bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Additive value of 18FDG-PET/CT to positive 131I whole body scan in recurrent differentiated thyroid cancer patients with potential influence on treatment strategy: single Egyptian center experience
Authors: Abdelhamed Heba M. , Mohammed Amira E. , Fattahalla Mona S. , Askar HebatAllah
Published: January 2022

Background

Years ago the utility of of18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (18FDG-PET/CT) in differentiated thyroid cancer was confined mainly to cases with elevated serum thyroglobulin and negative 131I whole body scan. In this study, we try to assess the diagnostic performance of 18FDG-PET/CT in recurrent differentiated thyroid cancer patients with positive 131I whole body scan and in addition to evaluate the impact of 18FDG-PET/CT on the treatment strategy.

Results

The 18FDG PET/CT detected tumor recurrence in 35 (81.3%) patients most of them (91.4%) were in stage IV, while the rest 8.5% was in stage III. No recurrence was detected among patients in stage II and III by 18FDG PET/CT.

Regarding lesion-based analysis, sensitivity of 18FDG-PET/CT was superior to that of 131I post-therapeutic whole body scan (TxWBS) (78.2% vs. 69.4%, respectively), while both modalities had the same specificity (50%). 18FDG-PET/CT changed the treatment plan in 18 (41.6%) patients.

Conclusion

18FDG-PET/CT may be complementary to 131ITxWBS in high-risk DTC with impact on treatment strategy.
Adaptation of colorectal cancer screening tailored navigation content for American Indian communities and early results using the intervention
Authors: Menon Usha , Lance Peter , Szalacha Laura A. , Candito Dianna , Bobyock Emily P. , Yellowhair Monica , Hatcher Jennifer
Published: January 2022

Background

American Indians (AI) experience major colorectal cancer (CRC) screening disparities with commensurate inequity in CRC mortality and other outcomes. The purpose of this report is to describe the methods and early results of adapting a previously successful intervention for the AI community.

Methods

The educational content and delivery strategy of the parent intervention were adapted for AIs guided by an adaptation framework and cultural consultations with the community and clinicians. As part of the environmental scanning, we identified the need to substantively revise our data entry, collection, and tracking system and develop a REDCap database for this purpose. In this study, we staggered the implementation of the intervention in each facility to inform the process from one clinic to the next, and assess both the clinical outcomes of the tailored intervention and the implementation processes across two clinic settings, Facilities A and B.

Results

The REDCap database is an indispensable asset, and without it we would not have been able to obtain reliable aggregate screening data while improvements to facility electronic health records are in progress. Approximately 8% (n = 678) of screening-eligible patients have been exposed to the navigator intervention. Of those exposed to the navigator intervention, 37% completed screening.

Conclusions

With the small numbers of patients exposed so far to the intervention, it would be premature to draw any broad conclusions yet about intervention effects. However, early screening completion rates are substantial advances on existing rates, and we have demonstrated that a tailored navigator intervention for facilitating CRC screening was readily adapted with provider and community input for application to AIs. A REDCap database for tracking of CRC screening by navigators using tablets or laptops on- or offline is easy to use and allows for generation of aggregate, anonymized screening data.

Trial registration.

There was no health intervention meeting the criteria of a clinical trial. The University of Arizona Institutional Review Board granted exemption from obtaining informed consent from patients undergoing CRC screening after administration of the tailored navigation intervention as usual care.
Molecular and pharmacological aspects of piperine as a potential molecule for disease prevention and management: evidence from clinical trials
Authors: Tripathi Amit Kumar , Ray Anup Kumar , Mishra Sunil Kumar
Published: January 2022

Background

Piperine is a type of amide alkaloid that exhibits pleiotropic properties like antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective and enhancing bioavailability and fertility-related activities. Piperine has the ability to alter gastrointestinal disorders, drug-metabolizing enzymes, and bioavailability of several drugs. The present review explores the available clinical and preclinical data, nanoformulations, extraction process, structure–activity relationships, molecular docking, bioavailability enhancement of phytochemicals and drugs, and brain penetration properties of piperine in the prevention, management, and treatment of various diseases and disorders.

Main body

Piperine provides therapeutic benefits in patients suffering from diabetes, obesity, arthritis, oral cancer, breast cancer, multiple myeloma, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral stroke, cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases, inflammatory diseases, and rhinopharyngitis. The molecular basis for the pleiotropic activities of piperine is based on its ability to regulate multiple signaling molecules such as cell cycle proteins, anti-apoptotic proteins, P-glycoprotein, cytochrome P450 3A4, multidrug resistance protein 1, breast cancer resistance protein, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 proinflammatory cytokine, nuclear factor-κB, c-Fos, cAMP response element-binding protein, activation transcription factor-2, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, Human G-quadruplex DNA, Cyclooxygenase-2, Nitric oxide synthases-2, MicroRNA, and coronaviruses. Piperine also regulates multiple signaling pathways such as Akt/mTOR/MMP-9, 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase-activated NLR family pyrin domain containing-3 inflammasome, voltage-gated K+ current, PKCα/ERK1/2, NF-κB/AP-1/MMP-9, Wnt/β-catenin, JNK/P38 MAPK, and gut microbiota.

Short conclusion

Based on the current evidence, piperine can be the potential molecule for treatment of disease, and its significance of this molecule in the clinic is discussed.

