bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The association between Toxoplasma gondii and type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of human case-control studies
Authors: Molan Aus , Nosaka Kazunori , Hunter Michael , Wang Wei
Published: January 2020

Objectives

An emerging field of research is examining the association of infectious and environmental pathogens with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). An understudied pathogen of interest is the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). The objective of this study was to investigate the possible correlation between T. gondii infection and T2DM. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the currently available T. gondii seroprevalence data from case-control studies looking at subjects with T2DM in comparison to healthy controls to estimate the risk of T2DM.

Methods

Ten electronic databases were searched using specific Medical Subject Headings terms without language or date restrictions. Fixed and random effects models were used to determine odds ratios with statistical significance being set at 5.0%.

Results

Ten publications reporting T. gondii seroprevalence from 4072 subjects met the eligibility criteria. Seven of these studies reported a significant association between T. gondii infection and T2DM (p < 0.05). The overall weighted prevalence of T. gondii infection in subjects with T2DM was 47.8% (range 6.4–65.1%) in comparison to 25.9% (range 3.2–59.0%) of healthy controls (p < 0.001). The common odds ratio, calculated using a random effects model, was 2.32 (95% CI 1.66–3.24, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

T. gondii infection should continue to be regarded as a possible contributing factor in T2DM disease development. Further studies that include inflammatory biomarker analysis are warranted to determine the specific role of this parasite in the pathogenesis of T2DM.
Influence of Preexisting Diabetes on Survival After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis in First Nations Women in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Sheppard Amanda J. , Chiarelli Anna M. , Hanley Anthony J.G. , Marrett Loraine D.
Published: January 2020

PURPOSE

Survival after a breast cancer diagnosis is poorer in First Nations women with a preexisting comorbidity compared with comorbidity-free First Nations women in Ontario, Canada. Given the high prevalence of diabetes in this population, it is important to determine whether preexisting diabetes is related to poorer survival after a breast cancer diagnosis.

METHODS

All First Nations women were identified from a cohort of First Nations people diagnosed with breast cancer in diagnostic periods—1995 to 1999 and 2000 to 2004—and seen at a regional cancer program (RCP) in Ontario. Preexisting diabetes status and other factors, such as age at diagnosis, body mass index, and stage at diagnosis, were collected from medical charts at the regional cancer programs. The association between preexisting diabetes and First Nations status was examined by each of the demographic, personal, tumor, and treatment factors using logistic regression models. Survival was compared between First Nations women with (n = 67) and without (n = 215) preexisting diabetes, adjusted by significant study factors using a Cox proportional hazards regression model.

RESULTS

The 5-year survival rate among First Nations women with diabetes was 59.8% versus 78.7% among those without diabetes ( P < .01). Preexisting diabetes significantly increased the risk of death among First Nations women with breast cancer (hazard ratio, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.12 to 3.13) after adjustment for age group, period of diagnosis, body mass index, other comorbidities at diagnosis, and stage.

CONCLUSION

This study recommends awareness of this survival discrepancy among the treatment team for First Nations patients with breast cancer with preexisting diabetes.
Sharing Wisdom, Sharing Hope: Strategies Used by Native American Cancer Survivors to Restore Quality of Life
Authors: Bastian Tiana D. , Burhansstipanov Linda
Published: January 2020

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the experiences of Native American cancer survivors in navigating life after cancer and what resources and strategies survivors found useful for coping and achieving optimal quality of life (QoL) after diagnosis (the terms “Native Americans” and “Natives” are used interchangeably in this article to describe American Indians and Alaska Natives). The research questions were What advice and words of wisdom do Native cancer survivors prioritize in messages to other Native cancer survivors? and What do those messages reveal about how Native cancer survivors interpret, experience, and restore QoL after diagnosis?

METHODS

This study used a qualitative phenomenologic descriptive study design. Researchers used thematic analysis to identify themes related to peer advice and QoL from transcripts of semi-structured interviews with 52 geographically and clinically diverse Native cancer survivors in the United States.

RESULTS

Survivors’ lived experiences directly informed their advice to other survivors, which was characterized by four themes: listen to your body, advocate for yourself, embrace your culture and spirituality, and share your story. A deeper look into the origins of those messages revealed challenges survivors face balancing their responsibility to care for themselves while simultaneously embracing cultural values of selflessness.

CONCLUSION

Providers and researchers should work with Native cancer survivors to identify and leverage existing community strengths in ways that support all aspects of a survivors’ QoL rather than limiting support to a single QoL domain (eg, physical, spiritual, mental/emotional, or social issues). Interventions should ensure that supports and services align with survivors’ cultural values and attend to competing responsibilities to optimize QoL.
Suppressor of fused controls cerebellum granule cell proliferation by suppressing Fgf8 and spatially regulating Gli proteins
Authors: Jiwani Tayyaba , Kim Jinny J. , Rosenblum Norman D.
Published: January 2020

