bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Machine learning-based ABA treatment recommendation and personalization for autism spectrum disorder: an exploratory study
Authors: Kohli Manu , Kar Arpan Kumar , Bangalore Anjali , AP Prathosh
Published: July 2022

Autism spectrum is a brain development condition that impairs an individual’s capacity to communicate socially and manifests through strict routines and obsessive–compulsive behavior. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is the gold-standard treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, as the number of ASD cases increases, there is a substantial shortage of licensed ABA practitioners, limiting the timely formulation, revision, and implementation of treatment plans and goals. Additionally, the subjectivity of the clinician and a lack of data-driven decision-making affect treatment quality. We address these obstacles by applying two machine learning algorithms to recommend and personalize ABA treatment goals for 29 study participants with ASD. The patient similarity and collaborative filtering methods predicted ABA treatment with an average accuracy of 81–84%, with a normalized discounted cumulative gain of 79–81% (NDCG) compared to clinician-prepared ABA treatment recommendations. Additionally, we assess the two models’ treatment efficacy (TE) by measuring the percentage of recommended treatment goals mastered by the study participants. The proposed treatment recommendation and personalization strategy are generalizable to other intervention methods in addition to ABA and for other brain disorders. This study was registered as a clinical trial on November 5, 2020 with trial registration number CTRI/2020/11/028933.
Primary thyroid gland myxofibrosarcoma: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Stylianidi Maria Chara , Haeberle Lena , Schott Matthias , Mori Yuriko , Antke Christina , Giesel Frederick Lars , Antoch Gerald , Esposito Irene , Knoefel Wolfram Trudo , Krieg Andreas
Published: July 2022

Background

Myxofibrosarcoma is a common soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities, which occurs very rarely in the thyroid gland.

Case presentation

We report the case of a 61-year-old male who presented with a swelling of the left side of the neck and a newly emerged hoarseness. Ultrasound depicted a hypoechoic thyroid nodule with microcalcifications that was highly suspicious for malignancy. He underwent a left hemithyroidectomy. Histopathological examination and immunohistochemical studies revealed a myxofibrosarcoma of the thyroid gland.

Conclusion

Myxofibrosarcoma of the thyroid gland is extremely rare. The diagnosis is based on histopathological features. Radical surgery achieving tumor-free resection margins remains the only chance for cure. However, the role of radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy is still under debate. Due to their high tendency for locoregional recurrence, a close follow-up after surgery is mandatory.
Prevalence and risk factors of malaria among first antenatal care attendees in rural Burkina Faso
Authors: Lingani Moussa , Zango Serge H. , Valéa Innocent , Sanou Maïmouna , Ouoba Serge , Samadoulougou Sékou , Robert Annie , Tinto Halidou , Dramaix Michèle , Donnen Philippe
Published: July 2022

Background

The WHO recommends continuous surveillance of malaria in endemic countries to identify areas and populations most in need for targeted interventions. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of malaria and its associated factors among first antenatal care (ANC) attendees in rural Burkina Faso.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted between August 2019 and September 2020 at the Yako health district and included 1067 first ANC attendees. Sociodemographic, gyneco-obstetric, and medical characteristics were collected. Malaria was diagnosed by standard microscopy and hemoglobin level was measured by spectrophotometry. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with malaria infection.

Results

Overall malaria infection prevalence was 16.1% (167/1039). Among malaria-positive women, the geometric mean parasite density was 1204 [95% confidence interval (CI) 934–1552] parasites/µL and the proportion of very low (1–199 parasites/µL), low (200–999 parasites/µL), medium (1000–9999 parasites/µL) and high (≥ 10,000 parasites/µL) parasite densities were 15.0%, 35.3%, 38.3% and 11.4%, respectively. Age < 20 years (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.2; 95% CI 1.4–3.5), anemia (hemoglobin < 11 g/deciliter) (aOR: 3.4; 95% CI 2.2–5.5), the non-use of bed net (aOR: 1.8; 95% CI 1.1–2.8), and the absence of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine (aOR: 5.8; 95% CI 2.1–24.5) were positively associated with malaria infection.

Conclusions

The study showed that one out of six pregnant women had a microscopy-detected P. falciparum malaria infection at their first ANC visit. Strengthening malaria prevention strategies during the first ANC visit is needed to prevent unfavorable birth outcomes.
Task-unrelated thought increases after consumption of COVID-19 and general news
Authors: Hart Chelsie M. , Mills Caitlin , Thiemann Raela F. , Andrews-Hanna Jessica R. , Tomfohr-Madsen Lianne , Kam Julia W. Y.
Published: July 2022

