bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In vivo and in vitro efficacy of a single dose of albendazole against hookworm infection in northwest Ethiopia: open-label trial
Authors: Bezie Wolelaw , Aemero Mulugeta , Tegegne Yalewayiker , Eshetu Tegegne , Addisu Ayenew , Birhanie Meseret , Derso Adane , Zeleke Ayalew Jejaw
Published: March 2021

Background

Control of hookworm and other soil-transmitted helminth infections primarily relies on preventive chemotherapy using a single dose of albendazole/mebendazole drugs on high-risk groups. Herein, the efficacy of a single dose (400 mg) of albendazole (ALB) was investigated both in vivo and in vitro model in northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

An open-label, single-arm clinical trial was conducted to assess anti-hookworm effect of albendazole. Stool samples were collected and examined using McMaster and Harada-Mori filter paper culture. Eligible hookworm-infected patients were treated with a single dose of ALB. After 14–21 days post-treatment, stool samples were also taken again and re-examined using the abovementioned technique. Egg reduction rate (ERR) and larval motility were used as a therapeutic outcome measure. An independent t test was used to compare the mean difference in egg counts, and probit analysis was performed for calculating the lethal concentration dose of albendazole. P value < 0.05 at 95% CI was considered statistically significant.

Results

A total of 70 participants had completed the drug efficacy study. The efficacy of ALB against hookworm in terms of CR and ERR was 87% and 93%, respectively. Participants who had not eaten one or more hours prior to treatment had higher CR than those who had eaten within 1 h before treatment (97.4% vs 74.2%), while individuals with heavy infection intensity had a lower post-treatment ova clearing rate than those who were with light infection intensity (43% vs 94.6%). The in vitro larvicidal effect of ALB was 63–93% after applying 50–250 μg/ml concentration of ALB solution. The LC50 and LC99 were 152 μg/ml and 573 μg/ml, respectively.

Conclusion

A single dose of albendazole was found to be effective for treating hookworm infections according to WHO anthelminthic evaluation standard in the study area. Preventive chemotherapy might therefore be extended to risk groups, with proper continuous monitoring of its efficacy to strengthen and keep the ongoing control and prevention measures one step ahead.

Trial registration

This trial is retrospectively registered with www.pactr.org, number PACTR202010511829332 on October 26, 2020.
Surgical outcome of primary intradural spinal arachnoid cysts: a series of 10 cases
Authors: Abdelhameed Essam , Morsy Ahmed Ali
Published: March 2021

Background

Primary intradural spinal arachnoid cysts are rare pathologies of uncertain etiology and variable presentation from no symptoms to myelopathy or radiculopathy according to cord or root compression. MRI with diffusion and contrast differentiates them from many pathologies. There is a lot of debate regarding when to treat and how to treat such rare pathologies.

Objective

We present a series of 10 primary intradural arachnoid cysts and evaluate outcome after surgery.

Methods

This retrospective study includes patients having primary intradural spinal arachnoid cysts operated in two tertiary care centers from October 2012 till October 2019. Symptomatic cysts were subjected to microsurgical resection or outer wall excision and inner wall marsupialization under neurophysiological monitoring. The Japanese Orthopedic Association Score was used for clinical evaluation while MRI with contrast and diffusion was used for radiological evaluation before and after surgery.

Results

This series included 10 patients, 4 males and 6 females, with mean age of 40 years. Pain was the most common presentation. The most common location was dorsal thoracic region. Total excision was achieved in 2 cases and marsupialization in 8 cases.

All symptoms improved either completely or partially after surgery. No neurological deterioration or recurrence was reported during the follow-up period in this series.

Conclusion

Treatment of symptomatic primary intradural spinal arachnoid cysts should be microsurgical resection, when the cyst is adherent to the cord, microscopic fenestration can be safe and effective.
The barley powdery mildew effectors CSEP0139 and CSEP0182 suppress cell death and promote B. graminis fungal virulence in plants
Authors: Li Xue , Jin Cong , Yuan Hongbo , Huang Wanting , Liu Fang , Fan Renchun , Xie Jiankun , Shen Qian-Hua
Published: March 2021

The powdery mildew fungi secrete numerous Candidate Secreted Effector Proteins (CSEPs) to manipulate host immunity during infection of host plants. However, the function of most of these CSEPs in cell death suppression has not yet been established. Here, we identified several CSEPs from Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh) that have the potential to suppress BAX- and NtMEK2DD-triggered cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana. We further characterized two effector candidates, CSEP0139 and CSEP0182, from family six and thirty-two, respectively. CSEP0139 and CSEP0182 contain a functional signal peptide and are likely secreted effectors. Expression of either CSEP0139 or CSEP0182 suppressed cell death triggered by BAX and NtMEK2DD but not by the AVRa13/MLA13 pair in N. benthamiana. Transient overexpression of CSEP0139 or CSEP0182 also inhibited BAX-induced cell death and collapse of cytoplasm in barley cells. Furthermore, overexpression of either CSEPs significantly increased Bgh haustorial formation in barley, whereas host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) of the CSEP genes reduced haustorial formation, suggesting both CSEPs promote Bgh virulence in barley. In addition, expression of CSEP0139 and CSEP0182 reduced size of the lesions caused by the necrotrophic Botrytis cinerea in N. benthamiana. Our findings suggest that CSEP0139 and CSEP0182 may target cell death components in plants to promote fungal virulence, which extends the current understanding of the functions of Bgh CSEPs and provides an opportunity for further investigation of fungal virulence in relation to cell death pathways in host plants.
Chemopreventive potential of plant-derived epigenetic inhibitors silibinin and quercetin: an involvement of apoptotic signaling cascade modulation
Authors: Baksi Ruma , Rana Rita , Nivsarkar Manish
Published: March 2021

