bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Will this tablet make me happy again? The contribution of relational prescribing in providing a pragmatic and psychodynamic framework for prescribers
Authors: Konstantinidou Haroula , Chartonas Dimitrios , Rogalski David , Lee Tennyson
Published: June 2022

We describe the importance of relational factors in prescribing practices and discuss how they may influence treatment outcomes. Although relational factors play a part in every clinician–patient interaction, they are particularly relevant when managing patients with complex emotional needs. We discuss how relational prescribing can add value when incorporated into standard practice. We introduce psychodynamic theory principles, and we suggest a framework to facilitate reflection and support decision-making when clinicians are faced with complex prescribing decisions.
Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy: Leveraging the Immune System to Treat Early-Stage Disease
Authors: Mittendorf Elizabeth A. , Burgers Femke , Haanen John , Cascone Tina
Published: June 2022

Given the success of immunotherapy in treating patients with metastatic disease in a variety of tumor types, there is tremendous enthusiasm for expanding the use of immunotherapy to those with early-stage cancer. Administering immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant, preoperative setting is a biologically sound approach because preclinical studies have shown that stronger and broader immune responses can be generated if immunotherapy is administered while the tumor and/or draining lymph nodes are intact. It is therefore likely that administering immunotherapy preoperatively will generate optimal immune responses, leading to high rates of pathologic response as well as improved long-term survival. Although neoadjuvant immunotherapy is currently only approved for use in combination with chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer and non–small cell lung cancer, it is anticipated that ongoing and future clinical trials will further define the role of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in many cancer types. These trials should be designed with appropriate survival endpoints and rigorous correlative studies to include imaging and biospecimen-based analyses to address currently unanswered questions that must be resolved to optimize the use of immunotherapy in early-stage disease.
Novel Therapeutics in the Treatment of Uterine Sarcoma
Authors: Bose Sminu , Schwartz Gary K. , Ingham Matthew
Published: June 2022

Uterine sarcomas reflect the diversity of sarcoma as a whole. The most common histologies include leiomyosarcoma, high- and low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma, and adenosarcoma. These are clinically and biologically heterogeneous diseases that are challenging to treat in the advanced setting. Recent advances in our understanding of the cancer biology of uterine sarcomas has improved diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic management. Promising approaches for patients with advanced uterine leiomyosarcoma include targeting DNA damage repair pathways and depleting immunosuppressive macrophage populations. A subset of endometrial stromal sarcomas harbor potentially actionable alterations in the Wnt, cyclin D-CDK4/6-Rb, and MDM2-p53 pathways. There remains an urgent need to translate molecular findings into prospective clinical trials of novel agents for patients with these diseases; progress will depend on academic collaborations and enrollment of patients with uterine sarcoma in biomarker-driven basket studies.
Action for Increasing Diversity, Market Access, and Capacity in Oncology Registration Trials—Is Africa the Answer? Report From a Satellite Session of the Accelerating Anti-Cancer Agent Development and Validation Workshop
Authors: Kizub Darya , Manner Cathyryne K. , Graef Katy , Abubakar Bello , Orem Jackson , Odedina Folakemi , Adeyeye Mojisola Christianah , Nakigudde Gertrude , Ayalew Kassa , Kalidas Chitkala , Lyerly Herbert Kim , Norman Thea , Fashoyin-Aje Lola , Freedman Jamie , Dent Jennifer , Cance Bill , Gralow Julie
Published: June 2022

Patients of African ancestry are not well-represented in cancer clinical trials despite bearing a disproportionate share of mortality both in United States and Africa. We describe key stakeholder perspectives and priorities related to bringing early-stage cancer clinical trials to Africa and outline essential action steps. Increasing Diversity, Market Access, and Capacity in Oncology Registration Trials—Is Africa the Answer? satellite session was organized at 2021 Accelerating Anti-Cancer Agent Development and Validation Workshop. Panelists included representatives of African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer, Uganda Cancer Institute, Uganda Women's Cancer Support Organization, BIO Ventures for Global Health, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the US Food and Drug Administration, Nigeria's National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Bayer, and Genentech, with moderators from ASCO and American Cancer Society. Key discussion themes and resulting action steps were agreed upon by all participants. Panelists agreed that increasing diversity in cancer clinical trials by including African patients is key to ensuring novel drugs are safe and effective across populations. They underscored the importance of equity in clinical trial access for patients in Africa. Panelists discussed their values related to access and barriers to opening clinical trials in Africa and described innovative solutions from their work aimed at overcoming these obstacles. Multisectoral collaboration efforts that allow leveraging of limited resources and result in sustainable capacity building and mutually beneficial long-term partnerships were discussed as key to outlined action steps. The panel discussion resulted in valuable insights about key stakeholder values and priorities related to bringing early-stage clinical trials to Africa, as well as specific actions for each stakeholder group.
“New Others”
Authors: Velikonja Mitja
Published: June 2022