Graphical abstract
Diagnosis and surgical treatment of tumor-induced osteomalacia—a literature review and a case report
Authors: Huang Peikai , Xiao Mengqiang , Zhang Meng , Chen Jun , Ye Jingzhi , Zhao Meiyi , Tang Jiahui
Published: January 2022

Background

Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is a rare condition with fewer than 500 cases reported in the literature although described. Phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor (PMT) is often unrecognized cause of hypophosphatemia. This case report aims to highlight such a rare association which warrants clinical and radiologist attention.

Case

A 51-year-old man had pain in his feet 2 years prior to the most recent presentation in our clinic. The patient experienced increasingly severe body aches and pain, which affected the feet, hips, knees, ribs, waist, and shoulders. MRI and CT led to the diagnosis of multiple insufficiency fractures. Laboratory tests showed that inorganic phosphate (IP) levels had decreased to 0.52 mmol/L(0.81–1.45 mmol/L), while alkaline phosphatase (ALP) had increased to 216 U/L(38.0–126.0 U/L). Positron emission tomography computed tomography showed tumor-derived hypophosphate osteomalacia of the right iliac wing; surgical resection was performed. markers of bone metabolism and bone density returned normal postoperative, after 9 months follow-up.

Conclusion

The possibility of tumor-induced osteomalacia should be considered if unexplained joint pain, decreased bone mineral density, increased ALP and insufficiency fractures, and no similar family history are found in adult patients. Surgical resection of the tumor is the key to the treatment.
Sinonasal aneurysmal bone cyst mimicking hemangioma
Authors: Shivakumar Shweta , Mhashal Shashikant , Shetty Neeraj , Gaikwad Ninad Subhash , Dokania Vivek
Published: January 2022

Background

Aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a benign, expansile bony lesion, primarily found in long bones. It is uncommon in facial bones and exceptionally rare in the sphenoethmoid sinus.

Case presentation: A 28-year-old male presented with complaints of bilateral nasal block and recurrent epistaxis. Rhinoscopy examination showed a lobulated lesion in the bilateral posterior nasal cavity and nasopharynx. A nasopharyngeal angiofibroma was suspected on radiological assessment. Pre-operative incisional biopsy revealed the tumor as hemangioma. With a probable diagnosis of hemangioma, the lesion was explored under general anesthesia. An endoscopic endonasal excision of a tumor mass attached to the sphenoid skull base was undertaken. Histopathological examination of the resected tissue confirmed the diagnosis of an aneurysmal bone cyst.

Conclusion

 ABC should be considered a rare differential for a hemorrhagic sinonasal mass in a young adult. Histopathological examination of the excised tissue is mandatory for a confirmatory diagnosis. Radiologic assessment and pre-operative incisional biopsy are essential from the diagnostic point of view; however, they can often cause a diagnostic dilemma with other vascular tumors such as nasopharyngeal angiofibroma or hemangioma.
Multiple-qubit nonadiabatic noncyclic geometric quantum computation in Rydberg atoms
Authors: Guo F.-Q. , Zhu X.-Y. , Yun M.-R. , Yan L.-L. , Zhang Y. , Jia Y. , Su S.-L.
Published: January 2022

Single- and two-qubit nonadiabatic noncyclic geometric quantum computation (NNGQC) have been put forward in theory (Liu B.-J. et al., Phys. Rev. Res.
2 (2020) 043130). The features of single-qubit NNGQC have been experimentally verified and the experimental technical route of the two-qubit case has been discussed in detail (Zhang J. W. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett.
127 (2021) 030502). The multiple-qubit quantum logic gate is critical for quantum computation. Although combining a series of single- and two-qubit NNGQC gates can form universal operations and create arbitrary multiple-qubit gates, the created multiple-qubit gate often consumes more quantum resource and requires longer evolution time, which makes it more fragile to systematic error and decoherence. In this article, we propose a scheme to directly construct the multiple-qubit NNGQC gates in Rydberg atoms. The numerical results show that the proposed quantum gates have high fidelity and are robust to systemic error and decoherence. Our scheme may be applied in the future quantum computation and many-body quantum science studies.
Secure delegated quantum computation based on Z-rotation encryption
Authors: Ma Shuquan , Zhu Changhua , Nie Min , Quan Dongxiao , Pei Changxing
Published: January 2022

Quantum computing on encrypted data allows a client who has limited quantum capacity to delegate his or her private computation to an untrusted quantum server, while the input and output are encrypted by the quantum one-time pad and only the client can correctly decrypt them. Generally, the client is required to have ability to prepare some single qubits and perform some basic gates. In this work, we consider a further restricted situation where the client can only prepare one single qubit and perform one basic gate. Specifically, we show that as long as the client can prepare a fixed qubit

and perform a fixed phase gate P, then he or she can still achieve the secure delegated quantum computation. Besides, our protocol can provide a more rigorous security for any quantum computation. For example, even if some encryption keys about the computation are leaked, it can still guarantee the privacy of the input and output. Finally, our protocol experimentally has a great significance in reducing the device complexity of the client's side.
Developmental disorders caused by haploinsufficiency of transcriptional regulators: a perspective based on cell fate determination
Authors: Zug Roman
Published: January 2022

