bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contacts with primary and secondary healthcare before suicide by those under the care of mental health services: case–control, whole-population-based study using person-level linked routine data in Wales, UK during 2000–2015
Authors: DelPozo-Banos Marcos , Rodway Cathryn , Lee Sze Chim , Rouquette Olivier Y. , Ibrahim Saied , Lloyd Keith , Appleby Louis , Kapur Navneet , John Ann
Published: May 2024

Background

People under the care of mental health services are at increased risk of suicide. Existing studies are small in scale and lack comparisons.

Aims

To identify opportunities for suicide prevention and underpinning data enhancement in people with recent contact with mental health services.

Method

This population-based study includes people who died by suicide in the year following a mental health services contact in Wales, 2001–2015 (cases), paired with similar patients who did not die by suicide (controls). We linked the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health and the Suicide Information Database – Cymru with primary and secondary healthcare records. We present results of conditional logistic regression.

Results

We matched 1031 cases with 5155 controls. In the year before their death, 98.3% of cases were in contact with healthcare services, and 28.5% presented with self-harm. Cases had more emergency department contacts (odds ratio 2.4, 95% CI 2.1–2.7) and emergency hospital admissions (odds ratio 1.5, 95% CI 1.4–1.7), but fewer primary care contacts (odds ratio 0.7, 95% CI 0.6–0.9) and out-patient appointments (odds ratio 0.2, 95% CI 0.2–0.3) than controls. Odds ratios were larger in females than males for injury and poisoning (odds ratio: 3.3 (95% CI 2.5–4.5) v. 2.6 (95% CI 2.1–3.1)).

Conclusions

We may be missing existing opportunities to intervene, particularly in emergency departments and hospital admissions with self-harm presentations and with unattributed self-harm, especially in females. Prevention efforts should focus on strengthening routine care contacts, responding to emergency contacts and better self-harm care. There are benefits to enhancing clinical audit systems with routinely collected data.
Sexually transmitted infections, sexual life and risk behaviours of people living with schizophrenia: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Aymerich Claudia , Pedruzo Borja , Salazar de Pablo Gonzalo , Madaria Lander , Goena Javier , Sanchez-Gistau Vanessa , Fusar-Poli Paolo , McGuire Philip , González-Torres Miguel Ángel , Catalan Ana
Published: May 2024

Background

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), along with sexual health and behaviour, have received little attention in schizophrenia patients.

Aims

To systematically review and meta-analytically characterise the prevalence of STIs and sexual risk behaviours among schizophrenia patients.

Method

Web of Science, PubMed, BIOSIS, KCI-Korean Journal Database, MEDLINE, Russian Science Citation Index, SciELO and Cochrane Central Register were systematically searched from inception to 6 July 2023. Studies reporting on the prevalence or odds ratio of any STI or any outcome related to sexual risk behaviours among schizophrenia samples were included. PRISMA/MOOSE-compliant (CRD42023443602) random-effects meta-analyses were used for the selected outcomes. Q-statistics, I2 index, sensitivity analyses and meta-regressions were used. Study quality and publication bias were assessed.

Results

Forty-eight studies (N = 2 459 456) reporting on STI prevalence (including 15 allowing for calculation of an odds ratio) and 33 studies (N = 4255) reporting on sexual risk behaviours were included. Schizophrenia samples showed a high prevalence of STIs and higher risks of HIV (odds ratio = 2.11; 95% CI 1.23–3.63), hepatitis C virus (HCV, odds ratio = 4.54; 95% CI 2.15–961) and hepatitis B virus (HBV; odds ratio = 2.42; 95% CI 1.95–3.01) infections than healthy controls. HIV prevalence was higher in Africa compared with other continents and in in-patient (rather than out-patient) settings. Finally, 37.7% (95% CI 31.5–44.4%) of patients were sexually active; 35.0% (95% CI 6.6–59.3%) reported consistent condom use, and 55.3% (95% CI 25.0–82.4%) maintained unprotected sexual relationships.

Conclusions

Schizophrenia patients have high prevalence of STIs, with several-fold increased risks of HIV, HBV and HCV infection compared with the general population. Sexual health must be considered as an integral component of care.
Evaluation of Metronomic Therapy as a Low-Cost, Sustainable, Standard-of-Care Option in Desmoid Fibromatosis: Real-World Data From a Tertiary Care Center in India
Authors: Bajpai Jyoti , Munot Pritesh , Kota Kishore , Gupta Gaurav , Gala Kunal , Gulia Aashish , Rekhi Bharat , Khanna Nehal , Shetty Nitin , Bhargava Prabhat , Srinivas Sujay , Ostwal Vikas , Patil Vijay , Noronha Vanita , Kulkarni Suyash , Laskar Siddharth , Prabhash Kumar , Chinnaswamy Girish , Gupta Sudeep , Banavali Shripad
Published: May 2024

PURPOSE

Desmoid fibromatosis (DF) is a locally aggressive tumor with low mortality but significant morbidity. There is a lack of standard of care, and existing therapies are associated with significant barriers including access, cost, and toxicities. This study aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of the metronomic therapy (MT) in DF in a large, homogenous cohort from India.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study involved histologically confirmed DF cases treated with MT comprising vinblastine (6 mg) and methotrexate (15 mg) both once a week, and tamoxifen (40 mg/m2) in two divided doses once daily between 2002 and 2018.

