bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Utilization of the Cranio-Orbital Zygomatic Approach for the Resection of Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma: 2-Dimensional Operative Video
Authors: Aversa Antonio , Al-Mefty Ossama
Published: December 2021

Juvenile angiofibroma is a rare benign expansive lesion typically affecting young men. Surgery is the current mainstay of treatment. Because it is a very vascular lesion, preoperative transarterial embolization can decrease intraoperative bleeding.
1,2
Transmaxillary or transpalatal approaches were used for totally extracranial lesions. Endonasal endoscopic resection became wildly used for radical excision with limited morbidity.
2
In large lesions with intracranial extension and cavernous sinus involvement (Fisch type 4), purely anterior approaches (endoscopic or transmaxillary) can be associated with significant carotid artery and cranial nerves injuries and excessive hemorrhage from internal carotid artery supply that cannot be eliminated by preoperative embolization.
3
Subtotal resection has been preconized in such cases, but tumor progression, cranial nerves and vision compromise, and major nasal postoperative bleeding could ensue. Radiotherapy of residual tumor has been associated with long-term complications, particularly given the young age of these patients.
2
The cranio-orbital zygomatic approach provides an excellent exposure to the extensions into the middle fossa, anterior fossa, cavernous sinus, paranasal sinus, and infratemporal fossa components of large angiofibromas.
4–6
It is particularly advantageous in the early interruption of the cavernous carotid feeders that are not amenable to safe embolization, rendering the tumor devascularized and bloodlessly resected. This article demonstrates the details and the advantages of this approach in a 13-year-old adolescent boy operated in 1997 for giant juvenile angiofibroma with extension in the middle fossa and the parasellar space with major vascularization from the cavernous carotid artery. The guardian consented to the procedure and publication of images.

Image at 3:05 reprinted with permission from Al-Mefty O, Operative Atlas of Meningiomas. Vol 1, © LWW, 1998. Image at 3:25 from Arnautović KI, Al-Mefty O, Angtuaco E. A combined microsurgical skull-base and endovascular approach to giant and large paraclinoid aneurysms. Surg Neurol. 1998;50(6):504-520; © Elsevier, 1998. Used with permission. Image at 9:21 reprinted from Kempe LG and Krekorian EA,
6
with permission from John Wiley and Sons, © 1969 The Triological Society.
The growth and expansion of meningeal lymphatic networks are affected in craniosynostosis
Authors: Ang Phillip S. , Matrongolo Matt J. , Tischfield Max A.
Published: December 2021

Skull malformations are associated with vascular anomalies that can impair fluid balance in the central nervous system. We previously reported that humans with craniosynostosis and mutations in TWIST1 have dural venous sinus malformations. It is still unknown whether meningeal lymphatic networks, which are patterned alongside the venous sinuses, are also affected. We now show that the growth and expansion of meningeal lymphatics are perturbed in Twist1 craniosynostosis models. Changes to the local meningeal environment, including hypoplastic dura and venous malformations, affect the ability of lymphatic networks to sprout and remodel. Dorsal networks along the transverse sinus are hypoplastic with reduced branching. By contrast, basal networks closer to the skull base are more variably affected, showing exuberant growth in some animals, suggesting they are compensating for vessel loss in dorsal networks. Injecting a molecular tracer into cerebrospinal fluid reveals significantly less drainage to the deep cervical lymph nodes, which is indicative of impaired lymphatic function. Collectively, our results show that meningeal lymphatic networks are affected in craniosynostosis, suggesting that the clearance of β-amyloid and waste from the central nervous system may be impeded.
Ανάπτυξη συνθετικής μεθοδολογίας και σύνθεση ενώσεων με αντιφλεγμονώδη και αντικαρκινική δράση
Authors: Κουτουλογένης Γεώργιος
Published: December 2021

