bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Caledonian reactivation and reworking of Timanian thrust systems and implications for latest Mesoproterozoic to mid-Paleozoic tectonics and magmatism in northern Baltica
Authors: Koehl Jean-Baptiste P. , Stokmo Eirik
Published: October 2024

Background The Trollfjorden–Komagelva Fault Zone is the southernmost thrust fault of the Timanian Orogen and extends for thousands of kilometers from northwestern Russia to northern Norway. Though there is little about its location onshore northeastern Norway, where it is mapped as a major fault system dominantly comprised of NNE-dipping thrust faults, its continuation to the west below Caledonian nappes and offshore post-Caledonian sedimentary basins remains a matter of debate. Methods The present study provides a more definitive answer about the continuation of Trollfjorden–Komagelva Fault Zone west of the Varanger Peninsula by using seismic reflection, bathymetric, topographic, and magnetic data onshore Finnmark and offshore on the Finnmark Platform. Results The present study demonstrates that the Sørøya–Ingøya shear zone represents a portion of the Trollfjorden–Komagelva Fault Zone that was folded into a NE–SW orientation and reactivated as a top-southeast thrust during the Caledonian Orogeny, while other portions of the Trollfjorden–Komagelva Fault Zone (e.g., on the Varanger Peninsula) were reactivated as strike-slip faults. The study also documents the presence of another major, NNE-dipping Timanian shear zone with a similar geometry to the Trollfjorden–Komagelva Fault Zone north of the Varanger Peninsula. Conclusions The Trollfjorden–Komagelva Fault Zone may continue offshore as a NE–SW-striking folded structure. This has the following implications: (1) the Seiland Igneous Province likely formed in a backarc setting, (2) metasedimentary rocks of the Kalak Nappe Complex deposited along the Baltican margin of the Iapetus Ocean, possibly in a late–post-Grenvillian collapse basin, (3) the Iapetus Ocean was much narrower than the several thousands of kilometers width commonly proposed, and (4) early Neoproterozoic magmatism in northern Norway is possibly related to the initial breakup of Rodinia.
Ex-vivo evaluation of Plasmodium falciparum-induced cytokine expression in chronic hepatitis B virus-infected and uninfected individuals
Authors: Segbefia Selorm Philip , Asandem Diana Asema , Asare Bright , Awuku-Larbi Rawdat , van der Puije William , Kyei-Baafour Eric , Osei Frank , Teye-Adjei Doreen , Agyekum Georgina , Darko Oscar , Agyemang Seth , Bentum-Ennin Lutterodt , Bonney Kofi J. H. , Sakyi Samuel Asamoah , Amoah Linda Eva , Kusi Kwadwo Asamoah
Published: October 2024

Background Chronic Hepatitis B virus (CHB) infection remains a significant public health problem. Exhaustion of T cells usually contribute to the progression of HBV infection to the chronic state, which can impact the induction of immune responses to other pathogens like Plasmodium falciparum. This, in turn, may affect the effectiveness of malaria vaccines when deployed. This case-control longitudinal study sought to determine how early this T cell exhaustion state establishes, since most of the available data relates to CHB cases that have persisted for much longer times. Methods This longitudinal case-control study compared the expression of 13 cytokines between cases and controls at four time points over one year. These cytokines were induced using whole blood ex-vivo stimulation with three Plasmodium falciparum (3D7 strain) antigens. Results Hepatitis B virus-negative and CHB individuals had comparable levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10. Interleukin 6 which is important for the elimination of HBV was produced in very high amounts by the two groups. There was no significant difference between the groups in their ability to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines in response to malaria antigens. Conclusion Cytokine responses to the vaccine candidates from both groups were similar, indicating no impairment to the effective immune responses to malaria vaccines and probably parasites in this category of early CHB infected individuals.
The Relationship between Women and Nature: An Ecofeminist Analysis of Aminatta Forna’s Ancestor Stones
Authors: Michael  Gebreyohannes Nigus , Ambachew Abiye Daniel
Published: October 2024

Background This article examines the relationship between women and nature in Aminatta Forna’s Ancestor Stones from an ecofeminist point of view. Aminatta has four novels, and Ancestor Stones is one that addresses various significant themes. One issue the novel portrays is the interlinkage between African women and their natural environment, which this article focuses on. Methods To address and obtain the objective of this research, therefore, textual analysis was applied as a method to investigate the extracted texts from the novel. This approach enabled an in depth examination of the novel’s themes and characters representations. Results The analysis of the novel portrays the deep interconnection between women and the natural environment in many ways. Firstly, the author reveals that African women are represented as expert gardeners, which shows their deep indigenous knowledge. Beyond becoming daily consumption, these gardens convey history, which passes from generation to generation. This signifies women’s great accomplishment at gardening and cultivating their land and their intimacy with the natural environment in Africa. The novel also portrays the substantial relationship between women and rivers, forests, and other elements of the natural environment and even compares the situation of women and their lives with the condition of the nation at large. Finally, the novel depicts how seriously women take the degradation of nature and its impact. Conclusions In short, the novel acknowledges and values the knowledge that African women have about gardening, natural conservation, and agriculture. Besides, it urges the active inclusion of women in environmental decision making, emphasizing their crucial role in addressing ecological crisis
The genome sequence of the Vapourer moth, Orgyia antiqua (Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Weir Jamie C. ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   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, Boyes Douglas
Published: October 2024

