expression molecules, and therefore not suited well for the evaluation between existing and non-existing molecules. Here we propose two approaches to compare such binary appearance patterns in two independent groups: (i) proportion-based test and (ii) hypergeometric-distribution based test. The first leverages the fact that population proportion behaves according to the normal distribution, while the second reduces the comparison problem to the test of significance of the intersection size between two groups. We demonstrate the value of the suggested binary differential expression analysis methods by investigating (i) proteomic profiles obtained from samples extracted with ebiopsy technique and (ii) transcriptomic profiles obtained from samples extracted with standard biopsy from basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma lesions and discuss the results with respect to raw-measurement data based differential expression test of the raw measured intensities.
Features of the Audit of the Statements of the Authorized Economic Operator
Authors: Glazkova G.
Published: March 2024

The purpose of the study is to develop proposals for improving the methodology of auditing the reports of authorized economic operators, taking into account the specifics of their activities. The article suggests approaches to the development of such a methodology, taking into account strategic transformations in the context of customs administration. The methodological basis of the work was a systematic approach, a method for analyzing existing customs control processes, collecting facts, analyzing professional and ethical standards, and structural and functional modeling. The result of the study was the methodological justification of an integrated approach to the organization and implementation of the audit of the statements of an authorized economic operator.
Form Copy and Markovian Gaps in Latin Syntax: The Control Case
Authors: Jakielaszek Jarosław
Published: March 2024

Najnowsze propozycje teoretyczne w ramach minimalizmu redukują wymagania zasobów obliczeniowych w procesie derywacji przez postulowanie ich markowskiego charakteru. W wyniku takiego posunięcia otwierają się nowe możliwości analizy zjawiska kontroli w językach naturalnych. Na podstawie zjawiska kontroli w języku łacińskim jako materiale empirycznym artykuł porównuje trzy minimalistyczne analizy takich struktur w celu oceny ich adekwatności empirycznej i zobowiązań teoretycznych. Porównanie prowadzi do wniosku, że choć wszystkie rozwiązania wykazują ten sam poziom adekwatności empirycznej, hipoteza markowskiego charakteru derywacji jest z teoretycznego punktu widzenia najtrafniejsza.
The Banach-Mazur distance between C(Δ) and C_0(Δ) equals 2
Authors: Piasecki Łukasz , Villada Jeimer
Published: March 2024

Let $C(\Delta)$ denote the Banach space of all continuous real-valued functions
on the Cantor set $\Delta$ and $C_0(\Delta)=\lbrace f\in C(\Delta): f(1)=0\rbrace$.
From the 1966 theorem of Cambern, it is well-known that the Banach-Mazur
distance $d(C(\Delta), C_0(\Delta))\geq 2$. We prove that, in fact,
$d(C(\Delta), C_0(\Delta))= 2$. As a consequence, we answer
a question left open in the 2012 paper of Candido and Galego.
On solutions vanishing at infinity of infinite systems of quadratic Urysohn integral equations
Authors: Banaś Józef , Madej Justyna
Published: March 2024

The paper is devoted to present a result on the existence of solutions of an infinite system of quadratic integral equations of
the Urysohn type considered on the real half-axis. Our investigations are conducted in the Banach space consisting of bounded and continuous functions
defined on the real half-axis with values in the space of real sequences converging to zero. That space is equipped with the standard supremum norm.
The main tools used in our study is the technique of measures of noncompactness and the Schauder fixed point principle.
We illustrate our result by a suitable example.
Some generalized nonexpansive mappings and weak normal structure
Authors: Piątek Bożena
Published: March 2024

We consider relations between normal structure of a Banach space and the fixed point property for various classes of
generalized nonexpansive mappings under additional assumptions, such as that of continuity.
In this way we answer some open questions about the behaviour of such maps.
Frontiers in Operations: Waiting Experience in Open-Shop Service Networks: Improvements via Flow Analytics and Automation
Authors: Chen Manlu , Baron Opher , Mandelbaum Avishai , Wang Jianfu , Yom-Tov Galit B. , Arber Nadir
Published: March 2024

