bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Indonesian Newsroom Management on Uyghur News Coverage
Authors: Prastya Narayana Mahendra , Pambudi Fikri S. , Ningsih Ida Nuraini Dewi Kodrat
Published: November 2022

The case of the Uyghur ethnic in Xinjiang, China, has drawn global attention, and so has the media coverage of this issue. In Indonesia, the Uyghur issue attracts people’s attention due to religious sentiment. This article aims to determine how Indonesian mass media newsroom management is in Uyghur news coverage. Much previous research discusses how Indonesian media news coverage towards the Uyghur issue, but most use content analysis methods. Meanwhile, the primary data of this article is an interview with the journalist. Two media, Tempo and Republika, have been chosen as the subject matter, as both have different ideologies: human rights (Tempo) and Islam (Republika). The results show that both media use psychological proximity as a consideration in choosing information and news angles for the Uyghur issue. In organizing, both media do not form specific teams or order journalists based on particular skills to cover it. In the fundamental phase, both media admit difficulties in news coverage due to the limited access in Xinjiang directly, so for the news that happens in China. They can only use foreign news agencies, then rewrite the information to contextual the issue for Indonesian readers. For issues related to Uyghur in Indonesia, both media gather the information by direct reporting and interviewing Indonesian government officials or Islamic organizations. For the controlling phase, Republika did formal and informal procedures. Meanwhile, Tempo uses feedback from readers mentioned on social media and a board called Ombudsman.
DIY Photometer for Night Sky Brightness in Earth & Space Laboratory
Authors: Asmoro Cahyo Puji , Susanti Hana , Utama Judhistira Aria
Published: November 2022

A photometer is a tool that can be used as a medium for learning, practicum and research to study the quality of the night sky in Astrophysics courses. The photometry practicum provides work principles, tool settings and data collection knowledge. Currently, the Earth and Space Laboratory of the Department of Physics Education has only one photometer. When used, it must be connected to a computer because there is no internal power, and it can not store data. This resulted in the photometry practicum failing to run optimally. Therefore, it is necessary to have the right solution to maintain the essence of practicum as the basis of knowledge, namely, to make your own photometer called Do It Yourself (DIY). The method used in this study is an experimental method with data collection. Starting with a needs analysis, then the design of the photometer is carried out. This was followed by making a photometer and conducting a limited trial by measuring the Night Sky Brightness (NSB). The results showed that DIY Photometer functionally has a good ability to measure the quality of the night sky. Also can show the same pattern as the measurement results using the manufacturer's SQM-LU so that the DIY Photometer that has been made can be used in photometry practicum activities in Astrophysics courses or other similar subjects.
Broadly tunable two-color lasing of Cr:LiCAF with on-surface and off-surface optical axis birefringent filters: performance comparison
Authors: Erturk Zekican , Okuyucu Serdar , Kilinc Muharrem , Ozturk Yusuf , Pergament Mikhail , Kärtner Franz X. , Demirbas Umit
Published: November 2022

We studied the two-color lasing performance of a Cr:LiCAF laser using crystal quartz on-surface and off-surface optical axis birefringent filters (BRFs). Four different on-surface optical axis BRFs with thicknesses of 2 mm, 4 mm, 8 mm, and 16 mm, and three different off-surface optical axis BRFs with a diving angle of 25° and thicknesses of 2 mm, 4 mm, and 8 mm have been tested. Two-color lasing operation could be achieved in tens of different pairs of wavelengths using both types of BRFs. Regular on-surface optical axis BRFs provided two-color lasing in the 772–810 nm interval, with a discretely tunable wavelength separation of 1 to 37 nm (0.5 to 17 THz). In comparison, the off-surface optical axis BRFs enabled scanning of two-color lasing spectra in a much broader wavelength range between 745 nm and 850 nm with a discretely tunable wavelength separation of 0.8 to 99 nm (0.4 to 46 THz). The results clearly demonstrate the advantages of using off-surface optical axis BRFs to achieve two-color lasing with broadly tunable wavelength separation.
Coherent-detection radio-over-fiber link with high spectral efficiency based on digital phase noise cancellation
Authors: Li Guangyi , Meng Xiangyan , Wang Lu , Li Ming , Zhu Ninghua , Li Wei
Published: November 2022

A radio-over-fiber (RoF) link with high spectral efficiency using digital phase cancellation is proposed and experimentally verified. The link can be utilized to transmit four microwave vector signals. The four microwave vector signals are modulated on optical signals by using a dual-polarization dual-parallel Mach–Zehnder modulator at the transmitter. The optical signals subsequently pass through a spool of single-mode fiber (SMF) and are sent into a coherent receiver. A digital signal processing (DSP) algorithm is proposed to eliminate the phase noise and frequency difference caused by two free-running lasers at transmitter and receiver. Two 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM) vector signals at 6 GHz and another two 16-QAM vector signals at 7 GHz transmit over a 10-km SMF and are successfully recovered after a DSP algorithm. In order to evaluate the transmission performance of the RoF link, error vector magnitudes and bit error rates are also estimated.
In situ assessment of lens elasticity with noncontact optical coherence elastography
Authors: Chen Yulei , Ye Shuling , Wang Qingying , Shen Meixiao , Lu Fan , Qu Jia , Zhu Dexi
Published: November 2022

