bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing and piloting a simulated placement experience for students
Authors: Taylor Natasha , Wyres Martyn , Green Abbie , Hennessy-Priest Kathleen , Phillips Carla , Daymond Emily , Love Rachel , Johnson Rebecca , Wright Jane
Published: July 2021

COVID-19 and rising student numbers are affecting healthcare education, particularly access to clinical placements. As healthcare education is increasingly supported by technology and non-traditional teaching methods, educational experiences gained through clinical placement also require new approaches. This article explores and discusses the use of a simulated clinical placement for a dietetic student cohort. During this virtual placement, students were able to explore and experience a virtual clinical setting and immerse themselves in a placement experience. A vast range of virtual resources were linked to the online placement portal, including statutory and mandatory training, dietetic resources, patient journeys and interprofessional communication. Advantages of this approach include that all students experience a given situation, unlike in traditional placements where workloads, variety and engagement vary; there is also no risk to patient safety. The aim is to enhance the learning experience to create effective, efficient clinicians. This virtual placement for dietetics is part of a bigger project to develop and evaluate the use of a virtual placement framework in a range of professions. The concept of virtual placement may have been brought forward by the COVID-19 crisis but was inevitable with the move to more technology-enhanced learning tools.
A review of the eating disorders literature with reference to dentistry
Authors: Waylen Andrea
Published: July 2021

Eating disorders are severe psychiatric illnesses associated with physical and psychological morbidity and mortality. In the UK, around 1 in 9 people are directly affected. Oral healthcare professionals may be among the first to observe the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder because of the recognizable and consistent links with oral pathology and it is important that they are sufficiently informed about the condition, and feel confident in raising it with patients and/or their families.

CPD/Clinical Relevance: Oral healthcare professionals may be among the first to suspect that a patient has an eating disorder: they can play a role in diagnosis and appropriate referral, as well as providing appropriate oral healthcare advice.
Akademik Yaşam Doyumu Ölçeği’nin Türkçe Versiyonu
Authors: ODACI Hatice , KAYA Feridun , KINIK Özge
Published: July 2021

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Akademik Yaşam Doyumu Ölçeği’nin Türkçe formunun psikometrik özelliklerini araştırmaktır. Araştırmanın örneklemini 133’ü (% 56.6) kadın, 102’si (% 43.4) erkek, toplam 235 üniversite öğrencisi oluşturmuştur. Araştırmada veri toplama araçları olarak Kişisel Bilgi Formu, Akademik Yaşam Doyum Ölçeği, Yaşam Doyumu Ölçeği, Pozitif ve Negatif Duygu Ölçeği ve İki Boyutlu Benlik Saygısı Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen veriler doğrulayıcı faktör analizi, korelasyon analizi ve bağımsız örneklemler için t testi analizleriyle değerlendirilmiştir. Faktör analizi sonuçları ölçeğin iki faktörlü bir yapıya sahip olduğunu doğrulamıştır. Akademik Yaşam Doyumu Ölçeği’nin ölçüt bağıntılı geçerliğinin tespiti kapsamında üniversite öğrencilerinin akademik yaşam doyumları ile yaşam doyumları, pozitif duygu durumları, benlik saygısı ve genel not ortalamaları arasında pozitif yönde anlamlı ilişki bulunurken negatif duygu durumları ile negatif yönde anlamlı ilişki olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular ışığında Akademik Yaşam Doyumu Ölçeği’nin Türkiye’deki üniversite öğrencilerinin akademik yaşam doyumlarını ölçmede kullanılabilecek geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçme aracı olduğu söylenebilir.
Remeshing procedure for discrete membrane finite element: application to woven composite forming
Authors: Cherouata Abel , Moreau Laurence , Ayad Rezak , Zineb Tarak Ben
Published: July 2021

Pre-impregnated woven fabric is an increasingly important component as the reinforcement phase of composite materials for many mechanical structures (automotive and aerospace). Modelling woven fabrics is difficult due, in particular, to the need to simulate the response both at the scale of the entire fabric and at the meso-level, the scale of the fibre that composes the weave. Here, we present new finite element for the simulation of the 3D, preimpregnated woven fabric preform. Continuum-level modelling technique that, through the use of an appropriate bi-component unit cell (fiber rotation quadrilateral element connected to truss elements), captures the deformation of the mesostructure of the fabric without explicitly modelling every fibre. Simulations of the experiments demonstrate that the finite elements are capable of efficiently simulating large, complex structures and forming processes.
Domain decomposition with discrete element simulations using shared-memory parallel computing for railways applications
Authors: Hoang T.M.P. , Saussine G. , Dureisseix D. , Alart P.
Published: July 2021

Numerical simulation with discrete elements leads to several issues for large-scale problems and long loading times, as for the granular dynamic simulations of the ballasted railway behaviour. To reduce computational costs, we study the use of two strategies: domain decomposition methods and shared-memory parallelisation with OpenMP. An example of a maintenance process, the tamping, on a portion of railway track with seven sleepers, is simulated.
Multiscale analysis of instabilities in heterogeneous materials using ANM and multilevel FEM
Authors: Nezamabadi Saeid , Zahrouni Hamid , Yvonnet Julien , Potier-Ferry Michel
Published: July 2021

