bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in the levels of WBC count, PCT, CRP and ESR in Patients with acute Community-acquired Lower Respiratory tract infections and their diagnostic value
Authors: Li Na , Jia Yinan , Feng Jianen , Chang Hu , Li Siqi
Published: December 2023

Objective: To investigate the levels of white blood cell count (WBC), procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in patients with acute community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections and the value of their combined detection in predicting the occurrence of complications.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 218 patients with acute community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections admitted to Baoding No.1 Central Hospital from January 2021 to December 2021. All patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of complications during treatment: the group with complications (observation group) and the group without complications (control group). The treatment situation of the two groups was compared, and their levels of WBC, PCT, CRP and ESR were quantitatively detected and compared.

Results: Patients in the observation group were hospitalized for significantly longer days than those in the control group (P<0.05), and their combined pleural effusion percentage and oxygen uptake rate were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The levels of WBC, PCT, CRP and ESR in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group at admission, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). Moreover, the positive rates of WBC, PCT, CRP and ESR in the observation group were higher than those in the control group in the single detection and the combined detection (P<0.05).

Conclusions: The combined detection of WBC, PCT, CRP and ESR has substantial predictive value in predicting the occurrence of complications in patients with community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.7699

How to cite this: Riaz A, Sughra U, Jawaid SA, Masood J. Measurement of Service Quality Gaps in Dental Services using SERVQUAL in Public Hospitals of Rawalpindi. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(3):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.7699

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
PDX1 Methylation, NGN3 and Pax6 Expression Levels in Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and their association with neonatal blood sugars and birth weight
Authors: Su Yuanyuan , Li Jingjing , Chen Limin , Lian Hongnan , Qie Yamin
Published: December 2023

Objective: To investigate the correlation of maternal PDX1 methylation, NGN3 and Pax6 expression levels with neonatal blood sugars and birth weight in pregnant women with GDM and non GDM.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study. Total 80 pregnant women who were examined and delivered in the Department of Obstetrics of Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University from January 2019 to June 2022 were recruited and divided into two groups according to the results of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT): the control group and the observation group, with 40 cases in each group. PDXl methylation rate was measured by the methylation-specific PCR method, whereas gene expression levels of PDX1, NGN3 and Pax6 were measured by RT-PCR meanwhile, neonatal blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were also measured.

Results: In comparison with the control group, the observation group had higher levels of FBG, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose (2hPBG) and HbA1c (P<0.05). Neonatal birth weight and insulin levels in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group, while Apgar scores and blood glucose were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05). Moreover, the observation group had significantly lower gene expression levels of PDX1, NGN3 and Pax6, and a higher PDX1 methylation rate than the control group (P<0.05). Correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between neonatal blood glucose levels and PDX1, NGN3 and Pax6 levels in the observation group, with statistical significance (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Changes in maternal PDX1 methylation, NGN3 and Pax6 expression levels may lead to abnormal glucose metabolism in neonates, which has a close bearing on neonatal hypoglycemia and blood glucose levels caused by GDM.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.7700

How to cite this: Su Y, Li J, Chen L, Lian H, Qie Y. PDX1 Methylation, NGN3 and Pax6 Expression Levels in Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and their association with neonatal blood sugars and birth weight. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(3):---------.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.7700

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Outcome of arthroscopic triple release combined with rotator cuff repair in the treatment of rotator cuff injury combined with frozen shoulder
Authors: Hu Jieliang , Wei Kongxing , Xu Yinping , Chen Liyuan
Published: December 2023

Objective: To investigate the effect of arthroscopic triple release combined with rotator cuff repair in the treatment of rotator cuff injury combined with frozen shoulder and its influence on the range of motion and pain score of shoulder joint, and the levels of serum pain mediators.

Methods: This was prospective study. A total of 132 patients with rotator cuff injury combined with frozen shoulder admitted to The Third Affiliated Hospital of Gansu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from December 2020 to December 2022 were prospectively selected and divided into two groups according to the random number table method: control group (n=67) and observation group (n=65). Patients in the control group were treated with arthroscopic rotator cuff repair alone, while those in the observation group were treated with arthroscopic triple release combined with rotator cuff repair, and the surgical effects of the two groups were compared.

Results: Three months after treatment, the external rotation, internal rotation, abduction, forward flexion, β-endorphin(β-EP), prostagranin E2 (PGE2) and substance P(SP)in the observation group were better than those in the control group (P<0.05), while the weight-bearing strength of the affected limb in internal rotation, external rotation and forward flexion was higher than that of the control group(P<0.05). Meanwhile, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group at one month and three months after treatment, while the University of California at Los Angeles shoulder rating scale (UCLA) score and Constant-Murley Score (CMS) were higher than those of the control group (P< 0.05).