Background

Epigenetic deregulation of the cellular apoptotic mechanism is the common hallmark of cancer. Silibinin (SBN) and quercetin (QCT) are two bioflavonoids well known for their epigenetic inhibition property. The objective of the present study was to explore the preventive anti-cancer efficacy of the SBN and QCT in both in vitro as well as in vivo tumor xenograft model through regulating cellular apoptotic signaling pathway.

Results

SBN and QCT inhibited the growth of A549 and MDA-MB-468 cancer cells in the concentration dependent manner. The treatment caused significant (p< 0.05) reduction of the size and the number of colonies formed by the cancer cells. In vitro apoptosis assay using the fluorescence microscopy revealed that the treatment noticeably increased the percentage of apoptotic cells as compared to the untreated control. Dosing with SBN (200mg/kg), QCT (100mg/kg) alone and in combination was initiated in 3-week-old C57BL6 mice. Interestingly, the treatment prevented tumor progression significantly (p< 0.05) in adult mice without causing any toxicity. Furthermore, SBN and QCT triggered apoptosis via modulating p53 and Bcl2 gene expression and the SOD enzyme activity.

Conclusion

Daily oral intake of SBN and QCT alone and in combination from the very early stage of life might prevent tumor growth in adult mice through activating cellular apoptotic signaling cascade.
Anticancer activity of Nigerian medicinal plants: a review
Authors: Ohiagu Franklyn O. , Chikezie Paul C. , Chikezie Chinwendu M. , Enyoh Christian E.
Published: March 2021

Background

Cancer is currently the leading cause of death globally and the number of deaths from cancer is on the rise daily. Medicinal plants have been in continuous use over the years for the management of cancer, particularly, in most developing countries of the world including Nigeria. The use of synthetic drugs for the treatment of cancer is often accompanied by toxic side effects. Thus, the alternative use of readily available and inexpensive medicinal plants is the panacea to the toxic side effects associated with synthetic drugs.

Main body

The present review summarized the anticancer activity of 51 medicinal plants that are widespread in all regions of Nigeria. Furthermore, the proposed anticancer pharmacological actions as well as the anticancer bioactive compounds, the type of cancer cell inhibited, the plant parts responsible for the anticancer activity, and the nature of the extracts used for the studies were discussed in this review. The 51 Nigerian medicinal plants were reported to exhibit anticancer activities of the prostate, cervices, lung, skin, colon, esophagus, blood, ovary, central nervous system/brain, breast, stomach, pancreas, larynx, and kidney. The major classes of bioactive compounds indicated to be responsible for the anticancer activity include the polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, triterpenes, tannins, and quinones. The major anticancer pharmacological actions of these bioactive compounds were antiproliferative, cytotoxic, cytostatic, antimetastatic, apoptotic, and antioxidative as well as provoked cell cycle arrest, inhibition of angiogenesis and reduction of cancer cell viability.

Conclusion

The Nigerian medicinal plants can be harnessed to provide for readily available and inexpensive anticancer drugs in the future because the plants reported in this review showed promising anticancer activity.
On the role of interactions in trans-sonically flowing atomic condensates
(a)
Authors: Tettamanti M. , Carusotto I. , Parola A.
Published: March 2021

We provide a joint numerical-analytical study of the physics of a flowing atomic Bose-Einstein condensate in the combined presence of an external trap and a step potential which accelerates the atoms out of the condensate creating a pair of neighbouring black- and white-hole horizons. In particular, we focus on the rapidly growing density modulation pattern that appears in the supersonic region, an experimentally observed feature that was related to black-hole lasing phenomena. A direct assessment of the role of interactions in this process suggests an interpretation of the experimental data in terms of linear interference of atomic waves rather than collective effects. Our conclusions are further supported by an analytical solution of the Schrödinger equation in terms of Airy wave functions.
Multi-organ Coordination of Lipoprotein Secretion by Hormones, Nutrients and Neural Networks
Authors: Stahel Priska , Xiao Changting , Nahmias Avital , Tian Lili , Lewis Gary Franklin
Published: March 2021

