bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reducing Geographic Barriers for Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Authors: Adaniya Emily , Bhatia Manisha , Kiptoo Stephen , Wabende Lucy Najala , Kisilu Nicholas , Kibiwot Silvanus , Jepkirui Sally , Awuor Dorice Adhiambo , Loehrer Patrick , Hunter-Squires Joanna , Busakhala Naftali
Published: May 2022

PURPOSE

Increasing travel times to the nearest diagnostic facilities and cancer centers are correlated with decreasing prevalence of breast cancer diagnosis and increasing stage of cancer at diagnosis. Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), in Uasin Gishu County, houses the only public cancer center in western Kenya. A MTRH program, the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (ABCCCP) hosted health fair breast cancer screening events and mentored nurses at local health facilities to complete clinical breast exams (CBEs). The objective is to understand the effect of the ABCCCP in reducing geographic barriers for breast cancer screening/early diagnosis.

METHODS

This is a retrospective review of the 61,392 patients who underwent breast cancer screening at a ministry of health facility in western Kenya from 2017-2021. ABCCCP hosted health fairs targeted at communities and mentored nurses at health facilities to complete clinical breast exams (CBEs) to target individual patients. Facility distances from MTRH were mapped via Google Maps. Descriptive analyses were performed to a significance of α < 0.05.

RESULTS

Two-thirds of the screening/early diagnosis CBEs occurred in five of the 22 counties in western Kenya: Busia, Uasin Gishu, Trans-Nzoia, Bungoma, and Kakamega. However, these five counties only had 25% of all ABCCCP screening sites in western Kenya. Only Uasin Gishu and Kakamega provided chemotherapy while Busia and Trans-Nzoia had additional programming promoting preventative healthcare through integration of community health volunteers. In these five counties, no association between the distance of the ministry of health facilities from MTRH and number of CBEs completed existed.

CONCLUSION

ABCCCP programming reduced some geographic disparities in breast cancer screening/diagnosis in the top five counties. It may be result of the number of mentored nurses and health fair events. Further work should be completed to understand if a relationship between geographic distance from MTRH and the stage and treatment patterns of these patients is also reduced by ABCCCP.
Scaling up Tobacco Control in India: Comparing Smartphone to In-Person Training for Implementing an Evidence-Based Intervention to Reduce Tobacco Use Among Schoolteachers: Study Protocol
Authors: Nagler Eve , Pednekar Mangesh , Gunderson Daniel , Sorensen Glorian , Gupta Prakash
Published: May 2022

PURPOSE

Tobacco-related deaths are rising rapidly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). In India, approximately 1.2 million people die each year from tobacco-related causes. Reducing tobacco-related deaths in LMICs will require large-scale implementation of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) that promote tobacco control. Currently, implementation of tobacco control EBIs in LMICs relies on in-person training, which has inherent logistical challenges that limit the ability to scale up these programs. New training models are needed to ensure tobacco control EBIs can be implemented broadly and at low cost, especially in rural and under-resourced areas where tobacco use is prevalent. In India, schoolteachers are respected community leaders and role models, representing an important channel for promoting tobacco control. We previously demonstrated the effectiveness of the Tobacco-Free Teachers, Tobacco-Free Society (TFT-TFS) program in increasing tobacco use cessation. To scale this EBI, we will compare two TFT-TFS-training models for headmasters—in-person versus smartphone-based—and examine the effect of each model on TFT-TFS program implementation and effectiveness.

METHODS

Using a cluster-randomized design, we will randomize school headmasters in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh to receive in-person or smartphone training. Once trained, headmasters in both groups will implement TFT-TFS within their schools. Accordingly, our aims are to (1) use a participatory, qualitative approach to develop the in-person and smartphone-based training models; (2) compare program implementation fidelity, effectiveness, and cost for both training models using process evaluation and survey data; and (3) identify factors affecting program implementation using mixed methods.

RESULTS

This study will establish the effects of smartphone vs. in-person training on TFT-TFS implementation, effectiveness, and cost within schools in a low-resource setting.

CONCLUSION

Our findings will provide insight into scaling up tobacco control EBIs in schools across India and other LMICs and inform the application of smartphone-based training for other public health-related EBIs in resource-constrained areas.
Tissue Proteomics and Custom-Made Transcriptomics Analysis Tool Revel PPP1R12B, FBLN5, CRIP2, and POSTN as Potential Prognostic Biomarkers in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Bizzotto Juan , Lavignolle Rosario , Sabater Agustina , Sanchis Pablo , Lage-Vickers Sofia , Seniuk Rocio , Pascual Gaston , Valacco Pia , Vazquez Elba , Cotignola Javier , Gueron Geraldine
Published: May 2022

PURPOSE

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a progressive disease involving multiple molecular alterations. The Gleason Grade (GG) is used as an aid for physicians to evaluate the prognosis of men with PCa using samples from prostate tissues. However, some PCa that are histo-pathologically grouped in the same GGs can differ significantly in outcome. The aim of this study was to identify molecular biomarkers that could behave independently from GG and other clinical-pathological variables (age, GG and TMPRSS2-ERG fusion status) that can improve risk prediction of PCa.

METHODS

An in-depth proteomics analysis (LC/ESI-MS/MS) was performed on human prostate adenocarcinoma and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) tissues. Protein candidates enriched in PCa vs BPH were further evaluated in-silico using a custom-made pipeline. For this purpose, seven publicly available transcriptomic PCa datasets (ntotal = 875) were selected, and differential expression analyses were performed in R. A Shiny-based tool was then built to execute the search and to allow visualization across multiple datasets. Further multivariable analyses were performed using clinical-pathological parameters as covariates.

