bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Imperial Rhetoric and Revolutionary Practice: The Greek 1821
Authors: Dialla Ada A.
Published: February 2022

The article focuses on the revolutionary period of 1821 and examines how the bloody uprising of the Greeks against the Ottomans, in conjunction with the international environment, transformed the notion of the nation. Before the revolution, the term “nation” had mostly cultural connotations and, from a political point of view, was a neutral category within an imperial framework, without claims to be the primary and the dominant element of political identity. The revolutionary period transformed the perception of the nation into an active political and social force and into the most important actor/subject of the historical and political processes.
Patient perspectives on home-based rehabilitation exercise and general physical activity after total hip arthroplasty: A qualitative study (PHETHAS-2)
Authors: Poulsen Anne Grøndahl , Gravesen Janni Dahlgaard , Madsen Merete Nørgaard , Mikkelsen Lone Ramer , Bandholm Thomas , Rossen Camilla Blach
Published: February 2022

Background: Home-based rehabilitation exercise following Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) shows similar outcomes compared to supervised outpatient rehabilitation exercise. Little is known about patients' experiences with home-based rehabilitation, and this study aimed to investigate how patients perceived home-based rehabilitation exercise and general physical activity after THA, focusing on facilitators and barriers.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews of qualitative design were conducted with 22 patients who had undergone THA and who had performed home-based rehabilitation exercise. The study took place in a regional hospital in Denmark between January 2018 and May 2019. Data were analyzed using an interpretive thematic analysis approach, with theoretical underpinning from the concept ‘conduct of everyday life’. The study is embedded within the Pragmatic Home-Based Exercise Therapy after Total Hip Arthroplasty-Silkeborg trial (PHETHAS-1).

Results: The main theme, ‘wishing to return to the well-known everyday life’, and the subtheme ‘general physical activity versus rehabilitation exercise’ were identified. Generally, participants found the home-based rehabilitation exercise boring but were motivated by the goal of returning to their well-known everyday life and performing their usual general physical activities. Participants enrolled in the PHETHAS-1 study used the enrollment as part of their motivation for doing the exercises. 

Both pain and the absence of pain were identified as barriers for doing home-based rehabilitation exercise. Pain could cause insecurity about possible medical complications, while the absence of pain could lead to the rehabilitation exercise being perceived as pointless.

Conclusions: The overall goal of returning to the well-known everyday life served as a facilitator for undertaking home-based rehabilitation exercise after THA along with the flexibility regarding time and place for performing exercises. Boring exercises as well as both pain and no pain were identified as barriers to the performance of home-based rehabilitation exercise. Participants were motivated towards performing general physical activities which were part of their everyday life.
Advanced non-ionizing kidney ultrasound examination
Authors:   Smolensk State Medical University, Gorbatenko O.A. , Borsukov A.V. ,   Smolensk State Medical University
Published: February 2022

The training manual contains materials on the standardized assessment of qualitative and quantitative signs of contrast-enhanced ultrasound examination (CEUS) of the kidneys. A review of the literature describing the physical properties and requirements for echocontrast drugs, their interaction with ultrasound. Based on the conducted CEUS, the principles and algorithm of the study are presented. The manual is intended for students studying under the programs of vocational training in the following specialties: ultrasound diagnostics, radiology, surgery, urology, nephrology
Assessment of the level of knowledge about health behaviors and puerperium of various social groups in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Authors: Zwierzyńska Anna , Gruszka Jakub , Urbańczyk Karol , Detka Karolina , Adamczyk-Gruszka Olga
Published: February 2022

Introduction

The puerperium is a period in a woman's life after childbirth, during which systemic changes occur. The woman's body returns to its pre-pregnancy condition. It lasts about 6 weeks. Having a baby and placenta causes changes in the concentration of pregnancy hormones, fluctuations that can negatively affect the behavior of women. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic may interfere with the clinical condition of the pregnant woman, causing her mental health to deteriorate.

Aim of the study:

The aim of the study was the assessment of the level of knowledge about health behaviors and puerperium of various social groups in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Material and methods

            The survey covered 603 respondents from the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship from February to April 2021. 18 subjects were excluded from the study due to incomplete completion of the questionnaire. Ultimately, the analysis was conducted on the data of 584 respondents. The analyzes included women and men aged 19-45, who were divided into four groups. The first group included 130 obstetricians, the second 86 midwives, the third 50 teachers, and the fourth 318 students of the JKU.

The Bioethics Committee of the JKU approved the study.

Statistical analysis was performer.

Results

The respondents' knowledge about puerperium was 78.6%.

Midwives had the most information, while obstetricians had the least.

Participants in all 4 groups have a satisfactory level of knowledge about the duration of the puerperium, the principles of prophylaxis and hygiene in puerperium and feeding the newborn.

