bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneity and overlap in the continuum of linguistic profile of logopenic and semantic variants of primary progressive aphasia: a Profile Analysis based on Multidimensional Scaling study
Authors: Santi Gaia Chiara , Conca Francesca , Esposito Valentina , Polito Cristina , Caminiti Silvia Paola , Boccalini Cecilia , Morinelli Carmen , Berti Valentina , Mazzeo Salvatore , Bessi Valentina , Marcone Alessandra , Iannaccone Sandro , Kim Se-Kang , Sorbi Sandro , Perani Daniela , Cappa Stefano F. , Catricalà Eleonora
Published: March 2024

Background

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) diagnostic criteria underestimate the complex presentation of semantic (sv) and logopenic (lv) variants, in which symptoms partially overlap, and mixed clinical presentation (mixed-PPA) and heterogenous profile (lvPPA +) are frequent. Conceptualization of similarities and differences of these clinical conditions is still scarce.

Methods

Lexical, semantic, phonological, and working memory errors from nine language tasks of sixty-seven PPA were analyzed using Profile Analysis based on Multidimensional Scaling, which allowed us to create a distributed representation of patients’ linguistic performance in a shared space. Patients had been studied with [18F] FDG-PET. Correlations were performed between metabolic and behavioral data.

Results

Patients’ profiles were distributed across a continuum. All PPA, but two, presented a lexical retrieval impairment, in terms of reduced production of verbs and nouns. svPPA patients occupied a fairly clumped space along the continuum, showing a preponderant semantic deficit, which correlated to fusiform gyrus hypometabolism, while only few presented working memory deficits. Adjacently, lvPPA + presented a semantic impairment combined with phonological deficits, which correlated with metabolism in the anterior fusiform gyrus and posterior middle temporal gyrus. Starting from the shared phonological deficit side, a large portion of the space was occupied by all lvPPA, showing a combination of phonological, lexical, and working memory deficits, with the latter correlating with posterior temporo-parietal hypometabolism. Mixed PPA did not show unique profile, distributing across the space.

Discussion

Different clinical PPA entities exist but overlaps are frequent. Identifying shared and unique clinical markers is critical for research and clinical practice. Further research is needed to identify the role of genetic and pathological factors in such distribution, including also higher sample size of less represented groups.
Intelligent interference cancellation and ambient backscatter signal extraction for wireless-powered UAV IoT network
Authors: Zhong Cheng , Zhai Di , Lu Yang , Li Ke
Published: March 2024

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offer a new approach to wireless communication, leveraging their high mobility, flexibility, and visual communication capabilities. Ambient backscatter communication enables Internet of Things devices to transmit data by reflecting and modulating ambient radio waves, eliminating the need for additional wireless channels, and reducing energy consumption and cost for sensors. However, passive ambient backscatter communication has limitations such as limited range and poor communication quality. By utilizing UAVs as communication nodes, these limitations can be overcome, expanding the communication range and improving the quality of communication. Although some research has been conducted on combining UAVs and ambient backscatter, several challenges remain. One key challenge is the strong direct link interference in ambient backscatter under UAV conditions, which significantly affects communication quality. In this paper, we propose an intelligent backward and forward straight link interference cancellation algorithm based on NOMA decoding technique to enhance ambient backscatter communication quality under UAV conditions and extract more ambient energy for UAV energy supply. The paper includes theoretical derivation, algorithm description, and simulation analysis to validate the error bit rate of labeled information bits. The results demonstrate that the forward algorithm reduces the error bit rate by approximately 20% under low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions, while the backward algorithm reduces the error bit rate under high SNR conditions. The combination of the forward and backward algorithms reduces the error bit rate under both high and low SNR conditions. The proposed method contributes to improving the quality of ambient backscatter communication in UAV settings.
Exploring the nexus of innovation management, ultraviolet irradiation, and business scale: implications for sustainable fruit and vegetable preservation during the COVID-19 era
Authors: Kydyrbekova Assel , Meiramkulova Kulyash , Kydyrbekova Aliya , Mkilima Timoth
Published: March 2024

Innovation management stands as a pivotal driver in attaining enduring sustainability in livelihoods. However, its progress can face formidable obstacles, encompassing the complexities arising from human perceptions. This research delved into the realm of innovation management within the context of fruit and vegetable preservation, with a keen focus on the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the perceptual evaluations surrounding the viability of utilizing ultraviolet (UV) irradiation for this purpose. The perceived effectiveness of UV irradiation in fruit and vegetable preservation was found to be significantly influenced by factors, such as cost, safety, and limited understanding. The respondents' preference for preserved fruits and vegetables was most significantly influenced by the elimination of pathogenic microorganisms, as indicated by a mean score of 4.6. Notably, around 50.9% of the participants demonstrated a lack of understanding regarding the use of ultraviolet irradiation as a preservation technology. In addition, approximately 21.6% of the respondents expressed disinterest in adopting ultraviolet irradiation for preserving fruits and vegetables. In contrast, a smaller percentage of participants, merely 12.3%, showed a positive inclination towards employing ultraviolet irradiation in the preservation process. Interestingly, approximately 15.2% of respondents remained undecided and did not express a definitive preference concerning their willingness to utilize ultraviolet irradiation for preserving fruits and vegetables. Notably, the analysis has revealed a compelling trend, with a substantial portion of participants (63%) perceiving medium-sized enterprises involved in fruit and vegetable processing technologies as displaying notably low levels of motivation for innovation during the COVID-19 era. A similar viewpoint was shared by 51% of respondents regarding large-scale businesses. In stark contrast, the survey has illuminated a striking disparity, as small-scale businesses exhibited significantly heightened innovation motivation at 28%, surpassing the modest 10% observed in both medium-sized and large-scale counterparts. This pronounced variation in innovation motivation across diverse business scales highlights the multifaceted impact of the pandemic on their inclination towards embracing innovation. These findings offer invaluable insights into the intricacies governing innovation management within the fruit and vegetable preservation sector amidst the challenging COVID-19 period.
Reorganization of 3D genome architecture provides insights into pathogenesis of early fatty liver disease in laying hens
Authors: Liu Yanli , Zheng Zhuqing , Wang Chaohui , Wang Yumeng , Sun Xi , Ren Zhouzheng , Yang Xin , Yang Xiaojun
Published: March 2024

