bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psi promotes Drosophila wing growth via direct transcriptional activation of cell cycle targets and repression of growth inhibitors
Authors: Zaytseva Olga , Mitchell Naomi C. , Muckle Damien , Delandre Caroline , Nie Zuqin , Werner Janis K. , Lis John T. , Eyras Eduardo , Hannan Ross D. , Levens David L. , Marshall Owen J. , Quinn Leonie M.
Published: January 2023

The first characterised FUSE Binding Protein family member, FUBP1, binds single-stranded DNA to activate MYC transcription. Psi, the sole FUBP protein in Drosophila, binds RNA to regulate P-element and mRNA splicing. Our previous work revealed pro-growth functions for Psi, which depend, in part, on transcriptional activation of Myc. Genome-wide functions for FUBP family proteins in transcriptional control remain obscure. Here, through the first genome-wide binding and expression profiles obtained for a FUBP family protein, we demonstrate that, in addition to being required to activate Myc to promote cell growth, Psi also directly binds and activates stg to couple growth and cell division. Thus, Psi knockdown results in reduced cell division in the wing imaginal disc. In addition to activating these pro-proliferative targets, Psi directly represses transcription of the growth inhibitor tolkin (tok, a metallopeptidase implicated in TGFβ signalling). We further demonstrate tok overexpression inhibits proliferation, while tok loss of function increases mitosis alone and suppresses impaired cell division caused by Psi knockdown. Thus, Psi orchestrates growth through concurrent transcriptional activation of the pro-proliferative genes Myc and stg, in combination with repression of the growth inhibitor tok.
Programmable macromolecule-based RNA-targeting therapies to treat human neurological disorders
Authors: Morelli Kathryn H. , Smargon Aaron A. , Yeo Gene W.
Published: January 2023

Disruptions in RNA processing play critical roles in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases. In this Perspective, we discuss recent progress in the development of RNA-targeting therapeutic modalities. We focus on progress, limitations, and opportunities in a new generation of therapies engineered from RNA binding proteins and other endogenous RNA regulatory macromolecules to treat human neurological disorders.
Relacje sąsiedzkie Romów i Łemków w autobiografii Michała Oleśniewicza
Authors: Szewczyk Monika
Published: January 2023

РЕЛЯЦИІ РОМІВ І ЛЕМКІВ В АВТОБІОҐРАФІІ МИХАЛА ОЛЕСНЄВИЧА Сесый текст твореный был враз з досліджынами до докторской дисертациі в проєкті Dynamika migracji Romów Karpackich na Ziemie Zachodnie i Północne. Badania wstępne. На основі зобраного дослідни- чого материялу представлю в статі ромско‑ лемківскы реляциі з пер- спектывы Карпатскых Ромів і Лемків перед выселіньом з Лемковины і по іх оселіню ся на Західніх Землях.
Asymptotic Welfare Performance of Boston Assignment Algorithms
Authors: Pritchard Geoffrey , Wilson Mark C.
Published: January 2023

We make a detailed analysis in a special case of the Boston algorithm, which is widely used around the world to assign students to schools. We compute the limiting distribution in large random markets of both the utilitarian welfare and the order bias, a recently introduced average-case fairness measure. Our results show that the differences in utilitarian welfare between the Boston algorithms and the serial dictatorship (SD) algorithm are small and positive, whereas the differences in terms of order bias are large and positive. The naive implementation of the Boston algorithm beats its adaptive implementation on both utilitarian welfare and order bias, and both apparently beat SD on both criteria. In order to establish our results, we derive several basic results on the time evolution of the assignments made by the algorithms, which we expect to be useful for other applications. For example, we compute limiting distributions as a function of [Formula: see text] of the exit time and preference rank obtained for an arbitrary agent whose initial relative position in the tiebreak order is θ.
Aortic dissection in a patient with novel frameshift COL5A1 variant of classical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Authors: Caley Lídia , Campar Ana , Mendonça Teresa , Farinha Fátima
Published: January 2023

Classical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (cEDS) is one of the 13 subtypes of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which has the major clinical criteria of hyperextensibility skin, atrophic scars, and generalised joint hypermobility. The occurrence of aortic dissection has been described in some subtypes of Ehlers-Danlos, but it has a rare association with the cEDS subtype. This case report discusses a 39-year-old female with a past medical history of transposition of great arteries with a Senning repair at the age of 18 months and controlled hypertension with medication, who presents a spontaneous distal aortic dissection. The diagnosis of cEDS was made using the major criteria, and a novel frameshift mutation in COL5A1 was discovered. The reported case emphasises that in patients with cEDS, vascular fragility may be a complication.
The Influences of Socio-Cultural Characteristics on Public Low-Cost Residents’ Satisfaction: A Case Study on PPR Seri Aman Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Authors: Mahdzir Mazura , Yi Tan Xi , Yahya Nik Fatma Arisya Nik , Khuzzan Sharifah Mazlina Syed , Ya’cob Nafisah , Sunarti Noorhidayah , Mastan Zetty Pakir , Ahamad Nurulhuda
Published: January 2023