The respondents obtain their knowledge from books and magazines.
Imagen y palabra poética como ensoñación antropocósmica: reflexiones en torno a la imaginación estética en Gaston Bachelard.
Authors: Martínez Moreno Arturo
Published: February 2022

El ser del hombre y el ser del mundo se relacionan desde unas fuerzas imaginativas que determinan nuestra realidad. En esa relación, mediada por la palabra poética y las imágenes, nuevos núcleos de sentido irrumpen cohesionando en forma de matriz las múltiples fuerzas que el mundo expresa e interrelaciona. El cómo esas fuerzas y esas imágenes crean un tejido ontológico y su sentido oculto puede ser explicado a través de la interpretación que Bachelard ofrece en lo referente al imaginario y sus estructuras cosmológicas. En ese equilibrio la imagen y la palabra aparecen como límite capaz de captar el devenir de la vida, de la ensoñación hecha cosmos. La recepción de esa verdad en forma de imagen en la conciencia se dará, según Bachelard, en el tiempo del instante, y para ello recurrirá a una fenomenología heterodoxa capaz de captar la esencia de lo allí dado.
El reordenamiento de la fotografía más allá de su estatuto indicial: nuevos imaginarios y narrativas sobre la imagen foto contemporánea para su educación.
Authors: Murillo Ligorred Víctor , Ramos Vallecillo Nora , Revilla Carrasco Alfonso
Published: February 2022

El presente artículo trae al frente una de las posibilidades actuales de nuevos imaginarios que amplían los territorios de la imagen fotográfica, más allá de una definición del término clásico, interrumpido por las nuevas formas de hacer de las imágenes en nuestro tiempo. Esta circunstancia está propiciada por la incursión de nuevos softwares de edición y creación de imágenes que se apropian de la estética de la imagen lúcida convirtiéndose, en su apariencia, en auténticas fotografías. Para ello, primero centramos el debate de los nuevos imaginarios y visualidades que tienen lugar en términos de velocidad y eficiencia, a medio camino de los mundos físicos y digitales. Segundo, se aborda la apariencia como la clave para la presentación de estas imágenes, llegando al tercer punto, donde las herramientas digitales son generadoras de nuevos contenidos e identidades que pasan inadvertidas entre las fotografías. En cuarto lugar, se analiza la capacidad de agencia de esta iconografía con los espectadores. Finalmente, se despliega una teoría para la ampliación de los horizontes fotográficos basada en autores y teorías de los últimos años.
Del pensamiento del fotógrafo a la experiencia estética La Filosofía visual de Andreas Feininger.
Authors: García Vázquez Milagros
Published: February 2022

Los medios de reproducción técnica: tanto la fotografía como el cine, se han caracterizado por su superioridad mimética a la hora de capturar la realidad. Sin embargo, eso ha hecho que muchas de las teorías de dichos medios se hayan abocado a una suerte de dialéctica sobre la vericidad o no de la representación fotográfica. Desde una perspectiva fenomenológica intentaremos rescatar un concepto de verdad del registro fotográfico que no se vincule necesariamente con su dimensión empírica, es decir, con su pura positividad en la captación de su referente. Con ello, la reproducción fotográfica nos permitirá reflexionar sobre nuestro propio acceso a la realidad en la que los vacíos y las ausencias son igualmente constitutivos de la misma. El film de Marguerite Duras L’homme atlantique, nos proporcionará un caso de estudio para reflexionar sobre esta importancia
The Good-on-Paper Effect: How the Decision Context Influences Virtuous Behavior
Authors: Touré-Tillery Maferima , Wang Lili
Published: February 2022

We document the “good-on-paper effect,” whereby people make more virtuous decisions on paper than on a digital device (e.g., tablet).
Risk-Averse Bargaining in a Stochastic Optimization Context
Authors: Gutjahr Walter J. , Kovacevic Raimund M. , Wozabal David
Published: February 2022

Problem definition: Bargaining situations are ubiquitous in economics and management. We consider the problem of bargaining for a fair ex ante distribution of random profits arising from a cooperative effort of a fixed set of risk-averse agents. Our approach integrates optimal managerial decision making into bargaining situations with random outcomes and explicitly models the impact of risk aversion. The proposed solution rests on a firm axiomatic foundation and yet allows to compute concrete bargaining solutions for a wide range of practically relevant problems. Methodology/results: We model risk preferences using coherent acceptability functionals and base our bargaining solution on a set of axioms that can be considered a natural extension of Nash bargaining to our setting. We show that the proposed axioms fully characterize a bargaining solution, which can be efficiently computed by solving a stochastic optimization problem. We characterize special cases where random payoffs of players are simple functions of overall project profit. In particular, we show that, for players with distortion risk functionals, the optimal bargaining solution can be represented by an exchange of standard options contracts with the project profit as the underlying asset. We illustrate the concepts in the paper with a detailed example of risk-averse households that jointly invest into a solar plant. Managerial implications: We demonstrate that there is no conflict of interest between players about management decisions and that risk aversion facilitates cooperation. Furthermore, our results on the structure of optimal contracts as a basket of option contracts provides valuable guidance for negotiators.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2021.1076 .
Learning Manipulation Through Information Dissemination
Authors: Keppo Jussi , Kim Michael Jong , Zhang Xinyuan
Published: February 2022

Much of the past learning and control literature has focused on the design of information acquisition processes for the demand side of information and has assumed that information supply is always genuine. However, in many economic and management settings, the information provider has incentives to strategically disseminate his/her private information, even in a possibly biased way. For example, a company may advertise deceptively to sell its products. In the paper “Learning Manipulation Through Information Dissemination,” Keppo, Kim, and Zhang take the perspective of an information provider and study the optimal manipulation of a learning process through the adaptive design of (mis)information. The authors explicitly characterize both the optimal manipulation policy and the learner’s belief process under such manipulation. They also extend their analysis to social learners who rely on public reviews to resist manipulation and show that social learning indeed mitigates misinformation in the long run.
Evaluation of the composition of public-school menu in the municipality of São Paulo using the quality index of the Food and Nutrition Security Coordination and the method of qualitative analysis of menu preparations
Authors: Santos Maria Fernanda Brandão , Neumann Spínelli Mônica Glória , Roncaglia Letícia Petta
Published: February 2022

