bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suboccipital Craniotomy and Transventricular Resection of a Trigonal Medullary Cavernous Malformation: 2-Dimensional Operative Video
Authors: Srinivasan Visish M. , Lee Katriel E. , Catapano Joshua S. , Lawton Michael T.
Published: June 2022

Brainstem cavernous malformations (CMs) account for 15% to 18% of CMs and are associated with higher hemorrhage rates than other intracranial CMs.
1,2
A recent systematic review demonstrated successful long-term outcomes after resection of brainstem CMs in 84% of patients.
2
We present a teenage girl with multiple CMs occupying the entire medulla to the C1 cervical spinal cord. This lesion was a trigonal medullary subtype. The patient presented with respiratory distress and new quadriparesis. She had no prior surgical interventions for her lesions. The patient's guardians provided informed consent for the procedure.

A suboccipital craniotomy and transventricular resection were performed. The exophytic component of the lesion was immediately visible on the dorsal cervicomedullary junction. The upper pole was obscured by the cerebellar tonsils. Incising the inferior medullary velum and freeing arachnoid adhesions allowed for mobilization of tonsils and widening of the surgical space. The pia was directly incised at the surface presentation. The hematoma was removed piecemeal to reveal the capsule of the CM. Using sharp round knives can help define the plane between the hematoma and the CM, enabling piecemeal resection. Satellite lesions were then removed. A developmental venous anomaly was encountered, which was obscured on preoperative imaging by the large CM. The developmental venous anomaly should be preserved. It rarely affects the operative approach, although it slightly increases the operative risk.
3
Intraoperatively, a large amount of viable medulla remained, despite little being seen on preoperative MRI. The postoperative MRI revealed no residual CM. The patient experienced no new postoperative neurological complications.

Video used with permission from Barrow Neurological Institute.
Subtemporal Transcollateral Sulcus Approach for Temporal Horn Tumors: 2-Dimensional Operative Video and Description of the Technique
Authors: Cavagnaro María José , Orenday-Barraza José Manuel , Jabre Roland , Georges Joseph , Lee Michaela , Nakaji Peter
Published: June 2022

INTRODUCTION:

Purely temporal intraventricular tumors are uncommon. Given their deep location, access to these brain tumors can be challenging in terms of preserving brain tissue. The subtemporal approach spares the lateral temporal cortex and is a less traumatic corridor to reach intraventricular temporal tumors.

OBJECTIVE:

To describe and assess the feasibility of the subtemporal transcollateral approach for the removal of a temporal horn tumor.

METHODS:

We describe the subtemporal transcollateral sulcus operative technique detailed step-by-step and depicted through both video and illustrations to surgically resect a left intraventricular temporal mass in a 44-year-old woman who presented with worsening memory deficits. The surgery was performed under general anesthesia and with the use of a microscope and neuronavigation.

RESULTS:

The patient did not suffer from any postoperative complications. Her vision was intact, and her memory deficit was unchanged. A brain MRI showed complete removal of the tumor. The pathological examination revealed a World Health Organization grade I meningioma.

CONCLUSION:

The subtemporal transsulcal approach seems to be an efficient and safe way to access intraventricular lesions within the temporal horn while avoiding any disruption of the optic radiations and temporal language areas.
Vertebral Artery Transposition and Dural Ring Reconstruction: A New Treatment Modality for Cervical Spinal Cord Compression Resulting From Aberrant Vertebral Arteries
Authors: Ji Zhe , Ma Yongjie , Feng Yueshan , Zhang Hongqi , Hu Peng
Published: June 2022

BACKGROUND:

Two of three patients who were consecutively treated within the past 7 years using traditional methods in our center presented with recurrence and even aggravation during follow-up. Therefore, a new approach was developed to treat a recent patient to provide for complete decompression of the spinal cord.

OBJECTIVE:

To illustrate a new treatment modality for patients with cervical spinal cord compression resulting from aberrant vertebral arteries.

METHODS:

The aberrant vertebral arteries were freed after substantial dissection of their dural rings. The compression was released after moving the aberrant vertebral arteries, which were sutured to the lateral mass to the extradural space. New dural rings above the atlas were created to allow the vertebral artery to enter the dura mater into a wider subdural space.

RESULTS:

The patient experienced full relief from her initial complaints except for mild numbness of the bilateral lower extremities immediately after surgery. Postoperative imaging studies indicated successful transposition of bilateral aberrant vertebral arteries and significant decompression of the spinal cord. Her symptoms did not recur over a 6-month follow-up period. Imaging studies at the 6-month follow-up showed stable vertebral artery transposition and spinal cord decompression.

CONCLUSION:

A patient with cervical spinal cord compression resulting from aberrant vertebral arteries was successfully treated by our new technique, which includes vertebral artery transposition, fixation, and dural ring reconstruction. Our approach could be an alternative for durable spinal cord decompression in such patients.
Remote sensing and machine learning for yield prediction of lowland paddy crops
Authors: Septem Riza Lala , Yudianita Afina Hadaina , Nugraha Eki , Somantri Lili , Sitanggang Imas Sukaesih , Abu Samah Khyrina Airin Fariza , Nazir Shah
Published: June 2022

Background: Paddy is one of the crops with the largest production worldwide, after corn and wheat. In Indonesia, paddy crops play a role as one of the main boosters of national economic growth based on their contribution to Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP). Therefore, it is imperative to do research aimed at predicting the yield of paddy crops.

