bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patients with sporadic FTLD exhibit similar increases in lysosomal proteins and storage material as patients with FTD due to GRN mutations
Authors: Davis Skylar E. , Cook Anna K. , Hall Justin A. , Voskobiynyk Yuliya , Carullo Nancy V. , Boyle Nicholas R. , Hakim Ahmad R. , Anderson Kristian M. , Hobdy Kierra P. , Pugh Derian A. , Murchison Charles F. , McMeekin Laura J. , Simmons Micah , Margolies Katherine A. , Cowell Rita M. , Nana Alissa L. , Spina Salvatore , Grinberg Lea T. , Miller Bruce L. , Seeley William W. , Arrant Andrew E.
Published: April 2023

Loss of function progranulin (GRN) mutations are a major autosomal dominant cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Patients with FTD due to GRN mutations (FTD-GRN) develop frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 pathology type A (FTLD-TDP type A) and exhibit elevated levels of lysosomal proteins and storage material in frontal cortex, perhaps indicating lysosomal dysfunction as a mechanism of disease. To investigate whether patients with sporadic FTLD exhibit similar signs of lysosomal dysfunction, we compared lysosomal protein levels, transcript levels, and storage material in patients with FTD-GRN or sporadic FTLD-TDP type A. We analyzed samples from frontal cortex, a degenerated brain region, and occipital cortex, a relatively spared brain region. In frontal cortex, patients with sporadic FTLD-TDP type A exhibited similar increases in lysosomal protein levels, transcript levels, and storage material as patients with FTD-GRN. In occipital cortex of both patient groups, most lysosomal measures did not differ from controls. Frontal cortex from a transgenic mouse model of TDP-opathy had similar increases in cathepsin D and lysosomal storage material, showing that TDP-opathy and neurodegeneration can drive these changes independently of progranulin. To investigate these changes in additional FTLD subtypes, we analyzed frontal cortical samples from patients with sporadic FTLD-TDP type C or Pick’s disease, an FTLD-tau subtype. All sporadic FTLD groups had similar increases in cathepsin D activity, lysosomal membrane proteins, and storage material as FTD-GRN patients. However, patients with FTLD-TDP type C or Pick’s disease did not have similar increases in lysosomal transcripts as patients with FTD-GRN or sporadic FTLD-TDP type A. Based on these data, accumulation of lysosomal proteins and storage material may be a common aspect of end-stage FTLD. However, the unique changes in gene expression in patients with FTD-GRN or sporadic FTLD-TDP type A may indicate distinct underlying lysosomal changes among FTLD subtypes.
Understanding the 2D-material and substrate interaction during epitaxial growth towards successful remote epitaxy: a review
Authors: Ji Jongho , Kwak Hoe-Min , Yu Jimyeong , Park Sangwoo , Park Jeong-Hwan , Kim Hyunsoo , Kim Seokgi , Kim Sungkyu , Lee Dong-Seon , Kum Hyun S.
Published: April 2023

Remote epitaxy, which was discovered and reported in 2017, has seen a surge of interest in recent years. Although the technology seemed to be difficult to reproduce by other labs at first, remote epitaxy has come a long way and many groups are able to consistently reproduce the results with a wide range of material systems including III-V, III-N, wide band-gap semiconductors, complex-oxides, and even elementary semiconductors such as Ge. As with any nascent technology, there are critical parameters which must be carefully studied and understood to allow wide-spread adoption of the new technology. For remote epitaxy, the critical parameters are the (1) quality of two-dimensional (2D) materials, (2) transfer or growth of 2D materials on the substrate, (3) epitaxial growth method and condition. In this review, we will give an in-depth overview of the different types of 2D materials used for remote epitaxy reported thus far, and the importance of the growth and transfer method used for the 2D materials. Then, we will introduce the various growth methods for remote epitaxy and highlight the important points in growth condition for each growth method that enables successful epitaxial growth on 2D-coated single-crystalline substrates. We hope this review will give a focused overview of the 2D-material and substrate interaction at the sample preparation stage for remote epitaxy and during growth, which have not been covered in any other review to date.

Graphical Abstract
Combined spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) and Takotsubo syndrome (TTS): a case series
Authors: Saleemi Saadat Ali , Teng Lung En , Dick Ronald J. L.
Published: April 2023

Background

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) and Takotsubo Syndrome (TTS) are two different entities with several shared risk factors, but their management is different. They can co-exist in patients with chest pain which affects their management. We present two cases of combined SCAD and TTS in patients presented with chest pain.

Case presentation

Case 1: 80F admitted with typical chest pain and dynamic ECG changes on the background of known anxiety/depression and social stresses. Her coronary angiogram showed SCAD affecting distal LAD. The left ventriculogram (LV gram) showed apical ballooning consistent with Takotsubo Syndrome (TTS). Patient was discharged on aspirin as well as angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB).

Case 2: 60F admitted with typical chest pain in the setting of emotional trauma on the background of known cardiovascular risk factors. She was found to have ST elevation in inferior leads with no reciprocal changes. Subsequently, coronary angiogram showed SCAD affecting mid-left anterior descending artery (LAD) with normal distal wrap around LAD. Her LV gram showed apical ballooning consistent with TTS. However, transthoracic echocardiogram showed akinetic left ventricular apex. She was discharged on aspirin as well as an ACE inhibitor and warfarin to prevent LV thrombus.

