bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional neuroimaging biomarkers of anhedonia response to escitalopram plus adjunct aripiprazole treatment for major depressive disorder
Authors: Vaccarino Sophie R. , Wang Shijing , Rizvi Sakina J. , Lou Wendy , Hassel Stefanie , MacQueen Glenda M. , Ho Keith , Frey Benicio N. , Lam Raymond W. , Milev Roumen V. , Rotzinger Susan , Ravindran Arun V. , Strother Stephen C. , Kennedy Sidney H.
Published: January 2024

Background

Identifying neuroimaging biomarkers of antidepressant response may help guide treatment decisions and advance precision medicine.

Aims

To examine the relationship between anhedonia and functional neurocircuitry in key reward processing brain regions in people with major depressive disorder receiving aripiprazole adjunct therapy with escitalopram.

Method

Data were collected as part of the CAN-BIND-1 study. Participants experiencing a current major depressive episode received escitalopram for 8 weeks; escitalopram non-responders received adjunct aripiprazole for an additional 8 weeks. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (on weeks 0 and 8) and clinical assessment of anhedonia (on weeks 0, 8 and 16) were completed. Seed-based correlational analysis was employed to examine the relationship between baseline resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC), using the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) as key regions of interest, and change in anhedonia severity after adjunct aripiprazole.

Results

Anhedonia severity significantly improved after treatment with adjunct aripiprazole.

There was a positive correlation between anhedonia improvement and rsFC between the ACC and posterior cingulate cortex, ACC and posterior praecuneus, and NAc and posterior praecuneus. There was a negative correlation between anhedonia improvement and rsFC between the ACC and anterior praecuneus and NAc and anterior praecuneus.

Conclusions

Eight weeks of aripiprazole, adjunct to escitalopram, was associated with improved anhedonia symptoms. Changes in functional connectivity between key reward regions were associated with anhedonia improvement, suggesting aripiprazole may be an effective treatment for individuals experiencing reward-related deficits. Future studies are required to replicate our findings and explore their generalisability, using other agents with partial dopamine (D2) agonism and/or serotonin (5-HT2A) antagonism.
Severe Hyperglycemia Due to Protein Kinase Inhibitor Therapy in a Patient With Poorly Controlled Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Sontag Isabel , Bergmann Laura , Adamek Henning Ernst
Published: January 2024

The efficacy and safety of zanubrutinib, a highly selective next-generation Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and lymphoplasmocytoides immunocytoma seems favorable. Adverse events comprise neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, infection, anemia, and atrial fibrillation. This report describes a 75-year-old man suffering from polydipsia, polyuria, and blurred vision for 10 days. He was diagnosed with lymphoplasmocytoides immunocytoma in 2003. After various therapies, he was started on zanubrutinib in October 2022. A diagnosis of diabetes mellitus had never been established before. On arrival in the emergency department, his plasma glucose was 37.2 mmol/L (671 mg/dL) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was 14.2%. Circulating antibodies showed positivity for glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD-65), and his C-peptide level was 1.3 nmol/L (normal range, 0.37-1.47 nmol/L), equivalent to 3.9 ng/mL (normal range 1.1-5.0 ng/mL). From the patient's medical history, it became obvious that the metabolic situation had been problematic for many years, and that diabetes could have been taken into account at least in the summer of 2020 when HbA1c was 6.7%. In patients on tyrosine kinase inhibitors, careful assessment of glycemic control (monitoring HbA1c and blood glucose levels periodically even for nondiabetic patients) is recommended to prevent a major diabetic emergency.
Massive 4-Gland Parathyroid Hyperplasia Initially Detected as a Parathyroid Adenoma
Authors: Nicolich-Henkin Sophie , Goldstein Michael B , Roellke Emma , Bilezikian John P , Rothberger Gary D
Published: January 2024

Abstract: Parathyroid adenoma (PA) and parathyroid hyperplasia (PH) are common causes of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), for which the only definitive treatment is surgery. Abnormalities in the parathyroid glands can be identified with various imaging modalities including ultrasound (US), sestamibi scan (MIBI), 4-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT), and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). While it is not uncommon for parathyroid pathology to be undetected on imaging, this is more typical of low-volume hyperplasia and smaller-sized adenomas. We present the case of a 65-year-old man with PHPT who initially had a solitary parathyroid mass detected by US, but who was ultimately discovered to have massive PH with hyperplastic glands not visualized on US or MIBI. This atypical presentation may help guide providers in decisions on ordering and interpreting various imaging modalities for patients with PHPT. In this case, 4D-CT was the only modality in which large hyperplastic glands were identified, suggesting superior sensitivity. This case also highlights the importance of intraoperative parathyroid hormone testing to aid in diagnostic prediction.
A Critical Review of Existing Evidence-Based Sport Psychological Interventions for College Athletes with Comorbid Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder and Sport-Related Concussions
Authors: Davis Reid , Rak Eniko , Rose Terra
Published: January 2024