The development of housing often needed to be considered both economic and socio- cultural elements. Certain variables, such as residents' experience and socio-cultural backgrounds, have influenced how people perceive their living environment. Past researchers have highlighted several issues associated with low-cost housing and showed that Malaysia's housing policies still failed to provide a comfortable living area for the low- cost income group. Moreover, previous studies mainly focused on the residents' demographic characteristics as the influential factors. Therefore, this paper tries to fill this gap by (i) identify the socio-cultural characteristics of residents (ii) analyse the relationship between residents’ satisfaction and their socio-cultural characteristics. This is important since the study related to this aspect remains insufficient and their characteristics might affect the level of satisfaction of residents in terms of housing necessity. Based on the purposive sampling, the low-cost housing residents were selected. A questionnaire survey has been conducted on 93 residents of PPR Seri Aman in Kuala Lumpur and the data was analyzed using factor analysis and Pearson's correlation analysis. Findings from the study revealed that the residents were fairly satisfied with the dwelling unit features and neighborhood facilities. The low level of satisfaction among residents was heavily influenced by the yard, kitchen, dining space, parking available, sidewalks and connectivity of paths, traffic nearby, and the distance to take public transport. Further suggestions or recommendations are proposed to improve these situations or to help for future development planning.
Analysis of Government Involvement in Solving Housing Deficit in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
Authors: O O Adeyemi , O Yoade A. , A.S Oladipupo,
Published: January 2023

This paper examined the role of the government in solving the housing deficit in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Both primary and secondary data were utilized for this study. Therefore, a total number of 600 residential buildings were selected from the Falegan area of Ado-Ekiti, out of which 60 building was mapped randomly for respondents. In all, 60 questionnaires were administered among the residents of the study area out of which 50 of them were correctly filled and returned. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Findings revealed that 70% of the total residents were tenants while 30 percent of the total residents were landlords. Findings revealed that 82% of the total population agreed that making credit available for building construction projects will reduce the housing deficit while 18% disagreed. Hence there is a strong relationship between the availability of credit loans and the reduction of the housing deficit in the study area. The paper recommends that government should amend its housing policies to favor the reduction or elimination of the housing deficit in the country.
Non-invasive support for the hypoxaemic patient
Authors: Keshavjee Sara , Jivraj Naheed K , Tejpal Ambika , Sklar Michael C
Published: January 2023

Optimisation of oxygenation strategies in patients with hypoxaemic respiratory failure is a top priority for acute care physicians, as hypoxaemic respiratory failure is one of the leading causes of admission. Various oxygenation methods range from non-invasive face masks to high flow nasal cannulae, which have advantages and disadvantages for this heterogeneous patient group. Focus has turned toward examining the benefits of non-invasive ventilation, as this was heavily researched in resource-limited settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The oxygenation strategy should be determined on an individualised basis for patients, and with new evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic, providers may now consider placing further emphasis on non-invasive approaches. As non-invasive ventilation continues to be used in increasing frequency, new methods of monitoring patient response, including when to escalate ventilation strategy, will need to be validated.
Parents' experience of extended viewing in a paediatric hospice: a qualitative study
Authors: Smith Philippa , Teasdale Elizabeth , Sheppard-Law Suzanne
Published: January 2023

Background:

The rising prevalence of life-limiting conditions in children and young people warrants an evaluation of paediatric palliative care, hospice services and delivered care.

Aim:

First, this study aimed to develop a deeper understanding of how extended viewing is experienced by the parents of a deceased child (or young person) with a life-limiting condition, based in Australia. Second, this study aimed to evaluate the quality of bereavement care delivered during the first few days after death.

Findings:

A total of 17 bereaved parents of 13 children completed an interview. In-depth interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. While the authors acknowledge the complexity and individual nature of grief, four broad themes were identified, namely the importance of the ‘physical environment’ being conducive to spending time with their child; ‘seeing their child’; ‘time to say goodbye’; and ‘supportive care’.

Conclusion:

The findings of this study reinforce that extended viewing can provide therapeutic benefits for parents, as well as the importance of a skilled palliative care nursing workforce in assisting with grief management.
Research Roundup
Authors: Green Laura
Published: January 2023

Synopses of a selection of recently published research articles of relevance to palliative care
An overview of light-curing within orthodontics
Authors: Monaghan Liam , Needham Richard
Published: January 2023

The use of light to initiate bonding reactions has become an integral part of orthodontic practice. Different technologies are available to cure dental composite, each with advantages and drawbacks. The efficacy of light-curing is affected by a range of factors and it is important for orthodontists to understand these concepts, alongside common problems with light-cure units, to aid in troubleshooting. Periodic testing of light-curing equipment can help to identify defective units that can potentially contribute to bond failure.

