bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prognostic significance of diabetes and stress hyperglycemia in acute stroke patients
Authors: Muscari Antonio , Falcone Roberta , Recinella Guerino , Faccioli Luca , Forti Paola , Pastore Trossello Marco , Puddu Giovanni M. , Spinardi Luca , Zoli Marco
Published: August 2022

Background

Hyperglycemic non-diabetic stroke patients have a worse prognosis than both normoglycemic and diabetic patients. Aim of this study was to assess whether hyperglycemia is an aggravating factor or just an epiphenomenon of most severe strokes.

Methods

In this retrospective study, 1219 ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke patients (73.7 ± 13.1 years) were divided into 4 groups: 0 = non-hyperglycemic non-diabetic, 1 = hyperglycemic non-diabetic, 2 = non-hyperglycemic diabetic and 3 = hyperglycemic diabetic. Hyperglycemia was defined as fasting blood glucose ≥ 126 mg/dl (≥ 7 mmol/l) measured the morning after admission, while the diagnosis of diabetes was based on a history of diabetes mellitus or on a glycated hemoglobin ≥ 6.5% (≥ 48 mmol/mol), independently of blood glucose levels. All diabetic patients, except 3, had Type 2 diabetes. The 4 groups were compared according to clinical history, stroke severity indicators, acute phase markers and main short term stroke outcomes (modified Rankin scale ≥ 3, death, cerebral edema, hemorrhagic transformation of ischemic lesions, fever, oxygen administration, pneumonia, sepsis, urinary infection and heart failure).

Results

Group 1 patients had more severe strokes, with larger cerebral lesions and higher inflammatory markers, compared to the other groups. They also had a high prevalence of atrial fibrillation, prediabetes, previous stroke and previous arterial revascularizations. In this group, the highest frequencies of cerebral edema, hemorrhagic transformation, pneumonia and oxygen administration were obtained. The prevalence of dependency at discharge and in-hospital mortality were equally high in Group 1 and Group 3. However, in multivariate analyses including stroke severity, cerebral lesion diameter, leukocytes and C-reactive protein, Group 1 was only independently associated with hemorrhagic transformation (OR 2.01, 95% CI 0.99–4.07), while Group 3 was independently associated with mortality (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.32–3.64) and disability (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.01–2.88).

Conclusions

Hyperglycemic non-diabetic stroke patients had a worse prognosis than non-hyperglycemic or diabetic patients, but this group was not independently associated with mortality or disability when size, severity and inflammatory component of the stroke were accounted for.
Exome sequencing can misread high variant allele fraction of somatic variants in UBA1 as hemizygous in VEXAS syndrome: a case report
Authors: Wilke Matheus V. M. B. , Morava-Kozicz Eva , Koster Matthew J. , Schmitz Christopher T. , Foster Shannon Kaye , Patnaik Mrinal , Warrington Kenneth J. , Klee Eric W. , Pinto e Vairo Filippo
Published: August 2022

Background

VEXAS syndrome (vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic syndrome) is a recently described syndrome caused by a somatic missense variant at the methionine-41 (p.(Met41)) position in the ubiquitin-like modifier activating enzyme 1 (UBA1) in Xp11.3. Germline pathogenic variants in UBA1 are associated with a distinct phenotype: a syndrome with severe neurologic features associated with loss of anterior horn cells and infantile death denominated X-Linked Spinal Muscular Atrophy 2 (SMAX2) (OMIM 301,830).

Case presentation

We report a male individual with the phenotype of VEXAS syndrome that was initially identified through exome sequencing (ES) as having a hemizygous germline variant in UBA1 due to high variant allele frequency (VAF). Research Sanger sequencing was able to confirm the absence of the p.(Met41Val) variant in a skin biopsy and in gastric mucosa tissue sample confirming the variant happened as a postzygotic event.

Conclusions

The present case exemplifies the diagnostic challenge that was imposed by the high VAF detected by ES that failed to correctly demonstrate that the variant was in a mosaic state. Sequencing of different tissues should be considered when there is conflict between the UBA1 variant status and the clinical findings.
Management of medication overuse (MO) and medication overuse headache (MOH) S1 guideline
Authors: Diener Hans-Christoph , Kropp Peter , Dresler Thomas , Evers Stefan , Förderreuther Stefanie , Gaul Charly , Holle-Lee Dagny , May Arne , Niederberger Uwe , Moll Sabrina , Schankin Christoph , Lampl Christian
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Chronic headache due to the overuse of medication for the treatment of migraine attacks has a prevalence of 0.5–2.0%. This guideline provides guidance for the management of medication overuse (MO) and medication overuse headache (MOH).