Background

Fatty liver disease causes huge economic losses in the poultry industry due to its high occurrence and lethality rate. Three-dimensional (3D) chromatin architecture takes part in disease processing by regulating transcriptional reprogramming. The study is carried out to investigate the alterations of hepatic 3D genome and H3K27ac profiling in early fatty liver (FLS) and reveal their effect on hepatic transcriptional reprogramming in laying hens.

Results

Results show that FLS model is constructed with obvious phenotypes including hepatic visible lipid deposition as well as higher total triglyceride and cholesterol in serum. A/B compartment switching, topologically associating domain (TAD) and chromatin loop changes are identified by high-throughput/resolution chromosome conformation capture (HiC) technology. Targeted genes of these alternations in hepatic 3D genome organization significantly enrich pathways related to lipid metabolism and hepatic damage. H3K27ac differential peaks and differential expression genes (DEGs) identified through RNA-seq analysis are also enriched in these pathways. Notably, certain DEGs are found to correspond with changes in 3D chromatin structure and H3K27ac binding in their promoters. DNA motif analysis reveals that candidate transcription factors are implicated in regulating transcriptional reprogramming. Furthermore, disturbed folate metabolism is observed, as evidenced by lower folate levels and altered enzyme expression.

Conclusion

Our findings establish a link between transcriptional reprogramming changes and 3D chromatin structure variations during early FLS formation, which provides candidate transcription factors and folate as targets for FLS prevention or treatment.
Using plausible values when fitting multilevel models with large-scale assessment data using R
Authors: Huang Francis L.
Published: March 2024

The use of large-scale assessments (LSAs) in education has grown in the past decade though analysis of LSAs using multilevel models (MLMs) using R has been limited. A reason for its limited use may be due to the complexity of incorporating both plausible values and weighted analyses in the multilevel analyses of LSA data. We provide additional functions in R that extend the functionality of the WeMix (Bailey et al., 2023) package to allow for the automatic pooling of plausible values. In addition, functions for model comparisons using plausible values and the ability to export output to different formats (e.g., Word, html) are also provided.
Interkingdom interactions shape the fungal microbiome of mosquitoes
Authors: Hegde Shivanand , Khanipov Kamil , Hornett Emily A. , Nilyanimit Pornjarim , Pimenova Maria , Saldaña Miguel A. , de Bekker Charissa , Golovko George , Hughes Grant L.
Published: March 2024

Background

The mosquito microbiome is an important modulator of vector competence and vectoral capacity. Unlike the extensively studied bacterial microbiome, fungal communities in the mosquito microbiome (the mycobiome) remain largely unexplored. To work towards getting an improved understanding of the fungi associated with mosquitoes, we sequenced the mycobiome of three field-collected and laboratory-reared mosquito species (Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti, and Culex quinquefasciatus).

Results

Our analysis showed both environment and host species were contributing to the diversity of the fungal microbiome of mosquitoes. When comparing species, Ae. albopictus possessed a higher number of diverse fungal taxa than Cx. quinquefasciatus, while strikingly less than 1% of reads from Ae. aegypti samples were fungal. Fungal reads from Ae. aegypti were < 1% even after inhibiting host amplification using a PNA blocker, indicating that this species lacked a significant fungal microbiome that was amplified using this sequencing approach. Using a mono-association mosquito infection model, we confirmed that mosquito-derived fungal isolates colonize Aedes mosquitoes and support growth and development at comparable rates to their bacterial counterparts. Strikingly, native bacterial taxa isolated from mosquitoes impeded the colonization of symbiotic fungi in Ae. aegypti suggesting interkingdom interactions shape fungal microbiome communities.

Conclusion

Collectively, this study adds to our understanding of the fungal microbiome of different mosquito species, that these fungal microbes support growth and development, and highlights that microbial interactions underpin fungal colonization of these medically relevent species.
Role of conventional ultrasound and shear wave elastography of median nerve in diagnosis and differentiation of carpal tunnel syndrome severity in correlation with electrodiagnostic studies
Authors: El-Shewi Islam El-Hefnawi , Tawfeek Aliaa Ali , Mohamed Alaa Abdelhakam , Mostafa Maged Abdulrahman
Published: March 2024

Background

The gold standard for CTS diagnosis is abnormalities on electrophysiologic testing in conjunction with specified symptoms. Electrophysiologic testing can also identify the severity of nerve injury.