RESULTS

There were 315 patients with a median age of 27 years; the commonest site was extremity (142 of 315; 45.0%). There were 159 (50.1%) male patients. Of the 123 (39.0%) prior treated patients, 119 had surgery. Of 315 patients, 263 (83.5%) received treatment at our institute (MT—151, 77—local treatment, 9—tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and 26 were observed). Among the MT cohort (n = 163, 61.2%), at a median follow-up of 36 (0.5-186) months, the 3-year progression-free and overall survival were 81.1% (95% CI, 74.3 to 88.4) and 99.2% (95% CI, 97.6 to 100), respectively. There were 35% partial responses. Ninety-two patients (56.4%) completed 1-year therapy, which was an independent prognosticator ( P < .0001; hazard ratio, 0.177 [95% CI, 0.083 to 0.377]). MT was well tolerated. Predominant grade ≥3 toxicities were febrile neutropenia, 12 (7.4%) without any chemotoxicity-related death. The annual cost of MT was $130 US dollars.

CONCLUSION

The novel, low-cost MT qualifies as one of the effective, less toxic, sustainable, standard-of-care options for the treatment of DF with global reach and merits wide recognition.
European Society of Endocrinology and Endocrine Society Joint Clinical Guideline: Diagnosis and Therapy of Glucocorticoid-induced Adrenal Insufficiency
Authors: Beuschlein Felix , Else Tobias , Bancos Irina , Hahner Stefanie , Hamidi Oksana , van Hulsteijn Leonie , Husebye Eystein S , Karavitaki Niki , Prete Alessandro , Vaidya Anand , Yedinak Christine , Dekkers Olaf M
Published: May 2024

Glucocorticoids are widely prescribed as anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agents. This results in at least 1% of the population using chronic glucocorticoid therapy, being at risk for glucocorticoid-induced adrenal insufficiency. This risk is dependent on the dose, duration and potency of the glucocorticoid, route of administration, and individual susceptibility. Once glucocorticoid-induced adrenal insufficiency develops or is suspected, it necessitates careful education and management of affected patients. Tapering glucocorticoids can be challenging when symptoms of glucocorticoid withdrawal develop, which overlap with those of adrenal insufficiency. In general, tapering of glucocorticoids can be more rapidly within a supraphysiological range, followed by a slower taper when on physiological glucocorticoid dosing. The degree and persistence of HPA axis suppression after cessation of glucocorticoid therapy are dependent on overall exposure and recovery of adrenal function varies greatly amongst individuals. This first European Society of Endocrinology/Endocrine Society joint clinical practice guideline provides guidance on this clinically relevant condition to aid clinicians involved in the care of patients on chronic glucocorticoid therapy.
The Pattern of GH Action in the Mouse Brain
Authors: Menezes Filipe , Wasinski Frederick , de Souza Gabriel O , Nunes Amanda P , Bernardes Emerson S , dos Santos Sofia N , da Silva Fábio F A , Peroni Cibele N , Oliveira João E , Kopchick John J , Brown Rosemary S E , Fernandez Gimena , De Francesco Pablo N , Perelló Mario , Soares Carlos R J , Donato Jose
Published: May 2024

GH acts in numerous organs expressing the GH receptor (GHR), including the brain. However, the mechanisms behind the brain's permeability to GH and how this hormone accesses different brain regions remain unclear. It is well-known that an acute GH administration induces phosphorylation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (pSTAT5) in the mouse brain. Thus, the pattern of pSTAT5 immunoreactive cells was analyzed at different time points after IP or intracerebroventricular GH injections. After a systemic GH injection, the first cells expressing pSTAT5 were those near circumventricular organs, such as arcuate nucleus neurons adjacent to the median eminence. Both systemic and central GH injections induced a medial-to-lateral pattern of pSTAT5 immunoreactivity over time because GH-responsive cells were initially observed in periventricular areas and were progressively detected in lateral brain structures. Very few choroid plexus cells exhibited GH-induced pSTAT5. Additionally, Ghr mRNA was poorly expressed in the mouse choroid plexus. In contrast, some tanycytes lining the floor of the third ventricle expressed Ghr mRNA and exhibited GH-induced pSTAT5. The transport of radiolabeled GH into the hypothalamus did not differ between wild-type and dwarf Ghr knockout mice, indicating that GH transport into the mouse brain is GHR independent. Also, single-photon emission computed tomography confirmed that radiolabeled GH rapidly reaches the ventral part of the tuberal hypothalamus. In conclusion, our study provides novel and valuable information about the pattern and mechanisms behind GH transport into the mouse brain.
Dmd
mdx mice have defective oligodendrogenesis, delayed myelin compaction and persistent hypomyelination
Authors: Arreguin Andrea J. , Shao Zijian , Colognato Holly
Published: May 2024