Cerebellar granule cell (GC) development relies on precise regulation of sonic hedgehog (Shh)-Gli signalling activity, failure of which is associated with motor disorders and medulloblastoma. Mutations in the pathway regulator suppressor of fused (Sufu), which modulates Gli activators and repressors, are linked to cerebellar dysfunction and tumourigenesis. The mechanism by which Sufu calibrates Shh signalling in GCs is unknown. Math1-Cre-mediated deletion of Sufu in mouse GC progenitors (GCPs) demonstrated that Sufu restricts GCP proliferation and promotes cell cycle exit, by promoting expression of Gli3R and suppressing Gli2 levels. Sufu is also required to promote a high threshold of pathway activity in GCPs. Remarkably, central cerebellar lobules are more deleteriously impacted by Sufu deletion, but are less sensitive to downstream genetic manipulations to reduce Gli2 expression or overexpress a Gli3R mimic, compared with anterior lobules. Transcriptome sequencing uncovered new Sufu targets, especially Fgf8, which is upregulated in Sufu-mutant GCPs. We demonstrate that Fgf8 is necessary and sufficient to drive Sufu-mutant GCP proliferation. This study reveals new insights into the spatial and temporal regulation of cerebellar Shh-Gli signalling, while uncovering new targets, such as Fgf8.
Mechanism of control of F-actin cortex architecture by SWAP-70
Authors: Betaneli Viktoria , Jessberger Rolf
Published: January 2020

F-actin binding and bundling are crucial to a plethora of cell processes, including morphogenesis, migration, adhesion and many others. SWAP-70 was recently described as an in vitro F-actin-binding and -bundling protein. Fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy measurements with purified recombinant SWAP-70 confirmed that it forms stable oligomers that facilitate F-actin bundling. However, it remained unclear how SWAP-70 oligomerization and F-actin binding are controlled in living cells. We addressed this by biophysical approaches, including seFRET, FACS-FRET and FLIM-FRET. PIP3-mediated association with the cytoplasmic membrane and non-phosphorylated Y426 are required for SWAP-70 to dimerize and to bind F-actin. The dimerization region was identified near the C terminus where R546 is required for dimerization and, thus, F-actin bundling. The in vitro and in vivo data presented here reveal the functional relationship between the cytoplasm-to-membrane translocation and dimerization of SWAP-70, and F-actin binding and bundling, and demonstrate that SWAP-70 is a finely controlled modulator of membrane-proximal F-actin dynamics.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
LAX28 is required for the stable assembly of the inner dynein arm f complex, and the tether and tether head complex in Leishmania flagella
Authors: Beneke Tom , Banecki Katherine , Fochler Sophia , Gluenz Eva
Published: January 2020

Motile eukaryotic flagella beat through coordinated activity of dynein motor proteins; however, the mechanisms of dynein coordination and regulation are incompletely understood. The inner dynein arm (IDA) f complex (also known as the I1 complex), and the tether and tether head (T/TH) complex are thought to be key regulators of dynein action but, unlike the IDA f complex, T/TH proteins remain poorly characterised. Here, we characterised T/TH-associated proteins in the protist Leishmania mexicana. Proteome analysis of axonemes from null mutants for the CFAP44 T/TH protein showed that they lacked the IDA f protein IC140 and a novel 28-kDa axonemal protein, LAX28. Sequence analysis identified similarities between LAX28 and the uncharacterised human sperm tail protein TEX47, both sharing features with sensory BLUF-domain-containing proteins. Leishmania lacking LAX28, CFAP44 or IC140 retained some motility, albeit with reduced swimming speed and directionality and a propensity for flagellar curling. Expression of tagged proteins in different null mutant backgrounds showed that the axonemal localisation of LAX28 requires CFAP44 and IC140, and the axonemal localisations of CFAP44 and IC140 both depend on LAX28. These data demonstrate a role for LAX28 in motility and show mutual dependencies of IDA f and T/TH-associated proteins for axonemal assembly in Leishmania.
Nociceptive neurons respond to multimodal stimuli in Manduca sexta
Authors: Caron Daniel P. , Rimniceanu Martha , Scibelli Anthony E. , Trimmer Barry A.
Published: January 2020

The caterpillar Manduca sexta produces a highly stereotyped strike behavior in response to noxious thermal or mechanical stimuli to the abdomen. This rapid movement is targeted to the site of the stimulus, but the identities of the nociceptive sensory neurons are currently unknown. It is also not known if both mechanical and thermal stimuli are detected by the same neurons. Here we show that the likelihood of a strike increases with the strength of the stimulus and that activity in nerves innervating the body wall increases rapidly in response to noxious stimuli. Both mechanical and thermal stimuli to the dorsal body wall activate the same sensory unit suggesting it represents a multimodal neuron. This is further supported by the effects of rapidly repeated thermal or mechanical stimuli which cause a depression of neuronal responsiveness that is generalized across modalities. Mapping the receptive fields of neurons responding to strong thermal stimuli indicate that these multimodal, nociceptive units are produced by class γ multi-dendritic neurons in the body wall.
Maintenance of weight loss and aerobic capacity one year aft er the end of a lifestyle intervention focusing on nutritional guidance and/or exercise
Authors: Nordbotten Gerd L. , Tjelta Leif I. , Helland Merete H.
Published: January 2020

