bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation - a review of the latest therapeutic methods
Authors: Klocek Konrad , Kostecki Bartosz , Hajduk Aleksandra , Mrozek Łukasz , Jurek Aleksander , Zwolski Maciej , Szumlas Zuzanna , Puchalski Krzysztof
Published: May 2023

Introduction and purpose: The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive description of intervertebral disc herniation, with a focus on the lumbar spine, including the current conservative and modern surgical treatment options such as minimally invasive procedures.

State of Knowledge: Spinal pain is a prevalent cause of disability in developed countries, with an increasing number of people affected by this condition. Intervertebral disc herniation resulting from degenerative changes is a common pathology, particularly in the lumbar and cervical spine. This condition involves the protrusion of the nucleus pulposus, which exerts pressure on the spinal roots, causing irritation. While the prognosis for herniated nucleus pulposus is usually positive and many patients can undergo conservative treatment, some may require a surgery.  Due to advancements in technology, the current goal is to minimize tissue trauma during hernia repair procedures.

Conclusions: Due to advances in treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation, patients can achieve better clinical outcomes and improved quality of life. Conservative treatment should be considered as the first line treatment in a majority of cases. Surgery is usually a last resort when conservative treatment proves insufficient. No surgical method seems to be unequivocally superior to the others, so its choice is tailored to the individual patient's needs and depends on the surgeon's preferences and experience. Recent advances in endoscopic spine surgery are providing new insights into disc surgery and pain management strategies.
Estudio artístico del paisaje y sus raíces primera parte.
Authors: García del Moral y Mora Amalio
Published: May 2023

El presente artículo plantea un estudio plástico del paisaje en el que se integran tres elementos fundamentales para su consecución; la naturaleza, el artista y el cuadro, que será al fin y al cabo el resultado, el logro, de esta experiencia estética. Si bien autor, hombre o mujer, sea el único capaz de llegar a este desenlace y sean los demás seres humanos, debidamente formados y educados, los únicos capaces de comprenderlo.
El grafismo didáctico: Comunicar mediante la imagen impresa editorial.
Authors: Abad de los Santos Belén
Published: May 2023

Este artículo explora el perfil biográfico-intelectual del artista Pepe Abad (1945-2001) a partir de los dos ámbitos temáticos siempre presentes en sus proyectos creativos: la multiplicidad compositiva dentro del campo de la ilustración editorial y el tratamiento renovador de la forma gráfica. Este estudio dual ha posibilitado profundizar en su contribución al lenguaje gráfico de cada periodo analizado, en un intento por diferenciar las múltiples comunicaciones visuales originadas por el ilustrador. Para ello se han analizado sus creaciones editadas en revistas y libros desde sus orígenes en la segunda década del siglo XX hasta comienzos de esta centuria. La información documental reunida en este estudio puede proporcionar una visión genérica de sumo interés para estudios posteriores.
Bombardier Aftermarket Demand Forecast with Machine Learning
Authors: Dodin Pierre , Xiao Jingyi , Adulyasak Yossiri , Alamdari Neda Etebari , Gauthier Lea , Grangier Philippe , Lemaitre Paul , Hamilton William L.
Published: May 2023

Intermittent demand patterns are commonly present in business aircraft spare parts supply chains. Because of the infrequent arrivals and large variations in demand, aircraft aftermarket demand is difficult to forecast, which often leads to shortages or overstocking of spare parts. In this paper, we present the development and implementation of an advanced analytics framework at Bombardier Aerospace, which is carried out by the Bombardier inventory planning team and IVADO Labs to improve the aftermarket demand forecasting process. This integrated predictive analytics pipeline leverages machine-learning (ML) models and traditional time series models in a single framework in a systematic fashion. We also make use of a tree-based machine-learning method with a large set of input features to estimate two components of intermittent demand, namely demand sizes and interdemand intervals. Through the ML models, we incorporate different features, including those derived from flight data. Outputs of different forecasting models are combined using an ensemble technique that enhances the robustness and accuracy of the forecasts for different groups of aftermarket spare parts categorized by demand patterns. The validation results show an improvement in forecast accuracy of approximately 7% and in unbiased forecast of 5%. The ML-based Bombardier Aftermarket forecasting system has been successfully deployed and used to forecast the aftermarket demand at Bombardier of more than 1 billion Canadian dollars on a regular basis.

History: This paper was refereed.
Output-Oriented Agricultural Subsidy Design
Authors: Fan Tijun , Feng Qi , Li Yuanchen , Shanthikumar J. George , Wu Yifan
Published: May 2023

Many governments subsidize the agricultural industry, trying to raise the market outputs either for domestic needs or for export. In many countries, particularly developing countries, the producers’ market may be fragmented, involving a large number of farmers with variable productivity levels. The format of subsidies can have significantly different implications for farmers in different market segments. In this study, we examine four types of subsidies. A planting subsidy is paid to a farmer based on the amount of input, and a harvesting subsidy compensates a farmer for the cost incurred during the process of output collection and distribution. The government may also offer a combined subsidy under which a farmer gets paid for both planting and harvesting, or it may offer a selective subsidy under which a farmer can choose to be subsidized on either planting or harvesting but not both. In addition to examining the efficiency of budget spending and social welfare, two common performance measures studied in various contexts, we thoroughly analyze the implications of subsidies on the output and wealth distributions among the farmers. In general, subsidizing on harvesting or overly compensating on planting can increase the disparity among the farmers, whereas an appropriate level of planting subsidy helps to balance the distributions of the farmers’ output and profit. A comprehensive evaluation of the government’s policies reveals that the harvesting subsidy, while inducing the most dispersed output and profit distributions, leads to the most efficient use of input resources and the highest social welfare. The planting subsidy, although being the most effective in balancing the farmer income for a moderate output increase, performs poorly in budget spending, resource usage, and welfare generation when the government sets an aggressive target for output increase. In such a situation, the combined subsidy can offer the most evenly distributed farmer income, with the least amount of budget needed to achieve the output target.

