bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Function of Space in Patrícia Galvão's Parque Industrial
Authors: Fanning Agnes
Published: February 2024

Abstract: This article explores the function of space in Patrícia Galvão's novel Parque Industrial (1933), and how spatial locations are used to reveal the exploitation faced by Brazil's urban population. In this propagandistic novel, Galvão challenges the unseen intersections that exist between class, gender, and race, demonstrating how a capitalist metropolis becomes a hostile environment for the poor, women, and people of colour. I argue that through her representation of physical space, Galvão draws attention to the overlapping conceptual spaces that individuals occupy in order to foreground subjectivities that undermine the dominant industrial system. Space is politicized and gendered, showing the way in which it excludes, limits, and abuses those of a certain social standing. Resumo: O presente artigo explora a função do espaço no romance Parque Industrial (1933), de Patrícia Galvão, e como as localizações espaciais se usam para revelar a exploração enfrentada pela população urbana do Brasil. Nesse romance propagandístico, Galvão desafia as interseções invisíveis que existem entre classe, gênero e raça, demonstrando como uma metrópole capitalista se torna um ambiente hostil para os pobres, as mulheres e as pessoas negras. Defende-se que, por meio de sua representação do espaço físico, Galvão chama a atenção para os espaços conceituais que os indivíduos ocupam a fim de colocar em primeiro plano as subjetividades que minam o sistema industrial dominante. O espaço é tratado desde um ponto de vista político e de gênero, mostrando a maneira pela qual exclui, limita e abusa aqueles que têm uma determinada posição social.
Hemispherical harmonic illumination and reflectance angular spectrum
Authors: Zheng Yi , Lin Lin , Ding Changpeng , Hou Yonghui , Li Xiaofei
Published: February 2024

Light scattering plays an important role in physics, with wide applications in science and engineering. However, accurate and effective modeling of scattering remains a great challenge. In this study, we exploited the rendering equation using hemispherical harmonics to demonstrate an angular frequency representation that directly depicts scattering in a two-dimensional spectrum, free from any underlying assumptions. This representation offers a compact and intuitive characterization of mirror reflection, isotropic scattering, and anisotropic emission. The robust support of theoretical proofs and data-driven experimental results establishes the broad applicability of our computational model in conducting scattering analyses across diffuse, specular, and glossy materials. With the capability to characterize the scattering in angular frequency domain, we expect our proposed model to emerge as an essential tool in various domains, including surface feature recognition, reflectance data compression, and computer rendering.
Designer graphene oxide ultrathin flat lens with versatile focusing property
Authors: Li Xueyan , Meng Fei , Chen Yuxi , Xu Yun
Published: February 2024

Graphene oxide (GO) flat lens has a thickness in nanoscale. They modulates the light field via both phase and amplitude modulation and hence possess excellent focusing property. In this paper, we develop a systematic design method to realize the ultrathin GO flat lens with various focusing properties. By using the Rayleigh-Sommerfield theory, the focusing property of ultrathin GO lenses is accurately calculated, then the genetic algorithm (GA) is employed to design the GO lenses. The lens works at visible frequency can have a large radius and long working distance. By setting different optimization objectives, extraordinary focusing property including sub-diffraction limit focusing with FWHM (∼1.96λ) and achromatic focusing with the wavelengths (450 nm, 550 nm, 650 nm) can be achieved. These innovative designs are fabricated and tested.
Ultra-compact and high-performance four-channel coarse wavelength-division (de)multiplexing filters based on cascaded Mach-Zehnder interferometers with Bezier-shape directional couplers
Authors: Yu Laiwen , Guo Jingshu , Xiang Hengtai , Yang Guojiang , Zhao Yuqi , Li Yuanrong , Dai Daoxin
Published: February 2024

Using cascaded Mach-Zehnder interferometers (CMZIs) provides an attractive option for realizing coarse wavelength-division (de)multiplexing (CWDM) filters with low losses, low crosstalk, flat tops, and high scalability. However, they usually have large footprints and insufficient fabrication tolerances, due to the inferior performance of conventional directional couplers (DCs) used for MZIs. Here, a four-channel CMZI wavelength-division (de)multiplexer based on novel Bezier-shape DCs with compact footprints, broad bandwidths and decent fabrication tolerances. For the fabricated (de)multiplexer with 20-nm channel spacing, the excess loss is less than 0.5 dB and the crosstalk is lower than −19.5 dB in the 1-dB bandwidth of 12.8 nm. For the case with a core-width deviation of ±20 nm, the device still performs very well with low losses and low crosstalk. Compared to the state-of-the-art MZI-based CWDM filters, the present device has slightly high performances and a footprint of 0.012 mm2 shrunk greatly by ∼3-folds. This work can be extended for more channels and other material platforms.
Security enhanced routing and spectrum allocation against crosstalk attacks for confidential lightpath in elastic optical networks
Authors: Hu Liyazhou , Wang Wei , Pan Yuanyuan , Liu Tianhe , Li Yajie , Zhao Yongli , Li Jianqing
Published: February 2024

