bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Time-compensated sun compass in juvenile sprat (Sprattus sprattus) reveals the onset of migratory readiness
Authors: Laurien Malien , Spiecker Lisa , Luhrmann Lena , Mende Lara , Dammann Wiebke , Clemmesen Catriona , Gerlach Gabriele
Published: January 2024

Sprat (Sprattus sprattus) is one of the most commercially exploited fish species in the Baltic Sea and expresses a pronounced seasonal migration pattern. Spawning takes place, among other places, in the Kiel Bight and Kiel Fjord in early summer. Juvenile sprat leave the nursery areas in late summer/early autumn to move to their feeding and overwintering grounds. What kind of orientation mechanisms sprat use for migration is not known yet. This study shows that juvenile sprat can use a time-compensated sun compass, heading towards the northeast, in the direction of their proposed overwintering grounds in Bornholm Basin. The sprats tested at the end of August oriented themselves in the predicted direction, whereas the sprats tested at the beginning of August only showed a random orientation. For the first time, this demonstrates the onset of migratory readiness in juvenile sprat, indicating the preparation for starting their migration.
Metabolic Costs of Walking with Weighted Vests
Authors: LOONEY DAVID P. , LAVOIE ELIZABETH M. , NOTLEY SEAN R. , HOLDEN LUCAS D. , ARCIDIACONO DANIELLE M. , POTTER ADAM W. , SILDER AMY , PASIAKOS STEFAN M. , ARELLANO CHRISTOPHER J. , KARIS ANTHONY J. , PRYOR J. LUKE , SANTEE WILLIAM R. , FRIEDL KARL E.
Published: January 2024

Introduction

The US Army Load Carriage Decision Aid (LCDA) metabolic model is used by militaries across the globe and is intended to predict physiological responses, specifically metabolic costs, in a wide range of dismounted warfighter operations. However, the LCDA has yet to be adapted for vest-borne load carriage, which is commonplace in tactical populations, and differs in energetic costs to backpacking and other forms of load carriage.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a metabolic model term that accurately estimates the effect of weighted vest loads on standing and walking metabolic rate for military mission-planning and general applications.

Methods

Twenty healthy, physically active military-age adults (4 women, 16 men; age, 26 ± 8 yr old; height, 1.74 ± 0.09 m; body mass, 81 ± 16 kg) walked for 6 to 21 min with four levels of weighted vest loading (0 to 66% body mass) at up to 11 treadmill speeds (0.45 to 1.97 m·s−1). Using indirect calorimetry measurements, we derived a new model term for estimating metabolic rate when carrying vest-borne loads. Model estimates were evaluated internally by k-fold cross-validation and externally against 12 reference datasets (264 total participants). We tested if the 90% confidence interval of the mean paired difference was within equivalence limits equal to 10% of the measured walking metabolic rate. Estimation accuracy, precision, and level of agreement were also evaluated by the bias, standard deviation of paired differences, and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), respectively.

Results

Metabolic rate estimates using the new weighted vest term were statistically equivalent (P < 0.01) to measured values in the current study (bias, −0.01 ± 0.54 W·kg−1; CCC, 0.973) as well as from the 12 reference datasets (bias, −0.16 ± 0.59 W·kg−1; CCC, 0.963).

Conclusions

The updated LCDA metabolic model calculates accurate predictions of metabolic rate when carrying heavy backpack and vest-borne loads. Tactical populations and recreational athletes that train with weighted vests can confidently use the simplified LCDA metabolic calculator provided as Supplemental Digital Content to estimate metabolic rates for work/rest guidance, training periodization, and nutritional interventions.
Histone lysine demethylase KDM5B facilitates proliferation and suppresses apoptosis in human acute myeloid leukemia cells through the miR-140-3p/BCL2 axis
Authors: Huang Jiaojuan , Jin Shuiling , Guo Rongqun , Wu Wei , Yang Chengxuan , Qin Yali , Chen Qingchuan , He Ximiao , Qu Jing , Yang Zhenhua
Published: January 2024

The histone lysine demethylase KDM5B is frequently up-regulated in various human cancer cells. However, its expression and functional role in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells remain unclear. Here, we found that the expression level of KDM5B is high in primary human AML cells. We have demonstrated that knocking down KDM5B leads to apoptosis and impairs proliferation in primary human AML and some human AML cell lines. We further identified miR-140-3p as a downstream target gene of KDM5B. KDM5B expression was inversely correlated with the miR-140-3p level in primary human AML cells. Molecular studies showed that silencing KDM5B enhanced H3K4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) at the promoter of miR-140-3p, leading to high expression of miR-140-3p, which in turn inhibited B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (BCL2) expression. Finally, we demonstrate that the defective proliferation induced by KDM5B knockdown (KD) can be rescued with the miR-140-3p inhibitor or enhanced by combining KDM5B KD with a BCL2 inhibitor. Altogether, our data support the conclusion that KDM5B promotes tumorigenesis in human AML cells through the miR-140-3p/BCL2 axis. Targeting the KDM5B/miR-140-3p/BCL2 pathway may hold therapeutic promise for treating human AML.
Health misinformation: protocol for a hybrid concept analysis and development
Authors: Pope Johanna , Byrne Paula , Devane Declan , Purnat Tina D. , Dowling Maura
Published: January 2024

