bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In the Un-American Tree: The L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E Poetries and Their Aftermath, with a Special Reference to Charles Bernstein, Translated
Authors: Lehto Leevi
Published: October 2021

Leevi Lehto, in a keynote on American poetry presented in China, outlines the challenges and possibilities of Language poetry outside the American context, with specific relation to the meaning of translation.
Breaking with the Family Form: Historical Categories, Social Reproduction, and Everyday Life in Late 1950s Rural China
Authors: Day Alexander F.
Published: October 2021

This article explores the way PRC historians use analytical categories by looking at the emergence of a divide between production and the social reproduction of labor (all the work that goes into producing and raising laborers) that transformed and structured rural everyday life during the Mao period. Everyday life is historical, produced in different ways under different material conditions, structured and shaped by social forms in motion. Thus, it is not an analytical frame through which historians can view the real content of the Mao period underneath the thin veneer of Maoist high politics and its categories. This article therefore argues that everyday life, far from a sphere resisting the impositions and dictates of the state, is fully implicated in the political-economic structuring of society. This is a call to not simply replace an earlier social science focus on the political economy of the PRC with a bottom-up or empirical view of everyday life, recognizing that everyday life is already a structured terrain. Rather than bringing in social science analytical categories from the outside or searching for an empirical real view from below, we need to investigate the emergence of categories and social forms from the real material limits and tendencies of a rapidly changing PRC society.
Spillover Effects of Institutions on Cooperative Behavior, Preferences, and Beliefs
Authors: Engl Florian , Riedl Arno , Weber Roberto
Published: October 2021

Most institutions are limited in scope. We study experimentally how enforcement institutions affect behavior, preferences, and beliefs beyond their direct influence over the behaviors they control. Groups play two identical public good games, with cooperation institutionally enforced in one game. Institutions generally have economically significant positive spillover effects to the unregulated game. We also observe that institutions enhance conditional cooperation preferences and beliefs about others’ cooperativeness, suggesting that both factors are drivers of observed spillover effects. In additional treatments, we provide evidence for several factors, including characteristics of institutions, that enhance or limit the effectiveness and scope of spillover effects. (JEL C92, D02, D83, D91, H41)
Fair Social Ordering, Egalitarianism, and Animal Welfare
Authors: Fleurbaey Marc , Van der Linden Martin
Published: October 2021

We study fairness in economies where humans consume one private good and one public good representing the welfare of other species. We show that a social evaluator cannot be egalitarian with respect to humans while always respecting humans’ unanimous preferences. One solution is to respect unanimous preferences only when doing so does not lead to a decrease in the welfare of other species. Social preferences satisfying these properties reveal surprising connections between concerns for other species, egalitarianism among humans, and unanimity: the latter two imply a form of dictatorship from humans with the strongest preference for the welfare of other species. (JEL D11, D63, H41)
Inequality, Bipolarization, and Tax Progressivity
Authors: Carbonell-Nicolau Oriol , Llavador Humberto
Published: October 2021

The steady rise in income and wealth inequality in the last four decades, together with the evolution of a vanishing middle class, has raised concerns about potentially pernicious effects of these trends on social stability and economic growth. This paper evaluates the possibility of designing tax systems aimed at reducing income inequality and bipolarization. Using two fundamentally different metrics, we provide a unified foundation of tax progressivity whereby, roughly, taxes are progressive if and only if they are inequality reducing; and taxes are inequality reducing if and only if they are bipolarization reducing. (JEL D31, H22, H24)
The Market for Online Influence
Authors: Fainmesser Itay P. , Galeotti Andrea
Published: October 2021

Recent developments in social media have morphed the age-old practice of paying influential individuals for product endorsements into a multibillion dollar industry, extending well beyond celebrity sponsorships. We develop a parsimonious model in which influencers trade off the increased revenue they obtain from paid endorsements with the negative impact that these have on their followers’ engagement and, therefore, on the price influencers receive from marketers. The model provides testable predictions that match suggestive evidence on pricing of paid endorsements, reveals a novel type of inefficiency that emerges in this market, and clarifies the role of search technology and advice transparency in shaping market activity. In particular, we show that recent policies that make paid endorsements more transparent can backfire, whereas an increase in the effectiveness of the search technology that matches followers to influencers has both direct and strategic positive welfare effects. (JEL D83, L82, L86, M31.)
Asceza i człowiek: Studium antropologii filozoficznej Henryka Elzenberga
Authors: Płoszczyniec Antoni
Published: October 2021