Task-unrelated thoughts (TUTs) are frequent distractions from our everyday tasks, which can reduce productivity and safety during task performance. This necessitates the examination of factors that modulate TUT occurrence in daily life. One factor that has previously been implicated as a source of TUT is personally salient concerns. External factors such as news media serve as cues for these concerns, potentially increasing TUT occurrence. However, this has not been thoroughly examined in everyday life settings. We thus utilized Ecological Momentary Assessment to survey participants throughout the day for ten days, on their TUTs and news consumption in two separate studies. Study 1 focused on the impact of news related to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, as a common and global concern. We found that TUT occurrence was significantly predicted by COVID-19 news consumption, such that TUT occurrence increased with COVID-19 news consumption. To extend these findings, we implemented Study 2 using similar methods, but focusing on the consumption of news media in general. TUT occurrence was predicted by general news consumption, with an increase in reports of TUT following consumption of news media in general. We thus extended the association found between TUT and COVID-19-related news in Study 1, to any news topic in Study 2. We speculate that the increase in TUTs was due to heightened salience of current concerns, cued by the news. These findings highlight the importance of considering when we choose to consume news media and the value of examining contextual factors when studying TUTs in daily life.
SAPHO—a diagnosis to consider in patients with refractory costochondritis
Authors: Parra-Izquierdo Viviana , Cubides Hector , Rivillas Viviana , Frías-Ordoñez Juan Sebastián , Mora Sergio , Ermann Joerg
Published: July 2022

Background

SAPHO syndrome (synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, and osteitis) is a rare, heterogeneous, self-limited disease of unknown etiology. It involves progressive bone and joint damage, and skin and bone lesions may occur at different times in the course of the disease. Skin lesions are characterized by neutrophil dermatosis. Its management is empirical and mainly symptomatic, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the first-line treatment.

Case presentation

Forty-seven-year-old female presented with a 7-year history of costochondral pain. It had progressive onset, chronical course, with no other associated symptoms, and no other joint involvement. She was treated with intermittent NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), which provided only partial pain relief; there was bilateral tender swelling of the sternoclavicular region, the skin over the sternoclavicular area was slightly erythematous, but there were no other skin lesions, and based on imaging findings, a diagnosis of SAPHO syndrome was established. The patient received an infusion of zoledronic acid with subsequent complete resolution of her chest wall symptoms, and completely improved after 3 days.

Conclusions

This case is considered atypical presentation of SAPHO syndrome, without skin changes, long-term persistence of refractory symptoms, and the diagnosis was established by imaging, with complete resolution after zoledronic acid infusion. SAPHO is a differential diagnosis in patients with chronic costochondritis. Therapeutic failure to NSAID is a key to its diagnostic suspicion. Also, early diagnostic suspicion is associated with better outcomes.
Tissue-specific transcriptome profiles identify functional differences key to understanding whole plant response to life in variable salinity
Authors: Booth Mitchell W. , Breed Martin F. , Kendrick Gary A. , Bayer Philipp E. , Severn-Ellis Anita A. , Sinclair Elizabeth A.
Published: July 2022

Plants endure environmental stressors via adaptation and phenotypic plasticity. Studying these mechanisms in seagrasses is extremely relevant as they are important primary producers and functionally significant carbon sinks. These mechanisms are not well understood at the tissue level in seagrasses. Using RNA-seq, we generated transcriptome sequences from tissue of leaf, basal leaf meristem and root organs of Posidonia australis, establishing baseline in situ transcriptomic profiles for tissues across a salinity gradient. Samples were collected from four P. australis meadows growing in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Analysis of gene expression showed significant differences between tissue types, with more variation among leaves than meristem or roots. Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed the differences were largely due to the role of photosynthesis, plant growth and nutrient absorption in leaf, meristem and root organs, respectively. Differential gene expression of leaf and meristem showed upregulation of salinity regulation processes in higher salinity meadows. Our study highlights the importance of considering leaf meristem tissue when evaluating whole-plant responses to environmental change.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Comparative transcriptomics of tropical woody plants supports fast and furious strategy along the leaf economics spectrum in lianas
Authors: Sezen U. Uzay , Worthy Samantha J. , Umaña Maria N. , Davies Stuart J. , McMahon Sean M. , Swenson Nathan G.
Published: July 2022

Lianas, climbing woody plants, influence the structure and function of tropical forests. Climbing traits have evolved multiple times, including ancestral groups such as gymnosperms and pteridophytes, but the genetic basis of the liana strategy is largely unknown. Here, we use a comparative transcriptomic approach for 47 tropical plant species, including ten lianas of diverse taxonomic origins, to identify genes that are consistently expressed or downregulated only in lianas. Our comparative analysis of full-length transcripts enabled the identification of a core interactomic network common to lianas. Sets of transcripts identified from our analysis reveal features related to functional traits pertinent to leaf economics spectrum in lianas, include upregulation of genes controlling epidermal cuticular properties, cell wall remodeling, carbon concentrating mechanism, cell cycle progression, DNA repair and a large suit of downregulated transcription factors and enzymes involved in ABA-mediated stress response as well as lignin and suberin synthesis. All together, these genes are known to be significant in shaping plant morphologies through responses such as gravitropism, phyllotaxy and shade avoidance.
"Biographical Learning" reloaded. Theoretical grounding of a challenging appoach
Authors: Alheit Peter
Published: July 2022

