bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial dynamics regulate cell morphology in the developing cochlea
Authors: O'Sullivan James D. B. , Terry Stephen , Scott Claire A. , Bullen Anwen , Jagger Daniel J. , Mann Zoë F.
Published: August 2024

In multicellular tissues, the size and shape of cells are intricately linked with their physiological functions. In the vertebrate auditory organ, the neurosensory epithelium develops as a mosaic of sensory hair cells (HCs), and their glial-like supporting cells, which have distinct morphologies and functional properties at different frequency positions along its tonotopic long axis. In the chick cochlea, the basilar papilla (BP), proximal (high-frequency) HCs, are larger than their distal (low-frequency) counterparts, a morphological feature essential for sound perception. Mitochondrial dynamics, which constitute the equilibrium between fusion and fission, regulate differentiation and functional refinement across a variety of cell types. We investigate this as a potential mechanism for regulating the shape of developing HCs. Using live imaging in intact BP explants, we identify distinct remodelling of mitochondrial networks in proximal compared with distal HCs. Manipulating mitochondrial dynamics in developing HCs alters their normal morphology along the proximal-distal (tonotopic) axis. Inhibition of the mitochondrial fusion machinery decreased proximal HC surface area, whereas promotion of fusion increased the distal HC surface area. We identify mitochondrial dynamics as a key regulator of HC morphology in developing inner ear epithelia.
Nucleocytoplasmic transport senses mechanical forces independently of cell density in cell monolayers
Authors: Granero-Moya Ignasi , Venturini Valeria , Belthier Guillaume , Groenen Bart , Molina-Jordán Marc , González-Martín Miguel , Trepat Xavier , van Rheenen Jacco , Andreu Ion , Roca-Cusachs Pere
Published: August 2024

Cells sense and respond to mechanical forces through mechanotransduction, which regulates processes in health and disease. In single adhesive cells, mechanotransduction involves the transmission of force from the extracellular matrix to the cell nucleus, where it affects nucleocytoplasmic transport (NCT) and the subsequent nuclear localization of transcriptional regulators, such as YAP (also known as YAP1). However, if and how NCT is mechanosensitive in multicellular systems is unclear. Here, we characterize and use a fluorescent sensor of nucleocytoplasmic transport (Sencyt) and demonstrate that NCT responds to mechanical forces but not cell density in cell monolayers. Using monolayers of both epithelial and mesenchymal phenotype, we show that NCT is altered in response both to osmotic shocks and to the inhibition of cell contractility. Furthermore, NCT correlates with the degree of nuclear deformation measured through nuclear solidity, a shape parameter related to nuclear envelope tension. In contrast, YAP is sensitive to cell density, showing that the YAP response to cell–cell contacts is not via a mere mechanical effect of NCT. Our results demonstrate the generality of the mechanical regulation of NCT.
A study of association between early menarche and anxiety in undergraduate students
Authors: Bakshi Poorva , Shetty Sharanya B. , Sharma Abira , K G Vasudha , Pai Keshava , K Radhika , D'Souza Priyanka Renita , N S Reshma
Published: August 2024

Background Anxiety has been reported to be one of the most common epidemics in recent years. The present study focused on understanding the association between early menarche and the prevalence of anxiety and anxiety symptoms among adult undergraduate students. Methods This was an observational, case-control study. The sample included 146 young female adults aged more than or equal to 18 years pursuing the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Sciences (BDS). Using an online questionnaire, participants were asked to recall and enter the age at which they attained menarche. We used the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7- Item Questionnaire (GAD-7) to measure the severity of their present anxiety symptoms. Results The results showed a significant increase in anxiety symptoms in participants who had early menarche compared to those who did not have early menarche. The mean score on the GAD-7 Questionnaire for the cases was 9.93 and the control group was 6.89. The GAD-7 scores among the cases group were significantly higher in the GAD-7 scores than in the control group. Conclusions This study concluded that early menarche is associated with higher anxiety levels in young adults.
Fostering Inclusivity in the Clinical Learning Environment
Authors: Smith Teresa Y. , Terhune Kyla , Caniano Donna A.
Published: August 2024

Despite the Supreme Court’s decision on race-based admissions, academic medical centers, medical societies, and accreditation bodies remain committed to recruiting a diverse workforce. Many medical schools and graduate medical education programs created initiatives to expand their census of underrepresented in medicine (UIM) as the key to addressing health care disparities. As a result, an influx of an UIM physician workforce has entered clinical learning environments, often without consideration of the inclusivity of these settings. To create inclusive, safe, and comfortable CLEs, we must first recognize the challenges faced by UIM trainees, students, and faculty and the complex ways in which discrimination manifests. Ultimately, having inclusive CLEs allows all learners, especially those from historically excluded identities, to thrive in their training and working environment, making it essential to retain the diverse workforce necessary. Using case examples, we discuss strategies of inclusivity and ways in which we can maintain clinical learning environments where learners feel safe and supported through their training.
The Effects of Real-Time Feedback on Effort and Performance: Evidence from a Natural Quasi-Experiment
Authors: Margolin Maximilian , Reimer Marko , Schaupp Daniel
Published: August 2024