Elastic optical network (EON) is a critical transmission infrastructure for emerging new applications due to its spectral efficiency and flexibility. Nowadays, numerous confidential lightpaths (CLPs) are carried over EON to support security-sensitive users. However, they are vulnerable to crosstalk attacks at the optical layer, typically aimed at eavesdropping on the carried data or even disrupting connections. Due to the transparent nature of the optical signals, such attacks are difficult to detect and could last for a long time, resulting in data leakage even spreading throughout the network. This paper presents a novel routing and spectrum allocation (RSA) algorithm to protect CLPs from crosstalk attacks. We investigate intra-channel and inter-channel crosstalk attacks and develop a metric to quantify crosstalk leakage risks (CLRs). We first formulate an ILP model to plan CLPs with a minimum CLR. To solve the same problem for large-scale networks, we also propose a heuristic algorithm, i.e., crosstalk-attack-aware RSA. Results indicate that the proposed algorithm is capable of reducing CLR by 23%.
Achieving widely distributed feature matches using flattened-affine-SIFT algorithm for fisheye images
Authors: Zhang Yakun , Ma Yunpeng , Wu Yang , Liu Lingling
Published: February 2024

Performing correction first is the most common methods to address feature matching issues for fisheye images, but corrections often result in significant loss of scene details or stretching of images, leaving peripheral regions without matches. In this paper, we propose a novel approach, named flattened-affine-SIFT, to find widely distributed feature matches between stereo fisheye images. Firstly, we establish a new imaging model that integrates a scalable model and a hemisphere model. Utilizing the extensibility of the imaging model, we design a flattened array model to reduce the distortion of fisheye images. Additionally, the affine transformation is performed on the flattened simulation images, which are computed using the differential expansion and the optimal rigidity transformation. Then feature matches are extracted and matched from the simulated images. Experiments on indoor and outdoor fisheye images show that the proposed algorithm can find a large number of reliable feature matches. Moreover, these matches tend to be dispersed over the entire effective image, including peripheral regions with dramatic distortion.
Dual-polarization defogging method based on frequency division and blind separation of polarization information
Authors: Huang Feng , Ke Chaozhen , Wu Xianyu , Liu Yu
Published: February 2024

The current advancements in image processing have led to significant progress in polarization defogging methods. However, most existing approaches are not suitable for scenes with targets exhibiting a high degree of polarization (DOP), as they rely on the assumption that the detected polarization information solely originates from the airlight. In this paper, a dual-polarization defogging method connecting frequency division and blind separation of polarization information is proposed. To extract the polarization component of direct transmission light from the detected polarized signal, blind separation of overlapped polarized information is performed in the low-frequency domain based on visual perception. Subsequently, after estimating airlight, a high-quality defogging image can be restored. Extensive experiments conducted on real-world scenes and comparative tests confirm the superior performance of our proposed method compared to other competitive methods, particularly in reconstructing objects with high DOP. This work provides a quantitative approach for estimating the contributions of polarization light from different sources and further expands the application range of polarimetric defogging imaging.
Engineering of the Fano resonance spectral response with non-Hermitian metasurfaces by navigating between exceptional point and bound states in the continuum conditions
Authors: Liang Yaoyao , Bochkova Elena , Burokur Shah Nawaz , de Lustrac André , Benisty Henri , Lupu Anatole
Published: February 2024

We address the engineering of Fano resonances and metasurfaces, by placing it in the general context of open non-Hermitian systems composed of coupled antenna-type resonators. We show that eigenfrequency solutions obtained for a particular case of scattering matrix are general and valid for arbitrary antenna radiative rates, thanks to an appropriate transformation of parametric space by simple linear expansion and rotation. We provide evidence that Parity-Time symmetry phase transition path and bound states in continuum (BIC) path represent the natural axis of universal scattering matrix solutions in this parametric coupling-detuning plane and determine the main characteristics of Fano resonance. Specifically, we demonstrate the control of asymmetry and sharpness of Fano resonance through navigation between BIC and PT-symmetric phase transition exceptional point. In particular, we demonstrate a fully symmetric Fano resonance in a system of two coupled bright and dark mode resonators. This result goes beyond current wisdom on this topic and demonstrates the universality of scattering matrix eigenfrequency solutions highlighted in our study. The validity of our approach is corroborated through comparison with experimental and full 3D numerical simulations results published in the literature making it thus possible to grasp a large body of experimental work carried out in this field. The detrimental impact of absorption losses on the contrast of the Fano resonance, which must be two orders of magnitude lower than the radiative losses, is also evidenced.
All-light communication network for space-air-sea integrated interconnection
Authors: Wang Linning , Liang Yingze , Qi Ziqian , Liu Pengzhan , Shi Zheng , Zhu Hongbo , Wang Yongjin
Published: February 2024

