bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of bent leg raise technique and neurodynamics in patients with radiating low back pain
Authors: Adnan Muhammad , Arsh Aatik , Ali Babar , Ahmad Shakeel
Published: November 2021

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of bent leg raise technique and neurodynamics in patients with low back pain that radiates up to the knee.

Methods: The pre-test post-test control group study was conducted at Department of Physical therapy, Maqsood Medical Complex and General Hospital Peshawar from February to July 2019. Patients with radiating low back pain of both genders aged 18-60 years were included in the study. Patients were divided into Group-A and Group-B. Group-A patients received Mulligan bent leg raise technique while Group-B patients received neurodynamics. Both groups received five sessions per week, for four weeks. Numeric pain rating scale, Oswestry disability index and goniometer was used to assess pain, functional disability and straight leg raise range before and after the interventions. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.

Results: Thirty-two participants with mean age of 38.81±9.94 years, participated in the study. There were no significant differences (P-value >0.05) between the two groups at baseline. Post-treatment, within Group-Analysis showed that all three variables (pain, functional disability and straight leg raise range) significantly (P<0.05) improved in both groups. However, post treatment between Group-Analysis showed that there were no significant differences (P>0.05) between the two groups.

Conclusion: Both neurodynamics and bent leg raise technique significantly improved pain, functional disability and straight leg raise range in patients with low back pain that radiates up to the knee. However, there were no significant differences between the groups who received either neurodynamics or bent leg raise technique.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.1.4010

How to cite this:Adnan M, Arsh A, Ali B, Ahmad S. Effectiveness of bent leg raise technique and neurodynamics in patients with radiating low back pain. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(1):47-51. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.1.4010

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Effect of vitiligo treatment by compound Glycyrrhizin combined with fractional laser and Triamcinolone Acetonide injection on T Lymphocyte subpopulation
Authors: Li Ling , Gao Lei , Zhao Yifan
Published: November 2021

Objectives: To discuss the effective mechanism of vitiligo treatment by compound glycyrrhizin combined with fractional laser and triamcinolone acetonide injection.

Methods: Forty-two patients with vitiligo vulgaris in the stable phase were classified into combined group (19 cases) and medicine group (23) admitted in dermatology department, Baoding First Central Hospital from January 2017 to July 2018. Both groups took 50mg compound glycyrrhizin orally three times per day, and applied halometasone cream externally once per day. Based on this treatment method, after the combined group adopted fractional laser, triamcinolone acetonide injection encapsulation was used immediately. After the treatment for six months, the curative effect was judged for both groups. Flow cytometry was used to test the changes of T lymphocyte subpopulation in peripheral blood before and after treatment. Meanwhile, immunohistochemical method was adopted to determine CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte expression level. Besides, the normal control group was set up.

Results: The efficacy of combined group and medicine group were 73.68% and 56.52% respectively, P<0.05. The comparison of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocyte level in serum and skin damage before and after treatment had no statistical significance (P>0.05). Serum CD4+ T cells of vitiligo patients reduced, compared with the normal control group (P<0.05), and CD4+/CD8+ declined (P<0.05). CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes at the skin damage of patients increased, compared with normal control group (P<0.05).

Conclusions: Compound glycyrrhizin combined with fractional laser and triamcinolone acetonide injection has good clinical effect in the treatment of vitiligo vulgaris in the stable phase, and its effective mechanism may have nothing to do with T lymphocyte subpopulation.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.1.4412

How to cite this:Li L, Gao L, Zhao Y. Effect of vitiligo treatment by compound Glycyrrhizin combined with fractional laser and Triamcinolone Acetonide injection on T Lymphocyte subpopulation. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(1):201-206. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.1.4412

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Intraoperative Post Partum Hemorrhage in a Patient with Dengue Fever
Authors: Ahmed Usama , Aman Asiyah
Published: November 2021

A 33 year old obstetric patient with mild fever of undiagnosed etiology underwent emergency caesarean section under general anesthesia. She had platelet count of 98,000 per microliter and increased APTT of 37.8 s at the time of surgery. After uneventful anesthetic induction and delivery of fetus, slow and oozing type of bleeding led to massive hemorrhage. Patient remained vitally stable throughout perioperative phase and was extubated. Next day, patient’s dengue IgM antibody was reported positive. Neonate was well and his dengue test was negative. Pregnant women are at high risk of developing severe complications of dengue fever with unclear mechanisms related to impaired coagulation. Regional anesthesia may not have safe outcome due to dengue infection.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.1.4519

How to cite this:Ahmed U, Aman A. Intraoperative Post Partum Hemorrhage in a Patient with Dengue Fever. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(1):326-328.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.1.4519

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Frequency of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its associated risk factors among Type-2 diabetics
Authors: Ali Alia , Amin Muhammad Joher , Ahmed Muhammad Uthman , Taj Azeem , Aasim Muhammad , Tabrez Elsa
Published: November 2021