Στο πλαίσιο της παρούσας διδακτορικής διατριβής πραγματοποιήθηκε η βελτίωση της σταθερότητας στο πλάσμα του αίματος ενός ισχυρού αναστολέα της κυτοσολικής φωσφολιπάσης Α2, που είχε συντεθεί στο παρελθόν από το εργαστήριο μας στα πλαίσια ανάπτυξης μεθοδολογίας για την σύνθεση 2-οξοεστέρων. Πιο συγκεκριμένα, πραγματοποιήθηκε η σύνθεση δύο νέων αναστολέων, οι οποίοι φέρουν ένα επιπλέον μεθύλιο κάθε φορά, εκατέρωθεν της οξοεστερικής ομάδας.Μελετήθηκε η δυνατότητα χρήσης του καστορελαίου ως αρχική ύλη για την σύνθεση μιας σειράς ενώσεων με πιθανή βιολογική δράση, συμπεριλαμβανομένων νέων εστέρων λιπαρών οξέων με υδρόξυ λιπαρά οξέα. Στην συνέχεια, μελετήθηκε η μετατροπή του ελαιολάδου σε χρήσιμα οργανικά μόρια, όπως είναι η εννεανάλη και το εννεανοϊκό οξύ, μετά από φωτοχημική οξειδωτική διάσπαση. Με τον τρόπο αυτό αναπτύχθηκε ένα αειφόρο πρωτόκολλο παραγωγής χρήσιμων οργανικών μορίων από το ελαιόλαδο.Επίσης, αναπτύχθηκε ένα ‘’πράσινο’’ και φιλικό προς το περιβάλλον φωτοχημικό πρωτόκολλο οξείδωσης αλδεϋδών προς καρβοξυλικά οξέα, χρησιμοποιώντας είτε LED ακτινοβολία, είτε ηλιακό φώς, χωρίς να είναι απαραίτητη η χρήση κάποιου φωτοκαταλύτη.Τέλος, συντέθηκε μια σειρά από νίτρο λιπαρά οξέα, είτε τοποεκλεκτικά, είτε ως μίγμα 1:1 τοποϊσομερών, προκειμένου να ελεγχθεί η κυτταροτοξική τους δράση κατά καρκινικών σειρών. Ως επέκταση του προηγούμενου ερευνητικού πεδίου των νιτροαλκενίων, αναπτύχθηκαν καινοτόμοι, πεπτιδικής φύσεως αναστολείς της κύριας πρωτεάσης του SARS-CoV-2, που φέρουν μια ακραία ομάδα νιτροαλκενίου, στο άκρο της πεπτιδικής αλυσίδας.
Comparison of temporal fine structure sensitivity and concurrent vowel perception between children with and without reading disability
Authors: Pitchaimuthu Arivudainambi , Ananth Eshwari , Bhat Jayashree S , Haralakatta Shivananjappa Somashekara
Published: December 2021

Background: Children with reading disabilities (RD) exhibit difficulty in perceiving speech in background noise due to poor auditory stream segregation. There is a dearth of literature on measures of temporal fine structure sensitivity (TFS) and concurrent vowel perception abilities to assess auditory stream segregation in children with reading disabilities. Hence the present study compared temporal fine structure sensitivity (TFS) and concurrent vowel perception abilities between children with and without reading deficits.

Method: The present research consisted of a total number of 30 participants, 15 children with reading disabilities (RD) and fifteen typically developing (TD) children within the age range of 7-14 years and were designated as Group 1 and Group 2 respectively. Both groups were matched for age, grade, and classroom curricular instructions. The groups were evaluated for TFS and concurrent vowel perception abilities and the performance was compared using independent ‘t’ test and repeated measure ANOVA respectively.

Results: Results revealed that the children with RD performed significantly (p < 0.001) poorer than TD children on both TFS and concurrent vowel identification task. On concurrent vowel identification tasks, there was no significant interaction found between reading ability and F0 difference suggesting that the trend was similar in both the groups.

Conclusion: The study concludes that the children with RD show poor temporal fine structure sensitivity and concurrent vowel identification scores compared to age and grade matched TD children owing to poor auditory stream segregation in children with RD.
The impact of ear growth on identification rates using an ear biometric system in young infants
Authors: Simukanga Alinani , Kobayashi Misaki , Etter Lauren , Qin Wenda , Pieciak Rachel , Albuquerque Duarte , Chen Yu-Jen , Betke Margrit , MacLeod William , Phiri Jackson , Mwananyanda Lawrence , Gill Christopher J.
Published: December 2021

Background

Accurate patient identification is essential for delivering longitudinal care. Our team developed an ear biometric system (SEARCH) to improve patient identification. To address how ear growth affects matching rates longitudinally, we constructed an infant cohort, obtaining ear image sets monthly to map a 9-month span of observations. This analysis had three main objectives: 1) map trajectory of ear growth during the first 9 months of life; 2) determine the impact of ear growth on matching accuracy; and 3) explore computer vision techniques to counter a loss of accuracy.  

Methodology

Infants were enrolled from an urban clinic in Lusaka, Zambia. Roughly half were enrolled at their first vaccination visit and ~half at their last vaccination. Follow-up visits for each patient occurred monthly for 6 months. At each visit, we collected four images of the infant’s ears, and the child’s weight. We analyze ear area versus age and change in ear area versus age. We conduct pair-wise comparisons for all age intervals.

Results

From 227 enrolled infants we acquired age-specific datasets for 6 days through 9 months. Maximal ear growth occurred between 6 days and 14 weeks. Growth was significant until 6 months of age, after which further growth appeared minimal. Examining look-back performance to the 6-month visit, baseline pair-wise comparisons yielded identification rates that ranged 46.9–75%. Concatenating left and right ears per participant improved identification rates to 61.5–100%. Concatenating images captured on adjacent visits further improved identification rates to 90.3–100%. Lastly, combining these two approaches improved identification to 100%. All matching strategies showed the weakest matching rates during periods of maximal growth (i.e., <6 months).

