bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge of nosocomial infections, standard precautions, and source of information among physiotherapy undergraduates in Sri Lanka; an observational study
Authors: Rubasinghe Sahan , Priyadarshani Kokila , Wijesundara Pramodha , Ramyamala Singappulige , Lakmal Krishantha , Bandara Anuradhi , Dasanayaka Renuka
Published: May 2023

Background

Physiotherapists and physiotherapy undergraduates have direct contact with patients which make them transmitters of infections if they do not follow standard precautions. Hence, the purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of nosocomial infections, standard precautions, and source of information among physiotherapy undergraduates in Sri Lanka.

Methods

An observational Google based survey study was conducted among 294 physiotherapy undergraduates, of which there were 103 in University of Peradeniya, 103 in University of Colombo, and 88 in General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. The Infection Control Standardized Questionnaire comprising three domains: knowledge of nosocomial infections, standard precautions and hand hygiene was used for data collection along with a self-constructed data sheet for socio-demographic information and source of information.

Results

Participants achieved mean knowledge of 67.1 ± 16.8, 84.4 ± 14.7 and 66.4 ± 15.4 for nosocomial infections, standard precautions, and hand hygiene respectively. Of the total sample, 225 (76.5%) achieved adequate level of total knowledge. Eighty-three of them (28.3%) equally mentioned, formal teaching at faculty and informal sources as the most important source of knowledge. There was no significant impact of university and the duration of clinical exposure on knowledge of nosocomial infections, standard precautions, hand hygiene and total knowledge. The study year has a significant impact on standard precautions (P = 0.004) and total knowledge (P = 0.035) and final years had highest knowledge compared to the other study years.

Conclusion

Knowledge of nosocomial infections and infection control measures were satisfactory among the physiotherapy undergraduates in Sri Lanka. Further developments of formal sources of information about nosocomial infections are recommended.
Qianhu (Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn) Improves exercise capacity in mice by regulating Nrf2/HO-1 oxidative stress signaling pathway
Authors: Li Bo , Wang Yeni , Yang Xiaoguang
Published: May 2023

This study assessed the effect of Qianhu (Peucedanum praeruptorumDunn)on the recovery of movement in mice with D-galactose-induced dyskinesia. The evaluation of the ability of mice to exercise revealed that Qianhu increased the running and swimming time to exhaustion in mice with dyskinesia. In addition, measurement of biochemical indices in mice showed that Qianhu altered the serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), blood lactic acid (BLA), malonaldehyde (MDA), liver glycogen (HG), muscle glycogen (MG), while the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) remained normal. Additionally, Qianhu regulated the mRNA expression of copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD), manganese-superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), catalase (CAT), heme oxygenase 1(HO-1), nuclear factor erythroid2-related factor (Nrf2) and syncytin-1 in mice and also protected mice against D-galactose-induced oxidative stress. The analysis of the chemical composition of Qianhu revealed that it mainly contains isochlorogenic acid B, myricetin, baicalin, luteolin, and kaempferol, which are known excellent antioxidants that protect against tissue damage due to oxidative stress and have anti-aging properties. Thus, these compounds may be the active components in Qianhu that improve the ability of mice to exercise, and may also represent the key compounds for its use as natural medicine or health food.
Evaluation of three scoring systems for predicting renal prognosis in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated glomerulonephritis
Authors: Wang Ruiqiang , Zhang Xiaofeng , Wang Xinfang , Chen Lin , Ma Qiuling , Su Yajing , Liu Jingwen , Shi Huihui
Published: May 2023

Background

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated glomerulonephritis (AAGN) is characterized by rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, and timely initiation of treatment and evaluation is critical to prevent the progression of renal disease to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The aim of this study was to evaluate predictive value of the renal risk score (RRS), Birmingham vasculitis activity score (BVAS), and renal vascular lesions (RVLs) score for renal prognosis in AAGN.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of ninety-four patients diagnosed with AAGN after renal biopsy was performed. The RRS, BVAS, and RVLs score were evaluated in relation to clinicopathologic features and renal prognosis. A receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to evaluate their renal prognostic value.

Results

The median follow-up time was 36 months. Thirty-eight patients progressed to ESRD. Survival analysis showed that renal prognosis worsened in the RRS group in order of low, medium, and high RRS (P < 0.05). Within the RVLs group, the renal prognosis of the groups with severe and moderate RVLs was worse than that of the group without RVLs (P = 0.012, P < 0.001), and the group with mild RVLs was close to that of the group without RVLs. ROC analysis showed that the AUC of RRS, BVAS, RVLs score, RVLs score combined with RRS (RVLs score & RRS, RR), RVLs score, and RRS combined with BVAS (RVLs score & RRS & BVAS, RRB) were 0.865, 0.624, 0.763, 0.910, and 0.942, respectively. The predictive power of RRB and RR was comparable and significantly better than the RRS, BVAS, and RVLs score. Based on simplicity and validity, RR was selected as the best predictor, and the relationship between RRS, RVLs score, and RR was calculated using a linear fit, resulting in the linear equation RR = -0.4766 + 0.1231 × RVLs score + 0.395 × RRS (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

