bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Primary clinical study of radiomics for diagnosing simple bone cyst of the jaw
Authors: Jiang Zhe-Yi , Lan Tian-Jun , Cai Wei-Xin , Tao Qian
Published: July 2021

Objective:

To screen the radiomic features of simple bone cysts of the jaws and explore the potential application of radiomics in pre-operative diagnosis of jaw simple bone cysts.

Methods:

The investigators designed and implemented a case–control study. 19 patients with simple bone cysts who were admitted to the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Affiliated Stomatology Hospital from 2013 to 2019 were included in this study. Their clinical data and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images were examined. The control group consisted of patients with odontogenic keratocyst. CBCT imaging features were analyzed and compared between the patient and control groups.

Results:

Overall, 10,323 image features were extracted through feature analysis. A subset of 25 radiomic features obtained after feature selection were analyzed further. These 25 features were significantly different between the 2 groups (p < 0.05). The absolute value of correlation coefficient was 0.487–0.775. Gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) contrast, neighborhood gray tone difference matrix (NGTDM) contrast, and GLCM variance were the features with the highest correlation coefficients.

Conclusions:

Pre-operative radiomics analysis showed the differences between simple bone cysts and odontogenic keratocysts, can help to diagnose simple bone cysts. Three specific texture features—GLCM contrast, NGTDM contrast, and GLCM variance—may be the characteristic imaging features of simple bone cysts of the jaw.
The empirical formula for calculating the incident air Kerma in intraoral radiographic imaging
Authors: Mirkov Zoran , Rajković Katarina M , Stanković Jovan B , Faj Dario
Published: July 2021

Objectives:

The aim of this paper is to determine the empirical formula for calculating the incident air kerma (Ki), used as a patient dose descriptor in the intraoral radiographic imaging.

Methods:

The data for the formula were collected during the regular annual inspection of intraoral dental X-ray units in 2018, 2019 and early 2020. The measurement data of 50 X-ray units were processed to develop the formula. Exposure factors for imaging molars of the upper jaw of an average patient in a clinical setting were used in the measurement. The formula validity was statistically evaluated using coefficient of correlation, standard error of the fitted function and the mean relative percentage deviation.

Results:

The measurement values of the radiation doses and calculated values obtained by using the final formula showed good agreement – the mean relative percentage deviation values less than ±15%.

Conclusions:

Although there are differences in X-ray units, voltages, manufacturers and device architectures (single-phase and high-frequency), the measurement data comply well with computed ones in all cases.
Toxin-like peptides in plasma, urine and faecal samples from COVID-19 patients
Authors: Brogna Carlo , Cristoni Simone , Petrillo Mauro , Querci Maddalena , Piazza Ornella , Van den Eede Guy
Published: July 2021

Background: SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 disease and led to the pandemic currently affecting the world has been broadly investigated. Different studies have been performed to understand the infection mechanism, and the involved human genes, transcripts and proteins. In parallel, numerous clinical extra-pulmonary manifestations co-occurring with COVID-19 disease have been reported and evidence of their severity and persistence is increasing. Whether these manifestations are linked to other disorders co-occurring with SARS-CoV-2 infection, is under discussion. In this work, we report the identification of toxin-like peptides in COVID-19 patients by application of the Liquid Chromatography Surface-Activated Chemical Ionization – Cloud Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry.  

Methods: Plasma, urine and faecal samples from COVID-19 patients and control individuals were analysed to study peptidomic toxins’ profiles. Protein precipitation preparation procedure was used for plasma, to remove high molecular weight proteins and efficiently solubilize the peptide fraction; in the case of faeces and urine, direct peptide solubilization was employed.  

Results: Toxin-like peptides, almost identical to toxic components of venoms from animals, like conotoxins, phospholipases, phosphodiesterases, zinc metal proteinases, and bradykinins, were identified in samples from COVID-19 patients, but not in control samples. 

Conclusions: The presence of toxin-like peptides could potentially be connected to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Their presence suggests a possible association between COVID-19 disease and the release in the body of (oligo-)peptides almost identical to toxic components of venoms from animals. Their involvement in a large set of heterogeneous extra-pulmonary COVID-19 clinical manifestations, like neurological ones, cannot be excluded. Although the presence of each individual symptom is not selective of the disease, their combination might be related to COVID-19 by the coexistence of the panel of the here detected toxin-like peptides. The presence of these peptides opens new scenarios on the aetiology of the COVID-19 clinical symptoms observed up to now, including neurological manifestations.
Exploring the perspectives of key stakeholders on the design and delivery of an intervention to rehabilitate people with cognitive deficits post-stroke
Authors: O' Donoghue Mairéad , Boland Pauline , Leahy Siobhan , Galvin Rose , Hayes Sara
Published: July 2021

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Cognitive impairment is common post-stroke and can result in negative sequalae such as a lower quality of life, increased carer burden and increased healthcare costs. Despite the prevalence and associated burden of post-stroke cognitive impairment, there is uncertainty regarding the optimum intervention to improve cognitive function post-stroke. By exploring the perspectives of people post-stroke, carers and healthcare professionals on cognitive impairment, this qualitative study aims to inform the design and development of an intervention to rehabilitate cognitive impairment post-stroke.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive approach will be applied, using semi-structured interviews with people post-stroke, carers and healthcare professionals. People post-stroke will be recruited via gatekeepers from a local stroke support group and Headway, a brain injury support service. Carers will be recruited via a gatekeeper from a local carers branch. Healthcare professionals will be recruited via gatekeepers from relevant neurological sites and via Twitter. The final number of participants recruited will be guided by information power. Data will be collectively analysed and synthesised using thematic analysis. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies (COREQ) guidelines will be used to standardize the conduct and reporting of the research.