CPD/Clinical Relevance: An understanding basic materials science in relation to dental light-curing technology is important in allowing orthodontists to maintain safe and effective equipment. The choice of light-curing equipment and method of use can influence bond strength and, therefore, treatment success.
Plug and Play
Authors: Roper Jack
Published: January 2023

HydroFLEX, the UK’s first-ever hydrogen-powered train, adopts a cut and paste approach, which could enable various diesel locomotives to be decarbonized at pace, rather than ending up on the scrap heap
Gaining Traction
Authors: Tabak Ben
Published: January 2023

Modern technologies have already revolutionized power electronics in the rail sector, but new developments are set to add new levels of sustainability and safety
The Highlands Hybrid
Authors: Murray-Smith David J
Published: January 2023

The University of Glasgow and Arcola Energy outline how computer simulations of fuel-cell and battery-electric trains on secondary routes in Scotland have been used to determine the most efficient alternative propulsion system
Driving Force
Authors: Norman Helen
Published: January 2023

Two experts from Bel Power Solutions look at how new rugged and chassis-mounted products are meeting the needs of the rail sector for compact but powerful power conversion
Morro do Pai Inácio
Authors: De Abreu Ailana
Published: January 2023

Autor: Are de AbreuContextualização: Uma homenagem à essa belíssima escultura da natureza, que atrai milhares de olhares que se deslumbram com seus mistérios e encantos. O cartão postal da Chapada Diamantina, reproduzido com materiais recicláveis, num trabalho de compensação ambiental, com o intuito de despertar, nos admiradores, a responsabilidade de minimizar e destinar, corretamente, o lixo, que produzem.Material: Sucata (vasilhas plásticas de material de limpeza, laticínios, cola, banco plástico quebrado, entre outros), arame, papel machê e tinta sintética.Processo: Imagens de vários ângulos. Montagem da sucata com arame, para dar volume à obra, numa base feita com antena parabólica. Modelagem do papel machê, dando forma ao morro. Secagem, por, aproximadamente, dois meses. Pintura com tinta sintética.Dimensões: Altura: 0,78cm. Diâmetro: 1,5m
O Sorriso
Authors: Silva Tatiane Oliveira
Published: January 2023

Mesmo sem dentes, o sorriso presente no rosto desta senhora, que mora no sertão baiano, mostra a esperança diante das lutas para sobreviver num lugar marcado pela falta de chuva.
Marcas
Authors: Silva Tatiane Oliveira
Published: January 2023

O sol deixa marcas profundas no rosto, marcas que mostram a luta e a força desta senhora.
Historical Forerunners In Spanish Policy Analysis
Authors: Carreras Albert , Aubanell-Jubany Anna Maria
Published: January 2023

This chapter focuses on the development of policy analysis tools, mostly policy evaluation and assessment. Spain has a fairly long tradition – albeit not a continuous one – of policy evaluation, starting in the late 18th century, but it has undergone important institutional shifts and setbacks, which reflect major political conflicts. Up until the mid 19th century the major contributions to designing and implementing policies came from outstanding individuals. This was followed by an era of parliamentary commissions that provided a political space to advocate for conflicting interests, a model that later became institutionalised. During WWI a new formula for evaluating and designing policies emerged: the research bureau. Under Franco dictatorship, the development of policy evaluation suffered a major setback. There was no interest in promoting institutions to assess public policy. Given the very nature of the Franco regime, these institutions only emerged when they were promoted by business leaders and lobbies. As relations with Western countries improved and technocrats became more important in Franco’s government, more policy evaluation was developed and a new university-trained elite took care of it. They became very influential after Franco’s dead.
Participatory institutions and advisory councils
Authors: Font Joan , Alarcón Pau
Published: January 2023

Spain has been no exception to the international trend to creating participatory institutions. The chapter analyses them, paying special attention to the most common ones (advisory councils) and covering the local, regional and national levels.
In the first section we provide a general overview of the reality of participatory institutions in Spain, making more emphasis on the local level and paying special attention to their impact in the policy process. The second section focuses on advisory councils using materials from a recent mapping of these institutions at the national, regional and local level.
Policy impact has mostly occurred at the local level, being quite diverse in the different regions and quite minor at the national level. This impact has been further limited because they have normally addressed quite minor decisions, and politicians have cherry-picked ideas, implementing mostly those that were more in accordance with their own priorities.
Political parties and policy analysis
Authors: Barberà Oscar , Rodríguez-Teruel Juan , Casal Fernando
Published: January 2023

This chapter examines how policy analysis is conducted within political parties in Spain. Firstly, it provides a description of the main characteristics, developments and policy analysis trends in the case of both mainstream and challenger parties, as well as small and regional parties represented in the Spanish Parliament. Subsequently, the chapter explains similarities and differences across party types and their development across time. The final part aims to discuss the connection between political parties and other organizations (mainly think tanks) in performing policy analysis. Our analysis suggests a policy paradox: in spite of their prominence in the political process and their strategies to strengthen their capacities in policy analysis, the role of parties in policymaking has usually been limited, even decreasing over time.
Spatialities of waiting
Authors: Adams Maria
Published: January 2023

