bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The roles of tissue resident macrophages in health and cancer
Authors: Cao Minmin , Wang Zihao , Lan Wanying , Xiang Binghua , Liao Wenjun , Zhou Jie , Liu Xiaomeng , Wang Yiling , Zhang Shichuan , Lu Shun , Lang Jinyi , Zhao Yue
Published: January 2024

As integral components of the immune microenvironment, tissue resident macrophages (TRMs) represent a self-renewing and long-lived cell population that plays crucial roles in maintaining homeostasis, promoting tissue remodeling after damage, defending against inflammation and even orchestrating cancer progression. However, the exact functions and roles of TRMs in cancer are not yet well understood. TRMs exhibit either pro-tumorigenic or anti-tumorigenic effects by engaging in phagocytosis and secreting diverse cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors to modulate the adaptive immune system. The life-span, turnover kinetics and monocyte replenishment of TRMs vary among different organs, adding to the complexity and controversial findings in TRMs studies. Considering the complexity of tissue associated macrophage origin, macrophages targeting strategy of each ontogeny should be carefully evaluated. Consequently, acquiring a comprehensive understanding of TRMs' origin, function, homeostasis, characteristics, and their roles in cancer for each specific organ holds significant research value. In this review, we aim to provide an outline of homeostasis and characteristics of resident macrophages in the lung, liver, brain, skin and intestinal, as well as their roles in modulating primary and metastatic cancer, which may inform and serve the future design of targeted therapies.
Why is lithium [not] the drug of choice for bipolar disorder? a controversy between science and clinical practice
Authors: Kessing Lars Vedel
Published: January 2024

Background

During over half a century, science has shown that lithium is the most efficacious treatment for bipolar disorder but despite this, its prescription has consistently declined internationally during recent decades to approximately 35% ever use or less of patients with bipolar disorder.

Content

This narrative review provides an overview of the decreasing use of lithium in bipolar disorder internationally, shortly summarises the evidence for lithium’s acute and prophylactic effects in bipolar disorder, discuss the challenges in relation to lithium including side effects, long-term risks and myths around lithium and provides two detailed examples on how specialised care models may result in successful increase of the use of lithium to 70% of patients with bipolar disorder largescale and improve care regionally and nationally.

Conclusions

Decades of scientific investigations and education and teaching of clinicians and the public has not increased the use of lithium on a population-based large scale. It is argued that lithium should be the drug of choice for maintenance therapy as the single first-line treatment and that organizational changes are needed with specialised care for bipolar disorder to systematically and long-term change the use of lithium on a large-scale population-level.
MANF protein expression is upregulated in immune cells in the ischemic human brain and systemic recombinant MANF delivery in rat ischemic stroke model demonstrates anti-inflammatory effects
Authors: Anttila Jenni E. , Mattila Olli S. , Liew Hock-Kean , Mätlik Kert , Mervaala Eero , Lindholm Päivi , Lindahl Maria , Lindsberg Perttu J. , Tseng Kuan-Yin , Airavaara Mikko
Published: January 2024

Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) has cytoprotective effects on various injuries, including cerebral ischemia, and it can promote recovery even when delivered intracranially several days after ischemic stroke. In the uninjured rodent brain, MANF protein is expressed almost exclusively in neurons, but post-ischemic MANF expression has not been characterized. We aimed to investigate how endogenous cerebral MANF protein expression evolves in infarcted human brains and rodent ischemic stroke models. During infarct progression, the cerebral MANF expression pattern both in human and rat brains shifted drastically from neurons to expression in inflammatory cells. Intense MANF immunoreactivity took place in phagocytic microglia/macrophages in the ischemic territory, peaking at two weeks post-stroke in human and one-week post-stroke in rat ischemic cortex. Using double immunofluorescence and mice lacking MANF gene and protein from neuronal stem cells, neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, we verified that MANF expression was induced in microglia/macrophage cells in the ischemic hemisphere. Embarking on the drastic expression transition towards inflammatory cells and the impact of blood-borne inflammation in stroke, we hypothesized that exogenously delivered MANF protein can modulate tissue recovery processes. In an attempt to enhance recovery, we designed a set of proof-of-concept studies using systemic delivery of recombinant MANF in a rat model of cortical ischemic stroke. Intranasal recombinant MANF treatment decreased infarct volume and reduced the severity of neurological deficits. Intravenous recombinant MANF treatment decreased the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in the infarcted cortex one-day post-stroke. In conclusion, MANF protein expression is induced in activated microglia/macrophage cells in infarcted human and rodent brains, and this could implicate MANF’s involvement in the regulation of post-stroke inflammation in patients and experimental animals. Moreover, systemic delivery of recombinant MANF shows promising immunomodulatory effects and therapeutic potential in experimental ischemic stroke.
A review of graph neural networks: concepts, architectures, techniques, challenges, datasets, applications, and future directions
Authors: Khemani Bharti , Patil Shruti , Kotecha Ketan , Tanwar Sudeep
Published: January 2024

