bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation of Robust Immune Response against SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine among Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Participants
Authors: Venkatesan Balamurali , Vajravelu Leela Kakithakara , Ravi Sujith , Thulukanam Jayaprakash , Muthamilan Om Lokesh
Published: April 2024

Individuals with Type-2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) along with several other disease-causing factors are impacted adversely by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In India, BBV-152 (CovaxinTM) and ChAdOx1-nCOV (CovishieldTM) vaccines are now being used to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Adaptive immunity like humoral and T-cell-mediated immunity has a vital role in eliminating SARS-CoV-2. In order to control the disease's course, the infected cells are being destroyed predominantly by cytotoxic CD8+ T cells as well as specific antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 which have the potential to neutralize the virus. This cross-sectional study was done to identify the specific antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 in serum samples from those individuals with and without T2DM by using WANTAI SARS-CoV-2 Total Ab ELISA Kit. The present study comprises 354 study participants, among them T2DM was present in 141 (39.8%) cases and 213 (60.2%) were non-diabetic patients. Hypertension was observed in 95 (26.1%) participants and 259 (73.1%) participants were normotensive. The study participants with T2DM demonstrated lower levels of SARS-CoV-2 total antibodies having an average of 5 AU/ml over those individuals without diabetes showing an average of 12 AU/ml. Among the hypertensive patients, the total antibody levels of SARS-CoV2 are were substantially lowered to showing an average of 8 AU/ml as compared to normotensive subjects showing an average of 14 AU/ml. The results of the current study suggest that regular monitoring of the total SARS-CoV-2 antibody profile may be a useful strategy for assisting people with T2DM and hypertension in determining whether they require SARS-CoV-2 precautionary doses to maintain immunity and protect against infections.
Phytochemical Analysis of Selected Medicinal Pslants from Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh
Authors: Reddy P. Vishnu Mohan , Yadav Pulala Raghuveer , Devi A. Lakshmi , Bhakshu Lepakshi Md. , Ratnam K. Venkata
Published: April 2024

The objective of the present investigation is to appraise the qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis, DPPH and Hydroxyl radical scavenging activity along with a total antioxidant capacity of water extract obtained from six medicinal plants, i.e., Acalypha alnifolia, Caesalpinia bonduc, Carissa spinarum, Commiphora caudata, Moringa concanensis and Terminalia tomentosa. The phytochemical analysis of the six medicinal plants water extracts revealed total phenolic content (TPC) in the range of 27.77 to 3.35 GAE mg/g dwt. The highest TPC is present in A. alnifolia and the lowest is noticed in T. tomentosa. The total flavonoid content is present in between 1.68 to 1.48 QE mg/g dry weight and a higher amount of flavonoid content was observed in A. alnifolia and lowest present in C. bonduc. Antioxidant activity results of the six medicinal plants showed that the highest total antioxidant capacity was observed in Carissa spinarum and lowest in T. tomentosa. DPPH method was used to know the antioxidant capacity of aqueous extract of the six medicinal plants. Among the tested plants A. alnifolia, Carissa spinarum and Moringa concanensis strongly reduced DPPH purple color by expressing ~80% as maximum inhibition. DPPH was strongly inhibited by T. tomentosa (IC50 value 25 μg/ml). Hydroxyl radical was strongly (~96%) inhibited by T. tomentosa and lowest IC50 value was expressed by A. alnifolia (36.4 μg/ml). The study results indicate that all six medicinal plants are rich sources of natural antioxidant components.
Stress Testing of Pidotimod by LC and LC-MS/MS
Authors: Baghel Madhuri , Bharkatiya Meenakshi , Singh Alka , Rajput Sadhana J.
Published: April 2024

Pidotimod is a synthetic biological and immunological modulator with dipeptide structure. It has been used for a long time to treat and prevent recurring respiratory infections. .Pidotimod stress testing and degradation profiling were carried out under ICH-recommended stress degradation protocols. To resolve Pidotimod and its impurities, the degradation products generated by various stress conditions were combined and separated on RP-C-18 column. LC-MS-MS study revealed existence of nine degradation products, six of which were previously unknown. On the basis of m/z values, degradation pathways for degradation products generated after stress testing were postulated.
A prospective randomized controlled trial comparing CT-based planning with conventional total hip arthroplasty versus robotic arm-assisted total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Fontalis Andreas , Kayani Babar , Plastow Ricci , Giebaly Dia E. , Tahmassebi Jenni , Haddad Isabella C. , Chambers Alastair , Mancino Fabio , Konan Sujith , Haddad Fares S.
Published: April 2024

Aims

Achieving accurate implant positioning and restoring native hip biomechanics are key surgeon-controlled technical objectives in total hip arthroplasty (THA). The primary objective of this study was to compare the reproducibility of the planned preoperative centre of hip rotation (COR) in patients undergoing robotic arm-assisted THA versus conventional THA.

Methods

This prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT) included 60 patients with symptomatic hip osteoarthritis undergoing conventional THA (CO THA) versus robotic arm-assisted THA (RO THA). Patients in both arms underwent pre- and postoperative CT scans, and a patient-specific plan was created using the robotic software. The COR, combined offset, acetabular orientation, and leg length discrepancy were measured on the pre- and postoperative CT scanogram at six weeks following surgery.