This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, operations management.

Funding: This work was partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 71471062, 72032001 and 71972071] and the Shanghai Sailing Program [Grant 22YF1451000].

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4749 .
PERAN BUDAYA ORGANISASI DAN MOTIVASI INDIVIDU PADA PRAKTIK BERBAGI PENGETAHUAN
Authors: Mansyur Anwar , Suhana Suhana
Published: May 2023

Batik is a traditional cloth of Indonesia made by writing or waxing it on the cloth. Information related to batik products will be very crucial because this product has been acknowledged as World cultural heritage by UNESCO. This study aims to examine the influence of culture and motivation on the practice of sharing knowledge about batik. The object of this research was Batik artisans and entrepreneurs in Yogyakarta. The number of samples used was 237 respondents with a purposive sampling technique. The data were analyzed by statistical testing using the SEM test with the AMOS program. The results showed that organizational culture positively influences the practice of sharing knowledge. Furthermore, organizational culture has a positive role in motivating batik artisans and entrepreneurs. The following finding is that intrinsic motivation influences someone to share knowledge, while extrinsic motivation does not influence batik artisans and entrepreneurs to carry out knowledge-sharing activities.
BIOINDICADORES: UMA ANÁLISE DE SUA UTILIZAÇÃO
Authors: Santos Júlia Nascimento , Pereira Raphael Do Couto , Pinto Helena Marquini Zuntini , Lima Allana Oliveira , Ferreira Letícia Cardoso , Matta Patrícia Dos Santos , De Almeida Josimar Ribeiro
Published: May 2023

Os bioindicadores compõem um quadro amplo e complexo de ferramentas capazes de conferir parâmetros dos acontecimentos reais às hipóteses dos cientistas, conferindo maiores graus de confiabilidade para a análise. Contudo, é necessário definir claramente alguns aspectos importantes da pesquisa, e elementos precedentes, antes de se implementar a mesma para que não haja brechas interpretativas decorrentes de interferências externas às condições previstas para o estudo. Com isso, é necessário atentar para as divergências entre biomonitoramento e bioindicação, ambas ferramentas válidas, e entre os estudos passivo e ativo, igualmente funcionais às pesquisas, bem como aspectos específicos de cada caso a ser estudado que devem ser considerados.
"Deu certo, com certeza”: análise diacrônica das construções [DAR AA] e [com certeza] no português
Authors: Cumán Raissa Romeiro , Ribeiro Gabriela Silva , Gonçalves Ester Moraes , Alonso Karen Sampaio
Published: May 2023

Fundamentando-se na LFCU, este trabalho objetiva analisar dois estudos diacrônicos em Língua Portuguesa, baseado em links construcionais, a saber: um estudo da construção [DAR AA] e outro da construção [com certeza]. Por meio da análise diacrônica de construções associadas à construção mais geral [DAR AA], com base em dados do século XIII ao XXI, atestou-se que, através de uma rede construcional, é possível verificar os links existentes entre [DAR AA] e as construções a ela adjacentes, como as construções adverbiais e as com verbos leves. Com relação à segunda construção, foi possível observar a importância dos links construcionais (DIESSEL, 2019) existentes entre os usos de [com certeza] ao longo do tempo. A partir daí, verificaram-se quatro funções associadas à essa forma. Apesar dos resultados atestarem uma maior frequência do uso de [com certeza] como modalizador nos séculos XIX e XX, argumenta-se que os links entre o uso modalizador e os demais usos foram/são essenciais para a existência dessa construção. Esses resultados podem ser discutidos a partir da Gramática de Construções Diacrônica. Assim, buscamos contribuir com os estudos em mudança linguística, sobretudo com o mapeamento dessas construções em esquemas abstratos de representação do conhecimento linguístico, com ênfase nas conexões/links.
Gramática de Construções Baseada no Uso
Authors: Pinheiro Diogo Oliveira R. , Silva Augusto Soares da , Freitas Junior Roberto De
Published: May 2023