We present a genome assembly from an individual male Orgyia antiqua specimen (the Vapourer moth; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Erebidae). The genome sequence is 480.1 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 14 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 15.4 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 12,475 protein coding genes.
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital admissions and inpatient mortality in Kenya: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Ogero Morris O , Isaaka Lynda , Lucinde Ruth , Mumelo Livingstone , Gathuri Henry , Kimego Dennis , Njoroge Teresiah , Mbevi George , Wanyama Conrad , Otiende Mark , Singa Benson O , Tickell Kirkby D , Walson Judd L , Berkley James A , Nyaguara Amek , Bejon Philip , Akech Samuel , Kagucia E Wangeci , Scott J Anthony G , Etyang Anthony O , Agweyu Ambrose ,   The Kenya COVID-19 Hospitals Surveillance Group
Published: October 2024

Background The impact of COVID-19 in Africa remains poorly described. We examined hospitalisation trends for all medical causes, clinician-diagnosed pneumonia admissions, and inpatient mortality in Kenya two years before and across the first six waves of the pandemic. Methods We conducted a hospital-based observational study of patients admitted to 13 public referral facilities in Kenya from January 2018 to December 2022. The pre-COVID-19 population included admissions before 1st March 2020. Time series models, adjusted for seasonality and hospital, compared observed and predicted trends. To estimate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we calculated incidence rate ratios (IRR) from negative binomial mixed-effects models. Results 357,631 patients were admitted across the 13 sites (range 15,354 to 67,241 per hospital). 45,349 patients (42.1%) were admitted to the adult medical wards. On the paediatric ward, 163,608 individuals (47.4%) were aged under five years and 36,227 individuals (10.5%) were aged five years and older. In comparison to the pre-pandemic period, hospitalisations reduced for adults (IRR 0.75, 95% CI 0.69–0.82) and paediatric cases (IRR 0.69, 95% CI 0.64–0.75). In-hospital deaths also declined for adults (IRR 0.83, 95% CI 0.77–0.89) and children (IRR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77–0.94). Adult pneumonia admissions increased (IRR 1.59, 95% CI 1.36–1.85), while paediatric cases decreased overall, (IRR 0.78, 95% CI 0.51–1.20), but became elevated in late 2021 compared to the pre-pandemic period. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic did not cause a surge in hospitalisations in Kenya. However, pneumonia admissions among adults (but not children) increased significantly, with peaks aligning with the pandemic waves. These findings underscore the importance of syndromic inpatient surveillance in detecting and monitoring outbreaks.
The genome sequence of the hook-banded wasp hoverfly, Chrysotoxum festivum (Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Falk Steven , Woodcock Katie J ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Management, Samples and Laboratory team,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: Sequencing Operations,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Core Informatics team,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: October 2024

We present a genome assembly from an individual female Chrysotoxum festivum (the hook-banded wasp hoverfly; Arthropoda; Insecta; Diptera; Syrphidae). The genome sequence spans 870.80 megabases. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 5 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the X sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 18.45 kilobases in length.
The genome sequence of the False Ladybird, Endomychus coccineus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Mitchell Ryan , Crowley Liam M. ,   Natural History Museum Genome Acquisition Lab,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Management, Samples and Laboratory team,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: Sequencing Operations,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Core Informatics team,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: October 2024

We present a genome assembly from an individual male Endomychus coccineus (the False Ladybird; Arthropoda; Insecta; Coleoptera; Endomychidae). The genome sequence spans 906.40 megabases. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 6 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the X and Y sex chromosomes. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 16.05 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 13,086 protein-coding genes.
The genome sequence of Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing moth, Noctua janthina (Denis & Schiffermüller) 1775
Authors: Broad Gavin R. ,   Natural History Museum Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Management, Samples and Laboratory team,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: Sequencing Operations,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Core Informatics team,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: October 2024

We present a genome assembly from an individual male Noctua janthina (Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Noctuidae). The genome sequence has a total length of 539.70 megabases. Most of the assembly (99.99%) is scaffolded into 31 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 15.36 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 12,089 protein-coding genes.
The genome sequence of a leaf beetle, Galeruca laticollis Sahlberg, C.R., 1838
Authors: Booth Roger ,   Natural History Museum Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Management, Samples and Laboratory team,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: Sequencing Operations,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life Core Informatics team,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: October 2024