ASCETICISM AND MAN. PHILOSOPHICAL ANTHROPOLOGY STUDY OF HENRYK ELZENBERG The main goal of the dissertation is to reconstruct the philosophical anthropology of Henryk Elzenberg, with a particular emphasis on his concept of asceticism. In other words, the main task of the dissertation is a systematic and overall reconstruction of Elzenberg’s philosophy on man viewed through the concept of asceticism, which plays a fundamental role in the philosophy of the author of The Trouble With Existence (not only in his philosophical anthropology). Moreover, the aim of this work is to justify the thesis that asceticism has a culture-creative function, and culture has a paideutic character, because people realise their humanity in culture and through culture. The dissertation utilizes the reconstructive method, descriptive method, problem analysis, conceptual analysis, language analysis and the phenomenological method. Henryk Elzenberg’s handwritten manuscripts, stored within the Archives of the Polish Academy of Sciences, are a significant part of research materials (general signature: III-181).
The Willingness to Pay for Diversification
Authors: Mahmoud Ola
Published: October 2021

Diversification is a fundamental concept in economics and finance. This paper argues that decision makers have an intrinsic preference for diversification that is responsive to cost and that this willingness to pay for diversification is driven by risk aversion and loss aversion. In an experiment replicating a portfolio choice problem, the value of diversification is estimated to be at 5% of the initial endowment of approximately $100. Moreover, risk-averse and loss-averse individuals are willing to pay more for diversification. These findings point to the idea that diversification is a fundamental preference and may help explain portfolio choice anomalies such as irrational diversification, the diversification bias, and overdiversification.

This paper was accepted by Tomasz Piskorski, finance.
Resource Allocation with Sigmoidal Demands: Mobile Healthcare Units and Service Adoption
Authors: Alban Andres , Blaettchen Philippe , de Vries Harwin , Van Wassenhove Luk N.
Published: October 2021

Problem definition: Achieving broad access to health services (a target within the sustainable development goals) requires reaching rural populations. Mobile healthcare units (MHUs) visit remote sites to offer health services to these populations. However, limited exposure, health literacy, and trust can lead to sigmoidal (S-shaped) adoption dynamics, presenting a difficult obstacle in allocating limited MHU resources. It is tempting to allocate resources in line with current demand, as seen in practice. However, to maximize access in the long term, this may be far from optimal, and insights into allocation decisions are limited. Academic/practical relevance: We present a formal model of the long-term allocation of MHU resources as the optimization of a sum of sigmoidal functions. We develop insights into optimal allocation decisions and propose pragmatic methods for estimating our model’s parameters from data available in practice. We demonstrate the potential of our approach by applying our methods to family planning MHUs in Uganda. Methodology: Nonlinear optimization of sigmoidal functions and machine learning, especially gradient boosting, are used. Results: Although the problem is NP-hard, we provide closed form solutions to particular cases of the model that elucidate insights into the optimal allocation. Operationalizable heuristic allocations, grounded in these insights, outperform allocations based on current demand. Our estimation approach, designed for interpretability, achieves better predictions than standard methods in the application. Managerial implications: Incorporating the future evolution of demand, driven by community interaction and saturation effects, is key to maximizing access with limited resources. Instead of proportionally assigning more visits to sites with high current demand, a group of sites should be prioritized. Optimal allocation among prioritized sites aims at equalizing demand at the end of the planning horizon. Therefore, more visits should generally be allocated to sites where the cumulative demand potential is higher and counterintuitively, often those where demand is currently lower.

History: This paper has been accepted for the Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Special Section on Responsible Research in Operations Management.

Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2021.1020 .
Nurse opportunities to overcome barriers to palliative care provision for patients with heart failure: an integrative review
Authors: Joberns Laura
Published: October 2021

Background/Aims

To identify opportunities for nurses to overcome barriers to the timely provision of palliative care to heart failure patients. In the UK, the burden of heart failure has increased significantly in recent years. However, despite the significant impact heart failure has on independence and quality of life, implementation of palliative care often comes too late to be of benefit.

Methods

An integrative literature review adopting the design methodology proposed by Whittemore and Knafl was performed. Four main themes were explored: 1) deficit of knowledge about palliative care; 2) the need for improved communication skills; 3) longer-term relationships with patients facilitate repeated opportunities sensitive conversations; and 4) the need to build confidence, advocacy and leadership skills in nursing.

Results

The review consistently supports wider literature in identifying a deficit in nurses' knowledge around palliative care, coupled with a lack of confidence in undertaking sensitive conversations. It highlights opportunities for individual nurses to implement change in their own practice and positively influence care provided by the multidisciplinary team to improvement quality of life for patients with heart failure.

Conclusions

This study highlights a number of barriers that impede the adequate assessment and delivery of palliative care to patients with heart failure. It provides a timely reminder of the importance of effective teamwork and ensuring that the patient is the driving force behind any care decisions. It is fundamentally important that nurses continue to pursue opportunities to develop confidence, leadership and advocacy skills to ensure the multidisciplinary team maintain their patient-centred focus in future care.
Setting the tone
Authors: Lloyd-Rees Kimberley
Published: October 2021

Kimberley Lloyd-Rees discusses how good relationships will help the mouth aware message land
Using LiDAR to Measure Alfalfa Canopy Height
Authors: Sheffield S. Tucker , Dvorak Joe , Smith Bo , Arnold Cynthia , Minch Cameron
Published: October 2021

Highlights

Models using LiDAR measurements and field observations as predictors can accurately predict alfalfa canopy height.

