bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heat-responsive microRNAs participate in regulating the pollen fertility stability of CMS-D2 restorer line under high-temperature stress
Authors: Zhang Meng , Zhang Xuexian , Wang Ruijie , Zang Rong , Guo Liping , Qi Tingxiang , Tang Huini , Chen Liangliang , Wang Hailin , Qiao Xiuqin , Wu Jianyong , Xing Chaozhu
Published: November 2023

Anther development and pollen fertility of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) conditioned by Gossypium harknessii cytoplasm (CMS-D2) restorer lines are susceptible to continuous high-temperature (HT) stress in summer, which seriously hinders the large-scale application of "three-line" hybrids in production. Here, integrated small RNA, transcriptome, degradome, and hormone profiling was performed to explore the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating fertility stability in mature pollens of isonuclear alloplasmic near-isogenic restorer lines NH and SH under HT stress at two environments. A total of 211 known and 248 novel miRNAs were identified, of which 159 were differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs). Additionally, 45 DEMs in 39 miRNA clusters (PmCs) were also identified, and most highly expressed miRNAs were significantly induced in SH under extreme HT, especially four MIR482 and six MIR6300 family miRNAs. PmC28 was located in the fine-mapped interval of the Rf1 gene and contained two DEMs, gra-miR482_L-2R + 2 and gma-miR2118a-3p_R + 1_1ss18TG. Transcriptome sequencing identified 6281 differentially expressed genes, of which heat shock protein (HSP)-related genes, such as HSP70, HSP22, HSP18.5-C, HSP18.2 and HSP17.3-B, presented significantly reduced expression levels in SH under HT stress. Through integrating multi-omics data, we constructed a comprehensive molecular network of miRNA–mRNA–gene-KEGG containing 35 pairs of miRNA/target genes involved in regulating the pollen development in response to HT, among which the mtr-miR167a_R + 1, tcc-miR167c and ghr-miR390a, tcc-miR396c_L-1 and ghr-MIR169b-p3_1ss6AG regulated the pollen fertility by influencing ARF8 responsible for the auxin signal transduction, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, and the sugar and lipid metabolism and transport pathways, respectively. Further combination with hormone analysis revealed that HT-induced jasmonic acid signaling could activate the expression of downstream auxin synthesis-related genes and cause excessive auxin accumulation, followed by a cascade of auxin signal transduction, ultimately resulting in pollen abortion. The results provide a new understanding of how heat-responsive miRNAs regulate the stability of fertility restoration for CMS-D2 cotton under heat stress.
Digital sociology: origin, development, and prospects from a global perspective
Authors: Zhao Yizhang , Wang Mingyu
Published: November 2023

To explore the rapid development of digital technology and its profound impact on human behavior and social functioning and to study the mechanisms by which digital technology and the social environment interact, a new branch of sociology—digital sociology—has emerged and rapidly entered a stage of vigorous development. This article briefly introduces digital sociology and outlines the research progress of digital sociology in six areas: labor economy and production, digital politics and power, social relations and interaction, body and self, social inequality, and methodological innovation. Based on this, the article compares digital sociology research in China and the West. The rapid development of digital technology in China provides a superb opportunity for sociology, and digital sociology has great potential for development in China.
Long-term functional outcome and quality of life 2.5 years after thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Schäbitz Marie , Möller Leona , Friedrich Anja , Klein Nele , Kitsiou Alkisti , Greeve Isabell , Gerstner Anja , Wulff Leonard , Schäbitz Wolf-Rüdiger , Timmermann Lars , Rogalewski Andreas
Published: November 2023

Background

Evaluation of outcome after stroke is largely based on assessment of gross function 3 months after stroke onset using scales such as mRS. Cognitive or social functions, level of symptom burden or emotional health are not usually assessed, nor are data available on long-term functional outcomes years after stroke.

Methods

Analysis of 1141 patients with AIS treated with IVT from two major German university hospitals between 2017 and 2020. Patient characteristics and short-term outcome were analysed from patient records. Long-term outcome of 228 patients with prior written informed consent was assessed via telephone survey using mRS and PROMs (EQ-5D-5L, EQ-VAS) 2.5 years after stroke.

Results

Predictors of excellent to good long-term outcome were younger age, event to door time ≤ 2 h, NIHSS ≤ 6 on admission and NIHSS ≤ 6 after IVT. Stroke recurrence was a negative predictor. Predictors of excellent quality of life at 2.5 years included age < 73 years, lower NIHSS after IVT, absence of hypertension. Quality of life was rated in all dimensions with a medium score of 1 and a medium EQ-VAS of 70, representing the good general health status of this stroke population.

Conclusion

Main predictors of an excellent to good long-term outcome and excellent QoL 2.5 years after stroke are younger age, lower NIHSS, and event to door time ≤ 2 h. Research on long-term outcome after disease and treatment is of utmost importance, as it has the ability to reveal the patient true functional outcome and quality of life and to provide information on the status of independence and self-esteem.
Impact of Medication Reconciliation in Oncology Early Phase Studies: A Drug-Drug Interaction Retrospective Study
Authors: Malifarge Laura , Deppenweiler Marine , Italiano Antoine , Lortal Barbara
Published: November 2023

PURPOSE

This study aims to investigate the impact of medication reconciliation (MR) conducted by pharmacists before patient enrollment and the initiation of investigational treatments. By implementing MR, the primary objective is to evaluate the extent to which the inclusion of patients with prohibited or not recommended concomitant medications in clinical trials can be significantly reduced.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study included all patients who participated in clinical trials and underwent MR between September 1, 2015, and September 1, 2020. To identify prohibited or monitored drugs, protocols and investigator’s brochures provided by the sponsor were meticulously reviewed and taken into consideration.