Conclusions: It is anticipated that exploring the perspectives of people post-stroke, carers and healthcare professionals on cognitive impairment post-stroke will inform the development of an evidence-based optimal intervention to rehabilitate cognitive deficits post-stroke. This study was granted ethical approval from the Faculty of Education and Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee at the University of Limerick. Study findings will be disseminated locally through presentations at stroke support groups, as well as internationally through academic conferences and peer-reviewed journals.
Government plans in the 2016 and 2021 Peruvian presidential elections: A natural language processing analysis of the health chapters
Authors: Carrillo-Larco Rodrigo M. , Castillo-Cara Manuel , Lovón-Melgarejo Jesús
Published: July 2021

Background:While clinical medicine has exploded, electronic health records for Natural Language Processing (NLP) analyses, public health, and health policy research have not yet adopted these algorithms. We aimed to dissect the health chapters of the government plans of the 2016 and 2021 Peruvian presidential elections, and to compare different NLP algorithms.

Methods:From the government plans (18 in 2016; 19 in 2021) we extracted each sentence from the health chapters. We used five NLP algorithms to extract keywords and phrases from each plan: Term Frequency–Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF), Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), TextRank, Keywords Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (KeyBERT), and Rapid Automatic Keywords Extraction (Rake).

Results:In 2016 we analysed 630 sentences, whereas in 2021 there were 1,685 sentences. The TF-IDF algorithm showed that in 2016, nine terms appeared with a frequency of 0.10 or greater, while in 2021 43 terms met this criterion. The LDA algorithm defined two groups. The first included terms related to things the population would receive (e.g., ’insurance’), while the second included terms about the health system (e.g., ’capacity’). In 2021, most of the government plans belonged to the second group. The TextRank analysis provided keywords showing that ’universal health coverage’ appeared frequently in 2016, while in 2021 keywords about the COVID-19 pandemic were often found. The KeyBERT algorithm provided keywords based on the context of the text. These keywords identified some underlying characteristics of the political party (e.g., political spectrum such as left-wing). The Rake algorithm delivered phrases, in which we found ’universal health coverage’ in 2016 and 2021.

Conclusion:The NLP analysis could be used to inform on the underlying priorities in each government plan. NLP analysis could also be included in research of health policies and politics during general elections and provide informative summaries for the general population.
Palisaded encapsulated neuroma on the lower lip: a case report
Authors: Seol Jung Eun , Hong Seong Min , Ahn Sang Woo , Kim Jong Uk , Jin Woo Jung , Park So Hee , Kim Hyojin
Published: July 2021

Palisading encapsulated neuroma is a rare, benign, cutaneous nerve sheath tumor. It usually occurs as an asymptomatic solitary skin-colored papule and commonly affects the nose and cheeks. Sometimes, it involves other sites, including the shoulder, upper arm, and trunk, but rarely involves the oral mucosa, including that of the lip. In our case, a 63-year-old female patient complained of a pinkish rubbery nodule on her lower lip. Histopathologic examination demonstrated a well-circumscribed nodule encapsulated by connective tissue stroma in the dermis. The nodule consisted of palisading spindle-shaped tumor cells with wavy and basophilic nuclei. The cells were arranged in streaming fascicles with multiple clefts and were strongly positive for S-100 proteins. To our knowledge, only three cases of palisading encapsulated neuroma on the lower lip have been reported in the Korean literature. Herein, we report a rare case of an oral palisaded encapsulated neuroma.
Joint Vehicle and Crew Routing and Scheduling
Authors: Lam Edward , Van Hentenryck Pascal , Kilby Phil
Published: July 2021

Traditional vehicle routing problems implicitly assume that only one crew operates a vehicle for the entirety of its journey. However, this assumption is violated in many applications arising in humanitarian and military logistics. This paper considers a joint vehicle and crew routing and scheduling problem in which crews are able to interchange vehicles, resulting in space and time interdependencies between vehicle routes and crew routes. The problem is formulated as a mixed integer programming (MIP) model and a constraint programming (CP) model that overlay crew routing constraints over a standard vehicle routing problem. The constraint program uses a novel optimization constraint to detect infeasibility and to bound crew objectives. This paper also explores methods using large neighborhood search over the MIP and CP models. Experimental results indicate that modeling the vehicle and crew routing problems jointly and supporting vehicle interchanges for crews may bring significant benefits in cost reduction compared with a method that sequentializes these decisions.
Lengthening of the ulna by callotasis in children with multiple hereditary exostoses: Comparison of methods with and without internal fixation
Authors: Chomiak Jiří , Ošťádal Martin , Frydrychová Monika , Dungl Pavel
Published: July 2021

Purpose

The goal of this retrospective study was to compare the gradual lengthening of the ulna in children with multiple hereditary exostoses with and without an elastic intramedullary nail.