Aim of work

Aimed to investigate how effective various ultrasonography and elastography parameters at diagnosing and grading the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome in correlation with the electrophysiological evaluation of the median nerve.

Methods

The study included 62 wrists, 31 CTS cases and 25 females. Thirty-one healthy adults served as control group. Eleven males (35.5%) and 20 females (64.5%) were included. All US examinations were done with the subjects sitting with their upper limbs relaxed on a pillow with forearm in supine position, and the fingers are semi-flexed. Ultrasound and elastography parameters were recorded. NCS was done by recording median nerve motor and sensory functions and then comparing median nerve versus radial and ulnar nerves if the previous recordings were normal to detect early starting cases.

Results

US and elastography can significantly diagnose CTS and detecting its severity (mild/moderate versus severe CTS).

Conclusions

It is noninvasive to examine the median nerve using ultrasound and shear wave elastography, highly sensitive diagnostic modality. It can significantly diagnose CTS and severity of CTS (in contrast to mild, moderate, and severe instances). Mixing high-resolution conventional B-mode US with shear wave ultrasound elastography of the median nerve may increase the diagnostic precision of CTS.
Wearable devices for postoperative monitoring in surgical ward and the chain of liability
Authors: Bellini Valentina , Brambilla Marco , Bignami Elena
Published: March 2024

Perioperative medicine is undergoing many changes with the introduction of new technologies. Wearable devices are among them. These novel tools are providing an additional possibility for perioperative monitoring. However, in order to ensure that the introduction of wearable device in surgical wards does not lead to additional challenges for healthcare professionals, a careful implementation plan should be drawn up by a multidisciplinary team. In addition, a chain of liability should also be established a priori to facilitate their use and avoid ambiguity in the occurrence of a critical event.
Cardiac tamponade due to coronary artery injury after left upper lobectomy
Authors: Kawakami Toru , Iwakura Tomohiro , Chen Ken , Atsumi Jun , Shimoda Kiyomi , Hiramatsu Miyako , Shiraishi Yuji
Published: March 2024

Background

Cardiac tamponade caused by coronary artery injury is an extremely rare postlobectomy complication. Herein, we present a case of cardiac tamponade due to coronary artery injury after a left upper lobectomy for lung cancer and discuss the possible cause of coronary artery injury.

Case presentation

An 82-year-old man with atrial fibrillation, emphysema, chronic heart failure-associated cardiomegaly, and a history of aortic stenting for an abdominal aortic aneurysm underwent a left upper lobectomy without mediastinal nodal dissection for lung cancer. Twenty-eight hours postoperatively, he lost consciousness and went into shock vitals; computed tomography revealed cardiac tamponade. Emergency surgery was performed, which revealed a left circumflex artery laceration. Although the laceration was successfully repaired, he had a gastrointestinal perforation and developed septic shock. He died 35 days after the lung surgery. Intraoperative injury to the heart cannot be ruled out, but the site of the coronary artery injury was located far from the hilum outside the surgical field during the lobectomy. Three-dimensional computed tomography showed that the site of injury was close to the multiple firing junction of the staples that divided the anterior interlobar fissure. Two staples at the multiple firing junction, which protruded perpendicularly to the cut surface, could injure the coronary artery.

Conclusion

Although we cannot rule out the possibility that the intraoperative manipulation procedures contributed to the coronary artery injury, we speculate that the protruding staples might penetrate the pericardium after lung expansion and eventually injured the coronary artery.
Primary outcome reporting in clinical trials for older adults with depression
Authors: Rodrigues Myanca , Oprea Anna , Johnson Keily , Dufort Alexander , Sanger Nitika , Ghiassi Pegah , Sanger Stephanie , Panesar Balpreet , D'Elia Alessia , Parpia Sameer , Samaan Zainab , Thabane Lehana
Published: March 2024

Background

Findings from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are synthesised through meta-analyses, which inform evidence-based decision-making. When key details regarding trial outcomes are not fully reported, knowledge synthesis and uptake of findings into clinical practice are impeded.

Aims

Our study assessed reporting of primary outcomes in RCTs for older adults with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Method

Trials published between 2011 and 2021, which assessed any intervention for adults aged ≥65 years with a MDD diagnosis, and that specified a single primary outcome were considered for inclusion in our study. Outcome reporting assessment was conducted independently and in duplicate with a 58-item checklist, used in developing the CONSORT-Outcomes statement, and information in each RCT was scored as ‘fully reported’, ‘partially reported’ or ‘not reported’, as applicable.

Results

Thirty-one of 49 RCTs reported one primary outcome and were included in our study. Most trials (71%) did not fully report over half of the 58 checklist items. Items pertaining to outcome analyses and interpretation were fully reported by 65% or more of trials. Items reported less frequently included: outcome measurement instrument properties (varied from 3 to 30%) and justification of the criteria used to define clinically meaningful change (23%).