In this study, we propose a numerical technique which combines a perturbation approach (asymptotic numerical method) and a multilevel finite element analysis. This procedure allows dealing with instability phenomena in the context of heterogeneous materials where buckling may occur at both macroscopic and/or microscopic scales. Different constitutive relations are applied and geometrical non-linearity is taken into account at both scales. Numerical examples involving instabilities at both micro and macro levels are presented.
Editorial
Authors: Bonnet Marc , Cornuault Christian , Pagano Stéphane
Published: July 2021

The national conference in computational mechanics (Colloque national en calcul des structures) is organised every two years by the French Computational Structural Mechanics Association (CSMA). CSMA is affiliated to the “Association Française de Mécanique” (AFM), the International Association for Computational Mechanics (IACM) and the European Community on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences. This regular and well-established event is the unique national meeting dedicated to this field. Since its inception in 1993, this Conference attracts an ever-increasing audience of junior and senior scientists, engineers and doctoral students. This 10th edition of the CSMA meeting, held on 9–13 May 2011 at the village of Giens (near Toulon, France), was organised by the LMGC laboratory (University of Montpellier, France). It gathered about 350 participants from all French research centres active in computational mechanics, and also about 25 participants from Belgium, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, UK, Spain, Switzerland, USA and a few other countries. Moreover, about 12% of the delegates came from industry. This special issue of the European Journal of Computational Mechanics gathers 21 papers selected from around 280 communications presented at the Conference. These contributions have been selected on the basis of quality, while also attempting to provide a general overview of current research in the field of computational mechanics. We warmly thank all the authors of the papers featured in this special issue.
Hydro-elastic vibration analysis of functionally graded rectangular plate in contact with stationary fluid
Authors: Yousefzadeh Shahrouz , Akbari Ashkan , Najafi Mohammad
Published: July 2021

This study investigates the free vibration of a moderately thick rectangular plate, which is composed of functionally graded materials and floating on incompressible fluid. Material properties are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction according to a simple power law distribution in terms of the volume fraction of the constituent. The governing equations of the plate are analytically derived based on the first-order shear deformation theory with consideration of rotational inertial effects and transverse shear stresses. Applied pressure on the free surface of the plate is obtained by the velocity potential function together with Bernoulli’s equation. The equation governing on the oscillatory behaviour of the fluid is obtained by solving Laplace equation with satisfying the boundary conditions. The natural frequencies and shape modes of the rectangular plate are determined by decoupling and solving the motion equations system. Then, analyses of the numerical results of free vibrations and the effects of the different parameters such as thickness to length of the plate, boundary conditions, fluid density, index of volume fraction and the height of the fluid on the frequencies are investigated. Finally, the results of this research in limit case is compared and validated with the results of other researchers and finite element model.
A computational study of biomagnetic fluid flow in a channel in the presence of obstacles under the influence of the magnetic field generated by a wire carrying electric current
Authors: Mousavi S. Morteza , Farhadi Mousa , Sedighi Kurosh
Published: July 2021

In this paper, biomagnetic fluid flow in a three-dimensional channel in the presence of obstacles and under the influence of a magnetic field is studied numerically. The magnetic field is generated by a wire carrying electric current. The mathematical model of biomagnetic fluid dynamics which is consistent with the principles of ferrohydrodynamics and magnetohydrodynamics is used for the problem formulation. A computational grid which accurately covers the magnetic force is used for the discretisation of computational domain. The flow field is studied in the different arrangements of the obstacles and diverse magnetic field strengths. The results show that the flow pattern is drastically influenced by the applied magnetic field. Applying the magnetic field causes a secondary flow that affects the velocity distribution considerably. The magnetic force also reduces the maximum axial velocity. Furthermore, the magnetic field has a considerable impact on the recirculation zones behind the obstacles. The magnetic field makes the recirculation zones smaller. This study indicates that applying the magnetic field increases the axial drag coefficients of the obstacles significantly (in a case, by 40.15%).
Identification of a macroscopic anisotropic damage model using digital image correlation and the equilibrium gap method
Authors: Crouzeix Laurent , Périé Jean-Noël , Collombet Francis , Douchin Bernard
Published: July 2021

The aim of the work is to demonstrate how an anisotropic damage model may be identified from full field measurements retrieved during a heterogeneous test. The example of a biaxial test performed on a 3D C / C composite is used. In a first step, the displacement fields measured by classical Digital Image Correlation are used as input data of a finite difference version of the Equilibrium Gap Method. A benefit from unloadings (assumed to be elastic) is shown to retrieve a damage law. In a second step, inelastic strains can be assessed from the total measured strain and the elastic estimated strains. The constitutive parameters relative to the inelastic part of the model are then identified.
Non linear analysis of vibrations generated by a contact with friction
Authors: Meziane Anissa , Baillet Laurent
Published: July 2021