Introdução: Na infância, a escola tem importante impacto na formação de hábitos alimentares. A alimentação qualitativa e quantitativamente adequada é essencial para garantir o crescimento e o desenvolvimento e, nesse cenário, o Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar tem por objetivo realizar ações de educação alimentar e nutricional e oferecer refeições que garantam as necessidades nutricionais durante o período letivo. Objetivo: Avaliar quanti-qualitativamente a composição dos cardápios do Programa de Alimentação Escolar da rede municipal de São Paulo. Métodos: A coleta de dados foi realizada nos meses de agosto a outubro de 2019, por meio dos cardápios disponibilizados na plataforma eletrônica “Prato Aberto”, publicada sob responsabilidade da Secretaria Municipal de Educação de São Paulo nos meses de agosto a outubro de 2019, para as Escolas Municipais de Ensino Fundamental. Os cardápios foram avaliados por sorteio das escolas de acordo com sua localização. Resultados: A média de pontuação total demonstra que todos os cardápios avaliados foram classificados como adequados; entretanto, ao analisar detalhadamente os resultados mensais para cada escola, foi possível notar o impacto das diferentes formas de gestão, compras de alimentos e planejamento dos cardápios. Conclusão: Os cardápios foram avaliados positivamente frente às duas ferramentas e estavam adequados quanto às recomendações do PNAE, embora houvesse pontos a serem melhorados, sobretudo quanto à alta previsão de oferta de alimentos restritos.
Avaliação do risco cardiovascular em pacientes renais crônicos em fase não dialítica por indicadores antropométricos
Authors: Dutra Adriana Dos Santos , Muniz Gisselma Aliny Santos , Brito Antonia Caroline Diniz , Fontenele Andréa Martins Melo , Conceição Sueli Ismael Oliveira da
Published: February 2022

Introdução: Estudos que adotaram os indicadores antropométricos de risco cardiovascular na avaliação de pacientes com doença renal crônica (DRC) em fase não dialítica são escassos. Objetivo: Avaliar o risco cardiovascular por indicadores antropométricos em pacientes com DRC em fase não dialítica e fatores associados. Métodos: Estudo transversal com 106 pacientes atendidos em hospital universitário, em São Luís-MA. Aplicou-se formulário estruturado com informações sociodemográficas, estilo de vida, morbidades e estadiamento da doença renal. Para avaliação antropométrica e identificação do risco cardiovascular, adotaram-se os indicadores: índice de massa corporal, circunferência da cintura, circunferência do pescoço, diâmetro abdominal sagital, relação cintura-estatura e índice de conicidade. Os testes do Qui-quadrado de Person e Exato de Fischer avaliaram a associação entre as variáveis e adotou-se o nível de significância p<0,05. Resultados: Pela circunferência da cintura, houve risco cardiovascular muito elevado nas mulheres (75,4%), e pelo índice de conicidade, todas estavam em risco (p<0,001). Nos pacientes com ≥60 anos de idade, houve risco cardiovascular pelos indicadores diâmetro abdominal sagital (77,5%), razão cintura-estatura (92,6%) e índice de conicidade (98,2%) (p<0,005). A circunferência do pescoço apontou risco elevado nos fumantes (100,0%) e etilistas (88,9%) (p=0,001). Pela circunferência do pescoço (73,5%) e razão cintura-estatura (91,7%), os renais crônicos diabéticos apresentaram risco cardiovascular elevado (p<0,05). Conclusão: O risco cardiovascular evidenciado por diferentes indicadores antropométricos aponta que ações de promoção da saúde devem ser implementadas, de modo a melhorar o estilo de vida e contribuir para o melhor prognóstico desses pacientes.
Boas práticas de fabricação de alimentos no contexto da Covid-19
Authors: Fernandes dos Santos Ana Paula Garcia , Ribeiro Cilene Silva , Fortuna Gabriela Moraes
Published: February 2022

Introdução: Após o início da pandemia ocasionada pelo novo coronavírus, o mundo se deparou com a necessidade do isolamento social. Todos os serviços não considerados essenciais tiveram a orientação de permanecerem fechados por tempo indeterminado. Nesse cenário, os serviços de alimentação puderam continuar funcionando, porém, com uma gama de alterações em suas rotinas e nas boas práticas de fabricação. Objetivo: Este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar as principais mudanças ocorridas nas boas práticas de fabricação de Unidades de Alimentação, após o início da pandemia do novo coronavírus. Método: Foi realizado um estudo qualitativo, com produção de dados por meio de entrevistas on-line, com gestores de Unidades de Alimentação. O questionário utilizado foi desenvolvido especialmente para este projeto, sendo segmentado em três etapas: dados pessoais, dados da unidade e alterações realizadas devido à pandemia. Resultado: Ao total, a pesquisa obteve 70 respostas, provenientes de profissionais que atuam na cidade de Curitiba-PR. Dentre as medidas mais citadas, destaca-se a aquisição de novos equipamentos de proteção, redução da capacidade do refeitório e aumento no uso de produtos de limpeza e álcool em gel. Conclusão: O fortalecimento das boas práticas e a implantação de medidas de segurança adicionais podem contribuir para a redução da transmissão do novo coronavírus, mas é fundamental que os profissionais adotem unicamente medidas baseadas nas legislações vigentes e nas orientações dos principais órgãos de saúde, a fim de evitar a disseminação de informações dúbias e errôneas.
Las sobrevivientes. Fotos, dictadura, Museos y subversión El caso de Córdoba
Authors: Sirimarco Mariana , Mendiara Irina
Published: February 2022

