bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of osteotomy technique (flat-cut vs wedge-cut Weil) on pain relief and complication incidence following surgical treatment for metatarsalgia in a private metropolitan clinic: protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Fatima Manaal , Ektas Nalan , Scholes Corey , Symes Michael , Wines Andrew
Published: August 2022

Background

Weil osteotomies are performed to surgically treat metatarsalgia, by shortening the metatarsal via either a single distal oblique cut with translation of the metatarsal head (flat-cut) or through the removal of a slice of bone (wedge-cut). The wedge-cut technique purportedly has functional and mechanical advantages over the flat-cut procedure; however, in vivo data and quality of evidence are currently lacking. This study aims to investigate whether wedge-cut Weil osteotomy compared to traditional flat-cut Weil is associated with increased pain relief and fewer complications up to 12 months postoperatively.

Methods

Patient, surgical and clinical data will be collected for 80 consecutive consenting patients electing to undergo surgical treatment of propulsive metatarsalgia in a randomised control trial, embedded within a clinical registry. The primary outcome is patient-reported pain as assessed by the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) - Pain subscale, and the secondary outcome is the incidence of procedure-specific complications at up to 12 months postoperatively. The groups will be randomised using a central computer-based simple randomisation system, with a 1:1 allocation without blocking and allocation concealment. A mixed-effects analysis of covariance will be used to assess the primary outcome, with confounders factored into the model. A binary logistic regression will be used to assess the secondary outcome in a multivariable model containing the same confounders.

Discussion

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the trial will be the first to examine the clinical efficacy of the wedge-cut Weil osteotomy compared to the flat-cut technique with a prospective, randomised control design.

Trial registration

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12620001251910. Registered on 23 November 2020.
Identifying disrupted biological factors and patient-tailored interventions for chronic fatigue in adolescents and young adults with Q-Fever Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (QFS-study): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial with single-subject experimental case series design
Authors: Vroegindeweij Anouk , Swart Joost F. , Houtveen Jan , Eijkelkamp Niels , van de Putte Elise M. , Wulffraat Nico M. , Nijhof Sanne L.
Published: August 2022

Background

Chronic fatigue with a debilitating effect on daily life is a frequently reported symptom among adolescents and young adults with a history of Q-fever infection (QFS). Persisting fatigue after infection may have a biological origin with psychological and social factors contributing to the disease phenotype. This is consistent with the biopsychosocial framework, which considers fatigue to be the result of a complex interaction between biological, psychological, and social factors. In line, similar manifestations of chronic fatigue are observed in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Cognitive behavioral therapy is often recommended as treatment for chronic fatigue, considering its effectiveness on the group level. However, not everybody benefits on the individual level. More treatment success at the individual level might be achieved with patient-tailored treatments that incorporate the biopsychosocial framework.

Methods

In addition to biological assessments of blood, stool, saliva, and hair, the QFS-study consists of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which a single-subject experimental case series (N=1) design will be implemented using Experience Sampling Methodology in fatigued adolescents and young adults with QFS, CFS/ME, and JIA (aged 12–29). With the RCT design, the effectiveness of patient-tailored PROfeel lifestyle advices will be compared against generic dietary advices in reducing fatigue severity at the group level. Pre-post analyses will be conducted to determine relevance of intervention order. By means of the N=1 design, effectiveness of both advices will be measured at the individual level.

Discussion

The QFS-study is a comprehensive study exploring disrupted biological factors and patient-tailored lifestyle advices as intervention in adolescent and young adults with QFS and similar manifestations of chronic fatigue. Practical or operational issues are expected during the study, but can be overcome through innovative study design, statistical approaches, and recruitment strategies. Ultimately, the study aims to contribute to biological research and (personalized) treatment in QFS and similar manifestations of chronic fatigue.

Trial registration

Trial NL8789. Registered July 21, 2020.
Supratentorial extra-axial RELA fusion-positive ependymoma misdiagnosed as meningioma by intraoperative histological and cytological examinations: a case report
Authors: Nagayasu Mayumi Akaki , Fukushima Tsuyoshi , Matsumoto Fumitaka , Takeshima Hideo , Sato Yuichiro , Kataoka Hiroaki
Published: August 2022

Background

Dura-attached supratentorial extra-axial ependymoma is a very rare type of tumor, with only nine reported cases. Preoperative diagnosis of dura-attached supratentorial extra-axial ependymoma is difficult and often radiologically misdiagnosed as a meningioma. We report a case of dura-attached supratentorial extra-axial ependymoma that was misdiagnosed using intraoperative histological and cytological examinations.

Case presentation

A 26-year-old Japanese man with headache and nausea was referred to our medical facility. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a cystic mass of 70 × 53 × 57 mm in the left temporoparietal lobe. A peritumoral band with hyperintensity on T2-weighted imaging was observed at the periphery of the lesion, suggesting an extra-axial lesion with no apparent connection to the ventricle. A dural tail sign was also noted on the gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted image. Preoperative clinical diagnosis was meningioma. Proliferated tumor cells in sheets with intermingled branching vessels were observed in the frozen tissue. Perivascular rosettes were inconspicuous, and the tumor cells had rhabdoid cytoplasm. The tumor was intraoperatively diagnosed as a meningioma, suspected to be a rhabdoid meningioma. Perivascular rosettes were evident in the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, suggesting ependymoma. The tumor cells had eosinophilic cytoplasm without a rhabdoid appearance. Anaplastic features, such as high tumor cellularity, increased mitotic activity, microvascular proliferation, and necrosis, were observed. Ependymal differentiation was confirmed on the basis of ultrastructural analysis. Molecular analysis detected C11orf95-RELA fusion gene. The final diagnosis was RELA fusion-positive ependymoma, World Health Organization grade III.