Objectives: To determine the frequency of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and its associated risk factors among Type-2 Diabetic patients.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Diabetic Clinic of Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute Lahore from September 2019-February 2020. Type-2 diabetics regardless of age were divided into two groups, one with fatty liver disease and the other without this, evaluated by Abdominal Ultrasonography and were further evaluated by measurement of BMI, obesity, HbA1c and lipid profile. Exclusion criteria were patients having history of or currently taking alcohol, chronic Liver Disease of any cause and intake of hepatotoxic drugs. Qualitative measures were compared between groups by using Chi-square test. Binary logistic regression was used to see the association of factors with fatty liver disease. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: A total of 185 subjects were included in the study with the mean age of 53.0±9.0 years. About 54.6% patients were diagnosed to have fatty liver disease. When compared the cases with and without fatty liver disease, age and HDL cholesterol had no significant difference between groups while other measures like BMI, TGs & cholesterol levels, ALT and AST were significantly higher among cases with NAFLD. BMI >24.5, HbA1c >7.0 and ALT >40.0 can predict NAFLD among Type-2 diabetic patients with 96.8% accuracy.

Conclusion: There is high prevalence of NAFLD among Type-2 diabetic patients and strong association between Type-2 diabetics with NAFLD and risk factors like; obesity, high HbA1c, hyperlipidemia and high ALT. Therefore, early recognition by ultrasonography in high risk patients and intervention like life style modification, maintenance of healthy weight, obesity prevention, treatment of dyslipidemia and good glycemic control should be achieved in such subjects and can prevent NAFLD.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.1.4968

How to cite this:Ali A, Amin MJ, Ahmed MU, Taj A, Aasim M, Tabrez E. Frequency of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its associated risk factors among Type-2 diabetics. Pak J Med Sci. 2022;38(1):28-33. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.38.1.4968

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Acute Suppurative Thyroiditis Secondary to Escherichia coli Infection
Authors: Siddiqui Nida , Deletic Nikola , Raal Frederick , Mohamed Farzahna
Published: November 2021

Infections of the thyroid gland are rare. Its innate resistance to infections can be attributed to its unique anatomical features and rich blood supply. High clinical suspicion is required as a delay in diagnosis can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Major pathogens include the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus species; however, Gram-negative organisms have been found especially in immunocompromised hosts. We present a rare case of acute suppurative thyroiditis (AST) secondary to Escherichia coli (E. coli) infection in a woman known to be infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Food Ingredients Similarity Based on Conceptual and Textual Similarity
Authors: Rakhmawati Nur Aini , Jannah Miftahul
Published: November 2021

Open Food Facts provides a database of food products such as product names, compositions, and additives, where everyone can contribute to add the data or reuse the existing data. The open food facts data are dirty and needs to be processed before storing the data to our system. To reduce redundancy in food ingredients data, we measure the similarity of ingredient food using two similarities: the conceptual similarity and textual similarity. The conceptual similarity measures the similarity between the two datasets by its word meaning (synonym), while the textual similarity is based on fuzzy string matching, namely Levenshtein distance, Jaro-Winkler distance, and Jaccard distance. Based on our evaluation, the combination of similarity measurements using textual and Wordnet similarity (conceptual) was the most optimal similarity method in food ingredients.
Fractures of the femoral head: a narrative review
Authors: Menger Maximilian M. , Braun Benedikt J. , Herath Steven C. , Küper Markus A. , Rollmann Mika F. , Histing Tina
Published: November 2021

Fractures of the femoral head are rare injuries, which typically occur after posterior hip dislocation. The Pipkin classification, developed in 1957, is the most commonly used classification scheme to date. The injury is mostly caused by high-energy trauma, such as motor vehicle accidents or falls from a significant height. Emergency treatment consists of urgent closed reduction of the hip joint, followed by non-operative or operative treatment of the femoral head fracture and any associated injuries. There is an ongoing controversy about the suitable surgical approach (anterior vs. posterior) for addressing fractures of the femoral head. Fracture location, degree of displacement, joint congruity and the presence of loose fragments, as well as concomitant injuries are crucial factors in choosing the adequate surgical approach. Long-term complications such as osteonecrosis of the femoral head, posttraumatic osteoarthritis and heterotopic ossification can lead to a relatively poor functional outcome.

Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2021;6:1122-1131. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.6.210034
Fracture, nonunion and postoperative infection risk in the smoking orthopaedic patient: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Smolle Maria Anna , Leitner Lukas , Böhler Nikolaus , Seibert Franz-Josef , Glehr Mathias , Leithner Andreas
Published: November 2021