We present a genome assembly from an individual leaf beetle, Galeruca laticollis (Arthropoda; Insecta; Coleoptera; Chrysomelidae). The genome sequence has a total length of 2,154.60 megabases. Most of the assembly (99.92%) is scaffolded into 12 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the X and Y sex chromosomes. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 19.98 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 32,229 protein-coding genes.
Septic cerebral embolism following lumbar spine surgery in a 69-year-old man with a lumbar epidural abscess in Korea: a case report
Authors: Lee Yo Seob
Published: October 2024

Septic embolism and stroke are serious complications in patients with sepsis and often necessitate urgent surgical intervention to control the source of infection. A 69-year-old man presented with severe pain in his back and left thigh. MRI revealed extensive posterior epidural or subdural abscesses extending from the cervical to the lumbar level, as well as an abscess in the iliopsoas muscle. The patient underwent urgent drainage of the abscesses and decompression of the lumbar spine. Postoperatively, he developed sudden-onset atrial fibrillation and altered mental status. Brain CT showed multiple embolic infarctions. His condition deteriorated due to persistent infection, leading to disseminated intravascular coagulation, acute kidney injury, and septic shock. This case highlights the risk of cerebral embolism and hemorrhagic complications in patients with sepsis who undergo surgery. Early recognition of individuals at high risk and comprehensive perioperative management are critical to reducing the likelihood of such complications.
Toxic Chief Executive Officers; Environmental, Social, and Governance Institutional Investors as Watchdogs; and the Labor Market Outcomes
Authors: Lel Ugur
Published: October 2024

I examine changes in chief executive officer (CEO) labor market outcomes following corporate environmental failures. CEOs of firms subject to Environmental Protection Agency enforcements experience a decline in labor market opportunities as outside directors and a higher likelihood of dismissal as CEOs. They also receive less shareholder support in directorial elections. These effects are mostly visible in recent years and in firms with significant socially responsible investments (SRIs), and they are robust to using state environmental regulations for identification. Shareholders exhibit particular concern over environmental violations that may subject firms to future legal liabilities. Overall, these results point to significant reputational repercussions of environmental failures to CEOs and the disciplinary role of SRIs.

This paper was accepted by Camelia Kuhnen, finance.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.02372 .
An Integrated Approach to Improving Itinerary Completion in Coordinated Care Networks
Authors: Liu Yiqiu , Shi Pengyi , Helm Jonathan E. , Van Oyen Mark P. , Ying Lei , Hucshka Todd
Published: October 2024

Problem definition: Coordinated care network (CCN) is a burgeoning paradigm where patients’ diagnosis and treatment plans are developed based on collaboration between multiple, colocated medical specialties to holistically address patients’ health needs. A primary performance metric for CCNs is how quickly patients can complete their itinerary of appointments at multiple medical services in the network. Rapid completion is critical to care delivery but also presents a major operational challenge. Because information about a patient’s condition and treatment options evolves over the course of the itinerary, care paths are not known a priori. Thus, appointments (except for the first one) cannot be reserved in advance, which may result in significant delays if capacity is not allocated properly. Methodology/results: We study capacity allocation for the patient’s first (root) appointment as the primary operational lever to achieve rapid itinerary completion in CCNs. We develop a novel queueing-based analytical framework to optimize this root appointment allocation, maximizing the proportion of patients completing care by prespecified deadlines. Our framework accounts for the complex interactions among all patients in the network through the blocking process, which contrasts with conventional siloed planning. We provide an exact characterization of the itinerary time and develop a mean-field approximation with convergence guarantees that permits tractable solutions for large-scale network problems. In a simulation case study of Mayo Clinic, our solution improves on-time completion from 60% under the current plan to more than 93%. Managerial implications: We demonstrate that root appointment allocation is a multifaceted problem and that ignoring any of those facets can lead to poor performance. Simultaneously accounting for all of these complexities makes manual template design or traditional optimization methods inadequate, highlighting the significance of our integrated approach.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.0649 .
Effects of Time Intervals and Semantic Weight on Action Fluency Tasks in Older Adults
Authors: Lee Juhye , Lee Juri , Hwang Ryeonghee , Choi Sujin , Sung Jee Eun
Published: October 2024

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in performance of action fluency tasks (AFT) based on time intervals and the semantic weight of verbs among groups of healthy young and older adults and to explore the correlation between working memory and the performance. Methods: A total of 62 Korean-speaking individuals, consisting of 31 healthy young and older adults, participated in the AFT and their performance was analyzed by the semantic weight of verbs (Heavy vs. Light) and time interval (first 30 sec vs. last 30 sec). They also participated in a working memory task. To measure working memory capacity, word span tasks (WST) - forward and backward were conducted. Results: In both groups, performance on the AFT was higher in the first 30 sec and there were more productions of heavy verbs compared to light verbs. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed in the older adults between the number of heavy verbs produced in both the first 30 sec and last 30 sec and the scores on the WST-backward. Conclusion: In this study, through a qualitative analysis based on time intervals and semantic weight, we confirmed that the first 30 sec of the AFT can be a useful source for analyzing results. Furthermore, it highlighted that the semantic weight of verbs could serve as an efficient method for predicting aging.
Speech Perception and Phonological Representation in 5 to 6 Year-Old Typically Developing Children
Authors: Bang Hajeong , Ha Seunghee
Published: October 2024