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by mutations in the DMD gene, resulting in the loss of dystrophin, a large cytosolic protein that links the cytoskeleton to extracellular matrix receptors in skeletal muscle. Aside from progressive muscle damage, many patients with DMD also have neurological deficits of unknown etiology. To investigate potential mechanisms for DMD neurological deficits, we assessed postnatal oligodendrogenesis and myelination in the Dmdmdx mouse model. In the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ) stem cell niche, we found that oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) production was deficient, with reduced OPC densities and proliferation, despite a normal stem cell niche organization. In the Dmdmdx corpus callosum, a large white matter tract adjacent to the V-SVZ, we also observed reduced OPC proliferation and fewer oligodendrocytes. Transmission electron microscopy further revealed significantly thinner myelin, an increased number of abnormal myelin structures and delayed myelin compaction, with hypomyelination persisting into adulthood. Our findings reveal alterations in oligodendrocyte development and myelination that support the hypothesis that changes in diffusion tensor imaging seen in patients with DMD reflect developmental changes in myelin architecture.
Impact of yoga on the central and peripheral vascular function among desk-based workers: A single-centered trial study
Authors: Shruthi P Poovitha , Kamath Koustubh , K Vaishali , K N Shivashankar , Sugumar Suresh , Ravichandran Sneha , David Leena R , Hogg Peter , V Guruprasad , K R Banumathe , Saha Shovan , Kadavigere Rajagopal
Published: May 2024

Background The aim of this study was to observe and analyze vascular function in ‘prolonged sitting’, followed by a yoga asana routine and pranayama intervention. Participants in this study include those who work from desks in offices. The study required the participants to attend on three separate days at random, and they had to finish a computerized test on each day. On the first day, participants were required to complete a computer test while sitting still for four hours (with the exception of washroom breaks). The next day, they underwent a computerized test along with a pranayama intervention. Finally, on the last day, they underwent a computerized test along with a yoga asana intervention. At the start of the study and after two and four hours, we measured the diameter and velocity of the common carotid artery (CCA) and superficial femoral artery (SFA). Methods The study was a within-subjects prospective single-center trial conducted in the Department of Radio-Diagnosis and Imaging, Kasturba Medical Hospital, Manipal, India, between September 2022 and January 2023. Participants were asked to do one of the following ‘activities’ over successive weeks: Week 1 – Prolonged sitting; Week 2 – Pranayama intervention; and Week 3 – Yoga asana intervention during prolonged sitting. The baseline and follow-up variables of pulse velocity, endothelial thickness, and shear rate were assessed for normality through a Shapiro-Wilk Test. Results Our sample included 11 participants with moderate physical activity, five with high physical activity and one with low physical activity. Yoga asana intervention comprised participants sitting continuously for four hours, with a yoga asana intervention being provided every hour, lasting for 10 minutes. Conclusions Yoga asana improves vascular functions in prolonged sitting conditions. This routine can promote the concept of interrupted sitting and ways to reduce it with efficient yoga asana practice without changing the work culture and provide better physical relief. Trial registration Clinical Trials Registry – India ( CTRI/2022/09/045628), date of registration: 19/09/2022(CTRI/2022/9/045628)https://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/main1.php?EncHid=16349.27799,
Case Report: Uterine artery embolization after dysfunctional uterine bleeding due to incomplete abortion in female
Authors: Jha Sagar , Inamdar Saunitra , Dhobale Anupama
Published: May 2024

Dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB), a serious clinical challenge caused by incomplete abortion in female, calls for efficient and minimally invasive therapies to treat symptoms and protect reproductive health. Uterine artery embolization (UAE) has been discovered as a viable therapeutic strategy to treat DUB following an incomplete abortion. The existing information and clinical experience of UAE for this particular indication were thoroughly reviewed. A female’s quality of life may be negatively affected by incomplete abortion, which is defined as residual fetal tissue inside the uterine cavity. This frequently results in heavy and continuous uterine bleeding. Medical procedures and traditional management techniques such as dilatation and curettage (D&C) do not always produce the desired effects or might have inherent dangers. UAE, a less invasive technique first developed for treating uterine fibroids, has shown promise as a substitute solution for DUB caused by an incomplete abortion.
Efficacy of POWERbreathe Medic Plus device on maximal inspiratory pressure, functional capacity and quality of life in coronary artery bypass graft patients: A randomized controlled trial protocol
Authors: Vardhan Vishnu , Nikhade Dhanashri N.
Published: May 2024

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a prominent cause of illness and mortality worldwide, with a significant amount of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgeries performed each year. It is a complicated technique that results in several clinical and functional issues. While CABG is an effective treatment, it comes with clinical and functional challenges, including reduced lung volume, maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure, and thoracic mobility after surgery. Incisional pain has been associated with a decline in postoperative lung function; however, this resolves a month following surgery. There is no documented association between respiratory muscle strength and lung function after heart surgery. The POWERbreathe Medic Plus is intended for patients who have extremely weak breathing muscles as a result of illness, hospitalization, or existing respiratory health disorders such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma. To address these challenges, a study will investigate the efficacy of the POWERbreathe Medic Plus device in improving maximal inspiratory pressure, functional capacity, and quality of life in CABG patients. CTRI no. – CTRI/2023/04/052116 Link-https://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pmaindet2.php?EncHid=ODMxNTA=&Enc=&userName=CTRI/2023/04/052116 CTRI registration date – 28/04/2023
Investigating the feasibility and potential of combining industry AMR monitoring systems: a comparison with WHO GLASS
Authors: Rahbé Eve , Kovacevic Aleksandra , Opatowski Lulla , Leclerc Quentin J.
Published: May 2024