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to analyse negative effects of smoking in orthopaedic and trauma patients. A PubMed search was carried out for studies published until July 2020 regarding effects of smoking on fracture risk, nonunion, infection after orthopaedic surgery, and persisting nonunion after scaphoid nonunion surgery. Random effects models calculated for outcome parameters, and relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals are provided. No adjustments for covariates were made. Heterogeneity was assessed with Higgins’ I2, publication bias with Harbord’s p (Hp), sensitivity analysis performed on funnel plots and quality of studies was analysed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Of 3362 retrieved entries, 69 were included in the final analysis. Unadjusted RR for smokers to develop vertebral (six studies, seven entries; RR: 1.61; p = 0.008; I2 = 89.4%), hip (11 studies, 15 entries; RR: 1.28; p = 0.007; I2 = 84.1%), and other fractures (eight studies, 10 entries; RR: 1.75; p = 0.019; I2 = 89.3%) was significantly higher. Postoperative infection risk was generally higher for smokers (21 studies; RR: 2.20; p < 0.001; I2 = 58.9%), and remained upon subgroup analysis for elective spinal (two studies; RR: 4.38; p < 0.001; I2 = 0.0%) and fracture surgery (19 studies; RR: 2.10; p < 0.001; I2 = 58.5%). Nonunion risk after orthopaedic (eight studies; RR: 2.15; p < 0.001; I2 = 35.9%) and fracture surgery (11 studies; RR: 1.85; p < 0.001; I2 = 39.9%) was significantly higher for smokers, as was persisting nonunion risk after surgery for scaphoid nonunion (five studies; RR: 3.52; p < 0.001; I2 = 0.0%). Sensitivity analysis for each model reduced heterogeneity whilst maintaining significance (all I2 < 20.0%). Smoking has a deleterious impact on fracture incidence, and (subsequent) development of nonunions and postoperative infections.

Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2021;6:1006-1019. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.6.210058
EFORT recommendations for off-label use, mix & match and mismatch in hip and knee arthroplasty
Authors: Tucker Keith , Günther Klaus-Peter , Kjaersgaard-Andersen Per , Lützner Jörg , Kretzer Jan Philippe , Nelissen Rob G.H.H. , Lange Toni , Zagra Luigi
Published: November 2021

Off-label use is frequently practiced in primary and revision arthroplasty, as there may be indications for the application of implants for purposes outside the one the manufacturers intended. Under certain circumstances, patients may benefit from selective application of mix & match. This can refer to primary hip arthroplasty (if evidence suggests that the combination of devices from different manufacturers has superior results) and revision hip or knee arthroplasty (when the exchange of one component only is necessary and the invasiveness of surgery can be reduced). Within the EFORT ‘Implant and Patient Safety Initiative’, evidence- and consensus-based recommendations have been developed for the safe application of off-label use and mix & match in primary as well as revision hip and knee arthroplasty. Prior to the application of a medical device for hip or knee arthroplasty off-label and within a mix & match situation, surgeons should balance the risks and benefits to the patient, obtain informed consent, and document the decision process appropriately. Nevertheless, it is crucial for surgeons to only combine implants that are compatible. Mismatch of components, where their sizes or connections do not fit, may have catastrophic effects and is a surgical mistake. Surgeons must be fully aware of the features of the components that they use in off-label indications or during mix & match applications, must be appropriately trained and must audit their results. Considering the frequent practice of off-label and mix & match as well as the potential medico-legal issues, further research is necessary to obtain more data about the appropriate indications and outcomes for those procedures.

Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2021;6:982-1005. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.6.210080
Supplemental information for "An Empirical V-notch Weir Equation and Standard Procedure to Accurately Estimate Drainage Discharge"
Authors: Shokrana Sami , Ghane Ehsan
Published: November 2021

This supplementary information file contains figures and detailed descriptions of the experimental setup. Also, this file contains necessary figures for readers who want to gain further background information of our experiment.
Numerical Simulation of the Placement of Exhaust Fans in a Tunnel-Ventilated Layer House During the Fall
Authors: Wang Xiaoshuai , Li Jiangong , Wu Jiegang , Yi Qianying , Wang Xinlei , Wang Kaiying
Published: November 2021

Highlights

The placement and operation of exhaust fans was assessed using CFD simulation.

The effective temperature was used to evaluate the indoor thermal environment.

The placement and operation of the exhaust fans mainly affected the airflow patterns in the part of the layer house closest to the fans.

Abstract. The thermal environment inside a layer house significantly affects the growth, production, and health of the hens. Tunnel ventilation systems have been widely applied to control the indoor climate and air quality for large-scale poultry facilities around the world. Generally, only a few of the exhaust fans operate during mild seasons (spring and fall) in a tunnel-ventilated layer house depending on the outside air temperature. The decision about which exhaust fans to turn on affects the indoor airflow pattern and temperature distribution. However, little research has been reported that investigated the effects of the locations of exhaust fans on ventilation performance. In this study, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was built and validated using field-measured data. The CFD model was then used to evaluate different ventilation strategies (combinations of exhaust fans) in a typical tunnel-ventilated layer house during the fall. The effective temperature was used to assess the performance of different ventilation strategies. Results showed that the locations of the exhaust fans significantly affected the indoor thermal environment, especially in the part of the house closest to the fans, because different locations of operating fans can generate different airflow patterns and affect the airflow through the animal-occupied zone. Based on the simulations, we conclude that the placement and operation of the exhaust fans can be optimized. Turning on the fans that are lower to the ground or near the sidewalls will result in more air bypassing the animal-occupied zones. Our results can help select the best ventilation strategy during the spring and fall in layer houses with tunnel ventilation systems. Keywords: Airflow distribution, Effective temperature distribution, Indoor thermal environments, Ventilation strategy.
Low-loss erbium-incorporated rare-earth oxide waveguides on Si with bound states in the continuum and the large optical signal enhancement in them
Authors: Xu Xuejun , Inaba Tomohiro , Tsuchizawa Tai , Ishizawa Atsushi , Sanada Haruki , Tawara Takehiko , Omi Hiroo , Oguri Katsuya , Gotoh Hideki
Published: November 2021