Lens biomechanics has great potential for application in clinical
diagnostics and treatment monitoring of presbyopia and cataracts.
However, current approaches to lens elastography do not meet the
desired safety or sensitivity for clinical application. In this
regard, we propose a noncontact optical coherence elastography (OCE)
method to facilitate quantitative in situ imaging of
lens elasticity. Elastic waves induced by air-pulse stimulation on the
limbus propagate to the lens and are then imaged using custom-built
swept-source optical coherence tomography to obtain the elastic wave
velocity and Young’s modulus. The proposed OCE method was first
validated by comparing the results of in situ and
in vitro measurements of porcine lenses. The results
demonstrate that the Young’s modulus measured in
situ was highly consistent with that measured in
vitro and had an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.988.
We further investigated the elastic changes induced by cold storage
and microwave heating. During 36-hour cold storage, the mean
Young’s modulus gradually increased (from
5.62 ± 1.24 kPa to
11.40 ± 2.68 kPa, P < 0.0001,
n = 9) along with the formation of nuclear
opacities. 15-second microwave heating caused a greater increase in
the mean Young’s modulus (from 6.86 ± 1.21
kPa to 25.96 ± 8.64 kPa,
P < 0.0025, n = 6) without
apparent cataract formation. Accordingly, this study reports the first
air-pulse OCE measurements of in situ lenses, which
quantified the loss of lens elasticity during simulated cataract
development with good repeatability and sensitivity, thus enhancing
the potential for adoption of lens biomechanics in the clinic.
HE1,1 mode excited surface plasmon resonance for high-sensitivity sensing by photonic crystal fibers
Authors: Zeng Yanshu , Lv Jingwei , Fu Haihao , Wu Xianwen , Yang Lin , Liu Wei , Yi Zao , Liu Qiang , Hu Chunjie , Lv Yan , Chu Paul K. , Liu Chao
Published: November 2022

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is widely used in photonic crystal fiber sensors. In this work, a photonic crystal fiber sensor based on

H
E

1
,
1

mode excited SPR is designed and analyzed by the finite element method. The maximum wavelength sensitivity, optimal resolution, and amplitude sensitivity of the optical fiber sensor are 24,600 nm/RIU,

4.07

×

10

−
6

R
I
U

, and

1164.13

R
I
U

−
1

, respectively, for the refractive index range between 1.29 and 1.39. The sensor has excellent properties and wide application prospects in bimolecular and biochemical sensing, environmental monitoring, food safety, and other fields.
Measurement of spatial coherence of light [Invited]
Authors: Turunen Jari , Halder Atri , Koivurova Matias , Setälä Tero
Published: November 2022

The most frequently used experimental techniques for measuring the spatial coherence properties of classical light fields in the space–frequency and space–time domains are reviewed and compared, with some attention to polarization effects. In addition to Young’s classical two-pinhole experiment and several of its variations, we discuss methods that allow the determination of spatial coherence at higher data acquisition rates and also permit the characterization of lower-intensity light fields. These advantages are offered, in particular, by interferometric schemes that employ only beam splitters and reflective elements, and thereby also facilitate spatial coherence measurements of broadband fields.
Super-resolution reconstruction algorithm for optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy images based on sparsity and deconvolution
Authors: Zhang Xi , Li Zhongliang , Nan Nan , Wang Xiangzhao
Published: November 2022

The lateral resolution of the optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM) system depends on the focusing diameter of the probe beam. By increasing the numerical aperture (NA) of optical focusing, the lateral resolution of OR-PAM can be improved. However, the increase in NA results in smaller working distances, and the entire imaging system becomes very sensitive to small optical imperfections. The existing deconvolution-based algorithms are limited by the image signal-to-noise ratio when improving the resolution of OR-PAM images. In this paper, a super-resolution reconstruction algorithm for OR-PAM images based on sparsity and deconvolution is proposed. The OR-PAM image is sparsely reconstructed according to the constructed loss function, which utilizes the sparsity of the image to combat the decrease in the resolution. The gradient accelerated Landweber iterative algorithm is used to deconvolve to obtain high-resolution OR-PAM images. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can improve the resolution of mouse retinal images by approximately 1.7 times without increasing the NA of the imaging system. In addition, compared to the Richardson–Lucy algorithm, the proposed algorithm can further improve the image resolution and maintain better imaging quality, which provides a foundation for the development of OR-PAM in clinical research.
Numerical model of light propagation through Fabry-Perot etalons composed of interfaces with non-planar surface topography
Authors: Marques Dylan M. , Guggenheim James A. , Munro Peter R. T.
Published: November 2022

