bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cities and Migration an Overview
Authors: Withol De Wenden Catherine
Published: February 2024

Cities and migration is a topic which cannot be studied by one discipline, and which is enriched by a multi-level approach. It crosses, inside the area of migration studies, urban studies (geography, political science, and sociology), migration flows and stocks (mobility, settlement, and integration for demographers), public law and international relations (governance, international agreements, and cooperation). It is also relating to new actors, sometimes non-State actors, along with public policies. Sociology, political science, anthropology, geography, philosophy, history are questioned by a problematics which often opposes hospitality in towns and hostility from the migration State in an international landscape of crisis and emergency. The contradictions between the various levels in the decision-making process (local, municipal, regional, national, international) are many, although this topic gained visibility with the recent hospitality and solidarity developed by cities, sometimes transgressing national laws and policies facing with security, dissuasive and repressive approaches of Nation States. As migrants are more and more coming from urban areas to other urban areas in the South, as well in the North, cities are central actors in a multi-level approach of decision-making processes of flows and of living together. Cities are also the main space of Integration, highlighting discriminations, institutional racism, and other forms of exclusion but also emergence of close solidarities and creativity. The growing visibility of migrants in daily life is also questioning various forms of cohabitation.
Humanitarian Reactions to Conflict and the Resettlement of Refugees
Authors: Segal Uma A. , Davenport Felia
Published: February 2024

Refugee movements are, indeed, the embodiment of “glocalization”, or the increasing interconnectedness of global and local phenomena, with local entities being affected by globalization as well as by their own contexts. Host countries are generally unprepared for the local impact of refugee resettlement, and because there are significant differences between (and within) refugee groups, even for experienced service providers, the process is challenging. Escaping refugees, powered by the urgency of conflicts with, and/or within, their homelands, are faced by a myriad of additional tests to their fortitude and flexibility. Nation states are not insular, regardless of distance from the country in conflict, and they either directly or indirectly experience the consequences of these conflicts. As host nations prepare to receive and integrate refugees, the global or international issue becomes a local one, and the local community moves to develop opportunities for these newly arriving populations. This paper presents an overview of the refugee experience, proposing that refugee resettlement is only a beginning, and acceptance and integration in the host country is a lifelong process. It provides a model to speak to this ongoing process of adjustment and adaptation and suggests puppetry as a tool for the education of host country residents, service providers, and also for refugees.
Danish is never a Requirement for these Jobs
Authors: Floros Konstantinos , Jørgensen Martin Bak
Published: February 2024

The worldwide expansion of digital labour platforms has a transformative impact on labour markets, reconfiguring employment relations and labour management both on a local and global scale. Lately, the growing literature on digital labour platforms is increasingly documenting how platform workers around the world are to a great extent migrants. Our article draws on data from empirical research on digital platforms providing housecleaning in Denmark, to emphasise how the intersection of migrant work, digital technologies, labour market regulations and migration law exacerbate inequalities and institutionalise precarious working conditions. We analyse platform housecleaning in Denmark through the lens of the “institutionalisation of precarity” and “Autonomy of Migration” concepts, to highlight that it is a phenomenon simultaneously co-constructed by migrants’ agency and structural factors. We conclude that critical studies on platform labour and future research should engage deeper with the intersecting realities (legal, social, gendered etc.) that shape migrant workers’ precarious lives, and migrants’ own strategies to navigate the shortcomings of exclusive and hostile labour market environments.
Dual-band terahertz metamaterial sensor and its sensing capacity enhanced with a central-relief design
Authors: Guo Shijing , Li Chao , Wang Dong , Chen Wenya , Gao Song , Wu Guozheng , Xiong Jiaran
Published: February 2024

In this paper, a dual-band terahertz metamaterial sensor based on aluminum and silicon is proposed and simulated. The aluminum surface, which is deposited on a silicon substrate, is made of a C-shaped frame resonator, a rectangular beam, and a cross. The device is insensitive to the change of incident angle in the range of 0°–30°, which shows the great transmission stability of the sensor. By examining the resonance frequency shift, it is shown that 98.3 and 237.5 GHz/RIU refractive index sensitivity can be obtained near 1.76 and 2.404 THz transmission dips of the proposed structure, respectively. The two dips can be used to sense analytes in different refractive index ranges, respectively. For Dip 1 at 1.76 THz, the range is 1.0–1.6. For Dip 2 at 2.404 THz, the range is 1.6–2.0. Different from traditional multi-band metamaterial sensors, two dips generated by the proposed device can measure continuous and non-multiplexed refractive index ranges, respectively. Because the resonance frequencies of matters are different, such a characteristic enables the device to measure different types of analyte using the appropriate resonant peak. A central-relief design is then proposed based on perturbation theory to further improve its sensing performance. The aluminum cross is covered by polyimide, which can interfere with the scattering field on the metal surface and affect the transmission results. For both transmission dips, the optimized structure realizes higher sensitivities of 111.7 GHz/RIU and 262.5 GHz/RIU, respectively. More significantly, the optimized structure also has the characteristic of a wide and non-multiplexed refractive index range. In addition, the effects of analyte thickness and polyimide layer thickness on sensor performance are also discussed. The proposed structure opens up new prospects in the design of multiple-band terahertz metamaterial sensors. It can also meet the sensing needs of biomedical, environmental monitoring, and industrial manufacturing.
Visible, NIR, SWIR, and eSWIR urban and rural scene contrast comparison
Authors: Leslie Patrick , Cavanaugh Richard Col. , Jordan Shane , Wiley Lindsey , Jacobs Eddie , Driggers Ronald , Conroy Joseph
Published: February 2024

