bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anticancer effects of metformin in experimental animal models of different types of cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Fan , Han Shuai , Song Weijie
Published: July 2022

To systematically evaluate the effects of metformin on tumors in experimental animal models of different types of cancer. Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases were searched for studies on metformin used in various experimental animal tumor models from 2008 to 2022. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA 16.0 software after screening literature extraction data and methodological quality evaluation by inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 24 studies with 1108 model animals were included. Meta-analysis results showed that this study used meta-analysis for quantitative synthesis of study results and found that tumor model animals of different species showed different degrees of reduction in tumor volume, weight, and number after metformin intervention.
Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration versus non-aspiration techniques in the evaluation of solid thyroid nodules
Authors: Heidar Mustafa Al-Hassan Abdou , Abd El Aziz Mohammad Ali , Mansour Mohamed G. , Farid Mostafa , Elsayed Hussein
Published: July 2022

Background

Comparison between the Fine Needle Non-Aspiration Cytology (FNNAC) and Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) in acquiring ultrasound-guided fine needle cytology (FNC) samples from solid thyroid nodules to determine the better technique, hence improving the sample quality aiming to decrease the number of unnecessary thyroidectomy operations.

Results

Prospective study showed statistically significant increase in cellular yield, preservation of cellular architecture and decrease in cellular trauma along with statistically significant increase in total sample quality with FNNAC (P value = 0.32, 0.004, 0.011, 0.21 respectively), and statistically insignificant difference in background blood in the sample (P value = 0.8).

Regarding sample convenience, FNNAC was found to be more convenient for both the patient (syringe is not seen by the patient reducing discomfort) and for the operator (better handling of the needle and fewer maneuvres).

Conclusions

FNC is an approved sensitive and cost-effective method to evaluate thyroid nodules, FNNAC technique was found to be more convenient for both the patient and the operator with statistically significant improvement in total sample quality compared to FNAC.
Aerosol boxes for airway management in coronavirus disease patients: a clinical retrospective study in Mexico
Authors: Duarte-Medrano Gilberto , Sorbello Massimiliano , Susunaga-Hope Rafael Renato , Fuentes-Castro Paula Ivette , Avila-OrtIz Beatriz C. , Velasco-Godinez Aida Paola , Contreras-Garcia Wendy Y. , Pineda-Castillo Miguel Alejandro , Urdaneta Felipe , Téllez-Ávila Félix Ignacio
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Significant concerns raise for the healthcare workers involved in airway management of patients diagnosed with coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19).

Due to shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), barrier enclosure systems such as aerosol box (AB) have been proposed worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate our experience using AB as protective equipment in patients with COVID-19 in a third-level center in Mexico.

Methods

A retrospective study of COVID-19 patients requiring airway management using an AB in the Hospital Central Sur de Alta Especialidad de Pemex in Mexico City from March 1 to June 1, 2020. Antropometric data, pre-intubation vital signs, and laboratory tests were recorded; the primary endpoints were intubation success rate and complications associated with AB and patients’ mortality. As a secondary endpoint, AB subjective evaluation was explored by administering a survey after airway management procedures.

Results

Thirty-nine patients for a total of 40 intubations were documented. Thirty-one (77.5%) were men, with a mean age of 61.65 years; successful intubation occurred in 39 (97.55%) of the procedures, and AB was used in 36 (90%) of intubations, with success in 28 (70.0%); A Cormack-Lehane grade 3 view was recorded in 18 patients (46.2%), and during the procedure, the AB had to be removed in 8 (22.2%) cases, with migration documented in 91.6% of cases. The 30-day mortality was 48.71%, with 23.0% of patients discharged. 83.3% of surveyed anesthesiologists reported significant limitations in manipulating airway devices with AB used.

Conclusion

Our data indicate that in clinical practice, the use of AB may hinder airway management and decrease the intubation success rate and may also result in patients’ injury. Further studies are necessary to validate the use of AB in clinical practice, and they should not replace certified PPE.
Long-Term Effects of Local-Area New Deal Work Relief in Childhood on Educational, Economic, and Health Outcomes Over the Life Course: Evidence From the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study
Authors: Modrek Sepideh , Roberts Evan , Warren John Robert , Rehkopf David
Published: July 2022

The economic characteristics of one's childhood neighborhood have been found to determine long-term well-being. Policies enacted during childhood may change neighborhood trajectories and thus impact long-term outcomes for children. We use individual-level data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study to examine the enduring consequences of childhood exposure to local-area New Deal emergency employment work-relief activity. Our outcomes include adolescent cognition, educational attainment, midlife income, health behaviors, late-life cognition, and mortality. We find that children (ages 0–3) living in neighborhoods with moderate work-relief activity in 1940 had higher adolescent IQ scores, had higher class rank, and were more likely to obtain at least a bachelor's degree. We find enduring benefits for midlife income and late-life cognition for males who grew up in areas with a moderate amount of work relief. We find mixed results for males who grew up in the most disadvantaged areas with the highest levels of work-relief activity. These children had similar educational outcomes as those in the most advantaged districts with the lowest work-relief activity but had higher adult smoking rates. Our findings provide some of the first evidence of the long-term consequences of New Deal policies on children's long-term life course outcomes.
Supporting Teachers’ Implementation of Classroom-Based Physical Activity
Authors: Turner Lindsey , Calvert Hannah G. , Carlson Jordan A.
Published: July 2022