Abstract. This article discusses an apparently ‘outdated’ concept of thinking about learning within the lifespan. Obviously, the term ‘biographical learning’ has been replaced by the label of ‘lifelong learning’. In a first section, this position is critically examined and the importance of the biography for all learning experiences is emphasised. In a second step of argumentation, it is conceptually specified what the peculiarity of biographical learning actually is. The specifity of this learning concept can only be understood from a biographical perspective through the dimensions of ‘temporality’, ‘contextuality’ and ‘reflexivity’. The concluding third part introduces the concept of ‘biographicity’ and proposes a theoretical understanding of the complex biographical learning idea using the ‘grammar metaphor’ from language theory.
Για το βιβλίο: Φωτεινή Τσιμπιρίδου (Επιμέλεια) (2020). Εθνογραφία και καθημερινότητα στην «καθ’ ημάς Ανατολή». Εκδόσεις Κριτική, 536 σελ.
Authors: Κυριακόπουλος Λέανδρος
Published: July 2022

Ν/Α
Autism spectrum disorder in architecture perspective: a review of the literature and bibliometric assessment of research indexed in Web of Science
Authors: Moniem Ali Reham , El-Wakeel Hala A. , Al-Saleh Deema Faisal , Shukri Mai Ibrahim , Ansari Khadeeja M N
Published: July 2022

Purpose:

An increasing number of scholarly publications on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have urged researcher interest in this topic; however, there is still a lack of quantitative analysis. Therefore, this study aims to cover the knowledge gap between the amount of literature published on ASD research on architectural and designers' perspectives compared to the medical and psychological fields. The study has analyzed global research output on ASD from a designer's perspective to recognize this gap related to designing the physical environment. 

Methodology:

The bibliometric method was employed to analyze the published literature from 1992–to 2021. 812 papers were downloaded from the Web of Science for analysis based on annual growth of literature, prolific authors, authorship pattern, organizations, countries, international collaboration, and subject development by keywords and thematic map analyses. Various bibliometric and scientometric software was used to analyze the data, namely Bibexcel, Biblioshiny, and VOS viewer.

Results:

The812 research papers were published in 405 sources. 2019 appeared as a productive year (NP=101), and 2014 received the highest number of citations (TC=6634). Researchers preferred to publish as journal articles (NP=538; TC=24922). The University of Toronto, Canada, was identified as a productive institution with 42 publications and 5358 citations. The USA was the leading producing country with 433 publications, and most of the researchers published in the journal "Scientific Reports" (NP=16). The word autism (NP=257) and architecture (NP=165) were more frequently used keywords.

Conclusion:

The study identified a massive gap in the development of literature in ASD for architecture design and built environment perspective, the most important and trending keywords are missing, and the analyses also showed a lack of subject development. The authors have suggested areas and keywords for further research to fulfill the gap in the future.
Health professionalism and health profession education in the 21st century: an example of pharmacy education
Authors: Ploylearmsang Chanuttha
Published: July 2022

The dramatic, rapid and uncertain changes from the 20th to the 21st century are called global megatrends. Such trends are the emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, an aging society, environmental hazards, behavioural risks, and more complicated lifestyles of humans in the digital age with advanced information technology (IT) that impact much on epidemiological transitions, health security and healthcare.  Health professionals are the key persons for dealing with these challenging healthcare trends. The next generation of health professionals should be equipped with high professionalism especially for the components of humanism that artificial intelligence (AI) cannot replicate. Moreover, interprofessional collaborative teamwork among health professionals is a required skill for working in dynamic transitions such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Interprofessional education (IPE) is one of the essential strategies for enhancing teamwork skills in learners. Six previously reported trends in health profession education for the 21st century are summarized, including interprofessional education, longitudinal integrated clinical education, understanding partnerships and social determination of health in patients, life-long learning, competency-based skills changeable over time, and AI and IT integrated in education. The connection among megatrends, trends in healthcare, health professionalism and health professional’s education will be important issues in academia for both health educators and health professionals.
Co-creation methodology with Smart technologies in Health and well-being to enable communication between isolated and disperse small communities: a literature review
Authors: RAMOS Victoria ,   MELTIC partners, de San Pedro Iris , Casado Elvira , Santacruz Esmeralda , Hernández Coral , Alcoceda Jose A. , de Tena-Davila M.Jose , Burgos Alfredo , Perez de la Camara Santiago , Marina-Boillos Pablo , Pascual Mario
Published: July 2022

Objective: The objective is to determine reported cases of co-creation methodology about the use of smart technologies in public spaces in order to create new forms of social interactions and practices, which in turn creates new socio-spatial relations and promotes interactions and communication between isolated and disperse communities.  

Methods: The literature published in the last 5 years (2016-2020) has been reviewed. Searches on Co-creation methodology and ICTs in Health and Biomedicine, on topics such as interaction among users, ICT and social behaviour, spatial analyses, planning methodologies and public involvement, on-line gaming, self‐learning, and the prevention of risky habbits were made manually.

Results: Search strategies developed through electronic databases and manual search identified a total of 180 references, included in the supplementary material. They have been divided by the technologies used in the studies, co-creation methodology, and according to the type of socio-medical application. This research highlights the penetration of ICT in social and healthcare environments and clearly demonstrates the high number of publications that have come out over recent years and a lack of publications that evaluate co-creation methodology in this field.

