bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design, statistical optimization of Nizatidine floating tablets using natural polymer
Authors: Samala Madhavi Latha , Janga Ramesh Babu
Published: January 2021

Background

The present research was aimed in developing gastroretentive tablets of Nizatidine, in order to increase the bioavailability of the drug. Nizatidine belongs to BCS class 3 and thus formulating into gastroretentive tablets helps to achieve a better therapeutic effect. There were no reports available on the use of Mimosa gum in the design of gastroretentive drug delivery systems. Response surface methodology was employed to optimize the formulation with suitable experimental design. The goal of the response surface methodology was to obtain a regression model and to find a suitable approximation for the true functional relationship between the response and the set of independent variables. Hence, the statistical approach like full factorial design was utilized to obtain optimized formulation with a smaller number of experiments.

Results

DSC study justified no interaction of the drug with excipients. The floating lag time was observed to be less than 20 s, total floating time was in the range of 8–24 h, hardness ranges from 4 to 5 kg/cm2, and friability was less than 1%. Dissolution data indicated that the higher viscosity of Mimosa (2%) delayed the drug release for extended period of time up to 23 h when compared to lower viscosity Mimosa (1%), which controlled the release of the drug up to 12 h only. The ‘n’ values of all the prepared formulations were found to be 0.59 to 0.81 indicating that the release mechanism followed anomalous (non-Fickian) diffusion. The optimal values of independent test variables were obtained from the overlay plots. The optimized formulation of Mimosa gum (2%) (M2%opt) contained 170 mg of polymer and 25.5 mg (15%) of sodium bicarbonate. Similarly, the optimized formulation of Mimosa (1%) (M1%opt) contained 255 mg of polymer and 34 mg (10%) of sodium bicarbonate.

Conclusion

The results clearly indicated that the optimized formulations followed zero-order release kinetics with diffusion mechanism as per the predicted theoretical release rate confirming the suitability of the predicted theoretical release profile.
In vitro kinetic release study of ketoprofen enantiomers from alginate metal complexes
Authors: Alkhayer Ghaidaa , Khudr Hussein , Koudsi Yahia
Published: January 2021

Background

To explore the release behavior of ketoprofen enantiomers from alginate-metal-complexes. Five mathematical models of drug release kinetics were investigated.

Results

Beads of alginate-metal complexes, loaded with racemic ketoprofen, were prepared by the ionotropic method. Divalent (Ca, Ba, Zn) and trivalent (Fe, Al) metals were used in the preparation of single-metal and mixed-metal alginate complexes. In vitro release experiments were carried out in an aqueous phosphate buffer medium at pH = 7.4. The concentrations of ketoprofen released enantiomers were determined using chiral HPLC technique. The obtained data were used to simulate the release kinetic of ketoprofen enantiomers using various mathematical models. The Korsmeyer-Peppas model was the best fit for Ca, Al, and Fe beads. Moreover, alginate-iron beads tend to release the drug faster than all other cases. In contrast, the drug release for alginate-barium complex was the slowest. The presence of barium in alginate mixed-metal complexes reduced ketoprofen release in the case of Fe and Zn, while it increased the release in the case of Al complex.

Conclusion

In all the studied cases, ketoprofen showed very slow release for both enantiomers over a period exceeded 5 h (10 days in some cases). The release rate modification is possible using different multivalent metals, and it is also feasible by using two different metals for congealing either consecutively or simultaneously.
Design and synthesis of new 3-((7-chloroquinolin-4-yl)amino)thiazolidin-4-one analogs as Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA gyrase inhibitors
Authors: Salve Preeti S. , Parchure Prajakta , Araujo Lisel , Kavalapure Rohini S. , Jalalpure Sunil S. , Sriram Dharmarajan , Krishna Vagolu Siva , Estharla Madhu Rekha , Alegaon Shankar G.
Published: January 2021

Background

Tuberculosis is evidently a major health threat among human populations worldwide. The current study presents the synthesis of new 3-((7-chloroquinolin-4-yl)amino)thiazolidin-4-one analogs (4a–o) as potential Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA gyrase inhibitors. DNA gyrase regulates DNA topology in MTB and has been a target of choice for antibacterial therapy. With this in mind, the synthesized derivatives (4a–o) were subjected to in vitro antitubercular evaluation by the MABA method and were tested for MTB DNA gyrase inhibition by supercoiling assay.

Results

All the synthesized compounds displayed inhibition of MTB within the MIC range of 1.56–12.5 μM. Further, out of the selected compounds that underwent DNA gyrase inhibition, compound 4o proved to be a potent lead molecule by displaying 82% of enzyme inhibition at 1 μM. All the synthesized derivatives also underwent molecular docking studies to comprehend their hypothetical binding interactions with Mycobacterium smegmatis GyrB.