Recommendations

Treatment of headache due to overuse of analgesics or specific migraine medications involves several stages. Patients with medication overuse (MO) or medication overuse headache (MOH) should be educated about the relationship between frequent use of symptomatic headache medication and the transition from episodic to chronic migraine (chronification), with the aim of reducing and limiting the use of acute medication. In a second step, migraine prophylaxis should be initiated in patients with migraine and overuse of analgesics or specific migraine drugs. Topiramate, onabotulinumtoxinA and the monoclonal antibodies against CGRP or the CGRP-receptor are effective in patients with chronic migraine and medication overuse. In patients with tension-type headache, prophylaxis is performed with amitriptyline. Drug prophylaxis should be supplemented by non-drug interventions. For patients in whom education and prophylactic medication are not effective, pausing acute medication is recommended. This treatment can be performed in an outpatient, day hospital or inpatient setting. Patients with headache due to overuse of opioids should undergo inpatient withdrawal. The success rate of the stepped treatment approach is 50–70% after 6 to 12 months. A high relapse rate is observed in patients with opioid overuse. Tricyclic antidepressants, neuroleptics (antiemetics) and the administration of steroids are recommended for the treatment of withdrawal symptoms or headaches during the medication pause. Consistent patient education and further close monitoring reduce the risk of relapse.
Rare condition of unilateral submandibular gland aplasia and its diagnostic significance in oral cavity carcinoma
Authors: Targe Mangala , Yasam Venkata Ramesh , Gandhe Sucheta , Manek Dhruti , Nagarkar Raj
Published: August 2022

Background

The unilateral submandibular gland aplasia (agenesis) is a rare, asymptomatic condition usually discovered incidentally on imaging. This is associated commonly with either compensatory hypertrophy of contralateral submandibular gland or sublingual glands.

Case presentation

We report the case of a 34-year-old male with incidentally detected unilateral submandibular gland aplasia associated with hypertrophy of ipsilateral sublingual gland, demonstrated by imaging modalities, where we have highlighted the diagnostic significance of such rare findings in oncology, particularly in oral cavity carcinoma cases with metastatic submandibular lymph nodes (level IB) mimicking as submandibular gland. Hence, lymphadenopathy can be missed preoperatively which is an important part of staging and treatment planning.

Conclusions

Aim of the present report is to create awareness about such rare entity in both clinicians/radiologists and highlight the imaging features for correct identification and to avoid any diagnostic dilemmas.
Realizing an excellent solution for detecting and solving conflicts between viewpoints of designers in self-adaptive systems
Authors: Do The-Can
Published: August 2022

Recently, given the rise of emerging demands on intelligent technological systems, increasing attention has been given to proliferating and enhancing the adaptation capacities of self-adaptive systems (SAS), which are capable of adapting their behavior to changes in the context or system resources contributing to overcome the complexity of today’s software-intensive systems. However, there are a significant number of challenges for developing adaptations on the SAS, such as simplifying the designer’s task, improving responsiveness, and reducing the conflicts between its adaptations. This study focuses on simplifying the designers’ tasks by utilizing independent designers’ viewpoints on context modeling. We proposed several solutions for solving the conflicts among different viewpoints of designers in the layer of context-aware management (CAM). The validation results are promising and show that our method effectively provides a solution that supports the problem of using independent viewpoints in the context modeling process and improves the SAS adaptation capacity.
Approach to the Patient: Diagnosis of Cushing Syndrome
Authors: Savas Mesut , Mehta Sonal , Agrawal Nidhi , van Rossum Elisabeth F C , Feelders Richard A
Published: August 2022

Cushing syndrome results from supraphysiological exposure to glucocorticoids and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis includes administration of corticosteroids (exogenous Cushing syndrome) or autonomous cortisol overproduction, whether or not ACTH-dependent (endogenous Cushing syndrome). An early diagnosis of Cushing syndrome is warranted; however, in clinical practice, it is very challenging partly because of resemblance with other common conditions (ie, pseudo-Cushing syndrome). Initial workup should start with excluding local and systemic corticosteroid use. First-line screening tests including the 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test, 24-hour urinary free cortisol excretion, and late-night salivary cortisol measurement should be performed to screen for endogenous Cushing syndrome. Scalp-hair cortisol/cortisone analysis helps in the assessment of long-term glucocorticoid exposure as well as in detection of transient periods of hypercortisolism as observed in cyclical Cushing syndrome. Interpretation of results can be difficult because of individual patient characteristics and hence requires awareness of test limitations. Once endogenous Cushing syndrome is established, measurement of plasma ACTH concentrations differentiates between ACTH-dependent (80%-85%) or ACTH-independent (15%-20%) causes. Further assessment with different imaging modalities and dynamic biochemical testing including bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling helps further pinpoint the cause of Cushing’s syndrome. In this issue of “Approach to the patient,” the diagnostic workup of Cushing syndrome is discussed with answering the questions when to screen, how to screen, and how to differentiate the different causes. In this respect, the latest developments in biochemical and imaging techniques are discussed as well.
Rational Synthesis of Benzoheterole-fused Porphyrins and π-System Switching by Central Metal Ion
Authors: Higashino Tomohiro , Iizumi Rikiya , Imahori Hiroshi
Published: August 2022

We developed a rational synthetic approach for benzoheterole-fused porphyrins and demonstrated the synthesis of benzothiophene- and indole-fused porphyrins using the approach. The fused porphyrins exhibited red-shifted absorption and fluorescence due to the effective π-expansion through heterole-fused structures. In addition, the π-circuit of indole-fused porphyrin can be switched by a central metal ion.
Analiza holoceńskich zmian środowiskowych w rynnie glacjalnej pomiędzy jeziorem Gopło a Jeziorem Szarlejskim i ich wpływ na osadnictwo w okresie od neolitu do nowożytności na podstawie badań osadów jeziornych oraz danych archeologicznych i historycznych
Authors: Słowiński Arkadiusz , Robaczewski Mateusz , Zięba Milena
Published: August 2022

