bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
E-Learning amid the COVID-19 Lockdown: Standpoint of Medical and Dental Undergraduates
Authors: Anwar Aiza , Mansoor Hajra , Faisal Danyal , Khan Huma Saeed
Published: December 2020

Background and Objective: The corona-virus (COVID-19) pandemic has had devastating impacts on not only the health and socio-economic conditions but also on the education sector in various countries. Consequently, the world of education entered a new era of E-learning. This descriptive study, thus, aims to evaluate the standpoint of medical and dental undergraduates regarding E-learning amid the Covid-19 lockdown.

Methods: A descriptive online questionnaire was used to gather responses via Google forms. The questionnaire consisted of questions categorized as technology access, online skills and relationships, students’ views, and student’s perception of possible advantages of E-learning. Two hundred and eighty three medical and dental students of CMH Lahore Medical College participated in the study.

Results: One hundred and seventy nine female and 104 male students responded to the questionnaire. The results of the study showed students encouraging the accommodation of E-learning into current teaching practices. Students agreed online study material not only provides flexibility in the learning process (p=0.003) but also saves time (p = 0.012). Female participants showed a more positive readiness response towards e learning than males (p =0.001). Results also showed students have easier access to online teaching resources. Regarding online lectures, the students believe that online lectures were more organized (p= 0.001) and stimulated student interest (p=0.026). Students believe that frequent participation in the learning process is important for success in online education (p=0.002).

Conclusion: Undergraduate medical and dental students from the said private medical college are well equipped and ready to shift towards online education.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3124

How to cite this:Anwar A, Mansoor H, Faisal D, Khan HS. E-Learning amid the COVID-19 Lockdown: Standpoint of Medical and Dental Undergraduates. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):217-222. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3124

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Comparison of efficacy of combination therapy of an Intravitreal injection of bevacizumab and photocoagulation versus Pan Retinal Photocoagulation alone in High risk Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Rajar Rebecca Murtaza , Shaikh Fahad Feroz , Jatoi Shafi Muhammad
Published: December 2020

Objective: To compare efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab augmented with Panretinal photocoagulation versus Panretinal photocoagulation alone in high risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Methods: This is Randomized clinical control trial study conducted at ISRA University Hospital, Hyderabad from July 2018 to December 2018. A total of 76 eyes were randomized into two groups, 38 eyes undergone PRP plus intravitreal bevacizumab, while 38 eyes had PRP alone. Status of neovessels was assessed before and after treatment with the help of fundus fluorescein angiography. Neovessels at disc (NVD’s) and neovessels elsewhere (NVE’s) were assessed with the disc surface diameter.

Results: Seventy-six eyes were enrolled in this randomized clinical trial into two groups consecutively, that all completed the six months follow-up. In the PRP group mean BCVA (logMAR) worsened significantly from mean 0.30±0.07 to mean 0.40±0.04 at a 30th day and mean 0.40±0.04 at day 90. While BCVA become improved from 0.30±0.05 to 0.1±0.03 at week four and 0.1±0.02 at week 12 in PRP-Plus group. There was significant change in regression of NVES in PRP only group at week 4 is 2.25±0.75 (p=0.00004) and at 12 weeks 2.00±0.50 (p=0.00002), while in PRP + intravitreal bevacizumab group at 4th week was 1±0.5 (p =0.0001) and at 12th week was 0.75±0.25 (p=0.0001).

Conclusion: Intravitreal Bevacizumab augmented with PRP is more effective in early regression of neovessels in high risk PDR patients.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3141

How to cite this:Rebecca, Shaikh FF, Jatoi SM. Comparison of efficacy of combination therapy of an Intravitreal injection of bevacizumab and photocoagulation versus Pan Retinal Photocoagulation alone in High risk Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(1):157-161. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.1.3141

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Clinical characteristics and predictors of the duration of hospital stay in COVID-19 patients in Jordan
Authors: Alqassieh Rami S. , Bsisu Isam K. , Al-Sabbagh Mohammed Qussay , El-Hammuri Naser M. , Yousef Moh’d A. , El Jarbeh Mohammad A. , Sharqawi Ahmed A. , Smadi Heba Z. , Abu-Halaweh Sami A. , Abufaraj Mohammad M.
Published: December 2020

Background: On March 11th, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a global pandemic. Healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries may face serious limitations during a pandemic, for which understanding the predictors of prolonged hospital stay are crucial in decreasing the mortality rate. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictors of increased length of hospitalization among COVID-19 patients.

Methods: In this prospective study, we investigated the effect of presenting symptoms and laboratory investigations on the duration of hospitalization of 131 COVID-19 patients at a tertiary hospital in Jordan from March 17th to April 9th, 2020.

Results: Patients median age was 24 years [interquartile range (IQR): 8-39], of which 67 (51.15%) were males and 64 (48.85%) were females. Smokers had shorter in-hospital stay (OR: -3.52; 95% CI: -6.73 to -0.32; P=0.03). Taste loss (OR: 5.1; 95% CI: 1.95 to 8.25; P<0.01) and chills or rigors (OR: 4.08; 95% CI: 0.73 to 7.43; P=0.02) were the symptoms significantly associated with increased in-hospital stay, while those who had malaise (OR: -4.98; 95% CI: -8.42 to -1.59; P<0.01) and high white blood cell (WBC) count (OR: -0.74; 95% CI: -1.31 to -0.17; P=0.01) had faster recovery.