Background Misinformation represents a serious and growing concern for public health and healthcare health; and has attracted much interest from researchers, media, and the public over recent years. Despite increased concern about the impacts of misinformation on health and wellbeing, however, the concept of health misinformation remains underdeveloped. In particular, there is a need to clarify how certain types of health information come to be designated as “misinformation,” what characteristics are associated with this classification, and how the concept of misinformation is applied in health contexts. Aim Developing a shared understanding of what it means for health information to be “misinformation” is an important first step to accurately identifying at-risk groups, clarifying pathways of vulnerability, and agreeing goals for intervention. It will also help to ensure that misinformation interventions are accessible, acceptable, and of benefit to the populations to which they are directed. We will therefore examine the characteristics, measurement, and applications of misinformation in health contexts. Methods We will undertake a hybrid concept analysis, following a framework from Schwartz-Barcott & Kim (2000). This framework comprises three phases: a theoretical phase, fieldwork phase, and final analysis phase. In the theoretical phase, a search of seven electronic citation databases (PsycInfo, socINDEX, JSTOR, CINAHL, Scopus, MEDLINE and PubMed Central via PubMed, and ScienceDirect) will be conducted in order to identify original research, review, and theoretical papers, published in English between 2016 and 2022, which examine “health misinformation.” Data from the literature will be synthesised using evolutionary concept analysis methods from Rodgers (2000). In the fieldwork phase, a purposive sampling strategy will be employed to recruit stakeholders for participation in semi-structured interviews. Interviews will be analysed using thematic analysis. The final phase will integrate findings from the theoretical and fieldwork analyses.
Background Music Recommendation on Short Video Sharing Platforms
Authors: Chen Jiawei , He Luo , Liu Hongyan , Yang Yinghui (Catherine) , Bi Xuan
Published: January 2024

On short video sharing platforms, users often choose background music for their videos. In this paper, we study the problem of background music recommendation for short videos on short video sharing platforms. In our recommendation setting, the item (music) is not recommended directly to the user, but to the video created by the user. When making music recommendations for videos, we consider three important players: users, videos, and music. We define a unique background music recommendation problem and design a novel background music recommendation model to address the problem. We propose a model based on the deep learning framework to effectively address the distinctive three-way relationships among users, videos, and music. Our model considers not only of the conventional user–music alignment, but also the alignment between videos and music. To evaluate our model, we conduct comprehensive experiments on real-world data collected from one of the most popular short video sharing platforms. Our proposed model significantly outperforms other existing models in recommendation performance. The superiority of our proposed model remains consistent across various scenarios, including cold-start recommendations, data sets with varying density levels, and data sets spanning diverse video categories.
Transient Customer Response to Data Breaches of Their Information
Authors: Agarwal Sumit , Ghosh Pulak , Ruan Tianyue , Zhang Yunqi
Published: January 2024

Cybersecurity breaches pose a substantial concern in the digital era. We investigate how customers respond to multiple unexpected data breaches of their information in India. Difference-in-differences estimates show that digital payments declined by 9% relative to cash payments immediately after an unexpected data breach in a food delivery platform, but the gap disappeared three months later. Customer entry and exit also exhibit weak, short-lived changes. Additional analyses on bank and online grocery data breaches uncover even weaker effects of data breaches. Our findings imply that the perceived benefits of convenience outweigh the costs of payment security risks.

This paper was accepted by David Sraer, finance.

Funding: This work was supported by the MOE (Ministry of Education in China) Project of Humanities and Social Sciences [Project 20YJC790183], National University of Singapore [Start-Up Grant A-0003870-00-00], the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 72150004], and the National Nature Science Foundation of China [Grant 72203112].

Supplemental Material: The online appendices and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.01335 .
Um diálogo secreto entre dois poetas e suas cidades escritas
Authors: Alves Dantas Francisca Marciely , Martins Fernanda Pereira
Published: January 2024

O presente trabalho objetiva realizar uma leitura comparativa dos poemas “Acordar” (1993), escrito por Álvaro de Campos, heterônimo de Fernando Pessoa, e “Retrato de uma cidade” (2015), publicado por Carlos Drummond de Andrade, sob a perspectiva interdisciplinar. Na confluência entre a Literatura e a Geografia Humanista, os textos poéticos dos referidos escritores deixam transparecer a experiência dos sujeitos líricos em meio ao espaço citadino, trazendo à luz as diversas camadas subjetivas que perpassam o indivíduo em seus movimentos geográficos. Além disso, o desnudamento existencial do homem frente à urbe ainda deixa entrever a íntima conexão que há entre o ser e o mundo, revelando não somente a experiência subjetiva do ser, mas também a dinamicidade histórica que permeia a arquitetura urbana.
À espera de um vingador: messianismo e violência no videoclipe “The Vengeful One”, da banda Disturbed
Authors: Dos Santos Douglas Eraldo
Published: January 2024