Conclusions

There is variability in how geriatric depression RCTs report primary outcomes, with omission of details regarding measurement, selection, justification and definition of clinically meaningful change. Outcome reporting deficiencies may hinder replicability and synthesis efforts that inform clinical guidelines and decision-making. The CONSORT-Outcomes guideline should be used when reporting geriatric depression RCTs.
Health Care Contact Days Among Older Cancer Survivors
Authors: Gupta Arjun , Chant Emma D. , Mohile Supriya , Vogel Rachel I. , Parsons Helen M. , Blaes Anne H. , Booth Christopher M. , Rocque Gabrielle B. , Dusetzina Stacie B. , Ganguli Ishani
Published: March 2024

PURPOSE

Health care contact days—days spent receiving health care outside the home—represent an intuitive, practical, and person-centered measure of time consumed by health care.

METHODS

We linked 2019 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey and traditional Medicare claims data for community-dwelling older adults with a history of cancer. We identified contact days (ie, spent in a hospital, emergency department, skilled nursing facility, or inpatient hospice or receiving ambulatory care including an office visit, procedure, treatment, imaging, or test) and described patterns of total and ambulatory contact days. Using weighted Poisson regression models, we identified factors associated with contact days.

RESULTS

We included 1,168 older adults representing 4.51 million cancer survivors (median age, 76.4 years, 52.8% women). The median (IQR) time from cancer diagnosis was 65 (27-126) months. In 2019, these adults had mean (standard deviation) total contact days of 28.4 (27.6) and ambulatory contact days of 24.2 (23.6). These included days for tests (8.0 [8.8]), imaging (3.6 [4.1]), visits with any clinicians (12.4 [11.5]), and visits with primary care clinicians (4.4 [4.7]), and nononcology specialists (7.1 [9.4]) specifically. Sixty-four percent of days with a nonvisit ambulatory service (eg, a test) were not on the same day as a clinician visit. Factors associated with more total contact days included younger age, lower income, more chronic conditions, poor self-rated health, and tendency to “go to doctor as soon as feel bad.”

CONCLUSION

Older adult cancer survivors spent nearly 1 month of the year receiving health care outside the home. This care was largely ambulatory, often delivered by nononcologists, and varied by factors beyond clinical characteristics. These results highlight the need to recognize patient burdens and improve survivorship care delivery, including through care coordination.
MeIS: DNA Methylation-Based Immune Response Signatures for Thyroid Nodule Diagnostics
Authors: Chen Huang , Liu Yiying , Wang Feihang , Sun Jin , Gong Chengxiang , Zhu Min , Xu Minjie , He Qiye , Liu Rui , Su Zhixi , Zhong Dingrong , Liu Lingxiao
Published: March 2024

Context

Accurately distinguishing between benign thyroid nodules (BTNs) and papillary thyroid cancers (PTCs) with current conventional methods poses a significant challenge.

Objective

We identify DNA methylation markers of immune response–related genes for distinguishing BTNs and PTCs.

Methods

In this study, we analyzed a public reduced representative bisulfite sequencing dataset and revealed distinct methylation patterns associated with immune signals in PTCs and BTNs. Based on these findings, we developed a diagnostic classifier named the Methylation-based Immune Response Signature (MeIS), which was composed of 15 DNA methylation markers associated with immune response–related genes. We validated MeIS's performance in 2 independent cohorts: Z.S.'s retrospective cohort (50 PTC and 18 BTN surgery-leftover samples) and Z.S.'s preoperative cohort (31 PTC and 30 BTN fine-needle aspiration samples).

Results

The MeIS classifier demonstrated significant clinical promise, achieving areas under the curve of 0.96, 0.98, 0.89, and 0.90 in the training set, validation set, Z.S.'s retrospective cohort, and Z.S.'s preoperative cohort, respectively. For the cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules, in Z.S.'s retrospective cohort, MeIS exhibited a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 82%; in Z.S.'s preoperative cohort, MeIS achieved a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 74%. Additionally, combining MeIS and BRAF V600E detection improved the detecting performance of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules, yielding sensitivities of 98% and 87%, and specificities of 82% and 74% in Z.S.'s retrospective cohort and Z.S.'s preoperative cohort, respectively.

Conclusion

The 15 markers we identified can be employed to improve the diagnostic of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules.
A Randomized Clinical Trial for Meal Bolus Decision Using Learning-based Control in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Liu Wei , Cai Deheng , Zhang Rui , Zhang Xiuying , Cai Xiaoling , Tao Liyuan , Han Xueyao , Luo Yingying , Li Meng , Wu Wenjing , Ma Yumin , Shi Dawei , Ji Linong
Published: March 2024

Context

We propose an artificial-pancreas-like algorithm (AP-A) that could automatically determine the preprandial insulin dose based on intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring (isCGM) data trajectories in multiple dose injection (MDI) therapy.

Objective

We aim to determine whether preprandial insulin dose adjustments guided by the AP-A are as effective and safe as physician decisions.

Methods

We performed a randomized, single-blind, clinical trial at a tertiary, referral hospital in Beijing, China. Type 2 diabetes participants were eligible if they were aged 18 years or older, with a glycated hemoglobin A1c of 8.0% or higher. Eligible participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to the AP-A arm supervised by physician and the conventional physician treatment arm. The primary objective was to compare percentage time spent with sensor glucose level in 3.9 to 10.0 mmol/L (TIR) between the 2 study arms. Safety was assessed by the percentage time spent with sensor glucose level below 3.0 mmol/L (TBR).