Research exploring factors related to teachers’ implementation of classroom-based physical activity (CBPA) has increased in recent years. This article highlights key findings from the literature about the implementation and maintenance of CBPA by classroom teachers. The authors provide an overview of the literature examining CBPA implementation from an implementation science perspective. Topics addressed include methods for measuring implementation, characteristics of CBPA resources, and predictors of teachers’ implementation of CBPA. Findings from the narrative review are presented in tandem with insights from the authors’ work during a grant-funded project examining strategies to improve CBPA implementation in elementary schools. Many off-the-shelf resources for CBPA implementation exist, with varying degrees of implementation support. Studies have used a variety of methods to measure implementation, mostly focused on teacher self-report. Few studies have provided evidence regarding long-term use of CBPA, but those that do report decreased implementation rates over time. A robust body of research examining CBPA implementation facilitators and barriers shows that organizational-level support from district and school administrators is crucial for successful implementation. Leadership buy-in is crucial for the implementation of policies and practices in schools, such as CBPA initiatives. Approaches that are embedded within school systems, such as communities of practice and coaching from school champions, have potential for improving implementation. Disseminating CBPA resources and providing information about the importance of school and district leadership are suggested for more widespread implementation. Future work would benefit from the use of evidence-based implementation science frameworks to ensure that interventions are designed to maximize implementation at the classroom level.
Starting and stopping RNA polymerase III transcription on single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides
Authors: Lama Lodoe , Ryan Kevin
Published: July 2022

Circularized single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides, or coligos, show promise as promoter-independent RNA polymerase III (Pol III) transcription templates for generating small RNA in human cells. Using a modified small RNA-seq method, we studied the sequence and secondary structure characteristics that determine Pol III initiation and termination on six coligo templates. The coligos each consisted of an imperfectly base-paired stem flanked by one larger and one smaller loop and were unrelated in sequence. Small RNA-seq data from Pol III coligo transcripts revealed a strong preference for initiating transcription within a 5-nucleotide (nt) window spanning the stem-larger loop junction (loop size 11–24 nt). Transcription in all cases proceeded into the stem rather than into the larger loop, indicating the junction is a site-specific, secondary structure-based Pol III transcription initiator. On average, 81% of sequencing reads showed initiation within this 5 nt junction region, with a template start site nucleotide preference of C > T >> A > G, and a requirement for a template purine at Tss-1. Termination was less precise than initiation and occurred in the larger loop at the same end of the stem where transcription initiated. Termination efficiency was on average 82% and was distributed among the first 11 single-stranded larger loop nt following the stem. The size heterogeneity of Pol III coligo transcripts is thus mainly due to 3′ end heterogeneity, whereas the RNA 5′ ends were more predictable and homogeneous. Transcription termination did not require an oligo dA template sequence, indicating that termination in this context may be mechanistically different than Pol III's normal gene-context termination. A stepwise model for coligo transcription by Pol III is proposed.
Rapid molecular assays for the detection of the four dengue viruses in infected mosquitoes
Authors: Ahmed Madeeha , Pollak Nina M. , Hugo Leon E. , van den Hurk Andrew F. , Hobson-Peters Jody , Macdonald Joanne
Published: July 2022

The pantropic emergence of severe dengue disease can partly be attributed to the co-circulation of different dengue viruses (DENVs) in the same geographical location. Effective monitoring for circulation of each of the four DENVs is critical to inform disease mitigation strategies. In low resource settings, this can be effectively achieved by utilizing inexpensive, rapid, sensitive and specific assays to detect viruses in mosquito populations. In this study, we developed four rapid DENV tests with direct applicability for low-resource virus surveillance in mosquitoes. The test protocols utilize a novel sample preparation step, a single-temperature isothermal amplification, and a simple lateral flow detection. Analytical sensitivity testing demonstrated tests could detect down to 1,000 copies/µL of virus-specific DENV RNA, and analytical specificity testing indicated tests were highly specific for their respective virus, and did not detect closely related flaviviruses. All four DENV tests showed excellent diagnostic specificity and sensitivity when used for detection of both individually infected mosquitoes and infected mosquitoes in pools of uninfected mosquitoes. With individually infected mosquitoes, the rapid DENV-1, -2 and -3 tests showed 100% diagnostic sensitivity (95% CI = 69% to 100%, n=8 for DENV-1; n=10 for DENV 2,3) and the DENV-4 test showed 92% diagnostic sensitivity (CI: 62% to 100%, n=12) along with 100% diagnostic specificity (CI: 48–100%) for all four tests. Testing infected mosquito pools, the rapid DENV-2, -3 and -4 tests showed 100% diagnostic sensitivity (95% CI = 69% to 100%, n=10) and the DENV-1 test showed 90% diagnostic sensitivity (55.50% to 99.75%, n=10) together with 100% diagnostic specificity (CI: 48–100%). Our tests reduce the operational time required to perform mosquito infection status surveillance testing from > two hours to only 35 minutes, and have potential to improve accessibility of mosquito screening, improving monitoring and control strategies in low-income countries most affected by dengue outbreaks.
XVII-wieczna Anglia w relacji gdańszczanina Nathana Schrödera
Authors: Nortowska Paulina
Published: July 2022