Conclusions: Our study found that the most common presenting symptoms of COVID-19 are cough, malaise, and headache. Smoking, presenting with malaise or elevated WBCs were associated with shorter hospital stay, while loss of taste and chills or rigors at presentation were associated with a longer in-hospital stay.
A guide to creating design matrices for gene expression experiments
Authors: Law Charity W. , Zeglinski Kathleen , Dong Xueyi , Alhamdoosh Monther , Smyth Gordon K. , Ritchie Matthew E.
Published: December 2020

Differential expression analysis of genomic data types, such as RNA-sequencing experiments, use linear models to determine the size and direction of the changes in gene expression. For RNA-sequencing, there are several established software packages for this purpose accompanied with analysis pipelines that are well described. However, there are two crucial steps in the analysis process that can be a stumbling block for many -- the set up an appropriate model via design matrices and the set up of comparisons of interest via contrast matrices. These steps are particularly troublesome because an extensive catalogue for design and contrast matrices does not currently exist. One would usually search for example case studies across different platforms and mix and match the advice from those sources to suit the dataset they have at hand. This article guides the reader through the basics of how to set up design and contrast matrices. We take a practical approach by providing code and graphical representation of each case study, starting with simpler examples (e.g. models with a single explanatory variable) and move onto more complex ones (e.g. interaction models, mixed effects models, higher order time series and cyclical models). Although our work has been written specifically with a limma-style pipeline in mind, most of it is also applicable to other software packages for differential expression analysis, and the ideas covered can be adapted to data analysis of other high-throughput technologies. Where appropriate, we explain the interpretation and differences between models to aid readers in their own model choices. Unnecessary jargon and theory is omitted where possible so that our work is accessible to a wide audience of readers, from beginners to those with experience in genomics data analysis.
Mapping virtual platforms to estimate the population size of men who have sex with men (MSM) who use internet to find sexual partners: implications to enhance HIV prevention among MSM in Kenya
Authors: Emmanuel Faran , Kioko Japheth , Musyoki Helgar , Kaosa Shem , Ongaro Martin Kyana , Kuria Samuel , Olango Kennedy , Musimbi Janet , Walimbwa Jeffrey , Blanchard James , Isac Shajy , Bhattacharjee Parinita
Published: December 2020

Introduction: Men who have sex with men (MSM) in Kenya face a disproportionate HIV disease burden. Over the last few years, the use of virtual platforms and internet sites to seek male sexual partners has increased manyfold in Kenya. New approaches are required to map, estimate and profile MSM who operate through virtual platforms to design interventions for them.

Methods: This study was conducted in three counties in Kenya: Kiambu, Kisumu and Mombasa with MSM who use virtual platforms such as geosocial networking (GSN) and social networking applications to find and connect with male sex partners. The platforms were profiled through a multi-stage approach and the number of MSM associated with these platforms were estimated. In the final stage, 435 respondents randomly selected from the virtual platforms were interviewed in a secure location after informed consent. Data analysis focused on calculating an estimate of MSM for each virtual platform in each site, adjusting for duplicate profiles and multiple registrations.

Results: We identified 24 GSN apps, 18 Facebook accounts/pages and 18 WhatsApp groups across the three counties, with Facebook being the preferred platform. Kiambu had the highest number of estimated MSM at 3,635 (95%CI = 3,335 to 3,990) followed by Kisumu at 1,567 (95%CI = 1,480 to 1,665) and Mombasa at 1,469 (95%CI = 1,335 to 1,604) who used virtual platforms to find other male sexual partners. On average, each MSM had 3.7 profiles on multiple platforms, with an average of 2.1 profiles used in the past month.

Conclusions: The use of conventional population size estimation approaches that focus on physical sites alone may underestimate the total number of MSM in a geography. Virtual mapping should be used in conjunction with conventional hot spot based size estimation methodologies to estimate numbers of MSM to set programmatic targets.
Seasonality and immunity to laboratory-confirmed seasonal coronaviruses (HCoV-NL63, HCoV-OC43, and HCoV-229E): results from the Flu Watch cohort study
Authors: Aldridge Robert W. , Lewer Dan , Beale Sarah , Johnson Anne M. , Zambon Maria , Hayward Andrew C. , Fragaszy Ellen B. ,   Flu Watch Group
Published: December 2020

Background: There is currently a pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The intensity and duration of this first and second waves in the UK may be dependent on whether SARS-CoV-2 transmits more effectively in the winter than the summer and the UK Government response is partially built upon the assumption that those infected will develop immunity to reinfection in the short term. In this paper we examine evidence for seasonality and immunity to laboratory-confirmed seasonal coronavirus (HCoV) from a prospective cohort study in England.

Methods: In this analysis of the Flu Watch cohort, we examine seasonal trends for PCR-confirmed coronavirus infections (HCoV-NL63, HCoV-OC43, and HCoV-229E) in all participants during winter seasons (2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009) and during the first wave of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic (May-Sep 2009). We also included data from the pandemic and ‘post-pandemic’ winter seasons (2009-2010 and 2010-2011) to identify individuals with two confirmed HCoV infections and examine evidence for immunity against homologous reinfection.

