bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mortality risk in patients with anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis is related to rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease and anti-Ro52 antibody
Authors: Wang Huyan , Chen Xin , Du Yan , Wang Lihua , Wang Qiyuan , Wu Huaxiang , Liu Lei , Xue Jing
Published: July 2023

Background

This study aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and analyze the poor prognostic factors in patients with anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis.

Methods

A total of 126 adults with anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis were enrolled in this retrospective study. Information on survival time, cause of death, and baseline characteristics was collected. Patients were divided into two groups: a survival group and a non-survival group. Items with clinical significance that showed significant differences between the two groups were screened by Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses to identify the predictors of poor survival.

Results

Thirty-two patients were included in the non-survival group, most of whom died from respiratory failure, with pulmonary infection accounting for half. Epstein–Barr virus infection was relatively common in both groups. Aspartate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, and ferritin levels; erythrocyte sedimentation rate; and anti-Ro52 antibody levels were significantly higher, while the lymphocyte count was lower in the non-survival group compared with the survival group. Notably, patients in the non-survival group were more likely to present with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease than those in the survival group. Kaplan–Meier and Cox multivariate regression analyses revealed that the prevalence of rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease, levels of anti-Ro52 antibody, and age > 57 years were important prognostic factors independent of multiple clinical parameters.

Conclusions

Rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease, anti-Ro52 antibody levels, and age > 57 years are possible predictors of mortality risk in patients with anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis.
Overlap syndrome of autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cholangitis complicated with atypical hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report
Authors: Surdea-Blaga Teodora , Cărăguț Roxana L. , Caraiani Cosmin , Spârchez Zeno , al Hajjar Nadim , Dumitrașcu Dan L.
Published: July 2023

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary tumor of the liver. The majority of HCCs are associated most frequently with chronic B or C viral hepatitis, alcohol intake or aflatoxin exposure. Cirrhosis is a strong risk factor associated with HCC. The causes of liver cirrhosis are chronic viral hepatitis, alcohol intake, metabolic diseases (NAFLD), hemocromathosis, alfa 1 antitrypsisn deficiency. All aetiologic forms of cirrhosis are at risk to be complicated by HCC development, but the risk is higher for patients diagnosed with chronic viral hepatitis. Comparing to the above-mentioned causes, PBC and AIH are less associated with the risk of HCC development.

Case summary

A 71-year old Caucasian female previously diagnosed with overlap syndrome (AIH type 1 and PBC—ANA, SMA and AMA antibodies positive), liver cirrhosis, a nodule in the VI/VIIth hepatic segment, systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, antiphospholipid syndrome, gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) (with 2 previous sessions of argon plasma coagulation), cholecystectomy, arterial hypertension and nephro-angiosclerosis presented to the 2nd Department of Internal Medicine in Cluj-Napoca for a follow-up. The patient was following treatment with UDCA (Ursodeoxycholic acid), azathioprine, Plaquenil, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor, calcium and vitamin D supplementation. The abdominal ultrasound showed a subcapsular hypoechoic nodule with a diameter of 29 mm (at the moment of the diagnosis the diameter was 9/10 mm) in the VI/VIIth hepatic segment. The contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) characterised the nodule as specific for hepatocellular carcinoma (LI-RADS 5). On MRI with gadoxetate disodium the nodule was hypovascular, non-specific, being classified as LI-RADS 3. An atypical resection of the VIIth hepatic segment was performed and the histohistological examination and imunohistochemistry (Hep Par-a positive, Glypican3 positive, CD34 positive) revealed a moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (G2), pT2 N0 M0 L0 V1 R0.

Conclusion

Autoimmune hepatitis, PBC and the overlap syndrome are less associated with the development of liver cirrhosis and HCC than other chronic liver diseases, especially if other risk factors are not associated. This case highlights the importance of a proper surveillance of cirrhotic patients every 6 months including abdominal ultrasound and AFP levels is crucial for an early diagnosis of a HCC.
Pathogenesis of spinal intramedullary lipomas: two case reports
Authors: Moreno Gómez Luis Miguel , García-Pérez Daniel , González-León Pedro Juan , Munarriz Pablo M. , Castaño-León Ana María
Published: July 2023

Background

Spinal lipomas not associated with dysraphism are rare and have an unknown natural history. In this report, we describe two cases; they showed recurrence during long-term follow-up, which makes us doubt a benign malformative etiology.

Case reports

Two patients, a 19-year-old South American woman and a 14-year-old boy with spinal lipomas, underwent surgical resection. The lipomas were not associated with dysraphism and were located in the cervicothoracic and craniocervical junctions. In both cases, we decided to operate due to clinical progression; the former had a progressive natural course, and the latter experienced clinical worsening after recurrence from previous surgeries. The surgery took place with the assistance of neurophysiological monitoring and intraoperative ultrasound; a partial resection and medullary decompression were done, following the more recent recommendations.

