bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial distribution management of Crustacea (Decapoda) based on conservation in tropical tidal lake
Authors: Rangkuti Ahmad Muhtadi , Yulianda Fredinan , Boer Mennofatria , Krisanti Majariana
Published: August 2022

Abstract. Muhtadi A, Yulianda F, Boer MF, Krisanti M. 2022. Spatial distribution management of Crustacea (Decapoda) based on conservation in tropical tidal lake. Biodiversitas 23: 4064-4072. Siombak Lake has a unique biological system impacted by high and low tides. Crustaceans (Decapoda) found in this lake are predicted to establish distinctive communities due to their interaction with two biological systems of seawater and freshwater. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the characteristics and distribution of crustacean communities in Siombak Lake, which were influenced by high and low tides. Crustacean samples were taken and observed every month at high and low tides with traps from September 2018 to August 2019. The crustaceans discovered included 5 families and 18 species, with 13 crabs and 5 shrimp. The communities' distribution is extremely dynamic, as seen by the emergence of mangrove crabs at high tide and fiddle crabs during low tide. The crustacean communities are more influenced by tidal ecology, characterized by a higher abundance of individuals at high tide. Furthermore, crustacean density fluctuates throughout the year and reaches the highest in March with 8679 ind/100m2. Penaeid shrimp are always found at high and low tides, dominated by Parapenaeopsis coromandelica, while mangrove crabs are only found at high tide. Therefore, efforts are required to conserve mangrove crabs and enhance their habitats for sustainable usage.
Intra-Articular Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor Mimicking Septic Arthritis: A Report of Two Cases
Authors: Söylemez Mehmet Salih , Shattat Khaled M I , Çelik Aykut , Söylemez U Percem Orhan , Tosun Ilkay , Yildirim Aysenur Toksöz
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Intra-articular tenosynovial giant cell tumor (IATGCT) is a type of tenosynovial giant cell tumor that typically occurs in the synovial tissues of large joints. It is also known as pigmented villonodular synovitis. Acute onset of the pain with irritable hip symptoms is very rare. In this paper, we presented two adolescents with acute onset of hip pain mimicking septic arthritis diagnosed with intra-articular tenosynovial giant cell tumor. Case Report: Healthy two adolescents, one male (14-year-old) and the other girl (15-year-old) with no history of the previous trauma or significant comorbidities were presented complaining of acute onset of hip pain to our emergency room. Although initial possible diagnosis was septic arthritis for both cases, laboratory findings were unequivocal for septic arthritis and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an intra-articular nodular mass. An open resection was performed and pathological evaluation revealed the masses to be intra-articular tenosynovial giant cell tumor. After 26 and 17 months follow-up there was no pain neither with activity nor in rest, hip range of motion was within normal ranges. There was no recurrence, avascular necrosis or destruction detected on control MRI for both patients. Conclusion: IATGCT is a rare disease of the pediatric population involving the hip. Inflammation or infarction of the lesion can trigger irritable hip findings in children. This diagnosis should be kept in mind mainly in cases with serohemorrhagic aspirate and unequivocal laboratory findings.
Primary Osseous Low-grade Myxofibrosarcoma of Metatarsal Masquerading as Enchondroma: A Case Report
Authors: Desai Sanjay , Choudhury Jayeta , Varghese Kevin , Kapoor Tushar
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Low-grade myxofibrosarcoma (LGMFS) is a neoplasm of soft tissues. According to the World Health Organization, LGMFS is a malignant myofibroblastic tumor arising from deep soft tissues with potential for recurrence and late metastatic spread. The incidence estimates are 0.18/million, accounting for 0.6% of all soft-tissue sarcomas. It can directly invade the bone and metastasize to bone; however, primary osseous low-grade myxofibrosarcoma is a rare entity. Thus, recognizing atypical presentations of uncommon neoplasms are a pertinent skill for the radiologist due to significant implications for management. Case Report: A 40-year-old male with complaints of midfoot pain was referred to radiology department for imaging. Radiographs of the foot showed a lytic mildly expansile lesion in the first metacarpal with wide zone of transition and no sclerotic margin or matrix calcification. Magnetic resource imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) examination demonstrated well defined lobulated lesion which appeared heterogeneously hyperintense on T2W images with cortical breach, extraosseous soft-tissue component, and early rapid progressive enhancement. The radiological diagnosis of enchondroma with pathological fracture was considered. Atypical findings of early progressive enhancement and extraosseous soft-tissue component were, however, incongruous with enchondroma and possibility of an aggressive/malignant etiology was also considered. Hence, the lesion was biopsied and diagnosis of LGMFS was made and subsequently confirmed on excised specimen. Follow-up CT scan post 6 months of surgical resection demonstrated no recurrence. Conclusion: Primary osseous LGMFS is a rare entity and radiologically mimics enchondromas. Both LGMFS and enchondromas show T2W hyperintensity. MRI features that distinguish LGMFS from enchondroma include low apparent diffusion coefficient values and slow progressive enhancement in dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI.
Shoulder Synovial Chondromatosis in an Adolescent Athlete: A Case Report
Authors: Vij Neeraj , Tran Tram L , Kelly Brian D , Tassel Dane V , Menzer Heather M , Vaughn Jeffrey M
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Synovial chondromatosis refers to a benign proliferative disease of the synovium. Reports in children are rare and reports involving the pediatric shoulder are even more rare. In this review of the literature and case report, we provide a summary of all published cases in children and a report of a case of shoulder synovial chondromatosis in an adolescent female athlete. Case Presentation: A 15-year-old female cheerleader presented to the clinic with gradual onset right shoulder pain with a severity of 5/10. On physician examination, the patient had tenderness over the proximal humerus, limited abduction to 160°, limited forward flexion, and a total arc of motion of <180°. Radiograph of the shoulder demonstrated multiple calcific intra-articular loose bodies consistent with synovial chondromatosis. Arthroscopic removal resulted in resolution of symptoms at the 36-week follow-up. Conclusions: Our literature search revealed only eight case reports on shoulder synovial chondromatosis in children. The location of the chondromatosis within the shoulder joint can be intra-articular, extra-articular, within the biceps sheath, or combined. In general, for chondomatoses confined to the glenohumeral joint space, open surgery is not required. Bony erosions can occur in the setting of chondromatosis though may not need to be addressed surgically. Although rare, this diagnosis should be considered when confronted with shoulder pain that is exacerbated during long athletic events with limited range of motion on physical examination in the adolescent athlete. Arthroscopic treatment in conjunction with physical therapy and early mobilization can lead to a successful outcome.
Multifunctional and wavelength division multiplexing all-optical logic gates based on four-port metal–insulator–metal waveguides coupled with a ring resonator
Authors: Zhu Zebin , Wang Ying , Jiang Liyong
Published: August 2022