Conclusions: Most of the papers included only partially cover the subject matter of ICT in Health and Biomedicine and how to use smart technologies to transform public spaces in small communities into people-friendly human environments. The research carried out for this paper clearly demonstrates the high number of publications concerning technology assessment. However, there is a distinct lack of publications that evaluate co-creation methodology.
Cognitive impairment restoration in patients suffered with stroke during the post-COVID period
Authors: Stoyanov O. , Son A. , Vastyanov R. , Turchin N. , Gruzevsky O. , Yermuraki P. , Dzygal O. , Vastyanov M.
Published: July 2022

Frequency of vascular complications, including strokes, in patients suffered from COVID-19 infection is known to be increased up to 8 times, especially compared with influenza. The purpose: to investigate the fundamental mechanisms of brain ischemia in the patients with mnestic dysfunctions who previously underwent COVID-19 through pharmacocorrection via Phenibut (g-amino-b-phenylbutyric acid hydrochloride) and magnetic therapy in the early recovery period of ischemic stroke. The authors describe the possibilities of cognitive rehabilitation for people who have had ischemic stroke in the post-COVID period. Considering that the presence of mnestic dysfunctions has a negative impact on the process of rehabilitation of cerebral accidents, the fundamental mechanisms of brain ischemia in patients with mnestic dysfunctions in the early recovery period in patients who have undergone COVID-19 have been studied through pharmacocorrection via Phenibut (g-amino-b-phenylbutyric acid hydrochloride) and magnetic therapy. 46 patients aged 40 to 60 years were examined. A comparative study of three randomized clinical groups of patients with separate and complex use of Phenibut and magnetic stimulation. The effectiveness of the proposed therapy in restoring executive functions was established on the basis of indicators of the MMSE scale, the test for the study of frontal dysfunction – FAB, regression of depressive symptoms and is characterized by a decrease in the score on the GDS scale.  The authors conclude that mnestic disorders are a functional "target" in cerebral ischemia in the post-COVID period, which requires close attention in relation to pharmacocorrection methods and comprehensive rehabilitation and further research, including the elucidate the pathogenetic mechanisms of cerebral ischemia.
An Exact Price-Cut-and-Enumerate Method for the Capacitated Multitrip Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows
Authors: Yang Yu
Published: July 2022

We consider the capacitated multitrip vehicle routing problem with time windows (CMTVRPTW), where vehicles are allowed to make multiple trips. The ability to perform multiple trips is necessary for some real-world applications where the vehicle capacity, the trip duration, or the number of drivers or vehicles is limited. However, it substantially increases the solution difficulty in view of the additional trip scheduling aspect. We propose an exact price-cut-and-enumerate method (EPCEM) that solves a novel superstructure-based formulation inspired by Paradiso et al. (2020) . The EPCEM obtains a tight lower bound by an alternating column and row generation method and computes a valid upper bound in the early stage of the algorithm. It obtains an optimal solution and further proves its optimality by a new multiphase sift-and-cut method. Computationally, the EPCEM significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art exact method that only proves optimality for 9 of the 27 test instances with 50 customers. In particular, the EPCEM solves all test instances with up to 70 customers to optimality for the first time and obtains near-optimal solutions with an average optimality gap of no more than 0.3% for instances with 80 to 100 customers. From a practical point of view, solving the CMTVRPTW by the EPCEM yields a solution that, on average, uses at least 45% fewer vehicles and increases the travel cost by no more than 7% compared with the solution to the standard CVRPTW.

Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2022.1161 .
The versatility of flowable composites. Part 1: theory and new classification
Authors: AL-Rawas Matheel , Johari Yanti , Yusoff Nazrul M , Mohamad Dasmawati , Husein Adam
Published: July 2022

The increase in consumer demand for restorative and aesthetic dental treatment has resulted in a gradual upsurge of dental professionals relying on flowable composites (FCs) to meet consumer needs. All main manufacturers in the worldwide dental market offer flowable products together with the packable type. Scientific and technological improvements of FCs properties and handling characteristics have not only seen FCs grow in popularity but resulted in the development of different generations and types of dental FCs suitable for wide range of clinical applications.

CPD/Clinical Relevance: It is useful for the dental practitioner to be aware of the classifications, composition and overview of FCs.
Huntington's disease: the role of dentistry in the multidisciplinary team
Authors: Critchley Emma , O'Mahony Finbar , Lemon Elizabeth , Adkins Angela
Published: July 2022

Huntington's disease is a progressive, genetic disorder, leading to changes to cognition, movement and behaviour. The oral health of these patients can rapidly deteriorate if they are not assessed and managed early. This article explores the role of the dental team, as part of the multidisciplinary team, in caring for Huntington's disease patients. It highlights some of the challenges in providing oral care for this complex group, along with a pathway of care, used by one Special Care Dental Team, in helping to reduce oral complications.