RESULTS

MR was performed for 501 patients, uncovering 35% of the medications they were currently taking. Through the pharmaceutical analysis, a total of 346 drug-drug interactions (DDIs) were identified, of which 188 required monitoring and 158 were strictly prohibited. More than half of the prohibited medications were herbal drugs. A significant portion of these prohibited drugs were discontinued, with only 6% being replaced by suitable alternatives. The implementation of MR played a crucial role in the identification of 51% of the prohibited or monitored drugs that were initially overlooked by oncologists.

CONCLUSION

MR is a highly effective measure aimed at reducing the risk of DDIs with investigational drugs, thereby minimizing protocol deviations and enhancing patient care. Sponsors of clinical trials value its implementation and recognize the substantial benefits it brings to the entire trial process. Consequently, many sponsors willingly provide funding to investigational sites that adopt MR as part of their standard practice, acknowledging its critical role in ensuring patient safety and maintaining data integrity throughout the course of clinical research studies.
A Case of Severe Lactation Ketoacidosis in a Nondiabetic Mother on a Ketogenic Diet
Authors: Borhan Marisa Khatijah , Vethakkan Shireene Ratna , Sarvanandan Tharsini , Paramasivam Sharmila Sunita
Published: November 2023

Lactation ketoacidosis is a rare yet severe metabolic emergency that has been reported in breastfeeding mothers. Reduced carbohydrate intake during breastfeeding has been reported as a common trigger for ketoacidosis. We report the case of a 31-year-old mother without diabetes who presented with life-threatening lactation ketoacidosis after following a ketogenic diet while exclusively breastfeeding her newborn baby. She was managed in the intensive care unit with dextrose and insulin infusion to reverse ketoacidosis. With prompt treatment, the patient's ketoacidosis resolved within 24 hours, and she was discharged well 3 days later. We further discuss the underlying increased metabolic demand in lactating women that puts them at risk of ketoacidosis, underlining the importance of early recognition of lactation ketoacidosis and nutritional education for lactating women.
Tiny spies: mosquito antennae are sensitive sensors for eavesdropping on frog calls
Authors: Pantoja-Sánchez Hoover , Leavell Brian C. , Rendon Bianca , de-Silva W. A. Priyanka P. , Singh Richa , Zhou Jian , Menda Gil , Hoy Ronald R. , Miles Ronald N. , Sanscrainte Neil D. , Bernal Ximena E.
Published: November 2023

Most mosquito and midge species use hearing during acoustic mating behaviors. For frog-biting species, however, hearing plays an important role beyond mating as females rely on anuran calls to obtain blood meals. Despite the extensive work examining hearing in mosquito species that use sound in mating contexts, our understanding of how mosquitoes hear frog calls is limited. Here, we directly investigated the mechanisms underlying detection of frog calls by a mosquito species specialized on eavesdropping on anuran mating signals: Uranotaenia lowii. Behavioral, biomechanical and neurophysiological analyses revealed that the antenna of this frog-biting species can detect frog calls by relying on neural and mechanical responses comparable to those of non-frog-biting species. Our findings show that in Ur. lowii, contrary to most species, males do not use sound for mating, but females use hearing to locate their anuran host. We also show that the response of the antennae of this frog-biting species resembles that of the antenna of species that use hearing for mating. Finally, we discuss our data considering how mosquitoes may have evolved the ability to tap into the communication system of frogs.
Sideways maneuvers enable narrow aperture negotiation by free-flying hummingbirds
Authors: Badger Marc A. , McClain Kathryn , Smiley Ashley , Ye Jessica , Dudley Robert
Published: November 2023

Many birds routinely fly fast through dense vegetation characterized by variably sized structures and voids. Successfully negotiating these cluttered environments requires maneuvering through narrow constrictions between obstacles. We show that Anna's hummingbirds (Calypte anna) can negotiate apertures less than one wingspan in diameter using a novel sideways maneuver that incorporates continuous, bilaterally asymmetric wing motions. Crucially, this maneuver allows hummingbirds to continue flapping as they negotiate the constriction. Even smaller openings are negotiated via a faster ballistic trajectory characterized by tucked and thus non-flapping wings, which reduces force production and increases descent rate relative to the asymmetric technique. Hummingbirds progressively shift to the swept method as they perform hundreds of consecutive transits, suggesting increased locomotor performance with task familiarity. Initial use of the slower asymmetric transit technique may allow birds to better assess upcoming obstacles and voids, thereby reducing the likelihood of subsequent collisions. Repeated disruptions of normal wing kinematics as birds negotiate tight apertures may determine the limits of flight performance in structurally complex environments. These strategies for aperture transit and associated flight trajectories can inform designs and algorithms for small aerial vehicles flying within cluttered environments.
Differential reaction norms to ocean acidification in two oyster species from contrasting habitats
Authors: Caillon Coline , Pernet Fabrice , Lutier Mathieu , Di Poi Carole
Published: November 2023