Waiting has been pivotal for families to narrate their experiences in the wake of incarceration. This chapter will explore the definition of ‘waiting’ and how this contributes to understanding the experiences of families of prisoners. This chapter will explore the concept of waiting and how this impacts the experiences of families. Furthermore, it is important to look in more depth at where and how families wait, in response to dealing with a loved one in prison. This chapter will delve into testimonies that explore waiting in response to time spent on remand to those who have been sentenced. Others explore sporadic periods of waiting during the incarceration period including travelling to the prison, waiting for a telephone call from a prisoner, and ‘waiting’ in the waiting room for a prison visit. At the same time, families were also waiting for support from governmental agencies, for example, with regards to welfare assistance or support from social services. Overall, this chapter will explore whether waiting is another exercise of control from the effects of incarceration. These are pivotal, unique moments in which families voiced their concerns through the dimensions of waiting.
Conceptualising Public Service Motivation
Authors: O’Leary Chris
Published: January 2023

Public service motivation is a concept with many definitions. While the most commonly used relates public service motivation to public organisations, others suggest it is a general other regarding motivation that is not dependent on setting. It can be related to and distinct from altruism, and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish public service motivation from other forms of prosocial behaviours and from professional service motivation. Most see intrinsic motivation as playing a role; a minority do not. This chapter explores the current fault lines and conceptual confusion in PSMT. It draws on criticisms from within and outside public service motivation scholarship about whether further theoretical development is needed. While recognising that many social science concepts are contested and undeveloped, the significant and growing empirical work around public service motivation, the chapter concludes that it is essential that further conceptual and theoretical clarity is provided. Otherwise, how can it be claimed that what is being observed is indeed public service motivation?
Hidden Voices
Authors: Whelan Joe
Published: January 2023

The aim of this book is to illustrate what it is like to be a recipient of a working-age welfare payment in Ireland. Research that centrally places ‘lived experience’ as a form of knowledge which allows us to begin to ‘know’ and understand what life is like for welfare recipients is generally in short supply. Moreover, research and reporting in this area tends to be quantitative. Drawing on original qualitative research, this book documents the lived experiences of working-age welfare recipients and so goes towards addressing this knowledge deficit. In this respect, the experiences of 19 persons receiving various working-age welfare payments in Ireland are recounted here and positioned within the broader scholarly literature of this type. What emerges is a nuanced picture of the complexities that make up the experiences of welfare recipiency. What becomes clear through documenting these lived experiences is that to foster a vision of welfare based on citizenship and inclusivity, welfare state polices must be designed to ensure that being in receipt of welfare is a less marginal and socially liminal experience for recipients. Societal ideas about work and the work ethic along with what we value as work must be revisited. Policy makers must be encouraged to think deeply about how the current practices of conditionality affect welfare recipients, and a reappraisal what it means to be ‘deserving’ should form part of this. Importantly, challenging and disrupting the framing consensus when it comes to how we ‘do’ social welfare must also form a crucial aspect of any meaningful project of reappraisal.
Welfare conditionality
Authors: Whelan Joe
Published: January 2023

This chapter covers experiences of welfare conditionality within the Irish welfare system. Welfare conditionality is conceptualised as ‘where you have to go and what you have to do’ to both realise and maintain a welfare payment. Drawing on rich empirical materials, the chapter shows how welfare conditionality can be experienced as both overt and obvious in some instances and subtle and insidious in others. It is also shown how welfare conditionality forms part of the experiences of welfare recipients across payment types. Ultimately, the empirical material presented here illustrates how aspects of welfare conditionality characterise the experiences of welfare recipients in ways that can often be overwhelming and deleterious to well-being.
Deservingness: othering, self-justification and the norm of reciprocity
Authors: Whelan Joe
Published: January 2023

This chapter shows how welfare recipients grapple with questions of deservingness both broadly and in personal contexts in self-reflective ways. Through a thorough exposition of the data, it is shown that this aspect of welfare recipiency is incredibly complex and can hinge on ideas about social reciprocity and the notion of ‘taking while not giving’. It is also shown that welfare recipients can tend to justify their own receipt by questioning the deservingness of others and that this has a tendency to manifest in the practice of othering. The practice of othering is shown to range from something very overt and strong, often targeting specific groups, to something that is vague and assumptive. Ultimately, the data presented in this chapter show the psychosocial complexity that can underpin life in the welfare ‘space’.
Introduction
Authors: Nemeth Bence
Published: January 2023

The chapter highlights the relevance of the subregional dimension of defence cooperation in Europe, arguing that the hundreds of smaller bilateral and minilateral collaborations are the backbone of European defence. These subregional defence collaborations are less visible than the initiatives of the regional organizations (EU and NATO), but they provide practical benefits and significantly influence NATO and EU dynamics. The chapter not only introduces the broader scholarship on defence cooperation in Europe but also explains the key argument and the theoretical framework of the book. The theoretical framework suggests that two situational and three structural factors are needed to create a new subregional defence collaboration in Europe. The chapter briefly discusses these factors and how they interact with each other, setting the scene for the later chapters , which study each factor individually.
The European Security Community
Authors: Nemeth Bence
Published: January 2023

