bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determination of Air Quality Life Index (Aqli) in Medinipur City of West Bengal(India) During 2019 To 2020 : A contextual Study
Authors: Rana Samiran
Published: May 2022

The Air Quality Index (AQI) utilized in various nations doesn't plainly show how much air pollution influences the average life expectancy (LE). This study explicitly shows how much air pollutants (especially atmospheric particulate matter) reduce the average LE of an individual in a given year in a specific city. This study has determined the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) and has shown a reduction in the average LE of each resident of Medinipur city in 2019 and 2020. The reduction in human LE due to particulate matter pollution is actually based on a pair of semi-experimental variation studies, especially in the Chinese setting, derived from the impact of coarse particles (PM10: particle size ranges between 2.5 micrometers and 10 micrometers) on the northern and southern border populace of the China Huai River. The results showed that “an additional 10 micrograms per cubic meter of PM10 exposure reduces LE by 0.64 yrs’’.1 The methodology used in this study is based on the University of Chicago Energy Policy Institute's (EPIC) epidemiological estimates that provide the most acceptable and modified equation for determining global AQLI, which uses PM2.5 to PM10 ratios due to global PM10 data unavailability and recommends that ‘additional sustainable exposure to fine particles or PM2.5 (particle size less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers) reduces LE by 0.98 years per 10 micrograms per cubic meter’ which was followed by a pair of experimental results by Chen et al. (2013) and Ebenstein et al. (2017) on the impacts of long-term PM pollution on permanent residents of both the north and south sides of the China Huai River.2 Regional or global previous fine particle (PM2.5) densities are measured at a specific resolution using an integrated geophysical-statistical method that provides the global fine particulate or PM2.5 data3 used to determine the AQLI of a country or city, although PM2.5 concentrations are considered for world atmospheric pollution because atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5) invades the deeper structures of the respiratory tract and has a more harmful or toxic impact on humans than coarse particles (PM10).4,5 Therefore, the current annual PM2.5 data is used by the ground-based monitor of PM2.5 concentration to determine the AQLI of the respective city in this study. The results of the study have shown that the current annual concentration of PM2.5 obtained from BreezoMeter and PMS3003 at four selected stations (S1 to S4) in Medinipur city ranged from 23 to 29 µg/m³ per year and the average LE loss in Medinipur varied from 1.3 years to 1.87 years per person, which may be caused by cardiopulmonary disease and lung cancer.
Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential of Terrestrial Ecosystems: Trends And Soil Priming Effects
Authors: J. Dinakaran J. Dinakaran , N. S. Abbas N. S. Abbas , Bhardwaj Sujata , C. Kaula Babeeta
Published: May 2022

Carbon sequestration in the terrestrial ecosystems by forest and agricultural management activities is being considered the best sustainable method to diminish the increasing concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). This paper presents soil carbon sequestration potential of terrestrial ecosystem and the concept of soil priming effect. According to forest survey of India, the carbon stock of Indian forests increased at the rate of 0.3% as compared to the previous assessment, i.e., from 2017 to 2019. Indian forests soils are a reservoir of 7124.6 million tonnes of carbon and they still have high potential to store more carbon. As per soil carbon 4 mille concepts, India must intensify the process of afforestation, land restoration, and agricultural management practices to increase the soil carbon storage, i.e., up to 0.4%. However, organic manure amendments or a fresh supply of carbon substrates via. rhizodeposits into the rainfed or irrigated lands changes the microbial communities and may decompose the already stored soil carbon, i.e., positive priming effect. Thus, accurate measurement of soil organic carbon (SOC) content in various types of ecosystems like forest, agricultural land, desert, agroforest, and plantation is still crucial to ascertain how much they can help to reduce the increasing concentration of atmospheric CO2.
Biofuel formation from microalgae: A renewable energy source for eco-sustainability
Authors: Oves Mohammad , A. Qari Huda , Ismail Iqbal MI
Published: May 2022

In the current scenario, biofuel production from microalgae is beneficial to sustainability. Recently, one of the most pressing concerns has been finding cost-effective and environmentally friendly energy sources to meet rising energy demands without jeopardizing environmental integrity. Microalgae provide a viable biomass feedstock for biofuel production as the global market for biofuels rises. Biodiesel made from biomass is usually regarded as one of the best natural substitutes to fossil fuels and a sustainable means of achieving energy security and economic and environmental sustainability. Cultivating genetically modified algae has been followed in recent decades of biofuel research and has led to the commercialization of algal biofuel. If it is integrated with a favorable government policy on algal biofuels and other byproducts, it will benefit society. Biofuel technology is a troublesome but complementary technology that will provide long-term solutions to environmental problems. Microalgae have high lipid content oil, fast growth rates, the ability to use marginal and infertile land, grow in wastewater and salty water streams and use solar light and CO2 gas as nutrients for high biomass development. Recent findings suggest nano additives or nanocatalysts like nano-particles, nano-sheet, nano-droplets, and nanotubes. Some specific structures used at various stages during microalgae cultivation and harvesting of the final products can enhance the biofuel efficiency and applicability without any negative impact on the environment. It offers a fantastic opportunity to produce large amounts of biofuels in an eco-friendly and long-term manner.
Biodegradation of Low- and High-Density Polyethylene Films by Microbacterium Barkeri Sh20
Authors: Sharma Sakshi , Mathur Nupur , Singh Anuradha , Agarwal Maithili
Published: May 2022

