bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determining and structuring ultrafast laser pulses: from direct optical tailoring to optomechanical coupling through engineering microfibers
Authors: Zhao Junqing , Zhou Jian , Chen Zikai , Jiang Yuyuan , Liu Jing
Published: January 2022

We demonstrate that ultrafast laser pulses can be efficiently determined and structured either by direct optical tailoring or optomechanical coupling in fiber lasers through engineering microfibers.
Extrinsic Fabry-Perot Interferometer With Supermode Interference
Authors: Alonso-Murias Monserrat del C. , Monzón-Hernández David , Antonio-Lopez Enrique , Schülzgen Axel , Amezcua-Correa Rodrigo , Villatoro Joel
Published: January 2022

We propose and demonstrate an extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer build with a strongly coupled multicore fiber. The interferometer can be used for measuring distances or any other parameter that induces changes in the cavity length.
Steady-state squeezing transfer in hybrid optomechanics
Authors: Molinares Hugo , Eremeev Vitalie , Orszag Miguel
Published: January 2022

A hybrid scheme proves the transfer of squeezed states (TSS) from the mechanical part to an optical cavity. Here a three-level atom acts as an intermediate and TSS is achieved with a high fidelity.
Dielectric metasurfaces with asymmetric generation of nonlinear images
Authors: Kruk Sergey , Wang Lei , Sain Basudeb , Dong Zhaogang , Yang Joel , Zentgraf Thomas , Kivshar Yuri
Published: January 2022

We design, fabricate, and demonstrate translucent metasurfaces that generate images in transmission at third-harmonic frequency. Such metasurfaces create different and completely independent images for the opposite directions of illumination.
Demonstration of Nanoscale Patterning of Thin-Layer Beta-Barium Borate Through Anhydrous Fabrication
Authors: Mohamed Mohamed Sabry , Forouhar Siamak
Published: January 2022

We demonstrate sub-micron lithographic patterning of nonlinear β-barium borate layers, obtaining features below 100 nm through a novel anhydrous fabrication process. This paves the way for visible- and ultraviolet-range chip-scale photonic devices.
Observation of Spatiotemporal Optical Vortices in Subcycle Terahertz Pulses
Authors: Hine George
Published: January 2022

Linear phase shear of subcycle terahertz pulsed beams is shown to directly lead to spatiotemporporal optical vortex generation. This is corroborated by spatiotemporal measurements of subcycle terahertz radiation under linear phase shear.
Detecting Breast Tumor by Photoacoustic Spectroscopy Integrated Machine Learning: A Comparison of Statistical and Algorithm Based Features
Authors: Rodrigues Jackson , Amin Ashwini , Chandra Subhash , Nayak G Subramanya , Ray Satadru , Satyamoorthy K , Mahato. K K
Published: January 2022

We compared the performance of feature selection over feature extraction on wavelet packet decomposed photoacoustic spectra belonging to control and different time-points of breast tumor progression ex vivo, in machine learning based classification. Comments and questions should be directed to the OSA Conference Papers staff.
Self-cooling Laser without Inversion
Authors: Andre L. B. , Cheng L. , Rand S. C.
Published: January 2022

In a 3-level system modeled after Ce3+:LiCaF a single pump wave tuned near the ground state transition produces lasing without population inversion together with radiative cooling.
Nanosecond-time domain molecular spectroscopy to measure lifetime of rovibrational level of sodium diatomic molecules in the 61 Σ g + state
Authors: Thapa Sanjib , Pant Lok , Kashem Shakil , Bayram S. Burcin
Published: January 2022

This research focuses on the lifetime measurement of the high-lying 61

Σ
g
+

excited state of sodium diatomic molecules with the presence of argon gas. Lifetime measurement is important since it provides accurate knowledge of the transition dipole moment which is a key parameter in determination of the probability of absorption and emission of light by a molecule. The excitation to the high-lying state was accomplished by two synchronized nano-second pulse dye lasers and decay fluorescence was studied using molecular spectroscopy technique. The detection was done by using combination of a spectrometer-PMT and a time-correlated photon-counting method. Lifetime measurements were done as a function of argon pressure and radiative lifetime was extracted. Spectroscopic technique has wide range of applications in physics, chemistry, biology, and astronomy. I will present the experimental technique and the lifetime measurement of the rovibrational level in the 61

Σ
g
+

electronic state. This research is supported by the National Science Foundation (Award#1607601).
Soliton solutions for the nonlinear Schrodinger equation with Kerr nonlinearity
Authors: Jia Angela , Lei Karen , Wang Kelin , Wu Juhao
Published: January 2022

The nonlinear Schrödinger equation with Kerr nonlinearity is studied by using the hyperbolic function series expansion method. The method appears to be simple and efficient and can be used for other nonlinear equations.
Optical Steganography using Phase Encoding of Coherent States in a Noisy Thermal Channel
Authors: Jain R. , Jagannathan A. , Habif J. L.
Published: January 2022

We demonstrate steganography through an optical communication channel by encrypting the information in the phase of the coherent state, where the phase distribution emulates a thermal state, making the communication both secure and secret.
Ultra-high reflectivity photonic crystal reflectors for cavity optomechanics
Authors: Zhou Feng , Bao Yiliang , Gorman Jason , Lawall John
Published: January 2022

