bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Μελέτη και ανάπτυξη μεθόδων δοσιμετρικής επαλήθευσης πλάνων θεραπείας σε σύγχρονες τεχνικές ακτινοθεραπείας
Authors: Διαμαντόπουλος Στέφανος
Published: February 2024

Η διενέργεια επαλήθευσης των ακτινοθεραπευτικών πλάνων για κάθε ασθενή αποτελεί αναπόσπαστο μέρος της σύγχρονης ακτινοθεραπείας, λόγω της αυξημένης πολυπλοκότητάς της. Επί του παρόντος, η αξιολόγηση των πλάνων επαλήθευσης πραγματοποιείται κυρίως με στατιστικές μεθόδους. Σκοπός της παρούσας διατριβής είναι η ανάπτυξη μιας νέας μεθόδου σύγκρισης κατανομών δόσης, η οποία α) να παρέχει κλινικό περιεχόμενο στα αποτελέσματά της και β) να έχει όρια αποδοχής που να προκύπτουν από τις πραγματικές δυνατότητες του γραμμικού επιταχυντή. Η βασική ιδέα έγκειται στο γεγονός ότι το σχήμα κάθε ισοδοσιακής καμπύλης ή επιφανείας είναι εφικτό να παραμετροποιηθεί σε ιστόγραμμα χρησιμοποιώντας ως συνάρτηση μετατροπής την απόσταση των σημείων που την αποτελούν από το ισόκεντρο της θεραπείας. Με αυτό τον τρόπο, η πολύπλοκη σύγκριση στον τρισδιάστατο χώρο απλοποιείται με τη βοήθεια μέτρων ανομοιότητας ιστογραμμάτων. Ως «διαφορές ισοδοσιακών επιφανειών» ορίζονται οι κανονικοποιημένες διαφορές των ιστογραμμάτων των επιφανειών αναφοράς και αξιολόγησης συναρτήσει των αντίστοιχων ισοδοσιακών επιπέδων του πλάνου. Τα όρια αποδοχής πηγάζουν από τα όρια διασφάλισης ποιότητας του γραμμικού επιταχυντή, μεταβάλλονται ανάλογα με τη βάθμωση των περιοχών του πλάνου και παρουσιάζονται με κλινικά εύληπτο τρόπο. Η προτεινόμενη αυτή μέθοδος συγκρίθηκε με τον δείκτη γ χρησιμοποιώντας κατανομές δόσης VMAT και IMRT στις οποίες εισήχθησαν σκοπίμως λάθη αυξανόμενης σημαντικότητας. Τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν ότι η προτεινόμενη μέθοδος είναι ευαίσθητη σε όλα τα σφάλματα που εμπεριέχονται στα πλάνα. Οι αποκλίσεις παρουσιάζονται ανά ισοδόσιακή επιτρέποντας την αξιολόγηση των πλάνων σε δύο περιοχές που αντιπροσωπεύουν την περιοχή υψηλής δόσης (στόχος) και τους φυσιολογικούς ιστούς. Συμπερασματικά, η προτεινόμενη μέθοδος «Διαφορών Ισοδοσιακών Επιφανειών» αποτελεί μια εύληπτη, σχετική με τα πρωτόκολλα διασφάλιση της ποιότητας, απαλλαγμένη από την ανάγκη αντιστοίχισης των κατανομών και κλινικά προσανατολισμένη τεχνική αξιολόγησης της δόσης ακτινοβολίας κατά τη διαδικασία επαλήθευσης ακτινοθεραπευτικών πλάνων. Η μέθοδος αυτή μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί είτε ως αυτόνομο είτε ως επικουρικό εργαλείο στις καθιερωμένες διαδικασίες αξιολόγησης, ξεπερνώντας σημαντικούς περιορισμούς όπως αναφέρονται στη διεθνή βιβλιογραφία.
Investigating ultrastructural morphology in MIRAGE syndrome-derived fibroblasts using transmission electron microscopy.
Authors: Buonocore Federica , Balys Monika , Anderson Glenn , Achermann John C.
Published: February 2024

Background Heterozygous de novo variants in the gene SAMD9 cause the complex multisystem disorder, MIRAGE syndrome. Patients are characterised by myelodysplasia, infections, growth restriction, adrenal insufficiency, gonadal dysfunction and enteropathies. Pathogenic variants in SAMD9 are gain-of-function and enhance its role as a growth repressor, leading to growth restriction of many tissues. Two studies have reported changes in skin fibroblasts derived from MIRAGE patients, more specifically identifying enlarged endosomes. We have also previously shown subtle changes in endosome size in patients’ fibroblasts compared to controls. However, these variations in endosomes were not as marked as those described in the literature. Methods We have performed an observational study using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in a larger number of cells derived from three patients’ fibroblasts to assess ultrastructure morphology compared to control images. Results Consistent changes were observed in cell organelles in all patient samples. In particular, increased endosomal activity was detected, characterised by augmented pinocytosis and vesicle budding, increased endosome number, as well as by large lysosomes and endosomes. Endoplasmic reticulum was also prominent. Mitochondria appeared enlarged in selected cells, possibly due to cellular stress. Cell nuclei did not display major differences compared to controls. Conclusions TEM is a powerful tool to investigate morphological features of tissues and cell organelles, although TEM data could be affected by sample preparation methodology, therefore potentially explaining the variability between independent studies, and its analysis can be dependent on the experience of the researcher. The increased endosomal activity we have observed in patients’ fibroblasts could indicate that SAMD9 regulates endocytosis of receptors, acting as an endosome fusion facilitator, or in lysosomal activation. However, the precise mechanism(s) by which SAMD9 regulates cell growth is still not fully understood, and further studies are needed to elucidate its pathogenic pathway and develop therapeutic approaches to support patients.
Data formats and standards for opportunistic rainfall sensors
Authors: Fencl Martin , Nebuloni Roberto , C. M. Andersson Jafet , Bares Vojtech , Blettner Nico , Cazzaniga Greta , Chwala Christian , Colli Matteo , de Vos Lotte , El Hachem Abbas , Galdies Charles , Giannetti Filippo , Graf Maximilian , Jacoby Dror , Victor Habi Hai , Musil Petr , Ostrometzky Jonatan , Roversi Giacomo , Sapienza Fabiola , Seidel Jochen , Spackova Anna , van de Beek Remco , Walraven Bas , Wilgan Karina , Zheng Xin
Published: February 2024