Conclusion

All the results suggested that most of the synthesized derivatives inhibited Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and some 3-((7-chloroquinolin-4-yl)amino)thiazolidin-4-one analogs could act as leads for the development of antitubercular agents.
Aloe vera gel homogenate shows anti-inflammatory activity through lysosomal membrane stabilization and downregulation of TNF-α and Cox-2 gene expressions in inflammatory arthritic animals
Authors: Paul Subhashis , Modak Debabrata , Chattaraj Sutanuka , Nandi Deblina , Sarkar Aditi , Roy Joyjit , Chaudhuri Tapas Kumar , Bhattacharjee Soumen
Published: January 2021

Background

Aloe vera leaf gel has proven efficacious roles in the amelioration of several human diseases and illness-conditions. Specific purified gel-derived bio-constituents as well as the naturally harvested unprocessed A. vera gel have shown promise in modifying systemic inflammation. However, the synergistic role of natural herbal remedies, a mainstay of traditional Indian Ayurveda, has not been evaluated rigorously in this plant. In this study, the prevention of membrane lysis and protein denaturation in the presence of A. vera gel homogenate up to the concentration of 1000 μg/ml of gel has been assessed in vitro. Also, regulation of expression of inflammation-mediator genes (TNF-α and Cox-2) has been investigated in vivo in Freund’s complete adjuvant (FCA)-induced inflammatory arthritic Wistar albino rats in a 28-day long study following the daily oral supplementation of Aloe vera gel homogenate doses up to 0.40 and 0.80 g/kg body weight (low-dose and high-dose groups respectively).

Results

Our results indicated that A. vera gel homogenate inhibits hypotonicity-induced (74.89 ± 1.26%) and heat-induced (20.86 ± 0.77%) RBC membrane lyses respectively at a concentration of 1000 μg/ml, compared to indomethacin standard (80.52 ± 0.65% and 43.98 ± 1.52% respectively at 200 μg/ml concentration). The similar concentration of gel also showed 39.35 ± 4.25% inhibition of protein denaturation compared to standard diclofenac sodium (46.74 ± 1.84% at 100 μg/ml concentration) in vitro. When assessed in vivo, TNF-α expression was found to be decreased by 35.88% and 38.52%, and Cox-2 expression was found to be decreased by 31.65% and 34.96%, in low-dose and high-dose groups respectively, when compared to the arthritic controls.

Conclusions

Our findings justify the role of unprocessed A. vera gel homogenate in preventing tissue damage and in the downregulation of TNF-α and Cox-2 gene expressions for the immune-modulation of inflammatory arthritis condition.
Paleokarst reservoirs: Efficient and flexible characterization using point-spread-function-based convolution modeling
Authors: Jensen Kristian , Johansen Martin Kyrkjebø , Lecomte Isabelle , Janson Xavier , Tveranger Jan , Kaschwich Tina
Published: January 2021

Paleokarst originates from the collapse, degradation, and infill of karstified rock, and it typically features spatially heterogeneous elements such as breakdown products, sediment infills, and preserved open cavities on all scales. Paleokarst may further contain aquifer or hydrocarbon reservoirs and may pose a drilling hazard during exploration. Seismic characterization of paleokarst reservoirs therefore remains a challenging and important task. We have determined how the application of 2D (3D) spatial convolution operators, referred to as point-spread functions (PSFs), allows for seismic modeling of complex and heterogeneous paleokarst geology at a cost equivalent to conventional repeated 1D convolution. Unlike the latter, which only considers vertical resolution effects, PSF-based convolution modeling yields simulated prestack depth-migrated images accounting for 3D resolution effects vertically and laterally caused by acquisition geometries, frequency-band limitations, and propagation effects in the overburden. We confirm the validity of the approach by a comparison of modeled results to results obtained from a published physical modeling experiment. Finally, we present four additional separate case studies to highlight the usability and flexibility of the approach by assessing different issues and challenges pertaining to characterizing and interpreting seismic features of paleokarst. Through PSF-based convolution modeling, geoscientists working with paleokarst seismic data may be better able to understand how various acquisition and modeling parameters affect seismic images of paleokarst geology.
Meta-analysis of the strength of exploratory suicide prediction models; from clinicians to computers
Authors: Corke Michelle , Mullin Katherine , Angel-Scott Helena , Xia Shelley , Large Matthew
Published: January 2021

Background

Suicide prediction models have been formulated in a variety of ways and are heterogeneous in the strength of their predictions. Machine learning has been a proposed as a way of improving suicide predictions by incorporating more suicide risk factors.

Aims

To determine whether machine learning and the number of suicide risk factors included in suicide prediction models are associated with the strength of the resulting predictions.

Method

Random-effect meta-analysis of exploratory suicide prediction models constructed by combining two or more suicide risk factors or using clinical judgement (Prospero Registration CRD42017059665). Studies were located by searching for papers indexed in PubMed before 15 August 2020 with the term suicid* in the title.

Results

In total, 86 papers reported 102 suicide prediction models and included 20 210 411 people and 106 902 suicides. The pooled odds ratio was 7.7 (95% CI 6.7–8.8) with high between-study heterogeneity (I2 = 99.5). Machine learning was associated with a non-significantly higher odds ratio of 11.6 (95% CI 6.0–22.3) and clinical judgement with a non-significantly lower odds ratio of 4.7 (95% CI 2.1–10.9). Models including a larger number of suicide risk factors had a higher odds ratio when machine-learning studies were included (P = 0.02). Among non-machine-learning studies, suicide prediction models including fewer risk factors performed just as well as those including more risk factors.