The aims of this study were to: 1) investigate to what extent participants in a lifestyle intervention program, including nutritional guidance and two weekly intensive running sessions, maintain improvements in aerobic capacity and health parameters one year after the end of an intervention; and 2) identify common determinants for those participants who succeeded in weight loss maintenance. A total of 51 participants completed the 33-week intervention. One year after the end of the intervention period (1YA) 34 participants completed anthropometric measurements, 12 (8 women) in the training group (TG) and 22 (13 women) in the nutritional guidance and training group (NTG). A total of 13 participants (9 women) in the TG and 11 participants (7 women) in the NTG completed a 3000 m running test. There were no significant differences in body mass index, 3000 m running time or waist circumference between the groups 1YA. There was however, substantial variation in both groups as to what extent participants had maintained their weight loss. Higher self-efficacy and self-control in relation to food and exercise characterized those who best maintained their weight loss.
Guidelines for constructing clinical case studies in psychotherapy.
Authors: Janusz Bernadetta , Czapkiewicz Katarzyna , Wolska Małgorzata , Bierzyński Kazimierz , Müldner-Nieckowski Łukasz , Furgał Mariusz
Published: January 2020

Artykuł jest owocem refleksji nad celem i sposobem prezentowania procesów psychoterapii w formie klinicznych studiów przypadku. W pracy zostaną przedstawione podstawowe zasady ich konstruowania. W analizie skupiono się szczególnie na spójności wyboru tematu, przedstawienia celu opisu danego przypadku oraz sposobu jego realizacji. W dalszej części artykułu zostały poddane refleksji studia przypadków psychoterapii opublikowane w piśmiennictwie polskim. Szczególną uwagę zwrócono na to, czy i w jaki sposób autorzy prezentują cel danego opisu, oraz w jaki sposób ów cel został przez nich zrealizowany.
Język i kultura polskich górali
Authors: Tołstojewa Swietłana M.
Published: January 2020

The Language and Culture of Polish HighlandersThe paper discusses the methodological and practical lexicographic solutions implemented in J. Kąś’s Ilustrowany leksykon gwary i kultury podhalańskiej (‘An illustrated lexicon of Podhalan dialect and culture’). In view of its theoretical and material values, this twelve-volume work occupies a significant place in Slavic dialectal lexicography. It is a so-called full dialectal dictionary, but at the same time an encyclopaedia of Podhalan folklore. Linguistic explanations entwine with description of the folk culture. The various ways in which ethnographic information is presented constitute an indisputable innovation, and it must be added that one of those ways are numerous photographs. A reliable, and also clearly designed dictionary has without doubt a great scientific and cultural significance. It can be used not only by dialectologists and ethnographers, but by anyone with interest in folk culture.
Obserwacje dotyczące rozpowszechnienia germanizmów leksykalnych we współczesnym regiolekcie śląskim
Authors: Hentschel Gerd
Published: January 2020

Observations on the Spread of Lexical Germanisms in the Contemporary Silesian RegiolectThe article analyses the extent to which Silesians who say that they regularly use the Silesian regiolect still actively use the numerous lexical Germanisms that have been described for Silesian. It is based on a survey of nearly 1,000 respondents about their “subjective frequency” of Germanism usage. Procedures are suggested for distinguishing between Germanisms that tend to be used more frequently and those that tend to be used less frequently. A much-discussed codification of Silesian could dispense with the latter. Factors influencing usage frequency that are discussed in the article include the prevalence of a range of Silesian Germanisms in Polish dialects outside of Silesia as well as knowledge of German. In addition, the extent of Silesian and Polish usage by speakers of Silesian in different communication contexts is also described.
Szlachta grodzieńska na początku XXI w. – język i tożsamość. Zarys problematyki
Authors: Konczewska Katarzyna
Published: January 2020

Nobility of the Grodno Region at the Beginning of the 21st Century: Language and Identity. An Outline of the ProblemThe subject of the paper is the nobility of the Grodno region at the beginning of the 21st century. Basing on archival queries and field explorations, the author identifies three clusters of gentry areas near Grodno, Belarus, that survived till our time. She draws attention to the fact that their inhabitants still speak Polish, and are acutely aware of their belonging to the nobility, which awareness is passed from one generation to the next. Further, she emphasizes that the language of the inhabitants of the various clusters is not identical, and also differs significantly from the language of Polish residents of rural areas. The author postulates the value of research into the language and identity of Grodno nobility as an important element of the unique culture of Polish-Belarusian borderland. The paper has been prepared within the Thesaurus Poloniae scholarship program of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.
Metafory konceptualne: fenomeny umysłu czy konstrukty kognitywistyczne? Cz. I
Authors: Kiklewicz Aleksander
Published: January 2020

Conceptual Metaphors: Phenomena of the Mind or Cognitive Constructs? Part I

The author considers the psychological reality of models in contemporary cognitive linguistics. The initial hypothesis is that the programmatic assumption of cognitive linguistics, i.e. the fact that linguistic activity is programmed in the mind by ambivalent, monomodular conceptual categories or gestalts, is not realized in research practice: in reality we are dealing with different versions of constructivism, i.e. speculative generation of theoretical models that cannot be used to explain linguistic facts. This general assumption is verified with reference to the theory of conceptual metaphors by G. Lakoff and M. Johnson (1980). The author presents six arguments that metaphoric models economy is a substance or emotion is a hot fluid in a container do not reflect the real linguistic or mental activities of the subjects. The author refers to numerous scientific sources as well as empirical material of Slavonic languages.
Struktura kreolskich form werbalnych
Authors: Hlibowicka-Węglarz Barbara
Published: January 2020