¿Qué imágenes han servido en la Argentina para hacer visible la desaparición? No por supuesto de la desaparición como tal, sino de la desaparición en tanto práctica que condensa el secuestro, la tortura, la detención ilegal, el asesinato, su ocultamiento. Este trabajo busca proponer, para esta pregunta, un nuevo corpus de imágenes: las fotografías de prensa que retrataron, en su época, los museos de la subversión que existieron durante la última dictadura, y que fueron desmantelados antes de la restauración democrática. Hace pie para ello en un corpus específico -un puñado de fotos que sobrevivieron al “Museo de la Lucha contra la Subversión” de Córdoba-, indagando en su origen y su trayectoria. Este texto es así un intento por reponer la ejecución y el derrotero de esas imágenes, y un modo de contestar, finalmente, la pregunta del principio. ¿Cómo, estas imágenes, pueden considerarse fotos de la desaparición?
Introdução
Authors: Greco Lucrecia Raquel , Rodriguez Manuela
Published: February 2022

RAZA, CUERPO Y PERFORMANCE EN AMÉRICA LATINA, reproducciones y subversiones estético-políticas de la cultura
EXPANSÃO DO AGRONEGÓCIO NA AMAZÔNIA: DINÂMICAS E CONTRADIÇÕES
Authors: Bernardes Julia Adão
Published: February 2022

O presente trabalho propõe analisar o atual movimento de expansão das fronteiras agrícolas tecnificadas na Amazônia Brasileira, uma região cuja centralidade é de fundamental relevância para o Brasil e o mundo. Essas fronteiras deverão ser reconstruídas através de conceitos como fronteira (MARTINS, 2014), território usado (SANTOS, 1999; RIBEIRO, 2005) e contradições (HARVEY, 2016), uma abordagem que procura reconhecer a criação de paisagens geográficas mais favoráveis à reprodução do capital, no contexto do seu avanço no campo, das novas formas de relação que vem estabelecendo com o Estado e o território e das repercussões sociais e ambientais. Nesse sentido, a pesquisa centra suas possibilidades teóricas na ótica da acumulação capitalista e nas tentativas de alisamento do espaço econômico, na dinâmica do mercado, na atuação do Estado e no confronto entre interesses dominantes e formas de produzir pré-existentes. Na percepção da contradição, é possível desvendar os conflitos, procurando destacar como a aparente resolução gradual coincide com o processo de intensificação da integração da região ao fluxo do comércio internacional. Nesse caminho analítico é possível reconhecer essa fronteira como projeto dos mais poderosos e como espaço dos que lutam pela vida no âmbito da ordem dominante verticalizada e excludente.
METAMORFOSES DO TRABALHO NO ESTADO DO MATO GROSSO - BRASIL
Authors: De Farias Luiz Felipe Ferrari Cerqueira
Published: February 2022

O objetivo deste artigo é investigar traços fundamentais do processo de formação da classe trabalhadora subordinada ao agronegócio no estado do Mato Grosso. Com base em uma revisão bibliográfica acerca da região e em dados dos Censos Demográficos e da Relação Anual de Informações Sociais (RAIS) do Ministério do Trabalho, analisaremos as transformações dos fluxos migratórios e do perfil dos trabalhadores que se dirigiram ao Mato Grosso desde 1960 até o presente momento. Em meio à expansão da cultura da soja e do complexo agroindustrial carnes/grãos durante as últimas décadas, destacaremos a permanência de um estado de inquietação social crônico dentre estes trabalhadores.
Population-based normative data for the Scoliosis Research Society 22r, EQ-5D, and VAS questionnaires among individuals aged 20 to 69 years
Authors: Tsirikos Athanasios I. , Wordie Sarah J.
Published: February 2022

Aims

To provide normative data that can assess spinal-related disability and the prevalence of back or leg pain among adults with no spinal conditions in the UK using validated questionnaires.

Methods

A total of 1,000 participants with equal sex distribution were included and categorized in five age groups: 20 to 29, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, and 60 to 69 years. Individuals with spinal pathologies were excluded. Participants completed the Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22r), visual analogue scale (VAS) for back/leg pain, and the EuroQol five-dimension index (EQ-5D/VAS) questionnaires, and disclosed their age, sex, and occupation. They were also categorized in five professional groups: doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, office workers, and manual workers.