Conclusions

Machine learning might have the potential to improve the performance of suicide prediction models by increasing the number of included suicide risk factors but its superiority over other methods is unproven.
Cloud-Based Federated Learning Implementation Across Medical Centers
Authors: Rajendran Suraj , Obeid Jihad S. , Binol Hamidullah , D`Agostino Ralph , Foley Kristie , Zhang Wei , Austin Philip , Brakefield Joey , Gurcan Metin N. , Topaloglu Umit
Published: January 2021

PURPOSE

Building well-performing machine learning (ML) models in health care has always been exigent because of the data-sharing concerns, yet ML approaches often require larger training samples than is afforded by one institution. This paper explores several federated learning implementations by applying them in both a simulated environment and an actual implementation using electronic health record data from two academic medical centers on a Microsoft Azure Cloud Databricks platform.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using two separate cloud tenants, ML models were created, trained, and exchanged from one institution to another via a GitHub repository. Federated learning processes were applied to both artificial neural networks (ANNs) and logistic regression (LR) models on the horizontal data sets that are varying in count and availability. Incremental and cyclic federated learning models have been tested in simulation and real environments.

RESULTS

The cyclically trained ANN showed a 3% increase in performance, a significant improvement across most attempts ( P < .05). Single weight neural network models showed improvement in some cases. However, LR models did not show much improvement after federated learning processes. The specific process that improved the performance differed based on the ML model and how federated learning was implemented. Moreover, we have confirmed that the order of the institutions during the training did influence the overall performance increase.

CONCLUSION

Unlike previous studies, our work has shown the implementation and effectiveness of federated learning processes beyond simulation. Additionally, we have identified different federated learning models that have achieved statistically significant performances. More work is needed to achieve effective federated learning processes in biomedicine, while preserving the security and privacy of the data.
Apparent diffusion coefficient values of cryptorchid testes and malignant transformation of cryptorchidism (MTC) (seminoma) in postpubertal patients
Authors: Liu Renwei , Li Jianhua , Jiang Yixiang , Wu Zhiqing , Chen Yanzi , Li Ruifeng
Published: January 2021

Objectives:

Diffusion-weighted imaging signal contrast can be quantified by apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, which reflect the diffusion properties of the examined tissue and are helpful for identifying pathology. To determine ADC values of cryptorchid testes in post-pubertal patients and assess performance for characterizing cryptorchid testes.

Methods:

The medical records from 35 patients with unilateral scrotal vacuity were retrospectively reviewed. Data were analyzed in three groups: Group A, normal testes (i.e. the contralateral testes of the patients with cryptorchidism or MTC); Group B, cryptorchid testes; and Group C, malignant transformation of cryptorchidism (MTC) (seminoma). DWI used b-values of 0 and 800 s/mm2. Mean ADC values were compared using the independent samples t-test. The ability of ADC values was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated.

Results:

Mean ADC values for normal testes, cryptorchid testes, and MTC were 1.18 ± 0.18×10−3 mm2/s, 1.82 ± 0.40×10−3 mm2/s, and 0.80 ± 0.06×10−3 mm2/s, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in mean ADC values between normal testes and cryptorchid testes or MTC (p < 0.001). The cut-off ADC value for differentiating normal testes from cryptorchid testes was 1.47 × 10−3 mm2/s. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 88%, 91%, and 90%, respectively. The cut-off ADC value for differentiating normal testes from MTC was 1.22 × 10−3 mm2/s. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 100%, 31%, and 43%, respectively.

Conclusion:

ADC values of cryptorchid testes may be used to inform clinical decision-making and also monitor testicular function in patients who retain undescended testicles or post-operatively.

Advances in knowledge:

Mean ADC values of cryptorchidism and MTC (seminoma) were used to reflect their pathological features.
Chordoid glioma in the thalamus of a child: Rare location and atypical imaging findings
Authors: Huang Cong , Gan Dengwei , Huang Botao , Luo Junde , Zhou Xingshun , Wang Wensheng , Wang Yujun
Published: January 2021

Chordoid glioma is a rare intracranial tumour, which usually occurs in middle-aged female patients, mainly in the third ventricle, hypothalamus and suprasellar region. It can reportedly occur in the temporal–parietal lobe, occipital horn of the lateral ventricle and left thalamus. Here, we report a case of chordoid glioma in the thalamic region of a female child, which is different from the previously reported chordoid glioma in the left thalamus. Given its atypical location and imaging findings, it is often misdiagnosed as low-grade glioma before operation. Through the study of this case, we recognized the atypical imaging manifestations of chordoid glioma in a rare location.
Enostosis-related epilepsy
Authors: Lourenço Jorge Vaz , Coelho Joana , Salgueiro Andrea
Published: January 2021

Unexpected bone lesions of the skull present a common dilemma, where radiological appearance and patient’s clinical background are crucial to avoid misdiagnosis.

