bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Swahili translation and cultural adaptation of the pediatric patient-reported outcomes version of the common terminology criteria for adverse events (PRO-CTCAE)
Authors: Schroeder Kristin M. , Rizzieri Tyler , Lion Ryan R. , Mtenga Norbert , Gisiri Mwitasrobert , McFatrich Molly , Reeve Bryce B.
Published: June 2023

Background

The pediatric patient-reported outcomes version of the common terminology criteria for adverse event measure was developed and validated for use in pediatric cancer clinical trials to better capture the symptom experiences through direct self-report. The study aim was to develop and validate a Swahili language version of the patient-reported outcomes version of the common terminology criteria for adverse event measure.

Methods

The pediatric version of 15 core symptom adverse events, and the corresponding questions, were selected from the patient-reported outcomes version of the common terminology criteria for adverse event library, then forward and back translated into Swahili by bilingual translators. The translated items were further refined using concurrent cognitive interviewing. Each round of interviews included five children, ages 8–17 years-old, receiving cancer therapy at Bugando Medical Centre, the cancer referral hospital for Northwest Tanzania, and continued until at least 80% of participants understood the question.

Results

Three rounds of cognitive interviews were completed involving 13 patients and 5 caregivers. Among patients, 50% of questions (19/38) were fully comprehended after the first interview round. Two Adverse Events (anxiety and peripheral neuropathy) were the most difficult for participants to understand, associated with education level and experience. Goal comprehension was achieved after three rounds of interviews with no further revisions required. All parents in the first cognitive interview group comprehended the survey, with no additional revisions.

Conclusion

A Swahili patient-reported outcomes version of the common terminology criteria for adverse event was effective in eliciting patient-reported Adverse Events related to cancer treatment, with good comprehension for children aged 8–17 years. This survey is important to incorporate patient self-reporting of symptomatic toxicities and is an effective tool to increase capacity for pediatric cancer clinical trials throughout East Africa, further reducing global disparities in cancer care.
Impact of ENT complications on COVID-19 patients in a tertiary care center, Coimbatore: a retrospective cross-sectional study
Authors: Karthikeyan K. , Kumar P. Kishore , Ravisankar V. , Dayanand A. , Lasington Jeril , Soundararajan Jagannath
Published: June 2023

Background

Infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) presents with respiratory tract-related symptoms such as fever, cough, dyspnea, and chest tightness that could progress rapidly to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) also causes several upper respiratory tract-related symptoms including nasal congestion, sore throat, and smell dysfunction. Incidence of mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients was also reported during the second wave along with other otorhinolaryngology-related complications.

Aim

This study aimed to determine different otorhinolaryngology-related complications reported in COVID-19 cases in a tertiary care center and estimation of incidence, age, gender distribution, risk factors, treatment, follow-up, and mortality status of the study participants.

Methodology

Patients who recovered from COVID-19 disease and developed complications such as long-lasting anosmia, septal abscess, epistaxis, rhino nasal mucormycosis, and voice changes were selected for the study. After obtaining patient medical records, the recorded history, examination, and investigations done related to incidence, associated risk factors, age, and gender distribution of ENT (Ears, Nose, Throat) complications were collected, and this data was analyzed.

Results

The present study involved 100 patients between 18 and 65 years of age which included 78% males and 22% females. Of these participants, 92% reported mucormycosis as the most common complication, with diabetes being the risk factor in majority of the participants. During the course of the study, 10% participants had passed away due to complications.

Conclusion

Early identification of highly sensitive post-COVID-19 ENT complications is essential to reduce mortality and morbidity among vulnerable populations.
Implementing a PROACTive Care Pathway to Empower and Support Survivors of Breast Cancer
Authors: Franzoi Maria Alice , Degousée Lena , Martin Elise , Semedo Patricia Miguel , Aupomerol Marion , Soldato Davide , Di Meglio Antonio , Chiodi Camila , Barbier Aude , Chaouachi Hajer , Renvoisé Nathalie , Boinon Diane , Fasse Léonor , Ribeiro Joana , Le-Provost Jean Bernard , Arvis Johanna , Lazorthes Céline , di Palma Mario , de Jesus Anne , Raynard Bruno , Pagès Arnaud , Delaloge Suzette , Pistilli Barbara , Scotté Florian , Vaz-Luis Ines
Published: June 2023

PURPOSE

Optimal comprehensive survivorship care is insufficiently delivered. To increase patient empowerment and maximize the uptake of multidisciplinary supportive care strategies to serve all survivorship needs, we implemented a proactive survivorship care pathway for patients with early breast cancer at the end of primary treatment phase.

METHODS

Pathway components included (1) a personalized survivorship care plan (SCP), (2) face-to-face survivorship education seminars and personalized consultation for supportive care referrals (Transition Day), (3) a mobile app delivering personalized education and self-management advice, and (4) decision aids for physicians focused on supportive care needs. A mixed-methods process evaluation was performed according to the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance framework including administrative data review, pathway experience survey (patient, physician, and organization), and focus group. The primary objective was patient-perceived satisfaction with the pathway (predefined progression criteria for pathway continuation ≥70%).