RESULTS

Proteomics analysis yielded a list of 89 proteins enriched in PCa compared with BPH. 58 showed high expression in PCa datasets and nine of those, showed significant association with higher risk of death. Further, when performing a multivariable Cox proportional-hazard model including age, GG and TMPRSS2-ERG fusion status, PPP1R12B, FBLN5, CRIP2, and POSTN displayed associations with poor prognosis, independently from the other co-variates (HR = 1.5, P = .0084; HR = 1.34, P = .035; HR = 1.36, P = .016 and HR = 1.4, P = .0028, respectively).

CONCLUSION

PPP1R12B, FBLN5, CRIP2, and POSTN proteins were enriched in PCa human tissues. Our custom pipeline revealed increased expression of these genes across multiple PCa datasets and significant association with increased risk of death, independent from known risk factors and predictors of PCa prognosis. Thus, these factors rise as potential prognostic markers.
Identifying Small Molecule Compounds that Have Synergistic Effects With Cisplatin and Other Platinum Drugs Using High Throughput Matrix Screening
Authors: Al-Zubi Layla , Cheff Dorian M. , Itkin Zina , Guo Hui , Shen Min , Hall Matthew D.
Published: May 2022

PURPOSE

High grade serous ovarian cancer (“HGSOC”) is the seventh most common cancer worldwide among women. The disease has no unique symptoms and often women are diagnosed in advance stages. The World Health Organization estimates that 225,500 women are diagnosed and 140,200 will die of this disease per year. In the United States, the 5-year survival rate is 43%, and 85% of all HGSOC patients experience recurrence despite aggressive treatment. More efficacious drug combination treatments are needed. Recently it was found that platinum drugs are inactivated in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Thus drug discovery platforms that use it as a solvent are not able to study platinum drugs in combination with other drugs easily. Advances in Echo technology at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) enabled acoustic transfer of platinum drugs in aqueous solutions. This allows us to find novel small molecule/platinum drug combinations that can be tested in clinical trials.

METHODS

We ran single-agent dose-response experiments to correctly estimate the dose-ranges needed for the matrix screens utilizing the OVCAR8 human carcinoma cell line. Then, we conducted our pilot matrix screen with compounds that are commonly combined with cisplatin for HGSOC treatment. Lastly, we spotted cisplatin against the Mechanism Interrogation PlatE drug library to identify novel combinations for clinical use against HGSOC. Compounds that show synergistic cell killing will give insight into novel drug combinations to treat HGSOC.

RESULTS

Several synergistic and antagonistic effects were found. These results were refined with smaller-scale screening and tested in other HGSOC cell lines.

CONCLUSION

The novel combinations discovered will allow chemotherapy patients to receive lower dosages of platinum drugs while maintaining or improving efficacy of cytotoxicity of cancer cells. This will help alleviate the side-effects of platinum drugs experienced by HGSOC patients.
A Multiclassifier System to Identify and Subtype Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Based on Circulating Steroid Hormones
Authors: Ye Lei , Zhao Zhiyun , Ren Huixia , Wang Wencui , Zhou Wenzhong , Zheng Sichang , Han Rulai , Zhang Jie , Li Haorong , Wan Zhihan , Tang Chao , Sun Shouyue , Wang Weiqing , Ning Guang
Published: May 2022

Context

Measurement of plasma steroids is necessary for diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). We sought to establish an efficient strategy for detection and subtyping of CAH with a machine-learning algorithm.

Methods

Clinical phenotype and genetic testing were used to provide CAH diagnosis and subtype. We profiled 13 major steroid hormones by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. A multiclassifier system was established to distinguish 11β-hydroxylase deficiency (11βOHD), 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase deficiency (17OHD), and 21α-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD) in a discovery cohort (n = 226). It was then validated in an independent cohort (n = 111) and finally applied in a perspective cohort of 256 patients. The diagnostic performance on the basis of area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) was evaluated.

Results

A cascade logistic regression model, we named the “Steroidogenesis Score”, was able to discriminate the 3 most common CAH subtypes: 11βOHD, 17OHD, and 21OHD. In the perspective application cohort, the steroidogenesis score had a high diagnostic accuracy for all 3 subtypes, 11βOHD (AUC, 0.994; 95% CI, 0.983-1.000), 17OHD (AUC, 0.993; 95% CI, 0.985-1.000), and 21OHD (AUC, 0.979; 95% CI, 0.964-0.994). For nonclassic 21OHD patients, the tool presented with significantly higher sensitivity compared with measurement of basal 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) (0.973 vs 0.840, P = 0.005) and was not inferior to measurement of basal vs stimulated 17OHP (0.973 vs 0.947, P = 0.681).

Conclusions

The steroidogenesis score was biochemically interpretable and showed high accuracy in identifying CAH patients, especially for nonclassic 21OHD patients, thus offering a standardized approach to diagnose and subtype CAH.
Intrafollicular Concentrations of the Oocyte-secreted Factors GDF9 and BMP15 Vary Inversely in Polycystic Ovaries
Authors: Kristensen Stine Gry , Kumar Ajay , Mamsen Linn Salto , Kalra Bhanu , Pors Susanne Elisabeth , Bøtkjær Jane Alrø , Macklon Kirsten Tryde , Fedder Jens , Ernst Erik , Hardy Kate , Franks Stephen , Andersen Claus Yding
Published: May 2022

Context

The oocyte-secreted factors growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15) play essential roles in follicle development and oocyte maturation, and aberrant regulation might contribute to the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Objective

Are there measurable differences in concentrations of GDF9, BMP15, and the GDF9/BMP15 heterodimer in small antral follicle fluids from women with and without polycystic ovaries (PCO)?