Methods: This research exploits the technology of remote sensing and machine learning methods (i.e. Gradient Boosting Regressor) to predict the yield of lowland paddy crops. Remote sensing with a Landsat 8 satellite was used to obtain the input data in the form of the vegetation index (i.e. NDVI) value, surface temperature, and total pixels of the observed area. Afterward, the input data was arranged into training data by combining paddy yield data and the paddy harvest period.

Results: The obtained training data was modelled to predict the yield of paddy crops using a Gradient Boosting Regressor. The results obtained from experiments conducted in Bandung, Indonesia, showed the scenario with the best parameter combination is an estimator of 2000, a learning rate of 0.001, minimum samples split of 2, and a maximum depth of 4, which has RMSE of 9766.72.

Conclusions: This research succeeded in designing a computational model to predict the yield of lowland paddy crops by involving remote sensing and Gradient Boosting Regressor.
Clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with diabetes mellitus in East Java, Indonesia: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Triyono Erwin Astha , Wahyuhadi Joni , Prajitno Jongky Hendro , Novida Hermina , Siagian Nenci , Cahyani Cupuwatie , Putri Arinditia Triasti , Lusida Michael Austin Pradipta , Hidayat Amal Arifi , Idamusaga Karisma Septari , Intansari Nastiti Imana , Asmara Jose , Hadi Agrasenfani , Bandem I Ketut Mega Purnayasa
Published: June 2022

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus has been perceived as the worsening factor for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), where diabetes mellitus patients with pre-existing inflammatory condition could develop acute respiratory disease syndrome as well as multi-organ dysfunction. Managing diabetes mellitus amidst severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is also a matter of concern as several antidiabetic therapies could affect the progression of COVID-19. This study aimed to provide the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with both COVID-19 and diabetes mellitus receiving blood glucose lowering therapies and COVID-19 symptomatic treatments.

Methods: This retrospective study was performed on 260 medical records of patients hospitalized between May 2020 to February 2021 in East Java, Indonesia. Patients were confirmed COVID-19 positive based on the results from real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using nasal swab samples collected on hospital admission. Data included were demographic characteristics, COVID-19 symptoms, severity of COVID-19, comorbidities (other than diabetes mellitus), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and 2-hours post-prandial blood glucose (2hPBG), and outcomes.

Results: Most of the patients had age range of 41–60 years old (76.1%) with more than a half of the subjects (60%) were obese. Patients with uncontrolled diabetes were distributed evenly among the COVID-19 severities (74.3% in asymptomatic group, 73.6% in mild group, and 74.1% in moderate group). There were reductions in FBG and 2hPBG levels measured before (210.75±81.38 and 271.19±100.7 mg/dL, respectively) and after the treatment (181.03±68.9 and 222.01±86.96 mg/dL, respectively). All patients received multivitamin and symptomatic treatment for COVID-19. Oral antidiabetic drug (57.6%) and insulin (28.8%) were administered to lower the blood glucose level of the patients. As many as 96.9% patients survived, while 3.1% died.

Conclusion: COVID-19 could affect the blood glucose level, suggesting the importance of antihyperglycemic therapies among patients with both COVID-19 and diabetes mellitus.
Robustness of the aging effect of smiling against vertical facial orientation
Authors: Yoshimura Naoto , Yonemitsu Fumiya , Sasaki Kyoshiro , Yamada Yuki
Published: June 2022

Background: Previous studies have shown that the association between smiling and youth is a misconception; smiling faces have been estimated to be older than neutral faces. Previous studies have indicated that this aging effect of smiling (AES) is due to eye wrinkles caused by the facial action of smiling. However, whether holistic processing for facial expressions is involved in AES has not been investigated. The present study aimed to clarify these issues.

Methods: Participants were recruited to participate in an online experiment that had a 3 (facial expression: smiling/neutral/surprised) × 2 (facial orientation: upright/inverted) mixed design. Participants were presented with an upright or inverted face for each expression (neutral, smiling, and surprised) and were asked to estimate the individual’s age.

Results: In total, 104 participants were included in the analysis. The results show that smiling faces were estimated to be older than neutral faces, whereas there was no significant difference between upright and inverted faces.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that AES is not dependent on holistic processing.
EncephalApp Stroop Test for covert hepatic encephalopathy screening in Tunisian cirrhotic patients
Authors: Hamzaoui Lamine , Mahmoudi Moufida , Mohamed Ghanem , Elloumi Hanene , Laabidi Asma , Boubaker Jalel , Boudabbous Mona , Tahri Nabil , Jemni Imen , Safer Leila , Jomni Taieb , Douggui Hedi , Trad Dorra , Gargouri Dalila , Ayadi Shema , Debbeche Radhouane , Belhouchet Sami , Marouani Ridha , Cheikh Imed , Abdelli Mohamed Nabil
Published: June 2022

Background: Covert hepatic encephalopathy (CHE) is underdiagnosed and is difficult to detect. The EncephalApp Stroop test is validated for its screening. The aim of the study was to define Tunisian norms for the test based on healthy controls norms and to estimate the prevalence of CHE in cirrhotic Tunisian patients.