New digital technologies allow companies to provide employees with performance feedback in real time. We investigate the causal effects of such real-time feedback on individual effort and the quality of initial (prefeedback) and final (postfeedback) decisions by exploiting a natural quasi-experiment in the setting of professional soccer refereeing. Our results suggest that real-time feedback has differential effects for experienced compared with inexperienced agents. Specifically, we find some evidence that experienced agents decrease their effort under real-time feedback without harming the quality of their initial decisions. This results in better final decisions because real-time feedback allows agents to correct wrong initial decisions upon feedback. In contrast, inexperienced agents increase their effort, but make worse initial decisions. Upon feedback, they manage to compensate for their increased number of wrong initial decisions, but see no improvement in the quality of final decisions.

This paper was accepted by Ranjani Krishnan, accounting.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.02084 .
Classification of Firewall Log Files with Different Algorithms and Performance Analysis of These Algorithms
Authors: Efeoğlu Ebru , Tuna Gurkan
Published: August 2024

Classifying firewall log files allows analysing potential threats and deciding on appropriate rules to prevent them. Therefore, in this study, firewall log files are classified using different classification algorithms and the performance of the algorithms are evaluated using performance metrics. The dataset was prepared using the log files of a firewall. It was filtered to make it free from any personal data and consisted of 12 attributes in total and from these attributes the action attribute was selected as the class. In the performance evaluation, Simple Cart and NB tree algorithms made the best predictions, achieving an accuracy rate of 99.84%. Decision Stump had the worst prediction performance, achieving an accuracy rate of 79.68%. As the total number of instances belonging to each of the classes in the dataset was not equal, the Matthews correlation coefficient was also used as a performance metric in the evaluations. The Simple Cart, BF tree, FT tree, J48 and NB Tree algorithms achieved the highest average values. However, although the reset-both class was not predicted successfully by the others, the Simple Cart algorithm made the best predictions for it. The values of other performance metrics used in this study also support this conclusion. Therefore, the Simple Cart algorithm is recommended for use in classifying firewall log files. However, there is a need to develop a prefiltering and parsing approach to process different log files as each firewall brand creates and maintains log files in its own format. Therefore, in this study, a novel prefiltering and parsing approach has been proposed to process log files with different structures and create structured datasets using them.
Eccentric Wear of Polyethylene Liner in a Bipolar Hemiarthroplasty Leading to a Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty
Authors:   Department of Orthopaedics, Gleneagles Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India., Archik Sreedhar , Angachekar Dhruva ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Gleneagles Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India., Kataria Jeetendra ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Gleneagles Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India., Nakade Swastik ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Gleneagles Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Published: August 2024

Introduction: Aseptic component loosening is a common cause of revision surgery post a hip replacement surgery. Polyethylene wear is a known cause of this loosening which results due to osteolysis of the bone stock surrounding the implant. Most patients have catastrophic wear through failure which manifests as discomfort, noise in the joint, and eccentric femoral head location with increasing leg length discrepancy. However, sometimes clinical presentation may be quite late while liner erosion leads to subluxation of the femoral head which is seen on radiographic imaging. We present a case of rapid polyethylene liner wear leading to femoral head subluxation in a case of bipolar hemiarthroplasty of the hip. Case Report: A 70-year-old female patient underwent a bipolar hemiarthroplasty of the right hip for a transcervical neck of femur fracture 5 years ago. She presented to us with a subluxated femoral head within the cup on radiographs with clinical limp and pain. She was taken up for revision total hip replacement surgery. Conclusion:Routine clinical and radiographic follow-ups should be done post-total or hemi hip replacement surgeries to catch polyethylene wear signs and symptoms in the early stage which could then be treated with a simple liner exchange rather than an extensive revision surgery. Whenever dealing with osteoporotic bone, we need to keep a low threshold for extended trochanteric osteotomy for cement removal from the femoral canal. Keywords: Hip arthroplasty, revision surgery, polyethylene liner wear, extended trochanteric osteotomy.
When resistance becomes policy: discretionary space, professional autonomy and disobedience in Dutch social care reform
Authors: Erisman Jetske C. , Zuiderent-Jerak Teun , Syurina Elena V. , Regeer Barbara J.
Published: August 2024