The chapter highlights that the most relevant precondition of establishing new subregional defence cooperation in Europe is the existence of the European security community. Thanks to it, it has become unimaginable that EU and NATO members would wage war against each other to solve their conflicts. The section uses the concept of Europeanization to explain how the European security community affects the creation of new subregional defence collaborations. Through three case studies (Lancaster House Treaties, NORDEFCO, CEDC), it demonstrates that subregional actors upload to and download policies and preferences from/to regional organizations (NATO, EU) and the subregional and regional level processes mutually influence each other.
Strong Leadership and Chemistry
Authors: Nemeth Bence
Published: January 2023

The chapter highlights the fact that usually at least two high-ranking officials are the engine for the setting up a new subregional defence cooperation, providing strong leadership for the project. They typically have excellent interpersonal relationships and like each other. This is an essential precondition because starting new defence cooperation consumes a significant extra effort from these individuals, which is outside of their routine tasks, and normally people are willing to do this with other people they like. The chapter applies the concept of ‘interpersonal attraction’ from social psychology and points out that ‘propinquity’ and ‘similarity’ are the most relevant elements for establishing interpersonal attraction when a new defence cooperation is launched. The chapter studies three cases (the Lancaster House Treaties, NORDEFCO and CEDC) and concludes that the leaders who become the engine of defence collaborations can come from several areas of life (political, military, civil service).
Political Ecologies of Landscape
Authors: Connolly Creighton
Published: January 2023

Drawing on the recent changes in the Malaysian state of Penang, this book opens up new perspectives on urban development, governance and the politics of place. This book grounds its analysis in the controversies that have emerged over the extensive urban redevelopment and regeneration projects that have emerged since 2012, mostly associated with the ambitious Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP). Reviewing the role of residents, activists, planners and other experts in socionatural changes and urban regeneration, it builds an important new framework of landscape political ecology (LPE). The LPE framework provides a new conceptual toolkit for making sense of the dramatic landscape transformations that are unfolding across much of Asia, and their socio-ecological implications.In doing so, Political Ecologies of Landscape provides a dynamic account of the ways in which local residents and activists struggle to resist the socio-natural transformation of their urban environment and propose alternative development strategies. It therefore contributes to emerging research seeking to understand how place-specific physical environments can act as facilitators for collective action in cities. The book further seeks to understand the ways in which large-scale urban redevelopment is transforming urban environments at the landscape scale, as well as the lived experience of individual neighbourhoods.
Conclusion: An Island on an Urbanizing Frontier
Authors: Connolly Creighton
Published: January 2023

The concluding chapter uses the case of Jerejak Island, which is a small, uninhabited island off the Southeastern coast of Penang, to reflect on the key themes discussed in the book. The island has been the subject of various competing plans — either for development or conservation — in recent years. While, nothing has yet come of these, it is suspected that the island will be developed, which may be an omen for the future of Penang Island as a whole, despite the plethora of grassroots research and advocacy done to protect it. Nonetheless, the creativity of urban governance processes in Penang provide important lessons for urban practitioners and activists more broadly, in their search for integrative ways of managing and (re)shaping the built environment of their cities.
Neoliberal Colonialism and the Case of Cambodia
Authors: Hupp Williamson Sarah
Published: January 2023

This chapter uses historical tracing to explore the pathway to human trafficking that the case of Cambodia falls into. In this case, a plethora of IMF and World Bank neoliberal economic policies worked to shape the direction of Cambodia’s transition. Local governments and organizations were denied a role in this transition, and the ensuing policies resulted in a weakening of non-economic institutions and corresponding deepening of economic and gender inequality. The argument is made that the role of international financial institutions and foreign governments in Cambodia’s transition to democratic capitalism represent a form of neo-colonialism through which the broader consequences of economic reform are overlooked through the lens of neutral market forces. The resulting consequences have created a pathway where high economic dominance and high globalisation have disintegrated social safety nets and worsened inequality. The high migration toward Thailand in response has placed many individuals in situations of exploitation and trafficking. The response to human trafficking in Cambodia has focused on sex workers without distinguishing between genuine victims of trafficking and individuals engaging in consensual sex work, exacerbating the stigma associated with sex work, and ignoring labour trafficking and its association with migration.
Humour in Islamic Literature and Muslim Practices: Virtue or Vice?
Authors: Ghali Walid
Published: January 2023

This chapter traces major normative Islamic perspectives on humour to the medieval Sufi scholars and jurists, especially to al-Ghazālī (c. 1058-1111). Al-Ghazālī acknowledges the value of a good-natured joking and moderate laughter, but he proscribes a number of humour practices including crass and mocking jokes as well as bawdy, frivolous, and impious expressions of humour. Although Sufis use humour as a teaching tool and although Muslims in general like a good laugh, al-Ghazālī’s views that unfettered joking is a ‘vice of the tongue’ and that comedians follow a dubious profession have been influential. Ghali’s chapter historicizes the existence of humour regulation in Islamic contexts and highlights the social, interpersonal, and moral concerns driving it.
Al-Bernameg : How Bassem Youssef Ridiculed Religious Fundamentalists and Survived the ‘Defamation of Religion’ Charge
Authors: Alkheder Moutaz
Published: January 2023