Plasma triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRL), particularly atherogenic remnant lipoproteins, contribute to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Hypertriglyceridemia may arise in part from hypersecretion of TRLs by the liver and intestine. Here we focus on the complex network of hormonal, nutritional, and neuronal interorgan communication that regulates secretion of TRLs and provide our perspective on the relative importance of these factors. Hormones and peptides originating from the pancreas (insulin, glucagon), gut [glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and 2 (GLP-2), ghrelin, cholecystokinin (CCK), peptide YY], adipose tissue (leptin, adiponectin) and brain (GLP-1) modulate TRL secretion by receptor-mediated responses and indirectly via neural networks. In addition, the gut microbiome and bile acids influence lipoprotein secretion in humans and animal models. Several nutritional factors modulate hepatic lipoprotein secretion through effects on the central nervous system. Vagal afferent signaling from the gut to the brain and efferent signals from the brain to the liver and gut are modulated by hormonal and nutritional factors to influence TRL secretion. Some of these factors have been extensively studied and shown to have robust regulatory effects whereas others are “emerging” regulators, whose significance remains to be determined. The quantitative importance of these factors relative to one another and relative to the key regulatory role of lipid availability remains largely unknown. Our understanding of the complex interorgan regulation of TRL secretion is rapidly evolving to appreciate the extensive hormonal, nutritional, and neural signals emanating not only from gut and liver but also from the brain, pancreas, and adipose tissue.
HPAStainR: a Bioconductor and Shiny app to query protein expression patterns in the Human Protein Atlas
Authors: Nieuwenhuis Tim O. , Halushka Marc K.
Published: March 2021

The Human Protein Atlas is a website of protein expression in human tissues. It is an excellent resource of tissue and cell type protein localization, but only allows the query of a single protein at a time. We introduce HPAStainR as a new Shiny app and Bioconductor/R package used to query the scored staining patterns in the Human Protein Atlas with multiple proteins/genes of interest. This allows the user to determine if an experimentally-generated protein/gene list associates with a particular cell type. We validated the tool using the Panglao Database cell type specific marker genes and a Genotype Expression (GTEx) tissue deconvolution dataset.  HPAStainR identified 92% of the Panglao cell types in the top quartile of confidence scores limited to tissue type of origin results. It also appropriately identified the correct cell types from the GTEx dataset. HPAStainR fills a gap in available bioinformatics tools to identify cell type protein expression patterns and can assist in establishing ground truths and exploratory analysis. HPAStainR is available from: https://32tim32.shinyapps.io/HPAStainR/
CytoBrowser: a browser-based collaborative annotation platform for whole slide images
Authors: Rydell Christopher , Lindblad Joakim
Published: March 2021

We present CytoBrowser, an open-source (GPLv3) JavaScript and Node.js driven environment for fast and accessible collaborative online visualization, assessment, and annotation of very large microscopy images, including, but not limited to, z-stacks (focus stacks) of cytology or histology whole slide images. CytoBrowser provides a web-based viewer for high-resolution zoomable images and facilitates easy remote collaboration, with options for joint-view visualization and simultaneous collaborative annotation of very large datasets. It delivers a unique combination of functionalities not found in other software solutions, making it a preferred tool for large scale annotation of whole slide image data. The web browser interface is directly accessible on any modern computer or even on a mobile phone, without need for additional software. By sharing a "session", several remote users can interactively explore and jointly annotate whole slide image data, thereby reaching improved data understanding and annotation quality, effortless project scaling and distribution of resources to/from remote locations, efficient creation of "ground truth" annotations for methods' evaluation and training of machine learning-based approaches, a user-friendly learning environment for medical students, to just name a few. Rectangle and polygon region annotations complement point-based annotations, each with a selectable annotation-class as well as free-form text fields. The default setting of CytoBrowser presents an interface for the Bethesda cancer grading system, while other annotation schemes can easily be incorporated. Automatic server side storage of annotations is complemented by JSON-based import/export options facilitating easy interoperability with other tools. CytoBrowser is available here: https://mida-group.github.io/CytoBrowser/.
MODELING THE WEAR PROCESS OF BRICK BUILDINGS
Authors: Nikolenko S. , Sazonova Svetlana , Akamsina N.
Published: March 2021

The main damages in brick structures of buildings are considered. The purpose of the work is to analyze the results of a technical examination of the building structures of a residential building, with the subsequent development of proposals for their restoration and strengthening. The object of the study is the brick structures of the house. The process of organizing a technical survey of brick residential buildings, which allows to determine the procedure for collecting and storing data, is considered. Modern solutions for the restoration of building structures are proposed. The physical deterioration of the apartment building was determined and recommendations were given for the elimination of brickwork defects.
Evaluation towards internship program of vocational school students in automotive engineering
Authors: Sulasdi Sulasdi , Achsan Bambang Noor , Tentama Fatwa
Published: March 2021

The purpose of this evaluation research is to evaluate the implementation of the job training (internship) program at SMK Negeri Nusawungu, Cilacap, in automotive light vehicle engineering expertise in 2018/2019. The evaluation used the Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) model. This research involved the object of research of the implementation of internship program which is carried out at the SMK N Nusawungu Cilacap in automotive light vehicle engineering expertise in 2018/2019. The data source in this study is the fieldwork practices and students in automotive light vehicle engineering expertise competencies who have implemented internship in the academic year 2018/2019. Students who were respondents were taken with a proportionate random sampling technique, the evaluation model used was the CIPP evaluation model with qualitative evaluation methods. Data collection was taken through questionnaires, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis uses descriptive statistics. The results suggest that the internship program was well run.
The Lesson Activities Map: A Domain-Specific Lesson Transcription Methodology
Authors: Savona Annamaria , Stadler-Elmer Stefanie , Hürlimann Anna Elisa , Joliat François , Cavasino Gabriella
Published: March 2021