CPD/Clinical Relevance: It is important for GDPs to understand the oral health needs of patients with Huntington's disease and their role in supporting the oral health of these patients.
Knowledge deficiency of acute kidney injury management among healthcare professionals: cause for concern?
Authors: Agbo Christopher , Sridharan Sivakumar , Spearpoint Ken , Ashaye Kunle
Published: July 2022

Background:

In 2009, an audit into the death of a patient with a diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) revealed several shortcomings in the management of AKI patients in UK hospitals. The National Confidential Enquiry into Patients Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) reports that the poor management of AKI is commonly related to poor clinical care, and it is recommended that all clinical staff receive regular teaching on AKI to improve their knowledge and skills.

Aim:

This study aimed to establish the level of understanding of healthcare professionals caring for patients with AKI and ways to provide intervention to overcome any deficiencies.

Method:

This study used a cross-sectional online questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was posted using the Survey Monkey online tool and sent via a link to healthcare professionals. The links allowed respondents to answer the questions and recorded their anonymised responses. The online survey link was sent out via mail to the staff of three Trusts within Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire region between May and July 2019.

Results:

A total of 135 people responded to the survey. A total of 34% (n=46) correctly identified the definition of AKI and correct staging of AKI was 31% (42). A higher number of respondents correctly selected risk factors (85%; n=116), assessments (68%; n=92) and observational information (78%; n=105). There was a statistically significant association between AKI teaching and knowledge of AKI definition, staging and assessment. There was no strong association between AKI teaching and the respondent's ability to recognise risk factors or observation carried out on AKI patients. While there was a slight improvement in individual performance scores against AKI teaching, this was not statistically significant.

Conclusion:

This study identified specific gaps in knowledge of AKI management among healthcare professionals. An educational intervention will be required to increase AKI management awareness, which may in turn improve the clinical outcomes.
Integrating Streambank Erosion with Overland and Ephemeral Gully Models Improves Stream Sediment Yield Simulation
Authors: Mankin Kyle R. , Modala Naga Raghuveer
Published: July 2022

Highlights

Simulation of overland (AnnAGNPS) and ephemeral gully (REGEM) erosion underestimated watershed sediment yield.

Three methods were used to disaggregate contribution of streambank sediment loads to daily streamflow events.

A rainfall-based method, with scaling factor and threshold term, had good performance and low bias in all watersheds.

Calibrated model results indicated that most sediment yield was from streambank sources (78% to 93%).

Abstract. Models used to guide watershed management must account for sediment from all erosion sources (interrill and rill, ephemeral gully (EG), and streambank), each of which operates at different spatial and temporal scales. Our hypothesis was that the use of separate models to explicitly simulate sediment yield contributions for each of these three sources would improve model agreement with measured watershed sediment yield data. We tested this hypothesis using AnnAGNPS (overland flow/erosion model), REGEM (EG erosion model), and field-measured streambank erosion disaggregated to an event basis using three methods in three watersheds (North Fork, Main Stem, and Irish Creek, Kansas). AnnAGNPS alone and in combination with REGEM underestimated sediment yields and had a poorly calibrated performance in all three watersheds, which reinforced the need to include sediment loads from stream sources. The three streambank sediment disaggregation methods each included two calibration terms: a scaling factor and a threshold term, which disaggregated 2-year-total streambank erosion measurements into event-based values based on rainfall, streamflow, or stream power. All three methods gave “very good” sediment-yield calibration results (event-based Ef = 0.6, PBIAS near 0%) for Main Stem and Irish Creek but gave “satisfactory” results only for the rainfall-based streambank disaggregation method in the evaluation watershed (North Fork). Calibrated model results indicated that most of the measured outlet sediment yields in the study watersheds were from streambank sources (78% to 93%), with less from overland erosion (7% to 22%) and little from EG erosion (0% to 7%). These methods could be equally effective in scaling and disaggregating stream-based sediment contributions without measured streambank erosion, but the calibration terms would lose physical meaning in reference to measured streambank values. The skill demonstrated by all three streambank disaggregation thresholds may provide a foundation for building simple, process-based streambank sediment yield simulation models. Keywords: Ephemeral gully erosion, Interrill and rill erosion, Modeling, Streambank erosion, Watershed.
Green Fruit Removal Dynamics for Development of Robotic Green Fruit Thinning End-Effector
Authors: Hussain Magni , He Long , Schupp James , Heinemann Paul
Published: July 2022

Highlights

Pulling and stem-cutting methods were used for measuring the green fruit removal dynamics.

A stem-cutting end-effector prototype was designed, developed, and tested for green fruit removal.

No significant correlation was found between the fruit or stem size and the force required for fruit removal.

The success rate of the stem-cutting end-effector prototype for all experiments was over 90%.