Conclusion

Owing to its unusual location, dura-attached supratentorial extra-axial ependymomas are frequently misdiagnosed as meningiomas. Neuropathologists should take great precaution in intraoperatively diagnosing this rare subtype of ependymoma to avoid misdiagnosis of the lesion as other common dura-attached tumors.
A blockchain-based spatial data trading framework
Authors: Liu Hui , Tai WeiPeng , Wang Yaofei , Wang Shenling
Published: August 2022

With the increasing utilization of space related data, the demand for spatial big data sharing and trading is growing rapidly, which promotes the emergence of spatial data market. However, in conventional data markets, both data buyers and data sellers have to use a centralized trading platform which might be dishonest. Blockchain is a decentralized distributed data storage technology, which uses the traceability and unforgeability to confirm and record each transaction, and can solve partial disadvantages of the centralized data market; unfortunately, it also introduces the problems of security and privacy. To address this issue, in this paper, we propose a blockchain-based spatial data trading framework with trusted execution environment to provide a trusted decentralized platform, including data storage, data query, data pricing, data reputation and security computing. Based on this framework, we use an auction pricing mechanism to ensure data trading authenticity and efficiency. At last, a spatial data trading framework was implemented and its effectiveness and security were verified.
Genome-wide DNA methylation status of Mongolians exhibits signs of cellular stress response related to their nomadic lifestyle
Authors: Inaba Yuta , Iwamoto Sadahiko , Nakayama Kazuhiro
Published: August 2022

Background

Epigenetics is crucial for connecting environmental stresses with physiological responses in humans. Mongolia, where nomadic livestock pastoralism has been the primal livelihood, has a higher prevalence of various chronic diseases than the surrounding East Asian regions, which are more suitable for crop farming. The genes related to dietary stress and pathogenesis of related disorders may have varying epigenetic statuses among the human populations with diverse dietary cultures. Hence, to understand such epigenetic differences, we conducted a comparative analysis of genome-wide DNA methylation of Mongolians and crop-farming East Asians.

Methods

Genome-wide DNA methylation status of peripheral blood cells (PBCs) from 23 Mongolian adults and 24 Thai adults was determined using the Infinium Human Methylation 450K arrays and analyzed in combination with previously published 450K data of 20 Japanese and 8 Chinese adults. CpG sites/regions differentially methylated between Mongolians and crop-farming East Asians were detected using a linear model adjusted for sex, age, ethnicity, and immune cell heterogeneity on RnBeads software.

Results

Of the quality-controlled 389,454 autosomal CpG sites, 223 CpG sites were significantly differentially methylated among Mongolians and the four crop farming East Asian populations (false discovery rate < 0.05). Analyses focused on gene promoter regions revealed that PM20D1 (peptidase M20 domain containing 1), which is involved in mitochondrial uncoupling and various processes, including cellular protection from reactive oxygen species (ROS) and thermogenesis, was the top differentially methylated gene. Moreover, gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that biological processes related to ROS metabolism were overrepresented among the top 1% differentially methylated genes. The promoter regions of these genes were generally hypermethylated in Mongolians, suggesting that the metabolic pathway detoxifying ROS might be globally suppressed in Mongolians, resulting in the high susceptibility of this population to various chronic diseases.

Conclusions

This study showed a significantly diverse DNA methylation status among Mongolians and crop-farming East Asians. Further, we found an association between the differentially methylated genes and various metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. Knowledge of the epigenetic regulators might help in proper understanding, treatment, and control of such disorders, and physiological adaptation in the future.
The prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni infection among adults with chronic non-communicable diseases in Malawi
Authors: Nyangulu Wongani , Sadimba Christina , Nyirenda Joyce , Twaibu George , Kamwendo John , Chawawa Kelvin , Masano Angella , Chilinda Elizabeth , Kayuni Sekeleghe , Muula Adamson S. , Maleta Kenneth
Published: August 2022

Background

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infectious disease caused by flatworms of the Schistosoma genus. The global burden of schistosomiasis is high. In Malawi, schistosomiasis is among the top 20 causes of outpatient department visits in health facilities. Schistosomiasis is among the most important but neglected causes of non-communicable diseases (NCD) peculiar to tropical endemic settings. While much is known about the contribution of S. haematobium to the NCD burden in Malawi, the role of S. mansoni remains largely unknown.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study at Mangochi District Hospital. Adults over 18 years diagnosed with NCDs (n = 414), admitted or attending weekly outpatient clinics were recruited between August 2021 and February 2022. Data were collected on sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, body weight, blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose. Stool and midstream urine were collected for Kato–Katz (KK) microscopy and urine point of care-circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) tests, respectively. We computed prevalence of S. mansoni as number of positive KK and CCA tests, each divided by total submitted samples. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression were done to evaluate risk factors of NCDs and association between S. mansoni infection and NCDs.

Results

We recruited 414 participants, mean age 57 years (SD 16), 67% of whom were female. Prevalence of S. mansoni based on urine CCA was 15% (95% CI: 11–19) and 0% on KK microscopy. Hypertension was the most common condition with a prevalence of 85% (95% CI: 81–89), followed by diabetes mellitus with a prevalence of 42% (95% CI: 37–46) and heart disease with a prevalence of 3% (95% CI: 2–5). S. mansoni infection was not significantly associated with hypertension (OR: 1.2, 95% CI: 0.5–3.1), diabetes (OR: 0.6, 95% CI: 0.3–1.10) or heart disease (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 0.4–10).