We demonstrate a silicon nitride membrane incorporating two-dimensional photonic crystal structure. A Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity with a finesse as high as 26500 is constructed using the photonic crystal mirror, corresponding a photonic crystal reflectivity of 99.99%.
Low-Loss 2×2 Wavelength-Independent Coupler Using MZI Based on Bézier Curves
Authors: Papadovasilakis Marios , Chandran Sujith , Gebregiorgis Yonas , Bian Yusheng , Rakowski Michal , Augur Rod , Viegas Jaime
Published: January 2022

We describe a Bézier curve-based wavelength-independent coupler using a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI). 3D FDTD simulations demonstrate constant, broadband splitting ratios with very low insertion loss (< 0.05 dB) and compact footprint (138μm2).
Graphene Nanoribbons based mid-infrared photodetectors
Authors: Sharma Vinod , Tapar Jinal , Kishen Saurabh , Emani Naresh Kumar
Published: January 2022

We demonstrate tunable graphene nanoribbon-based photodetector for the wavelength range 5–12 μm. We leverage the width dependence of bandgap in nanoribbons, and their tunable plasmonic properties to demonstrate photodetection at room temperature.
Fabrication of graphene oxide conformally coated fiber Bragg grating
Authors: Liu Wenbo , Lin Han , Yao Tao , Zheng Jinchuan , Jia Baohua
Published: January 2022

We demonstrate the fabrication of graphene oxide conformally coated fiber Bragg grating (FBG) for potential applications. The fabrication technique involves the femtosecond laser fabrication of FBG and layer-by-layer conformal coating of the graphene oxide materials.
Semiclassical Theory of Photon Echoes with Application to Pr:YSO
Authors: Levine Zachary H.
Published: January 2022

Coherent states are used to prepare a crystal using the Atomic Frequency Comb protocol for quantum memory. Here, semiclassical theory is developed and compared to experimental photon echoes of a coherent pulse.
Optical Training Framework for Optical Diffractive Deep Neural Network via Direct Feedback Alignment
Authors: Fang Tao , Li Jingwei , Zhang Biao , Wu Tongyu , Dong Xiaowen
Published: January 2022

We propose a novel optical training framework for Optical Diffractive Deep Neural Network based on Direct Feedback Alignment. The proposed method can accelerate the training process enormously without significant loss of accuracy.
High-speed optical 3D active sensing method for high-dynamic targets in the large-field scene
Authors: Cao Ruimin , Yang Hui , Fu Jian , Wang Lihui
Published: January 2022

This method proposed a mapping relationship between mirror-angles and target position. It employed two galvano-mirrors to quickly control the optical path, improved the sensing field-of-view and the real-time performance for highly dynamic targets.
Photon Funnel Design Based on Spatially Variant Self-Collimating Photonic Crystals
Authors: Martinez Noel P. , Xia Chun , Kuebler Stephen M. , Rumpf Raymond C.
Published: January 2022

We present a device that flows a beam incident at any position and angle along the input side of a lattice to a single zone at the output. We report the performance of the device.
Coherent Mid-Infrared Dispersive Wave in the Dispersion Engineering Side-slotted Silicon waveguide
Authors: Ye Feng , Huang Jiayao , Li Qian
Published: January 2022

We numerically demonstrate that using the dispersion engineered side-slotted silicon waveguide contributes much to coherent mid-infrared dispersive wave generation in terms of a higher peak power, wider bandwidth and better coherence property.
Learning framework for unsupervised cellular refractive index and thickness measurement
Authors: Makarenko Maksim , Burguete-Lopez Arturo , Getman Fedor , Fratalocchi Andrea
Published: January 2022

In this work, we develop a framework to experimentally extract thickness and refractive index maps from biological cells using AI-driven inverse search from RGB photographs.
Analysis of voxel of integral imaging display using self- interference incoherent digital holography
Authors: Kim Youngrok , Park Sungwoong , Min Sung-Wook
Published: January 2022

A voxel analysis technique of integral imaging system using self-interference incoherent digital holography is proposed, which can acquire the hologram in a condition of the incoherent light source. To find the exact position of the voxel and the expressible depth range of system, we use an autofocus algorithm that estimates the sharpness of numerically reconstructed holograms.
Tailoring the Photo Thermal Properties of Natural Curcumin Dye with Laser Generated Silver Nanoparticles
Authors: Fathima R , Mujeeb A
Published: January 2022

The thermo optical properties of Curcumin dye with Ag nanoparticles were investigated using thermal lens spectroscopy. An enhancement in Thermal lens signal amplitude and reduction in diffusivity was observed with concentration of Ag nanoparticles.
Experimental Investigation of the Nature of Chiral Light Emission at the K/K´ Valleys of Monolayer Molybdenum Disulfide Using its Interaction with Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Abasifard Mostafa , Bucher Tobias , Mupparapu Rajeshkumar , Najafidehaghani Emad , Knopf Heiko , George Antony , Eilenberger Falk , Pertsch Thomas , Turchanin Andrey , Staude Isabelle
Published: January 2022

Valley polarized chiral light emission of monolayer molybdenum disulfide interacting with gold nanoparticles was studied at 4 K. Its behavior is consistent with the emission of a chiral point dipole of well-defined helicity.
Inverse design of a broadband silicon nitride polarization rotor
Authors: Bustamante Yesica R. R. , de Paula Rômulo A. , Aldaya Ivan
Published: January 2022

In this work, we present the design for a broadband, compact and efficient silicon nitride polarization rotor. This work uses the inverse design method and the results show the polarization rotor with a footprint of 15x3 µm2.
Temporal Properties and Schmidt Decomposition of the Biphoton State in a ppLN Ridge Waveguide
Authors: Kumar Ramesh , Yadav Vikash Kumar , Venkataraman Vivek , Ghosh Joyee
Published: January 2022

