bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of 3.7 and 4.2 deletions in Sudanese patients with red cells hypochromia and microcytosis
Authors: Osman Hussam Ali , Hamid Muzamil Mahdi Abdel , Ahmad Rahimah Binti , Saleem Mohamed , Abdallah Sana Altahir
Published: February 2020

Objective

Alpha-thalassemia is a genetic disorder characterized by deletions of one or more α globin genes that result in deficient of α globin chains reducing haemoglobin concentration. The study aimed to screen 97 patients with microcytosis and hypochromasia for the 3.7 and 4.2 alpha thalassemia deletion mutations.

Results

Out of 97 patients screened, only 7 were carriers for the 3.7 deletion and all patients were negative for the 4.2 deletion. The 3.7 deletion was found in Foor, Hawsa and Rezagat Sudanese tribes. In the carriers of the 3.7 deletion, Red Blood Cells and Haematocrit were significantly increased. The Red Blood Cells were 7.23 ± 0.78 × 1012/L in adult males and 7.21 ± 0.67 × 1012/L in adult females while in children were 5.07 ± 0.87 × 1012/L. The mean cell volume and mean cell haemoglobin were significantly decreased, but the mean cell haemoglobin concentration slightly decreased. Haemoglobin levels didn’t revealed statistically significant decrease in adult males (11.7 ± 0.57 g/dL) and adult females (11.25 ± 0.64 g/dL), while in children were (11.6 ± 2.95 g/dL). Haemoglobin electrophoresis revealed two patients of the 3.7 and 4.2 negative were carriers for β-thalassemia. The study concluded that α3.7 deletion has frequency of 0.07 in Sudanese with hypochromasia and microcytosis.
Identification of hemolysin encoding genes and their association with antimicrobial resistance pattern among clinical isolates of coagulase-negative Staphylococci
Authors: Nasaj Mona , Saeidi Zahra , Asghari Babak , Roshanaei Ghodratollah , Arabestani Mohammad Reza
Published: February 2020

Objective

Coagulase-negativestaphylococci(CoNS) are as considered opportunistic pathogens which capable of producing several toxins, enzymes and resistance genes. The current study aimed to determine the occurrence of different hemolysins genes and patterns of antibiotic resistance among CoNS species.

Results

The highest frequency of antibiotic resistance was observed against cefoxitin in 49 isolates (53.8%), and the lowest resistance was against novobiocin in 5 isolates (5.5%). None of the isolates was resistant to vancomycin. The prevalence ofhla, hla_yidD, hld,andhlbgenes was: 87.9%, 62.6%, 56%, and 47.3%, respectively. Thehla/yidDandhldgenes were detected in 69.4% ofS. epidermidisand thehlagene in 94.6% ofS. haemolyticusisolates; thehlbgene was detected in 53.1% of theS. epidermidisisolates. ThemecAgene was identified in 50 (55%) of the CoNS isolates. In conclusion, the results of statistical analysis showed that thehld genehad a significant association with resistance to levofloxacin and erythromycin antibiotics, thehlbwith clindamycin resistance and thehla/yidDwith rifampicin and novobiocin resistance. The results of this study showed that there is a significant relationship between hemolysin encoding genes and antibiotic resistance patterns; therefore, detection of virulence factors associated with antibiotic resistance has become a significant issue of concern.
Evaluation of deep and shallow learning methods in chemogenomics for the prediction of drugs specificity
Authors: Playe Benoit , Stoven Veronique
Published: February 2020

Chemogenomics, also called proteochemometrics, covers a range of computational methods that can be used to predict protein–ligand interactions at large scales in the protein and chemical spaces. They differ from more classical ligand-based methods (also called QSAR) that predict ligands for a given protein receptor. In the context of drug discovery process, chemogenomics allows to tackle the question of predicting off-target proteins for drug candidates, one of the main causes of undesirable side-effects and failure within drugs development processes. The present study compares shallow and deep machine-learning approaches for chemogenomics, and explores data augmentation techniques for deep learning algorithms in chemogenomics. Shallow machine-learning algorithms rely on expert-based chemical and protein descriptors, while recent developments in deep learning algorithms enable to learn abstract numerical representations of molecular graphs and protein sequences, in order to optimise the performance of the prediction task. We first propose a formulation of chemogenomics with deep learning, called the chemogenomic neural network (CN), as a feed-forward neural network taking as input the combination of molecule and protein representations learnt by molecular graph and protein sequence encoders. We show that, on large datasets, the deep learning CN model outperforms state-of-the-art shallow methods, and competes with deep methods with expert-based descriptors. However, on small datasets, shallow methods present better prediction performance than deep learning methods. Then, we evaluate data augmentation techniques, namely multi-view and transfer learning, to improve the prediction performance of the chemogenomic neural network. We conclude that a promising research direction is to integrate heterogeneous sources of data such as auxiliary tasks for which large datasets are available, or independently, multiple molecule and protein attribute views.
Magnetotelluric characterization of the Alhama de Murcia Fault (Eastern Betics, Spain) and study of magnetotelluric interstation impedance inversion
Authors: Martí Anna , Queralt Pilar , Marcuello Alex , Ledo Juanjo , Rodríguez-Escudero Emilio , Martínez-Díaz José Jesús , Campanyà Joan , Meqbel Naser
Published: February 2020