In the past few years, designing multifunctional all-optical logic devices has attracted more and more attention in integrated optical computing. We report a metal–insulator–metal based four-port all-optical logic gate device containing two parallel straight waveguides and a ring resonator. We employ the scattering matrix method to analyze the coupling mechanisms of the hybrid waveguide and adopt the finite-difference time-domain method to design four fundamental logic functions of AND, OR, XOR, and NOT based on the all-optical coherent control of the four-port system under three symmetrically incident conditions. We demonstrate that these logic functions can be freely modulated by changing the phase difference of the input light at two resonant wavelengths or in a broad band. The logic gate device proposed shows a simple structure with multiple functions, multiple channels, and convenience in fabrication, and can be applied in parallel optical computing based on wavelength division multiplexing technology.
Numerical refractive index correction for the stitching procedure in tomographic quantitative phase imaging
Authors: Stępień Piotr , Ziemczonok Michał , Kujawińska Małgorzata , Baczewska Maria , Valenti Luca , Cherubini Alessandro , Casirati Elia , Krauze Wojciech
Published: August 2022

Tomographic quantitative phase imaging (QPI) lacks an absolute refractive index value baseline, which poses a problem when large dense objects extending over multiple fields of view are measured volume by volume and stitched together. Some of the measurements lack the natural baseline value that is provided by the mounting medium with a known refractive index. In this work, we discuss the problem of the refractive index (RI) baseline of individual reconstructed volumes that are deprived of access to mounting medium due to the extent of the object. The solution of this problem is provided by establishing the RI offsets based on the overlapping regions. We have proven that the process of finding the offset RI values may be justifiably reduced to the analogous procedure in the 2D baseline correction (2D-BC). Finally, we proposed the enhancement of the state-of-the-art 2D-BC procedure previously introduced in the context of 2D QPI. The processing is validated at the examples of a synthetic dataset and a liver organoid.
Static multi-sourced data retrieval in elastic optical networks
Authors: Zhao Juzi , Vokkarane Vinod M.
Published: August 2022

Extreme-scale science applications are highly innovative and constantly
evolving. They are expected to generate data in the petabyte and
exabyte ranges. Erasure coding has been widely adopted for data
storage in data center networks, where the data are encoded and stored
in multiple locations. Therefore, an efficient data retrieval service
is needed to transfer encoded data from selected multiple stored nodes
to a single destination. Elastic optical networks are a promising
backbone technology for data center communication due to their
capability to efficiently and flexibly allocate the huge optical
bandwidth to heterogeneous traffic demands. In this paper, the
erasure-coded multi-sourced data retrieval routing and scheduling
problem is studied for static traffic in elastic optical networks, and
the objective is to minimize the total transmission completion time of
all the requests. An integer linear programming formulation and
low-complexity heuristic are proposed. Furthermore, analytical lower
bounds are derived and a meta-heuristic, Tabu Search, is adopted to
solve the problem. Numerical results are presented to show the
effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Polarization attractors driven by vector soliton rain
Authors: Sergeyev Sergey V. , Eliwa Mahmoud , Kbashi Hani
Published: August 2022

Soliton rain is a bunch of small soliton pulses slowly drifting near the main pulse having the period of a round trip. For Er-doped fiber laser mode-locked by carbon nanotubes, for the first time, we demonstrate both experimentally and theoretically a new type of polarization attractors controllable by vector soliton rain. With adjusting the pump power, vector soliton rain takes the form of pulses with rotating states of polarization which enable transforming slowly evolving trajectories on the Poincaré sphere from the double-scroll spiral to the circle. The obtained results on controlling complex multisoliton dynamics can be of interest in laser physics and engineering with potential applications in spectroscopy, metrology, and biomedical diagnostics.
Accurate elemental analysis with variant one-point calibration laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy capable of using analytical lines with unknown transition probabilities
Authors: Li Y. F. , Chen Y. Q. , Li S. S. , Huang X. Q.
Published: August 2022