The aim of the study is to analyze environmental changes in the area between Gopło and Szarlejskie Lakes. The Noteć River flows through this area, connecting both lakes. The lakes could have been connected and functioned as Wielkie Gopło. Geological reconnaissance was based on five boreholes drilled with a soil auger. The samples were subjected to granulometric analyses and the content of organic matter and calcium carbonate was determined. Eight samples were radiocarbon-dated using the AMS method. Recognition of the valley bottom settlement was done through spatial analysis using six Archaeological Project Records sheets. The results of the research allowed separating three phases of the area development: lake, bog and lake again. The beginning of the last lake development phase and its evolution have not been precisely dated and require research. Archaeological data demonstrate the poor settlement use of the glacial trough. Throughout the prehistoric period, settlement was concentrated at an altitude of 80–85 m above sea level, in the edge zone of trough. This means that the area was marshy and inaccessible for settlement. Drainage, regulation works in the Noteć river basin and industrial activities, led to the lowering of the groundwater level and weakened the lake’s recharge. Consequently, the lake disappeared from the studied area.
Giorgos Charalambous and Gregoris Ioannou, eds., Left Radicalism and Populism in Europe
Authors: Markou Grigoris
Published: August 2022

Review of Giorgos Charalambous and Gregoris Ioannou, eds., Left Radicalism and Populism in Europe. Oxford: Routledge, 2020. 269 pp.
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Penelope Petsini and Dimitris Christopoulos, eds., Λεξικό λογοκρισίας στην Ελλάδα: Καχεκτική δημοκρατία, δικτατορία, μεταπολίτευση
Authors: Triantafyllou Christos
Published: August 2022

Review of Penelope Petsini, Dimitris Christopoulos, eds., Λεξικό λογοκρισίας στην Ελλάδα: Καχεκτική δημοκρατία, δικτατορία, μεταπολίτευση [Dictionary of censorship in Greece: Stunted democracy, dictatorship, metapolitefsi]. Athens: Kastaniotis, 2018. 542 pp.
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Christina Koulouri, Φουστανέλες και χλαμύδες: Ιστορική μνήμη και εθνική ταυτότητα, 1821–1930
Authors: Gazi Effi
Published: August 2022

Review of Christina Koulouri, Φουστανέλες και Χλαμύδες: Ιστορική μνήμη και εθνική ταυτότητα, 1821–1930 [Fustanellas and chlamydes: Historical memory and national identity, 1821–1930]. Athens: Alexandria, 2020. 607 pp.
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First Grader and Mathematics: Features of Teaching According to the Updated Standard
Authors: Rydze Oxana
Published: August 2022

Teaching mathematics to younger schoolchildren in accordance with the Federal State Educational Standard for Primary General Education (FSES PGE) has a number of features. Leading among them is the development of spatial thinking, logical and algorithmic thinking, mathematical speech, functional mathematical literacy in accordance with the age capabilities of children. The article discusses the organization of teaching first-graders, focused on the implementation of the requirements of the updated version of the Federal State Educational Standard of the PGE for mathematical preparation: listening and reading a mathematical text, discussing and modeling a mathematical situation, searching for different solutions, drawing up an action plan. Appropriate skills and actions of first-graders can be successfully formed on the basis of traditional subject content.
Profesor Adam Vetulani na celowniku krakowskiej bezpieki
Authors: Biliński Piotr
Published: August 2022

Artykuł omawia inwigilację profesora Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego Adama Vetulaniego przez krakowską SB w ramach sprawy operacyjnego rozpracowania „Wenecja”, skierowanej przeciwko byłym działaczom PSL pozostającym w kontakcie z przebywającym na emigracji prof. Stanisławem Kotem. W grupie tej obok Vetulaniego znaleźli się też profesorowie Henryk Barycz, Jan Hulewicz, Ignacy Zarębski i Jerzy Zathey. Trwająca przez 28 lat inwigilacja nie przyniosła żadnych widocznych rezultatów, poza zadręczeniem Vetulaniego i jego najbliższej rodziny.
A Novel Case of Cardiac Tamponade after Percutaneous Pulmonary Embolectomy Using the FlowTriever Retrieval/Aspiration System
Authors: Tanveer Ud Din Mian , Ramanujam Deeksha , Nasrullah Adeel , Ashraf Obaid , Chalasani Varun , Dumont Tiffany
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Percutaneous embolectomy using the percutaneous large-bore aspiration embolectomy FlowTriever system (INARI Medical, Irvine, CA, USA) is a promising method for reducing high clot burden in patients with intermediate- to high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE). Case Description: A 45-year-old woman with intermediate- to high-risk PE underwent percutaneous intervention using the FlowTriever retrieval/aspiration system. After the procedure, she experienced several cardiac arrests from pericardial tamponade and required pericardiocentesis, leading to haemodynamic stabilization. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of the use of the FlowTriever system causing micro-perforation of the right ventricle, resulting in tamponade and cardiac arrest. Conclusion: Percutaneous embolectomy has shown promise results in reducing clot burden and improving haemodynamic stability but has risks and limitations and requires specialized knowledge and training. In addition, more data are required from centres using the FlowTriever system to ensure adequate training and safety.
Coccidioidomycosis Osteomyelitis of Distal Tibia in a Preschool Girl: A Case Report
Authors: Zamora José Arturo Ramírez , Vargas José Abraham Delgadillo , González Roberto Medina , Dávila Victor Carlos Hayakawa , Acevedo Angélica Yanawi Rodarte , Vertti Rubén Daniel Arellano Pérez
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Coccidioides immitis is a fungus that develops in endemic areas characterized by dry climates, with little rainfall and easy aerial dissemination. The most common form of infection is pulmonary coccidioidomycosis, although it is often asymptomatic. There are non-respiratory forms of this disease. Osteomyelitis is an extrapulmonary manifestation of C. immitis infection. Symptoms are usually nonspecific and radiographic findings are often confused with bone tumors. Treatment of coccidioidal osteomyelitis is often challenging. Case Presentation: We report a case of a 3-year-old preschool girl from an endemic area for coccidioidomycosis who presented with pain and swelling on her left ankle. Initially, antibiotic treatment is administered for a suspected insect bite. However, her symptoms worsened and X-rays showed a lytic-like lesión. She was admitted to the hospital for biopsy and drainage surgery. The histopathological study confirms coccidioidomycosis osteomyelitis. She was started on long-term anti-fungal treatment. At 6-month follow-up, symptoms and signs of infection have been solved and X-ray image shows evidence of bone healing. Conclusion: It is important to take into account aspects related to exposure to this fungus, such as the patient’s place of residence and recent trips so that the diagnostic and therapeutic approach is appropriate. Coccidioidal osteomyelitis is an infrequent pathology, especially in patients without other comorbidities. Treatment is complex and often requires not only antifungal drugs but also surgical debridement.
Improving the transmittance of the plasmonic slot filter by using a single reflector
Authors: Tang Ding-Kang
Published: August 2022

