bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Case Report: Transorbital approach for the management of an orbito-temporal penetrating brain injury (skull base region) secondary to wooden spikes
Authors: Apriawan Tedy , Hafid Bajamal Abdul , Darlan Ditto , Ramadhan Yusriandi
Published: December 2021

Background and importance: Transorbital penetrating brain injury (PBI) due to a non-projectile foreign body is rare. It can lead to life-threatening severe neurovascular damage. Surgery is the primary treatment choice; however, there are a number of approaches that can be considered based on the patient's condition in terms of foreign body location and state of the patient.

Clinical presentation: An 18-year-old male carpenter was hit by a log and sustained transorbital PBI while cutting wood with a machine. Computed tomography (CT) scan showed a wooden spike that was approximately 11 cm from the left medial orbital to the superior part of the posterolateral of the petrous bone, crossing the right side at the base of the skull. CT angiography (CTA), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), and magnetic resonance venography (MRV) revealed no internal carotid artery (ICA) and cavernous sinus lesions, respectively. We had a 3D-printed model for preoperative planning, and surgery was performed using a transorbital approach to extract the wood 14 days after the accident. The impacted wood was removed without any complications.

Conclusion: There are many surgical approaches for transorbital PBI. We decided to perform the transorbital approach because it is perpendicular to the entry zone. Surgeons should consistently perform minimally invasive procedures based on the clinical and radiological findings.
Europejskie miasta od nowa
Authors: Grzegorzewska Maria Katarzyna , Karocki Piotr
Published: December 2021

European Cities Reloaded. Stress or Relaxation?
This article justifies the thesis that the full implementation of the Smart City concept (re-development of cities around the world) will significantly reduce the stress in which their inhabitants live. The article starts with introducing the very concept of Smart City: why there is a need to rebuild cities and what it is all about. Then, it lists the basic stressors related to living in a city, and finally indicates which Smart City activities (standardized by ISO and implemented by the European Union legislation) counteract the aforementioned stressors.
Know Thy Context: Parsing Contextual Information from User Reviews for Recommendation Purposes
Authors: Bauman Konstantin , Tuzhilin Alexander
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we study an important problem of parsing contextual information from user reviews for recommendation purposes. First, we study the ways contextual information is expressed in user reviews and obtain novel insights about it. Among other things, we demonstrate that such type of information tends to appear at the beginning of the review, in longer sentences, in the sentences written in the past tense or using gerund form, and in the sentences referring to some points in time. Second, we propose a novel context parsing method for systematically extracting contextual information from user-generated reviews that rely on the insights obtained in our study. We apply the proposed method to three different Yelp applications (restaurants, hotels, and beauty & spas) and demonstrate that it works well and leads to better recommendation performance than the baseline approaches. Our method systematically extracts more comprehensive sets of relevant contextual variables and corresponding phrases than the baselines. Our analysis also shows the importance of the newly discovered contextual information for recommendation purposes. The obtained results and the proposed method can help to get more comprehensive knowledge about contextual variables in a given application that leads to better recommendations.
Os novos Bezerros de Ouro: estaríamos vivendo um surto iconoclasta?
Authors: Abreu Clara Habib de Salles
Published: December 2021

Além de funcionar como um ensaio que visa questionar se estamos testemunhando um novo período iconoclasta, este trabalho tem como objetivo fazer uma introdução ao presente dossiê temático.Palavras-chave: Iconoclastia; Bezerro de ouro; Monumentos públicos; Lugar de memória
Da iconoclastia à política das imagens: as aventuras da negatividade
Authors: Seligmann-Silva Márcio
Published: December 2021

O texto estuda as seguintes estações da iconoclastia e de suas mudanças: Antiguidade; Antigo Testamento; a querela iconoclasta medieval; Arnold Schönberg; S. Freud; Th. Adorno (a negatividade das imagens repensada a partir de uma nova ética da representação); W. Benjamin (o dever de destruição das falsas imagens da história); a virada testemunhal pós-colonial; o texto conclui com uma análise de obras de Jaime Lauriano, Alfredo Jaar e Rosana Paulino.Palavras-chave: querela iconoclasta; virada pós-colonial; ética da representação; Bildraum
“POR QUE NÃO JOGO TUDO PRA CIMA E ABANDONO DE VEZ O APRENDIZADO EM INGLÊS?” REFLEXÕES E ENTENDIMENTOS SOBRE A ANSIEDADE DE LÍNGUA ESTRANGEIRA / “Why don’t I throw it all to the wind and give up learning English once and for all?” Reflections and understandings about foreign language anxiety
Authors: Silveira Fernanda Vieira da Rocha
Published: December 2021