We present a model that calculates optical fields reflected and transmitted by a Fabry-Perot (FP) etalon composed of interfaces with non-planar surface topography. The model uses the Rayleigh-Rice theory, which predicts the fields reflected and transmitted by a single interface, to account for the non-planar surface topography of each interface. The Rayleigh-Rice theory is evaluated iteratively to account for all round trips that light can take within the FP etalon. The model predictions can then be used to compute Interferometer transfer function (ITF)s, by performing wavelength or angle resolved simulations enabling predictions of the bandwidth, peak transmissivity, and sensitivity of FP etalons. The model was validated against the Pseudospectral time-domain (PSTD) method, which resulted in good agreement. Since the model accuracy is expected to reduce as the Root mean square (RMS) of the topographic map increases, the error in the model’s predictions was studied as a function of topographic map RMS. Finally, application of the model was exemplified by predicting the impact of roughness on ITFs and computing the changes in FP etalon transmissivity as cavity thickness is modulated by an ultrasonic wave.
Parity-pair-mixing effects in nonlinear spectroscopy of HDO
Authors: Diouf Meissa L. , Tóbiás Roland , Cozijn Frank M. J. , Salumbides Edcel J. , Fábri Csaba , Puzzarini Cristina , Császár Attila G. , Ubachs Wim
Published: November 2022

A non-linear spectroscopic study of the HDO molecule is performed in the wavelength range of 1.36–1.42

μ

m using noise-immune cavity-enhanced optical-heterodyne molecular spectroscopy (NICE-OHMS). More than 100 rovibrational Lamb dips are recorded, with an experimental precision of 2–20 kHz, related to the first overtone of the O–H stretch fundamental of HD16O and HD18O. Significant perturbations, including distortions, shifts, and splittings, have been observed for a number of Lamb dips. These spectral perturbations are traced back to an AC-Stark effect, arising due to the strong laser field applied in all saturation-spectroscopy experiments. The AC-Stark effect mixes parity pairs, that is pairs of rovibrational states whose assignment differs solely in the K
c
quantum number, where K
c
is part of the standard

J

K
a

,

K
c

asymmetric-top rotational label. Parity-pair mixing seems to be especially large for parity pairs with K
a
 ≥ 3, whereby their energy splittings become as small as a few MHz, resulting in multi-component asymmetric Lamb-dip profiles of gradually increasing complexity. These complex profiles often include crossover resonances. This effect is well known in saturation spectroscopy, but has not been reported in combination with parity-pair mixing. Parity-pair mixing is not seen in H

2

 
16

O and H

2

 
18

O, because their parity pairs correspond to ortho and para nuclear-spin isomers, whose interaction is prohibited. Despite the frequency shifts observed for HD16O and HD18O, the absolute accuracy of the detected transitions still exceeds that achievable by Doppler-limited techniques.
Extendible ghost imaging with high reconstruction quality in strong scattering medium
Authors: Gao Ziqi , Cheng Xuemin , Yue Junbai , Hao Qun
Published: November 2022

Ghost imaging (GI) possesses significant application prospects in scattering imaging, which is a classic example of underdetermined conversion problem in optical field. However, even under the framework of single-pixel imaging (SPI), a challenge remains unresolved, i.e., structured patterns may be damaged by scattering media in both the emissive and receiving optical paths. In this study, an extendible ghost imaging, a numerical reproduction of the qualitative process using deep learning (DL)-based GI is presented. First, we propose and experimentally verify a brief degradation-guided reconstruction (DR) approach with a neural network to demonstrate the degradation principle of scattering, including realistic dataset simulations and a new training structure in the form of a convolutional neural network (CNN). Then, a novel photon contribution model (PCM) with redundant parameters is proposed to generate intensity sequences from the forward direction through volumetric scattering media; the redundant parameters are constructed and relate to the special output configuration in a lightweight CNN with two branches, based on a reformulated atmospheric scattering model. The proposed scheme recovers the semantics of targets and suppresses the imaging noise in the strong scattering medium, and the obtained results are very satisfactory for applications to scattering media of more practical scenarios and are available for various scattering coefficients and work distances of an imaging prototype. After using DL methods in computational imaging, we conclude that strategies embedded in optics or broader physical factors can result in solutions with better effects for unanalyzable processes.
Non-resonant lasing in a deep-hole scattering cavity
Authors: Oh ChulMin , Ma Ho Jin , Lee KyeoReh , Kim Do Kyung , Park YongKeun
Published: November 2022

Random lasers are promising in the spectral regime, wherein conventional lasers are unavailable, with advantages of low fabrication costs and applicability of diverse gain materials. However, their practical application is hindered by high threshold powers, low power efficiency, and difficulties in light collection. Here, we demonstrate a power-efficient easy-to-fabricate non-resonant laser using a deep hole on a porous gain material. The laser action in this counterintuitive cavity was enabled by non-resonant feedback from strong diffuse reflections on the inner surface. Additionally, significant enhancements in slope efficiency, threshold power, and directionality were obtained from cavities fabricated on a porous Nd:YAG ceramic.
Stable optical and radio frequency joint transfer based on a passive phase compensation
Authors: Liu Lei , Cheng Nan , Wang Jialiang , Tong Zhou , Cao Qian , Ying Kang , Gui Youzhen
Published: November 2022