Methods

Between 1998 to 2018, the ulna was lengthened in 28 forearms in 21 patients (aged 7.1 to 16.6 years) using a monolateral external fixator when relative ulnar shortening exceeded 15 mm. In total, 16 forearms were lengthened with the external fixator (group I) and 12 forearms with the addition of an intramedullary elastic nail (group II). Subjective assessment of function, range of movement (ROM) of the wrist and elbow and complications were compared. Ulnar shortening, radial head dislocation, radial articular angle (RAA) and percentage of carpal slip and radial bowing were followed radiographically. The difference between the groups has been evaluated statistically.

Results

The function of the extremity improved partially in 81% of patients in group I and in 83% of patients in group II. ROM was not improved except for radial deviation. Radial head position did not change. The values in group II in comparison with group I are higher for gain of length and lower for bone lengthening index and for bone healing index. Carpal slip decreased insignificantly. The RAA and radial bowing decreased, the comparison of values between groups and age under and over ten years were not statistically significant. Complications were more common in group I. No permanent complications were noted.

Conclusion

The addition of an intramedullary nail during the gradual ulnar lengthening improves the gain, bone healing index and rate of complications.

Level of Evidence

III.
Assessing risk of damage to posterior ankle structures during total ankle arthroplasty
Authors: Callaghan Christopher J. , McKinley John C.
Published: July 2021

Aims

Arthroplasty has become increasingly popular to treat end-stage ankle arthritis. Iatrogenic posterior neurovascular and tendinous injury have been described from saw cuts. However, it is hypothesized that posterior ankle structures could be damaged by inserting tibial guide pins too deeply and be a potential cause of residual hindfoot pain.

Methods

The preparation steps for ankle arthroplasty were performed using the Infinity total ankle system in five right-sided cadaveric ankles. All tibial guide pins were intentionally inserted past the posterior tibial cortex for assessment. All posterior ankles were subsequently dissected, with the primary endpoint being the presence of direct contact between the structure and pin.

Results

All pin locations confer a risk of damaging posterior ankle structures, with all posterior ankle structures except the flexor hallucis longus tendon being contacted by at least one pin. Centrally-aligned transcortical pins were more likely to contact posteromedial neurovascular structures.

Conclusion

These findings support our hypothesis that tibial guide pins pose a considerable risk of contacting and potentially damaging posterior ankle structures during ankle arthroplasty. This study is the first of its kind to assess this risk in the Infinity total ankle system. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2021;2(7):503–508.
Dynamical evaluation of interference fringe parameters by the Wiener adaptive filtering method
Authors: Gurov Igor , Kapranova Vlada , Skakov Pavel
Published: July 2021

Application of the Wiener adaptive filtering method for estimation of interferometric signal parameters is presented and analyzed. It is shown that the fringe phase, as well as the envelope of low-coherence interference fringes, can be evaluated directly from the adaptive filter impulse response obtained under the criterion of the minimum error variance of a processed fringe signal and predefined reference signal. The method does not limit the number and value of the phase shifts and allows determination of the actual phase step. The accuracy of the method is evaluated and experimental results of dynamical fringe processing in low-coherence interferometry are presented.
High-power 813-nm Tm3+-doped ZBLAN fiber MOPA with
signal-light photodarkening suppression
Authors: Kajikawa Eiji , Ishii Tomohiro , Ogawa Kazuhiko , Musha Mitsuru
Published: July 2021

The photodarkening suppression effect of an 813-nm

T
m

3
+

-doped ZBLAN fiber amplifier has been
investigated. We have experimentally observed that a photodarkened
fiber can be bleached by an 813-nm light and that the photoinduced
loss during the amplifier operation is effectively suppressed with the
help of the high-power signal. To the best of our knowledge, this is
the first investigation of the photodarkening suppression by using a
higher power signal in

T
m

3
+

-doped fiber amplifiers. Based on
these signal photodarkening suppression effects, we have designed a
multistage fiber amplifier, and demonstrated the stable operation of
the 1.15-W fiber master oscillator power amplifier at 813 nm without
additional photobleaching light.
Ultracompact temporal integrator using graphene-based long-range hybrid plasmonic waveguides
Authors: Karimi Azadeh , Zarifkar Abbas , Miri Mehdi
Published: July 2021

A microdisk-resonator add–drop temporal integrator, composed of a long-range hybrid plasmonic waveguide, with graphene as the central layer, is proposed for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The integrator benefits from a considerable integration time of

∼

5.55

p
s

, which is about 11 times longer than our previously proposed plasmonic integrator, and also is fairly comparable with the integration time of a microring-based integrator with a ring radius of 47.5 µm. Based on 3D-finite-difference time-domain simulations, the integrator, with a significantly compact footprint of

∼

4

µ

m

×

3

µ

m

, shows the FWHM of 53 GHz. The presented graphene-based temporal integrator, with a highly miniaturized footprint and satisfactory integration time, may find applications in ultrafast plasmonic-based signal processing systems.
Handheld spatial frequency domain imager for noninvasive Sjögren's syndrome labial salivary gland biopsy
Authors: Zeng Bixin , Guo Mingrou , Yu Kangyuan , Sun Li , Lin Weihao , Pan Da , Chen Xiaowei , Xu Min
Published: July 2021