Results

The mean age of all participants was 43.8 years (20 to 69). There was no difference in the SRS-22r, EQ-5D, or VAS scores among male and female participants (p > 0.05). There was incremental decrease in SRS-22r total scores as the age increased. The mean EQ-5D index score (0.84) ranged little across the age groups (0.72 to 0.91) but reduced gradually with increasing age. There was difference between the SRS-22r total score (4.51), the individual domain scores, and the EQ-5D score (index: 0.94 and VAS: 89) for the doctors’ group compared to all other occupational categories (p < 0.001). Doctors had a younger mean age of participants, which may explain their improved spinal health. There was no difference in the total or sub-domain SRS-22r and EQ-5D scores between the other four occupational groups.

Conclusion

This study provides the first normative data for the SRS-22r, EQ-5D, and VAS for back/leg pain questionnaires among adults in the UK. We recorded an excellent correlation between the three assessment tools with individuals who reported less back and leg pain having better quality of life and greater function. The participants’ age, rather than their sex or profession, appears to be the major determinant for spinal health and quality of life. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(2):130–134.
Design of proton deflectometry with in situ x-ray fiducial for magnetized high-energy-density systems
Authors: Malko Sophia , Johnson Courtney , Schaeffer Derek B. , Fox William , Fiksel Gennady
Published: February 2022

We report a design and
implementation of proton deflectometry with an in
situ reference x-ray image of a mesh to precisely measure
non-uniform magnetic fields in expanding plasmas at the OMEGA and
OMEGA EP laser facilities. The technique has been developed with
proton and x-ray sources generated from both directly driven capsule
implosions and short pulse laser–solid interactions. The accuracy of
the measurement depends on the contrast of both the proton and x-ray
images. We present numerical and analytic studies to optimize the
image contrast using a variety of mesh materials and grid spacings.
Our results show clear enhancement of the image contrast by factors of
four to six using a high

Z

mesh with large grid spacing. This
leads to further improvement in the accuracy of the magnetic field
measurement using this technique in comparison with its first
demonstration at the OMEGA laser facility [Rev. Sci. Instrum.
93, 023502 (2022)RSINAK0034-674810.1063/5.0064263].
Femtosecond laser oocyte enucleation as a low-invasive and effective method of recipient cytoplast preparation
Authors: Osychenko Alina A. , Zalessky Alexandr D. , Tochilo Uliana A. , Martirosyan David Yu. , Silaeva Yulia Yu. , Nadtochenko Victor A.
Published: February 2022

Recipient cytoplast preparation, commonly performed by DNA aspiration with a needle, inevitably leads to the loss of reprogramming factors. As an alternative to the traditional enucleation technique, femtosecond laser enucleation can eliminate DNA effectively without loss of reprogramming factors and without oocyte puncturing. In this work we have performed oocyte enucleation by destructing the metaphase plate using a 795 nm femtosecond laser. The disability of the enucleated oocytes to develop after the parthenogenetic activation, as well as the lack of DNA staining luminescence, strongly confirms the efficiency of the femtosecond laser enucleation. The parthenogenetic development of oocytes after the cytoplasm treatment suggests a low-invasive effect of the laser enucleation technique.
Underwater image enhancement using adaptive color restoration and dehazing
Authors: Li Tengyue , Rong Shenghui , Zhao Wenfeng , Chen Long , Liu Yongbin , Zhou Huiyu , He Bo
Published: February 2022

Underwater images captured by optical cameras can be degraded by light attenuation and scattering, which leads to deteriorated visual image quality. The technique of underwater image enhancement plays an important role in a wide range of subsequent applications such as image segmentation and object detection. To address this issue, we propose an underwater image enhancement framework which consists of an adaptive color restoration module and a haze-line based dehazing module. First, we employ an adaptive color restoration method to compensate the deteriorated color channels and restore the colors. The color restoration module consists of three steps: background light estimation, color recognition, and color compensation. The background light estimation determines the image is blueish or greenish, and the compensation is applied in red-green or red-blue channels. Second, the haze-line technique is employed to remove the haze and enhance the image details. Experimental results show that the proposed method can restore the color and remove the haze at the same time, and it also outperforms several state-of-the-art methods on three publicly available datasets. Moreover, experiments on an underwater object detection dataset show that the proposed underwater image enhancement method is able to improve the accuracy of the subsequent underwater object detection framework.
Realizing the imaging simulation of reflective polarization volume gratings
Authors: Wei Ran , Liu Haotian , Weng Yishi , Gu Yuchen , Wang Chuang , Zhang Lixuan , Zhang Yuning
Published: February 2022

Near-eye holographic waveguide display system using novel reflective polarized volume gratings (RPVG) have lately gotten a lot of interest. However, from polarization characteristics to imaging simulation, there is no systematic approach based on RPVG. Here, a full methodology for solving this problem using the rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) model is presented. This self-built RCWA model is used to examine the optical behavior of RPVG. This excellent portability of the RCWA model makes it possible for RPVG as a diffractive optical element, which is integrated into the commercial optical software Zemax via a self-compiled dynamic link library (DLL), and a full-color imaging simulation of the based-RPVG waveguide display system is obtained. Our work provides an instructive imaging analysis method using the RPVG for holographic waveguide display.
Optical performance monitoring using SOI-based spectral analysis
Authors: Huang Zhuili , Tian Ye , Liu Yufei , Luo Huaijian , Long Xiaojing , Yu Changyuan
Published: February 2022