A ansiedade de língua estrangeira (ALE) vem sendo amplamente investigada como um dos fatores de ordem afetiva que mais negativamente interfere no processo de ensino-aprendizagem de línguas estrangeiras e causa sofrimento emocional aos aprendizes e usuários dessas línguas (HORWITZ, 1986, 2010). Este estudo de caso de cunho qualitativo em andamento, se insere na área da linguística aplicada e no arcabouço ético, teórico e metodológico da Prática Exploratória (ALLWRIGHT, 1991, 2003). A pesquisa tem como objetivos apresentar os sentimentos de um aprendiz adulto que se considera ansioso em relação à aprendizagem e uso da língua inglesa, seus puzzles sobre a sua vivência na língua inglesa e entendimentos (co)construídos em um encontro ocorrido na plataforma RNP, no qual foi realizada uma conversa exploratória. Dos quinze puzzles criados pelo participante, onze foram selecionados para a análise interpretativa. O aporte teórico que embasa a pesquisa inclui a conceituação, a tipologia e os instrumentos de aferição da ALE, assim como a sua relação com a Prática Exploratória, que traz em seu cerne princípios e propósitos. Os dados mostram que o aprendiz apresenta sentimentos negativos em relação à aprendizagem e ao uso da língua inglesa condizentes com a literatura sobre a ALE. O percurso reflexivo trilhado durante a conversa exploratória sobre os puzzles criados pelo participante nos trouxe entendimentos sobre esses sentimentos negativos e sobre como algumas características da sua personalidade podem interferir na sua qualidade de vida enquanto aprendiz e usuário da língua inglesa.
POR QUE EU ENSINO COMO ENSINO? CRENÇAS DE PROFESSORES DE LE EM FORMAÇÃO SOBRE O USO DAS TDIC E SUAS PRÁTICAS EM SALA DE AULA / Why do I teach the way I teach? Beliefs of pre-service teachers of Spanish as a foreign language about the use of digital information and communication technologies (DICT) in their classroom practices
Authors: Lopes Leal Vânia Aparecida , Barcelos Ana Maria Ferreira
Published: December 2021

Este artigo se propõe a identificar, descrever e analisar as crenças de professores em formação de Língua Espanhola (LE) em relação ao uso das Tecnologias Digitais de Informação e Comunicação (TDIC) no processo de ensino e aprendizagem e a relação entre suas crenças e suas práticas como professores de LE de um curso de extensão universitário, idealizado e mantido pela universidade em que estudam. Isto é, analisar o que o professor diz fazer e o que ele realmente faz em suas aulas e tentar entender os motivos que o levam a tal prática. Além disso, buscamos também identificar os usos que eles fazem das TDIC e com quais objetivos eles as usam para sua autoaprendizagem da LE. Como instrumento de geração de dados foram utilizados questionários semiabertos, narrativa, entrevistas e observação de 8 aulas. Os resultados sugerem que as crenças adquiridas ao longo da vida escolar exercem fortes influências nas escolhas dos participantes enquanto professores em formação de LE. Apontam também para a necessidade de formar professores para o uso didático das TDIC e para a importância de discutir às crenças sobre o processo de ensino e aprendizagem de línguas, adquiridas ao longo da vida escolar.
Significados atribuídos à maternidade por mulheres de um grupo de casais grávidos
Authors: Alves Isadora Ferrante Boscoli de Oliveira , Costa Roberta , Lima Margarete Maria De , Zampieri Maria de Fátima Mota , Nitschke Rosane Gonçalves , Gomes Íris Elizabete Messa
Published: December 2021

Objetivo: conhecer os significados atribuídos à vivência da maternidade por mulheres de um grupo de casais grávido. Método: estudo qualitativo, exploratório-descritivo realizado entre março e agosto de 2018. A coleta ocorreu por meio de observações não-participante, relatos gravados e conversas retiradas do aplicativo WhatsApp. Para análise, adotou-se a proposta operativa de Minayo e o referencial teórico do Interacionismo Simbólico. Resultados: participaram do estudo 23 mulheres que atribuíram à maternidade o significado de amor, cuidado, renúncia, mudanças identitárias, medos e estigmatizações, que afetaram todas as esferas de suas vidas. Considerações finais: os significados atribuídos ao momento afetam o comportamento e bem-estar das mães e representam um elemento de valia às equipes de saúde para a promoção de uma experiência segura. Os espaços educativos dos grupos de casais grávidos se mostraram favoráveis à reflexão e reelaboração dos elementos simbólicos da maternidade e contribuíram para a autonomia e empoderamento das mães.
Uma perspectiva histórico dialética na formação para ensinar a assistência de enfermagem
Authors: Bitencourt Julia Valeria De Oliveira Vargas , Martini Jussara Gue , Léo Marcela Martins Furlan de , Maestri Eleine , Geremia Daniela Savi , Zenevicz Leoni Terezinha
Published: December 2021

Objetivo: compreender como professores universitários concebem o processo histórico e dialético inscrito no referencial da Teoria da Intervenção Práxica de Enfermagem em Saúde Coletiva para o ensino da Assistência de Enfermagem. Método: Pesquisa Convergente Assistencial desenvolvida com 17 professores do curso de enfermagem organizados em três grupos de convergência, no ano de 2017. Na análise elaborou-se síntese, teorização e transferência dos dados. Resultados: emergiram enquanto descobertas equívocos epistemológicos sobre as concepções filosófica, teórico e metodológicas abordadas e possibilidades e desafios para o cuidado dialético histórico no ensino da assistência de enfermagem, fenômenos estes que atravessam a decisão de reorientação curricular do curso entre os participantes. Conclusões: para operar-se o referencial deve-se investir na formação com protagonismo docente e horizontalização da relação com o estudante, rever competências almejadas para o ensino, exercitar-se formação filosófica visando atingir-se uma atitude filosófica ao se perspectivar o cuidado de enfermagem.
Influência dos indicadores econômicos na distribuição espacial de internações relacionadas as doenças crônicas não transmissíveis
Authors: Pereira Helena Nayara Santos , Moschini Luiz Eduardo , Uehara Silvia Carla Da Silva André
Published: December 2021