We propose a novel scheme that uses only a single passive phase compensation device to achieve stable optical and radio frequency joint transfer. The phase noises of optical and radio frequency can be simultaneously compensated by passively embedding their phase information on the two optical carrier sidebands generated by an electro-optical modulator without using the phase discrimination and active servo controller. As a result, this scheme has many advantages, such as high spectral purity, short settling time and infinite compensation accuracy. We experimentally demonstrate the joint transfer of optical and 1 GHz RF over 120 km fiber spools. The optical frequency stability achieves 6.9 × 10−17 at 1 s and 7.03 × 10−19 at 10000 s, while the 1 GHz RF is 6.47 × 10−13 at 1 s and 3.96 × 10−16 at 10000 s.
Mid-IR pulse amplification to ∼millijoule energies in a single transverse mode using large core Er:ZBLAN fibers operating at 2.8µm
Authors: Du Weizhi , Bai Yu , Cui Yifan , Chen Mingshu , Galvanauskas Almantas
Published: November 2022

We demonstrate single transverse mode and high energy nanosecond pulse amplification at ∼2.8-µm using large core Er:ZBLAN fibers. The highest energies achieved are 0.75mJ from a 50 µm core, and 420µJ from a 30 µm core fibers respectively, seeded with 95 ns long pulses generated by a ring-cavity Q-switched Er:ZBLAN fiber laser. Nearly diffraction-limited beams with M2 = 1.2-1.3 were obtained using a single-mode excitation technique of multi-mode core fibers. Achieved pulse energies exceed by approximately an order of magnitude the previously reported highest pulse energies in a single transverse mode from a fiber laser or amplifier at these mid-IR wavelengths.
Thermally tunable broadband metamaterial absorbers based on ionic liquids
Authors: Yang Fulong , Zhang Chenyang , Zhang Aihua , Zhu Xiaoqing , Xu Huan , Wang Dayu
Published: November 2022

In this paper, we propose an interesting thermally tunable broadband metamaterial absorber based on ionic liquids at the microwave band, which has distinct modulation characteristics in different frequency bands. Numerical simulation results show that the absorption decreases with the increase of temperature in the low-frequency band from 2-10GHz, which decreases to 60% at 100 °C. Meanwhile, the absorption increases with the increase in temperature in the high-frequency band from 25GHz to 48GHz. In addition, the absorber still has good broadband absorption without the metal substrate, and the absorption reaches more than 80% in the frequency band of 13.96-34.10GHz. As an all-dielectric metamaterial absorber, its absorption increases with the increase in temperature, which reaches more than 90% in the range of 20.44-50GHz at 100 °C. At last, the designed metamaterial absorbers have been fabricated based on ionic liquids, and experimental results are presented to demonstrate the validity of the proposed structure. Furthermore, the simple design and wide frequency tuning range of the absorbers can promise a great potential application in sensors, detection, and frequency-selective thermal emitters.
Inhibitory and excitatory integration with a quantum dot laser neuron
Authors: Dillane M. , Viktorov E. A. , Kelleher B.
Published: November 2022

Neuromorphic computing has garnered a lot of attention in recent years. Excitable photonic systems in particular demonstrate great potential for ultrafast, controllable spike processing. Optically injected quantum dot lasers display several distinct excitable regimes. We demonstrate here that optically injected dual-state quantum dot lasers can display the classic leaky integrate-and-fire mechanism where the integration of several sub-threshold perturbations can yield an effective supra-threshold perturbation. Intriguingly, a contrasting integrate-and-inhibit mechanism is demonstrated in this work where the integration of two supra-threshold perturbations yields an effective sub-threshold perturbation similar to the pre-pulse inhibition mechanism of biological neurons. This is the first such mechanism in neuromorphic photonics to the best of our knowledge.
A win-win scenario? Employers’ responses to HIV in Tanzania: A qualitative study
Authors: Deane Kevin , Wamoyi Joyce , Mgunga Samwel , Changalucha John
Published: November 2022

Workplaces have been increasingly promoted as key sites for HIV interventions, with cost-benefit analyses employed to demonstrate the financial benefits to employers for implementing workplace HIV programmes. In these analyses, the potential costs of having HIV positive employees are weighed against the costs of the workplace programmes. Despite evidence that shows some firms have saved significant sums of money through these interventions, the general response from the private sector has been limited, with most positive case studies originating from high prevalence settings. This article reports findings from qualitative fieldwork conducted in Tanzania with private and public sector employers that aimed to understand how HIV was addressed in their organisations. Our findings suggest that HIV is not generally a serious issue, and hence HIV interventions are primarily ad-hoc with few formal HIV workplace programmes. We also found that in cases where compulsory testing programmes were implemented, employees did not turn up for testing and thus lost access to employment. Our findings suggest that relying on workplace programmes in lower prevalence settings is no substitute for investment in public health systems. Employer interventions should emphasise education and awareness, condom distribution and the promotion and provision of self-testing kits.
Benefits of dance for Parkinson’s: The music, the moves, and the company
Authors: Jola Corinne , Sundström Moa , McLeod Julia
Published: November 2022