The most efficient model used only the 95th percentile of LiDAR-measured height to estimate canopy height.

Adding field observations of weed, insect, and disease pressure only marginally improved the predictive models.

Abstract. Alfalfa is a popular crop that is grown worldwide because it is a nutritious feed for livestock and fixes nitrogen in the soil. Profitable alfalfa production greatly relies on monitoring the status of the alfalfa crop. Traditionally, producers have used crop assessment techniques that rely on manual measurements of alfalfa plant height, which can be used to predict nutritive quality and yield. These manual measurements are often labor-intensive and provide low-resolution data that is not acceptable for field-scale monitoring. The goal of this study was to assess the capability of a simple LiDAR setup to accurately estimate the average canopy height of an alfalfa crop. To achieve this goal, we first developed predictive models of alfalfa canopy height using LiDAR-derived measurements as predictor variables. Second, we assessed the accuracies of the models and compared the properties of each model. Third, we determined the optimal LiDAR-derived measurements to use to accurately predict average alfalfa canopy height. The data used in our models were collected in two separate fields planted with two different cultivars of alfalfa. Data collection was performed on five dates spanning one entire growth cycle during the summer of 2019. A simple single-beam LiDAR sensor was used to scan the canopy of sample plots within the fields. Manual measurements of plant height and field observations of insect, disease, and weed pressure were also recorded. Of the data used in the predictive models, the 95th percentile of LiDAR-measured height was found to be the optimal predictor for estimating alfalfa canopy height. Using the 95th percentile as a single predictor in a linear regression model of measured average canopy height resulted in an R2 of 0.90 and RMSE of 4.5 cm. Two other linear regression models using a combination of LiDAR measurements and LiDAR measurements with alfalfa health observations, respectfully, were developed for comparison. These models exhibited marginally better accuracies but required more inputs than the model only using the 95th percentile. This study shows how simple LiDAR configurations can be used for timely collection of accurate alfalfa canopy height data. From our findings, we suggest using the 95th percentile of LiDAR-derived canopy height to estimate alfalfa canopy height. This study lays the groundwork for research into more advanced LiDAR configurations for alfalfa applications, such as LiDAR-equipped UAVs. Keywords: Alfalfa, Canopy height, LiDAR.
Experimental Research on the Bending and Fracture Characteristics of Cotton Stalk
Authors: Jiang Peng , Li Yaping , Li Jiali , Meng Hewei , Peng Xiangbin , Zhang Bingcheng , He Jiaxing , Kan Za
Published: October 2021

Highlights

A two-factor randomized block design was used to study the influence of experimental factors on indicators.

Specific fracture energy can indicate the relationship between mass and power.

A cotton stalk model was established using the discrete element method (DEM).

Abstract. Effectively chopping of the mixture of mulch film and cotton stalk recycled by machine is the only way to achieve subsequent separation of the materials. Cotton stalk is one of the main components of the mixture. According to the working principle of a chopping device, the bending and fracture characteristics of cotton stalk samples were measured. A two-factor random block design was used to study the effects of moisture content and sample location on the plant on the mechanical characteristics of the stalk samples. According to the results, the specific fracture energy of the stalk samples was calculated. The results showed that the relationship between the moisture content and bending performance of the samples was an inverse proportional function in general. However, when the moisture content was 20% to 30%, the fracture energy in the double-support bending tests was low, which was therefore the most suitable condition for chopping. In addition, a cotton stalk model was established using the discrete element method (DEM), and the optimal parameter combination was determined. Compared with the actual test results, the model error of the peak bending force was 1.20%. This study can support the analysis of chopping device simulation and material preparation in experimental research. Keywords: Bending fracture characteristics, Cotton stalk, Discrete element method, Three-point bending test.
Understanding Pre- and Post-Milling Crack Formation in Rice Grain
Authors: Oli Prakash , Talbot Mark , Snell Peter
Published: October 2021

Highlights

Cracking and subsequent breakage of rice kernels reduces the marketability and profitability of rice.

Pre-milling cracks in rice kernels cause breakage during milling, thereby reducing consumer acceptability.

Three types of post-milling cracks reported are: surface, internal, and Hanasaki cracks.

Post-milling cracks can be minimized throughout the supply chain.