Ocean acidification (OA), a consequence of the increase in anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide, causes major changes in the chemistry of carbonates in the ocean with deleterious effects on calcifying organisms. The pH/PCO2 range to which species are exposed in nature is important to consider when interpreting the response of coastal organisms to OA. In this context, emerging approaches, which assess the reaction norms of organisms to a wide pH gradient, are improving our understanding of tolerance thresholds and acclimation potential to OA. In this study, we deciphered the reaction norms of two oyster species living in contrasting habitats: the intertidal oyster Crassostrea gigas and the subtidal flat oyster Ostrea edulis, which are two economically and ecologically valuable species in temperate ecosystems. Six-month-old oysters of each species were exposed in common garden tanks for 48 days to a pH gradient ranging from 7.7 to 6.4 (total scale). Both species were tolerant down to a pH of 6.6 with high plasticity in fitness-related traits such as survival and growth. However, oysters underwent remodelling of membrane fatty acids to cope with decreasing pH along with shell bleaching impairing shell integrity and consequently animal fitness. Finally, our work revealed species-specific physiological responses and highlights that intertidal C. gigas seem to have a better acclimation potential to rapid and extreme OA changes than O. edulis. Overall, our study provides important data about the phenotypic plasticity and its limits in two oyster species, which is essential for assessing the challenges posed to marine organisms by OA.
Συγχορδιακή συμφωνία/διαφωνία
Authors: Γιαννός Κωνσταντίνος
Published: November 2023

Η παρούσα διατριβή πραγματεύεται την αξιοποίηση της συμφωνίας/διαφωνίας (Σ/Δ) ως μέσο αναπαράστασης της αρμονίας, και τη μελέτη των τρόπων με τους οποίους γίνεται αντιληπτή από ακροατές σε διαφορετικά τονικά και μη τονικά πλαίσια. Ανάλογα με το αρμονικό περιβάλλον, οι συνηχήσεις μπορεί να απεικονίζονται και να κωδικοποιούνται με χρήση ρωμαϊκών αριθμών, γραμμάτων-συμβόλων στην τζαζ και την ποπ, ή φθογγικών συνόλων στη μη τονική μουσική. Στοχεύοντας στη δημιουργία μιας γενικής αυτοματοποιημένης συγχορδιακής αναπαράστασης ανεξάρτητης από το ιδίωμα που περιγράφει, έχει σχεδιαστεί η Γενική Συγχορδιακή Τυπολογία (ΓΣΤ) (Cambouropoulos, 2015; Cambouropoulos et al., 2014), η οποία στηρίζεται σε ένα δυαδικό διαχωρισμό της Σ/Δ (1 για τα σύμφωνα και 0 για τα διάφωνα διαστήματα). Η ΓΣΤ αποτέλεσε έναυσμα και έμπνευση για την παρούσα διατριβή. Το πρώτο τμήμα της διατριβής διερευνά την δυνατότητα αναθεώρησης του πρωτότυπου αλγορίθμου ΓΣΤ, εισάγοντας μια διαβαθμισμένη ταξινόμηση της Σ/Δ στα κάθετα διαστήματα με στόχο την βελτίωση της λειτουργίας του. Ο νέος προτεινόμενος αλγόριθμος αξιολογείται σε μια σειρά μουσικών αποσπασμάτων από αμιγώς τονικά έως ατονικά, και επιλύει γνωστά ζητήματα αναφορικά με αμφισημίες σε κάποιους συγχορδιακούς τύπους (περισσότεροι από ένας συγχορδιακοί τύποι για ένα σύνολο φθόγγων) και με τη διάταξη των διαστημάτων (λάθος βάση/θεμέλιος και επεκτάσεις). Το δεύτερο τμήμα της διατριβής πραγματεύεται αντιληπτικά ζητήματα για τη Σ/Δ. Κατά την αξιολόγηση του αλγορίθμου ΓΣΤ έγινε εμφανής η σημασία του μουσικού πλαισίου στις απεικονίσεις της αρμονίας (διαδοχή συνηχήσεων, τονικές ιεραρχικές σχέσεις, προσδοκίες ακροατών) η οποία έδωσε το έναυσμα για την αντιληπτική διερεύνηση της Σ/Δ συγχορδιακών διαδοχών σε διαφορετικά πλαίσια. Από τη μία, μελετάται εμπειρικά η διατροπική συσχέτιση (cross-modal correspondence) της Σ/Δ με την οπτική και την απτική τραχύτητα, μέσα από μια σειρά συγχορδιακών διαδοχών και στιλ εναρμόνισης με διαφορετικούς βαθμούς Σ/Δ. Τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας δείχνουν ότι οι ακροατές συσχετίζουν θετικά την οπτική και την απτική τραχύτητα συγκεκριμένα με τη συγχορδιακή διαφωνία. Από την άλλη, εξετάζεται αν αλλάζει ο βαθμός της αντιληπτής Σ/Δ σε σύντομες ακολουθίες συγχορδιών, όταν αλλάζει η οριζόντια διαδοχή τους (λειτουργική σύνδεση) και η πτωτική ισχύς των καταλήξεων. Τα αποτελέσματα δείχνουν ότι η αντιληπτή συμφωνία είναι υψηλότερη στις διαδοχές με ‘τυπική’ κατευθυντικότητα προς κάποιο πτωτικό σχήμα συγκριτικά με εκείνες που δεν ολοκληρώνονται με αναμενόμενο τρόπο. Η παρούσα διατριβή συνεισφέρει στη μελέτη της Σ/Δ, αξιοποιώντας την αφενός στην αυτοματοποιημένη ανάλυση και κωδικοποίηση συγχορδιών, και αφετέρου σε επίπεδο αντιληπτικό, προσφέροντας βαθύτερη κατανόηση των διατροπικών συσχετίσεων και της επίδρασης του μουσικού πλαισίου και της εξοικείωσης στην αντίληψη της Σ/Δ.
Ποιότητα ζωής ασθενών που υποβάλλονται σε αγγειοπλαστική
Authors: Τσούλου Βασιλική
Published: November 2023