17TH-CENTURY ENGLAND IN THE RELATIONSHIP OF NATHAN SCHRÖDER FROM GDAŃSK

The aim of this article is to present Nathan Schröder’s voyage to England as described in his travel diary. A citizen of Gdansk, Schröder embarked on an educational and cognitive journey to England in the seventeenth century. This article analyses the diary to recreate Schröder’s ideas of the country as well as his actual experiences traveling throughout it. In addition to the facts and objective observations he recorded, Schröder’s journal contains his impressions, feelings, judgments and subjective opinions. The author of the diary chooses the places he deemed worthy of seeing, but also interprets and presents the reality of his visit to England as he experienced it.
A gestão de projetos como ferramenta para administração pública eficiente: estudo de caso da Fundação Cecierj
Authors: Dahmouche Mônica Santos , Bernstein Marianna Augusta Ferrari do Outeiro , Fernandes Michelle Casal , Santos Beatriz Ferreira Oliveira
Published: July 2022

Neste artigo apresentamos e discutimos a metodologia de gestão de projeto no âmbito da administração pública, além de usarmos a sua aplicação na Fundação Cecierj como um estudo de caso. Um benchmark cuidadoso acerca do uso da metodologia de gestão de projetos no âmbito de todas as esferas da administração pública é apresentado com as particularidades de cada caso. Descrevemos a pesquisa situacional inédita realizada junto aos servidores da Fundação Cecierj, com adesão da maioria. Os resultados mostram que o corpo técnico da instituição, a conhece bem e demanda por ações de planejamento e transparência que possam contribuir para a melhoria da governança institucional.  As conclusões indicam que os servidores são receptivos à gestão amparada em um Escritório de Gestão de Projetos.  Embora o escritório ainda não tenha sido implementado, já é possível observar algumas iniciativas da alta gestão que vão ao encontro das demandas do corpo técnico.
A lei 12.858 e a aplicação de royalties em saúde nos municípios fluminenses produtores de petróleo no regime da partilha
Authors: Smiderle Carlos Gustavo Sarmet Moreira , Ney Marlon Gomes
Published: July 2022

O objetivo desse artigo é identificar e analisar os primeiros efeitos da vinculação legal à saúde (Lei 12.858/2013) de parte dos royalties e participações especiais gerados por campos de produção amparados por contratos posteriores a 03 de dezembro de 2012.  Para tanto, foram levantados todos os campos enquadráveis nessa normativa e identificados os municípios com eles confrontantes, os quais concentram a maior parte da fatia de royalties geradas por esses campos e distribuídas à instância municipal. Em seguida selecionamos os quatro municípios fluminenses incluídos nessa lista e sujeitos à fiscalização do Tribunal de Contas do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (TCE-RJ), a saber, Araruama (RJ), Arraial do Cabo (RJ), Quissamã (RJ) e Saquarema (RJ). Não consideramos a capital do estado por estar sujeita a seu próprio tribunal de contas municipal e porque os valores envolvidos são insignificantes frente a seu orçamento. Os resultados apontam que, como a proporção das rendas petrolíferas geradas por campos contratados a partir de dezembro de 2012 na RCL ainda é pequena, a Lei 12.858/2013 não chegou a gerar, no período de 2015 a 2020, um aumento da participação dos gastos com saúde no total das despesas liquidadas.
Um balanço da minha trajetória acadêmica
Authors: Piquet Rosélia
Published: July 2022

Memorial que aborda a trajetória acadêmica e profissional da professora Rosélia Piquet
Logística e desenvolvimento regional
Authors: Ferreira de Mello Eduardo Duprat , Godinho de Oliveira Floriano José
Published: July 2022

Resumo expandido.
Medida de la precariedad laboral en Centroamérica: propiedades psicométricas en base a la II Encuesta Centroamericana de Condiciones de Trabajo y Salud
Authors: Palma-Vasquez Claudia , Vives Alejandra , Gimeno Ruiz de Porras David , Rojas-Garbanzo Marianela , G. Benavides Fernando
Published: July 2022

Objetivo: Establecer las propiedades psicométricas de una medida de Precariedad Laboral (PL) en seis países centroamericanos de habla española (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua y Panamá) mediante un conjunto de ítems incluidos en la II Encuesta Centroamericana de Condiciones de Trabajo y Salud (II ECCTS) de 2018 que se correspondían con ítems de la Escala de Precariedad Laboral (EPRES).

Método: A partir de una muestra de 3.782 personas asalariadas de 18 años o más, formales e informales, en la II ECCTS, se construyó una medida de PL de 10 ítems representando cuatro dimensiones: temporalidad, salario, derechos y ejercicio de derechos.

Resultados: La muestra estuvo compuesta en su mayoría por hombres, con contrato permanente, con antigüedad laboral de entre 2 a 5 años, un salario entre 301 a 500 dólares, que reportaban tener derechos laborales y ejercerlos. La estructura factorial no pudo ser comprobada. Sin embargo, nueve de los diez ítems arrojaron alta carga factorial en sus dimensiones correspondientes. Se observó una alta aceptabilidad de medida de PL y los coeficientes de Alpha de Cronbach de las cuatro dimensiones fueron >0,59 excepto para temporalidad (0,30). La confiabilidad de la escala fue de 0,68 y los patrones de PL en mujeres, jóvenes, temporales y países con menores ingresos fueron los esperados.