Methods: A prospective, multicenter, cross‐sectional study was conducted. Ambulatory or hospitalized cirrhotic patients aged 40 years and over were recruited at 11 centers. Healthy subjects aged 40 years and over were recruited at 8 centers. We used a translated Arabic version of the streamlined EncephalApp Stroop test. The task has two components: “Off” and “On” state depending on the discordance or concordance of the stimuli.

Results: 142 patients were included. The mean age was 57.26 years [40–86]. 40 (28.17%) of cirrhotic patients who were included were diagnosed as having a minimal hepatic encephalopathy or CHE. Among the ineligible patients, 22 had overt hepatic encephalopathy. If we consider these patients, the overall prevalence rate of CHE was around 24.39% in cirrhotic patients. It was more frequent in women (34.21% vs 25.96%), and in patients whose level of school education is between 6 and 13 years. Its prevalence does not appear to be affected by gender, MELD score, etiology of cirrhosis and age group of patients, as these variables were independent with respective p according to the chi-square test 0.413; 0.736; 0.663 and 0.1. The stroop times (On / Off and On + Off) correlated significantly with each other, are associated significantly and positively with age (respective Pearson coefficients: 0.578; 0.567 and 0.6). The more the age increases, the more the stroop response times increases (p > 10-3).

Conclusions: EncephalApp Stroop test was an efficient screening tool for CHE in Tunisian cirrhotic patients.
A systematic review on the effects of high frequency chest wall compression and intrapulmonary percussive ventilation in patients with neuromuscular disease
Authors: Giacomino Katia , Hilfiker Roger , Magnin Tina , Allet Lara
Published: June 2022

Background: Respiratory insufficiency is the most common cause of mortality among patients with a neuromuscular disease.

Methods: We followed the PRISMA statement for systematic reviews. We explored the effects of high frequency wall compression and intrapulmonary percussive ventilation, compared to a control intervention, on the lung volume and capacity, and quality of life in patients with neuromuscular disease. We further assessed the effects of these two interventions on clinical value, complications, and survival. The literature search was performed on 30/06/2020 in Embase, MEDLINE, CENTRAL, PEDro and CINAHL on 6/07/2020. Inclusion criteria: patients with neuromuscular disease; interventions of interest mentioned above; randomised controlled trials comparing these interventions with a control intervention.

Results: Five studies were included, and results were presented narratively. High frequency wall compression was not shown to be superior to standard care in terms of lung volume and capacity, quality of life, complications, and survival rate. Compared with standard care, intrapulmonary percussive ventilation showed non-significant differences in terms of lung volume and capacity, and the risk of respiratory infection. Standard care was nevertheless associated with a significantly higher risk of days of hospitalisation (Incidence Rate Ratio 8.5 [1.1-67]) and of antibiotic use than intrapulmonary percussive ventilation (Incidence Rate Ratio 43 [6-333]).

The assessment with the risk of bias tool 2.0 showed a high risk of bias for all outcomes. Moreover, the evidence is of very low-quality for all outcomes.

Conclusions: Due to large variety of reported outcomes, missing data and limited number of studies, no meta-analysis could be conducted. The results should be interpreted with caution as the results have a very low certainty of evidence and reported outcomes have a high risk of bias. The evidence for high frequency wall compression and intrapulmonary percussive ventilation is still insufficient to draw final conclusions.

Registration: PROSPERO ID: CRD42017064703.
E-Wallet: A Study on Cashless Transactions Among University Students
Authors: Chelvarayan Anushia , Yeo Sook Fern , Hui Yi Han , Hashim Hazlaili
Published: June 2022

E-wallet is an application that enable users to download payment cards using a mobile device. It is a new trend for consumers to use an e-wallet application to replace the traditional payment method. With E-wallet, a user does not need to bring cash or a credit card along with them. It enables users to make purchases in a more convenient way. Hence, this research analyses the factors that affect university students’ intention to use e-wallet. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) serves as the theory underpinning this research A total of 140 respondents from a Malaysian private institution participated in this study. Convenience sampling was used to select samples, and respondents completed the questionnaire using a Google form and a paper and pencil approach. The questionnaire was created using a nominal scale and a five-point Likert scale. Descriptive analysis, reliability analysis, and multiple regression analyses were utilised to analyse the data in this study. Students, supervisors, academics, researchers, learning institutions, commercial organisations, and the government will all benefit immensely from the data and information gathered from this study as we will be able to examine and understand the factors that influence students' decision to use an e-Wallet for their daily financial operations. This study, however, has certain limitations as it does not reflect the complete student population in Malaysian tertiary education and only examines four variables: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived risk, and trust. Future studies could focus on other impacting elements such as risk, complexity, pervasive technology use and tech-savvy future generations.
Healing through faith: meeting a chaplain coupled with biblical readings could produce lymphocyte changes that correlate with brain activity (HEALING study)
Authors: Béres András , Emri Miklós , Aranyi Csaba , Fajtai Dániel , Nagy Ferenc , Szabó Péter , Bödecs Pál , Hörcsik Edit , Perpékné Papp Éva , Tomanek Ferenc , Kuti Márta , Petőfalviné Ágnes , Kisdeákné Hajnalka , Bíró Gergely , Kovács Dániel , Bakos Bettina , Vinczen Eszter , Gál Eszter , Sillinger Renáta , Szalai Zoltán , Szilágyi Antal , Kiss-Merki Marianna , Nagyéri György , Fodor Judit , Németh Tamás , Papp Erzsébet , Repa Imre
Published: June 2022