Abstract. Rice is consumed as intact grain, and any broken grains are discounted from the main marketable product. Breakage of rice mainly arises from cracks formed in the endosperm before or after milling. The cracks are formed by stress gradients that arise due to moisture absorption or desorption by grains. As a result of such stress, cracks mostly develop in a direction perpendicular to the length of the grain, making it less physically resistant to the stresses of milling, handling, and soaking processes. Until now, research into rice cracking has mainly focused on minimizing breakage during milling, and no significant knowledge is available on the impact and mechanisms of post-milling cracking and/or breakage and its effect on the downstream quality of rice. This article aims to review the existing information on the causes of rice cracking before and after milling. Keywords: Breakage, Crack, Drying, Glass transition temperature, Hanasaki, Head rice yield, Rice, Tempering.
A Rare Case of Psoas Abscess Secondary to Mucinous Adenocarcinoma of the Appendix: A Case Report
Authors: Prabhu Rudra M , Koshire Spandan R , Khandelwal R C S
Published: October 2021

Introduction: Iliacus and psoas muscles are located in an extraperitoneal location forming the iliopsoas compartment. Iliopsoas abscess is a myositis involving this compartment. Pseudomyxoma peritonei is characterized by an abundant extracellular collection of mucin in the peritoneal cavity. When this collection is retroperitoneal, it is termed as pseudomyxoma extraperitonei. We present to you the case of a 52-year-old female with psoas abscess secondary to mucinous adenocarcinoma of the appendix, which was later diagnosed as pseudomyxoma extraperitonei.

Case Presentation: A 52-year-old female presented with pain in the right flank with discharging sinuses since one year. She had previously undergone two surgeries in the past 1 year for drainage of the abscess and had taken first line anti-tubercular treatment for around 6 months. She was managed in our institute by an open drainage of the abscess. The culture reports showed an infection with E. coli. The histopathology sections showed abundant pools of extracellular mucin with strips of columnar epithelium which indicated the pathology to be a mucinous adenocarcinoma. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the abdomen and pelvis showed a ruptured appendix mucocele and a collection in the right psoas muscle showing fistulous communication with the cecum and extending to the suture site in the right flank. Anti-tubercular treatment was stopped and an oncology opinion was taken. The patient was managed with a palliative ileostomy.

Conclusion: It is important to keep in mind diagnostic possibilities other than tuberculosis of the spine when managing a patient with an iliopsoas abscess. These include pathologies of the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract, which need to be diagnosed and managed early.

Keywords: Psoas abscess, pseudomyxoma peritonei, pseudomyxoma extraperitonei, mucocele of appendix, mucinous adenocarcinoma.
Management of Distal Femur Periprosthetic Fracture in an Elderly Patient by Open Reduction and Internal Fixation With Locking Plate Osteosynthesis –: A Case Report
Authors: Mahajan Neetin P. , Sadar Amey , Jadhav Umesh , Kondewar Pranay , Atal Shubham , Pande Kartik
Published: October 2021

Introduction: Distal femur periprosthetic fractures are rare entityies and difficult to manage. Supracondylar femur fractures are most common amongst periprosthetic fractures. They can be managed by various modalities. These fractures are often difficult to treat because of various factors likesuch as osteoporosis, communication, female gender, and poor bone stock. Fixation of supracondylar femur fracture by locking plate provides excellent results in terms of radiological and clinical outcomes.

Case Report: We report a case of a 70 year -year-old female with pain and swelling in the right knee since for 1 day. She had a history of fall in bathroom 1 day back. The patient was operated with total knee replacement 6 years back for grade Grade 3 osteoarthritis of the knee. The patient was known case of hypertension and was on medication for the same. We operated the patient by open reduction and internal fixation with distal femur locking plate and it provided excellent clinical outcome.

Conclusion: Periprosthetic supracondylar femur fractures are rare entity entities and generally difficult to manage, especially in elderly patient, due to poor bone quality. The choice of implant used to treat such fractures depends on the surgeon’s choice and patient’s compliance. Open reduction and internal fixation with a locking plate is a good entity as it provides excellent clinical and radiological outcome.

Keywords: Distal femur, supracondylar, periprosthetic fracture, total knee replacement, open reduction and internal fixation.
Intra-articular Lipoma of the Knee Joint Located in the Lateral Recess: A Case Report
Authors: Ishida Naoki
Published: October 2021

Introduction: Lipomas are the most common type of soft-tissue tumor, but intra-articular lipomas are very rare. Most cases occur in the knee joint. This is a report of intra-articular lipoma in the knee joint, 8 months after removal with good post-operative outcome.

Case Report: A 56-year-old female who presented soft-tissue mass on her right knee. She felt uncomfortable but not in pain. The mass grew gradually and she wanted to be surgically removed. The mass was too large (5 cm × 4 cm × 2 cm) to be removed endoscopically, so arthrotomy was made. The mass was true lipoma histologically. She is living happily without recurrence after surgery.

Conclusion: We have described an intra-articular synovial lipoma in the knee of a middle-aged female. Intra-articular lipomas are very rare. The tumor in this case was relatively large but painless, and the chief complaint was discomfort. It grew gradually, so the removal was performed. At present, the patient is living happy without recurrence after surgery.

