bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tunable ultraviolet polarized light switch based on all-dielectric metasurfaces on a stretchable substrate
Authors: Xu Yanli , Yang Shengyi , Li Rong , Lv Shanjin , Wu Zhenhua , Liu Jiangtao
Published: February 2023

Most ultraviolet (UV) passive optics are currently non-tunable and lack external modulation methods because of the poor tunability of wide-bandgap semiconductor materials in UV working media. This study investigates the excitation of magnetic dipole resonances in the solar-blind UV region by hafnium oxide metasurfaces using elastic dielectric polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The near-field interactions between the resonant dielectric elements can be modulated by the mechanical strain of the PDMS substrate, which can flatten the structure’s resonant peak beyond the solar-blind UV wavelength range, thereby turning on or off the optical switch in the solar-blind UV region. The device has a facile design and can be used in various applications, such as UV polarization modulation, optical communications, and spectroscopy.
Spatial and frequency-selective optical field coupling absorption in an ultra-thin random metasurface
Authors: Liu Zhengqi , Liu Guiqiang , Liu Xiaoshan , Chen Jing , Tang Chaojun
Published: February 2023

Simplified thin-film structures with the capability of spatial and frequency-selective optical field coupling and absorption are desirable for nanophotonics. Herein, we demonstrate the configuration of a 200-nm-thick random metasurface formed by refractory metal nanoresonators, showing near-unity absorption (absorptivity > 90%) covering the visible and near-infrared range (0.380–1.167 µm). Importantly, the resonant optical field is observed to be concentrated in different spatial areas according to different frequencies, paving a feasible way to artificially manipulate spatial coupling and optical absorption via the spectral frequency. The methods and conclusions derived in this work are applicable throughout a wide energy range and hold applications for frequency-selective nanoscale optical field manipulation.
Sidelobe-suppressed sub-diffraction-limit quasi-non-diffracting light sheets achieved by super-oscillatory lenses
Authors: He Pei , An Chengxu , Ji Haiyu , Li Wenli , Yuan Weizheng , Yu Yiting
Published: February 2023

Sub-diffraction-limit quasi-non-diffracting light sheets (SQLSs) are crucial for a resolution-enhanced and field of view (FOV)-enlarged light sheet microscope. However, it has aways been plagued by sidelobes inducing severe background noise. Here, a self-trade-off optimized method is proposed to generate sidelobe-suppressed SQLSs based on super-oscillatory lenses (SOLs). An SQLS thus obtained shows sidelobes of only 15.4%, first realizing the sub-diffraction-limit thickness, quasi-non-diffracting characteristic, and suppressed sidelobes simultaneously for static light sheets. Moreover, a window-like energy allocation is realized by the self-trade-off optimized method, successfully further suppressing the sidelobes. In particular, an SQLS with theoretical sidelobes of 7.6% is achieved within the window, which provides a new strategy to deal with sidelobes for light sheets and shows great potential in high signal-to-noise ratio light sheet microscopy (LSM).
Highly boosted trace-amount terahertz vibrational absorption spectroscopy based on defect one-dimensional photonic crystal
Authors: Yan De-Xian , Wang Zi-Hao , Li Xiang-Jun , Zhang Le , Zhou Wei-Dong , Li Ji-Ning
Published: February 2023

Although terahertz (THz) spectroscopy demonstrates great application prospects in the fields of fingerprint sensing and detection, traditional sensing schemes face unavoidable limitations in the analysis of trace-amount samples. In this Letter, a novel, to the best of our knowledge, absorption spectroscopy enhancement strategy based on a defect one-dimensional photonic crystal (1D-PC) structure is proposed to achieve strong wideband terahertz wave–matter interactions for trace-amount samples. Based on the Fabry–Pérot resonance effect, the local electric field in a thin-film sample can be boosted by changing the length of the photonic crystal defect cavity, so that the wideband signal of the sample fingerprint can be greatly enhanced. This method exhibits a great absorption enhancement factor, of about 55 times, in a wide terahertz frequency range, facilitating the identification of different samples, such as thin α-lactose films. The investigation reported in this Letter provides a new research idea for enhancing the wide terahertz absorption spectroscopy of trace samples.
Degenerate optical parametric amplification in CMOS silicon
Authors: Heydari David , Cătuneanu Mircea , Ng Edwin , Gray Dodd J. , Hamerly Ryan , Mishra Jatadhari , Jankowski Marc , Fejer M. M. , Jamshidi Kambiz , Mabuchi Hideo
Published: February 2023

Silicon is a common material for photonics due to its favorable optical
properties in the telecom and mid-wave IR bands, as well as
compatibility with a wide range of complementary metal–oxide
semiconductor (CMOS) foundry processes. Crystalline inversion symmetry
precludes silicon from natively exhibiting second-order nonlinear
optical processes. In this work, we build on recent works in silicon
photonics that break this material symmetry using large bias fields,
thereby enabling χ(2) interactions. Using this approach, we
demonstrate both second-harmonic generation (with a normalized
efficiency of 0.20%W−1cm−2) and, to our knowledge, the first
degenerate χ(2) optical parametric amplifier (with an
estimated normalized gain of 0.6dBW−1/2cm−1) using silicon-on-insulator
waveguides fabricated in a CMOS-compatible commercial foundry. We
expect this technology to enable the integration of novel nonlinear
optical devices such as optical parametric amplifiers, oscillators,
and frequency converters into large-scale, hybrid photonic–electronic
systems by leveraging the extensive ecosystem of CMOS fabrication.
Computing aberration coefficients for plane-symmetric reflective systems: A Lie algebraic approach
Authors: Barion Antonio , Anthonissen Martijn , Boonkkamp Jan ten Thije , ijzerman wilbert
Published: February 2023