The Lorca earthquake (May 11th, 2011, Mw 5.2) stands as the most destructive one in Spain over the last 50 years, interpreted as having occurred in an intersegment zone of the strike–slip Alhama de Murcia Fault (AMF) (Eastern Betics, Spain). Magnetotelluric data were acquired along a profile to the SW of Lorca (La Torrecilla profile), to characterize its signature at depth, as part of the multidisciplinary project “INTERGEOSIMA”. Given the short distance between stations, some station pairs were recorded simultaneously, with magnetic sensors in only one of them. In order to properly understand the resulting impedances (called interstation impedances), and the effects of inverting them, we used synthetic models to compare the impedances and the interstation impedances and to analyze the corresponding inversion results, together with the inversion of the quasi-impedance (inversion of the interstation impedances, considering them as impedances). The results are sensitive to the location of the magnetic sensors and the resistivity underneath, but in general the use of the quasi-impedances in the inversion can be considered a valid procedure. Both the 2D and the 3D resistivity models obtained through the inversion allowed us to complement the previous ERT models and represent the continuation of the main fault gouge in depth showing its extension towards the SE.
Experimentation and numerical modeling on the response of woven glass/epoxy composite plate under blast impact loading
Authors: Gunaryo Kasmidi , Heriana Heri , Sitompul M. Rafiqi , Kuswoyo Andi , Hadi Bambang K.
Published: February 2020

Background

Composite material is being used in vehicles for protective structures against blast loading. Limited data is available which compare experimental works and numerical analysis in the open field environment. More data is needed in this area in order to be able to predict and use composite materials safely.

Methods

In this work, the response of woven glass/epoxy composite plates under blast loading was investigated, both experimentally and numerically. The plate was manufactured using glass/epoxy woven Cytec 120 °C curing system. The explosive material was Tri-Nitro-Toluen (TNT) with different masses, which are 60, 80, and 100 g. The stand-off distance was also varied, ranging from 300 up to 1000 mm. In the experimental work, a sewing needle pin was put under the plate to record the maximum deformation of the plate during TNT explosion. In the numerical analysis, LS-DYNA was used extensively. The composite plate was modeled as shell elements using MAT54, and the failure criteria was Chang-Chang failure criteria. The explosive TNT material was modeled in two different ways. First, it was modeled using CONWEP and the second was modeled using Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH). The numerical analysis results were then compared with the experimental data for the case of maximum deformation.

Results

Experimentally, the sewing needle method was able to measure the plate maximum deformation during the explosion. The numerical analysis showed that the SPH model gave better agreement with experimental results compared with CONWEP method. The SPH results were in the range of 8–18% compared to experimental data, while the CONWEP results were in the range of 14–43%.

Conclusion

Albeit its simplicity, sewing needle method was able to measure the maximum deformation for blast loading experimentation. The SPH model was better compared with CONWEP method in analyzing the response of composite plate subjected to blast loading.
Development of the informed health choices resources in four countries to teach primary school children to assess claims about treatment effects: a qualitative study employing a user-centred approach
Authors: Nsangi Allen , Semakula Daniel , Rosenbaum Sarah E. , Oxman Andrew David , Oxman Matt , Morelli Angela , Austvoll-Dahlgren Astrid , Kaseje Margaret , Mugisha Michael , Uwitonze Anne-Marie , Glenton Claire , Lewin Simon , Fretheim Atle , Sewankambo Nelson Kaulukusi
Published: February 2020

Background

People of all ages are flooded with health claims about treatment effects (benefits and harms of treatments). Many of these are not reliable, and many people lack skills to assess their reliability. Primary school is the ideal time to begin to teach these skills, to lay a foundation for continued learning and enable children to make well-informed health choices, as they grow older. However, these skills are rarely being taught and yet there are no rigorously developed and evaluated resources for teaching these skills.

Objectives

To develop the Informed Health Choices (IHC) resources (for learning and teaching people to assess claims about the effects of treatments) for primary school children and teachers.

Methods

We prototyped, piloted, and user-tested resources in four settings that included Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, and Norway. We employed a user-centred approach to designing IHC resources which entailed multiple iterative cycles of development (determining content scope, generating ideas, prototyping, testing, analysing and refining) based on continuous close collaboration with teachers and children.

Results

We identified 24 Key Concepts that are important for children to learn. We developed a comic book and a separate exercise book to introduce and explain the Key Concepts to the children, combining lessons with exercises and classroom activities. We developed a teachers’ guide to supplement the resources for children.

Conclusion

By employing a user-centred approach to designing resources to teach primary children to think critically about treatment claims and choices, we developed learning resources that end users experienced as useful, easy to use and well-suited to use in diverse classroom settings.
Genotoxicity assessment of titanium dioxide nanoparticle accumulation of 90 days in the liver of gpt delta transgenic mice
Authors: Suzuki Tetsuya , Miura Nobuhiko , Hojo Rieko , Yanagiba Yukie , Suda Megumi , Hasegawa Tatsuya , Miyagawa Muneyuki , Wang Rui-Sheng
Published: February 2020

Backgound

A variety of in vivo and in vitro studies to assess the genotoxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) have been reported, but the results are inconsistent. Recently, we reported that TiO2 NPs exhibit no genotoxic effects in the liver and erythrocytes during a relatively brief period following intravenous injection into mice. However, there is no information about long-term genotoxicity due to TiO2 NP accumulation in tissues. In this study, we investigated the long-term mutagenic effects of TiO2 NPs and the localization of residual TiO2 NPs in mouse liver after multiple intravenous injections.