Keywords: Intra-articular lipoma, knee, removal, arthroscopy.
Urea detection in milk by urease-assisted pH-sensitive carbon
dots
Authors: Yin Wenzhi , Zhang Ye , Gu Jiao , Wang Tingyu , Ma Chaoqun , Zhu Chun , Li Lei , Yang Zichen , Zhu Tuo , Chen Guoqing
Published: October 2021

Excessive urea in milk will lead to serious health problems. To detect whether the urea
concentration in milk exceeds the standard and ensure the quality of
milk, it is necessary to develop detection technology for urea in
milk. But it is difficult to detect urea in milk conveniently and
accurately by traditional methods. To measure the concentration of
urea in milk, stable green light carbon dots (CDs) were synthesized by
a one-step method as a fluorescent probe. Then, 3, 5-diaminobenzoic
acid was used as the precursor for CD synthesis. Experimental results
showed that CDs can generate strong fluorescence when excited by light
(350–450 nm). The fluorescence peak wavelength is 490 nm, and the
optimum excitation wavelength is 390 nm. The fluorescence intensity of
CDs has a significant change with variations of pH (pH of 6–9), and
the higher the pH, the lower the fluorescence intensity. Additionally,
urea can be hydrolyzed by urease to produce ammonia and carbon
dioxide. Ammonia is ionized in water to produce

O
H

−

, which increases the pH of the
solution. After adding standard urea to milk, urease and CDs are
added. The fluorescence intensity of CDs in the mixed solution
decreases as the concentration of standard added urea increases. Thus
the concentration of urea in milk can be calculated. The experimental
results show that the CD method for detecting urea in milk has
advantages of high sensitivity and wide measurement range. The linear
interval is 25–500 mg/L,

R

2

is 0.998, and the limit of detection
is 6.27 mg/L. The concentration of urea in the milk used in the
experiment is 265.46 mg/L. CDs are easy to fabricate, and the
advantages of the method are simple operation, no pretreatment,
safety, and low cost. A new method for the detection of urea in milk
was established, to the best of our knowledge, and this method can aid
in food quality control.
Architecture agnostic algorithm for reconfigurable optical interferometer programming
Authors: Kuzmin Sergei , Dyakonov Ivan , Kulik Sergei
Published: October 2021

We develop the learning algorithm to build an architecture agnostic model of a reconfigurable optical interferometer. A procedure of programming a unitary transformation of optical modes of an interferometer either follows an analytical expression yielding a unitary matrix given a set of phase shifts or requires an optimization routine if an analytic decomposition does not exist. Our algorithm adopts a supervised learning strategy which matches a model of an interferometer to a training set populated by samples produced by a device under study. A simple optimization routine uses the trained model to output phase shifts corresponding to a desired unitary transformation of the interferometer with a given architecture. Our result provides the recipe for efficient tuning of interferometers even without rigorous analytical description which opens opportunity to explore new architectures of the interferometric circuits.
InAs/GaAs quantum dot laser epitaxially grown on on-axis (001) GaAsOI substrate
Authors: Liang Hao , Jin Tingting , Chi Chaodan , Sun Jialiang , Zhang Xiaolei , You Tiangui , Zhou Min , Lin Jiajie , Wang Shumin
Published: October 2021

Quantum dot (QD) laser as a light source for silicon optical integration has attracted great research attention because of the strategic vision of optical interconnection. In this paper, the communication band InAs QD ridge waveguide lasers were fabricated on GaAs-on-insulator (GaAsOI) substrate by combining ion-slicing technique and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth. On the foundation of optimizing surface treatment processes, the InAs/In0.13Ga0.87As/GaAs dot-in-well (DWELL) lasers monolithically grown on a GaAsOI substrate were realized under pulsed operation at 20 °C. The static device measurements reveal comparable performance in terms of threshold current density, slope efficiency and output power between the QD lasers on GaAsOI and GaAs substrates. This work shows great potential to fabricate highly integrated light source on Si for photonic integrated circuits.
Telephoto-lens-based Optical Differentiation Wavefront Sensor for freeform metrology
Authors: Swain Biswa R. , Dorrer Christophe , Qiao Jie
Published: October 2021

We report an Optical Differentiation Wavefront Sensor based on a telephoto lens system and binary pixelated filters. It provides a five-fold reduction in the system length compared to a 4f system with identical effective focal length. Measurements of phase plates with this system are compared to measurements performed with a commercial low-coherence interferometer. The telephoto-lens-based system can measure wavefronts with accuracy better than λ/10 Root Mean Squared (RMS) at λ=633 nm. Experimental investigation shows that the system has a high tolerance to components alignment errors.
Spin-orbit-enabled sorting of optical flows in plasmonic nanocircuits
Authors: Ma Youqiao , Jiang Chengkai , Sun Kaili , Liu Bo , Li Jinhua , Han Zhanghua , Hu Xin , Ma Yuan
Published: October 2021

On-chip controlling of photon spin is essential in developing future integrated nanophotonics with complex functionalities. Here we propose and demonstrate a robust spin-sorting nanocircuit, which consists of a spin-orbit coupler (i.e., combined nanoring and nanodisk) and an L-shaped dielectric-loaded surface plasmon (DLSPs) waveguide. The nanocircuit with optimized geometric parameters is shown to be capable of unidirectionally exciting and routing a DLSP mode along an independent waveguide. We found experimentally that the proposed device possesses an average insertion loss (extinction ratio) of 0.13 dB (14.8 dB) under complete circularly polarized incidence with opposite spin, which is in good agreement with theoretical calculations. The proposed spin-selective scheme may pave the way for applications in the manipulation of chirality with a flexible degree of freedom.
Configurable lossless broadband beam splitters for semi-guided waves in integrated silicon photonics
Authors: Hammer Manfred , Ebers Lena , Förstner Jens
Published: October 2021

