bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
p47phox deficiency improves cognitive impairment and attenuates tau hyperphosphorylation in mouse models of AD
Authors: Gong Ping , Chen Yan-qing , Lin Ai-hua , Zhang Hai-bo , Zhang Yan , Ye Richard D. , Yu Yang
Published: November 2020

Background

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive impairment. The aggregation of amyloid β (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated tau protein are two major pathological features of AD. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NADPH oxidase, NOX) has been indicated in Aβ pathology; however, whether and how it affects tau pathology are not yet clear.

Methods

The role of NOX2 in cognitive function, amyloid plaque formation, and tau hyperphosphorylation were examined in APP/PS1 transgenic mice mated with p47phox-deficient mice (with deletion of the gene of neutrophil cytosolic factor 1, Ncf1) and/or in p47phox-deficient mice receiving intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of streptozotocin (STZ). The cognitive and non-cognitive functions in these mice were assessed by Morris water maze, Rotarod test, open field, and elevated plus maze. Aβ levels, amyloid plaques, p47phox expression, and astrocyte activation were evaluated using immunofluorescence staining, ELISA, and/or Western blotting. Cultured primary neuronal cells were treated with okadaic acid or conditioned media (CM) from high glucose-stimulated primary astrocytes. The alteration in tau pathology was determined using Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining.

Results

Deletion of the gene coding for p47phox, the organizer subunit of NOX2, significantly attenuated cognitive impairment and tau pathology in these mice. p47phox deficiency decreased the activation of astrocytes but had no effect on Aβ levels and amyloid plaque formation in the brains of aged APP/PS1 mice, which displayed markedly increased expression of p47phox in neurons and astrocytes. Cell culture studies found that neuronal p47phox deletion attenuated okadaic acid-induced tau hyperphosphorylation at specific sites in primary cultures of neurons. CM from high glucose-treated WT astrocytes increased tau hyperphosphorylation in primary neurons, whereas this effect was absent from p47phox-deficient astrocytes.

Conclusions

These results suggest that p47phox is associated with cognitive function and tau pathology in AD. p47phox expressed in neurons contributes to tau hyperphosphorylation directly, while p47phox in astrocytes affect tau hyperphosphorylation by activating astrocytes indirectly. Our results provide new insights into the role of NOX2 in AD and indicate that targeted inhibition of p47phox may be a new strategy for the treatment of AD.
Retinal blood flow in critical illness and systemic disease: a review
Authors: Courtie E. , Veenith T. , Logan A. , Denniston A. K. , Blanch R. J.
Published: November 2020

Background

Assessment and maintenance of end-organ perfusion are key to resuscitation in critical illness, although there are limited direct methods or proxy measures to assess cerebral perfusion. Novel non-invasive methods of monitoring microcirculation in critically ill patients offer the potential for real-time updates to improve patient outcomes.

Main body

Parallel mechanisms autoregulate retinal and cerebral microcirculation to maintain blood flow to meet metabolic demands across a range of perfusion pressures. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is reduced and autoregulation impaired in sepsis, but current methods to image CBF do not reproducibly assess the microcirculation. Peripheral microcirculatory blood flow may be imaged in sublingual and conjunctival mucosa and is impaired in sepsis. Retinal microcirculation can be directly imaged by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) during perfusion-deficit states such as sepsis, and other systemic haemodynamic disturbances such as acute coronary syndrome, and systemic inflammatory conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease.

Conclusion

Monitoring microcirculatory flow offers the potential to enhance monitoring in the care of critically ill patients, and imaging retinal blood flow during critical illness offers a potential biomarker for cerebral microcirculatory perfusion.
Caratheodory’s approximation for a type of Caputo fractional stochastic differential equations
Authors: Guo Zhongkai , Hu Junhao , Wang Weifeng
Published: November 2020

The Caratheodory approximation for a type of Caputo fractional stochastic differential equations is considered. As is well known, under the Lipschitz and linear growth conditions, the existence and uniqueness of solutions for some type of differential equations can be established. However, this approach does not give an explicit expression for solutions; it is not applicable in practice sometimes. Therefore, it is important to seek the approximate solution. As an extending work for stochastic differential equations, in this paper, we consider Caratheodory’s approximate solution for a type of Caputo fractional stochastic differential equations.
Stochastic differential equations with singular coefficients on the straight line
Authors: Tian Rongrong , Ding Liang , Wei Jinlong
Published: November 2020

Consider the following stochastic differential equation (SDE): $$ X_{t}=x+ \int _{0}^{t}b(s,X_{s})\,ds+ \int _{0}^{t}\sigma (s,X_{s}) \,dB_{s}, \quad 0\leq t\leq T, x\in \mathbb{R}, $$

X
t

=
x
+

∫
0
t

b
(
s
,

X
s

)

d
s
+

∫
0
t

σ
(
s
,

X
s

)

d

B
s

,

0
≤
t
≤
T
,
x
∈
R
,
where $\{B_{s}\}_{0\leq s\leq T}$

{

B
s

}

0
≤
s
≤
T

is a 1-dimensional standard Brownian motion on $[0,T]$
[
0
,
T
]
. Suppose that $q\in (1,\infty ]$
q
∈
(
1
,
∞
]
, $p\in (1,\infty )$
p
∈
(
1
,
∞
)
, $b=b_{1}+b_{2}$
b
=

b
1

+

b
2

, $b_{1}\in L^{q}(0,T;L^{p}(\mathbb{R}))$

b
1

∈

L
q

(
0
,
T
;