Results

There were no significant differences for any of the baseline characteristics including spinopelvic mobility. The absolute error for achieving the planned horizontal COR was median 1.4 mm (interquartile range (IQR) 0.87 to 3.42) in RO THA versus 4.3 mm (IQR 3 to 6.8; p < 0.001); vertical COR mean 0.91 mm (SD 0.73) in RO THA versus 2.3 mm (SD 1.3; p < 0.001); and combined offset median 2 mm (IQR 0.97 to 5.45) in RO THA versus 3.9 mm (IQR 2 to 7.9; p = 0.019). Improved accuracy was observed with RO THA in achieving the desired acetabular component positioning (root mean square error for anteversion and inclination was 2.6 and 1.3 vs 8.9 and 5.3, repectively) and leg length (mean 0.6 mm vs 1.4 mm; p < 0.001). Patient-reported outcome measures were comparable between the two groups at baseline and one year. Participants in the RO THA group needed fewer physiotherapy sessions postoperatively (median six (IQR 4.5 to 8) vs eight (IQR 6 to 11; p = 0.005).

Conclusion

This RCT suggested that robotic-arm assistance in THA was associated with improved accuracy in restoring the native COR, better preservation of the combined offset, leg length correction, and superior accuracy in achieving the desired acetabular component positioning. Further evaluation through long-term and registry data is necessary to assess whether these findings translate into improved implant survival and functional outcomes.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(4):324–335.
High accuracy of positioning custom triflange acetabular components in tumour and total hip arthroplasty revision surgery
Authors: Broekhuis Demien , Meurs Willemijne M. H. , Kaptein Bart L. , Karunaratne Sascha , Carey Smith Richard L. , Sommerville Scott , Boyle Richard , Nelissen Rob G. H. H.
Published: April 2024

Aims

Custom triflange acetabular components (CTACs) play an important role in reconstructive orthopaedic surgery, particularly in revision total hip arthroplasty (rTHA) and pelvic tumour resection procedures. Accurate CTAC positioning is essential to successful surgical outcomes. While prior studies have explored CTAC positioning in rTHA, research focusing on tumour cases and implant flange positioning precision remains limited. Additionally, the impact of intraoperative navigation on positioning accuracy warrants further investigation. This study assesses CTAC positioning accuracy in tumour resection and rTHA cases, focusing on the differences between preoperative planning and postoperative implant positions.

Methods

A multicentre observational cohort study in Australia between February 2017 and March 2021 included consecutive patients undergoing acetabular reconstruction with CTACs in rTHA (Paprosky 3A/3B defects) or tumour resection (including Enneking P2 peri-acetabular area). Of 103 eligible patients (104 hips), 34 patients (35 hips) were analyzed.

Results

CTAC positioning was generally accurate, with minor deviations in cup inclination (mean 2.7°; SD 2.84°), anteversion (mean 3.6°; SD 5.04°), and rotation (mean 2.1°; SD 2.47°). Deviation of the hip centre of rotation (COR) showed a mean vector length of 5.9 mm (SD 7.24). Flange positions showed small deviations, with the ischial flange exhibiting the largest deviation (mean vector length of 7.0 mm; SD 8.65). Overall, 83% of the implants were accurately positioned, with 17% exceeding malpositioning thresholds. CTACs used in tumour resections exhibited higher positioning accuracy than rTHA cases, with significant differences in inclination (1.5° for tumour vs 3.4° for rTHA) and rotation (1.3° for tumour vs 2.4° for rTHA). The use of intraoperative navigation appeared to enhance positioning accuracy, but this did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates favourable CTAC positioning accuracy, with potential for improved accuracy through intraoperative navigation. Further research is needed to understand the implications of positioning accuracy on implant performance and long-term survival.

Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(4):260–268.
April 2024 Critical Care Case of the Month: A 53-year-old Man Presenting with Fatal Acute Intracranial Hemorrhage and Cryptogenic Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy
Authors:   University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ USA, Raschke Robert , Josen Kim , Weisman Ethan
Published: April 2024

No abstract available. Manuscript truncated after 150 words. History of Present Illness: A 53-year-old man was admitted for acute onset of left hemiparesis, left facial droop and dysarthria witnessed by his wife (a nurse) while they were watching TV that evening. She reported the patient had no previous history of coronary artery disease or cerebral vascular disease, prior to an admission occurring three weeks earlier. The patient presented at that time with acute, severe left-sided chest pain that began while he was doing some heavy yardwork. While being evaluated in the emergency department (ED), he developed left-sided facial numbness, hemiparesis and dysarthria. A CT scan of the brain was normal. Neurological symptoms resolved before lytic therapy could be administered. Troponins and EKG were normal. A D-dimer was >20 mg/L, but a CTA of the chest showed no pulmonary embolism and was otherwise unrevealing. The chest pain resolved without specific therapy. Subsequent CTA of the head and neck and …
How good are collimated Gaussian beams produced with engineered diffusers?
Authors: Kim Minjae , Imeri Arjent , Krajecki Andrew , Reza Syed Azer
Published: April 2024