Conclusion: Arthroscopic triple release combined with rotator cuff repair improves various effects for patients with rotator cuff injury combined with frozen shoulder, such as ameliorating the muscle strength of the affected limb and improving the level of pain mediators.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.7709

How to cite this: Hu J, Wei K, Xu Y, Chen L. Outcome of arthroscopic triple release combined with rotator cuff repair in the treatment of rotator cuff injury combined with frozen shoulder. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(3):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.7709

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Effect of nutritional intervention in child health care on improving growth and development and disease prevention of infants
Authors: Du Juan , Huang Feiyan , Tang Zhanghua
Published: December 2023

Objective: To explore the outcome of nutritional intervention in child health care on infant growth and disease prevention.

Methods: It was a retrospective study. Ninty-two infants who received child health intervention in The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from September 2020 to June 2022 were selected as the research objects. According to the random number table method, they were divided into control group (46 cases, routine health intervention) and observation group (46 cases, nutritional intervention based on the control group) using the sealed envelope system. The growth and development, nutritional diseases and guardian satisfaction of the two groups were compared.

Results: The scores of the observation group were higher than those of the control group in gross motor, fine motor, language and individual-social aspects. The total incidence of nutritional diseases in the observation group (2.17%) was lower than that in the control group (17.39%); In terms of total satisfaction rate, the observation group (100.00%) was higher than the control group (86.96%), with a statistical difference (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Applying nutrition intervention to child health care plays an important role in maintaining the healthy growth and development of infants and reducing the incidence of nutritional diseases such as anemia and rickets. It needs to be promoted in clinical practice.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.7720

How to cite this: Du J, Huang F, Tang Z. Effect of nutritional intervention in child health care on improving growth and development and disease prevention of infants. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(3):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.7720

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Comparison of analgesic effects between erector spinae and transversus abdominis plane blocks in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Authors: Chen Hui , Li Junshi , Zuo Jianfeng , Zhang Xiping
Published: December 2023

Objective: To compare the analgesic effects and incidence of postoperative adverse events after the erector spine plane (ESP) and transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC).

Methods: In this retrospective observational study, clinical data of 103 patients undergoing LC in Changxing County People’s Hospital from October 2020 to October 2022 were retrospectively reviewed, and the patients were divided into ESP-group (n=56) and TAP-group (n=57) based on the block method. The operation time, the change of visual analogue scale (VAS) score of static (sVAS) and dynamic (dVAS) pain after operation, the patient-controlled dose, and the remedial analgesic dose at 24 hours after the operation were compared between the two groups. The occurrence of postoperative adverse reactions in both groups was recorded.

Results: The dVAS scores of the ESP-group at one hour, three hours, six hours, and 12 hours after the operation were lower than those of the TAP-group (P<0.05). The patient-controlled dose and remedial analgesia dose of the ESP-group were significantly lower than those of the TAP-group (P<0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting between the two groups (P>0.05).

Conclusions: ESP block and TAP block in LC patients have similar operation time and incidence of postoperative adverse events such as nausea and vomiting. However, short-term postoperative analgesic effect of ESP block is superior to TAP and requires a lower dose of analgesia.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.8284

How to cite this: Chen H, Li J, Zuo J, Zhang X. Comparison of analgesic effects between erector spinae and transversus abdominis plane blocks in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(3):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.8284

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Effect of COVID-19 lockdown on health of women in Pakistan - Socioeconomic perspective
Authors: Moazzam Baig Amena , Riaz Musarrat , Moazzam Amani , Bokharey Iram Zehra
Published: December 2023

Objectives: This study investigates the dimensions of women’s experiences during the COVID-19 lockdown in Pakistan, considering their historical vulnerability to natural disasters.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Pakistan from May to September 2020 at Services institute of medical Sciences, Lahore. An online survey collected socio-demographic data, household responsibilities, and access to medical services using a self-designed questionnaire. Women aged 18 years and above (n=1307) were included through convenience sampling. Data analysis utilized SPSS 20.0.

Results: Of the surveyed women, 10 (14.9%) experienced improved health outcomes, while 39 (58.27%) faced poor health outcomes. Proper access to medical services was reported by 29 (43.3%) participants, while 38 (57.1%) had no access. Two women (3.0%) conceived during the lockdown. 45 (67.2%) women lived in nuclear families, and 21 (31.3%) in joint family systems. Additionally, 46 (68.7%) women were significantly burdened with household chores, while 21 (31.3%) had a normal routine. Among COVID-19-positive respondents, 70% reported weight gain from increased screen time and sedentary lifestyle. Difficulties in managing children’s online classes were reported by 34.6% of participants. Moreover, 84% had a monthly income below one hundred thousand PKR. Among women aged 23-28 years, 30.9% had adverse effect on their husband’s income, and 4.7% experienced unemployment. Unfortunately, 16% of respondents lost a relative due to COVID-19. Even with access to health facilities.