Background Efforts to estimate the global burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) have highlighted gaps in existing surveillance systems. Data gathered from hospital networks globally by pharmaceutical industries to monitor antibiotic efficacy in different bacteria represent an additional source to track the temporal evolution of AMR. Here, we analysed available industry monitoring systems to assess to which extent combining them could help fill the gaps in our current understanding of AMR levels and trends. Methods We analysed six industry monitoring systems (ATLAS, GEARS, SIDERO-WT, KEYSTONE, DREAM, and SOAR) obtained from the Vivli platform and reviewed their respective isolates collection and analysis protocols. Using the R software, we designed a pipeline to harmonise and combine these into a single dataset. We assessed the reliability of resistance estimates from these sources by comparing the combined dataset to the publicly available subset of WHO GLASS for shared bacteria-antibiotic-country-year combinations. Results Combined, the industry monitoring systems cover 18 years (4 years for GLASS), 85 countries (71), 412 bacterial species (8), and 75 antibiotics (25). Although all industry systems followed a similar centralised testing approach, the criteria for isolate collection were unclear (patients selection, associated sampling periods…). For E.coli, K. pneumoniae and S. aureus, at least 65% of comparable resistance proportions were within 0.1 of the corresponding estimate in GLASS. We did not identify systemic bias towards resistance in industry systems compared to GLASS. Conclusions Combining industry monitoring systems can substantially strengthen our knowledge of global AMR burden across bacterial species and countries. High agreement values for available comparisons with GLASS suggest that data for other bacteria-antibiotic-country-year combinations only present in industry systems could complement GLASS, particularly for Priority Pathogens currently not covered. This valuable information on resistance levels could help clinicians and stakeholders prioritize testing and select appropriate antibiotics in settings with limited surveillance data.
Implementation Strategies for Maternal Near-Miss Case Reviews in LICs and LMICs: A scoping review protocol
Authors: Agavane Vaibhav , Krishna B M Ramya , Hebbar Pragati B , N S Prashanth
Published: May 2024

Background Maternal mortality remains a persistent public health concern despite significant strides in reduction over the past few decades, with a global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 223 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, indicating a 34.3% decline over 20 years, with Low income countries (LICs) and Lower Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) bearing the major burden. Effective implementation of facility-based near-miss case reviews (NMCR), endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), faces challenges hindering progress, making exploring implementation strategies through a scoping review essential. This scoping review aims to identify and characterize implementation strategies employed in Low and Lower Middle- Income Countries to facilitate the implementation of facility-based NMCR. Methods The scoping review will follow Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework, involving five stages: identifying the research question, selecting relevant studies, selecting data, charting, and summarizing the results. Electronic databases like PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, EBSCOhost - CINAHL Ultimate, and Ovid MEDLINE will be searched, supplemented by citation tracking. Rayyan will be used to screen and remove duplicates, with data charting conducted using Google Sheets. Two independent reviewers will conduct blinded screening, eligibility assessment, and inclusion phases. Reviewers will conduct Systematic data extraction independently using piloted forms, with discrepancies resolved through team discussion and consensus. Results The review will identify and characterize implementation strategies employed to facilitate the implementation of facility-based near-miss case reviews in LICs and LMICs. Conclusions The findings of this review will contribute to the understanding of implementing strategies for facility-based NMCR in LICs and LMICs. The review can help in designing interventions/programs to reduce maternal mortality and knowledge products.
Libros que hay y los que se han hallado Bibliotecas religiosas en Iberoamérica
Authors: Campillo Pardo Alberto José , García Aguilar María Idalia , Montiel Ontiveros Ana Cecilia , Rueda Ramírez Pedro , Guadalupe Martínez Javier , Benítez Palacios Claudia Alejandra , Guzmán Guzmán Yolanda , Beffa Maria Lúcia , Napoleone Bacharel Luciana Maria , López Luna Israel , Ledesma Ibarra Carlos Alfonso , Hernández de Olarte Xixián , González León Erika B.
Published: May 2024

En esta obra, los lectores encontrarán elementos que permiten comprender algunas de las colecciones históricas más interesantes de la Iberoamérica: las bibliotecas conventuales y religiosas. Estos espacios, privilegiados para el desarrollo de la cultura escrita desde los siglos XVI al XIX, son el objeto de análisis a partir del cual los autores participantes en este volumen reflexionan sobre el significado y la representación de la palabra escrita en nuestro pasado. El volumen reúne a investigadores iberoamericanos de la historia cultural y de la cultura escrita, así como a historiadores de las órdenes religiosas, para discutir y dialogar sobre la historia de las bibliotecas conventuales y la cultura escrita del clero regular en Iberoamérica a lo largo de las centurias citadas. Así pues, a lo largo de ocho capítulos, el libro da cuenta de las propuestas metodológicas y del trabajo multidisciplinario que se está desarrollando en la historiografía de diferentes países, y los unifica en una sola obra.
Dueling Contests and Platform’s Coordinating Role
Authors: Stouras Konstantinos I. , Erat Sanjiv , Lichtendahl Kenneth C.
Published: May 2024