Opportunistic sensors are increasingly used for rainfall measurement. However, their raw data are collected by a variety of systems that are often not primarily intended for rainfall monitoring, resulting in a plethora of different data formats and a lack of common standards. This hinders the sharing of opportunistic sensing (OS) data, their automated processing, and, at the end, their practical usage and integration into standard observation systems. This paper summarises the experiences of the more than 100 members of the OpenSense Cost Action involved in the OS of rainfall. We review the current practice of collecting and storing precipitation OS data and corresponding metadata, and propose new common guidelines describing the requirements on data and metadata collection, harmonising naming conventions, and defining human-readable and machine readable file formats for data and metadata storage. We focus on three sensors identified by the OpenSense community as prominent representatives of the OS of precipitation: Commercial microwave links (CML): fixed point-to-point radio links mainly used as backhauling connections in telecommunication networks Satellite microwave links (SML): radio links between geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites and ground user terminals. Personal weather stations (PWS): non-professional meteorological sensors owned by citizens. The conventions presented in this paper are primarily designed for storing, handling, and sharing historical time series and do not consider specific requirements for using OS data in real time for operational purposes. The conventions are already now accepted by the ever growing OpenSense community and represent an important step towards automated processing of OS raw data and community development of joint OS software packages.
MarkerScan: Separation and assembly of cobionts sequenced alongside target species in biodiversity genomics projects
Authors: Vancaester Emmelien , Blaxter Mark L.
Published: February 2024

Contamination of public databases by mislabelled sequences has been highlighted for many years and the avalanche of novel sequencing data now being deposited has the potential to make databases difficult to use effectively. It is therefore crucial that sequencing projects and database curators perform pre-submission checks to remove obvious contamination and avoid propagating erroneous taxonomic relationships. However, it is important also to recognise that biological contamination of a target sample with unexpected species’ DNA can also lead to the discovery of fascinating biological phenomena through the identification of environmental organisms or endosymbionts. Here, we present a novel, integrated method for detection and generation of high-quality genomes of all non-target genomes co-sequenced in eukaryotic genome sequencing projects. After performing taxonomic profiling of an assembly from the raw data, and leveraging the identity of small rRNA sequences discovered therein as markers, a targeted classification approach retrieves and assembles high-quality genomes. The genomes of these cobionts are then not only removed from the target species’ genome but also available for further interrogation. Source code is available from https://github.com/CobiontID/MarkerScan. MarkerScan is written in Python and is deployed as a Docker container.
Endometriosis: Pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and the role of gut microbiota
Authors: Senat Hanna , Grabowska Patrycja , Senat Aleksandra , Bolla Patrycja , Madej Aleksandra , Marczyńska Zuzanna , Libracka Karolina
Published: February 2024

Endometriosis is a common disease. It affects 5-10% of women of reproductive age worldwide. However, despite the prevalence, diagnosis is typically delayed by years, misdiagnosis is common, and effective treatment takes years to achieve. Determining the mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis is vital, not only to pave the way for early identification, but also for disease management and development of less invasive but successful treatment strategies. Three main typed of endometriosis have been described in literature: peritoneal, ovarian and deep infiltrative. This is mainly due to the most common locations of ectopis endometrium. .Determining the precise pathogenesis of endometriosis has proved challenging and controversial for gynecologists, endocrinologists and researchers, but recent studies have focused on finding answers. This disease is often asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally during various surgical interventions or follow-up gynecological examinations. Epidemiological research reports that women with this disease are more vulnerable to ovarian and breast cancer, asthma, skin cancer suhc as melanoma, cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis. The connection of the gut microbiota and endometriosis is nowadays higly suspected to exist. Scientists are focused on the influence of the microbiome on estrogens, estrogens-dependent disorders, immune system and inflammation. It is strongly velieved that correction of the gut microbiota with antibiotica, probiotics, or fecal bacterial transplantation sie a hopeful method for improving the clinical management of endometriosis.
Al margen de la adaptación: escritores y cine en el África lusófona.
Authors: González García Fernando
Published: February 2024