Space–air–sea communication networks are of great interest to meet the demand for close and seamless connections between space, land, and ocean environments. Wireless light communication can expand network coverage from land to the sky and even the ocean while offering enhanced anti-interference capabilities. Here, we propose and establish an all-light communication network (ALCN) for space–air–sea integrated interconnection, which merges underwater blue light communication, wireless white light communication, solar-blind deep ultraviolet light communication and laser diode-based space communication. Ethernet switches and the Transmission Control Protocol are used for space–air–sea light interconnection. Experimental results show that the ALCN supports wired and wireless device access simultaneously. Bidirectional data transmission between network nodes is demonstrated, with a maximum packet loss ratio of 5.80% and a transmission delay below 74 ms. The proposed ALCN provides a promising scheme for future space–air–sea interconnections towards multiterminal, multiservice applications.
Simulation of optomechanical interaction of levitated nanoparticle with photonic crystal micro cavity
Authors: Maňka Tadeáš , Šiler Martin , Liška Vojtěch , Zemánek Pavel , Šerý Mojmír , Brzobohatý Oto
Published: February 2024

We propose and analyze theoretically a promising design of an optical trap for vacuum levitation of nanoparticles based on a one-dimensional (1D) silicon photonic crystal cavity (PhC). The considered cavity has a quadratically modulated width of the silicon wave guiding structure, leading to a calculated cavity quality factor of 8 × 105. An effective mode volume of approximately 0.16μm3having the optical field strongly confined outside the silicon structure enables optical confinement on nanoparticle in all three dimensions. The optical forces and particle-cavity optomechanical coupling are comprehensively analyzed for two sizes of silica nanoparticles (100 nm and 150 nm in diameter) and various mode detunings. The value of trapping stiffnesses in the microcavity is predicted to be 5 order of magnitudes higher than that reached for optimized optical tweezers, moreover the linear single photon coupling rate can reach MHz level which is 6 order magnitude larger than previously reported values for common bulk cavities. The theoretical results support optimistic prospects towards a compact chip for optical levitation in vacuum and cooling of translational mechanical degrees of motion for the silica nanoparticle of a diameter of 100 nm.
Chronic infection control relies on T cells with lower foreign antigen binding strength generated by N-nucleotide diversity
Authors: Jamaleddine Hassan , Rogers Dakota , Perreault Geneviève , Postat Jérémy , Patel Dhanesh , Mandl Judith N. , Khadra Anmar
Published: February 2024

The breadth of pathogens to which T cells can respond is determined by the T cell receptors (TCRs) present in an individual’s repertoire. Although more than 90% of the sequence diversity among TCRs is generated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated N-nucleotide addition during V(D)J recombination, the benefit of TdT-altered TCRs remains unclear. Here, we computationally and experimentally investigated whether TCRs with higher N-nucleotide diversity via TdT make distinct contributions to acute or chronic pathogen control specifically through the inclusion of TCRs with lower antigen binding strengths (i.e., lower reactivity to peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC)). When T cells with high pMHC reactivity have a greater propensity to become functionally exhausted than those of low pMHC reactivity, our computational model predicts a shift toward T cells with low pMHC reactivity over time during chronic, but not acute, infections. This TCR-affinity shift is critical, as the elimination of T cells with lower pMHC reactivity in silico substantially increased the time to clear a chronic infection, while acute infection control remained largely unchanged. Corroborating an affinity-centric benefit for TCR diversification via TdT, we found evidence that TdT-deficient TCR repertoires possess fewer T cells with weaker pMHC binding strengths in vivo and showed that TdT-deficient mice infected with a chronic, but not an acute, viral pathogen led to protracted viral clearance. In contrast, in the case of a chronic fungal pathogen where T cells fail to clear the infection, both our computational model and experimental data showed that TdT-diversified TCR repertoires conferred no additional protection to the hosts. Taken together, our in silico and in vivo data suggest that TdT-mediated TCR diversity is of particular benefit for the eventual resolution of prolonged pathogen replication through the inclusion of TCRs with lower foreign antigen binding strengths.
Impact of post-COVID-19 lung damage on pulmonary function, exercise tolerance and quality of life in Indian subjects
Authors: Christopher Devasahayam Jesudas , Isaac Barney T. J. , John Flavita Benna , Shankar Deepa , Samuel Prasanna , Gupta Richa , Thangakunam Balamugesh
Published: February 2024

After recovery from COVID-19, there is data to suggest potential long-term pulmonary sequelae and associated impairment of functional capacity. This cross-sectional study was designed to assess the impact on respiratory function in a cohort of Indian subjects. Subjects who had recovered from COVID-19 were recruited. Clinical symptoms, pulmonary function test results, 6-minute walk test (6MWT) results, St George’s Respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ) and chest radiographs were obtained. Information on the COVID-19 illness during hospitalization, baseline laboratory biomarkers and the disease severity categories as outlined by WHO (asymptomatic, mild, moderate, severe and critical), were retrieved from the hospital records. The ‘COVID pneumonia’(WHO category moderate, severe & critical) group was compared with the ‘Mild COVID’ (WHO category mild) group and likewise, the WHO category moderate and the WHO category severe/critical groups were compared. In 207 subjects, whose mean age was 48.7 years were assessed after an average of 63 days from onset of symptom, 35% had TLC< 80% (restrictive defect), 8.3% had FEV1/FVC<70% (obstructive defect) and 44.4% had diminished DLCO<80% (diffusing capacity). The ‘COVID-19 pneumonia’ group when compared to the ‘mild COVID-19’ group, had lower FVC% (77.85 VS 88.18; P = 0.001), TLC% (79.48 VS 87.91; P = 0.0002), DLCO% (75.30 VS 89.20; P<0.0001) and DLCO/VA% (105.6 VS 111.8; P = 0.032), decreased minimum oxygen saturation (94.89 VS 97.73; P<0.0001) and more subjects had a drop in saturation of ≥ 4% (21.69% VS 4.84%; P = 0.001) during the 6MWT, and a greater mean total SGRQ score (29.2 VS 11.0; P<0.0001). To our knowledge, this is the first such report on Indian subjects. We have shown that post-COVID-19 lung damage leads to significant impairment of lung function, quality of life and effort tolerance.
Comparative evaluation of bioinformatic tools for virus-host prediction and their application to a highly diverse community in the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, Mexico
Authors: Cisneros-Martínez Alejandro Miguel , Rodriguez-Cruz Ulises E. , Alcaraz Luis D. , Becerra Arturo , Eguiarte Luis E. , Souza Valeria
Published: February 2024