The aim of this paper is to study vibrations generated at contact with friction for two different applications. The first one is an investigation of friction-induced vibrations of a beam-on-beam system in contact with friction. For this study the complementary use of linear and nonlinear analyses drives to the understanding of physical phenomenon induced in these vibrations. The second parts consists in investigating numerically dynamic rupture of a bimaterial interface. The numerical Finite Element model is composed of two homogeneous and isotropic elastic solids which are brought in contact with friction by remote normal compression and shear traction. The rupture is nucleated by decreasing instantaneously the friction coefficient to zero at nucleation area. The properties of the obtained ruptures (velocity, generated waves, interface state…) are analyzed.
Compatibility measure and penalized contact resolution for incompatible interfaces Guillaume
Authors: Roches Guillaume Vermot des , Balmes Etienne , Dhia Hachmi Ben , Lemaire Rémi , Pasquet Thierry
Published: July 2021

Handling of large industrial mechanical assemblies implies structure interactions commonly modeled with contact formulations. In cases where component interfaces are discretized using non conforming meshes, classical contact solutions have difficulties producing correct contact pressure fields. The method presented in this paper gives a relevant measure of interface compatibility and shows how it can be exploited to obtain regular contact pressures or limit over-integration in the contact formulation.
Bending triangular finite element with a fictitious fourth node based on the strain approach
Authors: Himeur Mohammed , Guenfoud Mohamed
Published: July 2021

We present a new plate bending triangular finite element. It is developed in perspective to building shell elements. Its formulation uses concepts related to the deformation approach, the fourth fictitious node, the static condensation and analytic integration. It is based on the assumptions of the theory of thin plates (Kirchhoff theory). The approach has resulted in a bending plate finite element (HIMEUR) competitive, robust and efficient.
Structural multi-modal damping by optimizing shunted piezoelectric transducers
Authors: Livet Stéphanie , Collet Manuel , Berthillier Marc , Jean Pierrick , Cote Jean-Marc
Published: July 2021

The capacity of different auto-supplied devices using shunted piezoelectric circuits are studied here to improve structural damping by avoiding implementation of complex and heavy control devices. The presented technique uses a dedicated numerical piezo-mechanical model combining both mechanical and electrical coupling parameters. An original methodology are also introduced for optimizing the parameters of electrical shunt circuits connected to piezoelectric elements and also structural locations of these integrated transducers. The results, experimentally validated (on beams and a plate), demonstrate that vibrations can be significantly reduced when shunted piezoelectric devices are mounted on a real structure. Finally, the proposed methodology is used for optimizing shape and location of the shunted piezoelectric patches to damp several modes of a plate.
Parity-time symmetric gratings in 1550  nm distributed-feedback laser diodes: insight on device design rules
Authors: Benisty Henri , Brac de la Perrière Vincent , Ramdane Abderahim , Lupu Anatole
Published: July 2021

We build on former results from our work on parity-time symmetric gratings implemented in 1550 nm distributed-feedback laser diodes to address the design issues raised by the first trends we observed. These laser diodes are of a complex-coupled nature, with modulations of both real and imaginary parts of the effective index, with a relative phase related to the parity-time symmetry. The unidirectionality of the photonic behavior in the reflection mode is dependent on the level of extra losses incurred by the metallic grating used to implement fixed loss modulation onto a nearly uniform gain, either as a first-order or a third-order grating. The observed behavior suggests that facets play a large role in setting the desired unidirectional lasing operation points, with preferential emission on one side. We explore this issue, which is of generic interest for the coupling of parity-time symmetric structures to open space.
Study of a dissipative soliton in the distributed mathematical model of ultra-long mode-locked fiber lasers
Authors: Shtyrina Olga V. , Podivilov Evgeny V. , Skidin Anton S. , Yarutkina Irina A. , Lobasenko Roman B. , Fedoruk Mikhail P.
Published: July 2021

We propose the new, to the best of our knowledge, distributed mathematical model of dissipative soliton evolution in ultra-long fiber lasers. The model is based on a modified Ginzburg–Landau equation, has a stable analytical solution, and takes into account the saturated gain and saturable absorption. The analytical results show a good accordance with the results of numerical simulation of ultra-long ring cavity fiber lasers. The results may be applied to the analysis of a wide range of fiber laser systems.
Simulation of enhanced light extraction from periodic, disordered, and quasi-periodic OLED structures
Authors: Zhang Yu , Biswas Rana , Shinar Ruth , Shinar Joseph
Published: July 2021

We have developed a rigorous scattering matrix theory of light emission
from periodically structured media using a Green’s function approach.
We computationally simulate the spectral power inside the structure,
incorporating Purcell factor enhancements, and find internal
waveguiding modes and plasmonic losses. We simulate the
light-outcoupling factor

η

out

and describe how corrugations and
structured media can enhance

η

out

. We have extended our framework to
describe non-periodic disordered arrays as well as aperiodic
quasi-crystalline arrays. Flat organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs)
have low outcoupling with

η

out

∼

20

%

since most of the light is trapped in
waveguided modes in higher index layers or lost to plasmonic
excitations at the metal cathode. Periodically corrugated OLEDs can
achieve highly enhanced