Conclusion: The COVID-19 lockdown in Pakistan led to adverse socioeconomic and health outcomes for women. These findings highlight the measures needed to address women’s challenges amid pandemic impact.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.8312

How to cite this: Baig AM, Riaz M, Moazzam A, Bokharey IZ. Effect of COVID-19 lockdown on health of women in Pakistan- Socioeconomic perspective. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(3):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.3.8312

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Financial and Economic Prerequisites for the Reorganization of the Production System of the Machine-Building Complex
Authors: Slavyanov A. , Garnov Andrey
Published: December 2023

The production system of the domestic economy, built on the basis of long-term contracts with suppliers of objects of labor and consumers of products, has shown its instability in the conditions of modern instability of the external environment.

In the study, machine-building enterprises were classified on the basis of specialization into three groups that have specific opportunities for adapting to the external environment. It is determined that the main prerequisites for a largescale reorganization of the domestic production system are threats to the sovereignty of the state, the many times increased need of the national economy for various complex technical objects and spare parts, and financial and logistical instability. The departure of foreign investors from the Russian market created the conditions for expanding the market share of domestic companies and increasing output. In conditions of instability, it is proposed to reorganize the current production model into flexible production systems.
ARE LIQUIDITY, DIVIDEND POLICY, LEVERAGE, AND PROFITABILITY THE DETERMINANTS OF FIRM VALUE: EVIDENCE FROM THE LISTED FIRMS?
Authors: Chakraborty Brishti , Maruf Md. Yealid Hassan
Published: December 2023

The main rationale for conducting this study is to investigate the impact of liquidity, leverage, dividend, profitability, productivity, and working capital on the firm value of multinational companies. The data is collected from the listed firms in various categories under Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE). Data are gathered from the financial statements of 38 concerned firms (having 228 observations) of various categories from the period 2015 to 2021. To examine the data, we have applied a two-stage least squares (2SLS) estimator. Findings and results reveal that the cash ratio, total asset turnover, and debt-asset ratio have a positive and significant relationship with firm value when calculated by the price-to-book value (PBV) ratio. Moreover, cash ratio, dividend payout ratio, and total asset turnover have positive as well as significant relationships with firm value when measured by market capitalization (MKC). This study may have a great contribution to analyzing the firm value by considering one new variable; market capitalization (MKC) for the first time. Such kind of study has very much important to analyze the financial condition and firm value of Companies from emerging countries.
Ruralidad y gobernanza de las comunidades, en clave de nuevas ruralidades
Authors: Reyes Guarnizo Andrea Bibiana , Díaz Riveros Carlos Alberto
Published: December 2023

En los procesos de ocupación del espacio rural han primado las normas dadas desde el ordenamiento territorial, lo que permite el avance de los suelos urbanos frente al retroceso de los suelos rurales. El artículo reflexiona sobre los procesos de apropiación del territorio desde la mirada de los escenarios rurales, por medio de dos estudios de caso, y a partir de los conceptos de ruralidad y gobernanza. También se apoya en métodos cualitativos, técnicas documentales y revisión de fuentes primarias y secundarias (efectuada en el periodo 2006-2020). Dentro de los principales resultados se observó una marcada polaridad en el manejo ambiental en las instituciones gubernamentales y territoriales, así como un sentido despectivo hacia la protección del suelo rural en ambos casos; por ello, es necesario generar procesos normativos y de gestión en la procura de la protección del suelo rural.
Domestic violence and abuse, coronavirus, and the media narrative
Authors: Williamson Emma , Lombard Nancy , Brooks-Hay Oona
Published: December 2023

Following lockdowns in countries around the world, reports emerged of a ‘surge’ or ‘spikes’ in the number of domestic violence and abuse cases. It is critical to contextualise this: more men are not starting to be abusive or violent; rather, the patterns of abuse are becoming more frequent. Spiking and surging make us think in terms of more one-off incidents but it is more likely that the pattern of abuse that is already there is increasing in terms of frequency and type because both parties remain together at all times. Amid such a crisis, it is imperative that we continue to see the dynamics of domestic violence and abuse as both a pattern of abusive behaviours and a product of gendered social and cultural norms, rather than a reaction to a specific factor or event, such as COVID-19.
Implicit Possibility: Stupidity and Sport "Without Qualities"
Authors: Dutton James
Published: December 2023