Conclusions

SCAD and TTS can co-exist in patients with chest pain. It is important to identify SCAD in patients with TTS as it may affect their short as well as long-term management.
A study of outcome of ossiculoplasty using autologous cartilage, refashioned incus, and polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) prosthesis in patients of chronic suppurative otitis media
Authors: Khanam Saba Fatima , Malik Bashir Ahmad , Qazi Sajad Majid , Dar Nisar Hussain , Altaf Sanam , Khan Mohammad Imran , Farooq Nazrana
Published: April 2023

Aim

To find out the mean air conduction thresholds (ACT) and air–bone gap (ABG) closure across the treatment groups at the end of 3 and 6 months of follow-up.

Material and methods

Sixty patients diagnosed with COM with conductive hearing loss were included in the study. Air conduction threshold (ACT) and air–bone gap were calculated and recorded pre-operatively. Surgery was done with clearance of disease followed by reconstruction of hearing in single-stage operation using autologous conchal cartilage, refashioned incus, and polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) prosthesis (PORP, TORP) depending upon the intraoperative findings during surgery. Patients were followed for up to 6 months for assessing the hearing outcome in terms of the mean air conduction threshold and mean air–bone gap closure for each group separately.

Results

The outcome of each ossiculoplasty material was calculated in terms of mean air conduction threshold and mean AB gap closure. Preoperative and postoperative air conduction threshold (ACT) at 3 months and 6 months follow-up of each group was as follows: for the autologous conchal cartilage group, 41.3 (± SD 6.69), 29.2 (± SD 5.39), and 21 (± SD 4.66); for autologous refashioned incus group, 40.4 (± SD 5.43), 28.4 (± SD 6.73), and 20.8 (± SD 4.33); for the Teflon PORP group, 42.9 (± SD 5.68), 31.4 (± SD 6.86), and 34.9 (± SD 6.37); and for the Teflon TORP group, 43.1 (± SD 5.40), 32.5 (± SD 5.91), and 36.2 (± SD 5.31). The mean air–bone gap preoperatively and postoperatively at 3 months and 6 months respectively were as follows: for autologous conchal cartilage, 40.6 (± SD 4.57), 23.7 (± SD 4.48), and 20 (± SD 5.28); for autologous refashioned incus, 39.3(± SD 4.92), 21.9 (± SD 5.61), and 19.4 (± SD 5.82); for Teflon PORP 43.0 (± SD 4.48), 32.8 (± SD 4.84), and 36.3 (± SD 5.56); and for Teflon TORP, 44.5 (± SD 5.56), 33.2 (± SD 5.53), and 35.2 (± SD 5.10).

Conclusion

The hearing outcome of ossiculoplasty varies with the type of ossiculoplasty material used. Most favorable results were obtained with refashioned autologous incus followed by autologous conchal cartilage. Teflon prosthesis has a significant improvement in hearing outcomes although the results are less favorable.
Diagnostic accuracy of lung ultrasound in detecting weaning-induced pulmonary edema
Authors: Hamad Dina A. , Abdel-Moniem Alaa Eldin , Meshref Taghreed S. , Mohamed Marwan N. , Elghazally Shimaa A. , Abdelrehim Ahmad B.
Published: April 2023

Background

Weaning-induced pulmonary edema (WIPO) is one of the commonest causes of weaning failure in critical care. As ultrasound machine is an easy and available tool in critical care units that help to diagnose interstitial lung syndrome by detecting B lines, it can be a handy method for diagnosis of WIPO.

Aim

We aimed to detect the threshold of increase in B lines (ΔB lines) that can accurately diagnose WIPO.

Methods

This is a prospective observational study carried on 52 mechanically ventilated patients who were eligible for weaning. Lung ultrasound was done before and after spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) to detect the increase in B lines (ΔB lines).

Results

Among the first 52 SBT, 25 trials were failed. Twelve patients developed WIPO (23% of all SBT and 48% of failing SBT). The best diagnostic accuracy for WIPO was a ΔB lines ≥ 6. In these cases, a ΔB line ≥ 6 has a sensitivity of 83.3%, a specificity of 82.5%, a positive predictive value of 58.8%, and a negative predictive value of 94.3% (area under the curve = 0.824, p < 0.001). Low body mass index (BMI) and increased number of ΔB lines were independent predictors of WIPO.

Conclusion

A ΔB lines ≥ 6 has the best diagnostic accuracy for diagnosis of WIPO during SBT.

Trial registration

NCT04463303.
Enzootic epidemiology of Brucella in livestock in central Gansu Province after the National Brucellosis Prevention and Control Plan
Authors: Fang Yupeng , Wang Jianjun , Zhang Guanyin , Zhu Fengdong , Guo Chaoyue , Zhang Jiandong , Guo Kaixuan , Deng Yun , Zhang Jinxue , Chen Huanchun , Liu Zhengfei
Published: April 2023