Σκοπός: της παρούσας έρευνας ήταν η διερεύνηση των παραγόντων που σχετίζονται με την ποιότητα ζωής ασθενών υποβαλλόμενων σε αγγειοπλαστική σε τρεις χρονικές στιγμές πριν την αγγειοπλαστική, 6 και 12 μήνες μετά όπως επίσης η εκτίμηση της σημαντικότητας και της εκπλήρωσης της ανάγκης πληροφόρησης. Υλικό και μέθοδος: Το δείγμα της μελέτης αποτέλεσαν 100 ασθενείς. Η συλλογή των δεδομένων πραγματοποιήθηκε με τη μέθοδο της συνέντευξης χρησιμοποιώντας την κλίμακα SF-36 Health Survey (SF-36) στην οποία συμπεριλήφθησαν τα χαρακτηριστικά των ασθενών και ένα ερωτηματολόγιο που μετρούσε την σημαντικότητα και την εκπλήρωση της ανάγκης πληροφόρησης ασθενών υποβαλλόμενων σε αγγειοπλαστική. Αποτελέσματα: Οι ασθενείς αξιολογούσαν μέτρια επίπεδα ποιότητας ζωής πριν την αγγειοπλαστική ενώ παρατηρήθηκε στατιστικώς σημαντική αύξηση της βαθμολογίας σε όλες τις υποκλίμακες της ποιότητας της ζωής των ασθενών σε 6 και 12 μήνες μετά την αγγειοπλαστική (p<0.001) με την μεγαλύτερη αύξηση στη σωματική λειτουργικότητα, το σωματικό ρόλο, το συναισθηματικό ρόλο και την κοινωνική λειτουργικότητα. Πριν την αγγειοπλαστική, όσον αφορά στην συγκεντρωτική βαθμολογία της ποιότητας ζωής ως προς τη σωματική διάσταση, βρέθηκε να συσχετίζεται στατιστικώς σημαντικά με το επίπεδο εκπαίδευσης (p=0,001), το επάγγελμα (p=0,010), το οικογενειακό ιστορικό (p=0,026), την ύπαρξη άλλου νοσήματος (p=0,040) και τη συχνότητα της σωματικής άσκησης (p=0,001). Η συγκεντρωτική βαθμολογία της ποιότητας ζωής ως προς τη ψυχική διάσταση, βρέθηκε να συσχετίζεται στατιστικώς σημαντικά με το φύλο (p=0,003), την οικογενειακή κατάσταση (p=0,002), το επίπεδο εκπαίδευσης (p=0,001), το επάγγελμα (p=0,001), την ύπαρξη άλλου νοσήματος (p=0,040) και τη συχνότητα της σωματικής άσκησης (p=0,001). To εργαλείο εκτίμησης της σημαντικότητας/εκπλήρωσης της ανάγκης πληροφόρησης είχε σημαντική αξιοπιστία (Cronbach’s α >0,7 και ICCs > 0,8).Στατιστικώς σημαντική και θετική συσχέτιση παρατηρήθηκε μεταξύ της σημαντικότητας/εκπλήρωσης της ανάγκης πληροφόρησης και της ποιότητας ζωής σε όλες τις χρονικές περιόδους μέτρησης. Συμπεράσματα: Η γνώση των παραγόντων που επηρεάζουν την ποιότητα ζωής των ασθενών θα βοηθήσει τους επαγγελματίες υγείας στο σχεδιασμό εξατομικευμένης νοσηλευτικής φροντίδας με συμμετοχική λήψη απόφασης.
The genome sequence of the Small Angle Shades, Euplexia lucipara (Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Boyes Douglas , Lewis Owen T. ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: November 2023

We present a genome assembly from an individual male Euplexia lucipara (the Small Angle Shades; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Noctuidae). The genome sequence is 661.8 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 31 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 15.37 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 20,395 protein coding genes.
Looking at aspects of family dynamics that contribute to childhood obesity
Authors: Ramirez Joyce
Published: November 2023

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels over the past 30 years and has become a global issue. As obesity can lead to multiple comorbidities, it is essential to gain a good understanding of possible contributing factors to help address it. This article looks at variables in family dynamics that are associated with childhood obesity.
Duty of candour: encouraging a culture of openness and honesty
Authors: Naeem Hanzla , Demoulin Erin J , Allen James , Andronic Adrian , Howard Anthony
Published: November 2023

In a climate where there is a fear of blame and litigation associated with medical practice, this editorial discusses the current guidance within the UK on the duty of candour, both professional and statutory, highlighting cases where action has been taken.
Author Meets Critics: Branding Black Womanhood: Media Citizenship from Black Power to Black Girl Magic
Authors: Tounsel Timeka N. , Bush Khadija , Levine Elana , Martinez Janel , McClearen Jennifer , McDonnell Andrea M. , Muhammad Sadé , Thomas Kevin D. , Timke Edward
Published: November 2023

