bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in the identification and management of mental health and domestic abuse among pregnant women during the COVID-19 lockdown: regression discontinuity study
Authors: Hildersley Rosanna , Easter Abigail , Bakolis Ioannis , Carson Lauren , Howard Louise M.
Published: June 2022

Background

Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) and mental illness during pregnancy have long-lasting and potentially serious consequences, which may have been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aims

To investigate how the UK COVID-19 lockdown policy influenced the identification of DVA and depressive symptoms during pregnancy in health services in South-East London in Spring 2020, using eLIXIR (Early-Life Data Cross-Linkage in Research) maternity and mental routine healthcare data.

Method

We used a regression discontinuity approach, with a quasi-experimental study design, to analyse the effect of the transition into and out of the COVID-19 lockdown on the rates of positive depression screens, DVA recorded in maternity and secondary mental health services, and contact with secondary mental health services during pregnancy.

Results

We analysed 26 447 pregnancies from 1 October 2018 to 29 August 2020. The rate of DVA recorded in maternity services was low throughout the period (<0.5%). Within secondary mental health services, rates of DVA dropped by 78% (adjusted odds ratio 0.219, P = 0.012) during lockdown, remaining low after lockdown. The rate of women screening positive for depression increased by 40% (adjusted odds ratio 1.40, P = 0.023), but returned to baseline after lockdown lifted.

Conclusions

Rates of DVA identification in secondary mental health services dropped during and after lockdown, whereas overall rates of DVA identified in maternity services were concerningly low. Healthcare services must adopt guidance to facilitate safe enquiry, particularly in remote consultations. Further research is vital to address the longer-term impact on women's mental health caused by the increase in depression during the lockdown.
Double Trouble: Immunotherapy Doublets in Melanoma—Approved and Novel Combinations to Optimize Treatment in Advanced Melanoma
Authors: Dimitriou Florentia , Hauschild Axel , Mehnert Janice M. , Long Georgina V.
Published: June 2022

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, particularly anti–PD-1–based immune checkpoint inhibitors, have dramatically improved outcomes for patients with advanced melanoma and are currently deemed a standard of care. Ipilimumab/nivolumab is the first combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors to improve progression-free survival and overall survival in the first-line setting, with durable responses and the longest median overall survival, 72.1 months, of any drug therapy approved for advanced melanoma. However, its use is limited by the high rate of severe (grade 3–4) treatment-related adverse events. More recently, the novel immune checkpoint inhibitor combination of nivolumab/relatlimab (anti–PD-1/anti-LAG3) showed improved progression-free survival compared with nivolumab alone in the first-line setting and was well tolerated; thus, it is likely this combination will be added to the armamentarium as a first-line treatment for advanced melanoma. These changes in the treatment landscape have several treatment implications for decision-making. The choice of first-line systemic drug therapy, and the decision between immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy or combination therapy, requires a comprehensive assessment of disease-related factors and patient characteristics. Despite this striking progress, many patients' disease still progresses. Several new agents and therapeutic approaches are under investigation in clinical trials. Intralesional treatments hold promise for accessible metastases, although their broad application in the clinic will be limited. Prognostic and predictive biomarkers, as well as strategies to reduce treatment-related toxicities and overcome resistance, are required and are now the focus of clinical and translational research.
Ockham’s Razor for a Retinal Lesion and Acromegaly and Breaking the Vicious Circle
Authors: Rak-Makowska Beata , Khoo Bernard , Sen Gupta Piya , Plowman P Nicholas , Grossman Ashley B , Korbonits Márta
Published: June 2022

Acromegaly due to ectopic secretion of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is rare. Treatment consists of surgical removal of the primary tumor, cytostatic therapy, “cold” or radioactive somatostatin analogue treatment, and medical therapy for acromegaly, if needed. A 53 year-old female had an ocular lesion noted on a routine optician visit, originally considered to be an ocular melanoma. She had a bronchial carcinoid successfully removed 22 years previously. She had acromegalic features with an enlarged pituitary gland on magnetic resonance imaging and, additionally, metastatic lesions in her bones, liver, and thyroid gland. Elevated GHRH levels (>250× upper limit of normal) suggested a metastatic lung neuroendocrine tumor secreting GHRH. Cold and radioactive somatostatin analogue therapy reduced both GHRH and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels, but normalization of the biochemical markers of acromegaly was only achieved after pegvisomant was introduced. Complete control of IGF-1 was achieved, and this may have hindered the growth of the metastatic lesions as well, as the patient remains well 13 years after the diagnosis of metastatic disease and 35 years after the original lung operation. A gradual rise in prolactin levels over last 4 years was noted, which is likely due to the prolonged effect of GHRH on prolactin-secreting cells. The diagnosis of this case applied the law of parsimony from the Ockham’s razor principle. We consider that breaking the vicious circle of IGF-1 feeding the metastatic tumor was key for the long-term outcome of this case.
COVID-19 pandemic and physical inactivity in Brazilian university students: a multicenter study
Authors: Dumith Samuel Carvalho , Viero Vanise dos Santos Ferreira , Alexandrino Eduardo Gauze , Silva Luis Carlos Barbosa , Tassitano Rafael Miranda , Demenech Lauro Miranda
Published: June 2022