η

out

∼

65

%

−

70

%

for pitch values between 1000 and
2000 nm, representing an enhancement factor

>

3

over planar structures. Periodic
corrugations strongly diffract trapped waveguided and plasmonic modes
to the emissive air cone. Disordered templates also can cause
significant enhanced outcoupling with

η

out

∼

50

%

−

55

%

for smaller nearest-neighbor
separations of 300–400 nm. Quasi-crystalline tilings can also lead to
enhancements of

η

out

∼

50

%

−

55

%

. This framework can be utilized to
design novel structured media that can generate high light
extraction.
Optical Kerr nonlinearity and multiphoton absorption of DSTMS measured by the Z-scan method
Authors: Li Jiang , Rana Rakesh , Zhu Liguo , Liu Cangli , Schneider Harald , Pashkin Alexej
Published: July 2021

We investigate the optical Kerr nonlinearity and multiphoton absorption (MPA) properties of 4-N, N-dimethylamino-4’-N’-methyl-stilbazolium 2, 4, 6-trimethylbenzene-sulfonate (DSTMS) excited by femtosecond pulses at a wavelength of 1.43 µm, which is optimal for terahertz generation via difference frequency mixing. The MPA and the optical Kerr coefficients of DSTMS at 1.43 µm are strongly anisotropic, indicating a dominating contribution from cascaded second-order nonlinearity.
Optimized light source spectral power distribution for RGB camera based spectral reflectance recovery
Authors: Wang Lixia , Sole Aditya , Hardeberg Jon Yngve , Wan Xiaoxia
Published: July 2021

The accuracy of recovered spectra from camera responses mainly depends on the spectral estimation algorithm used, the camera and filters selected, and the light source used to illuminate the object. We present and compare different light source spectrum optimization methods together with different spectral estimation algorithms applied to reflectance recovery. These optimization methods include the Monte Carlo (MC) method, particle swarm optimization (PSO) and multi-population genetic algorithm (MPGA). Optimized SPDs are compared with D65, D50 A and three LED light sources in simulation and reality. Results obtained show us that MPGA has superior performance, and optimized light source spectra along with better spectral estimation algorithm can provide a more accurate spectral reflectance estimation of an object surface. Meanwhile, it is found that camera spectral sensitivities weighted by optimized SPDs tend to be mutually orthogonal.
Continuous quantum walk in a 1-dimensional plasmonic lattice structure based on metal strip waveguides
Authors: Namekata Naoto , Wu Di , Hagihara Hiroki , Ohnuki Shinichiro , Fukuda Daiji , Inoue Shuichiro
Published: July 2021

We experimentally studied a continuous time evolution of a “plasmonic” walker in a 1-dimensional lattice structure based on long-range surface plasmon polariton waveguides. The plasmonic walker exhibited a typical time evolution of a 1-dimensional quantum walk, which indicates that the plasmonic system is a potential platform to construct quantum walk simulators. By comparing experimental results to numerical simulations, the fidelity of the plasmonic quantum walk simulator is estimated to be > 0.96, which demonstrates that the plasmonic system can be a feasible platform for large-scale and high dimensional quantum walk simulators.
Contra-directional pump reject filters integrated with a micro-ring resonator photon-pair source in silicon
Authors: Afifi Abdelrahman E. , Hammood Mustafa , Jaeger Nicolas A. F. , Shekhar Sudip , Chrostowski Lukas , Young Jeff F.
Published: July 2021

High coincidence-to-accidental ratio (CAR) is crucial for photon-pair sources (PPSs) integrated with pump reject filters (PRFs) in silicon, but CAR values currently reported for integrated PPS/PRF chips still fall short of those achieved using stand-alone sources with external PRFs. Here we report measured and modelled CAR values for a micro-ring resonator PPS integrated with a PRF consisting of a three-stage, cascaded (via their through ports), contra-directional coupler (CDC) that compare favorably even with some stand-alone sources. CDC-based PRFs provide the benefits of compact area and wide reject bands without a need for tuning, in comparison to prior-art implementations.
Robust frame synchronization for free-space continuous-variable quantum key distribution
Authors: Wang Ping , Huang Peng , Chen Rui , Zeng Guihua
Published: July 2021

Free-space continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) is an important technology that enables all-day quantum key distribution. Precise frame synchronization is a prerequisite for establishing a correlation between legitimate users of CV-QKD. In free-space CV-QKD, channel transmittance fluctuation caused by atmospheric turbulence increases the difficulty of synchronization. Also, as the channel transmittance is monitored in many reported experiments, the transmittance data also needs to be synchronized. We propose a novel method to solve the above problems by inserting two kinds of synchronization frames, i.e., data synchronization frames and transmittance synchronization frames. The performance of the proposed method is analyzed and Monte Carlo simulation is conducted to test its performance. The results demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of this method. The proposed method paves the way for the realization of free-space CV-QKD.
Unsupervised learning for hyperspectral recovery based on a single RGB image
Authors: Zhang Junchao , Zhao Dangjun , Chen Jianlai , Sun Yuanyuan , Yang Degui , Liang Rongguang
Published: July 2021