Conclusion

By quantifying the effect that ear growth has on performance of the SEARCH platform, we show that ear identification is a feasible solution for patient identification in an infant population 6 months and above.
The genome sequence of the broad-bordered yellow underwing, Noctua fimbriata (Schreber, 1759)
Authors: Holland Peter W.H. ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: December 2021

We present a genome assembly from an individual female Noctua fimbriata (the broad-bordered yellow underwing; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Noctuidae). The genome sequence is 574 megabases in span. The complete assembly is scaffolded into 32 chromosomal pseudomolecules, with the W and Z sex chromosomes assembled.
Scrotal pyocele secondary to gastrointestinal perforation in infants: a case series
Authors: Kim Soo-Hong , Cho Yong-Hoon , Kim Hae-Young , Lee Narae , Han Young Mi , Byun Shin Yun
Published: December 2021

Pyocele in infants is rarely described in the literature, but it is an emergent condition that requires rapid recognition and treatment to prevent testicular loss. If peritonitis due to gastrointestinal perforation occurs, abdominal contamination may spread through a patent processus vaginalis in an infant, which may lead to pyocele. We report the cases of three infants with scrotal pyocele due to the spread of infection or inflammatory material from the intraperitoneal cavity through a patent processus vaginalis. Two infants were surgically treated, while the other was treated with percutaneous aspiration and intravenous antibiotic administration. Although rare, pyocele should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute scrotum in infants, especially in infants who previously had peritonitis due to gastrointestinal perforation.
Niewygodne dziedzictwo?
Authors: Kuźmiński Michał
Published: December 2021

Uncomfortable Heritage? The Meaning of Pagan Antiquity in the Space of Christian Rome
The decline of paganism in Late Antiquity contributed to the transformation of culture of the roman society. With the victory of Christianity, which became firstly a dominant and later the only accepted religion, the objects of the classical culture became a problematic heritage. The aim of the paper is to present the Christians’ shifting attitude towards the material remains of the pagan culture and the way in which they influenced and shaped the identity of the Christian community. These processes are analyzed on the example of Rome in the period from the 4th to the 6th century. Special attention is paid to the area of the Roman Forum, which was characterized by exceptional accumulation and density of the monuments which constituted the pagan heritage. Since it was the central and representative space, the symbolical character of the forum was very important for the leaders of the local community and its transformations reflect very well the changing attitude of the Christians towards the pagan heritage.
Symbolika przestrzeni miejskiej a symbol w przestrzeni publicznej
Authors: Dardzińska Ilona
Published: December 2021

The Symbolism of Urban Space Versus the Symbol of Public Space
The article presents an original analysis of the symbolism of urban space and types of symbols complementing public space. It describes the symbolism of a space, what creates it, how it can be interpreted and what role it played in the past and now. Extremely interesting examples of symbolic structures in Poland and other European countries are presented. The features and functions of the symbol in the public space are distinguished and its meaning for the recipient is indicated.
(Nie)chciane dziedzictwo?
Authors: Seń Aleksandra
Published: December 2021

(Un)wanted Heritage? Wrocław as a Palimpsest
The process of so called “degermanization” of Wrocław involved, among other things, removing traces of German history from the urban space by displacement of former residents, changing street names, introducing new symbols and erasing German-language signboards. Despite the communist historical policy in Wrocław, many examples of post-German traces in the urban space have survived. The article describes Wrocław as a palimpsest, a city of intertwined German and Polish records, where old layers are not removed, but only given new meanings. It refers to the project “Spod tynku patrzy Breslau” (From under the plaster Breslau gazes), which aims to conduct a social register of Germanlanguage epigrams in the urban space. It describes the changes in attitudes towards post-German heritage over time, especially after 1989.
Rozmyte mapy kognitywne jako technika prowadzenia ustrukturyzowanej analizy systemowej w obszarze nauk o bezpieczeństwie
Authors: Sajduk Błażej
Published: December 2021

Fuzzy Cognitive Maps as a Technique for Conducting Structured Systems Analysis in the Area of Security Sciences
The article aims to present and introduce the main assumptions and procedures for creating fuzzy cognitive maps (FCM) in the field of security studies. FCM are a tool for conducting a systematic analysis of phenomena with a complex structure and consisting of many interrelated elements. The text was divided into three main parts devoted accordingly to theoretical premises of the FCM (the system analysis, mental and cognitive maps), the FCM itself, and the procedure for creating and using RMK for analytical purposes.
A Model of Product Line Marketing
Authors: He Chuan , Ke Shaowei , Zhang Xingtan
Published: December 2021

Firms offer a variety of products to meet different customer needs. In many horizontally differentiated markets, prices are stable, and firms make infrequent adjustments to their product lines. Although prior research focused on product line design, we investigate how firms should allocate their marketing effort when their product lines are fixed. We propose a simple model to analyze product line marketing. Our model exhibits a flagship product effect in which the firm’s optimal marketing effort is concentrated, provided that the ratio between consumer tastes dispersion and the convexity of the cost of marketing effort is below a threshold. The flagship product is selected according to a marketing effort allocation index that measures the trade-off between a product’s markup and its potential market share. This result is robust with or without competition and whether prices are exogenous or endogenous. Firms often experience shocks to their marketing cost because of technological improvement or externalities. If a monopolist’s cost of marketing effort declines, she should place more emphasis on a low-utility, high-markup product. Conversely, if the cost increases, the monopolist may find it beneficial to focus her marketing effort on a high-utility, low-markup product. When multiproduct firms compete against each other, we show that if the opponent’s cost of marketing effort decreases, there can be a spillover effect, in which the firm benefits from the opponent’s cost reduction, thereby leading to a win-win situation.