Abstract: This discussion centers on Timeka Tounsel's book Branding Black Womanhood: Media Citizenship from Black Power to Black Girl Magic (Routledge, 2022). In this meeting, participants examined the various ways in which Black women's empowerment became a commercial, image-driven enterprise and the ways Tounsel's methodology unpacks issues of race, gender, power, markets, identity, and visibility. Black Girl Magic, a central construct of the book, was a phrase coined in a 2013 tweet proclaiming Black women's resilience, which, less than five years later, was employed regularly commercially. A significant part of this book conversation discusses how the book explores how Essence , under the leadership of Susan L. Taylor, encouraged self-branding and conscious consumerism for Black women. The conversation also discusses how the book includes case studies of campaigns led by Black women and companies' corporate social responsibility efforts. Lastly, the book covers positive outcomes where media producers have used the idea of Black Girl Magic to advance more inclusive visions of media citizenship for Black women.
Becoming-Amazon: Femininity, Embodiment, and Sexuality in a Photographic and Digital Breast Cancer Project
Authors: Herges Katja
Published: November 2023

Abstract: In recent decades, digital and photographic life narratives by women living with breast cancer and mastectomy have gained public visibility. This article examines how a documentary and fashion photography project in contemporary Berlin rethinks normative concepts of femininity, embodiment, and sexuality through the performance of the breast cancer patient as Amazon warrior. Based on feminist theory, disability studies, media studies, and in particular Gilles Deleuze's concept of becoming , I coin the term "becoming-Amazon" for the process of relational subjectivity formation that the project opens up. Uta Melle's project shifts notions of post-mastectomy bodies as unfeminine, incomplete, or asexual and envisions and celebrates a multiplicity of relational femininities, embodiments, and erotic zones with difference. By combining digital cancer activism and an aesthetics and politics of visibility, difference, and intercorporeality, Melle's project intervenes in contemporary cancer discourse and unsettles what has been considered as redemptive cancer culture.
An optimized denoising method for ICESat-2 photon-counting data considering heterogeneous density and weak connectivity
Authors: Huang Guoan , Dong Zhipeng , Liu Yanxiong , Chen Yilan , Li Jie , Wang Yanhong , Meng Wenjun
Published: November 2023

The Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) can obtain underwater elevation due to its strong penetration ability. However, the photons recorded by ICESat-2 include a large amount of noise that needs to be removed. Although density-based clustering methods can finish signal photon extraction, heterogeneous density and weak connectivity in photon data distribution impede their denoising performance, especially for sparse signals in deep water and drastic topographic change areas. In this paper, a novel fused denoising method based on the local outlier factor and inverse distance metric is proposed to overcome the above problems. The local outlier factor and inverse distance metric are calculated based on K-nearest neighbors (KNNs), taking into account not only the difference in density but also the directional uniformity of the data distribution. Using six trajectories under various seabed topographies, the proposed method is compared with state-of-the-art ICESat-2 photon denoising algorithms and official ATL03 results. The results indicate that the overall accuracy of the proposed method can surpass 96%, and the proposed method maintains higher recall but also has a lower false positive rate. Compared with the results of other methods, the proposed method can better adopt areas with abrupt topographic changes and deep water. The extracted signal strips are more unbroken and continuous. This study can contribute to pioneering a new perspective for ICESat-2 photon-counting data denoising research that is limited to using only density-based algorithms.
Dynamic polarization-regulated metasurface with variable focal length
Authors: Shi Xiaoyan , Liang Zhongzhu , Hou Enzhu , Yang Fuming , Dong Yongjun , Xin Wei , Dai Rui , Jia Yan , Xu Haiyang
Published: November 2023

Polarization and focal length are both critical optical parameters with many applications in many fields, such as optical communications and imaging. The development of metasurfaces provides a new realization of optical systems. In this paper, based on metasurfaces’ powerful electromagnetic modulation capability, we integrate polarization conversion with continuous zoom function and propose a dynamic polarization-regulated metasurface with variable focal length. It realizes the reversible conversion of polarization state, which can convert linearly polarized light into elliptically polarized light and circularly polarized light and convert circularly polarized light to linearly polarized light. At the same time, it achieves a 4.4× zoom range, with a constant focal length variation from 70 µm to 309 µm. The metasurface has the advantages of small size, easy integration, and reconfigurability, providing a new design idea for complex functional optical systems.
Blazed photon sieve for the correction of presbyopia
Authors: Kummer O. , Ogor F. , Castignoles F. , de Bougrenet de la Tocnaye J.-L. , Nourrit V.
Published: November 2023

What we believe to be a new type of transparent photon sieve is presented with application for presbyopia correction. Inspired by blazed gratings, we propose to design an intracorneal implant with slanted holes. The slopes introduce a new degree of freedom, breaking the symmetry of energy distribution along the optical axis and allowing to balance the energy between near and far vision. This new implant design is presented together with the simulation, manufacturing and validation methods. The first experimental results obtained with an implant manufactured in a biocompatible material are presented confirming the potential of the approach.
Addressing data scarcity in optical matrix multiplier modeling using transfer learning
Authors: Cem Ali , Jovanovic Ognjen , Yan Siqi , Ding Yunhong , Zibar Darko , Da Ros Francesco
Published: November 2023

We present and experimentally evaluate the use of transfer learning to address experimental data scarcity when training neural network (NN) models for Mach–Zehnder interferometer mesh-based optical matrix multipliers. Our approach involves pretraining the model using synthetic data generated from a less accurate analytical model and fine-tuning it with experimental data. Our investigation demonstrates that this method yields significant reductions in modeling errors compared to using an analytical model or a standalone NN model when training data is limited. Utilizing regularization techniques and ensemble averaging, we achieve <1 dB root-mean-square error on the 3×3 matrix weights implemented by a photonic chip while using only 25% of the available data.
All-fiber amplification of highly chirped dissipative solitons around a 1.3 micron using stimulated Raman scattering
Authors: Evmenova Ekaterina A. , Antropov Aleksandr A. , Kharenko Denis S.
Published: November 2023