Across European social work, it is generally assumed that the professional autonomy is a prerequisite for providing good care. However, in the Netherlands, different channels are promoting moves away from autonomy and argue that social workers should practise ‘professional disobedience’: resisting policies or protocols and ‘getting things done’ despite rules or bureaucracy, promoted as a call for action and reform. In this article, we explore this concept through in-depth interviews with Dutch professionals, managers and administrators. We find that although professional autonomy and disobedience are often framed as an individual endeavour, they are practised across social work hierarchies as a collective practice that requires a shared, situational and moral responsibility embedded in a reflexive and responsive governance system. By framing it as professional ‘disobedience’ and a practice of resistance, systemic flaws can be highlighted, though only if this information is fed back into policy to guide change.
How Canadian Universities Are Caught in Geopolitical Tensions: Perspectives of Faculty of Chinese and Non-Chinese Origins
Authors: Zha Qiang , Li Xiaojie
Published: August 2024

Abstract: Canada substantially supported Chinese university development in the 1980s and 1990s, through international aid projects. Since the 2000s, Canadian universities have enjoyed the reciprocal benefits, in terms of an increasing in-bound flow of Chinese students, a pipeline of faculty members of Chinese origin, and growing research collaboration. Nevertheless, now caught in the Canada-China-US trilateral relations, Canada has followed the US in an attempt to link university collaboration (research in particular) to national security concerns and combat possible intellectual espionage from China. Against such a backdrop, this study aims to spotlight the voices of Canadian university faculty of Chinese descent, concerning how the wider geopolitical circumstances and sociopolitical environment might impact their career development, and lead to racial profiling effect for them. Résumé: Le Canada a amplement soutenu le développement des universités chinoises dans les années 1980 et 1990, par le biais de projets d'aide internationale. Depuis les années 2000, les universités canadiennes ont profité des avantages réciproques, en termes de flux croissant d'étudiants chinois, d'une cohorte de professeurs d'origine chinoise et d'une collaboration croissante en matière de recherche. Néanmoins, désormais pris dans les relations trilatérales Canada-Chine-États-Unis, le Canada a suivi les États-Unis dans leur tentative de lier la collaboration universitaire (la recherche en particulier) aux préoccupations en matière de sécurité nationale et de lutte contre un éventuel espionnage intellectuel de la part de la Chine. Dans ce contexte, cette étude vise à mettre en lumière les voix des professeurs d'université canadiens d'origine chinoise, concernant la manière dont les circonstances géopolitiques et l'environnement sociopolitique au sens large peuvent avoir un impact sur le développement de leur carrière, et conduire à une incidence sur leur profil racial.
Disability on the Cusp: Transitions, Transformations, Intersections
Authors: Volpicelli Robert
Published: August 2024

Abstract: This introductory essay argues that Victorian studies and modernist studies have each developed their own distinct vocabularies and perspectives for analyzing disability. It then details how this essay cluster addresses this critical divide by focusing on the aspects of disability that emerged across or between these two periods.
Nymphgate, Nudity, and Moral Excellence
Authors: Harrison James
Published: August 2024

Abstract: In 2018, the artist Sonia Boyce removed John William Waterhouse's Hylas and the Nymphs (1896) from the wall of Manchester Art Gallery. Journalists termed the controversy that accompanied the removal "Nymphgate." In this dispute over the ethics of the nude, the conflicting visions of Victorian critics regarding the relationship of the good to the beautiful recurred with surprising fidelity. This article draws on Uranian poetry, Victorian classical historiography, and quasi-medical inquiries into the origins of same-sex desire to contextualize Hylas and the Nymphs and to identify the aspects of the painting's iconography that the debate over its display tended to overlook.
Voice in Land Dayak Languages
Authors: Sommerlot Carly J.
Published: August 2024

It has been noted that many languages spoken on the island of Borneo, Indonesia, represent a variety of different voice profiles. However, due to limited documentation, languages belonging to the Land Dayak subgroup have not been included in these prior discussions of voice. This paper represents a first step in describing the voice system in five Land Dayak languages, which diverges from the well-studied “Indonesian-type” and “Philippinetype” voice profiles and is characterized by a two-way distinction with limited morphological affixation and case marking, relying instead on word order and a preverbal analytic marker in the undergoer voice. While this patterns similarly to a “Central Bornean-type” voice system, Land Dayak languages showcase variation within this profile that suggests Central Bornean-type as a typology should be broadened. Land Dayak languages additionally show evidence of a nasal prefix N-, which functions not as a voice marker but as a transivitizer, contributing to a larger discussion on the role of (me)N- in the languages of Indonesia.
Analysis of a THz unit-structured grating metasurface wave plate
Authors: Zhang Ji , Gong Yandong
Published: August 2024