We apply the Lie algebraic method to reflecting optical systems with plane-symmetric freeform mirrors. Using analytical ray-tracing equations we construct an optical map. The expansion of this map gives us the aberration coefficients in terms of initial ray coordinates. The Lie algebraic method is applied to treat aberrations up to the desired order. The presented method provides a systematic and rigorous approach to the derivation, treatment and composition of aberrations in plane-symmetric systems. We give the results for second- and third-order aberrations and apply them to three single-mirror examples.
Synergic effect of N and Se facilitates photoelectric performance of co-hyperdoped silicon
Authors: Sun Haibin , Liu Xiao-Long , Xu Long , Chen Yuwei , Yang Haima , yang xing , rao peng , Sun Shengli , Zhao Li
Published: February 2023

N and Se co-hyperdoped silicon (Si:N/Se) is prepared using deposited Se films on Si followed by femtosecond (fs)-laser irradiation in the atmosphere of NF3. The optical and crystallinity characteristics of the Si:N/Se are determined by the precursor Se film and laser fluence. The photodetector fabricated from the Si:N/Se shows remarkable responsivity of 24.8 and 19.8 A/W at the wavelength of 840 and 1060 nm, respectively, outperforming the photodetectors fabricated from Si:N, Si:S and Si:S/Se (the latter two are fabricated in SF6). The better photoelectric characteristics of Si:N/Se further facilitate the application of the co-hyperdoping method in optoelectronic devices.
Interaction of plasmonic bound states in the continuum
Authors: Cao Fengzhao , Zhou Mimi , Cheng Chang-Wei , Li Haojie , Jia Qianwen , Jiang Anwen , Lyu Bokun , Liu Dahe , Han Dezhuan , Gwo Shangjr , Shi Jinwei
Published: February 2023

Bound states in continuum (BICs) are believed to have the ability to achieve high quality factor (Q factor) resonances, which is very important for plasmonics. However, the study of plasmonic BICs is not sufficient. Herein, we design and fabricate a metal−insulator−metal (MIM) metasurface and demonstrate a one-dimensional plasmonic BIC experimentally. The even-order localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) modes have even parity at normal incidence. The symmetry-protected BIC can be achieved at Γ point. The band structure can be tuned by strong coupling between the localized plasmonic resonance and plasmonic lattice mode. Interestingly, two of the hybrid modes are also BICs. Although BICs cannot interact with the far field, we successfully demonstrate BIC splitting through far-field excitation. By further tuning the pitch of the MIM grating, the Friedrich–Wintgen BIC is also observed. Finally, we propose and preliminarily demonstrate an ultrathin bandpass spatial filter. These findings provide a new platform to study optical multipole BICs and can have applications in fields such as nano lasers, ultrasensitive sensors, filters, nonlinearity enhancement, and quantum optics.
Personal Information Management Systems nach TTDSG
Authors: Bernemann Julian , Kneuper Ralf
Published: February 2023

Viele Webpräsenzen nutzen Cookies, um die Interessen der Besucher zu ermitteln und Komfortfunktionen anbieten sowie individualisierte Werbung anzeigen zu können. Rechtliche Voraussetzung für derartige Cookies ist meist eine Einwilligung der Besucher. Die aktuell vorherrschende Praxis zur Einholung von Einwilligungen bei Webpräsenzen in Form von Cookie-Bannern wird aber von den Besuchern oft als nervend angesehen und verfehlt daher das eigentliche Ziel einer informierten und freiwilligen Entscheidung.

Um diese Schwierigkeit zu adressieren, wurde 2021 mit dem Telekommunikation-Telemedien-Datenschutz-Gesetz das Konzept der „anerkannten Dienste zur Einwilligungsverwaltung“, meist als PIMS bezeichnet, eingeführt. Der vorliegende Beitrag analysiert dieses Konzept und arbeitet die wesentlichen Herausforderungen bei seiner Umsetzung sowie mögliche Lösungsansätze heraus. Dabei zeigen sich eine Reihe von Herausforderungen aus technischer, rechtlicher und wirtschaftlicher Sicht, für die überzeugende Lösungen derzeit nicht absehbar sind. Insbesondere erscheint der Nutzen der PIMS aus Sicht der Betreiber von Webpräsenzen und Werbenetzwerken, aber auch der Nutzer, unter den derzeitigen rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen nicht ausreichend, dass derartige Dienste sich in der Breite durchsetzen können.
Resonant learning in scale-free networks
Authors: Goldman Samuel , Aldana Maximino , Cluzel Philippe
Published: February 2023