In AAGN, the predictive power of RR for renal prognosis was superior to that of RRS, BVAS, and RVLs score. RR may serve as a new predictor of renal prognosis in AAGN.
Comparison of insulin resistance indices in predicting albuminuria among patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Nabipoorashrafi Seyed Ali , Adeli Azam , Seyedi Seyed Arsalan , Rabizadeh Soghra , Arabzadeh Bahri Razman , Mohammadi Fatemeh , Yadegar Amirhossein , Nakhjavani Manouchehr , Esteghamati Alireza
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease. Up to 40% of the population with diabetes experience diabetic kidney disease (DKD). The correlation of DKD with insulin resistance (IR) indices has been shown in previous studies. In this study, the objective was to evaluate surrogate IR indices, including the Triglyceride-Glucose (TyG) index, Visceral Adiposity Index (VAI), Lipid Accumulation Product (LAP), and Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) to find the most valuable index for the correlation between albuminuria and IR in the type 2 diabetes (T2D) population. Albuminuria is defined as urine albumin excretion of > 30 mg/day.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, 2934 participants were enrolled and evaluated for urinary albumin excretion, and albuminuria was detected in 526 of the entries. The logistic regression models and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed to assess the relationship of TyG index, VAI, LAP, and HOMA-IR's with albuminuria in patients with T2D.

Results

The TyG index had the highest association (OR 1.67) with the presence of albuminuria in patients with T2D, followed by HOMA-IR (OR 1.127), VAI (OR 1.028), and LAP (OR 1.004). These four indices remained independent after adjustment for multiple confounders. Based on the ROC curve, TyG revealed the best area under the curve (AUC) for revealing albuminuria with sufficient accuracy (AUC: 0.62) in comparison with other measured indices. The calculated TyG index cut-off point for the presence of albuminuria was 9.39.

Conclusion

Among the indices, TyG index had the most significant correlation with albuminuria in patients with T2D.
Crop rotation significantly influences the composition of soil, rhizosphere, and root microbiota in canola (Brassica napus L.)
Authors: Town Jennifer R. , Dumonceaux Tim , Tidemann Breanne , Helgason Bobbi L.
Published: May 2023

Background

Crop rotation is an agronomic practice that is known to enhance productivity and yield, and decrease pest and disease pressure. Economic and other factors have increased the frequency of certain crops, including canola, with unknown effects on the below ground microbial communities that impact plant health and performance. This study investigated the effect of 12 years of crop rotation including canola-wheat; canola-pea-barley; and unrotated canola across three geographic sites in Western Canada with diverse soil types and environmental conditions. To provide data on mature, established crop rotation strategies, root exudate profiles, soil nutrient fluxes, and bacterial and fungal microbial community profiles were determined at the flowering stage in the final two (canola) years of the 12-year rotations.

Results

After 12 years of rotation, nutrient fluxes were affected in the soil in an inconsistent manner, with K, NO3, Mg, Ca, P, and Fe fluxes variably impacted by rotation depending on the year and site of sampling. As expected, rotation positively influenced yield and oil content, and decreased disease pressure from Leptosphaeria and Alternaria. In two of the three sites, root exudate profiles were significantly influenced by crop rotation. Bacterial soil, root, and rhizosphere communities were less impacted by crop rotation than the fungal communities. Fungal sequences that were associated with specific rotation strategies were identified in the bulk soil, and included known fungal pathogens in the canola-only strategy. Two closely related fungal sequences identified as Olpidium brassicae were extremely abundant at all sites in both years. One of these sequences was observed uniquely at a single site and was significantly associated with monocropped canola; moreover, its abundance correlated negatively with yield in both years.

Conclusions

Long-term canola monoculture affected root exudate profiles and soil nutrient fluxes differently in the three geographic locations. Bacterial communities were less impacted by rotation compared to the fungal communities, which consistently exhibited changes in composition in all ecological niches at all sites, in both years. Fungal sequences identified as O. brassicae were highly abundant at all sites, one of which was strongly associated with canola monoculture. Soil management decisions should include consideration of the effects on the microbial ecosystems associated with the plants in order to inform best management practices.
To summarise the approach to and findings of the PPIE undertaken as part of a programme of secondary research with a vulnerable, hard to reach population during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: McGrane Niall , Dunbar Paul , Keyes Laura M.
Published: May 2023

Background

Public and patient involvement and engagement (PPIE) is an important part of research. The inclusion of PPIE in research is becoming more widespread, however, there are some areas where it is still uncommon. For example, undertaking PPIE in secondary analysis projects is uncommon and PPIE with difficult to reach populations and vulnerable groups can be seen as being too difficult to facilitate. The aim was to summarise the approach to and findings of the PPIE undertaken as part of a programme of secondary analysis with a vulnerable, hard to reach population; residents of residential care facilities (RCFs), during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

As part of a project to develop a publically available database of statutory notifications of adverse events from RCFs in Ireland, residents (n = 9) from RCFs for older people and people with disability were telephone interviewed. Residents were engaged through gatekeepers and posted participant information and consent forms. Themes were identified using content analyses of interview notes.