This paper was accepted by Dmitri Kuksov, marketing.
The Demand for, and Avoidance of, Information
Authors: Golman Russell , Loewenstein George , Molnar Andras , Saccardo Silvia
Published: December 2021

Management scientists recognize that decision making depends on the information people have but lack a unified behavioral theory of the demand for (and avoidance of) information. Drawing on an existing theoretical framework in which utility depends on beliefs and the attention paid to them, we develop and test a theory of the demand for information encompassing instrumental considerations, curiosity, and desire to direct attention to beliefs one feels good about. We decompose an individual’s demand for information into the desire to refine beliefs, holding attention constant, and the desire to focus attention on anticipated beliefs, holding these beliefs constant. Because the utility of resolving uncertainty (i.e., refining beliefs) depends on the attention paid to it and more important or salient questions capture more attention, demand for information depends on the importance and salience of the question(s) it addresses. In addition, because getting new information focuses attention on one’s beliefs and people want to savor good news and ignore bad news, the desire to obtain or avoid information depends on the valence (i.e., goodness or badness) of anticipated beliefs. Five experiments (n = 2,361) test and find support for these hypotheses, looking at neutrally valenced as well as ego-relevant information. People are indeed more inclined to acquire information (a) when it feels more important, even if it cannot aid decision making (Experiments 1A and 2A); (b) when a question is more salient, manipulated through time lag (Experiments 1B and 2B); and (c) when anticipated beliefs have higher valence (Experiment 2C).

This paper was accepted by Yan Chen, behavioral economics and decision analysis.
Evolutionary Approaches to Innovation, the Firm, and the Dynamics of Industries
Authors: Cattani Gino , Malerba Franco
Published: December 2021

We examine the progress of the evolutionary research on innovation, the firm, and the dynamics of industries in the last four decades. The paper acknowledges that the themes related to knowledge and technological regimes, the evolutionary processes leading to innovation, and the long-term dynamics of technologies have generated, and still remain, relevant research trajectories. The same can be said for the research trajectories on organizational and dynamic capabilities, evolutionary strategies, vertical integration, diversification, niche construction, and authority and power in organizations. Important progress has also been made in understanding the evolutionary trajectories of industries, the link between industry architecture and industry dynamics, the types of knowledge of entrants, the role of focal and vertical spinouts, the relevance of institutions and sectoral innovation systems in industry dynamics, and the catch-up process by firms from latecomer countries. We argue that future developments in the evolutionary camp should continue to be characterized by eclecticism and multidisciplinarity, as well as by the integration of different methodologies from cases to stylized facts, quantitative analyses, appreciative theorizing, and formal modelling. We conclude with an analysis of the main methodologies used by evolutionary scholars and a discussion of the road ahead.
Total Quality Management Practices in Boosting Performance of Corporate Hospitals - A Study
Authors: Mahaboob Syeda Amtul
Published: December 2021

The Healthcare industry is on its boom in the city of Hyderabad. People not only from various cities of India but also from foreign countries come to Hyderabad for their medical treatment. There are various corporate Hospitals in the city catering to the needs of the people. The management of the Corporate Hospitals being very keen about delivering quality services is maintaining a quality department. Total Quality Management Practices are adopted as one of the ways to ensure quality. The present study is conducted in five Corporate Hospitals of the city to know whether Total Quality Management Practices has any effect on the Organizational Performance of the Hospitals. The data was collected in the form of responses from nurses, doctors, supporting and admin staff of the Hospitals by stratified random sampling method. It was found that there is a positive influence of the total quality management practices on the performance of the Hospitals.
“Não estão preocupados com as paredes… estão preocupados com a dor!”: a revolta por Marielle e Anderson
Authors: Fonseca Gabriela G. da
Published: December 2021

No dia 14 de março de 2018, a vereadora Marielle Franco e seu motorista Anderson Gomes foram assassinados no Rio de Janeiro. Nos dias seguintes, manifestações de indignação evidenciavam o atravessamento de Marielle na sociedade como mulher, negra, favelada, bissexual e representante política de uma minoria na democracia em construção. As manifestações ocorriam em protestos, postagens em redes sociais, conversas em grupos de mensagens e intervenções artísticas que mobilizaram opiniões diversas sobre o ocorrido e sobre as próprias manifestações. Esse artigo levanta as opiniões que envolvem vandalismo e patrimônio nas manifestações, buscando as interpretações e decodificações acerca de danos e intervenções no patrimônio histórico e cultural. Se propõe um esforço de integração entre patrimônio e seus públicos, proposta no campo da educação museal, considerando a cultura como um campo histórico de conflitos.Palavras-chave: Cultura; Patrimônio; Vandalismo; Protestos; Educação Museal
Reações adversas relacionadas aos inibidores de checkpoint: uma revisão integrativa
Authors: Fialho Isabelle Cristine Tavares Silva , Monteiro Débora Esteves , Soares Raquel De Souza , Oliveira Renata Martins Mendes de , Fuly Patrícia Dos Santos Claro
Published: December 2021