Problem definition: We study open-shop service networks where customers go through multiple services. We were motivated by a partnering health screening clinic, where customers are routed by a dispatcher and operational performance is measured at two levels: micro-level, via waits for individual services, and macro-level, via overall wait. Both measures reflect customer experience and could support its management. Our analysis revealed that waits were long and increased along the service process. Such long waits give rise to negative waiting experience and the increasing shape is detrimental as it is known to create perceived waits that are even longer. Our goal is hence to analyze strategies that shape and improve customers’ perceived experience. Methodology/results: Analytically, we use a stylized two-station open-shop network to show that prioritizing advanced customers, jointly with pooling (virtual) queues, can improve both macro- and micro-level performance. We validate these findings with a simulation model, calibrated with our clinic’s data. Practically, we find that an automated routing system (ARS), recently implemented in the clinic, had a negligible impact on overall wait—It simply redistributed waiting among wait-for-routing and wait-for-service. However, ARS renders applicable sophisticated priority and routing policies (that were infeasible under the manual routing practice), specifically the ones arising from the present research. Managerial implications: Our study amplifies performance benefits of accounting for individual customers’ system status in addition to station-level load information. We offer insights into the implementation of new technologies: Firms better plan for fundamental changes in their operation rather than harness new technology to their existing operation, which may be suboptimal due to past technical limitations.

History: This paper has been accepted in the Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Frontiers in Operations Initiative.

Funding: M. Chen acknowledges the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 72301280]. O. Baron acknowledges the support from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada. J. Wang acknowledges the support from the City University of Hong Kong [Grant 11505421]. A. Mandelbaum is partially supported by the Israel Science Foundation [Grant 491/22].

Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.0590 .
Acute severe ulcerative colitis flare complicated by myopericarditis and infliximab-induced hepatitis
Authors: Manti Magdalini , Nikolaos Kamperidis Nikolaos Kamperidis , Alexandros Toskas Alexandros Toskas , Harry Martin Harry Martin , Ravi Misra Ravi Misra
Published: March 2024

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an autoimmune disease associated with both intestinal and extraintestinal manifestations. The latter may include heart complications, such as myopericarditis leading to life-threatening arrythmias. Nowadays, UC is commonly treated with biologic medications and infliximab is the first line therapy in an outpatient setting, while it is also used as rescue therapy in acute severe UC. However, it has been associated with severe immunosuppression, cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation and drug-induced hepatitis. We report a case of UC flare in a biologic naïve patient admitted with myopericarditis, which was further complicated by positive CMV biopsies and infliximab-induced transaminitis.
All about … screen time
Authors: Rawstrone Annette
Published: March 2024

What are the dangers of children having too much screen time – and are there any benefits, asks Annette Rawstrone, with advice for practitioners and parents
How Digitalisation Can Bridge The Skills Shortage Crisis
Authors: Tilley Keith
Published: March 2024

Digital Work Instructions are the key to solving the current critical skills gap faced by the manufacturing sector.
Navigating the Future
Authors: Aydogdu Hakan
Published: March 2024

The rise of smart factories, digitalised CNC machining and the industrial metaverse are set to reshape the manufacturing landscape in 2024. What are the key trends in this space?
Halicin remains active against Staphylococcus aureus in biofilms grown on orthopaedically relevant substrates
Authors: Higashihira Shota , Simpson Stefanie J. , Morita Akira , Suryavanshi Joash R. , Arnold Christopher J. , Natoli Roman M. , Greenfield Edward M.
Published: March 2024

Aims

Biofilm infections are among the most challenging complications in orthopaedics, as bacteria within the biofilms are protected from the host immune system and many antibiotics. Halicin exhibits broad-spectrum activity against many planktonic bacteria, and previous studies have demonstrated that halicin is also effective against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms grown on polystyrene or polypropylene substrates. However, the effectiveness of many antibiotics can be substantially altered depending on which orthopaedically relevant substrates the biofilms grow. This study, therefore, evaluated the activity of halicin against less mature and more mature S. aureus biofilms grown on titanium alloy, cobalt-chrome, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), devitalized muscle, or devitalized bone.

Methods

S. aureus-Xen36 biofilms were grown on the various substrates for 24 hours or seven days. Biofilms were incubated with various concentrations of halicin or vancomycin and then allowed to recover without antibiotics. Minimal biofilm eradication concentrations (MBECs) were defined by CFU counting and resazurin reduction assays, and were compared with the planktonic minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs).