Design and Setting

Follicle fluids (n = 356) were collected from 4- to 11-mm follicles in unstimulated ovaries of 87 women undergoing ovarian tissue cryopreservation for fertility preservation.

Patients

Twenty-seven women with PCO were identified and 60 women without PCO-like characteristics (non-PCO women) were matched according to age and follicle size.

Main outcome measures

Intrafollicular concentrations of GDF9, BMP15, GDF9/BMP15 heterodimer, anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), inhibin-A and -B, total inhibin, activin-B and -AB, and follistatin were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Results

The detectability of GDF9, BMP15, and the GDF9/BMP15 heterodimer were 100%, 94.4%, and 91.5%, respectively, and concentrations were significantly negatively correlated with increasing follicle size (P < 0.0001). GDF9 was significantly higher in women with PCO (PCO: 4230 ± 189 pg/mL [mean ± SEM], n = 188; non-PCO: 3498 ± 199 pg/mL, n = 168; P < 0.03), whereas BMP15 was lower in women with PCO (PCO: 431 ± 40 pg/mL, n = 125; non-PCO: 573 ± 55 pg/mL, n = 109; P = 0.10), leading to a significantly higher GDF9:BMP15 ratio in women with PCO (P < 0.01). Significant positive associations between BMP15 and AMH, activins, and inhibins in non-PCO women switched to negative associations in women with PCO.

Conclusions

Intrafollicular concentrations of GDF9 and BMP15 varied inversely in women with PCO reflecting an aberrant endocrine environment. An increased GDF9:BMP15 ratio may be a new biomarker for PCO.
Pituitary MRI Features in Acromegaly Resulting From Ectopic GHRH Secretion From a Neuroendocrine Tumor: Analysis of 30 Cases
Authors: Potorac Iulia , Bonneville Jean-François , Daly Adrian F , de Herder Wouter , Fainstein-Day Patricia , Chanson Philippe , Korbonits Marta , Cordido Fernando , Baranski Lamback Elisa , Abid Mohamed , Raverot Véronique , Raverot Gerald , Anda Apiñániz Emma , Caron Philippe , Du Boullay Helene , Bidlingmaier Martin , Bolanowski Marek , Laloi-Michelin Marie , Borson-Chazot Francoise , Chabre Olivier , Christin-Maitre Sophie , Briet Claire , Diaz-Soto Gonzalo , Bonneville Fabrice , Castinetti Frederic , Gadelha Mônica R , Oliveira Santana Nathalie , Stelmachowska-Banaś Maria , Gudbjartsson Tomas , Villar-Taibo Roció , Zornitzki Taiba , Tshibanda Luaba , Petrossians Patrick , Beckers Albert
Published: May 2022

Context

Ectopic acromegaly is a consequence of rare neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) that secrete GHRH. This abnormal GHRH secretion drives GH and IGF-1 excess, with a clinical presentation similar to classical pituitary acromegaly. Identifying the underlying cause for the GH hypersecretion in the setting of ectopic GHRH excess is, however, essential for proper management both of acromegaly and the NET. Owing to the rarity of NETs, the imaging characteristics of the pituitary in ectopic acromegaly have not been analyzed in depth in a large series.

Objective

Characterize pituitary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features at baseline and after NET treatment in patients with ectopic acromegaly.

Design

Multicenter, international, retrospective.

Setting

Tertiary referral pituitary centers.

Patients

Thirty ectopic acromegaly patients having GHRH hypersecretion.

Intervention

None.

Main outcome measure

MRI characteristics of pituitary gland, particularly T2-weighted signal.

Results

In 30 patients with ectopic GHRH-induced acromegaly, we found that most patients had hyperplastic pituitaries. Hyperplasia was usually moderate but was occasionally subtle, with only small volume increases compared with normal ranges for age and sex. T2-weighted signal was hypointense in most patients, especially in those with hyperplastic pituitaries. After treatment of the NET, pituitary size diminished and T2-weighted signal tended to normalize.

Conclusions

This comprehensive study of pituitary MRI characteristics in ectopic acromegaly underlines the utility of performing T2-weighted sequences in the MRI evaluation of patients with acromegaly as an additional tool that can help to establish the correct diagnosis.
Nuclear Progestin Receptor–mediated Linkage of Blood Coagulation and Ovulation
Authors: Huang Jing , Sun Chao , Teng Liu Dong , Zhao Nan Nan , Shavit Jordan A , Zhu Yong , Chen Shi Xi
Published: May 2022