A labial salivary gland biopsy (LSGB) plays an essential role in diagnosing Sjögren's syndrome (SS), but its clinical application is limited due to its invasiveness. Here, we present a handheld single snapshot multiple-frequency demodulation-spatial frequency domain imaging (SSMD-SFDI) device for a rapid optical biopsy of labial salivary glands noninvasively. The structural and physiological parameters of lower lip mucosa were obtained from the light reflectance of the layered oral mucosa. The recovered parameters were found to correlate strongly with the progression of SS. In our pilot study on 15 healthy subjects and 183 SS patients, a support vector machine (SVM) classifier using the measured parameters distinguished healthy subjects, LSGB I, II, III, and IV patients in sequence with AUCs of 0.979, 0.898, 0.906, and 0.978, respectively. Critical structural and physiological alterations in the mucosa due to SS were further identified and used to assess its risk using an explainable neural network. The handheld spatial frequency domain imager may serve as a valuable label-free and noninvasive tool for early diagnosing and surveying SS.
Subjective measurement of the Stiles-Crawford effect with different field sizes
Authors: Nilagiri Vinay Kumar , Suheimat Marwan , Lambert Andrew J. , Turpin Andrew , Vohnsen Brian , Atchison David A.
Published: July 2021

The Stiles-Crawford effect of the first kind (SCE) is the phenomenon in which light entering the eye near the center of the pupil appears brighter than light entering near the edge. Previous investigations have found an increase in the directionality (steepness) of the effect as the testing location moves from the center of the visual field to parafoveal positions, but the effect of central field size has not been considered. The influence of field size on the SCE was investigated using a uniaxial Maxwellian system in which stimulus presentation was controlled by an active-matrix liquid crystal display. SCE directionality increased as field size increased from 0.5° to 4.7° diameter, although this was noted in four mild myopes and not in two emmetropes. The change with field size was supported by a geometric optics absorption model.
Cellular-resolution monitoring of ischemic stroke pathologies in the rat cortex
Authors: Chornyy Sergiy , Das Aniruddha , Borovicka Julie A. , Patel Davina , Chan Hugh H. , Hermann John K. , Jaramillo Thomas C. , Machado Andre G. , Baker Kenneth B. , Dana Hod
Published: July 2021

Stroke is a leading cause of disability in the Western world. Current post-stroke rehabilitation treatments are only effective in approximately half of the patients. Therefore, there is a pressing clinical need for developing new rehabilitation approaches for enhancing the recovery process, which requires the use of appropriate animal models. Here, we demonstrate the use of nonlinear microscopy of calcium sensors in the rat brain to study the effects of ischemic stroke injury on cortical activity patterns. We longitudinally recorded from thousands of neurons labeled with a genetically-encoded calcium indicator before and after an ischemic stroke injury in the primary motor cortex. We show that this injury has an effect on the activity patterns of neurons not only in the motor and somatosensory cortices, but also in the more distant visual cortex, and that these changes include modified firing rates and kinetics of neuronal activity patterns in response to a sensory stimulus. Changes in neuronal population activity provided animal-specific, circuit-level information on the post-stroke cortical reorganization process, which may be essential for evaluating the efficacy of new approaches for enhancing the recovery process.
Resonance tuning for dynamic Huygens metasurfaces
Authors: Ollanik Adam J. , Oguntoye Isaac , Ji Yaping , Escarra Matthew D.
Published: July 2021

Metasurfaces with dynamic optical performance have the potential to
enable a broad range of applications. We computationally investigate
the potential of dielectric Huygens metasurfaces, supporting both
electric and magnetic dipole resonances, as a candidate platform for
dynamic tuning. The asymmetric response of the two dipole resonances
to changes in geometric and material parameters, and the potential for
separate control of amplitude and phase, is analyzed. A review of
dynamic materials, and their promise and limitations for use in
dynamic Huygens metasurfaces, is discussed. Vanadium dioxide (

V
O

2

) is recognized as a singularly
interesting material, due to its variable refractive index and optical
absorption in response to several stimuli. Transmitted phase
modulation of

±

π

is computationally demonstrated as a
function of decaying resonance utilizing only the first 5% of the
insulator-metal transition, corresponding to a temperature change of

<

10

∘

C

. As another case study utilizing
asymmetric resonance tuning in response to changing incidence angle,
phase modulation (

2

π

range for reflected light and

>

1.5

π

for transmitted light) and amplitude
modulation (from

R

=

1

to

T

=

1

) are demonstrated using a simple
silicon metasurface with varying incident angle within a range of

∼

15

∘

on two axes. A promising
implementation within a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS)-based
spatial light modulator, similar to conventional digital micromirror
devices, is discussed.
Graphene-based metasurface absorber for the active and broadband manipulation of terahertz radiation
Authors: Boşdurmaz Ekin Bircan , Hajian Hodjat , Erçağlar Veysel , Özbay Ekmel
Published: July 2021

Graphene-based metasurface nearly perfect absorbers (MPAs) can be used as an efficient tool for the active control and manipulation of waves in the terahertz (THz) gap. Here, we propose a novel, to the best of our knowledge, graphene-based MPA that is designed based on a simple configuration and is capable of absorbing THz radiation within a broad bandwidth of almost 3 THz with polarization-insensitive and omnidirectional characteristics. The MPA comprises a periodic array of graphene patches with two different dimensions that are separated from a gold bottom reflector with an