Introduction: Faith and systems of beliefs are known to impact not only the emotional, but also the immunological state of believers in ways that we are just starting to understand. Moreover, clinical implications of previous studies are limited. 

The aim of the “HEALING” (Hospital-based Ecumenical and Linguistic Immuno-NeuroloGic) Study was to examine immunological and neurological changes in hospitalized patients after meeting a chaplain coupled with biblical readings.

Methods: Hospitalized patients were pre-screened to find those who were the most in need of an intervention. A passage from the Bible was read to them during a meeting with the chaplain at the bedside (n= 20) or in the chapel (n= 18). No meeting occurred in the randomized control group (n=19). Blood samples were taken 30 minutes prior, and 60 minutes after the meeting to measure white blood cells (WBC), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgA, IgG, and complement 3 (C3). A subgroup of the visited patients was subjected to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), where they were played an audiotape of readings of the same passage from the Bible (n=21).

Results: Lymphocyte counts increased more often after the more successful visits, but the immunological changes were not significant. Conversely, a significant (pfwe=0.003) correlation was revealed between changes in lymphocytes and activation of the angular gyrus (left BA39) during fMRI, a brain area involved in word recognition.

Conclusions: Although limited by the sample size and cohort study design, the findings suggest the depth of psycho-immunological changes could depend on the degree to which the chaplains’ main message is understood.
Evaluating whole HIV-1 genome sequence for estimation of incidence and migration in a rural South African community
Authors: Nascimento Fabrícia F , Ragonnet-Cronin Manon , Golubchik Tanya , Danaviah Siva , Derache Anne , Fraser Christophe , Volz Erik
Published: June 2022

Background: South Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV (PLWHIV) in the world, with HIV prevalence and transmission patterns varying greatly between provinces. Transmission between regions is still poorly understood, but phylodynamics of HIV-1 evolution can reveal how many infections are attributable to contacts outside a given community. We analysed whole genome HIV-1 genetic sequences to estimate incidence and the proportion of transmissions between communities in Hlabisa, a rural South African community.

Methods: We separately analysed HIV-1 for gag, pol, and env genes sampled from 2,503 PLWHIV. We estimated time-scaled phylogenies by maximum likelihood under a molecular clock model. Phylodynamic models were fitted to time-scaled trees to estimate transmission rates, effective number of infections, incidence through time, and the proportion of infections imported to Hlabisa. We also partitioned time-scaled phylogenies with significantly different distributions of coalescent times.

Results: Phylodynamic analyses showed similar trends in epidemic growth rates between 1980 and 1990. Model-based estimates of incidence and effective number of infections were consistent across genes. Parameter estimates with gag were generally smaller than those estimated with pol and env. When estimating the proportions of new infections in Hlabisa from immigration or transmission from external sources, our posterior median estimates were 85% (95% credible interval (CI) = 78%–92%) for gag, 62% (CI = 40%–78%) for pol, and 77% (CI = 58%–90%) for env in 2015. Analysis of phylogenetic partitions by gene showed that most close global reference sequences clustered within a single partition. This suggests local evolving epidemics or potential unmeasured heterogeneity in the population.

Conclusions: We estimated consistent epidemic dynamic trends for gag, pol and env genes using phylodynamic models. There was a high probability that new infections were not attributable to endogenous transmission within Hlabisa, suggesting high inter-connectedness between communities in rural South Africa.
A General Framework for Learning Mean-Field Games
Authors: Guo Xin , Hu Anran , Xu Renyuan , Zhang Junzi
Published: June 2022

This paper presents a general mean-field game (GMFG) framework for simultaneous learning and decision making in stochastic games with a large population. It first establishes the existence of a unique Nash equilibrium to this GMFG, and it demonstrates that naively combining reinforcement learning with the fixed-point approach in classical mean-field games yields unstable algorithms. It then proposes value-based and policy-based reinforcement learning algorithms (GMF-V and GMF-P, respectively) with smoothed policies, with analysis of their convergence properties and computational complexities. Experiments on an equilibrium product pricing problem demonstrate that two specific instantiations of GMF-V with Q-learning and GMF-P with trust region policy optimization—GMF-V-Q and GMF-P-TRPO, respectively—are both efficient and robust in the GMFG setting. Moreover, their performance is superior in convergence speed, accuracy, and stability when compared with existing algorithms for multiagent reinforcement learning in the N-player setting.