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of physical inactivity during the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with variables of the pandemic context in Brazilian university students. A cross-sectional, multicentric study was carried out in five public universities in different geographic regions of Brazil. The study included 5,720 students, aged 18 or over, between September 2020 and May 2021. Data collection was performed through a self administered online questionnaire on the REDCap platform. The dependent variable was physical inactivity. The independent variables were the aspects related to the pandemic. The prevalence of physical inactivity was 48.8% (95%CI: 47.5%; 50.1%), ranging from 26.3% for those who went out every or almost every day for non-essential activities and 64.9 % for those who stayed at home all the time. University students who reported continuing to work normally and who were afraid of the pandemic were more likely to be physically inactive. The groups that were less likely to have the outcome were those with a reduction in income, those who left home more often for essential and non-essential activities, those who started working at home, those who complied with the social distancing, and those who had a risk factor for COVID-19. The findings indicate that one in two Brazilian university students are physically inactive and the main risk factors were isolation and fear of the pandemic. Interventions are recommended to promote physical activity, especially for the groups most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Solving Natural Conic Formulations with Hypatia.jl
Authors: Coey Chris , Kapelevich Lea , Vielma Juan Pablo
Published: June 2022

Many convex optimization problems can be represented through conic extended formulations (EFs) using only the small number of standard cones recognized by advanced conic solvers such as MOSEK 9. However, EFs are often significantly larger and more complex than equivalent conic natural formulations (NFs) represented using the much broader class of exotic cones. We define an exotic cone as a proper cone for which we can implement easily computable logarithmically homogeneous self-concordant barrier oracles for either the cone or its dual cone. Our goal is to establish whether a generic conic interior point solver supporting NFs can outperform an advanced conic solver specialized for EFs across a variety of applied problems. We introduce Hypatia, a highly configurable open-source conic primal-dual interior point solver written in Julia and accessible through JuMP. Hypatia has a generic interface for exotic cones, some of which we define here. For seven applied problems, we introduce NFs using these cones and construct EFs that are necessarily larger and more complex. Our computational experiments demonstrate the advantages, especially in terms of solve time and memory usage, of solving the NFs with Hypatia compared with solving the EFs with either Hypatia or MOSEK 9.
Addictive Platforms
Authors: Ichihashi Shota , Kim Byung-Cheol
Published: June 2022

We study competition for consumer attention in which platforms can sacrifice service quality for attention. A platform can choose the “addictiveness” of its service. A more addictive platform yields consumers a lower utility of participation but a higher marginal utility of allocating attention. We provide conditions under which increased competition can harm consumers by encouraging platforms to offer low-quality services. In particular, if attention is scarce, increased competition reduces the quality of services because business-stealing incentives induce platforms to increase addictiveness. Restricting consumers’ platform usage may decrease addictiveness and improve consumer welfare. A platform’s ability to charge for its service can also decrease addictiveness.

This paper was accepted by Joshua Gans, business strategy.
Optimization of the cyclone separator performance using taguchi method and multi-response pcr-topsis
Authors: Zulkarnain Arifin , Hammada Abbas , Fauzan Fauzan
Published: June 2022

Pollutant control uses cyclone separators as pre-cleaners and is widely used in manufacturing and mining industries. Research on cyclone performance is carried out with changes in various variations that affect it, the problem that occurs is that multi-response can give results of different factors and levels as a result of equipment design cannot provide optimal results and research topics on inlet scroll types have not been widely carried out, this study aims to improve cyclone performance inlet scroll type separator with helical angle, experimental and development methods to get optimal performance where pressure drop and efficiency are indications of cyclone separator performance, to get optimal performance the use of Taguchi experimental design produces different factors and levels so that multi-response methods such as PCR and TOPSIS was used to produce the best combination of factors and levels, confirmation experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods were carried out to ensure the validity of the study, the results showed that the scroll inlet prototype cyclone separator with a helical angle of 150, inlet velocity of 10m/s, outlet diameter of 72 mm provides empirical values ​​for pressure drop and the best particle separation efficiency for multi-parameter responses, further research can be done by modifying the shape and dimensions of the bottom outlet.
Yabancı Dil Olarak Türkçe Öğretiminde Türk Yemek Kültürünün Paylaşımı
Authors: FİŞEKCİOĞLU Asli
Published: June 2022