Collimating a Gaussian beam from an uncollimated laser source has been achieved via the deployment of engineered diffusers (EDs)—also referred to as light shaping diffusers. When compared to conventional pinhole-based optical collimation systems, this method of beam collimation ensures high optical transmission efficiency at the expense of the introduction of additional speckle and a resulting reduction in spatial coherence. Despite a lower collimation quality, these ED-produced collimated beams are attractive and promising in terms of their deployment in various benchtop or tabletop systems that involve shorter beam propagation distances of up to a few meters while requiring a high optical power throughput. This paper aims to further the understanding of collimation quality and propagation properties of ED-produced Gaussian collimated beams via carefully designed experiments and accompanying analysis. We measure and document the beam divergence, Rayleigh distance, and M2 factor, as well as evolution of the wavefront radius of curvature (RoC), of these ED-generated beams over a few meters of propagation—a propagation distance which encapsulates a vast majority of optical systems. We further investigate the changes in the beam profile with the addition of a laser speckle reducer (SR) and compare the ED-produced beams with a near-ideal collimated beam produced with spatial filtering systems.
Convolutional neural network for improved event-based Shack-Hartmann wavefront reconstruction
Authors: Grose Mitchell , Schmidt Jason D. , Hirakawa Keigo
Published: April 2024

Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensing is a technique for measuring wavefront aberrations, whose use in adaptive optics relies on fast position tracking of an array of spots. These sensors conventionally use frame-based cameras operating at a fixed sampling rate to report pixel intensities, even though only a fraction of the pixels have signal. Prior in-lab experiments have shown feasibility of event-based cameras for Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensing (SHWFS), asynchronously reporting the spot locations as log intensity changes at a microsecond time scale. In our work, we propose a convolutional neural network (CNN) called event-based wavefront network (EBWFNet) that achieves highly accurate estimation of the spot centroid position in real time. We developed a custom Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensing hardware with a common aperture for the synchronized frame- and event-based cameras so that spot centroid locations computed from the frame-based camera may be used to train/test the event-CNN-based centroid position estimation method in an unsupervised manner. Field testing with this hardware allows us to conclude that the proposed EBWFNet achieves sub-pixel accuracy in real-world scenarios with substantial improvement over the state-of-the-art event-based SHWFS. An ablation study reveals the impact of data processing, CNN components, and training cost function; and an unoptimized MATLAB implementation is shown to run faster than 800 Hz on a single GPU.
Preparation and measurement of an x-ray Laue-type monochromator based on a WSi2/Si multilayer
Authors: Yue Shuaipeng , Hou Qingyan , Ji Bin , Zhou Liang , Li Ming , Liu Peng , Chang Guangcai
Published: April 2024

The Laue-type multilayer monochromator (LMM) is a promising optical element with a small size and high efficiency in a synchrotron radiation facility. By the dynamical diffraction theory, using DC magnetron sputtering technology, an LMM with a total thickness of 47 µm and a periodic thickness of 4.7 nm WSi2/Si multilayer at 26 keV is designed and fabricated. During the preparation, the total number of layers is up to 20000, and every 300th layer of Si is replaced by WSi2 as the marker, so the multilayer is divided into 67 areas. The cross section of the multilayer is measured by a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the marker region thickness error is 0.28% (RMS). The diffraction test experiment of the LMM is carried out at the Shanghai synchrotron radiation facility (SSRF). The 1st-order peak angle is 5.05 mrad, and the efficiency is 75.0%, which is close to the theoretical calculation result of 5.1 mrad and 79.1%. The Darwin width of the LMM is 0.17 mrad which is equal to the theoretical calculation. Based on the Bragg’s diffraction equation, the energy resolution (ΔE/E) is 3.3%.
Theoretical and experimental determination of the confocal function of OCT systems for accurate calculation of sample optical properties
Authors: Buist Gijs , Debiasi Maddalena , Amelink Arjen , de Boer Johannes F.
Published: April 2024

The attenuation coefficient of biological tissue could serve as an indicator of structural and functional changes related to the onset or progression of disease. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides cross sectional images of tissue up to a depth of a few millimeters, based on the local backscatter properties. The OCT intensity also depends on the confocal function, which needs to be characterised to determine correctly the exponential decay of the intensity based on Lambert-Beer. We present a model for the confocal function in scattering media based on the illumination with a Gaussian beam and the power transfer into a single mode fibre (SMF) of the backscattered light for an incoherently back scattered Gaussian beam using the Huygens-Fresnel principle and compare that model with the reflection from a mirror. We find that, contrary to previous literature, the confocal functions characterised by the Rayleigh range in the two models are identical. Extensive OCT focus series measurements on a mirror, Spectralon and Intralipid dilutions confirm our model, and show that for highly scattering samples the confocal function characterised by the Rayleigh range becomes depth dependent. From the diluted Intralipid measurements the attenuation coefficients are extracted using a singly scatter model that includes the previously established confocal function. The extracted attenuation coefficients were in good agreement for weakly scattering samples (μ
s
 < 2 mm−1).
PSCAT: a lightweight transformer for simultaneous denoising and super-resolution of OCT images
Authors: Yao Bin , Jin Lujia , Hu Jiakui , Liu Yuzhao , Yan Yuepeng , Li Qing , Lu Yanye
Published: April 2024