Results

A total of 140 participants were screened, of whom 119 were randomly assigned to the AP-A arm (n = 59) or physician arm (n = 60). The TIR achieved by the AP-A arm was statistically noninferior compared with the control arm (72.4% [63.3%-82.1%] vs 71.2% [54.9%-81.4%]), with a median difference of 1.33% (95% CI, −6.00 to 10.94, noninferiority margin −7.5%). TBR was also statistically noninferior between the AP-A and control arms (0.0% [0.0%-0.0%] vs 0.0% [0.0%-0.0%]), respectively; median difference (95% CI, 0.00% [0.00%-0.00%], noninferiority margin 2.0%).

Conclusion

The AP-A–supported physician titration of preprandial insulin dosage offers noninferior glycemic control compared with optimal physician care in type 2 diabetes.
“Alive in Every Fibre”: Chopin and Wharton on Pain, Pleasure, and Private Feeling
Authors: Davis Cynthia J.
Published: March 2024

In this essay, novels by Kate Chopin and Edith Wharton serve to elucidate more widely resonant value-laden distinctions between publicly embodied and quietly internalized responses to pain and pleasure. This fictional archive denigrates the demonstrativeness it associates with people marginalized by ascriptive identities of race and class while endorsing the uncommonly vibrant inner lives of particular elite white subjects. Pain and pleasure are valued for arousing hidden depths of feeling that distinguish a singular subject’s affective life from purportedly commonplace and conformist incarnations. Conceptions of selfhood and otherness hinge on distinctions between a subject afforded a purportedly uncommon, deeply vibrant affect molded by an equally uncommon responsiveness to hedonic stimuli and a person or set of persons whose discernable, often simulated or conventional hedonic feelings are represented as typifying a comparatively depreciated racialized, classed, or gendered norm, or some combination of the three. This high-cultural literary investment in a nonnormative, nonreproducible affective interiority strengthened amid debates about privacy rights, an increasing cultural preference for performative self-presentations, and efforts to standardize the US population into types. Drawing on this context along with both affect theory and affective science, the essay demonstrates these novels’ importance to understanding how an unexpressed inner vitality emerged as distinction’s volitionally unattainable vital sign.
Shocking Therapy: Narrating Racism’s Psychobiological Injuries in Ralph Ellison’s Factory Hospital
Authors: Smith Cera
Published: March 2024

Taking seriously Ralph Ellison’s interest in the sympathetic nervous system and his involvement in the Black hospital movement, this article demonstrates how the protagonist’s pain in Invisible Man’s factory hospital scene influences the narrator’s writerly “choices” in the novel’s frame narrative. Scholarship on the novel thoroughly attends to the trope of the protagonist’s invisibility but regularly overlooks his corporeal presence. Invisible Man experiences social invisibility, not as a metaphor but as an embodied, somatic state initiated through racializing violence. This essay offers a psychobiologically attentive reading of the factory hospital scene to investigate the potentialities of the Black protagonist’s embodied living. In the scene, racist doctors injure the protagonist’s brain through electroshock torture, disrupting his cognition and sympathetic nervous system. However, the protagonist’s corporeal development of a new consciousness through racist injury has unintended consequences; his resilient brain charts new pathways of thought, undermining his domination through emotional self-awareness. This essay argues that the protagonist’s patient narrative—written following brain injury—functions as a countertechnology to the doctors’ racializing machine.
Walking Barefoot
Authors: Kisukidi Nadia Yala , Strauss Pablo
Published: March 2024

Four contemporary thinkers from different disciplines and geographies come together around the theme of Borders, Human Itineraries, and All Our Relation. Architect, artist, and urban theorist Dele Adeyemo (UK/Nigeria) calls attention to the complexity of Black infrastructures, questioning how “the environments that surround us condition the possibility of our being.” Poet Natalie Diaz (US/Mojave/Akimel O’otham) writes, “Like story, migration is the sensual movement of knowledge,” and asks, “What is the language we need to live right now?” Philosopher Nadia Yala Kisukidi (France) suggests there is no diasporic life “without the dynamics of fabulation, where we pass down, from generation to generation, the stories of our ancestors who walked barefoot for many months.” And cultural theorist Rinaldo Walcott (Canada) asks us to consider inheritances beyond white supremacist logics, “What might it mean to live a life, if we can’t risk desiring and working towards utopia?” Braided together in this book, the essays speak to each other in multiple ways, creating a revealing vision of the world as it is, and as it could be.
Towards Another Shape of This World
Authors: Walcott Rinaldo
Published: March 2024