Conclusions

We observed moderate prevalence of S. mansoni infection among adults in the study per WHO classification of endemicity. This is within the range observed in children in Mangochi from 10 to 56.7%.
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding related to an eroded gastrosplenic collateral lately after splenic artery embolization
Authors: Van Thillo Anna , Buyck Pieter-Jan , Van Gool Stijn , Croonen Cléo , Maleux Geert
Published: August 2022

Background

Upper gastrointestinal, non-variceal haemorrhage can be related to various etiologies, including peptic ulcer, neoplasm, gastritis, Dieulafoy lesions and other, rare underlying diseases. Here, we describe another, yet unreported etiology of gastric bleeding.

Case presentation

A 49-year-old man presented with melena; gastroscopy revealed blood in the stomach without active bleeding source. Computed tomography angiography demonstrated a cluster of enlarged gastrosplenic arterial collaterals in the gastric wall and coils in the splenic artery, related to an embolization procedure 30-years ago for splenic trauma. Definitive treatment included catheter-directed glue embolization of the left gastric artery and the enlarged gastrosplenic collaterals. The postinterventional course was uneventful and no recurrence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding was noted after 6 months of follow-up.

Conclusions

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding associated with eroded gastrosplenic collaterals, related to previous splenic artery embolization, can be successfully treated with glue-embolization.
Mathematical modeling in perspective of vector-borne viral infections: a review
Authors: Prasad Ramakant , Sagar Surendra Kumar , Parveen Shama , Dohare Ravins
Published: August 2022

Background

Viral diseases are highly widespread infections caused by viruses. These viruses are passing from one human to other humans through a certain medium. The medium might be mosquito, animal, reservoir and food, etc. Here, the population of both human and mosquito vectors are important.

Main body of the abstract

The main objectives are here to introduce the historical perspective of mathematical modeling, enable the mathematical modeler to understand the basic mathematical theory behind this and present a systematic review on mathematical modeling for four vector-borne viral diseases using the deterministic approach. Furthermore, we also introduced other mathematical techniques to deal with vector-borne diseases. Mathematical models could help forecast the infectious population of humans and vectors during the outbreak.

Short conclusion

This study will be helpful for mathematical modelers in vector-borne diseases and ready-made material in the review for future advancement in the subject. This study will not only benefit vector-borne conditions but will enable ideas for other illnesses.
Οι αποστασίες των συμμάχων από την Αθηναϊκή ηγεμονία
Authors: Χριστοφιλιάς Χρήστος
Published: August 2022

Στην παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή πραγματοποιείται μια λεπτομερειακή διερεύνηση των αποστασιών, των αιτίων, των επιδράσεων και των συνεπειών τους ώστε να σχηματισθεί μία πλήρης εικόνα της αθηναϊκής συμμαχίας και του πλέγματος σχέσεων που είχε διαμορφωθεί μεταξύ Αθηναίων και Συμμάχων. Διερευνώνται οι πολιτικές σχέσεις και εξετάζεται ο τρόπος με τον οποίο είχε επηρεασθεί το πολίτευμα των συμμαχικών πόλεων από το αθηναϊκό, καθώς και οι οικονομικές σχέσεις μεταξύ της Αθήνας και των Συμμάχων. Επιπλέον, διερευνώνται τα βασικά αίτια των αποστασιών σε πολιτικό, κοινωνικό και οικονομικό επίπεδο, εξετάζεται δηλαδή αν οι αποστασίες οφείλονταν σε πολιτικούς, κοινωνικούς, οικονομικούς λόγους, ή και σε επιρροή άλλου παράγοντα.
Η έκφραση των αποαδενυλασών στο Μικροκυτταρικό Καρκίνο του Πνεύμονα
Authors: Κόκκορη Ιωάννα
Published: August 2022

Η μελέτη ερευνά τη βιολογική σημασία των αποαδενυλασών στον καρκίνο του πνεύμονα και αναζητά έναν νέο προγνωστικό δείκτη αυτής της θανατηφόρου νόσου.Οι αποαδενυλάσες μελετώνται σε δύο καρκινικές σειρές και ανευρίσκονται τα επίπεδα τους σε δείγματα βιοψιών σε ασθενείς με αθεράπευτο μικροκυτταρικό καρκίνο πνεύμονα. Τα αποτελέσματα συσχετίζονται με τα κλινικά χαρακτηριστικά των ασθενών και την επιβίωσή τους. Παράλληλα,γίνεται σύγκριση των αποτελεσμάτων με αντίστοιχη μελέτη στο πλακώδες καρκίνωμα πνεύμονα που υπάρχει στη βιβλιογραφία.Η καλύτερα μελετημένη αποαδενυλάση, η PARN, ενδεχομένως, να δύναται να χρησιμοποιηθεί ως προγνωστικός δείκτης στο μικροκυτταρικό καρκίνο πνεύμονα.
Mathematical modelling of cyber-attacks and proactive defences
Authors: Αλεξόπουλος Αργύριος
Published: August 2022