Many human birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders are caused by loss-of-function mutations in a single copy of transcription factor (TF) and chromatin regulator genes. Although this dosage sensitivity has long been known, how and why haploinsufficiency (HI) of transcriptional regulators leads to developmental disorders (DDs) is unclear. Here I propose the hypothesis that such DDs result from defects in cell fate determination that are based on disrupted bistability in the underlying gene regulatory network (GRN). Bistability, a crucial systems biology concept to model binary choices such as cell fate decisions, requires both positive feedback and ultrasensitivity, the latter often achieved through TF cooperativity. The hypothesis explains why dosage sensitivity of transcriptional regulators is an inherent property of fate decisions, and why disruption of either positive feedback or cooperativity in the underlying GRN is sufficient to cause disease. I present empirical and theoretical evidence in support of this hypothesis and discuss several issues for which it increases our understanding of disease, such as incomplete penetrance. The proposed framework provides a mechanistic, systems-level explanation of HI of transcriptional regulators, thus unifying existing theories, and offers new insights into outstanding issues of human disease.

This article has an associated Future Leader to Watch interview with the author of the paper.
Photoinduced Bending Crystals of a Rhodium Dithionite Complex with n-Methoxybutyl Moieties
Authors: Kajiwara Yuu , Yoshimizu Hikaru , Matsumoto Kodai , Nakai Hidetaka
Published: January 2022

A newly synthesized photochromic rhodium dithionite complex with n-methoxybutyl moieties has been found to provide rod-like millimeter-size crystals exhibiting photoinduced bending; the crystals show an intriguing behavior which the bending and unbending occur upon photoirradiation from the same side of the crystal. The bending mechanism was clarified by single crystal X-ray diffraction experiments.
Signal Amplification Circuit Composed of Serinol Nucleic Acid for RNA Detection
Authors: Chen Yanglingzhi , Murayama Keiji , Asanuma Hiroyuki
Published: January 2022

A hybridization chain reaction (HCR) using a serinol nucleic acid (SNA) scaffold was newly designed and optimized. We found that hairpins with 8- or 9-mer loops, toeholds, and stems activated HCR and that the SNA interface accelerated initiation of HCR. Use of nitromethyl red as a quencher on the hairpin enabled detection of target RNA with high sensitivity. This system will be applicable to RNA detection in cell and biopsy, due to the high enzymatic durability of SNA.
Can You Move to Opportunity? Evidence from the Great Migration
Authors: Derenoncourt Ellora
Published: January 2022

This paper shows that racial composition shocks during the Great Migration (1940–1970) reduced the gains from growing up in the northern United States for Black families and can explain 27 percent of the region’s racial upward mobility gap today. I identify northern Black share increases by interacting pre-1940 Black migrants’ location choices with predicted southern county out-migration. Locational changes, not negative selection of families, explain lower upward mobility, with persistent segregation and increased crime and policing as plausible mechanisms. The case of the Great Migration provides a more nuanced view of moving to opportunity when destination reactions are taken into account. (JEL H75, H76, J15, J62, K42, N32, R23)
Incomplete Information Bargaining with Applications to Mergers, Investment, and Vertical Integration
Authors: Loertscher Simon , Marx Leslie M.
Published: January 2022

We provide an incomplete information bargaining framework that captures the effects of differential bargaining power in markets with multiple buyers and multiple suppliers. The market is modeled as a mechanism that maximizes the expected weighted welfare of the firms, subject to the constraints of incentive compatibility, individual rationality, and no deficit. We show that, in this model, there is no basis for the presumption that vertical integration increases equally weighted social surplus, while it is possible that horizontal mergers that appropriately change bargaining weights increase social surplus. Moreover, efficient bargaining implies that in equilibrium noncontractible investments are efficient. (JEL C78, D82, D83, G34, K21, L22, L40)
Μέθοδοι υποχώρων krylov για την επίλυση γραμμικών συστημάτων Toeplitz
Authors: Ταχυρίδης Γρηγόριος
Published: January 2022