Conventional grating quarter-wave plates (QWPs) usually utilize the birefringence effect to achieve the modulation of the polarization state of the incident wave; however, the operating bandwidth is narrow. A metasurface is a two-dimensional material with periodically aligned structures characterized by thinner volume and larger operating bandwidth. In this paper, it is found that the combination of a conventional grating with a metasurface, which divides the entire conventional grating into multiple sets of unit-structured grating metasurfaces according to the number of grating stripe periods, leads to a certain increase in dispersion bandwidth of the QWP due to the differences in the model patterns formed. By comparing the working bandwidth of the grating metasurface QWP with different stripe periods, it is concluded that the fewer the stripe periods of the grating metasurface QWP, the larger the working bandwidth obtained at low rotational degrees, and the more stripe periods there are, the larger the working bandwidth can be maintained at high rotational angles. This research has design guidance for the next multilayer rotating ultra-broadband achromatic wave plate.
Influence of optical property parameters on the emission patterns and spatio-temporal properties of nonlinear Thomson scattering
Authors: Zhang Yi , Wang Haokai , Gu Feiyang , Li Xingyu , Yang Qingyu , Wang Yubo , Tian Youwei
Published: August 2024

In this paper, the coupling influence of laser optical property parameters on nonlinear forward Thomson scattering is comprehensively investigated from the perspectives of electrodynamic properties, spatio-temporal properties, and frequency domain properties. Based on the study of all radiation patterns, the influence laws and mechanisms of each parameter are revealed, and the detailed process of the radiation pattern evolution is demonstrated. The variation rules of peak radiated power and optimal detection direction are summarized through the study of cross parameters. The formation of space radiation is demonstrated from the perspective of a three-dimensional temporal spectrum, and the root causes of differences in radiation patterns are compared. The time-compression effect is discovered, explaining the nature of nonlinear Thomson scattering modulation of high-energy X-rays. And the dependence of the spectral distribution on radiation patterns is explored from the perspective of the frequency domain. The inverse inference of the radiation source parameters based on the demand of X-ray properties is proposed, which accomplishes a great leap from passive detection to active on-demand modulation.
Method for superior denoising of UV/Vis/NIR transmittance spectra of thin films
Authors: Minkov Dorian , Angelov George , Nikolov Dimitar , Rusev Rostislav , Marquez Emilio , Fernandez Susana
Published: August 2024

UV/Vis/NIR transmittance spectra T(λ) are often used for the characterization of thin films in both spectrophotometry and spectroscopic ellipsometry. T(λ) are inherently noisy due to noise generated by the measuring equipment and the environment. Nevertheless, film characterizations are usually performed either without denoising T(λ) or by smoothing it, which should limit the characterization accuracy. In this study is proposed a method, abbreviated as SMEDM, for denoising of UV/Vis/NIR T(λ). The input to SMEDM consists of several intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) obtained from the decomposition of T(λ) by the complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN). In essence, SMEDM uses smoothed median envelopes of IMFs containing apparent noise features and computes the noise of T(λ). Eight model spectra T(λ) of a thin film on a thick substrate and two measured spectra T(λ) of such samples are denoised by SMEDM and other methods most suitable for denoising of such spectra. It is demonstrated that, in all studied cases, the most accurate denoising of the model spectra is obtained by SMEDM utilizing CEEMDAN. Magnitude accuracy of the computed noise MACN > 70% is achieved even for model noises with a magnitude smaller than that of the two experimental spectra.
Dynamic 4D facial capture pipeline with appearance driven progressive retopology based on optical flow
Authors: Tian Zeyu , Liang Bin , Fang Hui , Weng Dongdong
Published: August 2024

This paper presents a production-oriented 4D facial reconstruction pipeline designed to produce high-fidelity facial mesh sequences with a consistently structured topology, while preserving the wireframe structure specified by artists. We have designed and developed a compact, efficient, and fast optical capture system based on synchronized camera arrays for high-precision dynamic 3D facial imaging. Unlike prevailing methods that primarily concentrate on single-frame reconstruction, often reliant on labor-intensive manual annotation, our framework exploits the constraint of appearance consistency to autonomously establish feature correspondence and uphold temporal coherence within the mesh. Consequently, our approach eliminates mesh drifting and jitter, enabling full parallelization for dynamic facial expression capture. The proposed pipeline decouples the non-linear deformation of facial expressions from the rigid movements of the skull through a stable external device. Leveraging progressive retopology, our methodology employs artist-guided templates as priors, ensuring the preservation of wireframe structures across the result sequence. Progressive retopology is achieved by constraining different fine-grained features of 3D landmarks, scan surface shapes, and appearance textures. The results of our study showcase facial mesh sequences with production-quality topology, adept at faithfully reproducing character expressions from photographs while achieving artist-friendly stable facial movements.
Continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with multi-ring discrete modulation
Authors: Liu Cheng Ji , Chao Yu , Wang Lu , Li Qing Shan
Published: August 2024