L
p

(
R
)
)
such that $1/p+2/q<1$
1
/
p
+
2
/
q
<
1
and $b_{2}$

b
2

is bounded measurable, with $\sigma \in L^{\infty }(0,T;{\mathcal{C}}_{u}(\mathbb{R}))$
σ
∈

L
∞

(
0
,
T
;

C
u

(
R
)
)
there being a real number $\delta >0$
δ
>
0
such that $\sigma ^{2}\geq \delta $

σ
2

≥
δ
. Then there exists a weak solution to the above equation. Moreover, (i) if $\sigma \in \mathcal{C}([0,T];\mathcal{C}_{u}(\mathbb{R}))$
σ
∈
C
(
[
0
,
T
]
;

C
u

(
R
)
)
, all weak solutions have the same probability law on 1-dimensional classical Wiener space on $[0,T]$
[
0
,
T
]
and there is a density associated with the above SDE; (ii) if $b_{2}=0$

b
2

=
0
, $p\in [2,\infty )$
p
∈
[
2
,
∞
)
and $\sigma \in L^{2}(0,T;{\mathcal{C}}_{b}^{1/2}({\mathbb{R}}))$
σ
∈

L
2

(
0
,
T
;

C
b

1
/
2

(
R
)
)
, the pathwise uniqueness holds.
On q-BFGS algorithm for unconstrained optimization problems
Authors: Mishra Shashi Kant , Panda Geetanjali , Chakraborty Suvra Kanti , Samei Mohammad Esmael , Ram Bhagwat
Published: November 2020

Variants of the Newton method are very popular for solving unconstrained optimization problems. The study on global convergence of the BFGS method has also made good progress. The q-gradient reduces to its classical version when q approaches 1. In this paper, we propose a quantum-Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno algorithm where the Hessian is constructed using the q-gradient and descent direction is found at each iteration. The algorithm presented in this paper is implemented by applying the independent parameter q in the Armijo–Wolfe conditions to compute the step length which guarantees that the objective function value decreases. The global convergence is established without the convexity assumption on the objective function. Further, the proposed method is verified by the numerical test problems and the results are depicted through the performance profiles.
Transitioning to digital first line intervention – validation of a brief online screener for early identification of a suspected eating disorder: study protocol
Authors: Bryant Emma , Miskovic-Wheatley Jane , Touyz Stephen , Crosby Ross D. , Koreshe Eyza , Cao Li , Maguire Sarah
Published: November 2020

Background

Only one in four people with eating disorders seeks treatment, and of those who do seek treatment, 20% go on to experience a chronic course. Early intervention has been associated with better prognosis, with those seeking specialised intervention in the early stages of their illness more than twice as likely to achieve remission. Current screening measures typically require expert administration and are rarely validated across a spectrum of DSM-5 eating disorder presentations or for online use. In light of COVID-19 and increasing reliance on telehealth technologies in the intervention and delivery of mental health services, online assessments suitable for self-referral are likely to be the first step to seeking care. InsideOut Institute has developed a 6-item online screening tool for the purposes of identifying eating disorder risk and symptomatology, aimed specifically at increasing help-seeking behaviour in subsyndromal and early presentations.

Methods

This study investigates the reliability and validity of the InsideOut Institute Screener (IOI-S), using a cross-sectional survey research design. Participants aged 14 and over will complete an extensive baseline survey battery for evaluation. 50% of participants will be randomly selected for one follow-up re-test of the IOI-S only, 2 weeks post initial testing. The IOI-S will be analysed for statistical reliability on two parameters: internal consistency and test re-test reliability, and for statistical validity on four parameters: concurrent validity, sensitivity and specificity, convergent and discriminant validity.

Discussion

The rapid and ongoing shift to digital intervention has highlighted gaps and opportunities in our pathways to care. Adequate screening for eating disorders is a major gap. This study aims to validate an online screening tool for use in telehealth early intervention, designed for users seeking information for a suspected eating disorder. The screener meets those at risk ‘where they are’ (i.e. online) and may improve timely referrals to relevant services. This is of particular salience as face-to-face healthcare and traditional frontline interventions are disrupted, and we are challenged to re-design our practices to deliver diagnostic and treatment services in highly adaptive digital contexts.
Pioneering urban practices in transition spaces
Authors: Pittaluga Paola
Published: November 2020