Large networks of interconnected components, such as genes or machines, can coordinate complex behavioral dynamics. One outstanding question has been to identify the design principles that allow such networks to learn new behaviors. Here, we use Boolean networks as prototypes to demonstrate how periodic activation of network hubs provides a network-level advantage in evolutionary learning. Surprisingly, we find that a network can simultaneously learn distinct target functions upon distinct hub oscillations. We term this emergent property resonant learning, as the new selected dynamical behaviors depend on the choice of the period of the hub oscillations. Furthermore, this procedure accelerates the learning of new behaviors by an order of magnitude faster than without oscillations. While it is well-established that modular network architecture can be selected through evolutionary learning to produce different network behaviors, forced hub oscillations emerge as an alternative evolutionary learning strategy for which network modularity is not necessarily required.
Off-target piRNA gene silencing in Drosophila melanogaster rescued by a transposable element insertion
Authors: Miller Danny E. , Dorador Ana P. , Van Vaerenberghe Kelley , Li Angela , Grantham Emily K. , Cerbin Stefan , Cummings Celeste , Barragan Marilyn , Egidy Rhonda R. , Scott Allison R. , Hall Kate E. , Perera Anoja , Gilliland William D. , Hawley R. Scott , Blumenstiel Justin P.
Published: February 2023

Transposable elements (TE) are selfish genetic elements that can cause harmful mutations. In Drosophila, it has been estimated that half of all spontaneous visible marker phenotypes are mutations caused by TE insertions. Several factors likely limit the accumulation of exponentially amplifying TEs within genomes. First, synergistic interactions between TEs that amplify their harm with increasing copy number are proposed to limit TE copy number. However, the nature of this synergy is poorly understood. Second, because of the harm posed by TEs, eukaryotes have evolved systems of small RNA-based genome defense to limit transposition. However, as in all immune systems, there is a cost of autoimmunity and small RNA-based systems that silence TEs can inadvertently silence genes flanking TE insertions. In a screen for essential meiotic genes in Drosophila melanogaster, a truncated Doc retrotransposon within a neighboring gene was found to trigger the germline silencing of ald, the Drosophila Mps1 homolog, a gene essential for proper chromosome segregation in meiosis. A subsequent screen for suppressors of this silencing identified a new insertion of a Hobo DNA transposon in the same neighboring gene. Here we describe how the original Doc insertion triggers flanking piRNA biogenesis and local gene silencing. We show that this local gene silencing occurs in cis and is dependent on deadlock, a component of the Rhino-Deadlock-Cutoff (RDC) complex, to trigger dual-strand piRNA biogenesis at TE insertions. We further show how the additional Hobo insertion leads to de-silencing by reducing flanking piRNA biogenesis triggered by the original Doc insertion. These results support a model of TE-mediated gene silencing by piRNA biogenesis in cis that depends on local determinants of transcription. This may explain complex patterns of off-target gene silencing triggered by TEs within populations and in the laboratory. It also provides a mechanism of sign epistasis among TE insertions, illuminates the complex nature of their interactions and supports a model in which off-target gene silencing shapes the evolution of the RDC complex.
GRAS-1 is a novel regulator of early meiotic chromosome dynamics in C. elegans
Authors: Martinez-Garcia Marina , Naharro Pedro Robles , Skinner Marnie W. , Baran Kerstin A. , Lascarez-Lagunas Laura I. , Nadarajan Saravanapriah , Shin Nara , Silva-García Carlos G. , Saito Takamune T. , Beese-Sims Sara , Diaz-Pacheco Brianna N. , Berson Elizaveta , Castañer Ana B. , Pacheco Sarai , Martinez-Perez Enrique , Jordan Philip W. , Colaiácovo Monica P.
Published: February 2023

Chromosome movements and licensing of synapsis must be tightly regulated during early meiosis to ensure accurate chromosome segregation and avoid aneuploidy, although how these steps are coordinated is not fully understood. Here we show that GRAS-1, the worm homolog of mammalian GRASP/Tamalin and CYTIP, coordinates early meiotic events with cytoskeletal forces outside the nucleus. GRAS-1 localizes close to the nuclear envelope (NE) in early prophase I and interacts with NE and cytoskeleton proteins. Delayed homologous chromosome pairing, synaptonemal complex (SC) assembly, and DNA double-strand break repair progression are partially rescued by the expression of human CYTIP in gras-1 mutants, supporting functional conservation. However, Tamalin, Cytip double knockout mice do not exhibit obvious fertility or meiotic defects, suggesting evolutionary differences between mammals. gras-1 mutants show accelerated chromosome movement during early prophase I, implicating GRAS-1 in regulating chromosome dynamics. GRAS-1-mediated regulation of chromosome movement is DHC-1-dependent, placing it acting within the LINC-controlled pathway, and depends on GRAS-1 phosphorylation at a C-terminal S/T cluster. We propose that GRAS-1 coordinates the early steps of homology search and licensing of SC assembly by regulating the pace of chromosome movement in early prophase I.
Reaction moments matter when designing lower-extremity robots for tripping recovery
Authors: Jabeen Saher , Baines Patricia M. , Harlaar Jaap , Vallery Heike , Berry Andrew
Published: February 2023