Στην παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή γίνεται μελέτη της προρρύθμισης τετραγωνικών, μη-συμμετρικών και πραγματικών συστημάτων Toeplitz. Αποδεικνύονται θεωρητικά αποτελέσματα, τα οποία αποτελούν ικανές συνθήκες για την αποτελεσματικότητα των προτεινόμενων προρρυθμιστών και την ταχεία σύγκλιση στη λύση του συστήματος, με μεθόδους όπως η Προρρυθμισμένη Γενικευμένη μέθοδος Ελαχίστων Υπολοίπων (PGMRES) και η Προρρυθμισμένη μέθοδος Συζυγών Κλίσεων για το σύστημα των Κανονικών Εξισώσεων (PCGN).Στο πρώτο κεφάλαιο παραθέτουμε βασικές εισαγωγικές έννοιες, ορισμούς και θεωρητικά αποτελέσματα, τα οποία χρησιμοποιήσαμε για να αποδείξουμε τα θεωρητικά αποτελέσματα της διατριβής. Αυτά έχουν να κάνουν κυρίως με τη συσσώρευση του φάσματος, αλλά και των ιδιαζουσών τιμών, αφού αυτή αποτελεί κριτήριο για το πόσο αποτελεσματικός είναι κάποιος προρρυθμιστής.Στο δεύτερο κεφάλαιο κατασκευάζουμε έναν ταινιωτό Toeplitz προρρυθμιστή, για συστήματα με καλή, αλλά και κακή κατάσταση. Η τεχνική προρρύθμισης βασίζεται στην εύρεση ενός κατάλληλου τριγωνομετρικού πολυωνύμου για την άρση των ριζών της γεννήτριας συνάρτησης (αν υπάρχουν), σε συνδυασμό με προσέγγιση από κάποιο άλλο τριγωνομετρικό πολυώνυμο. Αποδείχθηκε η συσσώρευση των ιδιοτιμών, καθώς και των ιδιαζουσών τιμών του προρρυθμισμένου συστήματος.Στο τρίτο κεφάλαιο κατασκευάζουμε έναν κυκλοειδή (circulant) προρρυθμιστή για συστήματα Toeplitz με καλή κατάσταση, καθώς κι έναν ταινιωτό-επί-κυκλοειδή (band-times-circulant) προρρυθμιστή για συστήματα με κακή κατάσταση. Αποδεικνύονται αντίστοιχα θεωρητικά αποτελέσματα, ενώ γίνεται και σύγκριση με τον προρρυθμιστή του προηγούμενου κεφαλαίου στα αριθμητικά αποτελέσματα, της τελευταίας ενότητας.Στο τέταρτο και τελευταίο κεφάλαιο της διατριβής μελετάμε συστήματα Toeplitz, των οποίων η γεννήτρια συνάρτηση υπάρχει, αλλά δεν είναι γνωστή εκ των προτέρων. Γίνεται κατάλληλη προσαρμογή των προρρυθμιστών που κατασκευάστηκαν στα προηγούμενα κεφάλαια. Με τεχνικές εκτίμησης της γεννήτριας συνάρτησης, των ριζών αυτής και της πολλαπλότητας των εν λόγω ριζών, κατασκευάζουμε αντίστοιχους προρρυθμιστές.
Dynamic properties of nanoparticle magnetic systems
Authors: Γιαννίτσης Αθανάσιος
Published: January 2022

Η παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή ασχολείται με τη μελέτη των δυναμικών ιδιοτήτων των μαγνητικών νανοσωματιδιακών ρευστών, τα οποία αποτελούν μια σημαντική κατηγορία φυσικών συστημάτων που εκδηλώνουν μικροσκοπικής κλίμακας μαγνητομηχανικά φαινόμενα. Υπάρχουν δύο φυσικές διεργασίες που εμπλέκονται με τη δυναμική συμπεριφορά ενός μαγνητικού νανοσωματιδίου: (α) το φαινόμενο της μαγνητικής αφησύχασης που πηγάζει από τη περιστροφή της μαγνητικής ροπής του νανοσωματιδίου, και που οφείλεται είτε στη αφησύχαση κατά Brown είτε στη αφησύχαση κατά Néel, ή σε συνδυασμό και των δυο, και (β) το φαινόμενο του μαγνητικού συντονισμού που οφείλεται στη μετάπτωση της μαγνητικής ροπής των μαγνητικών νανοσωματιδίων. Η παράμετρος που μετράμε είναι η σύνθετη μαγνητική επιδεκτικότητα του μαγνητικού ρευστού, η οποία εξαρτάται από την ένταση του προσπίπτοντος μαγνητικού πεδίου και της συχνότητάς του και μπορεί να προσδιοριστεί με μέτρηση της σύνθετης αντίστασής του. Η σύνθετη μαγνητική επιδεκτικότητα εμπεριέχει στοιχεία για τις μικροσκοπικές παραμέτρους των μαγνητικών νανοσωματιδίων όπως το μέγεθος του νανοσωματιδίου καθαυτού, το μέγεθος του εσωτερικού μαγνητικού πυρήνα του νανοσωματιδίου, τη σταθερά της ανισοτροπίας του, το μέγεθος του ισοδύναμου μαγνητικού πεδίου της ανισοτροπίας και τον γυρομαγνητικό του λόγο. Στις εφαρμογές της μαγνητικής επιδεκτικότητας περιλαμβάνονται η μέτρηση των ενεργειακών απωλειών της θερμότητας, που μπορεί να προσδιοριστεί από τον συντελεστή απωλειών tanδ και την ενεργειακή πυκνότητα απώλειας της θερμότητας.
No one left behind: has the pursuit of FP2020’s 120 million additional users goal left some women behind?
Authors: Farid Shiza , Bremner Jason , Anderson Emma
Published: January 2022

Background: An important question is whether the FP2020’s “120 million additional users” goal exacerbated inequities and led to a prioritization of populations within countries where substantial gains towards the goal could be made. We examine FP2020 country data for signs of inequity in gains in modern contraceptive prevalence (MCP).

Methods: We selected 11 countries (Bangladesh, Burundi, Ethiopia, Haiti, Malawi, Mali, Nepal, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zimbabwe) to conduct a bivariate analysis. We evaluated if MCP growth had been equitable by assessing MCP between two surveys stratified by residence, levels of education, age groups, marital status, and wealth.