Neste trabalho, analisamos e interpretamos a narrativa em videoclipe “The Vengeful One”, da banda Disturbed. No artigo, observamos a obra à luz de conceitos como o de indústria cultural e sociedade do espetáculo, bem como as aproximações e os distanciamentos com a Crítica da violência (1986), de Walter Benjamin, a partir de suas relações com o messianismo.
APLICAÇÕES CONTEXTUALIZADAS DE CIÊNCIA E TECNOLOGIA NAS CIÊNCIAS AGRÁRIAS BRASILEIRA
Authors: Douglas Vianna Bahiense
Published: January 2024

As práticas tecnocientíficas estabelecem saberes, atribuições, significados e bens de produção. A produção do conhecimento científico nas sociedades modernas envolve um trabalho intersetorial de universidades e institutos de pesquisa, iniciativa privada e governo. Objetiva-se, com este artigo, contextualizar o desenvolvimento das ciências rurais brasileiras. A estrutura seguida na pesquisa bibliográfica será organizada em três tópicos para desenvolver as discussões: conceituações das ciências agrárias, análise histórica e dados das Ciências Agrárias nas universidades brasileiras. A fonte da pesquisa das publicações para o estado da arte é o banco de teses e dissertações da CAPES, onde o termo de busca é “ciências agrárias”. O primeiro ponto abordado é a finalidade das Ciências Agrárias, que desde a antiguidade foi aperfeiçoada em seus saberes para o aumento de produção. A evolução é tamanha que se subdividiram em vários segmentos com as respectivas prioridades tecnológicas. A segunda abordagem envolvida mostra as Ciências Agrárias na base educacional no Brasil, instalando-se no século XIX. Com a proeminência demanda no Brasil, e a necessidade da expansão dos cultivos, inauguraram-se os Programas de Pós-Graduação voltados para agricultura. No terceiro destaque, os resultados práticos  da produção científica na área ao longo do tempo, indicando que o tema segue sendo predominantemente desenvolvido dentro das subdivisões das Ciências Agrárias, tanto nas áreas de avaliação quanto nas áreas de conhecimento, com valores estimados em 88,21% e 86,90%, respectivamente, das publicações levantadas.
Sarcopenia awareness: a critical aspect of providing quality care
Authors: Swann Julie I
Published: January 2024

In this editorial, Julie Swann discusses muscle loss and what care homes can do to help their residents to build and maintain muscle strength.
Novel approach of ultrasound-guided lateral recess block for a patient with lateral recess stenosis: A case report
Authors: Yang Jiao , Li Xin-Ling , Li Qing-Bing
Published: January 2024

BACKGROUND

Ultrasound guide technology, which can provide real-time visualization of the needle tip and tissues and avoid many adverse events, is widely used in minimally invasive therapy. However, the studies on ultrasound-guided Lateral recess block (LRB) are limited, this is probably because there is no recognized standard method for ultrasound scanning. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of ultrasound-guided LRB in patients with lateral recess stenosis (LRS).

CASE SUMMARY

A 65-year-old patient complained of low back pain accompanied occasionally by pain and numbness in the left lower limb. Physical examination showed tenderness on the spinous process and paraspinal muscles from L1 to S1, extensor hallucis longus and tibialis anterior weakness (muscle strength: 4−), and a positive straight leg raising test in the left lower limb (60°). Magnetic resonance imaging showed L4–L5 disc degeneration with left LRS and nerve root entrapment. Subsequently, the patient was diagnosed with LRS. This patient was treated with a novel ultrasound-guided LRB approach. The patient’s symptoms significantly improved without any complications at 1 wk postoperatively and at the 3-month follow-up.

CONCLUSION

This is the first report on the LRS treatment with ultrasound-guided LRB from the contralateral spinous process along the inner side of the articular process by out-plane technique. Further studies are expected to investigate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided LRB for patients with LRS.
Exploring multifaceted factors in chronic kidney disease risk: A comprehensive analysis of biochemistry, lifestyle, and inflammation in elderly Chinese individuals
Authors: Cardona Fernando
Published: January 2024

This letter praises a recent article in the World Journal of Clinical Cases (Roles of biochemistry data, lifestyle, and inflammation in identifying abnormal renal function in old Chinese), examining factors affecting abnormal renal function in elderly Chinese using advanced machine learning. It highlights the importance of uric acid, age, hemoglobin, body mass index, sport hours, and systolic blood pressure. The study's holistic approach, integrating lifestyle and inflammation, offers a nuanced understanding of chronic kidney disease risk factors. The letter suggests exploring mechanistic pathways of hyperuricemia, the link between anemia and renal function, and the connection between body mass index and estimated glomerular filtration rate. It advocates investigating physical activity's impact on renal health and the independent effects of blood pressure. The study significantly contributes to chronic kidney disease understanding, proposing avenues for further exploration and interventions. Commendations are extended to the authors and the journal.
Transcranial direct current stimulation efficacy in trigeminal neuralgia
Authors: Fasilis Theodoros , Gatzonis Stylianos , Patrikelis Panayiotis , Korfias Stefanos , Alexoudi Athanasia
Published: January 2024

Trigeminal neuralgia is a severe, disabling pain and its deafferentation remains a challenge for health providers. Transcranial direct current stimulation is a non-invasive stimulation technique which finds new utility in managing pain. Therefore, the introduction of alternative, non-invasive, safe, and effective methods should be considered in treating patients with trigeminal neuralgia unresponsive to conventional treatment.
Clinical efficacy and mechanism study of mid-frequency anti-snoring device in treating moderate obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome
Authors: Qian Bao , Chen Zhan-Jun , Wang Yong-Sheng , Hu Xiao-Yan , Hu Xiao-Biao , Zheng Yong-Hua
Published: January 2024

BACKGROUND

Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is primarily caused by airway obstruction due to narrowing and blockage in the nasal and nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, soft palate, and tongue base areas. The mid-frequency anti-snoring device is a new technology based on sublingual nerve stimulation. Its principle is to improve the degree of oropharyngeal airway stenosis in OSAHS patients under mid-frequency wave stimulation. Nevertheless, there is a lack of clinical application and imaging evidence.