A Gramática de Construções Baseada no Uso (GOLDBERG, 2006; HILPERT, 2014; PEREK, 2015; BYBEE, 2008, 2010), doravante GCBU, é um quadroteórico definido tanto por uma posição relativaàarquiteturada gramática quanto por uma visão acerca darelação entre conhecimento e uso. Para a GCBU, a gramática consiste em uma rede de pareamentos de forma/sentido (isto é, construções) organizados entre si por diferentes tipos de links,os quais refletemmúltiplas motivaçõesformais e/ou funcionais. Ademais, a GCBU defende quea emergência da gramática resulta da experiência do falante com o uso da língua e da atuação de Processos Cognitivos de Domínio Geral (BYBEE, 2010).Nesse sentido, a gramática é concebida como um sistema intrinsecamente emergentee sujeito a modificações estruturais e funcionais ao longo de todo o desenvolvimento ontogenético do falante. O objetivo deste dossiê é reunir estudos que, à luz do quadro teórico da GCBU, propiciem discussões sobre a natureza da representação gramatical. Em particular, acolhem-se tantoestudos descritivossobre construções (ou famílias de construções) particulares, quanto artigos voltados para um amplo leque de problemas teóricos e aplicados, como, por exemplo, aquisição de L1 ou de L2, tradução e ensino de línguas.
Ferrocenyl Hydroxy Methyl Coupled Caffeine Synthesis, Density Functional Theory, ADME Prediction and Docking Analysis of It's Binding Interactions to Coronavirus Main Protease
Authors: Almahmoud Sondos Abdullah J , Cariello Michele , Elzupir Amin Osman
Published: May 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has made the World aware of how crucial the development of cost-effective and scalable antiviral drugs is. Here we report the synthesis of caffeine-based 8-[(ferrocenyl)(hydroxy)methyl]-1,3,7-trimethyl-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione (FHC), and its use as an inhibitor of protease (Mpro), an essential enzyme for SARS-CoV-2 viral replication. FHC was modelled through density functional theory to get an insight of its properties, and fully characterized through conventional techniques. Its activity against Mpro was investigated using a molecular docking approach, showing excellent binding affinity to the catalytic dyad of His41 and Cys145 and the active sites of Mpro with energies score ranging from −6.7 to −7.0 kcal/mol. The affinity of conformers to bind to the active pocket was 44%. Based on a detailed investigation, it appears that FHC has a safe ADME profile, and that it could be a potential inhibitor for Mpro of SARS-CoV-2.
Comparison of Coatings Adhesion Performances for Buried SS316L Pipelines
Authors: Ghosal Surajit , Dey Rajib , Duari Buddhadeb
Published: May 2023

Six polymeric coatings viz. 3LPE, 3p/2p CAT, PU, VE, LE and HSS have been selected and each type of coating has been applied separately on SS316L pipe external surface. The test samples have been subjected to adhesion tests by the peel strength and pull-off methods, before and after the Hot Water Immersion (HWI) test for 100 days. After completing the test, the peel strength values of 3LPE, 3p/2p CAT, VE, HSS are found about 10.9, 1.8, 0.35, 6.8 N/mm respectively, whereas the pull-off adhesion values of PU, LE are found about 10.77, 22.7 N/mm2 respectively. The experimental results are analysed, and the adhesion performances of the coatings are compared based on the dimensionless number termed as the “Coating Bond Index” in this study. The relative rankings of the adhesion performances for these coatings are evaluated in determining coatings suitability for buried SS316L pipelines in the petroleum, petrochemical and natural gas industries.
Nano Based Approach for the Neurological Disorder Treatments-A Scenario (A-Review)
Authors: Oli Ajay Kumar , Jain Apoorva , Shivshetty Nagaveni , Javaregowda Palaksha Kanive , Chandrakanth. Kelmani
Published: May 2023

The prevalence of neurological illnesses is a leading cause of mortality and disability is rising globally. It is the second greatest cause of death globally. Multiple years of life adjusted for incidence of death and disability (DALY), the sum of years of life lost (YLLs) and years lived with disability (YLDs) by age and sex, are used to classify 15 neurological illnesses. Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, a stroke, Huntington's disease, and epilepsy are a few of them. Therefore, it is crucial to design and create novel delivery systems that could transport the therapeutic medications or diagnostic tools needed to treat neurological illnesses. In this overview, we go through fresh methods for improving medication absorption by the central nervous system (CNS). The treatment of neurological diseases, particularly those with neurodegenerative features, has a significant deal of potential to be impacted by nanotechnology. According to a number of studies, neurodegenerative CNS illnesses have been successfully treated with nanomaterials. The most effective usage of nanomaterials is the treatment of CNS disorders, which improves the overall impact of the medication and highlights the significance of nanotherapeutics.
Sequent Adsorption of phosphate ions by Copper ions Adsorbed on Tripolyphosphate Chitosan
Authors: Nguyen Thai Anh , Bui Huu Trung , Dang Vu Bich Hanh , Trinh Thi Bich Huyen , Le Thi Huynh Tram , Nguyen Vinh Tien
Published: May 2023

In this study, we successfully crosslinked chitosan using STPP and produced chitosan beads to adsorb copper ions and subsequently phosphate ions from aqueous solutions. The optimal concentrations of chitosan (2% w/v) and STPP (7.5% w/v) during chitosan beads preparation and the optimal pH of 5.0 during adsorption were determined. Several adsorption models, including pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Langmuir, and Freundlich models, were used to evaluate the static adsorption experimental data. Moreover, the chitosan beads were applied in a dynamic adsorption column and several models including Bohart-Adam, Thomas, Yoon-Nelson, and Clark models were used to describe the system. This study showed that after adsorbing heavy metal ions, chitosan-STPP beads can be used for further adsorption of toxic anions from wastewater.
Uranium Sources, Uptake, Translocation in the soil-plant System and Its Toxicity in Plants and Humans: A Critical Review
Authors: Duhan Sandeep Singh , Khyalia Pradeep , Solanki Pooja , Laura Jitender Singh
Published: May 2023