Ovulation is a dramatic remodeling process that includes rupture of blood capillaries and clotting, but coagulation is not thought to directly regulate this process. Herein, we report remarkable increases of coagulation factors V (f5, ~3145-fold) and tissue factor (f3a, ~120-fold) in zebrafish ovarian follicle cells during ovulation. This increase was mediated through the nuclear progestin receptor (Pgr), which is essential for ovulation in zebrafish, and was totally abolished in ovarian follicular cells from pgr–/– mutants. In addition, promoter activities of f5 and f3a were significantly enhanced by progestin (DHP) via Pgr. Similar regulation of human F5 promoter activity was induced via human PGRB, suggesting a conserved mechanism. Site-directed mutagenesis of the zebrafish f5 promoter further demonstrated a direct regulation of coagulation factors via progestin response elements. Moreover, a stark increase of erythrocytes occurred in capillaries meshed in wild-type preovulatory follicles but was absent in pgr–/– mutants. Interestingly, anticoagulants significantly inhibited ovulation both in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Furthermore, reduced fecundity was observed in f5+/– female zebrafish. Taken together, our study provides plausible evidence for steroid regulation of coagulation factors, and a new hypothesis for blood clotting–triggered ovulation in vertebrates.
Interplay Between GH-regulated, Sex-biased Liver Transcriptome and Hepatic Zonation Revealed by Single-Nucleus RNA Sequencing
Authors: Goldfarb Christine N , Karri Kritika , Pyatkov Maxim , Waxman David J
Published: May 2022

The zonation of liver metabolic processes is well-characterized; however, little is known about the cell type-specificity and zonation of sexually dimorphic gene expression or its growth hormone (GH)-dependent transcriptional regulators. We address these issues using single-nucleus RNA-sequencing of 32 000 nuclei representing 9 major liver cell types. Nuclei were extracted from livers from adult male and female mice; from males infused with GH continuously, mimicking the female plasma GH pattern; and from mice exposed to TCPOBOP, a xenobiotic agonist ligand of the nuclear receptor CAR that perturbs sex-biased gene expression. Analysis of these rich transcriptomic datasets revealed the following: 1) expression of sex-biased genes and their GH-dependent transcriptional regulators is primarily restricted to hepatocytes and is not a feature of liver nonparenchymal cells; 2) many sex-biased transcripts show sex-dependent zonation within the liver lobule; 3) gene expression is substantially feminized both in periportal and pericentral hepatocytes when male mice are infused with GH continuously; 4) sequencing nuclei increases the sensitivity for detecting thousands of nuclear-enriched long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and enables determination of their liver cell type-specificity, sex-bias and hepatocyte zonation profiles; 5) the periportal to pericentral hepatocyte cell ratio is significantly higher in male than female liver; and 6) TCPOBOP exposure disrupts both sex-specific gene expression and hepatocyte zonation within the liver lobule. These findings highlight the complex interconnections between hepatic sexual dimorphism and zonation at the single-cell level and reveal how endogenous hormones and foreign chemical exposure can alter these interactions across the liver lobule with large effects both on protein-coding genes and lncRNAs.
The Social Life of Terror Capitalism Technologies in Northwest China
Authors: Byler Darren
Published: May 2022

This article examines the digital enclosure of Muslim minority data and labor through a techno-political “reeducation” system in Northwest China to make a broader argument about the way surveillance capitalism can be linked to ethno-racialization. Specifically, it considers how Chinese state capital investment incentivizes technology companies to engage in the dataveillance of ethno-racialized populations to generate what the article names terror capitalism. Drawing on two years of ethnographic research, interviews with former detainees, and analysis of internal police reports, and written in conversation with feminist anthropological scholarship on capitalism and social reproduction, it argues that these systems have created a matrix of conversion devices that produce Muslim social life under the sign of terrorism while expropriating it as data and labor. At the same time these systems, ultimately, are vulnerable to outside interception—opening them to a partial reversal of the surveillant gaze.
Get Unstuck!
Authors: Gill Rosalind , Orgad Shani
Published: May 2022

Examining women's magazines and lifestyle coaching, the article explores how positivity imperatives in contemporary culture call forth a happy, confident, hopeful, and vibrant subject during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis shows how these positivity imperatives acknowledge stress and difficulty, and at times highlight their gendered impacts, yet nevertheless systematically figure responses and solutions in individual, psychological, and often consumerist terms. The discussion demonstrates how positivity imperatives operate not only through verbal advice but also through visual, embodied, and affective means and through an emphasis on developing new social practices—from holding one's body differently, to keeping gratitude journals, to cultivating a new virtual persona for online work meetings. The article highlights a profound paradox: in times of a global pandemic that has affected women disproportionally, and when structural injustices and inequalities have been made ever more visible, positivity and individualized self-care interpellations to women flourish, anger is muted, and critiques of structural inequality are largely silenced. Thus seemingly benign and often undoubtedly well-meaning messages of confidence, calm, and positivity during the pandemic work to buttress a neoliberal imaginary and persistent social inequalities.
Η νεοελληνική εκπαίδευση στην τριακονταετία 1950-1980 ως βιωμένη εμπειρία και η βιογραφική της σημασία στο πλαίσιο άσκησης του ακαδημαϊκού ρόλου
Authors: Σολωμού Άννα
Published: May 2022