We study the temporal properties and Schmidt decomposition of the biphotons generated through spontaneous parametric down-conversion in a type-II lithium niobate ridge waveguide, deriving an explicit expression of the mode function for a waveguide.
Estimation of Intralipid 20% Dilutions Using Machine Learning Enabled Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy
Authors: Jain Saloni , Unni Sujatha N.
Published: January 2022

Intralipid widely used synthetic ingredient for mimicking tissue scattering for invitro light tissue interaction studies. We present machine learning-enabled diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to estimate scatterer concentration in intralipid solution.
Suppressing meta-holographic artifacts by laser coherence tuning
Authors: Eliezer Yaniv , Qu Geyang , Yang Wenhong , Wang Yujie , Yilmaz Hasan , Xiao Shumin , Song Qinghai , Cao Hui
Published: January 2022

Metaholograms suffer from imaging coherent artifacts originating from the electromagnetic cross-talk and defects of nanoscale features. Here, we introduce an efficient method to remove the artifacts by precisely fine-tuning the spatial coherence of illumination.
High-momentum 2D Exciton-polaritons in Monolayer Semiconductors
Authors: Epstein Itai , Koppens Frank H. L.
Published: January 2022

We predict the existence of a new type of in-plane propagating exciton-polaritons that are supported by monolayer transition-metal-dichalcogenides (TMDs), which can carry large momentum in the visible spectrum. This 2D exciton-polariton (2DEP) is a result of the coupling between the electromagnetic light field and collective oscillations of excitons in TMDs. We experimentally show that the conditions required for the excitation of the 2DEP are attainable if the TMD is encapsulated with hexagonal-boron-nitride (hBN) and is cryogenically cooled. In addition, a comparison of the properties of the 2DEP twith those of surface-plasmon-polaritons at the same spectral range reveals that the 2DEP exhibits two orders-of-magnitude larger wavelength confinement.
Enhanced on-chip frequency measurement using weak value amplification
Authors: Steinmetz John , Lyons Kevin , Song Meiting , Cardenas Jaime , Jordan Andrew N.
Published: January 2022

We present an integrated design to sensitively measure changes in optical frequency using weak value amplification with a multi-mode interferometer. The technique involves introducing a weak perturbation to the system and then post-selecting the data in such a way that the signal is amplified without amplifying the technical noise, as has previously been demonstrated in a free-space setup. We demonstrate the advantages of a Bragg grating with two band gaps for obtaining simultaneous, stable high transmission and high dispersion. The device is more robust and easily scalable than the free-space implementation, and provides amplified sensitivity compared to other methods of measuring changes in optical frequency on a chip, such as an integrated Mach-Zehnder interferometer.
High sensitivity pH sensing by using a ring resonator laser integrated into a microfluidic chip
Authors: Li Dong-Yang , Zhang Han , Li Zhi , Zhou Ling-Wei , Zhang Meng-Da , Pu Xiao-Yun , Sun Yu-Ze , Liu Hang , Zhang Yuan-Xian
Published: January 2022

We present a chip-scale integrated pH sensor with high sensitivity by using an optofluidic ring resonator (OFRR) laser. An optical fiber with a high refractive index (RI) is employed both as an optical cavity and the sensing reactor along a microchannel, while disodium fluorescein (DSF) aqueous solution with a low RI is served as the cladding gain medium and fluorescent probes. The pump light is introduced along the fiber axis and guided by the total internal reflection at the fiber/cladding interface. The evanescent field of the pump light extends out of the fiber surface and efficiently excites the dye molecules residing in the evanescent field region of the Whispering Gallery Modes (WGMs) of the OFRRs to produce lasing emission. This pumping scheme provides a uniform excitation to the gain medium and significantly increases the signal-to-noise ratio, ensuring a low lasing threshold and highly sensitive sensing. The lasing threshold property under different pH conditions is experimentally and theoretically conducted to evaluate the sensing performance, which shows that the lasing threshold highly depends on the pH value of the cladding solution due to the increasing deprotonation process. We further verify that the intensity of the lasing emission and the pH value shows good linearity in the pH range 6.51-8.13, with a 2-order-of-magnitude sensitivity enhancement compared to fluorescence measurement. The proposed OFRR lasing platform shows excellent robustness and low sample consumption, providing a powerful sensing strategy in medicine, and hazardous/toxic/volatile sensing, which require label-free, real-time, and in situ detection.
Spectrally-resolved Hong-Ou-Mandel interferometry for Quantum-Optical Coherence Tomography
Authors: Yepiz-Graciano Pablo , Martinez Ali Angulo , Ramirez Hector Cruz , U'Ren Alfred B. , Lopez-Mago Dorilian
Published: January 2022

We present the first frequency-domain implementation of quantum optical coherence tomography, which eliminates the need for axial scanning, thus significantly speeding up data acquisition.
Ghost Imaging at the Free-Electron Laser FLASH
Authors: Kim Young Yong , Gelisio Luca , Mercurio Giuseppe , Dziarzhytski Siarhei , Beye Martin , Bocklage Lars , Classen Anton , David Christian , Gorobtsov Oleg Yu. , Khubbutdinov Ruslan , Lazarev Sergey , Mukharamova Nastasia , Obukhov Yuri N. , Rösner Benedikt , Schlage Kai , Zaluzhnyy Ivan A. , Brenner Günter , Röhlsberger Ralf , von Zanthier Joachim , Vartanyants Ivan A.
Published: January 2022