Results: We tested 1,104 swabs taken during respiratory illness and detected HCoV in 199 during the first four seasons. The rate of confirmed HCoV infection across all seasons was 390 (95% CI 338-448) per 100,000 person-weeks; highest in the Nov-Mar 2008/9 season at 674 (95%CI 537-835) per 100,000 person-weeks. The highest rate was in February at 759 (95% CI 580-975) per 100,000 person-weeks. Data collected during May-Sep 2009 showed there was small amounts of ongoing transmission, with four cases detected during this period. Eight participants had two confirmed infections, of which none had the same strain twice.

Conclusion: Our results provide evidence that HCoV infection in England is most intense in winter, but that there is a small amount of ongoing transmission during summer periods. We found some evidence of immunity against homologous reinfection.
Constitution and Modernization of Legislation: Proceedings of the XV International School of Young Legal Scholars (Moscow, May 27 – June 5, 2020)
Authors: Kapustin A.Ya. , Kucherov I.I. , Sinitsyn S.A. , Kovler A.I. , Kashevarova Yu.N.
Published: December 2020

Modern constitutional transformations, asserting a “value” legal understanding, actualize theoretical and practical problems of legislative regulation, serve as a prereq- uisite for rethinking the essence, role and significance of law in the life of society, and determine the formulation of a number of issues related, first of all, to the qualitative implementation of novelties. This collection reflects the diversity and depth of scientific discussions of the XV In- ternational school of young legal scholars on the topic “Constitution and modernization of legislation”, which was held by the Institute of legislation and comparative law under the Government of the Russian Federation in cooperation with the International Union of lawyers. In the context of a difficult epidemiological situation related to the spread of corona- virus infection, in order to protect the health of conference participants, the organizing Committee decided to hold the XV School remotely (by correspondence). For the first time, all its scientific events were held online. The participants had a unique opportunity to communicate with the direct developers of amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, present their reports in a new format.
“Ya no tienen donde morir las ofelias”. Dos autoras en la Barcelona de la vanguardia: Elisabeth Mulder y Ana María Martínez Sagi.
Authors: Garcerá Fran
Published: December 2020

El presente artículo estudia las redes de colaboración entre las escritoras Elisabeth Mulder y Ana María Martínez Sagi, tanto entre ellas como con otros agentes del campo cultural, durante la Edad de Plata. Para ello, se analizarán los diferentes elementos paratextuales de las obras poéticas que publicaron en esta época y otros materiales de carácter inédito, como su correspondencia con las escritoras Gabriela Mistral y Carmen Conde.
Enseñanza y filosofía. Una mirada desde la perspectiva del aprender
Authors: Espinel Oscar
Published: December 2020

the inquiry into teaching in philosophy entails two different questions, namely: What does it mean to teach? And, what is understood by “philosophy”? The first of these questions constitutes the starting point of this article – product of the research project Balance of the Ways of Teaching Philosophy in Colombia –, specifically regarding the topics of teaching as an area, and the task of teaching. However, the methodological potential of studying the task of teaching from the perspective of learning arose while enquiring into the notions of translation, “plagiarism”, repetition, and creation. What kind of relation brings together teaching with learning and learning with teaching? In other words: How much does learning require from teaching? How much learning can we find in teaching? Can teaching and learning be thought of independently from one another? What happens in a philosophy classroom? In short, what does it mean to think about the relation between philosophy and teaching from the perspective of learning? In this way, as can be observed, positing the question of teaching on the axis of learning situates the discussion within the sphere of experience, and of the exercise and practices of the self. This is a different dimension of teaching from that determined by emulation, explanation, and monologue.
A atuação dos movimentos de doulas em Florianópolis (SC): conflitos pelo protagonismo feminino no parto
Authors: Espíndola Carla Klitzke , Zucco Luciana Patrícia
Published: December 2020

Este artigo tem o objetivo de analisar a dinâmica interna do movimento de doulas em Florianópolis (SC), a partir de suas pautas políticas de promoção ao parto respeitoso e ao protagonismo feminino. A pesquisa é empírica, qualitativa e orientada pelas lentes da epistemologia feminista. Os resultados apontaram conflitos entre as doulas entrevistadas, explicitando disputas de projetos, posições políticas, compreensões sobre a doulagem e diferentes formas de ver e atender mulheres. Há doulas que defendem a doulagem como profissão, um nicho de mercado; outras, como ação transitória na política de saúde pública. Por fim, aquelas que problematizam o acesso à doulagem e a branquitude de quem atende e é atendida. A “gourmetização” do parto humanizado foi transversal às narrativas. Ademais, a pluralidade das narrativas nos levou a pensar em “movimentos de doulas”, devido às pautas identificadas. Apesar dos conflitos, elas convergem na compreensão da centralidade e respeito à mulher no parto. Palavras-Chave: movimentos de doulas; parto; saúde da mulher; feminismos; direitos reprodutivos.
O DISCURSO XENÓFOBO E A GEOPOLÍTICA MUNDIAL: DESDOBRAMENTOS ANALÍTICOS, OLHARES EDUCACIONAIS E INTERFACES POSSÍVEIS
Authors: Lima Rafael Teixeira , Lima Joyce Pedra
Published: December 2020