Το θέμα της παρούσας διατριβής είναι: «Η νεοελληνική εκπαίδευση στην τριακονταετία 1950- 1980 ως Βιωμένη Εμπειρία και η βιογραφική της σημασία στο πλαίσιο άσκησης τουακαδημαϊκού ρόλου. Βιογραφικοί μετασχηματισμοί και εκπαιδευτικές πρακτικές μελών ΔΕΠτου Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών». Σκοπός της συγκεκριμένης ερευνητικής μελέτης, η οποίααξιοποιεί τις έννοιες «επιστημονικό πεδίο», «επιστημονικό κεφάλαιο» και «πολιτισμικόκεφάλαιο», και «συμβολική εξουσία» από τη θεωρία του Pierre Bourdieu, ως πλαίσιο τωνθεωρητικών προϊδεασμών και των ευρετικών σχημάτων κατανόησης κατά την ανάλυση τωνδεδομένων, είναι η διερεύνηση των απόψεων των μελών ΔΕΠ, σχετικά με την επίδραση πουασκούν οι ιστορίες ζωής τους στον τρόπο που διδάσκουν, όπως επίσης και των αντιλήψεώντους για την επίδραση του πανεπιστημιακού πεδίου στην άσκηση του ακαδημαϊκούεπαγγέλματος. Η συλλογή των ερευνητικών δεδομένων έγινε με τη χρήση της βιογραφικήςαφηγηματικής συνέντευξης κατά τα έτη 2013 – 2015. Οι περιπτώσεις που αποτέλεσαν τοδείγμα μας στην παρούσα έρευνα ήταν 12 γυναίκες και άνδρες, Μέλη ΔΕΠ τουπανεπιστημίου Πατρών. Στη βάση της επεξεργασίας επιλέξαμε τρεις συνεντεύξεις τις οποίεςαναλύσαμε με τη μέθοδο της βιογραφικής αφηγηματικής ανάλυσης. Η επιλογή τωνπεριπτώσεων έγινε με σκοπό να αναδείξουμε τις διαφορετικές πτυχές της βιογραφικήςσημασίας των εκπαιδευτικών εμπειριών στην ακαδημαϊκή εξέλιξη και στη δόμηση τωνδιδακτικών πρακτικών. Επίσης προσπαθήσαμε να αναδείξουμε πως ο εγκιβωτισμός τουεκπαιδευτικού οδοιπορικού και το εξωακαδημαϊκό έργο, διαμορφώνουν την αντίληψη τωνπληροφορητών σχετικά με τον τρόπο με τον οποίο το πανεπιστημιακό πεδίο επιδρά στηνδιδακτική και ερευνητική διάσταση του ρόλου τους.
Wenn Fibeln sprechen könnten (Katalog)
Authors: Wimmer Johannes
Published: May 2022

Mit Beiträgen von Norbert Spichtig und Corina Gottardi
Katalogteil mit Befundkatalog, Tafeln und Literaturverzeichnis
Band A: Text
Band B: Katalog
Supplemente 1-9
Messdaten der Keramikanalysen
Anti-symmetric Compton scattering in LiNiPO4: Towards a direct probe of the magneto-electric multipole moment
Authors: Bhowal Sayantika , O'Neill Daniel , Fechner Michael , Spaldin Nicola A. , Staub Urs , Duffy Jon , Collins Stephen P.
Published: May 2022

Background: Magnetoelectric multipoles, which break both space-inversion and time-reversal symmetries, play an important role in the magnetoelectric response of a material. Motivated by uncovering the underlying fundamental physics of the magnetoelectric multipoles and the possible technological applications of magnetoelectric materials, understanding as well as detecting such magnetoelectric multipoles has become an active area of research in condensed matter physics. Here we employ the well-established Compton scattering effect as a possible probe for the magnetoelectric toroidal moments in LiNiPO4.

Methods: We employ combined theoretical and experimental techniques to compute as well as detect the antisymmetric Compton profile in LiNiPO4. For the theoretical investigation we use density functional theory to compute the anti-symmetric part of the Compton profile for the magnetic and structural ground state of LiNiPO4. For the experimental verification, we measure the Compton signals for a single magnetoelectric domain sample of LiNiPO4, and then again for the same sample with its magnetoelectric domain reversed. We then take the difference between these two measured signals to extract the antisymmetric Compton profile in LiNiPO4.

Results: Our theoretical calculations indicate an antisymmetric Compton profile in the direction of the ty toroidal moment in momentum space, with the computed antisymmetric profile around four orders of magnitude smaller than the total profile. The difference signal that we measure is consistent with the computed profile, but of the same order of magnitude as the statistical errors and systematic uncertainties of the experiment.

Conclusions: While the weak difference signal in the measurements prevents an unambiguous determination of the antisymmetric Compton profile in LiNiPO4, our results motivate  further theoretical work to understand the factors that influence the size of the antisymmetric Compton profile, and to identify materials exhibiting larger effects.
On the Benefit of Privatization in a Mixed Duopoly Service System
Authors: Zhou Wenhui , Huang Weixiang , Hsu Vernon N. , Guo Pengfei
Published: May 2022

We consider a mixed duopoly service system with two service providers (SPs): one private and the other public. The public SP’s objective is welfare maximization, whereas the private SP is profit driven. Customers are heterogeneous in terms of their quality tastes and choose from three options, namely, joining the private queue, joining the public queue, and balking (or taking an outside option). We first consider the scenario where the private SP provides a premium service and the public SP provides a regular service. Paradoxically, we find that although the public SP’s objective is welfare maximization, welfare in the system can be less than that obtained with only profit-seeking private SPs. We further demonstrate that the maximum social welfare is achieved by partially privatizing the public SP, that is, by including both welfare and profit maximization as arguments in its objective function. In extreme cases in which the public SP’s capacity is very small, fully privatizing the public SP can be socially desirable. We then consider the alternate setting where the public SP provides a premium service and the private SP provides a regular service and obtain similar conclusions. These findings, however, rely on the assumption that an outside option exists for balking customers, and one should be cautious in generalizing to no-balking situations.

This paper was accepted by Jayashankar Swaminathan, operations management.

Funding: W. Zhou was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 71925002 and 71731006]. W. Huang acknowledges the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 71801096 and 72101090] and the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation [Grant 2022A1515011983]. V. N. Hsu was supported by the General Research Fund of the Hong Kong Research Grants Council [Grant CUHK14526216]. P. Guo received financial support from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council [Grant 15502820].