The preventive efficacy of mental skills in reducing the risk of sport-related concussions (SRC), facilitating rehabilitation post-SRC, and enhancing mental performance was assessed in individuals with comorbid attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and SRC. ADHD, characterized by behavioral disruptions linked to hyperactivity and impulsivity, poses an increased risk of severe injuries among student-athletes. Annually, over 10,000 mild Traumatic Brain Injuries (mTBI), including SRC, are diagnosed in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student-athletes. Despite the high incidence, there remains a limited understanding of how sport psychological interventions can effectively prevent and rehabilitate SRC in student-athletes with ADHD. This article explores the intricate relationship between ADHD and SRC in NCAA-affiliated student-athletes, focusing on identifying optimal sport psychological interventions for injury prevention, treatment, and performance improvement. The analysis aims to inform the integration of this knowledge into comprehensive services for student-athletes, encompassing prevention, rehabilitation, and performance enhancement strategies.
Exploring the impacts of social media and crowdsourcing on disaster resilience
Authors: Clark Nathan , Boersma Kees , Bonati Sara , Fonio Chiara , Gehlhar Simon , Habig Therese , Larruina Robert , Lüke Richard , Morelli Stefano , Nielsen Anne Bach , Opromolla Antonio , Pazzi Veronica , Raju Emmanuel
Published: January 2024

Social media and crowdsourcing (SMCS) are increasingly proving useful for addressing the effects of natural and human-made hazards. SMCS allow different stakeholders to share crucial information during disaster management processes and to strengthen community resilience through engagement and collaboration. To harvest these opportunities there is a need for better knowledge on SMCS for diverse disaster scenarios. These challenges are being addressed within the LINKS Horizon 2020 project. The project aims at strengthening societal resilience by producing advanced learning on the use of SMCS in disasters. This is done through an in-depth study across three knowledge domains (disaster risk perception and vulnerability, disaster management processes, SMCS technologies), the establishment of an interactive framework, and an online platform in which a community of relevant stakeholders can learn and share knowledge and experiences. This paper provides an overview of the project objectives and approaches and a summary of the initial results.
Quality Selection in Two-Sided Markets: A Constrained Price Discrimination Approach
Authors: Light Bar , Johari Ramesh , Weintraub Gabriel
Published: January 2024

Optimizing Revenue in Two-Sided Online Markets through Strategic Quality Selection and Information Disclosure

Ensuring profitable operations in two-sided online marketplaces demands an astute analysis of seller quality and strategic information sharing with buyers. A recent paper, titled “Quality Selection in Two-Sided Markets: A Constrained Price Discrimination Approach” by B. Light, R. Johari, and G. Weintraub delves into the nuances of this operation. The authors explore the challenge that platforms encounter in deciding which sellers to allow and how much quality information to share with buyers in order to enhance platform revenue. Utilizing two distinct two-sided market models, the paper unveils conditions under which adopting straightforward information structures, such as excluding certain sellers or not differentiating among participating sellers, proves to be a revenue-maximizing strategy. This study utilizes a constrained price discrimination problem to reveal specific strategies platforms can use to adjust information structures in diverse market scenarios, providing insights for digital platforms aiming to navigate the marketplace more effectively.
Moral distress and intention to leave work among nurses: a prospective survey study in Oman
Authors: Al Qadire Mohammad , Ballad Cherry Ann C , Al Omari Omar , Alkhalaileh Murad , Al Sabei Sulaiman , Al Awaisi Huda , Khalaf Atika
Published: January 2024

Background/Aims

Moral distress can have a substantial impact on nurses, contributing to burnout and staff turnover. This study aimed to assess the level of moral distress, identify the situations considered to cause the most moral distress and measure the relationship between moral distress, demographic factors and intention to leave one's role or the nursing profession in a hospital in Oman.

Methods

A descriptive correlational design was used. The study sample comprised 167 nurses working in intensive care, oncology, medical or surgical units in a referral hospital in Muscat, Oman. A survey was distributed to participants in their place of work. Data were collected using the Measure of Moral Distress – Healthcare Professionals tool, measuring frequency of morally distressing events and the level of distress caused. The survey also collected demographic details and information on whether participants were currently considering (or had ever considered) leaving their role because of moral distress. Results were summarised using descriptive statistics, with relationships between variables analysed using Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallace tests, Spearman's rho and logistic regression.

Results

The mean total moral distress score was 81.0 (±59.4) out of a possible score range of 0–432. The situations that participants found the most morally distressing were excessive documentation requirements that compromise patient care and feeling pressured to provide what they considered to be unnecessary or inappropriate tests and treatments. Area of work was not significantly associated with level of moral distress, but moral distress was significantly higher in participants with less nursing experience and those considering leaving their role.