Brucellosis remains one of the most common zoonoses spread worldwide, inducing enormous economic losses to the livestock industry and posing serious health threats to humans. Brucellosis re-emerged in China in the mid-1990s and reached a historically high level in 2015. The National Brucellosis Prevention and Control Plan (NBPCP) was initiated from 2016 to 2020. However, the present epidemiological status in livestock has not been elucidated, and whether Brucella variation occurred remains unclear. This study performed an extensive serological investigation in ruminant livestock from 2019 to 2021 in central Gansu Province, China. In total, 11,296 samples from 337 farms were collected to detect the specific antibodies of Brucella. The yearly average serological prevalence of Brucella at the flock level and individual level declined from 11.32% to 8.26% and 1.17% to 0.57%, respectively. The apparent individual-level seroprevalence of small and large ruminants was 0.89% and 0.52%, respectively. The brucellosis distribution has shifted from pastoral areas to agro-pastoral areas. Flock size and gender may be major risks of Brucella infection. Then, the B. melitensis TZ strain was isolated from female Tibetan sheep blood cell lysates. Phonotypical characterization demonstrated that it belongs to B. melitensis. biovar 3, and multilocus sequencing typing results indicated that it belongs to ST8. The whole genome and subsequent phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the B. melitensis TZ strain is genetically more closely related to the B. melitensis QH61 strain. The B. melitensis TZ strain has similar growth characteristics to the B. melitensis 16 M strain. Overall, our study suggests that after strengthening control and prevention measures based on the NBPCP, there is a very low prevalence or absence of B. melitensis in the central Gansu Province of China, and the genotype of an epidemic strain of Brucella in Northwest China is relatively stable.
How Administration Stakes and Settings Affect Student Behavior and Performance on a Biology Concept Assessment
Authors: Uminski Crystal , Hubbard Joanna K. , Couch Brian A.
Published: April 2023

Administration conditions can affect how students engage with concept assessments. Building on a validity framework, the grading stakes and administration setting for a concept assessment were systematically varied and the resulting student behavior and performance were analyzed to understand the impact of administration conditions on student outcomes.
Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy in Melanoma: The Paradigm Shift
Authors: Hieken Tina J. , Kreidieh Firas , Aedo-Lopez Veronica , Block Matthew S. , McArthur Grant A. , Amaria Rodabe N.
Published: April 2023

Clinical stage III melanoma, defined as resectable RECIST measurable nodal disease with or without in-transit metastases, represents approximately 15% of new melanoma diagnoses every year with additional cases presenting as recurrent nodal disease following previous treatment of a primary melanoma. The standard of care for patients with resectable clinical stage III melanoma is surgical resection, consisting of therapeutic lymph node dissection and/or resection of in-transit disease and consideration of adjuvant systemic therapy and occasionally adjuvant radiation. These patients have high rates of regional recurrence and progression to metastatic disease postsurgery, highlighting the need for better treatment options. With the success of immune checkpoint inhibitors in both the adjuvant and metastatic settings, the use of these agents in the neoadjuvant setting has been an emerging area of research interest. In this chapter, we will discuss the rationale for neoadjuvant immunotherapy; review impactful clinical trials; and define response monitoring, surgical considerations, emerging therapies, and unanswered questions for neoadjuvant therapy as a recent paradigm shift in the management of clinical stage III melanoma.
Friction on layered media: How deep do phonons reach?
Authors: Lee Miru , Weber Niklas , Volkert Cynthia A. , Krüger Matthias
Published: April 2023

We theoretically study the frictional damping of a small probe object on a coated planar surface, analyzing the resulting phonon modes via a theory of viscoelasticity. Three different types of excitations are found to contribute to friction in distinct ways: traveling (3D) spherical waves, traveling (2D) surface waves, and evanescent waves. While traveling waves transport energy away from the probe, determined by long range elastic properties (wavelength), evanescent waves transform energy into heat in a near-field range, characterized by the size of the probe. Thus, fundamentally different behaviors are predicted, depending on coating thickness and material properties.
In the Time of Pandemic, the Deep Structure of Biopower Is Laid Bare
Authors: Davis Lennard J.
Published: April 2023

The pandemic revealed the workings of biopower in relation to people with disabilities. In focusing on lives worth living, decisions were made based on metrics about the quality of life of various groups. Ultimately, the pandemic revealed the power structure lurking behind a rhetoric of “care and compassion.”
Academic Labor, Shared Governance, and the Future That Awaits Us
Authors: Bérubé Michael
Published: April 2023

This essay draws on the author’s experiences in the Faculty Senate at Pennsylvania State University and cochairing a committee on COVID-19 and shared governance for the American Association of University Professors.
How Do Institutions of Higher Education Affect Local Invention? Evidence from the Establishment of US Colleges
Authors: Andrews Michael J.
Published: April 2023

I use narrative historical data on site selection decisions for a subset of US colleges to identify runner-up locations that were strongly considered to become the sites of new colleges. Using runner-up counties as counterfactuals in a difference-in-difference model, I find that establishing a college causes 62 percent more patents per year. Linking patents to novel college yearbook data reveals that only 12 percent of patents in a college’s county came from that college’s alumni or faculty. I find only small differences in patenting between establishing colleges and establishing other institutions as well as between colleges with different focuses on technical fields. (JEL I23, N31, N32, N71, N72, O31, O34)
Coase and Cap-and-Trade: Evidence on the Independence Property from the European Carbon Market
Authors: Zaklan Aleksandar
Published: April 2023