Supplemental Material: The e-companion and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4424 .
On the banded Toeplitz structured distance to symmetric positive semidefiniteness
Authors: Noschese Silvia , Reichel Lothar
Published: May 2022

This paper is concerned with the determination of a close real banded positive definite Toeplitz matrix in the Frobenius norm to a given square real banded matrix. While it is straightforward to determine the closest banded Toeplitz matrix to a given square matrix, the additional requirement of positive definiteness makes the problem difficult. We review available theoretical results and provide a simple approach to determine a banded positive definite Toeplitz matrix.
An Adaptive and Highly Accurate FDTD Mesh Generation Technique for Objects with Complex Edge Structures
Authors: Mou Chunhui , Chen Juan
Published: May 2022

In this paper, a triangular facets based, highly accurate, and adaptive finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) mesh generation technique is presented. There are two innovations in the implementation of this technique. One is adaptive mesh lines placement method. The mesh lines are automatically set to be dense where the object has fine structure and sparse where the object has rough structure based on the incremental placement of the triangular mesh vertices. The other is ray column tracing method. Ray columns in the normal direction of the coordinate plane are employed to intersect the surface facets to make the mesh generation results highly accurate. The generating FDTD results of the numerical examples show that the proposed technique can well-restore objects with complex edge structures. The simulation results are in good agreement with the theoretical results.
Medical School Faculty Have Been Propping Up Academic Medical Centers, But Now Its Squeezing Their Education and Research Bottom Lines
Authors:   Phoenix Pulmonary and Critical Care Research and Education Foundation, Gilbert, AZ USA, Robbins Richard
Published: May 2022

No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. One of my former fellows emailed me an article from Stat+ titled “Hospitals Have Been Financially Propping Up Medical Schools, But Now It’s Squeezing Their Bottom Lines”. The article reports that hospitals have been financially supporting medical schools and are feeling their bottom line squeezed (1). An example cited is the purchase of the University of Arizona Medical Center in Tucson by Banner Health and an agreement by Banner to help both of Arizona’s financially struggling medical schools. Financial statements show that Banner has dedicated roughly $2 billion to the schools and a faculty medical group it bought as part of the 2015 deal. Banner is blaming these expenses for shrinking its operating margin from 5% before the deal to 1% today (1). The businessmen who purchased the academic medical centers initially embraced these mergers but now are facing the financial reality of managing a medical school (1). It seems …
Experimental study on transit time broadening in rubidium 5S-5D excitation
Authors: Shukla Vinay , Ray Ayan
Published: May 2022

In this experimental work, we report our findings about a transition between states of even parity5S1/2→5D5/2of Rb atoms under different conditions of transit time broadening. For this purpose, the blue fluorescence emanating from the associated decay5D5/2→6P3/2→5S1/2channel is monitored. Based on the relative magnification of the laser beam, which is used in excitation between levels of even parity, the system exhibits two photon absorption (TPA) through blue fluorescence peaks. The TPA profile appears as a Lorentzian peak on a Doppler background. The change in the laser beam diameter directly influences the relative contributions of Lorentzian and Doppler parts. A direct inference drawn from of this study may be utilized in optimizing the extraction of the first derivative spectrum corresponding to5S→5Dtransitions.
Quantifying the shape effect of plasmonic gold nanoparticles on
photoacoustic conversion efficiency
Authors: Ren Guanpin , Xu Limin , Zhan Huan , Liu Shuang , Jiang Wei , Li Ru
Published: May 2022

Gold nanoparticles with strong localized plasmonic effects have found wide applications in photoacoustic imaging, which are ascribed to their unique microscopic mechanism of converting photons to ultrasound. In this report, we quantitatively model the time-resolved temperature field, thermal expansion, and pressure distribution based on the finite element analysis method, and two-dimensional gold nanoparticles spanning from the triangle, square, pentagon, and hexagon to the circle have been systematically studied. Results show that the shape of gold nanoparticles has a nontrivial effect on photoacoustic conversion efficiency, and the square-shaped gold structure exhibits the best performance. Our findings could shed light on the shape design of high-performance photoacoustic agents in the future.
Orbital angular momentum of paraxial propagation-invariant laser beams
Authors: Kotlyar Victor V. , Kovalev Alexey A.
Published: May 2022

For propagation-invariant laser beams represented as a finite superposition of the Hermite–Gaussian beams with the same Gouy phase and with arbitrary weight coefficients, we obtain an analytical expression for the normalized orbital angular momentum (OAM). This expression is represented also as a finite sum of weight coefficients. We show that a certain choice of the weight coefficients allows obtaining the maximal OAM, which is equal to the maximal power of the Hermite polynomial in the sum. In this case, the superposition describes a single-ringed Laguerre–Gaussian beam with a topological charge equal to the maximal OAM and to the maximal power of the Hermite polynomial.
Increase in the efficiency of III-nitride micro LEDs by atomic layer deposition
Authors: Lee Tzu-Yi , Huang Yu-Ming , Chiang Hsin , Chao Chu-Li , Hung Chu-Yin , Kuo Wei-Hung , Fang Yen-Hsiang , Chu Mu-Tao , Wu Chih-I , Lin Chien-chung , Kuo Hao-Chung
Published: May 2022