A classical ghost imaging experiment performed at the free-electron laser FLASH is presented. The possibility of image formation, a double bar in our case, in the beam that has never interacted with the sample is demonstrated.
Generation of four-dimensional hyperentangled N00N states and beyond with photonic orbital angular momentum and detection-basis control
Authors: Vázquez José César Guerra , Castañeda Emmanuel Narváez , Alarcón Roberto Ramírez , Agha Imad , Zhan Qiwen , Plick William N.
Published: January 2022

We show a new protocol using the interference of two optical nonlinearities and control of the heralding (detection) basis in the orbital-angular-momentum degree of freedom. The generation of hyperentangled states in high-dimensions will be discussed.
Quantum-router: Storing and redirecting light at the photon level
Authors: Korzeczek Martin C. , Braun Daniel
Published: January 2022

Single photons can be stored in a quantum memory in the form of a spin-wave. By applying a magnetic field gradient during the storage phase the photons can be re-emitted in any desired direction.
Single-pass femtosecond parametric process towards continuous variables quantum networks
Authors: Sansavini F. , Ansquer M. , Kouadou T. , Treps N. , Parigi V.
Published: January 2022

We generate multimode quantum states via single-pass femtosecond parametric down conversion in non-linear waveguides. We measure up to 14 squeezed spectral modes and pulse-by pulse squeezing. This enables the implementation of large quantum networks.
All-optical Raman-based noise spectroscopy of solid-state spin qubits
Authors: Farfurnik Demitry , Singh Harjot , Luo Zhouchen , Bracker Allan S. , Carter Samuel G. , Pettit Robert M. , Waks Edo
Published: January 2022

We introduce an all-optical approach for noise spectroscopy of solid-state spin qubits, based on Raman control and the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill pulse sequences, and use it to extract the noise spectra of self-assembled quantum dots.
Discrete-Variable Quantum Key Distribution Based on Homodyne Detection
Authors: Primaatmaja Ignatius W. , Liang Cassey C. , Zhang Gong , Haw Jing Yan , Wang Chao , Lim Charles C.-W.
Published: January 2022

We propose and analyse a practical quantum key distribution protocol that combines the features of discrete and continuous-variable protocols. Our proposed protocol does not require the honest parties to share a phase reference.
A Scalable Multi-User QKD Hub for Entanglement-Based Phase-Time Coding
Authors: Bialowons Lucas , Fitzke Erik , Tippmann Maximilian , Nikiforov Oleg , Walther Thomas
Published: January 2022

Simultaneous pairwise quantum key distribution between four parties was demonstrated by implementing an entanglement-based phase-time coding protocol with a type-0 SPDC photon source. The star-shaped network is scalable to dozens of users.
Rigorous Characterization of Single-Photon Detectors using Generalized Decoy-State Scheme
Authors: Zhang Gong , Wang Haibo , Zhang Jishen , Wang Chao , Xu Haiwen , Liang Yan , Lim Charles , Gong Xiao
Published: January 2022

We experimentally demonstrate a generalized decoy-state scheme to rigorously characterize the efficiency and noise of single-photon detectors with relaxed requirement on the detector's physical model, which could open new possibilities in device calibration standards.
Fibre-integrated laser-written quantum memory for light-matter entanglement
Authors: Rakonjac Jelena V. , Corrielli Giacomo , Lago-Rivera Dario , Seri Alessandro , Mazzera Margherita , Grandi Samuele , Osellame Roberto , de Riedmatten Hugues
Published: January 2022

We demonstrate the storage of light-matter entanglement between a telecom photon and an integrated solid-state quantum memory. The quantum memory is a fibre-coupled waveguide written in a rare-earth doped crystal.
Measurement-dependent erasure of distinguishability for the observation of interference in an unbalanced SU(1,1) interferometer
Authors: Huo Nan , Liang Cui , Zhao Wen , Guo Xueshi , Li Xiaoying , Ou Z. Y.
Published: January 2022

We report a method of homodyne detection that can recover otherwise lost interference effect in an unbalanced SU(1,1) interferometer. The indistinguishability due to amplitude measurement and slow detection is responsible for the recovery of interference.
Two-Photon Interference with Bright Remote Quantum Dot Sources
Authors: Pont M. , Thomas S. E. , de Buy Wenniger I. Maillette , Harouri A. , Lemaitre A. , Sagnes I. , Somaschi N. , Senellart P.
Published: January 2022

Fabricating multiple identical bright single-photon sources is critical for scalable quantum technologies. We demonstrate Hong-Ou-Mandel interference of photons from two distinct quantum dot sources in micropillar cavities with a visibility of (67 ± 4) %.
Using Coherent Multimode Photon Addition for Sensing a Remote Phase
Authors: Biagi Nicola , Francesconi Saverio , Gessner Manuel , Zavatta Alessandro , Bellini Marco
Published: January 2022

We demonstrate a remote phase estimation technique based on delocalized single-photon addition onto distinct field modes and characterized by a sensitivity scaling with the intensity of light that never interacted with a distant sample.
Entanglement-assisted multiple-access channels: capacity regions and protocol designs
Authors: Shi Haowei , Hsieh Min-Hsiu , Guha Saikat , Zhang Zheshen , Zhuang Quntao
Published: January 2022