Crowdsourcing platforms typically take a passive approach, and they let the competing firms freely design their own contests and allow every solver to self-select and join any of the concurrently running contests. In a model of competing noise-driven contests, we show that the duopoly prize allocation has fewer (but larger) prizes compared with a monopolist contest designer. We also find that contests with firm-chosen budgets and solvers’ endogenous participation create coordination inefficiencies. Thus, platform policies that constrain the competing firms from freely choosing their budgets and offer solvers non-enforceable recommendations toward specific noise-driven contests strictly enhance total welfare. Extending our framework to include arbitrarily correlated ability-driven contests, we highlight the critical role of inter-contest dependence on the efficacy of a platform’s interventions. Specifically, platform nudges to improve solver-contest (mis)matches are welfare enhancing only when the contests are sufficiently related, and allowing solvers to self-sort is appropriate otherwise.

This paper was accepted by Gabriel Weintraub, revenue management and market analytics.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.03973 .
A New Miniaturized Double Stop-band Frequency Selective Surface
Authors: Li Qiannan , Wang Qing , Zhang Hui , Hou Jian-Qiang , Zhao Jun
Published: May 2024

A miniaturized double stop-band FSS for WLAN was proposed based on the structure of a ring patch with internal branches and a cross zigzag loaded line. This construction is obtained by using the multilayer connection method to paint the two layers of the patch that we designed on the top and bottom of the dielectric substrate to simulate the designed construction by using HFSS simulation. Analyzing the frequency response characteristics of the FSS indicates that the construction can generate two transmission band gaps at 1.92-2.17 GHz and 4.94-5.99 GHz in the WLAN wave. This construction has stronger polarization stability and angle stability when the incident electromagnetic wave is 0-60∘. It also has a simple construction, small size, and significant engineering applicationvalue.
On Mignotte secret sharing schemes over Gaussian integers
Authors: Munuera Merayo Diego
Published: May 2024

Secret Sharing Schemes (SSS) are methods for distributing a secret among a set of participants. One of the first Secret Sharing Schemes was proposed by M. Mignotte, based on the Chinese remainder theorem over the ring of integers. In this article we extend the Mignotte's scheme to the ring of Gaussian Integers and study some of its properties. While doing this we aim to solve a gap in a previous construction of such extension. In addition we show that any access structure can be made through a SSS over Z[i].
Contrast sensitivity is resilient to induced fast periodic defocus oscillations
Authors: Pourreza Ghoushchi Vahid , Mompeán Juan , Prieto Pedro M. , Artal Pablo
Published: May 2024

This study investigates the potential effects of periodic defocus oscillations on contrast sensitivity. Sinusoidal fluctuations at 5, 15, and 25 Hz, with defocus peak-to-valley values ranging from 0.15 to 3 D, were induced by means of a focus-tunable lens after calibrating its dynamic behavior. Monocular contrast sensitivity was measured on five young emmetropic subjects. The experimental data shows that contrast sensitivity loss due to defocus fluctuations is low for a wide range of frequencies and amplitudes. Only for the more severe case studied (25 Hz, ± 1.5 D) contrast threshold showed a clear increase in most subjects. Qualitative comparison of the empirical data with a simulation of modulation loss due to time integration of defocused retinal point spread functions, suggests a short integration time by the eye for defocus blur, around or even below a hundredth of a second.
Strong coupling in an asymmetric two-dimensional guided mode resonance metasurface structure and enhancement for optical third-harmonic generation
Authors: Chen Cheng , He Rong , Huang Zian , Zhang Rongjun , Chen Liang-Yao , Guo Junpeng
Published: May 2024

A two-dimensional guided mode resonance structure supports a transverse magnetic (TM) resonant mode in the direction of incident polarization and a transverse electric (TE) resonant mode in the direction perpendicular to the polarization. In this work, the coupling between the transverse magnetic and the transverse electric resonant modes in an asymmetric two-dimensional dielectric metasurface structure is investigated. The asymmetric structure consists of a two-dimensional square nanohole array etched in a titanium dioxide thin film on a transparent silica substrate. With finite difference time domain simulations, anti-crossing of the resonant spectra of the TM and TE modes is observed by adjusting the asymmetry of the structure. The anti-crossing indicates that the interaction between TM and TE resonant modes results in a strong coupling state. A coupled harmonic oscillator model is used to explain the strong coupling effect. The results of the coupled harmonic oscillator modeling agree well with the results of numerical simulations. Furthermore, it is shown that the strong coupling can significantly enhance the third harmonic generation intensity compared with the uncoupled TM and TE resonant modes.
Crystal field effects of Al doping on the Stark splitting and gain bandwidth of erbium doped silica fibers
Authors: Zhang Junnan , Wen Jianxiang , Dong Yanhua , Luo Yanhua , Wang Tingyun
Published: May 2024