Results

Halicin continued to exert significantly (p < 0.01) more antibacterial activity against biofilms grown on all tested orthopaedically relevant substrates than vancomycin, an antibiotic known to be affected by biofilm maturity. For example, halicin MBECs against both less mature and more mature biofilms were ten-fold to 40-fold higher than its MIC. In contrast, vancomycin MBECs against the less mature biofilms were 50-fold to 200-fold higher than its MIC, and 100-fold to 400-fold higher against the more mature biofilms.

Conclusion

Halicin is a promising antibiotic that should be tested in animal models of orthopaedic infection.

Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2024;13(3):101–109.
Quantitative assessment whole-rock iron content in magnetite protolith based on terahertz time-domain spectroscopy
Authors: Zhang Mingrui , Zheng Zhiyuan , Zhang Tong , Zhang Siqi , Huang Ren , Zheng Xiaodi , Shen Junfeng , Huang Haochong , Zhang Zili
Published: March 2024

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy was first used to establish a
correlation with the whole-rock iron (TFe) content in different depths
of the Bayan Obo protolith. Compared with element content obtained by
the traditional method of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), a
similar tendency of the absorption coefficient and refractive index is
presented. Furthermore, three machine learning algorithms, namely,
partial least squares regression (PLSR), random forest (RF), and
multi-layer perceptron (MLP), were used to develop a quantitative
analytical model for TFe content of the protolith minerals. Among the
three algorithms, MLP has the highest detection accuracy, with a model
coefficient of determination R2 reaching up to 0.945. These findings
demonstrate that terahertz time-domain spectroscopy can be used to
rapidly quantify the TFe elemental content of protolith, providing a
method of detecting the content of mineral components.
Digital-twin-assisted meta learning for soft-failure localization in ROADM-based optical networks
Authors: Wang Ruikun , Zhang Jiawei , Gu Zhiqun , Ibrahimi Memedhe , Zhang Bojun , Musumeci Francesco , Tornatore Massimo , Ji Yuefeng
Published: March 2024

Reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) nodes are evolving towards high-degree architectures to support growing traffic and enable flexible network connectivity. Due to the complex composition of high-degree ROADMs, soft failures may occur between both inter- and intra-node components, like wavelength selective switches and fiber spans. The intricate ROADM structure significantly contributes to the challenge of localizing inter-/intra-node soft failures in ROADM-based optical networks. Machine learning (ML) has shown to be a promising solution to the problem of soft-failure localization, enabling network operators to take accurate and swift measures to overcome such challenges. However, data scarcity is a main hindrance when using ML for soft-failure localization, especially in the complex scenario of inter- and intra-node soft failures. In this work, we propose a digital-twin-assisted meta-learning framework to localize inter-/intra-node soft failures with limited samples. In our proposed framework, we construct several mirror models using a digital twin of the physical optical network and then generate multiple training tasks. These training tasks serve as pretraining data for the meta learner. Then, we use real data for fine-tuning and testing of the meta learner. The proposed framework is compared with the rule-based reasoning method, transfer-learning-based method, and artificial-neural-network-based method with no pretraining. Experimental results indicate that the proposed framework improves localization accuracy by over 15%, 33%, and 54%, on average, compared to benchmark approaches, respectively.
Six-orders-of-magnitude-spanning dispersion measurement via Kalman filtering-aided white-light interferometry
Authors: Gao Mingjin , Li Yuhang , Zhang Fan , Wang Jiehao , He Shuyang , Liang Huijian , Zhang Yumin , Zhu Lianqing , Jiang Xiaoshun , Liu Qiang
Published: March 2024