Conclusions

Practical solutions are required to support nurses who may be at high risk of experiencing moral distress. This could include mentoring schemes and strategies to reduce or streamline clinical documentation requirements.
Association between Lymphocyte-to-Monocyte Ratio and Survival in COVID-19 Infected Patients
Authors: Suastika Ngakan Ketut Wira , Suega Ketut
Published: January 2024

Early identification of patients who may develop into clinical deterioration is necessary to prevent complications and death from COVID-19. This research aims to determine the association between lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) and survival in Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients. This study used a retrospective cohort design. We collected survival data retrospectively by tracing medical records to gather data on demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics. Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine the difference in LMR values in the survivor and non-survivor groups. A total of 502 subjects were involved in this study. The LMR value was significantly lower in the non-survivors group compared to the survivors group (p=0.001). We found an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of LMR of 3.62; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.92-14.25; p=0.046). LMR can reflect the disease severity and can be used to predict prognosis.
Synthesis and Research Anticonvulsant Activity of Annulated Triazolo-Thiadiazine Derivative in Laboratory Animals
Authors: Sanoev Zafar Isomiddinovich , Ismailova Dilnoza Safaralievna , Rakhimboev Sukhrob Davlatyor ogli , Khamroev Tolmas Tolibovich , Elmuradov Burkhon Zhuraevich , Abdinazar Ibrokhimjon Tuychievich , Rashidov Sokhib Zamon ogli
Published: January 2024

Epilepsy is a chronic non-communicable disease of the brain, which is estimated that five million people are diagnosed with epilepsy every year worldwide. In this regard the study studied the anticonvulsant properties of annulated 4-(6-phenyl-7H-[1,2,4] triazolo [3,4-b] [1,3,4] thiadiazin-3-yl)-aniline. Anticonvulsant activity was evaluated in various experimental models of convulsions in laboratory rodents. Oral dosages of 3, 10, 30, and 60 mg/kg of the study substances were given one hour prior to the experiment. Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) convulsions were modeled using PTZ at a dose of 7 mg/kg subcutaneously, isoniazid convulsions were modeled using an oral dose of 300 mg/kg, and bicuculline convulsions were modeled using a subcutaneous dose of 2,7 mg/kg. Also, comparatively studied the antiepileptic activity of triazole derivatives with the well-known antiepileptic drug carbamazepine. In the conducted studies the studied compound showed carbamazepine-like activity at doses of 3 and 10 mg/kg in the model of seizures caused by strychnine, while at a dose of 30 mg/kg it showed high activity and in models induced using bicuculin and isoniazid, the studied drug showed activity similar to carbamazepine. On the contrary, the model of seizures induced by PTZ showed high activity at doses of 3, 10 and 30 mg/kg. The results obtained showed that triazole derivative had a pronounced antiepileptic activity, and further study can be proposed as a potential antiepileptic drug.
Carbon Footprint Estimation of Highway Construction Materials
Authors: Ambikesh Singh  , Vikas Srivastava  , A. K. Tiwari
Published: January 2024

In India, there is an ever-increasing demand for enhancing the road network to cater to the requirements of the growing population. Greenhouse gas emissions from the road construction and rehabilitation process have a massive impact on the environment and global warming. A suitable tool to calculate, monitor and mitigate such carbon emissions is yet to be made. The objective of this research study was to develop an Excel tool, specifically tailored for the Indian construction environment – ‘Carbon Footprint Estimation Tool for Highway Constructions’ to estimate the carbon equivalent emission from the material used in highway construction. This tool aids in monitoring and comparing carbon equivalent emissions from different materials of different layers for both rigid and flexible pavements.
The Sex Lives of College Girls by M. Kaling and J. Noble (review)
Authors: Boettcher Michelle , Fielder Indyha
Published: January 2024

Abstract: The first two seasons of television series The Sex Lives of College Girls (Kaling & Noble, 2021a, 2022a) explore the relationship between four roommates over the course of their first year at Essex college. The main characters navigate transition issues including interpersonal relationships, social life, academics, student development and growth, and financial issues. The show also explores larger social issues such as sex and sexuality, identity, privilege, college access, community, and belonging. The series raises issues particularly salient for student and academic affairs professionals with student-facing positions and responsibilities.
"Burning Charity" and Love For One's Neighbor: Reformed Social Imaginaries of Charity and the Common Good in Eighteenth-Century Spain and New Spain
Authors: Johnson Rachael Givens
Published: January 2024

Abstract: In their quest to forge a national social imaginary or civic consciousness, Spanish Enlightenment reformers sought to redirect the loyalties and funds of Catholic citizens away from local religious confraternities and towards state projects of modernization. One key strategy involved deploying new registers of the religious concepts of "charity" and the "common good," making moral claims on the citizenry to render material assistance for the prosperity of their fellow citizens and the nation writ large. Catholics who resisted these efforts insisted on the embodied, relational foundations of these ideas (rooted in Thomistic thought) as well as the sanctity of the individual will.
Singing Feminist Ch'ixi+Art Music from las Rajaduras: Renata Flores, Isqun , and the Fractured Locus
Authors: Autry Evelyn Saavedra
Published: January 2024