Funding: X. Guo acknowledges the generous support from Coleman Fung Chair endowment fund and the Tsinghua-Berkeley-Shenzhen-Institute.
Relationship of spiritual wellbeing with life expectancy and quality of life for patients living with heart failure
Authors: Abdi Alireza , Doulatyari Peyman Kaikhosro , Mahmodi Milad , Torabi Yousef
Published: June 2022

Aim: Spirituality is a crucial dimension in human health. However, it is often overlooked in patients with heart failure (HF) in Iran. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between spiritual wellbeing, life expectancy and quality-of-life (QOL) in patients with HF. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed with 150 HF patients, who were enrolled through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising four parts: the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire, Schneider’s life expectancy instrument, Ellison’s and Paulotzin’s (1982) Spiritual Well-Being Scale, and a demographic checklist. SPSS software was used for data analysis. Results: In this study, mean and standard deviation of QOL, life expectancy and spiritual wellbeing were 41.82±19.17, 30.20±4.58 and 87.80±5.28 respectively. There was a significant relationship between spiritual wellbeing and quality of life (r=-0.633, P<0.001) and also life expectancy (r=0.544, P<0.001). Quality of life and life expectancy were significantly higher in men than in women. Linear regression tests showed that the existential and religious dimensions of spirituality could influence 44.9% of the QOL variance (F=54.54, P<0.001) and increased values of existential spirituality would improve QOL by an average of 3.45 units. Improving life expectancy also raised QOL by 14.0% (F=21.26, P<0.001). This study also demonstrated that life expectancy is impacted by spiritual health, with a variance of 34.2%, in which the role of existential-spiritual health is of particular significance (t=7.10, P<0.001). Conclusion: The results revealed that spiritual wellbeing, especially the existential type, enhances life expectancy and quality-of-life among HF patients. Therefore, it is recommended that healthcare professionals design a comprehensive and supportive care model for the promotion of spiritual wellbeing in HF patients.
Assessment of symptoms among among patients living with cancer: prevalence, distress and its correlation with quality of life
Authors: Al Qadire Mohammad , Al Omari Omar , Alaloul Fawwaz , Musa Ahmad , Aloush Sami
Published: June 2022

Background: Several symptoms known to be experienced by cancer patients receiving palliative care remain under-reported, inadequately managed and unexplored in Jordan. Aim: To describe the prevalence of symptoms, the distress caused and the correlation with quality-of-life among cancer patients receiving palliative care in Jordan. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational survey design was used. The Rotterdam Symptom Checklist and the Quality-of-Life Index-Cancer version were used for data collection. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, unpaired t-test and Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: The sample comprises of 124 patients with a mean age of 55.7 years (SD=12.9). A total of 57.3% of them were females. Patients reported having an average of 17.3 (SD=7.1) symptoms. The most reported symptoms were tiredness (90.3%), lack of energy (81.5%), sore muscles (81.5%) and worry (76.6%). The mean total score for quality of life was 17.9 (SD=5.9) out of 30. A negative (P<0.05) relationship was found between the number of concurrent symptoms and the total quality of life score. Conclusions: Palliative care patients in Jordan reported a high number of co-occurring symptoms and experienced high levels of symptom distress, which negatively impacted their quality of life. Further research to evaluate the impact of total symptom management, its efficacy and feasibility is needed.
Structure of Nests and Colony Sizes of the European Hornet (Vespa crabro) and Saxon wasp (Dolichovespula saxonica) (Hymenoptera: Vespinae) in Urban Conditions
Authors: Nadolski Jerzy
Published: June 2022

Studies of different groups of insects in urban areas sometimes show large populations, greater than in non-urban areas. The reason for this is a presence in the cities some of dominating species which often occur almost en masse.This group includes, inter alia, hymenopterans and especially social wasps (Vespinae). Colonies and nests of two wasp species, the European hornet (Vespa crabro) and Saxon wasp (Dolichovespula saxonica) in areas of the city of Łódź in Poland were studied. Whole colonies positioned both in buildings as well in natural places, size of societies, parameters their nests, differentiation of cells in combs and their location were investigated. We also studied the correlation between the size of the nest and societies of these insects. It was found that nests established in the buildings are much larger, produced more individuals of reproductive castes and thus obtained a better reproductivesuccess especially for the hornet colonies whose queens prefer the buildings as a place to nest.
Development and Isolation of 17 polymorphic Microsatellite Loci in Coptoterms formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)
Authors: Li Zhi-Qiang
Published: June 2022