A novel optical performance monitoring (OPM) method based on Fourier transform spectrum analysis (FTSA) is designed for optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) monitoring, modulation format and baud rate recognition in the presence of fiber nonlinearities. The interference intensities, which reflect spectral features of signals, are obtained by exploiting the FTSA consisting of two-stage Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) arrays. Then, the mapping between the OPM parameters and modulated interference intensity (MII) is characterized using neural networks without prior knowledge of the configuration of the communication network. Results show that optical performance parameters are monitored simultaneously. Meanwhile, the accuracy of modulation format and baud rate recognition is 94.8% and most (over 86%) OSNR monitoring errors are less than ±1 dB under complex transmission conditions in presence of frequency offset and delay jitter. Besides, the FTSA can be fabricated on a silicon on insulator (SOI) platform with a large fabrication tolerance, and it has broad working bandwidth to support the full optical communication band. Therefore, the proposed OPM method is capable of integration and miniaturization, which can be ubiquitously applied in network intermediate nodes to support the construction of smart optical networks.
Inferring the solution space of microscope objective lenses using deep learning
Authors: Côté Geoffroi , Zhang Yueqian , Menke Christoph , Lalonde Jean-François , Thibault Simon
Published: February 2022

Lens design extrapolation (LDE) is a data-driven approach to optical design that aims to generate new optical systems inspired by reference designs. Here, we build on a deep learning-enabled LDE framework with the aim of generating a significant variety of microscope objective lenses (MOLs) that are similar in structure to the reference MOLs, but with varied sequences—defined as a particular arrangement of glass elements, air gaps, and aperture stop placement. We first formulate LDE as a one-to-many problem—specifically, generating varied lenses for any set of specifications and lens sequence. Next, by quantifying the structure of a MOL from the slopes of its marginal ray, we improve the training objective to capture the structures of the reference MOLs (e.g., Double-Gauss, Lister, retrofocus, etc.). From only 34 reference MOLs, we generate designs across 7432 lens sequences and show that the inferred designs accurately capture the structural diversity and performance of the dataset. Our contribution answers two current challenges of the LDE framework: incorporating a meaningful one-to-many mapping, and successfully extrapolating to lens sequences unseen in the dataset—a problem much harder than the one of extrapolating to new specifications.
Optical frequency comb assisted denoising for multiple access and capacity enhancement of covert wireless communication
Authors: Yan Xianglei , Pan Wei , Zou Xihua , Lu Bing , Yan Lianshan , Luo Bin
Published: February 2022

An optical frequency comb (OFC)-assisted covert wireless communication system with multiple access and enhanced capacity is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. In the scheme, signals in multiple channels are spread and mixed together to use a single transmitter and then received by individual receivers according to multiple access channels. The mixed signal is highly contaminated by noise to achieve high concealment in both the time and frequency domains, and then effectively recovered as different channels using the OFC assisted analog deep denoising technique. In experiments, mixed signals of 16 access channels with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) from −18 to −5 dB are accommodated, showing high covertness and 16× capacity enhancement (16×10 Mbit/s). Mutual interference among different channels is also analyzed and greatly eliminated by phases optimization in the spectral-spreading process. This scheme can greatly improve the time and spectrum utilization efficiency, which will be of great significance for enabling multiple access, large capacity, and high security for wireless communications.
Automatic target recognition based on receiver optimization of photonic time-stretched coherent radar
Authors: Guo Hang , Li Xing , Wan Jun , Liu Yunkun , Qian Na , Xu Shaofu , Zou Weiwen
Published: February 2022

We demonstrate an automatic target recognition (ATR) scheme based on an
improved photonic time-stretched coherent radar (PTS-CR). The
reception apertures of the PTS-CR can cover the entire detection range
by receiving the echo signal with high repetition rate pulses and
increasing the amount of dispersion of the first dispersive medium in
the receiver. Two channels with different stretching factors are
simultaneously used to restore the signal delay information. Simulated
and experimental results verify the feasibility of the new scheme.
Finally, based on the improved receiving scheme, PTS-CR successfully
performed ATR on four different targets placed on a rotating stage.
Combining this with the training of the convolutional neural network
(CNN), the recognition accuracy rate is 94.375%.
Mid-infrared Ge-based thermo-optic phase shifters with an improved figure of merit
Authors: Chang Xingzhao , Zhang Hao , Ma Zhuang , Zhou Xiaoyan , Zhang Lin
Published: February 2022

We demonstrate a power-efficient and fast thermo-optic phase shifter on a Ge platform for mid-infrared applications. Several approaches are implemented to improve the performance. Air trenches and Si-Ge multilayers with ultra-low thermal conductivity are introduced to provide thermal insulation. Few-layer graphene is used to enhance the thermal conductivity between the heater and the waveguide for efficient heat injection and subtraction. The optimized design has a power consumption of 3.9 mW and a time constant of 1.8 µs, resulting in a very small figure-of-merit of merely 7.0 mW·µs, 4 times smaller than the previously reported value.
Estimating the glutamate transporter surface density in distinct sub-cellular compartments of mouse hippocampal astrocytes
Authors: Rǎdulescu Anca R. , Todd Gabrielle C. , Williams Cassandra L. , Bennink Benjamin A. , Lemus Alex A. , Chesbro Haley E. , Bourgeois Justin R. , Kopec Ashley M. , Zuloaga Damian G. , Scimemi Annalisa
Published: February 2022