In his satirical show, Al-Bernameg, the Egyptian satirist Bassem Youssef spoke truth to the power of political Islam’s movement of the Muslim Brotherhood. Although the Muslim Brotherhood was democratically elected in 2011, it had significant religious clout which made it a risky endeavour to ridicule the movement and/or its leaders. Youssef took that risk without insulting religion per se, which he accomplished by adopting various defensive and offensive strategies. He avoided tackling core Islamic values, and when he had to deal with politico-religious matters, he managed to separate the political from the religious. He also took the initiative to beat political Islamists at their own game, that is, religious insult allegations, by showing that they themselves fell into defamation of religion amidst their fierce campaign against their political opponents.
Concurrent optical inspection to boost characterization of plastic cortical bone under mechanical deformation
Authors: De la Torre I. Manuel H. , Mauricio Flores M. J. , Piazza Valeria , Velazquez Edson Daniel Hernandez , Hernandez Victor H.
Published: January 2023

The simultaneous surface and internal measurements from a chemically modified cortical bovine bone suffering a plastic range deformation are presented. Since the bone is an anisotropic structure, its mechanical response could be modified if its organic or inorganic phases change. The latter could result in high plastic deformations, where the interferometrical signal from an optical analysis is easily de-correlated. In this work, digital holography interferometry (DHI) and Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) are used to analyze the plastic range deformation of the bone under compression. The simultaneous use of these two optical methods gives information even when one of them de-correlates. The surface results retrieved with DHI show the high anisotropy of the bone as a continuously increasing displacement field map. Meanwhile, the internal information obtained with FD-OCT records larger deformations at different depths. Due to the optical phase, it is possible to complement the measurements of these two methods during the plastic deformation.
Focal length, EFL, and the eye
Authors: Simpson Michael J.
Published: January 2023

The focal length is often called the effective focal length, or efl instead, and although this is
acceptable for a lens in air, it is not otherwise correct. The eye is
used as an example here for an optical system where the object is in
air and the image is in fluid. Welford,
Aberrations of Optical
Systems
(1986) has
paraxial equations that are consistent with historical use while also
clearly defining efl. These are based on power at a surface having to
be the same for light traveling in both directions (n′/f′). The focal length f′ is the actual physical distance from
the 2nd principal point to the paraxial focus, and the equivalent focal length, or efl, is the focal
length divided by the image index (f′/n′). Separately, when the object is in
air, the efl is shown to act at the nodal point, with the lens system
represented by either an equivalent thin
lens at the principal point with a focal length or a
different equivalent thin lens in air at the nodal point with an efl.
The rationale for using effective
instead of equivalent for efl is
unclear, but efl is used more as a symbol than as an acronym.
Hybrid spatial-spectral generative adversarial network for hyperspectral image classification
Authors: Ma Chao , Wan Minjie , Kong Xiaofang , Zhang Xiaojie , Chen Qian , Gu Guohua
Published: January 2023

In recent years, generative adversarial networks (GNAs), consisting of two competing 2D convolutional neural networks (CNNs) that are used as a generator and a discriminator, have shown their promising capabilities in hyperspectral image (HSI) classification tasks. Essentially, the performance of HSI classification lies in the feature extraction ability of both spectral and spatial information. The 3D CNN has excellent advantages in simultaneously mining the above two types of features but has rarely been used due to its high computational complexity. This paper proposes a hybrid spatial-spectral generative adversarial network (HSSGAN) for effective HSI classification. The hybrid CNN structure is developed for the construction of the generator and the discriminator. For the discriminator, the 3D CNN is utilized to extract the multi-band spatial-spectral feature, and then we use the 2D CNN to further represent the spatial information. To reduce the accuracy loss caused by information redundancy, a channel and spatial attention mechanism (CSAM) is specially designed. To be specific, a channel attention mechanism is exploited to enhance the discriminative spectral features. Furthermore, the spatial self-attention mechanism is developed to learn the long-term spatial similarity, which can effectively suppress invalid spatial features. Both quantitative and qualitative experiments implemented on four widely used hyperspectral datasets show that the proposed HSSGAN has a satisfactory classification effect compared to conventional methods, especially with few training samples.
Task-dependent extraction of information from videos of iridescent and glossy samples
Authors: Shiwen Li , Morimoto Takuma , Harris Julie M. , Smithson Hannah E.
Published: January 2023

We present an exploratory study on iridescence that revealed systematic differences in the perceptual clustering of glossy and iridescent samples that was driven by instructions to focus on either the material or the color properties of the samples. Participants’ similarity ratings of pairs of video stimuli, showing the samples from multiple views, were analyzed using multidimensional scaling (MDS), and differences between the MDS solutions for the two tasks were consistent with flexible weighting of information from different views of the samples. These findings point to ecological implications for how viewers perceive and interact with the color-changing properties of iridescent objects.
Characterization of transverse mode instability with a 4-quadrant photodiode
Authors: Kholaif Sobhy , Jauregui Cesar , Tu Yiming , Limpert Jens
Published: January 2023