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the development of speech perception and phonological representation in typically developing children aged 5-6 years. It also explored the relationship between receptive vocabulary, consonant accuracy, nonword repetition performance, and speech perception and phonological representation. Methods: The study involved 77 typically developing children aged 5-6 years. The speech perception identification tasks included minimal pairs that reflected developmental error patterns. The phonological representation judgment tasks involved manipulating consonants and vowels, as well as the number of distinctive features, to examine performance differences under various speech sound manipulation conditions. Results: Performance on both speech perception and phonological representation tasks significantly increased with age. There were also significant differences in performance based on speech sound manipulation conditions. Specifically, in the speech perception task, performance was significantly higher when items focused on the stopping of fricatives rather than the fronting of velars. In the phonological representation task, performance was significantly better in vowel manipulation compared to consonant manipulation, and with two distinctive feature manipulations compared to one. Speech perception tasks showed a significant correlation only with receptive vocabulary, whereas phonological representation tasks showed significant positive correlations with receptive vocabulary, consonant accuracy, and nonword repetition performance. Conclusion: The study confirms that speech perception and phonological representation are developing between ages 5 and 6 in typically developing children. It also suggests that speech perception and phonological representation develop through a complex interplay with speech production abilities and receptive vocabulary.
The Accuracy and Efficiency of the Speech Language Early Literacy Screening Checklist
Authors: Yu Haerim , Pae Soyeong , Eom Jimok , Ha Seunghee
Published: October 2024

Objectives: This study aimed to develop the “Speech Language Early Literacy Screening Checklist” in order to identify speech, language, and early literacy difficulties in children aged 5-6 years before entering elementary school. This study examined the reliability, validity, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value to verify the accuracy and efficiency of the checklist as a screening tool.Methods: Out of the 2,880 children who participated in the initial screening test, 155 underwent diagnostic deep tests. A total of 110 children who exhibited difficulties in language, speech, and early literacy areas were classified as the high-risk group, while those who demonstrated appropriate development in all areas were classified as the general group.Results: The Cronbach’s α value for all checklist items was .884. The content validity index rated by six language development experts was 0.70 or higher for all 36 items, with an average content validity score of 0.91. Clinical validity was confirmed through the total score differences between the general and high-risk groups classified by the diagnostic deep tests. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve results for the screening checklist showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.858, sensitivity of 84.4%, and specificity of 76.4%. The positive predictive value (PPV) calculated from the cut-off score was 92.3%.Conclusion: The “Speech Language Early Literacy Screening Checklist” developed to identify children at high risk of language development delays before school entry has shown appropriate reliability, validity, and classification accuracy. This study suggests that the implementation of this checklist will contribute to preventing school failure by effectively identifying at-risk children aged 5-6.
Characteristics of Nasal Coarticulation by Nasality Visualization System in Children with Speech Sound Disorders
Authors: Jung Jae Man , Woo Seong Tak , Ha Ji-Wan
Published: October 2024

Objectives: In this study, we analyzed the nasal coarticulation characteristics of children with and without speech sound disorders by comparing nasalance scores according to speech contexts. Methods: The subjects of this study were 30 children, 15 children with speech sound disorder (SSD) and 15 typically developing (TD) children, aged 4 to 6 years old. Subjects were asked to speak stimuli in different speech contexts-low vs. high vowels, nasal consonant+vowel (NV) vs. vowel+nasal consonant (VN) syllables, words vs. nonwords - and nasalance scores were measured using the Nasality Visualization System (NVS) on their speech samples. Results: First, both groups showed significantly higher naslance scores for high vowels compared to low vowels, with a significant between-group difference in high vowel. Second, both groups showed significantly higher nasalance scores for VN syllables than for NV syllables, with no between-group difference. Third, both groups showed significantly lower nasalance scores in nonwords compared to words. While there was no group difference in the words, the nasalance scores of the SSD group was lower in the nonwords, which was significantly different from that of the TD groups. Conclusion: These results suggest that the SSD group exhibits somewhat different nasal characteristics than the TD group, and furthermore, that SSD children articulate phoneme sequences more segmentally in unlearned nonword contexts.
Treatment of Andersson lesion-complicating ankylosing spondylitis via early minimally invasive surgery
Authors: Zhang Chenggui , Li Yang , Wang Guodong , Sun Jianmin
Published: October 2024

Aims

A variety of surgical methods and strategies have been demonstrated for Andersson lesion (AL) therapy. In 2011, we proposed and identified the feasibility of stabilizing the spine without curettaging the vertebral or discovertebral lesion to cure non-kyphotic AL. Additionally, due to the excellent reunion ability of ankylosing spondylitis, we further came up with minimally invasive spinal surgery (MIS) to avoid the need for both bone graft and lesion curettage in AL surgery. However, there is a paucity of research into the comparison between open spinal fusion (OSF) and early MIS in the treatment of AL. The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the clinical outcomes and radiological evaluation of our early MIS approach and OSF for AL.