Bu araştırmanın amacı, İstanbul Yabancılar İçin Türkçe Ders Kitabında A1,A2,B1,B2,C1 ders kitaplarında bulunan sosyokültürel bilginin önemli bir bileşeni olan Türk yeme-içme kültürü paylaşımının niteliğini, beslenme ve mutfak kültürünün işlevsel özellikleri bağlamında araştırmaktır. Disiplinlerarası bir bakış açısıyla halkbilim verilerinden yararlanılarak nitel araştırma yöntemi kullanılarak yapılan araştırmada öncelikle bahsedilen kitaplarda geçen Türk yeme-içme kültürü paylaşımını hatırlatan sözcükler kullanıldıkları dil becerileri bağlamında tablolara aktarılmış ve yorumlanmıştır. Ardından yemekle ilgili ifadelerin geçtiği metinlerde yemek kültürünün işlevsel ve sembolik özellikler, davranış kalıpları bağlamında kullanılıp kullanılmadığını ve yemekle ilgili ifadelerde yemek kültürüne dair davranış kalıplarının bulunup bulunmadığı araştırılmıştır. Çünkü yemekle ilgili kültüre ait ifadelerin veya yemek isimlerinin yöntem kitaplarında sıralanması Türk mutfağının tanıtım boyutuna hizmet etse de yemek kültürünün işlevsel ve sembolik özelliklerine, davranış kalıplarına değinmek Türk toplumsal bilgisinin paylaşılması anlamına gelmektedir. Bu araştırmada aynı zamanda Yabancı dil olarak Türkçe öğretiminde kullanılan İstanbul Yabancılar İçin Türkçe Ders Kitabında Türk yemek kültürünün çeşitli dil düzeylerinde kendi içinde paylaştırılarak yansıtılıp yansıtılmadığı ve hangi dil becerileri kapsamında yansıtıldığı da incelenmiştir.
Imaging simulation of the AMCW ToF camera based on path tracking
Authors: Yan Zhiqiang , Wang Hongyuan , Wang Zebin , Liu Xiang , Ning Qianhao
Published: June 2022

The time-of-flight (ToF) camera suffers from many error factors, such as multiple reflection or multipath interference and electronic and optical shot noise, making it difficult to simulate its imaging process. Aiming to test the ToF camera algorithm, it is important to obtain a depth image affected by these error factors. In order to model the light propagation behavior and the sensor effect in the imaging process of the ToF camera, an amplitude modulated continuous-wave (AMCW) ToF camera imaging simulation method based on path tracking is presented by deducing the path tracking algorithm model in the AMCW ToF camera theoretically and by realizing the physically based simulation by introducing the infrared bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) data of the actual materials. According to the constructed error evaluation indexes, the correctness of the imaging simulation method is verified based on the ground experiment. The mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean square error (RMSE) are 10.32 mm and 15.12 mm, respectively, which are less than the error results of the other two comparative simulation methods. The results show that the proposed method is reasonable and can provide reliable data support for AMCW ToF hardware development and algorithm testing.
Incoherent optical phase conjugation
Authors: Horisaki Ryoichi , Ehira Kunihiko , Nishizaki Yohei , Naruse Makoto , Tanida Jun
Published: June 2022

Optical phase conjugation is a known technique for optically
reproducing an object behind a scattering medium. Here we present
digital optical phase conjugation through scattering media with
spatially and temporally incoherent light. This enables us to
eliminate the inevitable light coherence and the need for
interferometric measurement for optical phase conjugation. Moreover,
we show a method for suppressing background noise, which is critical
in incoherent optical phase conjugation. We numerically and
experimentally demonstrate the proposed method with background
suppression.
Spectral splicing for an OFDR sensing system using a DBR laser
Authors: Xue Yuanze , Wang Xuefeng , Tang Caijie , Gao Hongchun , Zhao Chen
Published: June 2022

A spectral splicing method is proposed for an optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) sensing system using a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) laser. An external cavity tunable laser (ECTL) is used in a conventional OFDR sensing system. There are no reports to our knowledge about using a DBR laser as the light source for an OFDR sensing system. A DBR laser has the advantages of small size, no mechanical scanning, easy integration, and low cost. However, due to the mode hopping, the wavelength can only be continuously tuned in the range of about 1 nm. The spectral splicing method was used to splice 39 partially overlapping Rayleigh scattering signals into a continuous signal with wavelength of 35.174 nm. Distributed optical fiber strain sensing with 5 mm spatial resolution is realized. The strain range is

±
2500

µ
ε

, and the maximum error of the measured strain is 9.91 µ

ε

.
Inverse propagation method for evaluation of super-resolution granted by dielectric microparticles
Authors: Heydarian R. , Simovski C.
Published: June 2022

In this work we report a theoretical study of the lateral resolution granted by a simple glass microcylinder. In this 2D study, we had in mind the 3D analogue—a microsphere whose ability to form a deeply subwavelength and strongly magnified image of submicrometer objects has been known since 2011. Conventionally, the microscope in which such an image is observed is tuned to see the areas behind the microsphere. This corresponds to the location of the virtual source formed by the microsphere at a distance longer than the distance of the real source to the miscroscope. Recently, we theoretically found a new scenario of super-resolution, when the virtual source is formed in the wave beam transmitted through the microsphere. However, in this work we concentrated on the case when the super-resolution is achieved in the impractical imaging system, in which the microscope objective lens is replaced by a microlens located at a distance smaller than the Rayleigh range. The present paper theoretically answers an important question: Which scenario of far-field nanoimaging by a microsphere grants the finest spatial resolution at very large distances? We found that the novel scenario (corresponding to higher refractive indices) promises further enhancement of the resolution.
Global optimisation of source and mask in inverse lithography via tabu search combined with genetic algorithm
Authors: Sun Haifeng , Du Jing , Jin Chuan , Quan Haiyang , Li Yanli , Tang Yan , Wang Jian , Hu Song , Liu Junbo
Published: June 2022