Transverse mode instability (TMI) represents the main limitation for the power scaling of fiber laser systems with a diffraction-limited beam quality. In this context, it has become increasingly important to find a cheap and reliable way to monitor and characterize TMI and distinguish this effect from other dynamic perturbations. In this work, with the help of a position-sensitive detector, a novel method is developed to characterize the TMI dynamics even in the presence of power fluctuations. The position information of the fluctuating beam is recorded in the X- and Y-axis of the detector, which are used to track the temporal evolution of the center of gravity of the beam. The trajectories described by the beam within a specific time window contain rich information about TMI, which can be used to gain further insight into this phenomenon.
Effect of core ellipticity and core-induced thermal stress on the conversion of LP11 modes to vector vortex modes in gradually twisted highly birefringent fibers
Authors: Napiorkowski Maciej , Urbanczyk Waclaw
Published: January 2023

We study the effect of the core ellipticity and core-induced thermal stress on the conversion of LP11 modes to vortex modes in gradually twisted highly birefringent PANDA fibers using an improved perturbation-based modeling method. We show that these two technologically unavoidable factors have a significant impact on the conversion process, which manifests itself in shortening the conversion length, altering the assignment between the input LP11 modes and output vortex modes, and modifying the vortex mode structure. In particular, we demonstrate that for certain fiber geometries, it is possible to obtain output vortex modes with parallel and antiparallel spins and orbital angular momenta. The simulation results obtained using the modified method are in good agreement with recently published experimental data. Furthermore, the proposed method provides reliable guidelines for choosing fiber parameters that ensure a short conversion length and the desired polarization structure of the output vortex modes.
High-speed ADC based on photonic time-stretched technology with dispersion-tunable CFBG
Authors: Li Shangru , Xiao Dongrui , Liu Shuaiqi , Yu Feihong , Xu Weijie , Hu Jie , Sun Siming , Shao Liyang , Zhang Qingfeng
Published: January 2023

We propose a photonic time-stretched analog-to-digital converter (PTS-ADC) based on dispersion-tunable chirped fiber Bragg grating (CFBG), by demonstrating a economical ADC system with seven different stretch factors. The stretch factors are tunable by changing the dispersion of CFBG, in order to obtain different sampling points. Accordingly, the total sampling rate of the system can be improved. Only a single channel is required to increase the sampling rate and achieve the effect of multi-channel sampling. Finally, seven groups of different stretch factors ranging from 1.882 to 2.206 are obtained, which are equivalent to seven groups of different sampling points. We successfully recover the input radio frequency (RF) signals with frequencies from 2 GHz to 10 GHz. In addition, the sampling points are increased by 14.4 times and the equivalent sampling rate is increased to 288 GSa/s. The proposed scheme is suitable for commercial microwave radar systems, which can obtain a much higher sampling rate at a low cost.
Trench-assisted 12-core 5-LP mode fiber with a low refractive index circle and a high refractive index ring
Authors: Wang Chun , Li Shuguang , Li Xuxing , Li Zenghui , Shao Pengshuai , Guo Ying , Ma Liling
Published: January 2023

We propose a homogeneous five-mode twelve-core fiber with a trench-assisted structure, combining a low refractive index circle and a high refractive index ring (LCHR). The 12-core fiber utilizes the triangular lattice arrangement. The properties of the proposed fiber are simulated by the finite element method. The numerical result shows that the worst inter-core crosstalk (ICXT) can achieve at -40.14 dB/100 km, which is lower than the target value (-30 dB/100 km). Since adding the LCHR structure, the effective refractive index difference between LP21 and LP02 mode is 2.8 × 10−3, which illustrates that the LP21 and LP02 modes can be separated. In contrast to without the LCHR, the dispersion of LP01 mode has an apparent dropping, which is 0.16 ps/(nm·km) at 1550 nm. Moreover, the relative core multiplicity factor can reach 62.17, which indicates a large core density. The proposed fiber can be applied to the space division multiplexing system to enhance the fiber transmission channels and capacity.
TDI-based continuous window compressed spatio-temporal imaging capable of flexible voxels post-interpretation
Authors: Li Yun-Hui , Wang Xiao-Dong , Liu Wen-Guang
Published: January 2023