Dance classes designed for people with Parkinson’s are very popular and associated not only with increasing individuals’ motor control abilities but also their mood; not least by providing a social network and the enjoyment of the music. However, quantitative evidence of the benefits is inconsistent and often lacks in power. For a better understanding of the contradictory findings between participants’ felt experiences and existing quantitative findings in response to dance classes, we employed a mixed method approach that focussed on the effects of music. Participant experience of the dance class was explored by means of semi-structured interviews and gait changes were measured in a within-subjects design through the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test before and after class, with and without music. We chose the TUG test for its ecological validity, as it is a simple test that resembles movements done in class. We hypothesised that the music and the dance class would have a facilitating effect on the TUG performance. In line with existing research, we found that before class, the gait of 26 participants was significantly improved when accompanied by a soundtrack. However, after class, music did not have a significantly facilitating effect, yet gait without music significantly improved after class compared to before. We suggest that whilst the music acts as an external stimulator for movement before the dance class, after the dance class, participants have an internalised music or rhythm that supports their motor control. Thus, externally played music is of less relevance. The importance of music was further emphasised in the qualitative data alongside social themes. A better understanding of how music and dance affects Parkinson’s symptoms and what aspects make individuals ‘feel better’ will help in the design of future interventions.
A natural history study to track brain and spinal cord changes in individuals with Friedreich’s ataxia: TRACK-FA study protocol
Authors: Georgiou-Karistianis Nellie , Corben Louise A. , Reetz Kathrin , Adanyeguh Isaac M. , Corti Manuela , Deelchand Dinesh K. , Delatycki Martin B. , Dogan Imis , Evans Rebecca , Farmer Jennifer , França Marcondes C. , Gaetz William , Harding Ian H. , Harris Karen S. , Hersch Steven , Joules Richard , Joers James J. , Krishnan Michelle L. , Lax Michelle , Lock Eric F. , Lynch David , Mareci Thomas , Muthuhetti Gamage Sahan , Pandolfo Massimo , Papoutsi Marina , Rezende Thiago J. R. , Roberts Timothy P. L. , Rosenberg Jens T. , Romanzetti Sandro , Schulz Jörg B. , Schilling Traci , Schwarz Adam J. , Subramony Sub , Yao Bert , Zicha Stephen , Lenglet Christophe , Henry Pierre-Gilles
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Drug development for neurodegenerative diseases such as Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA) is limited by a lack of validated, sensitive biomarkers of pharmacodynamic response in affected tissue and disease progression. Studies employing neuroimaging measures to track FRDA have thus far been limited by their small sample sizes and limited follow up. TRACK-FA, a longitudinal, multi-site, and multi-modal neuroimaging natural history study, aims to address these shortcomings by enabling better understanding of underlying pathology and identifying sensitive, clinical trial ready, neuroimaging biomarkers for FRDA.

Methods

200 individuals with FRDA and 104 control participants will be recruited across seven international study sites. Inclusion criteria for participants with genetically confirmed FRDA involves, age of disease onset ≤ 25 years, Friedreich’s Ataxia Rating Scale (FARS) functional staging score of ≤ 5, and a total modified FARS (mFARS) score of ≤ 65 upon enrolment. The control cohort is matched to the FRDA cohort for age, sex, handedness, and years of education. Participants will be evaluated at three study visits over two years. Each visit comprises of a harmonized multimodal Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Spectroscopy (MRS) scan of the brain and spinal cord; clinical, cognitive, mood and speech assessments and collection of a blood sample. Primary outcome measures, informed by previous neuroimaging studies, include measures of: spinal cord and brain morphometry, spinal cord and brain microstructure (measured using diffusion MRI), brain iron accumulation (using Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping) and spinal cord biochemistry (using MRS). Secondary and exploratory outcome measures include clinical, cognitive assessments and blood biomarkers.

Discussion

Prioritising immediate areas of need, TRACK-FA aims to deliver a set of sensitive, clinical trial-ready neuroimaging biomarkers to accelerate drug discovery efforts and better understand disease trajectory. Once validated, these potential pharmacodynamic biomarkers can be used to measure the efficacy of new therapeutics in forestalling disease progression.

Clinical trial registration

ClinicalTrails.gov Identifier: NCT04349514.
A domain-knowledge modeling of hospital-acquired infection risk in Healthcare personnel from retrospective observational data: A case study for COVID-19
Authors: Huynh Phat K. , Setty Arveity R. , Tran Quan M. , Yadav Om P. , Yodo Nita , Le Trung Q.
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Hospital-acquired infections of communicable viral diseases (CVDs) have been posing a tremendous challenge to healthcare workers globally. Healthcare personnel (HCP) is facing a consistent risk of viral infections, and subsequently higher rates of morbidity and mortality.

Materials and methods

We proposed a domain-knowledge-driven infection risk model to quantify the individual HCP and the population-level risks. For individual-level risk estimation, a time-variant infection risk model is proposed to capture the transmission dynamics of CVDs. At the population-level, the infection risk is estimated using a Bayesian network model constructed from three feature sets, including individual-level factors, engineering control factors, and administrative control factors. For model validation, we investigated the case study of the Coronavirus disease, in which the individual-level and population-level infection risk models were applied. The data were collected from various sources such as COVID-19 transmission databases, health surveys/questionaries from medical centers, U.S. Department of Labor databases, and cross-sectional studies.