Η υπόψη διατριβή και η μακροχρόνια έρευνα που την υποστηρίζει δίνουν απαντήσεις στα παρακάτω ερωτήματα που στην ουσία πυροδότησαν τη θεμελίωση της έρευνας. Η πρωτοβουλία για αυτή την ολιστική προσέγγιση της μαθηματοποίησης πηγάζει από τα ακόλουθα ερωτήματα: Γιατί, παρά το γεγονός ότι τα έθνη, οι οργανισμοί και οι οντότητες συνεχίζουν να ξοδεύουν όλο και περισσότερα χρήματα και πόρους για την ασφάλεια στον κυβερνοχώρο, οι επιτυχείς επιθέσεις και οι χαοτικές καταστάσεις που προκαλούνται από αυτές αυξάνονται αναλογικά; Γιατί τα διδάγματα από τις σφοδρές κυβερνοεπιθέσεις της τελευταίας δεκαετίας (SolarWinds, Proxy Shell κλπ) δεν βελτίωσαν την κατάσταση αλλά αντίθετα αύξησαν τις συνέπειες, την πολυπλοκότητα των αμυνόμενων και τα προβλήματα; Γιατί ορισμένες οντότητες φαίνεται να αντιλαμβάνονται την ασφάλεια διαφορετικά από άλλες και σε ποιους λόγους οφείλεται αυτή η ασάφεια; Γιατί, αρκετές δεκαετίες μετά την ψηφιακή επανάσταση, ορισμένες οντότητες εξακολουθούν να παραδίδουν ψηφιακά προϊόντα με σοβαρές ευπάθειες και ασυνέπειες ώστε να διαρρέουν ευαίσθητα δεδομένα ή λειτουργούν ως αγωγός για μη εξουσιοδοτημένη πρόσβαση σε οποιοδήποτε σύστημα; Μία από τις πιο σημαντικές συνεισφορές της υπόψη διατριβής είναι η μοναδική απάντηση που δίνεται με έναν πολύ καινοτόμο μαθηματικό τρόπο. Ουσιαστικά, όλα αυτά τα ατυχή γεγονότα και αδυναμίες που δημιουργούν χάος στον κυβερνοχώρο οφείλονται στην έλλειψη ολοκληρωμένης μαθηματικής δομής του κυβερνοχώρου. Ο κυβερνοχώρος έχει χτιστεί και συνεχίζεται να δομείται με ad-hoc τρόπο χρησιμοποιώντας μέσα και έννοιες που δεν έχουν καθοριστεί αυστηρά και κατά συνέπεια να μη μπορούν να κατανοηθούν επαρκώς. Αυτό το ολιστικό μαθηματικό υπόβαθρο που λείπει από τους ερευνητές του κυβερνοχώρου της τελευταίας δεκαετίας καθώς και η σύνθετη περιγραφή των αλληλεπιδράσεων και των αλληλεξαρτήσεων όλων των συνιστωσών του κυβερνοχώρου, σε μια αυστηρή μαθηματική βάση, είναι η κύρια καινοτόμος συνεισφορά αυτής της διατριβής.Η οικοδόμηση με μαθηματική συνέπεια της πρωταρχικής βάσης του κυβερνοχώρου που είναι κόμβοι και μέρη κόμβων, οι αποτιμήσεις και τα τρωτά σημεία τμημάτων ενός κόμβου αποτελούν τη βάση για ολόκληρη τη μαθηματική δομή. Αυτή η συνεπής βάση δίνει τη «μαγιά» για την περιγραφή σχεδόν εξαντλητικά των φορέων κυβερνοεπιθέσεων και τα μέτρα μετριασμού των επιπτώσεων που πρέπει να εφαρμοστούν. Αυτή η μοναδική προσέγγιση παρέχει άμεση δυνατότητα αυστηρού προσδιορισμού των εννοιών της προληπτικότητας στην άμυνα και προστασία στον κυβερνοχώρο. Αυτή η μαθηματική προσέγγιση ελαχιστοποιεί την ασάφεια που υπήρχε και δεν έχει λυθεί από τις πρόσφατες έρευνες που κάποιες από αυτές μνημονεύονται στο κείμενο της διατριβής.
The Sense of Self in Early Modern South and Southeast India
Authors: Sudyka Lidia
Published: August 2022

No abstract is available for this article.
SISTEMATIZACIÓN Y ANÁLISIS DE UN PROCESO DE REFLEXIÓN SOBRE LA MATEMÁTICA ESCOLAR: ASPECTOS PARA LA PROFESIONALIZACIÓN DOCENTE
Authors: Báez Melendres Mayra , Farfán Márquez Rosa María
Published: August 2022

En este artículo se presentan resultados de una investigación basada en el proceso de reflexión sobre la matemática escolar de un profesor de nivel secundario. Para ello se configuró un modelo teórico de tres componentes articulado con la Teoría Socioepistemológica. Específicamente, se expone cómo sucede el proceso: de qué y cómo se toma conciencia, qué conocimientos se construyen y qué se transforma. Para el análisis consideramos una categoría de significados y otra sobre las formas de argumentación relacionadas con la proporcionalidad directa; tales categorías permitieron entender el estado del conocimiento del profesor al inicio y al término del proceso reflexivo. Entre los resultados tenemos que la reflexión de la proporcionalidad escolar da evidencia de que el cambio de relación a este conocimiento matemático promueve la conciencia de una responsabilidad sobre la formación matemática y el desarrollo de una autonomía sobre el conocimiento matemático (ambos relacionados a la proporcionalidad), dos aspectos que caracterizan a la profesionalización docente en matemáticas.
Desarrollo del razonamiento geométrico de estudiantes de enseñanza media cuando abordan el concepto de homotecia
Authors:   Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Labra Peña Jorge Andrés , Vanegas Ortega Carlos Mario ,   Universidad de Santiago de Chile
Published: August 2022