En el presente trabajo se examina la participación de escritores en la creación y desarrollo de las cinematografías de los Países Africanos de Lengua Oficial Portuguesa (PALOP), sin entrar en la cuestión de la adaptación cinematográfica de textos literarios. Esta participación se ha llevado a cabo de maneras muy diversas: desde su presencia en instituciones encargadas de la política cinematográfica y en empresas hasta la creación de argumentos originales, la escritura de guiones e incluso, excepcionalmente, la dirección de películas. El trabajo, finalmente, se plantea en qué medida esta colaboración de escritores ha podido propiciar, o no, alternativas a los modelos cinematográficos canónicos, tanto en el ámbito de la ficción como en el de la no ficción.
Idrissa Ouedraogo, un cineasta en búsqueda de la humanidad: el equilibrismo entre el compromiso y el espectáculo en el cine de autor africano.
Authors: Gutierrez Sanchez Julia Sabina
Published: February 2024

El renombrado cineasta burkinés Idrissa Ouedraogo ha dejado una huella indeleble en el panorama cinematográfico africano. Con una carrera que abarca más de tres décadas, su obra ha sido un reflejo constante de las complejidades de la vida, la cultura y la sociedad en África. Este artículo científico se adentra en su vida y su legado, arrojando luz sobre sus contribuciones al mundo del cine y su duradera influencia en la narrativa africana. Centrándonos en la polémica surgida a raíz del estreno de Yaaba, abordaremos varios aspectos de su obra, incluyendo su enfoque en el entretenimiento en contraposición al cine políticamente comprometido, su contribución a la diversidad del cine africano y su estilo e influencia en el arte cinematográfico.
Reescribiendo la narrativa: tik tok como herramienta para deconstruir los estereotipos sobre el África Subsahariana.
Authors: Luisa Lazaro Natercia , Walzer Maskovic Alejandra
Published: February 2024

A través del perfil de TikTok de Charity Ekezie, este estudio investiga el uso de esta plataforma como medio alternativo para combatir la imagen negativa asociada al África subsahariana. Se ha adoptado un enfoque cuantitativo y cualitativo, seleccionando de forma no probabilista intencional, los cuarenta y cinco vídeos que han tenido más repercusión entre 2022 y 2023 en el perfil de la tiktoker. El objetivo del estudio se ha centrado en analizar los temas tratados en los contenidos generados en el perfil de TikTok de Charity Ekezie, especialmente aquellos temas que, de alguna manera, perpetúan los estereotipos sobre el continente africano. Los resultados del análisis demuestran que la comunicación de Ekezie es eficaz a la hora de presentar historias del continente desde su propia perspectiva, contribuyendo así a la difusión de narrativas positivas y en el cambio de las percepciones estereotipadas que gran parte de sus seguidores no africanos tienen sobre África.
EL ARCHIVO DE LA CASA DE LA CONTRATACIÓN. HISTORIA DE UN FONDO DOCUMENTAL.
Authors: Fernández López Francisco
Published: February 2024

El objetivo principal de este artículo es analizar algunos aspectos de la historia del archivo de la Casa de la Contratación de Indias desde su creación en 1503 hasta su extinción en 1790. Se trata de examinar el papel que cumplió el archivo a lo largo de la Edad Moderna como instrumento de poder al servicio de la Corona, en el cumplimiento de sus funciones propias de gestión de documentos. Como en otras instituciones de la Monarquía no encontraremos una persona especializada a cargo del archivo hasta bien entrado el siglo XVIII. De igual modo, habrá que esperar al Siglo de las Luces para que aparezcan instrumentos de descripción de la documentación con un carácter sistemático, cuya finalidad era el control y rápida localización de los documentos para servir a la institución, o bien la transferencia de estos de un archivo a otro.
“LA BUENA INTELIGENCIA”: BRASIL Y LA INDEPENDENCIA DE AMÉRICA DEL SUR EN LOS INFORMES DIPLOMÁTICOS AUSTRÍACOS (1816-1820).
Authors: Martínez-Flener Milagros
Published: February 2024

La documentación diplomática austríaca muestra cómo el establecimiento de la corte lusa en Brasil significó su apertura al comercio libre internacional y el surgimiento de un mercado bélico en la región rioplatense. Los conflictos entre Madrid y Lisboa por la Banda Oriental llevaron, además, al cierre de los puertos lusos para España, lo que le imposibilitó el envío de expediciones a la costa del Pacífico, influyendo así, en las guerras independentistas
A Solution-Focused Model: Integrating Counseling Concepts into Higher Education Academic Advising
Authors: Babb Kathryn , Mitchell Megan , Horn Stacy Van
Published: February 2024

Academic advisors in higher education interact and engage with students in various academic disciplines from freshman year through graduation, and have the greatest opportunity to impact students’ sense of belonging to their universities. During a time of global hardship in education, it is crucial to equip frontline student-facing personnel with accessible, practical methods to help students maintain hope and find solutions to move educational goals forward. This conceptual paper offers a framework for the integration of school counseling methods with academic advising. Institutional personnel can utilize practical tools taken from solution-focused brief therapy to help students actualize their educational goals during times of hardship.
Operationalizing Narrative Theory in the Reinstatement from Suspension Process
Authors: Bowlus Angela M.
Published: February 2024