We show that narrow trenches in a high-contrast silicon-photonics slab can act as lossless power dividers for semi-guided waves. Reflectance and transmittance can be easily configured by selecting the trench width. At sufficiently high angles of incidence, the devices are lossless, apart from material attenuation and scattering due to surface roughness. We numerically simulate a series of devices within the full 0-to-1-range of splitting ratios, for semi-guided plane wave incidence as well as for excitation by focused Gaussian wave bundles. Straightforward cascading of the trenches leads to concepts for 1×M-power dividers and a polarization beam splitter.
Dual-wavelength in-line digital holography with untrained deep neural networks
Authors: Bai Chen , Peng Tong , Min Junwei , Li Runze , Zhou Yuan , Yao Baoli
Published: October 2021

Dual-wavelength in-line digital holography (DIDH) is one of the popular methods for quantitative phase imaging of objects with non-contact and high-accuracy features. Two technical challenges in the reconstruction of these objects include suppressing the amplified noise and the twin-image that respectively originate from the phase difference and the phase-conjugated wavefronts. In contrast to the conventional methods, the deep learning network has become a powerful tool for estimating phase information in DIDH with the assistance of noise suppressing or twin-image removing ability. However, most of the current deep learning-based methods rely on supervised learning and training instances, thereby resulting in weakness when it comes to applying this training to practical imaging settings. In this paper, a new DIDH network (DIDH-Net) is proposed, which encapsulates the prior image information and the physical imaging process in an untrained deep neural network. The DIDH-Net can effectively suppress the amplified noise and the twin-image of the DIDH simultaneously by automatically adjusting the weights of the network. The obtained results demonstrate that the proposed method with robust phase reconstruction is well suited to improve the imaging performance of DIDH.
sRNA-mediated regulation of gal mRNA in E. coli: Involvement of transcript cleavage by RNase E together with Rho-dependent transcription termination
Authors: Jeon Heung Jin , Lee Yonho , N Monford Paul Abishek , Wang Xun , Chattoraj Dhruba K. , Lim Heon M.
Published: October 2021

In bacteria, small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) bind to target mRNAs and regulate their translation and/or stability. In the polycistronic galETKM operon of Escherichia coli, binding of the Spot 42 sRNA to the operon transcript leads to the generation of galET mRNA. The mechanism of this regulation has remained unclear. We show that sRNA-mRNA base pairing at the beginning of the galK gene leads to both transcription termination and transcript cleavage within galK, and generates galET mRNAs with two different 3’-OH ends. Transcription termination requires Rho, and transcript cleavage requires the endonuclease RNase E. The sRNA-mRNA base-paired segments required for generating the two galET species are different, indicating different sequence requirements for the two events. The use of two targets in an mRNA, each of which causes a different outcome, appears to be a novel mode of action for a sRNA. Considering the prevalence of potential sRNA targets at cistron junctions, the generation of new mRNA species by the mechanisms reported here might be a widespread mode of bacterial gene regulation.
Ovitrap surveillance of dengue vector mosquitoes in Bandung City, West Java Province, Indonesia
Authors: Sasmita Hadian Iman , Neoh Kok-Boon , Yusmalinar Sri , Anggraeni Tjandra , Chang Niann-Tai , Bong Lee-Jin , Putra Ramadhani Eka , Sebayang Amelia , Silalahi Christina Natalina , Ahmad Intan , Tu Wu-Chun
Published: October 2021

Larval surveillance is the central approach for monitoring dengue vector populations in Indonesia. However, traditional larval indices are ineffective for measuring mosquito population dynamics and predicting the dengue transmission risk. We conducted a 14-month ovitrap surveillance. Eggs and immature mosquitoes were collected on a weekly basis from an urban village of Bandung, namely Sekejati. Ovitrap-related indices, namely positive house index (PHI), ovitrap index (OI), and ovitrap density index (ODI), were generated and correlated with environmental variables, housing type (terraced or high-density housing), ovitrap placement location (indoor or outdoor; household or public place), and local dengue cases. Our results demonstrated that Aedes aegypti was significantly predominant compared with Aedes albopictus at each housing type and ovitrap placement location. Ovitrap placement locations and rainfall were the major factors contributing to variations in PHI, OI, and ODI, whereas the influences of housing type and temperature were subtle. Indoor site values were significantly positively correlated to outdoor sites’ values for both OI and ODI. OI and ODI values from households were best predicted with those from public places at 1- and 0-week lags, respectively. Weekly rainfall values at 4- and 3-week lags were the best predictors of OI and ODI for households and public places, respectively. Monthly mean PHI, OI, and ODI were significantly associated with local dengue cases. In conclusion, ovitrap may be an effective tool for monitoring the population dynamics of Aedes mosquitoes, predicting dengue outbreaks, and serving as an early indicator to initiate environmental clean-up. Ovitrap surveillance is easy for surveyors if they are tasked with a certain number of ovitraps at a designated area, unlike the existing larval surveillance methodology, which entails identifying potential breeding sites largely at the surveyors’ discretion. Ovitrap surveillance may reduce the influence of individual effort in larval surveillance that likely causes inconsistency in results.
Alterations of lung microbial communities in obese allergic asthma and metabolic potential
Authors: Lee Jongan , Lee Sung-hee , Gu Gyo Jeong , Choi Ji hyun , Jeong Kyu-Tae , Lee Jeom-Kyu , Kim Seung Hyun
Published: October 2021