Calibration-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (CF-LIBS) is a very useful elemental analysis technique. However, it requires knowledge of transition probabilities of the analytical lines. To solve this problem, a variant one-point calibration (OPC) LIBS method was proposed. Quantitative elemental analysis on Cu-Zn-Ag-Au alloys was realized with this method capable of using zinc analytical lines with unknown transition probabilities. The relative error was demonstrated to be less than 3.3%. This variant OPC method will be helpful for quantitative elemental analysis of different samples using CF-LIBS, no matter whether the transition probabilities of the observed lines are known or unknown.
Controllable focusing behavior of chirped Pearcey-Gaussian pulses under time-dependent potentials
Authors: Zhang Xiang , Zhang Jin , Chen Changshui , Zhang Lifu
Published: August 2022

We investigate the propagation dynamics of the Pearcey-Gaussian (PG) pulses in the presence of time-dependent potentials in a linear medium both theoretically and numerically. We demonstrate that the combination of the linear potential and the initial chirp of PG pulses can flexibly control the propagation trajectory and inherent focusing properties of the PG pulses. When the parabolic potential is taken into account, the chirped PG pulses are periodically focused and reversed. By adjusting the parabolic potential and the pulse chirp, the characteristics of the focal points, such as position, intensity, and spacing between focal points, can be manipulated effectively. The interaction of two temporally separated PG pulses still shows a periodic evolution with controllable focusing characteristics. These results can broaden the application range of PG pulses and provide some inspiration for the control of PG pulses under nonlinear conditions.
Discriminative strain and temperature sensing using a ring-hyperbolic tangent fiber sensor
Authors: Rjeb Alaaeddine , Ragheb Amr M. , Esmail Maged A. , Fathallah Habib , Alshebeili Saleh A.
Published: August 2022

Brillouin fiber sensors have demonstrated strong capability in discriminative and high-sensitivity multiparameter measurements. In this study, we proposed and numerically investigated novel ring core fiber–based stimulated Brillouin scattering for the simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain. The novel fiber, referred to as ring hyperbolic tangent (R-HTAN) fiber, is characterized by a shape parameter (α) that controls the optical refractive index and longitudinal acoustic velocity profiles. Numerical modal simulations indicated that the Brillouin gain spectrum contained multiple widely spaced and high-gain peaks, which were attributed to the strong interaction between the optical linearly polarized mode (i.e., LP0,1 as a pump wave) and multiple high-order longitudinal acoustic modes. The designed R-HTAN fiber enabled the discriminative sensing of temperature and strain with levels that clearly surpassed values recently reported in the literature. In case of straight R-HTAN fiber (α = 0), the maximum

C

(
α
=
0
)

T

and

C

(
α
=
0
)

ε

are 1.928 MHz/

∘

C and 0.087 MHz, respectively. In case of graded R-HTAN fiber (α = 1), the maximum

C

(
α
=
1
)

T

and

C

(
α
=
1
)

ε

are 1.872 MHz/

∘

C and 0.0842 MHz/μɛ, respectively. The errors associated with temperature measurements (maximum δT(α=0) = 0.0846

∘

C and maximum δT(α=1) = 7.4184

∘

C) and strain measurements (maximum δɛ(α=0) = 0.7250 μɛ and maximum δɛ(α=1) = 7.4184 μɛ) demonstrated that the proposed fiber could be a promising candidate for next-generation Brillouin sensing systems for enabling temperature and strain discrimination.
Demodulation of Fabry–Perot sensors using random speckles
Authors: Liang Qin , Tao Jinchao , Wang Xu , Wang Tianliang , Gao Xinyu , Zhou Pengwei , Xu Ben , Zhao Chunliu , Kang Juan , Wang Le , Shen Changyu , Wang Dongning , Li Yi
Published: August 2022

Random speckles are proposed to demodulate Fabry–Perot (FP) sensors in this study. A piece of multimode fiber is used to interrogate the FP transmission spectrum, and tiny spectral changes lead to significant variations in the generated speckle patterns. In the demonstration experiments, the pressure resolution of 0.001 MPa can be obtained from an open cavity FP sensor based on the convolutional neural network (CNN) demodulation algorithm. It is worth noting that the spectral differences in neighboring orders can be precisely distinguished due to the high sensitivity of speckles. Thus, the fringe-order ambiguity problem is solved and the dynamic measurement range can be greatly improved. The speckle-based demodulation scheme provides a new way to balance resolution, dynamic range, speed, and cost of FP sensors.
All-polarization-maintaining NALM mode-locked Er/Yb-doped large-mode-area fiber oscillator
Authors: Yang Kuilei , Feng Lei , Wei Kun , Liu Cuiling , Zhu Huiye , Guo Chunyu , Yan Peiguang , Ruan Shuangchen , Wang Jinzhang
Published: August 2022