Due to the enormous diversity of non-culturable viruses, new viruses must be characterized using culture-independent techniques. The associated host is an important phenotypic feature that can be inferred from metagenomic viral contigs thanks to the development of several bioinformatic tools. Here, we compare the performance of recently developed virus-host prediction tools on a dataset of 1,046 virus-host pairs and then apply the best-performing tools to a metagenomic dataset derived from a highly diverse transiently hypersaline site known as the Archaean Domes (AD) within the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, Coahuila, Mexico. Among host-dependent methods, alignment-based approaches had a precision of 66.07% and a sensitivity of 24.76%, while alignment-free methods had an average precision of 75.7% and a sensitivity of 57.5%. RaFAH, a virus-dependent alignment-based tool, had the best overall performance (F1_score = 95.7%). However, when predicting the host of AD viruses, methods based on public reference databases (such as RaFAH) showed lower inter-method agreement than host-dependent methods run against custom databases constructed from prokaryotes inhabiting AD. Methods based on custom databases also showed the greatest agreement between the source environment and the predicted host taxonomy, habitat, lifestyle, or metabolism. This highlights the value of including custom data when predicting hosts on a highly diverse metagenomic dataset, and suggests that using a combination of methods and qualitative validations related to the source environment and predicted host biology can increase the number of correct predictions. Finally, these predictions suggest that AD viruses infect halophilic archaea as well as a variety of bacteria that may be halophilic, halotolerant, alkaliphilic, thermophilic, oligotrophic, sulfate-reducing, or marine, which is consistent with the specific environment and the known geological and biological evolution of the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin and its microorganisms.
Diverse modulatory effects of bibenzyls from Dendrobium species on human immune cell responses under inflammatory conditions
Authors: Kongkatitham Virunh , Dehlinger Adeline , Chaotham Chatchai , Likhitwitayawuid Kittisak , Böttcher Chotima , Sritularak Boonchoo
Published: February 2024

Dendrobium plants are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Their secondary metabolites such as bibenzyls and phenanthrenes show various pharmacological benefits such as immunomodulation and inhibitory effects on cancer cell growth. However, our previous study also showed that some of these promising compounds (i.e., gigantol and cypripedin) also induced the expression of inflammatory cytokines including TNF in human monocytes, and thus raising concerns about the use of these compounds in clinical application. Furthermore, the effects of these compounds on other immune cell populations, apart from monocytes, remain to be investigated. In this study, we evaluated immunomodulatory effects of seven known bibenzyl compounds purified from Dendrobium species in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) that were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Firstly, using flow cytometry, moscatilin (3) and crepidatin (4) showed the most promising dose-dependent immunomodulatory effects among all seven bibenzyls, determined by significant reduction of TNF expression in LPS-stimulated CD14+ monocytes. Only crepidatin at the concentration of 20 μM showed a significant cytotoxicity, i.e., an increased cell death in late apoptotic state. In addition, deep immune profiling using high-dimensional single-cell mass cytometry (CyTOF) revealed broad effects of Dendrobium compounds on diverse immune cell types. Our findings suggest that to precisely evaluate therapeutic as well as adverse effects of active natural compounds, a multi-parameter immune profiling targeting diverse immune cell population is required.
Physical activity and unexpected weight change in Ontario children and youth during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional analysis of the Ontario Parent Survey 2
Authors: McQuillan Kathryn , Yoshida-Montezuma Yulika , Jambon Marc , Vanderloo Leigh M. , Gonzalez Andrea , Anderson Laura N.
Published: February 2024