In this study, erbium-doped silica fibers (EDFs) with different Al/Er ratios were prepared by high-temperature source combined with the modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) method. The effects of different Al/Er ratios on the gain performance of erbium-doped silica fiber amplifiers (EDFA) were investigated. The EDFA demonstrated in this paper achieves a maximum gain of 45 dB at 1560 nm when the signal power is −20 dB, while the bandwidth of 20 dB gain is up to 68 nm (1532∼1600 nm). Additionally, the effect of Al doping on the crystal field around the Er ion was analyzed and the Stark energy level distribution of the Er ions was further derived. Our approach offers a feasible solution for C + L band amplification from the perspective of Stark effect and crystal field analysis.
Hyperspectral in-memory computing with optical frequency combs and programmable optical memories
Authors: Latifpour Mostafa Honari , Park Byoung Jun , Yamamoto Yoshihisa , Suh Myoung-Gyun
Published: May 2024

The rapid rise of machine learning drives demand for extensive
matrix-vector multiplication operations, thereby challenging the
capacities of traditional von Neumann computing systems. Researchers
explore alternatives, such as in-memory computing architecture, to
find energy-efficient solutions. In particular, there is renewed
interest in optical computing systems, which could potentially handle
matrix-vector multiplication in a more energy-efficient way. Despite
promising initial results, developing high-throughput optical
computing systems to rival electronic hardware remains a challenge.
Here, we propose and demonstrate a hyperspectral in-memory computing
architecture, which simultaneously utilizes space and frequency
multiplexing, using optical frequency combs and programmable optical
memories. Our carefully designed three-dimensional opto-electronic
computing system offers remarkable parallelism, programmability, and
scalability, overcoming typical limitations of optical computing. We
have experimentally demonstrated highly parallel, single-shot
multiply-accumulate operations with precision exceeding 4 bits
in both matrix-vector and matrix-matrix multiplications, suggesting
the system’s potential for a wide variety of deep learning and
optimization tasks. Our approach presents a realistic pathway to scale
beyond peta operations per second, a major stride towards
high-throughput, energy-efficient optical computing.
iGWAS: Image-based genome-wide association of self-supervised deep phenotyping of retina fundus images
Authors: Xie Ziqian , Zhang Tao , Kim Sangbae , Lu Jiaxiong , Zhang Wanheng , Lin Cheng-Hui , Wu Man-Ru , Davis Alexander , Channa Roomasa , Giancardo Luca , Chen Han , Wang Sui , Chen Rui , Zhi Degui
Published: May 2024

Existing imaging genetics studies have been mostly limited in scope by using imaging-derived phenotypes defined by human experts. Here, leveraging new breakthroughs in self-supervised deep representation learning, we propose a new approach, image-based genome-wide association study (iGWAS), for identifying genetic factors associated with phenotypes discovered from medical images using contrastive learning. Using retinal fundus photos, our model extracts a 128-dimensional vector representing features of the retina as phenotypes. After training the model on 40,000 images from the EyePACS dataset, we generated phenotypes from 130,329 images of 65,629 British White participants in the UK Biobank. We conducted GWAS on these phenotypes and identified 14 loci with genome-wide significance (p<5×10−8 and intersection of hits from left and right eyes). We also did GWAS on the retina color, the average color of the center region of the retinal fundus photos. The GWAS of retina colors identified 34 loci, 7 are overlapping with GWAS of raw image phenotype. Our results establish the feasibility of this new framework of genomic study based on self-supervised phenotyping of medical images.
Developing a context-relevant psychosocial stimulation intervention to promote cognitive development of children with severe acute malnutrition in Mwanza, Tanzania
Authors: Jensen Cecilie L. , Sanga Erica , Kitt Heather , PrayGod George , Kunzi Happiness , Setebe Theresia , Filteau Suzanne , Webster Jayne , Gladstone Melissa , Olsen Mette F.
Published: May 2024

More than 250 million children will not meet their developmental potential due to poverty and malnutrition. Psychosocial stimulation has shown promising effects for improving development in children exposed to severe acute malnutrition (SAM) but programs are rarely implemented. In this study, we used qualitative methods to inform the development of a psychosocial stimulation programme to be integrated with SAM treatment in Mwanza, Tanzania. We conducted in-depth interviews with seven caregivers of children recently treated for SAM and nine professionals in early child development. We used thematic content analysis and group feedback sessions and organised our results within the Nurturing Care Framework. Common barriers to stimulate child development included financial and food insecurity, competing time demands, low awareness about importance of responsive caregiving and stimulating environment, poor father involvement, and gender inequality. Caregivers and professionals suggested that community-based support after SAM treatment and counselling on psychosocial stimulation would be helpful, e.g., how to create homemade toys and stimulate through involvement in everyday chores. Based on the findings of this study we developed a context-relevant psychosocial stimulation programme. Some issues identified were structural highlighting the need for programmes to be linked with broader supportive initiatives.
MARCH family E3 ubiquitin ligases selectively target and degrade cadherin family proteins
Authors: Seo Tadahiko , Lowery Anthony M. , Xu Haifang , Giang William , Troyanovsky Sergey M. , Vincent Peter A. , Kowalczyk Andrew P.
Published: May 2024