We report a mode-locked high-power all-polarization-maintaining Er/Yb-doped large-mode-area fiber oscillator based on a bias nonlinear amplifying loop mirror (NALM). The oscillator can generate ∼1-nJ femtosecond pulses without dispersion compensation. By inserting a Martinez-type compensator to provide normal dispersion, it can generate >10-nJ picosecond dissipative solitons (DSs). The measured M2 factors are below 1.5, indicating a good beam quality. When the cavity dispersion is tuned to be ∼0.704 ps2, the oscillator can deliver chirped DSs with an average power as high as 690 mW at a repetition rate of 49.86 MHz, corresponding to a pulse energy of ∼13.8 nJ. The pulse after compression has a near Fourier-limited width of ∼2 ps. Successful demonstration of this laser provides a robust scheme for improving the performance of ultrafast fiber lasers in average power and pulse energy.
Impact of additional sidebands generated by a tapered amplifier on an atom interferometer
Authors: Zhou Hang , Luo Qin , Deng Xiaobing , Chen Lele , Duan Xiaochun , Hu Zhongkun , Zhou Minkang
Published: August 2022

Stimulated Raman transitions are often used in an atom interferometer (AI) for wave packet manipulation. Normally, two lasers with different frequencies contained in a Raman beam are combined first and then amplified by a single tapered amplifier (TA). This configuration can simplify the laser system of the AI, however, additional sidebands will be generated by the TA because of the nonlinear effect in the TA. In this work, the impact of additional sidebands generated with a single TA on the AI is studied. We first observe the additional sidebands in a Raman laser by a Fabry–Pérot interferometer (FPI), and the additional sidebands will be greatly suppressed by reducing the injection laser power of the TA. This is also confirmed by observing the position-dependent Raman transitions induced by additional sidebands at different injection power in an AI. However, the phase shifts induced by additional sidebands are not reduced obviously when the injection power of the TA is reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to separately amplify two lasers contained in the Raman laser by two TAs for a high precision AI. The spectroscopy of Raman laser generated by two TAs is also measured by the FPI, and the impact of additional sidebands on the AI is eliminated. This work has guiding significance for the design of the laser system in a high-precision AI.
Efficient taper optical hydrogel fiber coupler drawn from suspended photocuring 3D printing
Authors: Zhuo Xuan , Zhou Linhao , Bian Yinxu , Shen Hua
Published: August 2022

Integrating bio-friendly optical hydrogel fibers (HFs) with solid-state fibers (SFs) could expand the horizons of fiber-optic technology for bio-photonics. However, methods for coupling HF and SF-based systems are inefficient due to the mode field mismatch. Here, a hydrogel fiber coupler with a taper core-cladding structure is demonstrated for efficiently coupling HF to SF and fabricated through suspended photocuring 3D printing. Coupling efficiencies of 8.3 and 9.4 dB are obtained at 632 and 473 nm, respectively, which are 22% better than those of conventional couplers. The working bandwidth covers visible wavelengths, satisfying bioengineering requirements. This research removes obstacles to optical fiber applications in bioscience.
Effectively writing low propagation and bend loss waveguides in the silica glass by using a femtosecond laser
Authors: Tan Dezhi , Sun Xiaoyu , Li Zengling , Qiu Jianrong
Published: August 2022

We report writing low-loss waveguides (WGs) by using a femtosecond laser in silica glass. A record low propagation loss of 0.07 dB/cm is achieved, and the lowest bend loss reaches 0.001 dB/mm with the bend radius of 30 mm. The optimal effective writing speed reaches 125 µm/s, which is two orders higher than the previous reported value. Fan-out devices with well controllable low loss for three-dimensional photonic integration are also fabricated. This work provides an effective strategy to create WG devices for 3D high-density photonic integration.
Polarization-maintaining all-fiber tunable mode-locked laser based on a thermally controlled Lyot filter
Authors: Sun Xiangnan , Zhu Yuanjun , Jin Lei , Yamashita Shinji , Set Sze Yun
Published: August 2022

We propose and demonstrate for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, a thermally controlled all polarization-maintaining (PM) fiber Lyot filter. This filter is implemented in an all-PM mode-locked fiber laser to achieve wavelength tunability. When operating in the single-wavelength tunable mode, the center wavelength can be tuned across a range from 1546 nm to 1571 nm. Furthermore, the laser can also operate in a dual-wavelength mode with center wavelengths at 1545 nm and 1571 nm. The temperature sensitivity achieved in our all-PM fiber Lyot filter is 0.602 nm/°C, which is over 46 times higher than other fiber-based filters such as a fiber Bragg grating filter (0.013 nm/°C). This highly stable and versatile wavelength-tunable all-PM fiber mode-locked laser is a promising source for various applications requiring wavelength tunability and/or dual-wavelength output, such as coherent Raman microscopy and dual-comb spectroscopy.
Dual-output kilohertz pump laser for high-energy picosecond OPCPA
Authors: Novák Jakub , Erdman Emily C. , Antipenkov Roman , Tykalewicz Boguslaw , Horáček Martin , Mazůrek Petr , Torun Murat , Green Jonathan T. , Naylon Jack A. , Bakule Pavel , Rus Bedřich
Published: August 2022