Results

Male gpt delta C57BL/6 J mice were administered with various doses of TiO2 NPs weekly for 4 consecutive weeks. The long-term mutagenic effects on the liver were analyzed using gpt and Spi− mutation assays 90 days after the final injection. We also quantified the amount of titanium in the liver using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and observed the localization of TiO2 NPs in the liver using transmission electron microscopy. Although TiO2 NPs were found in the liver cells, the gpt and Spi− mutation frequencies in the liver were not significantly increased by the TiO2 NP administration.

Conclusions

These results clearly show that TiO2 NPs have no mutagenic effects on the liver, even though the particles remain in the liver long-term.
Sonallah Ibrahim and Miriam Naoum’sZaat
Authors: Salem Sara
Published: February 2020

This article explores the television adaptation of Sonallah Ibrahim’s novel Zaat, arguing that the series provides us with an interesting representation of the various ways in which national projects in Egypt are gendered. It adds to feminist debates around nationalism, capitalism, and gender. In particular, the focus on the intimate in Zaat reveals how political projects are depicted in the domestic sphere through the lens of women’s work. The article explores two themes: one, the increasing financial pressure and its effects on constructs of masculinity and femininity, and two, the steady decay of infrastructure and social services and how it renders middle-class life an impossibility. The article argues that by focusing on the intimate, Ibrahim’s novel and the TV adaptation both reveal the various forms of work women perform and make use of women’s work to critique or celebrate national projects.
Efficacy and safety of sacubitril/valsartan in the treatment of heart failure: protocol for a systematic review incorporating unpublished clinical study reports
Authors: Byrne David , Fahey Tom , Moriarty Frank
Published: February 2020

Background: Sacubitril/valsartan is a first-in-class angiotensin-receptor neprilysin inhibitor used to treat heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. The evidence base for this novel medication is largely based on one pivotal phase III trial which was stopped early due to significant clinical benefits being shown. However potential limitations in the trial design have been highlighted in recent medical literature, necessitating a thorough review of the evidence base for sacubitril/valsartan.

Methods: This review will be conducted using the PRISMA reporting guidelines. Relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for sacubitril/valsartan will be systematically searched for in Medline (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane library, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Toxline and Scopus. Clinical trials registries will be searched, as will eight grey literature databases. In addition, unpublished clinical study reports (CSRs) of relevant trials will be requested from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Clinical Study Data Request database. Studies will be included if they involve randomising adult patients with heart failure to either sacubitril/valsartan or usual care with either an active comparator or placebo as a control. All relevant clinical and safety outcomes will be reviewed, particularly hospitalisation due to heart failure and cardiovascular mortality. Two reviewers will assess eligibility of selected trials for inclusion. Data extraction will be performed separately for trial publications, clinical trial registries and for CSRs using a piloted form. Methodological quality of included trials from published sources will be assessed separately using the recently updated Cochrane Risk of Bias tool version 2. Narrative synthesis of included studies will be conducted and, if appropriate, meta-analysis for clinical efficacy and safety outcomes.

Discussion: This review will collate all available RCT data on sacubitril/valsartan including published and unpublished sources in order to obtain a more complete picture of the evidence base for sacubitril/valsartan.

Registration: This protocol has been submitted for registration on PROSPERO.
TOD! – GRAB! – VERWESUNG! VISUALISIERUNG VON TOD UND STERBEN IN DEN ESTNISCHEN FREMDSPRACHIGEN FUNERALDRUCKEN DES 17. UND 18. JAHRHUNDERTS
Authors: Reimo Tiiu
Published: February 2020

The materials in the Retrospective National Bibliography of foreignlanguagepublications printed in Estonia before 1830 provide variousopportunities for analysing the production of local print shops.The article focuses on the illustrative elements in printed funeralsermons and works of poetry, which cast a light on the memorialand commemorative customs in the early modern period.Visual decorative elements like headpieces and vignettes had ageneral symbolic meaning and were used to illustrate funeral textsirrespective of the age, vocation or position of the deceased. Oneobjective was to remind the viewers of their own mortality. Skulls andcoffins were among the main vignette motifs used to depict Death,and less often, Death was depicted as a skeleton or the Grim Reaper.Inscriptions added to the vignettes emphasised relevant passagesfrom the Bible to strengthen one’s faith. The fact that the same orsimilar vignettes were simultaneously used in different countries isnoteworthy. The motifs for visualising Death and mourning used inthe foreign-language funeral publications in Estonia are very similarto those used in Sweden and Finland during the same period.
THE POSSIBILITY OF A BRIDGE. PERSPECTIVES AND LIMITATIONS OF NEUROAESTHETICS
Authors: Tatar Tõnis
Published: February 2020