Objetivo: analisar a distribuição das Internações por Condições Sensíveis à Atenção Primária relacionadas às Doenças Crônicas Não Transmissíveis em São Carlos, SP, Brasil, e verificar a correlação com as variáveis econômicas. Método: Trata-se de um estudo ecológico, utilizando dados secundários coletados por meio do levantamento nas fichas de Autorização de Internação Hospitalar no período de 2015 a 2018 e analisados por meio da estatística descritiva e correlação de Pearson. A geocodificação e geoprocessamento foram realizadas nos softwares ArcGis e Google Earth Pro. A pesquisa foi aprovada pelo comitê de ética em pesquisa da instituição. Resultados: Foram encontradas correlações (21% e 25%), referente, respectivamente, às variáveis renda do setor censitário e renda per capita, sugerem que quanto maior a renda, menor será o número de internação. Conclusão: O aumento do coeficiente de ICSAP em regiões de baixa renda, indica que a renda consiste em um fator determinante no processo saúde-doença.
Significados da vacinação contra a COVID-19 para idosos imunizados na região sul do Brasil
Authors: Souza Jeane Barros de , Potrich Tassiana , Geremia Daniela Savi , Albani Bruna Panis , Silva Tatiana Gaffuri da , Madureira Valéria Silvana Faganello
Published: December 2021

Objetivo: compreender os significados da vacinação contra a COVID-19 para idosos imunizados. Método: estudo qualitativo, tipo ação participante, fundamentado nos pressupostos de Paulo Freire aprovado pelo comitê de ética em pesquisa. Para a amostragem foi utilizada a técnica de Snowball. O primeiro participante pertencia ao círculo social de um dos pesquisadores. Participaram do estudo 11 idosos imunizados contra a COVID-19, com capacidade cognitiva preservada e residentes no sul do Brasil. Percorreu-se as três fases do Itinerário de Pesquisa: Investigação Temática; Codificação e Descodificação; Desvelamento Crítico. Realizou-se um Círculo de Cultura virtual, em março de 2021. Resultados: emergiram dois temas geradores: 1) COVID-19: pássaros presos em suas gaiolas; 2) vacinação contra COVID-19: está chegando o tempo de voltar a voar. Conclusões: a vacinação contra a COVID-19 para os idosos significou felicidade, proteção, esperança, alívio, tranquilidade e esperança de retorno às atividades rotineiras.
Barriers to delivering effective dental health promotion
Authors: Boddy Bethany
Published: December 2021

Bethany Boddy explores the health visitor role in oral health promotion, the evidence supporting effective interventions and barriers to embedding oral health promotion in practice
Closed incision negative pressure wound therapy versus conventional dressings following soft-tissue sarcoma excision: a prospective, randomized controlled trial
Authors: Shields David W. , Razii Nima , Doonan James , Mahendra Ashish , Gupta Sanjay
Published: December 2021

Aims

The primary objective of this study was to compare the postoperative infection rate between negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) and conventional dressings for closed incisions following soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) surgery. Secondary objectives were to compare rates of adverse wound events and functional scores.

Methods

In this prospective, single-centre, randomized controlled trial (RCT), patients were randomized to either NPWT or conventional sterile occlusive dressings. A total of 17 patients, with a mean age of 54 years (21 to 81), were successfully recruited and none were lost to follow-up. Wound reviews were undertaken to identify any surgical site infection (SSI) or adverse wound events within 30 days. The Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS) and Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score were recorded as patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).

Results

There were two out of seven patients in the control group (28.6%), and two out of ten patients in the intervention group (20%) who were diagnosed with a SSI (p > 0.999), while one additional adverse wound event was identified in the control group (p = 0.593). No significant differences in PROMs were identified between the groups at either 30 days (TESS, p = 0.987; MSTS, p = 0.951) or six-month (TESS, p = 0.400) follow-up. However, neoadjuvant radiotherapy was significantly associated with a SSI within 30 days of surgery, across all patients (p = 0.029). The mean preoperative modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) was also significantly higher among patients who developed a postoperative adverse wound event (p = 0.028), including a SSI (p = 0.008), across both groups.

Conclusion

This is the first RCT comparing NPWT with conventional dressings following musculoskeletal tumour surgery. Postoperative wound complications are common in this group of patients and we observed an overall SSI rate of 23.5%. We propose proceeding to a multicentre trial, which will help more clearly define the role of closed incision NPWT in STS surgery. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2021;2(12):1049–1056.
Characterization of cell-induced astigmatism in high-resolution imaging
Authors: Rodrigues de Mercado Rick , van Hoorn Hedde , de Valois Martin , Backendorf Claude , Eckert Julia , Schmidt Thomas
Published: December 2021