El objetivo de este estudio es caracterizar el desarrollo de los niveles de razonamiento geométrico de estudiantes chilenos de primer año de enseñanza media, cuando abordan el concepto de homotecia a partir de una secuencia de actividades basada en el modelo de Van Hiele. Se utilizó una metodología cualitativa con un diseño no experimental, para describir cómo varía el concepto de homotecia, y con ello, los niveles de razonamiento geométrico. Se utilizó un pre-test y un post-test para robustecer las comprensiones cualitativas. Los resultados muestran que las actividades propuestas lograron que los estudiantes desarrollaran de forma completa el Nivel 0 y, avanzaran hacia los primeros grados de adquisición del Nivel 1. Este logro se ve potenciado gracias a los recursos manipulativos y virtuales utilizados, el trabajo colaborativo entre los estudiantes y a la secuenciación de las actividades trabajadas.
Routine use of depth of anaesthesia monitoring in patients receiving volatile anaesthesia: is it worth it?
Authors: Glarbo Stephanie , Jadhav Poonam , Mandour Yasser
Published: August 2022

This article discusses the place of routine use of depth of anaesthesia monitoring in patients receiving volatile anaesthesia. Benefits include reducing the probability of accidental awareness or excessive depth of anaesthesia, and creating training opportunities to improve familiarity with its use, but these must be weighed against the costs, as it may not be advantageous from a cost–benefit perspective.
Chronic oedema: assessment, compression and monitoring
Authors: Muldoon Jeanette
Published: August 2022

Jeanette Muldoon looks at what nurses need to know about this often distressing condition
“We started talking about race and racism after George Floyd”: insights from research into practitioner preparedness for anti-racist social work practice in England
Authors: Tedam Prospera , Cane Tam
Published: August 2022

The events of 2020, notably, the murder of George Floyd and the global COVID-19 pandemic, brought issues of race and racism into sharp focus in social work education, research and practice. In the UK, the Black Lives Matter movement contributed to raising awareness of the existence and effects of racism, and the need for anti-racist practice in all areas of social work; yet, surprisingly, some social workers alleged to have first heard the term ‘anti-racist practice’ after the murder of George Floyd, while others claimed a basic understanding of what it meant in practice. This article reports the findings from a qualitative study with 67 social workers about their preparedness for anti-racist practice with service users at the point of qualification and after their assessed and supported year in employment. A proposal for race intentionality as opposed to race evasiveness is made.
Dynamic and complete terahertz wavefront manipulation via an anisotropic coding metasurface
Authors: Ren Bin , Tang Shuai , Feng Yuxin , Cui Ying , Liu Jinlai , Song Jie , Jiang Yongyuan
Published: August 2022

A reconfigurable anisotropic coding metasurface composed of a graphene layer and anisotropic Jerusalem-cross metallic layer is proposed for dynamic and complete multi-channel terahertz wavefront manipulation. By controlling the Fermi energy of graphene, continuous amplitude modulation is realized for the coding elements with certain phase responses. By arranging anisotropic phase coding elements with a specific coding sequence and changing the Fermi energy of graphene, the proposed metasurface can dynamically control multi-channel reflection beams with designed power distribution and simultaneously manipulate the scattering pattern from diffusion to mirror scattering under

x

- and

y

-polarized incidence, respectively. Compared with the dynamic phase modulation metasurface, such a tunable metasurface uses three degrees of freedom, including the polarization, phase, and amplitude responses to fully control the reflected wavefronts, which may have promising applications in tunable terahertz multi-functional holograms and multi-channel information communication.
Feature recognition of a 2D array vortex interferogram using a convolutional neural network
Authors: Li Yong , Li You , Zhang Dawei , Li Jianlang , Zhang Junyong
Published: August 2022

A vortex array has important applications in scenarios where multiple vortex elements with the same or different topological charges are required simultaneously. Therefore, the detection of the vortex array is vital. Here, the interferogram between the off-axis Walsh-phase plate and the vortex array is first obtained and then decoded through a convolution neural network (CNN), which can simultaneously determine the topological charge, chirality, and the initial angle. Both the theory and experiment prove that a CNN has a remarkable effect on the classification and detection of vortex arrays.
Compact formulation of the transparent–absorbing isotropic interface electromagnetic problem
Authors: Bosch Salvador , Ferré-Borrull Josep , Sancho-Parramon Jordi , Arteaga Oriol
Published: August 2022

A complete formulation of the electromagnetic problem corresponding to the light incidence from a transparent to an absorbing medium (isotropic materials) is developed. According to the standard separation in

s

and

p

polarization cases, we explicitly obtain all the relevant formulas that relate the polarization and Poynting vectors of the reflected and transmitted beams with the incident ones. Overall, the procedure is compact since it is short and complete.
Radially polarized cosine non-uniformly correlated beams and their propagation properties
Authors: Song Zhenzhen , Ye Jingfei , Wang Lin , Liu Zhengjun , Liu Shutian , Liu Bo
Published: August 2022

We introduce a kind of radially polarized partially coherent (RPPC) beam with a prescribed non-uniform correlation function, called a radially polarized cosine non-uniformly correlated (RPCNUC) beam. Based on the extended Huygens–Fresnel principle, we study the propagation properties in free space and in a turbulent atmosphere. Unlike RPPC beams with uniform coherence, RPCNUC beams possess the invariance of dark hollow cores and radial polarization, and exhibit self-focusing properties. In a turbulent atmosphere, the intensity distribution demonstrates self-healing properties over a certain propagation distance. We also investigate how to adjust the beam parameters to reduce the turbulence-induced degradation in detail.
Controlled generation of mode-switchable nanosecond pulsed vector vortex beams from a Q-switched fiber laser
Authors: Hu Youyou , Ma Zhiyuan , Zhao Weiqian , Zhao Jiang , Liu Jun , Jing Qingli , Dou Jiantai , Li Bo
Published: August 2022