Diante de uma reconfiguração patente de antigos paradigmas comunicacionais, marcadamente reajustados na clave das redes sociais, a política ganha novas facetas e novos contornos. No âmbito da geopolítica, tais dimensões colocam desafios analíticos, sobretudo, das fake news contemporâneas e de uma xenofobia que ganha força e gera danos colaterais à diplomacia nacional. A presente investigação, nesta medida, tem como objetivo discutir tal conjunção de fenômenos e refletir sobre o papel da educação em um cenário cada vez mais complexo, linguística e politicamente. Metodologicamente, optou-se pelo cotejo de peças das principais redes sociais nas quais uma interseção entre geopolítica e discurso gerassem frutos analíticos, de modo a exemplificar a tese de que, cada vez mais, a educação se coloca em um papel essencial para a formação de sujeitos cada vez mais humanos.
O QUE PODEMOS E DEVEMOS APRENDER SOBRE A PANDEMIA COMO PROFESSORES?
Authors: Mezzaroba Cristiano , Dantas Júnior Hamilcar Silveira
Published: December 2020

Os desafios postos pela pandemia do novo coronavírus nos obrigam a pensar esse acontecimento enquanto uma experiência social tendo a mídia como interface em relação à apresentação e discussão dos mais variados temas que nos sinalizam entender o mundo em que vivemos, talvez como nunca tenhamos experimentado antes. O objetivo é, por meio de um exercício ensaístico, refletir e analisar materiais oriundos da internet que indiquem “leituras da realidade” quanto às questões de política, saúde, corpo e educação. Mediando essas informações da mídia com os conceitos de experiência social e tomada de consciência sinalizamos os problemas em curso no Brasil quanto a uma era necropolítica, de acirramento das desigualdades sociais, de sérias implicações ao campo educacional, ao tempo que ratificamos a necessidade de um humanismo radical para este nosso século.
DIÁRIO DA QUARENTENA DE UMA PROFESSORA DA INFÂNCIA: APROXIMAÇÕES COM BOAVENTURA, AGAMBEN E KRENAK
Authors: Lopes Isabela Pereira
Published: December 2020

O presente artigo procura ser um diário das impressões da autora acerca da pandemia do coronavírus. Partindo da constatação do quanto é difícil ter concentração e inspiração para ler, escrever e estudar na quarentena, a autora se aproxima de intelectuais de nossa contemporaneidade que estão aceitando esse desafio, de pensar criticamente o tempo presente, que é inédito e raro para nossa geração. São realizadas aproximações com Boaventura de Sousa Santos, Ailton Krenak e Giorgio Agamben, que escreveram livros na/da pandemia. Inspirada por esses pensadores, por fim, a autora levanta suas próprias impressões sobre a pandemia e suas repercussões numa instituição de Educação Infantil, no qual a mesma foi empossada durante o período de distanciamento social.
Quality of life of patients with hard-to-heal leg ulcers: a review of nursing documentation
Authors: Olsson Malin , Friman Anne
Published: December 2020

People with hard-to-heal leg ulcers experience reduced quality of life (QoL), including physical, mental and social aspects; this, in turn, negatively affects the wound healing process. QoL is often overlooked by health professionals treating those with hard-to-heal wounds, for whom the focus is instead on the wound itself and the healing process. This study aimed to investigate how the QoL of patients with hard-to-heal wounds is documented and followed up by nurses. The healthcare records of patients with hard-to-heal wounds were reviewed using an audit instrument. Data were collected retrospectively from 12 patient healthcare records. The nursing documentation included few notes related to patients' QoL. The nurses focused on issues such as nutrition, mobilisation and smoking, while the patients expressed concerns about anxiety/depressed mood, pain and sleeping difficulties. Only nine of the documented problems were approved according to the instrument. Most importantly, documentation of planned interventions and outcomes was missing. Documentation by nurses around the QoL of patients with hard-to-heal wounds is lacking, because of which QoL might be neglected and wound healing might not progress well.
PTSD in paramedics: history, conceptual issues and psychometric measures
Authors: Baqai Kamran
Published: December 2020

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is more common in paramedics than in the general population because of the stressful and distressing nature of their work. Forms of PTSD associated with chronic stress and repeated trauma are scarcely researched among paramedics. This is striking as this workforce is potentially more likely to be affected by these types of PTSD. Diagnostic processes are still largely based on acute rather than chronic psychological trauma. PTSD diagnosis has been influenced by sociological perceptions of mental illness and changes in diagnostic criteria. Criteria for the diagnosis of PTSD in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International Classification of Diseases have changed in the past decade, which may facilitate more appropriate diagnoses of PTSD in paramedics. Paramedics often have a complex aetiology of PTSD resulting from experiences of both chronic and acute events. Questionnaires that cover exposure to both individual and repeated stressful events are required to enable further research in the area of PTSD in paramedics.
hort-term Rentals, Housing Markets and COVID-19: Theoretical Considerations and Empirical Evidence from Four Austrian Cities
Authors: Kadi Justin , Schneider Antonia , Seidl Roman
Published: December 2020