Optical coherence tomography (OCT), owing to its non-invasive nature, has demonstrated tremendous potential in clinical practice and has become a prevalent diagnostic method. Nevertheless, the inherent speckle noise and low sampling rate in OCT imaging often limit the quality of OCT images. In this paper, we propose a lightweight Transformer to efficiently reconstruct high-quality images from noisy and low-resolution OCT images acquired by short scans. Our method, PSCAT, parallelly employs spatial window self-attention and channel attention in the Transformer block to aggregate features from both spatial and channel dimensions. It explores the potential of the Transformer in denoising and super-resolution for OCT, reducing computational costs and enhancing the speed of image processing. To effectively assist in restoring high-frequency details, we introduce a hybrid loss function in both spatial and frequency domains. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our PSCAT has fewer network parameters and lower computational costs compared to state-of-the-art methods while delivering a competitive performance both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Motion measurements of explosive shock waves based on an event camera
Authors: Lei Taihang , Guan Banglei , Liang Minzu , Liu Zibin , Liu Jianbin , Shang Yang , Yu Qifeng
Published: April 2024

Shock wave measurement is vital in assessing explosive power and designing warheads. To obtain satisfactory observation data of explosive shock waves, it is preferable for optical sensors to possess high-dynamic range and high-time resolution capabilities. In this paper, the event camera is first employed to observe explosive shock waves, leveraging its high dynamic range and low latency. A comprehensive procedure is devised to measure the motion parameters of shock waves accurately. Firstly, the plane lines-based calibration method is proposed to compute the calibration parameters of the event camera, which utilizes the edge-sensitive characteristic of the event camera. Then, the fitted ellipse parameters of the shock wave are estimated based on the concise event data, which are gained by utilizing the characteristics of the event triggering and shock waves’ morphology. Finally, the geometric relationship between the ellipse parameters and the radius of the shock wave is derived, and the motion parameters of the shock wave are estimated. To verify the performance of our method, we compare our measurement results in the TNT explosion test with the pressure sensor results and empirical formula prediction. The relative measurement error compared to pressure sensors is the lowest at 0.33% and the highest at 7.58%. The experimental results verify the rationality and effectiveness of our methods.
Chiral quasi bound states in the continuum for augmented reality
Authors: Bi Qianhui , Chen Run , Ye Xiaofei , Peng Yujuan , Wang Shuming , Wang Zhenlin
Published: April 2024

Augmented Reality technology enables users to interact with virtual imagines and the real world. The emergence of AR has propelled the development of the next generation of optical devices towards miniaturization, lightweight design, and enhanced light field manipulation capabilities. However, current AR glass still suffer from shortcomings of low efficiency. This work proposes a near-eye display device based on bilayer chiral quasi-BIC (Bound States in the continuum) nonlocal metasurfaces which can reflect narrow bandwidth RGB light with high efficiency while being able to see the natural environment clearly. At the same time, the geometric phase is introduced to realize oblique emission and reflective focusing. Due to its ability to manipulate narrowband light fields, it can reduce the interaction of metasurfaces and environment light, and has potential applications in the fields of imaging and near-eye display.
Joint interframe separation and gamma correction for asynchronous optical camera communication systems based on high-order statistics
Authors: Wang Zhe , Han Jinghang , Liang Jialong , Zhang Lihua
Published: April 2024

Optical camera communication (OCC), which is enabled by large-scale light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arrays and image-sensor (IS) based cameras, has garnered significant attention from both researchers and industries. Existing OCC synchronization techniques typically rely on either super-Nyquist sampling or on computationally expensive asynchronous recovery algorithms to relax the required camera frame rate. In this paper, we propose a kurtosis-based asynchronous interference cancellation (K-AIC) algorithm, enabling the estimation for both the asynchronous interframe overlapping ratios and nonlinear Gamma distortion levels for each grayscale frame captured by camera. Through comprehensive numerical simulations, we demonstrate that the K-AIC algorithm exhibits low computational complexity, unique global optimum, high reliability and robust performance in mitigating asynchronous-induced bit errors across diverse scenarios. Short-range OCC experiment shows that the K-AIC scheme can effectively compensate for both interframe overlapping and Gamma distortions in a plesiochronous reception scenario, resulting in a Q-factor enhancement of approximately 12 dB with fluctuations of less than 1 dB. Consequently, the system achieves a net data rate of around 200 kbps.
SE-FSCNet: full-scale connection network for single-shot phase demodulation
Authors: Song Zeyu , Xue Junpeng , Lu Wenbo , Jia Ran , Xu Zhichao , Yu Changzhi
Published: April 2024

The accuracy of phase demodulation has significant impact on the accuracy of fringe projection 3D measurement. Currently, researches based on deep learning methods for extracting wrapped phase mostly use U-Net as the subject of network. The connection method between its hierarchies has certain shortcomings in global information transmission, which hinders the improvement of wrapped phase prediction accuracy. We propose a single-shot phase demodulation method for fringe projection based on a novel full-scale connection network SE-FSCNet. The encoder and decoder of the SE-FSCNet have the same number of hierarchies but are not completely symmetrical. At the decoder a full-scale connection method and feature fusion module are designed so that SE-FSCNet has better abilities of feature transmission and utilization compared with U-Net. A channel attention module based on squeeze and excitation is also introduced to assign appropriate weights to features with different scales, which has been proved by the ablation study. The experiments conducted on the test set have demonstrated that the SE-FSCNet can achieve higher precision than the traditional Fourier transform method and the U-Net in phase demodulation.
Spectroscopy and Kerr-lens mode-locked operation of Yb:GdScO3 crystal
Authors: Liu Longxin , Niu Siyuan , Liang Zhiyong , Jiang Zhenxin , Song Qingsong , Wang Zebin , Chen Peng , Liu Jian , Tian Wenlong , Ma Jie , Xu Xiaodong , Lebbou Kheirreddine , Xu Jun
Published: April 2024