The spectral information contained in the reflective imaging bands can be exploited for specific tasks. Whether targeting or mapping, the visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR), shortwave infrared (SWIR), extended shortwave infrared (eSWIR) bands perform very differently for every application. For any imaging project, high contrast is very important for good imagery. High contrast leads to more recognizable features within a scene and easier identifiable objects. For mapping, good background scene contrast gives prominent features more detail and their locations can be easily identified. For targeting, low background scene contrast reduces clutter, making it easier to detect objects of interest. The VIS, NIR, SWIR, and eSWIR bands are popular reflective bands to design daytime imaging systems for either task. Deciding on which band will have the best contrast for a specific task is one of the first things to study when designing an imaging system. By measuring urban and rural scenes in terms of equivalent reflectivity (ER), a direct comparison of these four bands can show the utility they provide. The systems used to measure scene contrast are designed to have the same spatial resolution and field of view (FOV). With these instantaneous FOV (IFOV) matched systems, the variance and 1D power spectral densities (PSDs) provide a quantitative comparison for the contrast among the four bands. The ER differences and resulting contrast measured among these four bands show that the eSWIR has the highest contrast in both urban and rural scenes.
Photodynamic treatment of malignant melanoma with structured light: in silico Monte Carlo modeling
Authors: Doronin Alexander , Yakovlev Vladislav V. , Bagnato Vanderlei S.
Published: February 2024

In this report, we propose a novel strategy for the photodynamic approach to the treatment of melanoma, aiming to mitigate the excessive absorption and consequent thermal effects. The cornerstone of this approach is an innovative structured illumination technique that optimizes light delivery to the tissue. The methodology of this in silico study involves the development of an optical model of human skin with the presence of melanoma and an accurate simulation technique of photon transport within the complex turbid scattering medium. To assess the effectiveness of our proposed strategy, we introduced a cost function reflecting the irradiated volume and optical radiation absorption within the target area/volume occupied by malformation. By utilizing the cost function, we refine the offset illumination parameters for a variety of target system parameters, ensuring increased efficiency of photodynamic therapy. Our computer simulation results introduce a promising new path towards improved photodynamic melanoma treatments, potentially leading to better therapeutic outcomes and reduced side effects. Further experimental validation is needed to confirm these theoretical advancements, which could contribute towards revolutionizing current melanoma photodynamic treatment methodologies.
Mapping the slow and fast photoresponse of field-effect transistors to terahertz and infrared radiation
Authors: Regensburger Stefan , Ludwig Florian , Winnerl Stephan , Klopf J. Michael , Lu Hong , Roskos Hartmut G. , Preu Sascha
Published: February 2024

Field-effect transistors are capable of detecting electromagnetic radiation from less than 100 GHz up to very high frequencies reaching well into the infrared spectral range. Here, we report on frequency coverage of up to 30THz, thus reaching the technologically important frequency regime of CO2 lasers, using GaAs/AlGaAs high-electron-mobility transistors. A detailed study of the speed and polarization dependence of the responsivity allows us to identify a cross over of the dominant detection mechanism from ultrafast non-quasistatic rectification at low Terahertz frequencies to slow rectification based on a combination of the Seebeck and bolometric effects at high frequencies, occurring at about the boundary between the Terahertz frequency range and the infrared at 10THz.
Systematic comparison of commercial devices for temporal characterization of few-cycle laser pulses in the 500-1000 nm spectral range
Authors: Pajer Viktor , Bohus János , Malakzadeh Abdollah , Lehotai Levente , Kalashnikov Mikhail , Seres Imre , Gilicze Barnabás , Kiss Bálint , Börzsönyi Ádám , Varjú Katalin , Szabó Gábor , Nagymihály Roland
Published: February 2024

We compare multiple temporal pulse characterization techniques in three different pulse duration regimes from 15 fs to sub-5 fs, as there are no available standards yet for measuring such ultrashort pulses. To accomplish this, a versatile post-compression platform was developed, where the 100 fs near infrared pulses were post-compressed to the sub-two-cycle regime in a hybrid, three-stage configuration. After each stage, the duration of the compressed pulse was measured with the d-scan, TIPTOE and SRSI techniques and the retrieved temporal intensity profiles, spectrum and spectral phases were compared. Spectral homogeneity was also measured with an imaging spectrometer to understand the input coupling conditions of the temporal measurements. Our findings suggest that the different devices give similar results in terms of temporal intensity profile, however they are extremely sensitive to alignment and to beam quality, especially in the case of the shortest pulses. We address specific steps of measurement procedures, which paves the way towards the standardization of pulse characterization in the near future.
High-beam-quality low-resistance vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser array with graphene electrode
Authors: Zhang Feng , Cui Ning , Yang Jiawei , Mei Yu , Fu Lishan , Liu Yudong , Guan Baolu
Published: February 2024