Discussion

The natural history of these lesions is currently unknown due to their rarity and the heterogeneity in the long-term follow-up of previously reported cases. Although previous reports describe good outcomes after surgical resection, long follow-ups, especially in young subjects, may show differences in these outcomes with progression and recurrence. We contribute to this last piece of evidence by describing two more cases of progression and recurrence.

Lessons

Long-term close follow-up should be done in young subjects with spinal lipomas, as they are more prone to an aggressive course. Metabolism and hormonal changes may be behind this progression. Reoperation must be considered if neurological decline is detected.
COVID-19 annual update: a narrative review
Authors: Biancolella Michela , Colona Vito Luigi , Luzzatto Lucio , Watt Jessica Lee , Mattiuz Giorgio , Conticello Silvestro G. , Kaminski Naftali , Mehrian-Shai Ruty , Ko Albert I. , Gonsalves Gregg S. , Vasiliou Vasilis , Novelli Giuseppe , Reichardt Juergen K. V.
Published: July 2023

Three and a half years after the pandemic outbreak, now that WHO has formally declared that the emergency is over, COVID-19 is still a significant global issue. Here, we focus on recent developments in genetic and genomic research on COVID-19, and we give an outlook on state-of-the-art therapeutical approaches, as the pandemic is gradually transitioning to an endemic situation. The sequencing and characterization of rare alleles in different populations has made it possible to identify numerous genes that affect either susceptibility to COVID-19 or the severity of the disease. These findings provide a beginning to new avenues and pan-ethnic therapeutic approaches, as well as to potential genetic screening protocols. The causative virus, SARS-CoV-2, is still in the spotlight, but novel threatening virus could appear anywhere at any time. Therefore, continued vigilance and further research is warranted. We also note emphatically that to prevent future pandemics and other world-wide health crises, it is imperative to capitalize on what we have learnt from COVID-19: specifically, regarding its origins, the world’s response, and insufficient preparedness. This requires unprecedented international collaboration and timely data sharing for the coordination of effective response and the rapid implementation of containment measures.
Self vs. peer assessment activities in EFL-speaking classes: impacts on students’ self-regulated learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills
Authors: Kumar Tribhuwan , Soozandehfar Seyyed Mohammad Ali , Hashemifardnia Arash , Mombeini Rasoul
Published: July 2023

Assessment has several advantages like involving students in learning and making them cognizant of their strengths and weaknesses. The effects of peer assessment and self-assessment as two main kinds of assessment have not examined on EFL learners’ self-regulated learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills; therefore, the present research attempted to inspect the impacts of self and peer assessment activities on self-regulated learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills of Iranian EFL learners. To do so, 75 Iranian EFL learners were selected and divided into two experimental groups (peer assessment group (PAG) and self-assessment group (SAG)) and one control group (CG). Then, three questionnaires of self-regulated learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills were administered to the students as the pre-tests of the study. After that, one experimental group received the treatment via using self-assessment and the other experimental group received the instruction through peer assessment. The control group received a teacher-based assessment instruction. After teaching 13 English conversations to all groups, 3 post-tests were given to them to measure the impacts of the treatment on their self-regulated learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. The results of one-way ANOVA showed that there was a substantial difference between the post-tests of the experimental groups and the control group. The results showed that both experimental groups outperformed the control group in the post-tests of self-regulated learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, the outcomes revealed that there were no significant differences between the post-tests of the experimental groups. It can be concluded that both types of assessments play a vital role in English language teaching and learning. Based on the results of this study, language teachers, materials developers, and education authorities can concentrate on using self and peer assessments as one of the main strategies to develop the language learning ability of Iranian EFL learners.
Dynamic intermittent compression cryotherapy with intravenous nefopam results in faster pain recovery than static compression cryotherapy with oral nefopam: post‐anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
Authors: Moussa Mohamad K. , Lefevre Nicolas , Valentin Eugenie , Meyer Alain , Grimaud Olivier , Bohu Yoan , Gerometta Antoinne , Khiami Frederic , Hardy Alexandre
Published: July 2023

Purpose

To evaluate the effectiveness of dynamic intermittent compression cryotherapy (DICC) (CryoNov®) with an intravenous nefopam‐based pain management protocol (DCIVNPP) in reducing post‐operative pain following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) compared to static compression cryotherapy (SCC) (Igloo®) and oral Nefopam.

Methods

This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data including 676 patients who underwent primary ACLR in 2022. Patients were either in the DCIVNPP group or in the SCC (control group), and were matched for age, sex, and Lysholm and Tegner scores (338 per arm). The primary outcome was pain on the visual analogue scale (VAS), analyzed in relation to the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and the Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) thresholds for VAS. The secondary outcome was side effects.

Results

Postoperative pain in the DCIVNPP group was less severe on the VAS than in the control group (p < 0.05). The maximum difference in the VAS between groups was 0.57, which is less than the MCID threshold for VAS. The DCIVNPP group crossed the PASS threshold for VAS on Day 3, sooner than the control group. The side effect profiles were similar in both groups except for higher rates of dizziness and malaise in the DCIVNPP group, and higher rates of abdominal pain in the control group. Most of the side effects decreased over time in both groups, with no significant side effects after Day 3.