Results

Three parent themes were identified, each with two subthemes: privacy concerns, enthusiasm and dissemination of research findings. Residents highlighted the importance that no personal information be shared in the database. Once data were anonymized, residents thought that the database should be published and shared. Residents reported being happy about research being undertaken using the data and thought that publishing the database would help inform the public about RCFs. Completing a PPIE project with a vulnerable group during the global COVID-19 pandemic required planning and resources. Resources included finances, time and expertise.

Conclusions

The involvement of residents informed the data inclusion in the published database and the approach taken in the protection of personal data. Enthusiasm for publication and research using the database by residents encouraged the developers as it was considered something that was wanted by residents. The benefits of PPIE can be achieved with vulnerable groups during unprecedented times with the appropriate planning. It requires dedication of time, finances and expertise. Overcoming the obstacles was achievable and worthwhile. The approach outlined can be used as an example to support PPIE in secondary analysis projects and or with vulnerable groups.
Feasibility of PROMIS using computerized adaptive testing during inpatient rehabilitation
Authors: Rafiq Riyad Bin , Yount Susan , Jerousek Sara , Roth Elliot J. , Cella David , Albert Mark V. , Heinemann Allen W.
Published: May 2023

Background

There has been an increased significance on patient-reported outcomes in clinical settings. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of administering patient-reported outcome measures by computerized adaptive testing (CAT) using a tablet computer with rehabilitation inpatients, assess workload demands on staff, and estimate the extent to which rehabilitation inpatients have elevated T-scores on six Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System® (PROMIS®) measures.

Methods

Patients (N = 108) with stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and other neurological disorders participated in this study. PROMIS computerized adaptive tests (CAT) were administered via a web-based platform. Summary scores were calculated for six measures: Pain Interference, Sleep Disruption, Anxiety, Depression, Illness Impact Positive, and Illness Impact Negative. We calculated the percent of patients with T-scores equivalent to 2 standard deviations or greater above the mean.

Results

During the first phase, we collected data from 19 of 49 patients; of the remainder, 61% were not available or had cognitive or expressive language impairments. In the second phase of the study, 40 of 59 patients participated to complete the assessment. The mean PROMIS T-scores were in the low 50 s, indicating an average symptom level, but 19–31% of patients had elevated T-scores where the patients needed clinical action.

Conclusions

The study demonstrated that PROMIS assessment using a CAT administration during an inpatient rehabilitation setting is feasible with the presence of a research staff member to complete PROMIS assessment.
Noise control for high subsonic jet flows by inner wall treatment
Authors: Mao Huyue , Tang Xiaolong , Yang Xiaoquan , Ding Jue , Weng Peifen
Published: May 2023

Subsonic jet nozzles, commonly used in passenger aircrafts, generate significant noise that travels both downstream and upstream due to large-scale or fine-scale turbulence in the jet plume. To reduce jet noise, a novel wall treatment method, termed the wavy inner wall (WIW), is proposed. With this method, the smooth inner wall near the exit of the nozzle is replaced by treated walls that carry small wavy patterns. Numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the effects of the WIW treatment. Large eddy simulations (LES) were used to predict the unsteady flow field and the far-field noise, followed by the analogy method proposed by Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings. To better understand the mechanism behind the noise reduction achieved by the WIW treatment, the shear-layer instability, radial and azimuthal auto-correlation functions, turbulent kinetic energy, and acoustic source term from the Tam-Auriault (TA) jet-noise model were analyzed. Results indicated that the WIW treatment advances the onset of jet flow instability in the shear-layer, leading to the early breakdown of jet shear-layer and production of different scales of downstream turbulent structures. As a result, the distribution and production of turbulent kinetic energy are affected, and the generation and emission of jet noise are controlled. The WIW treatment enables the control of fine scale turbulence, resulting in the reduction of mid- to high-frequency noise in the far field, while ensuring a low thrust loss. This feature makes the WIW method a promising approach for jet noise control.
Factors affecting sleep quality in patients with type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study in Iran
Authors: Kia Naim Sadat , Gharib Elham , Doustmohamadian Soraya , Mansori Kamyar , Ghods Elahe
Published: May 2023

Background

Diabetes type 2 is a chronic metabolic disease with major physical and health problems that is on the rise. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors affecting sleep quality in patients with type 2 diabetes in Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 160 patients with type 2 diabetes referred to the diabetes clinic of Kosar Hospital of Semnan city (Iran) in 2018. The sampling was convenient. The data collection tools were four questionnaires including demographic-clinical variables, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Beck depression inventory II questionnaire. The data was analyzed by STATA 14 and the crude and adjusted coefficient regression (β) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were reported.