In the traditional study of humanities non-humanitarian inputinto the study of culture has usually been rejected. According tohumanist theories, only the meanings and values derived fromhistory and culture can be attributed to art. Recently a disciplineknown as neuroaesthetics has risen to the fore from among thevarious disciplines that use non-humanitarian methods to approachthe subject of aesthetics. Triggered by the invention of varioustechnological devices (EEG, fMRI, PET), neuroaesthetics is nowbeing used to tackle the role of the brain in the processes of creation,reception and even thinking about arts.When introducing new perspectives, such as neuroaesthetics, it isimportant to acknowledge the limitations of the different methods.A narrow reductional approach to art and the brain clearly does notsuffice – a satisfactory explanation must also involve non-physicalfactors, such as knowledge about the history of art. On the otherhand, as with any theoretical approach, the explanatory capacityof neuroaesthetics varies when applied to different kinds of art.Neuroaesthetic theories tend to stress the visual, mimetic andemotional nature of art, often associating artistic features with theactivity of the visual brain as well as evolutionary psychology.Instead of stressing historic and local differences and culturalexceptions, researchers with a natural sciences background tend to search for the universal qualities of art. This appears to beirreconcilable with the institutional theory of art that implicitlyunderlies the entire contemporary paradigm of art. It can be assumedthat some of the reasoning behind the sceptical attitude shared bymost mainstream humanitarian discourse is hidden in this conflict.It can even be claimed that, under the banner of institutionalist ideas,the art of the modernist period constituted a systematic negation ofthe conditions of art prescribed by the universal qualities of art basedon the laws of the brain. Therefore, one of the challenges in this earlyphase of the biologically and psychologically based analysis of artshould be to shed light on this inherent and ideological bias that isdeeply rooted in the humanistic discourse of arts.
To agree or not to agree? English adjectives in Estonian-English bilingual blogs and vlogs
Authors: Kask Helin
Published: February 2020

The article focuses on the agreement (in case and number) of English adjectives used with Estonian nouns in noun phrases (Eng ADJ + EST N) in Estonian blogs and vlogs. According to the Matrix Language Frame model (MLF), one would expect English adjective stems to take on Estonian inflections, but this is not always the case. The data comes from fashion and lifestyle blogs and vlogs that have Estonian as the main language and contain English language material to various degrees. Altogether, 84 noun phrases were analysed: in 35 instances the adjective agreed with the noun and in 46 instances it did not; in 3 instances the agreement was complicated to determine. The analysis showed that English adjectives that have a sound structure similar to Estonian adjectives as a rule agree with Estonian nouns. Factors that may lead to non-agreement are stem alternation, differences in writing and pronunciation, and personal preferences.

Kokkuvõte. Helin Kask: Ühilduda või mitte? Inglise adjektiivid eestiinglise kakskeelsetes blogides ja vlogides. Artiklis uuritakse, kas eestiinglise kakskeelsetes blogides ja vlogides ühilduvad inglise adjektiivid eesti substan tiividega käändes ja arvus. Maatrikskeele raamistiku mudeli kohaselt eel datakse, et inglise tüvele lisatakse vajalikud eesti käändelõpud ja muud tunnused, siiski ei ole see alati nii. Andmed pärinevad moe-, ilu- ja elustiiliblogidest ning -vlogidest, milles põhikeel on eesti keel, kuid milles kasu tatakse ka inglise keelt. Kokku uuriti 84 nimisõnafraasi (inglise ADJ + eesti SUB), neist 35 juhul ühildus inglise adjektiiv eesti substantiiviga nii arvus kui ka käändes ning 46 juhul ei ühildunud, 3 juhul ei olnud võimalik ühildumist üheselt määrata. Analüüs näitas, et eesti substantiividega ühilduvad sellised ingliskeelsed adjektiivid, mis häälikulise ja silbistruktuuri poolest sarnanevad eesti muuttüüpide tüüpsõnadega. Mitteühildumise põhjused on astmevaheldus, erinevused kirjapildis ja häälduses, samuti informandi isiklikud eelistused.
Morae in Estonian. A reply to Natalja Kuznetsova’s paper “Estonian word prosody on the Procrustean bed of morae”
Authors: Prillop Külli
Published: February 2020

This reply to Natalja Kuznetsova highlights many questionable interpretations and outcomes, ten serious errors and five minor inaccuracies in her polemical paper “Estonian word prosody on the Procrustean bed of morae” (2018). The proposed list of errors includes misinterpretations of Estonian language data, faulty citations and biased conclusions.

Kokkuvõte. Külli Prillop: Moorad eesti keeles. Vastus Natalja Kuznetsova artiklile “Eesti sõnaprosoodia moorade Prokrustese sängis”. Vastus Natalja Kuznetsovale toob välja mitu küsitavat tõlgendust ja tulemust, kümme tõsist viga ja viis väiksemat ebatäpsust tema poleemilises artiklis “Estonian word prosody on the Procrustean bed of morae”. Esitatud loend vigadest sisaldab eesti keeleandmete väärtõlgendusi, vigaseid tsitaate ja kallutatud järeldusi.
Comparative analysis of psychic resilience of men and women training combat sports
Authors: Pujszo Małgorzata , Jasińska Natalia , Wyżlic Paulina , Duda Joanna , Stępniak Robert
Published: February 2020