In educational research, audio-video recordings allow observing a lesson repeatedly. The collected data needs to be transcribed for analysis. Although methodologies for transcribing video-recorded lessons are established, there is lack of transcription methodologies for certain types of lessons, such as in arts education or the teaching to create new products. In our research project, we examine the teaching–learning of songs in class. Because of the absence of suitable transcription methodologies, we developed a new systematic approach. This paper presents the Lesson Activities Map (LAMap), which consists of symbols and icons representing graphically the constitutive elements of a domain-specific lesson. As a result, the LAMap provides a visualisation of the lesson content – in this context the song – and of how a teacher works on parts and the whole. The graphic representation supports the lesson analysis from different perspectives. The LAMap methodology and applications are valuable for transcribing other subject-specific lessons.
Education for multiculturalism in a master's degree program in Policy and Administration in Education: Comparing Jewish and Arab students in Israel
Authors: Masry-Herzallah Asmahan
Published: March 2021

The research investigated whether there is a correlation between participation in a course entitled "Diversity and multiculturalism in the global era" as perceived by Jewish and Arab students in Israel and a change in the students' attitudes and behaviors and their performance of activities in a multicultural context in the education field. The course was part of a master's degree program in Policy and Administration in Education in an academic college in central Israel. Pre-course and post-course questionnaires were administered to the course participants. Participants were 528 students; 177 responded to the pre-course questionnaire and 351 responded to the post-course questionnaire. The research findings indicated a direct association between participation in the course and activities conducted in the education field. In addition, students’ acquisition of knowledge on multiculturalism mediated the association between participation in the course and performance of multicultural activities in the education field. Differences were found between Jewish and Arab students' reports: Jews reported a multicultural academic atmosphere significantly more than Arabs. Contrastingly, Arab students gave significantly higher grades than Jewish students to reciprocal relations between the groups in the college and reported a more positive change in their attitudes towards the other group and towards multiculturalism and were more convinced that the course contributed to their multicultural thinking. These findings have theoretical and practical implications that can inform policymakers planning education for multiculturalism as a permanent component in academic programs, while responding to different sectors' cultural uniqueness to promote equality between them.
Demonstration of Power Generation from Fertilizer Solutions via Pressure-Retarded Osmosis
Authors: Pourmovahed Pouyan , Maisonneuve Jonathan
Published: March 2021

Highlights

Mechanical work can be generated from fertilizer via pressure-retarded osmosis.

Laboratory tests show up to 5 Wh of energy recovered per kg of fertilizer.

Tradeoffs between energy recovery and power generation are demonstrated.

Maintaining power above 5 W m-2 is reasonable given current membrane technology.

Abstract. Large amounts of energy are released when concentrated fertilizers are diluted in water. In this study, we demonstrate the use of fertilizer to generate useful mechanical work via pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO). A number of common single solutes and fertilizer blends were analyzed using both experimental and numerical methods. Laboratory test trials showed energy recovery of up to 5 Wh kg-1 of fertilizer and power of up 6 W m-2 of membrane area given commercial cellulose triacetate membranes. A drop in power was demonstrated throughout the fertilizer PRO batch process, and the resulting tradeoffs between energy recovery and power density are discussed. Simulation results suggest that high-performance membranes can be used to maintain elevated power above 5 W m-2 throughout the batch process, while recovering approximately 5 Wh kg-1. The loss of valuable fertilizer via leakage to the feed stream was found to be less than 1% of the initial fertilizer mass, suggesting that this non-ideal dynamic can be reasonably minimized. Implications at the food-energy-water nexus are discussed. Keywords: Fertilizer osmosis, Forward osmosis, Fertilizer energy, Food-energy-water nexus.
Deep learning for hologram generation
Authors: Liu Sheng-Chi , Chu Daping
Published: March 2021

This work exploits deep learning to develop real-time hologram generation. We propose an original concept of introducing hologram modulators to allow the use of generative models to interpret complex-valued frequency data directly. This new mechanism enables the pre-trained learning model to generate frequency samples with variations in the underlying generative features. To achieve an object-based hologram generation, we also develop a new generative model, named the channeled variational autoencoder (CVAE). The pre-trained CVAE can then interpret and learn the hidden structure of input holograms. It is thus able to generate holograms through the learning of the disentangled latent representations, which can allow us to specify each disentangled feature for a specific object. Additionally, we propose a new technique called hologram super-resolution (HSR) to super-resolve a low-resolution hologram input to a super-resolution hologram output. Combining the proposed CVAE and HSR, we successfully develop a new approach to generate super-resolved, complex-amplitude holograms for 3D scenes.
Modeling quasi-phase-matched electric-field-induced optical parametric amplification in hollow-core photonic crystal fibers
Authors: Courtney Trevor L. , Lopez-Zelaya Cesar , Amezcua-Correa Rodrigo , Keyser Christian K.
Published: March 2021