Results: In most countries, MCP increased among rural women and in seven African countries these gains were significant. In six countries, MCP gains were significant both among women with no education and in the lowest wealth group. MCP gains among young women aged 15-19 and 20-24 were seen in four African countries: Malawi, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Uganda.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that between two surveys since 2010 many countries saw MCP gains across different dimensions of equity and do not suggest a focus on expanded coverage at the expense of equity. As the family planning community begins to look ahead to the next partnership, this analysis can help inform the emerging FP2030 framework, which includes equity as a guiding principle.
A Nonconvex Optimization Approach to IMRT Planning with Dose–Volume Constraints
Authors: Maass Kelsey , Kim Minsun , Aravkin Aleksandr
Published: January 2022

Fluence map optimization for intensity-modulated radiation therapy planning can be formulated as a large-scale inverse problem with competing objectives and constraints associated with the tumors and organs at risk. Unfortunately, clinically relevant dose–volume constraints are nonconvex, so standard algorithms for convex problems cannot be directly applied. Although prior work focuses on convex approximations for these constraints, we propose a novel relaxation approach to handle nonconvex dose–volume constraints. We develop efficient, provably convergent algorithms based on partial minimization, and show how to adapt them to handle maximum-dose constraints and infeasible problems. We demonstrate our approach using the CORT data set and show that it is easily adaptable to radiation treatment planning with dose–volume constraints for multiple tumors and organs at risk.

Summary of Contribution: This paper proposes a novel approach to deal with dose–volume constraints in radiation treatment planning optimization, which is inherently nonconvex, mixed-integer programming. The authors tackle this NP-hard problem using auxiliary variables and continuous optimization while preserving the problem’s nonconvexity. Algorithms to efficiently solve the nonconvex optimization problem presented in this paper yield computation speeds suitable for a busy clinical setting.
Inventory Balancing with Online Learning
Authors: Cheung Wang Chi , Ma Will , Simchi-Levi David , Wang Xinshang
Published: January 2022

We study a general problem of allocating limited resources to heterogeneous customers over time under model uncertainty. Each type of customer can be serviced using different actions, each of which stochastically consumes some combination of resources and returns different rewards for the resources consumed. We consider a general model in which the resource consumption distribution associated with each customer type–action combination is not known but is consistent and can be learned over time. In addition, the sequence of customer types to arrive over time is arbitrary and completely unknown. We overcome both the challenges of model uncertainty and customer heterogeneity by judiciously synthesizing two algorithmic frameworks from the literature: inventory balancing, which “reserves” a portion of each resource for high-reward customer types that could later arrive based on competitive ratio analysis, and online learning, which “explores” the resource consumption distributions for each customer type under different actions based on regret analysis. We define an auxiliary problem, which allows for existing competitive ratio and regret bounds to be seamlessly integrated. Furthermore, we propose a new variant of upper confidence bound (UCB), dubbed lazyUCB, which conducts less exploration in a bid to focus on “exploitation” in view of the resource scarcity. Finally, we construct an information-theoretic family of counterexamples to show that our integrated framework achieves the best possible performance guarantee. We demonstrate the efficacy of our algorithms on both synthetic instances generated for the online matching with stochastic rewards problem under unknown probabilities and a publicly available hotel data set. Our framework is highly practical in that it requires no historical data (no fitted customer choice models or forecasting of customer arrival patterns) and can be used to initialize allocation strategies in fast-changing environments.

This paper was accepted by J. George Shanthikumar, Management Science Special Section on Data-Driven Prescriptive Analytics.
Design of Electricity Demand-Response Programs
Authors: Agrawal Vishal V. , Yücel Şafak
Published: January 2022

During a heat wave on a summer afternoon, a utility firm may face unusually high demand and procurement cost for electricity. Under such conditions, a demand-response event occurs, and the firm asks residential customers to reduce their demand. Such a demand-response program not only reduces the firm’s procurement cost, but it can also be environmentally beneficial by reducing generation from emissions-intensive power plants. In a demand-response program, a utility firm pays a rebate to customers for each unit of their demand reduction—the difference between a customer’s demand and consumption. However, the demand reduction cannot be directly measured because the firm cannot observe the customer’s demand, but only its consumption. Accordingly, a utility firm estimates the demand reduction by subtracting the consumption from a baseline, which is typically set as a customer’s average historical demand. In this paper, we first investigate how the existence of a baseline influences a customer’s demand reduction decision and when it leads to under- or overestimation of the actual demand reduction. We then analyze how a utility firm should adjust the baseline from the customer’s average demand. We find that it should inflate (deflate) the baseline if the cost difference between event and non-event periods is large (small), even though this may lead to greater overestimation (underestimation) of the customer’s demand reduction. Interestingly, we show that inflation of the baseline, which one would expect to make reducing demand more attractive for a customer, can actually lead to a smaller demand reduction, resulting in higher emissions.