A Kerr-lens mode-locked laser based on a Yb3+-doped disordered gadolinium scandate (Yb:GdScO3) crystal is reported for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The crystal with the perovskite structure was grown using the Czochralski method, and its room temperature (RT) and low temperature (LT) spectra were also investigated. Due to the crystal's multisite structure (Gd3+/Sc3+ site), Yb:GdScO3 offers broad and intense polarized emission spectra in the near-infrared range (975–1075 nm). The stimulated emission cross section σSE is 0.46 × 10−20 cm2 at 1000 nm with an emission band width of 75.7 nm for E // b polarization. The continuous wave (CW) laser was operated pumped by a 976 nm fiber-coupled LD laser, resulting in a maximum output power of 8.74 W with a slope efficiency of 76.1% was obtained. Additionally, a pulses as short as 74 fs are generated at ∼1061.7 nm via Kerr-lens mode-locking. The average output power amounts to 32 mW at a pulse repetition rate of 101.4 MHz. All results indicate Yb:GdScO3 a promising candidate for 1 µm ultrashort laser.
Investigation of a twisting-fused side-pump coupler based on tellurite fiber
Authors: Wang Guanghui , Xia Yongteng , Yang Lingling , Xu Lulu , Pan Yuzhou , Dai Shixun , Wang Yingying , Wang Xunsi , Zhang Peiqing , Liu Zijun
Published: April 2024

Fiber side-pump couplers can enhance the output power of fiber laser due to their dependable and efficient operation and impressive power handling capability. We developed a tellurite fiber side-pump coupler by twisting and fusing a tapered pump fiber onto a target fiber. The effect of twisting parameters on coupling efficiency was comprehensively investigated through theoretical simulations and experiments. Experimental results exhibited an impressive coupling efficiency of 76.5% and a root mean square stability of 0.086% and 0.091% before and after one month, respectively, driven by an incident pump power of up to 4.2 W.
Off-axis telescope misalignment correction based on defocus spot moment features
Authors: Tang Wei , Liu Yujia , Gan Yiqian , Tian Siheng , Tu Qiong , Li Yang , Huang Yongmei , Guo Hongyang
Published: April 2024

Optical mirror misalignments, which are caused by assembly mistakes and changes in the surrounding environment (such as gravity, temperature, and atmosphere), degrade the system’s imaging performance. Therefore, active misalignment correction is essential for ensuring the image quality of the off-axis telescope. In this paper, a novel misalignment correction method without wavefront sensors is proposed. The point spread functions (PSFs) of the system are analytically related to the optical mirror misalignments. On this basis, a fully connected neural network (FCNN) is used to establish the mapping relationship between the misalignments and the discrete orthogonal unbiased finite impulse response (UFIR) moment features, which can effectively characterize changes of intensity and geometric of the spot image. The simulation and experimental results in this paper justify the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed method. This approach offers a low-cost and straightforward technical method for achieving high imaging quality throughout the alignment and observation phases. This approach can prevent the accumulation of errors caused by wavefront detection and the high delay of multiple iterations.
High-efficiency vertically emitting coupler facilitated by three wave interaction gratings
Authors: Valdez Carson G. , Pai Sunil , Broaddus Payton , Solgaard Olav
Published: April 2024

We designed a grating coupler optimized for normal incidence and numerically demonstrate near-unity coupling in a standard 220-nm-thick silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology. Our design breaks the vertical symmetry within the grating region by implementing three scattering sites per local period. This technique removes the need for bottom reflectors or additional material layers and can be realized using only two lithography masks. Using adjoint method-based optimization, we engineer the coupling spectrum of the grating, balancing the trade-off between peak efficiency and bandwidth. Using this technique, we simulate three devices with peak coupling efficiencies ranging between 93.4 (−0.3 dB) and 98.6% (−0.06 dB) with corresponding 1 dB bandwidths between 48 and 8 nm all centered around 1.55 µm.
Characterization of the optical gain at 1550 nm of erbium-oxalate single crystals
Authors: López-Romero R. E. , Pérez-Sánchez G. G. , Aldaya I. , Medina D. Y. , Martínez-Piñeiro E. L. , Figueroa I. A. , Escudero R.
Published: April 2024