Abstract: With music album Isqun , nine in Quechua and meaning mirror of the soul, Quechua singer Renata Flores aims to trace the journey of Indigenous women from the Andes in Peruvian history: the Inca era, colonialism, independence, and Republic. Combining sounds of the Andean countryside and the beats of Latin rap, trap, and hip-hop, her nine songs written in Quechua and Spanish represent a decolonial turn towards undoing westernized epistemologies of knowledge. This article explores Flores's potential contributions to decolonial feminism through the lens of Gloria Anzaldúa's theoretical framework of Nepantla (in-between), María Lugones's fractured locus, and Catherine Walsh's decolonial insurgency. The author argues that Flores's feminist ch'ixi+art music and songs "Chañan Cori Coca," "Beatriz Clara Coya," "María Parado de Bellido," and "Rita Puma Justo" not only reclaim spaces for the language of Quechua in contemporary Peru, but also contribute to remapping Indigenous women's herstories of resistance, disobedience, survivance, and empowerment. Ultimately this article illustrates how Flores's feminist decolonial pedagogies of interweaving memorias cortas and memorias largas denote an action of creation and intervention, opening paths to resignify historically excluded Indigenous women in Peru.
A Spectral Archive: Mona Kareem's Feminist Imaginary in Ināth al-Ashbāḥ (Femme Ghosts)
Authors: Al-Alawi Hanan
Published: January 2024

Abstract: In this article I explore Mona Kareem's visionary feminism in her trilingual poetry collection Ināth al-Ashbāḥ ( Femme Ghosts ) (2019). I intervene in the classist colonial logic embraced by contemporary liberal feminism in Kuwait by offering a critical alternative in Kareem's poetics of the body. The article examines Kareem's engagement with the gendered, classed, and racialized body as a site of knowledge production that proves illegible to the oil-producing state. It argues that Kareem expresses a "spectral archive" from the embodied knowledge of marginalization in her poems "Eulogies for Futures to Come/Marthiyāt al-'uyūn" ("Who Hide Their Eyes"). The spectral archive is a haunting literary site of knowledge which exposes the violence of systemic oppression and exceeds nativist narratives of subjectivity constructed by official national history. It emerges in her deployment of the speculative, emphasis on the tension between the corporeal and the spectral, experimentation with poetic form and translation practices, and positing queerness as a liminal process of detaching normative gender from sex assigned at birth. The spectral archive underscores the failure of sovereign standards of subjectivity to grasp the role of feminist poetics in creating transformative imaginaries, it represents a new ethical approach to feminist discourse on social justice in Kuwait.
Widening the Net: Adapting a Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills–Informed Group Intervention to Better Meet the Needs of an Urban-Poor Psychiatric Psychiatric Inpatient Population
Authors: Sardana Srishti M. , Sperling Rebecca , Nash Heather C.
Published: January 2024

Abstract: This article details various considerations in the development of a dialectical behavior therapy skills–informed weekly group intervention for psychiatric inpatients receiving treatment in an economically disadvantaged city safety-net hospital. The authors describe the impact of multiple compounding stressors, such as poverty, racial and ethnic discrimination, housing/food insecurity, complex trauma, education level, and other psychological and psychosocial stressors that informed the development of the intervention. Overarching goals of this intervention focused on treatment engagement, assurance that the intervention met best practices in trauma-informed care, and orienting treatment to focus on patient empowerment. Additionally, this article discusses the process of developing a group-based, DBT skills–informed intervention to be applicable to patients with diverse psychiatric diagnoses and varying levels of functioning on an inpatient unit. The benefits of this treatment approach as well as the considerations taken to adapt it to the multifactorial needs of the patient population are also discussed.
Introducing Dungeons & Therapy: A Tabletop Role-Playing System for Group Therapy
Authors: King Matt , Dehili Vincent Malik , Queen Meara
Published: January 2024

Abstract: This article is the first of a planned three-part series that explores the utility of table-top role-playing games (TTRPGs) in therapy and introduces a new system designed by the authors for use in group therapy settings called Dungeons & Therapy. The surging popularity of TTRPGs like Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) has led to scholarly interest in their potential uses within therapeutic settings. However, D&D’s financial cost, complicated rules, and history of problematic content can create barriers for therapists wishing to use it. Dungeons & Therapy, which the authors have made as a free alternative to D&D, seeks to capture the role-playing essence of TTRPGs with a simplified rule set and to provide systems through which a therapist can encourage different kinds of play from players to facilitate personalized therapeutic outcomes.
Eugenic Continuities: Youth, Sex, Disability, and the Rise of Liberal Eugenics in the Late Twentieth Century
Authors: Ryan Patrick J.
Published: January 2024