Methods

A total of 39 patients diagnosed with AL who underwent surgery from January 2004 to December 2022 were retrospectively screened for eligibility. Patients with AL were divided into an MIS group and an OSF group. The primary outcomes were union of the lesion on radiograph and CT, as well as the visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores immediately after surgery, and at the follow-up (mean 29 months (standard error (SE) 9)). The secondary outcomes were total blood loss during surgery, operating time, and improvement in the radiological parameters: global and local kyphosis, sagittal vertical axis, sagittal alignment, and chin-brow vertical angle immediately after surgery and at the follow-up.

Results

Data for 30 patients with AL were evaluated: 14 in the MIS group and 16 in the OSF group. All patients were followed up after surgery; no nonunion complications or instrumentation failures were observed in either group. No significant differences in the VAS and ODI scores were identified between the two groups. Mean ODI improved from 51 (SE 5) to 17 (SE 5) in the MIS group and from 52 (SE 6) to 19 (SE 5) in the OSF group at the follow-up. There were significant improvements in total blood loss (p = 0.025) and operating time (p < 0.001) between the groups. There was also no significant difference in local kyphosis six months postoperatively (p = 0.119).

Conclusion

Early MIS is an effective treatment for AL. MIS provides comparable clinical outcomes to those treated with OSF, with less total blood loss and shorter operating time. Our results support and identify the feasibility of solid immobilization achieved by posterior instrumentation without bone graft via MIS for the treatment of AL.

Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(10):886–893.
A Method for Detecting the Death State of Caged Broilers Based on Improved Yolov5
Authors: Cao Chong , Zhang Wanchao , Chen Changxi , Kong Xiangchao , Wang Qi , Deng Zhuangzhuang
Published: October 2024

Highlights

Rapid and accurate identification and detection of mortality in high-level caged broilers.

Apply the state-of-the-art single-stage object detection model Yolov5 as the experimental infrastructure.

Modify and improve the network structure, reduce the calculation amount of model parameters, and make the model easier to deploy.

The data of dead broilers in different regions can also be quickly and accurately identified and detected, with excellent generalization.

Abstract. In an unmanned broiler base, the automatic identification of the death state of broilers in a complex cage environment can effectively improve picking efficiency and reduce its negative impact. An improved Yolov5 object detection method is proposed in this study to rapidly and accurately detect the presence of dead broilers in caged structures. The Yolov5 model within the CSPDarknet53 framework is constructed, and the Yolov5 model is experimentally pruned to reduce the number of convolution kernels. The Ghost structure and the Involution structure are combined with the Yolov5 backbone network to effectively reduce the number of parameters and computations with a negligible loss of accuracy, making it easier to deploy applications. The detection accuracy of the model can reach 99.2%. The number of parameters is reduced from 7.05M to 0.31M, and the amount of calculation is reduced from 16.3 to 0.3. It can be seen that the improved Yolov5 network is practical and suitable for high-precision real-time detection and recognition of the death state of broilers in a caged structure. Keywords: Keywords.,Computer vision, Dead chicken detection, Machine vision, Yolov5.
Simultaneous generation of dual 16-QAM-modulated millimeter-wave signals enabled by precoding-based optical I/Q modulation and single photodetector detection
Authors: Bi Jiahao , Xie TangYao , Li Xinying , Pan Xiaolong , Yan Hengxin , Fang Liye , Xu Yuxiao , Lin Qiuying , Zhu Jianping , Xin Xiangjun
Published: October 2024