The article suggests a set of design requirements to orient urban practices of transformation and space management when they work on transition spaces, which are difficult to interpret and classify in accordance with traditional dichotomous categories such as centre/periphery, urban/not urban, open/closed, abandoned/lived, public/private. The first part of the article explains how various disciplines describe and characterise this kind of space, which cannot be described precisely through traditional categories. Literature search indicates how transition spaces have a number of attributes that can be translated into requirements to steer design actions. The examples of urban practices, described in the central paragraphs of the article, quickly show how project actions actualize the requirements that can be inferred both from literature and from the examples themselves. The conclusions summarise the design requirements to transform and manage transition spaces, in order to orient “pioneering urban practices”, thus opening the way to different modes of intervention and offering new insights into the role of designers and users in this particular kind of practice. Promising prospects emerge not only for the design methodology of this type of spaces, but also for the possibility of addressing relevant issues in the current disciplinary debate concerning, on the one hand, the liveability and care of urban spaces and therefore the regeneration of public space, at a time in history when its existence is questioned, on the other hand the effectiveness of the involvement and empowerment of local societies in the processes of space transformation.
Bexarotene normalizes chemotherapy-induced myelin decompaction and reverses cognitive and sensorimotor deficits in mice
Authors: Chiang Angie C. A. , Seua Alexandre V. , Singhmar Pooja , Arroyo Luis D. , Mahalingam Rajasekaran , Hu Jian , Kavelaars Annemieke , Heijnen Cobi J.
Published: November 2020

Frequently reported neurotoxic sequelae of cancer treatment include cognitive deficits and sensorimotor abnormalities that have long-lasting negative effects on the quality of life of an increasing number of cancer survivors. The underlying mechanisms are not fully understood and there is no effective treatment. We show here that cisplatin treatment of mice not only caused cognitive dysfunction but also impaired sensorimotor function. These functional deficits are associated with reduced myelin density and complexity in the cingulate and sensorimotor cortex. At the ultrastructural level, myelin abnormalities were characterized by decompaction. We used this model to examine the effect of bexarotene, an agonist of the RXR-family of nuclear receptors. Administration of only five daily doses of bexarotene after completion of cisplatin treatment was sufficient to normalize myelin density and fiber coherency and to restore myelin compaction in cingulate and sensorimotor cortex. Functionally, bexarotene normalized performance of cisplatin-treated mice in tests for cognitive and sensorimotor function. RNAseq analysis identified the TR/RXR pathway as one of the top canonical pathways activated by administration of bexarotene to cisplatin-treated mice. Bexarotene also activated neuregulin and netrin pathways that are implicated in myelin formation/maintenance, synaptic function and axonal guidance. In conclusion, short term treatment with bexarotene is sufficient to reverse the adverse effects of cisplatin on white matter structure, cognitive function, and sensorimotor performance. These encouraging findings warrant further studies into potential clinical translation and the underlying mechanisms of bexarotene for chemobrain.
Evaluation of metadata describing topographic maps in a National Library
Authors: Kuźma Marta , Mościcka Albina
Published: November 2020

Nowadays, map users come from a diverse disciplines and use maps for different purposes, but they all are confronted with the same task: finding the maps they need. Searching systems, used by museums or archives collecting maps, rely on metadata. However, the scope and method of saving map data in metadata are not often connected with the way in which users search for maps and therefore they are often unable to find the maps necessary for their research. Moreover, the ways of describing maps in metadata are different in each institution, what hinders the interoperability and wide using of data. In this context, the key questions are: what scope of metadata can provide a proper description of maps and how to evaluate if metadata from concerned institution fulfill these needs and give user the chance to find necessary maps. Therefore, the aim of our research was to evaluate topographic maps metadata in the context of the possibility to evaluate their usability of specific users’ needs in the National Library of Poland (NLP). The area of interest are topographic maps because they are the most heavily used for research and other purposes. To assess metadata for the purposes of evaluating the usability of topographic maps, a two-stage procedure was used. It covers the evaluation of topographic maps metadata, followed by their assessment in terms of whether maps found on their basis might be useful in our research. The research was carried out on 35,092 topographic maps issued in the years 1608–2017, in scales ranging from 1:10,000 to 1:500,000 from the National Library of Poland. These maps mainly cover the current territories of Poland, Belarus, Germany, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Russia. The conducted analysis of topographic maps in the National Library of Poland revealed that the collected data are very interesting and match the users’ needs.
Deep learning accelerators: a case study with MAESTRO
Authors: Bolhasani Hamidreza , Jassbi Somayyeh Jafarali
Published: November 2020

In recent years, deep learning has become one of the most important topics in computer sciences. Deep learning is a growing trend in the edge of technology and its applications are now seen in many aspects of our life such as object detection, speech recognition, natural language processing, etc. Currently, almost all major sciences and technologies are benefiting from the advantages of deep learning such as high accuracy, speed and flexibility. Therefore, any efforts in improving performance of related techniques is valuable. Deep learning accelerators are considered as hardware architecture, which are designed and optimized for increasing speed, efficiency and accuracy of computers that are running deep learning algorithms. In this paper, after reviewing some backgrounds on deep learning, a well-known accelerator architecture named MAERI (Multiply-Accumulate Engine with Reconfigurable interconnects) is investigated. Performance of a deep learning task is measured and compared in two different data flow strategies: NLR (No Local Reuse) and NVDLA (NVIDIA Deep Learning Accelerator), using an open source tool called MAESTRO (Modeling Accelerator Efficiency via Spatio-Temporal Resource Occupancy). Measured performance indicators of novel optimized architecture, NVDLA shows higher L1 and L2 computation reuse, and lower total runtime (cycles) in comparison to the other one.
Annual dialysis data report 2018, JSDT Renal Data Registry: dialysis fluid quality, hemodialysis and hemodiafiltration, peritoneal dialysis, and diabetes
Authors:   on behalf of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy Renal Data Registry Committee, Nitta Kosaku , Abe Masanori , Masakane Ikuto , Hanafusa Norio , Taniguchi Masatomo , Hasegawa Takeshi , Nakai Shigeru , Wada Atsushi , Hamano Takayuki , Hoshino Junichi , Joki Nobuhiko , Goto Shunsuke , Wakasugi Minako , Yamamoto Keiichi , Nakamoto Hidetomo
Published: November 2020