Uranium(U) is one of the highly toxic heavy metals and radionuclides that has become a major threat to soil health. There are two types of sources of Uranium in the soil system, natural and anthropogenic. Natural sources of uranium include rock systems and volcanic eruptions while anthropogenic sources include mining activities, disposal of radioactive waste, application of phosphate fertilizers, etc. Uranium accumulation impacts germination, early seedling growth, photosynthesis, metabolic and physiological processes of the plants. Through its accumulation in the aerial parts of the plants, Uranium finds its way to the human body, where it has deleterious health impacts. Different studies have identified the various sources of Uranium, explored, and explained the geochemistry of Uranium in soil, assessed the Uranium uptake and toxicity to the plants, and further studied the impact on human health. Most studies focused on two stages, either soil-plant or plant-human system. However, few studies have critically reviewed and summarized the U in the soil-plant-human system. Thus, the review has been designed to focus on the sources, geochemical behaviour, uptake, and translocation, plant toxicity, food chain entry, and finally, impact on human health. The relationship between the bioavailability of Uranium in the soil-plant system with soil properties like pH, Organic matter, and microorganisms have also been included. The study is further intensified by analyzing the accumulation of Uranium in various parts of the plants.
Removal of Aniline from Aqueous Solution by Adsorption on a Modified Montmorillonite Clay Kinetic and Thermodynamic Studies
Authors: Algabary Dulail Nasir Hassan , HZE Elbasheer
Published: May 2023

This work concerns the application of treated montmorillonite clay in the adsorption of Aniline as an organic pollutant in the wastewater. The characteristics of clay were evaluated by X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Additionally, the effect of different factors such as type of treatment, adsorbent dosage, contact time, solution temperature and pH were studied. The experimental data was evaluated by two kinetic models; pseudo-first and pseudo-second order. The results indicated that the adsorption followed pseudo-second-order models with coefficient R2 = 0.9928. The equilibrium time of Aniline was obtained after 3h. The thermodynamic parameters refer to the adsorption of Aniline on modified clay was endothermic and chemisorption. Because of advantages such as the abundance of clay and speed of the adsorption process, this method could be used to effectively remove aniline from wastewater.
Gallic Acid Substance Appraisal in Daucus Carota Sp. Sativus and Genus Vitis by Conventional Withdrawal and High Performance Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Swathi N. , Venugopal N. V. S.
Published: May 2023

Gallic acid(GA) contains three hydroxy groups, which are catalyzed by enzymes during the methylation or sulphation reactions. The present research portrays GA substance appraisal in a root vegetable Carrot (Daucus carota sp. sativus) and botanically a berry like grapes (genus Vitis). Conventional withdrawal process was performed by using methanol as solvent followed by maceration and distillation process. The study sought to quantify and compare the contribution of GA in Carrot and grapes for the nutritional care of society. The determination of GA content was quantified using HPLC (High performance liquid chromatography) method with. Zodiac C18(250mmx 4.6mm, 5µm) column. The other chromatographic conditions applied are detection at 280nm and flow rate 1mL/min. The detection limit (0.11–0.9 μg/mL) and quantification limit (0.9–3.0 μg/mL) were obtained. The reported method was validated and has the advantage of being fast, simple and accurate.
Water Conservation in Thermal Power Plant by Using Combination of Membrane treatment and Deionization Route
Authors: Dhokai Chetan K , Palkar Ritesh Ramesh , Jain Vicky
Published: May 2023

The modern desalination process for saving water is membrane capacitive deionization in which voltage is applied between two opposite-charged carbon electrodes. An ion exchange membrane is set beside each electrode, and a spacer is placed between them to carry the treated water. The current study shows water conservation along with the reduction in chemical treatment costs in cooling towers with seawater in circulation. Chemical savings of approximately 80 % might be achieved by monitoring the cooling tower's water usage and comparing it to a situation without MCDI. Furthermore, 24% water reductions, as well as 44% saving in terms of wastewater, are possible. MCDI in range 0.15& 0.25 kWh/m3 of generated LSW for cooling tower inlet water. Due to the absorption of calcium and chloride ions, the chances of scaling and corrosion decrease significantly which helps in water and chemical savings.
Light-induced Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue observed using Mg-Cu-Cd Ferrite Nanoparticles
Authors: Bagade Arun Vijay , Nagwade Pratik Arvind , Nagawade Arvind Vinayak , Thopate Shankar Ramchandra , Pund Sangita Nanasaheb
Published: May 2023

A major issue in the industrial sector is the highly efficient and economical treatment of hazardous dye-based colour effluents. Spinel ferrite nanoparticles are more prominent for their unique qualities, such as their optical, catalytic, electrical, and magnetic properties. Moreover, physical characteristics of ferrites may be influenced as well as their catalytic properties by substituting metals like magnesium. In this context, herein, MgxCu0.5-xCd0.5Fe2O4 (x=0.1 to 0.5, and Δx=0.1) nano-ferrites were employed to examine the photodecomposition of methylene blue (MB) under visible light. To optimize the reaction conditions, the effects of different operational parameters including irradiation time span, catalyst amount, initial dye concentration, and pH for the degradation of MB dye were investigated. The maximum degradation efficiency of 93.54% was obtained by using 1 g/L catalyst and 10 ppm MB dye at pH 10 within 120 min reaction time. These results demonstrate the applicability of the Mg2+ doped Cu-Cd ferrite samples for water remediation.
Improving the data rate for long distance visible light communication using h-BN/CdZnSeS@ZnSeS quantum dot composite
Authors: Chen Xi , Wang Peng , Li Jingzhou , Yang Hongyu , Zhang Jiahao , Yang QiuJie , Dong Hongxing , Qi Hongxing
Published: May 2023