Abstract. Green fruit thinning is one of the most important operations in apple production for obtaining high-quality fruit. Manual thinning is time-intensive, making it impractical for large orchards. Some alternative methods, such as chemical and mechanical thinning, have greatly improved work efficiency, but both methods have drawbacks due to non-selective targeting. Robotic green fruit thinning can potentially be as selective as manual thinning. This study developed an effective end-effector for robotic green fruit thinning. Prior to designing the end-effector, a series of fruit removal dynamics tests were conducted to determine the forces required for robotic thinning using pulling or stem-cutting methods on three different apple cultivars. The overall mean forces for pulling detachment were 24.78 ±0.48 N and 19.91 ±0.55 N when detaching stem from the fruit-end and the spur-end, respectively. The average force required for stem-cutting was 33.6 ±8.0 N among the three cultivars. No significant differences were found between the fruit or stem dimensions and the force required for fruit removal. A stem-cutting end-effector prototype was then developed to conduct fruit removal experiments in field conditions. Two end-effector prototype configurations were tested: one placing the end-effector on a handheld bar, and the other integrating the end-effector with a six DoF robotic manipulator. The success rates of green fruit removal for all end-effector prototype experiments were over 90%. The end-effector is a core component of an automated green fruit thinning system. Integration with the robotic manipulator also indicated the potential of a robotic green fruit system to remove fruit at different locations and orientations. A machine vision system will be developed and integrated with the end-effector to develop a robotic green fruit thinning system. Keywords: Apple, Crop load management, End-effector, Fruit removal dynamics, Robotic thinning.
Validation Principles of Agricultural Machine Multibody Dynamics Models
Authors: Adams Bailey , Darr Matthew
Published: July 2022

Highlights

This study focused on proper validation methodology for agricultural machine multibody dynamic models.

Experimental design included categorizing subsystems, data acquisition, testing, and data pre-processing.

Three error quantification metrics are proposed to summarize model performance and overall agreement.

Abstract. Multibody dynamic (MBD) models are required to be accurate if they are to be used with confidence. To determine the overall accuracy of an agricultural machine MBD model, the model needs to be validated through proper experimental design principles and error analysis. At a high-level, the main methodology concepts for the experimental design involve categorizing dynamic subsystems, creating a data acquisition plan, determining and completing experimental testing, and pre-processing of physical and virtual time series datasets. This paper provides a methodology and example validation process for an MBD model of an agricultural self-propelled sprayer. As part of the experimental testing, a tip test revealed that the vertical center of gravity of the MBD model resulted in a 2.8% error from the physical machine. Furthermore, to summarize simulation model performance against physical data, three error quantification metrics for time-series data comparison are proposed: (1) correlation coefficient, (2) two-sample t-test and two-sample F-test, and (3) standard deviation of absolute error. For determining whether there is an acceptable level of agreement, this study proposes that the correlation coefficient should be greater than 0.7, the two-sample t-test and two-sample F-test should both pass (but with special consideration of the resulting confidence intervals if they fail), and that the standard deviation of absolute error should be less than 25% of the standard deviation of physical time series data. These error metrics, together with their defined sets of agreement criteria, resulted in detecting where the self-propelled sprayer system was experiencing validation issues and eventually the overall practical validation of the MBD model. Keywords: Agricultural machines, Confidence, Error metrics, Models, Multibody dynamics (MBD), Simulation, Validation.
Simultaneous blood perfusion and fluorescence lifetime measurements in skin of healthy volunteers
Authors: Stelmashchuk O.A. , Shupletsov V.V. , Dunaev A.V. , Zherebtsov E.A.
Published: July 2022

In this work, we studied the individual variability of parameters measured by fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy simultaneously with the recording of blood tissue perfusion through a fibre-optic probe in the skin of conditionally healthy volunteers.
Reducing labeling time of fluorescent molecules in thick tissue sections
Authors: Tseng Po-Hang , Chiang Shu-Jen , Chen Shean-Jen , Dong Chen-Yuan
Published: July 2022

In this work we investigated how changing the labeling construct of porcine liver tissue enhances labeling speed. Our results show that bi-directional labeling can indeed reduce labeling time with respect to the standard uni-directional labeling.
A comparison between flat and spherical models of the human head for NIR light propagation
Authors: Vera Demián A. , Waks Serra María V. , Gracía Héctor A. , Baez Guido R. , Iriarte Daniela I. , Pomarico Juan A.
Published: July 2022

We compare flat and spherical models of the human head using Bayesian inference. Monte Carlo simulations are used to obtain the photons times of flight. Results suggest that the spherical model better represents the data.
Calculating Tumor Proportional Score of HNSCC Patients with Deep Learning Object Detection
Authors: Tseng Po-Hang , Lin Jin-Tang , Liao Xin-Yu , Lee Sheng-Lin , Lin Mei-Chun , Huang Yen-Lin , Lou Pei-Jen , Dong Chen-Yuan
Published: July 2022

This work illustrates how tumor proportional score is estimated using object detection method YOLO and compared with a pathologist's calculation. Results show deep learning can achieve good results and be used on clinical applications.
Intraoperative assessment of patient bone viability using texture analysis of dynamic contrast-enhanced fluorescence imaging
Authors: Han Xinyue , Demidov Valentin , Jiang Shudong , Gitajn Ida Leah , Elliott Jonathan T.
Published: July 2022

This study presents a first clinical translation of bone viability classification technology based on fluorescence imaging and subsequent image texture analysis to provide orthopedic surgeons with intraoperative information for patient treatment optimization.
Smartphone-based multimodal tethered capsule endoscopic platform for white-light, narrow-band, and fluorescence/autofluorescence imaging
Authors: Sharma Gargi , Thoma Oana-Maria , Blessing Katharina , Gall Robert , Waldner Maximilian , Singh Kanwarpal
Published: July 2022