The annual survey questionnaires of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy Renal Data Registry (JRDR) were sent to 4458 dialysis facilities at the end of 2018; 4402 facilities (98.7%) responded to the facility questionnaire, and 4222 facilities (94.7%) responded to the patient questionnaire. This paper reports the results obtained in regard to several issues: dialysis fluid quality, prescription of hemodialysis and hemodiafiltration, current status of peritoneal dialysis, and glycemic indices and treatment of diabetic patients.
Phytochemical profiling, and anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties of Viburnum coriaceum Blume
Authors: Vijaytha Vijayakumar , Anupama R. V. , Haridas M.
Published: November 2020

Background

Viburnums comprise a taxonomic group of plants distributed all over the world and were reported to have many biological activities. Viburnum coriaceum Blume is one of the least explored members of the group. The present study was aimed to explore the phytochemical profile of the plant, Viburnum coriaceum Blume with special emphasis to its anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities.

Results

Extracts of all parts of plants were found to possess a spectrum of chemicals in considerable amount, including triterpenoids and glycosides. Anti-oxidant property was found in extracts made of any part of the plant. Methanol extract of root expressed a prominent zone of inhibition in agar gel well-diffusion assay involving many microorganisms. Inhibition of enzymes, LOX, and trypsin showed by the hexane extract of root suggested a prominent anti-inflammatory potential of the plant under investigation.

Conclusion

Phytochemical profiling and the other assays using the plant extracts provide us with a plant having many valuable medicinal properties. Viburnum coriaceum Blume could be noted as a promising material for drug leads.
Short Dietary Intervention with Olive Oil Increases Brown Adipose Tissue Activity in Lean but not Overweight Subjects
Authors: Monfort-Pires Milena , U-Din Mueez , Nogueira Guilherme A , de Almeida-Faria Juliana , Sidarta-Oliveira Davi , Sant’Ana Marcella Ramos , De Lima-Júnior José C , Cintra Dennys E , de Souza Heraldo Possolo , Ferreira Sandra R G , Sapienza Marcelo Tatit , Virtanen Kirsi A , Velloso Licio A
Published: November 2020

Background

The brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a potential target for the treatment of obesity and metabolic disorders. Its activation by cold exposure or adrenergic drugs can increase systemic insulin sensitivity and improve lipid metabolism; however, little is known about the effects of specific dietary components on BAT activity.

Objectives

We asked if a short-term (4 weeks) dietary intervention with olive oil could modify BAT activity in lean and overweight/obese volunteers.

Design

This was a 4-week open clinical trial in which all participants underwent a dietary intervention with extra-virgin olive oil supplementation. As the initial intake of olive oil was controlled all the participants were controls of themselves.

Results

The intervention resulted in significant increase in blood monounsaturated fatty acid levels, which was accompanied by increased BAT activity in lean but not in overweight/obese volunteers. In the lean group, an increase in leptin was detected after the intervention, and low leptin values at the beginning of the study were predictive of greater BAT activity after intervention. In addition, increase in leptin concentration was associated with increased BAT activity. Three known endogenous mediators of BAT activity, secretin, fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), and 12,13-dihydroxy-9Z-octadecenoic acid (12,13-diHOME) were increased by intervention in lean, whereas only secretin and FGF21 were increased in subjects with excessive weight.

Conclusion

This study provides clinical evidence for the impact of monounsaturated fatty acids on BAT activity and an advance in the understanding of the beneficial health effects of olive oil.
Dominican Futurism
Authors: Soares Kristie
Published: November 2020

This article looks at Rita Indiana’s performance work and latest novel as an example of Dominican futurism. Dominican futurism, like its counterpart Afrofuturism, centers the Dominican body in a technologically enhanced future, positioning it within a speculative world in which Dominicans are the agents of change. This article argues that Indiana’s version of Dominican futurism engages with “negative aesthetics”—defined here as the aesthetics of disorientation, dystopia, and disgust. Negative aesthetics offer a way of staying with the pain and unrest of trauma in speculative texts. The author posits a lineage of negative aesthetics in the Dominican literary tradition, which we can trace back to the work of the Dominican pessimist writers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While the writers articulating this outlook were invested in colonial attitudes such as anti-Blackness, however, Indiana puts forth a feminist and queer of color version that continues the aesthetic practice while also offering a radical departure by critiquing colonial and neocolonial categories. This article contends that in her Dominican futurism, Indiana pairs the speculative with negative aesthetics to point toward a future that is hopeful while being attentive to the trauma of the past and present.
Between Protest and Politics
Authors: Patterson Robert J.
Published: November 2020