 

Conclusiones: La medida de PL construida a partir de ítems disponibles de la escala EPRES en el cuestionario de la II ECCTS evidencia propiedades psicométricas aceptables para aproximarnos a la cuantificación epidemiológica de la precariedad laboral en Centroamérica.
Coping Strategies among Caregivers of Schizophrenia - A Pilot Analysis
Authors: Ajithakumari G Ajithakumari  G , Hemavathy V.
Published: July 2022

Caregivers of patients with schizophrenia face stress and emotional hardship and are frequently forced to assume lifelong caregivers role. For many families having a relative with mental illness can be a stressor. (2) To test the feasibility and practicability of the study, a pilot study was conducted among 28 caregivers of schizophrenia. True Experimental Research design was adopted in this study. Conclusion: This pilot study concludes by proving the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions on coping strategies among caregivers of schizophrenia.
Real Time Skin Color Detection Based on Adaptive HSV Thresholding
Authors: Moumene Mohammed Elamine , Benkedadra Khadidja , Berras Fatima Zohra
Published: July 2022

The detection of human skin color has been studied extensively during the past two decades. It is an essential task for various computer vision applications such as biometric authentication, face/hands tracking and gesture analysis. New machine learning methods are effective for skin color detection. However, they are not suitable for real time applications since they are computationally heavy. A lightweight approach for skin color detection consists of using segmentation rules extracted by an investigation on skin color distribution. The kin appearance varies with diversity of image types, acquisition parameters and scene illumination. There are no general segmentation rules that provide effective skin segmentation for different scene conditions. In this paper we present a real-time skin color detector which adapts itself according to tracked human parts. First, initial thresholds are calculated using two popular skin datasets. Those thresholds can also be calculated quickly using small training sets. The proposed skin color detector showed comparable skin segmentation to DeepLabV3++ application and an improvement in term of F1 measure when compared to methods that relies on static rules.
Deviation-based wavefront correction using the SPGD algorithm for high-resolution optical remote sensing
Authors: Hirose Makoto , Miyamura Norihide , Sato Seichi
Published: July 2022

Model-free image-based wavefront correction techniques, such as the stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm, will be useful in achieving diffraction-limited optical performance in near-future optical remote sensing systems. One difficulty facing the image-based method is that the correction performance depends on the evaluation metric and the evaluated scene. We propose several evaluation functions and investigate the relationship between the optimization speed and the scene textures for each metric in the SPGD algorithm. Based on the simulation results, the study experimentally compared wavefront correction performance using four cost functions and two extended aerial images. Consequently, we found that the deviation-based cost function allowed efficient wavefront correction for versatile extended scenes. In addition, observing extended scenes with distinct structures can facilitate correction speed. Furthermore, we numerically validated this approach in a segmented-aperture imaging system for large telescopes. We believe that the presented approach allows us to realize spaceborne remote sensing with unprecedented high angular resolution.
Optical fiber specklegram sensor for multi-point curvature measurements
Authors: Fujiwara Eric , Cabral Thiago Destri
Published: July 2022

We present a multi-point curvature sensor based on optical fiber specklegram measurements. Apart from the current approaches, the proposed system uses an ordinary multimode fiber excited with visible light as a reflection-type probe. Besides, this method discretizes the waveguide into segments connected by joints and assumes sequential bend events, simplifying the specklegram referencing for correlation analyses and avoiding laborious deep learning processing. Sensor characterization yielded a linear response with

∼

1.3
∘

resolution for single curvatures, whereas shape prediction experiments in the plane resulted in maximum errors of

∼

3.5
∘

and

∼

5.4

m
m

for angular and linear positioning, respectively. Furthermore, exploratory tests indicated errors

<

2.3
∘

regarding probe curvatures in the space. This research introduces a feasible, straightforward alternative to the available shape sensors, enabling applications in medical probes and soft robotics.
More than 6  kW near single-mode fiber amplifier based on a bidirectional tandem pumping scheme
Authors: Li Ruixian , Wu Hanshuo , Xiao Hu , Leng Jinyong , Huang Liangjin , Zhou Pu
Published: July 2022

We demonstrate the first all-fiber monolithic bidirectional tandem pumping amplifier, to the best of our knowledge, based on a 30/250 µm conventional ytterbium-doped double-clad fiber. By optimizing the bidirectional pumping power distribution, an output power of 6.22 kW is obtained with near single-mode beam quality (

M

2

=
1.53

), and no transverse mode instability is observed. This work could provide an excellent reference for high-power, higher-brightness fiber lasers.
LDADN: a local discriminant auxiliary disentangled network for key-region-guided chest X-ray image synthesis augmented in pneumoconiosis detection
Authors: Fan Li , Wang Zelin , Zhou Jianguang
Published: July 2022