Abstract: This article places the landmark 1986 Supreme Court of Canada decision E. (Mrs.) v. Eve within its avowedly anti-eugenic context. Then it compares the trial record and appellate documents of Eve to the notorious 1927 American case Buck v. Bell . It outlines the legal reasoning of the Eve decision, its reception, and the different trajectories of law in the US, the UK, and Australia. These multiple points of historical comparison expose a series of unresolved eugenic continuities in the politics of youth, sex, and disability. The interpretation challenges more conventional definitions, periodization, and understandings of eugenics, drawing attention to the formation of "liberal" eugenics in the late twentieth century.
Between Pluralism and Objectivism: Reconsidering Ernst Cassirer's Teleology of Culture
Authors: Kinzel Katherina
Published: January 2024

abstract: This paper revisits debates on a tension in Cassirer's philosophy of culture. On the one hand, Cassirer describes a plurality of symbolic forms and claims that each needs to be assessed by its own internal standards of validity. On the other hand, he ranks the symbolic forms in terms of a developmental hierarchy and states that one form, mathematical natural science, constitutes the highest achievement of culture. In my paper, I do not seek to resolve this tension. Rather, I aim to arrive at a better understanding of how it arises, and of the different options that it presents for understanding the development of culture. I discuss three recent attempts at resolving the tension, put forward by Sebastian Luft, Samatha Matherne, and Simon Truwant, respectively. Based on a reconstruction of Cassirer's system of symbolic forms that centralizes the concept of function, I show that the most promising of these attempts, formulated by Truwant, is not successful. I then turn to Cassirer's philosophy of the cultural sciences, the implications of which for the present problem have not yet been sufficiently explored. I argue that in this context, Cassirer develops the contours of an alternative to the function-based view of cultural development. I conclude that this alternative does not resolve the tension either, but that it allows for a reconceptualization of the teleology of culture as open.
(In)visible Interstices: Double-Consciousness and the Gutter in Brazilian Jefferson Costa's Rosebush, Medal, Plantation and Other Stories
Authors: Miranda Edmilson F. , Callahan David
Published: January 2024

ABSTRACT: This article explores the relations between W. E. B. Du Bois's concept of "double-consciousness" and the gutter, a specific component of the language of comics and graphic narratives in general, in order to read the graphic novel Rosebush, Medal, Plantation and Other Stories by the Brazilian author and illustrator Jefferson Costa. To make the connection, the article further uses the themes of a "crossroads" and "spiraling time" associated with the Brazilian theorist Leda Maria Martins, Homi Bhabha's espousal of "in-between spaces," and Umberto Eco's notion of the "unsaid." Bringing these conceptual areas together helps to approach Costa's work in terms of its support for his Afro-Brazilian roots, and in such a crossing, the gutter becomes a metaphor for counter-hegemonic, identity-producing discursive practices associated with Afrofuturism.
The Historical Novel: Past, Reality and Future from Interpretation to Sociological Analysis
Authors: Ćwikła Paweł
Published: January 2024

ABSTRACT: The article constitutes a study in the sociology of literature. It proposes a reflection on the communicative value of a historical novel and discusses several levels of interpretation in works that belong to this genre. The main issue discussed here is the possibility of treating Western literary works about the past as an element of the discourse on the present state of culture, the condition of Western civilization, and possible prospects for the future. What constitutes an integral part of the text is also a sample of sociological interpretation of the novel The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. “A sample,” because the elements of the analysis of this well-known work presented here are a suggestion on how one could, perchance, examine a literary work from a sociological point of view, using sources external to the novel.
Toward a Narratology of Western Narrative Theatre Dance
Authors: de Lucas Cristina
Published: January 2024

ABSTRACT: Dance is barely present in narrative studies. It is generally accepted as a narrative medium, yet lacks a systematic study that addresses its distinctive qualities. This article focuses on generic theoretical issues of dance as a narrative medium and discusses its place within current narratological debates. The first premise suggested here is that among the diferent manifestations of dance, narrative theatre dance is the fullest expression of narrativity, with a narrative essence that the notions of plot and experientiality help defining and grading. Taking the discussion through routes explored for drama, this essay also argues for a narratological model of the analysis of dance narratives on two levels: the story level and the discourse level understood as performance. Another set of considerations concentrate on the semiotic structure of dance, showing how it can be dissected in a productive way for narratological analyses. The essay ends with a discussion on the relevance of context and cultural conventions for the interpretation of dance. Underpinning these reflections are foundational studies of transmedial narratology, widely-used narratological definitions of narrative, and discussions of the narrative nature of drama as well as key texts from the history, philosophy and analysis of dance. Three examples of dance—John Weaver’s ballet The Loves of Mars and Venus (1717), Kenneth MacMillan’s The Invitation (1960), and Leonid Yakobson’s Vestris (1969)—illustrate this theoretical argumentation.
Creative Work Ethic and Autofiction: Sheila Heti’s How Should a Person Be?
Authors: Hadar David
Published: January 2024