In order to research psychic resilience among men and women practicing combat sports, the RS-13 Kareny Leppert test was conducted (at experimental level) among 37 men and 25 women. The significant increase of psychic resilience was observed in relation to years of training experience. There was also a dominant component pointed out, which differs, significantly, the male group from the female group.
Physical activity in Poland and the European Union
Authors: Metelski Adam
Published: February 2020

The primary purpose of the article is to present the level of sport participation in Poland and other European Union countries. Moreover, the article discusses the definitions of individual terms related to sport, determinants of physical activity and plans of increasing participation in sport in Poland and across the European Union. The article uses data provided by extensive public opinion polls as well as by abundant Polish and English literature on the subject. The results of the research show that in Poland, when compared to the European Union, a lower percentage of people are actively involved in sport. However, it can be noted that in recent years there has been a growing interest in physical activity in Poland.
Indian spooks: What Indian Comic Books Readers Are Afraid of
Authors: Ciemniewski Marcin
Published: February 2020

The comic book industry in India began in 1950. Back then leading American comic books like The Phantom, Flash Gordon and Rip Kirby started to be published in India and translated into local languages. Indian youngsters in no time became interested in the new medium, especially in superhero comics known from the American popular culture. The success of these translations encouraged local publishers and cartoonists to create Indian themed comic books, set in India with Indian heroes (and superheroes) − even though Indian comics were still strongly influenced by American ones, mainly in terms of esthetics. However, around 1950, American comics publishing companies also tried to attract adult readers by presenting more adult content in a form of horror and thriller stories. Publishers in India quickly adapted this trend launching a very popular comic book series in Hindi of thrill, horror and suspense. In this way horror – till then almost completely absent from Indian literature and popular culture – was introduced to the local audience. The question remains, how different are those local spooks from the American ones and finally: what are Indians afraid of?
The importance of sleep
Authors: Dabell John
Published: February 2020

All teachers know that tired students make for poor learners. John Dabell looks at what the research tells us about why sleep is a fundamental part of the thinking and learning process
Electropolymerization of aniline monomer and effects of synthesis conditions on the characteristics of synthesized polyaniline thin films
Authors: El Aggadi Sanaa , Loudiyi Nidae , Chadil Aicha , El Abbassi Zoubida , El Hourch Abderrahim
Published: February 2020

Electrochemical polymerization of aniline was carried on platinum (Pt) wire electrode in sulfuric acid (H2SO4) solution by cyclic voltammetry using a conventional three-electrode cell at room temperature (20°C). The effects on the electrodeposition of the monomer concentration, anodic potential and potential scan rate are discussed. The conductive layer of emeraldine base polyaniline (Pani) was prepared in this work by repeating potential cycling between -0.24 and 0.9 V/SCE at 50 mV/s in 1 M H2SO4 solution containing 0.1 M aniline monomer.
Single-shot phase calibration of a spatial light modulator using geometric phase interferometry
Authors: DeMars Luke A. , Mikuła-Zdańkowska Marta , Falaggis Konstantinos , Porras-Aguilar Rosario
Published: February 2020

A vibration-insensitive, single-shot phase-calibration method for phase-only spatial light modulators (SLM) is reported. The proposed technique uses a geometric phase lens to form a phase-shifting radial shearing interferometer to enable common-path measurements. This configuration has several advantages: (a) unlike diffraction-based SLM calibration techniques, this technique is robust against intensity errors due to misalignment; (b) unlike two-beam interferometers, this technique offers a high environmental stability; and (c) unlike intensity-based methods, the phase-shifting capability provides a phase uncertainty routinely in the order of

2

π

/

100

. The experimental results show a significantly higher accuracy when compared to the diffraction-based approaches.
Scattering force and heating effect in laser-induced plasmonic welding of silver nanowire junctions
Authors: Wan Hui , Gui Chengqun , Chen Dong , Miao Jiaohao , Zhao Qiang , Luan Shiyi , Zhou Shengjun
Published: February 2020

Light–nanomaterial interaction is accompanied by a scattering force and a heating effect. When silver nanowires are irradiated by a laser pulse with light intensity above the melting threshold, they are observed to melt into nanospheres and fly away from their original position. Simulation and experimental results show that the localized surface plasmon resonance excited by laser pulse will heat the ends and junction areas of silver nanowires, causing the occurrence of local melting at these locations. Since the local melting cannot alter the position of silver nanowire, a mathematical model was developed to evaluate the scattering force acting on silver nanowire. According to the developed mathematical model, the scattering force acting on silver nanowire mainly depends on specific surface area of silver nanowire and incident light intensity. When the light intensity of the laser pulse is

3.0

×

10

12

W

/

m

2

, the scattering force acting on the silver nanowire can reach

10

5

times the gravity of silver nanowire. To obtain silver nanowires networks, the light intensity of the laser pulse was manipulated to regulate the scattering force and heating effect acting on the silver nanowire. As a result, silver nanowire networks were obtained with light intensity of

1.4

×

10

10

W

/

m

2

at a scanning speed of 1000 mm/s. This laser-induced plasmonic welding paves the way for improved understanding and control of fundamental laser–nanomaterial interactions.
Unibody microscope objective tipped with a microsphere: design, fabrication, and application in subwavelength imaging
Authors: Yan Bing , Song Yang , Yang Xibin , Xiong Daxi , Wang Zengbo
Published: February 2020