Abstract: This article discusses sport and stupidity to understand modernity's valorization of explication. It reads Robert Musil's modernist novel The Man Without Qualities , which takes numerous excursive opportunities to discuss the role of sport in modern culture and its relationship to "genius," claiming that the grammar of industrial sports has reduced our ability to pay attention to the possibilities within acts we increasingly judge as simply "stupid." To do so, it follows Peter Sloterdijk's critique of modernity's mania for explication at all costs—to the detriment of the vital underside of thinking, or what he calls the implicit. This is explored in numerous examples from Musil's "essayistic" novel, a text that its author showed no willingness to complete—thus leaving its implicit possibilities open, and interminably "without qualities."
A Political Theology of Interpellation: On Subjection, Individuation, and Becoming Nothing
Authors: Dubilet Alex
Published: December 2023

Abstract: This essay argues for the political-theological significance of Louis Althusser's theory of interpellation by analyzing the import of the "Christian religious ideology" in his argument. It suggests that the subject as a complex dispositif —of (self-)recognition in relation to a transcendent call, which bestows a proper name, a place in the world, and freedom in obedience—anchors both the Christian and the secular domains. In reconstructing the subject's constitutive elements, this essay argues that interpellation does not merely recruit individuals but itself acts as an operation of individuation . Moreover, the interpellative matrix of the subject works as a sorting mechanism that segregates those who cohere as subjects from those who do not. Turning to the fourteenth-century mystical figure Meister Eckhart, the essay theorizes deinterpellation as a delegitimating force against the interplays of transcendence and subjection wherever they are operative. Rather than opening the self to a transcendent call, Eckhartian deinterpellative becoming nothing affirms an anoriginary freedom detached from the entire matrix uniting interpellative transcendence and the subject.
The Haunting Image of the Frozen Jew (in Christian Self-Understanding), the Self-Determining Universality of Human Reason, and Anticipating the Secular-Nation-State: From Hobbes to Kant and Beyond
Authors: Govind Rahul
Published: December 2023

Abstract: The following article takes aim at the deeply contested relationship between the secular and the religious in the contemporary: in its conceptual but also genealogical dimensions. Toward this end the essay analyzes Hobbes's Leviathan and Kant's Religion Within the Boundaries of Mere Reason by adopting a bifocaled lens in exposing what is seen as two interrelated forms of universality. One consisted in the (historical and pre-Christian) image of Judaic law and the Jewish people in the self-understanding of what claimed to be a universalizing (moral) Christianity, while the other consisted in a notion of reason that articulates and expresses human morality as a characteristic and index of freedom therein constituting a political society and its laws. The essay argues that the secular-religious dialectic is best understood in terms of this relationship between the image of the Judaic as it operates within Christian and "modern" aspirations toward universality. This dialectic is thereby shown to be essential to thinking and reflecting about the modern emergence of categories like the secular, the national, and the religious in their distinctions: their development as much as their ruin. In such an analysis a critique of the contemporary forms of political-theology—prominently in Schmitt and reiterated in Agamben and Badiou—is also undertaken as conclusion.
Revisiting the Date of the Acts of Peter : Engaging with Potential New Evidence from the History of Simon Cephas
Authors: Callon Callie
Published: December 2023

Abstract: Previous scholarly consensus held that the text preserved in the Latin Actus Vercellenses was a relatively faithful translation of a second-century Greek Acts of Peter . In partial support of this date was the posited intertextual relationship with the Acts of Paul , with particular attention given to the so-called " quo vadis " scenes related in both apocryphal acts. More recent scholarship has cast doubt on this, thus removing the terminus ad quem of a late second-century date that this posited relationship provided. Taking this as his starting point, Matthew Baldwin's work constitutes a formidable challenge to previous consensus of both the date and the faithfulness of the Latin translation. He argues that the Vercelli Acts should be understood as a fourth-century product in its own right and of no value for recovering an earlier Acts of Peter . While some brief counterarguments to this have been offered, to the best of my knowledge none have yet incorporated the fourth-century Syriac History of Simon Cephas, Chief of the Apostles , which has extensive parallels with the Vercelli Acts . Doing so lends additional evidence to the priority of the Acts of Peter , as well as potentially verifies scholarly argument regarding a redactional history of the Acts of Peter in the second century. As a fourth-century composition itself that includes material reflecting this date, it is also useful in comparison with details preserved in the Vercelli Acts that scholars have suggested attest to the preservation of earlier material. Taken together, these three avenues of discussion can potentially reinstate the consensus regarding the existence of a second-century Acts of Peter that is more or less faithfully preserved in the Vercelli Acts .
Structural Control of the Deposition and Subsequent
Deformation of the Killary Habour-Joyce Country
Silurian Succession
Authors: Badley Michael , Graham John , Leake Bernard
Published: December 2023