Cadherin family proteins play a central role in epithelial and endothelial cell-cell adhesion. The dynamic regulation of cell adhesion is achieved in part through endocytic membrane trafficking pathways that modulate cadherin cell surface levels. Here, we define the role for various MARCH family ubiquitin ligases in the regulation of cadherin degradation. We find that MARCH2 selectively downregulates VE-cadherin, resulting in loss of adherens junction proteins at cell borders and a loss of endothelial barrier function. Interestingly, N-cadherin is refractory to MARCH ligase expression, demonstrating that different classical cadherin family proteins are differentially regulated by MARCH family ligases. Using chimeric cadherins, we find that the specificity of different MARCH family ligases for different cadherins is conferred by the cadherin transmembrane domain. Further, juxta-membrane lysine residues are required for cadherin degradation by MARCH proteins. These findings expand our understanding of cadherin regulation and highlight a new role for mammalian MARCH family ubiquitin ligases in differentially regulating cadherin turnover.
Study on the relationship between fixation characteristics and hit rate in psychological procedure training of free throw
Authors: Zhao Chunzhou , Liu Na , Li Sunnan
Published: May 2024

Background

Free throw is an important means of scoring in basketball games. With the improvement of basketball competition level and the enhancement of confrontation degree, the number of free throws in the game gradually increases, so the score of free throw will have an important impact on the result of the game. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between visual attention characteristics and hit rate of basketball players in free throw psychological procedure training, so as to provide scientific basis for basketball teaching and training.

Methods

Forty players with similar free throw abilities were randomly assigned to the experimental group (10 males, 10 females) and control group (10 males, 10 females). The experimental group was free throw psychological procedure training, while the control group was trained with routine training, Eye movement indices (number of fixations, fixation duration, and pupil dilation) and the free throw hit rate and analyzed before and after the experiment. Group differences were examined using t-tests, while paired sample t-tests were conducted to compare pre- and post-test results within each group. The training time and training times of the two groups were the same.

Results

There were significant differences in fixation duration, number of fixations, pupil diameter and free throw hit rate between pre-test and post-test in the experimental group (P < 0.05). Post-test, there were significant differences in number of fixations, fixation duration, pupil diameter and free throw hit rate between the two groups (P < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between number of fixations and free throw hit rate in top (P < 0.01), and there was a significant positive correlation between fixation duration and hit rate in front (P < 0.01).

Conclusions

The psychological procedure training can improve the visual information search strategy and information processing ability of free throw, and significantly improve the free throw hit rate. There was a positive correlation between the front fixation time and the free throw hit rate, and there was a positive correlation between the top number of fixations and the free throw hit rate.
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among adults in India: A primary study based on health behavior theories and 5C psychological antecedents model
Authors: Aggarwal Sumit , Singh Lucky , Alam Umaer , Sharma Saurabh , Saroj Shashi Kala , Zaman Kamran , Usman Mohd , Kant Rajni , Chaturvedi Himanshu Kumar
Published: May 2024

Despite the significant success of India’s COVID-19 vaccination program, a sizeable proportion of the adult population remains unvaccinated or has received a single dose of the vaccine. Despite the recommendations of the Government of India for the two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and the precautionary booster dose, many people were still hesitant towards the COVID-19 full vaccination. Hence, this study aimed to identify the primary behavioral and psychological factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy. Cross-sectional data was collected via a multi-stage sampling design by using a scheduled sample survey in the Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh, India, between 15 July 2022 to 30 September 2022. This study has utilized three health behavior models—theHealth Belief Model (HBM), theTheory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and the5C Psychological Antecedentsof vaccination, and employed bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression model to assess the level of vaccine hesitancy and predictive health behavior of the respondents. Results indicate that among the constructs of the HBM and 5C Antecedents models, "perceived benefits", "confidence" and "collective responsibility" showed a lesser likelihood of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. However, in the TPB model constructs, a ‘negative attitude towards the vaccine’ showed a four times higher likelihood of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. From the future policy perspective, this study suggested that addressing the issue of ‘negative attitudes towards the vaccine’ and increasing the trust or confidence for the vaccine through increasing awareness about the benefits of the vaccination in India may reduce vaccine hesitancy.
First-year outcomes of very low birth weight preterm singleton infants with hypoxemic respiratory failure treated with milrinone and inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) compared to iNO alone: A nationwide retrospective study
Authors: Chang Ya-Ting , Liu Jia-Rou , Chen Wei-Min , Tseng Chi-Nan , See Lai-Chu
Published: May 2024

Background

Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) has a beneficial effect on hypoxemic respiratory failure. The increased use of concurrent iNO and milrinone was observed. We aimed to report the trends of iNO use in the past 15 years in Taiwan and compare the first-year outcomes of combining iNO and milrinone to the iNO alone in very low birth weight preterm (VLBWP) infants under mechanical ventilation.

Methods

This nationwide cohort study enrolled preterm singleton infants with birth weight <1500g treated with iNO from 2004 to 2019. Infants were divided into two groups, with a combination of intravenous milrinone (Group 2, n = 166) and without milrinone (Group 1, n = 591). After propensity score matching (PSM), each group’s sample size is 124. The primary outcomes were all-cause mortality and the respiratory condition, including ventilator use and duration. The secondary outcomes were preterm morbidities within one year after birth.