Thermal crosstalk and current crowding effects are pressing issues that significantly impact the beam quality and efficiency of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays. In this paper, by taking advantage of the excellent current transmission characteristics of graphene, what we believe to be a novel VCSEL array based on graphene electrode is designed to realize vertical current injections. The series resistance and self-heating of arrays are reduced by controlling the transport direction of the current, effectively suppressing the thermal crosstalk effect. Furthermore, high array beam quality is obtained by optimizing the current density distribution in active regions. Ultimately, the high-power quasi-single mode emission of VCSEL arrays is achieved by introducing graphene electrodes (Gr-VCSEL array) designs. Compared to traditional VCSEL arrays, the 10 × 10 Gr-VCSEL array demonstrates a 41% reduction in series resistance, a side mode suppression ratio of 32 dB, and a divergence angle around 12 °. This structure simultaneously achieves quasi-single mode emission and effectively suppresses the thermal crosstalk effect, providing a new method for the development of high-beam quality VCSEL arrays.
Optical bistability and flip-flop function in feedback Fano laser
Authors: Liang Shih Lun , Mørk Jesper , Yu Yi
Published: February 2024

Optical bistability has the potential to emulate the capabilities of electrical flip-flops, offering plenty of applications in optical signal processing. Conventional optical bistable devices operate by altering the susceptibility of a nonlinear medium. This method, however, often results in drawbacks such as large device size, high energy consumption, or long switching times. This work proposes an optical bistable device incorporating strong optical feedback into a Fano laser. This leads to multiple stable states and introduces a region of bistability between the inherent Fano mode and a feedback-induced Fabry-Perot mode. Unlike conventional bistable devices, the Fano system exploits strong field localization in a nanocavity to control the properties of one of the laser mirrors. This configuration means that switching states can be achieved by modulating the mirror’s loss rather than changing the susceptibility of the active medium. Importantly, modulation can be implemented locally on a nanocavity, bypassing the need to adjust the entire laser system. This leads to fast flip-flop actions with low energy consumption. The feedback Fano laser can be embodied in a compact microscopic structure, thus providing a promising approach towards integrated all-optical computation and on-chip signal processing.
Structured light enhanced machine learning for fiber bend sensing
Authors: Angelucci Sara , Chen Zhaozhong , Škvarenina Ľubomír , Clark Alasdair W. , Vallés Adam , Lavery Martin P. J.
Published: February 2024

The intricate optical distortions that occur when light interacts with complex media, such as few- or multi-mode optical fiber, often appear random in origin and are a fundamental source of error for communication and sensing systems. We propose the use of orbital angular momentum (OAM) feature extraction to mitigate phase-noise and allow for the use of intermodal-coupling as an effective tool for fiber sensing. OAM feature extraction is achieved by passive all-optical OAM demultiplexing, and we demonstrate fiber bend tracking with 94.1% accuracy. Conversely, an accuracy of only 14% was achieved for determining the same bend positions when using a convolutional-neural-network trained with intensity measurements of the output of the fiber. Further, OAM feature extraction used 120 times less information for training compared to intensity image based measurements. This work indicates that structured light enhanced machine learning could be used in a wide range of future sensing technologies.
Terahertz stretchable metamaterials with deformable dolmen resonators for uniaxial strain measurement
Authors: Okatani Taiyu , Dashdeleg Munkh-Orgil , Inomata Naoki , Kanamori Yoshiaki
Published: February 2024

In this study, we propose a terahertz stretchable metamaterial that can measure uniaxial strain. Gold dolmen resonators formed on a sheet of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is deformed by strain, and its resonance peak exhibits the gradual decrease in reflectance without a frequency shift, which is suitable for imaging applications at a single frequency. The metamaterial was designed by mechanical and electromagnetic simulations and fabricated by microfabrication including a transfer process of gold structures from a glass substrate to a PDMS sheet. By measuring the reflectance and observing the deformation under different strains, the reflectance decrease was obtained at 0.292 THz despite the appearance of wrinkles on gold structures. Linear response and repeatability up to 20% strain were also confirmed. Furthermore, the strain measurement through a sheet of paper was demonstrated, suggesting that our method can be applied even in situations where opaque obstacles in the visible region exist.
Spatially varying defocus map estimation from a single image based on spatial aliasing sampling method
Authors: Yang Peng , Liu Ming , Dong Liquan , Kong Lingqin , Zhao Yuejin , Hui Mei
Published: February 2024