Polyethylene waste contamination is one of the most concerning environmental issues not only in India but also in world. Microbial degradation is one of the safest and environment friendly process to degrade polyethylene among other major types degradation methods such as thermo-oxidative degradation and photo-degradation. The present research focused on the isolation, enrichment, and characterization of polyethylene-utilizing bacteria, not screen as far for biodegradation, and evaluation of its degrading capacity on polyethylene. A bacterial strain (TN2) was isolated from a motor-oil contaminated soil. The biochemical characterization of the strain was based on an automated microbial identification system. Strain TN2 was identified through 16SrRNA gene sequencing, which shows strain was closely related to Microbacterium genus and identified as Microbacterium barkeri SH20 (Accession No. KY887791.1). To examine the degradation capacity of isolated strain, it was used for biodegradation studies on two types of polyethylene films i.e. LDPE as well as HDPE (low and high density polyethylene respectively) HDPE (high-density polyethylene) for 30 days. The film samples were analyzed after bacterial strain incubation based on the weight loss percentage and the Keto & Ester Carbonyl Index (via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy- FTIR). The highest decrease in weight loss percentage was calculated of PE-S1 HDPE film samples i.e 0.985±0.23%, as weight loss represents a qualitative evaluation of biodegradation. FTIR studies shows changes IR peaks of C=O regions and Keto & Ester Carbonyl Index was found to decrease in HDPE films (PE-S1) compared to other two LDPE (PE-S2) and HDPE films (PE-S3) shows degradation of polyethylene. The research established that Microbacterium barkeri SH20 (TN2) is a novel bacterial strain that can degrade polyethylene films. Hence, it can be used in future biodegradation studies and field trails.
An Assessment of Environmental Sustainability Factors in the Development of Tourism in Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island) of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Authors: Deka Seemanta Kumar , Baruah Rashmi
Published: May 2022

The core intent of the paper is to study the different environmental sustainability factors in relation to the development of tourism in Swaraj Dweep of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The study is limited and based on the different perceptions of tourists concerning different environmental sustainability factors effecting tourism development on the island. Consequently, from various literatures, a listing of different environmental sustainability factors of tourism development has been carried out. A convenient sample survey has been conducted among 400 tourists who have visited the islands to find out their perceptions on the environmental factors. The average perception of tourists shows that “Protection of Natural Vegetation and Marine life” is the most important environmental sustainability factor for tourism development in the islands. The paired sample “t-test analysis” that has been applied by the researcher to find out the degree of influence amongst the different listed environmental sustainability factors in the course of the development of tourism on the islands. The outcome of this paper will help policymakers to devise and execute policies related to sustainable tourism development on the basis of tourists’ viewpoint in Swaraj Dweep (Havelock Island) - one of the promising tourist destinations of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Arsenic Contamination and its Impact on the Environment
Authors: Karak Prithviraj
Published: May 2022

Arsenic (AS) toxicity is considered as one of the biggest environmental issue and a major public health problem. In this chapter we have summarized the impact of AS contamination on human health. A perusal of literature reveals that exposure to higher concentrations of AS is serious for a number of reasons. Such exposure for a longer period leads to ill effect on several organ systems of the human body. The adverse effects of inorganic AS cause many human diseases, human sufferings and increased human mortality and also affect various age groups variously. Population of some countries are more vulnerable to AS contamination problems. Studies have revealed the mechanisms of many AS induced diseases particularly cancer, cardiovascular effects, immunological effects and neurological effects in human. This article presents the scientific information emerged especially during the last two decades in the field of the ecotoxicological properties of AS and the potential mechanism of AS-induced toxicity, with a special emphasis on AS-induced carcinogenesis.
Gender Differences in Perception and Awareness of Climate Change in the Suru Valley of Western Himalayas, India
Authors: Khan Kacho Amir , Chattopadhyay Aparajita , Ali Iftikar
Published: May 2022

The Suru valley of the Ladakh region in the Indian western Himalayas has a cold-arid climate and semi-desert landscape. Any change in climate in this fragile landscape will impact the lives of local communities in the region. The region has limited weather monitoring stations due to which changing climate pattern is not well understood. Understanding gender differential perceptions of climate change will help us in critical engagement and support of local people for action on climate change. This study analyses the gender differences in perception and awareness of climate change in the region. The study involves 270 households where male and female respondents were interviewed in an equal ratio in the nine villages of Suru valley of the western Himalayas, India. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The results reflected that climate change awareness was higher for the men respondents due to their better education and access to mass communication than the women respondents. The perceived climatic changes like high temperature and low snowfall have impacted more on women as water and agriculture are the most affected environmental components. There is a need in creating awareness about climate change impacts through better education among the people especially women in the region. Prioritizing villages having the highest impact in terms of water scarcity, flash floods, avalanches and landslides will help the government and other stakeholders in better implementation of programmes and policies in the region.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment as an alternative for a chronic sinus tract after chordoma surgery and radiation
Authors: McCoy Rachel , Brandon Michelé A , Jackson Jordan , Rubenstein Jane , Jain Surbhi
Published: May 2022