Enostosis are benign sclerotic bone lesions; its aetiology is still unknown and its management is usually conservative, with good prognosis. Most of these lesions are asymptomatic and neurological involvement is rare. We present the first report of enostosis-related epilepsy.
Implementation of the Behavioural Observation Programme as Part of the Work Safety Strategy
Authors: Kułakowska Aneta , Frankowska Ewa , Sadzińska Beata
Published: January 2021

Aim: The purpose of this article is to present the implementation of the behavioural observation programme in a large manufacturing company belonging to a global concern in the household appliances industry. The purpose of the programme was to increase the awareness of the employees regarding the risks and health and safety rules. This awareness helps to minimize the number of accidents and potential accidents. Introduction: Occupational safety includes technical, organisational and economic measures to protect employees against threats that may occur in the work environment. Popularisation of the subject of occupational health and safety and action in the field of accident prevention is one of the obligations of the employer and employees of the occupational health and safety service (OHS). Project and methods: The research used the method of covert observation of employees’ behaviour while performing work at particular positions and moving around the plant. The research tool was a free interview. Results: The results of the conducted research made it possible to answer the question how behavioural observation programmes improve work safety. As a result of the analysis of the collected data, it can be concluded that the implementation of the behavioural observation programme increased the level of operational safety, increased safety culture in the organisation and raised the number of safe behaviours among employees. The results of behavioural observations constitute the source of data and the basis for taking further corrective actions in the area of occupational health and safety. Conclusions: In case of the workplace described in the article, it would be advisable to extend the programme to other locations of the factory, including laboratories, maintenance area and offices. Behaviour-based safety (BBS) could also be used in other areas of the organisation’s activities, e.g., during exercises of the factory rescue staff (fire protection and evacuation) or audits in the field of quality and environmental protection.
Frontiers: Algorithmic Collusion: Supra-competitive Prices via Independent Algorithms
Authors: Hansen Karsten T. , Misra Kanishka , Pai Mallesh M.
Published: January 2021

We show that the long-run prices from independent machine learning algorithms depend on the informational value of price experiments. If low, the long-run prices are consistent with the static Nash equilibrium; however, if high, the long-run prices are supra-competitive.
Cultural Value Diversity: Influence towards Multicultural Teamwork Performance among Restaurant Employees
Authors: Ab-Latif Zahidah , Abdul Mutalib Asilah , Ismail Zalina , Ismail Fazhana , Che Man Shaibatul ' Islamiah
Published: January 2021

Malaysia currently has a diverse workforce, relying on foreign workers in the hospitality industry. This study tested a conceptual model to investigate the role of specific cultural diversity value in influencing multicultural teamwork performance. A self-administered questionnaire was conducted in casual ethnic restaurants in Malaysia. The findings revealed that the three diversity dimensions of collectivism, determinism, and orientation each had distinctive effects on productivity and/or cooperation. This study offers new insights on cultural value diversity and multicultural teamwork performance at a dimensional level thus provides rigid answer for the argument from previous scholars. In addition, by providing the current phenomena in workforce industry, this study helps the restaurant managers to prepare with strategic management on handling diversity among multicultural team.
TEOREMA DE CANTOR-BERNSTEIN-SCHROEDER
Authors: Ledesma Guido Gerson Espiritu , Magalha Gabriella
Published: January 2021

O Teorema de Cantor-Bernstein-Scrhoeder é um dos pilares da teoria dos conjuntos, sendo ele equivalente ao Lema de Zorn. Neste trabalho daremos uma demonstração construtiva deste Teorema, assim como exibiremos algumas aplicações.
APRENDIZAGEM DE SEGUNDA LÍNGUA POR MEIO DA EDUCAÇÃO ONLINE ABERTA: O USO DE TECNOLOGIAS DIGITAIS, GAMIFICAÇÃO E AUTODIDATISMO NO PROCESSO DE AQUISIÇÃO LINGUÍSTICA
Authors: Corrêa Cláudio Ricardo
Published: January 2021

Este estudo aborda como ocorre o ensino/aprendizagem de segunda língua – por meio da educação online aberta – tendo como viés o uso de tecnologias digitais (em especial as de acesso à internet). Entre os temas abordados estão: gamificação, tecnologias de informação e comunicação (TICs), ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem (AVAs), educação a distância (EAD), cibercultura, autodidatismo, autonomia, pensamento crítico, autoria, inclusão e democratização do acesso à aprendizagem. Para isso optou-se pelos cursos, aplicativos e sites de ensino/aprendizagem de segunda língua gratuitos. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa para a qual foram selecionados participantes adultos – falantes nativos de língua portuguesa, que não tiveram instrução formal da língua-alvo –, que fizeram testes de nivelamento comparativos (iniciais e finais), com o propósito de averiguar a aprendizagem. O curso-base escolhido para os participantes foi o Duolingo. Também foram agregados outros meios digitais de educação aberta, disponíveis para prática, interação, aperfeiçoamento e desenvolvimento de competência linguística.
TROPICALIDADE E INTENCIONALIDADE EM LIVROS DIDÁTICOS DE GEOGRAFIA: UMA LEITURA DAS OBRAS DE AROLDO DE AZEVEDO, ELIAN ALABI LUCCI E MELHEM ADAS
Authors: De Mello Bruno Falararo , Pezzato João Pedro
Published: January 2021