In current optical systems, defocus blur is inevitable due to the constrained depth of field. However, it is difficult to accurately identify the defocus amount at each pixel position as the point spread function changes spatially. In this paper, we introduce a histogram-invariant spatial aliasing sampling method for reconstructing all-in-focus images, which addresses the challenge of insufficient pixel-level annotated samples, and subsequently introduces a high-resolution network for estimating spatially varying defocus maps from a single image. The accuracy of the proposed method is evaluated on various synthetic and real data. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed model outperforms state-of-the-art methods for defocus map estimation significantly.
Aplanatic solar concentrators for tubular absorbers
Authors: de Souza Leonardo F. L. , Fraidenraich Naum , Gordon Jeffrey M.
Published: February 2024

A fundamentally new, to the best of our knowledge, class of linear (2D) dual-mirror aplanats tailored to tubular absorbers is developed for the types of solar concentrators used for thermal power. It is shown that prior investigation establishing this concept possesses unrecognized additional designs, as well as having missed high-performance configurations. It is shown that our line-focus solar concentrators can attain intercept factors exceeding 0.9 at concentration values as high as 55, with practical mirror contours and assemblies. Designed expressly for tubular absorbers, they represent improvements upon previous aplanatic concentrators that were tailored to flat one-sided absorbers but applied to tubular absorbers (as well as to conventional parabolic troughs).
Sb2S3 as a low-loss phase-change material for mid-IR photonics
Authors: Biegański Adam , Perestjuk Marko , Armand Rémi , Della Torre Alberto , Laprais Capucine , Saint-Girons Guillaume , Reboud Vincent , Hartmann Jean-Michel , Tortai Jean-Hervé , Moreau Antonin , Lumeau Julien , Nguyen Thach , Mitchell Arnan , Monat Christelle , Cueff Sébastien , Grillet Christian
Published: February 2024

We study the mid-IR optical properties of Sb2S3 – a phase-change material (PCM) with high potential for mid-IR integrated photonics. We show that Sb2S3 exhibits a high refractive index contrast Δn ≈ 1 between its two phases and an extinction coefficient k below 10−2 at mid-IR wavelengths (up to ∼10 µm). We study the impact of 100 nm Sb2S3 cladding on SiGe-on-Si waveguides and experimentally show that it brings additional propagation loss below 1 dB/cm in the 3.3–3.9 µm wavelength range in both phases. These findings pave the way for new uses of Sb2S3 in mid-IR integrated photonics.
High-sensitivity drug biosensor based on taper and offset techniques for coreless optical fiber deposited with titanium dioxide nanoparticles
Authors: Al-dulimi Saraa , Taher Hanan J.
Published: February 2024

This paper designed and implemented a fiber optic biosensor to detect and measure the refractive index (RI) of different drug samples based on the offset and taper technique and enhance the sensitivity by nanoparticle material coating. This sensor was designed using a coreless fiber (CF), this optical fiber was tapered with different waist diameters, and the optimal waist diameter of 83.06 µm was achieved 291 nm/ refractive index unit (RIU), and the sensor was coated with different concentration of TiO2/PVA the optimal concentration 0.02% wt has a thickness 2.6 µm of TiO2/PVA nanoparticles and it was tested with different drug samples solution with refractive indices ranging from 1 to 1.393 and the highest sensitivity was achieved 361.11 nm/RIU. It was found that the taper and TiO2/PVA nanoparticles improved the sensitivity. This sensor can detect various refractive indices of chemicals and biochemical liquids. Advantages of the proposed sensor include high sensitivity, adaptability, enabling faster real-time measurements, ease of manufacturing and operation, compact size, lightweight design, and low cost.
Dynamics of bacterial recombination in the human gut microbiome
Authors: Liu Zhiru , Good Benjamin H.
Published: February 2024

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a ubiquitous force in microbial evolution. Previous work has shown that the human gut is a hotspot for gene transfer between species, but the more subtle exchange of variation within species—also known as recombination—remains poorly characterized in this ecosystem. Here, we show that the genetic structure of the human gut microbiome provides an opportunity to measure recent recombination events from sequenced fecal samples, enabling quantitative comparisons across diverse commensal species that inhabit a common environment. By analyzing recent recombination events in the core genomes of 29 human gut bacteria, we observed widespread heterogeneities in the rates and lengths of transferred fragments, which are difficult to explain by existing models of ecological isolation or homology-dependent recombination rates. We also show that natural selection helps facilitate the spread of genetic variants across strain backgrounds, both within individual hosts and across the broader population. These results shed light on the dynamics of in situ recombination, which can strongly constrain the adaptability of gut microbial communities.
Compressive stress gradients direct mechanoregulation of anisotropic growth in the zebrafish jaw joint
Authors: Godivier Josepha , Lawrence Elizabeth A. , Wang Mengdi , Hammond Chrissy L. , Nowlan Niamh C.
Published: February 2024