Students returning from suspension remain a focus for institutions that aim to improve retention and persistence rates and graduate all admitted students. Institutions need more precise mechanisms to identify students who will be academically successful upon return from suspension and to know what support those students will need. Previous research has not identified dependable objective criteria for administrators to use when making reinstatement decisions. Review of subjective criteria in this process is required. This study explored the impact of student narrative on reinstatement from suspension decisions through the narrative theory lens. Student participants and administrators in the reinstatement process were interviewed to understand their understanding of the importance of student narrative on reinstatement decisions and future student success.
GEOTECHNICAL MONITORING OF SLOPE STABILITY IN OPEN-PIT MINING AT PT. SEMEN INDONESIA (PERSERO), TBK TUBAN PLANT
Authors: Prasetyo Isnaini Fadhilah , Ayu Rr Tiara Dyah
Published: February 2024

PT Solusi Bangun Indonesia Tbk is one of of the companies engaged in the building materials solutions industry in Indonesia, with an annual cement production capacity of 14,8 million tons and operates four plant namely in Lhoknga, Narogong, Cilacap, and one of them is located in Tuban, East Java precisely in Mekarwang, Tambakboyo, Tuban, East Java. The mining operation can proceed if it fulfils the requirements of the Work Plan and Budget (RKAB) in accordance with the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Decree No. 1806 K/30/MEM/2018. The mine planning is important aspect in planning mine design as the production objective. mine planning is the most crucial aspect in the mine design planning as a reference to achieve production targets. The raw material targets production in 2024 for clay is 2 million tons and the calculated tonnage obtained is 1.95 million tons. The opening of a new area is carried out in two blocks, namely E3 and D3, which are divided into three sections of new open-pit mining. To provide practical, fast, and efficient mapping, mapping is carried out using UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) which produces topographic and orthophoto maps. To understand the relationship of slope stress-strain, slope stability is identified using a geotechnical study with the simplified bishop method. The results show that the north-south cut has a safety factor of 1.882, while the east-west cut has a safety factor of 1.845 and categorized as safe because it complies with the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Decree No. 1827 K30 MEM 2018, which states that a Safety Factor (FS) value is >1.5. From this research, the researcher hopes for improvements in the quality of aerial photo data to produce accurate and optimal slope stability results.
APPLICATION OF LINELESS TECHNOLOGY IN AUTOMATIC MOORING USING VACUUM SYSTEM
Authors: Kuscahyo Adhitya Rahman , Buana I G. N. Sumanta
Published: February 2024

The paper explores the innovative application of lineless technology in automatic mooring systems through the utilization of vacuum systems. Departing from traditional mooring methods, this approach offers enhanced safety, efficiency, and environmental sustainability. The study provides a concise overview of vacuum-based lineless technology's integration in automatic mooring, emphasizing its unique advantages and potential challenges. Vacuum-based lineless mooring systems employ advanced suction mechanisms, sensors, and control algorithms to achieve secure vessel mooring without manual intervention. This novel approach significantly reduces operational risks, minimizes wear and tear, and optimizes berthing precision. The paper delves into the technical intricacies of sensor integration, real-time monitoring, and adaptive controls, ensuring reliable and safe mooring even under dynamic environmental conditions. The adoption of vacuum-based lineless technology introduces considerations like technological reliability, cyber-physical security, vessel adaptability, and port infrastructure compatibility. Through a blend of literature review and practical insights, the paper evaluates the feasibility and economic implications of this approach, highlighting its potential to revolutionize maritime practices. As the maritime industry seeks forward-looking solutions, vacuum-based lineless mooring technology emerges as a promising avenue for reshaping vessel berthing and contributing to sustainable port evolution.
On balance
Authors: Manners Lala
Published: February 2024

In the second part of a new series on integrating physical practice into early years practice, Dr Lala Manners looks at balance and co-ordination
Growth, Hematological Evaluation and Heavy Metal Bioaccumulation in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) from A Municipal Waste Landfill Reservoir
Authors:   Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand, Swangneat Kannawee , Lamyai Neeratanaphan Lamyai Neeratanaphan ,   Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand, Kallawicha Kraiwuth ,   College of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand, Bundit Tengjaroensakul Bundit Tengjaroensakul ,   Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Published: February 2024

The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth performance, mortality rate, and blood profile of Cd-, Pb-and Cr-contaminated Nile tilapia from the Khon Kaen municipal waste landfill reservoir and compare the parameters with those of fish from unpolluted sites. Human bioaccumulation factor (BAF) determination was also performed. Thirty samples of Nile tilapia were taken from the Khon Kaen municipal waste landfill reservoir (CN) and from unpolluted (TN) ponds. Water and soil were collected from these sites, and tilapia muscle, gill, and liver were obtained for heavy metal evaluation. The Cd concentrations in the muscle, gill and liver were 0.003 ± 0.001, 0.006 ± 0.008, and 0.004 ± 0.003 mg/kg; the Pb concentrations were 0.078 ± 0.173, 0.880 ± 1.360 and 1.110 ± 1.862 mg/kg; and the Cr concentrations were 0.067 ± 0.135, 0.572 ± 1.098 and 0.636 ± 1.272 mg/kg, respectively. The total fish length, body weight and survival rate were significantly lower in the TN group (P <0.05), and alanine aminotransferase and creatinine were significantly (P <0.05) higher in the TN group. The hematocrit count of the TN group was also lower than that of the CN group but without a significant difference. The BAF ranged from 0.1-4.3, especially in the gills and liver, which are major heavy metal accumulation organs. Heavy metal contamination in landfill leachate negatively affects fish health and its production. Keywords: Aquaculture, Nile tilapia, Heavy metal, Pathology, Toxicity
Ambivalent sexism, mental health and partner violence among opposite-sex and same-sex couples
Authors: Magalhães Mariana , Aparicio-García Marta E.
Published: February 2024