Chordoma is a rare form of cancer that forms from the notochord remnants, and affects the skull and the spine. The standard treatment for a sacrococcygeal chordoma is surgery and radiation. Chordoma has a high rate of recurrence and surgery with radiation treatment can leave patients with surgical site complications, such as wounds, fistulas or sinus tracts. Repeat surgical intervention on an irradiated surgical site increases incidence of complications leading to decreased quality of life, and increased morbidity and mortality. Treatment of wound complications after surgery and high-dose radiation for a chordoma tumour is rarely reported in the literature. Herein, the author describes the case of a chronic sinus tract after surgery and radiation for a sacral chordoma tumour successfully healed by hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in conjunction with topical antibiotics.
Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs at calving
Authors: Gladden Nicola , McKeegan Dorothy , Ellis Kathryn
Published: May 2022

In recent years farmers, veterinary surgeons, and consumers have all shown increasing awareness of pain in cattle (and its associated negative welfare impacts), and accordingly there is increased focus on the use of analgesia following painful procedures, such as disbudding and castration. Calving is a necessary event for cows and their calves, and is painful; however, pain-relief is not routinely provided, particularly to calves. This article reviews the literature on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug usage around calving to aid practitioners in making evidence-based decisions regarding management of calving-related pain in cows and calves.
Cattle Review
Authors: Barrett David C
Published: May 2022

Introduction:

In this Cattle Review we consider open access papers, all from the Journal of Dairy Science, looking at farmers' attitudes towards bovine viral diarrhoea control, consumers' attitudes towards separating cows and calves, and pain control when disbudding.
Nutritional management of equine gastric ulcers
Authors: Witherow Briony
Published: May 2022

Over the last 10 years there has been increasing awareness and subsequently recorded cases of equine gastric ulcer syndrome and with this comes an increased interest in appropriate nutrition and feed management. This review presents a systematic approach to assessing the ration of a horse at risk or diagnosed with equine gastric ulcer syndrome and demonstrates the ample evidence upon which to base nutritional recommendations for horses with equine squamous gastric disease, and to a lesser extent, equine glandular gastric disease, with an emphasis on forage. Careful selection and management of the forage ration should be the first step in designing a suitable ration, followed by selection of an appropriately low starch and sugar (less than 2g per kg body weight per day and 1g per kg body weight per meal) complementary feed. There is still more to learn about the role of supplements in the prevention and treatment of equine gastric ulcer syndrome, thus these should currently be viewed as an adjunct to an appropriate base diet and not as an isolated solution.
Weight management and feeding requirements for geriatric donkeys
Authors: Rippingale Marie
Published: May 2022

Many donkeys are now kept as pets rather than working animals, meaning they often live longer – many now reach 20 years old and are classed as geriatric. Weight gain is common in geriatric donkeys as they usually live a sedentary life because of their age, so dietary management of these donkeys is essential to help to prevent health problems such as laminitis and hyperlipaemia. It is important that vets and registered veterinary nurses have an understanding of donkey nutrition and feeding.
Computational refocusing of Jones matrix polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography and investigation of defocus-induced polarization artifacts: publisher’s note
Authors: Zhu Lida , Makita Shuichi , Oida Daisuke , Miyazawa Arata , Oikawa Kensuke , Mukherjee Pradipta , Lichtenegger Antonia , Distel Martin , Yasuno Yoshiaki
Published: May 2022

This publisher’s note amends the spelling of the sixth
author’s name in [Biomed. Opt. Express
13(5), 2975
(2022).10.1364/BOE.454975].
No-reference image quality metrics for color domain modified images
Authors: Khan Muhammad Usman , Luo Ming Ronnier , Tian Dalin
Published: May 2022

Predicting the quality of natural images without using a reference image has always been a challenging task. Numerous approaches have been proposed in the past, but they mainly focused on spatial and frequency domain degradations like blur, noise, and compression. Image quality metrics (IQMs) in literature perform with quite a high accuracy for such types of degraded images. However, their performances are not good on the images modified in the color domain. In this study, psychophysical experiments were conducted to assess the quality of the color domain images. A new dataset was developed for this purpose. Additionally, a second dataset consisting of color domain modified images from the three previously published datasets were used in the psychophysical experiments. The newly developed dataset was then used to develop three IQMs based on absolute values, relative values, and statistical analysis of image color appearance attributes. Their performances were then evaluated together with five spatial domain IQMs from the literature using cross-database evaluation methodology. The results showed that the color-domain IQMs outperformed the other models. The absolute and relative attributes-based models, when combined, achieved the best performance. The present results suggest that more effort is needed to improve the performance of color domain IQMs for image quality estimation.
Degree of paraxiality of a twist electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model beam
Authors: Huang Ju , Jiang Wen , Cheng Jinping , Ji Xiaoling , Wang Tao
Published: May 2022