Dispersion plays a great role in ultrafast laser oscillators, ultrashort pulse amplifiers, and many other nonlinear optical dynamics. Therefore, dispersion measurement is crucial for device characterization, system design and nonlinear dynamics investigation therein. In this work, we demonstrate a versatile approach, i.e., Kalman filtering-aided white-light interferometry, for group delay dispersion (GDD) characterization. Extended Kalman filter is adopted to track the cosine-like interferogram, and to eliminate the unintended bias and the envelope, providing a nearly ideal phase retrieval and GDD estimation. The measurement range could span from tens of fs2 to tens of ps2, with an uncertainty of about 0.1%, enabling precise GDD measurement for diverse optical components, ranging from a millimeter-thick glass slide to highly dispersive chirped fiber Bragg gratings. Benefited by the simplicity, convenient setup, and easy operation as well as relatively low cost, this approach would help photonic device characterization, dispersion management and nonlinear dynamics investigation in the laboratory and work plant.
Staring X-ray backscatter imaging based on ultra-high aspect ratio lobster eye lens
Authors: Yang Yuxiang , Ouyang Mingzhao , Li Longhui , Zhang Yingjun , Ma Shizhang , Fu Yuegang
Published: March 2024

In contrast to conventional X-ray imaging systems, the lobster eye lens, serving as a pivotal component for X-ray focusing, presents the potential for downsizing X-ray backscatter imaging systems. This study reports the successful implementation of a pioneering non-contact staring X-ray backscatter imaging experiment, with the target positioned 1.5 meters away from the system and employing a tube voltage of 60 kV for the X-ray light source. The system is built upon a novel high aspect ratio (500) meridian lobster eye lens, employing a laboratory low illuminance desktop light source and a commercial X-ray detector to achieve high-resolution focused imaging of hard X-rays. Point spread function testing and a series of imaging experiments were carried out to assess the resolution and optimal imaging photon energy of the proposed system. Furthermore, according to the characteristics of the point spread function of the cross image of the lobster eye lens, we proposed an image processing algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate that, after processing, the Structural Similarity (SSIM) Index of the backscatter image and the ground truth image can be improved from an average of 0.0526 to 0.5758. Our research significantly contributes to the advancement of a new generation of X-ray backscatter imaging systems.
HoloSR: deep learning-based super-resolution for real-time high-resolution computer-generated holograms
Authors: Lee Siwoo , Nam Seung-Woo , Lee Juhyun , Jeong Yoonchan , Lee Byoungho
Published: March 2024

This study presents HoloSR, a novel deep learning-based super-resolution approach designed to produce high-resolution computer-generated holograms from low-resolution RGBD images, enabling the real-time production of realistic three-dimensional images. The HoloSR combines the enhanced deep super-resolution network with resize and convolution layers, facilitating the direct generation of high-resolution computer-generated holograms without requiring additional interpolation. Various upscaling scales, extending up to ×4, are evaluated to assess the performance of our method. Quantitative metrics such as structural similarity and peak signal-to-noise ratio are employed to measure the quality of the reconstructed images. Our simulation and experimental results demonstrate that HoloSR successfully achieves super-resolution by generating high-resolution holograms from low-resolution RGBD inputs with supervised and unsupervised learning.
Digital holographic content manipulation for wide-angle holographic near-eye displays
Authors: Kukolowicz Rafal , Kozacki Tomasz , Chlipala Maksymilian , Idicula Moncy Sajeev , Martinez-Carranza Juan , Finke Weronika , Gerej Izabela
Published: March 2024

In recent years, the development of holographic near-eye displays (HNED) has surpassed the progress of digital hologram recording systems, especially in terms of wide-angle viewing capabilities. Thus, there is capture-display parameters incompatibility, which makes it impossible to reconstruct recorded objects in wide-angle display. This paper presents a complete imaging chain extending the available content for wide-angle HNED of pupil and non-pupil configuration with narrow-angle digital holograms of real objects. To this end, a new framework based on the phase-space approach is proposed that includes a set of affine transformations required to account for all differences in capture-display cases. The developed method allows free manipulation of the geometry of reconstructed objects, including axial and lateral positioning and size scaling. At the same time, it has a low computational effort. The presented work is supported with non-paraxial formulas developed using the phase-space approach, enabling accurate tracing of the holographic signal, its reconstruction, and measuring appearing deformations. The applicability of the proposed hologram manipulation method is proven with experimental results of digital hologram reconstruction in wide-angle HNED.
Quantum nonlinear effect in a dissipatively coupled optomechanical system
Authors: Yang Wen-Quan , Niu Wei , Ma Yong-Hong , Zhang Wen-Zhao
Published: March 2024