High-resolution and super-resolution techniques become more frequently used in thick, inhomogeneous samples. In particular for imaging life cells and tissue in which one wishes to observe a biological process at minimal interference and in the natural environment, sample inhomogeneities are unavoidable. Yet sample-inhomogeneities are paralleled by refractive index variations, for example between the cell organelles and the surrounding medium, that will result in the refraction of light, and therefore lead to sample-induced astigmatism. Astigmatism in turn will result in positional inaccuracies of observations that are at the heart of all super-resolution techniques. Here we introduce a simple model and define a figure-of-merit that allows one to quickly assess the importance of astigmatism for a given experimental setting. We found that astigmatism caused by the cell’s nucleus can easily lead to aberrations up to hundreds of nanometers, well beyond the accuracy of all super-resolution techniques. The astigmatism generated by small objects, like bacteria or vesicles, appear to be small enough to be of any significance in typical super-resolution experimentation.
Three-dimensional analysis of blood platelet spreading using digital holographic microscopy: a statistical study of the differential effect of coatings in healthy volunteers and dialyzed patients
Authors: Dohet-Eraly Jérôme , Boudjeltia Karim Zouaoui , Rousseau Alexandre , Queeckers Patrick , Lelubre Christophe , Desmet Jean-Marc , Chopard Bastien , Yourassowsky Catherine , Dubois Frank
Published: December 2021

In cardiovascular disorders, the study of thrombocytes, commonly known as platelets, is highly important since they are involved in blood clotting, essential in hemostasis, and they can in pathological situations affect the blood circulation. In this paper, single deposited platelets are measured using interferometric digital holographic microscopy. We have shown that the average optical height of platelets is significantly lower in healthy volunteers than in dialyzed patients, meaning a better spreading. It demonstrates the great interest for assessing this parameter in any patients, and therefore the high potential of analyzing single spread platelets using digital holographic microscopy in fundamental research as well as a diagnostic tool in routine laboratories, for usual blood tests.
Cost-effective strategies to scale the capacity of regional optical transport networks
Authors: Pedro João , Costa Nelson , Sanders Steve
Published: December 2021

The different segments of optical transport networks—including metro, regional, and long-haul—will have to scale to accommodate growing capacity requirements. In metro networks, lower capacity (compared to the other two segments) but more stringent power consumption and interoperability requirements will likely favor the adoption of pluggable coherent interfaces, whereas in long-haul, the best-in-class spectral efficiency of embedded proprietary coherent interfaces is paramount. However, it is less clear which will be the interface type of choice in regional transport networks. This paper compares different strategies to increase the capacity of regional transport networks, which not only exploit the usage of pluggable or embedded interfaces but also enhanced line system solutions, comprising the SuperC-band and hybrid Raman/erbium-doped fiber amplification. Simulation results obtained in two reference regional-sized networks highlight that the utilization of embedded coherent interfaces enables a considerably higher traffic load to be supported over the existing fiber infrastructure, even when the usage of pluggable interfaces is complemented with exploiting the SuperC-band and hybrid amplification. Moreover, for the same transported traffic load, the simulation results also show that embedded interfaces can reduce by up to half the number of line interfaces required, when compared to pluggable interfaces.
Phase diffusion model of a one-dimensional superradiance lattice and its application as a controllable high-frequency light reflector
Authors: Shabbir Atif , Qamar Sajid
Published: December 2021

We study the effect of quantum phase fluctuation (QPF) on a one-dimensional superradiance lattice (1DSL) and its application as a controllable high-frequency light reflector. In electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT)-based 1DSL [Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 043602 (2015)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.114.043602], counter-propagating control laser fields are responsible for the hopping of electrons from the

i

th to the

j

th atom, where

n
1

and

n
2

coupling photons are required for forward and backward modes, respectively. In the limit of

n
1

,

n
2

≫
1

, the role of QPF becomes significant, and, therefore, the phase diffusion model of 1DSL needs to be considered. We show that in the presence of QPF a perfect 1DSL can be realized due to the fact that EIT vanishes at the resonance condition when probe detuning is zero. It leads to a reasonably high (around 60%) reflectivity of the incident probe field at resonance condition. For the off resonant case, the reflectivity reduces due to the phase diffusion; however, it can be overcome via manipulation of the control fields.
Plasmonic hybridization in the presence of topological insulators
Authors: Chang Railing , Xie Huai-Yi , Leung P. T.
Published: December 2021

The hybridization model for the coupled plasmons of a metallic nanoshell is generalized to the case with the presence of topological insulator materials via the application of axion electrodynamics. A new approach has to be adopted in the Lagrangian formulation of the coupling dynamics between the surface and cavity plasmons to account for the axion-induced charges on the boundary surfaces. It is found that, as observed previously from numerical studies in the literature, the hybridization model predicts that a topological magneto-electric effect will lead to red shifts on both the coupled bonding and anti-bonding modes–more significant for the higher-order bonding modes with the increase of the axion coupling parameter.
Dual-band multiple quasi-non-diffracting beams with orthogonal linear polarization by a holographic artificial admittance superposition surface
Authors: Liu Dawei , Guo Shaohui , Wu Pei
Published: December 2021