RESULTS

Over 6 months, 321 patients were eligible for the pathway and received a SCP and 98 (30%) attended the Transition Day. Among 126 patients surveyed, 77 (66.1%) responded. 70.1% received the SCP, 51.9% attended the Transition Day, and 59.7% accessed the mobile app. 96.1% of patients were very or completely satisfied with the overall pathway, whereas perceived usefulness was 64.8% for the SCP, 90% for the Transition Day, and 65.2% for the mobile app. Pathway implementation seemed to be positively experienced by physicians and the organization.

CONCLUSION

Patients were satisfied with a proactive survivorship care pathway, and the majority reported that its components were useful in supporting their needs. This study can inform the implementation of survivorship care pathways in other centers.
Quantum recoherence in the early universe
Authors: Colas Thomas , Grain Julien , Vennin Vincent
Published: June 2023

Despite being created through a fundamentally quantum-mechanical process, cosmological structures have not yet revealed any sign of genuine quantum correlations. Among the obstructions to the direct detection of quantum signatures in cosmology, environmental-induced decoherence is arguably one of the most inevitable. Yet, we discover a mechanism of quantum recoherence for the adiabatic perturbations when they couple to an entropic sector. After a transient phase of decoherence, a turning point is reached, recoherence proceeds and adiabatic perturbations exhibit a large amount of self-coherence at late-time. This result is also understood by means of a non-Markovian master equation, which reduces to Wilsonian effective-field theory in the unitary limit. This allows us to critically assess the validity of open-quantum-system methods in cosmology and to highlight that re(de)coherence from linear interactions has no flat-space analogue.
Justifying Sex in Arcadia
Authors: Scozzaro Connie
Published: June 2023

Philip Sidney’s Old Arcadia features two knights who commit instances of violent sex, for which they are sentenced to death. Ultimately, they are saved, and this essay asks why—and how—the language of self-abjection is used in the service of justice. Exploring the rhetorics of mercy and masochism, the essay examines the poetic justifications for violent sex that draw on the Petrarchan tradition. Sidney’s prose romance explores the social and narrative implications for living out the conventions of erotic poetry. His suffering lover occludes his violent actions by insisting that love is a mutual injury, and thus he is a victim too. Since it contains conventional apologies for ravishment, and provocations to touch, the blazon may also be considered a precursor to violent sex. Finally, Sidney rescues his knights, unpersuasively, with a marvelous and “strange conceit” that replaces the demands of justice with the demands of romance as a genre.
May Howard Jackson and the Development of Jean Toomer’s Multiracial Modernism
Authors: Lorhan Laura
Published: June 2023

This article argues that the sculptor May Howard Jackson, a figure overlooked to this point in Toomer studies, played a formative role in Toomer’s development as a thinker and writer. Scrutiny of their relationship sheds new light on the development of Toomer’s modernist sensibilities and aesthetic, despite the paucity of extant materials from his pre-Cane period. Analyzing Jackson’s portrait bust of Jean Toomer, his essay “Art in Washington,” and the unpublished play Natalie Mann demonstrates that Toomer’s racial theorizing owes a considerable debt to Jackson, and that she served as the impetus for many of his experiments with form.
Ca2+ and cAMP open differentially dilating synaptic fusion pores
Authors: Bulgari Dinara , Cavolo Samantha L. , Schmidt Brigitte F. , Buchan Katherine , Bruchez Marcel P. , Deitcher David L. , Levitan Edwin S.
Published: June 2023

Neuronal dense-core vesicles (DCVs) contain neuropeptides and much larger proteins that affect synaptic growth and plasticity. Rather than using full collapse exocytosis that commonly mediates peptide hormone release by endocrine cells, DCVs at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction release their contents via fusion pores formed by kiss-and-run exocytosis. Here, we used fluorogen-activating protein (FAP) imaging to reveal the permeability range of synaptic DCV fusion pores and then show that this constraint is circumvented by cAMP-induced extra fusions with dilating pores that result in DCV emptying. These Ca2+-independent full fusions require PKA-R2, a PKA phosphorylation site on Complexin and the acute presynaptic function of Rugose, the homolog of mammalian neurobeachin, a PKA-R2 anchor implicated in learning and autism. Therefore, localized Ca2+-independent cAMP signaling opens dilating fusion pores to release large cargoes that cannot pass through the narrower fusion pores that mediate spontaneous and activity-dependent neuropeptide release. These results imply that the fusion pore is a variable filter that differentially sets the composition of proteins released at the synapse by independent exocytosis triggers responsible for routine peptidergic transmission (Ca2+) and synaptic development (cAMP).
Using 15N to determine the metabolic fate of dietary nitrogen in North Pacific spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias suckleyi)
Authors: Hoogenboom J. Lisa , Anderson W. Gary
Published: June 2023