Hyperspectral imagery often suffers from the degradation of spatial, spectral, or temporal resolution due to the limitations of hyperspectral imaging devices. To address this problem, hyperspectral recovery from a single red-green-blue (RGB) image has recently achieved significant progress via deep learning. However, current deep learning-based methods are all learned in a supervised way under the availability of RGB and correspondingly hyperspectral images, which is unrealistic for practical applications. Hence, we propose to recover hyperspectral images from a single RGB image in an unsupervised way. Moreover, based on the statistical property of hyperspectral images, a customized loss function is proposed to boost the performance. Extensive experiments on the BGU iCVL Hyperspectral Image Dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Coherence function-encoded optical palpation
Authors: Fang Qi , Wijesinghe Philip , Jones Rhys , Lakhiani Devina D. , Dessauvagie Benjamin F. , Latham Bruce , Saunders Christobel , Kennedy Brendan F.
Published: July 2021

Optical palpation maps stress at the surface of biological tissue into 2D images. It relies on measuring surface deformation of a compliant layer, which to date has been performed with optical coherence tomography (OCT). OCT-based optical palpation holds promise for improved clinical diagnostics; however, the complexity and cost hinder broad adoption. In this Letter, we introduce coherence function-encoded optical palpation (CFE-OP) using a novel optical profilometry technique that exploits the envelope of the coherence function rather than its peak position, which is typically used to retrieve depth information. CFE-OP utilizes a Fabry–Perot laser diode (bandwidth, 2.2 nm) and a single photodiode in a Michelson interferometer to detect the position along the coherence envelope as a function of path length. This technique greatly reduces complexity and cost in comparison to the OCT-based approach. We perform CFE-OP on phantom and excised human breast tissue, demonstrating comparable mechanical contrast to OCT-based optical palpation and the capability to distinguish stiff tumor from soft benign tissue.
Symmetric metasurface with dual band polarization-independent high-Q resonances governed by symmetry-protected BIC
Authors: Cai Yuepei , Huang Yong , Zhu Keyong , Wu Huihai
Published: July 2021

In this Letter, we propose a symmetric metasurface composed of single-sized amorphous-silicon (a-Si) cuboids tetramer clusters that support two resonances with opposite symmetry, i.e., in-plane magnetic dipole (MD) resonance and in-plane toroidal dipole (TD) resonance governed by symmetry-protected bound states in the continuum (SP-BIC) in the near-infrared region. Since the cuboids tetramer of the metasurface retains

C

4
v

symmetry and mirror symmetry, both resonances are polarization independent. Multipolar decomposition of scattering power and electromagnetic distribution are performed to clarify the physical mechanism of dual quasi-BIC resonances. The effects of geometric parameters on both high-quality (Q) resonances are also studied. Additionally, the sensing performance of the designed metasurface is evaluated. The effects of the material’s loss on both resonances are also studied. Our work provides a new route to designing dual mode polarization- independent resonators without multi-sized complex structures that may facilitate designing high-performance sensing applications.
High-efficiency generation of narrowband soft x rays from carbon nanotube foams irradiated by relativistic femtosecond lasers
Authors: Shou Yinren , Wang Dahui , Wang Pengjie , Liu Jianbo , Cao Zhengxuan , Mei Zhusong , Xu Shirui , Pan Zhuo , Kong Defeng , Qi Guijun , Liu Zhipeng , Liang Yulan , Peng Ziyang , Gao Ying , Chen Shiyou , Zhao Jiarui , Zhao Yanying , Xu Han , Zhao Jun , Wu Yanqing , Yan Xueqing , Ma Wenjun
Published: July 2021

A number of applications require x rays of both high flux and narrow bandwidth. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate the high-efficiency generation of narrowband soft x rays from carbon nanotube foams irradiated by a femtosecond laser pulse at an intensity of

10

19

W

/

c
m

2

. The building blocks of the foam, single-walled carbon nanotube bundles with diameters smaller than the laser skin length can be volumetrically heated and fully ionized on a femtosecond time scale. The three-dimensional network structure of the foam permits deep penetration and drastic absorption of the laser pulse, and results in bright line emissions without prominent Stark broadening. A single-shot yield of

3
×

10

14

p
h
o
t
o
n
s

in the carbon

L
y

α

line at 3.37 nm was measured with a bandwidth of 0.013 nm.
Multifunctional tunable gradient metasurfaces for terahertz beam splitting and light absorption
Authors: Erçağlar Veysel , Hajian Hodjat , Serebryannikov Andriy E. , Ozbay Ekmel
Published: July 2021

Obtaining functional devices with tunable features is beneficial to advance terahertz (THz) science and technology. Here, we propose multifunctional gradient metasurfaces that are composed of a periodic array of binary Si microcylinders integrated with

V
O

2

and graphene. The metasurfaces act as transmittive (reflective) beamsplitters for the dielectric (metallic) phase of

V
O

2

with a switchable characteristic. Moreover, by integrating the metasurfaces with graphene and modifying its chemical potential, one can tune the intensity of the split beam as well as obtain nearly perfect resonant absorptions. Consequently, the proposed metasurfaces can find potential applications in THz interferometers, multiplexers, and light absorbers.
Caenorhabditis elegans RMI2 functional homolog-2 (RMIF-2) and RMI1 (RMH-1) have both overlapping and distinct meiotic functions within the BTR complex
Authors: Velkova Maria , Silva Nicola , Dello Stritto Maria Rosaria , Schleiffer Alexander , Barraud Pierre , Hartl Markus , Jantsch Verena
Published: July 2021