Laser sources in the short- and mid-wave infrared spectral regions are desirable for many applications. The favorable spectral guidance and power handling properties of an inhibited coupling hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (HC-PCF) enable nonlinear optical routes to these wavelengths. We introduce a quasi-phase-matched, electric-field-induced, pressurized xenon-filled HC-PCF-based optical parametric amplifier. A spatially varying electrostatic field can be applied to the fiber via patterned electrodes with modulated voltages. We incorporate numerically modeled electrostatic field amplitudes and fringing, modeled fiber dispersion and transmission, and calculated voltage thresholds to determine fiber lengths of tens of meters for efficient signal conversion for several xenon pressures and electrode configurations.
Role of electric currents in the Fano resonances of connected plasmonic structures
Authors: Riccardi Marco , Martin Olivier J. F.
Published: March 2021

In this work, we use finite elements simulations to study the far field properties of two plasmonic structures, namely a dipole antenna and a cylinder dimer, connected to a pair of nanorods. We show that electrical, rather than near field, coupling between the modes of these structures results in a characteristic Fano lineshape in the far field spectra. This insight provides a way of tailoring the far field properties of such systems to fit specific applications, especially maintaining the optical properties of plasmonic antennas once they are connected to nanoelectrodes. This work extends the previous understanding of Fano resonances as generated by a simple near field coupling and provides a route to an efficient design of functional plasmonic electrodes.
Slow wave and truly rainbow trapping in a one-way terahertz waveguide
Authors: Xu Jie , He Panpan , Feng Delong , Yong Kangle , Hong Lujun , Shen Yun , Zhou Yun
Published: March 2021

Slowing down or even trapping electromagnetic (EM) waves attract researchers’ attention for its potential applications in energy storage, optical signal processing and nonlinearity enhancement. However, conventional trapping, in fact, is not truly trapping because of the existence of strong coupling effects and reflections. In this paper, a novel metal-semiconductor-semiconductor-metal (MSSM) heterostructure is presented, and novel truly rainbow trapping of terahertz waves is demonstrated based on a tapered MSSM structure. More importantly, functional devices such as optical buffer, optical switch and optical filter are achieved in one single structure based on the truly rainbow trapping theory. Owing to the property of one-way propagation, these new types of optical devices can be high performance and are expected to be used in integrated optical circuits.
Nonreciprocal absorber with a narrow band of angular polarization sensitive regions based on a quasi-periodic structure
Authors: Wan Baofei , Zhang Haifeng , Wang Pengxiang
Published: March 2021

In the quasi-periodic structure (QPS) containing InSb, a nonreciprocal absorber with a narrow band of angular polarization sensitive regions is studied. Due to the effective role of the antireflection layers (ALs), the effective impedance of the overall structure matches the vacuum wave impedance. Benefiting from the special absorption structure, an absorption band will be created in the photonic bandgap. The results of the investigation show that, with the same parameters, the QPS has a larger frequency bandwidth than the periodic structure and, if the incident frequency of the electromagnetic wave is the same, the former has a larger angular selective range. The degrees of polarization separation and nonreciprocal ability of the presented QPS can be regulated by temperature and magnetic induction intensity. Consequently, the proposed QPS can provide a new basis for the development of polarization separators and nonreciprocal devices.
High-accuracy deflectometric microscope system with a large slope range
Authors: Gu Hanting , Wang Daodang , Gu Zhixiong , Kong Ming , Liu Lu , Lei Lihua , Liang Rongguang
Published: March 2021

We propose an off-axis deflectometric microscope system for microscopic surface testing with both high measurement accuracy and a large slope dynamic range. A high-luminance liquid crystal display directly illuminates the tested sample with coded fringes, and then the reflected fringes passing through a microscope objective are captured by a pinhole camera, from which the deflectometric microscopic testing with a large slope range can be achieved. The accuracy of the proposed system is validated numerically and experimentally, and a large measurable slope dynamic range is also demonstrated. The proposed system provides a feasible way with the slope range in the order of sub-radians and sag resolution better than 0.05 nm.
Scanning Compton X-ray microscopy
Authors: Villanueva-Perez P. , Fleckenstein H. , Prasciolu M. , Murray K. T. , Domaracký M. , Gregorič K. , Mariani V. , Gelisio L. , Kuhn M. , Hannappel J. , Yefanov O. , Ivanov N. , Sarrou I. , Pennicard D. , Becker J. , von Zimmermann M. , Gutowski O. , Dippel A.-C. , Chapman H. N. , Bajt S.
Published: March 2021

X-ray microscopy offers the opportunity to image biological and radiosensitive materials without special sample preparations, bridging optical and electron microscopy capabilities. However, the performance of such microscopes, when imaging radiosensitive samples, is not limited by their intrinsic resolution, but by the radiation damage induced on such samples. Here, we demonstrate a novel, to the best of our knowledge, radio-efficient microscope, scanning Compton X-ray microscopy (SCXM), which uses coherently and incoherently (Compton) scattered photons to minimize the deposited energy per unit of mass for a given imaging signal. We implemented SCXM, using lenses capable of efficiently focusing 60 keV X-ray photons into the sub-micrometer scale, and probe its radio-efficient capabilities. SCXM, when implemented in high-energy diffraction-limited storage rings, e.g.,  European Synchrotron Radiation Facility Extremely Brilliant Source and PETRA IV, will open the opportunity to explore the nanoscale of unstained, unsectioned, and undamaged radiosensitive materials.
Computational temporal ghost imaging for long-distance underwater wireless optical communication
Authors: Chen Xinwei , Jin Mengyin , Chen Honglan , Wang Yupeng , Qiu Pengjiang , Cui Xugao , Sun Baoqing , Tian Pengfei
Published: March 2021