Non-diffracting beams, due to their highly localized energy concentration, have attracted widespread attention in the past decades. However, no matter what method is used to generate non-diffracting beams, they usually have one function in terms of controlling polarization, number of beams, and selection of the working band. As application scenarios become more complex and the degree of integration increases, it is of great significance to design a simple device to generate non-diffracting beams with multiple functions. In this paper, a single-layer holographic artificial admittance surface (HAAS) is demonstrated for producing multiple quasi-non-diffracting beams operating in dual bands with orthogonal linear polarization. The HAAS consists of varying sub-wavelength cross-shaped metal patches on a grounded dielectric substrate, and the two arm lengths of the cross-shaped meta-atom control the incident waves of the orthogonal polarized state of two bands. Through the method of input admittance modulation superposition, HAASs are designed, one HAAS is fabricated, and it is experimentally demonstrated that pre-designed quasi-non-diffracting beams can be realized. These HAASs have potential applications in smart communication, remote power transmission, and near field imaging.
Proposal for complete characterization of attosecond pulses from relativistic plasmas
Authors: Wu Chaoneng , Li Lu , Yeung Mark , Wu Sizhong , Cousens Steven , Tietze Stefan , Dromey Brendan , Zhou Cangtao , Ruan Shuangchen , Zepf Matt
Published: December 2021

In this study, we propose two full-optical-setup and single-shot measurable approaches for complete characterization of attosecond pulses from surface high harmonic generation (SHHG): SHHG-SPIDER (spectral phase interferometry for direct electric field reconstruction) and SHHG-SEA-SPIDER (spatially encoded arrangement for SPIDER). 1D- and 2D-EPOCH PIC (particle-in-cell) simulations were performed to generate the attosecond pulses from relativistic plasmas under different conditions. Pulse trains dominated by single isolated peak as well as complex pulse train structures are extensively discussed for both methods, which showed excellent accuracy in the complete reconstruction of the attosecond field with respect to the direct Fourier transformed result. Kirchhoff integral theorem has been used for the near-to-far-field transformation. This far-field propagation method allows us to relate these results to potential experimental implementations of the scheme. The impact of comprehensive experimental parameters for both apparatus, such as spectral shear, spatial shear, cross-angle, time delay, and intensity ratio between the two replicas has been investigated thoroughly. These methods are applicable to complete characterization for SHHG attosecond pulses driven by a few to hundreds of terawatts femtosecond laser systems.
Resonant cavity-enhanced photodiode array for miniaturised spectroscopic sensing
Authors: Bainbridge Andrew , Hanks Laura A. , Craig Adam P. , Marshall Andrew R. J.
Published: December 2021

Optical spectroscopic sensing is a technique that is commonly employed for the identification and compositional analysis of a wide variety of substances, from biological samples to greenhouse gases. High-resolution spectrometers are well established, however, attempts to miniaturise the designs can suffer from adverse effects due to the miniaturisation, for both Fourier transform based interferometric designs, as well as dispersive designs. In this work, a linear array of resonant cavity-enhanced photodiodes is realised with spatially chirped resonance wavelength, offering chip-scale free-space hyperspectral sensing. Resonant cavity-enhanced photodiodes sense over a narrow spectral band, which can be tuned by the thicknesses of the heterostructure. Through this work, multiple narrow spectral bands can be sensed by resonant cavity-enhanced photodiodes on a single chip by grading the thicknesses across the wafer. Photocurrent measurements from a fabricated array determine the wavelength of incident light with an accuracy of ± 2 nm.
Iterative method for optical modelling of perovskite-based tandem solar cells
Authors: Raoult E. , Bodeux R. , Jutteau S. , Rives S. , Yaiche A. , Blaizot A. , Coutancier D. , Rousset J. , Collin S.
Published: December 2021

We present an iterative method to model the optical properties of a complete semitransparent perovskite solar cell. It is based on spectroscopic characterizations and accounts for porosity and incoherence effects. We provide the complex refractive indices of each layer, and we identify the main sources of optical losses. The optical model is also coupled to an electrical model of 4T perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. It allows to evaluate the interplay between the optical and electrical losses, and the balance between the efficiency of the top and bottom cells. These models provide an effective way to design future tandem devices.
Amplification and phase noise transfer of a Kerr microresonator soliton comb for low phase noise THz generation with a high signal-to-noise ratio
Authors: Kuse Naoya , Minoshima Kaoru
Published: December 2021

Optical injection locking is implemented to faithfully transfer the phase noise of a dissipative Kerr microresonator soliton comb in addition to the amplification of the Kerr comb. Unlike Er-doped fiber and semiconductor optical amplifiers, the optical injection locking amplifies the comb mode without degrading the optical signal-to-noise ratio. In addition, we show that the residual phase noise of the optical injection locking is sufficiently small to transfer the relative phase noise of comb modes (equivalent to the repetition frequency) of low phase noise Kerr combs, concluding that the optical injection locking of a Kerr comb can be an effective way to generate low phase noise terahertz (THz) waves with a high signal-to-noise ratio through an optical-to-electronic conversion of the Kerr comb.
Optimized gas pressure of an Rb vapor cell in a single-beam SERF magnetometer
Authors: Wang Yaxiang , Jin Ge , Tang Junjian , Zhou Weiyong , Han Bangcheng , Zhou BinQuan , Shi Tao
Published: December 2021

We present a theoretical and experimental study of a single-beam spin-exchange relaxation-free magnetometer in 87Rb vapor cells under different nitrogen gas pressures. The spin relaxation rate is a key component to limit the magnetic sensitivity, and the zero-field resonance method was used to measure the spin relaxation rates of different alkali metal cells. Simultaneously, in a single-beam spin-exchange-relaxation-free (SERF) magnetometer, we demonstrated that the fundamental magnetic field sensitivity was also limited by the pumping light intensity. Based on our theoretical analysis and experimental results, we determined the optimal pumping light intensity and optimal gas pressure. We experimentally demonstrated that the magnetic field sensitivity was