The Structure of Creole Verb Forms
The study examines the morphosyntactic features of a creole verb system, as well as the principles of its functioning. It focuses on the markers of tense, mood and aspect (the TMA system) that, due to the uniqueness of the system’s functioning, have been investigated for many decades. The examples quoted in the paper come from Santiaguense, the oldest form of Cape Verde Creole that developed in the 16th century on the lexical basis of Portuguese.
Rola zbiorowej świadomości językowej w badaniach z zakresu stylistyki historycznej
Authors: Maćkowiak Krzysztof
Published: January 2020

The Role of Collective Linguistic Awareness in Research in the Field of Historical Stylistics
The article refers to the well-known hypothesis that the identification mode of all stylistic phenomena consists essentially in finding the appropriate contexts for them. The main purpose of our considerations is to discuss the procedure for the use of collective linguistic awareness of past eras, verbalized in various documents, as one of the important links forming the network of conditions that support the process of stylistic analysis of old utilitarian and artistic texts. The distinguished context creates good chances for interpretation. Most importantly, it limits the time curtain that exists between the author and the recipient of the examined text, and brings him or her closer to the original rules of its reading. Of course, its usefulness is not unlimited. The main problem that we need to mention while discussing our practice is the difficulty of reaching the linguistic notions of the past. Their testimonies may be incomplete, and modern methods of reception defective. Despite these obstacles, the inclusion of the linguistic awareness of the past in the analysis of historical texts appears to be a factor that significantly rationalizes the research process in stylistics.
Relikty polszczyzny północnokresowej na rubieżach dawnej Rzeczypospolitej (południowe ziemie obwodu pskowskiego). Cz. Ii
Authors: Jankowiak Mirosław
Published: January 2020

Relics of the Polish Language of the North-Eastern Borderland in the Former Boundariesof Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Southern Lands of Pskov Province). Part II
The present paper consists of two parts, and presents the spoken Polish of the North-Eastern Borderland, as well as borrowings from Polish which function in the dialects of the Pskov province. Three regions with different histories have been included. The southern lands of the Pskov province (the area which belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1772) were described in the first part of the article. The sociolinguistic situation and loanwords borrowed from Polish (or via Polish) were analysed basing on two sources: the author’s materials collected during dialectological field research, and material from The Pskov Regional Dictionary with Historical Data. The Pytalovo region (which belonged to Latvia in the interwar period) and the historical Pskov region (where there were no Polish settlements) were described in the second part of the paper. Two sources were used: The Pskov Regional Dictionary with Historical Data, and The Dialectological Dictionary of One Family (Pytalovo Region of the Pskov Province).
Pojęcie znaczenia i jego zakres w koncepcji składni Zenona Klemensiewicza
Authors: Grochowski Maciej
Published: January 2020

The Notion of Meaning and Its Scope in Zenon Klemensiewicz’s Conception of Syntax
The goal of the paper is to reconstruct and analyse Z. Klemensiewicz’s views on the place that so- -called ‘relative meaning’ occupied in his conception of syntax. Klemensiewicz distinguished 21 types of relative meanings and gave examples of their grammatical and lexical markers. His works, reminded in this paper after nearly half a century from their publication, are treated as documents of historical value.
Profesor Zenon Klemensiewicz jako redaktor „Języka Polskiego”
Authors: Żmigrodzki Piotr
Published: January 2020

Professor Zenon Klemensiewicz as the Editor of “Język Polski”
The paper presents the activity and achievements of Professor Zenon Klemensiewicz as the editor of the “Język Polski” journal (‘The Polish Language’), the official publication of The Society of Friends of the Polish Language (Towarzystwo Miłośników Języka Polskiego). Klemensiewicz became the editor in the end of 1958, and performed his duties until his death in a plane crash, on April 2, 1969. The author identifies the most important of Klemensiewicz’s achievements at the position of the editor: the extension of the editorial board of the journal, the introduction of new authors and numerous papers representing the most recent (in the 1960s) linguistic trends, such as structural and generative linguistics, text linguistics, press discourse analysis, as well as the increase of the circulation of the journal and its importance for the Polish linguistic community as well as for other groups of its readers.
,,Długie trwanie” dydaktyki języka polskiego według Zenona Klemensiewicza
Authors: Kowalikowa Jadwiga
Published: January 2020

The “Long Duration” of Teaching Polish, According to Zenon Klemensiewicz
Zenon Klemensiewicz is the creator of the theoretical and practical discipline of teaching Polish. Inspired by the 90th anniversary of the publication of his fundamental work Dydaktyka nauki o języku ojczystym (‘Teaching the science of the native tongue’), these considerations pose, from the point of view of a contemporary teacher, the question about the timeliness and longevity of Klemensiewicz’s views on linguistic education in schools. To answer them, we attempted to recover the tracks he left as a researcher and as a teacher. They proved to be many, and durable. They are listed here, and their existence is taken as proof that through the vehicle of his works referred to in this paper, Prof. Z. Klemensiewicz inscribed himself on the plane that does not become obsolete, the plane of “long duration” of language teaching. They mark a path that is worth following, because it clearly shows both the sense of continuation, and the need for change as guarantors and operators of progress.
Optimization-based Mechanisms for the Course Allocation Problem
Authors: Atef Yekta Hoda , Day Robert
Published: January 2020