Glutamate transporters preserve the spatial specificity of synaptic transmission by limiting glutamate diffusion away from the synaptic cleft, and prevent excitotoxicity by keeping the extracellular concentration of glutamate at low nanomolar levels. Glutamate transporters are abundantly expressed in astrocytes, and previous estimates have been obtained about their surface expression in astrocytes of the rat hippocampus and cerebellum. Analogous estimates for the mouse hippocampus are currently not available. In this work, we derive the surface density of astrocytic glutamate transporters in mice of different ages via quantitative dot blot. We find that the surface density of glial glutamate transporters is similar in 7-8 week old mice and rats. In mice, the levels of glutamate transporters increase until about 6 months of age and then begin to decline slowly. Our data, obtained from a combination of experimental and modeling approaches, point to the existence of stark differences in the density of expression of glutamate transporters across different sub-cellular compartments, indicating that the extent to which astrocytes limit extrasynaptic glutamate diffusion depends not only on their level of synaptic coverage, but also on the identity of the astrocyte compartment in contact with the synapse. Together, these findings provide information on how heterogeneity in the spatial distribution of glutamate transporters in the plasma membrane of hippocampal astrocytes my alter glutamate receptor activation out of the synaptic cleft.
Strongyloides stercoralis and Trypanosoma cruzi coinfections in a highly endemic area in Argentina
Authors: Fleitas Pedro E. , Floridia-Yapur Noelia , Nieves Elvia E. , Echazu Adriana , Vargas Paola A. , Caro Nicolás R. , Aveldaño Ramiro , Lopez Walter , Fernandez Mariana , Crudo Favio , Cimino Rubén O. , Krolewiecki Alejandro J.
Published: February 2022

Background

Strongyloidiasis and Chagas disease are endemic in northern Argentina. In this study we evaluate the association between S. stercoralis and T. cruzi infections in villages with diverse prevalence levels for these parasites. Further understanding in the relationship between these Neglected Tropical Diseases of South America is relevant for the design of integrated control measures as well as exploring potential biologic interactions.

Methodology

Community based cross-sectional studies were carried in different villages of the Chaco and Yungas regions in Argentina. Individuals were diagnosed by serology for S. stercoralis and T. cruzi. The association between S. stercoralis and T. cruzi, and between anemia and the two parasites was evaluated using two approaches: marginal (Ma) and multilevel regression (Mu).

Results

A total of 706 individuals from six villages of northern Argentina were included. A total of 37% were positive for S. stercoralis, 14% were positive for T. cruzi and 5% were positive for both. No association was found between infection with S. stercoralis and T. cruzi in any of the models, but we found a negative correlation between the prevalence of these species in the different villages (r = -0.91). Adults (> 15 years) presented association with S. stercoralis (Ma OR = 2.72; Mu OR = 2.84) and T. cruzi (Ma OR = 5.12; Mu OR = 5.48). Also, 12% and 2% of the variance of infection with S. stercoralis and T. cruzi, respectively, could be explained by differences among villages. On the other hand, anemia was associated with infection with S. stercoralis (Ma OR = 1.73; Mu OR = 1.78) and was more prevalent in adults (Ma OR = 2.59; Mu OR = 2.69).

Conclusion

We found that coinfection between S. stercoralis and T. cruzi is not more frequent than chance in endemic areas. However, the high prevalence for both parasites, raises the need for an integrated strategy for the control of STH and Chagas disease.
Obesity at early adulthood increases risk of gastric cancer from the Health Examinees-Gem (HEXA-G) study
Authors: Lee Hwi-Won , Huang Dan , Shin Woo-Kyoung , de la Torre Katherine , Yang Jae Jeong , Song Minkyo , Shin Aesun , Lee Jong-koo , Kang Daehee
Published: February 2022

Emerging evidence has indicated a possible link between obesity in early life with subsequent cancer risks, but its association with gastric cancer remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association of obesity at ages 18–20 and 35 with the later risk of gastric cancer among the Korean population. Included were 122,724 individuals who participated in the large-scale prospective cohort study, the Health Examinees-Gem (HEXA-G) study, during 2004–2017. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for gastric cancer risk associated with body mass index (BMI) at ages 18–20 and 35 years. During a mean follow-up period of 8.6±2.1 years, a total 927 gastric cancer cases (531 men and 396 women) were identified. When compared to normal BMI (18.5–23.0 kg/m2), obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) at age 35 was significantly associated with increased risk of gastric cancer later in life among total participants (HR 1.94, 95% CI 1.26–2.97,p0.01). When analyzed separately by sex, obesity at 35 years of age was significantly associated with increased risk of gastric cancer among both men (HR 1.79, 95% CI 1.02–3.13,p0.05) and women (HR 2.35, 95% CI 1.21–4.60,p0.02). No significant associations were found for obesity at late adolescence in both men and women. Our findings suggest that obesity in early adulthood may be associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer. The results may aid in understanding the etiology of GC in a population with a divergent trend of gastric cancer.
Performance of the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG serological assay in South African 2 patients
Authors: Jugwanth Sarika , Gededzha Maemu P. , Mampeule Nakampe , Zwane Nontobeko , David Anura , Burgers Wendy A. , Blackburn Jonathan M. , Grove Jurette S. , George Jaya A. , Sanne Ian , Scott Lesley , Stevens Wendy , Mayne Elizabeth S.
Published: February 2022