Pneumoconiosis is deemed one of China’s most common and serious occupational diseases. Its high prevalence and treatment cost create enormous pressure on socio-economic development. However, due to the scarcity of labeled data and class-imbalanced training sets, the computer-aided diagnostic based on chest X-ray (CXR) images of pneumoconiosis remains a challenging task. Current CXR data augmentation solutions cannot sufficiently extract small-scaled features in lesion areas and synthesize high-quality images. Thus, it may cause error detection in the diagnosis phase. In this paper, we propose a local discriminant auxiliary disentangled network (LDADN) to synthesize CXR images and augment in pneumoconiosis detection. This model enables the high-frequency transfer of details by leveraging batches of mutually independent local discriminators. Cooperating with local adversarial learning and the Laplacian filter, the feature in the lesion area can be disentangled by a single network. The results show that LDADN is superior to other compared models in the quantitative assessment metrics. When used for data augmentation, the model synthesized image significantly boosts the performance of the detection accuracy to 99.31%. Furthermore, this study offers beneficial references for insufficient label or class imbalanced medical image data analysis.
Scalar thermal radiation using the adding-doubling method
Authors: Sun Bingqiang , Gao Chenxu , Spurr Robert
Published: July 2022

The scalar radiative transfer equation in the presence of thermal radiation source is solved in detail, using the adding-doubling method; Planck functions within any given layer are assumed to possess constant, linear, or exponential parameterizations with optical thickness. The radiance profile in any zenith direction is calculated directly in terms of matrix inversions. The inputs to the model are the inherent optical properties (layer total single-scattering albedos, scattering phase functions, and optical thickness) along with temperature and altitude profiles, and the top of the atmosphere and ground surface boundary conditions. The algorithm is implemented in a state-of-the-art MATLAB program, with the cosmic microwave background as the source at the upper boundary and a Lambertian surface reflection at the lower boundary. The simulations are validated against the VLIDORT discrete ordinate radiative transfer model. Results are compared in detail for cases with linear and exponential Planck function parameterizations.
Large-area metal-dielectric heterostructures for surface-enhanced raman scattering
Authors: Shen Shuting , Wang Jingyu , Zhu Yuezhou , Yang Weimin , Gao Renxian , Li Jian-Feng , Sun Guoya , Zhilin Yang
Published: July 2022

Metal-dielectric heterostructures have shown great application potentials in physics, chemistry and material science. In this work, we have designed and manufactured ordered metal-dielectric multiple heterostructures with tunable optical properties, which can be as large as the order of square centimeters in size. We experimentally realized that the surface-enhanced Raman scattering signal of the periodic multiple heterostructures increased 50 times compared with the silicon nanodisk-gold film arrays, which is attributed to the large-scale hotspots and high efficient coupling between the optical cavities and surface plasmon resonance modes. More importantly, the substrate also features a good uniformity and an excellent reproducible fabrication, which is very promising for practical applications.
Caustics of the axially symmetric vortex beams: analysis and engineering
Authors: Xiao Na , Xie Chen , Courvoisier François , Hu Minglie
Published: July 2022

We demonstrate that our theoretical scheme developed in the previous study on the caustics of the abruptly autofocusing vortex beams [Xiao et al., Opt. Express 29, 19975 (2021)10.1364/OE.430497] is universal for all the axially symmetric vortex beams. Further analyses based on this method show the complex compositions of the vortex caustics in real space. Fine features of the global caustics are well reproduced, including their deviations from the trajectories of the host beams. Besides, we also show the possibility of tailoring the vortex caustics in paraxial optics based on our theory. The excellent agreements of our theoretical results with both numerical and experimental results confirm the validity of this scheme.
Complementary dispersive mirror pair produced in one coating run based on desired non-uniformity
Authors: Chen Yu , Li Weiwei , Wang Zilong , Hahner Daniel , Kling Matthias F. , Pervak Vladimir
Published: July 2022

We report a novel one-coating-run method for producing an octave-spanning complementary dispersive mirror (DM) pair. The anti-phase group delay dispersion (GDD) oscillations are realized by two mirrors of the DM pair due to the certain thickness difference. Both mirrors are deposited within a single coating run enabled by the non-uniformity of the ion beam sputtering coating plant, which is obtained by tuning the distance between the source target and coating substrates. Since the DM pair is produced in a single deposition run, the GDD performance is more robust against deposition errors than that of the conventional complementary DM pair, in which two separated coating runs are necessary. Moreover, the new DM pair is compatible for both laser polarizations under the same angle of incidence, which could effectively reduce the difficulties of alignment for their implementation in laser systems than the double angle DM pair. The new DM pair is successfully applied to compress pulses from a Ti: Sapphire laser system down to 4.26 fs in pulse duration.
Tune the resonance of VO2 joined metamaterial dimers by adjacent cut wires
Authors: Wen Tianlong , Wan Pengqian , Lu Chang , Zhang Dainan , Gao Min , Lin Yuan , Wen Qiye , Liao Yulong , Zhang Huaiwu , Zhong Zhiyong
Published: July 2022

Two terahertz metamaterials were joined by a conductivity variable VO2 patch to obtain a metamaterial dimer. By applying voltage or heat to the VO2 patches, active modulation of terahertz wave could be achieved. A cut-wire metamaterial was placed adjacent to the VO2 joined dimer to affect its electromagnetic response. It was found that the cut wire could heavily impact the resonance mode of the VO2 joined dimer, which gives dual resonance dips in transmission spectrum for both insulating and conducting states of VO2 patches. As a result, by tuning the conductivity of VO2, active dual band phase modulation could be achieved with high transmission window by this dimer-cut wire coupling system.
Nonlinear terahertz Kerr effect in quasi-2D MnPS3
Authors: Cheng Long , Formisano Fabio , Grishunin Kirill A. , Gorelov Sergey D. , van Loosdrecht Paul H. M. , Yan Jian , Luo Xuan , Sheng Zhigao , Mashkovich Evgeny A.
Published: July 2022