Marine elasmobranchs are ureosmotic, retaining large concentrations of urea to balance their internal osmotic pressure with that of the external marine environment. The synthesis of urea requires the intake of exogenous nitrogen to maintain whole-body nitrogen balance and satisfy obligatory osmoregulatory and somatic processes. We hypothesized that dietary nitrogen may be directed toward the synthesis of specific nitrogenous molecules in post-fed animals; specifically, we predicted the preferential accumulation and retention of labelled nitrogen would be directed towards the synthesis of urea necessary for osmoregulatory purposes. North Pacific spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias suckleyi) were fed a single meal of 7 mmol l−1 15NH4Cl in a 2% ration by body mass of herring slurry via gavage. Dietary labelled nitrogen was tracked from ingestion to tissue incorporation and the subsequent synthesis of nitrogenous compounds (urea, glutamine, bulk amino acids, protein) in the intestinal spiral valve, plasma, liver and muscle. Within 20 h post-feeding, we found labelled nitrogen was incorporated into all tissues examined. The highest δ15N values were seen in the anterior region of the spiral valve at 20 h post-feeding, suggesting this region was particularly important in assimilating the dietary labelled nitrogen. In all tissues examined, enrichment of the nitrogenous compounds was sustained throughout the 168 h experimental period, highlighting the ability of these animals to retain and use dietary nitrogen for both osmoregulatory and somatic processes.
The 2020 EFQM Model digital transformation: Νew features and Assessors' view
Authors: Deliou Cleopatra , Koemtzi Maria
Published: June 2023

Background: The EFQM Model, the most widely applied Business Excellence Model in Europe, can be used by any type of organization in order to conduct a thorough analysis of its strengths and its areas for improvement. The model can be used in two ways: both as a diagnostic tool for self-assessment and as a model for management control.

Purpose: The main objective of this paper is to identify and analyze the modifications introduced to the latest version of the EFQM Model (version 2020). In an attempt to depict the main elements of the revised version, a comparison is made between the last and the previous version of the model aiming to identify the key features that need to be considered by applicant organizations when they decide to fulfill the model’s new requirements.

Methodology:  A literature review is conducted in order to illustrate the evolution of the model to date and a comparative analysis is used as a key research method for studying the differences between the last two versions of the model. The research is supported by interviewing Certified Assessors of the EFQM Model who have already got trained in the new features of the latest version.

Findings: The 2020 version allows organizations and individuals to embrace change, drive performance and evolve for the future. The creation of the Assess Base has replaced the previous paper – driven process and it brought the assessment process a step closer to digitalization for both EFQM members and Assessors.

Research Limitation: The latest version of the EFQM Model 2020 is very new and the knowledge related to its use is very limited. Therefore, the findings of this paper are mainly driven by the Assessors’ knowledge and involvement with little possibility to question or confirm the points extracted from them.

Originality/ value: This paper is the first attempt to compare the last two versions of the EFQM Model. By illustrating the new key features introduced to the model, this paper may form the basis for further research on the benefits gained by the use of these features.

EL classification: Μ19

Keywords: EFQM model, 2020 version, comparative data, stakeholders
The modern organizational environment: Communication, Networking and new technologies as driving forces for sustainability, progress & strategic alignment.
Authors: Markaki Evangelia , Chadjipadelis Theodore
Published: June 2023

The current study presents the driving sources and the challenges of the modern organizational environments.  The New forms of communication, networking, the multicultural environment, and the structural issues in organizations as well as ethics are some of the challenges that the modern organizational environment deals with. We ask employees of different demographic background to evaluate all these new changes and challenges and we assess how people react towards these new characteristics. We also investigate how people believe organizations can integrate these new trends in compliance with an effective organizational performance.  The use of the Conjoint Analysis and the scenario technique allow us to investigate and understand the significance of different characteristics or factors that influence the modern organizational environment and the coexistence of different generations in organizations. The Conjoint Analysis is a multidimensional analysis that can also provide information in a group but also in an individual level. This can help us to create interesting metrics for people and segmentations that lead to an organizational strategic design and sustainability. The present study can have applications in the business, social science, and politics environment.

 

EL Classifications: G34, G14, M41.

Key words: Strategic Alignment, Sustainability, Communication, Networking, Conjoint Analysis.
Well-being as a tool to improve productivity in existing office space: Case study in Alexandria, Egypt
Authors: Hamadah Miral , ElSeragy Ahmed , ElDeeb Sally
Published: June 2023

Background: The green building industry has significantly impacted the construction market, providing various sustainable solutions for the community. However, conventional green building standards have yet to adequately address occupant health and well-being, leading to challenges with performance. This has caused many businesses to take note of the latest report from the Bureau of Labour Statistics, which indicated that productivity in the US has dropped by the sharpest level since the 1940s [1]. Addressing these issues, organisations like International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) developed WELL Building Rating System (WELL), prioritising occupant health and well-being as critical components for improving performance and avoiding potential vulnerabilities brought about by sickness or pandemics. For this reason, this study will explore how to improve employee productivity within office buildings by bettering their overall health and well-being.

Methods: The methodology is designed to collect data from traditional office design, new trended successful office designs, and the WELL Building Rating System to understand healthy building design. Additionally, using DesignBuilder computer software simulates natural daylight, ventilation, and thermal heat gain in the case study to compare implementation results to the base case result.