Prior to the onset of the pandemic, evidence on the conversion of regular rental housing into permanent holiday homes has fuelled concerns that Airbnb and other short-term rentals contribute to the shortage of affordable homes and to the displacement of regular residents in cities with high housing demand. When the pandemic set in, the media was quick to speculate that holiday homes would be returned to the regular rental market. This paper provides some theoretical reflections on the factors that are driving and impeding such a development and presents preliminary results from an ongoing research project that empirically traces the impacts of COVID-19 on the rental housing market based on an analysis of real estate listings in four large Austrian cities. We argue that a current shift to the regular rental market is likely, but that the medium- and long-term development is uncertain. Empirically, we demonstrate that such a shift has occurred in all four cities considered. We do not find evidence, however, that the increased rental housing supply has dampened rent levels.
Fighting Anti-Semitism in Contemporary Germany
Authors: Younes Anna-Esther
Published: December 2020

This paper examines the discourse around anti-Semitism in Germany since 2000. The discourse makes use of the figure of the Jew for national security purposes (i.e. via the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the trope of the “dangerous Muslim”) and the politics of national identity. The article introduces the concept of the “War on Anti-Semitism”, an assemblage of policies about national belonging and security that are propelled primarily by white racial anxieties. While the War on Terror is fought against the Muslim Other, or the War on Drugs is fought against predominantly Latinx and Black communities, the War on Anti-Semitism is ostensibly fought on behalf of the racialized Jewish Other. The War on Anti-Semitism serves as a pretext justifying Germany's internal and external security measures by providing a logic for the management of non-white migration in an ethnically diverse yet white supremacist Europe.

In 2000, a new citizenship law fundamentally changed the architecture of belonging and im/migration by replacing the old Wilhelminian jus sanguinis (principle of blood) with a jus soli (principle of residency). In the wake of these changes and the resulting racial anxiety about Germanness, state sponsored civil-society educational programs to fight anti-Semitism emerged, targeting predominantly Muslim non-/citizens. These education programs were developed alongside international debates around the War on Terror and what came to be called “Israel-oriented anti-Semitism” in Germany (more commonly known as “Muslim anti-Semitism”).

Triangulated through the enduring legacy of colonial racialization, the Jew and the Muslim are con/figured as enemies in socio-political German discourses. This analysis of the War on Anti-Semitism has serious implications for our understanding of “New Europe”. By focusing on the figure of the Jew and the Muslim, the implications of this work transcend national borders and stress the important connection between fantasy, power, and racialization in Germany and beyond.
“Modern Day Trojan Horse?” Analyzing the Nexus between Islamophobia and Anti-Refugee Sentiment in the United States
Authors: Hodson Margaret
Published: December 2020

Although Islamophobia in the United States has long predated the election of President Donald Trump, the collision of anti-Muslim and anti-refugee sentiments is a relatively new development. This article explores how the Islamophobia industry—notably the Center for Security Policy and ACT for America—has mobilized its anti-Muslim ideologies to dismantle the U.S. Refugee Admissions Programs (USRAP). A review of works by prominent anti-Muslim authors demonstrates how the Islamophobia industry misconstrues migration—or “hijra”—as a national security threat, by linking refugees to “civilization jihad” and terrorism. Consequently, the Islamophobia industry has undermined the traditional bipartisan consensus on refugee resettlement in the United States dating back to World War II. The Trump administration has lent high-level support and impact to these ideologies by enacting the so-called “Muslim Ban” to prevent Muslim refugees from entering the United States. This article traces the history of U.S. refugee resettlement policy and explores the contemporary challenge it faces from rising Islamophobia.
Science Fiction by, about, and for Arabs: Case
Studies in De-Orientalising the Western Imagination
Authors: Aysha Emad El-Din
Published: December 2020

Orientalism is a much maligned concept. While geared to the service of the
Western colonial sense of superiority, Orientalism is, at base, a loose set of
symbols and motifs that is more geared towards an introspective critique of the
West itself. It represents certain internal antagonisms and Western
anxieties that emerge in confrontations with the East over
gender and sexuality. This becomes evident when it comes to Western science
fiction (written and filmed) among other popular genres and specifically when
applied to Arabs and Muslims (the “classical” East). Hitherto, most literature
on the Orientalism evident in Western SF has focused on the Far East, via
Techno-Orientalism and Cyber-Punk. The growing strength of Arab and Muslim SF,
however, can counter these Orientalist tendencies in the genre; taking Egyptian
SF as a test case. Western SF, moreover, can set its own house in order in the
meantime, since SF allows for symbolic substitutes to existential threats
traditionally posed by the East in the Western imagination.
Relationality and the Gadamerian “Horizontverschmelzung”: Khaled Abou El Fadl
Authors: Slater Angus M.
Published: December 2020