We solve the entanglement-assisted rate region of multiple-access channels, applicable to thermal-loss optical networks. Practical protocols based on spontaneous para-metric down-conversion source, phase modulation and optical parametric amplifiers are presented to benefit from entanglement [1].
Probe Incompatibility in Multiparameter Noisy Quantum Channel Estimation
Authors: Albarelli Francesco , Demkowicz-Dobrzanski Rafal
Published: January 2022

We derive fundamental bounds on the maximal achievable precision in multi-parameter noisy quantum channel estimation, valid under the most general entanglement-assisted adaptive strategy, which are tighter than the bounds obtained by a direct use of single-parameter bounds.
Identification of the Cirel'son bound using uncertainty limited joint measurement of photon polarization
Authors: Matsuyama Kengo , Hofmann Holger F. , Iinuma Masataka
Published: January 2022

Joint measurements of complementary polarizations are performed on entangled photon pairs, clarifying the relation between measurement uncertainties and quantum non-locality. Extremely low probabilities indicate that the non-local correlations are close to the Cirel'son bound.
Building quantum ion sensors based on solid-state defects in nanodiamond
Authors: Li Changhao , Luo Shao-Xiong Lennon , Kim Daniel , Wang Guoqing , Cappellaro Paola
Published: January 2022

1. Introduction Alkali metal ions such as sodium and potassium ions play fundamental roles in biology. Therefore, developing highly sensitive and selective methods to both detect and quantify these ions for biological applications including medical diagnostics and imaging is of considerable importance. In recent years, quantum sensors have emerged as powerful tools to detect chemical and biological signals. In particular, nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond act as stable fluorescence markers and magnetic field sensors, and have been investigated as quantum sensors for applications ranging from material science to chem-istry and biology. A promising avenue to detect biological signals is to transduce them into the signals that can be readout by NV centers. For instance, the NV's charge state is closely related to its surrounding electrostatic environment [1, 2]. Meanwhile, NV centers in nanodiamonds (NDs) have already demonstrated their ability to detect biological processes with high spatial resolution [3, 4], and are the object of mant intense study due to their favorable properties, ranging from very high photo- and thermal-stability to biocompatibility, in contrast to many florescent biomarkers that are used to detect ions. In this work, with surface engineering of ND, we study a quantum sensor that is capable of detecting specific ions such as sodium ions. We will show that the presence of metal ions will change the charge state of NV centers inside ND, which can be read out by measuring the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum.
Noisy Magnetometry in Real Time
Authors: Amorós-Binefa Julia , Kołodyński Jan
Published: January 2022

We study the effect of noise on continuously-monitored atomic sensors for magnetometry of a fluctuating field. We prove that noise disallows the error to follow a super-classical scaling in number of atoms and measurement time.
Spectral Density and non Markovianity Measurements via Graph State Simulation
Authors: Renault P. , Nokkala J. , Treps N. , Piilo J. , Parigi V.
Published: January 2022

Multimode optical parametric processes can be tailored and arranged as complex quantum networks. Here we show experimental results for the simulation of structured environments and the probing of their spectral density and non-Markovianity
Neural network-based adaptive global sliding mode MPPT controller design for stand-alone photovoltaic systems
Authors: Haq Izhar Ul , Khan Qudrat , Ullah Safeer , Khan Shahid Ahmed , Akmeliawati Rini , Khan Mehmood Ashraf , Iqbal Jamshed
Published: January 2022

The increasing energy demand and the target to reduce environmental pollution make it essential to use efficient and environment-friendly renewable energy systems. One of these systems is the Photovoltaic (PV) system which generates energy subject to variation in environmental conditions such as temperature and solar radiations. In the presence of these variations, it is necessary to extract the maximum power via the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller. This paper presents a nonlinear generalized global sliding mode controller (GGSMC) to harvest maximum power from a PV array using a DC-DC buck-boost converter. A feed-forward neural network (FFNN) is used to provide a reference voltage. A GGSMC is designed to track the FFNN generated reference subject to varying temperature and sunlight. The proposed control strategy, along with a modified sliding mode control, eliminates the reaching phase so that the sliding mode exists throughout the time. The system response observes no chattering and harmonic distortions. Finally, the simulation results using MATLAB/Simulink environment demonstrate the effectiveness, accuracy, and rapid tracking of the proposed control strategy. The results are compared with standard results of the nonlinear backstepping controller under abrupt changes in environmental conditions for further validation.
COVID-19-associated acute kidney injury patients treated with renal replacement therapy in the intensive care unit: A multicenter study in São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Samaan Farid , Carneiro de Paula Elisa , de Lima Souza Fabrizzio Batista Guimarães , Mendes Luiz Fernando Cardoso , Rossi Paula Regina Gan , Freitas Rafaela Andrade Penalva , Nakagawa Fernando Takahashi , Maciel Alexandre Toledo , Aranha Sylvia , Osawa Eduardo , Konigsfeld Henrique Pinheiro , da Silva Riberto Garcia , de Souza Ricardo Barbosa Cintra , Coutinho Saurus Mayer , Vieira Tales Dantas , Thomaz Karina De Bonis , Flato Elias Marcos Silva , da Silva Renata Cristina , Andrade Lucas Vicente , Badaoui Muna , Badaoui Eduardo Pogetti , Goes Miguel Ângelo , do Amaral Sergio Henrique , Cunha Karlla , Muniz Inês Marin , Sampaio Jacqueline Siqueira , Durão Junior Marcelino de Souza , Zanetta Dirce M. Trevisan , Burdmann Emmanuel A.
Published: January 2022

Introduction

Multicenter studies involving patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) associated with the disease caused by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) and treated with renal replacement therapy (RRT) in developing countries are scarce. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the demographic profile, clinical picture, risk factors for mortality, and outcomes of critically ill patients with AKI requiring dialysis (AKI-RRT) and with COVID-19 in the megalopolis of São Paulo, Brazil.