Multimodal low-cost endoscopy is desirable in poor resource settings. Here, we developed smartphone-based low-cost, reusable tethered capsule endoscope that allows white-light, narrowband, and fluorescence/autofluorescence imaging of esophagus.
Application of Numerical Methods for Heterogenic Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging Simulations
Authors: Mellors Ben O.L. , Dehghani Hamid
Published: July 2022

A numerical simulation tool for spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) has been developed. Validation against current methods for parameter recovery is presented including heterogenic models demonstrating a complex light propagation tool for SFDI.
Multimodal imaging of snap-frozen AD human brain tissue
Authors: Lochocki Benjamin , Boon Baayla D. C. , Verheul Sander R. , Zada Liron , Hoozemans Jereon J. M. , Ariese Freek , de Boer Johannes F.
Published: July 2022

Label-free imaging of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain tissue could contribute to a better understanding of its pathology. Here, we present a comprehensive study of sequentially applied spectroscopic and imaging modalities on snap-frozen AD tissue.
Nonlinear Response of Complex Chiral Biological Structures in the Focal Volume of the Microscope
Authors: Alizadeh Mehdi , Habach Fayez , Akens Margarete K. , Kalnaityte Agne , Bagdonas Saulius , Barzda Virginijus
Published: July 2022

Nonlinear response of complex chiral structures depends on the fibers configuration in the focal volume. The impact of various configuration on nonlinear parameters extracted using a polarimetric second harmonic generation (SHG) microscope has been elucidated.
Novel time domain ptychography, i2PIE, for improved contrast in nonlinear microscopy
Authors: Dwapanyin George , Spangenberg Dirk , Feurer Thomas , Heidt Alexander , Bosman Gurthwin , Neethling Pieter , Rohwer Erich
Published: July 2022

We present a novel nonlinear microscopy modality using a time-domain ptychographic phase measurement, i2PIE, to compress 80 MHz supercontinuum pulses from an ANDi PCF used as excitation source, improving contrast at reduced average power.
Sensitivity of TD-NIRS in Estimating Neonatal Cerebral Hemodynamics with Homogenous Models of Analysis
Authors: Amendola Caterina , Spinelli Lorenzo , Contini Davide , De Carli Agnese , Martinelli Cesare , Fumagalli Monica , Torricelli Alessandro
Published: July 2022

We assessed the sensitivity of 1D and 2D homogeneous photon diffusion models for Time Domain NIRS in estimating preterm and term neonates’ cerebral hemodynamic parameters simulated by Monte Carlo methods on realistic 3D anatomical meshes.
Wideband ultrasound PVDF detectors for raster-scan optoacoustic angiography
Authors: Kurnikov Alexey , Pavlova Ksenia , Orlova Anna , Khilov Aleksandr , Perekatova Valeriya , Kovalchuk Andrey , Subochev Pavel
Published: July 2022

Our work was devoted to the experimental comparison of two ultra-wideband detectors based on PVDF piezofilms of different thickness demonstrating different quality of optoacoustic imaging of vessels in tumor and normal tissues.
Wide-field Microscopic Structural Imaging of Biological Tissues using Random Laser
Authors: Gayathri R. , Suchand Sandeep C. S. , Vijayan C. , Murukeshan V. M.
Published: July 2022

We report wide-field, epi-illumination microscopic imaging of biological tissues using single-shot random laser illumination. The random laser provides high-resolution, artefact-free images with better contrast and sharpness of structural details.
Image Surface Analysis for Null-screen Testing
Authors: Utrera D. Gonzalez , Uribe R. Diaz
Published: July 2022

Image surface of a plane screen after reflection is analyzed to set the posi- tion of the elements in a null screen test to avoid ambiguities between real and apparent deformation of a freeform surface.
Polarization-multiplexing achromatic metasurfaces for manipulation of terahertz waves
Authors: Qin Chong , Fan Wenhui , Wu Qi , Jiang Xiaoqiang , Yan Hui
Published: July 2022

Metasurfaces that can effectively manipulate electromagnetic waves provide a novel solution to realize efficient terahertz functional devices. However, the chromatic aberration of metasurfaces is a remarkable challenge for their extensive applications. Multi-functional metasurfaces are highly desirable in practical applications. Here, we demonstrate polarization-multiplexing achromatic metasurfaces working in the terahertz regime based on anisotropic meta-atoms which exhibit the form birefringence. Specifically, a polarization-multiplexing achromatic metalens working in the frequency range from 0.8 THz to 1.2 THz is proposed and verified numerically, which can focus terahertz waves within the working bandwidth to different focal planes by varying the polarization state of an incident terahertz wave; the deviation of focal length is less than 8.88% across the whole working bandwidth. In addition, a polarization-multiplexing achromatic deflector working in the frequency range from 0.8 THz to 1.2 THz is also designed and simulated, which can deflect a terahertz wave within the working bandwidth to different directions by manipulating the polarization state of an incident terahertz wave. The metasurfaces demonstrated here are of great significance for the development of ultra-compact, flexible, and multi-functional terahertz devices based on metasurfaces.
Nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction in single-phased
Ti1−xInxO2 (x = 0∼0.1) thin
films
Authors: Niu Ruifeng , Cui Liqi , Wang Weitian
Published: July 2022