Microsphere-based subwavelength imaging technique was first demonstrated in 2011. After nearly a decade of efforts, such technique has spawned numerous interests in fields such as laser nano-machining, imaging, sensing, and biological detection. For wider industrial-scale application of the technique, a robust and low-cost objective lens incorporating a microsphere lens is highly desired and sought by many researchers. In this work, we demonstrate a unibody microscope objective lens formed by tipping a high-index microsphere onto a plano-convex lens and subsequently fitting them into a conventional objective lens. We call this the plano-convex-microsphere (PCM) objective, which resembles the appearance and operation of an ordinary microscope objective while providing super-resolving power in discerning subwavelength 100 nm features (

λ

/

4

.

7

) in air and far-field conditions. The imaging performance of the PCM objective, along with the working distance, has been systematically investigated. It has a calibrated resolution of

λ

/

3

in the far field, a numerical aperture of 1.57, and a working distance of 3.5 µm. With the assistance of a scanning process, larger-area imaging is realized. The PCM objective can be easily adapted to existing microscope systems and is appealing for commercialization.
Suprathreshold contrast response in normal and anomalous trichromats
Authors: Knoblauch Kenneth , Marsh-Armstrong Brennan , Werner John S.
Published: February 2020

Maximum likelihood difference scaling was used to measure
suprathreshold contrast response difference scales for low-frequency
Gabor patterns, modulated along luminance and L–M color directions in
normal, protanomalous, and deuteranomalous observers. Based on a
signal-detection model, perceptual scale values, parameterized as

d
′

, were estimated by maximum
likelihood. The difference scales were well fit by a Michaelis–Menten
model, permitting estimates of response and contrast gain parameters
for each subject. Anomalous observers showed no significant
differences in response or contrast gain from normal observers for
luminance contrast. For chromatic modulation, however, anomalous
observers displayed higher contrast and lower response gain compared
to normal observers. These effects cannot be explained by simple
pigment shift models, and they support a compensation mechanism to
optimize the mapping of the input contrast range to the neural
response range. A linear relation between response and contrast gain
suggests a neural trade-off between them.
Numerical instability of the C method when applied to coated gratings and methods to avoid it
Authors: Xu Xihong , Li Lifeng
Published: February 2020

We recently found that the coordinate transformation method (the C
method) equipped with well-established recursive algorithms for
solving the system of linear equations is numerically instable when it
is applied to thinly coated gratings. The origin of this new kind of
numerical instability is not the exponential dependence of the field
in the coated layers but the ill condition of the eigenvector matrix
of the C method when the truncation number is high. Two simple and
effective methods to circumvent the new instability are recommended.
We also found that the popular recursive matrix algorithms have
different (poor) immunities to the new instability, and they all
perform inferiorly to the full matrix (nonrecursive) algorithm.
Auxiliary graph based routing, wavelength, and time-slot assignment in metro quantum optical networks with a novel node structure
Authors: Dong Kai , Zhao Yongli , Yu Xiaosong , Nag Avishek , Zhang Jie
Published: February 2020

Nowadays, critical sectors in government, finance, and military are facing increasingly high security challenges. However, traditional public-key crypto-systems based on computational complexity are likely to suffer from upgrade computational power. Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a promising technology to effectively address the challenge by providing secret keys due to the laws of quantum physics. Limited by the transmission distance of quantum communications, remote parties have to share secret keys by exchanging keys through the trusted relay nodes hop by hop. However, if relaying hop by hop is still used in metro quantum-optical networks (MQON), a large amount of key resources will be wasted since the distance between any two nodes is short. Therefore, the problem of how to distribute quantum keys with lower waste of key resources over MQON is urgent. In order to solve this problem, we design a novel quantum node structure that is able to bypass itself. Also, by extending the connectivity graph, auxiliary graphs are constructed to describe the adjacency of quantum nodes in different levels influenced by the physical distance. Based on the novel node, two routing, wavelength and time-slot assignment algorithms are proposed, in which some middle nodes can be bypassed to reduce the resource consumption as long as the distance between the two parties meets the requirement of quantum key distribution. Simulations have been conducted to verify the performance of the proposed algorithms in terms of blocking probability, resource utilization, number of bypassed nodes, and security rate per service. Numerical results illustrate that our algorithms perform better on resource utilization than a traditional scheme without bypass. Furthermore, a tradeoff between the keys saved and blocking probability is analyzed and discussed in our paper.
Retina inspired tone mapping method for high dynamic range images
Authors: Zhang Xian-Shi , Yang Kai-fu , Zhou Jun , Li Yong-Jie
Published: February 2020

The limited dynamic range of regular screens restricts the display of high dynamic range (HDR) images. Inspired by retinal processing mechanisms, we propose a tone mapping method to address this problem. In the retina, horizontal cells (HCs) adaptively adjust their receptive field (RF) size based on the local stimuli to regulate the visual signals absorbed by photoreceptors. Using this adaptive mechanism, the proposed method compresses the dynamic range locally in different regions, and has the capability of avoiding halo artifacts around the edges of high luminance contrast. Moreover, the proposed method introduces the center-surround antagonistic RF structure of bipolar cells (BCs) to enhance the local contrast and details. Extensive experiments show that the proposed method performs robustly well on a wide variety of images, providing competitive results against the state-of-the-art methods in terms of visual inspection, objective metrics and observer scores.
Linear scattering off a dynamically controlled nanosphere-mirror plasmonic antenna on a fiber taper
Authors: Chen C. , Li H. , Li H. , Yang T.
Published: February 2020