S
i
O

2

spacer layer. The broadband spectral response of the MPA, which is also verified by analytical calculations, is due to the support of propagating surface plasmon excitations and can be either actively tuned via changes in the chemical potential of graphene or passively adjusted by the modification of the geometrical parameters of the patches and thickness of the spacer layer. As a complement to the previous studies in the literature, due to the simplicity of its design and broad spectral response, it is believed that the suggested graphene-based MPA will find potential applications in THz spectroscopy and communications.
Squeezing and EPR correlations in divide-by-3 self-phase-locked optical parametric oscillators
Authors: Zheng Zhan , Lin Qiang , Zondy Jean-Jacques
Published: July 2021

We analyze the dynamics, two-mode squeezing as well as Einstein–Podolsky–Rozen (EPR) correlations of the signal–idler beams in a cavity with two resonant cascaded nonlinear crystals. The subharmonic system is trifurcated and self-phase-locked, and enables the existence of stable steady bright-beam/dark-beam solutions, leading to different properties of squeezing and EPR correlations. Compared with conventional nondegenerate optical parametric oscillators, our results can be helpful to quantum information processing as well metrology.
Partial Maxwell fish-eye lens inspired by the Gutman lens and Eaton lens for wide-angle beam scanning
Authors: Lu Hongda , Liu Zhipeng , Zhang Yanbo , Pang Ke , Liu Yong
Published: July 2021

This paper presents a novel two-dimensional (2-D) partial Maxwell fish-eye (PMFE) lens with the capability of wide-angle beam scanning inspired by the Gutman lens and Eaton lens, which is obtained by cutting a part from the 2-D Maxwell fish-eye (MFE) lens along a straight line. In terms of the refractive index profile, the MFE lens is similar to the Gutman lens near the center and the Eaton lens near the edge, respectively. We demonstrate the potential of the PMFE lens in wide-angle beam scanning based on its Gutman-like focusing and Eaton-like rotating characteristics corresponding to different feed points. As an example, a fully metallic PMFE lens antenna in the Ka-band composed of a bed of nails and a series of linearly arranged waveguide feeders is designed and experimentally verified. The measured results reveal wide-angle scanning ranges, especially about ±90° at 36 GHz, low reflections and low mutual couplings. The frequency scanning due to the dispersion of the lens is also discussed.
Highly efficient cryogenic Yb:YLF regenerative amplifier with 250  W average power
Authors: Demirbas Umit , Kellert Martin , Thesinga Jelto , Hua Yi , Reuter Simon , Pergament Mikhail , Kärtner Franz X.
Published: July 2021

We report an efficient diode-pumped high-power cryogenic regenerative amplifier operating at 1019 nm employing the c axis of Yb:YLF. Compared to the usually selected 1017 nm transition of the a axis, the c-axis 1019 nm line has a three-fold higher emission cross section and still possesses a full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 6.5 nm at 125 K. The chirped-pulse amplifier system is seeded by a fiber front-end with energy of 30 nJ and a stretched pulse width of 2 ns. In regenerative amplification studies, using the advantage of higher gain in the c axis, we have achieved record average powers up to 370 W with an extraction efficiency of 78% at a 50 kHz repetition rate. The output pulses were centered on 1019.15 nm with a FWHM bandwidth of 1.25 nm, which supports sub-1.5 ps pulse durations. The output beam maintained a

T
E
M

00

beam profile at output power levels below 250 W with an

M

2

below 1.2. Above this power level, the thermally induced lensing in Yb:YLF created a multimode output beam. The thermal lens was rather dynamic and deteriorated the system stability above a 250 W average power level.
Intense 2.1–4.2 µm broadband emission of Co/Er:PbF2 mid-infrared laser crystal
Authors: Zhang Peixiong , Liao Jiayu , Niu Xiaochen , Tan Huiyu , Li Shanming , Zhu Siqi , Yin Hao , Ma Fengkai , Yang Qiguo , Hang Yin , Li Zhen , Chen Zhenqiang
Published: July 2021

A novel mid-infrared (MIR) laser crystal

C
o

/

E
r

:

P
b
F

2

was successfully grown. The use of

E
r

3
+

ion co-doping to sensitize a

C
o

2
+

ion and enhance the 2.1–4.2 µm broadband MIR emission of the

C
o

2
+

ion in a

P
b
F

2

crystal was studied for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The

E
r

3
+

ion was demonstrated to be an effective sensitizer of the

C
o

2
+

ion, making the

C
o

/

E
r

:

P
b
F

2

crystal propitious to be pumped by commercialized laser diodes. Furthermore, with

E
r

3
+

ion co-doping, the local symmetry of

C
o

2
+

and

E
r

3
+

ions was seriously distorted, thereby enhancing the 2.1–4.2 µm MIR emissions. This study provides a path for designing MIR laser materials with optimal performance.
Temperature-insensitive curvature sensor based on Bragg gratings written in strongly coupled multicore fiber
Authors: Liu Zhiming , Zheng Di , Madrigal Javier , Villatoro Joel , Antonio-Lopez J. Enrique , Schülzgen Axel , Amezcua-Correa Rodrigo , Zou Xihua , Pan Wei , Sales Salvador
Published: July 2021

A novel temperature-insensitive optical curvature sensor has been proposed and demonstrated. The sensor is fabricated by inscribing fiber Bragg gratings with short lengths into a piece of strongly coupled multicore fiber (SCMCF) and spliced to the conventional single-mode fiber. Due to the two supermodes being supported by the SCMCF, two resonance peaks, along with a deep notch between them, were observed in the reflection spectrum. The experimental results show that the depth of the notch changes with the curvature with a sensitivity up to