This article deals with mostly negative ideological images of refugees, as they erupted in political graffiti and street art (stickers, stencils, various inscriptions) in Slovenia during the so-called refugee crisis from the fall of 2015 on. Its basic questions are three: How is the ideological process of othering the refugees constructed in political graffiti? How does this relate to dominant discourses and practices in Slovenian society (from official politics to mass media)? What were the reactions against such sprayed hate speech (so pro-refugee graffiti)? The process of othering progresses in two steps: refugees are first imagined as an unified mass that is radically different from imaginary notions of “Slovenianism” and “Europeanism,” which then serves as the basis for differentiation between more and less acceptable of them. On these grounds, four different ideological images are created: a refugee as a criminal, a refugee as an uninvited visitor, a refugee as a powerless victim, and a refugee as a global proletarian. About 150 original photos of anti- and pro-refugee graffiti, mostly from Slovenia (but for comparative reasons also from the whole region), are analyzed using the semiotic method as developed by its classics and finally interpreted with Theodor Adorno and Alexander Mitscherlich's concepts of “displacement of hatred” and Seymour Martin Lipset's concept of “extremism of the center.”
On Making a Knowledge of Body
Authors: Yusin Jennifer
Published: June 2022

This essay explores some of the ways relations between body and law shape intersex and trans experiences. It draws on the work of Dean Spade, Suzanne Kessler, and Audre Lorde to help show how intersex and trans experiences imply a certain link between justice and joy. The essay considers how this link consists in opening new epistemological horizons of body that compel us to account for how there exists a knowledge that is not reducible to an objective. To help develop these points, this essay focuses on medical and legal demands to make gender normal. It proceeds by interpreting how the word normal functions as a metaphor expressing a subjective body of knowledge that concerns everyone. Accounting for this knowledge helps demonstrate how intersex and trans experiences confront the impossible of the law in all of its severities with courage and patience.
A genetic framework for proximal secondary vein branching in the Arabidopsis thaliana embryo
Authors: Kastanaki Elizabeth , Blanco-Touriñán Noel , Sarazin Alexis , Sturchler Alessandra , Gujas Bojan , Vera-Sirera Francisco , Agustí Javier , Rodriguez-Villalon Antia
Published: June 2022

Over time, plants have evolved flexible self-organizing patterning mechanisms to adapt tissue functionality for continuous organ growth. An example of this process is the multicellular organization of cells into a vascular network in foliar organs. An important, yet poorly understood component of this process is secondary vein branching, a mechanism employed to extend vascular tissues throughout the cotyledon surface. Here, we uncover two distinct branching mechanisms during embryogenesis by analyzing the discontinuous vein network of the double mutant cotyledon vascular pattern 2 (cvp2) cvp2-like 1 (cvl1). Similar to wild-type embryos, distal veins in cvp2 cvl1 embryos arise from the bifurcation of cell files contained in the midvein, whereas proximal branching is absent in this mutant. Restoration of this process can be achieved by increasing OCTOPUS dosage as well as by silencing RECEPTOR-LIKE PROTEIN KINASE 2 (RPK2) expression. Although RPK2-dependent rescue of cvp2 cvl1 is auxin- and CLE peptide-independent, distal branching involves polar auxin transport and follows a distinct regulatory mechanism. Our work defines a genetic network that confers plasticity to Arabidopsis embryos to spatially adapt vascular tissues to organ growth.
Microeconomic Aspects of the Mass Communication Process
Authors: Aleshin Evgeniy , Yakubenko Elena
Published: June 2022

In this article, we will analyze the modern process of mass communication in the microeconomic aspect in order to find out which theoretical and practical provisions most fully and deeply reflect Russian reality. This article deals with the theory of social systems by N. Luhmann, as well as an economic analysis of mass communications of the functional level in the conditions of the modern Russian media space.
Pensamientos convergentes y procesos creativos
Authors: Marcelo Falcón Roberto , Torregrosa Apolline , Peterson Sidiney
Published: June 2022

Este articulo presenta cómo los procesos creadores son la resonancia de la convergencia de mundos diferentes. Para ello nos hemos situado en una “antropología de lo no humano”, que nos lleva a reconocer otras formas de pensamientos existentes con las cuales podemos interactuar. Abrirse a una resonancia de mundos extranjeros, va dibujando pasajes impensados donde la investigación puede renacer, donde las sociedades pueden reencantarse y encontrar su lugar dentro de un diálogo con las fuerzas naturales. Este planteamiento revela un cambio de episteme de un progreso lógico político a una progresividad de las fuerzas instintivas, que incluyen los procesos lógicos de las personas y los grupos que constituyen. En esta dimensión, lo creativo incorpora la dimensión de la convergencia de mundos, muchas veces impulsada acausalmente por el error y por la aventura.
El silencio detrás de la diversidad cultural. Una aproximación desde la educación artística.
Authors: González Álvarez Miriam
Published: June 2022

Nos encontramos en un momento histórico y social nunca antes conocido, con una riqueza y variedad cultural intensamente amplia, con una gama racial múltiple. Por lo que, el presente estudio surge como respuesta a la diversidad, nace como aportación personal a la mejora en la convivencia e inclusión de todos los grupos sociales y, crece como medio de integración, en las aulas, de todas las personas sin importar sus características individuales. En este artículo se realizará un recorrido conceptual por el término cultura, estableciendo los límites de la conciencia y la comunidad, rescatando del silencio aquellos conceptos de uso y desconocimiento, como: multiculturalidad, interculturalidad, transculturalidad y, definiendo la realidad pluricultural que se presenta en las aulas y las posibles respuestas dadas por diversos autores y autoras desde la educación general y desde la educación artística en concreto.
Chemical Safety of Poland and the European Union and the Activities of the National Tax Administration
Authors: Puka Andrzej , Cygańczuk Krzysztof
Published: June 2022