This article examines the official Black Lives Matter Movement (the Black Lives Matter Global Network) as a point of departure to argue that Black Lives Matter (BLM) in general expands our epistemological framework for thinking about black freedom movements, black freedom dreams, and black freedom strategies. By analyzing the movement’s explicit refusal to be likened to civil rights movement organizations as a concurrent attack against intraracial sexism, heterosexism, and transphobia, the article insists that BLM deprivileges heteronormativity to show that black freedom dreams must include gender and sexual liberation. By considering BLM’s rejection of capitalism as a broader critique of neoliberalism’s forceful role in maintaining black dispossession, the author posits that BLM desires to disrupt the state’s tendency to use the black middle class to enact, enforce, and reinforce an economic order that relies upon race and racism to codify and cement black inequality. Finally, the author posits that the movement’s tactics and goals provide a framework through which to enact short-term change, while pushing to dismantle the larger system of antiblack racism that is refracted through global capitalism.
Comparison of time-of-flight MR angiography and intracranial vessel wall MRI for luminal measurements relative to CT angiography
Authors: Sarikaya Basar , Colip Charles , Hwang William D , Hippe Daniel S , Zhu Chengcheng , Sun Jie , Balu Niranjan , Yuan Chun , Mossa-Basha Mahmud
Published: November 2020

Objective:

To assess whether intracranial vessel wall (IVW) MRI luminal measurements are more accurate than non-contrast 3D-TOF-MRA measurements for intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis, relative to CTA.

Methods:

Consecutive patients with non-calcified intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis seen on CTA, who had non-contrast 3D-TOF-MRA and IVW performed between 1 January 2013 and 20 April 2014 were selected, and images with stenosis were pre-selected by a single independent rater. The pre-selected CTA, MRA, and IVW (T  1-weighted) images were then reviewed by two independent raters blinded to the other measurements in random order. Measurements were made in a plane perpendicular to the lumen on each modality. MRA and IVW measurements were compared to CTA, to determine which more accurately matched the degree of stenosis.

Results:

18 patients with 33 intracranial atherosclerotic stenoses were included. Relative to CTA, IVW had 40% less variance than MRA (p = .004). IVW had a significantly higher concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) relative to CTA than MRA (.87 vs .68, p = .002). IVW and MRA did not have significant bias relative to CTA, however, 8/33 lesions showed >20% overestimation of the degree of stenosis on MRA, compared to 1/33 for IVW. CCC between raters were 0.84 (95% CI 0.67–0.93) for CTA, 0.83 (0.67–0.93) for TOF-MRA, and 0.85 (0.71–0.94) for IVW. For stenosis >50% sensitivity was 82% for IVW and 64% for MRA, while specificity was 73% for both.

Conclusion:

IVW provides more accurate stenosis measurements than MRA when compared to CTA.

Advances in knowledge:

Considering higher stenosis measurement accuracy of IVW, it can be more reliably used for quantitative evaluation relative to MRA.
High filtration in interventional practices reduces patient radiation doses but not always scatter radiation doses
Authors: Sanchez Roberto M , Vano Eliseo , Salinas Pablo , Gonzalo Nieves , Escaned Javier , Fernández Jose M
Published: November 2020

Objectives:

In fluoroscopy-guided interventional practices, new dose reduction systems have proved to be efficient in the reduction of patient doses. However, it is not clear whether this reduction in patient dose is proportionally transferred to operators’ doses. This work investigates the secondary radiation fields produced by two kinds of interventional cardiology units from the same manufacturer with and without dose reduction systems.

Methods:

Data collected from a large sample of clinical procedures over a 2-year period (more than 5000 procedures and 340,000 radiation events) and the DICOM radiation dose structured reports were analysed.

Results:

The average cumulative H  p(10) per procedure measured at the C-arm was similar for the standard and the dose reduction systems (452 vs 476 μSv respectively). The events analysis showed that the ratio H  p(10)/KAP at the C-arm was (mean ± SD) 5 ± 2, 10 ± 4, 14 ± 4 and 14 ± 6 μSv·Gy−1·cm−2 for the beams with no added filtration, 0.1, 0.4 and 0.9 mm Cu respectively and suggested that the main cause for the increment of the ratio H  p(10)/KAP vs the “standard system” is the use of higher beam filtration in the “dose reduction” system.

Conclusion:

Dose reduction systems are beneficial to reduce KAP in patients and their use should be encouraged, but they may not be equally effective to reduce occupational doses. Interventionalists should not overlook their own personal protection when using new technologies with dose reduction systems.