8.89
 

fT

/

Hz

in the single-beam configuration, with an active measurement volume of 3 × 3 × 3~mm3.
Calibration method for an extended depth-of-field microscopic structured light system
Authors: Chen Liming , Hu Xiaowei , Zhang Song
Published: December 2021

This paper presents a calibration method for a microscopic structured light system with an extended depth of field (DOF). We first employed the focal sweep technique to achieve large enough depth measurement range, and then developed a computational framework to alleviate the impact of phase errors caused by the standard off-the-shelf calibration target (black circles with a white background). Specifically, we developed a polynomial interpolation algorithm to correct phase errors near the black circles to obtain more accurate phase maps for projector feature points determination. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method can achieve a measurement accuracy of approximately 1.0

μ

m for a measurement volume of approximately 2,500

μ

m (W) × 2,000

μ

m (H) × 500

μ

m (D).
Photonic generation of frequency-tunable biphase and quadriphase coded pulse signals without background interference enabled by vector modulation and balanced detection
Authors: Wang Wuying , Fan Yangyu , Liu Xichun , Guo Zhe , Liu Guo , Wei Longchao , Lv Guoyun
Published: December 2021

An approach to generating frequency-tunable biphase and quadriphase coded pulse signals without background interference based on a polarization division multiplexing dual-parallel Mach-Zehnder modulator (PDM-DPMZM) is presented and demonstrated. Two ternary baseband code sequences are separately encoded into a pair of orthogonal optical carriers by exploiting a polyphase encoder on the basis of the principle of vector modulation, which in turn can be mapped to the phase shifts of the generated phase coded waveforms after the balanced detection. The frequency tunability can also be achieved by controlling the bias voltage of the associated modulator, so that the carrier frequency can be tuned to either fundamental or doubled frequency. Additionally, by designing different phase codes, the generated pulse signals can be conveniently switched between the quadriphase and biphase coding waveforms. The major advantage of the proposed approach is that four phase shifts can be obtained by simply adjusting the polarity of the ternary code sequences, overcoming the power-dependent limitation of the previous work. A proof-of-principle experiment is conducted to assess the feasibility of the proposed approach built on the Barker code and Frank code phase coded pulse signals generation. Experimental results show the phase coded pulse signals at 12 and 24 GHz carrier frequency are well behaved in terms of peak-to-sidelobe ratio (PSR), range-Doppler coupling and Doppler tolerance.
Three-dimensional morphology measurement of underwater objects based on the photoacoustic effect
Authors: Ding Kaiyang , Wang Xingming , Hu Kai , Wang Lidai , Wu Guanhao , Ni Kai , Zhou Qian
Published: December 2021

Complexities of the underwater environment can seriously affect many underwater detection means, especially the influence of light scattering by water. To solve this problem, a three-dimensional (3D) morphology measurement method is proposed based on the photoacoustic effect. In this method, a measurement object is irradiated with pulsed laser light to produce ultrasonic waves via the photoacoustic effect. A probe collects the ultrasonic signal and subsequent data processing can yield complete object detection. This approach can make full use of the advantages of high precision and good directivity of laser ranging and completely avoid the influence on the laser of backscattering from water. The results yield a displacement measurement accuracy of less than 0.5 mm and an average error of 3D reconstruction of 0.21 mm, demonstrating great application potential.
Radial shearing dynamic wavefront sensor based on a geometric phase lens pair
Authors: Park Hyo Mi , Kim Daewook , Guthery Charlotte E. , Joo Ki-Nam
Published: December 2021

A radial shearing dynamic wavefront sensor is theorized and experimentally verified. The proposed sensor is based on a geometric phase lens pair that generates two radially sheared wavefronts. A polarization pixelated camera instantaneously obtains polarization-multiplexed phase maps from a single acquired image using a spatial phase-shifting technique. Experimental tests applied several wavefront shapes with a deformable mirror. The results were compared with a Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensor to evaluate the performance.
Making sense of COVID-19 over time in New Zealand: Assessing the public conversation using Twitter
Authors: Jafarzadeh Hamed , Pauleen David J. , Abedin Ehsan , Weerasinghe Kasuni , Taskin Nazim , Coskun Mustafa
Published: December 2021

COVID-19 has ruptured routines and caused breakdowns in what had been conventional practice and custom: everything from going to work and school and shopping in the supermarket to socializing with friends and taking holidays. Nonetheless, COVID-19 does provide an opportunity to study how people make sense of radically changing circumstances over time. In this paper we demonstrate how Twitter affords this opportunity by providing data in real time, and over time. In the present research, we collect a large pool of COVID-19 related tweets posted by New Zealanders–citizens of a country successful in containing the coronavirus–from the moment COVID-19 became evident to the world in the last days of 2019 until 19 August 2020. We undertake topic modeling on the tweets to foster understanding and sensemaking of the COVID-19 tweet landscape in New Zealand and its temporal development and evolution over time. This information can be valuable for those interested in how people react to emergent events, including researchers, governments, and policy makers.
Prevalence of hypertension, and related factors among adults in Wolaita, southern Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Kumma Wondimagegn Paulos , Lindtjørn Bernt , Loha Eskindir
Published: December 2021

Introduction

Hypertension is a global public health challenge. There is a lack of evidence on the prevalence of hypertension, prehypertension, and related factors among adult populations of Wolaita, southern Ethiopia.