Conclusion

DCIVNPP effectively allows for faster pain recovery than in the control group. The difference in side effects between the protocols may be due to mode of administration of nefopam.

Level of evidence

III.
Assessing synchronous ovarian metastasis in gastric cancer patients using a clinical-radiomics nomogram based on baseline abdominal contrast-enhanced CT: a two-center study
Authors: Zhang Qian-Wen , Yang Pan-Pan , Gao Yong-Jun-Yi , Li Zhi-Hui , Yuan Yuan , Li Si-Jie , Duan Shao-Feng , Shao Cheng-Wei , Hao Qiang , Lu Yong , Chen Qi , Shen Fu
Published: July 2023

Background

To build and validate a radiomics nomogram based on preoperative CT scans and clinical data for detecting synchronous ovarian metastasis (SOM) in female gastric cancer (GC) cases.

Methods

Pathologically confirmed GC cases in 2 cohorts were retrospectively enrolled. All cases had presurgical abdominal contrast-enhanced CT and pelvis contrast-enhanced MRI and pathological examinations for any suspicious ovarian lesions detected by MRI. Cohort 1 cases (n = 101) were included as the training set. Radiomics features were obtained to develop a radscore. A nomogram combining the radscore and clinical factors was built to detect SOM. The bootstrap method was carried out in cohort 1 as internal validation. External validation was carried out in cohort 2 (n = 46). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, decision curve analysis (DCA) and the confusion matrix were utilized to assess the performances of the radscore, nomogram and subjective evaluation model.

Results

The nomogram, which combined age and the radscore, displayed a higher AUC than the radscore and subjective evaluation (0.910 vs 0.827 vs 0.773) in the training cohort. In the external validation cohort, the nomogram also had a higher AUC than the radscore and subjective evaluation (0.850 vs 0.790 vs 0.675). DCA and the confusion matrix confirmed the nomogram was superior to the radscore in both cohorts.

Conclusions

This pilot study showed that a nomogram model combining the radscore and clinical characteristics is useful in detecting SOM in female GC cases. It may be applied to improve clinical treatment and is superior to subjective evaluation or the radscore alone.
Prevalence of occult hepatitis B virus infection in Egypt: a systematic review with meta-analysis
Authors: Azzam Ahmed , Khaled Heba , El-kayal Esraa S. , Gad Fathy A. , Omar Sarah
Published: July 2023

Background

Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (OBI) is a major public health problem. The clinical importance of OBI stems from the fact that it can be transmitted to healthy individuals at extremely low viral load levels. Additionally, immunosuppression has the potential to trigger viral replication, which can result in life-threatening liver decompensation. Despite several studies examining the prevalence of OBI, the pooled prevalence of OBI in Egypt remains unknown, particularly among blood donors and high-risk individuals, to whom intervention should be targeted.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search of the following databases was conducted from inception to October 2022 using the following keywords: occult hepatitis B virus infection or occult HBV infection or OBI and Egypt in MEDLINE [PubMed], Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. The review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement. I-squared and Cochran’s Q were used to measure the heterogeneity between the studies, and based on the random effects model, results were reported as proportions (%) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Analyses of subgroup analyses were conducted based on the target population. Sensitivity analyses were conducted using the leave-one-out approach to test the robustness of the results.

Results

A total of 50 studies with 62 estimations of OBI were included, 19 in patients who were HBsAg-negative and anti-HBc-positive and 43 in patients who were HBsAg-negative. The highest prevalence (41%) was among multi-transfused patients according to  studies that report occult hepatitis B virus prevalence in an HBsAg-negative population, while the pooled prevalence of OBI among patients on hemodialysis, patients with chronic hepatitis C infection, patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and patients with liver cirrhosis was 17%, 10%, 24%, and 13%, respectively. On the other hand, among studies that report OBI prevalence in HBsAg-negative and anti-HBc-positive individuals, the pooled prevalence of OBI among blood donors, patients with chronic hepatitis C infection, and patients with HCC was 12%, 15%, and 31%, respectively. Also, the majority of studies examining the genetic background of OBI have found that genotype D is the most prevalent.

Conclusion

 This study highlights the high prevalence in OBI among blood donors and high-risk populations in Egypt. The implementation of HBV nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) may increase the safety of blood transfusions by excluding all HBV DNA-positive donations. However, the cost-effectiveness of these tests should be investigated.
An efficient deep learning method for VSP wavefield separation: A DAS-VSP case
Authors: Li Xiaobin , Qi Qiaomu , Huang He , Yang Yuyong , Duan Pengfei , Cao Zhonglin
Published: July 2023