AIM

To investigate the clinical efficacy and mechanisms of a mid-frequency anti-snoring device in treating moderate OSAHS.

METHODS

We selected 50 patients diagnosed with moderate OSAHS in our hospital between July 2022 and August 2023. They underwent a 4-wk treatment regimen involving the mid-frequency anti-snoring device during nighttime sleep. Following the treatment, we monitored and assessed the sleep apnea quality of life index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores. Additionally, we performed computed tomography scans of the oropharynx in the awake state, during snoring, and while using the mid-frequency anti-snoring device. Cross-sectional area measurements in different states were taken at the narrowest airway point in the soft palate posterior and retrolingual areas.

RESULTS

Compared to pretreatment measurements, patients exhibited a significant reduction in the apnea-hypopnea index, the percentage of time with oxygen saturation below 90%, snoring frequency, and the duration of the most prolonged apnea event. The lowest oxygen saturation showed a notable increase, and both sleep apnea quality of life index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores improved. Oropharyngeal computed tomography scans revealed that in OSAHS patients cross-sectional areas of the oropharyngeal airway in the soft palate posterior area and retrolingual area decreased during snoring compared to the awake state. Conversely, during mid-frequency anti-snoring device treatment, these areas increased compared to snoring.

CONCLUSION

The mid-frequency anti-snoring device demonstrates the potential to enhance various sleep parameters in patients with moderate OSAHS, thereby improving their quality of life and reducing daytime sleepiness. These therapeutic effects are attributed to the device’s ability to ameliorate the narrowing of the oropharynx in OSAHS patients.
Clinical significance of platelet mononuclear cell aggregates in patients with sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Huang Chong-Min , Li Juan-Juan , Wei Wei-Ke
Published: January 2024

BACKGROUND

The diagnosis of sepsis combined with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has increased owing to the enhanced awareness among medical professionals and the continuous development of modern medical technologies, while early diagnosis of ARDS still lacks specific biomarkers. One of the main pathogenic mechanisms of sepsis-associated ARDS involves the actions of various pathological injuries and inflammatory factors, such as platelet and white blood cells activation, leading to an increase of surface adhesion molecules. These adhesion molecules further form platelet-white blood cell aggregates, including platelet-mononuclear cell aggregates (PMAs). PMAs has been identified as one of the markers of platelet activation, here we hypothesize that PMAs might play a potential biomarker for the early diagnosis of this complication.

AIM

To investigate the expression of PMAs in the serum of patients with sepsis complicated by ARDS and its clinical significance.

METHODS

We selected 72 hospitalized patients diagnosed with sepsis as the study population between March 2019 and March 2022. Among them, 30 patients with sepsis and ARDS formed the study group, while 42 sepsis patients without ARDS comprised the control group. After diagnosis, venous blood samples were immediately collected from all patients. Flow cytometry was employed to analyze the expression of PMAs, platelet neutrophil aggregates (PNAs), and platelet aggregates (PLyAs) in the serum. Additionally, the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score was calculated for each patient, and receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to assess diagnostic value.

RESULTS

The study found that the levels of PNAs and PLyAs in the serum of the study group were higher than those in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). However, the expression of PMAs in the serum of the study group was significantly upregulated (P < 0.05) and positively correlated with the APACHE II score (r = 0.671, P < 0.05). When using PMAs as a diagnostic indicator, the area under the curve value was 0.957, indicating a high diagnostic value (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the optimal cutoff value was 8.418%, with a diagnostic sensitivity of 0.819 and specificity of 0.947.

CONCLUSION

In summary, the serum levels of PMAs significantly increase in patients with sepsis and ARDS. Therefore, serum PMAs have the potential to become a new biomarker for clinically diagnosing sepsis complicated by ARDS.
Theoretical analysis of the influence of crystalline orientation on Brillouin gain of whispering gallery mode resonators
Authors: Tian Jingyi , Lin Guoping
Published: January 2024