Advances in knowledge:

Dose reduction technology in interventional systems may increase scatter dose for operators. Personal protection should not be overlooked with dose reduction systems.
#MelhorChurrosDaVida: adoçando a vida dos clientes
Authors: Lyra Franciane Reinert , Schmitt Tatiani , Seghetto Andriely Fernanda de Lara , Schneider Bruna Camila
Published: November 2020

Este caso refere-se a uma empresa criada em 2014 pelos irmãos Leme, que decidiram apostar na venda de churros gourmet em um trailer, seguindo a tendência food truck. Superando os obstáculos iniciais, como a falta de dinheiro e a descoberta da “massa perfeita”, os empresários acreditaram na ideia de ponto de venda itinerante, e a marca vem se expandindo de maneira significante, com crescimento de mais de 40%, até 2017. Desde o começo, as redes sociais foram utilizadas para a divulgação dos roteiros dos trailers e contato com os consumidores. Em um mercado competitivo, com uma média de crescimento no segmento de alimentação fora do lar de 12,3% nos últimos anos, e por estar entre as grandes tendências do setor (Sebrae, 2018), surgiu a necessidade de a empresa se preocupar com a manutenção e fidelização de seus clientes.
Os múltiplos desafios de um gestor de meios de hospedagem: empatia, atitude e imparcialidade
Authors: Passos Fabio Vinicius de Araujo , Araujo Gustavo de Souza , De Rosário Fátima Ferreira , Andrade Jefferson Jorge , Mendes José Roberto Soares
Published: November 2020

Um grupo de 80 militares de um país latino-americano, liderado por seu Ministro da Defesa, vai ao Rio de Janeiro, em missão especial junto a militares brasileiros, e se hospeda em Copacabana. Após alguns dias é foi constatado um furto em um dos apartamentos ocupados por eles. Valendo-se de sua autoridade, o líder militar dá voz de prisão à camareira do andar. Por interferência do gerente geral do hotel, o caso é esclarecido no dia seguinte, mas fica o constrangimento em decorrência do padrão militar em exercer a autoridade.
Outsourcing: manter frota própria ou terceirizar os serviços de transportes?
Authors: Stadler Adriano , Halicki Zélia
Published: November 2020

O caso relata o dilema de Lorena Ribeiro, filha única do fundador da Khemeia Brasil, que vivenciou a experiência de sua empresa se tornar pouco produtiva com métodos que não atendiam às necessidades dos consumidores. Os dados deste caso foram recriados e adaptados a partir de entrevistas com a herdeira da Khemeia Brasil. O caso tem por objetivos: 1) apresentar a terceirização como alternativa na gestão de frotas; 2) refletir sobre a eficácia das estratégias de logística na gestão de pequenas e médias empresas; 3) estabelecer alternativas para a tomada de decisão quanto à terceirização de serviços de transporte.
Culture, Display Rules, and Emotion Judgments
Authors: Matsumoto David , Choi Jungwook , Hirayama Satoko , Domae Akihiro , Yamaguchi Susumu
Published: November 2020

This article describes two studies that demonstrate that cultural display rules (Study 1) and emotion regulation (ER; Study 2) are linked to judgments of emotional expressions of others. In Study 1, American and Japanese judges saw faces expressed at four levels of intensity and rated the intensity of the external display and presumed internal experience. They also completed measures of cultural display rules and psychological culture. Display rules accounted for 69% of the variance in cultural differences in ratings across the expression intensities; psychological culture accounted for an additional 14%. In Study 2 American judges saw the same faces and made the same ratings; this time, however, they completed two measures of ER. ER accounted for nearly all of the rating differences across the expression intensities. These studies report the first evidence of a link between an individual’s display rules and ER and judgments of emotion management in others.
Personalized estimation of one-year mortality risk after elective hip or knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis
Authors: Trela-Larsen Lea , Kroken Gard , Bartz-Johannessen Christoffer , Sayers Adrian , Aram Parham , McCloskey Eugene , Kadirkamanathan Visakan , Blom Ashley W. , Lie Stein Atle , Furnes Ove Nord , Wilkinson J. Mark
Published: November 2020

Aims

To develop and validate patient-centred algorithms that estimate individual risk of death over the first year after elective joint arthroplasty surgery for osteoarthritis.

Methods

A total of 763,213 hip and knee joint arthroplasty episodes recorded in the National Joint Registry for England and Wales (NJR) and 105,407 episodes from the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register were used to model individual mortality risk over the first year after surgery using flexible parametric survival regression.

Results

The one-year mortality rates in the NJR were 10.8 and 8.9 per 1,000 patient-years after hip and knee arthroplasty, respectively. The Norwegian mortality rates were 9.1 and 6.0 per 1,000 patient-years, respectively. The strongest predictors of death in the final models were age, sex, body mass index, and American Society of Anesthesiologists grade. Exposure variables related to the intervention, with the exception of knee arthroplasty type, did not add discrimination over patient factors alone. Discrimination was good in both cohorts, with c-indices above 0.76 for the hip and above 0.70 for the knee. Time-dependent Brier scores indicated appropriate estimation of the mortality rate (≤ 0.01, all models).