In recent years, several universities have adopted an algorithmic approach to the allocation of seats in courses, for which students place bids (typically by ordering or scoring desirable courses), and then seats are awarded according to a predetermined procedure or mechanism. Designing the appropriate mechanism for translating bids into student schedules has received attention in the literature, but there is currently no consensus on the best mechanism in practice. In this paper, we introduce five new algorithms for this course-allocation problem, using various combinations of matching algorithms, second-price concepts, and optimization, and compare our new methods with the natural benchmarks from the literature: the (proxy) draft mechanism and the (greedy) bidding-point mechanism. Using simulation, we compare the algorithms on metrics of fairness, efficiency, and incentive compatibility, measuring their ability to encourage truth telling among boundedly rational agents. We find good results for all of our methods and that a two-stage, full-market optimization performs best in measures of fairness and efficiency but with slightly worse incentives to act strategically compared with the best of the mechanisms. We also find generally negative results for the bidding-point mechanism, which performs poorly in all categories. These results can help guide the decision of selecting a mechanism for course allocation or for similar assignment problems, such as project team assignments or sports drafts, for example, in which efficiency and fairness are of utmost importance but incentives must also be considered. Additional robustness checks and comparisons are provided in the online supplement.
Parietal cell/oncocytic gastric carcinoma: systematic review and first-time assessment of HER2 status in two new cases
Authors: Mavroeidis VK , Gkegkes ID , Saffioti F , Kandilaris K , Alexiou K , Horti M , Economou N , Demonakou M
Published: January 2020

Introduction

Parietal cell/oncocytic gastric carcinomas are very rare and various aspects of this group remain unclear. The human epithelial growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status of these tumours is largely unknown.

Methods

We performed a systematic electronic search of the literature and clinicopathological presentation of two cases including first-time complete assessment of HER2 status. Thirty-two patients with a mean age of 64.3 years, 87.5% of whom were male, were included in this review.

Findings

Half of the cases were recorded in Asia. Median follow-up was 24 months. There was no predominant site of development, while underlying histological abnormalities were present in 25%. At initial presentation, lymph node involvement was evident in 46.6% while distant metastatic disease was present in 9.3%. Presentation at stage I occurred in 55.6%. Potentially curative surgical/interventional treatment was intended in 90.6%. Recurrence occurred in 6.6%, while death was recorded in 19.2%, with cancer-related deaths reaching 11.5%. The one- and three-year survival rates were 84.2% and 79%, respectively. Our two cases displayed negative HER2 expression.

Conclusions

This systematic review demonstrates that this group of malignancies is very rare but possibly underdiagnosed. The disease commonly presents at early stage, mainly affecting middle-aged men. The prognosis is generally favourable even in cases of advanced disease. The HER2 expression and its correlation with the outcomes need to be further explored.
Ring-shaped twisted Gaussian Schell-model array beams
Authors: Zheng Simin , Yuan Caifu , Ji Xiaoling , Wang Tao
Published: January 2020

A new partially coherent source which can generate a beam field with a ring-shaped twisted array profile is presented, and the distribution characteristics of spectral density and degree of coherence of the field are discussed. It is shown that both the spectral density and degree of coherence will rotate along the propagating direction, but in opposite rotating directions. Furthermore, we find that the distribution properties of the ring-shaped array of the spectral density, including the number of the rings, the number of the lobes of each ring, and the distance of all adjacent lobes, can be properly controlled by adjusting structural parameters of the source.
Highly efficient vortex four-wave mixing in asymmetric semiconductor quantum wells
Authors: Qiu Jing , Wang Zhiping , Ding Dongsheng , Li Weibin , Yu Benli
Published: January 2020

Orbital angular momentum (OAM) is an important property of vortex light, which provides a valuable tool to manipulate the light-matter interaction in the study of classical and quantum optics. Here we propose a scheme to generate vortex light fields via four-wave mixing (FWM) in asymmetric semiconductor quantum wells. By tailoring the probe-field and control-field detunings, we can effectively manipulate the helical phase and intensity of the FWM field. Particularly, when probe field and control field have identical detuning, we find that both the absorption and phase twist of the generated FWM field are significantly suppressed. Consequently, the highly efficient vortex FWM is realized, where the maximum conversion efficiency reaches around 50%. Our study provides a tool to transfer vortex wavefronts from input to output fields in an efficient way, which may find potential applications in solid-state quantum optics and quantum information processing.
Instant ghost imaging: algorithm and on-chip implementation
Authors: Yang Zhe , Zhang Wei-Xing , Liu Yi-Pu , Ruan Dong , Li Jun-Lin
Published: January 2020