We reported and demonstrated a ring Q-switched Ytterbium-doped fiber laser that can generate mode-switchable nanosecond pulsed vector vortex beams between two different orders. In the spatial optical path of the fiber laser, several cascaded Q-plates, divided into two Q-plate groups, are applied for intracavity mode conversion between LP01 mode and vector vortex beams. In one Q-plate group, two quarter-wave plates are inserted to achieve the addition and subtraction of the order of Q-plates. By tuning the polarization state in the cavity, mode-switchable vector vortex beams (VVBs), including cylindrical vector beams (CVBs), elliptically polarized cylindrical vector beams (EPCVBs), and vortex beams, of two different orders can be generated on demand. The experimental results show that by using the group of 1st and 3rd orders Q-plates, the 2nd and 4th orders mode-switchable VVBs (vortex beams with topological charges of ±2, ±4, CVBs and EPCVBs of 2nd- and 4th-order) can be obtained from the fiber laser. The slope efficiency, pulse width, and repetition rate are 33.4%, 360 ns, and 241kHz respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time to realize the direct generation of mode-switchable VVBs on the arbitrary position of the higher-order Poincaré sphere between two different orders from a fiber laser. This work lays the foundation for the flexible generation of arbitrary modes of VVBs with multiple different orders in the laser cavity.
Optical bi-stability in cubic silicon carbide microring resonators
Authors: Powell Keith , Wang Jianfu , Shams-Ansari Amirhassan , Liao Bin-Kai , Meng Debin , Sinclair Neil , Li Liwei , Deng Jiangdong , Lončar Marko , Yi Xiaoke
Published: August 2022

We measure the photothermal nonlinear response in suspended cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) and 3C-SiC-on-insulator (SiCOI) microring resonators. Bi-stability and thermo-optic hysteresis is observed in both types of resonators, with the suspended resonators showing a stronger response. A photothermal nonlinear index of 4.02×10−15 m2/W is determined for the suspended resonators, while the SiCOI resonators demonstrate one order of magnitude lower photothermal nonlinear index of 4.32×10−16 m2/W. Cavity absorption and temperature analysis suggest that the differences in thermal bi-stability are due to variations in waveguide absorption, likely from crystal defect density differences throughout the epitaxially grown layers. Furthermore, coupled mode theory model shows that the strength of the optical bi-stability, in suspended and SiCOI resonators can be engineered for high power or nonlinear applications.
Electrically switchable capabilities of conductive polymers-based plasmonic nanodisk arrays
Authors: Li Rui , Wei Xinran , Liang Yuzhang , Gao Huixuan , Kurilkina Svetlana , Peng Wei
Published: August 2022

The electrically dynamic regulation of plasmonic nanostructures provides a promising technology for integrated and miniaturized electro-optical devices. In this work, we systematically investigate the electrical regulation of optical properties of plasmonic Au nanodisk (AuND) arrays integrated with different conductive polymers, polypyrrole (PPy), polyaniline (PANI), and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), which show their respective superiority of electrical modulation by applying the appropriate low voltages. For the hybrid structure of polymer-coated AuND arrays, its reflection spectrum and corresponding structural color are dynamically modulated by altering the complex dielectric function of the covering nanometer-thick conductive polymers based on the electrically controlled redox reaction. Due to the distinct refractive index responses of different polymers on the external voltage, polymer-coated AuND arrays exhibit different spectral variations, response time, and cycle stability. As a result, the reflection intensity of PPy-coated AuND arrays is mainly tailored by increasing optical absorption of the PPy polymer over a broad spectral range, which is distinguished from the wavelength shift of the resonance modes of AuND arrays induced by the other two polymers. Additionally, AuND arrays integrated with both PANI and PEDOT polymers exhibit a rapid switching time of less than 50 ms, which is 5 times smaller than the case of the PPy polymer. Most importantly, PPy-coated AuND arrays exhibit excellent cycle stability over 50 cycles compared to the other two polymers integrated devices. This work demonstrates a valuable technique strategy to realize high-performance polymer-coated dynamically tunable nanoscale electro-optical devices, which has especially significance for smart windows or dynamic display applications.
Ultrafast 3D histological imaging based on a minutes-time scale tissue clearing and multidirectional selective plane illumination microscopy
Authors: Chen Jiajia , Du Zhenhong , Xu Chenhao , Xiao Xiao , Gong Wei , Si Ke
Published: August 2022

Conventional histopathological examinations are time-consuming and labor-intensive, and are insufficient to depict 3D pathological features intuitively. Here we report an ultrafast 3D histological imaging scheme based on optimized selective plane illumination microscopy (mSPIM), a minutes-time scale clearing method (FOCM), and a deep learning-based image enhancement algorithm (SRACNet) to realize histological preparation and imaging of clinical tissues. Our scheme enables 1-minute clearing and fast imaging (up to 900 mm2/min) of 200 µm-thick mouse kidney slices at micron-level resolution. With hematoxylin and eosin analog, we demonstrated the detailed 3D morphological connections between glomeruli and the surrounding tubules, which is difficult to identify in conventional 2D histology. Further, by the preliminary verification on human kidney tissues, this study will provide new, to the best of our knowledge, feasible histological solutions and inspirations in future 3D digital pathology. © 2022 Optical Society of America
Tunable grating surfaces with high diffractive efficiency optimized by deep neural networks
Authors: Qian Kun , Zhang Yongyou
Published: August 2022