Ambivalent sexism has been described as influencing relationships in intimacy and partner abuse. Among 456 Spaniards, this study aimed to explore the association between mental health, ambivalent sexism and violence among opposite-sex and same-sex couples. Results showed that participants in abusive relationships presented higher levels of ambivalent and hostile sexism, regardless of partner’s sex. Psychological violence was associated with ambivalent and hostile sexism. Moderate physical violence was linked to hostile sexism. Participants in abusive relationships reported poorer mental health indexes. These findings highlight the need of interventions to focus on dimensions as sexism towards women, even when considering same-sex couples.
The Manchukuo Film Association and Its Afterlives: Animated Filmmaking in Wartime and Postwar Peking
Authors: Du Daisy Yan
Published: February 2024

abstract: Scholarship on the Manchukuo Film Association (Manying) has largely attended to documentaries, newsreels, and live-action films featuring Li Xianglan, neglecting animation. This article examines the animated film-making activities of the North China Film Company, a branch of Manying located in wartime Peking, by focusing on Chinese animator Liang Jin and a few Japanese animators such as Asada Isamu and Onozawa Wataru. With an animated filmmaking philosophy of territorialization and localization, Manying nonetheless created a de-territorialized world that enabled it to live multiple afterlives in socialist cinema, despite the institutional efforts to erase it from the history of Chinese cinema.
Narrow laser linewidth measurement with the optimal demodulated Lorentzian spectrum
Authors: Wu Lijin , Ji Zhonghua , Ma Weixin , Su Dianqiang , Zhao Yanting , Xiao Liantuan , Jia Suotang
Published: February 2024

A method called the optimal demodulated Lorentzian spectrum is employed to precisely quantify the narrowness of a laser’s linewidth. This technique relies on the coherent envelope demodulation of a spectrum obtained through short delayed self-heterodyne interferometry. Specifically, we exploit the periodic features within the coherence envelope spectrum to ascertain the delay time of the optical fiber. Furthermore, the disparity in contrast within the coherence envelope spectrum serves as a basis for estimating the laser’s linewidth. By creating a plot of the coefficient of determination for the demodulated Lorentzian spectrum fitting in relation to the estimated linewidth values, we identify the existence of an optimal Lorentzian spectrum. The corresponding laser linewidth found closest to the true value is deemed optimal. This method holds particular significance for accurately measuring the linewidth of lasers characterized as narrow or ultranarrow.
Reconstruction of a three-dimensional temperature field in flames based on ES-ResNet18
Authors: Shan Liang , Tang Cheng-Feng , Hong Bo , Kong Ming
Published: February 2024

Currently, the method of establishing the correspondence between the flame light field image and the temperature field by deep learning is widely used. Based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs), the reconstruction accuracy has been improved by increasing the depth of the network. However, as the depth of the network increases, it will lead to gradient explosion and network degradation. To further improve the reconstruction accuracy of the flame temperature field, this paper proposes an ES-ResNet18 model, in which SoftPool is used instead of MaxPool to preserve feature information more completely and efficient channel attention (ECA) is introduced in the residual block to reassign more weights to feature maps of critical channels. The reconstruction results of our method were compared with the CNN model and the original ResNet18 network. The results show that the average relative error and the maximum relative error of the temperature field reconstructed by the ES-ResNet18 model are 0.0203% and 0.1805%, respectively, which are reduced by one order of magnitude compared to the CNN model. Compared to the original ResNet18 network, they have decreased by 17.1% and 43.1%, respectively. Adding Gaussian noise to the flame light field images, when the standard deviation exceeds 0.03, the increase in reconstruction error of the ES-ResNet18 model is lower than that of ResNet18, demonstrating stronger anti-noise performance.
Design and fabrication of a liquid crystal polarization grating for mid- and far-infrared wavelengths
Authors: Sakamoto Moritsugu , Ohara Sora , Mitsuboshi Yohei , Noda Kohei , Suzuki Masato , Sasaki Tomoyuki , Kawatsuki Nobuhiro , Ono Hiroshi
Published: February 2024

A lot of research on liquid crystal polarization gratings (LCPGs) that
can separate circularly polarized light with 100% diffraction
efficiency has been conducted in the visible and near-infrared
wavelength regions. In this paper, we tried to design and fabricate
the LCPGs that are available for use in the mid- and far-infrared (MIR
and FIR) wavelength regions. The materials for making LCPGs were
selected in view of low absorption characteristics measured by the use
of a Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer. LCPGs designed
for 3.88 µm and 9.5–10.6 µm were
fabricated, and we evaluated their diffraction properties
experimentally. The MIR and FIR LCPGs should open new application
fields of LC technologies including polarimetry, spectroscopy, and
beam steering.
Multi-layer lensless camera for improving the condition number
Authors: Nakamura Tomoya , Kato Reina , Iwata Kazuya , Makihara Yasushi , Yagi Yasushi
Published: February 2024