This paper was accepted by Vishal Gaur, operations management.
Bowel management in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Young Jane
Published: January 2022

Jane Young explores considerations in the assessment and management of constipation and faecal incontinence.
Archaic Anthropology: The Presence of the Past in the Present
Authors: Boland Tom , Griffin Ray
Published: January 2022

Our approach is an ‘Archaic Anthropology’, a methodological combination of contemporary anthropological engagement with the historicisation of the present using genealogical methods, drawn from Nietzsche, Weber, Foucault and Agamben, a contribution to the emergent paradigm of ‘economic theology’. Specifically this entails taking contemporary discourses – from social policy to job-seeking advice – as constitutive of the society it purports to describe. Thus, contemporary conceptualisations, whether created by academic disciplines or popular culture draw from existing cultural models, including theology, to make sense of complex social and economic experiences, from national recessions or growth to personal careers or unemployment. Thus, government is not simply evidence-based but incorporates medieval pastoral power – following Foucault, or the market reflects an invisible hand which is equally providential as it is economic – drawing on Agamben’s theological genealogy. By combining key ideas and figures from cultural sociology and governmentality studies, our approach allows us to trace the ‘production of meaning’ – how cultural models are deployed to decipher meaning in even arbitrary events, shape identities continuously and give direction and purpose to social and economic life.
Pilgrimage: The Interminable Ritual of Jobseeking
Authors: Boland Tom , Griffin Ray
Published: January 2022

Jobseeking is an inescapable task within the modern labour market, especially, for the unemployed, who have obligations to find work imposed upon them by welfare conditionality. Finding work, selling yourself, scrutinising failures and chasing success are all imposed upon the unemployed under threat of sanctions. To understand this penitential journey, this chapter examines how the medieval model of pilgrimage shapes jobseeking, drawing extensively from Turner’s work on liminality. Specifically, pilgrimages begin with self-examination and are undertaken in contrition for sins, just as jobseeking is obligatory for the unemployed who are considered personally responsible for their lack of work. Through their journey of seeking salvation, both pilgrims and jobseekers relentlessly search for meaning, deciphering opaque signs from the market or providence; dangers and opportunities must be recognised. Finally, arrival at a shrine or job is considered transformative. Yet, in a world of precarious unemployment, these purifying and edifying journeys are not just required but recurrent, an interminable career of self-transformation, often under duress, in which individuals are repeatedly subjected to economic judgement, which decides their worth – usually through continuous rejection, relentless testing their hopes and faith in the labour market and themselves.
Shipborne expendable all-optical fiber ocean temperature-depth profile sensor
Authors: Zhao Qiang , Wang Yinglong , Sun Peng , Du Dawei , Yu Luyao , Zhang Jianwei , Ding Baoyan , Han Guihai , Qu Yi
Published: January 2022

Traditional electrical expendable bathythermograph (XBT) is designed to fall at a known rate based on a great deal of experiments so that the depth of the temperature profile can be inferred from the time it enters the water. Unlike the traditional electrical XBT, which derives the depth from fall-rate equations, we propose an all-optical fiber (AOF) XBT (AOF-XBT) based on cascade of two fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). In the AOF-XBT, the depth data comes from one FBG, which responds in real time to the pressure acting on the diaphragm, and temperature data can be measured via the other FBG simultaneously. First, the pressure and temperature response characteristics of the AOF-XBT are analyzed based on a finite element method. Then, the temperature and pressure calibrations for the AOF-XBT is completed after they are packaged. Results show that the mean-temperature sensitivity of two sensors are 14.765 and 13.705 pm/°C in the range of 5°C–30°C, and the mean-pressure sensitivities are

−

2.75586

and

−

3.00472

n
m

/

M
P
a

in the range of 0–0.6 MPa, respectively. At last, by comparing the results obtained from the AOF-XBT and the SBE 911plus CTD that tested in the sea area of Weihai, the trends of the temperature-depth profile from the two devices are consistent, which presents a new all-optical technique to provide full ocean temperature-depth profile observations.
Adaptive brightness fusion method for intraoperative near-infrared fluorescence and visible images
Authors: Zhang Chong , Wang Kun , Tian Jie
Published: January 2022

An adaptive brightness fusion method (ABFM) for near-infrared fluorescence imaging is proposed to adapt to different lighting conditions and make the equipment operation more convenient in clinical applications. The ABFM is designed based on the network structure of Attention Unet, which is an image segmentation technique. Experimental results show that ABFM has the function of adaptive brightness adjustment and has better fusion performance in terms of both perception and quantification. Generally, the proposed method can realize an adaptive brightness fusion of fluorescence and visible images to enhance the usability of fluorescence imaging technology during surgery.
Deep neural network classification of in vivo burn injuries with different etiologies using terahertz time-domain spectral imaging
Authors: Osman Omar B. , Harris Zachery B. , Khani Mahmoud E. , Zhou Juin W. , Chen Andrew , Singer Adam J. , Hassan Arbab M.
Published: January 2022

Thermal injuries can occur due to direct exposure to hot objects or liquids, flames, electricity, solar energy and several other sources. If the resulting injury is a deep partial thickness burn, the accuracy of a physician’s clinical assessment is as low as 50-76% in determining the healing outcome. In this study, we show that the Terahertz Portable Handheld Spectral Reflection (THz-PHASR) Scanner combined with a deep neural network classification algorithm can accurately differentiate between partial-, deep partial-, and full-thickness burns 1-hour post injury, regardless of the etiology, scanner geometry, or THz spectroscopy sampling method (ROC-AUC = 91%, 88%, and 86%, respectively). The neural network diagnostic method simplifies the classification process by directly using the pre-processed THz spectra and removing the need for any hyperspectral feature extraction. Our results show that deep learning methods based on THz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) measurements can be used to guide clinical treatment plans based on objective and accurate classification of burn injuries.
Modeling turbulence in underwater wireless optical communications based on Monte Carlo simulation: comment
Authors: Li Min , Li Yueheng , Huang Ping , Ju Meiyan
Published: January 2022