Source mask optimisation (SMO) is a resolution enhancement technology that is utilised in the advanced process node of optical lithography to achieve acceptable imaging quality and fidelity. It is crucial in enhancing the convergence performance and optimisation capability of pixel-based SMO. In this study, an SMO approach that employs a genetic algorithm (GA), combined with the tabu search method (TS), is proposed. GA-TS, a hybrid-type global optimisation algorithm, has an outperforming capacity to avoid local optima owing to the excellent local searching function of TS. Furthermore, an edge-optimisation strategy was implemented to optimise the mask for a low-complexity mask layout. The simulation results confirm that the proposed approach exhibits exceptional optimisation capability and convergence performance.
Second-order semi-aplanatic freeform optics as a limit case of the SMS 3D design method
Authors: Benítez Pablo , Nikolic Milena , Miñano Juan C. , Anand Mithra , Santamaría Asunción
Published: June 2022

Second-order semi-aplanatism provides better imaging quality along a line of the object plane close to a point than conventional aplanatic optics, which is of interest in applications with high aspect ratio sensors. Designing an optic with second-order semi-aplanatism requires the use of freeform surfaces, and can be done as a limit case of the SMS 3D design method applied to stigmatically image 3 collinear object points. The algorithm for this specific design problem is described and a lens example with 3 freeform surfaces is designed and analyzed.
High-precision calibration to zoom lens of optical measurement machine based on FNN
Authors: Liu Jixiao , Yang Jupu , Li Jingchen , Du Jialin , Yu Siyang , Li Fanxing , Wang Jian , Zhang Xi , Sun Si , Yan Wei
Published: June 2022

We proposed a calibration method for high-precision zoom lenses of optical measurement machines based on Fully Connected Neural Network (FNN), using a 5-layer neural network instead of a camera calibration model, to achieve continuous calibration of zoom lenses at any zoom setting by calibrating typical zooms. From the experimental verification, the average calibration error of this method is 9.83×10−4mm and the average measurement error at any zoom setting is 0.01317mm. The overall calibration precision is better than that of Zhang's calibration method and can meet the application requirements of a high-precision optical measurement machine. The method proposed in this paper provided a new solution and a new idea for the calibration of zoom lenses, which can be widely used in the fields of precision parts inspection and machine-vision measurement.
Femtosecond coherent Raman system with >75 dB dynamic range for probing vibration modes across 250-2400 cm−1
Authors: Sylvester J. , Neupane C. P. , Singhapurage H. A. S. , Senarathna R. M. D. M. , Sharma G. P. , Ganikhanov F.
Published: June 2022

We report on the design and performance of a time-resolved Coherent Raman spectroscopy system with time resolution of better than 120 fs. The coherent transients can be traced with more than 75 dB dynamic range while accessing and probing Raman active modes across a 250–2400 cm−1 frequency. The system delivers an equivalent spectral resolution of better than 0.1 cm−1 regarding line bandwidth parameters for probed Raman resonances.
Physics-assisted generative adversarial network for X-ray tomography
Authors: Guo Zhen , Song Jung Ki , Barbastathis George , Glinsky Michael E. , Vaughan Courtenay T. , Larson Kurt W. , Alpert Bradley K. , Levine Zachary H.
Published: June 2022

X-ray tomography is capable of imaging the interior of objects in three dimensions non-invasively, with applications in biomedical imaging, materials science, electronic inspection, and other fields. The reconstruction process can be an ill-conditioned inverse problem, requiring regularization to obtain satisfactory results. Recently, deep learning has been adopted for tomographic reconstruction. Unlike iterative algorithms which require a distribution that is known a priori, deep reconstruction networks can learn a prior distribution through sampling the training distributions. In this work, we develop a Physics-assisted Generative Adversarial Network (PGAN), a two-step algorithm for tomographic reconstruction. In contrast to previous efforts, our PGAN utilizes maximum-likelihood estimates derived from the measurements to regularize the reconstruction with both known physics and the learned prior. Compared with methods with less physics assisting in training, PGAN can reduce the photon requirement with limited projection angles to achieve a given error rate. The advantages of using a physics-assisted learned prior in X-ray tomography may further enable low-photon nanoscale imaging.
Diffractive deep neural network based adaptive optics scheme for vortex beam in oceanic turbulence
Authors: Zhan Haichao , Peng Yixiang , Chen Bing , Wang Le , Wang Wennai , Zhao Shengmei
Published: June 2022