A scheme to improve the transmittance of the metal–insulator–metal (MIM) plasmonic slot filter is proposed and numerically studied. Using this scheme, the transmittance of all channels in the MIM slot filter can be significantly improved by using only one reflector. The simulation results show that the transmittance of all channels with this scheme is almost 160% higher than without it. A single-channel filter at 980 nm and a three-channel filter are both demonstrated using this scheme. All the work above is completed by the finite-element analysis method. The model and characteristics of the structure with periodical stubs are also introduced and analyzed. For the first time, to our knowledge, the expressions of all four elements of the transfer matrix together with the reflectance of the periodical stubs are given. It is believed that our research will help to provide new ideas for improving transmittance and promote the application of plasmonic filters.
Topology configuration scheme for accelerating coflows in a hyper-FleX-LION
Authors: Yang Hao , Zhu Zuqing
Published: August 2022

To address the challenges that data center networks (DCNs) are currently facing, optical circuit switching in DCNs has been introduced and a number of architectures to improve the performance of DCNs in terms of port capacity, energy efficiency, and data transfer latency have been proposed. This led to a few all-optical interconnects (AOIs), among which Hyper-FleX-LION possesses the reconfigurability that can efficiently support various traffic patterns. In this work, we study the topology management of AOIs in Hyper-FleX-LION to efficiently schedule coflows in them so the average coflow completion time (CCT) can be minimized. We first propose time-efficient algorithms to address the provisioning of a single coflow and then extend the algorithms for multi-coflow scenarios. The simulation results demonstrate that AOIs in Hyper-FleX-LION can accelerate coflows better than the traditional AOIs based on optical cross-connects and achieve an acceleration of up to

5.6

×

under the assumed situations. Our simulations also verify that, for coflow scheduling in Hyper-FleX-LION, our proposal can reduce the average CCT and significantly outperform benchmarks.
Theoretical modeling and ultra-thin design for multi-junction solar cells with a light-trapping front surface and its application to InGaP/GaAs/InGaAs 3-junction
Authors: Zhu Lin , Wang Yongtao , Pan Xu , Akiyama Hidefumi
Published: August 2022

Light-trapping design is a good strategy to obtain ultra-thin solar cells without sacrificing conversion efficiency. If applied to III-V compound multi-junction solar cells (MJSCs), it not only can greatly reduce the cell cost and weight, but also improve its radiation tolerance when operating in space. This paper formulates all subcell absorptance in an arbitrary N-junction solar cell with an ideal front textured surface and perfect rear mirror, including the effects of complex absorption and luminescence coupling in the stack. Taking the well-known InGaP/GaAs/InGaAs triple-junction solar cell (3J) for instance, the ultra-thin design and the conversion efficiency both in radiative limit and that with subcell internal radiative efficiency below-unity are predicted. Our results show that such front-textured 3J with top-subcell thickness varying from 200 to 500 nm can enhance light absorption so significantly that more than 28% of top-subcell, 56% of middle-subcell, and 90% of bottom-subcell thickness will be cut down when compared with the smooth-surfaced 3J. Typically, (350 nm, 315 nm, 28 nm) is recommended as the optimal design for the front-textured 3J with an experimental efficiency of over 38%. For the same benchmarks on photocurrent of 15.1 mA/cm2 or detailed balance limit of 44%, the minimum total thickness (all subcells only) in the front-textured 3J is only 1453 nm, that is even 71% of that in the rear-textured 3J, quantitatively revealing front texturization has a greater potential for material cut-down than rear texturization. Finally, the impacts of non-ideal scattering texturization on cell performance and ultra-thin design are also discussed. This work provides theoretical guidance for experimental studies on ultra-thin and high-efficient MJSCs with various light-trapping strategies.
High-Q out-of-plane Mie electric dipole surface lattice resonances in silicon metasurfaces
Authors: Zhao Xueqian , Xiong Lei , Zhang Zhenrong , Li Guangyuan
Published: August 2022