This note aims to report and correct a mistake in the mentioned paper
[J. Opt. Soc. Am.
A 34, 1187
(2017)JOAOD60740-323210.1364/JOSAA.34.001187]. The quadratic
equation given in the paper to provide the solution to the possible
refractive direction of a transmitted photon after interacting with
the curved turbulent boundary is incorrect due to neglecting the
refractive index variation along the propagation link. The revised
equation is provided and substantiated by numeric
simulation results.
Design of high-quality polarization-independent Fabry–Perót interferometers in an air-hole silicon photonic crystal
Authors: Lin Guimin , Chen Xiyao
Published: January 2022

Two high-quality (high-Q) polarization-independent Fabry–Perót interferometers (PIFPIs) based on the self-collimation (SC) effect in an air-hole silicon photonic crystal (PhC) are designed and numerically demonstrated. Two kinds of PhC mirrors with high reflectivity are found, which can both constitute high-Q Fabry–Perót interferometers (FPIs). Although the transmission spectra of the FPIs are polarization dependent due to the birefringence of the PhC, the same resonance frequencies for both TE modes and TM modes in the high-Q FPIs can be obtained using the polarization peak matching method. For the first PIFPI, the Q factors for TE and TM modes are 841.7 and 427.5, respectively, which are much higher than those in existing works. For the other PIFPI, the Q factors for the TE and TM modes are up to 1694.8 and 1807.7, respectively. For the operating wavelength of 1550 nm, the dimensions of these two PIFPIs are about

25.1

×

12.6

µ

m

. With their small dimensions and high Q, the proposed PIFPIs can be used as sharply tuned optical filters or as spectrum analyzers, and may play an important role in future photonic integrated circuits.
Orbital angular momentum deep multiplexing holography via an optical diffractive neural network
Authors: Huang Zebin , He Yanliang , Wang Peipei , Xiong Wenjie , Wu Haisheng , Liu Junmin , Ye Huapeng , Li Ying , Fan Dianyuan , Chen Shuqing
Published: January 2022

Orbital angular momentum (OAM) mode multiplexing provides a new strategy for reconstructing multiple holograms, which is compatible with other physical dimensions involving wavelength and polarization to enlarge information capacity. Conventional OAM multiplexing holography usually relies on the independence of physical dimensions, and the deep holography involving spatial depth is always limited for the lack of spatiotemporal evolution modulation technologies. Herein, we introduce a depth-controllable imaging technology in OAM deep multiplexing holography via designing a prototype of five-layer optical diffractive neural network (ODNN). Since the optical propagation with dimensional-independent spatiotemporal evolution offers a unique linear modulation to light, it is possible to combine OAM modes with spatial depths to realize OAM deep multiplexing holography. Exploiting the multi-plane light conversion and in-situ optical propagation principles, we simultaneously modulate both the OAM mode and spatial depth of incident light via unitary transformation and linear modulations, where OAM modes are encoded independently for conversions among holograms. Results show that the ODNN realized light field conversion and evolution of five multiplexed OAM modes in deep multiplexing holography, where the mean square error and structural similarity index measure are 0.03 and 86%, respectively. Our demonstration explores a depth-controllable spatiotemporal evolution technology in OAM deep multiplexing holography, which is expected to promote the development of OAM mode-based optical holography and storage.
Improved radiation resistance of an Er-doped silica fiber by a preform pretreatment method
Authors: Jiao Yan , Yang Qiubai , Zhu Yiming , Wang Fan , Zhang Lei , Wang Meng , Wang Shikai , Shao Chongyun , Yu Chunlei , Hu Lili
Published: January 2022

We report a novel pretreatment method to improve the radiation resistance of Er-doped fiber (EDF). The processing object of this method is EDF preform, and the pretreatment processing involves three steps: deuterium loading, pre-irradiation, and thermal annealing. The effects of pretreatment conditions on the optical loss, gain performance, and radiation resistance of EDF were systematically studied. The relevant mechanisms were revealed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), radiation-induced absorption (RIA), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. The results show that the pretreatment can not only greatly reduce the hydroxyl content of the EDF core, but it can also effectively improve the radiation resistance of EDF. The online test results show that the gain of the commercial, pristine, and pretreated EDFs were reduced by 19.0, 4.2, and 1.3 dB, respectively, corresponding to a decrease of 68.1, 16.2, and 4.7% after 98 krad X-rays irradiation. The high vacuum experiments show that the pretreatment method can maintain long-term stable high radiation resistance. This work provides a reference for the development of high-performance radiation resistant EDFs for use in the lower, middle, and geosynchronous earth orbit.
Robust and accuracy calibration method for a binocular camera using a coding planar target
Authors: Yin Yulong , Zhu Huabing , Yang Pei , Yang Zhaohui , Liu Kai , Fu Hongwei
Published: January 2022