Quantum dots (QDs) are exploited in visible light communication (VLC) due to their unique optical properties. However, it is still a challenge to conquer heating generation and photobleaching under prolonged illumination. In this paper, we proposed to utilize hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanoplates to improve the thermal stability and photo stability of QDs and long-distance VLC data rate. After heating to 373 K and cooling to the initial temperature, photoluminescence (PL) emission intensity recovers to 62% of the original intensity and after 33 hours of illumination, PL emission intensity still maintains 80% of the initial intensity, while that of the bare QDs is only 34% and 53%, respectively. The QDs/h-BN composites perform a maximum achievable data rate of 98 Mbit/s by applying on-off keying (OOK) modulation, while the bare QDs are only 78 Mbps. In the process of extending the transmission distance from 0.3 m to 5 m, the QDs/h-BN composites exhibit superior luminosity corresponding to higher transmission data rates than bare QDs. Particularly, when the transmission distance reaches 5 m, the QDs/h-BN composites still show a clear eye diagram at a transmission rate of 50 Mbps while the eye diagram of bare QDs is indistinguishable at 25 Mbps. During 50 hours of continuous illumination, the QDs/h-BN composites keep a relatively stable bit error rate (BER) at 80 Mbps while that of QDs continuously increase, and the -3 dB bandwidth of QDs/h-BN composites keep around10 MHz while the bare QDs decrease from 12.6 MHz to 8.5 MHz. After illumination, the QDs/h-BN composites still indicate a clear eye diagram at a data rate of 50 Mbps while that of pure QDs is indistinguishable. Our results provide a feasible solution for realizing an enhanced transmission performance of QDs in longer-distance VLC.
3D Dirac semimetal supported thermal tunable terahertz hybrid plasmonic waveguides
Authors: Cheng Yan , Cao Wenhan , Wang Guangqing , He Xiaoyong , Lin Fangting , Liu Feng
Published: May 2023

By depositing the trapezoidal dielectric stripe on top of the 3D Dirac semimetal (DSM) hybrid plasmonic waveguide, the thermal tunable propagation properties have been systematically investigated in the terahertz regime, taking into account the influences of the structure of the dielectric stripe, temperature and frequency. The results manifest that as the upper side width of the trapezoidal stripe increases, the propagation length and figure of merit (FOM) both decrease. The propagation properties of hybrid modes are closely associated with temperature, in that when the temperature changes in the scope of 3-600 K, the modulation depth of propagation length is more than 96%. Additionally, at the balance point of plasmonic and dielectric modes, the propagation length and FOM manifest strong peaks and indicate an obvious blue shift with the increase of temperature. Furthermore, the propagation properties can be improved significantly with a Si-SiO2 hybrid dielectric stripe structure, e.g., on the condition that the Si layer width is 5 µm, the maximum value of the propagation length reaches more than 6.46 × 105 µm, which is tens of times larger than those pure SiO2 (4.67 × 104 µm) and Si (1.15 × 104 µm) stripe. The results are very helpful for the design of novel plasmonic devices, such as cutting-edge modulator, lasers and filters.
Pseudo-arbitrary sideband generation by phase modulation calculated with iterative phase retrieval
Authors: Speirs Rory W. , Lett Paul D.
Published: May 2023

A method for arbitrarily tailoring amplitude and phase of sidebands generated with a phase shifting electro-optic modulator (EOM) is presented. The technique is extremely simple experimentally, requiring only a single EOM driven by an arbitrary waveform generator. The required time domain phase modulation is calculated using an iterative phase retrieval algorithm, which takes into account the desired spectrum (both amplitude and phase), and other physical constraints. The algorithm works consistently and finds solutions which accurately recreate the desired spectrum. Since EOMs only modulate phase, the solutions will usually match the desired spectrum over the specified range by redistributing optical power to regions of the spectrum that are unspecified. This basic Fourier limitation is the only in-principle limit to the arbitrariness of the spectrum tailoring. An experimental demonstration of the technique is performed, which shows complex spectra can be generated with high accuracy.
Vertical tubular zinc oxide microcavity enables efficient colloidal quantum dot lasing
Authors: Meng Wenyuan , Li Wei , Zhou Chun , Cao Jin , Yang Xuyong
Published: May 2023

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) can potentially enable new classes of highly flexible, spectrally tunable lasers processible from solutions. Despite a considerable progress over the past years, colloidal-QD lasing is still an important challenge. We report vertical tubular zinc oxide (VT-ZnO) and lasing based on VT-ZnO/CsPb(Br0.5Cl0.5)3 CQDs composite. Due to regular hexagonal structure and smooth surface of VT-ZnO, the light emitted at around 525 nm is effectively modulated under 325 nm continuous excitation. The VT-ZnO/ CQDs composite finally shows lasing with a threshold of ∼ 46.9 µJ.cm-2 and a Q factor of ∼ 2978 under 400 nm femtosecond (fs) excitation. This ZnO based cavity can be complexed with CQDs easily, which may pave a new way of colloidal-QD lasing.
Modeling of a multireflector terahertz imaging system using a geometrical optics model based on angular spectrum theory
Authors: Wang Hui , Zhou De-liang , Wang Yan , Su Run-feng , Li Shao-he , Tu Xue-cou , Jia Xiao-qing , Kang Lin , Jin Biao-bing , Wang Hua-bing , Chen Jian , Wu Pei-heng
Published: May 2023