We propose a continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with multi-ring discrete modulation (MR-CV-MDI-QKD) protocol. In our scheme, coherent states are allocated across distinct rings (amplitudes) in the phase space, and each ring is subjected to traditional M-symbol phase shift keying (MPSK) modulation. The analysis and simulation are given to demonstrate the security of our scheme under collective attacks. The results show that, compared with the traditional discrete modulated (DM)-CV-MDI-QKD where only the MPSK is used for modulation with a fixed amplitude, MR-CV-MDI-QKD can decrease the upper bound of the information accessible to an eavesdropper, thereby facilitating an extended transmission distance and increasing the secret key rate, furthermore, it exhibits a higher tolerance to diminished reverse reconciliation efficiency. This work provides an effective way for the practical implementation of the CV-MDI-QKD protocol.
Yb-doped tapered double-clad fibers with polarization maintenance for half-kW power amplifiers
Authors: Fathi Hossein , Motorin Evgenii , Aghayari Ebrahim , Lindner Florian , Grishchenko Andrey , Gribanov Evgenii , Wondraczek Katrin , Gumenyuk Regina , Filippov Valery
Published: August 2024

Amplifying short pulses directly within a single fiber laser system has proven to be a challenging task, primarily due to thermally induced transverse mode instabilities and detrimental nonlinear effects. Another demanding aspect is preserving the linear polarization state at high power levels, which is even more pronounced for ultra-large-mode area fibers. This study demonstrates significant advancement in the direct amplification of narrow linewidth short pulses from tens of mW to several hundreds of Watts in a single-stage amplification, maintaining a high degree of linear polarization at the maximum output power. Through a comprehensive experimental investigation, two distinct types of Ytterbium-doped tapered double-clad fibers (T-DCFs), namely, PANDA (PT-DCF), with high built-in birefringence, and spun (sT-DCF), with ultra-low built-in birefringence, are examined. The unique geometrical architecture of the amplifiers is exploited for the realization of a compact and highly efficient picosecond fiber-based laser system, achieving more than 75% slope efficiency. In a single amplification stage, 50 ps pulses at a repetition rate of 20 MHz and an average power of 65 mW are amplified up to 457 W and 573 W of average power using PT-DCF and sT-DCF amplifiers, respectively. Both amplifiers exhibit near diffraction limited beam quality, M2 < 1.4 at the highest power level. At the maximum power levels, the system maintains a high degree of linear polarisation, achieving ∼ 90% and ∼ 94% for the sT-DCF and PT-DCF, respectively. These ultra-large mode area fiber amplifiers are verified as versatile solutions for direct amplification of short pulses up to half-kW level with excellent spectral, spatial, and polarization characteristics.
Rapid aberration correction for diffractive X-ray optics by additive manufacturing: erratum
Authors: Seiboth Frank , Kubec Adam , Schropp Andreas , Niese Sven , Gawlitza Peter , Garrevoet Jan , Galbierz Vanessa , Achilles Silvio , Patjens Svenja , Stuckelberger Michael E. , David Christian , Schroer Christian G.
Published: August 2024

An erratum is presented to correct the stated numerical aperture of the employed multilayer Laue lenses in our previously published paper [Opt. Express 30, 31519 (2022)10.1364/OE.454863].
External quantum efficiency enhancement of GaN-based blue LEDs by treating their full-M-sided hexagonal mesa with TMAH solution
Authors: Zhang Peng , Hua Haowen , Gu Ying , Gong Yi , Huang Mengyang , Yang Wenxian , Zhu Jianjun , Long Shibing , Lu Shulong
Published: August 2024

In recent years, III-Nitride-based micro light-emitting diodes (micro-LEDs) have emerged in many fields and gained more attention. However, fabricating high-efficiency micro-LEDs still remains a challenge due to the presence of sidewall damage. In this study, a GaN-based single blue micro-LED with a full-M-sided hexagonal mesa was prepared. The mesa has a circumradius of 10 µm and was treated with a tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution. Experimental results show that the sidewall defects introduced by dry etching damage act as non-radiative recombination centers and greatly impair the performance of the device. By constructing a full-M-sided hexagonal structure and soaking in a TMAH solution, the etching damage on the sidewall can be eliminated to the greatest extent, thereby reducing sidewall defects. In consequence, the peak EQE of the devices treated with the TMAH solution exceeded 10% at low current density, an increase of 9% compared with the untreated samples. This work provides, to our knowledge, a new approach to improving the efficiency of GaN-based micro-LEDs.
High-power hollow-core fiber gas laser at 3.1 µm with a linear-cavity structure
Authors: Song Weihua , Zhang Qian , Zhang Xin , Hou Yubin , Wang Pu
Published: August 2024