Brillouin scattering, arising from the interaction between photons and acoustic phonons, is well-known for its narrow gain profile, imposing stringent requirements for Brillouin lasers. However, in crystalline whispering gallery mode (WGM) optical resonators, the circular phonon path leads to intriguing gain profiles for Brillouin scattering due to the strong dependence of the phase velocity of acoustic waves on the crystalline axes’ orientation. Here, we present a theoretical investigation of Brillouin gain profiles in crystalline WGMRs considering different tangential directions and angles. Various host crystals ranging from tetragonal, cubic, and trigonal crystal groups, including magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, barium fluoride, lithium fluoride, strontium fluoride, sapphire, and lithium niobate, are studied. Our findings reveal significant variations in Brillouin shift depending on the crystal and its orientation, with the frequency shift broadening ranging from MHz to GHz.
Simultaneous sensing profiles of beam attenuation coefficient and volume scattering function at 180° using a single-photon underwater elastic-Raman lidar
Authors: Shangguan Mingjia , Liao Zhuoyang , Guo Yirui
Published: January 2024

Lidar has emerged as a promising technique for vertically profiling optical parameters in water. The application of single-photon technology has enabled the development of compact oceanic lidar systems, facilitating their deployment underwater. This is crucial for conducting ocean observations that are free from interference at the air-sea interface. However, simultaneous inversion of the volume scattering function at 180° at 532 nm (βm) and the lidar attenuation coefficient at 532 nm (K
l
i
d
a
r

m
) from the elastic backscattered signals remains challenging, especially in the case of near-field signals affected by the geometric overlap factor (GOF). To address this challenge, this work proposes adding a Raman channel, obtaining Raman backscattered profiles using single-photon detection. By normalizing the elastic backscattered signals with the Raman signals, the sensitivity of the normalized signal to variations in the lidar attenuation coefficient is significantly reduced. This allows for the application of a perturbation method to invert βm and subsequently obtain the K
l
i
d
a
r

m
. Moreover, the influence of GOF and fluctuations in laser power on the inversion can be reduced. To further improve the accuracy of the inversion algorithm for stratified water bodies, an iterative algorithm is proposed. Additionally, since the optical telescope of the lidar adopts a small aperture and narrow field of view design, K
l
i
d
a
r

m
tends to the beam attenuation coefficient at 532 nm (cm). Using Monte Carlo simulation, a relationship between cm and K
l
i
d
a
r

m
is established, allowing cm derivation from K
l
i
d
a
r

m
. Finally, the feasibility of the algorithm is verified through inversion error analysis. The robustness of the lidar system and the effectiveness of the algorithm are validated through a preliminary experiment conducted in a water tank. These results demonstrate that the lidar can accurately profile optical parameters of water, contributing to the study of particulate organic carbon (POC) in the ocean.
Steady motional entanglement between two distant levitated nanoparticles
Authors: Li Guoyao , Yin Zhang-qi
Published: January 2024

Quantum entanglement in macroscopic systems is not only essential for practical quantum information processing, but also valuable for the study of the boundary between quantum and the classical world. However, it is very challenging to achieve the steady remote entanglement between distant macroscopic systems. We consider two distant nanoparticles, both of which are optically trapped in two cavities. Based on the coherent scattering mechanism, we find that the ultrastrong optomechanical coupling between the cavity modes and the motion of the levitated nanoparticles could be achieved. The large and steady entanglement between the filtered output cavity modes and the motion of nanoparticles can be generated if the trapping laser is under the red sideband. Then through entanglement swapping, the steady motional entanglement between the distant nanoparticles can be realized. We numerically simulate and find that the two nanoparticles with 10 km distance can be entangled for the experimentally feasible parameters, even in room temperature environments. The generated continuous variable multipartite entanglement is the key to realizing the quantum enhanced sensor network and the sensitivity beyond the standard quantum limit.
Monolithically integrated 940 nm VCSELs on bulk Ge substrates
Authors: Wan Zeyu , Yang Yun-Cheng , Chen Wei-Hsin , Chiu Chih-Chuan , Zhao Yunlong , Feifel Markus , Chrostowski Lukas , Lackner David , Wu Chao-Hsin , Xia Guangrui
Published: January 2024

This research successfully developed an independent Ge-based VCSEL epitaxy and fabrication technology route, which set the stage for integrating AlGaAs-based semiconductor devices on bulk Ge substrates. This is the second successful Ge-based VCSEL technology reported worldwide and the first Ge-based VCSEL technology with key details disclosed, including Ge substrate specification, transition layer structure and composition, and fabrication process. Compared with the GaAs counterparts, after epitaxy optimization, the Ge-based VCSEL wafer has a 40% lower surface root-mean-square roughness and 72% lower average bow-warp. After device fabrication, the Ge-based VCSEL has a 10% lower threshold current density and 19% higher maximum optical differential efficiency than the GaAs-based VCSEL.
High-Q metasurface signal isolator for 1.5T surface coil magnetic resonance imaging on the go
Authors: Ren Qun , Lang Yuxin , Jia Yuqi , Xiao Xia , Liu Yu , Kong Xiangzheng , Jin Ruiqi , He Yuqing , Zhang Jianan , You Jian Wei , Sha Wei E. I. , Pang Yanwei
Published: January 2024