The effect of atomic-layer deposition (ALD) sidewall passivation on the enhancement of the electrical and optical efficiency of micro-light-emitting diode (µ-LED) is investigated. Various blue light µ-LED devices (from 5 × 5 µm2 to 100 × 100 µm2) with ALD-Al2O3 sidewall passivation were fabricated and exhibited lower leakage and better external quantum efficiency (EQE) comparing to samples without ALD-Al2O3 sidewall treatment. Furthermore, the EQE values of 5 × 5 and 10 × 10 µm2 devices yielded an enhancement of 73.47% and 66.72% after ALD-Al2O3 sidewall treatments process, and the output power also boosted up 69.3% and 69.9%. The Shockley-Read-Hall recombination coefficient can be extracted by EQE data fitting, and the recombination reduction in the ALD samples can be observed. The extracted surface recombination velocities are 551.3 and 1026 cm/s for ALD and no-ALD samples, respectively.
Real-time spatial characterization of micrometer-sized X-ray free-electron laser beams focused by bendable mirrors
Authors: Mercurio Giuseppe , Chalupský Jaromír , Nistea Ioana-Theodora , Schneider Michael , Hájková Věra , Gerasimova Natalia , Carley Robert , Cascella Michele , Le Guyader Loïc , Mercadier Laurent , Schlappa Justine , Setoodehnia Kiana , Teichmann Martin , Yaroslavtsev Alexander , Burian Tomáš , Vozda Vojtĕch , Vyšín Luděk , Wild Jan , Hickin David , Silenzi Alessandro , Stupar Marijan , Torben Delitz Jan , Broers Carsten , Reich Alexander , Pfau Bastian , Eisebitt Stefan , La Civita Daniele , Sinn Harald , Vannoni Maurizio , Alcock Simon G. , Juha Libor , Scherz Andreas
Published: May 2022

A real-time and accurate characterization of the X-ray beam size is essential to enable a large variety of different experiments at free-electron laser facilities. Typically, ablative imprints are employed to determine shape and size of µm-focused X-ray beams. The high accuracy of this state-of-the-art method comes at the expense of the time required to perform an ex-situ image analysis. In contrast, diffraction at a curved grating with suitably varying period and orientation forms a magnified image of the X-ray beam, which can be recorded by a 2D pixelated detector providing beam size and pointing jitter in real time. In this manuscript, we compare results obtained with both techniques, address their advantages and limitations, and demonstrate their excellent agreement. We present an extensive characterization of the FEL beam focused to ≈1 µm by two Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) mirrors, along with optical metrology slope profiles demonstrating their exceptionally high quality. This work provides a systematic and comprehensive study of the accuracy provided by curved gratings in real-time imaging of X-ray beams at a free-electron laser facility. It is applied here to soft X-rays and can be extended to the hard X-ray range. Furthermore, curved gratings, in combination with a suitable detector, can provide spatial properties of µm-focused X-ray beams at MHz repetition rate.
Generation of cylindrical vector beams in a linear cavity mode-locked fiber laser based on nonlinear multimode interference
Authors: Lv Jialiang , Lin Jiaqiang , Ma Xuexiao , Dai Chuansheng , Gu Chun , Yao Peijun , Xu Lixin , Zhan Qiwen
Published: May 2022

In this paper, a linear cavity mode-locked pulsed fiber laser generating cylindrical vector beams (CVBs) is proposed and demonstrated based on a nonlinear multimode interference. A homemade long-period fiber grating with a broad bandwidth of 121 nm is used as a mode converter inside the cavity. The saturable absorber was formed by single-mode fiber-graded index multimode fiber-single mode fiber (SMF-GIMF-SMF) structure. By controlling the pump power, the operation states are switchable among continuous-wave, Q-switched mode-locked (QML), and mode-locked regimes. The repetition rate of the QML CVB pulse envelope varies from 57.4 kHz to 102.7 kHz at the pump range of 118 to 285 mW. When increasing pump power to 380 mW, mode-locked CVB pulse repetition rate of 3.592 MHz, and pulse duration of 4.62 ns are achieved. In addition, the maximum single-pulse envelope energy can reach 510 nJ, and 142 mW average-power CVBs with a slope efficiency of as high as 20.2% can be obtained. Moreover, azimuthally and radially polarized beams can be obtained with mode purity over 95% in different operating regimes. The proposed fiber laser has a simple structure, and the operation is controllable in both temporal and spatial domains, which presents a flexible pulsed CVB source for application of laser processing, time or mode division multiplexing system, and spatiotemporal nonlinear optics.
High-efficiency second harmonic generation of blue light on thin-film lithium niobate
Authors: Park Taewon , Stokowski Hubert S. , Ansari Vahid , McKenna Timothy P. , Hwang Alexander Y. , Fejer M. M. , Safavi-Naeini Amir H.
Published: May 2022

The strength of interactions between photons in a χ(2) nonlinear optical waveguide increases at shorter wavelengths. These larger interactions enable coherent spectral translation and light generation at a lower power, over a broader bandwidth, and in a smaller device: all of which open the door to new technologies spanning fields from classical to quantum optics. Stronger interactions may also grant access to new regimes of quantum optics to be explored at the few-photon level. One promising platform that could enable these advances is thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN), due to its broad optical transparency window and possibility for quasi-phase matching and dispersion engineering. In this Letter, we demonstrate second harmonic generation of blue light on an integrated thin-film lithium niobate waveguide and observe a conversion efficiency of η0 = 33, 000%/W-cm2, significantly exceeding previous demonstrations.
Conflict and competition between model-based and model-free control
Authors: Lei Yuqing , Solway Alec
Published: May 2022