Computational lensless imaging is a technology that realizes the thinning of the optical system by replacing optical imaging with image reconstruction processing.
While the conventional optical design used a single coded mask and an image sensor, recent studies have proposed optical designs that use multiple stacked coded apertures for multidimensional imaging and wide-field imaging.
In this study, we investigate the effect of the multi-layering of the coded aperture on the performance of two-dimensional spatial imaging.
We demonstrate through simulations and optical experiments that the multi-layering of the coded aperture improves the condition number of the transmission matrix of the optical system, and as a result, improves the accuracy of image reconstruction in lensless imaging.
Deep correlated speckles: suppressing correlation fluctuation and optical diffraction
Authors: Nie Xiaoyu , Song Haotian , Ren Wenhan , Zhang Zhedong , Peng Tao , Scully Marlan O.
Published: February 2024

The generation of speckle patterns via random matrices, statistical definitions, or apertures may not always result in optimal outcomes. Issues such as correlation fluctuations in low ensemble numbers and diffraction in long-distance propagation can arise. Instead of improving results of specific applications, our solution is catching deep correlations of patterns with the framework, Speckle-Net, which is fundamental and universally applicable to various systems. We demonstrate this in computational ghost imaging (CGI) and structured illumination microscopy (SIM). In CGI with extremely low ensemble number, it customizes correlation width and minimizes correlation fluctuations in illuminating patterns to achieve higher-quality images. It also creates non-Rayleigh nondiffracting speckle patterns only through a phase mask modulation, which overcomes the power loss in the traditional ring-aperture method. Our approach provides new insights into the nontrivial speckle patterns and has great potential for a variety of applications including dynamic SIM, X-ray and photo-acoustic imaging, and disorder physics.
Outcome analysis of brain-death referral to NOD-Lb: A retrospective chart review of a single hospital experience over 3 years
Authors: Araji Hachem , Ayoub Johnny , Gebrael Laudy , Fala Hiba , Feghali Elio Junior , Al Jardali Marwa , Iskandar Sleiman , Said Yana , Nakhoul Maria , Faour Wissam , Bahous Sola Aoun , Younan Farida , Stephan Antoine
Published: February 2024

Background

Organ donation shortage and in particular organ procurement is an international concern as the gap between the number of donors and recipients is steadily growing. Organ procurement is a chain of steps with donor identification and referral (ID&R) as the very first link in this chain. Failure of this step hinders the progress in the organ transplantation program.

Objectives

Our study was conducted to evaluate and highlight the gap between the national system and the practice at the identification and referral (ID&R) step of the organ procurement chain in a single tertiary-care academic health center in Beirut: the Lebanese American University Medical Center–Rizk Hospital (LAUMC-RH), and to appraise the literature for challenges at this step and for possible interventions for improvement based on the international experience.

Materials and methods

This retrospective study was a descriptive case series of ICU and ED deceased patients at a single tertiary-care university hospital in Beirut. Patients’ characteristics were collected from medical records for all patients who died between 2017 and 2019 while in the ICU or the ED and shared with the National Organization for Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation (NOD-Lb), for each subject separately, to decide on the donor status. All data collected from the patient cohort was analyzed using R version 3.6.1. Wilcoxon signed-rank test, chi-squared, and fisher-exact tests were used to compare differences in clinical characteristics in terms of donor status when appropriate.

Results

This study served as 3 years audit of a single hospital experience, and it demonstrates failure to make any referrals to NOD-Lb and zero actual organ and tissue donations over the study period. The review of 295 deceased subjects’ charts demonstrates 295 missed alerts to NOD-Lb and the overall missing of 5 organ and tissue donors and 24 cornea donors assuming the organ procurement chain of steps will continue uninterrupted after ID&R.

Conclusion

The data gathered suggests the presence of an inefficient identification and referral system that is translated into a complete failure of reporting to NOD-Lb from LAUMC-RH. A systematic evidence-based approach to evaluate for the most cost-effective intervention to increase identification and referral rates is needed with a serious effort to examine and account for any inefficient implantation.
Effect of motivated physicians and elderly patients with hypertension or type 2 diabetes mellitus in prepared communities on health behaviours and outcomes: A population-based PS matched retrospective cohort study during five-year follow-up period
Authors: Park Eun Jee , Kim Hyunsung , Lim Yaeji , Lee Soon Young , Lee Weon-Young
Published: February 2024