Aim

To assess the prevalence of hypertension, prehypertension, and related factors among adult populations of Wolaita, southern Ethiopia.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 2483 adult residents, selected using a two-stage random sampling technique. The quantitative data collected from structured questionnaires; anthropometric and biochemical measurements were entered into EpiData version 3.1 using double-entry systems. We determined the weighted prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension for the two-stage survey. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with hypertension and carried out after declaring the data set as survey data to account for the effect of clustering. An adjusted coefficient with 95% CI was used to ascertain the significance of the association.

Results

The weighted prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension in the Wolaita area was 31.3% (27.7%-35.1%) and 46.4% (42.9%-50.0%) respectively. The weighted prevalence of hypertension of those who were not aware of their hypertension until the time of the survey was 29.8%% (26.5%-33.3%). Where the weighted prevalence of self-reported cases of hypertension was 2.2% (1.2%-3.8%). Obesity, sugar-sweetened food consumption, male sex, elevated total cholesterol, raised fasting blood sugar, and advancing age were positively associated with hypertension.

Conclusion

The prevalence of hypertension among adults in Wolaita was high. A small proportion of the affected people are aware of their high blood pressure. This study reported a high prevalence of pre-hypertension; which indicates a high percentage of people at risk of hypertension. It is essential to develop periodic screening programs, and primary intervention strategies such as the prevention of obesity, and reduction of sugar-sweetened food consumption.
Spatial epidemiology and genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 and related coronaviruses in domestic and wild animals
Authors: Islam Ariful , Ferdous Jinnat , Sayeed Md. Abu , Islam Shariful , Kaisar Rahman Md. , Abedin Josefina , Saha Otun , Hassan Mohammad Mahmudul , Shirin Tahmina
Published: December 2021

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) showed susceptibility to diverse animal species. We conducted this study to understand the spatial epidemiology, genetic diversity, and statistically significant genetic similarity along with per-gene recombination events of SARS-CoV-2 and related viruses (SC2r-CoVs) in animals globally. We collected a number of different animal species infected with SARS-CoV-2 and its related viruses. Then, we retrieved genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 and SC2r-CoVs from GISAID and NCBI GenBank for genomic and mutational analysis. Although the evolutionary origin of SARS-CoV-2 remains elusive, the diverse SC2r-CoV have been detected in multiple Rhinolophus bat species and in Malayan pangolin. To date, human-to-animal spillover events have been reported in cat, dog, tiger, lion, gorilla, leopard, ferret, puma, cougar, otter, and mink in 25 countries. Phylogeny and genetic recombination events of SC2r-CoVs showed higher similarity to the bat coronavirus RaTG13 and BANAL-103 for most of the genes and to some Malayan pangolin coronavirus (CoV) strains for the N protein from bats and pangolin showed close resemblance to SARS-CoV-2. The clustering of animal and human strains from the same geographical area has proved human-to-animal transmission of the virus. The Alpha, Delta and Mu-variant of SARS-CoV-2 was detected in dog, gorilla, lion, tiger, otter, and cat in the USA, India, Czech Republic, Belgium, and France with momentous genetic similarity with human SARS-CoV-2 sequences. The mink variant mutation (spike_Y453F) was detected in both humans and domestic cats. Moreover, the dog was affected mostly by clade O (66.7%), whereas cat and American mink were affected by clade GR (31.6 and 49.7%, respectively). The α-variant was detected as 2.6% in cat, 4.8% in dog, 14.3% in tiger, 66.7% in gorilla, and 77.3% in lion. The highest mutations observed in mink where the substitution of D614G in spike (95.2%) and P323L in NSP12 (95.2%) protein. In dog, cat, gorilla, lion, and tiger, Y505H and Y453F were the common mutations followed by Y145del, Y144del, and V70I in S protein. We recommend vaccine provision for pet and zoo animals to reduce the chance of transmission in animals. Besides, continuous epidemiological and genomic surveillance of coronaviruses in animal host is crucial to find out the immediate ancestor of SARS-CoV-2 and to prevent future CoVs threats to humans.
Factors influencing wellbeing in young people during COVID-19: A survey with 6291 young people in Wales
Authors: James Michaela , Jones Hope , Baig Amana , Marchant Emily , Waites Tegan , Todd Charlotte , Hughes Karen , Brophy Sinead
Published: December 2021