Aim: This article attempts to present the issues related to the strengthening of chemical, ecological and environmental safety as an essential component of the safety of citizens and the activities of public authorities, on the example of the activities of the National Tax Administration. Introduction: Currently, over 100 thou. chemical products are used in production and consumption. Therefore, ensuring chemical safety is a priority, taking into account the fact that further civilization development determines maintaining this number at a similar or higher level, which enables greater mobility of societies, as well as providing food for a mass growing population. We encounter illegal activities involving the use of chemicals almost every day, which is an increasing threat to international security and peace in the world, further escalating hybrid threats. Chemical safety is essential for eco- logical safety, it guarantees the necessary cleanliness of the environment, and moreover, it is inextricably linked with the health safety of the societies. Ensuring chemical safety and compliance with the environmental protection standards is one of the objectives of the National Tax Administration, which translates directly into the protection of Poland’s borders against environmental, chemical and general international security threats. Methodology: The work includes a synthetic review of basic literature based on guidelines, regulations and directives, both national and European. The current achievements in the area of chemical safety applied in national bodies and the implementation of EU legal acts for the security of Poland were summarized. Conclusions: Based on the analysis and synthesis of the literature review, the effectiveness of the activities of customs and tax authorities in Poland and the European Union in ensuring chemical and environmental safety was assessed. The role of Poland as a border country exposed to smuggling from the eastern direction deserves special attention. Keywords: chemical safety, National Tax Administration (KAS), REACH, CLP, PIC Type of article: review article
Changes in the nutritional status of elderly patients with HIV diagnosis undergoing antiretroviral treatment
Authors: Miranda Glauciane L. , Ignácio Aline , Lopes Ana Carla D. O. , Lima Camila F.
Published: June 2022

Introduction: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is an infectious contagious disease produced by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes progressive immunosuppression, making individuals susceptible to infections and opportunistic diseases. Despite its benefits, antiretroviral therapy has side effects, such as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, high blood pressure and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify metabolic alterations in elderly patients with AIDS who use antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods: The study consisted of a retrospective bibliographic review, including indexed articles published over the last 10 years, written in Portuguese and English, which evaluated changes in nutritional status and metabolic changes in HIV-positive patients who used ART. Results: According to the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the number of people over 65 with HIV grew by 103% in the last decade. The HIV virus has a long incubation period before the onset of the first symptoms of the disease, which results in AIDS. Dyslipidemia affects approximately 70% of HIV-infected patients who use ART, and occurs due to an increase in serum cholesterol, triglycerides and/or a reduction in HDL-cholesterol. Conclusion: The WHO recommends that nutritional interventions form part of HIV/AIDS control and treatment programs since they improve treatment adherence and ART effectiveness. In this context, a healthy diet that is adequate for the needs of the individual contributes to increased levels of CD4 T lymphocytes and reduces the harm caused by opportunistic infections, while improving intestinal absorption, as well as decreasing muscle loss and lipodystrophy syndrome, whose symptoms can significantly reduce the survival rates of patients.Keywords: HIV; AIDS; ART; Lipodystrophy syndrome (LS); Dyslipidemia; Insulin resistance.
Pembelajaran kepada Masyarakat Perkotaan Tentang Strategi Mereduksi Urban Heat Island di Kota Kendari
Authors: Nurgiantoro Nurgiantoro , Jahidin Jahidin , Arsyad La Ode Muhamad Nurrakhmad , Soeparyanto Try Sugiyarto , Mando Ode Agus Salim , Uslinawaty Zakiah , Baka Wa Kuasa , Aris Armayanti
Published: June 2022

Pembentukan pulau panas atau dikenal dengan istilah urban heat island (UHI) merupakan fenomena iklim mikro di suatu wilayah perkotaan yang formasinya dipengaruhi oleh kepadatan penduduk, geometri perkotaan, penggunaan lahan dan tutupan lahan. Potensi UHI di wilayah perkotaan sangat signifikan tak terkecuali di Kota Kendari yang pertumbuhan penduduk, serta aktifitas pembangunan di wilayahnya meningkat pesat tiap tahunnya. Pemahaman masyarakat tentang fenomena tersebut pun masih kurang dan juga belum menyadari pentingnya mitigasi kebencanaan akibat perubahan iklim. Program kemitraan masyarakat (PKM) yang dikemas dalam bentuk pengabdian ini bertujuan meningkatkan pengetahuan dan pemahaman masyarakat dalam strategi mereduksi UHI. Pencapaian tujuan dilakukan dengan metode pembelajaran kepada masyarakat melalui ceramah/diskusi secara langsung, serta kegiatan aksi penanaman vegetasi tipe pohon pada wilayah yang memiliki indeks vegetasi < 0.5. Hasil PKM menunjukkan meningkatnya antusiasme mitra sasaran dalam kegiatan pembelajaran strategi mereduksi UHI melalui rekaya vegetasi tanaman dari tipe pohon, semak, dan rumput, dan melalui rekayasa pewarnaan bangunan seperti penggunaan warna cat yang kurang menyerap panas serta pembelajaan tentang konsep vertical garden. Sedangkan dalam kegiatan aksi penanaman vegetasi tipe pohon, tim dan mitra berhasil menanam sebanyak 30 bibit pohon trembesi di tepi dan median jalan. Pohon-pohon tersebut nantinya akan menjadi sumber vegetasi yang mampu mengurangi efek UHI.
Pengolahan Serat Nanas Menjadi Material Komposit di Desa Satak Kabupaten Kediri
Authors: Soeprijanto Soeprijanto , Puspita Niniek Fajar , Ningrum Eva Oktavia , Hamzah Afan , Karisma Achmad Dwitama , Altway Saidah , Subyakto Agung
Published: June 2022