A dual-output thin-disk picosecond laser operating at 100 W with 1 kHz repetition rate is reported in this Letter. By electronically adjusting the amplitude of the optical seed pulses that are injected into the laser cavity, the energy extracted from the gain medium can be shared between two pulses. Amplified double pulses are subsequently spatially separated into two independent beams by a fast Pockels cell, compressed in one common compressor, and frequency-doubled with ∼70% efficiency. This approach significantly decreases strain on the optics, as well as nonlinear effects, and is advantageous for power scaling.
Single-frequency fiber Fabry–Perot Brillouin laser
Authors: Kato Shinya , Aoki Takao
Published: August 2022

We demonstrate single-frequency stimulated Brillouin lasing in short fiber Fabry–Perot resonators. A sub-milliwatt threshold for lasing is observed in resonators with high quality factors of ∼1.5 × 108 and effective resonator lengths as short as ∼5 mm. The strong dispersion of fiber Bragg gratings results in unequal frequency separations for neighboring pairs of longitudinal modes with separation differences larger than the Brillouin gain bandwidth, thereby avoiding cascaded lasing. Our achievement will enable compact, robust, efficient narrow-linewidth light sources.
Angle- and polarization-resolved luminescence from suspended and hexagonal boron nitride encapsulated MoSe2 monolayers
Authors: Han Bo , Stephan Sven , Thompson Joshua J. P. , Esmann Martin , Antón-Solanas Carlos , Shan Hangyong , Kunte Nils , Brem Samuel , Tongay Sefaattin , Lienau Christoph , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Silies Martin , Malic Ermin , Schneider Christian
Published: August 2022

The polarized
photoluminescence from
atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides is a frequently
applied tool to scrutinize
optical selection rules and valley physics, yet it is known to
sensibly depend on a variety of internal and external material and
sample properties. In this work, we apply combined angle- and
polarization-resolved spectroscopy to explore the interplay of
excitonic physics and phenomena arising from the commonly utilized
encapsulation procedure on the optical properties of atomically thin

M
o
S
e

2

. We probe monolayers prepared in both
suspended and encapsulated manners. We show that the hBN encapsulation
significantly enhances the linear polarization of exciton
photoluminescence emission at large emission angles. This degree of
linear polarization of excitons can increase up to

∼

17

%

in the hBN encapsulated samples. As
we confirm by finite-difference time-domain simulations, it can be
directly connected to the optical anisotropy of the hBN layers. In
comparison, the linear polarization at finite exciton momenta is
significantly reduced in a suspended

M
o
S
e

2

monolayer, and becomes notable only
in cryogenic conditions. This phenomenon strongly suggests that the
effect is rooted in the k-dependent anisotropic exchange coupling
inherent in 2D excitons. Our results have strong implications on
further studies on valley contrasting selection rules and valley
coherence phenomena using standard suspended and encapsulated
samples.
Ultracompact, polarization-independent, and highly scalable optical power splitting model employing fan-out bending metamaterials
Authors: Guo Zhenzhao , Xiao Jinbiao , Wu Shengbao
Published: August 2022

Optical power splitters (OPSs) are essential components in the photonic integrated circuits. Considerable power splitting schemes have been reported on the silicon-on-insulator platform. However, the corresponding device lengths are enlarged, and polarization-sensitive operations are usually encountered when the splitting channels are increased from two to five. In this paper, a novel power splitting model is proposed to overcome these limitations. Here, fan-out bending subwavelength grating (FBSWG) metamaterials instead of classical straight SWGs are leveraged to expand the input TE/TM mode in an ultracompact region and further bend its wavefronts. By using

N

-angled tapers to match bending wavefronts, the light expanded by FBSWGs can be collected and evenly distributed into

N

output channels. Based on such a model, three OPSs are designed and experimentally demonstrated, which are the shortest polarization-independent

1
×
3

,

1
×
4

, and

1
×
5

OPSs reported until now to our knowledge. The characterizations show low insertion losses (

<
1.2
  
dB

,

<
1.35
  
dB

, and

<
1.65
  
dB

) and uniformities (

<
0.9
  
dB

,

<
1
  
dB

, and

<
1
  
dB

) over bandwidths of 54 nm, 49 nm, and 38 nm for the

1
×
3

,

1
×
4

, and

1
×
5

OPSs, respectively. For the first time, an ultracompact device length of

<
4.3
  
μm

and a polarization-independent operation can be maintained simultaneously as the output splitting channels are increased.
Multiscale modelling of desquamation in the interfollicular epidermis
Authors: Miller Claire , Crampin Edmund , Osborne James M.
Published: August 2022

Maintenance of epidermal thickness is critical to the barrier function of the skin. Decreased tissue thickness, specifically in the stratum corneum (the outermost layer of the tissue), causes discomfort and inflammation, and is related to several severe diseases of the tissue. In order to maintain both stratum corneum thickness and overall tissue thickness it is necessary for the system to balance cell proliferation and cell loss. Cell proliferation in the epidermis occurs in the basal layer and causes constant upwards movement in the tissue. Cell loss occurs when dead cells at the top of the tissue are lost to the environment through a process called desquamation. Desquamation is thought to occur through a gradual reduction in adhesion between cells, due to the cleaving of adhesion proteins by enzymes, in the stratum corneum.