This work proposes an underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) system based on computational temporal ghost imaging (CTGI) and a low-bandwidth high-sensitivity avalanche photodiode. After measuring the attenuation coefficient of water, a series of neutral density filters is used to attenuate the optical power to estimate the distance of UWOC. Experimental results show that under the conditions of 4 GHz transmitting frequency and 144.37 m estimated distance, through CTGI, we can achieve error-free transmission, and the peak signal-to-noise ratio is much higher than on–off keying. Additionally, after adopting the segmented reconstruction method, under the condition of 4 GHz transmitting frequency and 193.10 m estimated distance, we can also achieve error-free transmission. At the same time, the relationship between UWOC performance and the number of segments is also studied. This research provides a novel UWOC technique that enables high-frequency transmission signals to be detected by a low-bandwidth photodetector for long-distance UWOC.
Large-mode-area all-solid anti-resonant fiber with single-mode operation for high-power fiber lasers
Authors: Xing Zhen , Wang Xin , Lou Shuqin , Tang Zijuan , Jia Haoqiang , Gu Shuai , Han Jihong
Published: March 2021

We investigate the feasibility of applying an anti-resonant guiding mechanism in an all-solid anti-resonant fiber (AS-ARF) to achieve a large mode area (LMA) and single mode for high-power fiber laser applications. A novel, to the best of our knowledge, AS-ARF with nonuniform rods is proposed to enhance the single-mode property and enlarge the mode area. The numerical results show that the core diameter can expand to 57, 80, and 100 µm at the wavelengths of 1.064, 1.55, and 2 µm, respectively. The loss ratio of the lowest loss of higher-order modes to the loss of the fundamental mode can exceed 1000, 550, and 860 at the wavelength of 1.064, 1.55, and 2 µm; thus, robust single-mode operation can be ensured. Besides, the fiber can also be adapted to bent condition under certain heat load. These indicate that the proposed AS-ARF with nonuniform rods is a great candidate as an LMA fiber for high-power fiber lasers.
Fabrication of a rutile titanium dioxide thin film heterostructure using ion-implantation with Cu-Sn bonding
Authors: Ma Yujie , Zhou Cangtao , Xiang Bingxi , Yu Mingyang , Lu Fei , Yin Jinde , Ruan Shuangchen
Published: March 2021

Single crystalline titanium dioxide thin film in the rutile phase (r-TiO2) is exfoliated from bulk material using a He+-implantation method, and is bonded onto SiO2 substrate to form a heterostructure using Cu-Sn bonding technology. The exfoliated r-TiO2 thin film was examined to be in good quality, and the exfoliation mechanism of ion-implanted r-TiO2 was analyzed. The obtained r-TiO2 thin film heterostructure with high refractive index contrast has a potential application in the fabrication of high-Q optical microcavities in visible wavelengths, which is useful in integrated photonic devices.
Photon–phonon spin–orbit interaction in optical fibers
Authors: Yavorsky Maxim , Vikulin Dmitriy , Alexeyev Constantine , Belotelov Vladimir
Published: March 2021

Spin–orbit interaction (SOI) is a striking physical phenomenon in which spin and orbital features of a particle or a wave field affect each other. Recently, there has been significant interest in the SOI of light as it accompanies a number of fundamental light–matter interaction processes, enabling intriguing applications. We demonstrate the spin-orbit coupling between photons and phonons, in contrast to recently reported studies dealing with a “single-field” SOI. We show that the spin angular momentum of phonons can be transformed into the orbital angular momentum of photons, and vice versa, during the fiber acousto-optic interaction. This results in the acoustic-spin-dependent, dynamically tunable generation of topologically charged optical vortex beams directly from a Gauss-like mode. This type of optical mode conversion can be useful in such vortex-based photonics applications as micromechanics, classical and quantum information technologies, and simulation of quantum computing. This particular example of a “two-field SOI” shows that the concept of spin-orbit coupling can be generalized to describe the interaction between elementary excitations of different physical nature. Our findings indicate that SOI-assisted effects might be found in physical systems with photon–phonon, magnon–phonon, electron–phonon, and other interactions, enabling tailored topologically charged multiparticle states in photonics, spintronics, plasmonics, etc.
All-optical sampling of few-cycle infrared pulses using tunneling in a solid
Authors: Liu Yangyang , Gholam-Mirzaei Shima , Beetar John E. , Nesper Jonathan , Yousif Ahmed , Nrisimhamurty M. , Chini Michael
Published: March 2021