Ghost imaging (GI) is an imaging technique that uses the correlation between two light beams to reconstruct the image of an object. Conventional GI algorithms require large memory space to store the measured data and perform complicated offline calculations, limiting practical applications of GI. Here we develop an instant ghost imaging (IGI) technique with a differential algorithm and an implemented high-speed on-chip IGI hardware system. This algorithm uses the signal between consecutive temporal measurements to reduce the memory requirements without degradation of image quality compared with conventional GI algorithms. The on-chip IGI system can immediately reconstruct the image once the measurement finishes; there is no need to rely on post-processing or offline reconstruction. This system can be developed into a realtime imaging system. These features make IGI a faster, cheaper, and more compact alternative to a conventional GI system and make it viable for practical applications of GI.
Two-dimensional grating coupler on silicon with a high coupling efficiency and a low polarization-dependent loss
Authors: Chen B. , Zhang X. , Hu J. , Zhu Y. , Cai X. , Chen P. , Liu L.
Published: January 2020

Two-dimensional grating couplers are important components for silicon photonic circuits to achieve light coupling from/to a fiber for both polarizations. A two-dimensional grating coupler structure with a high coupling efficiency and a low polarization dependent loss is demonstrated. Using two crossing ellipses as the grating scatter and a diamond-like grating lattice, the polarization dependent loss of the grating coupler can be reduced. The coupling loss is further decreased with a metal mirror, which reaches −1.73 dB theoretically at 1310 nm wavelength. Experimentally, −2.37 dB coupling loss is achieved with an 1 dB coupling bandwidth of 29 nm. The corresponding PDL was measured lower than 0.2 dB in a wavelength range of 78 nm. The proposed configuration for the metal mirror also facilitates a robust wafer-scale post-processing as well as an easy fiber alignment.
Variable incidence angle linear dichroism (VALiD): a technique for unique 3D orientation measurement of fluorescent ensembles
Authors: Blanchard Aaron T. , Brockman Joshua M. , Salaita Khalid , Mattheyses Alexa L.
Published: January 2020

A fundamental challenge with fluorophore orientation measurement is degeneracy, which is the inability to distinguish between multiple unique fluorophore orientations. Techniques exist for the non-degenerate measurement of the orientations of single, static fluorophores. However, such techniques are unsuitable for densely labeled and/or dynamic samples common to biological research. Accordingly, a rapid, widefield microscopy technique that can measure orientation parameters for ensembles of fluorophores in a non-degenerate manner is desirable. We propose that exciting samples with polarized light and multiple incidence angles could enable such a technique. We use Monte Carlo simulations to validate this approach for specific axially symmetric ensembles of fluorophores and obtain optimal experimental parameters for its future implementation.
Entropy evaluation of white chaos generated by optical heterodyne for certifying physical random number generators
Authors: Yoshiya Keigo , Terashima Yuta , Kanno Kazutaka , Uchida Atsushi
Published: January 2020

The entropy of white chaos is evaluated to certify physical random number generators. White chaos is generated from the electric subtraction of two optical heterodyne signals of two chaotic outputs in semiconductor lasers with optical feedback. We use the statistical test suites of NIST Special Publication 800-90B for the evaluation of physical entropy sources of white chaos with an eight-bit resolution. The minimum value of entropy is 2.1 for eight most significant bits data. The entropy of white chaos is enhanced from that of the chaotic output of the semiconductor lasers. We evaluate the effect of detection noise and distinguish between the entropy that originates from the white chaos and the detection noise. It is found that the entropy of five most significant bits originates from white chaos. The minimum value of entropy is 1.1 for five most significant bits data, and it is considered that the entropy can be obtained at at least one bit per sample.
Improved imaging of extremely-slight transparent aesthetic defects using a saturation level-guided method
Authors: Deng Yuanlong , Pan Xizhou , Zhong Xiaopin , Huang Guangjun
Published: January 2020

The quality-control process of polarizer production is hampered by the presence of extremely-slight transparent aesthetic defects (ESTADs). The saturated imaging method based on stripe structured backlight can effectively improve the imaging contrast of ESTADs. However, the contrast is very sensitive to the saturation degree, which requires careful manual selection. This paper presents a saturation level-guided image enhancement method that is simple to deploy in industrial settings. First, a new definition of the saturation level for structured backlit imaging with translation, scale, and rotation invariance is proposed. Then, an empirical model of contrast versus saturation level is established. Using the contrast data measured at five saturation levels, the optimal saturation level can be estimated using the parameter optimization method. The experimental results demonstrate that the method is effective, easy to use, and an improvement of imaging effects for transparent thin-film defect detection algorithms.
Theoretical and experimental analyses of GAWBS phase noise in various optical fibers for digital coherent transmission
Authors: Takefushi Naoya , Yoshida Masato , Kasai Keisuke , Hirooka Toshihiko , Nakazawa Masataka
Published: January 2020