Mid-infrared hollow-core fiber (HCF) gas lasers based on a population inversion regime of gas molecules have made advanced development in recent years, but mostly with single-pass cavity-free structures. Here, we demonstrated a 3.1 µm high-power acetylene-filled HCF continuous wave (CW) laser and a self-Q-switched pulse laser with a linear-cavity structure. This configuration not only facilitates the transformation of amplified spontaneous emission into the laser output but also enhances the coherence of the light source and imparts distinct cavity mode characteristics. Harnessing a homemade high-power 1535 nm single-frequency fiber laser that served as the pump source, a CW laser output of 8.23 W at 3.1 µm was achieved, which is over three orders of magnitude higher than those in reported works so far. The corresponding slope efficiency of 31.8% and beam quality of Mx2 = 1.18 and My2 = 1.15 were characterized. When the gas pressure was up to 50 mbar, the laser generated a 3.1 µm self-Q-switched pulse with an output power of 1.98 W as well as a pulse width of 45 ns under the repetition rate of 4.59 MHz. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that an HCF gas laser achieves a self-Q-switched pulse. Future studies will aim to further optimize the experimental setup, potentially enabling the direct generation of picosecond pulses in the mid-infrared wavelength band.
Techno-economic evaluation of mode division multiplexing in subsea transmission systems
Authors: Downie John D. , Sinkin Oleg V.
Published: August 2024

We model few-mode transmission as a potential cost/bit improvement solution in long-haul subsea systems. Without including the costs and complexities of MIMO transponders, we see some potential reduction relative to high fiber count cables with current subsea single-core/single-mode fibers, but only at the expense of much higher electric power requirements. Very high mode counts do not appear to offer significant advantages.
Evolution of phenotypic plasticity leads to tumor heterogeneity with implications for therapy
Authors: Syga Simon , Jain Harish P. , Krellner Marcus , Hatzikirou Haralampos , Deutsch Andreas
Published: August 2024

Cancer is a significant global health issue, with treatment challenges arising from intratumor heterogeneity. This heterogeneity stems mainly from somatic evolution, causing genetic diversity within the tumor, and phenotypic plasticity of tumor cells leading to reversible phenotypic changes. However, the interplay of both factors has not been rigorously investigated. Here, we examine the complex relationship between somatic evolution and phenotypic plasticity, explicitly focusing on the interplay between cell migration and proliferation. This type of phenotypic plasticity is essential in glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain tumor. We propose that somatic evolution alters the regulation of phenotypic plasticity in tumor cells, specifically the reaction to changes in the microenvironment. We study this hypothesis using a novel, spatially explicit model that tracks individual cells’ phenotypic and genetic states. We assume cells change between migratory and proliferative states controlled by inherited and mutation-driven genotypes and the cells’ microenvironment. We observe that cells at the tumor edge evolve to favor migration over proliferation and vice versa in the tumor bulk. Notably, different genetic configurations can result in this pattern of phenotypic heterogeneity. We analytically predict the outcome of the evolutionary process, showing that it depends on the tumor microenvironment. Synthetic tumors display varying levels of genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity, which we show are predictors of tumor recurrence time after treatment. Interestingly, higher phenotypic heterogeneity predicts poor treatment outcomes, unlike genetic heterogeneity. Our research offers a novel explanation for heterogeneous patterns of tumor recurrence in glioblastoma patients.
Healthcare worker perspectives on adaptations to differentiated anti-retroviral therapy delivery during COVID-19 in South Africa: A qualitative inquiry
Authors: Tlhaku Kwena , Msimango Lindani , Sookrajh Yukteshwar , Milford Cecilia , Munatsi Pedzisai , Gray Andy , Maraj Munthra , Garrett Nigel , Dorward Jienchi
Published: August 2024

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the South African Centralized Chronic Medicines Dispensing and Distribution (CCMDD) programme, adapted to include extended 12-month antiretroviral therapy (ART) prescriptions, 3-months ART refills and earlier eligibility criteria at 6-months after ART initiation. We aimed to explore the experiences of healthcare workers (HCWs) in implementing these adaptations, and to understand the overall impact of COVID-19 on CCMDD. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with HCWs in eThekwini District clinics, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated, and analysed thematically. Between 18 February and 13 December 2022, we conducted 21 interviews with nurses, doctors, pharmacists, clinic managers and a community pick-up-point staff member. There were mixed perceptions about COVID-19 adaptations to CCMDD. HCWs reported that COVID-19 adaptations to CCMDD helped keep clients away from clinics, reducing exposure to COVID-19, minimizing queues, alleviating client frustration, and easing workload, which enabled more focused attention on clients with greater needs. Clients reportedly preferred 12-month prescriptions as it gave them independence. However, HCWs were concerned about clients’ ART adherence, potential to miss out on clinical input, and difficulties aligning annual viral load results, during the 12 months without clinic attendance. The extended eligibility and multi-month dispensing were acceptable to HCWs, but concerns were expressed about non-adherence and stock shortages. Challenges, including staff shortages due to sickness, increased workload, inadequate training, HCWs’ distrust in clients’ ability to manage their health autonomously, and staff’s limited involvement in decisions about the adaptations, impacted on their implementation. While HCWs reported benefits of 12-month prescribing, extended eligibility and multi-month dispensing in CCMDD, long-term implementation would require addressing concerns about impacts on adherence, alignment of annual viral loads and timely follow up. Prioritizing HCW input in decision-making processes and enhancing provider-client interactions will be pivotal in ensuring the effectiveness of CCMDD adaptations.
Sample preparation and data collection for serial block face scanning electron microscopy of mammalian cell monolayers
Authors: Antao Noelle V. , Sall Joseph , Petzold Christopher , Ekiert Damian C. , Bhabha Gira , Liang Feng-Xia
Published: August 2024