Effective chronic disease management requires the active participation of patients, communities, and physicians. The objective of this study was to estimate the effectiveness of the Community-based Registration and Management for elderly patients with Hypertension or Type 2 Diabetes mellitus Project (CRMHDP) by using motivated primary care physicians and patients supported by prepared communities, to utilise healthcare and health outcomes in four cities in South Korea. We conducted a propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study using 2010–2011 as the baseline years, alongside a follow-up period until 2015/2016, based on the Korean National Health Insurance database. Both a CRMHDP group (n = 46,865) and a control group (n = 93,730) were applied against healthcare utilisation and difference-in-differences estimations were performed. For the health outcome analysis, the intervention group (n = 27,242) and control group (n = 54,484) were analysed using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazard regression. Results: The difference-in-differences estimation of the average annual clinic visits per person and the average annual days covered were 1.26 (95% confidence interval, 1.13–1.39) and 22.97 (95% CI, 20.91–25.03), respectively, between the intervention and control groups. The adjusted hazard ratio for death in the intervention group, compared to the control group, was 0.90 (95% CI, 0.86–0.93). For stroke and chronic renal failure, the adjusted hazard ratios for the intervention group compared to the control group were 0.94 (95% CI, 0.88–0.99) and 0.80 (95% CI 0.73–0.89), respectively. Our study suggests that for effective chronic disease management both elderly patients and physicians need to be motivated by community support.
Deep learning-based correction of cataract-induced influence on macular pigment optical density measurement by autofluorescence spectroscopy
Authors: Obana Akira , Ote Kibo , Gohto Yuko , Yamada Hidenao , Hashimoto Fumio , Okazaki Shigetoshi , Asaoka Ryo
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Measurements of macular pigment optical density (MPOD) using the autofluorescence spectroscopy yield underestimations of actual values in eyes with cataracts. Previously, we proposed a correction method for this error using deep learning (DL); however, the correction performance was validated through internal cross-validation. This cross-sectional study aimed to validate this approach using an external validation dataset.

Methods

MPODs at 0.25°, 0.5°, 1°, and 2° eccentricities and macular pigment optical volume (MPOV) within 9° eccentricity were measured using SPECTRALIS (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) in 197 (training dataset inherited from our previous study) and 157 eyes (validating dataset) before and after cataract surgery. A DL model was trained to predict the corrected value from the pre-operative value using the training dataset, and we measured the discrepancy between the corrected value and the actual postoperative value. Subsequently, the prediction performance was validated using a validation dataset.

Results

Using the validation dataset, the mean absolute values of errors for MPOD and MPOV corrected using DL ranged from 8.2 to 12.4%, which were lower than values with no correction (P < 0.001, linear mixed model with Tukey’s test). The error depended on the autofluorescence image quality used to calculate MPOD. The mean errors in high and moderate quality images ranged from 6.0 to 11.4%, which were lower than those of poor quality images.

Conclusion

The usefulness of the DL correction method was validated. Deep learning reduced the error for a relatively good autofluorescence image quality. Poor-quality images were not corrected.
Comparing Montreal Cognitive Assessment Performance in Parkinson’s Disease Patients: Age- and Education-Adjusted Cutoffs vs. Machine Learning
Authors: Baek Kyeongmin , Kim Young Min , Na Han Kyu , Lee Junki , Shin Dong Ho , Heo Seok-Jae , Chung Seok Jong , Kim Kiyong , Lee Phil Hyu , Sohn Young H. , Yoon Jeehee , Kim Yun Joong
Published: February 2024

Objective The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is recommended for general cognitive evaluation in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. However, age- and education-adjusted cutoffs specifically for PD have not been developed or systematically validated across PD cohorts with diverse education levels.Methods In this retrospective analysis, we utilized data from 1,293 Korean patients with PD whose cognitive diagnoses were determined through comprehensive neuropsychological assessments. Age- and education-adjusted cutoffs were formulated based on 1,202 patients with PD. To identify the optimal machine learning model, clinical parameters and MoCA domain scores from 416 patients with PD were used. Comparative analyses between machine learning methods and different cutoff criteria were conducted on an additional 91 consecutive patients with PD.Results The cutoffs for cognitive impairment decrease with increasing age within the same education level. Similarly, lower education levels within the same age group correspond to lower cutoffs. For individuals aged 60–80 years, cutoffs were set as follows: 25 or 24 years for those with more than 12 years of education, 23 or 22 years for 10–12 years, and 21 or 20 years for 7–9 years. Comparisons between age- and education-adjusted cutoffs and the machine learning method showed comparable accuracies. The cutoff method resulted in a higher sensitivity (0.8627), whereas machine learning yielded higher specificity (0.8250).Conclusion Both the age- and education-adjusted cutoff methods and machine learning methods demonstrated high effectiveness in detecting cognitive impairment in PD patients. This study highlights the necessity of tailored cutoffs and suggests the potential of machine learning to improve cognitive assessment in PD patients.
Beyond the classical strong maximum principle: Sign-changing forcing term and flat solutions
Authors: Díaz Jesús Ildefonso , Hernández Jesús
Published: February 2024

We show that the classical strong maximum principle, concerning positive supersolutions of linear elliptic equations vanishing on the boundary of the domain can be extended, under suitable conditions, to the case in which the forcing term is sign-changing. In addition, for the case of solutions, the normal derivative on the boundary may also vanish on the boundary (definition of flat solution). This leads to examples in which the unique continuation property fails. As a first application, we show the existence of positive solutions for a sublinear semilinear elliptic problem of indefinite sign. A second application, concerning the positivity of solutions of the linear heat equation, for some large values of time, with forcing and/or initial datum changing sign, is also given.
Ergodic states on type III1 factors and ergodic actions
Authors: Marrakchi Amine , Vaes Stefaan
Published: February 2024

Since the early days of Tomita–Takesaki theory, it is known that a von Neumann algebra 𝑀 that admits a state 𝜑 with trivial centralizer

M
φ

M_{\varphi}

must be a type III1 factor, but the converse remained open.
We solve this problem and prove that such ergodic states form a dense

G
δ

G_{\delta}

set among all faithful normal states on any III1 factor with separable predual.
Through Connes’ Radon–Nikodym cocycle theorem, this problem is related to the existence of ergodic cocycle perturbations for outer group actions, which we consider in the second part of the paper.
Tobacco use and oral health related quality of life among Indian adolescents
Authors: Singh Shilpi , Jain Meena
Published: February 2024

Objectives

The present study was conducted to assess tobacco use and its effect on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) in Indian adolescents.