Balance recovery after tripping often requires an active adaptation of foot placement. Thus far, few attempts have been made to actively assist forward foot placement for balance recovery employing wearable devices. This study aims to explore the possibilities of active forward foot placement through two paradigms of actuation: assistive moments exerted with the reaction moments either internal or external to the human body, namely ‘joint’ moments and ‘free’ moments, respectively. Both paradigms can be applied to manipulate the motion of segments of the body (e.g., the shank or thigh), but joint actuators also exert opposing reaction moments on neighbouring body segments, altering posture and potentially inhibiting tripping recovery. We therefore hypothesised that a free moment paradigm is more effective in assisting balance recovery following tripping. The simulation software SCONE was used to simulate gait and tripping over various ground-fixed obstacles during the early swing phase. To aid forward foot placement, joint moments and free moments were applied either on the thigh to augment hip flexion or on the shank to augment knee extension. Two realizations of joint moments on the hip were simulated, with the reaction moment applied to either the pelvis or the contralateral thigh. The simulation results show that assisting hip flexion with either actuation paradigm on the thigh can result in full recovery of gait with a margin of stability and leg kinematics closely matching the unperturbed case. However, when assisting knee extension with moments on the shank, free moment effectively assist balance but joint moments with the reaction moment on the thigh do not. For joint moments assisting hip flexion, placement of the reaction moment on the contralateral thigh was more effective in achieving the desired limb dynamics than placing the reaction on the pelvis. Poor choice of placement of reaction moments may therefore have detrimental consequences for balance recovery, and removing them entirely (i.e., free moment) could be a more effective and reliable alternative. These results challenge conventional assumptions and may inform the design and development of a new generation of minimalistic wearable devices to promote balance during gait.
ADHD and political participation: An observational study
Authors: Waismel-Manor Israel , Kaplan Yael R. , Shenhav Shaul R. , Zlotnik Yair , Dvir Gvirsman Shira , Ifergane Gal
Published: February 2023

Background and objective

Over the past decade, researchers have been seeking to understand the consequences of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for different types of everyday behaviors. In this study, we investigated the associations between ADHD and political participation and attitudes, as ADHD may impede their active participation in the polity.

Methods

This observational study used data from an online panel studying the adult Jewish population in Israel, collected prior the national elections of April 2019 (N = 1369). ADHD symptoms were assessed using the 6-item Adult ADHD Self-Report (ASRS-6). Political participation (traditional and digital), news consumption habits, and attitudinal measures were assessed using structured questionnaires. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to analyze the association between ADHD symptoms (ASRS score <17) and reported political participation and attitudes.

Results

200 respondents (14.6%) screened positive for ADHD based on the ASRS-6. Our findings show that individuals with ADHD are more likely to participate in politics than individuals without ADHD symptoms (B = 0.303, SE = 0.10, p = .003). However, participants with ADHD are more likely to be passive consumers of news, waiting for current political news to reach them instead of actively searching for it (B = 0.172, SE = 0.60, p = .004). They are also more prone to support the idea of silencing other opinions (B = 0.226, SE = 0.10, p = .029). The findings hold when controlling for age, sex, level of education, income, political orientation, religiosity, and stimulant therapy for ADHD symptoms.

Conclusions

Overall, we find evidence that individuals with ADHD display a unique pattern of political activity, including greater participation and less tolerance of others’ views, but not necessarily showing greater active interest in politics. Our findings add to a growing body of literature that examines the impact of ADHD on different types of everyday behaviors.
pXOOY: A dual-function vector for expression of membrane proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Xenopus laevis oocytes
Authors: Vold Victoria Amstrup , Glanville Sebastian , Klaerke Dan Arne , Pedersen Per Amstrup
Published: February 2023

On the quest for solving structures of membrane proteins by X-ray crystallography or cryo-EM, large quantities of ultra-pure protein are a paramount prerequisite. Obtaining enough protein of such high standard is not a trivial task, especially for difficult-to-express membrane proteins. Producing membrane protein for structural studies is often performed in Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae and is frequently complemented with functional studies. Ion channels and electrogenic receptors are traditionally studied in terms of their electrophysiological behavior, which cannot be performed in neither E. coli nor yeast. Therefore, they are frequently characterized in mammalian cells or in Xenopus laevis oocytes. To avoid generating two different plasmids, we here describe the construction of a dual-function plasmid, pXOOY, for membrane protein production in yeast and for electrophysiology in oocytes. pXOOY was constructed such that all elements required for oocyte expression were copied from the dual Xenopus-mammalian vector pXOOM and meticulously introduced into the high-yield yeast expression vector pEMBLyex4. pXOOY is thus designed to preserve the high yield of protein from pEMBLyex4 while simultaneously permitting in vitro transcription for expression in oocytes. We evaluated the performance of pXOOY by comparing expression of two yeast codon optimized human potassium channels, ohERG and ohSlick (Slo2.1) from pXOOY to expression of these channels obtained from the reference vectors pEMBLyex4 and pXOOM. Our proof-of-concept study indicates that accumulation in PAP1500 yeast cells was higher when the channels were expressed from pXOOY, which was verified both qualitatively and quantitatively. Two-electrode voltage clamp measurements in oocytes showed that the pXOOY constructs encoding ohERG and ohSlick gave currents with full preservation of electrophysiological characteristics. Our results show that it is possible to design a dual-function Xenopus-yeast vector without compromising expression in yeast and simultaneously maintaining channel activity in oocytes.
Endothelial glycocalyx-associated molecules as potential serological markers for sepsis-associated encephalopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Baby Sheon , Reljic Tea , Villalba Nuria , Kumar Ambuj , Yuan Sarah Y.
Published: February 2023