The quadratic electro-optic effect (Kerr effect) is shown to be efficiently induced by a terahertz (THz) electric field in the quasi-two-dimensional (2D) material MnPS3. The waveform of the THz-induced response practically follows the intensity of the employed nearly single-cycle THz pulse. While neither THz-induced absorption nor the linear electro-optical effect are observed, we demonstrate that the THz electric field induces the refraction coefficient anisotropy experienced by light at the wavelength of 800 nm. In our experiment, the anisotropy results in polarization rotation of the light and corresponds to a nonlinear refractive index of the sample of approximately 13.1 × 10−14 W−1 cm2. This promotes the quasi-2D MnPS3 as a promising candidate for practical application in future ultrafast electro-optical devices.
Controllable multi-sector array beams
Authors: Liu Mengsi , Liu Shuo , Liu Xuejuan , Xia Tian , Gao Shufang , Jin Yuanyuan , Xu Yiping , Cheng Shubo , Tao Shaohua
Published: July 2022

A controllable multi-sector array beam is proposed in this Letter. The beam can be generated with the metalens phase. The intensity distribution of the beam at the focal plane is analyzed in detail. The influence of the parameters a and l on the focal field distribution is discussed. The theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that the parameter a affects the size of the beam, and the additional factor l can adjust the sub-region number of the multi-sector array beams. The beam shows potential for use in optical manipulation and image transmission.
Selective fiber Bragg grating inscription in multicore fiber by femtosecond laser and phase mask
Authors: Liu Chi , Jiang Yajun , Li Junzhong , Du Bobo , Liao Xinya , Wang Jianguo , Yang Dexing
Published: July 2022

An effective and stable method for selective fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) inscription in multicore fibers (MCFs) using a femtosecond laser and phase mask is presented. The nonlinear photoluminescence imaging technique is adopted for visually displaying the position of the femtosecond laser focus-line inside the MCF, which helps to guarantee that the laser focal-line is precisely positioned in a preset fiber core during the inscription process. FBGs with different wavelengths are successfully inscribed into each core of a seven-core fiber (SCF). The FBGs show good consistency with a side-mode suppression ratio more than 27 dB. In addition, the largest difference of the peak intensity in the reflection spectrum between different FBGs is less than 1.4 dB and the 3-dB bandwidth for the seven FBGs is less than 0.3 nm. Confirmatory experiments show that the FBGs in the SCF have perfect directional bending response. This method provides an effective scheme for selective FBGs inscription in a multicore fiber.
Long-period gratings on lithium-niobate waveguides: phase-matching turning points for ultra-broadband mode conversion
Authors: Lu Chenxu , Jin Wei , Chiang Kin Seng
Published: July 2022

We analyze a polymer long-period grating (LPG) formed on the surface of a z-cut lithium-niobate (LN) few-mode waveguide for TM00–TM10 mode conversion. We identify and explore the turning points along the phase-matching curves of the LPGs for the achievement of ultra-broadband mode conversion. We fabricate a number of gratings with annealed proton-exchanged LN waveguides and our experimental results agree well with the theoretical results. A typical fabricated grating operating near the turning point provides a mode extinction ratio larger than 20 dB from 1550 nm to a wavelength longer than 1700 nm, and another one provides a mode extinction ratio larger than 10 dB from 1464 nm to a wavelength longer than 1700 nm. Our gratings show good thermal stability. The structure of the LPG on LN waveguide could be applied to the realization of ultra-broadband high-speed mode switches for mode-multiplexing applications.
Weak magnetic field-controlled near-field radiative heat transfer between nanoparticle-based metamaterials
Authors: Lu Lu , Zhang Bo , Li Bowen , Song Jinlin , Luo Zixue , Cheng Qiang
Published: July 2022

Magneto-optical (MO) materials exhibit substantial potential in the active control of near-field radiative heat transfer (NFRHT) under different magnetic field intensities up to several tesla. However, it is difficult to realize such high intensities in applications. In view of this, we theoretically investigate the NFRHT between the dual MO graphene/InSb core-shell (GICS) nanoparticles-based metamaterials under weak magnetic fields smaller than 0.5 T. We find that the maximum relative thermal magnetoresistance ratio can be 64% at H = 0.1 T, which is attributed to the split polarizabilities into different directions and the weakened dipole resonances. Meanwhile, the magnetoplasmon polaritons and the magnetization-induced hyperbolic modes play a dominate role in the control of NFRHT. For comparison, the spectral heat transfer coefficients of InSb and graphene shell nanoparticles-based metamaterials are shown. This study helps the understanding of the physical mechanisms behind the NFRHT of dual MO materials and facilitates the application of magnetic field-controlled devices.
Mode-locking threshold decrease in a fiber laser by heterochromic optical pulse injection
Authors: Yang Kangwen , Li Jiaying , Wu Jiamei , Hu An , Hao Qiang , Peng Junsong , Huang Kun , Zeng Heping
Published: July 2022