The quality of wavefield separation on vertical seismic profiling (VSP) data directly affects subsequent imaging and inversion processes. However, the traditional methods have various defects in separating upgoing and downgoing waves. The application of deep learning brings another train of thought to solve related problems. The traditional methods, such as f-k filtering and Radon transform, produce results with spatial aliasing and inaccurate amplitudes. The median filtering method relies on accurate first-break picking and waveform consistency. Moreover, the results of traditional methods are subject to manual intervention. To overcome these problems, a deep-learning method is developed for the automatic wavefield separation of VSP data. First, the traditional Radon transform method is used to produce training data sets. Then, to ensure amplitude preservation and suppress spatial aliasing, new input data is formed by recombining the upgoing and downgoing waves extracted by Radon transform. The developed deep-learning network is highly efficient, and its accuracy exceeds that of the traditional methods only after one epoch training. A practical workflow of wavefield separation based on deep learning is established, and it is applied to synthetic data and field distributed acoustic sensing VSP data. The results indicate that our method is superior in terms of amplitude preservation and spatial aliasing suppression. The time consumption of our method is very acceptable and can be further minimized by training the network using downsampling data.
Psychosocial impact of being diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment: patient and carer perspective
Authors: Munawar Nida , Kennedy Liam , Usman Memoona , Burgui Diana , Bruce Irene , Robinson David , Greene Elaine
Published: July 2023

Background

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may represent an intermediate, prodromal phase of dementia. Although persons with MCI (PwMCI) are able to function independently, they often experience reduced ability to carry out their usual activities. This can result in social, emotional and functional challenges.

Aims

To explore the understanding and psychosocial impact of receiving a diagnosis of MCI on patients and carers.

Method

A cross-sectional cohort study was conducted at St James's Hospital Memory Clinic involving patients who attended the clinic for assessment from 1 January 2020 to 30 April 2021 and received a diagnosis of MCI. We completed questionnaires with patients and a nominated family member or friend of each patient (FwMCI).

Results

Forty-seven PwMCI participated in the study, and 36 nominated family members and/or friends completed the FwMCI questionnaire. In our cohort of PwMCI, most of the participants were not aware of their diagnosis; only 21% used the term MCI, and only 25% attributed their problems to a pathological cause. The majority of participants had no recollection of any discussion around the likelihood of progression. One-third of participants expressed relief that they did not have dementia. Most PwMCI reported positive psychological well-being and did not endorse symptoms of depression or anxiety. There was slight discordance of illness perception among the PwMCI–FwMCI dyads. Forty-seven per cent of FwMCI reported at least a mild degree of carer burden on the Zarit Burden Scale.

Conclusions

Patients’ awareness of being diagnosed with MCI is relatively limited. Public education campaigns raising awareness about MCI can help influence the ‘illness representation’ for MCI and enable people to seek timely advice and support.
Association of cannabis, cannabidiol and synthetic cannabinoid use with mental health in UK adolescents
Authors: Hotham James , Cannings-John Rebecca , Moore Laurence , Hawkins Jemma , Bonell Chris , Hickman Matthew , Zammit Stanley , Hines Lindsey A. , Adara Linda , Townson Julia , White James
Published: July 2023

Background

Cannabis has been associated with poorer mental health, but little is known of the effect of synthetic cannabinoids or cannabidiol (often referred to as CBD).

Aims

To investigate associations of cannabis, synthetic cannabinoids and cannabidiol with mental health in adolescence.

Method

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis with 13- to 14-year-old adolescents across England and Wales in 2019–2020. Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine the association of lifetime use of cannabis, synthetic cannabinoids and cannabidiol with self-reported symptoms of probable depression, anxiety, conduct disorder and auditory hallucinations.

Results

Of the 6672 adolescents who participated, 5.2% reported using of cannabis, 1.9% reported using cannabidiol and 0.6% reported using synthetic cannabinoids. After correction for multiple testing, adolescents who had used these substances were significantly more likely to report a probable depressive, anxiety or conduct disorder, as well as auditory hallucinations, than those who had not. Adjustment for socioeconomic disadvantage had little effect on associations, but weekly tobacco use resulted in marked attenuation of associations. The association of cannabis use with probable anxiety and depressive disorders was weaker in those who reported using cannabidiol than those who did not. There was little evidence of an interaction between synthetic cannabinoids and cannabidiol.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this study provides the first general population evidence that synthetic cannabinoids and cannabidiol are associated with probable mental health disorders in adolescence. These associations require replication, ideally with prospective cohorts and stronger study designs.
Transcriptional Profiling and Consensus Molecular Subtype Assignment to Understand Response and Resistance to Anti–Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Therapy in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Chowdhury Saikat , Gupta Ria , Millstein Joshua , Lin Kangyu , Haridas Valsala , Zeineddine Mohammad A. , Parseghian Christine , Lenz Heinz-Josef , Kopetz Scott , Shen John Paul
Published: July 2023

PURPOSE

Activating mutations in KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF are known to cause resistance to anti–epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) therapy; however, only approximately 40% of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) with RAS WT tumors respond to anti-EGFR treatment. We sought to discover novel biomarkers to predict response to anti-EGFR antibody treatment in CRC and to understand mechanisms of resistance to anti-EGFR therapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Transcriptomic profiles from three clinical and two preclinical cohorts treated with cetuximab were used to assign consensus molecular subtypes (CMS) to each sample and correlated with outcomes.