Mechanical stimuli arising from fetal movements are critical factors underlying joint growth. Abnormal fetal movements negatively affect joint shape features with important implications for joint health, but the mechanisms by which mechanical forces from fetal movements influence joint growth are still unclear. In this research, we quantify zebrafish jaw joint growth in 3D in free-to-move and immobilised fish larvae between four and five days post fertilisation. We found that the main changes in size and shape in normally moving fish were in the ventrodorsal axis, while growth anisotropy was lost in the immobilised larvae. We next sought to determine the cell level activities underlying mechanoregulated growth anisotropy by tracking individual cells in the presence or absence of jaw movements, finding that the most dramatic changes in growth rates due to jaw immobility were in the ventrodorsal axis. Finally, we implemented mechanobiological simulations of joint growth with which we tested hypotheses relating specific mechanical stimuli to mechanoregulated growth anisotropy. Different types of mechanical stimulation were incorporated into the simulation to provide the mechanoregulated component of growth, in addition to the baseline (non-mechanoregulated) growth which occurs in the immobilised animals. We found that when average tissue stress over the opening and closing cycle of the joint was used as the stimulus for mechanoregulated growth, joint morphogenesis was not accurately predicted. Predictions were improved when using the stress gradients along the rudiment axes (i.e., the variation in magnitude of compression to magnitude of tension between local regions). However, the most accurate predictions were obtained when using the compressive stress gradients (i.e., the variation in compressive stress magnitude) along the rudiment axes. We conclude therefore that the dominant biophysical stimulus contributing to growth anisotropy during early joint development is the gradient of compressive stress experienced along the growth axes under cyclical loading.
Robust expansion of phylogeny for fast-growing genome sequence data
Authors: Ye Yongtao , Shum Marcus H. , Tsui Joseph L. , Yu Guangchuang , Smith David K. , Zhu Huachen , Wu Joseph T. , Guan Yi , Lam Tommy Tsan-Yuk
Published: February 2024

Massive sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 genomes has urged novel methods that employ existing phylogenies to add new samples efficiently instead of de novo inference. ‘TIPars’ was developed for such challenge integrating parsimony analysis with pre-computed ancestral sequences. It took about 21 seconds to insert 100 SARS-CoV-2 genomes into a 100k-taxa reference tree using 1.4 gigabytes. Benchmarking on four datasets, TIPars achieved the highest accuracy for phylogenies of moderately similar sequences. For highly similar and divergent scenarios, fully parsimony-based and likelihood-based phylogenetic placement methods performed the best respectively while TIPars was the second best. TIPars accomplished efficient and accurate expansion of phylogenies of both similar and divergent sequences, which would have broad biological applications beyond SARS-CoV-2. TIPars is accessible from https://tipars.hku.hk/ and source codes are available at https://github.com/id-bioinfo/TIPars.
The effect of biomass smoke exposure on quality-of-life among Ugandan patients treated for tuberculosis: A cross-sectional analysis
Authors: Wennemann Sophie , Mudarshiru Bbuye , Zawedde-Muyanja Stella , Siddharthan Trishul , Jackson Peter D.
Published: February 2024

More than half the global population burns biomass fuels for cooking and home heating, especially in low-middle income countries. This practice is a prominent source of indoor air pollution and has been linked to the development of a variety of cardiopulmonary diseases, including Tuberculosis (TB). The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between current biomass smoke exposure and self-reported quality of life scores in a cohort of previous TB patients in Uganda. We reviewed medical records from six TB clinics from 9/2019-9/2020 and conducted phone interviews to obtain information about biomass smoke exposure. A random sample of these patients were asked to complete three validated quality-of-life surveys including the St. Georges Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), the EuroQol 5 Dimension 3 Level system (EQ-5D-3L) which includes the EuroQol Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS), and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9). The cohort was divided up into 3 levels based on years of smoke exposure–no-reported smoke exposure (0 years), light exposure (1–19 years), and heavy exposure (20+ years), and independent-samples-Kruskal-Wallis testing was performed with post-hoc pairwise comparison and the Bonferroni correction. The results of this testing indicated significant increases in survey scores for patients with current biomass exposure and a heavy smoke exposure history (20+ years) compared to no reported smoke exposure in the SGRQ activity scores (adj. p = 0.018) and EQ-5D-3L usual activity scores (adj. p = 0.002), indicating worse activity related symptoms. There was a decrease in EQ-VAS scores for heavy (adj. p = 0.007) and light (adj. p = 0.017) exposure groups compared to no reported exposure, indicating lower perceptions of overall health. These results may suggest worse outcomes or baseline health for TB patients exposed to biomass smoke at the time of treatment and recovery, however further research is needed to characterize the effect of indoor air pollution on TB treatment outcomes.
A newly detected bias in self-evaluation
Authors: Deffuant Guillaume , Roubin Thibaut , Nugier Armelle , Guimond Serge
Published: February 2024

The widely observed positive bias on self-evaluation is mainly explained by the self-enhancement motivation which minimizes negative feedbacks and emphasizes positive ones. Recent agent based simulations suggest that a positive bias also emerges if the sensitivity to feedbacks decreases when the self-evaluation increases. This paper proposes a simple mathematical model in which these different biases are integrated. Moreover, it describes an experiment (N = 1509) confirming that the sensitivity to feedbacks tends to decrease when self-evaluation increases and that a directly related positive bias is detected.
Dynamic nonlinear CO2 emission effects of urbanization routes in the eight most populous countries
Authors: Xu Xiaobing , Zeng Linzhao , Li Shen , Liu Yuejun , Zhang Taiming
Published: February 2024