Results: Showing thermal comfort, ventilation, and natural daylight significantly influence employees’ productivity. Implementing conducted design features from WELL achieved an average of 20.2%-35.6% decrease in thermal gain throughout the year, a 20% increase in airflow, an average 2.4%-6.5% decrease in Air temperature, enhanced temperature distribution by 7%, and direct sunlight minimum reduction by 9% in Winter and maximum 21.9% in Spring.

Conclusion: Our research analysed that new design features in famous office buildings positively impact employee productivity. We particularly examined the features outlined by WELL Building Rating System to identify the most influential factors affecting occupant productivity. The results of this study informed recommendations for enhancing productivity in existing office buildings in Alexandria, Egypt.
Association between circulating inflammatory biomarkers and functional outcome or perihaematomal oedema after ICH: a systematic review & meta-analysis
Authors: Kirby Caoimhe , Barrington Jack , Sondag Lotte , Loan James J.M. , Schreuder Floris H.B.M. , McColl Barry W. , Klijn Catharina J.M. , Al-Shahi Salman Rustam , Samarasekera Neshika
Published: June 2023

Background: Currently, there are no specific medical treatments for intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), but the inflammatory response may provide a potential route to treatment. Given the known effects of acute brain injury on peripheral immunity, we hypothesised that inflammatory biomarkers in peripheral blood may be associated with clinical outcome following ICH, as well as perihaematomal  oedema (PHO), which is an imaging marker of the neuroinflammatory response.

Methods: We searched OVID Medline and EMBASE on 07 April 2021 for studies of humans with ICH measuring an inflammatory biomarker in peripheral blood and PHO or clinical outcome. Risk of bias was assessed using a scale comprising features of the Newcastle-Ottawa Assessment Scale, STROBE-ME and REMARK guidelines. We used random effects meta-analysis to pool standardised mean differences (SMD) if ≥1 study quantified the association between identical biomarkers and measures of PHO or functional outcome.

Results: Of 8,615 publications, 16 examined associations between 21 inflammatory biomarkers and PHO (n=1,299 participants), and 93 studies examined associations between ≥1 biomarker and clinical outcome (n=17,702 participants). Overall, 20 studies of nine biomarkers (n=3,199) met criteria for meta-analysis of associations between inflammatory biomarkers and clinical outcome. Death or dependency (modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 3–6) 90 days after ICH was associated with higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) (SMD 0.80; 95%CI [0.44, 1.17]; p<0.0001), fibrinogen (SMD 0.32; 95%CI [0.04, 0.61]; p=0.025), white blood cell (WBC) count (SMD 0.27; 95%CI [0.11, 0.44]; p=0.001) and high mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) (SMD 1.67; 95%CI [0.05, 3.30]; p=0.04).

Conclusions: Higher circulating levels of WBC, CRP, fibrinogen and HMGB1 are associated with poorer outcomes after ICH. This study highlights the clinical importance of the inflammatory response to ICH and identifies additional research needs in determining if these associations are mediated via PHO and are potential therapeutic targets.

Registration: PROSPERO (CRD42019132628; 28/05/2019).
New Records of Ground Beetles Genera (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Scaritinae: Clivinini) from Brazilian Caves
Authors: Oliveira Letícia Aparecida de , Hoyos-Benjumea Daniela , Zepon Tamires , Bichuette Maria Elina , Vieira Letícia
Published: June 2023

The occurrence of the genera Aspidoglossa Putzeys, 1846, Paraclivina Kult, 1947, Oxydrepanus Putzeys, 1867, Pyramoides Bousquet, 2002, Semiardistomis Kult, 1950, Semiclivina Kult, 1947, Stratiotes Putzeys, 1846, and Whiteheadiana Perrault, 1994 is recorded for the first time for Brazilian caves. The specimens are deposited at the zoological collection of the Laboratório de Estudos Subterrâneos at Universidade Federal de São Carlos (LES) and are stored dipped in ethanol. A map and photographs of specimens of the genera are provided, as well as the specific records of their geographical distribution in caves.
Decydująca noc z 26 na 27 czerwca 1697 roku, czyli co przesądziło o wyborze Augusta II na tron polski
Authors: Kosińska Urszula
Published: June 2023

Tekst jest kontynuacją rozważań (W kręgu mitów, czyli o tym, co nie zadecydowało o wyborze Augusta II na tron polski w 1697 roku [KH 129, 2022, 4, s. 797–821]). Celem jest ustalenie, co rzeczywiście w ostatnich dniach sejmu elekcyjnego 1697 r. zadecydowało, że w rozdwojonej elekcji obok ks. francuskiego Franciszka Ludwika (François Louis) de Conti szlachta polska dokonała wyboru kandydata najmniej spodziewanego – konwertyty z luteranizmu, saskiego elektora Fryderyka Augusta I Wettyna (Augusta II). Autorka odtwarza przebieg ostatnich dni sejmu, konfrontując relacje dyplomatyczne i pamiętnikarskie z zapisami diariuszy sejmowych.
Antonio Santa Croce and Giovanni Battista Pallotta – Cooperation between the Warsaw and Vienna Nunciatures in 1629. A Contribution to the Study of Horizontal Communication within the Structures of the Papal Diplomatic Service
Authors: Duda Paweł , Litwin Henryk
Published: June 2023