RESULTS

Restricting to RAS WT patients, we observed that CMS2 tumors (canonical subtype) had significantly higher response rates relative to other CMS when treated with cetuximab combination with doublet chemotherapy (Okita et al cohort: 92% disease control rate (DCR) for CMS2, chi-square P = .04; CALGB/SWOG 80405 cohort: 90% objective response rate (ORR) for CMS2, chi-square P < .001) and with single-agent cetuximab (68%, chi-square P = .01). CMS2 tumors showed best response among right-sided (ORR = 80%) and left-sided (ORR = 92%) tumors in the CALGB/SWOG 80405 cohort. CMS2 cells lines were most likely to be sensitive to cetuximab (60%) and CMS2 patient-derived xenograft had the highest DCR (84%). We found Myc, E2F, and mammalian target of rapamycin pathways were consistently upregulated in resistant samples (enrichment score >1, false discovery rate <0.25). Inhibitors of these pathways in resistant cell lines exhibited additive effects with cetuximab.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that CRC transcriptional profiles, when used to assign CMS, provide additional ability to predict response to anti-EGFR therapy relative to using tumor sidedness alone. Notably both right-sided and left-sided CMS2 tumors had excellent response, suggesting that anti-EGFR therapy be included as a treatment option for right-sided CMS2 tumors.
Sagnac interferometry and self-Kerr nonlinearity dependent photon drag
Authors: Ullah Sana , Ullah Arif , Bacha Bakht Amin , Javed Muhammad
Published: July 2023

We present a theoretical investigation of the photon drag by incorporating self-Kerr nonlinearity (SKN) in a Sagnac interferometer featuring a four-level atomic system. By introducing SKN in the system, we demonstrate significant improvements in the photon drag angles, ranging from ±10 micro-radians to ±1 centi-radians. Additionally, the presence of SKN leads to electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), reduced group velocities, and a positive group index enhancement within the system. Conversely, in the absence of SKN, a negative group index is observed, accompanied by larger group velocities and minimal photon drag angles. The results obtained may have potential applications in various fields, such as slow-light detection, controlled image coding/design, efficient light modulators, and phase-matching in Brillouin scattering.
Turning Counterhegemony into Hegemony
Authors: Eslen-Ziya Hande , Kazanoğlu Nazlı
Published: July 2023

This article attempts to show how government-supported women’s NGOs (GO-NGOs) in Turkey actively contribute to the construction of neoliberal, conservative, antigender discourses of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government. Since the second decade of the 2000s, Turkey has undergone rapid de-democratization as a result of AKP’s election victories, which have brought with them a major backlash against gender equality policies. Moreover, a new political discourse constructed by the government has replaced the concept of gender equality with gender justice and gender equity. Relying on seven semistructured in-depth interviews with members of GO-NGOs and a review of primary and secondary documents, this article contends that the civil society established under the so-called New Turkey situates it in the construction of antigender and antiwomen’s rights discourse.
Introduction
Authors: Pinney Christopher
Published: July 2023

Sidestepping the debate around “photography” versus “photographies” (a.k.a. “technomaterialism” versus “culturalism”), the gerund “photographing” is proposed. This is intended to direct attention to photography as an actually existing practice, that is, as a performance rather than an essence, and a phenomenon that ethnography is ideally suited to understand. Credit is given to Ariella Azoulay for opening up a set of questions that hegemonic photographic theory had foreclosed. Ethnography is the method used to study photographing's “ambivalently determining presence.” The range of ethnographies suggests various interrelated conclusions about photographing: its orientation to the future, its “demotic” rather than “vernacular” character, the pervasive assumption that the real is characterized by its “photographability,” and the political and ethical demands that are built upon the expectation that certain things must be photographed.
Photography, Citizenship, and Accusatory Memory in the Greek Crisis
Authors: Kalantzis Konstantinos
Published: July 2023

The years following Greece's 2010 bailout deal with the EU featured an understanding of Germany as an executor of austerity measures that descends from the executioners of the 1940s. This chapter sheds light on the political imagination, particularly perceptions of difference and coexistence, by exploring photographs in two Greek–German constellations: images of “traditional” old men and women gifted back to their descendants by grateful German tourists who first visited the mountainous Cretan area of Sfakia in the 1960s; and black-and-white photographs of survivors of atrocities perpetrated by German troops in the 1940s, held up today as reminders of victimhood in the towns of Kalavryta and Distomo. By unpacking the experiences afforded by these photographs, the chapter rethinks classic themes such as hospitality and postmemory while theorizing the limits of “citizenship” between those who see themselves as inhabiting Europe's center and those who claim to speak from its periphery.
“We Are Moving with Technology”
Authors: Binaisa Naluwembe
Published: July 2023