The definition of the degree of paraxiality (DOP) for a stochastic electromagnetic field is applied to a twist stochastic electromagnetic field. As an illustrative example, DOP for a wide class of model stochastic fields, i.e., twist electromagnetic Gaussian Schell-model (TEGSM) fields, is discussed. The dependence of the DOP of the light source on its properties is also studied in detail. The numerical results show that the DOP of a TEGSM beam is determined by the rms widths of auto-correlation functions and the twist factor as well as by the degree of polarization. To explain the behavior of DOP, the far-field divergence angle of this beam source is also discussed.
Investigation of high-harmonic cutoff of metal ions driven by near-infrared laser
Authors: Fu Wufeng , Lai Yu Hang , Liang Jingguang , Li Wei
Published: May 2022

The cutoff-energies of high-harmonic generation in the laser-ablated plumes of various metal targets (Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Ta, Mo, Al, W, In, Cu, Au, Ti, Ag) driven by near-infrared (0.8-µm) femtosecond laser are investigated and compared. Due to the low ionization potentials of metal atoms, it is believed that the observed high-harmonic cutoffs are contributed by the singly charged or even doubly charged ions. Ionization calculations using Perelomov-Popov-Terent’ev theory are performed to estimate the laser intensities at which saturation of ionization occur for different ions. Treating the calculated values as the effective driving laser intensities, the observed cutoffs from most of the targets are in reasonable agreement with the predictions of the semi-classical cutoff law.
Quantum coherence of thermal biphoton orbital angular momentum state and its distribution in non-Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence
Authors: Hu Zheng-Da , Zhu Yun , Wang Jicheng
Published: May 2022

Quantum coherence has been considered as a resource for quantum information process in recent years. Sharing the quantum resource distantly is a precondition for quantum communication. In this paper, we explore the quantum coherence properties of the prepared state starting from initially incoherent thermal light source. It is shown that the quantum coherence is directly proportional to the dimension of Hilbert space and therefore employ the orbital angular momentum (OAM) to encode resources. The distribution of biphoton thermal OAM state via the one-sided noisy channel (non-Kolmogorov turbulent atmosphere) is then investigated. It is found that the prepared OAM state can have large amount of quantum coherence, which is maximized when the thermal source is completely incoherent. The turbulence effects on quantum coherence are studied and compared to those on the fidelity and quantum channel capacity. Contrasting to the monotonic decay, the dynamics of coherence displays a peak during the propagation and the mechanism behind is presented. Finally, the dynamics of quantum thermal state can be more robust than that of Bell-like pure state since more interference can be induced. We believe our results is of importance to OAM quantum communication using quantum coherence as a resource.
Single-shot characterization of vector beams by generalized measurements
Authors: Al Khafaji M. A. , Cisowski C. M. , Jimbrown H. , Croke S. , Pádua S. , Franke-Arnold S.
Published: May 2022

Vector vortex beams, featuring independent spatial modes in orthogonal polarization components, offer an increase in information density for emerging applications in both classical and quantum communication technology. Recent advances in optical instrumentation have led to the ability of generating and manipulating such beams. Their tomography is generally accomplished by projection measurements to identify polarization as well as spatial modes. In this paper we demonstrate spatially resolved generalized measurements of arbitrary vector vortex beams. We perform positive operator valued measurements (POVMs) in an interferometric setup that characterizes the vector light mode in a single-shot. This offers superior data acquisition speed compared to conventional Stokes tomography techniques, with potential benefits for communication protocols as well as dynamic polarization microscopy of materials.
Photonic crystal based interferometric design for label-free all-optical sensing applications
Authors: Giden Ibrahim Halil
Published: May 2022

Optical sensing devices has a great potential in both industrial and biomedical applications for the detection of biochemicals, toxic substances or hazardous gases thanks to their sustainability and high-selectivity characteristics. Among different kinds of optical sensors based on such as fibers, surface plasmons and resonators; photonic crystal (PC) based optical sensors enable the realization of more compact and highly efficient on-chip sensing platforms due to their intriguing dispersive relations. Interferometric devices based on PCs render possible the creation of biochemical sensors with high sensitivity since a slight change of sensor path length caused by the captured biochemicals could be detected at the output of the interferometer via the interferences of separated beams. In this study, a new type of Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) using low-symmetric Si PCs is proposed, which is compatible with available CMOS technology. Intended optical path difference between the two MZI channels is provided by the periodic alignments of symmetry-reduced PC unit cells in the MZI arms. Unlike the conventional symmetrical PC based MZIs, Fano resonances exist for the proposed MZI design, i.e. transmission dips and peaks appear in the output spectrum, and the location of dip and peak frequencies in transmission spectra can be efficiently controlled by utilizing interference phenomenon. Exploiting this effect, any refractive index change at the surrounding medium could be distinctly observed at the transmission spectra. In the view of such results, it is convenient to say that the proposed MZI configuration is suitable for efficient optical sensing of toxic gases as well as liquids. The designed all-dielectric MZI system is numerically investigated in both spectral and spatial domains to analyze its interferometric tunability: an optical sensitivity of about 300 nm/RIU is calculated for gaseous analytes whereas that sensitivity value is around 263.2 nm/RIU in the case of liquid analytes. Furthermore, high quality factor of Q > 45000 is obtained at Fano resonances with Figure-of-Merit (FoM) value of FoM ∼ 8950 RIU−1(7690 RIU−1) in the case of gas analytes (liquid analytes), which is the indication of enhanced optical sensing performance of the proposed MZI design. Considering all the above-mentioned advantages, the proposed interferometric configurations based on low-symmetric PCs could be utilized for efficient photonic sensor applications that require controllable output power or sensing of gaseous and liquid substances.
Spectral coherence properties of continuum generation in bulk crystals
Authors: Maingot Benjamin , Chériaux Gilles , Forget Nicolas , Jullien Aurélie
Published: May 2022