Objetivo: analisar as reações adversas nos pacientes oncológicos em uso de inibidores de checkpoint e sua prevalência. Método: revisão integrativa da literatura, utilizando a combinação de descritores “Imunoterapia” AND “Reação adversa” AND “Neoplasias”, no recorte temporal de cinco anos, incluindo as bases CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) e Cochrane. Resultados: foram encontrados 17 artigos, sendo 14 da base de dados MEDLINE e três da base de dados CINAHL, todos na língua inglesa. As principais reações adversas identificadas foram diarreia, colite, pneumonite, fadiga, rash, alterações hepáticas e endócrinas. Os artigos revelaram maiores prevalências dessas reações quando o tratamento está associado às medicações Nivolumabe e Ipilimumabe juntas, sendo observadas em cerca de 42% a 57% dos pacientes. Conclusão: com a rápida expansão do uso dos inibidores de checkpoint, uma terapêutica que aumenta a sobrevida desses pacientes, conhecer seus eventos adversos torna-se primordial para um cuidado de qualidade.
A prática da educação em saúde na perspectiva de profissionais da zona rural de um município do interior de Minas Gerais
Authors: Komori Nakita Maria , Ferreira Débora De Oliveira , Lima Fabiana Rodrigues , Rodrigues Leiner Resende , Parreira Bibiane Dias Miranda , Goulart Bethania Ferreira
Published: December 2021

Objetivo: descrever as ações de educação em saúde realizadas por profissionais da Estratégia Saúde da Família da zona rural de um município do interior de Minas Gerais. Método: estudo exploratório, abordagem qualitativa. Envolveu 16 profissionais da Estratégia Saúde da Família da zona rural. Coleta de dados realizada por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas em 2019, com dados analisados empregando técnica de análise de conteúdo. Resultados: emergiram três categorias temáticas: Educação em saúde, prevenção de doenças e transmissão de informações; Educação em saúde como sinônimo de educação em serviço; e, A gestão do trabalho como ferramenta para a educação em saúde. Conclusão: a educação em saúde é realizada por meio de palestras, grupos ou individualmente, focada na doença, ancorada no repasse de saberes profissionais. Ainda é percebida como educação em serviço, revelando desconhecimento dos profissionais frente à temática. Constatou-se necessidade de investimento da gestão na viabilização de recursos e agentes para a educação em saúde.
What you need to know about: delirium in older adults in hospital
Authors: Jones Howell T , Davis Daniel HJ
Published: December 2021

Delirium is a clinical syndrome characterised by a disturbance of perception, consciousness and/or cognitive function, with an acute onset, fluctuating course and a severe deterioration arising over hours or days. Delirium is usually triggered by a combination of influences including acute illness, surgery, drugs and environmental factors. It is commonly seen in older people presenting to hospital, but can also develop during hospitalisation. There are three types of delirium: hypoactive, hyperactive and mixed. All patients over 65 years old presenting to hospital should be screened for delirium using the ‘4AT’ tool. An alternate method for diagnosing hospital-acquired delirium is described.

This article outlines a 10-stage method for diagnosing, managing and preventing delirium, with emphasis on which areas of the history and examination should be prioritised, what the salient investigations are and both non-pharmacological and pharmacological approaches to preventing and treating delirium. Finally, this article explores which patients require specialist referrals or investigations and how to best follow up patients with delirium.
Development of a two-channel system for monitoring the mirror elements of the Millimetron space observatory
Authors: Zavyalov P. S. , Makarov S. N. , Smirnov A. V. , Fedorchuk S. D. , Stupak M. F. , Verhoglyad A. G. , Elesin A. G. , Zavyalova M. A. , Kravchenko M. S. , Skokov D. V. , Vlasov E. V. , Ermolenko A. V.
Published: December 2021

The paper presents the results of the development of an onboard
two-stage telescope monitoring (control) system of the Millimetron
space observatory. A 3D laser scanner is used for the preliminary
inspection of the reflector elements, and an image analyzer based on
the Foucault knife method is used for the final one. The results of
the calculation and modeling of the monitoring system
for tuning the telescope elements into space are presented. The
signals formed in the system are calculated, including using data on
the actual shape of the manufactured mirror elements. Estimates of the
expected measurement accuracy are given, and the test results of the
developed system are presented.
Estimating orientation of optically trapped, near vertical, microsphere
dimers using central moments and off-focus imaging
Authors: Raudsepp Allan , Jameson Geoffrey B. , Williams Martin A. K.
Published: December 2021

Near vertical optically trapped dimers, composed of pairs of microspheres, and constructed in situ, were imaged in bright-field in flow and at rest, and with displacement

Δ
z

from the transverse

x
y

imaging plane of an inverted microscope. Image first central moments

μ

01

were measured, and their dependence on the imposed flow velocity of the surrounding fluid was calculated. This dependence was related to the at-rest restricted diffusion statistics. It was assumed that, for small perturbations, the torque

T

on the dimer was proportional to the velocity of flow

v

and resulting angular deflection

Δ
θ

so that

T
∝
v
∝
Δ
θ

. Displacements

Δ
z

at which

v
∝
Δ

μ

01

∝
Δ
θ

, which are typically off focus, were examined in more detail; in this range,

Δ
θ
=
h
Δ

μ

01

. The hydrodynamics of the dimer were modeled as that of a prolate ellipsoid, and the constant of proportionality

h

was determined by comparing the short-time mean-squared variation measured during diffusion to that predicted by the model calculation:

h
2

⟨
Δ

μ

01

2

(
t
)
⟩
=
⟨
Δ

θ
2

(
t
)
⟩

. With

h

determined, the optical trap stiffness

k
θ

was determined from the long-time restricted diffusion of the dimer. The measured

k
θ

and

Δ
θ

can then be used compute torque:

T
=

k
θ

Δ
θ

, potentially enabling the near vertical optically trapped dimer to be used as a torque probe.
Tunable dual-band metamaterial absorber in the infrared range based on split-ring-groove array
Authors: Liu Jinlai , Liu Bingyi , Tang Shuai , Song Jie , Jiang Yongyuan
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we present a tunable dual-band perfect metamaterial absorber working in the infrared band by integrating a metallic split-ring-groove resonator array with a liquid crystal (LC) layer atop a metal substrate. By varying the height of the central nanodisks, the absorptivity of the dual-band absorption peaks can be simultaneously adjusted. The dual-band resonance frequencies of the proposed absorber exhibit continuous tunability by adjusting the refractive index of the LC, which can be controlled by applying external voltage. The mechanism of the perfect absorption is attributed to the gap plasmonic resonance coupling regime. The presented absorber exhibits good tolerance to incidence angles up to 60° and shows polarization dependent performance, which may offer promising applications in sensing, modulator, and optical absorption switching in the infrared regime.
Image-free real-time target tracking by single-pixel detection
Authors: Yang Zhao-Hua , Chen Xiang , Zhao Zhi-Hao , Song Ming-Yue , Liu Ying , Zhao Zi-Dong , Lei Hao-Dong , Yu Yuan-Jin , Wu Ling-An
Published: December 2021

Image-based target tracking methods rely on continuous image acquisition and post-processing, which will result in low tracking efficiency. To realize real-time tracking of fast moving objects, we propose an image-free target tracking scheme based on the discrete cosine transform and single-pixel detection. Our method avoids calculating all the phase values, so the number of samples can be greatly reduced. Furthermore, complementary modulation is applied to reduce the measurement noise, and background subtraction is applied to enhance the contrast. The results of simulations and experiments demonstrate that the proposed scheme can accomplish the tracking task in a complex background with a sampling ratio of less than 0.59% of the Nyquist-Shannon criterion, thereby significantly reducing the measurement time. The tracking speed can reach 208 fps at a spatial resolution of 128 × 128 pixels with a tracking error of no more than one pixel. This technique provides a new idea for real-time tracking of fast-moving targets.
Compressive propagation with coherence
Authors: Horisaki Ryoichi , Aoki Takuro , Nishizaki Yohei , Röhm André , Chauvet Nicolas , Tanida Jun , Naruse Makoto
Published: December 2021

In this Letter, we present wave propagation models of spatially partially coherent (or spatially incoherent) light to compress the computational load of forward and back propagations in inverse problems. In our model, partially coherent light is approximated as a set of random or plane wavefronts passing through spatial bandpass filters, which corresponds to an illumination pupil, and each wave coherently propagates onto a sensor plane through object space. We show that our models reduce the number of coherent propagations in inverse problems, which are essential in optical control and sensing, such as computer-generated holography (CGH) and quantitative phase imaging. We verify the proposed models by numerical and experimental demonstrations of CGH incorporating spatially partially coherent light.
Photochromic switching of narrow-band lattice resonances
Authors: Chen Shuai , Huang Xiaocong , Wu Qiong , Ao Xianyu
Published: December 2021

Narrow-band resonances supported by a variety of periodic metallic or dielectric nanostructures have great potential applications in light sources, optical sensors, and switches or modulators. Here we report the switching of narrow-band lattice resonances in a mirror-backed two-dimensional array of dielectric nanopillars. The nanopillar is composed of a silica core and photochromic coating. By exposure to ultraviolet light, the photochromic molecules can be turned into a state that is highly absorptive around the wavelength of the lattice resonance. Because the lattice resonance has enhanced the near-fields concentrated on the tops of dielectric nanopillars, the absorptive coating can destroy this resonance. The absorptive state of the photochromic molecules can be recovered to a transparent state by exposure to visible light. We fabricate the device and characterize the change of reflection spectra to demonstrate the reversible switching of lattice resonances by exposure to ultraviolet and visible light alternately. An all-optical control of the narrow-band photoluminescence is further demonstrated by combining a fluorescent dye with the photochromic molecules.
Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with insecure sources
Authors: Ding Hua-Jian , Zhou Xing-Yu , Zhang Chun-Hui , Li Jian , Wang Qin
Published: December 2021

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) can remove all detection side channels but still makes additional assumptions on sources that can be compromised through uncharacterized side channels in practice. Here, we combine a recently proposed reference technique to prove the security of MDI-QKD against possible source imperfections and/or side channels. This requires some reference states and an upper bound on the parameter that describes the quality of the sources. With this formalism we investigate the asymptotic performance of single-photon sources, and the results show that the side channels have a great impact on the key rates.
Physically-enhanced ghost encoding
Authors: Xiao Yin , Zhou Lina , Pan Zilan , Cao Yonggui , Chen Wen
Published: December 2021