Photography intrinsic to life in Nigeria since its earliest inception continues in popularity despite the ubiquity of the smartphone. The claim “we are moving with technology” amidst precarity, conflict and instability serves as a point of deep reflection posing alternative sightlines into the lives of Nigeria's citizens. Ethnographic fieldwork in South West Nigeria traces diverse image-events ranging from the intimacy of family albums, public archives, and social media to the street and urban fabric dominated by the portraiture of competing political parties. In this milieu, demotic photographing anchors circuits of visibility and belonging. The enduring relevance of indigenous cosmologies nurtured by elder studio photographers comes to the fore within competing modernities. Women and youth challenge impaired citizenship in their ongoing struggles for voice. World systems photography offers a conceptual frame through which marginalized demotic photographing practices are recentered to potentially anchor a citizenry of photography.
Leveraging the Power of Images in Managing Product Return Rates
Authors: Dzyabura Daria , El Kihal Siham , Hauser John R. , Ibragimov Marat
Published: July 2023

We use product images to predict individual item return rates, and we complement machine-based prediction with tools to interpret automatically extracted image-based interpretable features.
Assortment Optimization with Multi-Item Basket Purchase Under Multivariate MNL Model
Authors: Jasin Stefanus , Lyu Chengyi , Najafi Sajjad , Zhang Huanan
Published: July 2023

Problem definition: Assortment selection is one of the most important decisions faced by retailers. Most existing papers in the literature assume that customers select at most one item out of the offered assortment. Although this is valid in some cases, it contradicts practical observations in many shopping experiences, both in online and brick-and-mortar retail, where customers may buy a basket of products instead of a single item. In this paper, we incorporate customers’ multi-item purchase behavior into the assortment optimization problem. We consider both the uncapacitated and capacitated assortment problems under the so-called Multivariate MNL (MVMNL) model, which is one of the most popular multivariate choice models used in the marketing and empirical literature. Methodology/results: We first show that the traditional revenue-ordered assortment may not be optimal. Nonetheless, we show that under some mild conditions, a certain variant of this property holds (in the uncapacitated assortment problem) under the MVMNL model; that is, the optimal assortment consists of revenue-ordered local assortments in each product category. Finding the optimal assortment even when there is no interaction among product categories is still computationally expensive because the revenue thresholds for different categories cannot be computed separately. To tackle the computational complexity, we develop FPTAS for several variants of (capacitated and uncapacitated) assortment problems under MVMNL. Managerial implications: Our analysis reveals that disregarding customers’ multi-item purchase behavior in assortment decisions can indeed have a significant negative impact on profitability, demonstrating its practical importance in retail. We numerically show that our proposed algorithm can improve a retailer’s expected total revenues (compared with a benchmark policy that does not properly take into account the impact of customers’ multi-item choice behavior in assortment decision) by up to 14%.

Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2021.0526 .
Externalities in Queues as Stochastic Processes: The Case of FCFS M/G/1
Authors: Jacobovic Royi , Mandjes Michel
Published: July 2023

Externalities are the costs that a user of a common resource imposes on others. In the context of an FCFS M/G/1 queue, where a customer with service demand [Formula: see text] arrives when the workload level is [Formula: see text], the externality [Formula: see text] is the total waiting time that could be saved if this customer gave up on their service demand. In this work, we analyze the externalities process [Formula: see text]. It is shown that this process can be represented by an integral of a (shifted in time by v) compound Poisson process with a positive discrete jump distribution, so that [Formula: see text] is convex. Furthermore, we compute the Laplace-Stieltjes transform of the finite-dimensional distributions of [Formula: see text] and its mean and auto-covariance functions. We also identify conditions under which a sequence of normalized externalities processes admits a weak convergence on [Formula: see text] equipped with the uniform metric to an integral of a (shifted in time by v) standard Wiener process. Finally, we also consider the extended framework when v is a general nonnegative random variable which is independent from the arrival process and the service demands. Our analysis leads to substantial generalizations of the results presented in the existing literature.

Funding: This research was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme [Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement 945045] and the NWO Gravitation project NETWORKS [Grant 024.002.003].
Unresolved chronic diarrhea: A case of ACEI-induced mesenteric angioedema
Authors: Bharwad Aastha , Wuthnow Chelsea , Mahdi Mahmoud , Rowe Kyle
Published: July 2023

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) are frequently prescribed for cardiovascular and renal diseases. However, ACEI-induced visceral angioedema is a rare occurrence that often goes unnoticed and poses a diagnostic challenge due to its non-specific and diverse symptoms. Key diagnostic indicators on a CT scan include the ‘target’ sign, elongation of bowel loops, enlarged mesenteric vessels, mesenteric edema with or without ascites, thickened omentum, and the absence of vascular compromise or adenopathy. Discontinuation of ACEI usually results in symptom resolution within 48 hours. While this phenomenon is more commonly observed in females and African Americans, we present a case of a Caucasian male who underwent an extensive diagnostic evaluation, including exploratory surgery, before ACEI-induced angioedema was considered.
How SMBs can defeat the threat of ransomware
Authors: Moffitt Tyler
Published: July 2023

Ransomware is not going away. In fact, it has become one of the most common and devastating forms of attack against organisations. Small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) are among the most vulnerable, as they often lack the resources to cope with a breach. But there are things they can do to improve their resilience.
Busting the biggest myths about digital identities
Authors: Cullen John
Published: July 2023