In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in microbiome studies to explore microbial alterations causing disease status and unveil disease pathogenesis derived from microbiome environmental modifications. Convincing evidence of lung microbial changes involving asthma has been collected; however, whether lung microbial changes under obesity leads to severe asthma in a state of allergen exposure has not been studied sufficiently. Here, we measured bacterial alterations in the lung of an allergen mouse model induced by a high fat diet (HFD) by using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. A total of 33 pathogen‑free 3‑week‑old male C57BL/6 mice were used, and they divided randomly into two groups. The Chow diet (n = 16) and high fat diet (n = 17) was administrated for 70 days. Mice were sensitized with PBS or Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus extract (Der.p), and concentration levels of total IgE and Der.p-IgE in the blood were measured to quantify immune responses. Although there were no meaningful differences in bacterial species richness in the HFD mouse group, momentous changes of bacterial diversity in the HFD mouse group were identified after the mouse group was exposed to allergens. At a genus level, the fluctuations of taxonomic relative abundances in several bacteria such as Ralstonia, Lactobacillus, Bradyrhizobium, Gaiella, PAC001932_g, Pseudolabrys, and Staphylococcus were conspicuously observed in the HFD mouse group exposed to allergens. Also, we predicted metabolic signatures occurring under microbial alterations in the Chow group versus the Chow group exposed to allergens, as well as in the HFD mouse group versus the HFD group exposed to allergens. We then compared their similarities and differences. Metabolic functions associated with macrophages such as propanoate metabolism, butanoate metabolism, and glycine-serine-threonine metabolism were identified in the HFD group versus the Chow group. These results provide new insights into the understanding of a microbiome community of obese allergic asthma, and shed light on the functional roles of lung microbiota inducing the pathogenesis of severe asthma.
Analysis of COVID-19 vaccine non-intent by essential vs non-essential worker, demographic, and socioeconomic status among 101,048 US adults
Authors: Elliott Tania , Yehia Baligh R. , Winegar Angela L. , Raja Jyothi Karthik , Jones Ashlin , Shockley Erin , Cacchione Joseph
Published: October 2021

As of May 2021, over 286 million coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine doses have been administered across the country. This data is promising, however there are still populations that, despite availability, are declining vaccination. We reviewed vaccine likelihood and receptiveness to recommendation from a doctor or nurse survey responses from 101,048 adults (≥18 years old) presenting to 442 primary care clinics in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Occupation was self-reported and demographic information extracted from the medical record, with 58.3% (n = 58,873) responding they were likely to receive the vaccine, 23.6% (n = 23,845) unlikely, and 18.1% (n = 18,330) uncertain. We found that essential workers were 18% less likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Of those who indicated they were not already “very likely” to receive the vaccine, a recommendation from a nurse or doctor resulted in 16% of respondents becoming more likely to receive the vaccine, although certain occupations were less likely than others to be receptive to recommendations. To our knowledge, this is the first study to look at vaccine intent and receptiveness to recommendations from a doctor or nurse across specific essential worker occupations, and may help inform future early phase, vaccine rollouts and public health measure implementations.
Utilizing the SEIPS model to guide hand hygiene interventions at a tertiary hospital in Ethiopia
Authors: Berman Leigh , Kavalier Meredith , Gelana Beshea , Tesfaw Getnet , Siraj Dawd , Shirley Daniel , Yilma Daniel
Published: October 2021