In this paper we will investigate combining a (mass action) subcellular model of desquamation with a three dimensional (cell centre based) multicellular model of the interfollicular epidermis to better understand maintenance of epidermal thickness. Specifically, our aim is to determine if a hypothesised biological model for the degradation of cell-cell adhesion, from the literature, is sufficient to maintain a steady state tissue thickness. These investigations show the model is able to provide a consistent rate of cell loss in the multicellular model. This loss balances proliferation, and hence maintains a homeostatic tissue thickness. Moreover, we find that multiple proliferative cell populations in the basal layer can be represented by a single proliferative cell population, simplifying investigations with this model.

The model is used to investigate a disorder (Netherton Syndrome) which disrupts desquamation. The model shows how biochemical changes can cause disruptions to the tissue, resulting in a reduced tissue thickness and consequently diminishing the protective role of the tissue. A hypothetical treatment result is also investigated: we compare the cases of a partially effective homogeneous treatment (where all cells partially recover) and a totally effective heterogeneous treatment (in which a proportion of the cells totally recover) with the aim to determine the difference in the response of the tissue to these different scenarios. Results show an increased benefit to corneum thickness from the heterogeneous treatment over the homogeneous treatment.
Repression of essential cell cycle genes increases cellular fitness
Authors: Conti Michelle M. , Ghizzoni Julie M. , Gil-Bona Ana , Wang Wen , Costanzo Michael , Li Rui , Flynn Mackenzie J. , Zhu Lihua Julie , Myers Chad L. , Boone Charles , Andrews Brenda J. , Benanti Jennifer A.
Published: August 2022

A network of transcription factors (TFs) coordinates transcription with cell cycle events in eukaryotes. Most TFs in the network are phosphorylated by cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK), which limits their activities during the cell cycle. Here, we investigate the physiological consequences of disrupting CDK regulation of the paralogous repressors Yhp1 and Yox1 in yeast. Blocking Yhp1/Yox1 phosphorylation increases their levels and decreases expression of essential cell cycle regulatory genes which, unexpectedly, increases cellular fitness in optimal growth conditions. Using synthetic genetic interaction screens, we find that Yhp1/Yox1 mutations improve the fitness of mutants with mitotic defects, including condensin mutants. Blocking Yhp1/Yox1 phosphorylation simultaneously accelerates the G1/S transition and delays mitotic exit, without decreasing proliferation rate. This mitotic delay partially reverses the chromosome segregation defect of condensin mutants, potentially explaining their increased fitness when combined with Yhp1/Yox1 phosphomutants. These findings reveal how altering expression of cell cycle genes leads to a redistribution of cell cycle timing and confers a fitness advantage to cells.
Prognostic features of endometrial cancer metastasis to the central nervous system
Authors: Kuznicki Michelle L. , Mallen Adrianne , Ha Kristal , McClung Emily Clair , Castaneda Antonio V. , Cao Biwei , Fridley Brooke L. , Chon Hye Sook , Chern Jing Yi , Hoffman Mitchel , Wenham Robert M. , Matsuo Koji , Shahzad Mian M. K.
Published: August 2022

Objectives

Central nervous system metastases (CNSm) secondary to endometrial cancer (EC) are rare. As a result, prognostic factors for this patient population are not well described.

Methods

EC patients with CNSm were identified retrospectively from two academic centers. EC patients without CNSm (non-CNSm) were used as controls. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were used for analysis of categorial variables. Wilcoxon tests were used for quantitative measures. Overall survival (OS) was compared with Log-rank test. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios for OS.

Results

22 EC patients with CNSm and 354 non-CNSm patients were included. Compared to non-CNSm EC, the CNSm cohort was younger (58.5 vs 62.0 years, p = 0.018) with lower BMI (27.7 vs. 33.7 kg/m2, p = 0.005), and had more advanced stages (p = ≤ 0.001), grade 3 tumors (81.8% CNSm vs 25.1% non CNSm, p≤0.001) and serous histology (22.7% vs 8.5%, p = 0.010). Median survival after CNSm diagnosis was 9 months (95% CI 4, NA). CNSm was a strong poor prognostic factor (HR death 4.96, p = 0.022). Improved OS was seen with CNS as the only disease site (83m CNSm only vs 30m additional sites, p = 0.007) and less than five CNSm (49m <5 vs. 23m ≥5, p = 0.004). Surgical resection of CNSm (OS 83m surgery vs 33m no surgery, p = 0.003) or multimodal therapy (83m multimodal vs 33m single therapy, p = 0.027) resulted in longer OS.

Conclusions

CNSm is a poor prognostic factor in EC, however, low volume disease with aggressive treatment may result in more favorable survival outcomes.
Significance of information obtained during transanal drainage tube placement after anterior resection of colorectal cancer
Authors: Okazaki Yuki , Shibutani Masatsune , Nagahara Hisashi , Fukuoka Tatsunari , Iseki Yasuhito , Wang En , Maeda Kiyoshi , Hirakawa Kosei , Ohira Masaichi
Published: August 2022

Introduction

It has recently been reported that the placement of a transanal drainage tube after rectal cancer surgery reduces the rate of anastomotic leakage. However, transanal drainage tube cannot completely prevent anastomotic leakage and the management of transanal drainage tube needs to devise. We investigated the information obtained during transanal drainage tube placement and evaluated the relationship between these factors and anastomotic leakage.