Digital identity technology has a lot to offer, both in improving security and enabling more-effective and efficient services. So why is there so much reluctance to adopt the technology, both from organisations and users?
Cohort analysis of pediatric intussusception score to diagnose intussusception
Authors: Rukwong Punwadee , Wangviwat Nathawit , Phewplung Teerasak , Sintusek Palittiya
Published: July 2023

The modern medical education system has gradually evolved starting from 1910 incorporating the suggestions by Abraham Flexner, his public disclosure of the poor conditions at many medical schools provided a means to galvanize all the constituencies needed for reform to occur. He could say what other reformers could not, due to their links to the medical education community. But now we are again going back to a pre-Flexnerian state due to multiple reasons such as gradually diminishing importance of basic science subjects for the students, the decline in the number and quality of investigator initiated research among clinical researchers, lesser emphasis to bedside training by means of detailed clinical examination and making appropriate observation of signs to reach to a diagnosis rather than over reliance on the laboratory tests and radiological modalities for the diagnosis, poor exposure to basic clinical skills starting from college throughout residency and the trend of disrespect and absenteeism from both theoretical and clinical/practical classes. The attitude of students is just to complete their required attendance so that they are not barred from appearing in examinations. This de-Flexnerization trend and regression to pre-Flexnerian era standards, ideologies, structures, processes, and attitudes, are bound to beget pre-Flexnerian outcomes, for you get what you designed for.
Seeking support for abortion care from national hotlines in Canada: Caller characteristics and call outcomes, 2019–2021
Authors: Demont Carly , Doctoroff Jill , Neron Britt , Foster Angel M.
Published: July 2023

Objectives

Both the National Abortion Federation Canada and Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights operate national toll‐free hotlines that provide information, financial support, and travel assistance to abortion seekers. We aimed to characterize callers to both hotlines before and after the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Methods

Hotline personnel routinely document information about callers and type(s) of assistance needed and received. We received call logs from both organizations for a two‐year period (April 1, 2019 through March 31, 2021). We exported these data to Microsoft Excel® and analyzed them using descriptive statistics. We analyzed case notes for content and themes.

Results

Over the study period, the two hotlines worked with 270 unique callers. Nearly two‐thirds of callers (n = 174) were seeking support to obtain abortion care for pregnancies after 14 weeks gestation, including 69 callers (26%) who were at or beyond 24 weeks gestation. Most callers were seeking support to obtain abortion care outside of their province of residence because services at their gestational age were not available. Caller needs were similar before and after the onset of the pandemic, but fewer traveled to the United States for abortion care in the COVID‐19 era.

Discussion

Assistance hotlines play an important role in helping some abortion seekers navigate the Canadian health system to obtain needed abortion care. The needs of those seeking care after the 14 weeks gestation points to gaps in current service availability. Identifying ways to expand later abortion care in Canada, particularly after 24 weeks, appears warranted.
Phase analysis for focus plane detection in digital inline holography: application to three-dimensional locations of drops and threads in a beads-on-a-string structure
Authors: Noury Robin , Renoult Marie-Charlotte , Godard Gilles , Lebrun Denis
Published: July 2023

Three-dimensional (3D) phase maps are used in a digital inline holography system to measure the coordinates of tiny particles. The phase signature, previously applied to spherical particles by Yang et al. [Opt. Lett. 31, 1399 (2006)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.31.001399], is extended here to the case of an infinite cylindrical filament to determine the optimal focus plane. The practical implementation of this method is described. Simulations show that this technique provides a very efficient tool to examine the 3D coordinates of micrometric objects. A practical application is given with the investigation of the dynamics of beads-on-a-string structures under an air flow current. These structures, obtained by stretching a viscoelastic fluid element, are of particular interest in this study, since they are characterized by several quasi-spherical beads (i.e., drops) linked by a quasi-cylindrical filament (i.e., thread).
Dry powders reflectance model based on enhanced backscattering: case of hematiteα–Fe2O3
Authors: Gerardin Morgane , Martinetto Pauline , Holzschuch Nicolas
Published: July 2023

By performing bidirectionnal reflectance distribution function (BRDF) measurements, we have identified backscattering as the main phenomenon involved in the appearance of dry nanocrystallized powders. We introduce an analytical and physically based BRDF model that relies on the enhanced backscattering theory to accurately reproduce BRDF measurements. These experimental data were performed on optically thick layers of dry powders with various grains’ morphologies. Our results are significantly better than those obtained with previous models. Our model has been validated against the BRDF measurements of multiple synthesized nanocrystallized and monodisperse α−Fe2O3 hematite powders. Finally, we discuss the ability of our model to be extended to other materials or more complex powder morphologies.
Symmetrical anisotropy enables dynamic diffraction control in photonics
Authors: Mangach Hicham , Badri Youssef El , Hmima Abdelhamid , Achaoui Younes , Bouzid Abdenbi , Zeng Shuwen
Published: July 2023