In this Letter, we propose a physically enhanced ghost encoding scheme that is realized by exploring optical channel characteristics, i.e., physically and dynamically generated scaling factors. It is found that scaling factors can be physically and dynamically generated to serve as security keys in a ghost encoding scheme, dramatically enlarging the key space and enhancing the security of optical ghost encoding schemes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that dynamic scaling factors have been controlled in the optical path to realize physically enhanced ghost encoding. In addition to the illumination patterns used in optical ghost encoding schemes, the proposed method applies a variable beam attenuator and an amplitude-only spatial light modulator (SLM) to physically generate dynamic scaling factors as keys. Nonlinear variation of scaling factors is achieved in different free-space wave-propagation environments in the proposed method. A series of optical experiments are conducted to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed physically enhanced ghost encoding scheme. The proposed method could open up new research perspectives in optical ghost encoding.
Consumption of single products versus fixed-dose combination medicines for hypertension and hyperlipidemia during 2015–2019 in South Korea
Authors: Lee Yujin , Shin Jihye , Kim Yujeong , Kim Dong-Sook
Published: December 2021

Background

Fixed-dose combinations can simplify prescribing, and numerous combination products exist for hypertension and dyslipidemia in South Korea. This study’s aim was to compare trends in the consumption of single products versus fixed-dose combinations for hypertension and hyperlipidemia.

Methods and findings

We analyzed the Korean national health insurance claims database from January 2015 through December 2019. Consumption of medicines was calculated using the defined daily dose per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DIDs) and expenditures over time. During 2015–2019, the use of antihypertensive drugs increased with an annual growth rate (AGR) of 0.9% for single products and with an AGR of 35.6% for fixed-dose combinations. A notable increase was observed for antihyperlipidemic combination drugs with an AGR of 268.1% compared to single products with 35.7%. For older adults (65+ years), the consumption of drugs for hypertension and hyperlipidemia was 3–4.5 and about 3 times higher, respectively, than in adults aged 20–64 years, and a sharp increase was found in antihyperlipidemic fixed-dose combinations among older adults. A large increase was seen for C09 (agents acting on the renin-angiotensin system) with an AGR of 36.5%, especially C09DB (angiotensin II receptor blockers + calcium channel blockers) was widely used and steeply increased with 114.2%. For antihyperlipidemic drugs, C10AA (HMG CoA reductase inhibitors) accounted for a large share and sharply increased, with 52.1 DIDs in 2019 and with an AGR of 78.4%, whereas C10BA (combinations of various lipid modifying agents) increased 9.6 times from 2.9 DIDs (96 million USD) in 2015 to 27.7 DIDs (912 million USD) in 2019.

Conclusion

The findings of increased consumption and drug spending among older adults underscores the need for real-world evidence about health outcomes of fixed-dose combinations in this population.
The mechanism of goal-setting participation’s impact on employees’ proactive behavior, moderated mediation role of power distance
Authors: Pervaiz Sabeeh , Li Guohao , He Qi
Published: December 2021

Organizations nowadays are under immense external pressure due to advancements in information technology, making it precarious. It also inserts extra pressure to keep the employees motivated and productive. Therefore, while information technology benefits the organization, it also challenges the organization and employees more. In order to meet these challenges, many organizations have begun to flatten their organizational structures and decentralized their management approaches. This study collected 336 valid questionnaires from 20 service companies. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were tested. In addition, the exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Relevant analysis and empirical analysis were also carried out using hierarchical regression. The study finds that (1) Goal-setting participation positively affects employees’ proactive behavior. (2) Perceived insider status plays a mediating role between goal-setting participation and employee proactive behavior. (3) The power distance positively modifies the goal-setting participation in the relationship of employee’s perceived insider status. (4) Power distance positively moderates perceived insider status in the relationship of goal-setting participation on employee proactive behavior through perceived insider status. This research applies goal-setting theory and social cognition theory to build a theoretical framework for the influence mechanism of goal-setting participation on employee’s proactive behavior. Expands the application scope of fundamental theoretical research and improve understanding of the relationship between goal-setting participation and employee’s proactive behavior. The research conclusions help organizations understand the formation mechanism of employees’ proactive behaviors, strengthen the focus on goal-setting participation, and optimize the relationship between leaders and employees.
Essential roles of buried phenylalanine in the structural stability of thioredoxin from a psychrophilic Arctic bacterium Sphingomonas sp.
Authors: Nguyen Thu-Thuy , Hoang Trang , Tran Kiet N. , Kim Hyeonji , Jang Sei-Heon , Lee ChangWoo
Published: December 2021