Homologous recombination is a high-fidelity repair pathway for DNA double-strand breaks employed during both mitotic and meiotic cell divisions. Such repair can lead to genetic exchange, originating from crossover (CO) generation. In mitosis, COs are suppressed to prevent sister chromatid exchange. Here, the BTR complex, consisting of the Bloom helicase (HIM-6 in worms), topoisomerase 3 (TOP-3), and the RMI1 (RMH-1 and RMH-2) and RMI2 scaffolding proteins, is essential for dismantling joint DNA molecules to form non-crossovers (NCOs) via decatenation. In contrast, in meiosis COs are essential for accurate chromosome segregation and the BTR complex plays distinct roles in CO and NCO generation at different steps in meiotic recombination. RMI2 stabilizes the RMI1 scaffolding protein, and lack of RMI2 in mitosis leads to elevated sister chromatid exchange, as observed upon RMI1 knockdown. However, much less is known about the involvement of RMI2 in meiotic recombination. So far, RMI2 homologs have been found in vertebrates and plants, but not in lower organisms such as Drosophila, yeast, or worms. We report the identification of the Caenorhabditis elegans functional homolog of RMI2, which we named RMIF-2. The protein shows a dynamic localization pattern to recombination foci during meiotic prophase I and concentration into recombination foci is mutually dependent on other BTR complex proteins. Comparative analysis of the rmif-2 and rmh-1 phenotypes revealed numerous commonalities, including in regulating CO formation and directing COs toward chromosome arms. Surprisingly, the prevalence of heterologous recombination was several fold lower in the rmif-2 mutant, suggesting that RMIF-2 may be dispensable or less strictly required for some BTR complex-mediated activities during meiosis.
MFI-Net: A multi-resolution fusion input network for retinal vessel segmentation
Authors: Jiang Yun , Wu Chao , Wang Ge , Yao Hui-Xia , Liu Wen-Huan
Published: July 2021

Segmentation of retinal vessels is important for doctors to diagnose some diseases. The segmentation accuracy of retinal vessels can be effectively improved by using deep learning methods. However, most of the existing methods are incomplete for shallow feature extraction, and some superficial features are lost, resulting in blurred vessel boundaries and inaccurate segmentation of capillaries in the segmentation results. At the same time, the “layer-by-layer” information fusion between encoder and decoder makes the feature information extracted from the shallow layer of the network cannot be smoothly transferred to the deep layer of the network, resulting in noise in the segmentation features. In this paper, we propose the MFI-Net (Multi-resolution fusion input network) network model to alleviate the above problem to a certain extent. The multi-resolution input module in MFI-Net avoids the loss of coarse-grained feature information in the shallow layer by extracting local and global feature information in different resolutions. We have reconsidered the information fusion method between the encoder and the decoder, and used the information aggregation method to alleviate the information isolation between the shallow and deep layers of the network. MFI-Net is verified on three datasets, DRIVE, CHASE_DB1 and STARE. The experimental results show that our network is at a high level in several metrics, with F1 higher than U-Net by 2.42%, 2.46% and 1.61%, higher than R2U-Net by 1.47%, 2.22% and 0.08%, respectively. Finally, this paper proves the robustness of MFI-Net through experiments and discussions on the stability and generalization ability of MFI-Net.
Two species, one island: Retrospective analysis of threatened fauna translocations with divergent outcomes
Authors: Rayner Kelly , Lohr Cheryl A. , Garretson Sean , Speldewinde Peter
Published: July 2021

Translocations are globally a popular tool used with the intention of improving threatened species conservation and re-establishing ecosystem function. While practitioners strive for successful outcomes the failure rate of translocations continues to be high. We demonstrate how predictive modelling can contribute to more informed decision making and hence potentially improve the success rate of translocation programs. Two species, the Djoongari (Shark Bay mouse) Pseudomys fieldi and the golden bandicoot Isoodon auratus barrowensis, were introduced independently to Doole Island in the Exmouth Gulf of Western Australia. We used population viability analysis to critique the outcomes of these translocations and provide an example of how this tool can be incorporated with expert knowledge to predict likely outcomes of translocations. Djoongari did not establish on the island after seven translocations over nine years, while golden bandicoots established a population after just one release event. Retrospective population viability analysis (of data that was unavailable prior to the translocations) predicted and clarified the reasons behind the outcomes of both translocations. Golden bandicoots have considerably higher demographic plasticity than Djoongari, which were never likely to establish on the island. We conclude that the failure of the Djoongari translocation was due to interactions between sparse habitat, native predators and cyclonic storm surges, whereas golden bandicoots have demonstrated habitat flexibility and an ability to recover from multiple natural disasters. As a result we (1) remind conservation planners of the importance of quantifying likely refuges and habitat availability at release sites, (2) suggest practitioners consider how different threats (including natural disasters) may interact at potential release sites and (3) advocate for the incorporation of predictive modelling during the planning stages of translocations, particularly for conservation introductions where no precedent exists for the species’ survival at a particular location.
China’s outward foreign direct investment in energy sector: The role of “intimate” relations between countries
Authors: Tan Na , Chang Liang , Guo Rui
Published: July 2021