Recent developments in ultrafast laser technology have resulted in novel few-cycle sources in the mid-infrared. Accurately characterizing the time-dependent intensities and electric field waveforms of such laser pulses is essential to their applications in strong-field physics and attosecond pulse generation, but this remains a challenge. Recently, it was shown that tunnel ionization can provide an ultrafast temporal “gate” for characterizing high-energy few-cycle laser waveforms capable of ionizing air. Here, we show that tunneling and multiphoton excitation in a dielectric solid can provide a means to measure lower-energy and longer-wavelength pulses, and we apply the technique to characterize microjoule-level near- and mid-infrared pulses. The method lends itself to both all-optical and on-chip detection of laser waveforms, as well as single-shot detection geometries.
A quantitative model used to compare within-host SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV dynamics provides insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Kim Kwang Su , Ejima Keisuke , Iwanami Shoya , Fujita Yasuhisa , Ohashi Hirofumi , Koizumi Yoshiki , Asai Yusuke , Nakaoka Shinji , Watashi Koichi , Aihara Kazuyuki , Thompson Robin N. , Ke Ruian , Perelson Alan S. , Iwami Shingo
Published: March 2021

The scientific community is focused on developing antiviral therapies to mitigate the impacts of the ongoing novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. This will be facilitated by improved understanding of viral dynamics within infected hosts. Here, using a mathematical model in combination with published viral load data, we compare within-host viral dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 with analogous dynamics of MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. Our quantitative analyses using a mathematical model revealed that the within-host reproduction number at symptom onset of SARS-CoV-2 was statistically significantly larger than that of MERS-CoV and similar to that of SARS-CoV. In addition, the time from symptom onset to the viral load peak for SARS-CoV-2 infection was shorter than those of MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. These findings suggest the difficulty of controlling SARS-CoV-2 infection by antivirals. We further used the viral dynamics model to predict the efficacy of potential antiviral drugs that have different modes of action. The efficacy was measured by the reduction in the viral load area under the curve (AUC). Our results indicate that therapies that block de novo infection or virus production are likely to be effective if and only if initiated before the viral load peak (which appears 2–3 days after symptom onset), but therapies that promote cytotoxicity of infected cells are likely to have effects with less sensitivity to the timing of treatment initiation. Furthermore, combining a therapy that promotes cytotoxicity and one that blocks de novo infection or virus production synergistically reduces the AUC with early treatment. Our unique modeling approach provides insights into the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 and may be useful for development of antiviral therapies.
Nature versus art as elicitors of the sublime: A virtual reality study
Authors: Chirico Alice , Clewis Robert R. , Yaden David B. , Gaggioli Andrea
Published: March 2021

The sublime–the mixed aesthetic experience of uplift and elevation in response to a powerful or vast object that otherwise is experienced as menacing–has nurtured philosophical discourse for centuries. One of the major philosophical issues concerns whether the sublime is best thought of as a subjective response or as a stimulus. Recently, psychology has conceived of the sublime as an emotion, often referred to as awe, arising from natural or artistic stimuli that are great, rare, and/or vast. However, it has not yet been empirically demonstrated whether two major elicitors of the sublime–nature and art–differ in inducing this state. In order to experimentally compare nature and art, we exposed 50 participants to sublimity-inducing content in two different formats (nature-based and art-based) using 360° videos. We compared Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night with a photorealistic version of the actual place depicted in the painting, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. We measured participants’ emotional responses before and after each exposure, as well as the sense of presence. The nature-based format induced higher intensity emotional responses than the art-based format. This study compares different sublime stimuli (nature vs. art) for eliciting the sublime.
Painting over precarity: Community public art and the optics of dispossession, gentrification and governance in West Oakland, CA
Authors: Balliger Robin
Published: March 2021

Large-scale arts-led urban regeneration strategies are typically distinguished from the grassroots authenticity of community art projects, but this article examines how the trope of community facilitates gentrification in Oakland, California. Community murals of the 1960s to 1990s played a critical social role by making visible minority concerns and galvanizing movements for social justice, but questions emerge about contemporary community art in relation to neoliberal values and urban precarity. The Black neighbourhood of West Oakland has been resistant to gentrification due to decades of disinvestment and through robust activism against displacement in one of the most progressive cities in the United States. Based on longitudinal ethnographic research and situated visual analysis, I show how neighbourhood resistance was only overcome when change appeared to come from the ‘community’ itself, through the specific imagery and spatiality of community mural projects that resignify the neighbourhood to accommodate gentrification. I critique gentrification as a dualistic insider and outsider dynamic; such structural analysis elides ‘community’ as a contested category that may be complicit with urban restructuring. Real-estate interests also appropriate signifiers of ‘community’ to reshape neighbourhood identity, valorize property, and police public space. I argue that in West Oakland the ‘community mural’ is vertically integrated in municipal and capital logics that serve to dis-embed, rather than support, historic neighbourhood populations.
Hacia una teoría sociológica abierta y analítica de la transición política
Authors: Pérez-Agote Alfonso
Published: March 2021