The stability of the phase difference between two white-light continua, generated from the same 180-fs pulses at

≃

1035 nm, is assessed by a modified Bellini-Hänsch interferometer. Mutual spectral phase stability is studied and quantified as a function of several parameters: pulse energy, position of the nonlinear crystal with respect to the beam waist and interaction length. Our results show that intrapulse decoherence may significantly contribute to the measured CEP noise floor. In addition, spectrally-resolved intensity-to-phase coupling coefficients are measured and stability regions are identified.
Simultaneous ground-state cooling of identical mechanical oscillators by Lyapunov control
Authors: Yang Zhen , Yang Junya , Chao Shi-Lei , Zhao Chengsong , Peng Rui , Zhou Ling
Published: May 2022

The simultaneous cooling of multiple mechanical oscillators in the cavity optomechanical system has aroused people’s attention and may be applicable in the quantum information process. In this paper, a scheme to realize the simultaneous ground-state cooling of two identical mechanical oscillators is proposed, where the frequency of one of the oscillators is designed according to Lyapunov control. By this method, the dark mode can effectively couple with the bright mode so that the two identical oscillators can be simultaneously cooled to their ground state. Extending this scheme into multiple identical mechanical oscillators, we show that simultaneous cooling can also be achieved.
Smart vector-inspired optical vision guiding method for autonomous underwater vehicle docking and formation
Authors: Zhang Yue , Wang Xinwei , Lei Pingshun , Wang Shaomeng , Yang Yuqing , Sun Liang , Zhou Yan
Published: May 2022

A smart vector-inspired optical vision guiding (VIOVG) method for autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) docking and formation is proposed. Unlike traditional optical guiding methods based on LED arrays, the method is inspired by a vector, and uses four laser diodes to form a wing-light pattern to realize smart optical guiding for AUVs. Due to the light scattering effect from water, the four laser diodes can emit four bright and slim laser beams in water, which can be captured by underwater cameras. The intersections of the laser beams form wing-lights as markers for AUV distance and pose estimation. The wing-light pattern is easily tuned and extended by changing the propagation direction and the power of the laser beams beyond the limitation of the physical size of the AUV or docking station. The simulations and experiments show that the proposed method can achieve high precision positioning. A relative distance error of 3.35% is achieved in a positioning experiment at ∼10 m. It has great potential for AUV docking and formation, especially for small AUVs.
A normal form for frequency combs and localized states in Kerr–Gires–Tournois interferometers
Authors: Seidel Thomas G. , Javaloyes Julien , Gurevich Svetlana V.
Published: May 2022

We elucidate the mechanisms that underlay the formation of temporal localized states and frequency combs in vertical external-cavity Kerr–Gires–Tournois interferometers. We reduce our first-principles model based upon delay algebraic equations to a minimal pattern formation scenario. It consists in a real cubic Ginzburg–Landau equation modified by high-order effects such as third-order dispersion and nonlinear drift, which are responsible for generating localized states via the locking of domain walls connecting the high and low intensity levels of the injected micro-cavity. We interpret the effective parameters of the normal form in relation with the configuration of the optical setup. Comparing the two models, we observe an excellent agreement close to the onset of bistability.
Spectral interference contrast based non-contact photoacoustic microscopy realized by SDOCT
Authors: Ma Zhenhe , Ding Ning , Li Zhen , Zhu Keliang , Li Ang , Lin Zhanhong , Wang Yi , Zhao Yuqian , Yu Yao , Luan Jingmin , Zhu Xin , Liu Jian
Published: May 2022

We introduce a method to extract the photoacoustic (PA) signal from a contrast reduction of the interference spectrum acquired by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT). This all-optical detection is achieved in a noncontact manner directly on the water surface covered on the sample by using its specular reflection. During SDOCT exposure, the phase of the interference spectrum keeps shaking according to the water surface vibration induced by PA excitation. This results in an interference contrast reduction which is quantified by a fast Fourier transform (FFT) for PA imaging. A tungsten filament, asparagus fern leaf, and mouse auricle are imaged to demonstrate the method.
Sign-singularity solution in single-frame speckle interferometry with vortex-phase modulation
Authors: Du Yijun , Zhao Hong , Zhao Zixin
Published: May 2022