Erbium is well-recognized as a key element for optical amplification at the 1550 nm operation band. However, the limited solubility of this material in vitreous matrices sets a critical constraint to the achievable optical gain, which limits its applicability in photonic integrated platforms. One of the solutions to increase the concentration of erbium is to employ a crystalline structure instead of a glass. In this paper, we characterize samples of erbium and erbium-ytterbium oxalate single crystals synthesized using the gel diffusion method. X-ray diffraction spectra and thermogravimetric analyses reveal that the synthesis method indeed generated the expected compound, and the pump-and-probe experiments demonstrate an on-off gain coefficient of ≈ 6.5 dB/mm, making this material a high-potential candidate for the implementation of integrated optical amplifiers.
Comparison of stochastic and deterministic models for gambiense sleeping sickness at different spatial scales: A health area analysis in the DRC
Authors: Davis Christopher N. , Crump Ronald E. , Sutherland Samuel A. , Spencer Simon E. F. , Corbella Alice , Chansy Shampa , Lebuki Junior , Miaka Erick Mwamba , Rock Kat S.
Published: April 2024

The intensification of intervention activities against the fatal vector-borne disease gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (gHAT, sleeping sickness) in the last two decades has led to a large decline in the number of annually reported cases. However, while we move closer to achieving the ambitious target of elimination of transmission (EoT) to humans, pockets of infection remain, and it becomes increasingly important to quantitatively assess if different regions are on track for elimination, and where intervention efforts should be focused. We present a previously developed stochastic mathematical model for gHAT in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and show that this same formulation is able to capture the dynamics of gHAT observed at the health area level (approximately 10,000 people). This analysis was the first time any stochastic gHAT model has been fitted directly to case data and allows us to better quantify the uncertainty in our results. The analysis focuses on utilising a particle filter Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methodology to fit the model to the data from 16 health areas of Mosango health zone in Kwilu province as a case study. The spatial heterogeneity in cases is reflected in modelling results, where we predict that under the current intervention strategies, the health area of Kinzamba II, which has approximately one third of the health zone’s cases, will have the latest expected year for EoT. We find that fitting the analogous deterministic version of the gHAT model using MCMC has substantially faster computation times than fitting the stochastic model using pMCMC, but produces virtually indistinguishable posterior parameterisation. This suggests that expanding health area fitting, to cover more of the DRC, should be done with deterministic fits for efficiency, but with stochastic projections used to capture both the parameter and stochastic variation in case reporting and elimination year estimations.
Biased virus transmission following sequential coinfection of Aedes aegypti with dengue and Zika viruses
Authors: Peng Jiameng , Zhang Meichun , Wang Gang , Zhang Dongjing , Zheng Xiaoying , Li Yongjun
Published: April 2024

Background

Mosquito-borne arboviruses are expanding their territory and elevating their infection prevalence due to the rapid climate change, urbanization, and increased international travel and global trade. Various significant arboviruses, including the dengue virus, Zika virus, Chikungunya virus, and yellow fever virus, are all reliant on the same primary vector, Aedes aegypti. Consequently, the occurrence of arbovirus coinfection in mosquitoes is anticipated. Arbovirus coinfection in mosquitoes has two patterns: simultaneous and sequential. Numerous studies have demonstrated that simultaneous coinfection of arboviruses in mosquitoes is unlikely to exert mutual developmental influence on these viruses. However, the viruses’ interplay within a mosquito after the sequential coinfection seems intricated and not well understood.

Methodology/principal findings

We conducted experiments aimed at examining the phenomenon of arbovirus sequential coinfection in both mosquito cell line (C6/36) and A. aegypti, specifically focusing on dengue virus (DENV, serotype 2) and Zika virus (ZIKV). We firstly observed that DENV and ZIKV can sequentially infect mosquito C6/36 cell line, but the replication level of the subsequently infected ZIKV was significantly suppressed. Similarly, A. aegypti mosquitoes can be sequentially coinfected by these two arboviruses, regardless of the order of virus exposure. However, the replication, dissemination, and the transmission potential of the secondary virus were significantly inhibited. We preliminarily explored the underlying mechanisms, revealing that arbovirus-infected mosquitoes exhibited activated innate immunity, disrupted lipid metabolism, and enhanced RNAi pathway, leading to reduced susceptibility to the secondary arbovirus infections.

Conclusions/significance

Our findings suggest that, in contrast to simultaneous arbovirus coinfection in mosquitoes that can promote the transmission and co-circulation of these viruses, sequential coinfection appears to have limited influence on arbovirus transmission dynamics. However, it is important to note that more experimental investigations are needed to refine and expand upon this conclusion.
Venom diversity in Naja mossambica: Insights from proteomic and immunochemical analyses reveal intraspecific differences
Authors: Hus Konrad K. , Buczkowicz Justyna , Pietrowska Monika , Petrilla Vladimír , Petrillová Monika , Legáth Jaroslav , Litschka-Koen Thea , Bocian Aleksandra
Published: April 2024

Background

Intraspecific variations in snake venom composition have been extensively documented, contributing to the diverse clinical effects observed in envenomed patients. Understanding these variations is essential for developing effective snakebite management strategies and targeted antivenom therapies. We aimed to comprehensively investigate venoms from three distinct populations of N. mossambica from Eswatini, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal regions in Africa in terms of their protein composition and reactivity with three commercial antivenoms (SAIMR polyvalent, EchiTAb+ICP, and Antivipmyn Africa).