Seventeen polymorphic microsatellite DNA loci for Copototermes formosanus were isolated and characterized. Polymorphism of these loci was assessed in a sample of 32 unrelated C. formosanus individuals. An average of 4.6 alleles per locus (3-8 alleles) was detected. Observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.2500 to 1.0000 and from 0.5591 to 0.8562, respectively. Six loci were found to have deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the sampled population after Bonferroni correction. No significant linkage disequilibrium was detected. These markers will be useful in population genetics, phylogenies and other relevant studies of C. formosanus.
Analysis of Cycloid features by video analysis
Authors: Pimenta Ramos de Oliveira Regiley , Soltau Samuel Bueno
Published: June 2022

We analyze and discuss the agreement between the experimental data obtained with video analysis and the theoretical calculations for the classical problem of brachistochrone and tautochrone cycloids. We use the open source software Tracker to examine video segments with simultaneous records of both straight and cycloid ramp to taken experimental data and compare them to the theoretical study. The results are in accordance with the theoretical description. The study of this classical problem is a proof of concept of the reliability and accuracy of the method that can be applied in other classical mechanics problems.
Electrotonic-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use Associated Lung Injury: Diagnosis of Exclusion
Authors:   Dignity Health, St Mary Medical Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Long Beach, California 90813, USA, Mahdi Ali , Allahverdian Chris , Shahangian Sharareh
Published: June 2022

The first reports of lung injury attributable to vaping date back to 2012, but the ongoing outbreak of electrotonic-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury (EVALI) began in 2019. It is a diagnosis of exclusion. In this case report, we describe a patient with history of excessive vaping for the last 3 weeks who was admitted to the intensive care unit for acute hypoxic respiratory failure. The patient was diagnosed with EVALI given the history of vaping in the setting of negative infectious work-up and radiographic imaging that showed lung opacities.
GOAT: a multipurpose optical simulation tool
Authors: Weigel Thomas , Schweiger Gustav , Ostendorf Andreas
Published: June 2022

Many solutions exist for optical simulations. Many of them are isolated solutions, are complex to use due to their wide range of applications, or are difficult to adapt to new problems. Therefore, there is a need for easy-to-use, flexibly adaptable program packages. For this reason, we present here a programming library for the simulation of optical problems, which is based on geometrical optics due to its high flexibility. Special attention was paid to a flexible adaptability to different problems and an easy usability. The program package is freely available as an open-source project implemented in C++ and can be downloaded from the GitHub platform (Weigel, GitHub, 2021).
Stability of symmetry-protected BICs in dielectric metasurfaces
Authors: Meng Bing , Feng Chunjie , Chen Li , Qu Xiaoying , Wang Xinfeng , Zhou Chaobiao
Published: June 2022

Optical metasurfaces with high

Q

-factors have attracted much attention due to their sharp spectral features and significant field enhancement. The excitation of symmetry-protected bound states in the continuum (SP-BICs) is an efficient way to achieve a high

Q

-factor resonator. The experimental

Q

-factors of resonant quasi-SP-BIC metasurfaces are currently not high. In this work, we numerically demonstrate the stability of SP-BICs in silicon metasurfaces. The two SP-BICs are transformed into quasi-SP-BICs by breaking the in-plane symmetry of the structure, and their resonance properties are discussed by far-field radiation and near-field distribution. Moreover, the effects of different periods, sizes, substrate refractive indices, and shape factors on the SP-BICs are explored, and the

Q

-factors of quasi-SP-BICs always exhibit the same inverse quadratic dependence on asymmetry parameters, which demonstrates the stability of the SP-BIC. Our results may provide theoretical support for the experimental realization of ultrahigh

Q

-factor quasi-SP-BICs.
Grating-based in-line geometric-phase-shifting incoherent digital holographic system toward 3D videography
Authors: Nobukawa Teruyoshi , Katano Yutaro , Goto Masahide , Muroi Tetsuhiko , Hagiwara Kei , Ishii Norihiko
Published: June 2022

Incoherent digital holography (IDH) with a sequential phase-shifting method enables high-definition 3D imaging under incoherent lights. However, sequential recording of multiple holograms renders IDH impractical for 3D videography. In this study, we propose grating-based in-line geometric-phase-shifting IDH. Our method divides orthogonal circularly polarized lights into four copies with a fabricated phase grating and subsequently creates self-interference holograms with geometric phases introduced by a segmented linear polarizer. This enables single-shot recording of holograms without the need for a specially designed image sensor, such as a polarization-sensitive sensor. Moreover, the achievable spatial resolution is higher than that of off-axis methods. As a proof-of-principle experiment, we demonstrated snapshot and video recording of 3D reflective objects using our IDH method. The results confirmed the feasibility of the proposed method.
Vortex beam as a positioning tool
Authors: Popiołek-Masajada Agnieszka , Frączek Ewa , Frączek Wojciech , Masajada Jan , Makowski Michał , Suszek Jarosław , Włodarczyk Filip , Sypek Maciej
Published: June 2022