Despite the steady advancements in nanofabrication made over the past decade that had prompted a plethora of intriguing applications across various fields, achieving compatibility between miniaturized photonic devices and electronic dimensions remains unachievable due to the inherent diffraction limit of photonic devices. Herein, we present an approach based on anisotropic scaling of the shapes of photonic crystals (PhCs) to overcome the diffraction limit and achieve controlled diffraction limit along the ΓX direction. Thus, we demonstrate that scaling the direction perpendicular to the wave’s propagation (y-direction) by 1/2 and 1/4 significantly improves the diffraction limit by two and four orders of magnitude, respectively. This approach opens up possibilities for high-frequency wave guiding in a cermet configuration, which was previously unachievable. Furthermore, we illustrate the existence of a quasi-bound state in the continuum (QBICs) in asymmetric dimer network-type photonic crystals (PhCs).
4*10 Gbps WDM communication system based on a tunable V-cavity semiconductor laser
Authors: Chen Tuo , Liu Zheqi , Yang Qiaochu , Meng Jianjun , Wang Tianshu , He Jian-Jun , Li Qiushun , Li Mingyu
Published: July 2023

This paper is about the V-cavity tunable semiconductor laser with a 1550 nm band used as a transmitter to build a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical fiber communication link. In the experiment, a 20 km optical fiber communication link with a reasonable eye diagram and low bit error rate (BER) transmitted by 40 Gbps can be established. The experimental results show that a single laser can achieve a wavelength tuning range of 25 nm, reach 32 channels at a 100 GHz frequency interval, and the average side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) is above 39 dB. The advantages and application potential of V-cavity tunable semiconductor laser (VCL) for wavelength routing in optical communication networking are verified by experiments.
Controlling magnon-magnon entanglement and steering by atomic coherence
Authors: Zheng Li-Li , Shi Wenxing , Shen Kang , Kong Deyi , Wang Fei
Published: July 2023

Here we show that it is possible to control magnon-magnon entanglement in a hybrid magnon-atom-cavity system based on atomic coherence. In a four-level V-type atomic system, two strong fields are applied to drive two dipole-allowed transitions and two microwave cavity modes are coupled with two dipole forbidden transitions as well as two magnon modes simultaneously. It is found that the stable magnon-magnon entanglement, one-way steering and two-way EPR steering can be generated and controlled by atomic coherence according to the following two points: (i) the coherent coupling between magnon and atoms is established via exchange of virtual photons; (ii) the dissipation of magnon mode is dominant over amplification since one of the atomic states mediated one-channel interaction always keeps empty. The coherent control of magnon-magnon correlations provides an effective approach to modify macroscopic quantum effects using the laser-driven atomic systems.
RCS reduction of composite transparent flexible coding metasurface combined phase cancellation and absorption
Authors: Fu Changfeng , Zhang Xinhang , Liu XingBin , Han Lianfu
Published: July 2023

A wideband low-scattering metasurface with optical transparency and flexibility is proposed by using the combination of phase cancellation and absorption mechanisms. Electromagnetic (EM) diffusion is achieved through the random phase distribution design of the two coding elements. The enhanced energy absorption can be obtained in a wide spectrum by using indium tin oxide (ITO) with suitable sheet resistance in the supercells. The experimental results show that the radar cross section (RCS) reductions of less than −10 dB under the planar and conformal cases are in 6.65-19.40 GHz and 6.11-17.37 GHz, corresponding relative bandwidth are 97.89% and 95.91%, respectively. Both theoretical analysis and simulated results are good accordance with the experiment. Furthermore, the analyses of the surface current, EM field distribution and power loss density are given to explain the hybrid RCS reduction mechanism. The proposed composite transparent flexible coding metasurface (CTFCM) maintains good angular stability within 0°-60° oblique incidence and has polarization insensitivity. The CTFCM has excellent flexibility and high optical transparency, which provides a way to reduce RCS in a wider band and has important application potential for stealth aircraft cockpit and transparent radome.
Long wavelength mid-infrared multi-gases spectroscopy using tunable single-mode slot waveguide quantum cascade laser
Authors: Jin Yuhao , Sun Fangyuan , Li Jinghao , Tan Chuan Seng , Tan Kian Hua , Wicaksono Satrio , Sirtori Carlo , Yoon Soon Fatt , Wang Qi Jie
Published: July 2023

Single-mode tunable quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are promising for high-resolution and highly sensitive trace gases sensing across the mid-infrared (MIR) region. We report on the development of a tunable single-mode slot waveguide QCL array in the long wavelength part of the MIR regime (>12 µm). This laser array exhibits a tuning range of around 12 cm-1, from 735.3 to 747.3 cm-1. Using this developed single-mode tunable QCL, we demonstrate individual gas sensing, yielding the detection limit of 940 ppb and 470 ppb for acetylene and o-xylene, respectively. To verify the potential of the developed QCL array in multi-species gas detection, laser absorption measurements of two mixed gases of acetylene and o-xylene were conducted, showing the absorption features of the corresponding gases agree well with the theoretical predictions.