Integrated optical amplifiers are essential building blocks for emerging applications of large-scale and complex silicon photonic integrated circuits. Single-crystal erbium-incorporated rare-earth oxide thin films epitaxially grown on silicon substrate could be a promising material candidate. Based on the mechanism of bound states in the continuum, we have developed a low-loss waveguide platform for such materials. The waveguides are formed by patterning a silicon nitride cap layer grown on a rare-earth oxide thin film on silicon-on-insulator substrate. Low propagation loss of 4.70 dB/cm has been obtained in waveguides with silicon nitride/rare-earth oxide/silicon layer stack thickness of 72 nm/90 nm/300 nm, width of 1.08 µm, at a wavelength of 1445.8 nm. Optical signal enhancement in these waveguides upon optical pumping has been observed in a wide wavelength range of 1510 to 1560 nm, with a large peak enhancement of ∼16 dB/cm around 1536 nm. Our results represent an important step towards the realization of high-performance monolithic-integrated optical amplifiers on Si.
Optical-parametric-oscillation-based χ(2) frequency comb in a lithium niobate microresonator
Authors: Amiune N. , Puzyrev D. N. , Pankratov V. V. , Skryabin D. V. , Buse K. , Breunig I.
Published: November 2021

Microresonator frequency combs based on the χ(3) nonlinearity are nowadays well understood and making their way into different applications. Recently, microresonator frequency combs based on the χ(2) nonlinearity are receiving increasing attention, as they promise certain benefits, but still require further study. Here, we present the first indication of χ(2) frequency comb generation, initiated via optical parametric oscillation (OPO) in a lithium niobate mm-sized microresonator. By pumping at 532 nm with 300 µW of power, we observe 1-THz-wide comb spectra around 1064 nm with degenerate and non-degenerate states. We also show that comb generation requires signal and idler waves to be degenerate in mode numbers and how the fulfillment of this condition can be identified from the temperature tuning curves. The results demonstrate the potential to directly generate frequency combs via OPO beyond 3 μm wavelengths in the mid-IR by puming in the near-IR region.
Coupling of a quantum memory and telecommunication wavelength photons for high-rate entanglement distribution in quantum repeaters
Authors: Mannami Kyoko , Kondo Takeshi , Tsuno Tomoki , Miyashita Takuto , Yoshida Daisuke , Ito Ko , Niizeki Kazuya , Nakamura Ippei , Hong Feng-Lei , Horikiri Tomoyuki
Published: November 2021

Quantum repeaters are indispensable tools for long-distance quantum communication. However, frequency matching between entangled photon sources and remote quantum memories (QMs) is difficult, which is an obstacle to the implementation of quantum repeaters. In this paper, we demonstrate a method to achieve the coupling of a Pr:YSO as a fixed-time QM with a single telecommunication-wavelength photon through frequency stabilization using an optical frequency comb over all applied laser wavelengths. The demonstrated method can lead to the implementation of a quantum repeater scheme enabling an improvement of the entanglement generation rate, paving the way for long-distance quantum communication.
Fast quantitative phase imaging based on Kramers-Kronig relations in space domain
Authors: Li Yutong , Shen Cheng , Tan Jiubin , Wen Xiu , Sun Ming , Huang Guancheng , Liu Shutian , Liu Zhengjun
Published: November 2021

A fast quantitative phase imaging technology based on space-domain Kramers-Kronig relations is proposed. By incorporating Kramers-Kronig relations, we acquire distributions on phase via measurements of intensity over the captured spectrum. Only using four low-resolution images, we built a microscope prototype with a half-pitch resolution of 625 nm (final effective imaging performance of 0.5 NA) and a field of view of 3.8 mm2 at a wavelength of 625 nm via a 10×/0.25 NA objective. Correspondingly, the data recording time is 0.16 s, and the space-bandwidth-time product is 243.3 megapixels per second. It is worth noting that the proposed scheme requires neither mechanical scanning nor extra illumination like interferometry. Meanwhile, the reconstruction is non-iterative and object-independent. Our method provides a high-efficiency phase retrieval framework and is promising in biomedicine and dynamic observation.
Large diameter millimeter-wave low-pass filter made of alumina with laser ablated anti-reflection coating
Authors: Takaku Ryota , Wen Qi , Cray Scott , Devlin Mark , Dicker Simon , Hanany Shaul , Hasebe Takashi , Iida Teruhito , Katayama Nobuhiko , Konishi Kuniaki , Kuwata-Gonokami Makoto , Matsumura Tomotake , Mio Norikatsu , Sakurai Haruyuki , Sakurai Yuki , Yamada Ryohei , Yumoto Junji
Published: November 2021