A Yb-doped fiber laser mode locked by a nonlinear amplifying loop mirror (NALM) with a figure-9 configuration is experimentally realized. By coupling heterochromic 1580-nm optical pulses into the circular part of the Yb-doped laser oscillator, a new injection-induced Q-switched mode-locking (Q-ML) like transition state is found for the first time to the best of our knowledge. We have investigated the envelope interval and duration of this Q-switched envelope by changing the pump power, injection power, and cavity length detuning. Experimental results have shown the injected pulses serve as a complementary source for establishing mode-locking (ML). As a result, the self-starting ML threshold of the Yb-doped fiber laser is significantly reduced from 355 to 171 mW, which is only half that in the non-injection case. This optical pulse injection assisted ML process is observed with a real-time oscilloscope, revealing stable and consistent buildup dynamics. Our finding may provide a new approach for understanding the buildup dynamics and building mode-locked fiber lasers with low threshold and high consistency.
Diatom optical element: a quantized version of the generalized spiral lens
Authors: Khonina Svetlana N. , Ustinov Andrey V. , Porfirev Alexey P.
Published: July 2022

Here we introduce a diatom optical element—a special case of the generalized spiral lens widely used for generation of light fields with orbital angular momentum. The profile of such an element is visually similar to the structure of a diatom. In contrast to currently existing special cases (axicon, parabolic lens, or autofocusing optical element) of a generalized spiral lens, diatom optical elements shape light fields with an intensity distribution that is neither a spiral nor a ring. In addition, the light fields shaped with these elements show the autofocusing properties and invariance of their symmetry order during propagation. Experimentally obtained results are in good agreement with those from modeling.
Conditional generation of medical time series for extrapolation to underrepresented populations
Authors: Bing Simon , Dittadi Andrea , Bauer Stefan , Schwab Patrick
Published: July 2022

The widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and subsequent increased availability of longitudinal healthcare data has led to significant advances in our understanding of health and disease with direct and immediate impact on the development of new diagnostics and therapeutic treatment options. However, access to EHRs is often restricted due to their perceived sensitive nature and associated legal concerns, and the cohorts therein typically are those seen at a specific hospital or network of hospitals and therefore not representative of the wider population of patients. Here, we present HealthGen, a new approach for the conditional generation of synthetic EHRs that maintains an accurate representation of real patient characteristics, temporal information and missingness patterns. We demonstrate experimentally that HealthGen generates synthetic cohorts that are significantly more faithful to real patient EHRs than the current state-of-the-art, and that augmenting real data sets with conditionally generated cohorts of underrepresented subpopulations of patients can significantly enhance the generalisability of models derived from these data sets to different patient populations. Synthetic conditionally generated EHRs could help increase the accessibility of longitudinal healthcare data sets and improve the generalisability of inferences made from these data sets to underrepresented populations.
Cardiometabolic outcomes up to 12 months after COVID-19 infection. A matched cohort study in the UK
Authors: Rezel-Potts Emma , Douiri Abdel , Sun Xiaohui , Chowienczyk Phillip J. , Shah Ajay M. , Gulliford Martin C.
Published: July 2022

Background

Acute Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been associated with new-onset cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM), but it is not known whether COVID-19 has long-term impacts on cardiometabolic outcomes. This study aimed to determine whether the incidence of new DM and CVDs are increased over 12 months after COVID-19 compared with matched controls.

Methods and findings

We conducted a cohort study from 2020 to 2021 analysing electronic records for 1,356 United Kingdom family practices with a population of 13.4 million. Participants were 428,650 COVID-19 patients without DM or CVD who were individually matched with 428,650 control patients on age, sex, and family practice and followed up to January 2022. Outcomes were incidence of DM and CVD. A difference-in-difference analysis estimated the net effect of COVID-19 allowing for baseline differences, age, ethnicity, smoking, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, Charlson score, index month, and matched set. Follow-up time was divided into 4 weeks from index date (“acute COVID-19”), 5 to 12 weeks from index date (“post-acute COVID-19”), and 13 to 52 weeks from index date (“long COVID-19”). Net incidence of DM increased in the first 4 weeks after COVID-19 (adjusted rate ratio, RR 1.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.51 to 2.19) and remained elevated from 5 to 12 weeks (RR 1.27, 1.11 to 1.46) but not from 13 to 52 weeks overall (1.07, 0.99 to 1.16). Acute COVID-19 was associated with net increased CVD incidence (5.82, 4.82 to 7.03) including pulmonary embolism (RR 11.51, 7.07 to 18.73), atrial arrythmias (6.44, 4.17 to 9.96), and venous thromboses (5.43, 3.27 to 9.01). CVD incidence declined from 5 to 12 weeks (RR 1.49, 1.28 to 1.73) and showed a net decrease from 13 to 52 weeks (0.80, 0.73 to 0.88). The analyses were based on health records data and participants’ exposure and outcome status might have been misclassified.