We propose a sign-singularity solution in single-shot digital speckle interferometry based on vortex-phase modulation. The vortex phase is introduced through the reference beam as variation information by a reflective liquid crystal spatial light modulator. The sign singularity is eliminated with the help of a single spiral speckle fringe pattern. To effectively obtain the deformation phase, the measurement process is specially designed on the consideration of the modulation principle of the vortex phase, which is discussed in terms of theoretical analysis and simulation results. Experiments on out-of-plane deformation measurement reveal the feasibility of the proposed method and suggest the potential in actual dynamic measurement applications.
Better magneto-optical filters with cascaded vapor cells
Authors: Logue Fraser D. , Briscoe Jack D. , Pizzey Danielle , Wrathmall Steven A. , Hughes Ifan G.
Published: May 2022

Single-cell magneto-optical Faraday filters find great utility and are realized with either “wing” or “line center” spectral profiles. We show that cascading a second cell with independent axial (Faraday) or transverse (Voigt) magnetic field leads to improved performance in terms of figure of merit (FOM) and spectral profile. The first cell optically rotates the plane of polarization of light creating the high transmission window; the second cell selectively absorbs the light eliminating unwanted transmission. Using naturally abundant Rb vapor cells, we realize a Faraday–Faraday wing filter and the first, to the best of our knowledge, recorded Faraday–Voigt line center filter which show excellent agreement with theory. The two filters have FOM values of 0.86 and 1.63 GHz−1, respectively.
Wavelength-modulation dispersion spectroscopy of NO with heterodyne phase-sensitive detection
Authors: Hu Mengyuan , Ren Wei
Published: May 2022

Heterodyne phase-sensitive dispersion spectroscopy (HPSDS) provides an agile method for gas detection by measuring the phase of an amplitude modulation signal. However, previous HPSDS gas sensors have shown limited sensitivity. In this work, we report a new, to the best of our knowledge, dispersion spectroscopic technique, named wavelength-modulation heterodyne phase-sensitive dispersion spectroscopy (WM-HPSDS), to improve the detection sensitivity. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, a quantum cascade laser (QCL) at 5.26 µm is used to exploit the absorption line of nitric oxide (NO) in a 35-cm-long hollow-core fiber. In addition to modulating the injection current of the QCL at 1 GHz to generate the three-tone beam, a 10-kHz sinusoidal waveform is superimposed on the laser current to produce an additional wavelength modulation. We achieve a noise-equivalent concentration of 40 ppb NO using WM-HPSDS at an integration time of 90 s, corresponding to a noise-equivalent absorption (NEA) coefficient of 6.9 × 10−7 cm−1. Compared with the conventional HPSDS technique, the developed WM-HPSDS improves the sensitivity by a factor of 8.3.
Universal dimension reduced phase compensation algorithm for an optical phased array
Authors: Huang Yanwei , Wang Kangzhe , Yan Qianying , Wang Yifan , Wang Xiangru , Liu Haipeng , Feng Jijun , Zhang Fuling , Feng Zhihua , Siviloglou Georgios A.
Published: May 2022

Optical phased arrays (OPAs) can achieve non-mechanical beam deflection. Many types of OPA face the problem of low deflection efficiency due to the phase distortion induced by mutual coupling between nearby channels. In this Letter, a universal optimization algorithm is proposed to compensate for this structural phase distortion, in which the adjacent sampling principal component analysis (AS-PCA) method is introduced to reduce the dimension of the solution space. Simulations and experimental results on different classes of OPA verified that this method can considerably optimize the deflection beam with a rapid convergence speed, irrespective of the scale of OPA, and maintain the universal feature, laying the foundation for large-scale, high-density OPA in-line optimization. We envision it to become a general method on different platforms.
Performance analysis of serial relay orbital satellite optical communication over turbulent channels
Authors: Refaai Ali , Newagy Fatma , Abo Sree Mohamed Fathy , Elhennawy Hadia , Aly Moustafa H , Abaza Mohamed
Published: May 2022

Optical space communication has been proven to be a reliable relay
satellite transmission system. The difficulty that occurs in RF
satellite communication (SatCom) can be alleviated by using free-space
optical (FSO) or laser SatCom. In this work, we analyze a proposed
laser downlink relay SatCom model with existing channel turbulence
employing intensity modulation and direct detection (IM/DD), and
amplify-and-forward (AF) technology and compare it with the optical
direct link SatCom. Accounting for atmospheric attenuation and
turbulence, the effect of model parameters such as zenith angle,
receiver aperture radius, best number of optical ground stations
(OGSs), and end-to-end operating wavelength on system performance is
investigated for different OGS height scenarios. We provide exact
closed-form expressions for the proposed model and optimize system
performance by selecting the best number of OGSs using a selective
diversity technique that can boost the system signal-to-noise (SNR) by
up to 37 dB (99.9%).
Spatial evolution of nitric oxide in ns-discharges using a 250 kHz optical parametric oscillator
Authors: Leonov Boris S. , Rekhy Anuj , Wu Yue , Creel James R. , Limbach Christopher M.
Published: May 2022