We fabricated a 302 mm diameter low-pass filter made of alumina that has an anti-reflection coating (ARC) made with laser-ablated sub-wavelength structures (SWS). The filter has been integrated into and is operating with the MUSTANG2 instrument, which is coupled to the Green Bank Telescope. The average transmittance of the filter in the MUSTANG2 operating band between 75 and 105 GHz is 98%. Reflective loss due to the ARC is 1%. The difference in transmission between the s- and p-polarization states is less than 1%. To within 1% accuracy we observe no variance in these results when transmission is measured in six independent filter spatial locations. The alumina filter replaced a prior MUSTANG2 Teflon filter. Data taken with the filter heat sunk to its nominal 40 K stage show performance consistent with expectations: a reduction of about 50% in filters-induced optical power load on the 300 mK stage, and in in-band optical loading on the detectors. It has taken less than 4 days to laser-ablate the SWS on both sides of the alumina disk. This is the first report of an alumina filter with SWS ARC deployed with an operating instrument, and the first demonstration of a large area fabrication of SWS with laser ablation.
Computational ghost imaging based on array sampling
Authors: Liu Xuan , Han Tailin , Zhou Cheng , Hu Jun , Ju Mingchi , Xu Bo , Song Lijun
Published: November 2021

High-quality computational ghost imaging under low sampling has always attracted much attention and is an important step in the practical application of computational ghost imaging. However, as far as we know, most studies focus on achieving high-quality computational ghost imaging with one single pixel detector. The high efficiency computational ghost imaging method using multiple single pixel detectors for array measurement is rarely mentioned. In this work, a new computational ghost imaging method based on deep learning technology and array detector measurement has been proposed, which can achieve fast and high-quality imaging. This method can resolve the problem of misalignment and overlap of some pixels in the reconstructed image due to the incomplete correspondence between the array detector and the light field area. At the same time, the problem of partial information loss in the reconstructed image because of the gap between the detection units of the array detector has also been solved. Simulation and experiment results show that our method can obtain high computational ghost imaging quality, even at the low sampling rate of 0.03, and as the detection unit of the array detector increases, the number of sampling is further reduced. This method improves the applicability of computational ghost imaging and can be applied to many fields such as real-time detection and biomedical imaging.
All-solid polarization-maintaining silica fiber with birefringence induced by anisotropic metaglass
Authors: Anuszkiewicz Alicja , Bouet Monika , Michalik Damian , Stepniewski Grzegorz , Kasztelanic Rafal , Filipkowski Adam , Pysz Dariusz , Cassez Andy , Klimczak Mariusz , Bouwmans Geraud , Mussot Arnaud , Buczynski Ryszard
Published: November 2021

We report the development of a silica glass single-mode polarization-maintaining fiber with birefringence induced by artificial anisotropic glass in the circular core without any external stress zones or structured cladding. The fiber core is composed of silica and germanium-doped silica nanorods ordered in submicrometer interleaved layers. The fiber has a measured cut-off wavelength at 1113 nm, phase birefringence of 0.3×10−4, and an effective mode diameter of 10.5 µm at the wavelength of 1550 nm. The polarization extinction ratio in the fiber is 20 dB at 1550 nm. The fiber is compatible with the standard SMF-28 fiber and can be easily integrated using standard fusion splicing with losses of 0.1 dB.
Scanning interferometric near-infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Kholiqov Oybek , Zhou Wenjun , Zhang Tingwei , Zhao Mingjun , Ghandiparsi Soroush , Srinivasan Vivek J.
Published: November 2021

In diffuse optics, quantitative assessment of the human brain is confounded by the skull and scalp. To better understand these superficial tissues, we advance interferometric near-infrared spectroscopy (iNIRS) to form images of the human superficial forehead blood flow index (BFI). We present a null source–collector (S-C) polarization splitting approach that enables galvanometer scanning and eliminates unwanted backscattered light. Images show an order-of-magnitude heterogeneity in superficial dynamics, implying an order-of-magnitude heterogeneity in brain specificity, depending on forehead location. Along the time-of-flight dimension, autocorrelation decay rates support a three-layer model with increasing BFI from the skull to the scalp to the brain. By accurately characterizing superficial tissues, this approach can help improve specificity for the human brain.
Strong coupling between monolayer quantum emitter WS2 and degenerate/non-degenerate surface lattice resonances
Authors: Lv Fanzhou , Wang Zhihang , Huang Yudie , Chen Jiaxu , La Junqiao , Wu Dongda , Guo Zhicheng , Liu Yujun , Zhang Yufeng , Wang Yi , Wang Wenxin
Published: November 2021

Strong light–matter coupling manifested by Rabi splitting has drawn considerable interest owing to its fundamental significance for impressive interaction enhancement in the fields of ultrafast active plasmonic devices and quantum information. In this paper, we investigate the coherent optical properties of a plasmonic system consisting of periodic metal nanoparticle arrays covered by a WS2 thin film of atomic layer thickness. The coupling factor, energy splitting, and temporal dynamics of this coherent coupling phenomenon are quantitatively revealed by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation and a full quantum mechanical model proves that the exciton behavior of the fermionic quantum emitter WS2 is carefully modulated by bosonic surface lattice resonances. This work may pave the way for coherent modulation of polariton and plasmon devices and can potentially open up diverse exciting possibilities like nanoscale light sources, single-photon emitters, and all-optical transistors.
Aedes-AI: Neural network models of mosquito abundance
Authors: Kinney Adrienne C. , Current Sean , Lega Joceline
Published: November 2021