Este trabalho é fruto de pesquisa que relaciona o currículo de Geografia, em especial os conteúdos da climatologia escolar em livros didáticos do Ensino Médio, com as ciências de referência. Para tanto, foram selecionados autores de livros didáticos representativos da Geografia escolar brasileira entre as décadas de 1960 e 2010, com o objetivo de proceder a uma leitura crítica acerca dos conteúdos de climatologia veiculados em suas obras didáticas. Na perspectiva metodológica do paradigma indiciário, este artigo trata, especificamente, de divulgar as análises a respeito da tropicalidade brasileira evidenciada sob a óptica de três autores nacionais – Aroldo de Azevedo, Elian Alabi Lucci e Melhem Adas –, cujos discursos evidenciam seus alinhamentos. Foi possível observar que o tema é objeto de destaque nos três livros didáticos e que as ideias que sustentam as posições de Aroldo e Elian sobre o clima tropical são semelhantes. Ambos apontam que o clima tropical é essencialmente danoso ao desenvolvimento nacional. Contudo, Melhem Adas adota posição oposta aos demais autores.
CARTOGRAFIA DE FAVELAS: DISTRIBUIÇÃO, CARACTERIZAÇÃO E ANÁLISE ESPACIAL DAS FAVELAS DA ÁREA DE PLANEJAMENTO 3 (AP3) DO MUNICÍPIO DO RIO DE JANEIRO
Authors: Cupertino Bastos Rita Maria , Gonçalves Amaral Felipe , Moura de Almeida Paula Maria , Costa Araújo Patrícia Luana , Madureira Cruz Carla Bernadete
Published: January 2021

A cidade do Rio de Janeiro é muito conhecida por suas paisagens diversas e por suas favelas. A distribuição espacial das favelas, bem como o conhecimento de suas características, é de suma importância para um planejamento urbano coerente. Assim, este trabalho tem como objetivo caracterizar, analisar e compreender a configuração espacial das favelas da Área de Planejamento (AP3) no município do Rio de Janeiro por meio de variáveis espaciais como zoneamento, hidrografia, rodovias, ferrovias e altitude. Essa caracterização espacial é um aspecto fundamental quando se considera a questão das favelas sob a ótica da habitação, do planejamento urbano e da qualidade de vida. A análise espacial indicou que cerca de 80% das comunidades da AP3 possuem intrínseca relação com as variáveis adotadas, corroborando com os apontamentos de Abreu (1997) de que sua existência está intrinsecamente associada ao processo de urbanização do subúrbio carioca.
It's a job for life!
Authors: Gorman Tina
Published: January 2021

Sue Davies retired as a dental nurse last year. Here, she reflects on the changes over the decades with Tina Gorman
Medical Device Regulation: Implications for dental nurses
Authors: Green James I J
Published: January 2021

James I J Green explores the legislative changes that will be affecting custom-made devices and what this means for dental nurses
The effect of corporate social responsibility content on consumer engagement behaviours on Facebook brand pages in Egypt
Authors: Gaber Hazem Rasheed , Elsamadicy Ahmed
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this paper is to study how companies communicate their corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices on their Facebook pages, and it also investigates the impact of this content type on consumer engagement behaviours. Based on content analysis of the biggest twenty
corporate Facebook pages in Egypt, it was found that these companies focus on non-CSR posts more than CSR posts. However, the findings showed that the CSR posts received the highest number of likes, comments and shares if compared to other content types. This article provides social media
managers with some guidelines for effective posting strategies when adopting Facebook marketing. Specifically, it recommends that corporations use this social network to communicate CSR practices to consumers. Since the adoption of Facebook in CSR activities by many corporations is a relatively
new practice, this article provides practitioners with some guidelines to follow.
Ultrafast Control of Microlasers
Authors: Xiao Shumin , Song Qinghai , Kivshar Yuri
Published: January 2021

All-optical switching faces new requirements for next-generation optical and quantum computing, which put a premium on low energy consumption, high speed, strong modulation ratios and high-density integration. These requirements can pose severe design challenges. Recently, we have demonstrated an alternative approach to all-optical switching design, based on the physics of topologically protected optical bound states in the continuum, that can break some of these challenges.
Ultra-High-Speed Time-Frequency Signal Processing
Authors: Konatham Saikrishna Reddy , Maram Reza , Cortés Luis Romero , Azaña José , Chang Jun Ho , Rusch Leslie , LaRochelle Sophie , Guillet de Chatellus Hugues
Published: January 2021

Dynamic real-time spectrum analysis and processing of high-speed broadband waveforms is fundamental to many important applications in communications, radar, sensing and other areas. These applications require real-time, continuous, gap-free computation of the Fourier transform of the incoming temporal signal, over broad frequency bandwidths with nanosecond-or-shorter resolutions. Recently, we have proposed and demonstrated a universal analog signal processing architecture that achieves a direct and continuous time-mapping of a gap-free short-time Fourier transform or spectrogram for an arbitrary (even infinitely long) incoming waveform.
Extreme Mid-IR Light Trapping with Graphene Plasmons
Authors: Epstein Itai , Koppens Frank
Published: January 2021

The mid-infrared and terahertz spectral ranges are crucial in areas such as molecular and biological sensing, food inspection, and the identification of hazardous materials, as many molecular resonances reside in this part of the spectrum. Detecting molecular signatures requires a significant field intensity. Recently, we extended the toolkit for detecting such signatures by taking advantage of the properties of graphene plasmons.
Creating Photonic Cyclones
Authors: Chen Jian , Wan Chenhao , Chong Andy , Zhan Qiwen
Published: January 2021

Recent theoretical studies have revealed the existence of transverse optical orbital angular momentum (OAM), but suitable experimental tools to controllably generate light with these OAM states have been lacking. This year, we demonstrated a method for generating a spatio-temporal optical vortex that resembles a fast-advancing cyclone, with transverse OAM perpendicular to the propagation direction.
Extraordinary Beam Modulation with Ordinary GRIN Lenses
Authors: He Chao , Booth Martin
Published: January 2021