An all-fiber amplification of highly chirped dissipative solitons (DSs) by stimulated Raman scattering in a standard passive fiber with continuous-wave pumping is demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge. DSs with a duration of 20 ps and a repetition rate of 15.6 MHz at a wavelength of 1275 nm are amplified by a pump wave at 1205 nm. On–off Raman gain dependence on the amplifier length and pump power, as well as the pumping configuration, are experimentally studied. Uniform amplification has been achieved with a net gain of 10 dB resulting in a pulse energy of 13 nJ at backward pumping. Further Raman amplification is limited by emerging the next Stokes component. The output pulses are compressed by a factor of 50 down to a duration of 400 fs. As a result, the peak power reached the level of 9 kW. The demonstrated scheme can be a simple and robust alternative to the widely used parametric amplification of chirped pulses outside the dopant amplification band, and the resulting pulses can be used in multiphoton microscopy and other applications.
Self-powered solar-blind detector array based on ε-Ga2O3 Schottky photodiodes for dual-mode binary UV communication
Authors: Xia Kanglong , Liu Zeng , Sha Shulin , Xi Zhaoying , Zhang Jia-Han , Jiang Mingming , Guo Yufeng , Tang Weihua
Published: November 2023

In this work, a solar-blind UV metal-semiconductor Schottky photodiode array is constructed by using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition grown ε-Ga2O3 thin film, possessing high-performance and self-powered characteristics, toward dual-mode (self-powered and biased modes) binary light communication. For the array unit, the responsivity, specific detectivity, and external quantum efficiency are 30.8 A/W/6.3 × 10−2 A/W, 1.51 × 104%/30.9%, 1.28 × 1014/5.4 × 1012 Jones for biased (−10 V)/self-powered operation. The rise and decay time are 0.19 and 7.96 ms at biased modes, respectively, suggesting an ability to trace fast light signal. As an array, the deviation of photocurrent is only 4.3%, highlighting the importance of accurate information communication. Through certain definition of “1/0” binary digital information, the “NY” and “IC” characters are communicated to illustrate the self-powered and biased modes by right of ASCII codes, based on the prepared ε-Ga2O3 solar-blind UV Schottky photodiode array. This work made dual-mode binary deep-UV light communication come true and may well guide the development of UV optoelectronics.
Adaptive-optics-based turbulence mitigation in a 400 Gbit/s free-space optical link by multiplexing Laguerre–Gaussian modes varying both radial and azimuthal spatial indices
Authors: Su Xinzhou , Jiang Zile , Duan Yuxiang , Zhou Huibin , Song Hao , Pang Kai , Liu Cong , Zou Kaiheng , Zhang Runzhou , Song Haoqian , Hu Nanzhe , Tur Moshe , Willner Alan E.
Published: November 2023

In general, atmospheric turbulence can degrade the performance of free-space optical (FSO) communication systems by coupling light from one spatial mode to other modes. In this Letter, we experimentally demonstrate a 400 Gbit/s quadrature-phase-shift-keyed (QPSK) FSO mode-division-multiplexing (MDM) coherent communication link through emulated turbulence using four Laguerre Gaussian (LG) modes with different radial and azimuthal indices (LG10, LG11, LG−10, and LG−11). To mitigate turbulence-induced channel cross talk and power loss, we implement an adaptive optics (AO) system at the receiver end. A Gaussian beam at a slightly different wavelength is co-propagated with the data beams as the probe beam. We use a wavefront sensor (WFS) to measure the wavefront distortion of this probe beam, and this information is used to tune a spatial light modulator (SLM) to adaptively correct the four distorted data-beam wavefronts. Using this adaptive-optics approach, the power loss and cross talk are reduced by ∼10 and ∼18 dB, respectively. © 2023 Optical Society of America
Interference Pattern to Hybrid Pattern to Diffraction Pattern in
Non-Parallel Two-Slit Experiment --- Interaction Between Photons
Authors: Peng Hui
Published: November 2023

The interference and the diffraction are two basic phenomena in physical optics. We have shown the phenomenon that, in the experiment of two slits with the certain angle between two slits, the partial interference pattern is embedded in the two diffraction patterns, namely, there is the partial interference + diffraction hybrid patterns.
angle 2 slits Patterns angle 2 slits Patterns
00 30

60
120

180

240

300

360

420

450

In this article, we show that the nature and the characteristics of the patterns depend not only on the distance from the diaphragm, but also on the angle between two slits. Namely, when the angle between two slits varies from 00 to 450, the pattern varies from the interference pattern to the hybrid patterns (i.e., the partial interference pattern embedded in diffraction patterns) to the diffraction patterns. Challenge is to interpret consistently the hybrid patterns.
Distributed phase-matching measurement for dynamic strain and temperature sensing based on stimulated Brillouin scattering enhanced four-wave mixing
Authors: Wang Yuan , Tovar Pedro , Yang Juntong , Chen Liang , Bao Xiaoyi
Published: November 2023