Conclusions

In this study, we found that CVD was increased early after COVID-19 mainly from pulmonary embolism, atrial arrhythmias, and venous thromboses. DM incidence remained elevated for at least 12 weeks following COVID-19 before declining. People without preexisting CVD or DM who suffer from COVID-19 do not appear to have a long-term increase in incidence of these conditions.
Quantitative longitudinal T2* mapping for assessing placental function and association with adverse pregnancy outcomes across gestation
Authors: Schabel Matthias C. , Roberts Victoria H. J. , Gibbins Karen J. , Rincon Monica , Gaffney Jessica E. , Streblow Aaron D. , Wright Adam M. , Lo Jamie O. , Park Byung , Kroenke Christopher D. , Szczotka Kathryn , Blue Nathan R. , Page Jessica M. , Harvey Kathy , Varner Michael W. , Silver Robert M. , Frias Antonio E.
Published: July 2022

Existing methods for evaluating in vivo placental function fail to reliably detect pregnancies at-risk for adverse outcomes prior to maternal and/or fetal morbidity. Here we report the results of a prospective dual-site longitudinal clinical study of quantitative placental T2* as measured by blood oxygen-level dependent magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-MRI). The objectives of this study were: 1) to quantify placental T2* at multiple time points across gestation, and its consistency across sites, and 2) to investigate the association between placental T2* and adverse outcomes. 797 successful imaging studies, at up to three time points between 11 and 38 weeks of gestation, were completed in 316 pregnancies. Outcomes were stratified into three groups: (UN) uncomplicated/normal pregnancy, (PA) primary adverse pregnancy, which included hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, birthweight <5th percentile, and/or stillbirth or fetal death, and (SA) secondary abnormal pregnancy, which included abnormal prenatal conditions not included in the PA group such as spontaneous preterm birth or fetal anomalies. Of the 316 pregnancies, 198 (62.6%) were UN, 70 (22.2%) PA, and 48 (15.2%) SA outcomes. We found that the evolution of placental T2* across gestation was well described by a sigmoid model, with T2* decreasing continuously from a high plateau level early in gestation, through an inflection point around 30 weeks, and finally approaching a second, lower plateau in late gestation. Model regression revealed significantly lower T2* in the PA group than in UN pregnancies starting at 15 weeks and continuing through 33 weeks. T2* percentiles were computed for individual scans relative to UN group regression, and z-scores and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves calculated for association of T2* with pregnancy outcome. Overall, differences between UN and PA groups were statistically significant across gestation, with large effect sizes in mid- and late- pregnancy. The area under the curve (AUC) for placental T2* percentile and PA pregnancy outcome was 0.71, with the strongest predictive power (AUC of 0.76) at the mid-gestation time period (20–30 weeks). Our data demonstrate that placental T2* measurements are strongly associated with pregnancy outcomes often attributed to placental insufficiency.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02749851.
Vessel identification based on automatic hull inscriptions recognition
Authors: Wawrzyniak Natalia , Hyla Tomasz , Bodus-Olkowska Izabela
Published: July 2022

The identification of ships plays a crucial role in security and managing vessel traffic for ports and onshore facilities. Existing video monitoring systems help visually identify a vessel where other systems are not present or sufficient. Readable vessel plates and hull inscriptions of detected ships in the video stream allow using text location and recognition methods to obtain ships’ identification names or numbers. The obtained information can be then matched with available ship registers. The automation of the process has met many challenges related to the often-low quality of available video streams, heterogeneous regulations on the marking of ships, and the specifics of natural scene text recognition, such as quickly alternating imaging conditions or the interference of the background. The main contribution of this research is a method that can identify any type of vessel in an image that has visible inscriptions (name, registration number) placed on the hull and must be registered in a public registry. The proposed method works with low-quality images with inscriptions placed under different angles and different, readable sizes. Our method recognised 91% of vessels from our test dataset. Obtained identification times have not exceeded 1s. The quality and efficiency of the proposed solution indicate that it is suitable for practical implementation in onshore monitoring systems.
A 7-min halftime jog mitigated the reduction in sprint performance for the initial 15-min of the second half in a simulated football match
Authors: Bang Sooil , Park Jihong
Published: July 2022

This study compared the effects of a 7-min shuttle jog during halftime to a control condition (seated rest) on subsequent athletic performance and lower-leg temperature in the second half. Eighteen male football players (22 years, 179 cm, 70 kg, 10 years of athletic career) randomly performed a 20-m shuttle jog (at an intensity of 70% of heart rate maximum) and a seated rest (sitting on a bench) during halftime in two separate sessions. A 5-min football simulation protocol consisting of football-specific activities (jumping, sprinting, kicking, passing, and dribbling at various intensities and distances) was repeated nine times to mimic the first and second half of a football match. Athletic performance (maximal vertical jump height, 20-m sprint time, and the Arrowhead agility test time) recorded during a 15-min period were averaged to represent each time point (first half: T1 to T3; second half: T4 to T6). Lower-leg skin and muscle (using the insulation disk technique) temperature was recorded before and after the first and second half. There was no condition effect over time in maximal vertical jump: F5,187 = 0.53, p = 0.75, Arrowhead agility test time: F5,187 = 1.25, p = 0.29, and lower-leg temperature (skin: F3,119 = 1.40, p = 0.25; muscle: F3,119 = 1.08, p = 0.36). The 20-m sprint time between conditions during the initial 15-min of the second half was different (condition × time: F5,187 = 2.42, p = 0.04) that subjects who performed the shuttle jog ran 0.09 sec faster (3.08 sec, p = 0.002, ES = 0.68), as compared with those who did the seated rest (3.17 sec). The results of our study confirmed that a decremental effect of the static rest on sprinting performance during the initial period of the second halftime can be attenuated by a halftime warm-up.