Methodology/Principal findings

Naja mossambica venoms from Eswatini region exhibited the highest content of neurotoxic proteins, constituting 20.70% of all venom proteins, compared to Limpopo (13.91%) and KwaZulu-Natal (12.80%), and was characterized by the highest diversity of neurotoxic proteins, including neurotoxic 3FTxs, Kunitz-type inhibitors, vespryns, and mamba intestinal toxin 1. KwaZulu-Natal population exhibited considerably lower cytotoxic 3FTx, higher PLA2 content, and significant diversity in low-abundant proteins. Conversely, Limpopo venoms demonstrated the least diversity as demonstrated by electrophoretic and mass spectrometry analyses.

Immunochemical assessments unveiled differences in venom-antivenom reactivity, particularly concerning low-abundance proteins. EchiTAb+ICP antivenom demonstrated superior reactivity in serial dilution ELISA assays compared to SAIMR polyvalent.

Conclusions/Significance

Our findings reveal a substantial presence of neurotoxic proteins in N. mossambica venoms, challenging previous understandings of their composition. Additionally, the detection of numerous peptides aligning to uncharacterized proteins or proteins with unknown functions underscores a critical issue with existing venom protein databases, emphasizing the substantial gaps in our knowledge of snake venom protein components. This underscores the need for enhanced research in this domain. Moreover, our in vitro immunological assays suggest EchiTAb+ICP’s potential as an alternative to SAIMR antivenom, requiring confirmation through prospective in vivo neutralization studies.
Research on the characteristics of EV interior sound quality and its dynamic active control system design and development un-der accelerated driving conditions
Authors: Zhang Shuai , Li Yipeng , Jiang Hang , He Feifei , XU Liyou , Xiong Feng , Cao Yuntao
Published: April 2024

In order to improve the interior sound quality of Electric Vehicles (EV), solve the problem of low sense of power and comfort of the interior sound as well as the large electromagnetic excitation order noise of motor and the sharp interior sound, this article designs a dynamic active sound control system for EV under accelerated driving conditions. Firstly, by comparing and analyzing the sound spectrum characteristics of fuel vehicle (FV) and EV during acceleration, a short-time Fourier transform (STFT) is adopted to extract and synthesize the engine sound. Secondly, the influence of the engine order composition and the energy distribution in the frequency domain on the sound quality of the vehicle is analyzed, and an active control system for sound quality is proposed. And the software and hardware development of the active control sound system is completed. Finally, through real-vehicle testing and verification, the sense of comfort and power of the EV interior sound has been greatly improved during acceleration, and the total value of interior sound can meet the requirement. The sound pressure level and loudness of interior sound have been increased, and the sharpness of the sound inside the vehicle has been improved, with a maximum reduction of 1.0acum.
Obstetric and neonatal outcomes, antiseizure medication profile, and seizure types in pregnant women in a vulnerability state from Brazil
Authors: Leite Magnúcia de Lima , Topocov Tatiana Natasha , de Oliveira Tales Lyra , Almeida Daniel dos Santos , Mota Ortiz Sandra Regina , da Silva José Claudio
Published: April 2024

This retrospective cohort study described the obstetric and neonatal outcomes, antiseizure medication (ASM) use, and types of seizures in pregnant women with epilepsy (PWWE). Data collected from the medical records of 224 PWWE aged < 40 years with controlled or refractory seizures and 492 pregnant women without epilepsy (PWNE) control group from high-risk maternity hospitals in Alagoas between 2008 and 2021 were included in this study. The obstetric and neonatal outcomes observed in PWWE were pregnancy-related hypertension (PrH) (18.4%), oligohydramnios (10.3%), stillbirth (6.4%), vaginal bleeding (6%), preeclampsia (4.7%), and polyhydramnios (3%). There was a greater likelihood of PrH in PWWE with generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) and that of maternal intensive care unit (ICU) admissions in those with GTCS and status epilepticus, and phenytoin and lamotrigine use. PWWE with GTCS had a higher risk of stillbirth and premature delivery. PWWE with status epilepticus were treated with lamotrigine. Phenobarbital (PB) with diazepam were commonly used in GTCS and status epilepticus. Total 14% patients did not use ASM, while 50.2% used monotherapy and 35.8% used polytherapy. Total 60.9% of patients used PB and 25.2% used carbamazepine. This study described the association between the adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes and severe seizure types in PWWE.
The associations between type 2 diabetes and plasma biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease in the Health and Aging Brain Study: Health Disparities (HABS-HD)
Authors: Yu Fang , Pituch Keenan A. , Maxfield Molly , Baena Elsa , Geda Yonas E. , Pruzin Jeremy J. , Coon David W. , Shaibi Gabriel Q. ,   HABS-HD Study Team
Published: April 2024