High-accuracy binocular camera calibration is a vital basis of precise binocular vision 3D measurement. In this work, a high-precision and robust binocular camera calibration method based on a coding target is proposed. First, a coding target with the simple patterns is designed. Every corner on the coding target has a unique code number, which can make the identification of homonymous corners easier and more valuable, even if the target is partially occluded. The decoding of the coding target is rapid, robust, and accurate at a complex background. Subsequently, the zenith and azimuth angles are introduced in the proposed calibration method to study the effect of the orientation of the coding target on the stability of calibration results and improve the robustness of the calibration results. Finally, to fully utilize the 3D information of the calibration corners on the coding target, we combine the reprojection and 3D geometric constraints to propose a multi-constraint optimization method for refining the parameters of binocular camera and improving the accuracy of binocular camera calibration. The comparison experiments have been done to verify the performance of the proposed calibration method. The standard deviations of the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters are greatly decreased, compared with Zhang’s method. The mean reprojection and 3D geometric errors calculated by the proposed method have a large reduction. And the application experiment furtherly validates the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Replacing optical surfaces with gradient index functions which preserve ray trajectory
Authors: Kochan Nicholas S. , Schmidt Greg R. , Moore Duncan T.
Published: January 2022

Laws of reflection and refraction between homogeneous media and gradient index (GRIN) ray behavior are both derived from Fermat’s principle. Design methods for GRIN can be difficult to analytically develop. This Letter proposes a foundation for complete replacement of refracting and total internally reflecting optical interfaces in existing designs with GRIN distribution. The proposed method can aid in incorporating GRIN into existing optical designs. Refraction in GRIN is specified to match the ray striking and leaving the optical interface in both position and angle. This result is shown for a collection of similar GRIN functions. One GRIN function is analyzed over a full space of attainable ray bend angles. A local arbitrarily oriented planar interface is replaced with GRIN distribution, and ray behavior is maintained.
On-demand harnessing of photonic soliton molecules
Authors: Liu Shilong , Cui Yudong , Karimi Ebrahim , Malomed Boris A.
Published: January 2022

Soliton molecules (SMs) are fundamentally important modes in nonlinear optical systems. It is a challenge to experimentally produce SMs with the required temporal separation (TS) in mode-locked fiber lasers. Here, we propose and realize an experimental scenario for harnessing SM dynamics in a laser setup. In particular, we tailor SMs in a mode-locked laser controlled by second-order group-velocity dispersion and dispersion losses: the real part of dispersion maintains the balance between the dispersion and nonlinearity, while the dispersion loss determines the balance of gain and losses. The experimental results demonstrate that the dispersion loss makes it possible to select desired values of the TS in bound pairs of SMs in the system. Tunability of a SM’s central wavelength and the corresponding hysteresis are addressed too. The demonstrated regime allows us to create multiple SMs with preselected values of the TS and central wavelength, which shows the potential of our setup for the design of optical data-processing schemes.
From complete cross-docking to partners identification and binding sites predictions
Authors: Dequeker Chloé , Mohseni Behbahani Yasser , David Laurent , Laine Elodie , Carbone Alessandra
Published: January 2022

Proteins ensure their biological functions by interacting with each other. Hence, characterising protein interactions is fundamental for our understanding of the cellular machinery, and for improving medicine and bioengineering. Over the past years, a large body of experimental data has been accumulated on who interacts with whom and in what manner. However, these data are highly heterogeneous and sometimes contradictory, noisy, and biased.Ab initiomethods provide a means to a “blind” protein-protein interaction network reconstruction. Here, we report on a molecular cross-docking-based approach for the identification of protein partners. The docking algorithm uses a coarse-grained representation of the protein structures and treats them as rigid bodies. We applied the approach to a few hundred of proteins, in the unbound conformations, and we systematically investigated the influence of several key ingredients, such as the size and quality of the interfaces, and the scoring function. We achieved some significant improvement compared to previous works, and a very high discriminative power on some specific functional classes. We provide a readout of the contributions of shape and physico-chemical complementarity, interface matching, and specificity, in the predictions. In addition, we assessed the ability of the approach to account for protein surface multiple usages, and we compared it with a sequence-based deep learning method. This work may contribute to guiding the exploitation of the large amounts of protein structural models now available toward the discovery of unexpected partners and their complex structure characterisation.
Modeling the temporal dynamics of master regulators and CtrA proteolysis in Caulobacter crescentus cell cycle
Authors: Xu Chunrui , Hollis Henry , Dai Michelle , Yao Xiangyu , Watson Layne T. , Cao Yang , Chen Minghan
Published: January 2022

The cell cycle ofCaulobacter crescentusinvolves the polar morphogenesis and an asymmetric cell division driven by precise interactions and regulations of proteins, which makesCaulobacteran ideal model organism for investigating bacterial cell development and differentiation. The abundance of molecular data accumulated onCaulobactermotivates system biologists to analyze the complex regulatory network of cell cycle via quantitative modeling. In this paper, We propose a comprehensive model to accurately characterize the underlying mechanisms of cell cycle regulation based on the study of:a)chromosome replication and methylation;b)interactive pathways of five master regulatory proteins including DnaA, GcrA, CcrM, CtrA, and SciP, as well as novel consideration of their corresponding mRNAs;c)cell cycle-dependent proteolysis of CtrA through hierarchical protease complexes. The temporal dynamics of our simulation results are able to closely replicate an extensive set of experimental observations and capture the main phenotype of seven mutant strains ofCaulobacter crescentus. Collectively, the proposed model can be used to predict phenotypes of other mutant cases, especially for nonviable strains which are hard to cultivate and observe. Moreover, the module of cyclic proteolysis is an efficient tool to study the metabolism of proteins with similar mechanisms.