Este trabajo pretende profundizar, para evitarlas, en algunas consecuencias de que las ciencias sociales comenzaran a desarrollarse en los países europeos occidentales en periodos en los que se pretendía la construcción de estados modernos, nacionales, representativos, y democráticos. Si estas ciencias adoptaron su perfil teórico y empírico asociado a ese proyecto de nacionalización y democratización del Estado, alcanzando una dimensión profética que dibuja el futuro de las poblaciones del planeta, caben otras sociologías, que más sensibles a la diversidad de proyectos modernizadores buscan deshacerse de ese carácter profético sin perder por ello la riqueza conceptual, teórica, de nuestros clásicos. En esa apuesta, este texto problematiza la idea de transición política, se replantea la pregunta implícita que lleva incrustada, como toda transición (¿cuál es la relación entre el poder y los individuos sometidos a este?) y procura, así, poner en marcha una teoría social más abierta y analítica y menos profética y valorativa. El trabajo termina refiriéndose al análisis de la transición en los países de África del oeste de anterior colonización francesa, en los que no parece factible la llegada de un Estado democrático nacional, pero se dan procesos creativos de relación entre política, religión y sociedad.
Maradona: mito popular, símbolo peronista, voz plebeya
Authors: Alabarces Pablo
Published: March 2021

En el contexto de una reflexión que apunta a la relación entre deporte e identidades, el texto aborda conceptos como cultura, héroe popular o subalternidad a partir del análisis del alcance de la figura del futbolista argentino Diego Maradona. Su muerte en noviembre de 2020, que provocó enormes manifestaciones de dolor público, desató una intensa cobertura que abusó de términos tales como mito, símbolo, héroe, ídolo e identidad. La pregunta clave giró en torno de hasta dónde Maradona, un deportista inigualable y simultáneamente una figura pública conflictiva, por su conducta personal (entre ellas, condenas deportivas y causas penales por consumo de drogas) y por sus posiciones políticas vinculadas al populismo de izquierda, podía ser considerado un símbolo de una presunta identidad nacional.
Survey and Quantification of Household Waste in Tsévié City, Togo
Authors: Kondoh Essowè , Edem Koledzi K. , Bodjona Magnoudéwa Bassaï , Kili Koffi Ani , Tchangbedji Gado
Published: March 2021

The management of solid household wastes in Tsévié is the environmental concerns that the municipality
faces on a daily basis. The aim of this study is to assess the amount of waste produced daily per
resident in Tsévié and then to determine the socio-economic dynamics involved in the production of
waste. A quantification campaign coupled with the socio-economic assessment are carried out. The
households selected are chosen at random from different parts of the city and their number is defined
on the basis of the size of the population so as to cover at least one hundredth of this population. The
results obtained indicate that the ratios vary by neighborhood and by the lifestyle of population. These
ratios range from 0.476 kg/hab/d to 0.587 kg/hab/d with an average of 0.54 0.10 kg/hab/d. The production
of household wastes in the city of Tsévié is estimated at 13440 tonnes per year. For the other sectors,
especially the central market and commercial structures, production is estimated at 744 tonnes and
149 tonnes of waste respectively per year. With an estimated annual waste production in the city of
Tsévié of approximately 14,333 tonnes, urgent steps must be taken toward the efficient management
of this waste.
Isolation of 3-(Hydroxyacetyl)indole and Indole-3-carboxylic acid from Red Alga
Halymenia durvillei: Their Anti-lung Cancer Cell and in vivo Anti-aging Activity
Authors: Manohong Preeyanuch , Sornkaew Nilubon , Meemon Krai , Chumphoochai Kawita , Sobhon Prasert , Tamtin Montakan , Sichaem Jirapast , Mingvanish Withawat , Srisuwannaket Choladda , Mingvanish Withawat , Niamnont Nakorn
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to evaluate the bioactivity and phytochemical investigation in red algae Halymenia
durvillei. The polarity based solvent partition (hexane, ethyl acetate, butanol and water) of H. durvillei
ethanolic crude were used for characterization. The present results of the ethyl acetate extract of red
alga H. durvillei generated a 3-(hydroxyacetyl)indole (1), indole-3-carboxylic acid (2) as well as two
fatty acids viz. palmitic acid (3) and α-linoleic acid (4). The viability against lung cancer cells of
compounds 1 and 2 showed moderate activities against the A549 cell line with inhibition percentages
of 12.97% and 25.81%, respectively. Analysis of the dose response of C. elegans anti-aging assay
indicated that the survival rate of compound 1 was 12.62% while it was 11.04% for compound 2.
Furthermore, H. durvillei isolation was used as an antioxidant, anti-cancer cell and anti-aging resource.
Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Screening of Novel Metal(II) Complexes of 2-{[2-(5-Benzoyl-1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)-2-oxoethyl]amino}-5-bromobenzoic Acid
Authors: DESAI P.S. , PAREKH D.V.
Published: March 2021

In this work, 5-bromoanthranilic acid was condensed with 1-(5-benzoyl-1H-1,2,3-benzotriazole-1-yl)-2-chloro-ethanone to form 2-{[2- (5-benzoyl-1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)-2-oxoethyl]amino}-5-bromobenzoic acid. The newly synthesized ligand and its metal(II) complexes with first transition metal series (Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), Zn(II) and Mn(II)) have been synthesized and characterized by using elemental analysis, infrared and electronic spectra. The IR spectra, NMR spectra and atomic absorption analysis show that the benzotriazole ligand formed chelates with metal in a 2:1 (ligand:metal) stochiometry. All the metal(II) complexes were screened for their antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Among the synthesized metal(II) complexes, Cu(II) complex showed the highest antibacterial activity.