A dynamic STIRPAT model used in the current study is based on panel data from the eight most populous countries from 1975 to 2020, revealing the nonlinear effects of urbanization routes (percentage of total urbanization, percentage of small cities and percentage of large cities) on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Using “Dynamic Display Unrelated Regression (DSUR)” and “Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS)” regressions, the outcomes reflect that percentage of total urbanization and percentage of small cities have an incremental influence on carbon dioxide emissions. However, square percentage of small cities and square percentage of total urbanization have significant adverse effects on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The positive relationship between the percentage of small cities, percentage of total urbanization and CO2emissions and the negative relationship between the square percentage of small cities, square percentage of total urbanization and CO2emissions legitimize the inverted U-shaped EKC hypothesis. The impact of the percentage of large cities on carbon dioxide emissions is significantly negative, while the impact of the square percentage of large cities on carbon dioxide emissions is significantly positive, validating a U-shaped EKC hypothesis. The incremental effect of percentage of small cities and percentage of total urbanization on long-term environmental degradation can provide support for ecological modernization theory. Energy intensity, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), industrial growth and transport infrastructure stimulate long-term CO2emissions. Country-level findings from the AMG estimator support a U-shaped link between the percentage of small cities and CO2emissions for each country in the entire panel except the United States. In addition, the Dumitrescu and Hulin causality tests yield a two-way causality between emission of carbon dioxide and squared percentage of total urbanization, between the percentage of the large cities and emission of carbon dioxide, and between energy intensity and emission of carbon dioxide. This study proposes renewable energy options and green city-friendly technologies to improve the environmental quality of urban areas.
Morphological and genetic differences in legs of a polygamous beetle between sexes, Glenea cantor (Coleopter: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae)
Authors: Yan Jun , Luo Ping , Wu Yao , Peng Guandi , Liu Yini , Song Chengrong , Lu Wen , Liu Hongning , Dong Zishu
Published: February 2024

The legs of insects play an important role in their daily behaviour, especially reproduction. Entomologists have performed much research on the role of the leg in different behaviours of beetles, an important group in the insect family, but relatively little has been done to study the ultrastructure and transcriptome of their legs. Hence, we systematically studied the ultrastructure and gene expression of the leg of G. cantor, a polygynous beetle, and compared its male and female diversity. In this study, we found the fore-leg, mid-leg and hind-leg of the female were significantly longer than those of the male. From the perspective of intuitive structural differences, we also compared the ultrastructures of the adhesion structure (tarsal) of males and females. The tarsal functional structure of the adult leg mainly includes sensilla and an adhesion structure. The sensilla on the tarsal joint mainly include sensilla chaetica (SCh II, SCh III) and sensilla trichodea (ST II). The adhesion structure includes disc-shaped bristles (di), lanceolate bristles (la), serrated bristles (se), spatula-shaped bristles (spl) and mushroom-shaped bristles (mus). Although there was no significant difference in sensillum distribution or type between males and females, there were significant differences in the distribution and species of adhesion structures between the fore-leg, mid-leg, and hind-leg of the same sex and between males and females. Therefore, different adhesion structures play different roles in various behaviours of beetles. On the other hand, the transcriptome results of male and female legs were screened for a subset of olfaction- and mechanics-related genes. We discovered that the male leg showed upregulation of 1 odorant binding protein (OBP), 2 Olfactory receptors (ORs) and 2 Chemosensory proteins (CSPs). Meanwhile, the female leg showed upregulation of 3 OBPs, 1 OR, 1 Gustatory receptor (GR) and 3 Mechanosensitive proteins (MSPs). An in-depth examination of the ultrastructure and molecular composition of the legs can elucidate its function in the reproductive behavior of G. cantor. Moremore, this investigation will serve as a cornerstone for subsequent research into the underlying behavioral mechanisms.
Distribution, course, and spatial relationships of the saphenous nerve: A 3D neuroanatomical map for nerve stimulation
Authors: Peng Michael , Yoo Paul B. , Agur Anne M. R.
Published: February 2024