The combination of surface coils and metamaterials remarkably enhance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performance for significant local staging flexibility. However, due to the coupling in between, impeded signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and low-contrast resolution, further hamper the future growth in clinical MRI. In this paper, we propose a high-Q metasurface decoupling isolator fueled by topological LC loops for 1.5T surface coil MRI system, increasing the magnetic field up to fivefold at 63.8 MHz. We have employed a polarization conversion mechanism to effectively eliminate the coupling between the MRI metamaterial and the radio frequency (RF) surface transmitter-receiver coils. Furthermore, a high-Q metasurface isolator was achieved by taking advantage of bound states in the continuum (BIC) for extremely high-resolution MRI and spectroscopy. An equivalent physical model of the miniaturized metasurface design was put forward through LC circuit analysis. This study opens up a promising route for the easy-to-use and portable surface coil MRI scanners.
Plasma parameters correction method based on plasma image-spectrum fusion for matrix effect elimination in LIBS
Authors: Zhang Deng , Niu Xuechen , Nie Junfei , Shi Shengqun , Ma Honghua , Guo Lianbo
Published: January 2024

Matrix effect is one of the obstacles that hinders the rapid development of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and it is currently a hot, challenging, and focal point in research. To eliminate the matrix effect, this study proposed a plasma parameters correction method based on plasma image-spectrum fusion (PPC-PISF). This method corrects the total number density, plasma temperature, and electron number density variations caused by matrix effect using effective features in plasma images and spectra. To verify the feasibility of this method, experiments were conducted on pressed and metal samples, and the results were compared with those corrected by image-assisted LIBS (IA-LIBS). For the pressed samples, after correction by PPC-PISF, the R2 of the calibration curves all improved to above 0.993, the average root-mean-square error (RMSE) decreased by 41.05%, and the average relative error (ARE) decreased by 59.35% evenly in comparison to IA-LIBS. For the metal samples, after correction by PPC-PISF, the R2 of the calibration curves all increased to above 0.997. Additionally, the RMSE decreased by 29.63% evenly, the average ARE decreased by 38.74% compared to IA-LIBS. The experimental results indicate that this method is an effective method for eliminating the matrix effect, promoting the further development of LIBS in industrial detection.
High quality phase demodulation method for direct detection Φ-OTDR
Authors: Cheng Zhongdi , Shi Yi
Published: January 2024

This article discovers that the excessive correlation between the selected temporal sensing sequences will lead to phase demodulation failure in the demodulation process of direct detection Φ-OTDR in certain duration, which reduces the quality of demodulated phase. Besides, we also first discover a phase polarity flipping phenomenon in the demodulation process, which will introduce additional errors and further degrade the quality of demodulated phase. In order to obtain the real phase change caused by external intrusion, a high-quality phase demodulation strategy with multi-position compensation based on leveraging the information redundancy between each Rayleigh back-scattered temporal sequence is proposed. The optimal demodulation position is selected by calculating the cross-correlation between temporal sensing sequences. The phase demodulation failure is then compensated by phase demodulation results from multiple positions. At the same time, the phase polarity change is also determined and corrected. The experimental results show that this strategy can effectively suppress the waveform distortion and improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the demodulated phase. This scheme can effectively improve the demodulation effect and detection performance of direct detection Φ-OTDR and may promote its application.
Single-layer multifunctional metasurface for laser-infrared-microwave compatible stealth
Authors: Zhang Xingliang , Gong Yiheng , Li Ming , Li Hui
Published: January 2024

This paper presents a novel approach for achieving a multifunctional metasurface capable of multiband compatible stealth. The metasurface is designed with a single-layer metallic structure that integrates functions of radar cross-section (RCS) reduction, laser stealth, and infrared shielding simultaneously. The reduction of RCS is achieved by developing two sub-cells that employ the interference cancellation principle, leading to a 10 dB decrease in RCS across a broad frequency range of 13-21 GHz. The laser stealth capability is attained by implementing a chessboard phase distribution in the array, also based on the interference cancellation principle, efficiently cancelling the specular reflection at the laser wavelength of 1.06 µm. The significant difference in wavelength between microwaves and lasers ensures that their operational characteristics do not interfere with each other. Additionally, the metasurface exhibits an infrared shielding property with an extremely low emissivity (less than 0.03) in the infrared atmosphere window of 3-5 µm and 8-14 µm, enabling the infrared stealth capability. The proposed metasurface demonstrates exceptional performance and has an extremely thin single-layer structure, indicating that it has a promising potential for future applications in multiband compatible stealth.
Tunable origami metastructure based on liquid crystal for curvature sensing
Authors: Bao Yi-Qiang , Li Bing-Xiang , Zhang Hai-Feng
Published: January 2024

In this paper, a liquid crystal (LC) tunable origami metastructure (OMS) designed for curvature sensing on cylindrical surfaces to measure their curvature is introduced. The LC employed is K15 (5CB) and the applicable band is 0.36∼23 GHz. When excited by electromagnetic waves (EMWs) within the 4∼16 GHz, the resonance frequency of the OMS shifts from 10.24 GHz to 10.144 GHz, corresponding to a change in absorption amplitude ranging from 0.773 to 0.920. In terms of curvature sensing, the detectable range of curvature spans from 0 to 0.327 mm-1. The maximum sensitivity (S) achieved for curvature measurement reaches 0.918/mm-1, accompanied by a quality factor (Q-factor) of 25.88. The proposed OMS embodies numerous excellent traits, including wide-range sensing capabilities and heightened S, promising for applications in bionic skin, smart robotics, and related fields.
Heterogeneous optical network and power allocation scheme for inter-CubeSat communication
Authors: Huang Xuan , Chen Peng , Xia Xu
Published: January 2024