We aimed to apply the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) model to increase effectiveness and sustainability of the World Health Organization’s (WHOs) hand hygiene (HH) guidelines within healthcare systems. Our cross-sectional, mixed-methods study took place at Jimma University Medical Center (JUMC), a tertiary care hospital in Jimma, Ethiopia, between November 2018 and August 2020 and consisted of three phases: baseline assessment, intervention, and follow-up assessment. We conducted questionnaires addressing HH knowledge and attitudes, interviews to identify HH barriers and facilitators within the SEIPS framework, and observations at the WHO’s 5 moments of HH amongst healthcare workers (HCWs) at JUMC. We then implemented HH interventions based on WHO guidelines and results from our baseline assessment. Follow-up HH observations were conducted months later during the Covid-19 pandemic. 250 HCWs completed questionnaires with an average knowledge score of 61.4% and attitude scores indicating agreement that HH promotes patient safety. Interview participants cited multiple barriers to HH including shortages and location of HH materials, inadequate training, minimal Infection Prevention Control team presence, and high workload. We found an overall baseline HH compliance rate of 9.4% and a follow-up compliance rate of 72.1%. Drastically higher follow-up compared to baseline compliance rates were likely impacted by our HH interventions and Covid-19. HCWs showed motivation for patient safety despite low HH knowledge. Utilizing the SEIPS model helped identify institution-specific barriers that informed targeted interventions beyond WHO guidelines aimed at increasing effectiveness and sustainability of HH efforts.
Utilization of non-pneumatic anti-shock garment and associated factors for postpartum hemorrhage management among obstetric care providers in public health facilities of southern Ethiopia, 2020
Authors: Yeshitila Yordanos Gizachew , Bante Agegnehu , Aschalew Zeleke , Afework Bezawit , Gebeyehu Selamawit
Published: October 2021

Background

Delays in care have been recognized as a significant contributor to maternal mortality in low-resource settings. The non-pneumatic antishock garment is a low-cost first-aid device that can help women with obstetric haemorrhage survive these delays without long-term adverse effects. Extending professionals skills and the establishment of new technologies in basic healthcare facilities could harvest the enhancements in maternal outcomes necessary to meet the sustainable development goals. Thus, this study aims to assess utilization of non-pneumatic anti-shock garment to control complications of post-partum hemorrhage and associated factors among obstetric care providers in public health institutions of Southern Ethiopia, 2020.

Methods

A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 412 obstetric health care providers from March 15 –June 30, 2020. A simple random sampling method was used to select the study participants. The data were collected through a pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify determinants for the utilization of non-pneumatic antishock garment. STATA version 16 was used for data analysis. A P-value of < 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance.

Results

Overall, 48.5% (95%CI: 43.73, 53.48%) of the obstetric care providers had utilized Non pneumatic antishock garment for management of complications from postpartum hemorrhage. Training on Non pneumatic antishock garment (AOR = 2.92; 95% CI: 1.74, 4.92), working at hospital (AOR = 1.81; 95% CI: 1.04, 3.16), good knowledge about NASG (AOR = 1.997; 95%CI: 1.16, 3.42) and disagreed and neutral attitude on Non pneumatic antishock garment (AOR = 0.41; 95%CI: 0.24, 0.68), and (AOR = 0.39; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.73), respectively were significantly associated with obstetric care provider’s utilization of Non-pneumatic antishock garment.

Conclusions

In the current study, roughly half of the providers are using Non-pneumatic antishock garment for preventing complications from postpartum hemorrhage. Strategies and program initiatives should focus on strengthening in-service and continuous professional development training, thereby filling the knowledge and attitude gap among obstetric care providers. Health centers should be targeted in future programs for accessibility and utilization of non-pneumatic antishock garment.
Time to cessation of exclusive breastfeeding and associated factors among women with children aged 6–24 months in Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania: A community-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Ali Farida , Msuya Sia E. , Mamseri Redempta , Mgongo Melina , Mboya Innocent B.
Published: October 2021

Background

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) up to six months is sub-optimal globally. Tanzania has surpassed the World Health Assembly (WHA) target of increasing the rate of exclusive breastfeeding among children below six months to at least 50% by the year 2025 the median age of cessation of EBF is only three months.

Objective

To determine the time to cessation of exclusive breastfeeding and its associated factors among women with children aged 6–24 months in Kilimanjaro region, Northern Tanzania.

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of data from a community-based cross-sectional study conducted between April 2016 and April 2017 in Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania. In the parent study, a multistage sampling technique was used to select study participants and interviewed using a questionnaire. Data for 1291 mother-child pairs were analyzed using STATA version 15. Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test estimated and compared the survivor functions across covariate levels. Cox regression proportional hazards models estimated the hazard ratios (HR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) for factors associated with time to cessation of exclusive breastfeeding.

Results

The prevalence of cessation of exclusive breastfeeding before six months was 68.7%, with a median age of cessation of four months (95% CI: 3, 4). In comparison to women living in Siha district, women living in Moshi Municipal (HR = 1.61; 95% CI = 1.24, 2.09), Same (HR = 1.32; 95% CI = 1.06, 1.65) and Mwanga (HR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.20, 1.96) districts, had higher hazards of cessation of exclusive breastfeeding before six months. Women who received breastfeeding counselling at antenatal care had a lower hazard to cease EBF (HR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.65, 087) compared to those who did not receive breastfeeding counselling.

Conclusion

The median age of cessation of EBF is unsatisfactory but at least higher (four months) than the national level estimate of three months. District specific interventions and breastfeeding counselling at antenatal care are essential for improving time to cessation of exclusive breastfeeding. Promotion of adequate ANC visits remains one of the critical interventions to improve BF practices and other reproductive health outcomes.