Background

Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is characterized by a diffuse cerebral dysfunction that accompanies sepsis in the absence of direct central nervous system infection. The endothelial glycocalyx is a dynamic mesh containing heparan sulfate linked to proteoglycans and glycoproteins, including selectins and vascular/intercellular adhesion molecules (V/I-CAMs), which protects the endothelium while mediating mechano-signal transduction between the blood and vascular wall. During severe inflammatory states, components of the glycocalyx are shed into the circulation and can be detected in soluble forms. Currently, SAE remains a diagnosis of exclusion and limited information is available on the utility of glycocalyx-associated molecules as biomarkers for SAE. We set out to synthesize all available evidence on the association between circulating molecules released from the endothelial glycocalyx surface during sepsis and sepsis-associated encephalopathy.

Methods

MEDLINE (PubMed) and EMBASE were searched since inception until May 2, 2022 to identify eligible studies. Any comparative observational study: i) evaluating the association between sepsis and cognitive decline and ii) providing information on level of circulating glycocalyx-associated molecules was eligible for inclusion.

Results

Four case-control studies with 160 patients met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis of biomarkers ICAM-1 (SMD 0.41; 95% CI 0.05–0.76; p = 0.03; I2= 50%) and VCAM-1 (SMD 0.55; 95% CI 0.12–0.98; p = 0.01; I2= 82%) revealed higher pooled mean concentration in patients with SAE compared to the patients with sepsis alone. Single studies reported elevated levels of P-selectin (MD 0.80; 95% CI -17.77–19.37), E-selectin (MD 96.40; 95% Cl 37.90–154.90), heparan sulfate NS2S (MD 19.41; 95% CI 13.37–25.46), and heparan sulfate NS+NS2S+NS6S (MD 67.00; 95% CI 31.00–103.00) in patients with SAE compared to the patients with sepsis alone.

Conclusion

Plasma glycocalyx-associated molecules are elevated in SAE and may be useful for early identification of cognitive decline in sepsis patients.
Investigating speed-safety association: Considering the unobserved heterogeneity and human factors mediation effects
Authors: Nassiri Habibollah , Mohammadpour Seyed Iman
Published: February 2023

The relationship between mean speed and crash likelihood is unclear in the literature. The contradictory findings can be attributed to the masking effects of the confounding variables in this association. Moreover, the unobserved heterogeneity has almost been criticized as a reason behind the current inconclusive results. This research provides an effort to develop a model that analyzes the mean speed-crash frequency relationship by crash severity and type. Also, the confounding and mediation effects of the environment, driver, and traffic-related attributes have been considered. To this end, the loop detector and crash data were aggregated daily for rural multilane highways of Tehran province, Iran, covering two years, 2020–2021. The partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) was employed for crash causal analysis along with the finite mixture partial least squares (FIMIX-PLS) segmentation to account for potential unobserved heterogeneity between observations. The mean speed was negatively and positively associated with the frequency of property damage-only (PDO) and severe accidents, respectively. Moreover, driver-related variables, including tailgating, distracted driving, and speeding, played key mediation roles in associating traffic and environmental factors with the crash risk. The higher the mean speed and the lower the traffic volume, the higher odds of distracted driving. Distracted driving was, in turn, associated with the higher vulnerable road users (VRU) accidents and single-vehicle accidents, triggering a higher frequency of severe accidents. Moreover, lower mean speed and higher traffic volume were positively correlated with the percentage of tailgating violations, which, in turn, predicted multi-vehicle accidents as the main predictor of PDO crash frequency. In conclusion, the mean speed effects on the crash risk are entirely different for each crash type through distinct crash mechanisms. Hence, the distinct distribution of crash types in different datasets might have led to current inconsistent results in the literature.
Self-management of multiple long-term conditions: A systematic review of the barriers and facilitators amongst people experiencing socioeconomic deprivation
Authors: Woodward Abi , Davies Nathan , Walters Kate , Nimmons Danielle , Stevenson Fiona , Protheroe Joanne , Chew-Graham Carolyn A. , Armstrong Megan
Published: February 2023

Background

Multiple long-term conditions are rising across all groups but people experiencing socioeconomic deprivation are found to have a higher prevalence. Self-management strategies are a vital part of healthcare for people with long-term conditions and effective strategies are associated with improved health outcomes in a variety of health conditions. The management of multiple long-term conditions are, however, less effective in people experiencing socioeconomic deprivation, leaving them more at risk of health inequalities. The purpose of this review is to identify and synthesise qualitative evidence on the barriers and facilitators of self-management on long-term conditions in those experiencing socioeconomic deprivation.

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, PsycINFO and CINAHL Plus were searched for qualitative studies concerning self-management of multiple long-term conditions among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Data were coded and thematically synthesised using NVivo.