Metasurfaces supporting surface lattice resonances (SLRs) with narrow linewidths and high quality factors have become an exciting platform for diverse applications. Here we numerically show, for the first time, that narrowband out-of-plane Mie electric dipole SLRs (ED-SLRs) can be excited together with the in-plane ED-SLRs and magnetic-dipole SLRs in periodic silicon disks under oblique incidence with TM polarization. Simulation results show that the out-of-plane ED-SLR can have four times larger quality factors than the in-plane one under the same excitation conditions, and can have distinct near-field distributions and dispersion relationships compared with the plasmonic counterpart in periodic metallic nanodisks. We further show that the out-of-plane ED-SLR can define a symmetry-protected bound state in the continuum (BIC) at normal incidence, which transits into a quasi-BIC when the excitation field symmetry is slightly broken by the small incidence angle. We expect this work will advance the engineering of Mie SLRs for applications in metasurface-based nanolasers, nonlinear optics, and optical sensing.
Individually tunable array reflector for amplitude and phase modulation
Authors: Xiao Gongli , Su Jiapeng , Yang Hongyan , Chen Jiayu , Li Haiou , Liu Xingpeng , Chen Zanhui , Sun Tangyou , Wangyang Peihua , Li Jianqing
Published: August 2022

Based on graphene's phase modulation property and vanadium dioxide's amplitude modulation property, we developed an array reflector for terahertz frequencies that is individually adjustable. Starting with a theoretical analysis, we look into the effects of voltage on the Fermi level of graphene and temperature on the conductivity of vanadium dioxide, analyze the beam focusing characteristics, and finally link the controllable quantities with the reflected beam characteristics to independently regulate each cell in the array. The simulation findings demonstrate that the suggested array structure can precisely manage the focus point's position, intensity, and scattering degree and that, with phase compensation, it can control the wide-angle incident light. The array structure offers a novel concept for adjustable devices and focusing lenses, which has excellent potential for study and application.
Tunable focal waveguide-based see-through display with negative liquid crystal lens
Authors: Lin Wen-Kai , Antony Mareena , Zhou Shao-Kui , Hsu Che-Ju , Huang Chi-Yen , Su Wei-Chia
Published: August 2022

A see-through display based on a planar holographic waveguide with a tunable focal plane is presented. A negative liquid crystal lens is attached on the outcoupling location of the waveguide to manipulate the image distance. The continuous tunable range for the focal length is from negative infinity to −65 cm. The demonstrated prototype system provides 10.5° field-of-view (FOV) for the images not locating at infinity. The FOV for the images not locating at infinity is limited by the diameter of the liquid crystal lens. The lens function of the liquid crystal lens is polarization dependent. By controlling the polarization states of the real scene and the input information image, the liquid crystal lens keeps the see-through function for a real scene and simultaneously plays the role of a negative lens for the input information image. Compared to the see-through display system with a single focal plane, the presented system offers a more comfortable augmented reality (AR) experience.
Resonant energy transfer between rare earth atomic layers in nanolaminate films
Authors: Yuan Kang , Liu Yao , Ou-Yang Z. T. , Liu Jianzhao , Yang Yang , Sun Jiaming
Published: August 2022

Förster resonant energy transfer between atoms separated at a distance of a few nanometers has strong relevance to different properties of matter. In this work, the resonant energy transfer rate is derived from the electric potential in a system with one dipole interacting with a separated 2D plane of dipoles. It shows an R−2 (R: distance between dipole and 2D plane of dipoles) dependency on the distance of dipole layers, which is different from previous theoretical evaluations with an R−4 dependency. The electroluminescence (EL) properties are studied in different rare earth (Re: Tm, Tb, Ho, Yb, Er) distributed single atomic layer doped Al2O3 nanolaminates prepared by atomic layer deposition, in which the distance between single atomic layers of Re3+ is modulated at the atomic scale. Our theoretical results are consistent with the changes of EL intensity and decay time with the distance between the single atomic rare earth doping layers. This result is crucial for increasing the accuracy in biosensing and design of photonic materials.
Phase noise of Kerr soliton dual microcombs
Authors: Geng Yong , Han Xinjie , Zhang XiaoXu , Xiao Yanlan , Qian Sirong , Bai Qingsong , Fan Yunru , Deng Guangwei , Zhou Qiang , Qiu Kun , Xu Jing , Zhou Heng
Published: August 2022

Dissipative Kerr soliton microcombs are believed to be a promising technique to build a dual-comb source for applications including precision laser metrology, fast laser spectroscopy, and high-speed optical signal processing. In this Letter, we conduct a detailed experimental investigation on the phase coherence between two on-chip Kerr soliton microcombs, where the underlying physical and technical origins that lead to the mutual phase noise between microcombs are analyzed. Moreover, the techniques of 2-point locking and optical frequency division are explored to enhance the dual-microcomb phase coherence, and we demonstrate the best phase noise down to −50 dBc/Hz at 1-Hz offset, −90 dBc/Hz at 1-kHz offset, and −120 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset. Our study provides a basic reference for both fundamental studies and practical applications of Kerr soliton dual microcombs that entail high mutual phase coherence.
Thermally tunable and efficient second-harmonic generation on thin-film lithium niobate with integrated micro-heater
Authors: Liu Xiaoyue , Zhang Chi , Pan Ying , Ma Rui , Zhang Xian , Chen Mengwen , Liu Lin , Xie Zhenda , Zhu Shining , Yu Siyuan , Cai Xinlun
Published: August 2022