In this study, single-phased rutile

T
i

1
-
x

I
n

x

O

2

(

x
=

0

∼

0.1

) thin films were deposited on fused
quartz substrates using a pulsed laser deposition technique. The
transmission spectra reveal that the films show good transparency in
the wavelength range of 330–900 nm. The absorption edge of the

T
i

1
-
x

I
n

x

O

2

thin films is blueshifted compared
with that of undoped

T
i
O

2

films. A single-beam

z

-scan method using a pulse laser
operating at 532 nm with a duration of 55 ps was employed to evaluate
the films’ nonlinear optical characteristics. The results show that
the prepared

T
i

1
-
x

I
n

x

O

2

films exhibit nonlinear saturable
absorption and negative nonlinear refraction properties. The doping of
In ions into

T
i
O

2

does not change the nonlinear optical
absorption significantly. However, the nonlinear refractive index of

T
i

1
-
x

I
n

x

O

2

film obviously increases with the
increasing doping of In ions. The local electron-pinned defect-dipoles
and widening bandgaps in the

T
i

1
-
x

I
n

x

O

2

thin films could be used to explain
the observed results.
Multiwavelength absorption switching based on the metal-dielectric-metal multilayer Kerr metamaterial
Authors: Chen F. , Yu C. C.
Published: July 2022

In this paper, quintuple-band absorption switch has been demonstrated and studied. Finite-difference time-domain simulations indicate the absorption originated from localized surface plasmon polaritons and Fabry–Perot resonance effect. Quintuple-band plasmonic perfect absorption with maximum absorption of 99.8%, 86.2%, 99.9%, 95.8%, and 97.8% at the resonance wavelength of 635 nm, 694 nm, 915 nm, 1125 nm, and 1345 nm, respectively. We calculate the sensitivity of the five modes is about

s

1

=

74

n
m

/

R
I
U

,

s

2

=

376

n
m

/

R
I
U

,

s

3

=

518

n
m

/

R
I
U

,

s

4

=

512

n
m

/

R
I
U

, and

s

5

=

7

98

n
m

/

R
I
U

(RIU is the refractive index unit). Angle and polarization independent of the quintuple-band absorption are also investigated. Moreover, by adjusting the pump light on and off, absorption ratios of 3.9, 10.3, 3.8, 3.4, and 6.8 have been achieved. Besides, the proposed multiwavelength absorption switching has excellent absorption stability and polarization tolerance. We believe the proposed structure can find potential applications in the fields of multiband sensor and all-optical modulation.
Perfect terahertz absorber with dynamically tunable peak and bandwidth using graphene-based metamaterials
Authors: Wu Jian-Xin , Deng Xin-Hua , Liu Hong-Fei , Yuan Jiren
Published: July 2022

A graphene-based dynamic tunable terahertz (THz) perfect absorber is proposed in this paper. The absorber consists of periodic gold nanoribbons on a graphene-coated silica layer supported by a flat gold substrate, and the graphene is sandwiched between two hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) layers. We demonstrate that the proposed structure can lead to perfect THz absorption because of strong photon localization surrounding the graphene layer of the structure. The THz absorption may be tuned continuously from 0 to 100% by controlling the chemical potential through a gate voltage. Moreover, the peak position and bandwidth of absorption spectra can be tuned by adjusting the width of the gold nanoribbons and duty ratio. The absorber can maintain high-efficiency light absorption of more than 90% at a wide range of light incidence angles of 0 to 85 deg. Using the existing technology, our design scheme is easy to realize, which will be helpful to promote the development and application of optoelectronic devices.
Bragg soliton dynamics in ultra-silicon-rich nitride devices
Authors: Tan D. T. H. , Ng D. K. T. , Choi J. W. , Sahin E. , Cao Y. , Sohn B-. U. , Xing P. , Chen G. F. R. , Gao H. , Chia X. X.
Published: July 2022

Bragg solitons are solitary waves which form as a result of the nonlinearity in the medium and the dispersion induced by a Bragg grating. We present recent results covering the dynamics of Bragg solitons. Temporal compression, fission and enhanced, coherent supercontinuum generation and tunable spectral broadening are experimentally demonstrated.
Dual-layer polarization beam splitting grating coupler with low polarization dependent loss
Authors: Han Yaqi , Hu Yixiang , Cheng Lirong , Zhao Caiyue , Li Qian , Fu H. Y.
Published: July 2022

We propose a dual-layer polarization splitting grating coupler (PSGC) in multilayer silicon nitride-on-silicon photonic circuits. The coupling efficiency reaches −3.2 dB with polarization dependent loss (PDL) of 0.08 dB at 1550 nm.
Performance Oriented DSP for Flexible Coherent Transmission in Data Center Networks
Authors: Sun Han (Henry)
Published: July 2022

Today’s long haul transmission network requires the highest performance in the physical layer. This tutorial discusses the challenges and techniques in designing a high performance DSP that also obeys complexity and implementation constraints.