Conclusion

Simple demographic and clinical information may be used to calculate an individualized estimation for one-year mortality risk after hip or knee arthroplasty ( https://jointcalc.shef.ac.uk ). These models may be used to provide patients with an estimate of the risk of mortality after joint arthroplasty. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2020;9(11):808–820.
Influence of doping for InSb on ultrafast carrier dynamics measured by time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy
Authors: Li Gaofang , Nie Xiaobo , Zhou Wei , Zhang Wenjie , Cui Haoyang , Xia Nenghong , Huang Zhiming , Chu Junhao , Ma Guohong
Published: November 2020

The influence of doping on the ultrafast carrier dynamics in InSb has been studied by time-resolved terahertz spectroscopy with photogenerated carrier densities from

1.5

×

1

0

18

to

9.5

×

1

0

19

c

m

−
3

at 800 nm. The photoinduced absorption and carrier recovery process show doping type dependence. The carrier recovery time of intrinsic InSb is greater than that of p-doped InSb but less than that of n-doped InSb at low carrier densities. At high carrier densities, compared with intrinsic InSb, the doped InSb is more prone to transient Auger recombination, which indicates that the appearance of the fast decay process depends on the carrier densities. The photoinduced absorption of terahertz probe pulse of n-doped InSb is significantly less than that of p-doped and intrinsic InSb; however, that of p-doped InSb is close to that of intrinsic InSb, which demonstrates that the high concentration of electrons can accelerate the efficiency of transient Auger recombination. Our analysis provides assistance to the design, manufacture, and improvement of photovoltaic detectors.
Miniaturized modular-array fluorescence microscopy
Authors: Son Jeonghwan , Mandracchia Biagio , Jia Shu
Published: November 2020

Fluorescence live-cell imaging allows for continuous interrogation of cellular behaviors, and the recent development of portable live-cell imaging platforms has rapidly transformed conventional schemes with high adaptability, cost-effective functionalities and easy accessibility to cell-based assays. However, broader applications remain restrictive due to compatibility with conventional cell culture workflow and biochemical sensors, accessibility to up-right physiological imaging, or parallelization of data acquisition. Here, we introduce miniaturized modular-array fluorescence microscopy (MAM) for compact live-cell imaging in flexible formats. We advance the current miniscopy technology to devise an up-right modular architecture, each combining a gradient-index (GRIN) objective and individually-addressed illumination and acquisition components. Parallelization of an array of such modular devices allows for multi-site data acquisition in situ using conventional off-the-shelf cell chambers. Compared with existing methods, the device offers a high fluorescence sensitivity and efficiency, exquisite spatiotemporal resolution (∼3 µm and up to 60 Hz), a configuration compatible with conventional cell culture assays and physiological imaging, and an effective parallelization of data acquisition. The system has been demonstrated using various calibration and biological samples and experimental conditions, representing a promising solution to time-lapse in situ single-cell imaging and analysis.
Influence of disorder on a Bragg microcavity
Authors: Tikhodeev S. G. , Muljarov E. A. , Langbein W. , Gippius N. A. , Giessen H. , Weiss T.
Published: November 2020

Using the resonant-state expansion for leaky optical modes of a planar Bragg microcavity, we investigate the influence of disorder on its fundamental cavity mode. We model the disorder by randomly varying the thickness of the Bragg-pair slabs (composing the mirrors) and the cavity and calculate the resonant energy and linewidth of each disordered microcavity exactly, comparing the results with the resonant-state expansion for a large basis set and within its first and second orders of perturbation theory. We show that random shifts of interfaces cause a growth of the inhomogeneous broadening of the fundamental mode that is proportional to the magnitude of disorder. Simultaneously, the quality factor of the microcavity decreases inversely proportional to the square of the magnitude of disorder. We also find that first-order perturbation theory works very accurately up to a reasonably large disorder magnitude, especially for calculating the resonance energy, which allows us to derive qualitatively the scaling of the microcavity properties with disorder strength.
Low-coherence optical diffraction tomography using a ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulator
Authors: Park Chansuk , Lee KyeoReh , Baek Yoonseok , Park YongKeun
Published: November 2020

Optical diffraction tomography (ODT) is a three-dimensional (3D) label-free imaging technique. The 3D refractive index distribution of a sample can be reconstructed from multiple two-dimensional optical field images via ODT. Herein, we introduce a temporally low-coherence ODT technique using a ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulator (FLC SLM). The fast binary-phase modulation provided by the FLC SLM ensures the high spatiotemporal resolution. To reduce coherent noise, a superluminescent light-emitting diode is used as an economic low-coherence light source. We demonstrate the performance of the proposed system using various samples, including colloidal microspheres and live epithelial cells.
Detecting single infrared photons toward optimal system detection efficiency
Authors: Hu Peng , Li Hao , You Lixing , Wang Heqing , Xiao You , Huang Jia , Yang Xiaoyan , Zhang Weijun , Wang Zhen , Xie Xiaoming
Published: November 2020

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) with near-unity system efficiency is a key enabling, but still elusive, technology for numerous quantum fundamental theory verifications and quantum information applications. The key challenge is to have both a near-unity photon-response probability and absorption efficiency simultaneously for the meandered nanowire with a finite filling ratio, which is more crucial for NbN than other superconducting materials (e.g., WSi) with lower transition temperatures. Here, we overcome the above challenge and produce NbN SNSPDs with a record system efficiency by replacing a single-layer nanowire with twin-layer nanowires on a dielectric mirror. The detector at 0.8 K shows a maximal system detection efficiency (SDE) of 98% at 1590 nm and a system efficiency of over 95% in the wavelength range of 1530–1630 nm. Moreover, the detector at 2.1 K demonstrates a maximal SDE of 95% at 1550 nm using a compacted two-stage cryocooler. This type of detector also shows the robustness against various parameters, such as the geometrical size of the nanowire and the spectral bandwidth, enabling a high yield of 73% (36%) with an SDE of >80% (90%) at 2.1 K for 45 detectors fabricated in the same run. These SNSPDs made of twin-layer nanowires are of important practical significance for batch production.
Polarization-independent multi-channel retroreflective metasurfaces based on extraordinary optical diffraction
Authors: Zhang Zhongtao , Wang Jiafu , Jia Yuxiang , Zhu Ruichao , Fu Xinmin , Qu Shaobo
Published: November 2020