Methods

This multicenter, retrospective, observational study was conducted in the intensive care units of 13 public and private hospitals in the metropolitan region of the municipality of São Paulo. Patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit, aged ≥ 18 years, and treated with RRT due to COVID-19-associated AKI were included.

Results

The study group consisted of 375 patients (age 64.1 years, 68.8% male). Most (62.1%) had two or more comorbidities: 68.8%, arterial hypertension; 45.3%, diabetes; 36.3%, anemia; 30.9%, obesity; 18.7%, chronic kidney disease; 15.7%, coronary artery disease; 10.4%, heart failure; and 8.5%, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Death occurred in 72.5% of the study population (272 patients). Among the 103 survivors, 22.3% (23 patients) were discharged on RRT. In a multiple regression analysis, the independent factors associated with death were the number of organ dysfunctions at admission and RRT efficiency.

Conclusion

AKI-RRT associated with COVID-19 occurred in patients with an elevated burden of comorbidities and was associated with high mortality (72.5%). The number of organ dysfunctions during hospitalization and RRT efficiency were independent factors associated with mortality. A meaningful portion of survivors was discharged while dependent on RRT (22.3%).
Real-world assessment and treatment of locally advanced basal cell carcinoma: Findings from the RegiSONIC disease registry
Authors: Sekulic Aleksandar , Yoo Simon , Kudchadkar Ragini , Guillen Julie , Rogers Gary , Chang Anne Lynn S. , Guenthner Scott , Raskin Bernard , Dawson Keith , Mun Yong , Chu Laura , McKenna Edward , Lacouture Mario
Published: January 2022

Background

Limited information is available regarding real-world treatment patterns and their effectiveness and safety in patients with locally advanced basal cell carcinoma, including patients not typically represented in clinical trials. The purpose of the current study was to describe how clinicians diagnose and treat locally advanced basal cell carcinoma in the United States.

Methods

This prospective, multicenter, observational registry study included patients with newly diagnosed, Hedgehog pathway inhibitor–naive locally advanced basal cell carcinoma without basal cell carcinoma nevus syndrome (n = 433) treated at 75 US academic and community practices, including dermatology, Mohs surgery, and medical oncology sites. The main outcomes of this study were treatment patterns and associated effectiveness and safety for patients with locally advanced basal cell carcinoma in real-world settings.

Results

Determination of locally advanced basal cell carcinoma was mainly based on lesion size (79.6% of patients), histopathology (54.3%), extent of involvement (49.0%), and location (46.2%). Within 90 days of determination of locally advanced disease, 115 patients (26.6%) received vismodegib, 251 (58.0%) received surgery/other (non-vismodegib) treatment, and 67 (15.5%) had not yet received treatment (observation). Vismodegib-treated patients had a higher prevalence of high-risk clinical features predictive for locoregional recurrence than those with non-vismodegib treatment or observation. Clinical response rate was 85.1% with vismodegib and 94.9% with non-vismodegib treatment (primarily surgery). The most common adverse events with vismodegib were ageusia/dysgeusia, muscle spasms, alopecia, and weight loss. Rates of cutaneous squamous cell cancers were comparable between vismodegib and non-vismodegib treatment.

Conclusions

This prospective observational study offers insight on real-world practice, treatment selection, and outcomes for a nationally representative sample of US patients with locally advanced basal cell carcinoma. For patients with lesions that were not amenable to surgery, vismodegib treatment was associated with effectiveness and safety that was consistent with that observed in clinical trials.
Clinical characteristics and histopathology of COVID-19 related deaths in South African adults
Authors: Nunes Marta C. , Hale Martin J. , Mahtab Sana , Mabena Fikile C. , Dludlu Noluthando , Baillie Vicky L. , Thwala Bukiwe N. , Els Toyah , du Plessis Jeanine , Laubscher Marius , Mckenzie Shakeel , Mtshali Sihle , Menezes Colin , Serafin Natali , van Blydenstein Sarah , Tsitsi Merika , Dulisse Brian , Madhi Shabir A.
Published: January 2022

Comparisons of histopathological features and microbiological findings between decedents with respiratory symptoms due to SARS-CoV-2 infection or other causes, in settings with high prevalence of HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infections have not been reported. Deaths associated with a positive ante-mortem SARS-CoV-2 PCR test and/or respiratory disease symptoms at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto, South Africa from 15th April to 2nd November 2020, during the first wave of the South African COVID-19 epidemic, were investigated. Deceased adult patients had post-mortem minimally-invasive tissue sampling (MITS) performed to investigate for SARS-CoV-2 infection and molecular detection of putative pathogens on blood and lung samples, and histopathology examination of lung, liver and heart tissue. During the study period MITS were done in patients displaying symptoms of respiratory disease including 75 COVID-19-related deaths (COVID+) and 42 non-COVID-19-related deaths (COVID-). The prevalence of HIV-infection was lower in COVID+ (27%) than in the COVID- (64%), MTB detection was also less common among COVID+ (3% vs 13%). Lung histopathology findings showed differences between COVID+ and COVID- in the severity of the morphological appearance of Type-II pneumocytes, alveolar injury and repair initiated by SARS-CoV-2 infection. In the liver necrotising granulomatous inflammation was more common among COVID+. No differences were found in heart analyses. The prevalence of bacterial co-infections was higher in COVID+. Most indicators of respiratory distress syndrome were undifferentiated between COVID+ and COVID- except for Type-II pneumocytes. HIV or MTB infection does not appear in these data to have a meaningful correspondence with COVID-related deaths.
The Drosophila functional Smad suppressing element fuss, a homologue of the human Skor genes, retains pro-oncogenic properties of the Ski/Sno family
Authors: Rass Mathias , Gizler Laura , Bayersdorfer Florian , Irlbeck Christoph , Schramm Matthias , Schneuwly Stephan
Published: January 2022