Results

After PSM, more infants in Group 2 needed inotropes. The mortality rate was significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 from one month after birth till 1 year of age (55.1% vs. 13.5%) with the adjusted hazard ratio of 4.25 (95%CI = 2.42–7.47, p <0.001). For infants who died before 36 weeks of postmenstrual age (PMA), Group 2 had longer hospital stays compared to Group 1. For infants who survived after 36 weeks PMA, the incidence of moderate and severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) was significantly higher in Group 2 than in Group 1. For infants who survived until one year of age, the incidence of pneumonia was significantly higher in Group 2 (28.30%) compared to Group 1 (12.62%) (p = 0.0153).

Conclusion

Combined treatment of iNO and milrinone is increasingly applied in VLBWP infants in Taiwan. This retrospective study did not support the benefits of combining iNO and milrinone on one-year survival and BPD prevention. A future prospective study is warranted.
The relationship between object-based spatial ability and virtual navigation performance
Authors: Garg Tanya , Velasco Pablo Fernández , Patai Eva Zita , Malcolm Charlotte P. , Kovalets Victor , Bohbot Veronique D. , Coutrot Antoine , Hegarty Mary , Hornberger Michael , Spiers Hugo J.
Published: May 2024

Spatial navigation is a multi-faceted behaviour drawing on many different aspects of cognition. Visuospatial abilities, such as mental rotation and visuospatial working memory, in particular, may be key factors. A range of tests have been developed to assess visuospatial processing and memory, but how such tests relate to navigation ability remains unclear. This understanding is important to advance tests of navigation for disease monitoring in various disorders (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease) where spatial impairment is an early symptom. Here, we report the use of an established mobile gaming app, Sea Hero Quest (SHQ), as a measure of navigation ability in a sample of young, predominantly female university students (N = 78; 20; female = 74.3%; mean age = 20.33 years). We used three separate tests of navigation embedded in SHQ: wayfinding, path integration and spatial memory in a radial arm maze. In the same participants, we also collected measures of mental rotation (Mental Rotation Test), visuospatial processing (Design Organization Test) and visuospatial working memory (Digital Corsi). We found few strong correlations across our measures. Being good at wayfinding in a virtual navigation test does not mean an individual will also be good at path integration, have a superior memory in a radial arm maze, or rate themself as having a strong sense of direction. However, we observed that participants who were good in the wayfinding task of SHQ tended to perform well on the three visuospatial tasks examined here, and to also use a landmark strategy in the radial maze task. These findings help clarify the associations between different abilities involved in spatial navigation.
Rapid determination of seismic influence field based on mobile communication big data—A case study of the Luding Ms 6.8 earthquake in Sichuan, China
Authors: Li Dongping , Tan Qingquan , Tong Zhiyi , Yin Jingfei , Li Min , Li Huanyu , Sun Haiqing
Published: May 2024

Smartphone location data provide the most direct field disaster distribution data with low cost and high coverage. The large-scale continuous sampling of mobile device location data provides a new way to estimate the distribution of disasters with high temporal–spatial resolution. On September 5, 2022, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Luding County, Sichuan Province, China. We quantitatively analyzed the Ms 6.8 earthquake from both temporal and geographic dimensions by combining 1,806,100 smartphone location records and 4,856 spatial grid locations collected through communication big data with the smartphone data under 24-hour continuous positioning. In this study, the deviation of multidimensional mobile terminal location data is estimated, and a methodology to estimate the distribution of out-of-service communication base stations in the disaster area by excluding micro error data users is explored. Finally, the mathematical relationship between the seismic intensity and the corresponding out-of-service rate of communication base stations is established, which provides a new technical concept and means for the rapid assessment of post-earthquake disaster distribution.
Economic and financial viability of a pig farm in central semi-tropical Mexico: 2022–2026 prospective
Authors: Martínez-Castañeda Francisco Ernesto , Callejas-Juárez Nicolás , Cuevas-Reyes Oscar , Rogers-Montoya Nathaniel Alec , Gómez-Tenorio Germán , Trujillo-Ortega María Elena , Peñuelas-Rivas Claudia Giovanna , Hernandez Elein
Published: May 2024

To estimate the economic and financial viability of a pig farm in central sub-tropical Mexico within a 5-year planning horizon, a Monte Carlo simulation model was utilized. Net returns were projected using simulated values for the distribution of input and product processes, establishing 2021 as base scenario. A stochastic modelling approach was employed to determine the economic and financial outlook. The findings reveal a panorama of economic and financial viability. Net income increased by 555%, return on assets rose from 3.36% in 2022 to 11.34% in 2026, and the probability of decapitalization dropped from 58% to 13%, respectively in the aforesaid periods. Similarly, the probability of obtaining negative net income decreased from 40% in 2022 to 18% in 2026. The technological, productive, and economic management of the production unit allowed for a favorable scenario within the planning horizon. There is a growing interest in predicting the economic sectors worth investing in and supporting, considering their economic and development performance. This research offers both methodological and scientific evidence to demonstrate the feasibility of establishing a planning schedule and validating the suitability of the pork sector for public investment and support.