We propose a simulation method for a multireflector terahertz imaging system. The description and verification of the method are based on an existing active bifocal terahertz imaging system at 0.22 THz. Using the phase conversion factor and angular spectrum propagation, the computation of the incident and received fields requires only a simple matrix operation. The phase angle is used to calculate the ray tracking direction, and the total optical path is used to calculate the scattering field of defective foams. Compared with the measurements and simulations of aluminum disks and defective foams, the validity of the simulation method is confirmed in the field of view of 50 cm × 90 cm at 8 m. This work aims to develop better imaging systems by predicting their imaging behavior for different targets before manufacturing.
Prediction of radiative properties of spherical microalgae considering internal heterogeneity and optical constants of various components
Authors: Li Xingcan , Lv Jinyuan , Lin Li , Dong Jian , Liu Zuodong , Yang Jia-Yue
Published: May 2023

Most of the current predictions of the radiative properties of microalgae use the homogeneous sphere approximation based on the Mie scattering theory, and the refractive indices of the model were regarded as fixed values. Using the recently measured optical constants of various microalgae components, we propose a spherical heterogeneous model for spherical microalgae. The optical constants of the heterogeneous model were characterized by the measured optical constants of microalgae components for the first time. The radiative properties of the heterogeneous sphere were calculated using the T-matrix method and were well verified by measurements. It shows that the internal microstructure has a more significant effect on scattering cross-section and scattering phase function than absorption cross-section. Compared with the traditional homogeneous models selected with fixed values as refractive index, the calculation accuracy of scattering cross-section of the heterogeneous model improved by 15%-150%. The scattering phase function of the heterogeneous sphere approximation agreed better with measurements than the homogeneous models due to the more detailed description of the internal microstructure. It can be concluded that considering the internal microstructure of microalgae and characterizing the microstructure of the model by the optical constants of the microalgae components helps to reduce the error caused by the simplification of the actual cell.
Wavelength-shift-free racetrack resonator hybrided with phase change material for photonic in-memory computing
Authors: Zhu Honghui , Lu Yegang , Cai Linying
Published: May 2023

The photonic in-memory computing architecture based on phase change materials (PCMs) is increasingly attracting widespread attention due to its high computational efficiency and low power consumption. However, PCM-based microring resonator photonic computing devices face challenges in terms of resonant wavelength shift (RWS) for large-scale photonic network. Here, we propose a PCM-slot-based 1 × 2 racetrack resonator with free wavelength shift for in-memory computing. The low-loss PCMs such as Sb2Se3 and Sb2S3 are utilized to fill the waveguide slot of the resonator for the low insertion (IL) and high extinction ratio (ER). The Sb2Se3-slot-based racetrack resonator has an IL of 1.3 (0.1) dB and an ER of 35.5 (8.6) dB at the drop (through) port. The corresponding IL of 0.84 (0.27) dB and ER of 18.6 (10.11) dB are obtained for the Sb2S3-slot-based device. The change in optical transmittance of the two devices at the resonant wavelength is more than 80%. No shift of the resonance wavelength can be achieved upon phase change among the multi-level states. Moreover, the device exhibits a high degree of fabrication tolerance. The proposed device demonstrates ultra-low RWS, high transmittance-tuning range, and low IL, which provides a new scheme for realizing an energy-efficient and large-scale in-memory computing network.
1.5 µm wavelength NPN-type photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser exceeding 100 mW
Authors: Hitaka Masahiro , Hirose Kazuyoshi , Sugiyama Takahiro , Ito Akio
Published: May 2023

A 1.5 µm laser diode has applications in eye-safe light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and optical communications via photonic integrated circuits. Photonic-crystal surface-emitting lasers (PCSELs) have lens-free applications in compact optical systems because of narrow beam divergences (<1 degree). However, the output power has still been less than 1 mW for 1.5 µm PCSELs. For higher output power, one approach is suppression of p-dopant Zn diffusion in the photonic crystal layer. Therefore, n-type doping was used for the upper crystal layer. Moreover, an NPN-type PCSEL structure was proposed to reduce intervalence band absorption in the p-InP layer. Here, we demonstrate a 1.5 µm PCSEL with 100 mW output power, which exceeds previous reported values by two orders of magnitude.
Coherent noise enables probabilistic sequence replay in spiking neuronal networks
Authors: Bouhadjar Younes , Wouters Dirk J. , Diesmann Markus , Tetzlaff Tom
Published: May 2023