Findings

From the search results, 79 relevant qualitative studies were identified after the full text screening and 11 studies were included in the final thematic synthesis. Three overarching analytical themes were identified alongside a set of sub-themes: (1) Challenges of having multiple long-term conditions; prioritisation of conditions, impact of multiple long-term conditions on mental health and wellbeing, polypharmacy, (2) Socioeconomic barriers to self-management; financial, health literacy, compounding impact of multiple long-term conditions and socioeconomic deprivation, (3) Facilitators of self-management in people experiencing socioeconomic deprivation; maintaining independence, ‘meaningful’ activities, support networks.

Discussion

Self-management of multiple long-term conditions is challenging for people experiencing socioeconomic deprivation due to barriers around financial constraints and health literacy, which can lead to poor mental health and wellbeing. To support targeted interventions, greater awareness is needed among health professionals of the barriers/challenges of self-management among these populations.
Encouraging brisk walking with the free Active10 app in postnatal women who had a hypertensive pregnancy: “Just Walk It” feasibility study
Authors: Razai Mohammad S. , Trinder Bonnie , Perry Alice , Cauldwell Matthew , Reid Fiona , Oakeshott Pippa
Published: February 2023

Objective

To explore the feasibility of a future trial to investigate whether encouraging use of the free NHS smartphone app Active10 increases brisk walking and reduces blood pressure (BP) in postnatal mothers who had hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP).

Design

3-month feasibility study.

Setting

London maternity unit.

Population

21 women with HDP.

Methods

At recruitment we recorded initial (booking) clinic BP and asked participants to complete a questionnaire. Two months after delivery all participants were sent (by post/email/WhatsApp) a “Just Walk It” leaflet encouraging them to download the Active10 app and walk briskly for at least 10 minutes/day. This was backed by a telephone call after 2-weeks. Assessments were repeated 3-months later, and included telephone interviews about the acceptability and use of Active10.

Main outcome measures

Were recruitment rate, follow-up rate and acceptability/use of Active10.

Results

Of 28 women approached, 21 (75%, 95% CI 55.1–89.3%) agreed to participate. Age range was 21–46 years and five (24%) self-identified as black ethnicity. One woman dropped out of the study, and one became ill. The remaining participants (90%, 19/21, 95% CI 69.6–98.8%) were followed up after 3-months. Ninety-five percent (18/19) downloaded the Active10 app and 74% (14/19) continued using it at 3-months, averaging 27-minutes brisk walking/day according to Active10 weekly screenshots. Comments included: “Brilliant app”, “Really motivates me”. Mean BP was 130/81mmHg at booking and 124/80mmHg at 3-months follow-up.

Conclusions

The Active10 app was acceptable to postnatal women after HDP and may have increased minutes of brisk walking. A future trial could explore whether this simple, low-cost intervention could reduce long-term BP in this vulnerable group.
Comparison of four multilocus sequence typing schemes and amino acid biosynthesis based on genomic analysis of Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Lee Gawon , Heo Sojeong , Kim Tao , Na Hong-Eun , Lee Jong-Hoon , Jeong Do-Won
Published: February 2023

Bacillus subtilis, a valuable industrial microorganism used in starter cultures in soybean fermentation, is a species of bacteria with interspecies diversity. Here, four multilocus sequence typing (MLST) schemes developed to assess the diversity of B. subtilis or Bacillus spp. were applied and compared to confirm the interspecies diversity of B. subtilis. In addition, we analyzed correlations between amino acid biosynthesis genes and sequence types (STs); this is important because amino acids are key taste components in fermented foods. On applying the four MLST methods to 38 strains and the type strain of B. subtilis, 30 to 32 STs were identified. The discriminatory power was 0.362–0.964 for the genes used in the MLST methods; the larger the gene, the greater the number of alleles and polymorphic sites. All four MLST methods showed a correlation between STs and strains that do not possess the hutHUIG operon (which contains genes required for the production of glutamate from histidine). This correlation was verified using 168 further genome-sequence strains.
‘Makhanda Forever?’: Pirate internet infrastructure and the ephemeral hip hop archive in South Africa
Authors: Schoon Alette
Published: February 2023

This article examines how hip hop heads in marginalized, Black, low-income neighbourhoods in a town in South Africa make use of ‘grey’ pirate internet infrastructure from the Global South to create distribution platforms for their music. In this ethnographic study, hip hop heads from the town of Makhanda, who cannot afford the bandwidth to use graphic-intensive sites such as ReverbNation or SoundCloud, come up with innovative ways to hack and extend the limitations of their own low-bandwidth internet distribution infrastructure. To do so they not only move media offline onto various digital devices in innovative ways but also use online solutions from the Global South developed for less-connected users like themselves. This includes the file-drop platform DataFileHost, the ‘Wap’ platform Wapka and various forms of translocal pavement internet involving WhatsApp distribution. As digital pioneers in their communities, these hip hop heads showcase innovation from below by cobbling together translocal digital spaces that incorporate grey pirate platforms. Since they exist outside of the public, algorithmically monitored channels of the internet, these spaces remain outside of the mainstream centralized global media flows and exemplify ‘pirate modernity’ in the Global South. They point to the deep infrastructural inequalities between and inside countries and the need for building a more inclusive internet where no-one is exiled to the low-bandwidth, mostly off internet outposts of the less-connected. While pirate platforms form part of an interim innovative solution to help connect communities, their ephemeral nature means that the music archives created by these hip hop communities remain precarious and under constant threat of being lost forever.
Cholangioscope-Guided Electrohydraulic Lithotripsy as a Rescue Technique for an Impacted Dormia Basket With Large Common Bile Duct Stone
Authors: Syed Imran Ali , Hanif Muhammad Farooq , Malik Ahmad Karim , Aujla Usman Iqbal
Published: February 2023