Remote positioning by precise measurements of lateral displacements of laser beams at large distances is inevitably disturbed by the influence of atmospheric turbulences. Here we propose the use of optical vortices, which exhibit lower transversal variations at an experimentally validated range of 100 meters. We show the higher precision of the localization of vortex points as compared with standard centroid-based assessment of Gaussian beams. Numerical simulations and experimental measurements show further improvements by averaging of the positions of up to four secondary vortices forming a stable constellation when higher values of the topological charges are used.
Stable noise-like pulse generation from a NALM-based all-PM Tm-doped fiber laser
Authors: Ren Bo , Li Can , Wang Tao , Guo Kun , Zhou Pu
Published: June 2022

An all-polarization maintaining (PM) noise-like pulse (NLP) generation from a Tm-doped fiber oscillator based on nonlinear amplifying loop mirror (NALM) that incorporated with a phase shifter and a chirped fiber Bragg grating (CFBG) is experimentally demonstrated. The 3 dB bandwidth of the output spectrum is 25 nm at the central wavelength of 1950 nm, and the maximum output average power is 13.6 mW with the repetition rate of 3.25 MHz. The noise performances of the NLP are for the first time systematically examined, and it shows an improving tendency with the increasing of the output power. At an integration frequency range from 1 kHz to 1 MHz, the minimum estimated timing jitter and the rms RIN is 139 ps and 0.58%, respectively. In addition, the long-term stable operation of the laser is verified through monitoring the output spectrum and average power.
Analysis of light diffraction by azobenzene-based photoalignment layers
Authors: Berdin Alex , Gill Jordan R. , Perivolari Eleni , Kauppo Joel , Apostolopoulos Vasilis , D’Alessandro Giampaolo , Kaczmarek Malgosia , Priimagi Arri
Published: June 2022

Photoalignment materials, such as the azobenzene-based PAAD series studied here, are becoming increasingly important in liquid crystal-based optical devices and displays. Yet their properties and, in particular, their response to light, are still not fully understood. We investigate, experimentally and theoretically, the photoinduced birefringence, the order parameter and the formation of surface relief gratings, as well as the diffraction caused by them. We show that some of the azobenzene PAAD materials are suitable for the formation of surface relief gratings with high modulation depth, while others exhibit strong photoinduced birefringence. The two effects are inversely correlated: the stronger the surface relief grating is, the weaker is photoinduced birefringence. Analytical formulas based on the Raman-Nath approximation and numerical simulations of Maxwell’s equations are used to quantify the diffraction caused by the induced diffraction gratings, showing excellent agreement between theory and experiment.
Modified metasurface Alvarez lens based on the phase compensation in a microwave band
Authors: Wu Xiangming , Zhu Weiren
Published: June 2022

Alvarez lenses, a kind of passive zoom lenses with reconfigurable focus, have been widely applied in optics but very few at lower frequencies such as in a microwave band, where the phase approximation for Alvarez lenses becomes inaccurate. In this article, we propose a design of a modified Alvarez lens with phase compensation for microwave, which consists of a pair of transmissive metasurfaces with high efficiency. The proposed metasurface consists of miniaturized units with the capability of full 2π phase modulation. We further analyze the phase distribution principle of the Alvarez lens and proposed a phase compensation scheme. The simulation results confirm that the proposed modified Alvarez lens has a very good dynamic focal length with theoretical expectation and can be continuously adjusted from 100 to 200 mm.
All-fiber low-frequency shifter based on acousto–optic interaction and its heterodyne vibration response
Authors: Zhang Zhengwei , Xu Jiangtao , Zhang Longkun , Teng Linping , Sun Jianfeng , Zeng Xianglong
Published: June 2022

We demonstrate two all-fiber low-frequency shift schemes based on the acousto–optic interaction in a few-mode fiber (FMF). Two acoustically induced fiber gratings (AIFGs) are cascaded in reverse to achieve an efficient cycle conversion between LP11 and LP01 core modes in the FMF while obtaining a frequency shift of 1.8 MHz. In addition, a long-period fiber grating (LPFG) is employed to replace the AIFG, which achieves a lower frequency shift of 0.9 MHz, and its tunable wavelength range exceeds 100 nm. Both schemes show the characteristics of an upward frequency shift. Moreover, we also present a heterodyne detection system based on the above frequency shift schemes, which is verified in response to micro-vibration signals ranging from tens to hundreds of kilohertz, as well as speech signals in a lower frequency range. The experimental results show that these all-fiber frequency shift schemes have potential applications, such as in fiber optic hydrophones, laser speech detection, and fiber optic sensors.
3D medical images security via light-field imaging
Authors: Li Ying , Wang Tianhao , Liao Yanheng , Li Da-Hai , Li Xiaowei
Published: June 2022

This Letter proposes a selective encryption scheme for three-dimensional (3D) medical images using light-field imaging and two-dimensional (2D) Moore cellular automata (MCA). We first utilize convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to obtain the saliency of each elemental image (EI) originating from a 3D medical image with different viewpoints, and successfully extract the region of interest (ROI) in each EI. In addition, we use 2D MCA with balanced rule to encrypt the ROI of each EI. Finally, the decrypted elemental image array (EIA) can be reconstructed into a full-color and full-parallax 3D image using the display device, which can be visually displayed to doctors so that they can observe from different angles to design accurate treatment plans and improve the level of medical treatment. Our work also requires no preprocessing of 3D images, which is more efficient than the method of using slices for encryption.
Time–frequency joint mappings of a terahertz metasurface for multi-dimensional analysis of biological cells
Authors: Zhang Zhang , Guo Xinyue , Yang Maosheng , Yang Qili , Yan Xin , Liang Lanju , Liu Longhai , Yao Jianquan
Published: June 2022