15.9

d
B

/

m

−
1

in a lower curvature range. Besides, thanks to the unique property of the proposed sensor, the notch depth barely changes with temperature. Based on the intensity demodulation of the notch depth, the temperature-insensitive curvature sensor is achieved with the cross sensitivity between the temperature, and the curvature is as low as

0.001

m

−
1

/

∘

C

.
High-performance germanium avalanche photodetector for 100  Gbit/s photonics receivers
Authors: Hu Xiao , Zhang Hongguang , Wu Dingyi , Chen Daigao , Wang Lei , Xiao Xi , Yu Shaohua
Published: July 2021

A high-bit rate and low-bias voltage waveguide-integrated vertical germanium avalanche photodetector is reported with doping optimization. This scheme alleviates the necessity of complex epitaxial single-crystal silicon layer and multiple ion implantation schemes. The optical absorption and carrier avalanche multiplication gain occur in the same germanium layer. The maximum gain is estimated to be 112.4 at an input power of

−

30.2

d
B
m

. With the input optical power of

−

16.1

d
B
m

, the gain-bandwidth product of nearly 141 GHz is obtained at 7.8 V bias. Meanwhile, a 4.6 dB sensitivity improvement for 60 Gbit/s signal reception is demonstrated with an avalanche gain of 5.1 at a soft-decision forward-error correction threshold (SD-FEC), i.e., bit-error-rate of

2
×

10

−

2

. The absolute sensitivities of photonics receivers are

−

21

,

−

18.6

,

−

15.9

, and

−

11.5

d
B
m

for 40, 60, 80, and 100 Gbit/s non-return-to-zero signals at the SD-FEC threshold. These demonstrated characteristics enable the reliable and robust on-chip photodetection for energy efficienct silicon photonic interconnects in the future.
Achieving tunable multicolor display and sensitive temperature sensing in self-sensitization of erbium-doped CaF2 nanocrystals under 808, 980 and 1532 nm irradiation
Authors: Yang Xu , Wang Linxuan , Wang Rui , Yang Zining , Song Changqing , Yuan Maohui , Han Kai , Lan Sheng , Wang Hongyan , Xu Xiaojun
Published: July 2021

Photon upconversion (UC) based on self-sensitization of lanthanide-doped nanocrystals is of great importance for biological and photonic applications. Here, we report tunable multicolor display and sensitive temperature sensing in the erbium-doped CaF2 upconversion nanocrystals (UCNCs) codoped with Tm3+ ions. Under the excitation of 980, 808 and 1532 nm lasers, the upconversion luminescence (UCL) color of these self-sensitized UCNCs can be manipulated from green to red efficiently and the red-to-green (R/G) UC intensity ratio is promoted remarkably as the doping Tm3+ ions vary from 0 to 4 mol%. Especially, we have successfully demonstrated the multicolor modulation of these UCNCs by changing the pulse width and repetition frequency under multi-wavelength excitation. The power dependence and decay lifetimes measurements of Er3+ ions under multi-wavelength excitation were carried out to clarify the UC color manipulation. In addition, the optical temperature sensing properties of CaF2:Er3+/Tm3+ (10/0.125 mol%) UCNCs are also studied thoroughly under 980, 808 and 1532 nm lasers excitation, and the results show that the UCNCs possess outstanding thermal sensitivity. The features enable these UCNCs to act as promising candidates for high-resolution biological imaging, multicolor display and nanoscale thermometer fields.
Sachet water consumption as a risk factor for cholera in urban settings: Findings from a case control study in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo during the 2017–2018 outbreak
Authors: Mbala-Kingebeni Placide , Vogt Florian , Miwanda Berthe , Sundika Tresor , Mbula Nancy , Pankwa Isaac , Lubula Leopold , Vanlerberghe Veerle , Magazani Alain , Afoumbom Mildred Tita , Muyembe-Tamfum Jean-Jacques
Published: July 2021

Background

Behavioural risk factors for cholera are well established in rural and semi-urban contexts, but not in densely populated mega-cities in Sub-Saharan Africa. In November 2017, a cholera epidemic occurred in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where no outbreak had been recorded for nearly a decade. During this outbreak, we investigated context-specific risk factors for cholera in an urban setting among a population that is not frequently exposed to cholera.

Methodology/Principal findings

We recruited 390 participants from three affected health zones of Kinshasa into a 1:1 matched case control study. Cases were identified from cholera treatment centre admission records, while controls were recruited from the vicinity of the cases’ place of residence. We used standardized case report forms for the collection of socio-demographic and behavioural risk factors. We used augmented backward elimination in a conditional logistic regression model to identify risk factors.

The consumption of sachet water was strongly associated with the risk of being a cholera case (p-value 0.019), which increased with increasing frequency of consumption from rarely (OR 2.2, 95% CI 0.9–5.2) to often (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.6–9.9) to very often (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.0–16.7). Overall, more than 80% of all participants reported consumption of this type of drinking water. The risk factors funeral attendance and contact with someone suffering from diarrhoea showed a p-value of 0.09 and 0.08, respectively. No socio-demographic characteristics were associated with the risk of cholera.