Animals rely on different decision strategies when faced with ambiguous or uncertain cues. Depending on the context, decisions may be biased towards events that were most frequently experienced in the past, or be more explorative. A particular type of decision making central to cognition is sequential memory recall in response to ambiguous cues. A previously developed spiking neuronal network implementation of sequence prediction and recall learns complex, high-order sequences in an unsupervised manner by local, biologically inspired plasticity rules. In response to an ambiguous cue, the model deterministically recalls the sequence shown most frequently during training. Here, we present an extension of the model enabling a range of different decision strategies. In this model, explorative behavior is generated by supplying neurons with noise. As the model relies on population encoding, uncorrelated noise averages out, and the recall dynamics remain effectively deterministic. In the presence of locally correlated noise, the averaging effect is avoided without impairing the model performance, and without the need for large noise amplitudes. We investigate two forms of correlated noise occurring in nature: shared synaptic background inputs, and random locking of the stimulus to spatiotemporal oscillations in the network activity. Depending on the noise characteristics, the network adopts various recall strategies. This study thereby provides potential mechanisms explaining how the statistics of learned sequences affect decision making, and how decision strategies can be adjusted after learning.
An evaluation of the early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Zambia’s routine immunization program
Authors: Winter Amy K. , Takahashi Saki , Carcelen Andrea C. , Hayford Kyla , Mutale Wilbroad , Mwansa Francis D. , Sinyange Nyambe , Ngula David , Moss William J. , Mutembo Simon
Published: May 2023

Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for both populations and healthcare systems are vast. In addition to morbidity and mortality from COVID-19, the pandemic also disrupted local health systems, including reductions or delays in routine vaccination services and catch-up vaccination campaigns. These disruptions could lead to outbreaks of other infectious diseases that result in an additional burden of disease and strain on the healthcare system. We evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Zambia’s routine childhood immunization program in 2020 using multiple sources of data. We relied on administrative vaccination data and Zambia’s 2018 Demographic and Health Survey to project national disruptions to district-specific routine childhood vaccination coverage within the pandemic year 2020. Next, we leveraged a 2016 population-based serological survey to predict age-specific measles seroprevalence and assessed the impact of changes in vaccination coverage on measles outbreak risk in each district. We found minor disruptions to routine administration of measles-rubella and pentavalent vaccines in 2020. This was in part due to Zambia’s Child Health Week held in June of 2020 which helped to reach children missed during the first six months of the year. We estimated that the two-month delay in a measles-rubella vaccination campaign, originally planned for September of 2020 but conducted in November of 2020 as a result of the pandemic, had little impact on modeled district-specific measles outbreak risks. This study estimated minimal increases in the number of children missed by vaccination services in Zambia during 2020. However, the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 transmission since our analysis concluded means efforts to maintain routine immunization services and minimize the risk of measles outbreaks will continue to be critical. The methodological framework developed in this analysis relied on routinely collected data to estimate disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic to national routine vaccination program performance and its impact on children missed at the subnational level can be deployed in other countries or for other vaccines.
Rerupture outcome of conservative versus open repair versus minimally invasive repair of acute Achilles tendon ruptures: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Deng Haidong , Cheng Xin , Yang Yi , Fang Fang , He Jialing , Tian Yixin , Li Tiangui , Xiao Yangchun , Feng Yuning , Wang Peng , Chong Weelic , Hai Yang , Zhang Yu
Published: May 2023

Objective

To compare the rerupture rate after conservative treatment, open repair, and minimally invasive surgery management of acute Achilles tendon ruptures.

Design

Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Data sources

We searched Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to August 2022.

Methods

Randomised controlled trials involving different treatments for Achilles tendon rupture were included. The primary outcome was rerupture. Bayesian network meta-analysis with random effects was used to assess pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals. We evaluated the heterogeneity and publication bias.

Results

Thirteen trials with 1465 patients were included. In direct comparison, there was no difference between open repair and minimally invasive surgery for rerupture rate (RR, 0.72, 95% CI 0.10–4.4; I2= 0%; Table 2). Compared to the conservative treatment, the RR was 0.27 (95% CI 0.10–0.62, I2= 0%) for open repair and 0.14 (95% CI 0.01–0.88, I2= 0%) for minimally invasive surgery. The network meta-analysis had obtained the similar results as the direct comparison.

Conclusion

Both open repair and minimally invasive surgery were associated with a significant reduction in rerupture rate compared with conservative management, but no difference in rerupture rate was found comparing open repair and minimally invasive surgery.
Propofol anesthesia decreases the incidence of new-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation compared to desflurane in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: A retrospective single-center study
Authors: Tajima Karin , Yamakawa Kentaro , Kuwabara Yuki , Miyazaki Chika , Sunaga Hiroshi , Uezono Shoichi
Published: May 2023

Background

Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) increases postoperative morbidity, mortality, and length of hospital stay. Propofol is reported to modulate atrial electrophysiology and the cardiac autonomic nervous system. Therefore, we retrospectively examined whether propofol suppresses POAF in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) compared to desflurane.

Methods

We retrospectively recruited adult patients who underwent VATS during the period from January 2011 to May 2018 in an academic university hospital. Between continuous propofol and desflurane administration during anesthetic maintenance, we investigated the incidence of new-onset POAF (within 48 hours after surgery) before and after propensity score matching.

Results

Of the 482 patients, 344 received propofol, and 138 received desflurane during anesthetic maintenance. The incidence of POAF in the propofol group was less than that in the desflurane group (4 [1.2%] vs. 8 patients [5.8%], odds ratio [OR]; 0.161, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.040–0.653, p = 0.011) in the present study population. After adjustment for propensity score matching (n = 254, n = 127 each group), the incidence of POAF was still less in propofol group than desflurane group (1 [0.8%] vs. 8 patients [6.3%], OR; 0.068, 95% CI: 0.007–0.626, p = 0.018).