Four contemporary thinkers from different disciplines and geographies come together around the theme of Borders, Human Itineraries, and All Our Relation. Architect, artist, and urban theorist Dele Adeyemo (UK/Nigeria) calls attention to the complexity of Black infrastructures, questioning how “the environments that surround us condition the possibility of our being.” Poet Natalie Diaz (US/Mojave/Akimel O’otham) writes, “Like story, migration is the sensual movement of knowledge,” and asks, “What is the language we need to live right now?” Philosopher Nadia Yala Kisukidi (France) suggests there is no diasporic life “without the dynamics of fabulation, where we pass down, from generation to generation, the stories of our ancestors who walked barefoot for many months.” And cultural theorist Rinaldo Walcott (Canada) asks us to consider inheritances beyond white supremacist logics, “What might it mean to live a life, if we can’t risk desiring and working towards utopia?” Braided together in this book, the essays speak to each other in multiple ways, creating a revealing vision of the world as it is, and as it could be.
Cross-Education Effects of Isokinetic Eccentric Plantarflexor Training on Flexibility, Strength, and Muscle–Tendon Mechanics
Authors: KAY ANTHONY D. , BLAZEVICH ANTHONY J. , TYSOE JESSICA C. , BAXTER BRETT A.
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Large increases in joint range of motion (ROM) have been reported after eccentric resistance training; however, limited data exist describing the associated mechanisms or potential cross-education effects in the contralateral limb. Therefore, the effects of a 6-wk isokinetic eccentric plantarflexor training program were examined in 26 participants.

Methods

Before and after the training program, dorsiflexion ROM, plantarflexor strength, and muscle–tendon unit (MTU) morphology and mechanics were measured in control (n = 13) and experimental (n = 13) young adult groups. Training consisted of 5 sets of 12 maximal isokinetic eccentric plantarflexor contractions twice weekly on the right limb.

Results

Significant (P < 0.05) increases in dorsiflexion ROM (4.0–9.5°), stretch tolerance (40.3–95.9%), passive elastic energy storage (47.5–161.3%), and isometric (38.1–40.6%) and eccentric (46.7–67.0%) peak plantarflexor torques were detected in both trained and contralateral limbs in the experimental group. Significant increases in gastrocnemius medialis and soleus thickness (5.4–6.1%), gastrocnemius medialis fascicle length (7.6 ± 8.5%), passive plantarflexor MTU stiffness (30.1 ± 35.5%), and Achilles tendon stiffness (5.3 ± 4.9%) were observed in the trained limb only. Significant correlations were detected between the changes in trained and contralateral limbs for dorsiflexion ROM (r = 0.59) and both isometric (r = 0.79) and eccentric (r = 0.73) peak torques. No significant changes in any metric were detected in the control group.

Conclusions

Large ROM increases in the trained limb were associated with neurological, mechanical, and structural adaptations, with evidence of a cross-education effect in the contralateral limb being primarily driven by neurological adaptation (stretch tolerance). The large improvements in ROM, muscle size, and strength confirm that isokinetic eccentric training is a highly effective training tool, with potential for use in athletic and clinical populations where MTU function is impaired and current therapies are ineffective.
The genome sequence of a heart cockle, Fragum whitleyi Iredale, 1929
Authors: Li Ruiqi , Li Jingchun , Lemer Sarah , Lopez Jose Victor , Oatley Graeme , Clayton-Lucey Isabelle Ailish , Sinclair Elizabeth , Aunin Eerik , Gettle Noah , Santos Camilla , Paulini Michael , Niu Haoyu , McKenna Victoria , O’Brien Rebecca ,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Management, Samples and Laboratory Team,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: Sequencing Operations,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Core Informatics Team,   EBI Aquatic Symbiosis Genomics Data Portal Team,   Aquatic Symbiosis Genomics Project Leadership
Published: March 2024

We present a genome assembly from an individual Fragum whitleyi (a heart cockle; Mollusca; Bivalvia; Veneroida; Cardiidae). The genome sequence is 1224.6 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 18 chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 30.34 kilobases in length.
ATPase activity of actomyosin and myosin in different types of muscles of intact and irradiated animals
Authors: Stepanov G. , Vastyanov R. , Kostina A. , Lazor N.
Published: March 2024

The large-scale use of sources of ionizing radiation and related accidents caused a fundamentally new problem. The body's resistance to the influence of adverse environmental factors and the probability of pathological disorders are significantly determined by the state of adaptive systems. One of the general manifestations of adaptation is a change in motor activity, which is associated, in particular, with changes in the content of contractile proteins, muscle function, and muscle contraction. It is crucial to understand the detailed mechanisms of muscle tissue functioning in the body of intact animals and animals exposed to different doses of radiation because, in this case, preventive and curative/rehabilitative medical measures should be milder for muscle dysfunctions caused by ionizing radiation The purpose of the work is to investigate the effect of different doses of radiation on Mg2+, Ca2+-ATPase and K+-ATPase activity of actomyosin and myosin in the mechanisms of intact and irradiated in different doses of sexually mature animals in order to find out the mechanisms of adaptation of the organism to the influence of stress factor by studying changes in the activity of Mg2+, Ca2+-ATPase and K+-ATPase in the muscle system. The data obtained showed that irradiation at a dose of 0.5 Gy affects Mg2+,Ca2+-ATPase and K+-ATPase activity, however, these changes occur differently. K+-ATPase actomyosin activity in cardiac and skeletal muscles decreased starting from the 1st day of the experiment. Its gradual increase was observed only on the 30th day but still, it was smaller when compared with such an indicator in intact animals. It was proved that the Mg2+, Ca2+-ATPase actomyosin activity in sexually mature animals irradiated at a dose of 1.0 Gy increased 1 day after irradiation in skeletal muscle. In сardiac muscle an acute increase in Mg2+, Ca2+-ATPase actomyosin activity was observed on the 1st day and its decrease - by the 30th day. The conclusion was made that irradiation at a dose of 1.0 Gy is accompanied by skeletal muscle damage, as well as modification of the actomyosin protein complex, which is the major unit of muscle contraction. This leads to changes in its functional activity and is expressed in an increase in K+-ATPase actomyosin activity of muscles sensitive to irradiation. We assume such a mechanism of the effect of ionizing radiation on the actomyosin complex. The authors sure that a decrease in Mg2+, Ca2+-ATP-ase myosin activity as a result of exposure to ionizing radiation at a dose of 1.0 Gy can be caused by a violation of the structure of its active center since the ATPase center of pure myosin is free from interaction with actin, and that is why myosin appears more sensitive to the action of ionizing radiation.
A FAST Method for Nested Estimation
Authors: Liang Guo , Zhang Kun , Luo Jun
Published: March 2024