Results

The mean (± S.D) of age was 58.70 (± 12.16) years and 60% were female. The multivariate linear regression model showed depression (β = 0.11; 95% CI 0.07–0.16) and sex (β = 1.24; 95% CI 0.17–2.30) are the most important predictors of sleep quality in diabetic patients. However, only underlying disease (β = 1.73; 95% CI 0.33–3.12) was the most important predictors of daily sleep disorder in diabetic patients.

Conclusions

Depression and sex were the most important predictors of sleep quality in diabetic patients; therefore, it seems necessary to pay attention to these factors in the design of sleep disorder prevention and control programs.
Determination of maximum additional load for EV charging station considering practical security limits
Authors: Mondal Sayak , Acharjee Parimal , Bhattacharya Aniruddha
Published: May 2023

Nowadays, the allocation of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) for the charging of electric vehicles (EVs) is essential, as random allocation may cause significant energy loss for the radial distribution system (RDS). Uncoordinated charging of EVs dominates the load profile of the RDS. Although a single EV has a negligible impact on the system, the combined effect of charging an EV cluster may violate the voltage security constraints of the RDS. Therefore, to avoid such circumstances, the loadability limit of each node of the RDS must be determined. Previously, conventional analytical methods were used to calculate the maximum loadability of the RDS node, where voltage magnitudes become less than the critical voltage limit. However, these approaches are not acceptable for the power industry, as it may push the system towards a blackout. Therefore, the appropriate capacity of the EVCS can only be determined if the voltage security limit of each node of the RDS follows its critical limit. Hence, in this paper, a modified forward-backward sweep (MFBS) algorithm is formulated to find the maximum additional load (MAL) of each node of the RDS considering non-unity power factor during the EV charging process. This algorithm may help the EVCS to determine its capacity or optimal number of charging ports directly during installation at an optimal location of RDS. For validation, the 33-bus and 69-bus RDSs have been used, and it can be seen that the EVCSs have been successfully installed in the optimal location of the test systems mentioned above without violating the voltage security limit of each node of the RDS.
Rumor propagation in two-layer complex networks
Authors: Cao Yu , Xie Huiyan , Li Haihong , Dai Qionglin , Yang Junzhong
Published: May 2023

With the development of information networks, the study on rumor propagation attracts more and more attention. In this paper, we investigate rumor propagation in two-layer complex networks with three groups of agents: spreaders, ignorants, and refuters. Considering that rumor spreading and rumor refutation are realized in different ways in real life, we assume that rumor spreads in ER layer while it is refuted in SF layer. There are three types of states in the evolution of the system after a period of transient time: 1) all individuals become refuters; 2) ignorants coexist with refuters; 3) three types of individuals coexist. The simulation results demonstrate that high refuting rate and slow spreading rate exert positive effect on the coexistence state in which spreaders, ignorants, and refuters coexist. We discuss the effects of propagation model parameters, initial densities of different agents and the topological properties of networks on the rumor propagation. We find that the probability of an agent becoming a spreader is determined by his neighbors in the SF layer. The deciding factor is the sum of degrees in the ER layer of these neighbors.
Non-perturbative non-Gaussianity and primordial black holes
Authors: Gow A. D. , Assadullahi H. , Jackson J. H. P. , Koyama K. , Vennin V. , Wands D.
Published: May 2023

We present a non-perturbative method for calculating the abundance of primordial black holes given an arbitrary one-point probability distribution function for the primordial curvature perturbation,

. A non-perturbative method is essential when considering non-Gaussianities that cannot be treated using a conventional perturbative expansion. To determine the full statistics of the density field, we relate ζ to a Gaussian field by equating the cumulative distribution functions. We consider two examples: a specific local-type non-Gaussian distribution arising from ultra slow roll models, and a general piecewise model for

with an exponential tail. We demonstrate that the enhancement of primordial black hole formation is due to the intermediate regime, rather than the far tail. We also show that non-Gaussianity can have a significant impact on the shape of the primordial black hole mass distribution.
Doctrine beyond Borders: The Sinographic Cosmopolis and Religious Classics in Vietnam from the Tenth to the Fourteenth Centuries
Authors: Trần Trọng Dương
Published: May 2023

This article studies the transmission of the Three Teachings 三教 (Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism) from China to Vietnam in the tenth to fourteenth centuries. Using the primary sources written in Sinitic, I argue that Vietnam in the pre-national period was a type of multireligious political community, in which sinographs, Literary Sinitic, and the classics of the Three Teachings created a threefold structure in the political culture of Vietnam. Visits to the Chinese imperial court by delegations from the Great Việt were conceived as pilgrimages to the center of civilization and the origin of different schools of thought. The canonical texts brought back to the country were considered to be an endorsement of Vietnam as a “Domain of Manifest Civility” (文獻之邦), a symbol of recognized political power, and a tool to expand education and spread ruling power.
Stygofaunal Worlds
Authors: Neimanis Astrida
Published: May 2023