COVID-19 infection and the resultant restrictions has impacted all aspects of life across the world. This study explores factors that promote or support wellbeing for young people during the pandemic, how they differ by age, using a self-reported online survey with those aged 8–25 in Wales between September 2020 and February 2021. Open-ended responses were analysed via thematic analysis to provide further context. A total of 6,291 responses were obtained from 81 education settings across Wales (including primary and secondary schools as well as sixth form, colleges and universities). Wellbeing was highest in primary school children and boys and lowest in those who were at secondary school children, who were girls and, those who preferred not to give a gender. Among primary school children, higher wellbeing was seen for those who played with lots of others (rather than alone), were of Asian ethnicity (OR 2.17, 95% CI: 1.26 to 4.3), had a safe play area (OR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.67 to 2.56) and had more sleep. To support their wellbeing young people reported they would like to be able to play with their friends more. Among secondary school children those who were of mixed ethnicity reported lower wellbeing (OR: 5.14, 95% CI: 1.68 to 15.79). To support their wellbeing they reported they would like more support with mental health (due to anxiety and pressure to achieve when learning online). This study found self-reported wellbeing differed by gender, ethnicity and deprivation and found younger children report the need for play and to see friends to support wellbeing but older children/young people wanted more support with anxiety and educational pressures.
Automated segmentation of microtomography imaging of Egyptian mummies
Authors: Tanti Marc , Berruyer Camille , Tafforeau Paul , Muscat Adrian , Farrugia Reuben , Scerri Kenneth , Valentino Gianluca , Solé V. Armando , Briffa Johann A.
Published: December 2021

Propagation Phase Contrast Synchrotron Microtomography (PPC-SRμCT) is the gold standard for non-invasive and non-destructive access to internal structures of archaeological remains. In this analysis, the virtual specimen needs to be segmented to separate different parts or materials, a process that normally requires considerable human effort. In the Automated SEgmentation of Microtomography Imaging (ASEMI) project, we developed a tool to automatically segment these volumetric images, using manually segmented samples to tune and train a machine learning model. For a set of four specimens of ancient Egyptian animal mummies we achieve an overall accuracy of 94–98% when compared with manually segmented slices, approaching the results of off-the-shelf commercial software using deep learning (97–99%) at much lower complexity. A qualitative analysis of the segmented output shows that our results are close in terms of usability to those from deep learning, justifying the use of these techniques.
‘It felt like a black hole, great uncertainty, but we have to take care for our patients’–Qualitative findings on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on specialist palliative home care
Authors: Jansky Maximiliane , Schade Franziska , Rieder Nicola , Lohrmann Danica , Gebel Cordula , Kloppenburg Lars , Wedding Ulrich , Simon Steffen T. , Bausewein Claudia , Nauck Friedemann ,   on behalf of the PallPan Study Group
Published: December 2021

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected health care systems worldwide. Multidisciplinary teams provide specialist palliative home care (SPHC) for patients with incurable, severe, progressive diseases. These patients are at the same time at high risk, if infected, highly constricted by containment measures, and dependent on support.

Aim

To explore i) how German SPHC teams were affected by the pandemic during the first wave, ii) which challenges they faced, and iii) which strategies helped to handle the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for providing good SPHC.

Method

Four focus groups (with representatives of 18 SPHC teams) and five guided interviews with stakeholders were conducted and analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

Seven key categories emerged from the data. A category in the background describes dependence on organizational characteristics (e.g. sponsorship), which varied by regional factors. Information management was a challenge to SPHC teams, as they had to collect, interpret and adapt, and disseminate information. They reported a shift in patient care because of the COVID-19 pandemic, due to restricted home visits, visitation ban in nursing homes, and difficulties for hospital, hospice and nursing home admissions. Measures to reduce risk of infection impeded teamwork. Teams relied upon their local networks in crisis management, but felt often overlooked by local health authorities. Their respective SPHC state associations supported them in information management and exchange.

Discussion

The pandemic has severely impacted home care for especially vulnerable seriously ill and dying people. A good network with local health providers and authorities could help to harmonize local regulations and ensure quality care for all patient groups. SPHC teams could play an important role in caring for palliative patients with COVID-19 who are not admitted to a hospital due to preferences or resources.
The wealth gradient and the effect of COVID-19 restrictions on income loss, food insecurity and health care access in four sub-Saharan African geographies
Authors: Gummerson Elizabeth , Cardona Carolina , Anglewicz Philip , Zachary Blake , Guiella Georges , Radloff Scott
Published: December 2021

Introduction

While there has been considerable analysis of the health and economic effects of COVID-19 in the Global North, representative data on the distribution and depth of social and economic impacts in Africa has been more limited.

Methods

We analyze household data collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and during the first wave of COVID in four African countries. We evaluate the short-term changes to household economic status and assess women’s access to health care during the first wave of COVID-19 in nationally representative samples of women aged 15–49 in Kenya and Burkina Faso, and in sub-nationally representative samples of women aged 15–49 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo and Lagos, Nigeria. We examine prevalence and distribution of household income loss, food insecurity, and access to health care during the COVID-19 lockdowns across residence and pre-pandemic wealth categories. We then regress pre-pandemic individual and household sociodemographic characteristics on the three outcomes.

Results

In three out of four samples, over 90% of women reported partial or complete loss of household income since the beginning of the coronavirus restrictions. Prevalence of food insecurity ranged from 17.0% (95% CI 13.6–20.9) to 39.8% (95% CI 36.0–43.7), and the majority of women in food insecure households reported increases in food insecurity during the COVID-19 restriction period. In contrast, we did not find significant barriers to accessing health care during COVID restrictions. Between 78·3% and 94·0% of women who needed health care were able successfully access it. When we examined pre-pandemic sociodemographic correlates of the outcomes, we found that the income shock of COVID-19 was substantial and distributed similarly across wealth groups, but food insecurity was concentrated among poorer households. Contrary to a-priori expectations, we find little evidence of women experiencing barriers to health care, but there is significant need for food support.