Nested estimation involves estimating an expectation of a function of a conditional expectation and has many important applications in operations research and machine learning. Nested simulation is a classic approach to this estimation, and the convergence rate of the mean squared error (MSE) of nested simulation estimators is only of order [Formula: see text], where Γ is the simulation budget. To accelerate the convergence, in this paper, we establish a jackkniFe-bAsed neSted simulaTion (FAST) method for nested estimation, and a unified theoretical analysis for general functions in the nested estimation shows that the MSE of the proposed method converges at the faster rate of [Formula: see text] or even [Formula: see text]. We also provide an efficient algorithm that ensures the estimator’s MSE decays at its optimal rate in practice. In numerical experiments, we apply the proposed estimator in portfolio risk measurement and Bayesian experimental design in operations research and machine learning areas, respectively, and numerical results are consistent with the theory presented.

History: Accepted by Bruno Tuffin, Area Editor for Simulation.

Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 72031006, 72101260, and 72394375].

Supplemental Material: The software that supports the findings of this study is available within the paper and its Supplemental Information ( https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/ijoc.2023.0118 ) as well as from the IJOC GitHub software repository ( https://github.com/INFORMSJoC/2023.0118 ). The complete IJOC Software and Data Repository is available at https://informsjoc.github.io/ .
Transportation-Enabled Services: Concept, Framework, and Research Opportunities
Authors: Agatz Niels , Cho Soo-Haeng , Sun Hao , Wang Hai
Published: March 2024

As a result of rapid advancements in urban infrastructure and technology, transportation is transforming a variety of innovative and emerging services. This paper introduces the concept of transportation-enabled services (TRENS), which is a service model that uses transportation systems to enable and enhance the delivery, accessibility, and effectiveness of nontransportation services. We establish a general framework in which the transportation-enabled services involve four key stakeholders: customers, suppliers, TRENS providers, and transportation carriers. Within this general framework, we present five specific service models: a one-sided market, three variants of two-sided markets, and a three-sided market, each characterized by the interactions among suppliers, TRENS providers, and transportation carriers. Taking different models of transportation-enabled services into consideration, we highlight crucial research opportunities to enhance understanding of the planning, operations, evaluation, and regulation of transportation-enabled services. These research opportunities include demand and supply management, transportation system management and operations, coordination among stakeholders, and the evaluation and regulation of transportation-enabled services. We believe that the emergence, widespread adoption, and popularity of transportation-enabled services will significantly enhance and reshape many services and thus contribute to the overall improvement of future mobility in the broader context of smart cities.

History: This paper has been accepted for the Service Science Special Issue on Innovation in Transportation-Enabled Urban Services.

Funding: The work of Hai Wang was supported by the Lee Kong Chian Fellowship awarded by Singapore Management University. The work of Hao Sun was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 72301179].
Denoised single-pixel imaging in a Fourier acquisition mode
Authors: Xia Pengcheng , Wang Le , Zhao Shengmei
Published: March 2024

The degradation of imaging quality caused by environmental noise during Fourier single pixel imaging (FSPI) is a big problem. In this paper, we propose simple and efficient denoised single-pixel imaging schemes by using linear filters to reduce the impact. Two filters, such as an average filter and Gaussian filter, are employed, and their corresponding schemes are named SCH-A and SCH-G, respectively. The experimental and simulation results show that both schemes can effectively reduce the impact of environmental noise and have greater robustness in comparison with those using the deringing SPI and conventional SPI. Compared with SCH-A, the reconstructed image by SCH-G keeps more details and edges. With the increase of template size, SCH-A and SCH-G have better filtering effects with the same variance. Meanwhile, the larger the template size is, the better filtering effect SCH-A has. This conclusion is also applicable to SCH-G under the same variance.
High-precision binocular camera calibration method based on a 3D calibration object
Authors: Zhang Xiaowen , Lv Tiegang , Dan Wang , Minghao Zhang
Published: March 2024

A high-precision binocular camera calibration method is proposed to address the issues of poor calibration accuracy and large calibration errors in current practical applications. This method uses a triangular stereo sphere as the calibration object and employs steps, such as ellipse fitting, Cholesky decomposition, homography matrix solution, and nonlinear optimization, to compute the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters, distortion parameters, and relative pose of the binocular camera. Moreover, this method simplifies the correspondences between primitives, enabling simultaneous calibration of multiple viewpoint cameras. This method is also suitable for both binocular cameras consisting of two different structured monocular cameras and those composed of two image sensors within the same structure. Experimental results showed that this method outperforms traditional algorithms in terms of binocular camera calibration accuracy, calibration errors between left and right cameras, and robustness, resulting in a significant improvement in overall algorithm performance.
Shaping of a reflective microjet via the addition of a metal mask onto a dielectric scatterer
Authors: Yang Yu-Jing , Zhang De-Long
Published: March 2024