We describe the fiber structural dependence of guided acoustic-wave Brillouin scattering (GAWBS) phase noise in a digital coherent optical fiber transmission. We present theoretical and experimental analyses of GAWBS phase noise spectra in three types of optical fibers and show that the GAWBS resonant modes are distributed over a wider bandwidth as the effective core area of the fiber becomes smaller. We also use a vector signal analysis to show phase fluctuations caused by GAWBS. On the basis of these analyses, we show that the GAWBS phase noise fluctuation has a Gaussian distribution, which is used to evaluate its influence on the BER characteristics in a coherent QAM transmission. As a result, we found that the error-free transmission distance in SSMF is limited to 4600, 1200, and 340 km with 64, 256, and 1024 QAM, respectively, assuming a hard-decision FEC with a 7% overhead. These results provide useful insights into the influence of GAWBS on digital coherent transmission.
Indocyanine green provides absorption and spectral contrast for optical coherence tomography at 840  nm in vivo
Authors: Merkle Conrad W. , Augustin Marco , Harper Danielle J. , Baumann Bernhard
Published: January 2020

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the application of exogenous contrast agents to supplement the traditional strengths of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and provide additional biological information. In this Letter, we present how indocyanine green, a common fluorescent contrast agent approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, can provide absorption and spectral contrast for OCT imaging in the mouse eye in vivo. We further demonstrate high stability of spectral contrast measurements for the long-term monitoring of contrast agents in spite of fluctuations in intensity.
Precise length definition of active GaAs-based optoelectronic devices for low-loss silicon photonics integration
Authors: Tuorila Heidi , Viheriälä Jukka , Zia Nouman , Cherchi Matteo , Harjanne Mikko , Isoaho Riku , Aalto Timo , Guina Mircea
Published: January 2020

The length variation associated with standard cleaving of III–V optoelectronic chips is a major source of loss in the integration with the micron-scale silicon-on-insulator waveguides. To this end, a new, to the best of our knowledge, approach for precise definition of the III–V chip length is reported. The method employs lithography and wet etching of cleave marks outside the active III–V waveguides. The marks follow a specific crystallographic orientation and are used to initiate and guide the cleaving process. Besides minimizing the air gap between the butt-coupled III–V and Si waveguides and hence minimizing the coupling losses, the use of precisely defined length significantly improves the integration yield owing to the increased length uniformity. We apply this technique to defining the lengths of GaAs-based semiconductor optical amplifiers and demonstrate length control with an accuracy better than 250 nm per facet. This variation is more than 1 order of magnitude smaller than with the traditional cleaving methods, resulting in improvement of coupling by several dBs.
Silicon-based high-responsivity GeSn short-wave infrared heterojunction phototransistors with a floating base
Authors: Hung Wei-Ting , Barshilia Devesh , Basu Rikmantra , Cheng H. H. , Chang Guo-En
Published: January 2020

We demonstrate silicon-basedp-n-pfloating-base GeSn heterojunction phototransistors with enhanced optical responsivity for efficient short-wave infrared (SWIR) photodetection. The narrow-bandgap GeSn active layer sandwiched between thep-Gecollector andn-Gebase effectively extends the photodetection range in the SWIR range, and the internal gain amplifies the optical response by a factor of more than three at a low driving voltage of 0.4 V compared to that of a reference GeSnp-i-nphotodetector (PD). We anticipate that our findings will be leveraged to realize complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor-compatible, sensitive, low driving voltage SWIR PDs in a wide range of applications.
Realistic phase screen model for forward multiple-scattering media
Authors: Qiao Mu , Yuan Xin
Published: January 2020

Existing random phase screen (RPS) models for forward multiple-scattering media fail to incorporate ballistic light. In this Letter, we redesign the angular spectrum of the screen by means of Monte Carlo simulation based on an assumption that a single screen should represent all the scattering events a photon experiences between two adjacent screens. Three examples demonstrate that the proposed model exhibits more realistic optical properties than conventional RPS models in terms of attenuation of ballistic light, evolution of beam profile, and angular memory effect. The proposed model also provides the flexibility to balance the computing accuracy, speed, and memory usage by tuning the screen spacing.
Efficient fabrication of a high-aspect-ratio AFM tip by one-step exposure of a long focal depth holographic femtosecond axilens beam
Authors: Pan Deng , Liu Shunli , Ji Shengyun , Cai Ze , Li Jiawen , Hou Yaoping , Zhang Weijie , Fan Shengying , Li Rui , Hu Yanlei , Zhu Wulin , Wu Dong , Chu Jiaru
Published: January 2020

In this Letter, we demonstrate a laser fabrication strategy that uses
the long focal depth femtosecond axilens laser beam to manufacture the
high-aspect-ratio (HAR) micropillars and atomic force microscopy (AFM)
probes by one-step exposure. The long depth of focus is generated by
modulating laser beam focused at different positions. By adjusting the
exposure height, the morphology of HAR micropillars can be tuned
flexibly, and the micropillar with an ultra-high aspect ratio
(diameter of 1.5 µm, height of 102 µm,

A
R

=

70

) can be fabricated within 10 ms which
is a great challenge for other processing methods to obtain such a HAR
microstructure in such a short time. In addition, the HAR micropillar
is fabricated onto a cantilever to form the AFM probe. The homemade
probe shows fine imaging quality. This
method greatly improves the processing efficiency while ensuring the
fabrication resolution which provides a powerful method for processing
HAR microstructures.
High efficiency Al/Sc-based multilayer coatings in the EUV wavelength range above 40 nanometers
Authors: Rebellato Jennifer , Soufli Regina , Meltchakov Evgueni , Gullikson Eric , de Rossi Sébastien , Delmotte Franck
Published: January 2020