Conclusions/Significance

Drinking water consumption from sachets, which are sold informally on the streets in most Sub-Saharan African cities, are an overlooked route of infection in urban cholera outbreaks. Outbreak response measures need to acknowledge context-specific risk factors to remain a valuable tool in the efforts to achieve national and regional targets to reduce the burden of cholera in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Anaphylatoxins orchestrate Th17 response via interactions between CD16+ monocytes and pleural mesothelial cells in tuberculous pleural effusion
Authors: Deng Shuanglinzi , Hu Xinyue , Luo Lisha , Tang Wei , Jiang Yuanyuan , Yin Feifei , Hu Chengping , Feng Juntao , Li Xiaozhao
Published: July 2021

The complement system is activated in tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE), with increased levels of the anaphylatoxins stimulating pleural mesothelial cells (PMCs) to secrete chemokines, which recruit nonclassical monocytes to the pleural cavity. The differentiation and recruitment of naive CD4+T cells are induced by pleural cytokines and PMC-produced chemokines in TPE. However, it is unclear whether anaphylatoxins orchestrate CD4+T cell response via interactions between PMCs and monocytes in TPE. In this study, CD16+and CD16-monocytes isolated from TPE patients were cocultured with PMCs pretreated with anaphylatoxins. After removing the PMCs, the conditioned monocytes were cocultured with CD4+T cells. The levels of the cytokines were measured in PMCs and monocyte subsets treated separately with anaphylatoxins. The costimulatory molecules were assessed in conditioned monocyte subsets. Furthermore, CD4+T cell response was evaluated in different coculture systems. The results indicated that anaphylatoxins induced PMCs and CD16+monocytes to secrete abundant cytokines capable of only inducing Th17 expansion, but Th1 was feeble. In addition, costimulatory molecules were more highly expressed in CD16+than in CD16−monocytes isolated from TPE. The interactions between monocytes and PMCs enhanced the ability of PMCs and monocytes to produce cytokines and that of monocytes to express HLA-DR, CD40, CD80 and CD86, which synergistically induced Th17 expansion. In the above process, anaphylatoxins enhanced the interactions between monocytes and PMCs by increasing the level of the cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-23 and upregulating the phenotype of CD40 and CD80 in CD16+monocytes. Collectively, these data indicate that anaphylatoxins play a central role in orchestrating Th17 response mainly via interactions between CD16+monocytes and PMCs in TPE.
Prevalence of neutralising antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in acute infection and convalescence: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Savage Helen R. , Santos Victor S. , Edwards Thomas , Giorgi Emanuele , Krishna Sanjeev , Planche Timothy D. , Staines Henry M. , Fitchett Joseph R. A. , Kirwan Daniela E. , Cubas Atienzar Ana I. , Clark David J. , Adams Emily R. , Cuevas Luis E.
Published: July 2021

Background

Individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 develop neutralising antibodies. We investigated the proportion of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibodies after infection and how this proportion varies with selected covariates.

Methodology/Principal findings

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the proportion of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibodies after infection and how these proportions vary with selected covariates. Three models using the maximum likelihood method assessed these proportions by study group, covariates and individually extracted data (protocol CRD42020208913). A total of 983 reports were identified and 27 were included. The pooled (95%CI) proportion of individuals with neutralising antibodies was 85.3% (83.5–86.9) using the titre cut off >1:20 and 83.9% (82.2–85.6), 70.2% (68.1–72.5) and 54.2% (52.0–56.5) with titres >1:40, >1:80 and >1:160, respectively. These proportions were higher among patients with severe COVID-19 (e.g., titres >1:80, 84.8% [80.0–89.2], >1:160, 74.4% [67.5–79.7]) than those with mild presentation (56.7% [49.9–62.9] and 44.1% [37.3–50.6], respectively) and lowest among asymptomatic infections (28.6% [17.9–39.2] and 10.0% [3.7–20.1], respectively). IgG and neutralising antibody levels correlated poorly.

Conclusions/Significance

85% of individuals with proven SARS-CoV-2 infection had detectable neutralising antibodies. This proportion varied with disease severity, study setting, time since infection and the method used to measure antibodies.
Functional diversity of PFKFB3 splice variants in glioblastomas
Authors: Heydasch Ulli , Kessler Renate , Warnke Jan-Peter , Eschrich Klaus , Scholz Nicole , Bigl Marina
Published: July 2021

Tumor cells tend to metabolize glucose through aerobic glycolysis instead of oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria. One of the rate limiting enzymes of glycolysis is 6-phosphofructo-1-kinase, which is allosterically activated by fructose 2,6-bisphosphate which in turn is produced by 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (PFK-2/FBPase-2 or PFKFB). Mounting evidence suggests that cancerous tissues overexpress the PFKFB isoenzyme, PFKFB3, being causing enhanced proliferation of cancer cells. Initially, six PFKFB3 splice variants with different C-termini have been documented in humans. More recently, additional splice variants with varying N-termini were discovered the functions of which are to be uncovered. Glioblastoma is one of the deadliest forms of brain tumors. Up to now, the role of PFKFB3 splice variants in the progression and prognosis of glioblastomas is only partially understood. In this study, we first re-categorized the PFKFB3 splice variant repertoire to simplify the denomination. We investigated the impact of increased and decreased levels of PFKFB3-4 (former UBI2K4) and PFKFB3-5 (former variant 5) on the viability and proliferation rate of glioblastoma U87 and HEK-293 cells. The simultaneous knock-down of PFKFB3-4 and PFKFB3-5 led to a decrease in viability and proliferation of U87 and HEK-293 cells as well as a reduction in HEK-293 cell colony formation. Overexpression of PFKFB3-4 but not PFKFB3-5 resulted in increased cell viability and proliferation. This finding contrasts with the common notion that overexpression of PFKFB3 enhances tumor growth, but instead suggests splice variant-specific effects of PFKFB3, apparently with opposing effects on cell behaviour. Strikingly, in line with this result, we found that in human IDH-wildtype glioblastomas, the PFKFB3-4 to PFKFB3-5 ratio was significantly shifted towards PFKFB3-4 when compared to control brain samples. Our findings indicate that the expression level of distinct PFKFB3 splice variants impinges on tumorigenic properties of glioblastomas and that splice pattern may be of important diagnostic value for glioblastoma.
Integrated evaluation of lung disease in single animals
Authors: Mandal Pratyusha , Lyons John D. , Burd Eileen M. , Koval Michael , Mocarski Edward S. , Coopersmith Craig M.
Published: July 2021