While the notion of philosophical hermeneutics and its impact on discourses of Islamic law and ethics have been a continuous feature of comparative and religious study in the recent past, this has tended to take the form of theoretical and largely textual hermeneutical readings. This article aims to examine the instances of the occurrence of one particular aspect of the philosophical hermeneutical canon, the Gadamerian notion of horizontverschmelzung, within the work of the contemporary Islamic legal thinker, Khaled Abou El Fadl. In doing so, the article focuses on the way in which the notion of horizontverschmelzung is used by Khaled Abou El Fadl both explicitly, in his textual work, and implicitly, in the performance of his broader methodological project. This dual dynamic is made apparent in his work that aims to engage with debates that are internal to the Muslim community, such as those over the process of the interpretation of the Shari'a, and those that involve the Muslim community's relationship with the West, such as those to do with representation and identity. This dynamic is a vital consideration for the further understanding of contemporary forms of philosophical hermeneutics in the islamicate context and the legal and social work of Khaled Abou El Fadl.
A Dangerous Text: Disciplining Deficient Readers and the Policing of the Qur'an in the German Islam Conference
Authors: Aguilar Luis Manuel Hernández , Ahmad Zubair
Published: December 2020

Departing from the premise that the Qur'an has been imagined as a dangerous, almost subject-like text in the long tradition of the Eurocentric-Orientalist order, this contribution traces how Germany's Islam Conference has attempted to govern this supposedly dangerous text by disciplining its readers and policing its interpretations particularly regarding gender justice and equality. In doing so we argue that the policing of the Qur'an is an important site of political interventions and as a technology of power whereby Muslims in contemporary Germany are problematised as deficient and archaic readers. Moreover, policing the Qur'an as a racialised textual governmentality, we argue, is a further point of power application within the larger context of refashioning the racialised figure of the Muslim subject in Germany.
Occlusion-aware light field depth estimation using side window angular coherence
Authors: Ma Shuai , Guo Zhenghua , Wu Junlong , Yan Xu , Zhu Licheng , Yang Ping , Wang Shuai , Wen Lianghua , Xu Bing
Published: December 2020

Depth estimation is crucial in many light field applications. However, the accuracy of light field depth estimation is prone to be affected by occlusions. In this paper, a method of side window angular coherence is proposed to handle different types of occlusions, and the ability of the proposed method to resist occlusions is theoretically analyzed. The angular patch is divided into several discrete side window subsets. These subsets are a pure occluder-type subset, a pure object point–type subset, and a hybrid-type subset. The photo-consistency of the pure object point–type subset can reflect the true depth. Meanwhile, the occlusion edges can be detected to identify occluded points and nonoccluded points so the robustness of the algorithm can be further enhanced by processing the two types of points. Moreover, fast guided filtering is applied to cost volume for improving the accuracy of depth estimation. Experimental results demonstrate that our method outperforms the state-of-the-art depth estimation methods on both synthetic and real scenes, especially near occlusion boundaries.
Fabrication of Fresnel lens arrays by a rapid non-isothermal imprinting
process
Authors: Shu Yang , Zhou Wenchen , Zhou Zhixiong , Yi Allen Y.
Published: December 2020

Fresnel lens arrays are widely employed in concentrator photovoltaics,
photonic devices, and integral imaging systems. In this study, a rapid
non-isothermal imprinting process for Fresnel lens arrays was
proposed. In this process, a heated mold with microstructures was
momentarily pressed onto a thermoplastic polymer surface that was
initially kept at room temperature. The microstructures of the mold
can be copied completely to the polymer substrate by imprinting
consecutively until a continuous surface Fresnel lens array is
obtained. Different from more traditional molding processes, the
substrate does not need to be heated and cooled repeatedly in the
replicating process. In addition, the imprinting process is carried
out at room temperature, which can greatly reduce the thermal cycle
time and energy consumption. Generally speaking, the material flow and
stress distribution of the substrate need to be monitored so that the
microlenses with a high precision surface finish can be produced in
the non-isothermal imprinting process. To verify this, the finite
element method (FEM) model for the non-isothermal process was
established, and the feasibility of this process was analyzed. A
hexagonal continuous surface Fresnel lens array was then fabricated,
and its geometrical contour and imaging performance were tested. The
experimental results showed this new process could be an effective and
low-cost optical fabrication technology for high-quality production of
Fresnel lens arrays.
Influence of different linear polarized light on the measurement of water absorption coefficient: a case study in Qujiang Lake, China
Authors: Cao Hongye , Han Ling , Zhang Qiang , Li Liangzhi
Published: December 2020

Light absorption by the water column plays an important role in the spatial and temporal distribution of light attenuation, mixed layer heating, primary productivity, and phytoplankton biomass in the water column. The absorption properties of water components are the main influences of the underwater light field and surface spectrum. The study of the absorption properties of the water body contributes to the understanding of its optical properties and the remote sensing inversion of water quality parameters. The effects of light source polarization on the spectral absorption coefficient measurements of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and total particulate matter (TPM) in water were investigated by measuring the polarization of the light source in a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The results show that the light source of the UV-Vis spectrophotometer is significantly polarized, but the effect of the polarization of the light source on the measurement of the spectral absorption coefficients of CDOM and TPM in water is very small and almost negligible.
Tuning transmission properties of 3D printed metal rod arrays by breaking the structural symmetry
Authors: Liu Dejun , Zhao Siqi , You Borwen , Jhuo Sheng-Syong , Lu Ja-Yu , Chou Shuan , Hattori Toshiaki
Published: December 2020