A large literature has accumulated suggesting that human and animal decision making is driven by at least two systems, and that important functions of these systems can be captured by reinforcement learning algorithms. The “model-free” system caches and uses stimulus–value or stimulus–response associations, and the “model-based” system implements more flexible planning using a model of the world. However, it is not clear how the two systems interact during deliberation and how a single decision emerges from this process, especially when they disagree. Most previous work has assumed that while the systems operate in parallel, they do so independently, and they combine linearly to influence decisions. Using an integrated reinforcement learning/drift-diffusion model, we tested the hypothesis that the two systems interact in a non-linear fashion similar to other situations with cognitive conflict. We differentiated two forms of conflict:action conflict, a binary state representing whether the systems disagreed on the best action, andvalue conflict, a continuous measure of the extent to which the two systems disagreed on the difference in value between the available options. We found that decisions with greater value conflict were characterized by reduced model-based control and increased caution both with and without action conflict. Action conflict itself (the binary state) acted in the opposite direction, although its effects were less prominent. We also found that between-system conflict was highly correlated with within-system conflict, and although it is less clear a priori why the latter might influence the strength of each system above its standard linear contribution, we could not rule it out. Our work highlights the importance of non-linear conflict effects, and provides new constraints for more detailed process models of decision making. It also presents new avenues to explore with relation to disorders of compulsivity, where an imbalance between systems has been implicated.
Sex-heterogeneous SNPs disproportionately influence gene expression and health
Authors: Traglia Michela , Bout Margaux , Weiss Lauren A.
Published: May 2022

Phenotypic differences across sexes are pervasive, but the genetic architecture of sex differences within and across phenotypes is mostly unknown. In this study, we aimed to improve detection power for sex-differentially contributing SNPs previously demonstrated to be enriched in disease association, and we investigate their functions in health, pathophysiology, and genetic function. We leveraged GIANT and UK Biobank summary statistics and defined a set of 2,320 independent SNPs having sexually dimorphic effects within and across biometric traits (MAF > 0.001, P < 5x10-8). Biometric trait sex-heterogeneous SNPs (sex-het SNPs) showed enrichment in association signals for 20 out of 33 diseases/traits at 5% alpha compared to sex-homogeneous matched SNPs (empP < 0.001), and were significantly overrepresented in muscle, skeletal and stem cell development processes, and in calcium channel and microtubule complexes (FDR < 0.05, empP < 0.05). Interestingly, we found that sex-het SNPs significantly map to predicted expression quantitative trait loci (Pr-eQTLs) across brain and other tissues, methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTLs) during development, and transcription start sites, compared to sex-homogeneous SNPs. Finally, we verified that the sex-het disease/trait enrichment was not explained by Pr-eQTL enrichment alone, as sex-het Pr-eQTLs were more enriched than matched sex-homogeneous Pr-eQTLs. We conclude that genetic polymorphisms with sexually dimorphic effects on biometric traits not only contribute to fundamental embryogenic processes, but later in life play an outsized role in disease risk. These sex-het SNPs disproportionately influence gene expression and have a greater influence on disorders of body and brain than other expression-regulatory variation. Together, our data emphasize the genetic underpinnings of sexual dimorphism and its role in human health.
Intestine-to-neuronal signaling alters risk-taking behaviors in food-deprived Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Matty Molly A. , Lau Hiu E. , Haley Jessica A. , Singh Anupama , Chakraborty Ahana , Kono Karina , Reddy Kirthi C. , Hansen Malene , Chalasani Sreekanth H.
Published: May 2022

Animals integrate changes in external and internal environments to generate behavior. While neural circuits detecting external cues have been mapped, less is known about how internal states like hunger are integrated into behavioral outputs. Here, we use the nematode C. elegans to examine how changes in internal nutritional status affect chemosensory behaviors. We show that acute food deprivation leads to a reversible decline in repellent, but not attractant, sensitivity. This behavioral change requires two conserved transcription factors MML-1 (MondoA) and HLH-30 (TFEB), both of which translocate from the intestinal nuclei to the cytoplasm during food deprivation. Next, we identify the insulin-like peptide INS-31 as a candidate ligand relaying food-status signals from the intestine to other tissues. Further, we show that neurons likely use the DAF-2 insulin receptor and AGE-1/PI-3 Kinase, but not DAF-16/FOXO to integrate these intestine-released peptides. Altogether, our study shows how internal food status signals are integrated by transcription factors and intestine-neuron signaling to generate flexible behaviors via the gut-brain axis.
Histochemical analysis and storage behaviour of Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) under Zero-Energy Cool Chamber (ZECC)
Authors: Chittaragi Dharini , S. Menon Jalaja , E. V. Anoop
Published: May 2022

In Kerala, a coastal land in India, Ginger is cultivated as a rainfed annual. The current study on morphological characters of seed rhizomes stored in Zero Energy Cool Chambers recorded a weight loss of 28% at three months after storage. The number of sprouting buds was maximum (12.25) in the seed rhizomes stored for three months. The dimensions of the bud measured at the varied periods of storage interval showed variation. The length of the bud increased from 0.847μm to 2.19 μm and the breadth reduced from 1.19 μm to 0.703μm in three months of storage. The current study provides the anatomical morphology of ginger seed rhizomes. Histochemical studies of seed rhizome for three months storage showed that the number of cork layers varied from 5–15, size of starch grain decreased on storage from 40 μm to 20 μm and the oil globules found inside the parenchymatous cells increased from 20 μm to 40 μm. These results will be helpful to understand the bud development of ginger seed rhizome during storage.