The Killary Harbour–Joyce Country succession of Silurian rocks forms the remnant of
one of three successor basins that developed after the Grampian Orogeny and which are
preserved in western Ireland. Its outcrop everywhere obscures the contact between the
Dalradian rocks of Connemara and the Ordovician rocks of the South Mayo Trough.
The outcrop is bisected by the prominent north-west trending Maam Valley Fault Zone
that is shown to have a component of synsedimentary movement down-throwing to
the southwest. The original basin margins lay well outside the current outcrop area.
North-south shortening and inversion of the basin was accomplished by reactivation
and inversion of earlier fault structures and was exclusively in the brittle zone. Folding
of the Silurian rocks with weak to moderate cleavage and deformation of the basement
rocks of Connemara was accomplished by largely vertical movements along numerous
strike parallel and oblique fractures. Break-back inversion structures were developed
along the southern margin of the South Mayo Trough, which include thrusting
associated with footwall shortcut faults and clockwise rotation. Although the timing of
deformation overlaps that of diorite sill emplacement, it remains poorly constrained in
absolute terms.
Roe : Telling the Tale
Authors: Berkman Joyce Avrech
Published: December 2023

Abstract: This essay details Berkman's efforts to grapple with the recent Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization , recriminalizing abortion in the United States. She discusses the history of reproductive justice in the US, including revealing the far more complicated history of religion and abortion than was usually assumed, and highlights the complications that will arise now that Roe v. Wade has been officially overturned.
Some Black Loneliness
Authors: Toomer Jet
Published: December 2023

Abstract: In this essay, Toomer reflects on the notion of Black loneliness, while considering the radical-queer-black-women-writers who have come before her.
Mirror Image
Authors: Johnson K. C.
Published: December 2023

Abstract: In this essay, currently incarcerated writer, K.C. Johnson recounts their years of self-inflicted physical abuse, drug dependency, multiple overdoses and rehab stays and how they began to redefine who they were after being incarcerated in a women's prison.
Nanny of the State
Authors: Beck Koa
Published: December 2023

Abstract: In this essay, Beck, a licensed foster parent, analyzes how an individualistic approach to family repair sets mothers up to fail. In addition to being assessed and punished as an individual, she is now required to change her circumstances as an individual, tasked with creating an entirely different life with very little assistance, in a truncated period of time.
Culture of Hegemonic Collegiality: Pre-Tenure Women Faculty Experiences with the "Fourth Bucket"
Authors: Ward LaWanda W.M. , Cate Leandra M. , Ford Karly S.
Published: December 2023

Abstract: This qualitative study is an examination of how 20 tenure-seeking Women of Color and White women academics at a public research-intensive university define collegiality and its perceived role in rank advancement. By engaging culture of hegemonic collegiality, we identified two salient themes: (a) collegiality is defined through weapon and survival metaphors; and (b) collegiality makes a gendered-race difference inconsistently in tenure decisions. Collegiality is and will likely remain relevant in tenure and promotion processes. We offer transformative collegiality, an equal power sharing of authority among colleagues that normalizes anti-oppressive norms, to possibly create and sustain dignity affirming faculty communities.
Enlargement of the viewing zone and size of a reconstructed image in electro-holography using multiple reconstruction lights by eye-tracking
Authors: Watanabe Riku , Sakamoto Yuji
Published: December 2023

To solve the problem of the narrow viewing zone in electro-holography, we propose a method using eye-tracking and a property of holography where the viewing zone varies with the angle of the reconstruction light. The method can enlarge the viewing zone without moving the optical elements for higher-order diffracted light removal and high-refresh-rate devices. The size of the reconstructed image is also enlarged using lenses. We conducted an experiment to validate the effectiveness of our method, and the results indicate that the viewing zone was enlarged by 1.44 times and the size of the reconstructed image was enlarged by 1.49 times.
B-ROS re-balanced learning method for PS-A-RoF FWA communication
Authors: Wang Qihang , Zhou Wen , Xu Sicong , Sang Bohan , Tan Yuxuan , Xie Tangyao
Published: December 2023