Stress-induced birefringence is often regarded as a nuisance phenomenon that occurs in the fabrication process of many optics, including gradient index (GRIN) lenses. Recently, we have shown that this unwanted defect can in fact be harnessed and exploited for new applications beyond traditional usage of GRIN lenses.
Obtaining Images by Measuring Time
Authors: Turpin Alex , Musarra Gabriella , Kapitany Valentin , Tonolini Francesco , Lyons Ashley , Starshynov Ilya , Murray-Smith Roderick , Faccio Daniele , Villa Federica , Conca Enrico , Fioranelli Francesco
Published: January 2021

Forming an image without spatial sensing of the scene, either in the detector or in the illumination, would seem an impossible task. To tackle the problem, in recent work, we used a single-point sensor with time-resolving capabilities, coupled with an AI algorithm, to demonstrate 3D imaging of different scenes, including multiple humans, up to a depth of 4 m.
Networks of mutually coupled random lasers
Authors: Caselli Niccolò , Consoli Antonio , Mateos Sánchez Ángel María , López Cefe
Published: January 2021

Random lasers (RLs) rely on light amplification in a gain material with feedback from multiple scattering in disordered media. They are unconventional light sources characterized by multiple narrow peaks emission with high potential in imaging and sensing applications. At variance with ordinary lasers, optical interaction between single RLs arranged in networks of multiply interconnected resonators remains unexplored. The typical RL architecture where gain material and scatterers are spatially mixed, is unsuitable for the realization of singular devices on the same platform. Here, we use RLs in which gain is restricted to the line between two scattering regions to establish and probe mutual coupling between many RLs. We prove the interaction in the network by detecting the spectral rearrangement of the compound emission as compared to individual RLs. The engineering of coupled RLs sets the basis for building structures with potential to function as optical neural networks.
Optimal tuning of weighted kNN- and diffusion-based methods for denoising single cell genomics data
Authors: Tjärnberg Andreas , Mahmood Omar , Jackson Christopher A. , Saldi Giuseppe-Antonio , Cho Kyunghyun , Christiaen Lionel A. , Bonneau Richard A.
Published: January 2021

The analysis of single-cell genomics data presents several statistical challenges, and extensive efforts have been made to produce methods for the analysis of this data that impute missing values, address sampling issues and quantify and correct for noise. In spite of such efforts, no consensus on best practices has been established and all current approaches vary substantially based on the available data and empirical tests. The k-Nearest Neighbor Graph (kNN-G) is often used to infer the identities of, and relationships between, cells and is the basis of many widely used dimensionality-reduction and projection methods. The kNN-G has also been the basis for imputation methods using, e.g., neighbor averaging and graph diffusion. However, due to the lack of an agreed-upon optimal objective function for choosing hyperparameters, these methods tend to oversmooth data, thereby resulting in a loss of information with regard to cell identity and the specific gene-to-gene patterns underlying regulatory mechanisms. In this paper, we investigate the tuning of kNN- and diffusion-based denoising methods with a novel non-stochastic method for optimally preserving biologically relevant informative variance in single-cell data. The framework, Denoising Expression data with a Weighted Affinity Kernel and Self-Supervision (DEWÄKSS), uses a self-supervised technique to tune its parameters. We demonstrate that denoising with optimal parameters selected by our objective function (i) is robust to preprocessing methods using data from established benchmarks, (ii) disentangles cellular identity and maintains robust clusters over dimension-reduction methods, (iii) maintains variance along several expression dimensions, unlike previous heuristic-based methods that tend to oversmooth data variance, and (iv) rarely involves diffusion but rather uses a fixed weighted kNN graph for denoising. Together, these findings provide a new understanding of kNN- and diffusion-based denoising methods. Code and example data for DEWÄKSS is available at https://gitlab.com/Xparx/dewakss/-/tree/Tjarnberg2020branch.
Prevalence of epiretinal membrane in the phakic eyes based on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography
Authors: Kim Boyun , Choi Ayoung , Park Jin Heung , Jeon Sohee
Published: January 2021

The prevalence of epiretinal membrane (ERM) and associated factors in the phakic eyes have not been fully elucidated yet. This cross-sectional study included 2,354 phakic eyes without retinal diseases or surgical history. Ocular parameters, such as uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), spherical equivalent (SE), intraocular pressure (IOP), white-to-white corneal diameter (WTW), mean keratometric value (Km) of total corneal refractive power at 4-mm diameter (TCRP4), astigmatism of TCRP4, total corneal irregular astigmatism (TCIA), pupil diameter, axial length (AXL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT), and posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) were compared between ERM group and control group. Additionally, an age-matched control group was selected by individual matching and compared with the ERM group to eliminate the confounders. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the factors associated with the presence of ERM. Among 2,354 eyes, 429 eyes (18.2%) had ERM based on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. The ERM group showed higher prevalence of PVD, worse CDVA, higher astigmatism of TCRP4, higher TCIA, smaller pupil size, longer AXL, and thicker LT than control group (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.011, P < 0.001, P = 0.023, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively). Only PVD, CDVA, SE, astigmatism of TCRP4, TCIA, and AXL maintained the significance when compared with the age-matched control group (P < 0.001, P = 0.026, P < 0.001, P = 0.001, P = 0.003, and P < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, PVD, CDVA, and TCIA were independently associated with the presence of ERM (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.011, and P = 0.002). The prevalence of ERM detected using SD-OCT was 18.2% in the middle aged phakic population. Eyes with TCIA, in addition to older age and PVD, were more likely to have ERM.
Adaptation and validation of a German version of the Strengths Use and Deficit Correction (SUDCO) questionnaire
Authors: Lorenz Timo , Heinitz Kathrin , Beer Clemens , van Woerkom Marianne
Published: January 2021