I examine the Coasean independence property in a large multinational cap-and-trade scheme for greenhouse gas emissions, the EU Emissions Trading System. I analyze whether emissions of power producers are independent from allowance allocations by leveraging a change in allocation policy for a difference-in-difference strategy. The evidence suggests that the independence property holds overall and for larger emitters and that firms respond to the loss in allocation by increasing allowance purchases. Suggestive evidence for small emitters indicates that trading costs or behavioral bias distorts their emission decisions. However, their small emission share leaves the independence property intact at the sector level. (JEL L94, L98, Q48, Q51, Q54, Q58)
Ask and You Shall Receive? Gender Differences in Regrades in College
Authors: Li Cher Hsuehhsiang , Zafar Basit
Published: April 2023

Using administrative data from a large public university, we show that male students are 18.6 percent more likely than female students to receive favorable grade changes made by instructors. Surveys of students and instructors reveal that regrade requests are prevalent and that male students are more likely to ask for regrades on the intensive margin. We corroborate the gender differences in regrade requests in an incentivized controlled experiment: we find that males have a higher willingness to pay to ask for regrades. Almost a third of the gender difference is due to gender differences in beliefs and the Big Five traits. (JEL D82, D91, I23, J16)
Optimal Income Taxation with Spillovers from Employer Learning
Authors: Craig Ashley C.
Published: April 2023

I study optimal income taxation when human capital investment is imperfectly observable by employers. In the model, Bayesian inference about worker productivity compresses the wage distribution, lowering the private return to human capital investment. An externality arises: given the same information, employers are more optimistic about each individual if workers are generally more productive. The significance of this externality hinges on the accuracy of employers’ beliefs and the responsiveness of human capital. For the United States, taking it into account lowers optimal marginal tax rates for most workers, reducing them by a maximum of 9–13 percentage points between $50,000 and $100,000. (JEL D83, H21, H24, J24, J31, M51, M52)
Does Pay Transparency Affect the Gender Wage Gap? Evidence from Austria
Authors: Gulyas Andreas , Seitz Sebastian , Sinha Sourav
Published: April 2023

We study the 2011 Austrian pay transparency law, which requires firms above a size threshold to publish internal reports on the gender pay gap. Using an event-study design, we show that the policy had no discernible effects on male and female wages, thus leaving the gender wage gap unchanged. The effects are precisely estimated, and we rule out that the policy narrowed the gender wage gap by more than 0.4 p.p.. Moreover, we do not find evidence for wage compression within establishments. We discuss several possible reasons why the reform did not reduce the gender wage gap. (JEL J16, J31, J71, K31)
Attitudes toward immigration in Europe: Cross-regional differences
Authors: Dražanová Lenka , Gonnot Jérôme
Published: April 2023

Background: This article investigates how European public opinion has responded to short-term variations in regional immigration over the past decade (2010-2019).

Methods: Combining data from the European Social Survey and the European Union Labour Force Survey and using multilevel modelling, we test how natives’ opinions over migration policy and the contribution of immigrants to society have changed with the net rate of international migrants in 183 EU regions from 21 countries.

Results: We find that while European natives living in regions with a higher share of foreign-born populations are generally less anti-immigrant, a short-term increase in the number of immigrants within a given region is associated with more negative attitudes.

Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate the importance of temporal dynamics for attitudes to immigration. They also point to the relevance of regional variations in attitudes beside cross-country differences.
The genome sequence of the Lesser Swallow Prominent, Pheosia gnoma (Fabricius, 1777)
Authors: Boyes Douglas , Goate Zoe ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: April 2023

We present a genome assembly from an individual male Pheosia gnoma (the Lesser Swallow Prominent; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Notodontidae). The genome sequence is 271.3 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 31 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 17.0 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 11,628 protein coding genes.
Neural Temporal Difference and Q Learning Provably Converge to Global Optima
Authors: Cai Qi , Yang Zhuoran , Lee Jason D. , Wang Zhaoran
Published: April 2023

Temporal difference learning (TD), coupled with neural networks, is among the most fundamental building blocks of deep reinforcement learning. However, because of the nonlinearity in value function approximation, such a coupling leads to nonconvexity and even divergence in optimization. As a result, the global convergence of neural TD remains unclear. In this paper, we prove for the first time that neural TD converges at a sublinear rate to the global optimum of the mean-squared projected Bellman error for policy evaluation. In particular, we show how such global convergence is enabled by the overparameterization of neural networks, which also plays a vital role in the empirical success of neural TD. We establish the theory for two-layer neural networks in the main paper and extend them to multilayer neural networks in the appendix. Beyond policy evaluation, we establish the global convergence of neural (soft) Q learning.

Funding: Z. Yang acknowledges the Theory of Reinforceement Learning program at Simons Institute. J. D. Lee acknowledges support of the ARO under MURI Award W911NF-11-1-0304, the Sloan Research Fellowship, NSF CCF 2002272, NSF IIS 2107304, ONR Young Investigator Award, and NSF-CAREER under award #2144994. Z. Wang acknowledges National Science Foundation [Awards 2048075, 2008827, 2015568, 1934931], Simons Institute (Theory of Reinforcement Learning), Amazon, J.P. Morgan, and Two Sigma for their supports.
Technical Note—Asymptotically Optimal Control of Omnichannel Service Systems with Pick-up Guarantees
Authors: Gao Xuefeng , Huang Junfei , Zhang Jiheng
Published: April 2023