How can we cultivate an underground multispecies justice with beings whose lifeworlds are unknown and unknowable? This article examines this question through a consideration of stygofauna: miniscule deep-time creatures who make their home in the watery seams of the earth. Taking a cue from these critters—many of whom have evolved without eyes to make their way differently in the darkness of their watery subterranean homes—the article troubles the assumption that knowledge, care, and justice must be predicated on a kind of knowing that insists that humans literally bring other worlds to light. Through a specifically situated exploration of stygofaunal worlds, knowledge, and mining in Australia, the article asks, How is knowledge-as-illumination complicit with complex regimes of knowledge where knowing in the name of justice is tangled up in knowing as a further (colonial, speciesist, ableist) violence? Refusing purity politics, the article's first aim is to demonstrate our complicity with extractive knowledge regimes even in a quest to care for underground worlds. Second, the article insists that knowing otherwise is both possible and already at work. It argues that to know stygofauna otherwise, one cannot eschew science or knowledge altogether. Instead, it proposes that multispecies justice depends on two moves: first, on safeguarding a mode of unknowability that the article refers to as estrangement, and second, on recognizing and cultivating knowledge practices that can cultivate nonextractive relations with subterranean species, even if imperfectly. It concludes with a short overview of several examples of knowing otherwise that push readers to think differently about knowledge as a practice of care and justice.
Ocean Justice
Authors: Reid Susan
Published: May 2023

The continued campaign of violence by extractivists against multibeing relations, embodied beings, and ecological living is bewildering. Coded by mastery, and as a carrier of its values, international laws of the sea facilitate these campaigns by legitimating ecological abuse. As such, responding to the ocean's declining conditions with more laws and regulations alone misses how underlying cultural values contribute to the production of ecological harm. This article considers how the imaginary of mastery underpinning dominant ocean governance regimes enables the production and distribution of vulnerability. Thinking with the ocean reveals how anthropogenic harms manifest and proliferate both materially and through the discursive networks of ocean governance. Though material vulnerability is a condition that brings us into being interconnectedly with other worlds, it also (unevenly) implicates us in ocean harm. This article draws on feminist posthumanist, legal, and marine scientific work to examine these issues in the context of an emerging concept of ocean justice, in which the conditions for cohabiting well with the seas might be imagined and activated.
Efficacy of apatinib+radiotherapy vs radiotherapy alone in patients with advanced multiline therapy failure for non small cell lung cancer with brain metastasis
Authors: Pan Huanle , Zhou Xiaobo , Shen Lanxiao , Li Yida , Dong Wenjun , Wang Saijun , Zhang Yuyue , Pan Wenkai , Xie Congying , Cai Xiaona
Published: May 2023

Objective:

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Central nervous system (CNS) metastasis is a prevalent and serious complication. The most common treatment for brain metastasis (BM) is still radiation therapy (RT). An increasing number of drugs have been shown to have intracranial activity or to sensitize tumours to radiotherapy.

Methods:

Consecutive advanced multiline therapy failure in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with BM at the authors’ hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Eligible patients were divided into two groups: Apatinib+RT group and RT group. Intracranial progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analysed using the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results:

The median intracranial PFS for the RT group and Apatinib+RT group was 5.83 months and 11.81 months (p = 0.034). The median OS for the RT group and Apatinib+RT group was 9.02 months and 13.62 months (p = 0.311). The Apatinib+RT group had a better intracranial PFS, but there were no significant differences between the two arms in OS. The Apatinib+RT group had significantly reduced symptoms caused by BM.

Conclusion:

RT combined with apatinib could help to control intracranial metastases. The Apatinib+RT group had significantly reduced symptoms caused by BM and improved quality of life for patients, the safety of the two treatments was similar.

Advances in knowledge:

Here, we propose that RT combined with apatinib can significantly relieve brain symptoms and tolerate side-effects without affecting OS in patients with BM following failure of multiline therapy for NSCLC. Of course, this paper is a retrospective origin study, and more powerful evidence is needed to demonstrate.
Use of non-intrusive laser exfoliation to improve substance uptake into citrus leaves
Authors: Ponce Cabrera Luis , Etxeberria Ed , Gonzalez Pedro , Flores Reyes Teresa
Published: May 2023

Background: Despite the presence of stomata in leaves, foliar application of agrochemicals can be extremely inefficient due to the low permeability of leaf cuticular surfaces to polar compounds.

Methods: This study introduced a laser-based “wax exfoliation” method to facilitate the penetration of substances into the leaf and, together with enhancing their uptake into the phloem and subsequent transport across tissue. This investigation demonstrated the effectiveness and non-invasive properties of laser exfoliation to improve the penetration of foliar-applied substances into citrus leaves.

Results: This work presents the use of laser energy to exfoliate the cuticle of a leaf, with the highest energy density of 0.76 J/ cm2 resulting in 85-90% exfoliation across the entire laser-spot area. The infrared wavelength of the erbium laser is specifically chosen to target the wax cuticle without causing damage to the underlying epidermal cells. This selective ablation allows for increased penetration of therapeutic compounds into the leaf and transportation throughout the plant's vasculature. This is demonstrated using a fluorescent glucose analog applied to the laser treated leaves, showing increased penetration and transport throughout the leaf.

Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that the use of laser technology for the foliar application of agrochemicals provides significant advantages, including improved foliage uptake of therapeutic compounds. The method of cuticle exfoliation presented in this study is highly effective and non-intrusive, limiting its effects to the cuticle only. Future work should focus on the development of prototypes for in-field applications, including testing at longer distances as the Er:YAG laser does not require a lens for this application.
Evaluation of paraoxonase I and hemoglobin levels in farmers and agricultural workers in relation to pesticide levels in their blood and urine samples: A cross sectional study
Authors: Bhat Vinutha , Nayak Pragati , Bakkannavar Shankar , Udupa Padmanabha
Published: May 2023

Background: Pesticides are chemicals that have become common household products in developing countries. The purpose of pesticides is to manage agricultural work. The majority of pesticides for indoor and agricultural use are carbamate and organophosphorus. Toxicity is caused due to excess and improper use or disposal of these chemical agents. Slow exposure to pesticides causes chronic poisoning whereas rapid exposure causes acute poisoning. The paraoxonase I (PON 1) enzyme has a role in detoxifying some of the oxon derivatives which thereby inhibit acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase.

Methods: This study analyzed farmers who were exposed intermittently  to organophosphorus and carbamates  pesticides during farming for more than five years. Serum paraoxonase I  was evaluated by colorimetry method, and hemoglobin levels were evaluated using portable Fresenius Kabi haemoglobinometer.

Results: The study showed that the pesticides were found in the blood and urine samples of farmers and there was an alteration of paraoxonase I and hemoglobin levels in them due to the exposure of pesticides in large quantities over some time. The present study showed around 81% of the participants who were intermittently exposed to pesticides for more than five years were detected with pesticide toxicity. The paraoxonase I level was altered in farmers who were positive for organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides. The hemoglobin level did not show much variation among the farmers  exposed to pesticides. This may be due to the lifestyle of the subjects, climatic variations and also their eating habits.

Conclusions: The study suggested that there was alteration in the levels of PON1 and hemoglobin in farmers and agricultural workers with positive organophosphorus and carbamates in their blood and urine samples. As our study was done without quantifying the amount of pesticides, further studies can be done by quantifying the pesticide level and comparing it with the paraoxonase I level.
Protocol Development for a Qualitative Methodological Study Within a Trial (Qual-SWAT): The KARMA-Dep-2 Trial
Authors: McCaffrey John , Hunter Andrew
Published: May 2023

Background: Despite methodological improvements in clinical trial design and conduct more generally, methodological limitations persist in trials concerning mental health care. A qualitative Study Within A Trial (Qual-SWAT), embedded in the KARMA-Dep-2 host trial, will be undertaken to explore and gain an understanding of two methodological questions in randomised trials specific to mental health care: (1) what are the key barriers and enablers of participation in randomised trials in mental health; and (2) how can randomised trials become part of routine mental health care. These issues will be examined from patient-participant and clinician- / researcher-participant perspectives, in alignment with PRioRiTy research themes.

Methods: A descriptive qualitative study design will be used. Data will be collected via one-to-one semi-structured interviews, conducted via Microsoft Teams. The interview data will be analysed using Braun and Clarke’s Thematic Analysis approach. One-to-one interviews will be conducted with three participant groups (N = 60): 1) host trial patient-participants (n = 20); 2) eligible host trial patient-participants who refused enrolment in the host trial (n = 20); and 3) clinician- / researcher-participants who are associated with work on the host trial (n = 20).

Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval has been granted by St. Patrick’s Mental Health Services Research Ethics Committee, Ireland (Ref: Protocol 09/20). When the study is completed, a report will be prepared and submitted to the Health Research Board (HRB). Findings will be shared with the host trial team and study participants and submitted for publication.

Host trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04939649); EudraCT (2019-003109-92). Official title: Ketamine as an Adjunctive Therapy for Major Depression - A Randomised Controlled Trial: [KARMA-Dep (2)].
Movilizaciones sociales, desconfianza en los medios y falta de pluralismo: El caso de Panamá
Authors: Urribarri Raisa
Published: May 2023

Este artículo resulta de una investigación exploratoria y descriptiva sobre la desconfianza en los medios de comunicación en el contexto de las movilizaciones sociales en Panamá en julio de 2022. Partiendo de las críticas expresadas por los grupos movilizados acerca de la cobertura del conflicto por los medios de comunicación tradicionales, se hizo un monitoreo en prensa y televisión para detectar las vocerías en los espacios informativos y de opinión durante ese mes y se procedió a analizar su contenido. Luego de revisar investigaciones recientes sobre el tratamiento dado por los medios de comunicación a las manifestaciones sociales en algunos países de América Latina, y de obtener resultados que avalan parcialmente la percepción de los grupos en conflicto, se plantea que la desconfianza podría estar relacionada con la falta de pluralismo. Al enfocarse en un evento y país específico, los hallazgos no pueden extrapolarse a otros contextos y situaciones, pero abren paso a estudios más profundos para comprender las causas de un problema tan complejo como la creciente desconfianza ciudadana en los medios de comunicación, especialmente en el contexto latinoamericano, donde podría operar como un catalizador de la creciente insatisfacción ciudadana con la democracia.
How Advance Sales Can Reduce Profits: When to Buy, When to Sell, and What Price to Charge
Authors: Glazer Amihai , Hassin Refael , Nowik Irit
Published: May 2023