The objective of this study was to investigate the association between children’s parent-reported physical activity levels and weight changes during the COVID-19 pandemic among children and youth in Ontario Canada. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in parents of children 5–17 years living in Ontario from May to July 2021. Parents recalled their child’s physical activity and weight change during the year prior to their completion of the survey. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using multinomial logistic regression for the association between physical activity and weight gain or loss, adjusted for child age and gender, parent ethnicity, current housing type, method of school delivery, and financial stability. Overall, 86.8% of children did not obtain 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day and 75.4% of parents were somewhat or very concerned about their child’s physical activity levels. For all physical activity exposures (outdoor play, light physical activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity), lower physical activity was consistently associated with increased odds of weight gain or loss. For example, the adjusted OR for the association between 0–1 days of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity versus 6–7 days and child weight gain was 5.81 (95% CI 4.47, 7.56). Parent concern about their child’s physical activity was also strongly associated with child weight gain (OR 7.29; 95% CI 5.94, 8.94). No differences were observed between boys and girls. This study concludes that a high proportion of children in Ontario had low physical activity levels during the COVID-19 pandemic and that low physical activity was strongly associated with parent reports of both weight gain and loss among children.
Applying a cost-based pricing model for innovative cancer treatments subject to indication expansion: A case study for pembrolizumab and daratumumab
Authors: Heine R. J. S. D. , Thielen F. W. , Mathijssen R. H. J. , van Leeuwen R. W. F. , Franken M. G. , Uyl-de Groot C. A.
Published: February 2024

Background

Expanding the indication of already approved immuno-oncology drugs presents treatment opportunities for patients but also strains healthcare systems. Cost-based pricing models are discussed as a possibility for cost containment. This study focuses on two drugs, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and daratumumab (Darzalex), to explore the potential effect of indication broadening on the estimated price when using the cost-based pricing (CBP) model proposed by Uyl-de Groot and Löwenberg (2018).

Methods

The model was used to calculate cumulative yearly prices, cumulative prices per indication, and non-cumulative indication-based prices using inputs such as research and development (R&D) costs, manufacturing costs, eligible patient population, and a profit margin. A deterministic stepwise analysis and scenario analysis were conducted to examine how sensitive the estimated price is to the different input assumptions.

Results

The yearly cumulative cost-based prices (CBPs) ranged from €52 to €885 for pembrolizumab per vial and €823 to €31,941 for daratumumab per vial. Prices were higher in initial years or indications due to smaller patient populations, decreased over time or after additional indications. Sensitivity analysis showed that the number of eligible patients had the most significant impact on the estimated price. In the scenario analysis the profit margin contributed most to a higher CBPs for both drugs. Lower estimates resulted from assumed lower R&D costs.

Discussion

The estimated CBPs are consistently lower than Dutch list prices for pembrolizumab (€2,861), mainly resulting from larger patient populations in registered indications. However, daratumumab’s list prices fall within the range of modeled CBPs depending on the year or indication (€4,766). Both CBPs decrease over time or with additional indications. The number of eligible patients and initial R&D costs have the most significant influence on the CBPs. These findings contribute to the ongoing discussions on pharmaceutical pricing, especially concerning cancer drugs with expanding indications.
Is low carotid bifurcation determined by vertebral level always convenient for surgical approach?
Authors: Amarttayakong Siriyakorn , Amarttayakong Pattama , Munkong Waranon , La-up Aroon , Chaiyamoon Arada , Suwannakhan Athikhun , Sangkhano Sukrit
Published: February 2024

Although high-level carotid bifurcation (HCB) could lead to notable surgical difficulty, the definitive reference point for HCB is unclear. HCB is typically characterized as carotid bifurcation (CB) located higher than the level of the third cervical vertebra (C), however, a major obstacle regarding carotid artery surgical exposure is angle of the mandible (AM). The objective of this study was to investigate CB level, define HCB in relation to AM and vertebral levels, and measure the vertical distance from HCB to ipsilateral AM. Moreover, the percentage of surgically challenged CBs, misclassified as low CBs (LCB) based on vertebral level, was investigated. Patients who underwent neck computed tomography angiography were retrospectively studied. HCBs were classified into two categories: CBs above the C3 and either at or above the ipsilateral AM. Of 172 CBs (86 patients; 57 men, 29 women), CB was mostly found at C3 (44.19%), whereas AM was commonly located at C2 (51.16%). Based on vertebral level and AM, HCBs were detected in 10.47% and 20.35% of CBs, respectively. The association of HCBs determined by either C3 or AM between both sides in each individual was nonsignificant (p>0.05), but HCBs determined by C3 level were predominant in women (OR = 3.58, 95%CI = 1.31–9.80). Considering both C3 and AM, there was 8.72% of HCBs. The remaining 91.28% was classified as LCBs, including 11.63% of CBs located at both C3 and AM which were actually classified as HCBs if determined by AM. In cases of CBs above AM level, the mean vertical distance was as high as 6.56 ±2.41mm.
Human alveolar macrophages display marked hypo-responsiveness to IFN-γ in both proteomic and gene expression analysis
Authors: Thiel Bonnie A. , Lundberg Kathleen C. , Schlatzer Daniela , Jarvela Jessica , Li Qing , Shaw Rachel , Reba Scott M. , Fletcher Shane , Beckloff Sara E. , Chance Mark R. , Boom W. Henry , Silver Richard F. , Bebek Gurkan
Published: February 2024