Both walk-in and online customers appear in many service systems such as restaurants. Online customers are often given a target time for pick up, and the quality of the food/beverage can degrade if it is ready before the arrival of online customers. This distinctive feature brings essential difficulties in the analysis and control of such systems. In “Technical Note: Asymptotically Optimal Control of Omnichannel Service Systems with Pick-up Guarantees,” Gao, Huang, and Zhang study the optimal control problem of such service systems based on a two-class single server queueing model. The paper proposes a nearly-optimal policy that keeps the server idle when the queue of online customers drops below a threshold and there are no walk-in customers.
Molecular identification of mother trees of four matoa cultivars (Pometia pinnata Forst & Forst) from Pekanbaru City, Indonesia using RAPD markers
Authors: ZULFAHMI ZULFAHMI , PERTIWI SUCI AMALIA , ROSMAINA ROSMAINA , ELFIANIS RITA , GULNAR ZIYAYEVA , ZHAXYBAY TULEUBAYEV , BEKZAT MOMBAYEVA , ZHAPARKULOVA GULSHAT
Published: April 2023

Abstract. Zulfahmi, Pertiwi SA, Rosmaina, Elfianis R, Gulnar Z, Zhaxybay T, Bekzat M, Zhaparkulova G. 2023. Molecular identification of mother trees of four matoa cultivars (Pometia pinnata Forst & Forst) from Pekanbaru City, Indonesia using RAPD markers. Biodiversitas 24: 1524-1530. Pekanbaru city has four matoa (Pometia pinnata Forst & Forst) cultivars, i.e. red matoa, yellow matoa, green matoa, and black matoa, but the knowledge of the genetic variation among matoa cultivars is not available. The objective of this study was to assess the genetic variation among matoa cultivars using Random amplified polymorphism DNA (RAPD) markers and to identify the specific marker to distinguish among matoa cultivars. Eighteen primers were initially screened and four matoa cultivars were analyzed with twelve primers using the RAPD marker. The results of this study found that the twelve selected RAPD primers generated 39 fragments, with fragment sizes ranging from 200 to 1500 bp. The percentage of fragment polymorphic was 80.41%, indicating the high genetic variation of the matoa cultivar. The high genetic variation of matoa in this study is caused by cross-pollinated among matoa cultivars in the field. Eleven primers can differentiate four matoa cultivars with specific bands. The obtaining unique bands can be utilized by breeders and farmers as a basis to select the parents for the genetic improvement of Matoa, cultivars or clones protection, detection of seedling purity in a nursery, and to verify the originality of the seedlings that will be cultivated.
Multiplex PCR detection of mackerel-based food adulteration with pleco and chicken in selected areas around Ciliwung River, Indonesia
Authors: WIDAYANTI RINI , NUGROHO HERJUNO ARI , MEGARANI DOROTHEA VERA , WIDIASIH DYAH AYU , PAKPAHAN SUHENDRA
Published: April 2023

Abstract. Widiyanti R, Nugroho HA, Megarani DV, Widiasih DA, Pakpahan S. 2023. Multiplex PCR detection of mackerel-based food adulteration with pleco and chicken in selected areas around Ciliwung River, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 1538-1543. Detecting fish product adulteration is crucial to ensure food safety since pleco meat was already reported to carry several heavy metals that might harm human health. Pleco is invasive species in the Ciliwung River and is commonly used as adulteration material for fish-based products. Adulteration in mackerel-based food products may alter the nutritional value and carry heavy metal contamination from the bottom-feeder fish's meat (pleco). Therefore, using the DNA barcoding technique, a molecular approach has been used to authenticate mackerel fish products (including dumplings and otak-otak). This study aimed to develop a specific multiplex PCR method for simultaneously detecting processed products from mackerel and pleco. The sample consists of 21 processed food items initially made from mackerel. The samples were taken in the selected area around the Ciliwung River. All the samples can be amplified successfully, and amplification lengths were 108, 171, and 300 bp, respectively. Analysis from various claimed mackerel products showed that five samples were positive for pleco adulteration, and 11 products contained chicken meat addition. The phylogenetic tree was constructed from selected sequences from our samples and showed that the amplicons were clustered in three clades, mackerel (Scomberomorus), pleco (Pterygoplichthys), and chicken (Gallus gallusLinnaeus, 1758). The findings of this study revealed that 23.80% (5/21) products contained pleco, and 52.38% (11/21) contained chicken meat addition. The addition of an unusual component to food composition may alter nutritional value as well as may affect food hygiene and safety.
Parasitoid of cassava mealybug, Anagyrus lopezi (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae): Mummy size, adult emergence, sex ratio, and parasitization level
Authors: Naimah Fatayatun , Sartiami Dewi , Maryana Nina , Anwar Ruly , Pudjianto Pudjianto
Published: April 2023