Integration of quadrature-amplitude-modulation (QAM) modulation and millimeter-wave (mm-wave) technology ensures a concise enhancement of transmission capacity and peak data rates in radio-over-fiber (RoF) systems. Nevertheless, with the continuous development of new-generation mobile applications, higher demands on access flexibility have also been formulated. We propose a novel, to the best of our knowledge, dual 16-QAM-modulated mm-wave signal generation scheme for the simultaneous generation and transmission of two independent 16-QAM signals with different carrier frequencies, enhancing the channel capacity, spectrum efficiency, and access flexibility of the RoF systems. In our proposed scheme, the generation of the optical dual 16-QAM-modulated mm-wave signals is implemented by a precoding-based optical in-phase/quadrature (I/Q) modulator operating at optical carrier suppression (OCS) mode, and their detection is implemented by a single photodetector (PD). At the transmitter side, two independent driving QAM vector radio-frequency (RF) signals with precoding, generated via digital signal process (DSP), are fed into two parallel Mach–Zehnder modulators (MZMs) of an I/Q modulator to implement OCS modulation. The I/Q modulator generates optical carriers carrying both information from different QAM signals simultaneously. After square-law detection in a single PD, we generate the desired dual 16-QAM-modulated mm-wave signals with photonic frequency-doubling and recover the original 16-QAM signals without information distortion. Based on our proposed scheme, we experimentally demonstrate the simultaneous generation and transmission of 2-Gbaud dual 16-QAM-modulated mm-wave signals with carrier frequencies of 26 GHz and 40 GHz, respectively. After transmission over 10-km single-mode fiber (SMF) link and 1.2-m wireless link, the dual 16-QAM signals can be successfully separated and demodulated by a common DSP. Bit-error ratios (BERs) of both recovered 16-QAM signals can reach the hard-decision forward-error-correction (HD-FEC) threshold of 3.8×10−3. Compared with the existing schemes, our scheme only requires one-half of the driving frequency to generate dual 16-QAM-modulated mm-wave signals with the same carrier frequency. The result indicates that our proposed scheme can lower bandwidth requirements for optoelectronics devices, along with implementing better spectral efficiency and receiver sensitivity, which is more applicable to the demands for increased system capacity and multi-frequency access flexibility in future systems.
Realtime and noninvasive assessment of endotracheal tube displacement using near-infrared and visible cameras
Authors: Lu Tongtong , Khampang Pawjai , Beydoun Ahmed , Berezovsky Anna , Rohde Rebecca , Hong Wenzhou , Kerschner Joseph E. , Yu Bing
Published: October 2024

Endotracheal tube (ETT) intubation is a medical procedure routinely used for achieving mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients. Appropriate ETT placement is crucial as undetected tube migration may cause multiple complications or even fatalities. Therefore, prompt detection of unplanned movement of the ETT and immediate action to restore proper placement are essential to ensure patient safety. Despite this necessity, there is not a widely adopted tool for real-time assessment of ETT displacement. We have developed a device, a dual-camera endotracheal tube or DC-ETT, to address this unmet clinical need. This device uses a near-infrared (NIR) LED and a side-firing optical fiber embedded in the side of an ETT to light up the tracheal tissue and a visible and NIR camera module for the displacement detection. The NIR camera tracks the movement of the NIR pattern on the skin, while the visible camera is used to correct the body movements. The efficacy of the DC-ETT was assessed in two piglets with a linear displacement sensor as reference. A mean discrepancy of less than 0.5 mm between the DC-ETT and reference sensor was observed within a displacement range of ±15 mm. The results suggest that the DC-ETT can potentially provide a simple and cost-effective solution for real-time monitoring of ETT displacements in operating rooms, intensive care units, and emergency departments.
Measurement of ocular aberration in noise based on deep learning with a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor
Authors: Zhang Haobo , Yang Yanrong , Zhang Zitao , Yin Chun , Wang Shengqian , Wei Kai , Chen Hao , Zhao Junlei
Published: October 2024

Shack-Hartmann-based wavefront sensing combined with deep learning, due to its fast, accurate, and large dynamic range, has been widely studied in many fields including ocular aberration measurement. Problems such as noise and corneal reflection affect the accuracy of detection in practical measuring ocular aberration systems. This paper establishes a framework comprising of a noise-added model, Hartmannograms with corneal reflections and the corneal reflection elimination algorithm. Therefore, a more realistic data set is obtained, enabling the convolutional neural network to learn more comprehensive features and carry out real machine verification. The results show that the proposed method has excellent measurement accuracy. The root mean square error (RMSE) of the residual wavefront is 0.00924 ± 0.0207λ (mean ± standard deviation) in simulation and 0.0496 ± 0.0156λ in a real machine. Compared with other methods, this network combined with the proposed corneal reflection elimination algorithm is more accurate, speedier, and more widely applicable in the noise and corneal reflection situations, making it a promising tool for ocular aberration measurement.
Grating compressor optimization aiming at maximum focal intensity of femtosecond laser pulses
Authors: Vyatkin Anton , Khazanov Efim
Published: October 2024