Results

Regarding the individual-level risk model, the variance-based sensitivity analysis indicated that the uncertainty in the estimated risk was attributed to two variables: the number of close contacts and the viral transmission probability. Next, the disease transmission probability was computed using a multivariate logistic regression applied for a cross-sectional HCP data in the UK, with the 10-fold cross-validation accuracy of 78.23%. Combined with the previous result, we further validated the individual infection risk model by considering six occupations in the U.S. Department of Labor O*Net database. The occupation-specific risk evaluation suggested that the registered nurses, medical assistants, and respiratory therapists were the highest-risk occupations. For the population-level risk model validation, the infection risk in Texas and California was estimated, in which the infection risk in Texas was lower than that in California. This can be explained by California’s higher patient load for each HCP per day and lower personal protective equipment (PPE) sufficiency level.

Conclusion

The accurate estimation of infection risk at both individual level and population levels using our domain-knowledge-driven infection risk model will significantly enhance the PPE allocation, safety plans for HCP, and hospital staffing strategies.
Design and parameter study of banana crown mechanical cutting device
Authors: Wen Fujun , Zhu Zhengbo
Published: November 2022

Banana mechanical crown cutting tool which is a critical component of banana crown cutting machine is designed and studied in this paper. Experiments were designed to optimize parameters of the cutting tool. Indexes are cut surface quality grade of banana crown, maximum cutting force and useful power consumption. For banana preservation, get high grade of cut surface quality is more significant than consume less energy. Results of experiments show that the optimum parameters are as follows: cutting speed is about 50–60 mm/s, number of cut sets are about 4–6, angle between thick cutter and axis of banana rachis is about 5°, width of thick cutter is about 8–14 mm, thickness of thick cutter is about 2–3 mm, edge angle of thick cutter is between 20° and 30°, width of thin cutter is about 10–14 mm and thickness of thin cutter is about 0.2–0.4mm. This study helps to make the completely mechanical postharvest treatments for banana postharvest treatments.
Altered serum adiponectin and interleukin-8 levels are associated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder: A case-control study
Authors: Islam Salsabil , Islam Towhidul , Nahar Zabun , Shahriar Mohammad , Islam Sardar Mohammad Ashraful , Bhuiyan Mohiuddin Ahmed , Islam Md. Rabiul
Published: November 2022

Background

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex mental health condition that results in several obstacles including disabilities, loss of productivity, and economic burdens on both patients and society. Etiopathogenesis of MDD involves several factors such as sociodemographic, genetic, and biological determinants. However, any suitable biomarkers for risk assessment of depression have not been established yet. Alterations of cytokine are assumed to be involved in the pathophysiology and severity of the depressive disorder. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate serum adiponectin and interleukin-8 (IL-8) among MDD patients in Bangladesh.

Methods

We recruited a total of 63 MDD patients and 94 age-sex matched healthy controls (HCs) in the present study. MDD patients were enrolled from a tertiary care teaching hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, and HCs from surrounding parts of Dhaka city. A psychiatrist assessed all the study participants following the criteria mentioned in the DSM-5. We applied the Hamilton depression (Ham-D) rating scale to assess the depression severity. Serum adiponectin and IL-8 levels were determined using ELISA kits (BosterBio, USA).

Results

The mean serum concentration of adiponectin was decreased (30.67±4.43 μg/mL vs. 53.81±5.37 μg/mL), and the IL-8 level was increased (160.93±14.84 pg/mL vs. 88.68±6.33 pg/mL) in MDD patients compared to HCs. Sex-specific scatters plot graphs showed the distribution of adiponectin and IL-8 levels with Ham-D scores in MDD patients. Also, ROC curve analysis demonstrated good predictive performances of serum adiponectin and IL-8 for MDD with the area under the curve (AUC) as 0.895 and 0.806, respectively.

Conclusion

The present study findings suggest that alterations of serum adiponectin and IL-8 levels in MDD patients might be involved in the disease process. Therefore, we can use these changes of cytokines in serum levels as early risk assessment tools for depression. The present study findings should be considered preliminary. We propose further interventional studies to evaluate the exact role of adiponectin and IL-8 in depression.
Historical development of accelerometry measures and methods for physical activity and sedentary behavior research worldwide: A scoping review of observational studies of adults
Authors: Evenson Kelly R. , Scherer Elissa , Peter Kennedy M. , Cuthbertson Carmen C. , Eckman Stephanie
Published: November 2022