Vortex beam carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) is disturbed by oceanic turbulence (OT) when propagating in underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) system. Adaptive optics (AO) is a powerful technique used to compensate for distortion and improve the performance of the UWOC system. In this work, we propose a diffractive deep neural network (DDNN) based AO scheme to compensate for the distortion caused by OT, where the DDNN is trained to obtain the mapping between the distortion intensity distribution of the vortex beam and its corresponding phase screen representing OT. In the experiment, the distorted vortex beam is input into the DDNN model where the diffractive layers are solidified and fabricated, and the intensity distribution of the modulated light field of the vortex beam can be recorded. The experiment results show that the proposed scheme can extract quickly the characteristics of the intensity pattern of the distorted vortex beam, and the predicted compensation phase screen can correct the distortion caused by OT in time. The mode purity of the compensated vortex beam is significantly improved, even with a strong OT. Our scheme may provide a new avenue for AO techniques, and is expected to promote the communication quality of UWOC system immediately.
Liquid-crystal-polymer binary diffractive optical elements with a sub-micrometer feature size realized by a contact polarization holography
Authors: Fang Qipeng , Liu Jinbo , Yan Zhanjun , Deng Qiling , Pang Hui , Lv Yongmo , Sun Xiuhui , Chen Jianjun , Jiang Haibo , Yin Shaoyun
Published: June 2022

In this Letter, a contact polarization holographic photoalignment method is proposed. In the holographic recording, a phase mask is contacted with a photoalignment film, making light carrying wavefront information interfere with reference light in the near-field region to realize polarization holographic pattern recording with a sub-micrometer feature size. The relevant theoretical derivation is given, and holographic recording of a 0.4 µm feature-size phase mask is realized. The proposed method can conveniently realize liquid-crystal binary diffractive optical elements with a sub-micrometer feature size. Off-axis diffraction can also be realized by superimposing the grating information by changing the angle between the substrate and the interference light.
Accurate droplet depth displacement measurement with time-resolved astigmatic interferometric particle imaging
Authors: Wu Yingchun , Wen Botong , Zhuo Zhu , Wang Xinghao , Wu Xuecheng
Published: June 2022

The astigmatic interferometric particle imaging (AIPI) model reveals that the fringe orientation shifts with droplet depth displacement, and their relationships are quantitatively formulated. The depth displacement is directly evaluated from the relative angular shift of the fringes with angular cross power spectral density, and this algorithm isolates the uncertainty of droplet depth position from depth displacement. Proof-of-concept experiments on micrometer-sized transparent droplets with a 5 kHz AIPI system demonstrates that droplet three-dimensional (3D) trajectories are accurately obtained with the accuracy of depth displacement up to tens of micrometers, improving an order of magnitude from hundreds of microns in a traditional Lagrangian framework by comparing droplet depth positions.
Mid-wave infrared planar optical device via femtosecond laser ablation on a sulfur-based polymeric glass surface
Authors: Liu Feng , Zhou Liang , Cheng Huachao , Li Peng , Liu Sheng , Mao Shan , Jin Chuan , Zhu Xiangping , Zhao Jianlin
Published: June 2022

Sulfur-based polymer materials are attractive for infrared (IR) applications, as they exhibit profoundly high IR transparency, low temperature processability, and higher refractive index relative to conventional organic polymers. In this paper, the laser induced surface damage threshold of such sulfur-based polymeric glass is experimentally studied with femtosecond laser pulse exposure. The single- and multi-shot laser damage thresholds are determined as 41.1 mJ/cm2 and 32.4 mJ/cm2, respectively, and line width of laser scanning is proved to be controllable by laser energy implantation dose. The results enrich the technical knowledge of such novel optical material, and predict its processability by laser surface inscription. While, the amplitude-type binary planar devices based on femtosecond laser ablation are fabricated, and their imaging abilities are performed both in visible light and mid-wave IR regions.
Surpassing Cyphochilus scales in optical scattering strength by well-controlled electrospun nanostructures
Authors: Park Bo Kyung , Han Sang M. , Han Sang Eon
Published: June 2022

Scales of Cyphochilus white beetles present one of the strongest optical scattering materials in nature. However, the intricate optical fibrillar network nanostructure inside the scales has been difficult to mimic. Here, characteristic structural parameters inside Cyphochilus scales – mean fiber diameter, diameter distribution, filling fraction, and structural anisotropy – are replicated in synthetic nanofibrous materials to functionally mimic the biological material. To fabricate the synthetic nanostructure, electrospinning is chosen because this conventional technique is amenable to nanomanufacturing. The optimized parameters in electrospun structures are found to be only slightly different from those in Cyphochilus scales. At the optimum, electrospun structures exhibit even stronger optical scattering than Cyphochilus scales. An electrospun film with the similar characteristic structural parameters as those in Cyphochilus scales gives two resonance peaks in visible reflectance spectrum in the limit of a uniform fiber diameter, giving a purple structural color. As the distribution of diameter increases appreciably to experimentally achievable degrees, the resonance peaks broaden and the reflectance spectrum becomes relatively flat, resulting in disappearance of the structural color. These results support that controllable fibrous nanostructures that exceed the exceptionally strong broadband optical scattering found among living organisms can be volume-produced.
Silicon photonics for high-capacity data communications
Authors: Shi Yaocheng , Zhang Yong , Wan Yating , Yu Yu , Zhang Yuguang , Hu Xiao , Xiao Xi , Xu Hongnan , Zhang Long , Pan Bingcheng
Published: June 2022