A full-quantum approach is used to study the quantum nonlinear properties of a compound Michelson-Sagnac interferometer optomechanical system. By deriving the effective Hamiltonian, we find that the reduced system exhibits a Kerr nonlinear term with a complex coefficient, entirely induced by the dissipative and dispersive couplings. Unexpectedly, the nonlinearities resulting from the dissipative coupling possess non-Hermitian Hamiltonian-like properties preserving the quantum nature of the dispersive coupling beyond the traditional system dissipation. This protective mechanism allows the system to exhibit strong quantum nonlinear effects when the detuning (the compound cavity detuning Δ
c
and the auxiliary cavity detuning Δ
e
) and the tunneling coupling strength (J) of two cavities satisfy the relation J2 = Δ
c
Δ
e
. Moreover, the additive effects of dispersive and dissipative couplings can produce strong anti-bunching effects, which exist in both strong and weak coupling conditions. Our work may provide a new way to study and produce strong quantum nonlinear effects in dissipatively coupled optomechanical systems.
208 W single-frequency 1064 nm laser based on a single-crystal fiber master-oscillator power amplifier
Authors: Wei Yixiao , Peng Weina , Li Jiawei , Jin Pixian , Su Jing , Lu Huadong
Published: March 2024

High-power all-solid-state continuous-wave (CW) single-frequency laser with high linear polarization is a significant source for quantum optics and precision measurement. In this Letter, a high-power linearly polarized CW single-frequency laser based on the single-crystal fiber (SCF) master-oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) is presented, in which a homemade 140 W low-noise CW single-frequency laser and a Nd:YAG SCF are firstly employed as the seed laser and the medium of the MOPA, respectively. The mode-matching between the pump laser propagated with waveguide form and the freely propagated seed laser is optimized by considering the influence of the degradations of the polarization and the beam quality. Finally, when the incident powers of the pump and seed lasers are 262.6 W and 126.3 W, respectively, the seed waist radius is optimized to 200 μm. In this case, the output power of the linearly polarized laser reaches up to 208 W, which is the highest output power, to the best of our knowledge. The presented results provide a good reference for implementing a high power and high degree of the polarization and good beam quality laser based on the SCF MOPA.
Dissipative three-dimensional topological optical solitons with crossed localization of polarization components
Authors: Veretenov Nikolay , Fedorov Sergey , Rosanov Nikolay
Published: March 2024

We present a new, to the best of our knowledge, type of vector three-dimensional dissipative optical solitons with more extended degrees of freedom in a laser or laser medium with saturable absorption. These solitons are reconfigurable, include polarization singularities, and have various mutual orientations of nearly toroidal localization domains of polarization components. Numerical modeling confirms the stability of these solitons and breathers and reveals their symmetry and even “supersymmetry,” as well as transformations when parameters leave the stability region. These solitons, which have no scalar analogs, are capable of carrying more than one bit of information. Our results expand the “alphabet” of solitons and can provide a route to breakthroughs in larger-capacity communication and information applications.
Chimeric systems composed of swapped Tra subunits between distantly-related F plasmids reveal striking plasticity among type IV secretion machines
Authors: Kishida Kouhei , Li Yang Grace , Ogawa-Kishida Natsumi , Khara Pratick , Al Mamun Abu Amar M. , Bosserman Rachel E. , Christie Peter J.
Published: March 2024

Bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are a versatile family of macromolecular translocators, collectively able to recruit diverse DNA and protein substrates and deliver them to a wide range of cell types. Presently, there is little understanding of how T4SSs recognize substrate repertoires and form productive contacts with specific target cells. Although T4SSs are composed of a number of conserved subunits and adopt certain conserved structural features, they also display considerable compositional and structural diversity. Here, we explored the structural bases underlying the functional versatility of T4SSs through systematic deletion and subunit swapping between two conjugation systems encoded by the distantly-related IncF plasmids, pED208 and F. We identified several regions of intrinsic flexibility among the encoded T4SSs, as evidenced by partial or complete functionality of chimeric machines. Swapping of VirD4-like TraD type IV coupling proteins (T4CPs) yielded functional chimeras, indicative of relaxed specificity at the substrate—TraD and TraD—T4SS interfaces. Through mutational analyses, we further delineated domains of the TraD T4CPs contributing to recruitment of cognate vs heterologous DNA substrates. Remarkably, swaps of components comprising the outer membrane core complexes, a few F-specific subunits, or the TraA pilins supported DNA transfer in the absence of detectable pilus production. Among sequenced enterobacterial species in the NCBI database, we identified many strains that harbor two or more F-like plasmids and many F plasmids lacking one or more T4SS components required for self-transfer. We confirmed that host cells carrying co-resident, non-selftransmissible variants of pED208 and F elaborate chimeric T4SSs, as evidenced by transmission of both plasmids. We propose that T4SS plasticity enables the facile assembly of functional chimeras, and this intrinsic flexibility at the structural level can account for functional diversification of this superfamily over evolutionary time and, on a more immediate time-scale, to proliferation of transfer-defective MGEs in nature.
Inverting the deficit model in global mental health: An examination of strengths and assets of community mental health care in Ghana, India, Occupied Palestinian territories, and South Africa
Authors: Mathias Kaaren , Bunkley Noah , Pillai Pooja , Ae-Ngibise Kenneth A. , Kpobi Lily , Taylor Dan , Joag Kaustubh , Rawat Meenal , Hammoudeh Weeam , Mitwalli Suzan , Kagee Ashraf , van Rensburg Andre , Bemme Dörte , Burgess Rochelle A. , Jain Sumeet , Kienzler Hanna , Read Ursula M.
Published: March 2024

Global mental health [GMH] scholarship and practice has typically focused on the unmet needs and barriers to mental health in communities, developing biomedical and psychosocial interventions for integration into formal health care platforms in response. In this article, we analyse four diverse settings to disrupt the emphasises on health system weaknesses, treatment gaps and barriers which can perpetuate harmful hierarchies and colonial and medical assumptions, or a ‘deficit model’. We draw on the experiential knowledge of community mental health practitioners and researchers working in Ghana, India, the Occupied Palestinian Territory and South Africa to describe key assets existing in ‘informal’ community mental health care systems and how these are shaped by socio-political contexts. These qualitative case studies emerged from an online mutual learning process convened between 39 academic and community-based collaborators working in 24 countries who interrogated key tenets to inform a social paradigm for global mental health. Bringing together diverse expertise gained from professional practice and research, our sub-group explored the role of Community Mental Health Systems in GMH through comparative country case studies describing the features of community care beyond the health and social care system. We found that the socio-political health determinants of global economic structures in all four countries exert significant influence on local community health systems. We identified that key assets across sites included: family and community care, and support from non-profit organisations and religious and faith-based organisations. Strengthening community assets may promote reciprocal relationships between the formal and informal sectors, providing resources for support and training for communities while communities collaborate in the design and delivery of interventions rooted in localised expertise. This paper highlights the value of informal care, the unique social structures of each local context, and resources within local communities as key existing assets for mental health.
BPKEM: A biometric-based private key encryption and management framework for blockchain
Authors: Cai Hao , Li Han , Xu Jianlong , Li Linfeng , Zhang Yue
Published: March 2024

The fundamental technology behind bitcoin, known as blockchain, has been studied and used in a variety of industries especially in finance. The security of blockchain is extremely important as it will affects the assets of the clients as well as it is the lifeline feature of the entire system that needs to be guaranteed. Currently, there is a lack of a methodical approach to guarantee the security and dependability of the private key during its whole life. Furthermore, there is no quick, easy, or secure way to create the encryption key. A biometric-based private key encryption and management framework (BPKEM) for blockchain is proposed not only to solve the private key lifecycle manag- ement problem, but also it maintains compatibility with existing blockchain systems. For the problem of private key encryption, a biometric-based stable key generation method is proposed. By using the relative invariance between facial and fingerprint feature points, this measure can convert feature points into stable and distinguishable descriptors, then using a reusable fuzzy extractor to create a stable key. The correct- ness and efficiency of the newly proposed biometric-based blockchain encryption tech- nique in this paper has been validated in the experiments.
Cold temperature induces a TRPM8-independent calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum in human platelets
Authors: Stratiievska Anastasiia , Filippova Olga , Özpolat Tahsin , Byrne Daire , Bailey S. Lawrence , Chauhan Aastha , Mollica Molly Y. , Harris Jeff , Esancy Kali , Chen Junmei , Dhaka Ajay K. , Sniadecki Nathan J. , López José A. , Stolla Moritz
Published: March 2024