This scoping review identified observational studies of adults that utilized accelerometry to assess physical activity and sedentary behavior. Key elements on accelerometry data collection were abstracted to describe current practices and completeness of reporting. We searched three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus) on June 1, 2021 for articles published up to that date. We included studies of non-institutionalized adults with an analytic sample size of at least 500. The search returned 5686 unique records. After reviewing 1027 full-text publications, we identified and abstracted accelerometry characteristics on 155 unique observational studies (154 cross-sectional/cohort studies and 1 case control study). The countries with the highest number of studies included the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Fewer studies were identified from the continent of Africa. Five of these studies were distributed donor studies, where participants connected their devices to an application and voluntarily shared data with researchers. Data collection occurred between 1999 to 2019. Most studies used one accelerometer (94.2%), but 8 studies (5.2%) used 2 accelerometers and 1 study (0.6%) used 4 accelerometers. Accelerometers were more commonly worn on the hip (48.4%) as compared to the wrist (22.3%), thigh (5.4%), other locations (14.9%), or not reported (9.0%). Overall, 12.7% of the accelerometers collected raw accelerations and 44.6% were worn for 24 hours/day throughout the collection period. The review identified 155 observational studies of adults that collected accelerometry, utilizing a wide range of accelerometer data processing methods. Researchers inconsistently reported key aspects of the process from collection to analysis, which needs addressing to support accurate comparisons across studies.
48-Week effectiveness and tolerability of dolutegravir (DTG) + lamivudine (3TC) in antiretroviral-naïve adults living with HIV: A multicenter real-life cohort
Authors: Cabello-Ubeda Alfonso , de Quirós Juan Carlos López Bernardo , Martín Carbonero Luz , Sanz Jesús , Vergas Jorge , Mena Álvaro , Torralba Miguel , Hernández Segurado Marta , Pinto Adriana , Tejerina Francisco , Palmier Esmeralda , Gutiérrez Ángela , Vázquez Pilar , Pulido Federico , Górgolas Miguel
Published: November 2022

Background

The main international guidelines indicate DTG/3TC therapy as one of the preferred regimens for people living with HIV (PLWH), due to its observed efficacy in randomized clinical trials. However, information in real-life cohorts is relatively scarce for first-line use.

Methods

A retrospective multicenter study of adult PLWH starting DTG+3TC as a first-line regimen before January 31st, 2020. Virological failure (VF) was defined as 2 consecutive HIV RNA viral load (VL) >50 copies/mL.

Results

135 participants were included. Treatment was started without knowing baseline drug resistance testing (bDRT) results in 71.9% of cases, with baseline resistance mutations being later confirmed in 17 patients (12.6%), two of them with presence of M184V mutation. Effectiveness at week 48 was 85.2% (CI95%: 78.1–90.7%) (ITT missing = failure [M = F]) and 96.6% (CI 95%: 91.6–99.1%) (per-protocol analysis). Six patients (4.4%) discontinued treatment. One developed not confirmed VF after discontinuing treatment due to poor adherence; no resistance-associated mutations emerged. Three discontinued treatments due to central nervous system side effects (2.2%), and two due to a medical decision after determining the M184V mutation in bDRT. Finally, 14 (10.4%) were lost to follow-up, most of them due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusions

In a real-life multicenter cohort of ART-naïve PLWH, treatment initiation with DTG + 3TC showed high effectiveness and favorable safety results, comparable to those of randomized clinical trials, without treatment-emergent resistance being observed through week 48. Starting treatment before receiving the results of baseline drug resistance testing did not have an impact on the regimen’s effectiveness.
Transcriptome analysis reveals the regulatory mode by which NAA promotes the growth of Armillaria gallica
Authors: Cai Jinlong , Chen Bilian , Li Wenchao , Xu Peng , Di Yongguo , Xu Huini , Li Kunzhi
Published: November 2022

A symbiotic relationship is observed between Armillaria and the Chinese herbal medicine Gastrodia elata (G. elata). Armillaria is a nutrient source for the growth of G. elata, and its nutrient metabolism efficiency affects the growth and development of G. elata. Auxin has been reported to stimulate Armillaria species, but the molecular mechanism remains unknown. We found that naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) can also promote the growth of A. gallica. Moreover, we identified a total of 2071 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by analyzing the transcriptome sequencing data of A. gallica at 5 and 10 hour of NAA treatment. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that these unigenes were significantly enriched in the metabolism pathways of arginine, proline, propanoate, phenylalanine and tryptophan. The expression levels of the general amino acid permease (Gap), ammonium transporter (AMT), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), glutamine synthetase (GS), Zn(II) 2Cys6 and C2H2 transcription factor genes were upregulated. Our transcriptome analysis showed that the amino acid and nitrogen metabolism pathways in Armillaria were rapidly induced within hours after NAA treatment. These results provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms by which NAA promotes the growth of Armillaria species.
Evaluation of angle-to-angle and spur-to-spur using swept source optical coherence tomography in different refractive error
Authors: Yun Jeong Seop , Min Ji Sang , Kim Kook Young
Published: November 2022

Purpose

To measure angle-to-angle (ATA) and spur-to-spur (STS) distances along six meridians using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) and compare with horizontal white-to-white (WTW) distance in different refractive error.

Methods

Overall, 126 eyes were assessed with the Anterion SS-OCT (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany). ATA and STS distances were obtained using SS-OCT at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 degrees. WTW was measured at 0 degree with built-in infrared camera. One way ANOVA test, pearson correlation coefficient, and stepwise multivariate regression analysis were used to compare ATA and STS distances with age, anterior chamber depth (ACD), axial length (AL), and simulated keratometric values (Sim K) in different refractive error groups.