The Strength Use and Deficit Correction (SUDCO) Questionnaire has been shown to be a reliable instrument for the measurement of its four dimensionsperceived organizational support for strengths use,perceived organizational support for deficit correction,strengths use behavior, anddeficit correction behaviorin the context of organizations. This paper aims to adapt and validate the SUDCO for the German-speaking population (SUDCO-G). Three studies were conducted. Confirmatory factor analyses and correlations with other psychological constructs on the data of three German samples (N1= 302;N2= 243, N3= 295) were performed. The twenty-four item SUDCO-G exhibits the anticipated factorial structure with four factors and an acceptable model fit in all three studies (CFI= .920-.937,TLI= .911-.929,RMSEA= .063-.079,SRMR= 0.52-.075). The associations of the four dimensions to other constructs concur with previous findings (study 2) and the subscales of the SUDCO-G also show positive relations with general strengths use, meaning of work and Psychological Capital (study 3). We conclude that the SUDCO-G is a reliable and valid instrument for the use in the German-speaking population.
Trauma in Pregnancy : Diversifying Obstetric Retrieval Service in Sabah
Authors: Chandrasegaran C. Arrchana , Cheah Phee Kheng , Johari Arif , Ariffin Muhamad Yaakub , Zaharuddin Fatin Salwani
Published: January 2021

The Obstetric and Gynaecological Retrieval Service in West Coast Sabah has been well-established since year 2015, parallel to the global advancement of Emergency Retrieval Service. The decision to transfer a patient or to deploy team to the patient lies in the hands of Retrieval Unit. Additionally the mode of transportation, surgeon availability, weather and travel time have to be taken into account. Even though the structure of the program is steadfast in diversifying retrieval services, there are still insufficient studies available to decide its worth. We report a case of a 19-year old primigravida at 27 weeks; involved in a high-impact motor vehicle accident and sustained class 4 hemorrhagic shock. Evaluated in a district hospital, uterine rupture was diagnosed. Hence, the dilemma was either to deploy a team to perform the surgery in district hospital, or to put the patient through a perilous journey back. We would discuss on how we had organised and coordinated a team of obstetrician and anaesthesiologist, along with the Retrieval Team, to perform an Emergency Exploratory Laparotomy in district hospital. Nevertheless, the best method of care is still debatable as astute judgement is crucial and this approach has to be taken on a case to case basis. Ultimately, the patients well-being is the utmost priority.
DOKUNMA İHTİYACI AÇISINDAN SHOWROOMING ve WEBROOMING DAVRANIŞLARININ ARAŞTIRILMASI
Authors: TATLI Hasan Sadık
Published: January 2021

Araştırmanın amacı, tüketicilerin dokunma ihtiyacı açısından internet kanalı ve mağaza kanalları arasındaki geçişlerinin ve satın alma profillerinin belirlenmesidir. Araştırmanın örneklemi en az bir kez internet üzerinden satın alma işlemi gerçekleştirmiş tüketicilerden oluşmaktadır. Araştırma sonucunda 3 farklı tüketici profili (çevrimiçi kanal kullanıcıları, mağaza kanalı kullanıcıları ve çoklu kanal kullanıcıları) oluşturulmuştur. Çevrimiçi kanal kullanıcıların dokunma ihtiyaçlarının düşük olduğu, çevrimiçi kanallardan satın almaya olumlu yaklaştıkları, kanallar arasında geçiş yaparak alışverişi tamamlama niyetinde oldukları sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Mağaza kanalı kullanıcıları, dokunma ihtiyacı yüksek olan, mağazada ürün incelemesi yaptıktan sonra internetten satın almayı faydalı görmeyen, ancak internetten bilgi toplamaya olumlu yaklaşan bireylerdir. Çoklu kanal kullanıcıları ise yüksek düzeyde dokunma ihtiyacı olan, mağaza ve internet kanalları arasında geçiş ve internet kanallarından alışverişe olumlu yaklaşımı olan kişilerdir. Araştırma, tüketicileri dokunma ihtiyacı, webrooming ve showrooming davranışlarının profillendirilmesi açısından diğer çalışmalardan farklılaşmaktadır
The Effect of Hypnotherapy on Anticipatory Nausea in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy
Authors: Hamdani Dadi , Prasetyo Awal , Anggorowati Anggorowati
Published: January 2021