The article deals with communication and interaction between papal diplomatic missions in the early modern era. Mainly due to a lack of extant source materials, it remains the white spot in the research into the history of Polish and foreign nuncios. However, thanks to materials from Archivio di Stato di Roma, namely the section of Archivio Santa Croce containing the originals of letters received by Nuncio Antonio Santa Croce in 1629, it is possible to attempt at least a partial reconstruction of the collaboration between the papal diplomat residing at the Court of Warsaw and his counterpart at the Court of Emperor Ferdinand II of Habsburg in Vienna, Giovanni Battista Pallotta. The correspondence analysis allows us to conclude that the contacts between the papal diplomats residing in Warsaw and Vienna in 1629, and probably earlier and later, were regular and intensive. We can assume that the routine products of the information and analytical work carried out for the Secretariat of State by both papal missions were shared in the correspondence, and the Nunciatures of Vienna and Warsaw were thus well informed about the course of affairs related to the pan-European conflict in several theatres of war. However, they also communicated and cooperated on strictly ecclesiastical matters, such as the ongoing reform of religious congregations in the 1620s.
Next-generation sequencing technology for the diagnosis of microbial infections in hard-to-heal wounds
Authors: Nayak Namitha , Kapaettu Satyamoorthy , Sreepathy Murali Thokur
Published: June 2023

A hard-to-heal wound does not usually progress through the normal wound repair process and remains in an inflammatory state. The aetiology of a hard-to-heal wound may be varied but they are generally recurrent in patients predisposed to certain conditions, including diabetes. Hard-to-heal wounds associated with diabetic foot ulcers are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Microbial infections further delay the healing process, contributing to its chronicity and influence the pathogenicity of infection-causing bacteria. Traditionally, culture-based methods have been employed to study microbial communities within the hard-to-heal wound. This method underestimates or excludes most of the dominant species and is oversensitive towards others. These limitations in the culture-based methods can be overcome by advanced molecular technologies, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), which has significantly broadened our view of the wound-associated microbiome. Sequencing of genes coding for small subunit ribosomal RNA and internal transcribed spacer locus for identification of bacteria and fungi, respectively, has provided more quantitative data in a faster, more cost-effective manner and has resulted in better microbial characterisation of wounds. In this review, we have examined in detail the NGS-based molecular characterisation of wound-associated microbes and its impact on modalities for effective treatment of hard-to-heal wound ulcers. The aim of the review was to highlight the advantages and disadvantages associated with traditional and advanced molecular technologies, such as NGS, to study the wound-associated microbiome. A full understanding of the complete diversity of the wound microbiome will help in devising effective treatment regimens for hard-to-heal wounds.
LncRNA PCBP1-AS1 induces osteoporosis by sponging miR-126-5p/PAK2 axis
Authors: Li Zhihui
Published: June 2023

Aims

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) act as crucial regulators in osteoporosis (OP). Nonetheless, the effects and potential molecular mechanism of lncRNA PCBP1 Antisense RNA 1 (PCBP1-AS1) on OP remain largely unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the role of lncRNA PCBP1-AS1 in the pathogenesis of OP.

Methods

Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), osteogenesis-related genes (alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin (OCN), osteopontin (OPN), and Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2)), PCBP1-AS1, microRNA (miR)-126-5p, group I Pak family member p21-activated kinase 2 (PAK2), and their relative expression levels were determined. Western blotting was used to examine the expression of PAK2 protein. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to measure cell proliferation. To examine the osteogenic differentiation, Alizarin red along with ALP staining was used. RNA immunoprecipitation assay and bioinformatics analysis, as well as a dual-luciferase reporter, were used to study the association between PCBP1-AS1, PAK2, and miR-126-5p.

Results

The expression of PCBP1-AS1 was pre-eminent in OP tissues and decreased throughout the development of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) into osteoblasts. PCBP1-AS1 knockdown and overexpression respectively promoted and suppressed hBMSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation capacity. Mechanistically, PCBP1-AS1 sponged miR-126-5p and consequently targeted PAK2. Inhibiting miR-126-5p significantly counteracted the beneficial effects of PCBP1-AS1 or PAK2 knockdown on hBMSCs’ ability to differentiate into osteoblasts.

Conclusion

PCBP1-AS1 is responsible for the development of OP and promotes its progression by inducing PAK2 expression via competitively binding to miR-126-5p. PCBP1-AS1 may therefore be a new therapeutic target for OP patients.

Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2023;12(6):375–386.
Application of optical switching technology in a lunar laser ranging system based on a superconducting detector
Authors: Han XiDa , Wu XianLin , Zhao HongChao , Lin XuDong , Li Ming , Wu ZhiGang
Published: June 2023

The TianQin
laser
ranging station has
successfully obtained the effective echo signals of the all five
corner-cube reflectors on the lunar surface by using a 1064 nm
Nd:YAG laser with 100 Hz repetition frequency and a 2×2 array of superconducting nanowire
single-photon detectors (SNSPDs). The application of the SNSPD in the
lunar laser ranging system (LLRS) has demonstrated its detection
ability, but it loses its superconducting state and cannot work under
strong stray light conditions. In this paper, a high-speed optical
switch experimental device based on 100 Hz is developed to
solve the application problem of the SNSPD in the LLRS, and its main
technical parameters are tested. The results show that the maximum
running distance of the switch is 200 µm; the switching time is
better than 2 ms; and the extinction ratio is better than
57 dB. Moreover, the application of the high-speed optical
switch experimental device in the lunar laser ranging system is
designed, and the effective detection time between two laser pulses
(10 ms) is determined to be 6.1 ms.
Simulation of field-assisted ion exchange in glass regarding the space-charge density and pseudo-mixed-alkali effect: erratum
Authors: Schaeffer Daniel , Klenkert Daniel , Stauch Julian , Brand Felix , Foss Wolfgang , Schwietering Julian , Wachholz Philipp , Kufner Maria
Published: June 2023

This erratum reports corrections for the original publication, Appl. Opt. 60, 6632 (2021)APOPAI0003-693510.1364/AO.427171.
Research on the OAM and reduction of RCS of a dynamically tunable terahertz reconfigurable metasurface
Authors: Li Hao , Qi Yunping , Su Mingrui , Wang Xiangxian
Published: June 2023

A dynamically tunable reconfigurable metasurface in the terahertz (THz) band combined with the phase-change material vanadium dioxide (VO2) is proposed. Through theoretical and simulation study, the dynamic tunable reconfigurable metasurface designed in this paper works in the wide band of 1.09–2.13 THz frequency, and the polarization conversion ratio of the metasurface can reach more than 95%. Further, the relative bandwidth can reach more than 74%, and it still has good performance after the phase transformation of  VO2. A metasurface coded with 3 bits and a special phase arrangement can control the electromagnetic wavefront, generate orbital angular momentum, focus vortices, reflect anomalously, and achieve radar cross section reduction. Therefore, the proposed metasurface has potential applications in secure communication, near-field imaging, wireless transmission, etc.
Controllable nonlinear propagation of partially incoherent Airy beams
Authors: Chen Kaijian , Zhang Peiyu , Liu Nana , Tan Liu , Hong Peilong , Zou Bingsuo , Xu Jingjun , Liang Yi
Published: June 2023

The self-accelerating beams such as the Airy beam show great potentials in many applications including optical manipulation, imaging and communication. However, their superior features during linear propagation could be easily corrupted by optical nonlinearity or spatial incoherence individually. Here we investigate how the interaction of spatial incoherence and nonlinear propagation affect the beam quality of Airy beam, and find that the two destroying factors can in fact balance each other. Our results show that the influence of coherence and nonlinearity on the propagation of partially incoherent Airy beams (PIABs) can be formulated as two exponential functions that have factors of opposite signs. With appropriate spatial coherence length, the PIABs not only resist the corruption of beam profile caused by self-focusing nonlinearity, but also exhibits less anomalous diffraction caused by the self-defocusing nonlinearity. Our work provides deep insight into how to maintain the beam quality of self-accelerating Airy beams by exploiting the interaction between partially incoherence and optical nonlinearity. Our results may bring about new possibilities for optimizing partially incoherent structured field and developing related applications such as optical communication, incoherent imaging and optical manipulations.
Large field-of-view holographic Maxwellian display based on spherical crown diffraction
Authors: Zhang Weijia , Wang Jun , Tan Chao , Wu Yang , Zhang Yuqi , Chen Ni
Published: June 2023

Maxwellian display, as an effective solution to the vergence accommodation conflict in near-eye displays (NEDs), has demonstrated its unique advantages in many aspects, such as the ability to provide sharp images within a certain depth of field (DOF) without being affected by the eye's focus. In recent years, the appearance of holographic Maxwellian displays has addressed the shortcomings of traditional Maxwellian displays, meeting the demands for flexible control parameters, aberration-free designing, and expanded eyebox. Nonetheless, the human eye's requirement for immersion still leaves room for a significant improvement in terms of the field-of-view (FOV). In this paper, we propose a large FOV holographic Maxwellian display based on spherical crown diffraction. The proposed spherical-crown holographic Maxwellian display theoretically can cover the full FOV required by the human eyes without complex optical paths and has flexible control of performance parameters such as DOF and image quality. We have successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the spherical crown diffraction model in lensless holographic Maxwellian displays, and it is expected to have practical applications in the field of holographic Maxwellian NEDs in the future.
Polarization-filterless polarization-sensitive polarization-multiplexed phase-shifting incoherent digital holography (P4IDH)
Authors: Tahara Tatsuki
Published: June 2023