Alveolar macrophages (AM) perform a primary defense mechanism in the lung through phagocytosis of inhaled particles and microorganisms. AM are known to be relatively immunosuppressive consistent with the aim to limit alveolar inflammation and maintain effective gas exchange in the face of these constant challenges. How AM respond to T cell derived cytokine signals, which are critical to the defense against inhaled pathogens, is less well understood. For example, successful containment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in lung macrophages is highly dependent on IFN-γ secreted by Th-1 lymphocytes, however, the proteomic IFN-γ response profile in AM remains mostly unknown. In this study, we measured IFN-γ induced protein abundance changes in human AM and autologous blood monocytes (MN). AM cells were activated by IFN-γ stimulation resulting in STAT1 phosphorylation and production of MIG/CXCL9 chemokine. However, the global proteomic response to IFN-γ in AM was dramatically limited in comparison to that of MN (9 AM vs 89 MN differentially abundant proteins). AM hypo-responsiveness was not explained by reduced JAK-STAT1 signaling nor increased SOCS1 expression. These findings suggest that AM have a tightly regulated response to IFN-γ which may prevent excessive pulmonary inflammation but may also provide a niche for the initial survival and growth of Mtb and other intracellular pathogens in the lung.
Cost-effectiveness of abobotulinumtoxinA plus best supportive care compared with best supportive care alone for early treatment of adult lower limb spasticity following an acute event
Authors: Moore Peter , Danchenko Natalya , Weidlich Diana , Tijerina Alejandra Rodarte
Published: February 2024

Objectives

Spasticity is an incurable chronic condition, and patients with spasticity frequently experience symptoms such as muscle stiffness, restricted mobility, fatigue, spasms, and pain. The study objective was to assess the cost-effectiveness of abobotulinumtoxinA plus best supportive care compared with best supportive care alone for the early treatment of adult lower limb spasticity following an acute event (e.g. stroke or traumatic brain injury), from an Australian payer perspective.

Methods

Using clinical data from published pivotal trials, an economic model based on a Markov model was developed to capture changes in treatment costs, healthcare resource use costs, functional outcomes, and health-related quality of life over a lifetime horizon. Scenario analyses and a probabilistic sensitivity analysis were conducted to explore the uncertainty in the model parameters and assumptions used in the base case.

Results

AbobotulinumtoxinA plus best supportive care was cost-effective versus best supportive care, yielding an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $35,721 per quality-adjusted life year gained. Sensitivity analyses confirm the robustness of the base case, with most results remaining below the commonly acceptable cost-effectiveness willingness-to-pay threshold of $75,000 per quality-adjusted life year for cost-effectiveness in Australia. Inputs and assumptions that produced the top four highest incremental cost-effectiveness ratios include the application of different health resource utilisation source, short time horizon, unweighted regression analyses to determine regression probabilities, and no stopping rule. AbobotulinumtoxinA plus best supportive care has a 74% probability of being cost-effective compared with best supportive care alone at the willingness to pay threshold.

Conclusion

AbobotulinumtoxinA plus best supportive care treatment is cost-effective in Australia for the management of adult lower limb spasticity in patients treated within 2 years of an acute event.
Prevalence and factors associated with mental illness symptoms among school students post lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates: A cross-sectional national study
Authors: Ghader Nariman , AlMheiri Noor , Fikri Asma , AbdulRazzak Hira , Saleheen Hassan , Saddik Basema , Aljawarneh Yousef , Dalky Heyam , Al Banna Ammar , Al Memari Shammah , Al Shehhi Budoor , Al Mazrouei Shereena , Al Hajeri Omniyat
Published: February 2024

Limited data exists on the mental health of children in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to fill this gap by examining the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and risk for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among school students in post-lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 3,745 school students participated, responding to standardized tests (Mood and Feeling Questionnaire-Child Self-Report, Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders-Child Version, and Children’s Revised Impact of Event Scale-8). Findings showed that the risk for PTSD was the most prevalent (40.6%), followed by symptoms of anxiety (23.3%), and depression (17.1%). For gender differences, symptoms of the three conditions (depression, anxiety, and PTSD) were higher in female students (9.2%) compared to male peers (7.7%) (p = 0.09). Moreover, symptoms of depression and anxiety were found to be higher among late adolescents (p<0.05). Further analysis revealed that having medical problems was a positive predictor for anxiety (OR = 2.0, p<0.01) and risk for PTSD (OR = 1.3, p = 0.002); similarly, witnessing the death of a close family member due to COVID-19 (OR for depression, anxiety, and PTSD = 1.7, p<0.01) were positive predictors associated with PTDS, depression, and anxiety. The study concluded that post COVID-19 lockdown, symptoms of anxiety, depression, and risk for PTSD were found to be prevalent among school students in the UAE. Researchers put forward recommendations on the initiation of a national school mental health screening program, the provision of follow-up services for vulnerable students, and the integration of a mental health support system in the disaster preparedness plans.
Fever clinic construction and management targeted to prevention and control of healthcare-associated respiratory viral infections in Jiangsu, China: A cross-sectional observational study
Authors: Yang Yue , Liu Bo , Wen Ya-Jun , Li Zhan-Jie , Zhang Yong-Xiang , Zhao Gen-Ming , Hu Bi-Jie , Chen Wen-Sen , Zhang Wei-Hong
Published: February 2024