Results

The mean MRSE refraction was +0.05 ± 0.23 D in the emmetropic group (41 eyes), -3.42 ± 3.04 D in the myopic group (44 eyes), and +1.33 ± 0.64 D in the hyperopic group (31 eyes). There was no statistical difference in the WTW of the emmetropic (11.62 ± 0.44 mm), myopic (11.79 ± 0.46 mm), and hyperopic groups (11.80 ± 0.49 mm) using one-way ANOVA (p = 0.007). ATA and STS were vertically oval in all groups. The correlation between ATA, STS and age, ACD, AL, and K values showed different significance for each meridian according to the refractive error. ATA increased as the horizontal WTW, ACD, and AL increased and Sim K decreased. STS shows relatively smaller explanatory power than ATA in the stepwise multivariate regression analysis.

Conclusions

This study is the first to analyze the relationship between ATA and STS compared to WTW by different refractive error. The difference between the horizontally oval WTW and vertically oval anterior chamber can be large, especially in myopia. ATA showed a greater positive correlation than STS with AL and ACD.
Immunoinformatics analysis of candidate proteins for controlling bovine paratuberculosis
Authors: Moezzi Maryam Sadat , Derakhshandeh Abdollah , Hemmatzadeh Farhid
Published: November 2022

Background

Paratuberculosis is debilitating chronic enteritis usually characterized by diarrhea, decreased milk production, and progressive cachexia. Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) causes significant economic losses by affecting dairy herds globally. Development of protective vaccines is considered as one of the most effective controlling measures for MAP infections. In the current study, hydrophilic parts of MAP2191 and FAP-P proteins as two vaccine candidates were analyzed using immunoinformatics approaches.

Methods

After selecting the most hydrophilic parts of MAP2191 and FAP-P, helper and cytotoxic T-cell epitopes of ht-MAP2191 and ht-FAP-P were identified. The immunogenic, toxicity and physicochemical properties were assessed. Secondary structures of these proteins were predicted, and their tertiary structures were modeled, refined, and validated. Linear and conformational epitopes of corresponding B-cells were recognized. Then ht-MAP2191 and ht-FAP-P epitopes were employed for molecular docking simulations.

Results

The results indicated that ht-MAP2191 and ht-FAP-P were immunogenic, non-allergenic, and non-toxic and possess potent T-cell and B-cell epitopes. Eventually, these protein constructs were docked favorably against TLR4.

Conclusion

According to the findings, ht-MAP2191 and ht-FAP-P could be effective protein-based vaccine candidates for paratuberculosis. It should be noted that to examine their efficacy, further in vitro and in vivo experiments are underway.
Science in motion: A qualitative analysis of journalists’ use and perception of preprints
Authors: Fleerackers Alice , Moorhead Laura L. , Maggio Lauren A. , Fagan Kaylee , Alperin Juan Pablo
Published: November 2022

This qualitative study explores how and why journalists use preprints—unreviewed research papers—in their reporting. Through thematic analysis of interviews conducted with 19 health and science journalists in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it applies a theoretical framework that conceptualizes COVID-19 preprint research as a form of post-normal science, characterized by high scientific uncertainty and societal relevance, urgent need for political decision-making, and value-related policy considerations. Findings suggest that journalists approach the decision to cover preprints as a careful calculation, in which the potential public benefits and the ease of access preprints provided were weighed against risks of spreading misinformation. Journalists described viewing unreviewed studies with extra skepticism and relied on diverse strategies to find, vet, and report on them. Some of these strategies represent standard science journalism, while others, such as labeling unreviewed studies as preprints, mark a departure from the norm. However, journalists also reported barriers to covering preprints, as many felt they lacked the expertise or the time required to fully understand or vet the research. The findings suggest that coverage of preprints is likely to continue post-pandemic, with important implications for scientists, journalists, and the publics who read their work.
Effects analysis of reward functions on reinforcement learning for traffic signal control
Authors: Lee Hyosun , Han Yohee , Kim Youngchan , Kim Yong Hoon
Published: November 2022

The increasing traffic demand in urban areas frequently causes traffic congestion, which can be managed only through intelligent traffic signal controls. Although many recent studies have focused on reinforcement learning for traffic signal control (RL-TSC), most have focused on improving performance from an intersection perspective, targeting virtual simulation. The performance indexes from intersection perspectives are averaged by the weighted traffic flow; therefore, if the balance of each movement is not considered, the green time may be overly concentrated on the movements of heavy flow rates. Furthermore, as the ultimate purpose of traffic signal control research is to apply these controls to the real-world intersections, it is necessary to consider the real-world constraints. Hence, this study aims to design RL-TSC considering real-world applicability and confirm the appropriate design of the reward function. The limitations of the detector in the real world and the dual-ring traffic signal system are taken into account in the model design to facilitate real-world application. To design the reward for balancing traffic movements, we define the average delay weighted by traffic volume per lane and entropy of delay in the reward function. Model training is performed at the prototype intersection for ensuring scalability to multiple intersections. The model after prototype pre-training is evaluated by applying it to a network with two intersections without additional training. As a result, the reward function considering the equality of traffic movements shows the best performance. The proposed model reduces the average delay by more than 7.4% and 15.0% compared to the existing real-time adaptive signal control at two intersections, respectively.