In this Letter, we have developed new and highly efficient periodic multilayer mirrors Al/Sc, Al/Sc/SiC, and Mo/Al/Sc with optimized reflectance at wavelengths between 40 and 65 nm. We have reached record values in measured peak reflectance: 57.5% at 44.7 nm and 46.5% at 51 nm, with Al/Sc/SiC at near-normal incidence. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, we have achieved the largest reported bandwidth with Mo/Al/Sc at 57 nm and the narrowest bandwidth with Al/Sc at a 60 nm wavelength. These new and promising results demonstrate that Al/Sc-based multilayer coatings are excellent candidates for future generations of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) instruments for solar physics, EUV lasers, and attosecond science, in a wavelength range that has not been fully explored.
Miniature Fabry–Perot interferometer based on a movable microsphere reflector
Authors: Tian Ke , Yu Jibo , Wang Xin , Zhao Haiyan , Liu Dejun , Lewis Elfed , Farrell Gerald , Wang Pengfei
Published: January 2020

We propose and demonstrate a miniature Fabry–Perot interferometer (FPI) based on a movable microsphere reflector. The movable microsphere acts as a good reflector, with the reflections occurring at the spliced single-mode fiber/hollow-core fiber interface and the surface of a microsphere, resulting in two-beam interference. The silica microsphere is formed at the tip of a half-tapered optical fiber, and its diameter can be reduced to miniaturize the FPI. The movable microsphere interferometer exhibits a highly linear response to external displacement change, and a high displacement sensitivity of 11.9 pm/nm with a nanoscale resolution of 1.7 nm is achieved. Wide-range displacement can also be measured by monitoring the changes in the free spectral range of the reflection spectrum. Therefore, this miniaturized FPI may find use in applications in nano-displacement measurement fields, and the concept of a movable microsphere reflector is of great significance for the miniaturization of micro-photonic devices.
Wide area quantitative phase microscopy by spatial phase scanning digital holography
Authors: Kim Myung K.
Published: January 2020

A new technique of digital holographic microscopy is introduced for large area quantitative phase microscopy, dubbed spatial phase scanning digital holography, where the object specimen in an interferometer is scanned across the tilted reference phase field, while acquiring camera frames at regular intervals. Both the large area scan and phase shift acquisition are achieved in one sweep, using a simple optomechanical system. The technique can be useful in diverse applications such as fast scans of blood smear, cell and tissue cultures, and microelectronic surface profiles.
Photonic generation of background-free frequency-doubled phase-coded microwave pulses with immunity to periodic power fading
Authors: Zhang Wu , Tan Qinggui , Li Xiaojun , Wang Di
Published: January 2020

A novel (to the best of our knowledge) photonic approach for the generation of background-free frequency-doubled phase-coded microwave pulses with immunity to periodic power fading is proposed. By switching between the carrier suppressed double sideband (CS-DSB) modulation with reverse quadrature phase difference and carrier suppressed single sideband (CS-SSB) modulation, background-free phase-coded microwave pulses with frequency doubling of the local oscillator signal can be obtained. Thanks to the CS-DSB/CS-SSB modulation, the generated microwave pulses can be directly transmitted via single-mode fiber (SMF) without the influence of the periodic power fading. Since no filter is utilized, the proposed scheme owns a wide frequency tunable range. An experiment is conducted to verify the proposed approach. Two 1 Gbit/s phase-coded microwave pulses with center frequencies of 6 and 12 GHz are generated and successfully transmitted through a 25 km SMF. The pulse compression ratio and main-to-sidelobe ratio after the transmissions are measured as 13 and 8.84 dB, respectively.
Light field camera study of near-ground turbulence anisotropy and observation of small outer-scales
Authors: Wu Chensheng , Paulson Daniel A. , Rzasa John R. , Davis Christopher C.
Published: January 2020

Understanding turbulence effects on laser beam propagation is critical to the emerging design, study, and test of many long-range free space optical (FSO) communication and directed energy systems. Conventional studies make the prevalent assumption of isotropic turbulence, while more recent results suggest anisotropic turbulence for atmospheric channels within a few meters elevation above the ground. As countless FSO systems have been and continue to be deployed in such channels, analysis of anisotropic modelings has become one of the fastest growing areas in FSO research. This in turn motivates new tools that can distinguish anisotropic characteristics to improve both modeling accuracy and physical interpretations. Wavefront sensors such as Shack–Hartmann sensors, interferometers, and plenoptic sensors have been devised and used in experiments; however, they all require rigid alignments that lack resilience against temperature gradient buildup and beam wander. We find that by using a light field camera (LFC) that extracts perturbation of individual light rays, the wave structure function of turbulence can be retrieved with high reliability. Furthermore, we find through experiments that the outer scales of near-ground turbulence tend to be a magnitude smaller than conventional theoretical assumptions, agreeing with new findings by others but being absent in current theoretical modelings. As a result, we believe that the LFC is an ideal candidate in the frontier of turbulence research; it is both commercially available and easy to adapt to turbulence experiments.