Methods

The present study was conducted on 1,600 13–14 year old adolescents from the schools of Modinagar, western Uttar Pradesh, India selected using stratified random sampling technique. OHRQoL was assessed using Hindi version of Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ). Information regarding demographic, socioeconomic and oral health measures was also collected from the study participants. Tobacco use was assessed through questions derived from Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) questionnaire. Influence of predictor variables on tobacco use was evaluated using multilevel Poisson regression model.

Results

The tobacco use among the study population was 8.1 % and CPQ scores were 9.15±0.32. Adolescents who used tobacco had worse OHRQoL scores. Low socioeconomic status, presence of dental caries, absence of regular dental visits (last 6 months) were associated with increased regular consumption of tobacco products.

Conclusions

The findings of the present study play an important role in planning public health strategies to improve adolescent OHRQoL and reduce tobacco use.
Recent advances in all-optical half-subtractor and full-subtractor based on photonic crystal platforms
Authors: Parandin Fariborz , Olyaee Saeed , Heidari Farsad , Soroosh Mohammad , Farmani Ali , Saghaei Hamed , Karimzadeh Rouhollah , Maleki Mohammad Javad , Askarian Asghar , Rahimi Zahra , Ehyaee Arefe
Published: February 2024

A half-subtractor is a digital circuit that subtracts two inputs and displays the result in two outputs. Photonic crystals (PhCs) are used in optical circuits, including encoders, multiplexers, adders, subtractors, timers, counters, etc. This paper reviews and compares some of the all-optical half-subtractors and full-subtractors based on PhCs reported to date. We study physical parameters, including the arrangement of dielectric rods, rod radius, lattice constant, structure area, background material, and resonator type and illustrate the structure with a small size is suitable for integration in a photonic chip. Another crucial factor is the optical power difference between the two logic states of 0 and 1. A large difference between these two values increases the contrast ratio and reduces the detection error in the output. Delay time as a key parameter specifies that the input signal will leave the desired output after a few femtoseconds. Linear structures have the lowest delay time, fall time, and rise time among compared structures. But on the other hand, non-linear structures have the highest amount of contrast ratio. In the recent papers, relatively favorable delay times are obtained, equal to 0.06, 0.1, and 0.85 ps, respectively. Also, the fall times are a small value and are equal to 0.05, 0.1, and 0.25 ps, respectively, and the rise times are equal to 0.1, 0.5, and 0.7 ps, respectively. Also, the contrast ratio values are high and acceptable which are equal to 25.88, 18.80, and 18.40, respectively.
A gradient method for high-dimensional BSDEs
Authors: Gnameho Kossi , Stadje Mitja , Pelsser Antoon
Published: February 2024

We develop a Monte Carlo method to solve backward stochastic differential equations (BSDEs) in high dimensions.
The proposed algorithm is based on the regression-later approach using multivariate Hermite polynomials and their gradients.
We propose numerical experiments to illustrate its performance.
Optical computing metasurfaces: applications and advances
Authors: Zhou Hongqiang , Zhao Chongli , He Cong , Huang Lingling , Man Tianlong , Wan Yuhong
Published: February 2024

Integrated photonic devices and artificial intelligence have presented a significant opportunity for the advancement of optical computing in practical applications. Optical computing technology is a unique computing system based on optical devices and computing functions, which significantly differs from the traditional electronic computing technology. On the other hand, optical computing technology offers the advantages such as fast speed, low energy consumption, and high parallelism. Yet there are still challenges such as device integration and portability. In the burgeoning development of micro–nano optics technology, especially the deeply ingrained concept of metasurface technique, it provides an advanced platform for optical computing applications, including edge detection, image or motion recognition, logic computation, and on-chip optical computing. With the aim of providing a comprehensive introduction and perspective for optical computing metasurface applications, we review the recent research advances of optical computing, from nanostructure and computing methods to practical applications. In this work, we review the challenges and analysis of optical computing metasurfaces in engineering field and look forward to the future development trends of optical computing.
Reverse phase liquid chromatographic method for the measurement of uranium in process stream solutions from uranium extraction facility
Authors: Balaji Rao Yarasi , Bano Shehanaz , Nagendra Kumar Putta V. , Srivastava Dinesh
Published: February 2024

The present paper describes a simple method for the determination of uranium in uranium process stream solutions by reversed-phase liquid chromatographic method using C18 column, mixture of α-hydroxy isobutyric acid and methanol as eluent and flow-through spectrophotometer detector. This method has an advantage that interfering elements like rare-earth elements do not retain on the column and elute near the solvent peak thereby not interfering with uranium elution peak. Different eluents and parameters like pH, concentration of eluent are studied for the purpose. The spiking standard recovery was found to be more than 90 %. The developed method has been compared with other techniques and found to be in agreement.