A quartz-tuning-fork shear-force microscope was used to demonstrate the gap size dependency of the resonance frequency for a nanosphere-mirror plasmonic antenna. The nanosphere was mounted at the end of a fiber taper scanning probe. A semi-transparent silicon film mirror was used to couple evanescent fields from incident light with the plasmonic antenna using an inverted optical microscope. The plasmon resonance spectra were acquired with a 0.4 nm-step gap size tuning resolution, and were confirmed by finite-difference time-domain simulations. The proposed technique provides a dynamic approach to tuning and detecting distance-dependent localized surface plasmon resonance with a sub-nanometer step resolution.
Back-illuminated AlGaN heterostructure solar-blind avalanche photodiodes with one-dimensional photonic crystal filter
Authors: Cai Qing , Luo Weike , Yuan Ruyue , You Haifan , Li Qian , Li Mo , Chen Dunjun , Lu Hai , Zhang Rong , Zheng Youdou
Published: February 2020

AlGaN heterostructure solar-blind avalanche photodiodes (APDs) were fabricated on a double-polished AlN/sapphire template based on a separate absorption and multiplication (SAM) back-illuminated configuration. By employing AlGaN heterostructures with different Al compositions across the entire device, the SAM APD achieved an avalanche gain of over 1×105 at an operated reverse bias of 92 V and a low dark current of 0.5 nA at the onset point of breakdown. These excellent performances were attributed to the acceleration of holes by the polarization electric field with the same direction as the reverse bias and higher impact ionization coefficient of the low-Al-content Al0.2Ga0.8N in the multiplication region. However, the Al0.2Ga0.8N layer produced a photocurrent response in the out of the solar-blind band. To retain the solar-blind detecting characteristic, a periodic Si3N4/SiO2 photonic crystal was deposited on the back of the AlN/sapphire template as an optical filter. This significantly improved the solar-blind characteristic of the device.
Genetic algorithm optimization of high order surface etched grating tunable laser array
Authors: Wallace Michael J. , Naimi Sepideh T. , Jain Gaurav , McKenna Robert , Bello Frank , Donegan John F.
Published: February 2020

A genetic algorithm is developed with a view to optimizing surface-etched grating tunable lasers over a large optimization space comprised of several variables. Using this approach, a new iteration of slotted lasers arrays are optimized showing significant improvements over previous designs. Output power, lower grating order, fabrication tolerance and performance at high temperatures are among key parameters improved. The new designs feature a much lower grating order (24-29) than used previously (37). The biggest improvement is a near doubling to slope efficiency to 0.1-0.13 mW/mA, with wavelengths from the array covering the C-band . The designs show a reduced sensitivity to etch depth variations. Designs with linewidths down to 100 kHz are also simulated. This algorithm can be readily applied to different wafer materials to efficiently generate slotted lasers designs at new wavelengths.
A fiber-based beam profiler for high-power laser beams in confined spaces and ultra-high vacuum
Authors: Brand Christian , Simonović Ksenija , Kiałka Filip , Troyer Stephan , Geyer Philipp , Arndt Markus
Published: February 2020

Laser beam profilometry is an important scientific task with well-established solutions for beams propagating in air. It has, however, remained an open challenge to measure beam profiles of high-power lasers in ultra-high vacuum and in tightly confined spaces. Here we present a novel scheme that uses a single multi-mode fiber to scatter light and guide it to a detector. The method competes well with commercial systems in position resolution, can reach through apertures smaller than 500×500 µm2 and is compatible with ultra-high vacuum conditions. The scheme is simple, compact, reliable and can withstand laser intensities beyond 2 MW/cm2.
Gestaltungsorientierte Forschung am Beispiel der Referenzmodellierung in der Telekommunikationsindustrie
Authors: Czarnecki Christian , Dietze Christian
Published: February 2020

Am Beispiel der Telekommunikationsindustrie zeigt der Beitrag eine konkrete Ausgestaltung anwendungsorientierter Forschung, die sowohl für die Praxis als auch für die Wissenschaft nutzen- und erkenntnisbringend ist. Forschungsgegenstand sind die Referenzmodelle des Industriegremiums TM Forum, die von vielen Telekommunikationsunternehmen zur Transformation ihrer Strukturen und Systeme genutzt werden. Es wird die langjährige Forschungstätigkeit bei der Weiterentwicklung und Anwendung dieser Referenzmodelle beschrieben. Dabei wird ein konsequent gestaltungsorientierter Forschungsansatz verfolgt. Das Zusammenspiel aus kontinuierlicher Weiterentwicklung in Zusammenarbeit mit einem Industriegremium und der Anwendung in vielfältigen Praxisprojekten führt zu einer erfolgreichen Symbiose aus praktischer Nutzengenerierung sowie wissenschaftlichem Erkenntnisgewinn. Der Beitrag stellt den gewählten Forschungsansatz anhand konkreter Beispiele vor. Darauf basierend werden Empfehlungen und Herausforderungen für eine gestaltungs- und praxisorientierte Forschung diskutiert.
Smell assessment in a HIV positive population: An observational study
Authors: Kamel Usama Fawzy , Andrady Ushan , Salama Rafik
Published: February 2020

HIV (Human Immuno-deficiency Virus) infection has a multi system effect. some publications claimed deterioration of smell perception in HIV. In this study, we present our smell assessment in a group of HIV patients using market available tests.