The detection of temperature by the human sensory system is life-preserving and highly evolutionarily conserved. Platelets are sensitive to temperature changes and are activated by a decrease in temperature, akin to sensory neurons. However, the molecular mechanism of this temperature-sensing ability is unknown. Yet, platelet activation by temperature could contribute to numerous clinical sequelae, most importantly to reduced quality of ex vivo-stored platelets for transfusion. In this multidisciplinary study, we present evidence for the expression of the temperature-sensitive ion channel transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily member 8 (TRPM8) in human platelets and precursor cells. We found the TRPM8 mRNA and protein in MEG-01 cells and platelets. Inhibition of TRPM8 prevented temperature-induced platelet activation and shape change. However, chemical agonists of TRPM8 did not seem to have an acute effect on platelets. When exposing platelets to below-normal body temperature, we detected a cytosolic calcium increase which was independent of TRPM8 but was completely dependent on the calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum. Because of the high interindividual variability of TRPM8 expression, a population-based approach should be the focus of future studies. Our study suggests that the cold response of platelets is complex and TRPM8 appears to play a role in early temperature-induced activation of platelets, while other mechanisms likely contribute to later stages of temperature-mediated platelet response.
Delving into public-expenditure elasticity: Evidence from a National Health Service acute-care hospital network
Authors: Comendeiro-Maaløe Micaela , Ridao-Lopez Manuel , Bernal-Delgado Enrique , Sansó-Rosselló Andreu
Published: March 2024

Introduction

The sustainability of public hospital financing in Spain is a recurring issue, given its representativeness in annual public healthcare budgets which must adapt to the macroeconomic challenges that influence the evolution of spending. Knowing whether the responsiveness of hospital expenditure to its determinants (need, utilisation, and quasi-prices) varies according to the type of hospital could help better design strategies aimed at optimising performance.

Methods

Using SARIMAX models, we dynamically assess unique nationwide monthly activity data over a 14-year period from 274 acute-care hospitals in the Spanish National Health Service network, clustering these providers according to the average severity of the episodes treated.

Results

All groups showed seasonal patterns and increasing trends in the evolution of expenditure. The fourth quartile of hospitals, treating the most severe episodes and accounting for more than 50% of expenditure, is the most sensitive to quasi-price factors, particularly the number of beds per hospital. Meanwhile, the first quartile of hospitals, which treat the least severe episodes and account for 10% of expenditure, is most sensitive to quantity factors, for which expenditure showed an elasticity above one, while factors of production were not affected.

Conclusions

Belonging to one or another cluster of hospitals means that the determinants of expenditure have a different impact and intensity. The system should focus on these differences in order to optimally modulate expenditure not only according to the needs of the population, but also according to the macroeconomic situation, while leaving hospitals room for manoeuvre in case of unforeseen events. The findings suggest strengthening a network of smaller hospitals (Group 1)–closer to their reference population, focused on managing and responding to chronicity and stabilising acute events–prior to transfer to tertiary hospitals (Group 4)–larger but appropriately sized, specialising in solving acute and complex health problems–when needed.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of Tislelizumab vs Sorafenib as the first-line treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Chen Qiuping , Sun Quan , Zhang Jing , Li Baixue , Feng Quansheng , Liu Jibin
Published: March 2024

Background

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of Tislelizumab vs Sorafenib as the first-line treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from the perspective of the Chinese health service system.

Methods

A lifetime partitioned survival model (PSM) was developed to cost-effectively analyze Tislelizumab vs Sorafenib as the first-line treatment of unresectable HCC. The clinical and safety data were derived from a recently randomized clinical trial (RATIONALE-301). Utilities were collected from the published literature. Costs were obtained from an open-access database (http://www.yaozh.com) and previous studies. The model cycle was 21 days, according to the RATIONALE-301 study, and the simulation period was patients’ lifetime. Long-term direct medical costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were determined. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was used as the evaluation index. one-way sensitivity analysis (OSWA) and probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) were used to analyze the uncertainty of parameters and to adjust and verify the stability of the baseline results.