To analyze the post-COVID-19 construction and management of fever clinics targeted to prevention and control of healthcare-associated respiratory viral infections in medical institutions at all levels in China, and to provide a basis for promoting their standardized construction, we conducted this survey on the construction of fever clinics in 429 medical institutions of Jiangsu Province from July to December 2020. Contents of the questionnaire included the general situation of medical institutions, the construction status and future construction plans of fever clinics. We find the construction rate of fever clinic in medical institutions of Jiangsu province was 75.3%. All construction indicators, quality management systems and processes fail to fully meet the requirements of documents and standards. Jiangsu province actively promotes the construction of fever clinic layout, but there is still a gap with the construction standard. As a result, it is necessary to further promote standardized construction of fever clinic, and necessary financial input should be increased to expand all constructions of fever clinic in primary medical institutions.
Creating a psychosocial intervention combining growth mindset and implementation intentions (GMII) to reduce alcohol consumption: A mixed method approach
Authors: Parada Sacha , Rubio Bérengère , Taschini Elsa , Laqueille Xavier , El Youbi Malika , Paris Pierre , Angerville Bernard , Dervaux Alain , Verlhiac Jean-François , Legrand Eve
Published: February 2024

This work aimed at creating a psychosocial intervention based on growth mindset theory and implementation intention strategies, in order to reduce alcohol consumption among users in the general population, and the clinical population of individuals with alcohol use disorder. A mixed method approach was used, combining qualitative and quantitative research methods among both populations. Four focus groups were first conducted to extract arguments in favor of a malleable view of alcohol consumption (study 1A), situations that trigger the desire to drink alcohol, as well as strategies used by people to counteract this need (study 1B). Data were analyzed using reflective thematic analysis in line with the scientific literature on alcohol consumption. The results were used to create a questionnaire scoring the relevance of each argument, situation and strategy (study 2). The 20 best scored arguments, situations and strategies were selected to create the intervention. The created intervention consisted in a popularized scientific article describing alcohol consumption as malleable, including the selected arguments and followed by two internalization exercises. Then, a volitional help sheet included the selected situations and solutions was presented, allowing forming up to three plans. The discussion focused on the added value of the created material compared to pre-existing tools in the literature, and presents plans to test the intervention in a future study.
Heterogeneous fusion of biometric and deep physiological features for accurate porcine cough recognition
Authors: Wang Buyu , Qi Jingwei , An Xiaoping , Wang Yuan
Published: February 2024

Accurate identification of porcine cough plays a vital role in comprehensive respiratory health monitoring and diagnosis of pigs. It serves as a fundamental prerequisite for stress-free animal health management, reducing pig mortality rates, and improving the economic efficiency of the farming industry. Creating a representative multi-source signal signature for porcine cough is a crucial step toward automating its identification. To this end, a feature fusion method that combines the biological features extracted from the acoustic source segment with the deep physiological features derived from thermal source images is proposed in the paper. First, acoustic features from various domains are extracted from the sound source signals. To determine the most effective combination of sound source features, an SVM-based recursive feature elimination cross-validation algorithm (SVM-RFECV) is employed. Second, a shallow convolutional neural network (named ThermographicNet) is constructed to extract deep physiological features from the thermal source images. Finally, the two heterogeneous features are integrated at an early stage and input into a support vector machine (SVM) for porcine cough recognition. Through rigorous experimentation, the performance of the proposed fusion approach is evaluated, achieving an impressive accuracy of 98.79% in recognizing porcine cough. These results further underscore the effectiveness of combining acoustic source features with heterogeneous deep thermal source features, thereby establishing a robust feature representation for porcine cough recognition.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of olaparib maintenance therapy for BRCA mutation ovarian cancer in the public sector in Malaysia
Authors: Yong Chee Meng , Yehgambaram Prathepamalar A. P. , Lee Shaun Wen Huey
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common cancer among women in Malaysia. Patients with ovarian cancer are often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Despite initial response to surgery and chemotherapy, most patients will experience a relapse. Olaparib has been reported have promising effects among BRCA mutated ovarian cancer patients. This study aimed to evaluate the cost–effectiveness of olaparib as a maintenance therapy for BRCA ovarian cancer in Malaysia.

Methods

We developed a four-state partitioned survival model which compared treatment with olaparib versus routine surveillance (RS) from a Malaysian healthcare perspective. Mature overall survival (OS) data from the SOLO-1 study were used and extrapolated using parametric models. Medication costs and healthcare resource usage costs were derived from local inputs and publications. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSA) were performed to explore uncertainties.

Results

In Malaysia, treating patients with olaparib was found to be more costly compared to RS, with an incremental cost of RM149,858 (USD 33,213). Patients treated with olaparib increased life years by 3.05 years and increased quality adjusted life years (QALY) by 2.76 (9.45 years vs 6.40 years; 7.62 vs 4.86 QALY). This translated to an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of RM 49,159 (USD10,895) per life year gained and RM54,357 (USD 12,047) per QALY gained, respectively. ICERs were most sensitive to time horizon of treatment, discount rate for outcomes, cost of treatment and health state costs, but was above the RM53,770/QALY threshold.