Impaction of Dormia basket while extracting common bile duct (CBD) stones during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is a well-known but relatively rare complication. Its management could be very challenging and may require percutaneous, endoscopic, or major surgical intervention. In this study, we present a case of a 65-year-old man with a history of obstructive jaundice secondary to a large CBD stone. For stone extraction, mechanical lithotripsy with a Dormia basket was attempted resulting in its entrapment within CBD. Subsequently, the entrapped basket and large stone were retrieved using a novel technique of cholangioscope-guided electrohydraulic lithotripsy with excellent clinical outcomes.
Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy After Therapy With Infliximab Biosimilar
Authors: Larson Jessica , Twohig Patrick , Hutchins Kathryn
Published: February 2023

Tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors are monoclonal antibodies that are commonly used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. A rare side effect of these biological agents is chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, which is a debilitating disease characterized by weakness, sensory dysfunction, and diminished or absent reflexes. We present the first reported case of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy after treatment with the tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor biosimilar, infliximab-dyyp (Inflectra).
Konnektiver Zynismus
Authors: Schäfer Fabian
Published: February 2023

Der politische Diskurs verroht, in den sozialen Medien toben Trolle und grenzüberschreitende Witze haben Hochkonjunktur. Rechtspopulist*innen und fragwürdige Influencer*innen nutzen bewusst sprachliche Unschärfen und ironische Zwischentöne, um das Gesagte im Nachhinein relativieren zu können. Fabian Schäfer untersucht die besondere Aufmerksamkeitsökonomie und die Konnektivität des Likens und Teilens der sozialen Medien, die die Ausbreitung von politischem und kulturellem Zynismus anfachen. Mit dem Konzept des konnektiven Zynismus zeigt er auf, wie aus randständigem Humor Profit geschlagen und mit antidemokratischen Diskursstrategien Politik gemacht wird.
The Slightest Attachment
Authors: d'Hoop Ariane
Published: February 2023

While the disciplinary architecture of hospitals has long prevailed in psychiatry, many care teams now work in smaller structures, within communities. Ariane d'Hoop explores one of these places: Drawing on fieldwork in a psychiatric day center for teenagers, she traces how spatial arrangements matter in the care practice. From a corner in which one can withdraw, to a kitchen inviting to hang around, or displayed artworks that pique one's curiosity, caregivers use the material environment to stir up the slightest affinity from teenagers. This study thus expands our idea of what attachment is, and makes us more able to recognize the subtle dynamics between care, things, and spaces. With a preface by Jeannette Pols.
Grenzen des Miteinanders
Authors: Bührig Sebastian
Published: February 2023

Das Zusammenleben vieler verschiedener Menschen auf begrenztem Raum zu gestalten ist eine der großen Aufgaben von Architektur und Städtebau unserer Zeit. Die Herausforderungen des menschlichen Miteinanders zeigen sich in besonderem Maße dort, wo viele Menschen wohnen. Mit der »Einmischenden Beobachtung« entwickelt Sebastian Bührig eine Methode, um den Menschen im Alltag an neuralgischen Punkten im gebauten und sozialen Raum mit einem Forschungsinteresse zu begegnen. Exemplarisch untersucht er die Nachbarschaften zweier Wohnhochhäuser aus den 1970er Jahren im Zentrum Berlins, die baulich vieles gemeinsam haben und sich doch wesentlich unterscheiden. Die Einmischende Beobachtung ermöglicht lebendige empirische Einsichten in das nachbarschaftliche Neben-, Über-, Unter-, Gegen- und Miteinander in Vielfalt.
Student Morality Behavior: A Contribution of Social Godliness and Religiosity
Authors: Prasetiya Benny , Agusti Maulid , Halili Heri Rifhan
Published: February 2023

Society puts a great expectation on the importance of character education. Recently there is an imbalance between educational outcomes and other deviant behavior. This study was to explain the correlation of variables of the social godliness and religiosity in the family to the morality behavior of teenagers. The approach used was quantitative. The data were collected using a questionnaire. Test data analysis was carried out in the form of a pre-requisite analysis test (normality, linearity, and multicollinearity test) and hypothesis testing using linear regression analysis. The results showed that there was a positive influence on Social Godliness and Religiosity in the Family together on the moral behavior of teenage students. This was indicated by the F test result which obtained an F value of 13.544 with a significance of F 0.000 or F <0.05. The results of the multiple regression test showed that the coefficient of determination (r2) is 0.366. The coefficient of determination showed the large contribution of the two independent variables to the dependent variable. This contribution meant that social Godliness and religiosity in the family connect 36.6% of results of the Teenager Morality Behavior, while the remaining 63.4% was influenced by other variables which were not examined in this study.
Implementation of the Congklak Traditional Game in Madrasah Ibtidaiyah and Elementary School
Authors: Yantoro Yantoro , Kurniawan Dwi Agus , Silvia Ninda
Published: February 2023