Desa Satak, Kecamatan Puncu, Kabupaten Kediri terletak di kaki Gunung Kelud di Provinsi Jawa Timur merupakan penghasil buah nanas yang memiliki rumpun tanaman nanas yang cukup banyak dan dijadikan sebagai sumber penghasilan utama. Setelah buah dipanen, limbah pohon nanas hanya dibiarkan menumpuk di sekitar lahan tanpa diolah, sehingga menjadi masalah bagi petani pasca panen. Selain itu, karena limbah daun nanas tidak dapat dimanfaatkan menjadi pakan ternak, masyarakat biasanya hanya membakar limbah daun nanas, sehingga dapat menimbulkan polusi udara. Untuk mengatasi permasalahan tersebut, maka dilakukan upaya nyata untuk mengolah limbah daun nanas menjadi produk yang bernilai ekonomi tinggi dan menjadi mata pencaharian alternatif bagi masyarakat. Pada kegiatan abmas TTG berbasis produk ini, Tim abmas telah merancang dan membuat mesin degumming dan mesin cutting sebagai alat pengolahan limbah daun nanas. Alat degumming berfungsi untuk menghilangkan gum atau getah yang terkandung dalam serat kasar dan menghasilkan serat yang lebih halus, sedangkan alat cutting berfungsi untuk menghasilkan potongan serat halus dengan ukuran tertentu. Potongan serat halus ini dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai bahan baku pembuatan biokomposit. Pelaksanaan kegiatan abmas TTG ini melibatkan kegiatan KKN abmas mahasiswa dalam sosialisasi pengoperasian alat dan pemasaran produk yang dihasilkan. Kegiatan sosialisasi ini dihadiri oleh Karang Taruna, Perangkat Desa Satak, Staf-staf KepalaKecamatan Puncu, dan Kepala Balitbangda Kabupaten Kediri. Setelah dilakukan sosialisasi, dilakukan penyerahan alat kepada masyarakat Desa Satak yang diwakili oleh perangkat Desa Satak dengan harapan dapat digunakan untuk mengatasi limbah daun nanas serta dapat mengembangkan dan memasarkan produk di masa depan.
Produk Herbal Ramah Lingkungan di Desa Oro-oro Ombo- Batu Malang, Provinsi Jawa Timur Dalam Upaya Peningkatan Produktivitas Masyarakat
Authors: Puji Dyah Nurhayati Awik , Ghaissani Shabrina Syifa , Setiawan Edwin , Sa’adah Noor Nailis , Ashuri Nova Maulidina , Abdulgani Nurlita , Hidayati Dewi , Navastara Dini Adni , Prasetyo Didit , Rosdiana Lissa
Published: June 2022

Desa Oro-Oro Ombo merupakan salah satu kawasan tersertifikasi pertanian organik di Kota Batu yang memiliki potensi empon empon seperti jahe, laos, kencur, kunyit dan temulawak. Pengembangan potensi empon empon ini sangat menjanjikan karena memilik banyak khasiat untuk kesehatan. Hal ini didukung dengan beredar kabar bahwa virus corona bisa ditangkal dengan ramuan jamu, yang terdiri dari ramuan jahe yang disebut mpon-mpon atau empon-empon. Permasalahan dalam kegiatan pengabdian ini adalah bahwa pengolahan empon empon masih sederhana, yaitu hanya dijual dalam kondisi segar ataupun produk jamu. Empon empon hanya dimanfaatkan sebagai tambahan produksi pertanian saja, belum dilakukan pengembangan teknologi untuk membuat produk herbal yang bernilai ekonomi tinggi.  Beberapa produk jamu belum memenuhi standar sesuai standar karena bahan baku produk jamu. Solusi yang diajukan dalam kegiatan pengabdian ini adalah Pengembangan Teknologi Pengolahan Produk Herbal Ramah Lingkungan di Desa Oro-oro Ombo- Batu Malang, Provinsi Jawa Timur sebagai usaha peningkatan potensi daerah dan peningkatan ekonomi masyarakat setempat melalui peningkatan pengetahuan, keterampilan pembuatan produk herbal yang ramah lingkungan. Kegiatan yang dilakukan adalah persiapan, observasi, koordinasi, sosialisasi, penyuluhan dan pelatihan. Target luaran yang akan dicapai dari Program Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat dari ITS ini adalah peningkatan keterampilan dan penghasilan masyarakat melalui pembuatan produk herbal yang ramah lingkungan secara mandiri bahkan bisa menjadi pemasok komoditas herbal ke daerah lain. Produk – produk herbal yang berhasil di produksi oleh tim KKN ABMAS ini meliputi: Sabun Herbal dari Kelor dan Kunyit, Djamoe Imoen sebagai Peningkat Imun Tubuh dari Jahe, Kunyit, dan Serai, Cookies dengan Selai Bunga Belimbing Wuluh, Sinom berpemanis stevia, Herbal Chewy candy, Boba herbal jahe merah, Sabun cair herbal, Produk Susu Temulawak Tubruk dengan menggunakan pemanis alami Stevia. Kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat inipun berhasil terpublikasi dengan baik melalui beberapa kanal media diantaranya: wesbite metrotimes.news, akun instagram maupun twitter Pusat Kajian KPBI ITS, serta live streaming youtube channel ITS pada saat pelaksanaan BUMDES JATIM AWARD ITS yang dihadiri oleh Bapak Wakil Gubernur Jawa Timur. Kegiatan ini diharapkan mendukung mewujudkan Usaha Kecil dan Menengah (UKM) dengan efisiensi pemanfaatan potensi empon empon sebagai produksi herbal ramah lingkungan sebagai usaha peningkatan produktivitas masyarakat. Lingkungan pertanian yang bersih, nyaman dan tertata selanjutnya dapat menjadi pionir daerah Wisata Herbal di Desa Oro-oro Ombo- Batu Malang, Provinsi Jawa Timur
Energy, Environment, and Sustainability: A Multi-criteria Evaluation of Countries
Authors: Aytekin Ahmet
Published: June 2022