In late December 2019, pneumonia cases of unknown origin were reported in Wuhan, China. This virus was named SARS-CoV2 and the clinical syndrome was named coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). South Africa, despite strict and early lockdown has the highest infection rate in Africa. A key component of South Africa’s response to SARSCoV2 was the rapid scale-up of diagnostic testing. The Abbott SARS-CoV2 assay detects IgG antibodies against the Nucleocapsid (N) protein of the SARS-CoV2 virus. This study undertook to validate and evaluate performance criteria of the Abbott assay and to establish whether this assay would show clinical utility in our population. Positive patients (n = 391) and negative controls (n = 139) were included. The Architect-i and Alinity-i systems were analyzers that were used to perform the SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay. In-house ELISA was incorporated into the study as a confirmatory serology test. A total of number of 530 participants was tested, 87% were symptomatic with infection and 13% were asymptomatic. When compared to RT-qPCR, the sensitivity of Architect and Alinity SARS-CoV2 assays was 69.5% and 64.8%, respectively. Specificity for Architect and Alinity assays was 95% and 90.3%, respectively. The Abbott assay was also compared to in house ELISA assay, with sensitivity for the Architect and Alinity assays of 94.7% and 92.5%, respectively. Specificity for Abbott Alinity assays was 91.7% higher than Abbott Architect 88.1%. Based on the current findings testing of IgG after 14 days is recommended in South Africa and supports other studies performed around the world.
Adrenal suppression in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treated with glucocorticoids: Role of specific glucocorticoid receptor polymorphisms
Authors: Sivapalan Pradeesh , Borresen Stina Willemoes , Eklöf Josefin , Klose Marianne , Holm Freja S. , Feldt-Rasmussen Ulla , Rossing Maria , Jørgensen Niklas R. , Marvig Rasmus L. , Saeed Mohamad Isam , Wilcke Torgny , Seersholm Niels , Mathioudakis Alexander G. , Vestbo Jørgen , Jensen Jens-Ulrik Stæhr
Published: February 2022

Background

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene NR3C1 have been associated with an altered sensitivity to glucocorticoids, and thus may alter the therapeutic effects of glucocorticoids. We investigated the prevalence of adrenal suppression after treatment with glucocorticoids and evaluated whether GR SNPs were associated with altered risks of adrenal suppression and metabolic disorders in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods

In an observational prospective cohort study, we recruited 78 patients with severe COPD receiving 5 days glucocorticoid treatment for an exacerbation of COPD. In total, 55% of these patients were also receiving regular inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). Adrenal function was evaluated with a corticotropin test 30 days after the exacerbation. Patients were genotyped for Bcl1, N363S, ER22/23EK, and 9β SNPs.

Results

The prevalence of adrenal suppression (corticotropin-stimulated plasma-cortisol ≤ 420 nmol/L) 30 days after glucocorticoid treatment was 4/78 (5%). There was no difference between carriers and non-carriers of the polymorphisms (Bcl1, 9β, ER22/23K, and N363S) in corticotropin stimulated plasma-cortisol concentrations. In the haplotype analyses, we included the 50 patients who had a high-sensitivity (76%), a low-sensitivity (4%), or a wild-type (20%) GR haplotype. There was no difference in the frequency of adrenal suppression or metabolic disorders between the two stratified groups: (a) high-sensitivity (Bcl1 and/or N363S) haplotypes vs. (b) low-sensitivity (9β and/or ER22/23K) plus wild-type haplotypes (p > 0.05). Carriers of the high-sensitivity GR gene haplotype exhibited a steeper decline in stimulated P-cortisol with increased ICS dose (slope, –1.35 vs. 0.94; p = 0.17), compared to the group with low-sensitivity or wild-type haplotypes, respectively.

Conclusions

In total, 5% of patients exhibited insufficient adrenal function. The Bcl1 and N363S polymorphisms did not seem to increase the risk of glucocorticoid suppression or metabolic disorders in adults treated with glucocorticoids for COPD exacerbations.
Segmentation of HE-stained meningioma pathological images based on pseudo-labels
Authors: Wu Chongshu , Zhong Jing , Lin Lin , Chen Yanping , Xue Yunjing , Shi Peng
Published: February 2022

Biomedical research is inseparable from the analysis of various histopathological images, and hematoxylin-eosin (HE)-stained images are one of the most basic and widely used types. However, at present, machine learning based approaches of the analysis of this kind of images are highly relied on manual labeling of images for training. Fully automated processing of HE-stained images remains a challenging task due to the high degree of color intensity, size and shape uncertainty of the stained cells. For this problem, we propose a fully automatic pixel-wise semantic segmentation method based on pseudo-labels, which concerns to significantly reduce the manual cell sketching and labeling work before machine learning, and guarantees the accuracy of segmentation. First, we collect reliable training samples in a unsupervised manner based on K-means clustering results; second, we use full mixup strategy to enhance the training images and to obtain the U-Net model for the nuclei segmentation from the background. The experimental results based on the meningioma pathology image dataset show that the proposed method has good performance and the pathological features obtained statistically based on the segmentation results can be used to assist in the clinical grading of meningiomas. Compared with other machine learning strategies, it can provide a reliable reference for clinical research more effectively.