In this work, one metallic photonic crystal waveguide composed of periodic metal rod arrays (MRAs) is experimentally and numerically demonstrated in terahertz frequencies. Such waveguides fabricated by 3D printers exhibit two resonant modes: the fundamental mode and the high-order mode, separating by a broad bandgap. Compared to the fundamental mode, the high-order mode shows higher field confinement and more sensitive to the geometry changes. By breaking the structure parameter, i.e., increasing or decreasing the metal rod interspace, the spectral positions, bandwidths, as well as the transmittances of high-order modes can be optimized. With broken symmetry in MRAs, the third resonant mode having high transmittance has emerged in the transmission spectrum. Results showing that fine-tuning in the alignment of metal rods leads to a great change in the transmission of high-order modes. These findings suggest that the transportation efficiency of THz waves through an MRA is tunable by breaking the structural symmetry.
Configurable heralded two-photon Fock-states on a chip
Authors: Hua Xin , Lunghi Tommaso , Doutre Florent , Vergyris Panagiotis , Sauder Grégory , Charlier Pierrick , Labonté Laurent , D’Auria Virginia , Martin Anthony , Tascu Sorin , De Micheli Marc P. , Tanzilli Sébastien , Alibart Olivier
Published: December 2020

Progress in integrated photonics enables the combination of several elementary functions on single substrates for the realization of advanced functionalized chips. We report a monolithic integrated quantum photonic realization on lithium niobate, where nonlinear optics and electro-optics properties have been harnessed simultaneously for generating heralded configurable, two-photon states. Taking advantage of a picosecond pump laser and telecom components, we demonstrate the production of various path-coded heralded two-photon states, showing 94% raw visibility for Hong-Ou-Mandel interference. The versatility and performance of such a highly integrated photonic entanglement source enable exploring more complex quantum information processing protocols finding application in communication, metrology and processing tasks.
Spatiotemporal focusing through a multimode fiber via time-domain wavefront shaping
Authors: Velsink Matthias C. , Amitonova Lyubov V. , Pinkse Pepijn W. H.
Published: December 2020

We shape fs optical pulses and deliver them in a single spatial mode to the input of a multimode fiber. The pulse is shaped in time such that at the output of the multimode fiber an ultrashort pulse appears at a predefined focus. Our result shows how to raster scan an ultrashort pulse at the output of a stiff piece of square-core step-index multimode fiber and in this way show the potential for making a nonlinear fluorescent image of the scene behind the fiber, while the connection to the multimode fiber can be established via a thin and flexible single-mode fiber. The experimental results match our numerical simulation well.
High-throughput optical sectioning via line-scanning imaging with digital structured modulation
Authors: Zhong Qiuyuan , Jiang Chenyu , Zhang Dejie , Chen Siqi , Jin Rui , Gong Hui , Yuan Jing
Published: December 2020

Optical sectioning with high-throughput, a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and submicrometer resolution is crucial, but challenging, to three-dimensional visualization of large biological tissue samples. Here we propose line-scanning imaging with digital structured modulation for optical sectioning. Our method generates images with a significantly improved SNR, compared to wide-field structured illumination microscopy (WF-SIM), without residual modulation artifacts. We image a

14.5

m
m

×

11.5

m
m

horizontal view of mouse brain tissue at a pixel resolution of

0.32

µ

m

×

0.32

µ

m

in 101 s, which, compared to WF-SIM, represents a significant improvement on imaging throughput. These results provide development opportunities for high-throughput, high-resolution large-area optical imaging methods.
Thermal noise and mechanical loss of SiO2/Ta2O5 optical coatings at cryogenic temperatures
Authors: Robinson John M. , Oelker Eric , Milner William R. , Kedar Dhruv , Zhang Wei , Legero Thomas , Matei Dan G. , Häfner Sebastian , Riehle Fritz , Sterr Uwe , Ye Jun
Published: December 2020

Mechanical loss of dielectric mirror coatings sets fundamental limits for both gravitational wave detectors and cavity-stabilized optical local oscillators for atomic clocks. Two approaches are used to determine the mechanical loss: ringdown measurements of the coating quality factor and direct measurement of the coating thermal noise. Here we report a systematic study of the mirror thermal noise at 4, 16, 124, and 300 K by operating reference cavities at these temperatures. The directly measured thermal noise is used to extract the mechanical loss for

S
i
O

2

/

T
a

2

O

5

coatings, which are compared with previously reported values.
Crossed optical cavities with large mode diameters
Authors: Heinz André , Trautmann Jan , Šantić Neven , Jihyun Park Annie , Bloch Immanuel , Blatt Sebastian
Published: December 2020

We report on a compact, ultrahigh-vacuum compatible optical assembly to create large-scale, two-dimensional optical lattices for use in experiments with ultracold atoms. The assembly consists of an octagon-shaped spacer made from ultra-low-expansion glass, to which we optically contact four fused silica cavity mirrors, making it highly mechanically and thermally stable. The mirror surfaces are nearly plane-parallel, which allows us to create two perpendicular cavity modes with diameters

. Such large mode diameters are desirable to increase the optical lattice homogeneity, but lead to strong angular sensitivities of the coplanarity between the two cavity modes. We demonstrate a procedure to precisely position each mirror substrate that achieves a deviation from coplanarity of