To achieve high frame rates and continuous streaming simultaneously, we propose a compressed spatio-temporal imaging framework implemented by combining time-delay-integration sensors and coded exposure. Without additional optical coding elements and subsequent calibration required, this electronic-domain modulation enables a more compact and robust hardware structure, compared to the existing imaging modalities. By exploiting the intra-line charge transfer mechanism, we achieve a super-resolution in both temporal and spatial domains, thus multiplying the frame rate to millions of frames-per-second. In addition, the forward model with post-tunable coefficients, and two reconstruction strategies proposed therefrom, facilitate a flexible voxels post-interpretation. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed framework is demonstrated by both numerical simulations and proof-of-concept experiments. With the prominent advantages of prolonged time window and flexible voxels post-interpretation, the proposed system will be suitable for imaging random, non-repetitive, or long-term events.
Wide-angle high-efficiency absorption of graphene empowered by an angle-insensitive Tamm plasmon polariton
Authors: Wu Feng , Xiao Shuyuan
Published: January 2023

In recent years, researchers utilized Tamm plasmon polaritons (TPPs) in conventional heterostructures composed of a metal layer, a dielectric spacer layer and an all-dielectric one-dimensional (1-D) photonic crystal (PhC) to achieve high-efficiency absorption of graphene. According to the Bragg scattering theory, photonic bandgaps (PBGs) in all-dielectric 1-D PhC strongly shift toward shorter wavelengths (i.e., blueshift) as the incident angle increases. Therefore, TPPs in conventional heterostructures also show strongly blueshift property. Such strongly blueshift property of TPPs greatly limits the operating angle range of the high-efficiency absorption of graphene. Herein, we realize an angle-insensitive TPP in a heterostructure composed of a metal layer, a dielectric spacer layer and a 1-D PhC containing hyperbolic metamaterial layers. Empowered by the angle-insensitive property of the TPP, we achieve wide-angle high-efficiency absorption of graphene. The operating angle range (A > 80%) reaches 41.8 degrees, which is much larger than those in the reported works based on TPPs and defect modes. Our work provides a viable route to designing cloaking devices and photodetectors.
Single-cavity dual-modelocked 2.36-µm laser
Authors: Barh Ajanta , Nussbaum-Lapping Alexander , Heidrich Jonas , Gaulke Marco , Golling Matthias , Phillips Christopher R. , Keller Ursula
Published: January 2023

We present the first dual-modelocked femtosecond oscillator operating beyond 2 µm wavelength. This new class of laser is based on a Cr:ZnS gain medium, an InGaSb SESAM for modelocking, and a two-surface reflective device for spatial duplexing of the two modelocked pulse trains (combs). The laser operates at 2.36 µm, and for each comb, we have achieved a FWHM spectral bandwidth of 30 nm, an average power of over 200 mW, and a pulse duration close to 200 fs. The nominal repetition rate is 242 MHz with a sufficiently large repetition rate difference of 4.17 kHz. We also found that the laser is able to produce stable modelocked pulses over a wide range of output powers. This result represents a significant step towards realizing dual-comb applications directly above 2 µm using a single free-running laser.
Practical method for improving the accuracy of weakly stressed birefringence detection by circularly polarized instantaneous photoelasticity
Authors: Gao Yang , Wan Xinjun , Wang ZhenLei , wei xiaoxiao
Published: January 2023

Due to the mismatch between the quarter-wave plate and the wavelength of the light source, the circularly polarized field photoelastic stress analysis method has an impact on the measurement of the phase delay and the stress direction angle. In particular, the measurement of the phase delay is inaccurate for weakly stressed samples with phase delays less than a quarter wavelength. In this paper, we first give a method for calculating the mismatch value δ which requires only one air calibration without prior calibration of the parameters of the quarter-wave plate with other equipment. We then introduce δ into the correction process for the phase delay, derive the correction equation, and give a theoretical comparison of the relative error curves. The results show that the correction method can theoretically limit the maximum amount of error. Finally, we have verified the accuracy of the method by measurements of the internal lens stress before and after the correction and by stitching measurements on SiC wafers.
Dynamic stable ring resonator for high-power continuous single-frequency lasers: conditions for a compact resonator
Authors: Bereczki Allan , Wetter Niklaus
Published: January 2023

When considering dynamically stable resonators, ring lasers are good choices because they have a twice larger stability interval when compared to linear resonators and sensitivity to misalignment decreasing with pump power, however literature does not provide easy design guidelines. A ring resonator utilizing Nd:YAG side pumped by diodes allowed single frequency operation. The output single-frequency laser had good output characteristics, however the overall length of resonator did not allow for building a compact device with low misalignment sensitivity and larger spacing between longitudinal modes which could improve single-frequency performance. Based on previously developed equations, which allow for ease of design of a ring DSR, we discuss how to build an equivalent ring resonator, aiming to building a shorter resonator with the same stability zone parameters. The study of the symmetric resonator containing a pair of lenses allowed finding the conditions to build the shortest possible resonator.
High power Nd:YLF four-level lasers with 68% slope efficiency
Authors: Prado Felipe , Franco Tomás , Vieira Tárcio , Wetter Niklaus
Published: January 2023

Three laser resonators are demonstrated emitting at 1053 nm and pumped at 797nm by VBG equipped diodes, achieving the highest reported efficiencies for Nd:YLF in a four-level system. A peak output power of 880 W is achieved by pumping the crystal with a diode-stack of 1.4 kW peak pump power.