High diffractive efficiency gratings, as a core component in optics, can engineer light transport and separation. This Letter predicts a grating surface with high diffractive efficiency within the visible light wave band with the aid of deep neural networks (DNNs). The predicted grating surface can have more than 99% diffractive efficiency for the −1th order within the bandwidth of ∼100 nm in the visible wave band, outperforming previously reported structures. Accordingly, the strategy of the DNN-aided design is an efficient and feasible method for optical devices. Moreover, changing the period of the predicted grating surfaces can shift the workable wave band, not only exhibiting the tunability but also bringing about the predicted gratings with more than 90% diffractive efficiency within the whole visible light wave band.
Kerr-lens mode-locked Yb:YAlO3 laser generating 24-fs pulses at 1085 nm
Authors: Chen Weidong , Lin Zhang-Lang , Xue Wen-Ze , Zeng Huang-Jun , Zhang Ge , Loiko Pavel , Zhao Yongguang , Xu Xiaodong , Xu Jun , Mateos Xavier , Lin Haifeng , Wang Li , Petrov Valentin
Published: August 2022

We report on a Kerr-lens mode-locked Yb:YAlO3 laser generating soliton pulses as short as 24 fs at 1085 nm with an average output power of 186 mW and a pulse repetition rate of 87.5 MHz, representing the shortest pulses ever achieved from any mode-locked laser based on Yb3+-doped structurally ordered crystal. Optimized for power-scalable operation, the Yb:YAlO3 laser delivers 1.9 W at 1060 nm at the expense of a longer pulse duration of 44 fs, corresponding to a peak power of 462 kW and an optical efficiency of 43.2%.
DSCN: Double-target selection guided by CRISPR screening and network
Authors: Liu Enze , Wu Xue , Wang Lei , Huo Yang , Wu Huanmei , Li Lang , Cheng Lijun
Published: August 2022

Cancer is a complex disease with usually multiple disease mechanisms. Target combination is a better strategy than a single target in developing cancer therapies. However, target combinations are generally more difficult to be predicted. Current CRISPR-cas9 technology enables genome-wide screening for potential targets, but only a handful of genes have been screend as target combinations. Thus, an effective computational approach for selecting candidate target combinations is highly desirable. Selected target combinations also need to be translational between cell lines and cancer patients. We have therefore developed DSCN (double-target selection guided by CRISPR screening and network), a method that matches expression levels in patients and gene essentialities in cell lines through spectral-clustered protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. In DSCN, a sub-sampling approach is developed to model first-target knockdown and its impact on the PPI network, and it also facilitates the selection of a second target. Our analysis first demonstrated a high correlation of the DSCN sub-sampling-based gene knockdown model and its predicted differential gene expressions using observed gene expression in 22 pancreatic cell lines before and after MAP2K1 and MAP2K2 inhibition (R2 = 0.75). In DSCN algorithm, various scoring schemes were evaluated. The ‘diffusion-path’ method showed the most significant statistical power of differentialting known synthetic lethal (SL) versus non-SL gene pairs (P = 0.001) in pancreatic cancer. The superior performance of DSCN over existing network-based algorithms, such as OptiCon and VIPER, in the selection of target combinations is attributable to its ability to calculate combinations for any gene pairs, whereas other approaches focus on the combinations among optimized regulators in the network. DSCN’s computational speed is also at least ten times fast than that of other methods. Finally, in applying DSCN to predict target combinations and drug combinations for individual samples (DSCNi), DSCNi showed high correlation between target combinations predicted and real synergistic combinations (P = 1e-5) in pancreatic cell lines. In summary, DSCN is a highly effective computational method for the selection of target combinations.
TreeKnit: Inferring ancestral reassortment graphs of influenza viruses
Authors: Barrat-Charlaix Pierre , Vaughan Timothy G. , Neher Richard A.
Published: August 2022

When two influenza viruses co-infect the same cell, they can exchange genome segments in a process known as reassortment. Reassortment is an important source of genetic diversity and is known to have been involved in the emergence of most pandemic influenza strains. However, because of the difficulty in identifying reassortment events from viral sequence data, little is known about their role in the evolution of the seasonal influenza viruses. Here we introduce TreeKnit, a method that infers ancestral reassortment graphs (ARG) from two segment trees. It is based on topological differences between trees, and proceeds in a greedy fashion by finding regions that are compatible in the two trees. Using simulated genealogies with reassortments, we show that TreeKnit performs well in a wide range of settings and that it is as accurate as a more principled bayesian method, while being orders of magnitude faster. Finally, we show that it is possible to use the inferred ARG to better resolve segment trees and to construct more informative visualizations of reassortments.
Recombination-aware phylogeographic inference using the structured coalescent with ancestral recombination
Authors: Guo Fangfang , Carbone Ignazio , Rasmussen David A.
Published: August 2022