Energy, the environment, and sustainability are all strongly intertwined concerns. While humanity aims to spread the comfort and welfare it has achieved on a global scale, as well as to achieve more development and comfort through technological advances, it is caught in a stalemate caused by the world’s use of resources as if they are limitless, as well as irrevocable environmental damage. The major topic of this dilemma is energy. Using ARAT, CRITIC, SOWIA, CRADIS, and CODAS-Sort, this study aims to evaluate countries on the basis of energy, environment, and sustainability triangle. The results reveal that developed countries are in a better situation than developing and underdeveloped countries in terms of sustainable energy and environmental concerns. The Nordic countries notably lead the rankings and classification results. The primary reason for this is that Nordic countries have strong climate and energy policies. Given the limitations of fossil fuels, the fact that they’ll be exhausted in a few decades, and the environmental damage they cause, the development and effective use of renewable energy sources is considered a critical solution option. Because it appears that humanity will struggle to give up its existing level of comfort or lower its energy use. The importance of energy efficiency, diversification of renewable energy sources, raising societal awareness, unity in global sustainable environmental policies, aiding societies that are falling behind in achieving welfare and fighting poverty and focusing on energy savings emerge at this point. A strong will and community support will be necessary to adopt and implement these policies.
Improvement of a Monte-Carlo-simulation-based turbulence-induced attenuation model for an underwater wireless optical communications channel
Authors: Xu DongLing , Yue Peng , Yi Xiang , Liu JingYi
Published: June 2022

The light propagating in an underwater wireless optical communications (UWOC) channel suffers absorption and scattering effects jointly caused by particles and turbulence. By using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS), most of the research involving UWOC channel modeling has sufficiently considered the attenuation caused by particles while ignoring or erroneously considering the absorption and scattering effects induced by turbulence, which will result in an underestimation of attenuation. Motivated by this, we use a MCS method to construct a more complete and more reasonable channel model, which makes up for the deficiencies of previous studies and provides a general analysis framework for the absorption and scattering effects brought by the two factors of particles and turbulence. We further study the path loss, channel impulse response (CIR), and probability density function (PDF) of the light intensity under different communication scenarios. Results show that, compared to the situation involving only particle effects, the addition of consideration of turbulence effects increases the path loss by more than 5 dB, reduces the CIR amplitude to less than one-third, and makes the light intensity PDF become more dispersed. Our research can provide certain theoretical guidance for UWOC system design and performance evaluation.
Micro-LED with red-green-blue super-pixel integration for simultaneous display and optical near field communication
Authors: Liu Xinyi , Wang Li , Zhang Chongyun , Liu Chuanbiao , Lv Zhijian , Liu Zhaojun , Patrick Yue C.
Published: June 2022

This work presents a novel all-in-one Micro-LED pixel (µLEDP) technology by integrating red-green-blue super-pixels (RGBSP) in a single unit cell. Measurement results show that the proposed µLEDP delivers excellent optical and electrical characteristics, including wide color gamut (109% NTSC), wide correlated color temperature range (2831.7-10016.8 K), and high modulation system bandwidth (58-62 MHz). To the best of our knowledge, the proposed integrated µLEDP achieves the highest data rate compared to published results based on other multi-color low-capacitance high-bandwidth LEDs. The maximum simulated non-return-to-zero (NRZ) and 4-level pulse-amplitude-modulation (PAM-4) data rates of 0.3-Gb/s and 1.1-Gb/s, respectively.
Shape influence on the ultrafast plasmonic properties of gold nanoparticles
Authors: Peckus Domantas , Tamulevičienė Asta , Mougin Karine , Spangenberg Arnaud , Vidal Loic , Bauerlin Quentin , Keller Marc , Henzie Joel , Puodžiukynas Linas , Tamulevičius Tomas , Tamulevičius Sigitas
Published: June 2022