The method of shaping a reflective microjet (MJ) via the addition of a metal mask onto a dielectric scatterer is proposed. The study focuses on the effects of size, shape of metal mask, and shape of scatterer on the performance of the MJ. The results show that the mask size is a vital factor in tailoring the characteristic parameters of the MJ, especially the focal length (FL). With a properly designed mask size, the FL can increase by 0.51λ, as much as 4 times the FL of a MJ generated without a metal mask. The mask size dependence of MJ parameters is related to the change of number and position of phase singularity in Poynting vector distribution. And the shapes of the mask and scatterer only slightly affect the optimal mask size at which the FL maximizes. In addition, the MJ generated by the presently proposed scattering system can work in the frequency range of 0.1 THz–1.4 THz. The effect of frequency on MJ properties is related to the dispensation and absorption of material. The proposed method can be used to effectively tailor the FL of the reflective MJ to meet the requirements set by various applications.
Multiple electromagnetically induced grating in the 85Rb five-level atomic medium
Authors: Anh Nguyen Thi Quynh , Bang Nguyen Huy , Anh Ha Thi Quynh , Van Anh Truong Chu , Mai Ngo Thi Tuyet , Nhung Nguyen Thi , Nhu Trinh Thi , My Le Tra , Huyen Le Thi Minh , Hung Ngo Tien , Van Doai Le
Published: March 2024

In this work, a multiple electromagnetically induced grating is realized based on multiple electromagnetically induced transparency in the 85Rb five-level atomic medium. We demonstrate that the diffraction pattern of the probe light field is observed at three different frequency regions corresponding to the three transparent spectral regions of the system. The influence of the intensity and frequency of the coupling laser field on the diffraction pattern of the electromagnetically induced grating and its diffraction efficiency is also investigated, which can find the optimal parameters to improve the higher-order diffraction efficiencies. The appearance of the multiple electromagnetically induced grating in multi-level atomic systems can be applied to photonic devices operating with multiple frequency channels.
28.02 W LD side-pumped CW laser operated at 2.8 µm in YSGG/Er:YSGG/YSGG crystal
Authors: Zhang Huili , Sun Dunlu , Luo Jianqiao , Quan Cong , Zhang Peixiong , Qiao Yang , Dong Kunpeng , Chen Yuwei , Wang Zhentao , Li Hongyuan , Cheng Maojie
Published: March 2024

We demonstrated a 978 nm laser diode (LD) side-pumped YSGG/Er:YSGG/YSGG composite crystal with a size of Ф 3 mm × 65 mm and continuous-wave (CW) mode. By optimizing resonator length and output mirror transmittance, a maximum output power of 28.02 W is generated, corresponding to slope efficiency of 17.55% and optical-optical efficiency of 12.29%, respectively. The thermal focal lengths are obtained by resonator stability condition. The laser wavelength is centered near 2.8 µm. Moreover, the beam quality factors M
x
2/M
y
2 are fitted to be 8.14 and 7.35, respectively. The above results indicate that a high-performance 2.8 µm CW laser can be achieved by LD side-pumped YSGG/Er:YSGG/YSGG composite crystal with excellent heat dissipation ability, which promotes effectively the development and applications of the mid-infrared solid-state lasers.
Super amplification enabled by orbital angular momentum in weak measurement
Authors: Xie Shiwei , Zhu Junfan , Wang An , Wang Yue , Huang Yongping , Zhang Zhiyou
Published: March 2024

Weak measurement, which can amplify a weak signal, has shown great significance in precision measurements. The amplification is usually realized through the weak value and the propagation factor. We show that the orbital angular momentum (OAM) can provide another dimension for amplification that is linearly proportional to the OAM number. We employ OAM to measure the spin Hall effect of light and demonstrate that the OAM-enabled amplification is compatible with the weak value amplification and the propagation amplification. This work is probable to promote the application of OAM in precision measurements.
Tracking bandwidth limitations for strong optical-turbulence conditions
Authors: Kalensky Matthew , Getts Darren , Spencer Mark F.
Published: March 2024

We derive a modified fundamental tracking frequency that is applicable for beam-control systems that do not employ adaptive-optics compensation. Specifically, we show that there are diminishing returns on tracking faster than the modified fundamental tracking frequency. Furthermore, when D/r0 > 4, where D is the aperture diameter and r0 is the Fried parameter, we show that increasing the track bandwidth alone will not improve system performance. These conclusions result from beam spreading being the dominant driver of decreased system performance, as opposed to beam jitter.
Learning-based correction with Gaussian constraints for ghost imaging through dynamic scattering media: erratum
Authors: Peng Yang , Chen Wen
Published: March 2024

We correct a typographical error in our Letter [Opt. Lett. 48, 4480 (2023)10.1364/OL.499787]. The corrections have no influence on the results and conclusions of the original Letter.