In this article we present burst-mode nitric oxide laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) measurements at 250 kHz probing the first 500 µs evolution of a nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharge in the spark regime. The discharge energy was varied from 140 µJ to 180 µJ by adjusting the excitation voltage. The probe laser beam at 226 nm was produced by doubling the 452 nm output of an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) pumped by 355 nm output of a burst-mode laser. It was observed that the nitric oxide produced by the discharge developed a toroidal distribution around the electrode central axis over the first 200 µs after the last spark discharge with the maximum local nitric oxide concentration of 1.8 × 1024 m−3. The expansion of the toroidal distribution was tracked over time and space by the pulse-burst laser pumped OPO system for the first time.
Lamb-dip saturated-absorption cavity ring-down rovibrational molecular spectroscopy in the near-infrared
Authors: Aiello Roberto , Di Sarno Valentina , Santi Maria Giulia Delli , De Rosa Maurizio , Ricciardi Iolanda , Giusfredi Giovanni , De Natale Paolo , Santamaria Luigi , Maddaloni Pasquale
Published: May 2022

The high-detection-sensitivity saturated-absorption cavity ring-down (SCAR) technique is extended to Lamb-dip spectroscopy of rovibrational molecular transitions in the near-infrared region. Frequency-comb-referenced sub-Doppler saturation measurements, performed on the acetylene

(

ν
1

+

ν
3

+

ν
4

←

ν
4

)

R(14)e line at

6562
  

cm

−
1

, are analyzed by a SCAR global line profile fitting routine, based on a specially developed theoretical model. Compared to a conventional cavity ring-down evaluation, our approach yields dip profiles with a linewidth freed from saturation broadening effects, reduced by 40%, and a signal-to-noise ratio increased by 90%. Ultimately, an overall (statistical and systematic) fractional uncertainty as low as

7
×

10

−
12

is achieved for the absolute line-center frequency. At the same time, our method is also able to accurately infer the linear (non-saturated) behavior of the gas absorption, providing Lamb-dip-based line strength measurements with a relative uncertainty of 0.5%.
The structural context of posttranslational modifications at a proteome-wide scale
Authors: Bludau Isabell , Willems Sander , Zeng Wen-Feng , Strauss Maximilian T. , Hansen Fynn M. , Tanzer Maria C. , Karayel Ozge , Schulman Brenda A. , Mann Matthias
Published: May 2022

The recent revolution in computational protein structure prediction provides folding models for entire proteomes, which can now be integrated with large-scale experimental data. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics has identified and quantified tens of thousands of posttranslational modifications (PTMs), most of them of uncertain functional relevance. In this study, we determine the structural context of these PTMs and investigate how this information can be leveraged to pinpoint potential regulatory sites. Our analysis uncovers global patterns of PTM occurrence across folded and intrinsically disordered regions. We found that this information can help to distinguish regulatory PTMs from those marking improperly folded proteins. Interestingly, the human proteome contains thousands of proteins that have large folded domains linked by short, disordered regions that are strongly enriched in regulatory phosphosites. These include well-known kinase activation loops that induce protein conformational changes upon phosphorylation. This regulatory mechanism appears to be widespread in kinases but also occurs in other protein families such as solute carriers. It is not limited to phosphorylation but includes ubiquitination and acetylation sites as well. Furthermore, we performed three-dimensional proximity analysis, which revealed examples of spatial coregulation of different PTM types and potential PTM crosstalk. To enable the community to build upon these first analyses, we provide tools for 3D visualization of proteomics data and PTMs as well as python libraries for data accession and processing.
Predicting knee adduction moment response to gait retraining with minimal clinical data
Authors: Rokhmanova Nataliya , Kuchenbecker Katherine J. , Shull Peter B. , Ferber Reed , Halilaj Eni
Published: May 2022

Knee osteoarthritis is a progressive disease mediated by high joint loads. Foot progression angle modifications that reduce the knee adduction moment (KAM), a surrogate of knee loading, have demonstrated efficacy in alleviating pain and improving function. Although changes to the foot progression angle are overall beneficial, KAM reductions are not consistent across patients. Moreover, customized interventions are time-consuming and require instrumentation not commonly available in the clinic. We present a regression model that uses minimal clinical data—a set of six features easily obtained in the clinic—to predict the extent of first peak KAM reduction after toe-in gait retraining. For such a model to generalize, the training data must be large and variable. Given the lack of large public datasets that contain different gaits for the same patient, we generated this dataset synthetically. Insights learned from a ground-truth dataset with both baseline and toe-in gait trials (N = 12) enabled the creation of a large (N = 138) synthetic dataset for training the predictive model. On a test set of data collected by a separate research group (N = 15), the first peak KAM reduction was predicted with a mean absolute error of 0.134% body weight * height (%BW*HT). This error is smaller than the standard deviation of the first peak KAM during baseline walking averaged across test subjects (0.306%BW*HT). This work demonstrates the feasibility of training predictive models with synthetic data and provides clinicians with a new tool to predict the outcome of patient-specific gait retraining without requiring gait lab instrumentation.
Elimination of a closed population of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, through releases of self-limiting male mosquitoes
Authors: Patil Prabhakargouda B. , Dasgupta Shaibal Kumar , Gorman Kevin , Pickl-Herk Angela , Puinean Mirel , McKemey Andrew , Char Bharat , Zehr Usha B. , Barwale Shirish R.
Published: May 2022