In recent years, optical modulators, photodetectors, (de)multiplexers, and heterogeneously integrated lasers based on silicon optical platforms have been verified. The performance of some devices even surpasses the traditional III-V and photonic integrated circuit (PIC) platforms, laying the foundation for large-scale photonic integration. Silicon photonic technology can overcome the limitations of traditional transceiver technology in high-speed transmission networks to support faster interconnection between data centers. In this article, we will review recent progress for silicon PICs. The first part gives an overview of recent achievements in silicon PICs. The second part introduces the silicon photonic building blocks, including low-loss waveguides, passive devices, modulators, photodetectors, heterogeneously integrated lasers, and so on. In the third part, the recent progress on high-capacity silicon photonic transceivers is discussed. In the fourth part, we give a review of high-capacity silicon photonic networks on chip.
Alix is required for activity-dependent bulk endocytosis at brain synapses
Authors: Laporte Marine H. , Chi Kwang Il , Caudal Laura C. , Zhao Na , Schwarz Yvonne , Rolland Marta , Martinez-Hernandez José , Martineau Magalie , Chatellard Christine , Denarier Eric , Mercier Vincent , Lemaître Florent , Blot Béatrice , Moutaux Eve , Cazorla Maxime , Perrais David , Lanté Fabien , Bruns Dieter , Fraboulet Sandrine , Hemming Fiona J. , Kirchhoff Frank , Sadoul Rémy
Published: June 2022

In chemical synapses undergoing high frequency stimulation, vesicle components can be retrieved from the plasma membrane via a clathrin-independent process called activity-dependent bulk endocytosis (ADBE). Alix (ALG-2-interacting protein X/PDCD6IP) is an adaptor protein binding to ESCRT and endophilin-A proteins which is required for clathrin-independent endocytosis in fibroblasts. Alix is expressed in neurons and concentrates at synapses during epileptic seizures. Here, we used cultured neurons to show that Alix is recruited to presynapses where it interacts with and concentrates endophilin-A during conditions triggering ADBE. Using Alix knockout (ko) neurons, we showed that this recruitment, which requires interaction with the calcium-binding protein ALG-2, is necessary for ADBE. We also found that presynaptic compartments of Alix ko hippocampi display subtle morphological defects compatible with flawed synaptic activity and plasticity detected electrophysiologically. Furthermore, mice lacking Alix in the forebrain undergo less seizures during kainate-induced status epilepticus and reduced propagation of the epileptiform activity. These results thus show that impairment of ADBE due to the lack of neuronal Alix leads to abnormal synaptic recovery during physiological or pathological repeated stimulations.
A musculoskeletal finite element model of rat knee joint for evaluating cartilage biomechanics during gait
Authors: Orozco Gustavo A. , Karjalainen Kalle , Moo Eng Kuan , Stenroth Lauri , Tanska Petri , Rios Jaqueline Lourdes , Tuomainen Teemu V. , Nissi Mikko J. , Isaksson Hanna , Herzog Walter , Korhonen Rami K.
Published: June 2022

Abnormal loading of the knee due to injuries or obesity is thought to contribute to the development of osteoarthritis (OA). Small animal models have been used for studying OA progression mechanisms. However, numerical models to study cartilage responses under dynamic loading in preclinical animal models have not been developed. Here we present a musculoskeletal finite element model of a rat knee joint to evaluate cartilage biomechanical responses during a gait cycle. The rat knee joint geometries were obtained from a 3-D MRI dataset and the boundary conditions regarding loading in the joint were extracted from a musculoskeletal model of the rat hindlimb. The fibril-reinforced poroelastic (FRPE) properties of the rat cartilage were derived from data of mechanical indentation tests. Our numerical results showed the relevance of simulating anatomical and locomotion characteristics in the rat knee joint for estimating tissue responses such as contact pressures, stresses, strains, and fluid pressures. We found that the contact pressure and maximum principal strain were virtually constant in the medial compartment whereas they showed the highest values at the beginning of the gait cycle in the lateral compartment. Furthermore, we found that the maximum principal stress increased during the stance phase of gait, with the greatest values at midstance. We anticipate that our approach serves as a first step towards investigating the effects of gait abnormalities on the adaptation and degeneration of rat knee joint tissues and could be used to evaluate biomechanically-driven mechanisms of the progression of OA as a consequence of joint injury or obesity.
Addressing delayed case reporting in infectious disease forecast modeling
Authors: Beesley Lauren J. , Osthus Dave , Del Valle Sara Y.
Published: June 2022

Infectious disease forecasting is of great interest to the public health community and policymakers, since forecasts can provide insight into disease dynamics in the near future and inform interventions. Due to delays in case reporting, however, forecasting models may often underestimate the current and future disease burden.