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects Latinos disproportionately. One of the reasons underlying this disparity may be type 2 diabetes (T2D) that is a risk factor for AD. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of T2D and AD blood biomarkers and the differences in these associations between Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites. This study was a secondary analysis of baseline data from the observational Health and Aging Brain Study: Health Disparities (HABS-HD) that investigated factors underlying health disparities in AD in Mexican Americans in comparison to non-Hispanic Whites. HABS-HD participants were excluded if they had missing data or were large outliers (z-scores >|4|) on a given AD biomarker. Fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were measured from clinical labs. T2D was diagnosed by licensed clinicians. Plasma amyloid-beta 42 and 40 (Aβ42/42) ratio, total tau (t-tau), and neurofilament light (NfL) were measured via ultra-sensitive Simoa assays. The sample sizes were 1,552 for Aβ42/40 ratio, 1,570 for t-tau, and 1,553 for NfL. Mexican Americans were younger (66.6±8.7 vs. 69.5±8.6) and had more female (64.9% female vs. 55.1%) and fewer years of schooling (9.5±4.6 vs. 15.6±2.5) than non-Hispanic Whites. Mexican Americans differed significantly from non-Hispanic Whites in blood glucose (113.5±36.6 vs. 99.2±17.0) and HbA1c (6.33±1.4 vs. 5.51±0.6) levels, T2D diagnosis (35.3% vs. 11.1%), as well as blood Aβ42/40 ratio (.051±.012 vs. .047±.011), t-tau (2.56±.95 vs. 2.33±.90), and NfL levels (16.3±9.5 vs. 20.3±10.3). Blood glucose, blood HbA1c, and T2D diagnosis were not related to Aβ42/40 ratio and t-tau but explained 3.7% of the variation in NfL (p < .001). Blood glucose and T2D diagnosis were not, while HbA1c was positively (b = 2.31, p < .001, β = 0.26), associated with NfL among Mexican Americans. In contrast, blood glucose, HbA1c, and T2D diagnosis were negatively (b = -0.09, p < .01, β = -0.26), not (b = 0.34, p = .71, β = 0.04), and positively (b = 3.32, p < .01, β = 0.33) associated with NfL, respectively in non-Hispanic Whites. To conclude, blood glucose and HbA1c levels and T2D diagnosis are associated with plasma NfL levels, but not plasma Aβ and t-tau levels. These associations differ in an ethnicity-specific manner and need to be further studied as a potential mechanism underlying AD disparities.
Refractory circulatory failure in COVID-19 patients treated with veno-arterial ECMO a retrospective single-center experience
Authors: Wiest Clemens , Philipp Alois , Foltan Maik , Geismann Florian , Schneckenpointer Roland , Baumgartner Simon , Sticht Florian , Hitzenbichler Florian , Arzt Michael , Fisser Christoph , Stadlbauer Andrea , Dienemann Thomas , Maier Lars Siegfried , Lunz Dirk , Mueller Thomas , Lubnow Matthias
Published: April 2024

Objective

In this retrospective case series, survival rates in different indications for veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) and differential diagnoses of COVID-19 associated refractory circulatory failure are investigated.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of 28 consecutive COVID-19 patients requiring VA-ECMO. All VA-ECMO’s were cannulated peripherally, using a femoro-femoral cannulation.

Results

At VA-ECMO initiation, median age was 57 years (IQR: 51–62), SOFA score 16 (IQR: 13–17) and norepinephrine dosing 0.53μg/kg/min (IQR: 0.35–0.87). Virus-variants were: 61% wild-type, 14% Alpha, 18% Delta and 7% Omicron. Indications for VA-ECMO support were pulmonary embolism (PE) (n = 5, survival 80%), right heart failure due to secondary pulmonary hypertension (n = 5, survival 20%), cardiac arrest (n = 4, survival 25%), acute heart failure (AHF) (n = 10, survival 40%) and refractory vasoplegia (n = 4, survival 0%). Among the patients with AHF, 4 patients suffered from COVID-19 associated heart failure (CovHF) (survival 100%) and 6 patients from sepsis associated heart failure (SHF) (survival 0%). Main Complications were acute kidney injury (AKI) 93%, renal replacement therapy was needed in 79%, intracranial hemorrhage occurred in 18%. Overall survival to hospital discharge was 39%.

Conclusion

Survival on VA-ECMO in COVID-19 depends on VA-ECMO indication, which should be considered in further studies and clinical decision making. A subgroup of patients suffers from acute heart failure due to inflammation, which has to be differentiated into septic or COVID-19 associated. Novel biomarkers are required to ensure reliable differentiation between these entities; a candidate might be soluble interleukin 2 receptor.
Effect of emotional factors on purchase intention in live streaming marketing of agricultural products: A moderated mediation model
Authors: Han Tianming , Han Jing , Liu Jia , Li Weibao
Published: April 2024

Emotional factors play a crucial role in streaming live marketing of agricultural products. Some literature explored several emotional factors’ impact on consumers’ purchase intention. Nonetheless, the interaction and integration effects of these factors have received less attention. Based on Consumer Engagement Theory, SOR model and TAM model, the paper constructs a moderated mediation model of the interactivity/presence, trust/resonance and purchase intention under rural sentiment. A quantitative study based on 365 valid samples is conducted to validate this model. The results indicate that interactivity and presence positively impact on consumers’ purchase intention, trust and resonance play a mediating role between interactivity/presence and purchase intention separately. Contrary to our expectations, rural sentiment negatively moderates the relationship between interactivity and resonance. Differences of regression results between urban and rural group indicate that the cultural backgrounds of consumers have an impact on their emotional responses in live streaming of agricultural products. The results illustrate the mechanism of emotional factors in consumers’ purchase decisions. Overall, this paper reveals the potential of emotional factors and the development of effective marketing strategies to improve agricultural products sales.