We present artificial neural networks as a feasible replacement for a mechanistic model of mosquito abundance. We develop a feed-forward neural network, a long short-term memory recurrent neural network, and a gated recurrent unit network. We evaluate the networks in their ability to replicate the spatiotemporal features of mosquito populations predicted by the mechanistic model, and discuss how augmenting the training data with time series that emphasize specific dynamical behaviors affects model performance. We conclude with an outlook on how such equation-free models may facilitate vector control or the estimation of disease risk at arbitrary spatial scales.
A mitochondrial genome phylogeny of voles and lemmings (Rodentia: Arvicolinae): Evolutionary and taxonomic implications
Authors: Abramson Natalia I. , Bodrov Semyon Yu. , Bondareva Olga V. , Genelt-Yanovskiy Evgeny A. , Petrova Tatyana V.
Published: November 2021

Arvicolinae is one of the most impressive placental radiations with over 150 extant and numerous extinct species that emerged since the Miocene in the Northern Hemisphere. The phylogeny of Arvicolinae has been studied intensively for several decades using morphological and genetic methods. Here, we sequenced 30 new mitochondrial genomes to better understand the evolutionary relationships among the major tribes and genera within the subfamily. The phylogenetic and molecular dating analyses based on 11,391 bp concatenated alignment of protein-coding mitochondrial genes confirmed the monophyly of the subfamily. While Bayesian analysis provided a high resolution across the entire tree, Maximum Likelihood tree reconstruction showed weak support for the ordering of divergence and interrelationships of tribal level taxa within the most ancient radiation. Both the interrelationships among tribes Lagurini, Ellobiusini and Arvicolini, comprising the largest radiation and the position of the genusDinaromyswithin it also remained unresolved. For the first time complex relationships between genus level taxa within the species-rich tribe Arvicolini received full resolution. ParticularlyLemmiscuswas robustly placed as sister to the snow volesChionomysin the tribe Arvicolini in contrast with a long-held belief of its affinity with Lagurini. Molecular dating of the origin of Arvicolinae and early divergences obtained from the mitogenome data were consistent with fossil records. The mtDNA estimates for putative ancestors of the most genera within Arvicolini appeared to be much older than it was previously proposed in paleontological studies.
Finite element analysis of the performance of additively manufactured scaffolds for scapholunate ligament reconstruction
Authors: Perevoshchikova Nataliya , Moerman Kevin M. , Akhbari Bardiya , Bindra Randy , Maharaj Jayishni N. , Lloyd David G. , Gomez Cerezo Maria , Carr Amelia , Vaquette Cedryck , Saxby David J.
Published: November 2021

Rupture of the scapholunate interosseous ligament can cause the dissociation of scaphoid and lunate bones, resulting in impaired wrist function. Current treatments (e.g., tendon-based surgical reconstruction, screw-based fixation, fusion, or carpectomy) may restore wrist stability, but do not address regeneration of the ruptured ligament, and may result in wrist functional limitations and osteoarthritis. Recently a novel multiphasic bone-ligament-bone scaffold was proposed, which aims to reconstruct the ruptured ligament, and which can be 3D-printed using medical-grade polycaprolactone. This scaffold is composed of a central ligament-scaffold section and features a bone attachment terminal at either end. Since the ligament-scaffold is the primary load bearing structure during physiological wrist motion, its geometry, mechanical properties, and the surgical placement of the scaffold are critical for performance optimisation. This study presents a patient-specific computational biomechanical evaluation of the effect of scaffold length, and positioning of the bone attachment sites. Through segmentation and image processing of medical image data for natural wrist motion, detailed 3D geometries as well as patient-specific physiological wrist motion could be derived. This data formed the input for detailed finite element analysis, enabling computational of scaffold stress and strain distributions, which are key predictors of scaffold structural integrity. The computational analysis demonstrated that longer scaffolds present reduced peak scaffold stresses and a more homogeneous stress state compared to shorter scaffolds. Furthermore, it was found that scaffolds attached at proximal sites experience lower stresses than those attached at distal sites. However, scaffold length, rather than bone terminal location, most strongly influences peak stress. For each scaffold terminal placement configuration, a basic metric was computed indicative of bone fracture risk. This metric was the minimum distance from the bone surface to the internal scaffold bone terminal. Analysis of this minimum bone thickness data confirmed further optimisation of terminal locations is warranted.
The impact of active case finding on transmission dynamics of tuberculosis: A modelling study
Authors: Ayabina Diepreye Victoria , Gomes M. Gabriela M. , Nguyen Nhung Viet , Vo Luan , Shreshta Suvesh , Thapa Anil , Codlin Andrew James , Mishra Gokul , Caws Maxine
Published: November 2021

Background

In the last decade, active case finding (ACF) strategies for tuberculosis (TB) have been implemented in many diverse settings, with some showing large increases in case detection and reporting at the sub-national level. There have also been several studies which seek to provide evidence for the benefits of ACF to individuals and communities in the broader context. However, there remains no quantification of the impact of ACF with regards to reducing the burden of transmission. We sought to address this knowledge gap and quantify the potential impact of active case finding on reducing transmission of TB at the national scale and further, to determine the intensification of intervention efforts required to bring the reproduction number (R0) below 1 for TB.