Abstract: The rise of autofiction in the 2010s can be partially explained by the genre’s reflection of the contemporary work ethic, specifically its demand to use personal life as part of people’s work. Readers can recognize their tendency to use life for work in the way autofiction writers utilize their experience to write. This paper argues that Sheila Heti’s How Should a Person Be? (2010), one of the primary examples of contemporary autofiction, deals with the idea of using life for work in the context of the increased expectation of employers that their workers do so. At first, social engagement and writing are presented as competing for the protagonist’s attention. Then through the development of her friendship with the painter Margaux and tape-recording their conversation, life turns into a resource for writing. Sheila hopes that the new relationship with a friend, mediated and preserved through recordings, will save her writing project. It is not just that life is an inspiration for writing, but that it actively contributes to work by providing a text that will be part of the novel we are reading. Then as the novel progresses, problems with this new arrangement come up, and we are asked to question the viability of subordinating personal relationships to work. By its end, a temporary truce between work and life is presented, one that may be satisfying to readers but does not subvert the contemporary work ethic.
The 'new' Customary Land Tenure in Zambia: Implications for Women's Land Rights and Livelihoods
Authors: Zamchiya Phillan , Musa Chilombo
Published: January 2024

ABSTRACT: This paper argues that the formalisation of customary land through a rural certification programme in Nyimba District, Zambia, has triggered the establishment of a new tenure regime that transcends the dualism between western legal forms of private property and idealised customary systems. Within this agrarian transition, the number of social conflicts over land boundaries have fallen, at least in the short term; women's perceptions of tenure security have improved, and women's participation in land administration at the local level has increased. In addition, a significant number of married women have registered residential land and farmland in their own names. However, the transition has also produced a number of negative impacts. Multiple land claims by women have been dismissed and men have continued to dominate power relations in the district. Certification has not necessarily led to greater access to credit, improved agricultural productivity, or a rise in investment. Informal land markets have become more expensive with certification producing a veneer of legitimacy for buying and selling customary land even though such transactions remain, strictly speaking, illegal. On the other hand, agrarian support has been skewed to the benefit of wealthier, better-connected, and dominant women with land-holding certificates and to the detriment of less-powerful women. Accordingly, many of the envisaged benefits of formalisation through an evolutionary approach to land tenure rights have not been realised. The argument developed in this paper is based on original field data obtained through quantitative household surveys, indepth interviews and focus group discussions.
Laying Down The Principles: How Local Socialist Achievements Spurred National Bourgeois Support for Noncontributory Pensions
Authors: Rasmussen Magnus B. , Knutsen Carl Henrik
Published: January 2024

abstract: The authors develop a perspective of locally embedded welfare state development to explain how relatively weak national political actors can, nonetheless, shape national policy over time by pursuing local reforms. Empirically, the authors assess their argument by using municipality-level representative shares, data on noncontributory pension reforms, roll-call votes from parliament, and archival material from early twentieth-century Norway, in which several local governments introduced noncontributory old-age pensions before Norway adopted a national scheme. The authors show, first, how nationally underrepresented but highly institutionalized socialist parties with geographically concentrated support introduced local pensions. Over time, these parties thus shaped the possibility space for national reform, effectively locking the national policy agenda into a pension system preferred by the socialists—namely, noncontributory pensions. Citing high municipality-debt pressures in their constituencies, bourgeois politicians from districts with local pensions eventually supported and promoted national-level pension reform. This support, in turn, spurred the cross-class alliance required to establish a national noncontributory pension system.
Exploring the dynamics of finite-energy Airy beams: a trajectory analysis perspective
Authors: Sanz Ángel S. , Martínez-Herrero Rosario
Published: January 2024

In practice, Airy beams can only be reproduced in an approximate manner, with a limited spatial extension and hence a finite energy content. To this end, different procedures have been reported in the literature, based on a convenient tuning of the transmission properties of aperture functions. In order to investigate the effects generated by the truncation and hence the propagation properties displayed by the designed beams, here we resort to a new perspective based on a trajectory methodology, complementary to the density plots more commonly used to study the intensity distribution propagation. We consider three different aperture functions, which are convoluted with an ideal Airy beam. As it is shown, the corresponding trajectories reveals a deeper physical insight about the propagation dynamics exhibited by the beams analyzed due to their direct connection with the local phase variations undergone by the beams, which is in contrast with the global information provided by the usual standard tools. Furthermore, we introduce a new parameter, namely, the escape rate, which allow us to perform piecewise analyses of the intensity distribution without producing any change on it, e.g., determining unambiguously how much energy flux contributes to the leading maximum at each stage of the propagation, or for how long self-accelerating transverse propagation survives. The analysis presented in this work thus provides an insight into the behavior of finite-energy Airy beams, and therefore is expected to contribute to the design and applications exploiting this singular type of beams.
Multifunction integrated lithium niobate photonic chip for photon pairs generation and manipulation
Authors: Pham Tien-Dat , Chiu Cheng-Chung , Tsai Pin-Ju , Chen Yen-Hung
Published: January 2024