The enhanced remote area communication (eRAC) scenario is an important growth point in the communication market. In some remote areas where optical fiber access cannot be realized or the laying cost is too high, fixed wireless access (FWA) is an appropriate supplementary solution for eRAC. Adopting analog radio over fiber (A-RoF) technology to implement FWA can overcome the bandwidth limitation of electronic devices and realize high-frequency carrier communication economically to achieve high-capacity wireless communication. Also, probabilistic shaping (PS) technology can be combined with A-RoF to further improve the flexibility of the network and coverage of service provision. However, in the PS-A-RoF network, the high RF power introduces more undesired nonlinear effects into the network, and it is often necessary to deploy supervised machine learning (ML) compensation modules in wireless receivers (WRs). But the module performances are affected by the uneven probability distribution of PS-QAM constellation points. In this paper, we employ the PS-A-RoF nonlinear model to theoretically investigate the correlation between the distribution of training symbols and the wireless A-RoF system’s performance. Our analysis reveals that reducing the variance of training symbol power contributes to a lower BER in the A-RoF network. We introduce a borderline random over-sampling (B-ROS) that matches with the PS-A-RoF nonlinear model, instead of the mainstream ROS, which is only at the data level. Based on the B-ROS scheme, only the minority examples below the borderline are over-sampled to reach a better variance performance. Introducing the B-ROS method into the supervised complex value nonlinear compensation module can further improve the decision accuracy of WRs with the restoration of phase information, without increasing additional computational resource consumption. The vector noise power, training symbol power variance, and noise factor metrics have been calculated to optimize the borderline value of our ML-based approach. We also present experimental data on the proof-of-concept A-RoF experiment for PS-64QAM. The results demonstrate a promising nonlinear compensation performance of the B-ROS WR, and the optimal borderline agrees well with the one deduced from the theoretical model under certain transmission conditions. Our proposed B-ROS scheme lessens the training size demand and can improve the receiver sensitivity by 0.51 dB compared to the common ML-based WR and by 0.7 dB compared to the conventional ROS scheme.
Generation of the stable propagation Bessel beam and the axial multifoci beam with pure phase elements
Authors: Liu Shan-Shan , Zhang Xiao-Tong , Ye Jia-Sheng , Feng Sheng-Fei , Wang Xin-Ke , Han Peng , Sun Wen-Feng , Zhang Yan
Published: December 2023

A recently proposed method is upgraded to convert two amplitude phase modulation systems (APMSs) to pure phase elements (PPEs), for generating the stable propagation Bessel beam and the axial multifoci beam, respectively. Phase functions of the PPEs are presented analytically. Numerical simulations by the complete Rayleigh–Sommerfeld method demonstrate that the converted PPE has implemented the same optical functionalities as the corresponding APMS, in either the longitudinal or the transverse direction. Compared with the traditional APMS, the converted PPE possesses many advantages such as fabrication process simplification, system complexity reduction, production cost conservation, alignment error avoidance, and experimental precision enhancement. These inherent advantages position the PPE as an ideal choice and driving force behind further advancements in optical system technology.
Underwater object detection and temporal signal detection in turbid water using 3D-integral imaging and deep learning
Authors: Joshi Rakesh , Usmani Kashif , Krishnan Gokul , Blackmon Fletcher , Javidi Bahram
Published: December 2023

Underwater scattering caused by suspended particles in the water severely degrades signal detection performance and poses significant challenges to the problem of object detection. This paper introduces an integrated dual-function deep learning-based underwater object detection and classification and temporal signal detection algorithm using three-dimensional (3D) integral imaging (InIm) under degraded conditions. The proposed system is an efficient object classification and temporal signal detection system for degraded environments such as turbidity and partial occlusion and also provides the object range in the scene. A camera array captures the underwater objects in the scene and the temporally encoded binary signals transmitted for the purpose of communication. The network is trained using a clear underwater scene without occlusion, whereas test data is collected in turbid water with partial occlusion. Reconstructed 3D data is the input to a You Look Only Once (YOLOv4) neural network for object detection and a convolutional neural network-based bidirectional long short-term memory network (CNN-BiLSTM) is used for temporal optical signal detection. Finally, the transmitted signal is decoded. In our experiments, 3D InIm provides better image reconstruction in a degraded environment over 2D sensing-based methods. Also, reconstructed 3D images segment out the object of interest from occlusions and background which improves the detection accuracy of the network with 3D InIm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that combines deep learning with 3D InIm for simultaneous and integrated underwater object detection and optical signal detection in degraded environments.
Enhancement of dual zero phonon line emissions in nanodiamonds using quasiperiodic photonic structures
Authors: Behera Sinay Simanta , Redhu Ashish , Aleem Mohd , Nair Rajesh V. , Narayan K. S.
Published: December 2023

Color centers in nanodiamonds (NDs) have been largely explored by
coupling to a photonic structured matrix (PSM) to amplify visible
range emission features, enhancing their use in quantum technologies.
Here, we study the emission enhancement of dual near-infrared zero
phonon line (ZPL) emission from silicon–boron (SiB) and
silicon-vacancy (SiV−) centers in NDs using a spontaneously
emerged low index-contrast quasiperiodic PSM, having micron-scale air
pores. An intensity enhancement factor of 6.15 for SiV− and
7.8 for SiB ZPLs is attained for the PSM sample compared to a control
sample. We find Purcell enhancement of 2.77 times for the PSM sample
using spatial-dependent decay rate measurements, supported by
localized field intensity confinement in the sample. Such cavity-like
emission enhancement and lifetime reduction are enabled by an in-plane
order–disorder scattering in the PSM sample substantiated by
pump-dependent emission measurements. The results put forward a facile
approach to tailor the near-infrared dual ZPL emission from NDs using
nanophotonic structures.
Luminescence thermometry driven by a support vector machine: a strategy toward precise thermal sensing
Authors: Xu Wei , Xu Chenglong , Cui Junqi , Hu Chunhai , Wen Guilin , Zheng Longjiang , Zhang Zhiguo , Sun Zhen , Zhang Yungang
Published: December 2023