The aim of shape-controlled colloidal synthesis of gold (Au) is to produce Au nanoparticles (NPs) with fine control of shapes, sizes, and dispersities. We show how transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) can be used to rapidly and accurately quantify the vast ensemble of shapes of Au NPs in solution within minutes, including the synthesized nanorods, decahedra, and nanospheres. Colloidal solutions containing Au NPs were measured in TAS and their localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) modes were classified according to the shape, wavelength and number of peaks. Then their excited-state relaxation dynamics were used to ascertain their electron-phonon (e-ph) coupling time constant and frequency of optomechanical modes. TAS can quickly show that an Au nanosphere sample contains a tiny fraction of Au nanorods, whereas steady-state absorbance is totally blind to the presence of nanorods. Additionally, the TAS experiments indicate that the characteristic e-ph coupling time constants in Au nanorods depend on the NPs dimensions at high excitation intensity (> 6 µJ/cm2) which can help identify if there are any elongated Au NPs in Au spheres samples. Finally, optomechanical oscillations formed by NPs breathing modes were observed, providing information related to the average size and monodispersity of Au nanospheres and nanorods.
In situ characterization of few-femtosecond laser pulses by learning from first-principles calculations
Authors: Geffert Otfried , Kolbasova Daria , Trabattoni Andrea , Calegari Francesca , Santra Robin
Published: June 2022

The field of ultrafast spectroscopy is based on lasers being able to produce pulses that are as short as a few femtoseconds. Due to their broad bandwidth, these ultrashort light transients are strongly affected by propagation through materials. Therefore, a careful characterization of their temporal profile is required before any application. We propose a scheme for their characterization in situ, ensuring that the pulse parameters are measured in the region where the interaction with the sample takes place. Our method is based on first-principles calculations for strong-field ionization of rare-gas atoms and autocorrelation. We introduce a machine-learning algorithm, called vector space Newton interpolation cage (VSNIC), that uses the results from the first-principles calculations as input and reconstructs from a strong-field autocorrelation pattern for an unknown pulse the pulse length and spectral width by narrow margins.
Versatile and high-quality manipulation of asymmetric modes in bent metal nanowires
Authors: Wang Yipei , Feng Yuanjia , Zeng Lili , Wu Xiaoqin
Published: June 2022

As a symmetry-breaking system, bent metal nanowires (MNWs) are able to guide asymmetric plasmon modes, but are also subject to deteriorated waveguiding performance. Previous studies mainly focused on bending losses or longitudinal modes, while the inherent asymmetric nature of the transverse mode was often overlooked and its potential in high-performance manipulation has remained unlocked. Meanwhile, they also showed contradictory conclusions regarding the effect of the bend that need further study. Here, we investigate the previously neglected field-deformation effects to demonstrate their significance on mode behaviors, and propose manipulation strategies of asymmetric modes with excellent qualities that are even higher than their symmetric counterparts in straight MNWs. We show that the field distributions can be translationally, rotationally, and longitudinally reformed, allowing not only extra degrees of freedom in manipulations, but also possibilities to convert the bending into a favorable factor for mode quality. Even for sharply bent MNWs with a sub-wavelength bending radius, the quality of the asymmetric mode can be greatly enhanced, even enabling a figure of merit almost twice its symmetric counterpart in straight MNWs without bending. Our findings may greatly extend the capabilities of bent MNWs, offering new opportunities in high-performance plasmonic components and flexible devices.
Remote eye care method for compensation of defocus aberration in an unbalanced peripheral refraction aberrometer
Authors: Calabuig-Barroso Alejandro , Pinate Ajay , Suchkov Nikolai , Wahl Siegfried
Published: June 2022

The link between retinal peripheral defocus, and its influence on myopia development has opened the need for accurate scientific investigations to understand the peripheral mechanisms of action. In such a manner, high-quality peripheral refractometry has become the cornerstone of myopia research. A clinical aberrometer is an efficient and robust instrument for measuring wavefront error for central vision. However, several difficulties prevent standardization in clinical use to measure aberrations in the peripheral field. In this work, we developed a new scanning Shack Hartmann aberrometer using a different economical customized relay telescope and a dual-axis fast steering mirror. The study aims to investigate the characteristics of defocus aberration in the instrument with support of digitalization techniques. Two physical eye models were built and analyzed to show and validate the working principle. The results of this research provide knowledge for remote maintenance and calibration of ophthalmological instruments, remote visual care and telemedicine.
Integrated view and comparative analysis of baseline protein expression in mouse and rat tissues
Authors: Wang Shengbo , García-Seisdedos David , Prakash Ananth , Kundu Deepti Jaiswal , Collins Andrew , George Nancy , Fexova Silvie , Moreno Pablo , Papatheodorou Irene , Jones Andrew R. , Vizcaíno Juan Antonio
Published: June 2022

The increasingly large amount of proteomics data in the public domain enables, among other applications, the combined analyses of datasets to create comparative protein expression maps covering different organisms and different biological conditions. Here we have reanalysed public proteomics datasets from mouse and rat tissues (14 and 9 datasets, respectively), to assess baseline protein abundance. Overall, the aggregated dataset contained 23 individual datasets, including a total of 211 samples coming from 34 different tissues across 14 organs, comprising 9 mouse and 3 rat strains, respectively.