Establishment of novel mosquito control technologies such as the use of genetically engineered insects typically involves phased testing to generate robust data-sets that support its safe and effective use as a vector control tool. In this study, we demonstrate the ability of the transgenic self-limiting OX513A Aedes aegypti strain to suppress a wild type Ae. aegypti population in an outdoor containment facility in India. OX513A is a genetically engineered Ae. aegypti strain with a repressible dominant self-limiting gene. When male adult OX513A mate with wild female adults, a single copy of the self-limiting gene is inherited by all the progeny, leading to death of >95% of progeny during larval/pupal development. A wild-type population of Ae. aegypti was established and stabilized during a 14 week period in five paired field cage units, each consisting of control and treatment cages, followed by weekly releases of OX513A male adults to suppress the target population. The successive introductions of OX513A male adults led to a consistent decline in wild type numbers eventually resulting in the elimination of Ae. aegypti from all treated cages within 10 to 15 weeks of release. This study demonstrates that Ae. aegypti elimination may be a realistic and achievable target in relatively isolated environments.
High DDT resistance without apparent association to kdr and Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) gene mutations in Aedes aegypti population at hotel compounds in Zanzibar
Authors: Kampango Ayubo , Hocke Emma F. , Hansson Helle , Furu Peter , Haji Khamis A. , David Jean-Philippe , Konradsen Flemming , Saleh Fatma , Weldon Christopher W. , Schiøler Karin L. , Alifrangis Michael
Published: May 2022

Global efforts to control Aedes mosquito-transmitted pathogens still rely heavily on insecticides. However, available information on vector resistance is mainly restricted to mosquito populations located in residential and public areas, whereas commercial settings, such as hotels are overlooked. This may obscure the real magnitude of the insecticide resistance problem and lead to ineffective vector control and resistance management. We investigated the profile of insecticide susceptibility of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes occurring at selected hotel compounds on Zanzibar Island. At least 100 adults Ae. aegypti females from larvae collected at four hotel compounds were exposed to papers impregnated with discriminant concentrations of DDT (4%), permethrin (0.75%), 0.05 deltamethrin (0.05%), propoxur (0.1%) and bendiocarb (0.1%) to determine their susceptibility profile. Allele-specific qPCR and sequencing analysis were applied to determine the possible association between observed resistance and presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene (VGSC) linked to DDT/pyrethroid cross-resistance. Additionally, we explored the possible involvement of Glutathione-S-Transferase gene (GSTe2) mutations for the observed resistance profile. In vivo resistance bioassay indicated that Ae. aegypti at studied sites were highly resistant to DDT, mortality rate ranged from 26.3% to 55.3% and, moderately resistant to deltamethrin with a mortality rate between 79% to and 100%. However, genotyping of kdr mutations affecting the voltage-gated sodium channel only showed a low frequency of the V1016G mutation (n = 5; 0.97%). Moreover, for GSTe2, seven non-synonymous SNPs were detected (L111S, C115F, P117S, E132A, I150V, E178A and A198E) across two distinct haplotypes, but none of these were significantly associated with the observed resistance to DDT. Our findings suggest that cross-resistance to DDT/deltamethrin at hotel compounds in Zanzibar is not primarily mediated by mutations in VGSC. Moreover, the role of identified GSTe2 mutations in the resistance against DDT remains inconclusive. We encourage further studies to investigate the role of other potential insecticide resistance markers.
Use of benznidazole to treat chronic Chagas disease: An updated systematic review with a meta-analysis
Authors: Crespillo-Andújar Clara , Comeche Belén , Hamer Davidson H. , Arevalo-Rodriguez Ingrid , Alvarez-Díaz Noelia , Zamora Javier , Pérez-Molina José A.
Published: May 2022

Background

Approximately 6 million people worldwide are affected by Chagas disease, with many in the chronic phase of the disease (CCD). It is crucial to evaluate the effectiveness of benznidazole for CCD treatment.

Methods/Principal findings

We updated a meta-analysis published in 2009 up to February 2021, including controlled trials (RCT) and prospective observational studies (OBS) that compared benznidazole vs placebo/no-treatment (P/nT). Main outcomes evaluated were clinical progression (CP) and seroreversion with subgroup analysis performed according to study design and participants’ age. Parasitological response and safety were also described.

We identified 879 articles and selected nine for inclusion (corresponding to eight studies). After adding the nine articles from the previous meta-analysis, 17 studies were analyzed corresponding to 6640 patients. The odds ratio (OR) for seroreversion in children treated with benznidazole vs P/nT was 38.3 (95%CI: 10.7–137) and 34.9 (95%CI: 1.96–624.09) in RCT and OBS, respectively. In adults the OR for seroreversion in OBS was 17.1 (95%CI: 2.3–129.1). CP was only evaluated in adults, where benznidazole did not demonstrate a beneficial effect: OR 0.93 (95%CI: 0.8–1.1) and OR 0.49 (95%CI:0.2–1.2) for RCT and OBS, respectively. Most outcomes were deemed to have a low level of certainty, except for the beneficial effect in children and the low efficacy in adults (moderate certainty).

Conclusions

Benznidazole should be recommended for CCD in children, though this is only based on serological response and a moderate grade of evidence, while in adults benznidazole efficacy remains uncertain. More data on clinical efficacy of benznidazole in CCD is needed in both children and adults.