It is shown that the optimal geometry of a Treacy compressor is the full-aperture compressor, in which the beam size at the first diffraction grating is equal to its length. Despite the energy losses and greater size of the focal spot, such a compressor provides considerably higher (by 1.5–2 times) focal intensity than an energy lossless compressor. Decreasing the density of grooves from 1200–1400/mm to about 1000/mm also increases the focal intensity by tens of percent. The constructed theory is generalized to the full-aperture two-grating compressor, which is the best design due to the angle of incidence on the first grating being smaller than the Littrow angle. Two gratings with a length of 138 cm allow obtaining an intensity of 4.09 × 1024W/cm2 and 5.01 × 1024W/cm2 in the focus of F/2 parabola for the projects XCELS and SEL-100PW, reaching the 139 PW and 174 PW power.
Highly sensitive low-temperature, low-pressure ultra-thin microbubble FPI sensors
Authors: Zhuo Qingxia , Ishfaq Nasir , Yao Qiaoyi , Zhang Jialin , Wang Guanjun , Xue Chenyang , Yu Junzhi
Published: October 2024

We present an ultrathin microbubble Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) sensor designed for low-pressure and low-temperature sensing applications. The preparation of the ultrathin microbubbles was achieved through an improved arc discharge technique. Consequently, a pressure sensitivity of 63 pm/kPa and a temperature sensitivity of 220 pm/°C at room temperature (20°C) and low air pressure (110–200 kPa) were attained, a performance that is highly commendable for a sensor of its kind. Furthermore, the use of a Bragg grating was employed to eliminate the effect of temperature on pressure, thereby enhancing the accuracy of the measured pressure. Experimental findings indicate that this ultrathin microbubble FPI sensor exhibits ultra-high sensitivity to pressure and temperature at low temperatures and pressures, offering what we believe to be a novel solution for the measurement of low temperatures and low-pressure environments.
Sensitive optical free-space receiver architecture for coherent combining of deep-space communication signals through atmospheric turbulence
Authors: Larsson Rasmus , Karlsson Magnus , Andrekson Peter A.
Published: October 2024

High data rate optical deep space communication links for future space missions need large capture area receivers that can efficiently couple light into a single-mode fiber. Coherent detection is attractive as it offers both high spectral efficiency and sensitivity. Here, we numerically investigate two such large area receivers in the context of weak signal reception; the multi-aperture array and the multi-mode fiber-coupled receiver, together with optical coherent combining. We find that the number of speckles captured by the aperture should match the number of modes supported by the receiver-fiber for high efficiency and sensitivity. Using an optically preamplified dither-optical phase locked loop for tip-tilt, phase, and amplitude compensation, we predict that efficient reception of signals can be maintained down to -80 dBm of received power per mode for realistic atmospheric channels.
Fractional-order hybridly polarized vector beams: generation, focusing, propagation, and spatial self-phase modulation
Authors: Ling Cheng , Huang Baisong , Gao Yang , Zhu Zhuqing , Rui Guanghao , He Jun , Gu Bing
Published: October 2024

As a class of integer-order vector beams, hybridly polarized vector beams (HPVBs) are widely used in focus shaping, femtosecond laser filamentation, linear and nonlinear polarization evolution, etc. Recently, fractional-order vector beams have gained widespread interest due to their more control parameters, rich photophysical properties, and novel nonlinear optical phenomena. In this work, we report the experimental generation, focusing and propagation characteristics, and spatial self-phase modulation (SSPM) phenomenon of fractional-order HPVBs. It is shown that during the focusing and propagation processes, the intensity pattern of fractional-order HPVBs develops from a near-Gaussian structure in the incident plane to an asymmetric structure in both the focal field and the far field. Meanwhile, their distributions of state of polarization (SoP) also evolve, although it remains a hybrid polarization distribution overall. When the focused fractional-order HPVBs pass through the nonlinear optical sample, the far-field self-diffraction intensity pattern displays an irregular concentric multi-ring structure with a hybrid polarization distribution. It is found that the nonlinear medium not only modulates the far-field intensity pattern of fractional-order HPVBs but also controls their SoP distribution. This symmetric breaking HPVB has potential application prospects in optical micro-manipulation, light-matter interaction, optical spin-orbit conversion, etc.
Broadband 3-bit coding metasurface antenna with integrated radiation and scattering performance
Authors: Wang Junlin , Tong Xinyu , Wang Xin , Guo Yunsheng , Han Xiaoyu , A Saer , Wang Jun
Published: October 2024

This paper presents the design of an integrated metasurface antenna, which combines a central radiating patch with a quadru-arc (QAS) structure. The metasurface antenna simultaneously achieves high-gain radiation and complex scattering functionality. The modulation of the radiation function is primarily achieved through phase manipulation of the power division feed network, while modulation of the X-polarization scattering function is mainly accomplished by adjusting the arc of the QAS. The effectiveness of this design is verified by designing two metasurface antennas with distinct functionalities. The feed network phases are arranged in a checkerboard pattern in the first approach, resulting in four-beam radiation with a gain of 16 dBi per beam. Additionally, the scattering component utilizes eight scattering structures with a phase difference of 45 degrees to form a 3-bit coding, enabling vortex beam scattering. The second configuration arranges the feed network in phase with the deflected beam, resulting in a deflected beam radiation pattern characterized by a gain of 22.3 dBi. The scattering function is optimized using a simulated annealing-genetic algorithm for phase alignment, resulting in the achievement of RCS reduction across a wide bandwidth range of 8-24 GHz. The proposed metasurface antenna is ultimately fabricated and subjected to rigorous measurements.
Coherent instabilities in thulium-based fiber amplifiers induced by laser frequency modulation
Authors: Pertoldi Andrea , Hauge Jakob M. , Bowen Montague Patrick , Varming Poul
Published: October 2024