In all cases, we studied the distribution of canonical proteins between the different organs. The number of canonical proteins per dataset ranged from 273 (tendon) and 9,715 (liver) in mouse, and from 101 (tendon) and 6,130 (kidney) in rat. Then, we studied how protein abundances compared across different datasets and organs for both species. As a key point we carried out a comparative analysis of protein expression between mouse, rat and human tissues. We observed a high level of correlation of protein expression among orthologs between all three species in brain, kidney, heart and liver samples, whereas the correlation of protein expression was generally slightly lower between organs within the same species. Protein expression results have been integrated into the resource Expression Atlas for widespread dissemination.
Intragenomic variation in non-adaptive nucleotide biases causes underestimation of selection on synonymous codon usage
Authors: Cope Alexander L. , Shah Premal
Published: June 2022

Patterns of non-uniform usage of synonymous codons vary across genes in an organism and between species across all domains of life. This codon usage bias (CUB) is due to a combination of non-adaptive (e.g. mutation biases) and adaptive (e.g. natural selection for translation efficiency/accuracy) evolutionary forces. Most models quantify the effects of mutation bias and selection on CUB assuming uniform mutational and other non-adaptive forces across the genome. However, non-adaptive nucleotide biases can vary within a genome due to processes such as biased gene conversion (BGC), potentially obfuscating signals of selection on codon usage. Moreover, genome-wide estimates of non-adaptive nucleotide biases are lacking for non-model organisms. We combine an unsupervised learning method with a population genetics model of synonymous coding sequence evolution to assess the impact of intragenomic variation in non-adaptive nucleotide bias on quantification of natural selection on synonymous codon usage across 49 Saccharomycotina yeasts. We find that in the absence of a priori information, unsupervised learning can be used to identify genes evolving under different non-adaptive nucleotide biases. We find that the impact of intragenomic variation in non-adaptive nucleotide bias varies widely, even among closely-related species. We show that the overall strength and direction of translational selection can be underestimated by failing to account for intragenomic variation in non-adaptive nucleotide biases. Interestingly, genes falling into clusters identified by machine learning are also physically clustered across chromosomes. Our results indicate the need for more nuanced models of sequence evolution that systematically incorporate the effects of variable non-adaptive nucleotide biases on codon frequencies.
Repeated truncation of a modular antimicrobial peptide gene for neural context
Authors: Hanson Mark A. , Lemaitre Bruno
Published: June 2022

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are host-encoded antibiotics that combat invading pathogens. These genes commonly encode multiple products as post-translationally cleaved polypeptides. Recent studies have highlighted roles for AMPs in neurological contexts suggesting functions for these defence molecules beyond infection. During our immune study characterizing the antimicrobial peptide gene Baramicin, we recovered multiple Baramicin paralogs in Drosophila melanogaster and other species, united by their N-terminal IM24 domain. Not all paralogs were immune-induced. Here, through careful dissection of the Baramicin family’s evolutionary history, we find that paralogs lacking immune induction result from repeated events of duplication and subsequent truncation of the coding sequence from an immune-inducible ancestor. These truncations leave only the IM24 domain as the prominent gene product. Surprisingly, using mutation and targeted gene silencing we demonstrate that two such genes are adapted for function in neural contexts in D. melanogaster. We also show enrichment in the head for independent Baramicin genes in other species. The Baramicin evolutionary history reveals that the IM24 Baramicin domain is not strictly useful in an immune context. We thus provide a case study for how an AMP-encoding gene might play dual roles in both immune and non-immune processes via its multiple peptide products. As many AMP genes encode polypeptides, a full understanding of how immune effectors interact with the nervous system will require consideration of all their peptide products.
Translin facilitates RNA polymerase II dissociation and suppresses genome instability during RNase H2- and Dicer-deficiency
Authors: Gomez-Escobar Natalia , Alsaiari Ahad A. A. , Alahamadi Hanadi A. S. , Alzahrani Othman , Vernon Ellen , Althagafi Hussam A. E. , Almobadel Nasser S. , Pryce David W. , Wakeman Jane A. , McFarlane Ramsay J.
Published: June 2022

The conserved nucleic acid binding protein Translin contributes to numerous facets of mammalian biology and genetic diseases. It was first identified as a binder of cancer-associated chromosomal translocation breakpoint junctions leading to the suggestion that it was involved in genetic recombination. With a paralogous partner protein, Trax, Translin has subsequently been found to form a hetero-octomeric RNase complex that drives some of its functions, including passenger strand removal in RNA interference (RNAi). The Translin-Trax complex also degrades the precursors to tumour suppressing microRNAs in cancers deficient for the RNase III Dicer. This oncogenic activity has resulted in the Translin-Trax complex being explored as a therapeutic target. Additionally, Translin and Trax have been implicated in a wider range of biological functions ranging from sleep regulation to telomere transcript control. Here we reveal a Trax- and RNAi-independent function for Translin in dissociating RNA polymerase II from its genomic template, with loss of Translin function resulting in increased transcription-associated recombination and elevated genome instability. This provides genetic insight into the longstanding question of how Translin might influence chromosomal rearrangements in human genetic diseases and provides important functional understanding of an oncological therapeutic target.
Does maternal overnutrition carry child undernutrition in India?
Authors: Kumar Mukesh , Mohanty Pratap
Published: June 2022

Background and objectives

Studies in low-and middle-income countries where nutrition transition is underway provides mixed evidence of double burden of maternal overnutrition and child undernutrition among mother-child pairs. Shifting dietary pattern and rapid increase in overweight/obesity among adults with persistent child undernutrition indicate that India is experiencing nutrition transition and double burden of malnutrition. Hence, the study explores the presence of and the factors associated with mother-child dyads of over- and undernutrition in India.