This study aims to find out how the response and character of the curiosity and love for the homeland of students in SD and MI with the application of the traditional game Congklak in the learning process. The research method used was a mixed method with a sequential explanatory model, with a sample of 60 students from both schools obtained by random sampling. Researchers used questionnaires to collect data and interviews as support. The data analysis used is descriptive analysis and hypothesis testing using the T-test. From the application of the traditional game of congklak, significant results are obtained that there are differences in the results of SD Negeri and MI Negeri. However, the response as well as the students' curiosity and love for the homeland from the application of the traditional game of congklak   were in the good category.
LingoTalk – Entwicklung einer App mit automatischer Spracherkennung für die Aphasietherapie
Authors: Netzebandt J. , Scharfe C.
Published: February 2023

LingoTalk is a speech therapy app that provides self-training in oral word production. Automatic speech recognition evaluates the correctness and intelligibility of what is said and provides objective feedback. This can increase the frequency of therapy and strengthen the effectiveness of speech therapy treatment. In a single case study, we evaluated the implementation and effectiveness of supervised high-frequency self-training with LingoTalk in chronic aphasia after stroke. It is shown that a three-week training programme brings about demonstrable and sustained improvements in oral word production for practiced and unpracticed terms and has lasting positive effects on spontaneous speech. Keywords:
Mit der RehaGoal App durch komplexe Aufgaben gelotst – Einsatzmöglichkeiten und Erfahrungen
Authors: Müller S.V. , Ertas-Spantgar F. , Gabel A. , Schiering I.
Published: February 2023

The mobile application RehaGoal app is presented for people with acquired and congenital brain damage who have difficulties with complex planning tasks. The development of the RehaGoal app was based on the Goal Management Training approach, which focuses on breaking down an overarching goal into sub-goals and manageable steps to achieve them. So far, this approach has been paper-based, which makes it difficult to transfer to everyday life. Therefore, the RehaGoal app, which can be used on various digital devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, etc., was developed. Our target group often has additional limitations, which is why the RehaGoal app has a barrierfree design, voice output, visual display options, a user-dependent display, simple menu navigation and an authoring system. We illustrate the possible applications of the RehaGoal app with patients in outpatient neuropsychological rehabilitation, during vocational reintegration and during lockdown due to COVID-19. Keywords: RehaGoal app, executive dysfunction, goal management training, mobile application, smart devices, vocational rehabilitation
Pantheon
Authors: Ahmad Ishtiyaque , Agrawal Divyakant , Abbadi Amr El , Gupta Trinabh
Published: February 2023

Consider a cloud server that owns a key-value store and provides a private query service to its clients. Preserving client privacy in this setting is difficult because the key-value store ispublic, and a client cannot encrypt or modify it. Therefore, privacy in this context implies hiding the access pattern of a client. Pantheon is a system that cryptographically allows a client to retrieve the value corresponding to a key from apublickey-value store without allowing the server or any adversary to know any information about the key or value accessed. Pantheon devises a single-round retrieval protocol which reduces server-side latency by refining its cryptographic machinery and massively parallelizing the query execution workload. Using these novel techniques, Pantheon achieves a 93X improvement for server-side latency over a state-of-the-art solution.
Motiflets
Authors: Schäfer Patrick , Leser Ulf
Published: February 2023

A time series motif intuitively is a short time series that repeats itself approximately the same within a larger time series. Such motifs often represent concealed structures, such as heart beats in an ECG recording, the riff in a pop song, or sleep spindles in EEG sleep data. Motif discovery (MD) is the task of finding such motifs in a given input series. As there are varying definitions of what exactly a motif is, a number of different algorithms exist. As central parameters they all take the length
l
of the motif and the maximal distance
r
between the motif's occurrences. In practice, however, especially suitable values for
r
are very hard to determine upfront, and found motifs show a high variability even for very similar
r
values. Accordingly, finding an interesting motif with these methods requires extensive trial-and-error.

In this paper, we present a different approach to the MD problem. We define
k
-Motiflets as the set of exactly
k
occurrences of a motif of length
l
, whose maximum pairwise distance is minimal. This turns the MD problem upside-down: The central parameter of our approach is not the distance threshold
r
, but the desired number of occurrence
k
of the motif, which we show is considerably more intuitive and easier to set. Based on this definition, we present exact and approximate algorithms for finding
k
-Motiflets and analyze their complexity. To further ease the use of our method, we describe statistical tools to automatically determine meaningful values for its input parameters. Thus, for the first time, extracting meaningful motif sets without any a-priori knowledge becomes feasible. By evaluation on several real-world data sets and comparison to four state-of-the-art MD algorithms, we show that our proposed algorithm is both quantitatively superior to its competitors, finding larger motif sets at higher similarity, and qualitatively better, leading to clearer and easier to interpret motifs without any need for manual tuning.