Methods

We adopt a dynamic transmission model that incorporates heterogeneity in risk to TB to assess the impact of an ACF programme (IMPACT TB) on reducing TB incidence in Vietnam and Nepal. We fit the models to country-level incidence data using a Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach. We assess the impact of ACF using a parameter in our model, which we term the treatment success rate. Using programmatic data, we estimate how much this parameter has increased as a result of IMPACT TB in the implementation districts of Vietnam and Nepal and quantify additional efforts needed to eliminate transmission of TB in these countries by 2035.

Results

Extending the IMPACT TB programme to national coverage would lead to moderate decreases in TB incidence and would not be enough to interrupt transmission by 2035. Decreasing transmission sufficiently to bring the reproduction number (R0) below 1, would require a further intensification of current efforts, even at the sub-national level.

Conclusions

Active case finding programmes are effective in reducing TB in the short term. However, interruption of transmission in high-burden countries, like Vietnam and Nepal, will require comprehensive incremental efforts. Complementary measures to reduce progression from infection to disease, and reactivation of latent infection, are needed to meet the WHO End TB incidence targets.
Changes in SARS-CoV-2 viral load and mortality during the initial wave of the pandemic in New York City
Authors: Satlin Michael J. , Zucker Jason , Baer Benjamin R. , Rajan Mangala , Hupert Nathaniel , Schang Luis M. , Pinheiro Laura C. , Shen Yanhan , Sobieszczyk Magdalena E. , Westblade Lars F. , Goyal Parag , Wells Martin T. , Sepulveda Jorge L. , Safford Monika M.
Published: November 2021

Public health interventions such as social distancing and mask wearing decrease the incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, but it is unclear whether they decrease the viral load of infected patients and whether changes in viral load impact mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We evaluated 6923 patients with COVID-19 at six New York City hospitals from March 15-May 14, 2020, corresponding with the implementation of public health interventions in March. We assessed changes in cycle threshold (CT) values from reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction tests and in-hospital mortality and modeled the impact of viral load on mortality. Mean CT values increased between March and May, with the proportion of patients with high viral load decreasing from 47.7% to 7.8%. In-hospital mortality increased from 14.9% in March to 28.4% in early April, and then decreased to 8.7% by May. Patients with high viral loads had increased mortality compared to those with low viral loads (adjusted odds ratio 2.34). If viral load had not declined, an estimated 69 additional deaths would have occurred (5.8% higher mortality). SARS-CoV-2 viral load steadily declined among hospitalized patients in the setting of public health interventions, and this correlated with decreases in mortality.
Elevated neuron-specific enolase level is associated with postoperative delirium and detection of phosphorylated neurofilament heavy subunit: A prospective observational study
Authors: Mietani Kazuhito , Hasegawa-Moriyama Maiko , Inoue Reo , Ogata Toru , Shimojo Nobutake , Kurano Makoto , Sumitani Masahiko , Uchida Kanji
Published: November 2021

Background

Delirium is the most common central nervous system complication after surgery. Detection of phosphorylated neurofilament heavy subunit in the serum reflects axonal damage within the central cervous system and is associated with the severity of postoperative delirium. Neuron-specific enolase and S100 calcium-binding protein β have been identified as possible serum biomarkers of postoperative delirium. This study examined the association of the levels of these markers with incidence of postoperative delirium and detection of phosphorylated neurofilament heavy subunit.

Methods

This study represents a post hoc analysis of 117 patients who participated in a prospective observational study of postoperative delirium in patients undergoing cancer surgery. Patients were clinically assessed for development of postoperative delirium within the first five days of surgery. Serum levels of phosphorylated neurofilament heavy subunit, neuron-specific enolase, and S100 calcium-binding protein β levels were measured on postoperative day 3.

Results

Forty-one patients (35%) were clinically diagnosed with postoperative delirium. Neuron-specific enolase level (P < 0.0001) and the proportion of patients positive for phosphorylated neurofilament heavy subunit (P < 0.0001) were significantly higher in the group of patients with postoperative delirium. Neuron-specific enolase level discriminated between patients with and without clinically diagnosed postoperative delirium with significantly high accuracy (area under the curve [AUC], 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79–0.95; P < 0.0001). Neuron-specific enolase level was associated with incidence of postoperative delirium independently of age (adjusted odds ratio, 8.291; 95% Cl, 3.506−33.286; P < 0.0001). The AUC for the serum neuron-specific enolase level in detecting phosphorylated neurofilament heavy subunit was significant (AUC, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.66–0.90; P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Elevated serum neuron-specific enolase was associated with postoperative delirium independent of age as well as detection of phosphorylated neurofilament heavy subunit in serum. Serum neuron-specific enolase and phosphorylated neurofilament heavy subunit might be useful as biomarkers of postoperative delirium.