Methods and materials

The study uses National Family Health Survey 2015–16 data. The analytic sample consists of 28,817 weighted mother-child pairs where an overweight/obese mother is paired with an undernourished child. The nutritional status of children is defined according to WHO 2006 child growth standards as underweight (i.e., low weight-for-age), stunting (i.e., low height-for-age) and wasting (i.e., low weight-for-height). Maternal overweight/obesity (i.e., BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) is defined using adult BMI criterion. Descriptive, bivariate, and adjusted multivariable logistic regression analysis are conducted.

Results

Of the overweight/obese mothers, 21.3%, 26.5%, and 14% have underweight, stunted, and wasted children respectively. In adjusted models, maternal short stature (aOR: 2.94, 95% CI: 2.30–3.75), age of child (aOR: 3.29, 95% CI: 2.76–3.92), and poorest wealth status (aOR: 2.01, 95% CI: 1.59–2.54) are significant predictors of overweight/obese mothers and stunted child pairs. Similarly, poor wealth status (aOR: 1.68, 95% CI:1.32–2.14), maternal stature (aOR: 2.70, 95% CI: 2.08–3.52), and child aged 2–5 years (aOR: 1.77, 95% CI:1.51–2.08) are also significantly associated with higher occurrence of overweight/obese mother and-underweight child pairs.

Conclusion

Findings of the study are consistent with the phase of nutrition transition and double burden of malnutrition. The paper concludes with suggestions to improve the socioeconomic condition, more strategic nutrition specific investments and policy interventions to eliminate all forms of malnutrition for achieving SDGs.
Discourses of change: The shift from infibulation to sunna circumcision among Somali and Sudanese migrants in Norway
Authors: Johansen R. Elise B.
Published: June 2022

Somali and Sudanese transnational discourses on female genital cutting (FGC) center on a shift from infibulation to sunna circumcision, a change perceived to reduce health risks and accommodate religious teaching, yet this shift is far less extensive and substantial than its typical portrayal suggests. Based on data from interviews and focus group discussions with 95 migrants of Somali and Sudanese origin, in this paper, I explore these migrants’ discourses of change and how and why they seem blurred and contradictory. Most participants described the ongoing abandonment of infibulation and uptake of sunna circumcision in terms of civilization, modernization and transition toward a more correct Islam; however, their perceptions of the anatomical extents and religious and cultural meanings of sunna circumcision appeared blurred and contradictory. We suggest that these blurred and contradictory perceptions of sunna circumcision enable the study’s participants to maneuver in a context of opposing and changing social norms regarding FGC.
Measuring re-identification risk using a synthetic estimator to enable data sharing
Authors: Jiang Yangdi , Mosquera Lucy , Jiang Bei , Kong Linglong , El Emam Khaled
Published: June 2022

Background

One common way to share health data for secondary analysis while meeting increasingly strict privacy regulations is to de-identify it. To demonstrate that the risk of re-identification is acceptably low, re-identification risk metrics are used. There is a dearth of good risk estimators modeling the attack scenario where an adversary selects a record from the microdata sample and attempts to match it with individuals in the population.

Objectives

Develop an accurate risk estimator for the sample-to-population attack.

Methods

A type of estimator based on creating a synthetic variant of a population dataset was developed to estimate the re-identification risk for an adversary performing a sample-to-population attack. The accuracy of the estimator was evaluated through a simulation on four different datasets in terms of estimation error. Two estimators were considered, a Gaussian copula and a d-vine copula. They were compared against three other estimators proposed in the literature.

Results

Taking the average of the two copula estimates consistently had a median error below 0.05 across all sampling fractions and true risk values. This was significantly more accurate than existing methods. A sensitivity analysis of the estimator accuracy based on variation in input parameter accuracy provides further application guidance. The estimator was then used to assess re-identification risk and de-identify a large Ontario COVID-19 behavioral survey dataset.

Conclusions

The average of two copula estimators consistently provides the most accurate re-identification risk estimate and can serve as a good basis for managing privacy risks when data are de-identified and shared.
Estimating the basic reproduction number at the beginning of an outbreak
Authors: Boonpatcharanon Sawitree , Heffernan Jane M. , Jankowski Hanna
Published: June 2022

We compare several popular methods of estimating the basic reproduction number, R0, focusing on the early stages of an epidemic, and assuming weekly reports of new infecteds. We study the situation when data is generated by one of three standard epidemiological compartmental models: SIR, SEIR, and SEAIR; and examine the sensitivity of the estimators to the model structure. As some methods are developed assuming specific epidemiological models, our work adds a study of their performance in both a well-specified (data generating model and method model are the same) and miss-specified (data generating model and method model differ) settings. We also study R0 estimation using Canadian COVID-19 case report data. In this study we focus on examples of influenza and COVID-19, though the general approach is easily extendable to other scenarios. Our simulation study reveals that some estimation methods tend to work better than others, however, no singular best method was clearly detected. In the discussion, we provide recommendations for practitioners based on our results.