Volume electron microscopy encompasses a set of electron microscopy techniques that can be used to examine the ultrastructure of biological tissues and cells in three dimensions. Two block face techniques, focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) and serial block face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) have often been used to study biological tissue samples. More recently, these techniques have been adapted to in vitro tissue culture samples. Here we describe step-by-step protocols for two sample embedding methods for in vitro tissue culture cells intended to be studied using SBF-SEM. The first focuses on cell pellet embedding and the second on en face embedding. En face embedding can be combined with light microscopy, and this CLEM workflow can be used to identify specific biological events by light microscopy, which can then be imaged using SBF-SEM. We systematically outline the steps necessary to fix, stain, embed and image adherent tissue culture cell monolayers by SBF-SEM. In addition to sample preparation, we discuss optimization of parameters for data collection. We highlight the challenges and key steps of sample preparation, and the consideration of imaging variables.
Description of a new low-cost and open-source audiometer and its validation with normal-hearing listeners: The Aupiometer
Authors: Isnard Vincent , Chastres Véronique , Andéol Guillaume
Published: August 2024

Hearing loss is a major public health problem. In 2050, it could affect 2.5 billion people. It has therefore become necessary to prevent and diagnose them as early and as widely as possible. However, the costs of clinical equipment dedicated to the functional exploration of hearing remain high and hamper their distribution, while the technologies used are relatively basic. For example, the gold-standard pure-tone audiometry (PTA) essentially consists of emitting pure sounds. In addition, clinical audiometers are generally limited to PTA or few audiological tests, while hearing loss induce multiple functional deficits. Here, we present the Aupiometer, a low-cost audiometer implemented on a modular open-source system based on Raspberry Pi, and which integrates the entire technical framework necessary to carry out audiological measurements. Several hearing tests are already implemented (e.g. PTA, speech audiometry, questionnaires), while the clinical validity of the Aupiometer was verified on a panel of participants (N = 16) for an automated test of standard and extended high-frequency PTA, from 0.125 to 16 kHz, in comparison with a clinical audiometer. For this comparison between the two devices and over this wide frequency range, the difference is evaluated as less than ±10 dB for a 90% confidence interval, of the same order of magnitude as on test-retest differences on a single device. The interest of this device also extends to academic research as it should encourage the prototyping of innovative hearing tests by the community, in order to better understand the diversity of hearing problems in the population.
Naturally acquired antibodies against 4 Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in Pakistani adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Ahmad Izaz , Burton Robert , Nahm Moon , Ejaz Hafiz Gohar , Arshad Rozina , Younis Bilal Bin , Mirza Shaper
Published: August 2024

Immune response elicited during pneumococcal carriage has been shown to protect against subsequent colonization and infection by Streptococcus pneumoniae. The study was designed to measure the baseline serotype-specific anti-capsular IgG concentration and opsonic titers elicited in response to asymptomatic carriage in adults with and without type 2-diabetes. Level of IgG to capsular polysaccharide was measured in a total of 176 samples (124 with type 2 diabetes and 52 without type 2 diabetes) against serotype 1, 19F, 9V, and 18C. From within 176 samples, a nested cohort of 39 samples was selected for measuring the functional capacity of antibodies by measuring opsonic titer to serotypes 19F, 9V, and 18C. Next, we measured levels of IgG to PspA in 90 samples from individuals with and without diabetes (22 non-diabetes and 68 diabetes). Our results demonstrated comparable IgG titers against all serotypes between those with and without type 2-diabetes. Overall, we observed higher opsonic titers in those without diabetes as compared to individuals with diabetes for serotypes 19F and 9V. The opsonic titers for 19F and 9V significantly negatively correlated with HbA1c. For 19F, 41.66% (n = 10) showed opsonic titers ≥ 1:8 in the diabetes group as compared to 66.66% (n = 10) in the non-diabetes group. The percentage was 29.6% (n = 7) vs 66.66% (n = 10) for 9V and 70.83% (n = 17) vs 80% (n = 12) for 18C in diabetes and non-diabetes groups respectively. A comparable anti-PspA IgG (p = 0.409) was observed in those with and without diabetes, indicating that response to protein antigen is likely to remain intact in those with diabetes. In conclusion, we demonstrated comparable IgG titers to both capsular polysaccharide and protein antigens in those with and without diabetes, however, the protective capacity of antibodies differed between the two groups.
Holding and rupture: Describing post-traumatic stress among former UK Army and Royal Marine personnel deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan
Authors: Palmer Laura , Busuttil Walter , Simms Amos , Fear Nicola T. , Stevelink Sharon A. M.
Published: August 2024