A Brillouin dynamic grating (BDG) can be used for distributed birefringence measurement in optical fibers, offering high sensitivity and spatial resolution for sensing applications. However, it is quite a challenge to simultaneously achieve dynamic measurements with both high accuracy and high spatial resolution. In this work, we propose a sensing mechanism to achieve distributed phase-matching measurement using a chirped pulse as a probe signal. In BDG reflection, the peak reflection corresponds to the highest four-wave mixing (FWM) conversion efficiency, and it requires the Brillouin frequency in the fast and slow axes to be equal, which is called the phase-matching condition. This condition changes at different fiber positions, which requires a range of frequency injection for the probe wave. The proposed method uses a chirped pulse as a probe wave to cover this frequency range associated with distributed birefringence inhomogeneity. This allows us to detect distributed phase matching for birefringence changes that are introduced by temperature and strain variations. Thanks to the single shot and direct time delay measurement capability, the acquisition rate in our system is only limited by the fiber length. Notably, unlike conventional BDG spectrum recovery-based systems, the spatial resolution here is determined by both the frequency chirping rate of the probe pulse and the birefringence profile of the fiber. In the experiments, an acquisition rate of 1 kHz (up to fiber length limits) and a spatial resolution of 10 cm using a 20 ns probe pulse width are achieved. The minimum detectable temperature and strain variation are 5.6 mK and 0.37 με along a 2 km long polarization-maintaining fiber (PMF).
Differential adhesion during development establishes individual neural stem cell niches and shapes adult behaviour in Drosophila
Authors: Banach-Latapy Agata , Rincheval Vincent , Briand David , Guénal Isabelle , Spéder Pauline
Published: November 2023

Neural stem cells (NSCs) reside in a defined cellular microenvironment, the niche, which supports the generation and integration of newborn neurons. The mechanisms building a sophisticated niche structure around NSCs and their functional relevance for neurogenesis are yet to be understood. In the Drosophila larval brain, the cortex glia (CG) encase individual NSC lineages in membranous chambers, organising the stem cell population and newborn neurons into a stereotypic structure. We first found that CG wrap around lineage-related cells regardless of their identity, showing that lineage information builds CG architecture. We then discovered that a mechanism of temporally controlled differential adhesion using conserved complexes supports the individual encasing of NSC lineages. An intralineage adhesion through homophilic Neuroglian interactions provides strong binding between cells of a same lineage, while a weaker interaction through Neurexin-IV and Wrapper exists between NSC lineages and CG. Loss of Neuroglian results in NSC lineages clumped together and in an altered CG network, while loss of Neurexin-IV/Wrapper generates larger yet defined CG chamber grouping several lineages together. Axonal projections of newborn neurons are also altered in these conditions. Further, we link the loss of these 2 adhesion complexes specifically during development to locomotor hyperactivity in the resulting adults. Altogether, our findings identify a belt of adhesions building a neurogenic niche at the scale of individual stem cell and provide the proof of concept that niche properties during development shape adult behaviour.
Functionally similar genes exhibit comparable/similar time-course expression kinetics in the UV-induced photoaged mouse model
Authors: Jin Seon-Pil , Suh Joong Heon , Kim Chang-Eop , Oh Inn Gyung , Seo Eun Young , Kim Min-Kyoung , Yoon Kyeong-No , Chung Jin Ho
Published: November 2023

Skin photoaging induced by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation contributes to the formation of thick and coarse wrinkles. Humans are exposed to UV light throughout their lives. Therefore, it is crucial to determine the time-sequential effects of UV on the skin. In this study, we irradiated the mouse back skin with UV light for eight weeks and observed the changes in gene expressions via microarray analysis every week. There were more downregulated genes (514) than upregulated genes (123). The downregulated genes had more functional diversity than the upregulated genes. Additionally, the number of downregulated genes did not increase in a time-dependent manner. Instead, time-dependent kinetic patterns were observed. Interestingly, each kinetic cluster harbored functionally enriched gene sets. Since collagen changes in the dermis are considered to be a major cause of photoaging, we hypothesized that other gene sets contributing to photoaging would exhibit kinetics similar to those of the collagen-regulatory genes identified in this study. Accordingly, co-expression network analysis was conducted using 11 well-known collagen-regulatory seed genes to predict genes with similar kinetics. We ranked all downregulated genes from 1 to 504 based on their expression levels, and the top 50 genes were suggested to be involved in the photoaging process. Additionally, to validate and support our identified top 50 gene lists, we demonstrated that the genes (FN1, CCDC80, PRELP, and TGFBR3) we discovered are downregulated by UV irradiation in cultured human fibroblasts, leading to decreased collagen levels, which is indicative of photoaging processes. Overall, this study demonstrated the time-sequential genetic changes in chronically UV-irradiated skin and proposed 50 genes that are involved in the mechanisms of photoaging.
Drought trends projection under future climate change scenarios for Iran region
Authors: Bayatavrkeshi Maryam , Imteaz Monzur Alam , Kisi Ozgur , Farahani Mohammad , Ghabaei Mohammad , Al-Janabi Ahmed Mohammed Sami , Hashim Bassim Mohammed , Al-Ramadan Baqer , Yaseen Zaher Mundher
Published: November 2023