In this Letter, we report thermo-optic tunable and efficient second-harmonic generation (SHG) based on an X-cut periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide. By applying an on-chip heater with thermo-isolation trenches and combining a type-0 quasi-phase matching mechanism, we experimentally achieve a high on-chip SHG conversion efficiency of 2500–3000% W−1 cm−2 and a large tuning power efficiency of 94 pm/mW inside a single 5-mm-long straight PPLN waveguide. Our design is for energy-efficient, high-performance nonlinear applications, such as wavelength conversion, highly tunable coherent light sources, and photon-pair generation.
Triple-wavelength laser from a femtosecond laser directly-written fiber cavity for microwave generation
Authors: Shi Jindan , Sun Wenjuan , Chen Rui , Yin Shihao , Feng Xian
Published: August 2022

We report an all-fiber triple-wavelength single-frequency distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) laser for 1–10 GHz microwave (MW) generation. The DBR cavity contains a non-polarization-maintaining Er fiber and a pair of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) made using a femtosecond laser line-by-line (LbL) direct-writing method. Such a configuration combining a short cavity and radial asymmetry leads to frequency locking and phase controlling of multi-wavelength fiber lasers. A 1.59-µm triple-wavelength laser with high coherence, spectrum purity, and polarization purity has been demonstrated; 3–6 GHz triple-frequency MW was generated.
Hybrid-plane spectrum slicing for sequentially timed all-optical mapping photography
Authors: Yuan Xiandan , Li Zhongxing , Zhou Jiehua , Liu Sheng , Wang Du , Lei Cheng
Published: August 2022

Sequentially timed all-optical mapping photography (STAMP) is an effective tool for observing ultrafast and non-repetitive events. In the classical design of STAMP, the spatial resolution of the acquired images is different in two directions, severely limiting the scalability of STAMP. Here, by introducing an asymmetric optical design, we make the slicing mirror locate in the hybrid plane of the system, i.e., the image plane in the direction of the short edge, while the Fourier plane is in the direction of the long edge. This avoids the loss of the high-frequency components of the images and hence offers the possibility to further extend the frame number of the system.
Independent and intensity-adjustable dual-focused vortex beams via a helicity-multiplexing metalens
Authors: Hao Qun , Wang Wenli , Hu Yao , Zhang Shaohui , Zhang Shuo , Zhang Yu
Published: August 2022

Independently tailoring two or more focused vortex beams and controlling their intensity distributions in one device is indispensable in optical trapping and manipulation fields. We propose the phase equation for a helicity-multiplexing metalens generating dual-focused vortex beams based on the propagation phase and geometry phase. The metalens can independently manipulate dual-focused vortex beams, i.e., their focal lengths, lateral displacements, and topological charges could be independently tailored. Moreover, we can adjust their relative focal intensity by modulating the ellipticity of the incident beam. Such metalenses allow for advanced research and applications in trapping and rotating microparticles.
Verification of the mode fidelity and Fried parameter for optical turbulence generated by a spatial light modulator
Authors: Chahine Yousef K. , Tedder Sarah A. , Floyd Bertram , Vyhnalek Brian E.
Published: August 2022

The ability of a holographic optical spatial mode generator to reproduce a laser beam which has propagated through simulated atmospheric turbulence is characterized via wavefront sensor (WFS) measurements. The range of optical turbulence which can be effectively recreated is determined including its dependence on the pixel resolution of the spatial light modulator used as a hologram to modulate the beam. Optimal sampling of the hologram grating for producing turbulent spatial modes is studied analytically and experimentally. Mode fidelity above 90% is verified up to D/r0 = 10 with less than 3% error in the ratio D/r0. The Fried parameter is verified up to D/r0 = 50 demonstrating less than 9% error producing the targeted ratio D/r0.
Characterization of integrated heaters for ultra-long waveguides
Authors: Li Ang , Cheng Qixiang , Fainman Yeshaiahu
Published: August 2022

The demand for ultra-long waveguides with tunable refractive index keeps growing in various applications, such as tunable delay line, Fourier transform spectrometers, microwave filters, signal processors, programmable photonics circuits, Lidar etc. Thermal tuning using integrated heaters is so far the most popular option to modulate the waveguide index due to simplicity of fabrication, high tuning efficiency, wide tuning range as well as absence of spurious amplitude modulation. But for ultra-long waveguide, the heater design needs to take the in-plane geometry into consideration in order to optimize particular performance metrics. Therefore, in this manuscript we report both theoretical modelling and experimental characterization of integrated heaters for ultra-long waveguides that pays special attention to the impacts of heater geometry.
Cross-fitted instrument: A blueprint for one-sample Mendelian randomization
Authors: Denault William R. P. , Bohlin Jon , Page Christian M. , Burgess Stephen , Jugessur Astanand
Published: August 2022