We report on a unique photonic quantum source chip highly integrating four-stage photonic elements in a lithium niobate (LN) waveguide circuit platform, where an aperiodically poled LN (APPLN) electro-optic (EO) polarization mode converter (PMC) is sandwiched between two identical type-0 PPLN spontaneous parametric down-converters (SPDCs), followed by an EO phase controller (PC). These core nonlinear optic and EO building blocks on the chip are systematically characterized stage by stage to show its high performance as an integrated quantum source. The APPLN EO PMC, optimally constructed by a genetic algorithm, is characterized to have a broad bandwidth (>13 nm), benefiting an efficient control of broadband type-0 SPDC photon pairs featuring a short correlation time. We demonstrate an efficient conversion of the |VV› photon-pair state generated from the first PPLN SPDC stage to the |HH› state through the APPLN EO PMC stage over its operating bandwidth, a broadband or broadly tunable polarization-entangled state can thus be possibly produced via the superposition of the |VV› state generated from the other PPLN SPDC on the third stage of the chip. Such a state can be further manipulated into two of the Bell states if the relative phases between the two polarization states can be properly modulated through the EO PC on the fourth stage of the chip. Such a multifunction integrated quantum photonic source chip can be of high value to developing a compact, efficient, and high-speed quantum information processor.
Antiresonant fiber-enhanced Raman spectroscopy gas sensing with 1 ppm sensitivity
Authors: Yang Minghong , Liu Zhixiong , Xiong Lingxi , Nie Qilu , Wang Yingying , Gao Shoufei , Cheng Mengen , Yang Dexun , Pei Shilong , Guo Donglai
Published: January 2024

Antiresonant hollow-core fiber (AR-HCF) exhibits unprecedented optical performance in low transmission attenuation, broad transmission bandwidth, and single spatial mode quality. However, due to its lower numerical aperture, when utilizing the Fiber-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (FERS) principle for gas detection, the efficiency of AR-HCF in collecting Raman signals per unit length is significantly lower than that of hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. Nonetheless, AR-HCF effectively suppresses higher-order modes and offers bandwidth in hundreds of nanometers. By increasing the length of AR-HCF, its advantages can be effectively harnessed, leading to a considerable enhancement in the system's ability for low-concentration gas detection. We combine the nodeless antiresonant hollow-core fiber and Raman spectroscopy for enhanced Raman gas sensing in a forward scattering measurement configuration to investigate the attenuation behavior of the silica background signals. The silica background attenuation behavior enables the low baseline of the gas Raman spectroscopy and extends the integration time of the system. In addition, a convenient spatial filtering method is investigated. A multimode fiber with a suitable core diameter was employed to transmit the signal so that the fiber end face plays the role of pinhole, thus filtering the silica signal and reducing the baseline. The natural isotopes 12C16O2, 13C16O2, and 12C18O16O in ambient air can be observed using a 5-meter-long AR-HCF at 1 bar with a laser output power of 1.8 W and an integration time of 300 seconds. Limits of detection have been determined to be 0.5 ppm for 13C16O2 and 1.2 ppm for 12C16O2, which shows that the FERS with AR-HCF has remarkable potential for isotopes and multigas sensing.
Enhanced nonlinear effects in femtosecond laser-inscribed depressed cladding waveguides in sapphire crystals
Authors: Li Yue , Wu Jie , Su Jingqin , Zeng Xiaoming , Deng Guoliang , Zhou Shouhuan
Published: January 2024

High-performance depressed cladding waveguides can be fabricated in crystals using ultrafast laser inscription. The investigation of nonlinear phenomena, which manifest during the transmission of high peak power femtosecond pulses within waveguides, holds significant importance for their practical integration into waveguide lasers and waveguide-based components, among other pioneering applications. In this study, the depressed cladding waveguides were successfully prepared in sapphire crystal by a femtosecond laser. The nonlinear phenomena occurring in this waveguide were investigated. The experimental results show that the nonlinearity in the depressed cladding waveguides is significantly enhanced compared with that of the bulk. This enhancement notably manifests through augmented nonlinear losses (NLs) and the third harmonic (TH) blueshift increase. Meanwhile, we theoretically investigate the influence of nonlinear effects on the TH, such as self-phase modulation (SPM), cross-phase modulation (XPM), and group delay. Our results reveal that the phase mismatch between the TH and the pump pulses is the main reason for the asymmetric broadening and blueshift of the TH spectrum. Our study reveals the unique nonlinear properties of the waveguides and lays the foundation for further relevant studies and applications of such waveguides.
Accessing the spectrum of a single-photon by the Hong-Ou-Mandel interference
Authors: Duan Lifeng , Xu Aojie , Wang Lirong , Zhang Yun
Published: January 2024

We present and experimentally demonstrate a method for determining the spectral characterization of a single-photon state. This technique is based on the Hong-Ou-Mandel interference between a well-defined weak coherent state and a measured single-photon state. We estimate the spectrum of the single-photon state by fitting the measured interference dip with proposed model and least square method. Our method is particularly useful for characterising spectral property the single-photon state. It opens a way for robust and efficient on-line monitoring the single-photon emitters.
Phase calculation of smooth surface with multi-reflectivity based on phase measurement deflectometry
Authors: Xie Yan , Wang Xiaohao , Zhou Qian
Published: January 2024