Thioredoxin (Trx), a small redox protein, exhibits thermal stability at high temperatures regardless of its origin, including psychrophiles. Trxs have a common structure consisting of the central β-sheet flanked by an aliphatic cluster on one side and an aromatic cluster on the other side. Although the roles of aromatic amino acids in the folding and stability of proteins have been studied extensively, the contributions of aromatic residues to the stability and function of Trx, particularly Trxs from cold-adapted organisms, have not been fully elucidated. This study examined the roles of aromatic amino acids in the aromatic cluster of a Trx from the psychrophilic Arctic bacteriumSphingomonassp. PAMC 26621 (SpTrx). The aromatic cluster of SpTrx was comprised of W11, F26, F69, and F80, in which F26 at the β2 terminus was buried inside. The substitution of tyrosine for F26 changed the SpTrx conformation substantially compared to that of F69 and F80. Further biochemical and spectroscopic investigations on F26 showed that the F26Y, F26W, and F26A mutants resulted in structural instability of SpTrx in both urea- and temperature-induced unfolding and lower insulin reduction activities. The Trx reductase (SpTR) showed lower catalytic efficiencies against F26 mutants compared to the wild-type SpTrx. These results suggest that buried F26 is essential for maintaining the active-site conformation of SpTrx as an oxidoreductase and its structural stability for interactions with SpTR at colder temperatures.
Upper limb rehabilitation system based on virtual reality for breast cancer patients: Development and usability study
Authors: Zhou Zijun , Li Jiaxin , Wang He , Luan Ze , Li Yuan , Peng Xin
Published: December 2021

Background

Functional exercise is crucial for breast cancer patients after surgery, and the use of virtual reality technology to assist patients with postoperative upper limb functional rehabilitation has gradually attracted the attention of researchers. However, the usability of the developed rehabilitation system is still unknown to a large extent. The purpose of this study was to develop a virtual reality upper limb rehabilitation system for patients after breast cancer surgery and to explore its usability.

Methods

We built a multidisciplinary team based on virtual reality and human-computer interaction technology and designed and developed an upper limb function rehabilitation system for breast cancer patients after surgery. Breast cancer patients were recruited from a grade III-a general hospital in Changchun city for the experiment. We used the System Usability Scale to evaluate the system availability, the Presence Questionnaire scale to measure the immersive virtual reality scene, and the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire subjective measurement scale for simulator sickness symptoms.

Results

This upper limb rehabilitation system hardware consisted of Head-mounted Display, a control handle and notebook computers. The software consisted of rehabilitation exercises and game modules. A total of 15 patients were tested on this system, all of whom were female. The mean age was 54.73±7.78 years, and no patients were excluded from the experiment because of adverse reactions such as dizziness and vomiting. The System Usability Scale score was 90.50±5.69, the Presence Questionnaire score was 113.40±9.58, the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire-nausea score was 0.93±1.16, the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire-oculomotor score was 0.80±1.27, the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire-disorientation score was 0.80±1.27, and the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire total score was 2.53±3.40.

Conclusions

This study fills in the blanks regarding the upper limb rehabilitation of breast cancer patients based on virtual reality technology system usability research. As the starting point of research in the future, we will improve the system’s function and design strictly randomized controlled trials, using larger samples in the promotion, to evaluate its application in breast cancer patients with upper limbs and other physiological functions and the feasibility and effects of rehabilitation.
Predicting life expectancy after geriatric hip fracture: A systematic review
Authors: Lee Alexander , Weintraub Sara , Xi Ianto Lin , Ahn Jaimo , Bernstein Joseph
Published: December 2021

Background

Displaced femoral neck fractures in geriatric patients are typically treated with either hemiarthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty. The choice between hemiarthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty requires a good estimate of the patient’s life expectancy, as the recent HEALTH trial suggests that the benefits of the two operations do not diverge, if at all, until the second year post-operatively. A systematic review was this performed to determine if there sufficient information in the medical literature to estimate a patient’s life expectancy beyond two years and to identify those patient variables affecting survival of that duration.

Methods

Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were queried for articles reporting survival data for at least two years post-operatively for at least 100 patients, age 65 or greater, treated surgically for an isolated hip fracture. A final set of 43 papers was created. The methods section of all selected papers was then reviewed to determine which variables were collected in the studies and the results section was reviewed to note whether an effect was reported for all collected variables.

Results

There were 43 eligible studies with 25 unique variables identified. Only age, gender, comorbidities, the presence of dementia and fracture type were collected in a majority of studies, and within that, only age and gender were reported in a majority of the results. Most (15/ 25) variables were reported in 5 or fewer of the studies.

Discussion

There are important deficiencies in the literature precluding the evidence-based estimation of 2 year life expectancy. Because the ostensible advantages of total hip arthroplasty are reaped only by those who survive two years or more, there is a need for additional data collection, analysis and reporting regarding survival after geriatric hip fracture.
Green credit, environmental protection investment and debt financing for heavily polluting enterprises
Authors: Ji Li , Jia Pan , Yan Jingshi
Published: December 2021

The paper takes listed companies in the heavily polluting industry from 2009–2017 as a research sample to explore whether heavy pollution enterprises’ environmental protection investment helps their debt financing under the institutional background of China’s continuous implementation of green credit policy. It is found that, in general, the environmental protection investment of heavy pollution enterprises helps them to obtain more and relatively long-term new loans; in terms of time, this effect is more evident after the release of China’s Green Credit Guidelines in 2012; in addition, the level of regional environmental pollution, the level of financial development and the green fiscal policy also have a moderating effect on this. This paper enriches the study of the economic consequences of corporate environmental protection investment from the perspective of debt financing. It examines the effects of the implementation of China’s green credit policy and other institutional factors to provide a reference for the heavy pollution enterprises’ environmental protection investment and the implementation of green credit policy by local governments in China.