Patients and methods

Fifty-one patients who underwent anterior resection of rectal cancer was retrospectively reviewed. transanal drainage tube was placed for more than 5 days after surgery. The daily fecal volume from transanal drainage tube was measured on postoperative day 1–5, and the defecation during transanal drainage tube placement was investigated.

Results

Anastomotic leakage during transanal drainage tube placement occurred in 4 patients. The anastomotic leakage rate during transanal drainage tube placement in patients whose maximum daily fecal volume or total fecal volume from the transanal drainage tube during postoperative days 1–5 was large was significantly higher than that in patients whose fecal volume was small. The anastomotic leakage rate of the patients with intentional defecation during transanal drainage tube placement was significantly higher than that of the patients without intentional defecation during transanal drainage tube placement. The maximum daily fecal volume and the total fecal volume from the transanal drainage tube during postoperative days 1–5 in patients who experienced intentional defecation during transanal drainage tube placement was significantly higher than that of patients without intentional defecation during transanal drainage tube placement.

Conclusion

A large fecal volume from transanal drainage tube after anterior rectal resection or intentional defecation in patients with transanal drainage tube placement were suggested to be risk factors for anastomotic leakage.
Initiation into the street, challenges, means of survival and perceived strategies to prevent plights among street children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2019: A phenomenological study design
Authors: Chimdessa Ayana
Published: August 2022

Background

The life and health of street children are becoming a global concern. Push and pull factors i.e. poverty, family death, economic decline, child abuse, financial independence, and peer influence draw children into the street. The street lives by itself pushes them into sex work, and lack of shelter magnificent abuses, where both sexes have the same sleeping quarters.

Materials and Methods

A phenomenological study design was employed from January to March 2019 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Time-Space Sampling (TSS) was used to recruit participants into the study. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and individual in-depth interview were used to collect data. Data analyzed by using framework analysis software.

Results

About 103 participants took part in the study. Finding shows street children are encountering widespread challenges like social network fragmentation, child trafficking, harassments, and shortage of basic needs. Furthermore, poor design of comprehensive, contextualized strategies and less political value worsening the problems. They are considered as a felon, outlaws, and having a mentality of committing a crime by both law-keeping bodies and society. This situation resulted in fewer acceptances of street children by the community, and less legal protection by law that made them more at risk for denial of social protection. Street children positively perceived strategies like Income Generating Activities (IGAs), shelter, community support, child protection, and access to education, health services, life coaching, and less extent re-integration strategies to address their problems.

Conclusion

The study shows street children are defenseless to harassments and denial of social protection services. Poorly designed policies, strategies targeting them, less political values, and traditional response by government has been subjugated, which made them prone to health and social problems. Therefore, finding might be beneficial to health data scientists, and policymakers; to design and implement policies, and strategic plans in addressing, and preventing their plights.
Experience of care of hospitalized newborns and young children and their parents: A scoping review
Authors: Ndwiga Charity , Warren Charlotte Elizabeth , Okondo Chantalle , Abuya Timothy , Sripad Pooja
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Several global initiatives put parent involvement at the forefront of enabling children’s well-being and development and to promote quality of care for newborns and hospitalized young children aged 0–24 months. Scanty evidence on mistreatment such as delays or neglect and poor pain management among newborns exists, with even less exploring the experience of their parents and their hospitalized young children. To address this gap, authors reviewed research on experience of care for hospitalized young children and their parents, and potential interventions that may promote positive experience of care.

Methods

A scoping review of English language articles, guidelines, and reports that addressed the experiences of care for newborns and sick young children 0–24 months in health facilities was conducted. Multiple databases: PubMed, PROSPERO, COCHRANE Library and Google Scholar were included and yielded 7,784 articles. Documents published between 2009 and November 2020, in English and with evidence on interventions that addressed family involvement and partnership in care for their sick children were included.

Results

The scoping review includes 68 documents across 31 countries after exclusion. Mistreatment of newborns comprises physical abuse, verbal abuse, stigma and discrimination, failure to meet professional standards, poor rapport between providers and patients, poor legal accountability, and poor bereavement and posthumous care. No literature was identified describing mistreatment of hospitalized children aged 60 days– 24 months. Key drivers of mistreatment include under-resourced health systems and poor provider attitudes. Positive experience of care was reported in contexts of good parent-provider communication. Three possible interventions on positive experience of care for hospitalized young children (0–24 months) emerged: 1) nurturing care; 2) family centered care and 3) provider and parental engagement. Communication and counseling, effective provider-parental engagement, and supportive work environments were associated with reduced anxiety and stress for parents and hospitalized young children. Few interventions focused on addressing providers’ underlying attitudes and biases that influence provider behaviors, and how they affect engaging with parents.

Conclusion

Limited evidence on manifestations of mistreatment, lack of respectful care, drivers of poor experience and interventions that may mitigate poor experience of care for hospitalized young children 0–24 months especially in low resource settings exists. Design and testing appropriate models that enhance socio-behavioral dimensions of care experience and promote provider-family engagement in hospitals are required.
Color variations during digital imaging of facial prostheses subjected to unfiltered ambient light and image calibration techniques within dental clinics: An in vitro analysis
Authors: Rashid Farah , Jamayet Nafij Bin , Farook Taseef Hasan , AL-Rawas Matheel , Barman Aparna , Johari Yanti , Noorani Tahir Yusuf , Abdullah Johari Yap , Eusufzai Sumaiya Zabin , Alam Mohammad Khursheed
Published: August 2022

Background

The study aimed to evaluate 1) the amount of color variations presents within clinical images of maxillofacial prosthetic silicone specimens when photographed under different clinically relevant ambient lighting conditions, and 2) whether white balance calibration (WBC) methods were able to mitigate variations in ambient lighting.