Trial registration

University Medical Information Network (UMIN) trial ID: UMIN000010329; https://clinicaltrials.gov/.
Assessing reproducibility and utility of clustering of patients with type 2 diabetes and established CV disease (SAVOR -TIMI 53 trial)
Authors: Aoki Yasunori , Hamrén Bengt , Clegg Lindsay E. , Stahre Christina , Bhatt Deepak L. , Raz Itamar , Scirica Benjamin M. , Oscarsson Jan , Carlsson Björn
Published: November 2021

Objective

To assess the reproducibility and clinical utility of clustering-based subtyping of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and established cardiovascular (CV) disease.

Methods

The cardiovascular outcome trial SAVOR-TIMI 53 (n = 16,492) was used. Analyses focused on T2D patients with established CV disease. Unsupervised machine learning technique called “k-means clustering” was used to divide patients into subtypes. K-means clustering including HbA1c, age of diagnosis, BMI, HOMA2-IR and HOMA2-B was used to assign clusters to the following diabetes subtypes: severe insulin deficient diabetes (SIDD); severe insulin-resistant diabetes (SIRD); mild obesity-related diabetes (MOD); mild age-related diabetes (MARD). We refer these subtypes as “clustering-based diabetes subtypes”. A simulation study using randomly generated data was conducted to understand how correlations between the above variables influence the formation of the cluster-based diabetes subtypes. The predictive utility of clustering-based diabetes subtypes for CV events (3-point MACE), renal function reduction (eGFR decrease >30%) and diabetic disease progression (introduction of additional anti-diabetic medication) were compared with conventional risk scores. Hazard ratios (HR) were estimated by Cox-proportional hazard models.

Results

In the SAVOR-TIMI 53 trial based dataset, the percentage of the clustering-based T2D subtypes were; SIDD (18%), SIRD (17%), MOD (29%), MARD (37%). Using the simulated dataset, the diabetes subtypes could be largely reproduced from a log-normal distribution when including known correlations between variables. The predictive utility of clustering-based diabetic subtypes on CV events, renal function reduction, and diabetic disease progression did not show an advantage compared to conventional risk scores.

Conclusions

The consistent reproduction of four clustering-based T2D subtypes can be explained by the correlations between the variables used for clustering. Subtypes of T2D based on clustering had limited advantage compared to conventional risk scores to predict clinical outcome in patients with T2D and established CV disease.
The association between self-reported stress and cardiovascular measures in daily life: A systematic review
Authors: Vaessen Thomas , Rintala Aki , Otsabryk Natalya , Viechtbauer Wolfgang , Wampers Martien , Claes Stephan , Myin-Germeys Inez
Published: November 2021

Background

Stress plays an important role in the development of mental illness, and an increasing number of studies is trying to detect moments of perceived stress in everyday life based on physiological data gathered using ambulatory devices. However, based on laboratory studies, there is only modest evidence for a relationship between self-reported stress and physiological ambulatory measures. This descriptive systematic review evaluates the evidence for studies investigating an association between self-reported stress and physiological measures under daily life conditions.

Methods

Three databases were searched for articles assessing an association between self-reported stress and cardiovascular and skin conductance measures simultaneously over the course of at least a day.

Results

We reviewed findings of 36 studies investigating an association between self-reported stress and cardiovascular measures with overall 135 analyses of associations between self-reported stress and cardiovascular measures. Overall, 35% of all analyses showed a significant or marginally significant association in the expected direction. The most consistent results were found for perceived stress, high-arousal negative affect scales, and event-related self-reported stress measures, and for frequency-domain heart rate variability physiological measures. There was much heterogeneity in measures and methods.

Conclusion

These findings confirm that daily-life stress-dynamics are complex and require a better understanding. Choices in design and measurement seem to play a role. We provide some guidance for future studies.
Glottal stops do not constrain lexical access as do oral stops
Authors: Mitterer Holger , Kim Sahyang , Cho Taehong
Published: November 2021

This study explores processing characteristics of a glottal stop in Maltese which occurs both as a phoneme and as an epenthetic stop for vowel-initial words. Experiment 1 shows that its hyperarticulation is not necessarily mapped onto an underlying form, although listeners may interpret it as underlying at a later processing stage. Experiment 2 shows that listeners’ experience with a particular speaker’s use of a glottal stop exclusively as a phoneme does not modulate competition patterns accordingly. Not only are vowel-initial words activated by [ʔ]-initial forms, but /ʔ/-initial words are also activated by vowel-initial forms, suggesting that lexical access is not constrained by an initial acoustic mismatch that involves a glottal stop. Experiment 3 reveals that the observed pattern is not generalizable to an oral stop /t/. We propose that glottal stops have a special status in lexical processing: it is prosodic in nature to be licensed by the prosodic structure.