The overall objective of this study was to construct a 3D neuroanatomical map of the saphenous nerve based on cartesian coordinate data to define its course in 3D space relative to bony and soft tissue landmarks. Ten lower limb embalmed specimens were meticulously dissected, digitized, laser scanned, and modelled in 3D. The course of the main branches, number of collateral branches, and relationship of saphenous nerve to the great saphenous vein were defined and quantified using the high-fidelity 3D models. In 60% of specimens, the saphenous nerve was found to have three branches in the leg, infrapatellar, anterior, and posterior. In 40% of specimens, the posterior branch was absent. Three landmarks were found to consistently localize the anterior branch: the medial border of tibia at the level of the tibial tuberosity, the medial border of tibia at the level of the mid-point of leg, and the mid-point of the anterior border of the medial malleolus. The posterior branch, when present, had variable branching patterns but did not extend as far distally as the medial malleolus in any specimen. Anatomically, the anterior and posterior branches at the level of the tibial tuberosity could be most advantageous for nerve stimulation due to their close proximity to the bifurcation of the saphenous nerve where the branches are larger and more readily localizable than distally. Additionally, the tibial tuberosity is a prominent landmark that can be easily identified in most individuals and could be used to localize the anterior and posterior branch using ultrasound or other imaging modalities. These findings will enable implementation of highly realistic computational models that can be used to simulate saphenous nerve stimulation using percutaneous and implanted devices.
Dynamic simulation of landscape ecological security and analysis of coupling coordination degree: A case study of Bole
Authors: Yao Lei , Halike Abudureheman , Yao Kaixuan , Wei Qianqian , Tang Hua , Tuheti Buweiayixiemu , Luo Jianmei , Duan Yuefan
Published: February 2024

The ecological security of oasis cities in arid and semi-arid regions is highly susceptible to changes in regional landscape patterns and the degree of coordination between human activities and the environment. At the same time, the ecological security of urban landscapes also profoundly affects the success of regional economic and environmental coordination and development. This study is based on land use data from 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020, as well as land use data from the natural development scenario (NLD), economic development scenario (ECD), ecological development scenario (ELD) and ecological-economic development scenario (EED) simulated by the patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model in 2030. From the perspective of production-living-ecological land (PLEL), it analyzes the changes in the past and future landscape ecological security and coupling coordination characteristics of Bole. The results show that from 1990 to 2020, Bole was mainly dominated by grassland ecological land (GEL) and other ecological land (OEL), accounting for a total proportion of 69.51%, with a large increase in production and living land area; the average value of landscape ecological risk is decreasing, and the landscape ecological security of Bole is developing towards benignity; the area of highly coupled coordination zone is decreasing continuously, while that of basic coordination zone and moderate coordination zone is increasing continuously. Under the 2030 EED scenario, the overall changes in various types of land use are not significant, and the average value of landscape ecological risk is the smallest, but it is higher than that in 2020 as a whole; under EED scenario, the area of highly coordinated zone and moderate coordinated zone is the largest among four scenarios, and the best coupling coordination level among the four scenarios. Landscape ecological security and its coupling coordination will be affected by land use patterns. Optimizing regional land use patterns is of great significance for improving urban landscape ecological security and sustainable high-quality development.
Repeatability of biometric measures from the IOLMaster 700 in a cataractous population
Authors: Langenbucher Achim , Szentmáry Nóra , Cayless Alan , Hoffmann Peter , Wendelstein Jascha , Cooke David
Published: February 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the repeatability of biometric measures and also to assess the interactions between the uncertainties in these measures for use in an error propagation model, using data from a large patient cohort.

Methods

In this cross-sectional non-randomised study we evaluated a dataset containing 3379 IOLMaster 700 biometric measurements taken prior to cataract surgery. Only complete scans with at least 3 successful measurements for each eye performed on the same day were considered. The mean (Mean) and standard deviations (SD) for each sequence of measurements were derived and analysed. Correlations between the uncertainties were assessed using Spearman rank correlations.

Results

In the dataset with 677 eyes matching the inclusion criteria, the within subject standard deviation and repeatability for all parameters match previously published data. The SD of the axial length (AL) increased with the Mean AL, but there was no noticeable dependency of the SD of any of the other parameters on their corresponding Mean value. The SDs of the parameters are not independent of one another, and in particular we observe correlations between those for AL, anterior chamber depth, aqueous depth, lens thickness and corneal thickness.

Conclusions

The SD change over Mean for AL measurement and the correlations between the uncertainties of several biometric parameters mean that a simple Gaussian error propagation model cannot be used to derive the effect of biometric uncertainties on the predicted intraocular lens power and refraction after cataract surgery.
Time-course analysis of liver and serum galectin-3 in acute liver injury after alpha-galactosylceramide injection
Authors: Matsuo Mikiko , Kanbe Ayumu , Noguchi Kei , Niwa Ayumi , Imaizumi Yuko , Kuroda Takahito , Ichihashi Koki , Okubo Takafumi , Mori Kosuke , Kanayama Tomohiro , Tomita Hiroyuki , Hara Akira
Published: February 2024