Luminescence thermometry is a promising non-contact temperature measurement technique, but improving the precision and reliability of this method remains a challenge. Herein, we propose a thermal sensing strategy based on a machine learning. By using Gd3Ga5O12: Er3+-Yb3+ as the sensing medium, a support vector machine (SVM) is preliminarily adopted to establish the relationship between temperature and upconversion emission spectra, and the sensing properties are discussed through the comparison with luminescence intensity ratio (LIR) and multiple linear regression (MLR) methods. Within a wide operating temperature range (303–853 K), the maximum and the mean measurement errors actualized by the SVM are just about 0.38 and 0.12 K, respectively, much better than the other two methods (3.75 and 1.37 K for LIR and 1.82 and 0.43 K for MLR). Besides, the luminescence thermometry driven by the SVM presents a high robustness, although the spectral profiles are distorted by the interferences within the testing environment, where, however, LIR and MLR approaches become ineffective. Results demonstrate that the SVM would be a powerful tool to be applied on the luminescence thermometry for achieving a high sensing performance.
Fast switching between the ground- and excited-state lasing in a quantum-dot microdisk triggered by sub-ps pulses
Authors: Zhukov Alexey , Nadtochiy Alexey , Karaborchev Alexey , Fominykh Nikita , Makhov Ivan , Ivanov Konstantin , Guseva Yulia , Kulagina Marina , Blokhin Sergey , Kryzhanovskaya Natalia
Published: December 2023

A quantum-dot microdisk was optically pumped by continuous-wave excitation with a level sufficient for the ground-state lasing. The microdisk was additionally illuminated with sub-ps pulses of various powers. It was found that there is a critical level of pulse power that determines the subsequent transient process of the microlaser. Depending on the level of the pulsed excitation, the ground-state lasing intensity can be either enhanced (for weak pulses) or fully quenched (for strong pulses). In the latter case, the excited-state lasing is ignited for a short time. All dynamic phenomena occur on a time scale of the order of 100 ps, and the duration of the transient process as a whole (from the arrival of the excitation pulse to the restoration of steady-state intensities) lasts no more than 0.5 ns. Using this phenomenon, a microlaser can be rapidly switched between two states with the switching controlled by the level of the incoming optical pulse.
Prevalence and risk factors for human leptospirosis at a hospital serving a pastoralist community, Endulen, Tanzania
Authors: Maze Michael J. , Shirima Gabriel M. , Lukambagire Abdul-Hamid S. , Bodenham Rebecca F. , Rubach Matthew P. , Cash-Goldwasser Shama , Carugati Manuela , Thomas Kate M. , Sakasaka Philoteus , Mkenda Nestory , Allan Kathryn J. , Kazwala Rudovick R. , Mmbaga Blandina T. , Buza Joram J. , Maro Venance P. , Galloway Renee L. , Haydon Daniel T. , Crump John A. , Halliday Jo E. B.
Published: December 2023

Background

Leptospirosis is suspected to be a major cause of illness in rural Tanzania associated with close contact with livestock. We sought to determine leptospirosis prevalence, identify infecting Leptospira serogroups, and investigate risk factors for leptospirosis in a rural area of Tanzania where pastoralist animal husbandry practices and sustained livestock contact are common.

Methods

We enrolled participants at Endulen Hospital, Tanzania. Patients with a history of fever within 72 hours, or a tympanic temperature of ≥38.0°C were eligible. Serum samples were collected at presentation and 4–6 weeks later. Sera were tested using microscopic agglutination testing with 20 Leptospira serovars from 17 serogroups. Acute leptospirosis cases were defined by a ≥four-fold rise in antibody titre between acute and convalescent serum samples or a reciprocal titre ≥400 in either sample. Leptospira seropositivity was defined by a single reciprocal antibody titre ≥100 in either sample. We defined the predominant reactive serogroup as that with the highest titre. We explored risk factors for acute leptospirosis and Leptospira seropositivity using logistic regression modelling.