Abstract. Naimah F, Sartiami D, Maryana N, Anwar R, Pudjianto. 2023. Parasitoid of cassava mealybug, Anagyrus lopezi (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae): mummy size, adult emergence, sex ratio, and parasitization level. Biodiversitas 24: 1629-1634. The presence of Anagyrus lopezi as a natural enemy can reduce the population of Phenacoccus manihoti. This parasitoid was introduced from Thailand to Indonesia in 2014 to control cassava mealybugs. This research aims to determine the mummy length and width, adult emergence time, sex ratio, and parasitization level. This study was conducted in July-November 2022, while parasitoids and mealybugs were obtained from Bogor, Indonesia. The size of mummies was measured under Dino-light digital microscope; the emergence time was counted for 24 hours within six days, and the sex ratio of parasitoids was calculated based on the number of males and females emergence. The parasitization level was observed from four female parasitoids at 120, 160, and 200 of host population densities. The study showed the length and width of female mummies (n: 100) were 0.71 mm and 1.64, while the length and width of male mummies (n: 100) were shorter than female with 1.00 mm and 2.18 mm. The peak time of adult emergence is A. lopezi, i.e., during the daytime at 09:01-12:00 AM and 03:01-06:00 PM. The sex ratio of parasitoids from the field and laboratory was 1:0.49, 1:1.05, and 1:1.09, respectively. The one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test at a 5% significance level showed that the host population density of 120 nymphs was significantly different from other densities, with a parasitization level of 66.7%.
Severe Shoulder Pain Caused by Lipoma Arborescens in the Subdeltoid Bursa: A Case Report
Authors: Yamada Shugo , Nakayama Masanori , Kiyota Yasuhiro , Ishii Ken
Published: April 2023

Introduction:Lipoma arborescens is a tumor-like lesion that occurs inside joints and synovial bursae, especially in knee joints. It rarely occurs in the shoulder joints and this disease usually causes severe shoulder pain. This study aims to report a rare case of lipoma arborescens occurring in the subdeltoid bursa with severe shoulder pain. Case Report: A 59-year-old woman with severe pain and restriction of range of motion (ROM) for her right shoulder consisting for 2 months was referred to our hospital. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings revealed that a tumor-like lesion exists in the subdeltoid bursa in her right shoulder and blood examinations revealed no abnormal findings. Surgical resection of the tumor-like lesion was performed and the rotator cuff was repaired because this tumor-like lesion invaded the rotator cuff partially. Pathology examination of the resected tissues was consistent with lipoma arborescens. One year after surgery, the patient’s shoulder pain was diminished and its ROM recovered. There was no significant difficulty in activities of daily living. Conclusion: Lipoma arborescens should be considered when patients present with complaints of severe shoulder pain. Even if their physical findings do not suggest rotator cuff injuries, MRI should be performed to rule out lipoma arborescens. Keywords: Lipoma arborescens, shoulder, subdeltoid bursa.
Evidence into Practice Special Interest Group: launch
Authors: McGlade Anne , James Sigrid , Mackrill Thomas , Patton Sonia , Sørensen Kresta Munkholt , Taylor Brian J. , Thyer Bruce
Published: April 2023

In 2021, the Evidence into Practice Special Interest Group was launched with online events. At the 11th European Conference for Social Work Research in Amsterdam in April 2022, the Evidence into Practice Special Interest Group had its inaugural in-person sessions. This short article in the ‘Research, policy and practice exchange’ section of this new journal, European Social Work Research (a collaborative venture involving European Social Work Research Association), has been written to bring the launch of the Evidence into Practice Special Interest Group to a wider audience and to encourage participation. The article gives something of the context for the Evidence into Practice Special Interest Group and a flavour of the presentations at the 2022 European Conference for Social Work Research.
Accurate measurement and enhancement of fiber coil symmetry
Authors: Hong Wei , Hu Xudong , Zang Zerun , Zhang Pei , Lou Shaofeng , Huang Bo , Li Yunjiao , Zhang Mianzhi
Published: April 2023

The pure Shupe effect is substantially reduced in a fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) with symmetrical windings. However, the effect of the temperature-induced nonuniformity of the stress in the coil depends on the mean temperature derivative (T-dot). Research on precision winding technology has discovered that the symmetry of optical fiber rings affects the temperature performance of fiber optic gyroscopes. Optical fiber rings with good symmetry also have good temperature performance. This paper first establishes a temperature drift model of optical fiber rings that includes the Shupe effect and T-dot effect and then uses finite element simulation to analyze the drift error of optical fiber rings in a variable temperature environment. Analysis shows that this drift is caused by the variation and uneven distribution of the fiber length and the refractive index in the positive and negative winding of the optical fiber ring, which results in a residual phase difference that is directly related to the symmetry of the optical fiber ring. Simulation and analysis show that balancing the residual phase difference of the optical fiber ring can be achieved by cutting the length of the optical fiber ring at both ends. This paper uses optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) technology to precisely test the symmetry of the optical fiber ring, ensuring accurate adjustment of the lengths at both ends of the optical fiber ring. Experimental tests on two gyroscopes have shown that the optical fiber ring with a smaller drift error can be obtained after testing and adjusting its length. The experimental data indicates that the bias stability of two laboratory gyros are increased by 23.6% and 18.1%, and the bias range are reduced by 22.4% and 30.0%.
Influence of dichroism on the optical properties of a twisted nematic liquid crystal cell in the terahertz region
Authors: Ito Ryota , Sekiya Hayato , Kawayama Iwao , Honma Michinori , Tonouchi Masayoshi , Nose Toshiaki
Published: April 2023

Polarization control is essential in terahertz (THz) imaging. Liquid crystals (LCs) have the potential to functionalize tunable polarization-control devices. Here, a twisted nematic (TN) cell using a hydrogen-bonded LC is fabricated, and the influence of dichroism in the THz region is discussed. Our results indicate that the polarization state in the Gooch–Tarry minimum condition is affected by the LC dichroism; a nondichroic LC is required for complete linearly polarized output. The output intensity of the dichroic LC–TN cell changed when electrically switched or when the incident THz wave polarization direction was rotated 90°. These intensity variations disappeared when using the nondichroic hydrogen-bonded LC.
Designing and simulating realistic spatial frequency domain imaging systems using open-source 3D rendering software
Authors: Crowley Jane , Gordon George S. D.
Published: April 2023

Spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) is a low-cost imaging technique
that maps absorption and reduced scattering coefficients, offering
improved contrast for important tissue structures such as tumours.
Practical SFDI systems must cope with various imaging geometries
including imaging planar samples ex vivo, imaging
inside tubular lumen in vivo e.g. for endoscopy, and
measuring tumours or polyps of varying morphology. There is a need for
a design and simulation tool to accelerate design of new SFDI systems
and simulate realistic performance under these scenarios. We present
such a system implemented using open-source 3D design and ray-tracing
software Blender that simulates media with realistic
absorption and scattering in a wide range of geometries. By using
Blender’s Cycles ray-tracing engine, our
system simulates effects such as varying lighting, refractive index
changes, non-normal incidence, specular reflections and shadows,
enabling realistic evaluation of new designs. We first demonstrate
quantitative agreement between Monte-Carlo simulated absorption and
reduced scattering coefficients with those simulated from our Blender
system, achieving 16% discrepancy in absorption coefficient
and 18% in reduced scattering coefficient.
However, we then show that using an empirically derived look-up table
the errors reduce to 1% and 0.7% respectively. Next, we simulate SFDI
mapping of absorption, scattering and shape for simulated tumour
spheroids, demonstrating enhanced contrast. Finally we demonstrate
SFDI mapping inside a tubular lumen, which highlighted a important
design insight: custom look-up tables must be generated for different
longitudinal sections of the lumen. With this approach we achieved 2% absorption error and 2% scattering error. We anticipate our
simulation system will aid in the design of novel SFDI systems for key
biomedical applications.
DIRECT, a low-cost system for high-speed, low-noise imaging of fluorescent bio-samples
Authors: Whiteley Isabell , Song Chenchen , Howe Glenn A. , Knöpfel Thomas , Rowlands Christopher J.
Published: April 2023

A targeted imaging system has been developed for applications requiring recording from stationary samples at high spatiotemporal resolutions. It works by illuminating regions of interest in rapid sequence, and recording the signal from the whole field of view onto a single photodetector. It can be implemented at low cost on an existing microscope without compromising existing functionality. The system is characterized in terms of speed, spatial resolution, and tissue penetration depth, before being used to record individual action potentials from ASAP-3 expressing neurons in an ex vivo mouse brain slice preparation.
Simultaneous three-wave and six-wave mixing of microwave and optical fields in an atomic medium
Authors: Pradosh K. N. , Saaswath J. K. , Narayanan Andal
Published: April 2023

We experimentally investigate near-infrared optical field generation through simultaneous three-wave mixing (TWM) and six-wave mixing (SWM) processes in room-temperature 85Rb atoms. The nonlinear processes are induced using three hyperfine levels in the D1 manifold, which cyclically interact with pump optical fields and an idler microwave field. The simultaneous appearance of TWM and SWM signals in discrete frequency channels is made possible by breaking the three-photon resonance condition. This gives rise to coherent population oscillations (CPO), which are observed experimentally. We explain through our theoretical model the role of CPO in the generation of the SWM signal and its enhancement due to parametric coupling with the input seed field in contrast to the TWM signal. Our experiment proves that a single tone microwave can be converted to multiple optical frequency channels. The simultaneous existence of TWM and SWM processes can potentially enable various types of amplification to be achieved with a single neutral atom transducer platform.
Liquid crystal doped photopolymer micro-droplets printed by a simple and clean laser-induced forward transfer process
Authors: Puerto Daniel , Gallego Sergi , Constantinescu Catalin , Florian Camilo , Ortuño Manuel , Márquez Andrés , Francés Jorge , Pascual Inmaculada , Belendez Augusto , Alloncle Patricia
Published: April 2023

We print a tunable photopolymer (photopolymer dispersed liquid crystal -PDLC), using the laser-induced direct transfer technique without absorber layer, which was a challenge for this technique given the low absorption and high viscosity of PDLC, and which had not been achieved so far to our knowledge. This makes the LIFT printing process faster and cleaner and achieves a high-quality printed droplet (aspheric profile and low roughness). A femtosecond laser was needed to reach sufficiently peak energies to induce nonlinear absorption and eject the polymer onto a substrate. Only a narrow energy window allows the material to be ejected without spattering.
Refractive-type varifocal liquid-crystal Fresnel lenses for smart contacts
Authors: Banerjee Aishwaryadev , Ghosh Chayanjit , Karkhanis Mohit U. , Deshpande Adwait , Pourshaban Erfan , Majumder Apratim , Kim Hanseup , Mastrangelo Carlos H.
Published: April 2023

We demonstrate the implementation of a low-power, low-profile, varifocal liquid-crystal Fresnel lens stack suitable for tunable imaging in smart contact lenses. The lens stack consists of a high-order refractive-type liquid crystal Fresnel chamber, a voltage-controlled twisted nematic cell, a linear polarizer and a fixed offset lens. The lens stack has an aperture of 4 mm and thickness is ∼980 µm. The varifocal lens requires ∼2.5 VRMS for a maximum optical power change of ∼6.5 D consuming electrical power of ∼2.6 µW. The maximum RMS wavefront aberration error was 0.2 µm and the chromatic aberration was 0.008 D/nm. The average BRISQUE image quality score of the Fresnel lens was 35.23 compared to 57.23 for a curved LC lens of comparable power indicating a superior Fresnel imaging quality.
Viewing zone expansion of a dual-viewer autostereoscopic display with inclined interleaved linear Fresnel lens arrays and a time-division quadruplexing directional backlight
Authors: Borjigin Garimagai , Kakeya Hideki
Published: April 2023