Traditional fast Fourier transform is used to extract the frequency
component at the cost of losing the time domain, which is critical for
metasurface biosensing. In this Letter, a more comprehensive
algorithm, continuous wavelet transform (CWT), to process signals from
THz time-domain spectroscopy is introduced. By comparing the
metasurface-enhanced 2D time–frequency mappings (TFMs) of HaCaT and
HSC3 cells, the two types of biological cells can be clearly
differentiated, showing the great potential of CWT in the label-free
recognition of biological cells. Also, the 2D TFMs serve as effective
visualization indicators, successfully detecting the concentration of
cancer cells characterized by being label free and low cost. In
addition, the 2D TFMs of different metasurfaces under the same cell
concentration reveal the correlation of TFMs and localized fields.
Such a feature provides evidence of an interaction between biological
cells and electromagnetic waves, implying the absorption of THz
radiation by biological cells can be effectively controlled by
properly designing split ring resonators (SRRs) of metasurfaces.
Linearly polarized ytterbium laser enabled by an antiresonant hollow-core fiber inline polarizer
Authors: Goel Charu , Li Huizi , Zang Jichao , Yoo Seongwoo
Published: June 2022

We report a linearly polarized ytterbium-doped fiber (YDF) laser cavity configured by integrating an antiresonant hollow-core fiber-based inline polarizer. The 5-cm-long compact fiber polarizer was fusion spliced to a commercial large-mode-area, polarization-maintaining YDF. Near-diffraction-limited linearly polarized signal output with a polarization extinction ratio of > 21 dB was achieved for up to 25 W of power that was limited only by the available pump power. The performance of the hollow-core fiber polarizer was found to be temperature insensitive, which obviates the need for the precise temperature control required in all-fiber, high-power polarized laser cavities employing crossed fiber Bragg gratings. We used the tapering technique to scale down the geometry of the polarizing fiber and shift its operating wavelength by ∼100 nm, which makes it an attractive candidate for a variety of fiber laser applications.
Depth-resolved XPS analysis of classically manufactured glass surfaces: suggesting the impact of polishing-induced modifications on the performance of optical systems
Authors: Gerhard Christoph , Köhler Robert
Published: June 2022

During classical polishing, glass surfaces are inevitably chemically modified. Against this background, the composition of conventionally manufactured crown and flint glass surfaces was analyzed via depth-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy in this work. It is shown that essential glass-forming elements are reduced up to a depth of a few tens of nanometers, depending on the glass type. This indicates the inderdiffsuion of elements between the glass material and the aqueous polishing suspension. Moreover, contaminants from the suspension were detected at the glass surface. The results also suggest a gradient-like growth of a hydrated silica layer. Hence, the index of refraction of the glass surfaces is notably decreased by polishing as verified via ellipsometry. Ray tracing simulations show that this might lead to a decrease in imaging quality of optical systems.
Preparation optimization for a silver cavity coupled tapered fiber SERS probe with high sensitivity
Authors: Yu Zhinan , Wang Zhengkun , Zhang Jie
Published: June 2022

A cavity coupled optical fiber decorated by Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) as the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate is discussed, and the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of AgNPs and a cavity enhancement of a silver capillary simultaneously contribute to Raman enhancement. AgNPs were coated on the tapered fiber surface using multiple cycle light induced deposition technology. During the process, two key parameters including the evaporation time and the deposition recycling times were optimized to find an effective coverage of AgNPs. In addition, the forming mechanism based on different distributions of the temperature field and velocity field was discussed. The effect of the cavity length was analyzed. Experiments with R6G (rhodamine 6G) as analyte show that the limit of detection can be down to 10−11 mol/L, with a total enhancement factor (EF) of ∼109, while an additional cavity coupled EF could be ∼7.
Modeling optical constants from the absorption of organic thin films using a modified Lorentz oscillator model
Authors: Dutta Arpan , Tiainen Ville , Qureshi Hassan Ali , Duarte Luís , Toppari J. Jussi
Published: June 2022

Optical constants of organic thin films can be evaluated using the Lorentz oscillator model (LOM) which fails to fit inhomogeneously broadened absorption of highly concentrated molecular films. In modified LOM (MLOM), the inhomogeneous broadening is implemented through a frequency-dependent adjustable broadening function. In this work, we evaluate the optical constants of rhodamine 6G doped poly-vinyl alcohol thin films with varying doping concentration (including also extensively high concentrations) using MLOM, which outperforms LOM by showing a better agreement with the experimental results. Our proposed method provides a way to accurately determine optical constants of isotropic organic thin films only from their absorption spectra without spectroscopic ellipsometry.