Results

Of 229 participants, 99 (43.2%) were male and the median (range) age was 27 (0, 78) years. Participation in at least one animal husbandry practice was reported by 160 (69.9%). We identified 18 (7.9%) cases of acute leptospirosis, with Djasiman 8 (44.4%) and Australis 7 (38.9%) the most common predominant reactive serogroups. Overall, 69 (30.1%) participants were Leptospira seropositive and the most common predominant reactive serogroups were Icterohaemorrhagiae (n = 20, 29.0%), Djasiman (n = 19, 27.5%), and Australis (n = 17, 24.6%). Milking cattle (OR 6.27, 95% CI 2.24–7.52) was a risk factor for acute leptospirosis, and milking goats (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.07–5.16) was a risk factor for Leptospira seropositivity.

Conclusions

We identified leptospirosis in approximately one in twelve patients attending hospital with fever from this rural community. Interventions that reduce risks associated with milking livestock may reduce human infections.
High self-selection of Ukrainian refugees into Europe: Evidence from Kraków and Vienna
Authors: Kohlenberger Judith , Buber-Ennser Isabella , Pędziwiatr Konrad , Rengs Bernhard , Setz Ingrid , Brzozowski Jan , Riederer Bernhard , Tarasiuk Olena , Pronizius Ekaterina
Published: December 2023

Almost eight million Ukrainians have fled their country to escape the Russian full-scale invasion. To provide empirical evidence on how beneficiaries of temporary protection who reside in the immediate proximity of Ukraine differ from those who went further and reside in Western European countries, two large-scale rapid-response surveys were conducted in Kraków, Poland, and Vienna, Austria, in spring 2022. Data include information on socio-demographic characteristics, human capital, and return intentions of 472 and 1,094 adult Ukrainian refugees in Poland and Austria, respectively. Contributing to the growing empirical evidence on consistent assortative patterns in refugee inflows into Europe, our findings show that regularities in patterns of self-selection also occur in forced migration contexts where legal routes to safety apply. According to the analysed convenience sample, a tentative conclusion is that the further Ukrainian refugees moved to the West, the more self-selected they tend to be in the key dimensions of formal educational attainment, previous employment, language skills, and urbanity. Results indicate that willingness to stay in Kraków is significantly lower than willingness to remain in Vienna. This suggests that public financial support and living conditions, rather than diaspora networks, are decisive factors in shaping the decision to stay, move to another location or return to Ukraine. The aim to start a new life elsewhere may drive the motivation to choose a more distant destination instead of a neighboring country that allows to return rather quickly. Host countries should be aware of these specific characteristics of their refugee populations and adapt their integration policies accordingly.
Pan-genome analysis of six Paracoccus type strain genomes reveal lifestyle traits
Authors: Hollensteiner Jacqueline , Schneider Dominik , Poehlein Anja , Brinkhoff Thorsten , Daniel Rolf
Published: December 2023

The genus Paracoccus capable of inhabiting a variety of different ecological niches both, marine and terrestrial, is globally distributed. In addition, Paracoccus is taxonomically, metabolically and regarding lifestyle highly diverse. Until now, little is known on how Paracoccus can adapt to such a range of different ecological niches and lifestyles. In the present study, the genus Paracoccus was phylogenomically analyzed (n = 160) and revisited, allowing species level classification of 16 so far unclassified Paracoccus sp. strains and detection of five misclassifications. Moreover, we performed pan-genome analysis of Paracoccus-type strains, isolated from a variety of ecological niches, including different soils, tidal flat sediment, host association such as the bluespotted cornetfish, Bugula plumosa, and the reef-building coral Stylophora pistillata to elucidate either i) the importance of lifestyle and adaptation potential, and ii) the role of the genomic equipment and niche adaptation potential. Six complete genomes were de novo hybrid assembled using a combination of short and long-read technologies. These Paracoccus genomes increase the number of completely closed high-quality genomes of type strains from 15 to 21. Pan-genome analysis revealed an open pan-genome composed of 13,819 genes with a minimal chromosomal core (8.84%) highlighting the genomic adaptation potential and the huge impact of extra-chromosomal elements. All genomes are shaped by the acquisition of various mobile genetic elements including genomic islands, prophages, transposases, and insertion sequences emphasizing their genomic plasticity. In terms of lifestyle, each mobile genetic elements should be evaluated separately with respect to the ecological context. Free-living genomes, in contrast to host-associated, tend to comprise (1) larger genomes, or the highest number of extra-chromosomal elements, (2) higher number of genomic islands and insertion sequence elements, and (3) a lower number of intact prophage regions. Regarding lifestyle adaptations, free-living genomes share genes linked to genetic exchange via T4SS, especially relevant for Paracoccus, known for their numerous extrachromosomal elements, enabling adaptation to dynamic environments. Conversely, host-associated genomes feature diverse genes involved in molecule transport, cell wall modification, attachment, stress protection, DNA repair, carbon, and nitrogen metabolism. Due to the vast number of adaptive genes, Paracoccus can quickly adapt to changing environmental conditions.