During infectious disease, pathogen load drives inflammation and immune response that together contribute to tissue injury often resulting in organ dysfunction. Pulmonary failure in SARS-CoV2-infected hospitalized COVID-19 patients is one such prominent example. Intervention strategies require characterization of the host-pathogen interaction by accurately assessing all of the above-mentioned disease parameters. To study infection in intact mammals, mice are often used as essential genetic models. Due to humane concerns, there is a constant unmet demand to develop studies that reduce the number of mice utilized while generating objective data. Here, we describe an integrated method of evaluating lung inflammation in mice infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa or murine gammaherpesvirus (MHV)-68. This method conserves animal resources while permitting evaluation of disease mechanisms in both infection settings. Lungs from a single euthanized mouse were used for two purposes-biological assays to determine inflammation and infection load, as well as histology to evaluate tissue architecture. For this concurrent assessment of multiple parameters from a single euthanized mouse, we limit in-situ formalin fixation to the right lung of the cadaver. The unfixed left lung is collected immediately and divided into several segments for biological assays including determination of pathogen titer, assessment of infection-driven cytokine levels and appearance of cell death markers. In situ fixed right lung was then processed for histological determination of tissue injury and confirmation of infection-driven cell death patterns. This method reduces overall animal use and minimizes inter-animal variability that results from sacrificing different animals for different types of assays. The technique can be applied to any lung disease study in mice or other mammals.
Alkaloid and acetogenin-rich fraction from Annona crassiflora fruit peel inhibits proliferation and migration of human liver cancer HepG2 cells
Authors: Justino Allisson B. , Florentino Rodrigo M. , França Andressa , Filho Antonio C. M. L. , Franco Rodrigo R. , Saraiva André L. , Fonseca Matheus C. , Leite Maria F. , Salmen Espindola Foued
Published: July 2021

Plant species from Annonaceae are commonly used in traditional medicine to treat various cancer types. This study aimed to investigate the antiproliferative potential of an alkaloid and acetogenin-rich fraction from the fruit peel of Annona crassiflora in HepG2 cells. A liquid-liquid fractionation was carried out on the ethanol extract of A. crassiflora fruit peel in order to obtain an alkaloid and acetogenin-rich fraction (AF-Ac). Cytotoxicity, proliferation and migration were evaluated in the HepG2 cells, as well as the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), vinculin and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression. In addition, intracellular Ca2+ was determined using Fluo4-AM and fluorescence microscopy. First, 9 aporphine alkaloids and 4 acetogenins that had not yet been identified in the fruit peel of A. crassiflora were found in AF-Ac. The treatment with 50 μg/mL AF-Ac reduced HepG2 cell viability, proliferation and migration (p < 0.001), which is in accordance with the reduced expression of PCNA and EGFR levels (p < 0.05). Furthermore, AF-Ac increased intracellular Ca2+ in the HepG2 cells, mobilizing intracellular calcium stores, which might be involved in the anti-migration and anti-proliferation capacities of AF-Ac. Our results support the growth-inhibitory potential of AF-Ac on HepG2 cells and suggest that this effect is triggered, at least in part, by PCNA and EGFR modulation and mobilization of intracellular Ca2+. This study showed biological activities not yet described for A. crassiflora fruit peel, which provide new possibilities for further in vivo studies to assess the antitumoral potential of A. crassiflora, especially its fruit peel.
Rheological modification of partially oxidised cellulose nanofibril gels with inorganic clays
Authors: Bryant Saffron J. , Calabrese Vincenzo , da Silva Marcelo A. , Zakir Hossain Kazi M. , Scott Janet L. , Edler Karen J.
Published: July 2021

This study aimed to quantify the influence of clays and partially oxidised cellulose nanofibrils (OCNF) on gelation as well as characterise their physical and chemical interactions. Mixtures of Laponite and montmorillonite clays with OCNF form shear-thinning gels that are more viscous across the entire shear range than OCNF on its own. Viscosity and other rheological properties can be fine-tuned using different types of clay at different concentrations (0.5–2 wt%). Laponite particles are an order of magnitude smaller than those of montmorillonite (radii of 150 Å compared to 2000 Å) and are therefore able to facilitate networking of the cellulose fibrils, resulting in stronger effects on rheological properties including greater viscosity. This work presents a mechanism for modifying rheological properties using renewable and environmentally-friendly nanocellulose and clays which could be used in a variety of industrial products including home and personal care formulations.