I propose a holography technique that detects both three-dimensional (3D) and polarization information on incoherent light without any polarization filters. Two polarization-sensitive phase-only spatial light modulators are used to generate self-interference holograms with different polarization directions. 3D images for different polarization directions are retrieved from the recorded polarization-multiplexed holograms, exploiting the developed phase-shifting interferometry and numerical refocusing. Moreover, light-use efficiency is improved in general incoherent holography because there is no polarization filter. Its validity is experimentally demonstrated.
Design of cycloidal rays in optical waveguides in analogy to the fastest descent problem
Authors: Hui Xiong , He Zijun , Liu Yangjié
Published: June 2023

In this work, we present the design of cycloidal waveguides from a gradient refractive index (GRIN) medium in analogy to the fastest descent problem in classical mechanics. Light rays propagate along cycloids in this medium, of which the refractive index can be determined from relating to the descending speed under gravity force. It can be used as GRIN lenses or waveguides, and the frequency specific focusing and imaging properties have been discussed. The results suggest that the waveguide can be viewed as an optical filter. Its frequency response characteristics change with the refractive index profile and the device geometries.
Frequency-selective phase reconstruction of coded aperture correlation holography and overlapping image stripping with I-COACH
Authors: Zhang Wanbin , Li Baosheng , Liu Ju , Xing Zuozheng , LI Jianquan
Published: June 2023

We proposed frequency-selective carrier coded aperture correlation holography (FSC-COACH). By introducing frequency-selective techniques into randomly encoded aperture correlation holography, a library of virtual point spread functions (PSFs) for image reconstruction is obtained by modulating plane waves with carrier spherical wave and encoded phase mask, and reconstruction of occlusion imaging is achieved using FSPC. This is a new nonvisual imaging technique that can effectively suppress background noise and accurately encode the transverse region of the image plane to achieve fast non-linear reconstruction. The effect of the virtual point diffusion function filter radius on the reconstruction quality is experimentally analysed. The viability of our technique is demonstrated by reconstructing standard particles under mask occlusion.
The association between alcohol consumption and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma according to glycemic status in Korea: A nationwide population-based study
Authors: Cho Eun Ju , Chung Goh Eun , Yoo Jeong-Ju , Cho Yuri , Shin Dong Wook , Kim Yoon Jun , Yoon Jung-Hwan , Han Kyungdo , Yu Su Jong
Published: June 2023

Background

Alcohol and diabetes are known risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, it is unclear whether the association between alcohol consumption and HCC risk differs by fasting serum glucose level and diabetes. We investigated the dose–response relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of HCC according to glycemic status.

Methods and findings

This population-based observational cohort study included patients who underwent general health checkups in 2009 using the Korean National Health Insurance Service Database. The primary outcome was HCC incidence, and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed to estimate the relationship between alcohol consumption and HCC risk according to glycemic status. A total of 34,321 patients newly diagnosed with HCC were observed in the median follow-up period of 8.3 years. In the multivariable model, we adjusted for age, sex, smoking, regular exercise, income, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and body mass index. Mild-to-moderate alcohol consumption increased the risk of HCC in all glycemic statuses (normoglycemia: hazard ratio [HR], 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02 to 1.10; prediabetes: HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.24; and diabetes: HR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.93 to 2.11) compared to normoglycemic nondrinking. Heavy alcohol consumption also increased the risk of HCC in all glycemic statuses (normoglycemia: HR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.32 to 1.46; prediabetes: HR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.58 to 1.77; and diabetes: HR, 3.29; 95% CI, 3.11 to 3.49) compared to normoglycemic nondrinking. Since alcohol consumption information in this study was based on a self-administered questionnaire, there may be a possibility of underestimation. Although we excluded patients with a history of viral hepatitis using diagnosis codes, we could not obtain information on hepatitis B or hepatitis C serum markers.

Conclusions

Both mild-to-moderate and heavy alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of HCC in all glycemic statuses. The increased risk of HCC according to alcohol consumption was the highest in the diabetes group, suggesting that more intensive alcohol abstinence is required for patients with diabetes.
Evaluating the availability and quality of services for lymphatic filariasis morbidity in Ghana
Authors: Edmiston Melissa , Atinbire Solomon , Mensah Ernest O , Mensah Ernest , Alomatu Bright , Asemanyi Mensah Kofi , Palmer Stephanie
Published: June 2023

Background and methodology

In districts where lymphatic filariasis (LF) is endemic, the goal is to provide 100% geographical coverage of the essential package of care. Additionally, countries seeking elimination status must document the availability of services for lymphoedema and hydrocele in all endemic areas. To do this, the WHO recommends conducting assessments of the readiness and quality of services provided to identify service delivery and quality gaps. This study used the recommended WHO Direct Inspection Protocol (DIP), which consists of 14 core indicators related to LF case management, medicine and commodities, staff knowledge and patient tracking. The survey was administered in 156 health facilities across Ghana designated and trained to provide LF morbidity management services. Patient and health provider interviews were also conducted to assess challenges and feedback.