Former UK military personnel who were previously deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in combat roles have exhibited elevated levels of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) compared to other groups. The present qualitative analyses used semi-structured interviews and a framework analysis to compare the experiences of symptomatic (N=10) and asymptomatic (N=7) former Army and Royal Marine personnel who were exposed to combat. Participants were drawn from a large UK military health and wellbeing cohort study and were sampled based upon probable PTSD status using scores from the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C). All symptomatic participants attributed the development of post-traumatic stress to deployment events, with one additionally ascribing symptoms to childhood events. Among the participants, post-traumatic stress was temporarily buffered, and held at bay, by the holding function of various military structures, including the military collective; cultural and ethical frameworks that helped to organise traumatic experiences; an operational necessity for psychological compartmentalisation and even the distraction of deployment itself. Leaving the military appeared to elicit a global rupture of these supports. As a result, the military-to-civilian transition led to an intensification of post-traumatic stress, including deployment-related memories, among the symptomatic participants. In contrast, asymptomatic participants tended to report continuity of their holding structures across the lifespan, especially across the military-to-civilian transition. The onset and maintenance of post-traumatic stress may thus be explained by an interplay between the capacity of holding structures and the magnitude of lifetime rupture. Overall, findings might provide an explanation for the widening discrepancies between those with enduring post-traumatic stress and those without and further research is required to determine the fit of our findings for other groups and contexts. This approach further illustrates the need to situate individual experiences of post-traumatic stress in wider structural, ecological, cultural and ethical contexts.
Cost-sharing and associated factors in the Peruvian private health care system
Authors: Bellido-Boza Luciana , Villarreal-Zegarra David , Pariona-Cárdenas Max , Carrión Roger , Valdivia-Miranda Paul , Melendez-Torres G. J.
Published: August 2024

Background

The costs associated with healthcare are of critical importance to both decision-makers and users, given the limited resources allocated to the health sector. However, the available scientific evidence on healthcare costs in low- and middle-income countries, such as Peru, is scarce. In the Peruvian context, the health system is fragmented, and the private health insurance and its financing models have received less research attention. We aimed to analyse user cost-sharing and associated factors within the private healthcare system.

Methods

Our study was cross-sectional, using open data from the Electronic Transaction Model of Standardized Billing Data—TEDEF-SUSALUD, between 2021–2022. Our unit of analysis is the user’s medical bills. We considered the total amount of cost-sharing, proportion of total payments as cost-sharing, and cost-sharing as a proportion of minimum salaries. We use a multiple regression model to perform the analyses.

Results

Our study included 5,286,556 health services provided to users of the private health insurance in Peru. We found a significant difference was observed in the cost-sharing for hospitalization-related services, with an average of 419.64 soles per day (95% CI: 413.44 to 425.85). Also, we identified that for hospitalization-related services per day is, on average, 0.41 (95% CI: 0.41 to 0.41) minimum salaries more expensive than outpatient care, although cost-sharing per day of hospitalization represent on average only 14% of the total amount submitted.

Conclusions

Our study provides a detailed overview of cost-sharing in the private healthcare system in Peru and the factors associated with them. Policymakers can use the study’s finding that higher cost-sharing for inpatient hospitalization compared to outpatient care in private insurance can create inequities in access to healthcare to design policies aimed at reducing these costs and promoting a more equitable and accessible healthcare system in Peru.
Towards comparable quality-assured Azure Kinect body tracking results in a study setting—Influence of light
Authors: Büker Linda , Hackbarth Michel , Quinten Vincent , Hein Andreas , Hellmers Sandra
Published: August 2024

Quality assurance in research helps to ensure reliability and comparable results within a study. This includes reliable measurement equipment and data-processing. The Azure Kinect DK is a popular sensor used in studies with human subjects that tracks numerous joint positions with the Azure Kinect Body Tracking SDK. Prior experiments in literature indicate that light might influence the results of the body tracking. As similar light conditions are not always given in study protocols, the impact needs to be analyzed to ensure comparable results. We ran two experiments, one with four different light conditions and one with repeated measures of similar light conditions, and compared the results by calculating the random error of depth measurement, the mean distance error of the detected joint positions, and the distance between left and right ankle. The results showed that recordings with similar light conditions produce comparable results, with a maximum difference in the median value of mean distance error of 0.06 mm, while different light conditions result in inconsistent outcomes with a difference in the median value of mean distance error of up to 0.35 mm. Therefore, light might have an influence on the Azure Kinect and its body tracking. Especially additional infrared light appears to have a negative impact on the results. Therefore, we recommend recording various videos in a study under similar light conditions whenever possible, and avoiding additional sources of infrared light.