Retroreflection can be achieved by phase gradient imparted by super-cells of metasurfaces. Nevertheless, in most cases, retroreflection can only be achieved for one specific polarization. In this paper, we propose an alternative design strategy and reveal that a polarization-independent multi-channel metasurface based on extraordinary optical diffraction (EOD) can achieve high-efficient retroreflection. A unary unit cell, instead of binary unit cells, is employed to canalize impinging EM waves along targeted diffraction channels. Under oblique incidence, only the -1st diffraction order is maintained and the 0th order and others are suppressed through structural design while the reflection is unaffected under normal incidence. In this way, we can achieve retroreflection in three channels. A proof-of-principle prototype was designed, fabricated and measured to verify this design strategy. The prototype can operate at 20.0 GHz under the incident angle of ±48.6° and 0° with the efficiency of retroreflection about 90%. Both the simulated and measured results show an excellent performance of retroreflection along the three channels, regardless of the polarization state of incident waves. This method offers a fast implementation for retrodirective characteristics with facile planar fabrication and can also be easily extended to THz or optical regimes.
Ellipsometric characterization of inhomogeneous thin films with complicated thickness non-uniformity: application to inhomogeneous polymer-like thin films
Authors: Ohlídal Ivan , Vohánka Jiří , Buršíková Vilma , Šulc Václav , Šustek Štěpán , Ohlídal Miloslav
Published: November 2020

The method of variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry usable for the complete optical characterization of inhomogeneous thin films exhibiting complicated thickness non-uniformity together with transition layers at their lower boundaries is presented in this paper. The inhomogeneity of these films is described by means of the multiple-beam interference model. The thickness non-uniformity is taken into account by averaging the elements of the Mueller matrix along the area of the light spot of the ellipsometer on the films. The local thicknesses are expressed using polynomials in the coordinates along the surfaces of the films. The efficiency of the method is illustrated by means of the optical characterization of a selected sample of the polymer-like thin film of SiO
x
C
y
H
z
prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition onto the silicon single crystal substrate. The Campi–Coriasso dispersion model is used to determine the spectral dependencies of the optical constants at the upper and lower boundaries of this film. The profiles of these optical constants are determined too. The thickness non-uniformity is described using a model with local thicknesses given by the polynomial with at most quadratic terms. In this way it is possible to determine the geometry of the upper boundary. The thickness and spectral dependencies of the optical constants of the transition layer are determined as well. Imaging spectroscopic reflectometry is utilized for confirming the results concerning the thickness non-uniformity obtained using ellipsometry.
Large and robust mechanical squeezing of optomechanical systems in a highly unresolved sideband regime via Duffing nonlinearity and intracavity squeezed light
Authors: Zhang Jian-Song , Chen Ai-Xi
Published: November 2020

We propose a scheme to generate strong and robust mechanical squeezing in an optomechanical system in the highly unresolved sideband (HURSB) regime with the help of the Duffing nonlinearity and intracavity squeezed light. The system is formed by a standard optomechanical system with the Duffing nonlinearity (mechanical nonlinearity) and a second-order nonlinear medium (optical nonlinearity). In the resolved sideband regime, the second-order nonlinear medium may play a destructive role in the generation of mechanical squeezing. However, it can significantly increase the mechanical squeezing (larger than 3dB) in the HURSB regime when the parameters are chosen appropriately. Finally, we show the mechanical squeezing is robust against the thermal fluctuations of the mechanical resonator. The generation of large and robust mechanical squeezing in the HURSB regime is a combined effect of the mechanical and optical nonlinearities.
High-sensitivity, high-resolution polymer fiber Bragg grating humidity sensor harnessing microwave photonic filtering response analysis
Authors: Zhu Kun , Cheng Xin , Zhao Zhiyong , Lu Chao
Published: November 2020

Polymer optical fiber Bragg gratings (POFBGs) provide an efficient, robust, and cost-effective approach for humidity sensing. In this Letter, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a high-sensitivity and high-resolution POFBG-based humidity sensor that utilizes microwave photonic filtering response analysis. A POFBG and a silica FBG are used as the sensing probes, and a two-tap microwave photonic filter is developed to enable the high precision interrogation. Since only the poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) based fiber is sensitive to humidity, the wavelength shift due to the humidity change is converted into the change of frequency response of the microwave photonic filter. A relationship between the humidity and the free spectral range (FSR) of the microwave photonic filter is established as the interrogation technique. Compared with the traditional approach by directly monitoring the wavelength shift using an optical spectrum analyzer, our proposed scheme can increase the humidity sensor resolution by two orders of magnitude, which greatly increases the accuracy of the humidity sensor, making it possible and feasible in many potential high-precision applications.