Principal findings

The highest performing indicators across the 156 surveyed facilities were related to staff knowledge; 96.6% of health workers correctly identified two or more signs and symptoms. The lowest scoring indicators concerned medication availability, with the two lowest scoring indicators in the survey being availability of antifungals (26.28%) and antiseptics (31.41%). Hospitals performed best with an overall score of 79.9%, followed by health centers (73%), clinics (67.1%) and CHPS compounds (66.8%). The most commonly reported challenge from health worker interviews was lack of medications and supplies, followed by a lack of training or poor motivation.

Conclusions and significance

The findings from this study can help the Ghana NTD Program identify areas of improvement as they seek to achieve LF elimination targets and continue to improve access to care for those with LF-related morbidity as part of overall health systems strengthening. Key recommendations include prioritizing refresher and MMDP training for health workers, ensuring reliable patient tracking systems, and integrating lymphatic filariasis morbidity management into the routine healthcare system to ensure medicine and commodity availably.
Youth, social networks and identity: A cross-border study from the Basque Country
Authors: Bidegain Eneko , Arroyo-Sagasta Amaia , Diaz Koldo , Zuberogoitia Aitor , Anton Eneko , Rozas Ixiar
Published: June 2023

This article analyses the main concerns and attitudes Basque adolescents have with regard to youth identity and social media usage. For that purpose, three techniques were combined to collect data in seventeen schools in the Basque provinces of Gipuzkoa and Labourd: a survey of 1133 students, of whom 242 also completed a diary and 482 took part in discussion groups. The participants mentioned several reasons to post content, including a tendency to want to present a positive image of themselves. It can be concluded that the attitudes of Basque adolescents resemble those found in recent studies from western countries, indicating the same predisposition to externally oriented identities.
Matilde Ras en París (1923-1926): diarios inéditos
Authors: Russo Antonella
Published: June 2023

El objetivo del presente trabajo es dar a conocer los diarios inéditos que la escritora Matilde Ras (Tarragona, 1881-Madrid, 1969) redactó entre 1923 y 1926, durante sus estancias en París, y que se conservan en el archivo particular de su familia. Aunque de carácter descriptivo y escueto, los textos en cuestión testimonian el interés temprano de la tarraconense hacia el género diarístico y constituyen uno de los escasos testimonios autobiográficos femeninos en torno a las vivencias en la capital francesa en la época de referencia. El estudio reconstruye el contexto de relaciones en el que se movió la escritora, becada por la Junta para Ampliación de Estudios para profundizar los estudios de grafología criminalista e identificación grafológica. Asimismo, se ponen de relieve las relaciones intertextuales entre algunos fragmentos de los diarios y El pensionado de Santa Casilda, novela de tema sáfico ambientada entre Madrid y París, conservada entre los papeles inéditos de Elena Fortún y publicada póstuma en 2022 a nombre de Fortún y Ras.
Rosa Chacel, proyectos editoriales y amistades literarias: la correspondencia cruzada con Jorge y Claudio Guillén
Authors: Nieva-de la Paz Pilar
Published: June 2023

El análisis de la correspondencia entre Rosa Chacel con Jorge y Claudio Guillén prueba la firme vocación profesional de la escritora y su continuo esfuerzo por gestionar sus relaciones con editores y colegas. La preocupación por promover su obra, exiliada de España durante más de tres décadas, continuó tras su regreso al país. Las cartas intercambiadas desde 1976 entre Chacel y su compañero de la generación del 27, Jorge Guillén, dan cuenta de cómo se produjo el primer contacto entre los dos. Aunque sorprendentemente tardía, esta correspondencia revela una profunda afinidad literaria, así como el respeto y la admiración que ambos sentían por la obra del otro. Por su parte, la correspondencia de Chacel con el profesor, crítico y editor Claudio Guillén, iniciada en 1975, resulta fundamental para conocer el proceso de gestación del volumen Seis tragedias, de Racine, traducido por Chacel y publicado años después por Alfaguara (1983); un proyecto editorial que la consagró como reconocida traductora. Las consultas y consejos sobre los criterios a seguir para la versión al español de las tragedias revelan el destacado nivel de escritora y editor en el conocimiento de la retórica poética, la métrica y las lenguas en que se publicó esta edición bilingüe. En las cartas que la escritora dirige a los Guillén es posible encontrar también abundante y significativa información sobre la marcha de otros proyectos literarios, como la trilogía Escuela de Platón, el poemario Versos prohibidos, la biografía Timoteo Pérez Rubio y sus retratos en el jardín, los diarios Alcancía. Ida y Vuelta, o sus Novelas antes de tiempo.
Antonio Montoro y San Juan de la Cruz
Authors: Caravaggi Giovanni
Published: June 2023

Objeto del presente artículo es ilustrar la importancia de la vida y obra de San Juan de la Cruz en la literatura del poeta, novelista y autor teatral Antonio Montoro (1884-1966), autor cuya trayectoria literaria y periodística no se ha recuperado todavía con toda la atención que merece. En nuestro trabajo se procederá a comentar los diferentes escritos que Antonio Montoro redactó sobre el místico de Fontiveros, ofreciendo además amplios fragmentos textuales aún sin publicar, con el objetivo de estudiar el vínculo de las ideas literarias del autor con la gran tradición aurisecular española.