Bias from weak instruments may undermine the ability to estimate causal effects in instrumental variable regression (IVR). We present here a new approach to handling weak instrument bias through the application of a new type of instrumental variable coined ‘Cross-Fitted Instrument’ (CFI). CFI splits the data at random and estimates the impact of the instrument on the exposure in each partition. These estimates are then used to perform an IVR on each partition. We adapt CFI to the Mendelian randomization (MR) setting and term this adaptation ‘Cross-Fitting for Mendelian Randomization’ (CFMR). We show that, even when using weak instruments, CFMR is, at worst, biased towards the null, which makes it a conservative one-sample MR approach. In particular, CFMR remains conservative even when the two samples used to perform the MR analysis completely overlap, whereas current state-of-the-art approaches (e.g., MR RAPS) display substantial bias in this setting. Another major advantage of CFMR lies in its use of all of the available data to select genetic instruments, which maximizes statistical power, as opposed to traditional two-sample MR where only part of the data is used to select the instrument. Consequently, CFMR is able to enhance statistical power in consortia-led meta-analyses by enabling a conservative one-sample MR to be performed in each cohort prior to a meta-analysis of the results across all the cohorts. In addition, CFMR enables a cross-ethnic MR analysis by accounting for ethnic heterogeneity, which is particularly important in meta-analyses where the participating cohorts may have different ethnicities. To our knowledge, none of the current MR approaches can account for such heterogeneity. Finally, CFMR enables the application of MR to exposures that are either rare or difficult to measure, which would normally preclude their analysis in the regular two-sample MR setting.
A simple model of the attentional blink and its modulation by mental training
Authors: Amir Nadav , Tishby Naftali , Nelken Israel
Published: August 2022

The attentional blink (AB) effect is the reduced probability of reporting a second target (T2) that appears shortly after a first one (T1) within a rapidly presented sequence of distractors. The AB effect has been shown to be reduced following intensive mental training in the form of mindfulness meditation, with a corresponding reduction in T1-evoked P3b brain potentials. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unknown. We propose a dynamical-systems model of the AB, in which attentional load is described as the response of a dynamical system to incoming impulse signals. Non-task related mental activity is represented by additive noise modulated by meditation. The model provides a parsimonious computational framework relating behavioral performance, evoked brain potentials and training through the concept of reduced mental noise.
A multi-objective based clustering for inferring BCR clonal lineages from high-throughput B cell repertoire data
Authors: Abdollahi Nika , Jeusset Lucile , De Septenville Anne Langlois , Ripoche Hugues , Davi Frédéric , Bernardes Juliana Silva
Published: August 2022

The adaptive B cell response is driven by the expansion, somatic hypermutation, and selection of B cell clonal lineages. A high number of clonal lineages in a B cell population indicates a highly diverse repertoire, while clonal size distribution and sequence diversity reflect antigen selective pressure. Identifying clonal lineages is fundamental to many repertoire studies, including repertoire comparisons, clonal tracking, and statistical analysis. Several methods have been developed to group sequences from high-throughput B cell repertoire data. Current methods use clustering algorithms to group clonally-related sequences based on their similarities or distances. Such approaches create groups by optimizing a single objective that typically minimizes intra-clonal distances. However, optimizing several objective functions can be advantageous and boost the algorithm convergence rate. Here we propose MobiLLe, a new method based on multi-objective clustering. Our approach requires V(D)J annotations to obtain the initial groups and iteratively applies two objective functions that optimize cohesion and separation within clonal lineages simultaneously. We show that our method greatly improves clonal lineage grouping on simulated benchmarks with varied mutation rates compared to other tools. When applied to experimental repertoires generated from high-throughput sequencing, its clustering results are comparable to the most performing tools and can reproduce the results of previous publications. The method based on multi-objective clustering can accurately identify clonally-related antibody sequences and presents the lowest running time among state-of-art tools. All these features constitute an attractive option for repertoire analysis, particularly in the clinical context. MobiLLe can potentially help unravel the mechanisms involved in developing and evolving B cell malignancies.
Accounting for multiple imputation-induced variability for differential analysis in mass spectrometry-based label-free quantitative proteomics
Authors: Chion Marie , Carapito Christine , Bertrand Frédéric
Published: August 2022

Imputing missing values is common practice in label-free quantitative proteomics. Imputation aims at replacing a missing value with a user-defined one. However, the imputation itself may not be optimally considered downstream of the imputation process, as imputed datasets are often considered as if they had always been complete. Hence, the uncertainty due to the imputation is not adequately taken into account. We provide a rigorous multiple imputation strategy, leading to a less biased estimation of the parameters’ variability thanks to Rubin’s rules. The imputation-based peptide’s intensities’ variance estimator is then moderated using Bayesian hierarchical models. This estimator is finally included in moderated t-test statistics to provide differential analyses results. This workflow can be used both at peptide and protein-level in quantification datasets. Indeed, an aggregation step is included for protein-level results based on peptide-level quantification data. Our methodology, named mi4p, was compared to the state-of-the-art limma workflow implemented in the DAPAR R package, both on simulated and real datasets. We observed a trade-off between sensitivity and specificity, while the overall performance of mi4p outperforms DAPAR in terms of F-Score.
Mechanistic insights into global suppressors of protein folding defects
Authors: Chattopadhyay Gopinath , Bhowmick Jayantika , Manjunath Kavyashree , Ahmed Shahbaz , Goyal Parveen , Varadarajan Raghavan
Published: August 2022