Background: One of the chemotherapy side effects on head and neck cancer patients is anticipatory nausea. However, the anticipatory nausea problem has not been properly resolved. Nausea might be psychologically reduced by hypnotherapy. There only have been very few studies conducted to examine the effects of hypnotherapy in alleviating anticipatory nausea.Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effect of hypnotherapy using Hanung induction technique on anticipatory nausea in head and neck cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.Methods: This research employed a pre-post test of quasi-experiment with control group design. Consecutive sampling technique was used to obtain 64 subjects who met inclusion and exclusion criteria and were equally divided into the intervention and control groups. Hypnotherapy as the intervention was carried out in two sessions, each of which lasted for 20 minutes, with a week distance between sessions. The data were collected using a visual analog scale (VAS), which was used twice to measure anticipatory nausea and analyzed using the paired and independent-sample t-test.Result: The results showed that the mean score of anticipatory nausea in the intervention group reduced from 7.6±1.4 to 2.3 ±1.2 after hypnotherapy, while the mean in the control group increased from 6.4±1.6 to 6.7±1.4. There was a significant difference in the score of anticipatory nausea after the implementation of hypnotherapy between the intervention and the control group (p<0.001).Conclusion: The study concluded that hypnotherapy is effective in reducing the intensity of anticipatory nausea in head and neck cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Therefore, hypnotherapy can be applied by oncology nurses as an intervention in treating anticipatory nausea.
Factors Associated with Mothers’ Behaviors in Selecting Complementary Feeding in Surabaya, Indonesia
Authors: Pradanie Retnayu , Rachmawati Praba Diyan , Cahyani Meilia Dwi
Published: January 2021

Background: Complementary feeding is usually given to babies at 6 to 24 months of age. Appropriate types, amounts, and methods of complementary feeding are crucial for baby growth and development. Various factors influence mothers’ behavior in selecting complementary feeding.  Purpose: This study aimed to investigate factors affecting mothers’ behaviors in selecting complementary feeding for their babies. Methods: A descriptive analytical study with a cross-sectional approach was conducted on 153 mothers having babies aged 6-12 months old in Surabaya, Indonesia, recruited using simple random sampling. The independent variables were knowledge, attitude, belief, family income, and family support, while the dependent variable was mothers’ behavior in selecting complementary feeding. Data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed using the Spearman rho’s test with a significance level of <0.05.Results: The results showed that knowledge (p=0.021), attitudes (p=0.030), beliefs (p=0.006), income (p=0.000), and family support (p=0.006) were factors affecting mothers’ behavior in selecting complementary feeding.Conclusion: Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, income and family support had a significant correlation with mothers’ behaviors in selecting complementary feeding. This finding emphasizes pivotal needs to increase knowledge and attitude of complementary feeding for both mothers as the infant primary caregivers, and families as the closest support system for mothers.
Factors Associated with Nursing Students’ Intention to Report Needlestick Injuries: Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior
Authors: Ditching Nelson A. , Furatero Angel Grace F. , Iquiña Razilee Vania S. , Sabulao Aira Darlyn M. , Supremo Jason M. , Oducado Ryan Michael Flores
Published: January 2021

Background: Nursing students, like other healthcare workers, are prone to needlestick injuries. Over the years, studies have been conducted regarding needlestick injuries. However, its prevalence among Filipino nursing students’ is still not known. Also, nursing students’ intention to report needlestick injuries in the Philippines has not been explored.Purpose: The purpose of this research was to determine the factors associated with the intention to report needlestick injuries among nursing students applying the Theory of Planned Behavior.Methods: This cross-sectional study used the Needlestick Injuries Reporting Intention Scale (NIRIS) and was distributed among 233 senior nursing students in Iloilo City, Philippines. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation were utilized to analyze the data.Results: The results of the study revealed that 15% of nursing students had experienced a needlestick injury. However, only less than half (45.71%) of those who sustained needlestick injury reported the incident. Nursing students exhibited a positive attitude (M=5.41; SD=0.63) toward reporting needlestick injuries. They perceived a high social pressure (M=4.65; SD=0.46), high behavioral control (M=4.19; SD=0.45), and high intention (M=8.99; SD=1.15) in reporting needlestick injuries. Attitude (p=0.000), subjective norm (p=0.000), and perceived behavioral control (p=0.000) were significantly correlated with the intention to report needlestick injuries.Conclusion: This study supports the Theory of Planned Behavior in identifying factors influencing nursing students’ intention to report needlestick injuries.
Preliminary Study on The Utilization Of Seaweed and Green Grass Jelly Leaves as Candidate Alternatives for EOR Polymer
Authors: Huljannah Miftah , Lestari Fitra Ayu , Erfando Tomi
Published: January 2021

The declining in production can occur because wells that have been producing for a long time are no longer able to lift oil to the surface in primary and secondary ways. Therefore, tertiary methods such as chemical injection like polymer flooding were carried out. Polymers commonly used in flooding polymers are divided into three namely synthetic polymers, biopolymers, and natural polymers. Natural polymers have abundant sources such as seaweed and grass jelly. This study was aimed to identify alternative renewable polymers as flooding polymer materials by knowing initial characteristics such as viscosity, compatibility and the effect of shear rates. This test wass carried out by an experimental method with several stages, namely drying, crushing to powder, and making polymers that were dissolved into brines that have different salinity. Then the polymer was allowed to stand for more than 24 hours until it was tested. The material tested was seaweed, grass jelly, and biopolymer xanthan gum as a comparison. The parameters used are polymer concentrations of 1000 ppm, 2000 ppm and 3000 ppm with each salinity of 3000 ppm, 9000 ppm and 15000 ppm. The test results showed that the characteristics of natural polymers were the same as biopolymers, the viscosity decreased as the brines salinity increased .The absence of sedimentation resulted from Seaweed and grass jelly  solution and formation water indicated that the polymers had good compatibility and  shear rate test has shown that the polymers are psuodoplastic.