With the continuous advancement of precision machining technology and the growing demand for products, increasingly complex objects with high reflectivity are becoming more prevalent in production and daily life. phase measurement deflectometry (PMD) is a technique that utilizes a surface light source to project structured light for comprehensive detection of highly reflective surfaces. It offers advantages such as high accuracy, fast speed, low cost, and non-contact operation. However, when the surface of the object being measured has varying levels of reflectivity, this method may produce errors due to significant differences in fringe contrast between different reflective areas. In order to enable the fringe deflection system to simultaneously detect multiple reflective objects without sacrificing accuracy, this paper proposes an adaptive method for fringe generation detection. This method can adaptively adjust the intensity based on the reflectivity of the measured surface and compensate for the light at the reflectivity boundary, ultimately achieving phase calculation for multiple reflective surfaces.
High-precision analysis of aberration contribution of Zernike freeform surface terms for non-zero field of view
Authors: Zhang Shuai , Zhao Xing , Li Da , Feng Hao , Zhao Shangnan , Wang Lingjie , Zhang Xin
Published: January 2024

Clarifying the aberrations arising from freeform surfaces is of great significance for maximizing the potential of freeform surfaces in the design of optical systems. However, the current precision in calculating aberration contribution of freeform surface terms for non-zero field of view is insufficient, impeding the development of freeform imaging systems with larger field of view. This paper proposes a high-precision analysis of aberration contribution of freeform surface terms based on nodal aberration theory, particularly for non-zero field points. Accurate calculation formulas of aberrations generated by Zernike terms on freeform surface are presented. Design examples illustrate that the calculation error of the provided formulas is 78% less than that of conventional theoretical values. Building upon high-precision analysis, we propose an optimization method for off-axis freeform surface systems and illustrate its effectiveness through the optimization of an off-axis three-mirror system. This research extends the applicability of nodal aberration theory in aberration analysis, offering valuable insights for the optimal design and alignment of optical freeform systems.
Channel-aware low Earth orbit satellite cluster networking for space-to-Earth laser communication: reliability and bandwidth advantages
Authors: Zhao Chen , Hua Nan , Song Jingwei , Zhu Kangqi , Fu Wentao , Qi Jiamin , Li Yan , Zheng Xiaoping
Published: January 2024

The reliability of the space-to-Earth laser communication plays a crucial role in providing uninterrupted real-time services in satellite optical networks. In traditional satellite optical networks, the space-to-Earth laser communication is carried out using a monolithic satellite in close proximity to the target optical ground station. However, the reliability of the communication in this approach is heavily influenced by the atmospheric environment. For instance, variations in cloud thickness can cause fluctuations in the link quality of the space-to-Earth laser communication, significantly reducing its reliability. This study proposes an innovative channel-adaptive space-to-Earth laser communication (CA-S2E-LC) architecture based on satellite cluster optical networking (SCON). SCON provides space-diversity link sets, reducing the probability of space-to-Earth laser communications affected by clouds. By leveraging the perception of link quality, the CA-S2E-LC architecture can adaptively choose the better space-to-Earth laser communication links established by member satellites within a satellite cluster under different environments, and properly schedule the resource, ensuring reliable space-to-Earth laser communication. The principles of the SCON is analyzed and the implementation of the CA-S2E-LC architecture is demonstrated through the explanation of hardware and functional modules, workflows, finite state machines, and strategies. Simulation results demonstrate that the CA-S2E-LC architecture can significantly enhance communication reliability and capacity compared with the traditional monolithic satellite. Furthermore, the workflow of the architecture is demonstrated to validate the feasibility.
Estimation of the proximal temperature rise of an excited upconversion particle by detecting the wavefront of emission
Authors: Nalupurackal Gokul , Singh Jaspal , Roy Srestha , Lokesh Muruga , Chakraborty Snigdhadev , Goswami Jayesh , Bhattacharya Arijit , Sinha Mahapatra Pallab , Ganesan A. R. , Roy Basudev
Published: January 2024

Monitoring the temperature distribution within a local environment at the micro and nanoscale is vital as many processes are solely thermal. Various thermometric techniques have been explored in the community, and out of these, fluorescent nano/micro particle-based mechanisms are accepted widely (fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) techniques, where the ratio of populations in two consecutive energy levels is compared with Boltzmann distribution). We describe a new technique to account for the temperature rise near an illuminated upconverting particle (UCP) using wavefront imaging, which is more sensitive than the conventional thermometric techniques on the microscale. We rely on a thermo-optical phase microscopic technique by reconstructing the wavefront of emission from an upconverting particle using a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. The wavefront maps the local phase distribution, which is an indicator of the surroundings’ optical parameters, particularly the suspended medium’s temperature-induced refractive index in the presence of convection currents. We describe how these extracted phase values can provide information about the optical heating due to the particle and hence its local environment along the direction of the emission. Our findings demonstrate the detection of a minimum temperature rise of 0.23 K, while the FIR methods indicate a minimum of 0.3 K rise. This technique is used to study the temperature increase in the backscattered direction for an upconverting particle illuminated on pump resonance. We also estimate the Soret coefficient for an upconverting particle optically trapped on pump resonance and experiencing anisotropic heating across the body.