Conclusions

These retrospective data suggest propofol anesthesia significantly inhibits POAF compared to desflurane anesthesia in patients undergoing VATS. Further prospective studies are needed to elucidate the mechanism of propofol on the inhibition of POAF.
Industrial Networks and Cinemas of India: Shooting Stars, Shifting Geographies and Multiplying Media, Monika Mehta and Madhuja Mukherjee (2021)
Authors: Ghosh Dattatreya
Published: May 2023

Review of: Industrial Networks and Cinemas of India: Shooting Stars, Shifting Geographies and Multiplying Media, Monika Mehta and Madhuja Mukherjee (2021)

London and New York: Routledge, 275 pp.,

ISBN 978-0-42932-602-8, e-book, £39.99
Desperately seeking answers to the future of stardom in the age of neoliberalism
Authors: Pal Soumik
Published: May 2023

Shrayana Bhattacharya’s book Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh: India’s Lonely Young Women and the Search for Intimacy and Independence is about women in contemporary India, how their gendered existence is shaped by patriarchal structures of exclusion and censure, and how women often use fandom (for Shah Rukh Khan) to build communities of solidarity and togetherness. This review article uses the book’s analysis to move the discussion of stardom beyond the star’s romantic appeal to women, to contextualize Shah Rukh Khan’s appeal in the broader milieu of precarity, alienation and heightened misogyny produced by neoliberalism. Ironically, the very culture that is responsible for the misery of women, has also created an unstable public that is putting real, violent limits to the phenomenon of stardom itself.
Pesquisa quantitativa em empreendedorismo e o apoio do software R para análise de dados
Authors: Pagotto Daniel do Prado , Borges Cândido
Published: May 2023

Objetivo do estudo: o presente texto visa apresentar um panorama sobre pesquisa quantitativa em empreendedorismo no Brasil, bem como descrever possibilidades para o avanço desta abordagem. Metodologia e abordagem: o artigo consiste em uma publicação conduzida a partir de levantamentos bibliográficos na literatura científica de empreendedorismo e discussões teóricas. Principais Resultados: maior parte das pesquisas nacionais em empreendedorismo são de natureza qualitativa. Apesar da relevância desta abordagem, acredita-se que a pesquisa quantitativa possui múltiplas potencialidades, sobretudo associada ao uso de dados oriundos de fontes secundárias. Principais Contribuições teóricas e metodológicas: apresentamos bases de dados públicas que podem ser empregadas por pesquisadores de empreendedorismo para avançar na teoria. Algumas estratégias de uso destas bases são exemplificadas por meio de um breve tutorial em linguagem R. Finalmente, debatemos acerca de estratégias para robustecer pesquisas quantitativas da área, bem como trazemos uma agenda de pesquisa. Relevância/Originalidade: são apresentados conteúdos que ainda são pouco explorados na literatura nacional, como o uso de dados secundários e machine learning. Contribuições sociais e gerenciais: algumas das bases apresentadas no estudo são de fonte governamental e podem ser utilizadas para fundamentar a construção de políticas públicas para o empreendedorismo. Ademais, os preceitos sobre pesquisa quantitativa apresentados neste editorial podem apoiar gestores que atuam com análises de dados na formulação de estudos mais robustos, independente da área de atuação, seja prático ou acadêmico.
Hubungan antara Durasi Penggunaan Media Layar dengan Pola Tidur pada Anak Usia Tiga sampai dengan Lima Tahun Saat Masa Pandemi COVID-19
Authors: Izzaturrahman Nareswari , Safira Lisa , Herardi Ryan , Muktamiroh Hikmah
Published: May 2023

Latar belakang. Anak periode prasekolah menurut Center for disease Control and Prevention adalah anak yang berusia antara 3 – 5 tahun. Pada periode ini terjadi perkembangan personal sosial yang pesat. Saat ini ditemukan peningkatan durasi penggunaan media layar pada anak usia prasekolah dari tahun ke tahun yang cukup signifikan, terlebih pada saat pandemi COVID-19 akibat adanya kebijakan Pembeljaran Jarak Jauh. Penggunaan media layar yang berlebihan pada anak dapat menimbulkan permasalahan kesehatan salah satunya gangguan pola tidur pada anak.Tujuan. Mengetahui hubungan antara durasi penggunaan media layar dengan gangguan pola tidur yang terjadi pada anak periode prasekolah selama masa pandemi COVID-19Metode. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain penelitian cross sectional pada 86 anak usia 3-5 tahun di Kota Depok Hasil penelitian diuji dengan uji chi square dengan bantuan software SPSS 24.0. Hasil. Analisis univariat menujukan bahwa durasi penggunaan media layar rata – rata harian anak pada hari sekolah (Senin – Jumat) sebesar 3,9 jam /hari, sedangkan pada hari libur (Sabtu - Minggu dan Hari Libur lainnya) sebesar 5,1 jam/hari dengan media layar yang paling banyak digunakan adalah televisi (87,2%) dan smartphone (80,2%). Analisis bivariat menujukan bahwa secara statistik terdapat hubungan bermakna antara durasi penggunaan media layarber lebih dengan gangguan pola tidur (p : 0,013)Kesimpulan. Secara statistik didapatkan hubungan antara durasi penggunaan media layar dengan pola tidur pada anak usia 3 – 5 tahun di masa pandemi COVID-19.