Methods:

Cross sectional observational study of 19 patients recruited from a North Wales genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinic. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to HIV diagnosed patients. Patients who gave consent for the study were invited to an ENT clinic where smell and nasal assessment took place. Patients had anterior rhinoscoy. Smell Threshold test kit was used to assess smell sensation. Normal score smell threshold was considered if score was 5.5 or above.

Results:

16 males and 3 females, age range 22-75 (mean 46 years old). 2 African and 17 Caucasian origin subjects. 14/19 (74%) had HIV diagnosis for less than five years. 11/19 (58%) had hyposmia (mean 4.40 while normal score is 5.50) when tested. 16/19 (84%) complained of no hyposmia prior to testing. 12/19 (63%) had highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) treatment. 6/19 (32%) used recreational drugs (Cannabis). None of the patients had cognitive impairment.

Conclusions:

HIV patients had hyposmia although patients did not report it as a compalaint. Smell threshold is affected in HIV positive patients. This is important for patients health and safety. We recommend assessment of smell in HIV positive patients so they become aware of their reduced sense and its implication.
In the Matter of United States v. Charles M. Lieber: A Scientific Misconduct or Political Paranoia Case.
Authors: Tung H.Y. Lim
Published: February 2020

Charles M. Lieber, a prominent scientist, a leader in his field of nanoscale electronics, and the Chairman of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at a pre-eminent tertiary institution, Harvard University was arrested on January 28, 2020 by the F.B.I. and will be prosecuted by the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts for the alleged crime of making false statements to the National Institutes of Health and the United States Government, and not declaring various monetary income with respect to his association with the Wuhan University of Technology and the China's Thousand Talents Program. Is this a Scientific Misconduct case or just plain political paranoia.
Data Fabrication and Data Falsification in the paper entitled "Regulation of DARPP-32 dephosphorylation at PKA and Cdk5-sites by NMDA and AMPA receptors", authored by Nishi, A., Bibb, J.A., Matsuyama, S., Hamada, M., Higushi, H., Nairn, A.C. and Greengard. P., and published in the Journal of Neurochemistry. [J. Neurochem. (2002) Vol. 5, pp832-841].
Authors: Tung H.Y. Lim
Published: February 2020

The paper entitled "Regulation of DARPP-32 dephosphorylation at PKA and Cdk5-sites by NMDA and AMPA receptors", authored by Nishi, A., Bibb, J.A., Matsuyama, S., Hamada, M., Higushi, H., Nairn, A.C. and Greengard. P., and published in the Journal of Neurochemistry. [J. Neurochem. (2002) Vol. 5, pp832-841] describes the study the effects of ionotropic glutamate NMDA and AMPA receptors on DARPP-32 phosphorylation in neostriatal slices and purported to show that activation of NMDA and AMPA receptors caused the decrease of phosphorylations of threonone 34 and threonine 75 DARPP-32 mediated by Ca
2+-dependent activation of calcineurin and protein phosphatase-2A respectively. However, no supporting scientific results were provided. Figures 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D are duplicates of each other. With exactly the same figures depicting exactly the same immunublots, the authors somehow came up with different bar charts that supposedly quantify the extent of DARPP-32 phosphorylation levels under different conditions. Figures 3A and 3C are also duplicates of each other. It is not clear how the reviewer(s) and the Editor of the Journal of Neurochemistry could have missed the glaring evidence of Data Fabrication and and Data Falsification.
Decoding Parkinson Disorder (PD) Pathophysiology: α-Synuclein over-expression enhances inward calcium influx and exosome release in LUHMES cells.
Authors: Kumar Rohit , Höglinger Günter U. , Koeglsperger Thomas
Published: February 2020

The hall-mark events for Parkinsons Disorder (PD) are Lewy Body (LB) formation and further degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Even though α-Synuclein (SNCA) is established as key molecular component of LBs, yet there is no clear understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms acting behind the scene. In such scenario we failed to comprehensively demonstrate the exact reasons behind PD pathology seeding and its spread. Several mechanisms are proposed for PD pathology seeding and spreading and among these the transfer of pathological SNCA via exosomal/extracellular vesicles release is also advocated.We performedpatch-clamp electrophysiology recordings on fetal human mesencephalic cell line (LUHMES, Lund human mesencephalic); a mimiced model cell system of dopaminergic neurons
in vitro. Voltage clamp recordings from SNCA overexpressing LUHMES cells accounts for an altered morphology, enhanced inward
Ica and membrane capacitance (
Cm). NTA results suggested us a higher particle concentration for the size range between 50-150 nm, correspondingto the size of exosomes.