Most amino acid substitutions in a protein either lead to partial loss-of-function or are near neutral. Several studies have shown the existence of second-site mutations that can rescue defects caused by diverse loss-of-function mutations. Such global suppressor mutations are key drivers of protein evolution. However, the mechanisms responsible for such suppression remain poorly understood. To address this, we characterized multiple suppressor mutations both in isolation and in combination with inactive mutants. We examined six global suppressors of the bacterial toxin CcdB, the known M182T global suppressor of TEM-1 β-lactamase, the N239Y global suppressor of p53-DBD and three suppressors of the SARS-CoV-2 spike Receptor Binding Domain. When coupled to inactive mutants, they promote increased in-vivo solubilities as well as regain-of-function phenotypes. In the case of CcdB, where novel suppressors were isolated, we determined the crystal structures of three such suppressors to obtain insight into the specific molecular interactions responsible for the observed effects. While most individual suppressors result in small stability enhancements relative to wildtype, which can be combined to yield significant stability increments, thermodynamic stabilisation is neither necessary nor sufficient for suppressor action. Instead, in diverse systems, we observe that individual global suppressors greatly enhance the foldability of buried site mutants, primarily through increase in refolding rate parameters measured in vitro. In the crowded intracellular environment, mutations that slow down folding likely facilitate off-pathway aggregation. We suggest that suppressor mutations that accelerate refolding can counteract this, enhancing the yield of properly folded, functional protein in vivo.
The effect of livestock density on Trypanosoma brucei gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense: A causal inference-based approach
Authors: Meisner Julianne , Kato Agapitus , Lemerani Marshal Msanyama , Mwamba Miaka Erick , Ismail Taban Acaga , Wakefield Jonathan , Rowhani-Rahbar Ali , Pigott David M. , Mayer Jonathan D. , Rabinowitz Peter M.
Published: August 2022

Domestic and wild animals are important reservoirs of the rhodesiense form of human African trypanosomiasis (rHAT), however quantification of this effect offers utility for deploying non-medical control activities, and anticipating their success when wildlife are excluded. Further, the uncertain role of animal reservoirs—particularly pigs—threatens elimination of transmission (EOT) targets set for the gambiense form (gHAT). Using a new time series of high-resolution cattle and pig density maps, HAT surveillance data collated by the WHO Atlas of HAT, and methods drawn from causal inference and spatial epidemiology, we conducted a retrospective ecological cohort study in Uganda, Malawi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Sudan to estimate the effect of cattle and pig density on HAT risk.

For rHAT, we found a positive effect for cattle (RR 1.61, 95% CI 0.90, 2.99) and pigs (RR 2.07, 95% CI 1.15, 2.75) in Uganda, and a negative effect for cattle (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.71, 1.10) and pigs (RR 0.42, 95% CI 0.23, 0.67) in Malawi. For gHAT we found a negative effect for cattle in Uganda (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.50, 1.77) and South Sudan (RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.54, 0.77) but a positive effect in DRC (1.17, 95% CI 1.04, 1.32). For pigs, we found a positive gHAT effect in both Uganda (RR 2.02, 95% CI 0.87, 3.94) and DRC (RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.10, 1.37), and a negative association in South Sudan (RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.50, 0.98). These effects did not reach significance for the cattle-rHAT effect in Uganda or Malawi, or the cattle-gHAT and pig-gHAT effects in Uganda.

While ecological bias may drive the findings in South Sudan, estimated E-values and simulation studies suggest unmeasured confounding and underreporting are unlikely to explain our findings in Malawi, Uganda, and DRC. Our results suggest cattle and pigs may be important reservoirs of rHAT in Uganda but not Malawi, and that pigs—and possibly cattle—may be gHAT reservoirs.
SFTSV infection in rodents and their ectoparasitic chiggers
Authors: Gu Xiao-Lan , Su Wen-Qing , Zhou Chuan-Min , Fang Li-Zhu , Zhu Ke , Ma Dong-Qiang , Jiang Fa-Chun , Li Ze-Min , Li Dan , Duan Shu-Hui , Peng Qiu-Ming , Wang Rui , Jiang Yuan , Han Hui-Ju , Yu Xue-Jie
Published: August 2022

SFTSV, a tick-borne bunyavirus causing a severe hemorrhagic fever termed as severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS). To evaluate the potential role of rodents and its ectoparasitic chiggers in the transmission of SFTSV, we collected wild rodents and chiggers on their bodies from a rural area in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, China in September 2020. PCR amplification of the M and L segments of SFTSV showed that 32.3% (10/31) of rodents and 0.2% (1/564) of chiggers (Leptotrombidium deliense) from the rodents were positive to SFTSV. Our results suggested that rodents and chiggers may play an important role in the transmission of SFTSV, although the efficiency of chiggers to transmit SFTSV needs to be further investigated experimentally.
A retrospective molecular investigation of selected pigeon viruses between 2018–2021 in Turkey
Authors: Sahindokuyucu Ismail , Yazici Zafer , Barry Gerald
Published: August 2022

A recent first detection of pigeon aviadenovirus-1 and pigeon circovirus co-infection associated with Young Pigeon Disease Syndrome (YPDS) in a pigeon flock in Turkey, prompted a study focused on documenting the distribution of Pigeon aviadenovirus (PiAdV-1 and PiAdV-2), Pigeon circovirus (PiCV), Columbid alphaherpesvirus 1 (pigeon herpesvirus (PiHV)) and Fowl aviadenovirus (FAdV) in the country. These viruses were selected as they are associated with severe disease in pigeons across the world. A total of 192 cloacal swabs were collected from young (<1 year old) pigeons from 16 different private pigeon flocks across Turkey, between 2018 and 2021 as part of routine diagnostic sampling. PiCV genetic material was the most frequently detected 4/16 (25%), PiAdV-1 and CoHV-1 DNA were both found in one flock each, while neither PiAdV-2 and FAdV were detected in any of the studied pigeon flocks. PiCV and PiHV genetic material were both detected in the same pigeon flock’s cloacal samples as a co-infection with the identification of PiHV being a first in Turkey.