Based on the data of China’s outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) in energy sector to 133 countries from 2005 to 2014, this paper uses a gravity model to investigate the impact of “intimate” relations on China’s OFDI locations in energy sector. We find that the “intimate” relations have significant effects on China’s OFDI locations in energy sector, namely: bilateral senior leaders’ visits, institutional distance, genetic distance, and immigration. Holding other factors fixed, for each one more bilateral senior leaders’ visit between China and the host country, China’s OFDI in energy sector for the host country will increase by 5.44%. If the genetic distance from China and host country increases by 1%, China’s OFDI in energy sector will fall by 1.69%. For every 1% increase in the institutional distance between China and host country, China’s energy OFDI will decrease by 1.09%. For every 1% increase in a country’s immigration to China, China’s energy OFDI will increase by 0.46%. Further, after distinguishing developed and developing countries, we find that compared with developed countries, “intimate” relations have greater impacts on China’s energy OFDI in developing countries. Finally, based on the dominance analysis, considering China’s “intimate” relations with countries along the “Belt and Road” and current locations of China’s OFDI, we find that China should further expand energy investment in countries along the “Belt and Road”.
Influence of transfusions, hemodialysis and extracorporeal life support on hyperferritinemia in critically ill patients
Authors: Knaak Cornelia , Schuster Friederike S. , Nyvlt Peter , Heeren Patrick , Spies Claudia , Schenk Thomas , La Rosée Paul , Janka Gritta , Brunkhorst Frank M. , Lachmann Gunnar
Published: July 2021

Background

Ferritin is the major iron storage protein and an acute phase reactant. Hyperferritinemia is frequently seen in the critically ill where it has been hypothesized that not only underlying conditions but also factors such as transfusions, hemodialysis and extracorporeal life support (ECLS) lead to hyperferritinemia. This study aims to investigate the influence of transfusions, hemodialysis, and ECLS on hyperferritinemia in a multidisciplinary ICU cohort.

Methods

This is a post-hoc analysis of a retrospective observational study including patients aged ≥ 18 years who were admitted to at least one adult ICU between January 2006 and August 2018 with hyperferritinemia ≥ 500 μg/L and of ≥ 14 days between two ICU ferritin measurements. Patients with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) were excluded. To identify the influence of transfusions, hemodialysis, and ECLS on ferritin change, multivariable linear regression analysis with ferritin change between two measurements as dependent variable was performed.

Results

A total of 268 patients was analyzed. Median duration between measurements was 36 days (22–57). Over all patients, ferritin significantly increased between the first and last measurement (p = 0.006). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed no effect of transfusions, hemodialysis, or ECLS on ferritin change. Changes in aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score were identified as influencing factors on ferritin change [unstandardized regression coefficient (B) = 2.6; (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.9, 3.3); p < 0.001 and B = 376.5; (95% CI 113.8, 639.1); p = 0.005, respectively]. Using the same model for subgroups of SOFA score, we found SOFA platelet count to be associated with ferritin change [B = 1729.3; (95% CI 466.8, 2991.9); p = 0.007]. No association of ferritin change and in-hospital mortality was seen in multivariable analysis.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrates that transfusions, hemodialysis, and ECLS had no influence on ferritin increases in critically ill patients. Hyperferritinemia appears to be less the result of iatrogenic influences in the ICU thereby underscoring its unskewed diagnostic value.

Trial registration

The study was registered with www.ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02854943) on August 1, 2016.
Readiness of healthcare facilities with tuberculosis services to manage diabetes mellitus in Tanzania: A nationwide analysis for evidence-informed policy-making in high burden settings
Authors: Shayo Festo K. , Shayo Sigfrid Casmir
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Double disease burden such as Tuberculosis and Diabetes mellitus comorbidity is evident and on rising especially in high burden settings such as Tanzania. There is limited information about the availability of tuberculosis/diabetes integrated healthcare services in Tanzania. Therefore, this study explored the availability and examined the readiness of healthcare facilities with tuberculosis services to manage diabetes mellitus in Tanzania.

Methods

We abstracted data from the 2014–2015 Tanzania Service Provision Assessment Survey datasets. The service availability was assessed by calculating the proportion of tuberculosis facilities reported to manage diabetes mellitus. There were four domains; each domain with some indicators for calculating the readiness index. High readiness was considered if the tuberculosis facilities scored at least half (≥50%) of the indicators listed in each of the four domains (staff training and guideline, diagnostics, equipment, and medicines) as is recommended by the World Health Organization-Service Availability and Readiness Assessment manual while low readiness for otherwise.

Results

Out of 341 healthcare facilities with tuberculosis services included in the current study, 238 (70.0%) reported providing management for diabetes mellitus. The majority of the facilities were dispensaries and clinics 48.1%; publicly owned 72.6%; and located in rural 62.6%. Overall, the readiness of tuberculosis facilities to manage diabetes was low (10.8%). Similarly, the readiness was low based on the domain-specific readiness of trained staff and guidelines.