Galectin-3 is a beta-galactoside-binding lectin that plays important roles in diverse physiological functions, such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, and mRNA splicing. This protein is expressed on inflammatory cells and acts as a local inflammatory mediator. Recently, galectin-3 has been detected in several diseases, such as chronic liver, heart, and kidney diseases, diabetes, viral infection, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, and tumors, and its role as a biomarker has attracted attention. Alpha-galactosylceramide is an artificially synthesized sphingolipid that can induce acute liver injury via the natural killer T pathway. However, the pathophysiological roles and kinetics of galectin-3 in acute liver injury are not fully understood. This study aimed to elucidate the expression and time course of galectin-3 in liver tissues during acute liver injury following alpha-galactosylceramide injection. Animals were histologically examined on days 1, 2, 4, and 7 after intraperitoneal injection of alpha-galactosylceramide, and the expressions of galectin-3 and ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 were analyzed. Notably, galectin-3 formed characteristic cluster foci, particularly on day 2 after injection. Cluster formation was not observed in chronic liver disease. Simultaneously, ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1-positive cells were observed in the cluster foci. Serum galectin-3 levels increased on day 2 of treatment and correlated well with the number of galectin-3-positive cell clusters in the liver. Moreover, galectin-3 expression was an important mediator of the early phase of liver injury after alpha-galactosylceramide injection. These results suggest that serum galectin-3 may be a biomarker for the early diagnosis of acute liver injury and that clusters of galectin-3-positive cells may be a specific finding in acute liver injury.
Microbial and physicochemical water quality changes within distribution and premise plumbing systems during a chlorine conversion
Authors: Buse Helen Y. , Mistry Jatin H.
Published: February 2024

A strategy for nitrification control within chloraminated drinking water systems (CDWSs) is to temporarily switch from chloramine secondary disinfection to free chlorine, also known as a free chlorine conversion (FCC). However, the long-term and beneficial effects of FCCs are unclear, especially regarding opportunistic pathogen occurrence. In this study, the impacts to microbial and physicochemical parameters were monitored throughout a CDWS implementing a FCC. Water samples were collected weekly for 4–6 weeks before, during, and after a FCC at eight locations: four distribution system and four residential sites. Monochloramine residual (mean±standard deviation) before and after the FCC averaged 1.8±0.9 and 1.6±1.0 parts per million (ppm) for all sites, respectively. Free chlorine levels averaged 2.3±0.9 ppm. There were no significant differences in turbidity and hardness at each location during the three time periods, but some were noted for pH, temperature, and orthophosphate levels across various sites and sampling periods. For all locations, heterotrophic plate count levels were lower during the FCC compared to the periods before and after. All samples from one residence were culture positive for P. aeruginosa which exhibited high levels before the FCC, decreasing levels during, and steadily increasing levels after. Additionally, one week prior to the FCC, sediment samples from two elevated storage tanks, ET-1 and ET-2, were analyzed with ET-1 displaying higher levels of culturable heterotrophic bacteria and molecularly detected total bacteria, Legionella spp., and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), as well as presence of culturable P. aeruginosa and total coliforms compared to ET-2. Fourteen P. aeruginosa and total coliform isolates were whole genome sequenced with genetic differences observed depending on the sampling location and timepoint. Collectively, the observed differences in chemical and microbial parameters advocates for a better understanding of the effects associated with implementing FCCs to determine both their effectiveness and potential risks/rewards to water quality.
Processo de digitalização de obras raras
Authors: Gomes Priscila do Socorro dos Santos , Rolo Ester Souza , Rocha Leandro de Sousa , Monteiro Brenda da Silva
Published: February 2024

O processo de digitalização e disponibilização de obras raras é de suma importância para garantir o acesso à informação e preservar a memória cultural de uma sociedade. Este artigo tem como objetivo explorar o processo de digitalização de obras raras, seus critérios de raridade e sua relevância para a preservação e disseminação do conhecimento. A metodologia utilizada foi a pesquisa bibliográfica, com busca de artigos relacionados ao tema no Google Scholar e exploração das leis pertinentes no site da Câmara dos Deputados. Os resultados revelaram a importância das obras raras na preservação da memória cultural, assim como a necessidade de digitalização para disponibilizar e acessar essas obras virtualmente. Os critérios de raridade são definidos por cada instituição, mas geralmente envolvem antiguidade, unicidade e edições limitadas. As leis de direitos autorais também são consideradas na digitalização dessas obras. A preservação digital das obras raras permite o acesso remoto, facilidade de consulta e preservação do conteúdo, mas é necessário um constante monitoramento dos sistemas para garantir a manutenção e preservação dos servidores. A preservação das obras raras é fundamental para transmitir a memória cultural, social e política para as futuras gerações. No entanto, desafios como os direitos autorais precisam ser equilibrados para permitir a digitalização dessas obras. A cultura digital desempenha um papel importante na disseminação do conhecimento e da informação conectando pessoas ao redor do mundo. Por fim, a digitalização de obras raras é essencial para preservar e democratizar o acesso a esses tesouros culturais, fortalecendo a identidade cultural de uma nação e enriquecendo o conhecimento intelectual.
Skull Base Metastasis and Krukenberg Tumor in a Pregnant Woman: An Unusual Presentation of Metastatic Gastric Cancer
Authors: Chellan Deepak , Senthamizhselvan Kuppusamy , Nair Ahalya , Mohan Pazhanivel , Ramkumar G. , Badhe Bhawana
Published: February 2024

Gastric cancer is an infrequent cause of vomiting during pregnancy. It is often diagnosed at an advanced stage due to late presentation by patients, mistaking it for gestational symptoms. We report a 24-year-old pregnant woman with gastric cancer with skull base metastasis and Krukenberg tumor on initial diagnosis. She underwent medical termination of pregnancy and best supportive care before dying of her illness.