Methods

432 measurements were acquired from standardized images of the pigmented prosthetic silicone specimens within different ambient lighting conditions (i.e., 2 windowed and 2 windowless clinics) at noon with no light modifying apparatus. The specimens were photographed once without any white balance calibration (raw), then independently alongside an 18% neutral gray card and Macbeth color chart for calibration in a post-processing (PPWBC) software, and once after camera calibration (CWBC) using a gray card. The LAB color values were extracted from the images and color variations (ΔE) were calculated after referring to the corresponding spectrophotometric values as control.

Results

Images in windowless and windowed clinics exhibited highly significant differences (p < 0.001) with spectrophotometer (control). CWBC demonstrated no significant differences (p > 0.05) in LAB values across windowed clinics. PPWBC using Macbeth color chart produced no significant differences for a* values (p > 0.05) across all clinics while PPWBC by gray card showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) in LAB values when only similar clinics (either windowed or windowless) were compared.

Conclusion

Significant color variations were present for maxillofacial prosthetic specimens owing to natural ambient light. CWBC and PPWBC using color charts were more suitable for color correction across windowed clinics while CWBC and PPWBC using gray cards had better outcomes across windowless setups.
Patients’ and healthcare professionals’ perspectives on a community-based intervention for schizophrenia in Pakistan: A focus group study
Authors: Khattak Maria Ishaq , Dikomitis Lisa , Khan Muhammad Firaz , Haq Mukhtar Ul , Saeed Umaima , Awan Naila Riaz , Haq Zia Ul , Shepherd Thomas , Mallen Christian D. , Farooq Saeed
Published: August 2022

Objective

To explore the perceptions and experiences of schizophrenia from patients, their care givers, health care providers, spiritual and traditional healers to develop a community-based intervention for improving treatment adherence for people with schizophrenia in Pakistan.

Methods

This qualitative study involved four focus group discussions (FGD) with a total of 26 participants: patients and carers (n = 5), primary care staff (n = 7), medical technicians (n = 8) and traditional and spiritual healers (n = 6). The participants were selected using purposive sampling method. FGDs were audio-recorded and transcribed. A thematic analysis was applied to the data set.

Results

The themes identified were (i) Schizophrenia is not merely a biomedical problem: participants believed that poverty and an inferiority complex resulting from social disparity caused schizophrenia and contributed to non-adherence to medications; (ii) Spiritual healing goes hand in hand with the medical treatment: participants regarded spiritual and traditional treatment methods as an inherent part of schizophrenia patients’ well-being and rehabilitation; (iii) Services for mental illness: mental health is not covered under primary health in a basic health unit: participants believed that the lack of services, training and necessary medication in primary care are major issues for treating schizophrenia in community; (iv) Barriers to community-based interventions: primary care staff believed that multiple pressures on staff, lack of incentives, non-availability of medication and lack of formal referral pathways resulted in disintegration of dealing with schizophrenia patients in primary care facilities.

Conclusion

The study has identified a number of barriers and facilitators to developing and delivering a psychosocial intervention to support people living with schizophrenia in Pakistan. In particular, the importance of involving spiritual and traditional healers was highlighted by our diverse group of stakeholders.
Cost-effectiveness of hypertension therapy based on 2020 International Society of Hypertension guidelines in Ethiopia from a societal perspective
Authors: Davari Majid , Sorato Mende Mensa , Kebriaeezadeh Abbas , Sarrafzadegan Nizal
Published: August 2022

Introduction

There is inadequate information on the cost-effectiveness of hypertension based on evidence-based guidelines. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of hypertension treatment based on 2020 International Society of Hypertension (ISH) guidelines from a societal perspective.

Methods

We developed a state-transition Markov model based on the cardiovascular disease policy model adapted to the Sub-Saharan African perspective to simulate costs of treated and untreated hypertension and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) averted by treating previously untreated adults above 30 years from a societal perspective for a lifetime.

Results

The full implementation of the ISH 2020 hypertension guidelines can prevent approximately 22,348.66 total productive life-year losses annually. The incremental net monetary benefit of treating hypertension based was $128,520,077.61 US by considering a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000 US per DALY averted. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of treating hypertension when compared with null was $1,125.44 US per DALY averted. Treating hypertension among adults aged 40–64 years was very cost-effective 625.27 USD per DALY averted. Treating hypertensive adults aged 40–64 years with diabetes and CKD is very cost-effective in both women and men (i.e., 559.48 USD and 905.40 USD/DALY averted respectively).

Conclusion

The implementation of the ISH 2020 guidelines among hypertensive adults in Southern Ethiopia could result in $9,574,118.47 US economic savings. Controlling hypertension in all patients with or with diabetes and or CKD could be effective and cost-saving. Therefore, improving treatment coverage, blood pressure control rate, and adherence to treatment by involving all relevant stakeholders is critical to saving scarce health resources.