Conclusion

Although the majority of the healthcare facilities with tuberculosis services had diabetes mellitus services the overall readiness was low. This finding provides a piece of evidence to inform the policymakers in high burden and low resource countries to strengthen the co-management of tuberculosis and diabetes.
The impact of narrative writing on empathy, perspective-taking, and attitude: Two randomized controlled experiments on violations of Covid-19 protection regulations
Authors: Bientzle Martina , Eggeling Marie , Kanzleiter Marie , Thieme Kerstin , Kimmerle Joachim
Published: July 2021

Objective

Two randomized controlled experiments investigated if writing a narrative text about a fictional person who shows disapproved of behavior in the Covid-19 pandemic influenced empathy, perspective-taking, attitude, and attribution of causes regarding that person’s behavior.

Methods

In both studies, a fictional scenario was described, and participants answered questions regarding empathy, perspective-taking, attitude, and attribution regarding a fictional person’s disapproved of behavior (pre-post-measurement). Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. In the experimental condition, they wrote a narrative text about the fictional person. In the control condition, they wrote about an unrelated topic.

Results

We found that writing a narrative text increased empathy more strongly than writing about an unrelated topic; Study 1: p = 0.004, part.η2 = 0.06, Study 2: p < .001, part.η2 = 0.19. This did not apply to perspective-taking; Study 1: p = 0.415; Study 2: p = 0.074. We also found that writing a narrative text about a fictional person resulted in a more positive attitude toward this person; Study 1: p = 0.005, part.η2 = 0.06; Study 2: p<0.001, part.η2 = 0.10. Finally, in Study 2 we found that participants who wrote a narrative text attributed the person’s behavior to internal causes to a lesser degree; p = 0.007, part.η2 = 0.05.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that empathy and attitude are positively modifiable through narrative writing tasks. Empathy training could potentially prevent discrimination related to Covid-19.

Trial registration

The studies presented in this article were pre-registered on the pre-registration platform AsPredicted (aspredicted.org) before we began data collection; registration numbers and URL: #44754 https://aspredicted.org/vx37t.pdf (Study 1), and #44753 https://aspredicted.org/ig7kq.pdf (Study 2).
Digital twinning of Cellular Capsule Technology: Emerging outcomes from the perspective of porous media mechanics
Authors: Urcun Stéphane , Rohan Pierre-Yves , Skalli Wafa , Nassoy Pierre , Bordas Stéphane P. A. , Sciumè Giuseppe
Published: July 2021

Spheroids encapsulated within alginate capsules are emerging as suitable in vitro tools to investigate the impact of mechanical forces on tumor growth since the internal tumor pressure can be retrieved from the deformation of the capsule. Here we focus on the particular case of Cellular Capsule Technology (CCT). We show in this contribution that a modeling approach accounting for the triphasic nature of the spheroid (extracellular matrix, tumor cells and interstitial fluid) offers a new perspective of analysis revealing that the pressure retrieved experimentally cannot be interpreted as a direct picture of the pressure sustained by the tumor cells and, as such, cannot therefore be used to quantify the critical pressure which induces stress-induced phenotype switch in tumor cells. The proposed multiphase reactive poro-mechanical model was cross-validated. Parameter sensitivity analyses on the digital twin revealed that the main parameters determining the encapsulated growth configuration are different from those driving growth in free condition, confirming that radically different phenomena are at play. Results reported in this contribution support the idea that multiphase reactive poro-mechanics is an exceptional theoretical framework to attain an in-depth understanding of CCT experiments, to confirm their hypotheses and to further improve their design.
Dimensions of social categorization: Inside the role of language
Authors: Lorenzoni Anna , Santesteban Mikel , Peressotti Francesca , Baus Cristina , Navarrete Eduardo
Published: July 2021

The present pre-registration aims to investigate the role of language as a dimension of social categorization. Our critical aim is to investigate whether language can be used as a dimension of social categorization even when the languages coexist within the same sociolinguistic group, as is the case in bilingual communities where two languages are used in daily social interactions. We will use the memory confusion paradigm (also known as the Who said what? task). In the first part of the task, i.e. encoding, participants will be presented with a face (i.e. speaker) and will listen to an auditory sentence. Two languages will be used, with half of the faces always associated with one language and the other half with the other language. In the second phase, i.e. recognition, all the faces will be presented on the screen and participants will decide which face uttered which sentence in the encoding phase. Based on previous literature, we expect that participants will be more likely to confuse faces from within the same language category than from the other language category. Participants will be bilingual individuals of two bilingual communities, the Basque Country (Spain) and Veneto (Italy). The two languages of these communities will be used, Spanish and Basque (Study 1), and Italian and Venetian dialect (Study 2). Furthermore, we will explore whether the amount of daily exposure to the two languages modulates the effect of language as a social categorization cue. This research will allow us to test whether bilingual people use language to categorize individuals belonging to the same sociolinguistic community based on the language these individuals are speaking. Our findings may have relevant political and social implications for linguistic policies in bilingual communities.