A novel autostereoscopic display with a directional backlight unit using a pair of inclined interleaved linear Fresnel lens arrays is designed and evaluated. Different high-resolution stereoscopic image pairs are provided to each of the two viewers simultaneously by applying time-division quadruplexing. The viewing zone is enlarged in the horizontal direction by inclining the lens array, which enables two viewers to have specific views corresponding to the positions of their own eyes without interfering with each other’s view. Thus, two viewers with no special goggles on can share the same 3D world, which enables direct-manipulation style interaction and collaboration maintaining eye contact with each other.
Mathieu and Weber tightly autofocusing beams
Authors: Guo Zhaojin , Liu Sheng , Li Peng , Wei Bingyan , Zhao Jianlin
Published: April 2023

We theoretically investigate the propagation dynamics of vectorial Mathieu and Weber tightly autofocusing beams, which are constructed based on nonparaxial Weber and Mathieu accelerating beams, respectively. They can automatically focus along the paraboloid and ellipsoid, and the focal fields represent the tightly focusing properties resembling that generated with a high NA lens. We demonstrate the influence of the beam parameters on the spot size and energy proportion of longitudinal component of the focal fields. It reveals that Mathieu tightly autofocusing beam supports a more superior focusing performance, of which the longitudinal field component with superoscillatory feature could be enhanced by decreasing the order and selecting the suitable interfocal separation of the beam. These results are expected to provide new insights for the autofocusing beams and the tight focusing of the vector beams.
Compact and fast-response optical switch based on complex refractive index engineering
Authors: Wei Yanxian , Zhou Hailong , Dong Jianji , Zhang Xinliang
Published: April 2023

The optical switch is a crucial device in integrated photonic circuits. Among the various types of optical switches available, the on–off Mach–Zehnder interferometer is one of the most widely used structures. However, compared with other structures, such as a microring, the large footprint of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer significantly restricts the integration density. In this paper, we propose a compact Mach–Zehnder interferometer based on complex refractive index engineering. By manipulating the complex index of the material in the structure, the lateral size of the device can be compressed down to only 3.25 µm. Moreover, the reducing of the space between heaters and waveguides leads to a fast response of only 1.9 µs. Our work offers a new, to the best of our knowledge, approach of a compact integrated optical switch, and opens a new avenue for application of absorbing materials.
Refined Sellmeier and thermo-optic dispersion formulas for BaGa4Se7
Authors: Kato Kiyoshi , Miyata Kentaro , Petrov Valentin
Published: April 2023

This paper reports on the refined Sellmeier and thermo-optic dispersion formulas for BaGa4Se7 that provide a good reproduction of the temperature-dependent phase-matching conditions for type-2 difference-frequency generation between the signal and idler outputs of a Nd:YAG laser-pumped KTiOPO4 optical parametric oscillator in the 8.457–9.092 µm and 12.075–14.201 µm spectral ranges at 20–150°C and recent experiments within these wavelength and temperature ranges performed by other authors.
Measure by measure: Resting heart rate across the 24-hour cycle
Authors: Speed Cathy , Arneil Thomas , Harle Robert , Wilson Alex , Karthikesalingam Alan , McConnell Michael , Phillips Justin
Published: April 2023

Background

Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors, typically found in wrist-worn devices, can continuously monitor heart rate (HR) in large populations in real-world settings. Resting heart rate (RHR) is an important biomarker of morbidities and mortality, but no universally accepted definition nor measurement criteria exist. In this study, we provide a working definition of RHR and describe a method for accurate measurement of this biomarker, recorded using PPG derived from wristband measurement across the 24-hour cycle.

Methods

433 healthy subjects wore a wrist device that measured activity and HR for up to 3 months. HR during inactivity was recorded and the duration of inactivity needed for HR to stabilise was ascertained. We identified the lowest HR during each 24-hour cycle (true RHR) and examined the time of day or night this occurred. The variation of HR during inactivity through the 24-hour cycle was also assessed. The sample was also subdivided according to daily activity levels for subset analysis.

Findings

Adequate data was obtained for 19,242 days and 18,520 nights. HR stabilised in most subjects after 4 minutes of inactivity. Mean (SD) RHR for the sample was 54.5 (8.0) bpm (day) and 50.5 (7.6) bpm (night). RHR values were highest in the least active group (lowest MET quartile). A circadian variation of HR during inactivity was confirmed, with the lowest values being between 0300 and 0700 hours for most subjects.

Interpretation

RHR measured using a PPG-based wrist-worn device is significantly lower at night than in the day, and a circadian rhythm of HR during inactivity was confirmed. Since RHR is such an important health metric, clarity on the definition and measurement methodology used is important. For most subjects, a minimum rest time of 4 minutes provides a reliable measurement of HR during inactivity and true RHR in a 24-hour cycle is best measured between 0300 and 0700 hours. Funding: This study was funded by Google.