Over the years Ski and Sno have been found to be involved in cancer progression e.g. in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, oestrogen receptor-positive breast carcinoma, colorectal carcinoma, and leukaemia. Often, their prooncogenic features have been linked to their ability of inhibiting the anti-proliferative action of TGF-ß signalling. Recently, not only pro-oncogenic but also anti-oncogenic functions of Ski/Sno proteins have been revealed. Besides Ski and Sno, which are ubiquitously expressed other members of Ski/Sno proteins exist which show highly specific neuronal expression, the SKI Family Transcriptional Corepressors (Skor). Among others Skor1 and Skor2 are involved in the development of Purkinje neurons and a mutation of Skor1 has been found to be associated with restless legs syndrome. But neither Skor1 nor Skor2 have been reported to be involved in cancer progression. Using overexpression studies in theDrosophilaeye imaginal disc, we analysed if theDrosophilaSkor homologue Fuss has retained the potential to inhibit differentiation and induce increased proliferation. Fuss expressed in cells posterior to the morphogenetic furrow, impairs photoreceptor axon pathfinding and inhibits differentiation of accessory cells. However, if its expression is induced prior to eye differentiation, Fuss might inhibit the differentiating function of Dpp signalling and might maintain proliferative action of Wg signalling, which is reminiscent of the Ski/Sno protein function in cancer.
Sloping land use affects the complexity of soil moisture and temperature changes in the loess hilly region of China
Authors: Zhang Chao , Tang Min , Gao Xiaodong , Ling Qiang , Wu Pute
Published: January 2022

Various land use types have been implemented by the government in the loess hilly region of China to facilitate sustainable land use. Understanding the variability in soil moisture and temperature under various sloping land use types can aid the ecological restoration and sustainable utilization of sloping land resources. The objective of this study was to use approximate entropy (ApEn) to reveal the variations in soil moisture and temperature under different land use types, because ApEn only requires a short data series to obtain robust estimates, with a strong anti-interference ability. An experiment was conducted with four typical land use scenarios (i.e., soybean sloping field, maize terraced field, jujube orchard, and grassland) over two consecutive plant growing seasons (2014 and 2015), and the time series of soil moisture and temperature within different soil depth layers of each land use type were measured in both seasons. The results showed that the changing amplitude, degree of variation, and active layer of soil moisture in the 0–160 cm soil depth layer, as well as the changing amplitude and degree of variation of soil temperature in the 0–100 cm soil layer increased in the jujube orchard over the two growing seasons. The changing amplitude, degree of variation, and active layer of soil moisture all decreased in the maize terraced field, as did the changing amplitude and degree of variation of soil temperature. The ApEn of the soil moisture series was the lowest in the 0–160 cm soil layer in the maize terraced field, and the ApEn of the soil temperature series was the highest in the 0–100 cm layer in the jujube orchard in the two growing seasons. Finally, the jujube orchard soil moisture and temperature change process were more variable, whereas the changes in the maize terraced field were more stable, with a stable soil moisture and temperature. This work highlights the usefulness of ApEn for revealing soil moisture and temperature changes and to guide the management and development of sloping fields.
The impact of free vaccination policies under the Korean Influenza National Immunization Program: Trends in influenza vaccination rates in South Korea from 2010 to 2019
Authors: Seo Jeongmin , Lim Juwon
Published: January 2022

Background

Annual vaccination for influenza is recommended for high-risk populations for its high morbidity and mortality. South Korea provides free influenza vaccination to some target groups under the National Immunization Program (NIP), and discrepantly high vaccination rates are observed in such populations. In this study, we analyzed the trends in influenza vaccination rates and evaluated the impact of the recent expansion of financial coverage to children ≤12 years and pregnant women.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study with nationwide survey data from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). From 2010 to 2019, we evaluated the trends in influenza vaccination rates of the following four target groups: children ≤12 years, adults ≥65 years, pregnant women, and people with chronic diseases.

Results

In total, 80,861 individuals were analyzed. From 2017 to 2019, the vaccination coverage of children ≤12 years increased from 66.2% to 83.1%; pregnant women from 44.1% to 68.5% (comparing the mean of 2010–2017 and 2018–2019, P <0.001 for both). The elderly ≥65 years showed the highest rates (85.8% in 2019), while people with chronic diseases marked the lowest (41.9% in 2019). People with liver diseases showed the lowest vaccination rate of 27.8%, while that of other common diseases ranged between 31.7–44.1%.