Problem definition: Consider consumers who prefer to consume a good later rather than earlier. If the price is constant, then we would expect consumers to wait to buy the good. That does not hold if consumers are concerned that others will buy the good early, so that a shortage will later occur. When will consumers arrive when they fear a shortage? What is the profit-maximizing policy of a monopolist? Might the firm lose profits by offering advance sales? The timing of consumer arrivals is much studied. Little consideration, however, has addressed how anticipated shortages affect arrival times. The application is important: managers want to know when consumers will arrive, when they should make the product available, and what price to charge to maximize profits. Methodology/results: We use game theory. We analyze analytically outcomes when a single item is for sale: we give closed solutions for the equilibrium customer behavior and profit-maximizing firm strategy and conduct sensitivity analysis. For generalization concerning more than one unit, we give some analytical results and provide many numerical solutions. When the price is constant over time, then even with no operating cost of doing so, offering advance sales reduces profits. If, however, the firm must offer both advance sales and later sales, then the profit-maximizing price induces all arrivals at the same time (either early or late, depending on the parameters). An increase in the number of units offered for sale increases the profit-maximizing price and increases the firm’s expected profit. The equilibrium strategy of consumers can generate some unexpected behavior. The arrival rate may increase with the price of the good. For a given price, an increase in the number of units for sale increases the number of consumers who arrive early. Managerial implications: The firm should offer the good only at the time consumers most desire it, and not earlier. Additionally, the profit-maximizing price can be derived from our analysis. This price is not the price which maximizes the expected number of arrivals.

Funding: This work was supported by the Israel Science Foundation [Grant 852/22].

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2023.1218 .
Bayesian Inventory Control: Accelerated Demand Learning via Exploration Boosts
Authors: Chuang Ya-Tang , Kim Michael Jong
Published: May 2023

In the Bayesian newsvendor problem, it is known that the optimal decision is always greater than or equal to the myopic decision. As a result, the optimal decision can be expressed as the sum of the myopic decision plus a nonnegative “exploration boost.” In “Bayesian Inventory Control: Accelerated Demand Learning via Exploration Boosts,” Chuang and Kim characterize the form of the exploration boost in terms of basic statistical measures of uncertainty. This characterization expresses in clear terms the way in which the statistical learning and inventory control are jointly optimized; when there is a high degree of parameter uncertainty, inventory levels are boosted to induce a higher chance of observing more sales data to more quickly resolve statistical uncertainty, and as parameter uncertainty resolves, the exploration boost is reduced.
Criminology against war
Authors: Ruggiero Vincenzo
Published: May 2023

Following the armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia, a new criminology of war developed, producing fresh insights and opening up original research streams. The incorporation of war within the remit of criminological analysis, advocated by classical as well as critical criminology, rapidly gained new momentum. The focus on asymmetrical conflicts and invasions unveiled the massive killing of civilians, bringing war into the arena of victimology. Moreover, the examination of the material forces that drive international conflicts situated such conflicts among the violent predatory offences that concern most criminological theories. The study of ‘war crimes’, ultimately, led some authors to shift attention towards ‘war as crime’. After briefly summarising the developments that shaped a criminology of war, this paper attempts further analytical steps towards the formulation of a criminology against war. A critique of the concept of ‘just wars’ is followed by the examination of the ambiguities that cloud the notions of jus ad bellum and jus in bello. Current legal provisions regulating international conflict are described as blank norms, while principles of peacebuilding are finally pinpointed.
Laser Doppler vibrometry measurements of acoustic attenuation in optical fiber waveguides
Authors: Marashi Cameron Sepehr , Bradford Philip , Peters Kara
Published: May 2023

Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors have been widely applied for structural health monitoring applications. In some applications, remote bonding of the optical fiber is applied, where ultrasonic waves are coupled from the structure to the optical fiber and propagated along the fiber to the FBG sensor. The distance that this signal can propagate along the optical fiber without decaying below a threshold value can be critical to the area of the structure that can be monitored per sensor. In this paper, we develop a method to measure the acoustic mode attenuation of fiber waveguides based on laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) that is independent of the fiber type. In order to validate the method, we compare attenuation measurements on single-mode optical fibers using both the LDV and FBG sensor methods. Once the method is validated, experimental measurements of different coated and uncoated optical fibers are performed to quantify the role of the fiber diameter on the attenuation coefficient. As the radius of the waveguide decreases, the signal attenuation increases exponentially.
Photonic-crystal-based high-performance ring resonator using a topological interface state: design and analysis
Authors: Kumar Dhiraj , Rakshit Jayanta Kumar , Biswas Uttara , Bhatnagar Abhinav , Nayak Chittaranjan
Published: May 2023