Frequency modulation of narrow-linewidth lasers can cause coherent backscattering in cladding-pumped fiber amplifiers. This detrimental effect can be observed in Tm-based fiber amplifiers and can be an additional limitation for power scaling applications. We investigate such instabilities in Tm- and Tm/Ho-doped fiber amplifiers for a wide range of design parameters (active fiber length, pumping scheme, dopant type) and operation regimes (laser frequency tuning rate, amplifier gain). For each amplifier configuration, the backward-propagating (BP) signal is found to peak at a specific laser frequency tuning rate, with an amplitude and a frequency that increase with increasing amplifier gain and fiber length.
Highly circularly polarized and coherent thermal emission based on chiral quasi bound states in the continuum
Authors: Sun Yuwei , Shi Kezhang , Hu Zhipeng , Jin Yi , He Sailing
Published: October 2024

Polarization, temporal coherence, and spatial coherence are crucial for far-field thermal emission. However, achieving chiral thermal emission with both ultra-narrow bandwidth and ultrahigh directionality remains a challenge. In this study, we address this problem by combining the principles of band folding and chiral quasi bound states in the continuum. The demonstrated thermal emitter, a tri-layered structure consisting of a planar chiral silicon metasurface, a silica spacer, and a reflecting gold film, numerically achieves an emissivity circular dichroism of 0.984, a full width at half maximum of 1.6 nm, and a divergence angle of 1° at wavelength 1170 nm, surpassing the state-of-the-art thermal emitters. Our finding provides a new, to our knowledge, approach for designing chiral thermal emitters, which may find use in the areas of thermal lighting, infrared camouflage, thermal imaging, and infrared sensing.
MEMS-tunable topological bilayer metasurfaces for reconfigurable dual-state phase control
Authors: Meng Chao , Thrane Paul C. V. , Wang Chuanshuo , Ding Fei , Bozhevolnyi Sergey I.
Published: October 2024

Tunable optical metasurfaces (MSs) have demonstrated exceptional capabilities in actively manipulating light fields. However, most existing tunable MSs are limited to controlling only one functionality. Here, by combining a MEMS mirror with a plasmonic bilayer MS (BMS), we develop an electrically driven MEMS-BMS platform enabling complete reflection phase transformation and switching between two encoded functionalities by actuating the MEMS mirror. This capability stems from different optical responses of each MS layer at distinct MEMS-BMS separations, due to evolving topological singularities in a defined parameter space. With this tunable topological MEMS-BMS platform, we demonstrate polarization-independent MEMS-BMS for reconfigurable diffraction gratings, achieving ∼25% efficiency, ∼0.75 contrast at 850-nm wavelength, and fast response (∼5µs). The MEMS-BMS arrangement for generating vortex beams with switchable topological charges of ±1 is also demonstrated, evidenced by distinct near- and far-field interferograms. Our work expands the scope of tunable MSs by exploiting dynamic topological phases in the MEMS-BMS arrangement, paving the way for multifunctional tunable meta-optics.
Regularizing hyperparameters of interacting neural signals in the mouse cortex reflect states of arousal
Authors: Lyamzin Dmitry R. , Alamia Andrea , Abdolrahmani Mohammad , Aoki Ryo , Benucci Andrea
Published: October 2024

In natural behaviors, multiple neural signals simultaneously drive activation across overlapping brain networks. Due to limitations in the amount of data that can be acquired in common experimental designs, the determination of these interactions is commonly inferred via modeling approaches, which reduce overfitting by finding appropriate regularizing hyperparameters. However, it is unclear whether these hyperparameters can also be related to any aspect of the underlying biological phenomena and help interpret them. We applied a state-of-the-art regularization procedure—automatic locality determination—to interacting neural activations in the mouse posterior cortex associated with movements of the body and eyes. As expected, regularization significantly improved the determination and interpretability of the response interactions. However, regularizing hyperparameters also changed considerably, and seemingly unpredictably, from animal to animal. We found that these variations were not random; rather, they correlated with the variability in visually evoked responses and with the variability in the state of arousal of the animals measured by pupillometry—both pieces of information that were not included in the modeling framework. These observations could be generalized to another commonly used—but potentially less informative—regularization method, ridge regression. Our findings demonstrate that optimal model hyperparameters can be discovery tools that are informative of factors not a priori included in the model’s design.