Conclusion

The discrepancy between target groups corresponds to their financial coverage under NIP. The recent expansion of financial aids to children ≤12 years and pregnant women was followed by significant increases in vaccination rates in both groups. We suggest that free vaccination policy is one of the most effective strategies to enhance vaccination coverage, and we call for its expansion to other under-vaccinated target groups, especially people with chronic diseases.
Bariatric surgery and exercise: A pilot study on postural stability in obese individuals
Authors: Cibulková Natálie , Daďová Klára , Mašková Kateřina , Busch Andrew , Kobesová Alena , Vařeková Jitka , Hašpicová Marcela , Matoulek Martin
Published: January 2022

This study aimed to analyze the changes in postural stability of individuals with obesity after bariatric surgery, and the effect of three months of regular exercise on the static postural stability. Twenty-two subjects (7 females and 15 males) aged 31 to 68 years (Body mass index 35–55 kg.m-2) completed the study. Participants were divided into two groups: one group participated in an exercise program after the bariatric surgery (n = 10; age 48.9 ± 7.5 years; Body mass index 42 ± 5.6 kg.m-2) while the second group did not exercise at all after bariatric surgery (n = 12; age 44.7 ± 13.6 years, Body mass index 42.6 ± 6.0 kg.m-2). Static postural stability was measured using a Tekscan MobileMat pressure plate before and 4 months after the bariatric surgery. The exercise program included exercising three times a week including: one hour of strengthening, one hour of aerobic group exercise and at least one session of individual exercise at home. There were no significant differences in Center of force sway, Center of force ranges and average speed before and 4 months after bariatric surgery. Also, no effect of exercise was found. Post-pre differences of some parameters were negatively related to age (r from—0.46 to—0.72). Further studies are needed to explore this topic in depth.
A full pipeline of diagnosis and prognosis the risk of chronic diseases using deep learning and Shapley values: The Ravansar county anthropometric cohort study
Authors: Jafari Habib , Shohaimi Shamarina , Salari Nader , Kiaei Ali Akbar , Najafi Farid , Khazaei Soleiman , Niaparast Mehrdad , Abdollahi Anita , Mohammadi Masoud
Published: January 2022

Anthropometry is a Greek word that consists of the two words “Anthropo” meaning human species and “metery” meaning measurement. It is a science that deals with the size of the body including the dimensions of different parts, the field of motion and the strength of the muscles of the body. Specific individual dimensions such as heights, widths, depths, distances, environments and curvatures are usually measured. In this article, we investigate the anthropometric characteristics of patients with chronic diseases (diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and strokes) and find the factors affecting these diseases and the extent of the impact of each to make the necessary planning. We have focused on cohort studies for 10047 qualified participants from Ravansar County. Machine learning provides opportunities to improve discrimination through the analysis of complex interactions between broad variables. Among the chronic diseases in this cohort study, we have used three deep neural network models for diagnosis and prognosis of the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as a case study. Usually in Artificial Intelligence for medicine tasks, Imbalanced data is an important issue in learning and ignoring that leads to false evaluation results. Also, the accuracy evaluation criterion was not appropriate for this task, because a simple model that is labeling all samples negatively has high accuracy. So, the evaluation criteria of precession, recall, AUC, and AUPRC were considered. Then, the importance of variables in general was examined to determine which features are more important in the risk of T2DM. Finally, personality feature was added, in which individual feature importance was examined. Performing by Shapley Values, the model is tuned for each patient so that it can be used for prognosis of T2DM risk for that patient. In this paper, we have focused and implemented a full pipeline of Data Creation, Data Preprocessing, Handling Imbalanced Data, Deep Learning model, true Evaluation method, Feature Importance and Individual Feature Importance. Through the results, the pipeline demonstrated competence in improving the Diagnosis and Prognosis the risk of T2DM with personalization capability.
Knee osteoarthritis alters peri-articular knee muscle strategies during gait
Authors: Ghazwan Aseel , Wilson Chris , Holt Cathy A. , Whatling Gemma M.
Published: January 2022

The primary role of muscles is to move, and control joints. It is therefore important to understand how degenerative joint disease changes this role with the resulting effect on mechanical joint loading. Muscular control strategies can vary depending on strength and coordination which in turn influences joint control and loading. The purpose of this study was to investigate the variation in neuromuscular control mechanisms and joint biomechanics for three subject groups including those with: uni-compartmental knee osteoarthritis (OA), listed for high tibial osteotomy surgery (pre-HTO, n = 10); multi-compartmental knee OA listed for total knee replacement (pre-TKR, n = 9), and non-pathological knees (NP, n = 11). Lower limb kinematics and electromyography (EMG) data for subjects walking at self-selected speed, were input to an EMG-driven musculoskeletal knee model which was scaled and calibrated to each individual to estimate muscle forces. Compared to NP, the peak gastrocnemius muscle force reduced by 30% and 18% for pre-HTO and pre-TKR respectively, and the peak force estimated for hamstring muscle increased by 25% for pre-HTO. Higher quadriceps and hamstring forces suggest that co-contraction with the gastrocnemius could lead to higher joint contact forces. Combined with the excessive loading due to a high external knee adduction moment this may exacerbate joint destruction. An increased lateral muscle co-contraction reflects the progression from NP to uni-compartmental OA (pre-HTO). Pre-TKR patients adopt a different gait pattern to pre-HTO patients. Increased medial muscle co-activation could potentially differentiate between uni- or multi-compartmental OA.
The Costume Maker’s Companion
Authors: Bate Toni
Published: January 2022

Review of: The Costume Maker’s Companion, Diane Favell (2020)

Marlborough: Crowood Press Ltd., 272 pp.,

ISBN 978-1-78500-719-4, p/bk, £25