In this paper, we propose a general framework for addressing reporting delay in disease forecasting efforts with the goal of improving forecasts. We propose strategies for leveraging either historical data on case reporting or external internet-based data to estimate the amount of reporting error. We then describe several approaches for adapting general forecasting pipelines to account for under- or over-reporting of cases. We apply these methods to address reporting delay in data on dengue fever cases in Puerto Rico from 1990 to 2009 and to reports of influenza-like illness (ILI) in the United States between 2010 and 2019. Through a simulation study, we compare method performance and evaluate robustness to assumption violations. Our results show that forecasting accuracy and prediction coverage almost always increase when correction methods are implemented to address reporting delay. Some of these methods required knowledge about the reporting error or high quality external data, which may not always be available. Provided alternatives include excluding recently-reported data and performing sensitivity analysis. This work provides intuition and guidance for handling delay in disease case reporting and may serve as a useful resource to inform practical infectious disease forecasting efforts.
Spatial aggregation choice in the era of digital and administrative surveillance data
Authors: Lee Elizabeth C. , Arab Ali , Colizza Vittoria , Bansal Shweta
Published: June 2022

Traditional disease surveillance is increasingly being complemented by data from non-traditional sources like medical claims, electronic health records, and participatory syndromic data platforms. As non-traditional data are often collected at the individual-level and are convenience samples from a population, choices must be made on the aggregation of these data for epidemiological inference. Our study seeks to understand the influence of spatial aggregation choice on our understanding of disease spread with a case study of influenza-like illness in the United States. Using U.S. medical claims data from 2002 to 2009, we examined the epidemic source location, onset and peak season timing, and epidemic duration of influenza seasons for data aggregated to the county and state scales. We also compared spatial autocorrelation and tested the relative magnitude of spatial aggregation differences between onset and peak measures of disease burden. We found discrepancies in the inferred epidemic source locations and estimated influenza season onsets and peaks when comparing county and state-level data. Spatial autocorrelation was detected across more expansive geographic ranges during the peak season as compared to the early flu season, and there were greater spatial aggregation differences in early season measures as well. Epidemiological inferences are more sensitive to spatial scale early on during U.S. influenza seasons, when there is greater heterogeneity in timing, intensity, and geographic spread of the epidemics. Users of non-traditional disease surveillance should carefully consider how to extract accurate disease signals from finer-scaled data for early use in disease outbreaks.
Effect of a valgus brace on medial tibiofemoral joint contact force in knee osteoarthritis with varus malalignment: A within-participant cross-over randomised study with an uncontrolled observational longitudinal follow-up
Authors: Hall Michelle , Starkey Scott , Hinman Rana S. , Diamond Laura E. , Lenton Gavin K. , Knox Gabrielle , Pizzolato Claudio , Saxby David J.
Published: June 2022

Background

Previous investigations on valgus knee bracing have mostly used the external knee adduction moment. This is a critical limitation, as the external knee adduction moment does not account for muscle forces that contribute substantially to the medial tibiofemoral contact force (MTCF) during walking. The aims of this pilot study were to: 1) determine the effect of a valgus knee brace on MTCF; 2) determine whether the effect is more pronounced after 8 weeks of brace use; 3) assess the feasibility of an 8-week brace intervention.

Methods

Participants with medial radiographic knee OA and varus malalignment were fitted with an Össur Unloader One© brace. Participants were instructed to wear the brace for 8 weeks. The MTCF was estimated via an electromyogram-assisted neuromuscular model with and without the knee brace at week 0 and week 8. Feasibility outcomes included change in symptoms, quality of life, confidence, acceptability, adherence and adverse events.

Results

Of the 30 (60% male) participants enrolled, 28 (93%) completed 8-week outcome assessments. There was a main effect of the brace (p<0.001) on peak MTCF and MTCF impulse, but no main effect for time (week 0 and week 8, p = 0.10), and no interaction between brace and time (p = 0.62). Wearing the brace during walking significantly reduced the peak MTCF (-0.05 BW 95%CI [-0.10, -0.01]) and MTCF impulse (-0.07 BW.s 95%CI [-0.09, -0.05]). Symptoms and quality of life improved by clinically relevant magnitudes over the 8-week intervention. Items relating to confidence and acceptability were rated relatively highly. Participants wore the brace on average 6 hrs per day. Seventeen participants reported 30 minor adverse events over an 8-week period.

Conclusion

Although significant, reductions in the peak MTCF and MTCF while wearing the knee brace were small. No effect of time on MTCF was observed. Although there were numerous minor adverse events, feasibility outcomes were generally favourable.