The study highlights the potential characteristics of droughts under future climate change scenarios. For this purpose, the changes in Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) under the A1B, A2, and B1 climate change scenarios in Iran were assessed. The daily weather data of 30 synoptic stations from 1992 to 2010 were analyzed. The HadCM3 statistical model in the LARS-WG was used to predict the future weather conditions between 2011 and 2112, for three 34-year periods; 2011–2045, 2046–2079, and 2080–2112. In regard to the findings, the upward trend of the potential evapotranspiration in parallel with the downward trend of the precipitation in the next 102 years in three scenarios to the base timescale was transparent. The frequency of the SPEI in the base month indicated that 17.02% of the studied months faced the drought. Considering the scenarios of climate change for three 34-year periods (i.e., 2011–2045, 2046–2079, and 2080–2112) the average percentages of potential drought occurrences for all the stations in the next three periods will be 8.89, 16.58, and 27.27 respectively under the B1 scenario. While the predicted values under the A1B scenario are 7.63, 12.66, and 35.08%respectively. The relevant findings under the A2 scenario are 6.73, 10.16, 40.8%. As a consequence, water shortage would be more serious in the third period of study under all three scenarios. The percentage of drought occurrence in the future years under the A2, B1, and A1B will be 19.23%, 17.74%, and 18.84%, respectively which confirms the worst condition under the A2 scenario. For all stations, the number of months with moderate drought was substantially more than severe and extreme droughts. Considering the A2 scenario as a high emission scenario, the analysis of SPEI frequency illustrated that the proportion of dry periods in regions with humid and cool climate is more than hot and warm climates; however, the duration of dry periods in warmer climates is longer than colder climates. Moreover, the temporal distribution of precipitation and potential evapotranspiration indicated that in a large number of stations, there is a significant difference between them in the middle months of the year, which justifies the importance of prudent water management in warm months.
Are C-reactive protein concentrations affected by smoking status and physical activity levels? A longitudinal study
Authors: Christofaro Diego G. D. , Ritti-Dias Raphael M. , Tebar William R. , Werneck André O. , Bittencourt Márcio S. , Cucato Gabriel G. , Santos Raul D.
Published: November 2023

Background and objective

To compare high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels according to smoking status and physical activity (PA) changes in adults.

Methods

The sample consisted of 6028 participants (4833 men) who underwent a voluntary routine health evaluation at the Preventive Medicine Center at the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Sao Paulo, Brazil, from January 2007 to December 2013. Data were collected at baseline and follow-up (2.7±1.6 years). Plasma hsCRP (in mg/L) was analyzed in both moments. Smoking status was obtained through a self-reported questionnaire, being participants classified as non-smokers, once smokers (report smoking at baseline or follow-up), and persistently smokers (reported smoking at both baseline and follow-up). PA was assessed by questionnaire in both moments, being participants classified as persistently inactive, became inactive, became active, and persistently active. The Rank Analysis of Covariance was used to compare hsCRP follow-up values according to smoking and physical activity status.

Results

Persistently smokers showed significantly higher median values of hsCRP at follow-up (1.3 mg/L, IQR:0.6–2.8) than once smokers (1.1 mg/L, IQR: 0.6–2.4) and non-smokers (1.0 mg/L, IQR: 0.5–2.2), even considering covariates (p<0.001). Persistently actives had lower levels of hsCRP at follow-up when compared to persistently inactive in the three smoking status groups (non-smokers p<0.001, once smokers p = 0.001, and persistently smokers p = 0.037).

Conclusion

Persistently active participants had lower hsCRP values at follow-up than those persistently inactive in all the smoking status groups. Regular practice of PA is an important strategy for facing low-grade inflammation, even among smokers.
Optimization and validation of 18F-DCFPyL PET radiomics-based machine learning models in intermediate- to high-risk primary prostate cancer
Authors: Luining Wietske I. , Oprea-Lager Daniela E. , Vis André N. , van Moorselaar Reindert J. A. , Knol Remco J. J. , Wondergem Maurits , Boellaard Ronald , Cysouw Matthijs C. F.
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Radiomics extracted from prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-PET modeled with machine learning (ML) may be used for prediction of disease risk. However, validation of previously proposed approaches is lacking. We aimed to optimize and validate ML models based on18F-DCFPyL-PET radiomics for the prediction of lymph-node involvement (LNI), extracapsular extension (ECE), and postoperative Gleason score (GS) in primary prostate cancer (PCa) patients.

Methods

Patients with intermediate- to high-risk PCa who underwent18F-DCFPyL-PET/CT before radical prostatectomy with pelvic lymph-node dissection were evaluated. The training dataset included 72 patients, the internal validation dataset 24 patients, and the external validation dataset 27 patients. PSMA-avid intra-prostatic lesions were delineated semi-automatically on PET and 480 radiomics features were extracted. Conventional PET-metrics were derived for comparative analysis. Segmentation, preprocessing, and ML methods were optimized in repeated 5-fold cross-validation (CV) on the training dataset. The trained models were tested on the combined validation dataset. Combat harmonization was applied to external radiomics data. Model performance was assessed using the receiver-operating-characteristics curve (AUC).

Results

The CV-AUCs in the training dataset were 0.88, 0.79 and 0.84 for LNI, ECE, and GS, respectively. In the combined validation dataset, the ML models could significantly predict GS with an AUC of 0.78 (p<0.05). However, validation AUCs for LNI and ECE prediction were not significant (0.57 and 0.63, respectively). Conventional PET metrics-based models had comparable AUCs for LNI (0.59,p>0.05) and ECE (0.66,p>0.05), but a lower AUC for GS (0.73,p<0.05). In general, Combat harmonization improved external validation AUCs (-0.03 to +0.18).

Conclusion

In internal and external validation,18F-DCFPyL-PET radiomics-based ML models predicted high postoperative GS but not LNI or ECE in intermediate- to high-risk PCa. Therefore, the clinical benefit seems to be limited. These results underline the need for external and/or multicenter validation of PET radiomics-based ML model analyses to assess their generalizability.