Results

The Tislelizumab group generated a cost of $39,746.34 and brought health benefits to 2.146 QALYs, while the cost and utility of the Sorafenib group were $26750.95 and 1.578 QALYs, respectively. The Tislelizumab group increased QALYs by 0.568, the incremental cost was $12995.39, and the ICER was $22869.64/QALY, lower than the willingness to pay threshold (WTP). OSWA results showed that the utility of progressed disease (PD), cost of Camrelizumab, and cost of Tislelizumab were the main factors affecting the ICER. PSA results showed that, within 1000 times the Monte Carlo simulation, the cost of the Tislelizumab group was lower than three times the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of China ($37653/QALY). The cost-effectiveness acceptability curves (CEAC) revealed that when WTP was no less than $12251.00, the Tislelizumab group was the dominant scheme, and the economic advantage grew with an increasing WTP. When WTP ≥ $19000.00, the Tislelizumab group became the absolute economic advantage.

Conclusion

Under the current economic conditions in China, the Tislelizumab therapeutic scheme is more cost-effective than the Sorafenib therapeutic scheme for treating patients with unresectable HCC.
MousePZT: A simple, reliable, low-cost device for vital sign monitoring and respiratory gating in mice under anesthesia
Authors: Rivera Daniel A. , Buglione Anne E. , Ray Sadie E. , Schaffer Chris B.
Published: March 2024

Small animal studies in biomedical research often require anesthesia to reduce pain or stress experienced by research animals and to minimize motion artifact during imaging or other measurements. Anesthetized animals must be closely monitored for the safety of the animals and to prevent unintended effects of altered physiology on experimental outcomes. Many currently available monitoring devices are expensive, invasive, or interfere with experimental design. Here, we present MousePZT, a low-cost device based on a simple piezoelectric sensor, with a custom circuit and computer software that allows for measurements of both respiratory rate and heart rate in a non-invasive, minimal contact manner. We find the accuracy of the MousePZT device in measuring respiratory and heart rate matches those of commercial systems. Using the widely-used gas isoflurane and injectable ketamine/xylazine combination, we also demonstrate that changes in respiratory rate are more easily detected and can precede changes in heart rate associated with variations in anesthetic depth. Additional circuitry on the device outputs a respiration-locked trigger signal for respiratory-gating of imaging or other data acquisition and has high sensitivity and specificity for detecting respiratory cycles. We provide detailed instruction documents and all necessary microcontroller and computer software, enabling straightforward construction and utilization of this device.
Participation 3.0 in the implementation of the energy transition—Components and effectiveness of an interactive dialogue tool (Vision:En 2040)
Authors: Thiele Julia , Wiehe Julia , von Haaren Christina
Published: March 2024

The allocation of renewable energy plants, especially wind turbines, is stagnating in Germany. Although the citizens approve of the energy transition, they resist concrete local projects. In recent years, research has shown that interactive map applications support participatory planning through motivation, social interaction, and knowledge transfer. We aim to reduce biases against renewable energy (RE) and support informed decision making while accepting local responsibility. We hypothesized that finding a new gamified participation format, based on behavioral mechanisms, would strengthen the empowerment of people. To this end, we designed a dialogue tool and participation format, ’Vision:En 2040’, which combines: (i) a precise target electricity yield, (ii) an interactive map showing results of people’s actions, information about environmental impacts, and (iii) game rules which foster cooperation. In facilitated workshops, participants simulate the allocation of wind and photovoltaic power plants in their municipality to achieve a target electricity yield. The developed tool is based on methods of environmental planning and geoinformatics. ’Vision:En 2040’ was systematically tested with a technical test and a pre-test. In addition, its impact on participants was assessed through surveys and qualitative content analysis. The evaluation results show that the tool can influence the acceptance of the energy transition in terms of attitude. Through ’Vision:En 2040’, participants became aware of the community’s responsibility in the energy transition and expanded their knowledge. In addition, decision makers used the workshop results to plan RE sites. Our results indicate that ’Vision:En 2040’ is helpful for informal citizen participation in accelerating the energy transition.