Trial registration

Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (12619000622101).
Emergency department utilisation among older adults—Protocol for a systematic review of determinants and conceptual frameworks
Authors: Tang Xuan Rong , Zarisfi Faraz , Pek Pin Pin , Siddiqui Fahad Javaid , Malhotra Rahul , Kwan Yu Heng , Ling Tiah , Ho Andrew Fu Wah , Ong Marcus Eng Hock
Published: June 2022

Background

Older adults aged 65 years and above have a disproportionately higher utilization of emergency healthcare, of which Emergency Department (ED) visits are a key component. They experience higher degree of multimorbidity and mobility issues compared to younger patients, and are consequently more likely to experience a health event which requires an ED visit. During their visit, older adults tend to require more extensive workup, therefore spending a greater amount of time in the ED. Compared to the younger population, older adults are more susceptible to adverse events following discharge. Considering these factors, investigating the determinants of ED utilisation would be valuable. In this paper, we present a protocol for a systematic review of the determinants of ED utilisation among communitydwelling older adults aged 65 years and above, applying Andersen and Newman’s model of healthcare utilisation. Furthermore, we aim to present other conceptual frameworks for healthcare utilisation and propose a holistic approach for understanding the determinants of ED utilisation by older persons.

Methods

The protocol is developed in accordance with the standards of Campbell Collaboration guidelines for systematic reviews, with reference to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Review of Interventions. Medline, Embase and Scopus will be searched for studies published from 2000 to 2020. Studies evaluating more than one determinant for ED utilisation among older adults aged 65 years and above will be included. Search process and selection of studies will be presented in a PRISMA flow chart. Statistically significant (p < 0.05) determinants of ED utilisation will be grouped according to individual and societal determinants. Quality of the studies will be assessed using Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS).

Discussion

In Andersen and Newman’s model, individual determinants include predisposing factors, enabling and illness factors, and societal determinants include technology and social norms. Additional conceptual frameworks for healthcare utilisation include Health Belief Model, Social Determinants of Health and Big Five personality traits. By incorporating the concepts of these models, we hope to develop a holistic approach of conceptualizing the factors that influence ED utilisation among older people.

Systematic review registration

This protocol is registered on 8 May 2021 with PROSPERO’s International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42021253770).
Does space matter? Estimation and evaluation of required space for commercial mass culture of grasshoppers (Acridoidea: Orthoptera)
Authors: Das Amlan , Ghosh Dipsikha , Manna Balaram , Dolai Avishek , Pati Anshuman , Mandal Sumit , Mukherjee Krishnendu
Published: June 2022

A space-dependent mortality assay was performed on thirty-one short-horned adult grasshopper species (Acridoidea: Orthoptera) to estimate the space required for mass culture of acridids in captivity. Our findings show that acridids have a multidimensional mortality mode at different densities. The correlations between density and mortality of acridids in rearing units follow a sigmoidal curve. Acridid mortality significantly increases with individual numbers up to a threshold, after which mortality does not change even if the density increases further. A log-logistic sigmoidal function expresses the dose (density)-response (mortality) relationship in the majority of acridid species. Mortality of acridids at variable densities does not necessarily correspond with the body-mass of the insects, indicating that mortality is a body-mass independent event. As a ready reference, a utility chart has been prepared, providing the necessary conversion factor for estimating space for a given number of acridids. The present information will be helpful for commercial grasshopper farming in captivity.
Post-abortion family planning utilization and associated factors in health facilities of Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia: Mixed study
Authors: Tekle Lencha Tizita , Alemayehu Gube Addisu , Mesele Gessese Molalegn , Tsegay Abadi Mulugeta
Published: June 2022

Background

Unintended pregnancy due to disuse of family planning is the main cause of abortion globally. Women with a history of abortion are at higher risk of developing another unintended pregnancy, which may lead to repeated abortions and life-threatening complications. The immediate post-abortion period before women leave health institutions is a crucial time to provide family planning services. In Ethiopia, many women leave health facilities without using family planning methods. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the utilization of post-abortion family planning and its associated factors in health institutions in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia.

Methods

Facility-based mixed cross sectional study was conducted between April 1 and June 30, 2018. A systematic sampling method was used to select the 408 participants. Seven key informants were selected for in-depth interviews and observations were made using a checklist. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Data were entered into EPI INFO 3.5.1 and exported to SPSS 21 for cleaning and analysis. Bivariate analysis was employed and a P-value <0.25 was considered for the multivariable analysis. Qualitative data were coded and thematically analyzed to support the quantitative findings.

Results

Data were obtained from 400 participants (response rate, 98%). The magnitude of post-abortion family planning was 67.3% [95% CI (62.8, 71.8)]. Marital status [AOR 95% CI 3.86(1.9, 7.8)], Good knowledge about post-abortion family planning [AOR 95% CI 2.48(1.22, 5.03)], Non-governmental health facility [AOR 95% CI 6.62(3.47, 12.6)] Counseling [AOR 95% CI 3.6(2.02, 6.4)] and husbands’ support [AOR 95% CI 3.21(1.81–5.7)] were significantly associated with Post-abortion family planning utilization.

Conclusion

The utilization of post-abortion family planning was low in Wolaita Sodo health institutions. Marital status, knowledge of post-abortion family planning, use of services at non-governmental health facilities, counseling, and husbands’ support were determinants of post-abortion family planning.