Conclusion

The use of olaparib is currently not a cost-effective strategy compared to routine surveillance based upon the current price in Malaysia for people with ovarian cancer with BRCA mutation, despite the improvement in overall survival.
A kinesin-13 family kinesin in Trypanosoma brucei regulates cytokinesis and cytoskeleton morphogenesis by promoting microtubule bundling
Authors: Hu Huiqing , Kurasawa Yasuhiro , Zhou Qing , Li Ziyin
Published: February 2024

The early branching eukaryote Trypanosoma brucei divides uni-directionally along the longitudinal cell axis from the cell anterior toward the cell posterior, and the cleavage furrow ingresses along the cell division plane between the new and the old flagella of a dividing bi-flagellated cell. Regulation of cytokinesis in T. brucei involves actomyosin-independent machineries and trypanosome-specific signaling pathways, but the molecular mechanisms underlying cell division plane positioning remain poorly understood. Here we report a kinesin-13 family protein, KIN13-5, that functions downstream of FPRC in the cytokinesis regulatory pathway and determines cell division plane placement. KIN13-5 localizes to multiple cytoskeletal structures, interacts with FPRC, and depends on FPRC for localization to the site of cytokinesis initiation. Knockdown of KIN13-5 causes loss of microtubule bundling at both ends of the cell division plane, leading to mis-placement of the cleavage furrow and unequal cytokinesis, and at the posterior cell tip, causing the formation of a blunt posterior. In vitro biochemical assays demonstrate that KIN13-5 bundles microtubules, providing mechanistic insights into the role of KIN13-5 in cytokinesis and posterior morphogenesis. Altogether, KIN13-5 promotes microtubule bundle formation to ensure cleavage furrow placement and to maintain posterior cytoskeleton morphology in T. brucei.
Precipitation impacts the physicochemical water quality and abundance of microbial source tracking markers in urban Texas watersheds
Authors: Vadde Kiran Kumar , Moghadam Sina V. , Jafarzadeh Arash , Matta Akanksha , Phan Duc C. , Johnson Drew , Kapoor Vikram
Published: February 2024

This study investigated the sources of fecal pollution in surface and groundwaters collected from three urban watersheds in Texas during dry and wet weather and identified the impact of precipitation on water quality. Water samples (n = 316 and 107 for dry and wet events, respectively) were collected biweekly from eight sampling sites (6 sites from creeks and ponds, and 2 well sites) during two-year monitoring and analyzed for six physico-chemical parameters and ten qPCR-based assays targeting general (E. coli, Enterococcus, and universal Bacteroidales), human (BacHum and HF183), animal (Rum2Bac, BacCow, BacCan), and avian (Chicken/Duck-Bac and GFD) fecal markers. Elevated concentrations of NO3-N and NO2-N were observed in ponds and creeks sites during wet weather. Fecal markers analysis indicated higher concentrations of Rum2Bac, BacCow, and BacCan markers in most of pond and creek sites under wet weather, suggesting stormwater runoff contributed to non-point sources of fecal contamination by animal sources. Furthermore, sporadically higher concentrations of these markers were detected at groundwater sampling sites, demonstrating the significant human health risk. Multivariate statistical analysis such as cluster analysis (CA) and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) was performed to identify relationship between sampling sites; while CA majorly classified ponds, creeks, and well sites separately, PCoA identified similarities in water quality characteristics between waters of wells with ponds and creeks. Overall, results indicate ruminant and dog fecal contamination is a major concern during storm events, consequently impacting surface and groundwater quality of the study.
Simultaneous detection and quantification of multiple pathogen targets in wastewater
Authors: Rao Gouthami , Capone Drew , Zhu Kevin , Knoble Abigail , Linden Yarrow , Clark Ryan , Lai Amanda , Kim Juhee , Huang Ching-Hua , Bivins Aaron , Brown Joe
Published: February 2024

Wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a critical tool for public health surveillance, building on decades of environmental surveillance work for pathogens such as poliovirus. Work to date has been limited to monitoring a single pathogen or small numbers of pathogens in targeted studies; however, few studies consider simultaneous quantitative analysis of a wide variety of pathogens, which could greatly increase the utility of wastewater surveillance. We developed a novel quantitative multi-pathogen surveillance approach (35 pathogen targets including bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and helminths) using TaqMan Array Cards (TAC) and applied the method on concentrated wastewater samples collected at four wastewater treatment plants in Atlanta, GA from February to October of 2020. From sewersheds serving approximately 2 million people, we detected a wide range of targets including many we expected to find in wastewater (e.g., enterotoxigenic E. coli and Giardia in 97% of 29 samples at stable concentrations) as well as unexpected targets including Strongyloides stercoralis (a human threadworm rarely observed in the USA). Other notable detections included SARS-CoV-2, but also several pathogen targets that are not commonly included in wastewater surveillance like Acanthamoeba spp., Balantidium coli, Entamoeba histolytica, astrovirus, norovirus, and sapovirus. Our data suggest broad utility in expanding the scope of enteric pathogen surveillance in wastewaters, with potential for application in a variety of settings where pathogen quantification in fecal waste streams can inform public health surveillance and selection of control measures to limit infections.