We propose a photonic crystal ring resonator for the enhancement of quality factor that supports two-dimensionally bounded topological edge states. Crystal parameters are obtained through finite-difference time-domain numerical simulation to get the enhanced quality factor using the topological properties of the photonic crystal. Topological edge states are created when two regions with dissimilar band topologies come together at an interface and are contained within a slab of dielectric material. These edge states can move along sharp edges without backscattering. The transmission dropout issue arises whenever the quality factor is enhanced in a conventional photonic system and is eliminated remarkably by employing the present approach. Such nanoscale photonic crystal structures promote robust interactions between quantum emitters and photonic edge states.
Optical Fiber Sensors: introduction to the feature issue
Authors: Cranch Geoffrey A. , Digonnet Michel , Dragic Peter , Peters Kara , Schülzgen Axel , Wang Anbo , Yang Lan
Published: May 2023

This special issue contains a collection of papers on optical fiber sensors that were originally presented and published in a more succinct form in conjunction with the 27th International Conference on Optical Fiber Sensors (OFS) held in Alexandria, Virginia, United States, from 29th August to 2nd September, 2022.
Individualized modeling for the peripheral optics of the human myopic eye
Authors: Tabernero Juan , Kallamata Enian , Velonias Gabriella , Vera-Diaz Fuensanta A.
Published: May 2023

Individualized optical modelling of the eye is a useful tool to estimate optical properties of the eye from a set of geometrical parameters. In the context of myopia research, it is important to understand not only the on-axis (foveal) optical quality, but also the peripheral profile. This work describes a method to extend on-axis individualized eye modeling to the peripheral retina. Using measurements of corneal geometry, axial distances, and central optical quality from a group of young adults, a crystalline lens model was built to help reproduce the peripheral optical quality of the eye. Subsequent individualized eye models were generated from each of the 25 participants. These models were used to predict the individual peripheral optical quality over the central 40 degrees. Outcomes of the final model were then compared to the actual measurements of peripheral optical quality in these participants, measured with a scanning aberrometer. A high agreement was found between the final model and measured optical quality for the relative spherical equivalent and J0 astigmatism.
Time-domain low-complexity clock recovery for non-integer oversampled Nyquist signals with a small roll-off factor
Authors: Li Chengbo , Cui Sheng , Liu Jingpeng , Chen Yanan , Dai Longquan , Zhou Keji , Tang Ming
Published: May 2023

A clock recovery algorithm (CRA) suitable for non-integer oversampled Nyquist signals with a small roll-off factor (ROF) is appealing to short-reach high-speed inter-datacenter transmission systems which need to cut down the transceiver power consumption and cost by reducing the oversampling factor (OSF) and using cheap low-bandwidth components. However, due to the lack of a suitable timing phase error detector (TPED), CRAs proposed now fail for non-integer OSFs below two and small ROFs close to zero and are not hardware-efficient. To solve these problems, we propose a low-complexity TPED by modifying the time-domain quadratic signal and reselecting the synchronization spectral component. We demonstrate that the proposed TPED, in combination with a piece-wise parabolic (PWP) interpolator, can significantly improve the performance of feedback CRAs for non-integer oversampled Nyquist signals with a small ROF. Numerical simulations and experiments show that, based on the improved CRA, the receiver sensitivity penalty can keep below 0.5 dB when the OSF is reduced from 2 to 1.25 and the ROF is varied from 0.1 to 0.001 for 45 GBaud dual-polarization Nyquist 16QAM signals.
Meet Optica’s 2023 Fellows
Authors: Smith Meredith , Apter Kari , Balan Kiran
Published: May 2023

Congratulations to the 109 members of the 2023 class of Optica
Fellow Members.
Topology: Photonics on the Edge
Authors: Blanco-Redondo Andrea
Published: May 2023

Engineering a material’s “topological phase”
can enable robust light propagation that's resistant to material
defects—a possibility that's opening new application domains
in quantum photonics, integrated lasers and terahertz waveguides.
François Arago and the Birth of Interferometry
Authors: Nolte David D.
Published: May 2023

An excerpt from an upcoming book describes how a handful of
19th-century scientists laid the groundwork for one of the key
tools of modern optics.
Light as Medicine: Niels Finsen’s Phototherapy
Authors: Wilk Stephen R.
Published: May 2023

The inventor of the Finsen light made strides in understanding the effects of ultraviolet light in the treatment of disease.
Research and Industry News
Authors: Cartlidge Edwin , Curtis Susan , Kim Meeri , Kwon Karen , Kirkland Alessia H.
Published: May 2023

Throwing and catching single atoms / Monitoring heart rates /
Boost for perovskite / �Cold� electrons to X-rays / Trapping nanoplastics
/ STEM education and workforce / Cuttlefish-like vision / Industry
news