In this Letter, the problems of achieving inter-CubeSat communication through radio frequency (RF) and lasers are explained, and the feasibility of using visible light communication to replace RF and lasers is investigated. On this basis, a novel, to the best of our knowledge, heterogeneous optical network with high flexibility is proposed, in which CubeSats are divided into clusters in pairs. CubeSats in each cluster utilize different optical modulation methods to achieve a compromise between optical power efficiency and spectral efficiency, as well as avoid inter-CubeSat interference. Furthermore, under the maximum power and minimum capacity constraints, a closed-form optical power allocation solution minimizing an overall bit error rate (BER) is investigated. Simulation results show that our proposed scheme is more preferred in practical systems and can achieve 3.8 dB gains compared to the conventional power allocation scheme at a BER of 10−4.
Light sheet fluorescence microscopy with active optical manipulation
Authors: Yin Jun , Liang Ruijing , Hou Haoyi , Miao Yan , Yu Lingyao
Published: January 2024

We present a light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) with active optical manipulation by using linear optical tweezers (LOTs). In this method, two coaxially transmitting laser beams of different wavelengths are shaped using cylindrical lenses to form a linear optical trapping perpendicular to the optical axis and an excitation light sheet (LS) parallel to the optical axis, respectively. Multiple large-sized polystyrene fluorescent microspheres are stably captured by LOTs, and their rotation angles around specific rotation axes are precisely controlled. During a sample rotation, the stationary excitation LS scans the sample to obtain fluorescence sectioning images of the sample at different angles.
Optical nanoimaging of laser-switched phase-change plasmonic infrared antennas
Authors: Chen Qiyu , Lu Dunzhu , Qin Tianwei , Luo Xiao , Xu Ming , Li Peining
Published: January 2024

We investigate the plasmonic properties of laser-printed chalcogenide phase-change material In3SeTb2 (IST) antennas through near-field nanoimaging. Antennas of varying lengths were fabricated by laser switching an amorphous IST film into its crystalline metallic state. Near-field imaging elucidates the pronounced field confinement and enhancement at the antenna extremities along with the emergence of different ordered plasmonic modes with increasing length. Compared to gold antennas, the PCM antennas exhibit slightly lower but still substantial near-field enhancement with greater compactness. The interplay between antenna length, illumination angle, and excitation frequency enables versatile control over the resonant near-field distribution. Our work provides deeper understanding and tunable functionalities of laser-printed PCM nanoantennas for potential applications in compact, dynamically reconfigurable nanophotonic devices.
Aperiodicity is more effective than disorder in localizing electromagnetic waves [Invited]
Authors: Razo-López Luis A. , Aubry Geoffroy J. , Pinheiro Felipe A. , Mortessagne Fabrice
Published: January 2024

Strong localization of electromagnetic waves in 3D has never been experimentally achieved in uncorrelated disordered systems. By going beyond the paradigm of disordered systems, this goal has been recently reached in deterministic aperiodic planar Vogel spiral arrays in the microwave regime. Here we present a comprehensive description of the experimental details that have been used to observe electromagnetic localization in Vogel spirals beyond 2D. By providing an experimental roadmap to describe microwave transport in Vogel spirals we introduce a novel system platform to demonstrate electromagnetic localization in 3D that outperforms traditional disordered systems for that purpose.
Modeling geographic vaccination strategies for COVID-19 in Norway
Authors: Chan Louis Yat Hin , Rø Gunnar , Midtbø Jørgen Eriksson , Di Ruscio Francesco , Watle Sara Sofie Viksmoen , Juvet Lene Kristine , Littmann Jasper , Aavitsland Preben , Nygård Karin Maria , Berg Are Stuwitz , Bukholm Geir , Kristoffersen Anja Bråthen , Engø-Monsen Kenth , Engebretsen Solveig , Swanson David , Palomares Alfonso Diz-Lois , Lindstrøm Jonas Christoffer , Frigessi Arnoldo , de Blasio Birgitte Freiesleben
Published: January 2024

Vaccination was a key intervention in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic globally. In early 2021, Norway faced significant regional variations in COVID-19 incidence and prevalence, with large differences in population density, necessitating efficient vaccine allocation to reduce infections and severe outcomes. This study explored alternative vaccination strategies to minimize health outcomes (infections, hospitalizations, ICU admissions, deaths) by varying regions prioritized, extra doses prioritized, and implementation start time. Using two models (individual-based and meta-population), we simulated COVID-19 transmission during the primary vaccination period in Norway, covering the first 7 months of 2021. We investigated alternative strategies to allocate more vaccine doses to regions with a higher force of infection. We also examined the robustness of our results and highlighted potential structural differences between the two models. Our findings suggest that early vaccine prioritization could reduce COVID-19 related health outcomes by 8% to 20% compared to a baseline strategy without geographic prioritization. For minimizing infections, hospitalizations, or ICU admissions, the best strategy was to initially allocate all available vaccine doses to fewer high-risk municipalities, comprising approximately one-fourth of the population. For minimizing deaths, a moderate level of geographic prioritization, with approximately one-third of the population receiving doubled doses, gave the best outcomes by balancing the trade-off between vaccinating younger people in high-risk areas and older people in low-risk areas. The actual strategy implemented in Norway was a two-step moderate level aimed at maintaining the balance and ensuring ethical considerations and public trust. However, it did not offer significant advantages over the baseline strategy without geographic prioritization. Earlier implementation of geographic prioritization could have more effectively addressed the main wave of infections, substantially reducing the national burden of the pandemic.
Exploring the dynamics of snoring in relation to sleep stages: Implications for gender differences, sleep position, and upper airway collapsibility
Authors: Suzuki Masaaki , Kawai Yuichi , Funayama Yoshihiro
Published: January 2024