. Creating large optical lattices at arbitrary visible and near-infrared wavelengths requires significant power enhancements to overcome limitations in the available laser power. The cavity mirrors have a customized low-loss mirror coating that enhances the power at a set of relevant visible and near-infrared wavelengths by up to 3 orders of magnitude..
Diamond diffractive lens with a continuous profile for powerful terahertz radiation
Authors: Komlenok Maxim , Kononenko Taras , Sovyk Dmitry , Pavelyev Vladimir , Knyazev Boris , Ashkinazi Evgeny , Reshetnikov Anton , Komandin Gennadii , Pashinin Vladimir , Ralchenko Victor , Konov Vitaly
Published: December 2020

An increase in the radiation power of terahertz (THz) sources requires the development of new optics working with it. The laser-assisted replication technique is proposed to fabricate the diamond cylindrical diffractive lens with a continuous profile for the THz range. The procedure involves the inverted structuring of a silicon substrate by laser ablation for its further replication to the diamond surface utilizing the chemical vapor deposition process. Testing of the fabricated lens performed with a free-electron laser at the wavelength of 141 µm has demonstrated high diffraction efficiency (

95

±

5

%

) and a good agreement between the measured and expected intensity distribution in the focal plane.
Asymmetric optical links using monolithic III-nitride diodes
Authors: Wang Linning , Li Xin , Gao Xumin , Jia Bolun , Guan Qi , Ye ZiQi , Fu Kang , Jin Ruixue , Wang Yongjin
Published: December 2020

Multiple-quantum well (MQW) III-nitride diodes can both emit and detect light. In particular, a III-nitride diode can absorb shorter-wavelength photons generated from another III-nitride diode that shares an identical MQW structure because of the spectral overlap between the emission and detection spectra of the III-nitride diode, which establishes a wireless visible light communication system using two identical III-nitride diodes. Moreover, a wireless light communication system using a modulating retro-reflector (MRR) enables asymmetric optical links, which forms a two-way optical link using a single transmitter and receiver. Here, in association with an MRR, we propose, fabricate, and characterize asymmetric optical links using monolithic III-nitride diodes, where one III-nitride diode functions as a transmitter to emit light, an MRR reflects light with the encoded information, another monolithically integrated III-nitride diode serves as a receiver to absorb the reflected light to convert optical signals into electrical ones, and the encoded information is finally decoded. Advanced monolithic III-nitride asymmetric optical links can be developed toward Internet of Things (IoT) deployment based on such multifunction devices.
Model-free pixelation correction in SOFI imaging
Authors: Bierbuesse Franziska , Gielen Vincent , Vandenberg Wim , Dedecker Peter
Published: December 2020

Super-resolution optical fluctuation imaging (SOFI) delivers an enhanced spatial resolution in fluorescence imaging by analyzing spontaneous fluctuations in the fluorophore emission. SOFI images are usually obtained by calculating cross-cumulants between adjacent pixels on the detector, which provides the increased pixel densities required to sample the improved spatial resolution, but can result in pixelation artifacts. In this contribution, we describe a simple, model-free, and computationally efficient algorithm to correct such artifacts by matching the means and variances of the different cross-cumulants. We show that this strategy not only results in pixels that are essentially free of artifacts, but can also correct for detector imperfections such as the spurious correlations present in electron-multiplied CCD cameras.
Spatially Resolved Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detector Rise-Time Analysis
Authors: Marvinney Claire E. , Lerner Brian E. , Puretzky Alexander A. , Miller Aaron J. , Lawrie Benjamin J.
Published: December 2020

We explore spatial and photon-number resolution in superconducting nanowire single photon detectors through measurements of the rising edge of the readout pulse.
Experimental generation of non-Gaussian quantum states of a multimode light field
Authors: Ra Young-Sik , Dufour Adrien , Walschaers Mattia , Jacquard Clément , Michel Thibault , Fabre Claude , Treps Nicolas
Published: December 2020

We generate non-Gaussian quantum states of a multimode light by subtracting a photon in a desired mode from multimode Gaussian states. We observed negativity of Wigner functions and the interplay between non-Gaussianity and entanglement.
Optical modification of cavity-antenna plasmonic nanostructures for brighter and faster single-photon emission
Authors: Bogdanov Simeon I. , Makarova Oksana A. , Xu Xiaohui , Lagutchev Alexei S. , Shah Deesha , Gabidullin Aidar R. , Ryzhikov Ilya A. , Rodionov Ilya A. , Kildishev Alexander V. , Bozhevolnyi Sergey I. , Boltasseva Alexandra , Shalaev Vladimir M. , Khurgin Jacob B.
Published: December 2020

We establish the fundamental limit for quantum emission enhancement in plasmonic nanostructures combining smaller (cavity) and larger (antenna) modes. We confirm this result numerically and optimize the performance of nanoantennas through controlled photomodification.
Engineered Quantum Light Sources from 2D Monolayers on a Micro-actuator
Authors: Kim Hyoju , Moon Jong Sung , Noh Gichang , Lee Jieun , Kim Je-Hyung
Published: December 2020

We demonstrate position and frequency control of quantum emitters from integrated WSe2 monolayers on a strain tunable Si actuator. The engineered quantum light sources will provide important hardware for the future scalable and integrated quantum photonic system.