Movement of individuals between populations or demes is often restricted, especially between geographically isolated populations. The structured coalescent provides an elegant theoretical framework for describing how movement between populations shapes the genealogical history of sampled individuals and thereby structures genetic variation within and between populations. However, in the presence of recombination an individual may inherit different regions of their genome from different parents, resulting in a mosaic of genealogical histories across the genome, which can be represented by an Ancestral Recombination Graph (ARG). In this case, different genomic regions may have different ancestral histories and so different histories of movement between populations. Recombination therefore poses an additional challenge to phylogeographic methods that aim to reconstruct the movement of individuals from genealogies, although also a potential benefit in that different loci may contain additional information about movement. Here, we introduce the Structured Coalescent with Ancestral Recombination (SCAR) model, which builds on recent approximations to the structured coalescent by incorporating recombination into the ancestry of sampled individuals. The SCAR model allows us to infer how the migration history of sampled individuals varies across the genome from ARGs, and improves estimation of key population genetic parameters such as population sizes, recombination rates and migration rates. Using the SCAR model, we explore the potential and limitations of phylogeographic inference using full ARGs. We then apply the SCAR to lineages of the recombining fungusAspergillus flavussampled across the United States to explore patterns of recombination and migration across the genome.
Management of de novo metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer: A comprehensive report of a single-center experience
Authors: Guin Sunny , Liaw Bobby K. , Jun Tomi , Ayers Kristin , Patel Bonny , O’Connell Timmy , Deitz Matthew , Klein Michael , Mullaney Tommy , Prentice Tony , Newman Scott , Fink Marc , Zhou Xiang , Schadt Eric E. , Chen Rong , Oh William K.
Published: August 2022

Background

Upfront docetaxel or novel hormonal agents (NHA) such as abiraterone and enzalutamide have become the standard of care for metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). We evaluated real-world management of patients treated with these agents at a single center.

Patients and methods

Patients with de novo mHSPC treated with upfront docetaxel or an NHA between January 2014 and April 2019 at Mount Sinai Health System were included. We evaluated time to next treatment (TTNT), PSA progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) after initial treatment with these drugs. Kaplan Meier method and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used for analysis. We additionally assessed the prognostic value of post-treatment PSA.

Results

We identified 94 de novo mHSPC patients; 52 and 42 treated with upfront docetaxel and NHAs, respectively. NHAs were associated with a median TTNT of 20.7 months compared to 10.1 months with docetaxel (log-rank p = 0.023). We also observed median PSA PFS of 19 months for NHAs and 13.2 months for docetaxel (p = 0.069). However, OS between the two treatment groups was unchanged. Among docetaxel treated patients, TTNT was shorter among those with high metastasis burden (9.63 vs 25.5 months, p = 0.026) which was not observed among NHA treated patients (25.1 vs 20.7 months, p = 0.79). Regardless of treatment, lower post-treatment PSA levels were associated with improved TTNT (58.95 vs. 11.57 vs. 9.4 months for PSA ≤0.2, 0.2–0.4, >0.4ng/ml, respectively; p<0.001)

Conclusion

Real world data demonstrated a shorter duration of treatment with docetaxel than NHAs, reflecting the time-limited nature of docetaxel regimens compared to the treat-till-progression approach of NHAs. While TTNT was generally longer for NHAs than docetaxel, some docetaxel-treated patients achieved significant periods of time off treatment. In addition, the depth of PSA response following combination treatment may hold prognostic value for mHSPC outcomes.
Response of future hydropower generation of cascade reservoirs to climate change in alpine regions
Authors: Yan Bing , Xu Yi , Liu Heng , Huang Changshuo
Published: August 2022

Climate warming accelerates the hydrological cycle, especially in high-latitude and high-altitude areas. The increase in temperature will increase the amount of snow and glacier melting and change the runoff, which will affect the operations of cascade reservoirs significantly. Therefore, taking the upper reaches of the Yellow River with an alpine climate as an example, we propose an improved SIMHYD-SNOW, which considers the snowmelt runoff process. The impacts of climate changes on the runoff process were revealed based on the SIMHYD-SNOW model using the precipitation and temperature data predicted by the SDSM model. A model for the maximum power generation of the cascade reservoirs in the upper reaches of the Yellow River was constructed to explore the impacts of climate changes on the inter-annual and intra-annual hydropower generation of the cascade reservoirs at different periods in the future. The results show that climate change has changed the spatial and temporal allocation of water resources in this area. The future runoff will decrease during the flood period (July to September) but increase significantly during the non-flood period. The inter-annual and intra-annual hydropower generation under the RCP8.5 climate change scenario is significantly lower than the RCP2.6 and RCP4.5 climate change scenarios, and as the CO2 emission concentration increases, this gap increases significantly. This study can provide technical references for the precise formulation of water resources management under climate change.
A comparative study of single-channel signal processing methods in fetal phonocardiography
Authors: Barnova Katerina , Kahankova Radana , Jaros Rene , Litschmannova Martina , Martinek Radek
Published: August 2022

Fetal phonocardiography is a non-invasive, completely passive and low-cost method based on sensing acoustic signals from the maternal abdomen. However, different types of interference are sensed along with the desired fetal phonocardiography. This study focuses on the comparison of fetal phonocardiography filtering using eight algorithms: Savitzky-Golay filter, finite impulse response filter, adaptive wavelet transform, maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform, variational mode decomposition, empirical mode decomposition, ensemble empirical mode decomposition, and complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise. The effectiveness of those methods was tested on four types of interference (maternal sounds, movement artifacts, Gaussian noise, and ambient noise) and eleven combinations of these disturbances. The dataset was created using two synthetic records r01 and r02, where the record r02 was loaded with higher levels of interference than the record r01. The evaluation was performed using the objective parameters such as accuracy of the detection of S1 and S2 sounds, signal-to-noise ratio improvement, and mean error of heart interval measurement. According to all parameters, the best results were achieved using the complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise method with average values of accuracy = 91.53% in the detection of S1 and accuracy = 68.89% in the detection of S2. The average value of signal-to-noise ratio improvement achieved by complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise method was 9.75 dB and the average value of the mean error of heart interval measurement was 3.27 ms.