Objective

The purpose of this study was to determine the sleep stage during which isolated snoring occurs in children and adults, and to analyze changes after treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Methods

This retrospective study examined duration of snoring time and respiratory events during each sleep stage in adults and children who underwent polysomnography, had an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) < 15/h and had snoring time ≥ 10% of total sleep time. Changes in duration of snoring time were also examined in adult patients after treatment with an oral appliance (OA).

Results

Snoring time was shown to be predominant during N3 and N2 sleep and less dominant during REM sleep in both children (n = 47) and adults (n = 93). These results were seen even in children with REM dependency. The percentage of snoring time during N3 sleep was more pronounced in women than in men among young adult patients aged < 40 years but was not significantly different between men and women overall. There were no significant differences in the percentage of snoring time in each sleep stage between young women with mild OSA and non-OSA. In children, there were no significant differences between boys and girls in the percentage of snoring time in any sleep stage. The percentage of snoring time during N3 was significantly higher sleep in the non-supine position than in the supine position in children, whereas no significant differences were noted between the supine and non-supine positions in any sleep stage in adults. OA treatment for adult patients (n = 20) significantly increased the percentage of snoring time during N3 sleep, although it significantly decreased AHI, total snoring time, and snoring time during N1 sleep and REM sleep.

Conclusions

Snoring presented exclusively during the N3 sleep stage, especially in young women with mild OSA, and in children with OSA, especially in the non-supine position. Snoring time during N3 sleep increased during OA treatment for OSA.
Optimal dynamic pricing for public transportation considering consumer social learning
Authors: Zhang Yihua , Zhao Zhan
Published: January 2024

Effective public transportation pricing strategies are critical to reducing traffic congestion and meeting consumer demand for sustainable urban development. In this study, we construct a dynamic game pricing model and a social learning network model for consumers of three modes of public transportation including metro, bus, and pa-transit. In the model, the metro, bus, and pa-transit operators maximize their profits through dynamic pricing optimization, and consumers maximize their utility by adjusting their travel habits through social learning in the social network. The reinforcement learning algorithm is applied to simulate the model, and the results show that: (1) as consumers’ perceived sensitivity to different modes of travel increases, the market share and price of each mode of travel adjust accordingly. (2) When taking into account consumers’ social learning behavior, the market share of metros remains high, while the market shares of buses and pa-transit are relatively low. (3) As consumers become more sensitive to their perception of each travel mode, operators invest more resources in improving service quality to gain market share, which in turn affects the price of each travel mode. Our results provide decision support for optimal pricing of urban public transportation.
Point prevalence of antibiotic usage in major referral hospital in Turkey
Authors: Ayhan Müge , Coşkun Belgin , Kayaaslan Bircan , Hasanoğlu İmran , Kalem Ayşe Kaya , Eser Fatma , Bilir Yeşim Aybar , Ünlü Serpil , Güner Rahmet
Published: January 2024

Introduction

The most important and undesirable consequence of inappropriate antibiotic use is the spread of antibiotic resistance, increased adverse effects, increased mortality and healthcare costs. We aimed to assess antibiotic usage characteristics in inpatient setting in our center.

Materials and methods

A one-day, single center point-prevalence study was carried out on June 9th 2021, in Ankara City Hospital in Turkey. Data of antibiotic consumption, appropriateness of usage and predictors of inappropriate use in adult patients were evaluated.

Results

Out of 2640 adult patients, 893 (33.8%) were receiving at least one antibiotic. A total of 1212 antibiotic prescriptions with an average of 1.44±0.64 were found. Antibiotics were most commonly used for therapeutic purpose (84.7%), followed by surgical prophylaxis (11.6%). Majority of therapeutically used antibiotics were empirical (67.9%). Infectious diseases consultation was present in 68.3% with a compliance rate of 95.7%. Rate of inappropriate use was 20%. The most frequent cause of inappropriateness was unnecessary use (52.5%). Most commonly and most inappropriately used antibiotics were carbapenems (17.5%) and first generation cephalosporins (38.7%), respectively. Most of the inappropriateness observed in first-generation cephalosporins was due to inappropriate longer surgical prophylaxis. While age is an independent risk factor for inappropriate antibiotic use (p = 0.042), COVID-19 unit admission, use for therapeutic purpose and infectious diseases consultation were protective factors (p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001).

Conclusion

Rate of inappropriate use was low, but inappropriate surgical prophylaxis remains an important problem in surgical units. There is a considerable need to implement an antimicrobial stewardship program that focuses on surgical prophylaxis practices.