Deep learning has seen significant growth recently and is now applied to a wide range of conventional use cases, including graphs. Graph data provides relational information between elements and is a standard data format for various machine learning and deep learning tasks. Models that can learn from such inputs are essential for working with graph data effectively. This paper identifies nodes and edges within specific applications, such as text, entities, and relations, to create graph structures. Different applications may require various graph neural network (GNN) models. GNNs facilitate the exchange of information between nodes in a graph, enabling them to understand dependencies within the nodes and edges. The paper delves into specific GNN models like graph convolution networks (GCNs), GraphSAGE, and graph attention networks (GATs), which are widely used in various applications today. It also discusses the message-passing mechanism employed by GNN models and examines the strengths and limitations of these models in different domains. Furthermore, the paper explores the diverse applications of GNNs, the datasets commonly used with them, and the Python libraries that support GNN models. It offers an extensive overview of the landscape of GNN research and its practical implementations.
Bilingual video captioning model for enhanced video retrieval
Authors: Alrebdi Norah , Al-Shargabi Amal A.
Published: January 2024

Many video platforms rely on the descriptions that uploaders provide for video retrieval. However, this reliance may cause inaccuracies. Although deep learning-based video captioning can resolve this problem, it has some limitations: (1) traditional keyframe extraction techniques do not consider video length/content, resulting in low accuracy, high storage requirements, and long processing times; (2) Arabic language support in video captioning is not extensive. This study proposes a new video captioning approach that uses an efficient keyframe extraction method and supports both Arabic and English. The proposed keyframe extraction technique uses time- and content-based approaches for better quality captions, fewer storage space requirements, and faster processing. The English and Arabic models use a sequence-to-sequence framework with long short-term memory in both the encoder and decoder. Both models were evaluated on caption quality using four metrics: bilingual evaluation understudy (BLEU), metric for evaluation of translation with explicit ORdering (METEOR), recall-oriented understudy of gisting evaluation (ROUGE-L), and consensus-based image description evaluation (CIDE-r). They were also evaluated using cosine similarity to determine their suitability for video retrieval. The results demonstrated that the English model performed better with regards to caption quality and video retrieval. In terms of BLEU, METEOR, ROUGE-L, and CIDE-r, the English model scored 47.18, 30.46, 62.07, and 59.98, respectively, whereas the Arabic model scored 21.65, 36.30, 44.897, and 45.52, respectively. According to the video retrieval, the English and Arabic models successfully retrieved 67% and 40% of the videos, respectively, with 20% similarity. These models have potential applications in storytelling, sports commentaries, and video surveillance.
A single-subject research design evaluating a co-created yoga program for adults with gynecologic cancer: feasibility study protocol
Authors: Price Jenson , Brunet Jennifer
Published: January 2024

Background

Worldwide, > 1.3 million adults are diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer each year, affecting their wellbeing and quality of life. This manuscript describes the protocol for a study that sought to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity of a community-based co-created yoga program and proposed evaluative methods, and estimate program effects on self-reported outcomes.

Methods

Using a multiple baseline single-subject research design with a follow-up phase (ABA), quantitative and qualitative data were collected from program participants and the instructor. Participants were randomly assigned to varying baseline lengths and completed weekly surveys for 3–5 weeks pre-program. Then, participants engaged in a bi-modal 12-week hatha yoga program consisting of 2 60-min group classes a week, with optional supplemental features (January–April, 2023). Participants completed surveys after classes 1, 12, and 24. All yoga classes were audio- and video-recorded. Post-program, participants completed surveys 1, 4, and 8 weeks after the last class and took part in a semi-structured interview 1 week after to discuss program acceptability, suitability, relevance, and potential benefits. Feasibility outcomes (i.e., recruitment, retention, and program adherence rates, engagement with optional program features) were tracked by the instructor assistant and study team during the study. The yoga instructor was interviewed about their experience delivering the program 2 weeks after the last class.

Planned analysis

Feasibility outcomes will be analyzed using descriptive statistics. Interview transcripts will be coded using reflexive thematic analysis. Class recordings will be coded using duration and frequency coding. Survey responses for self-reported outcomes will be analyzed visually and using multilevel modeling.

Expected outcomes

Data will help determine refinements, if any, required to the program and instructor guidebook, implementation approach, and proposed evaluation methods before scale-up projects and definitive trials are started.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05610982. November 3, 2022.
Bridging the citizenship law implementation gap: a typology for comparative analysis
Authors: van der Baaren Luuk
Published: January 2024

While major advances have been made over the past years in comparing citizenship laws globally, most measures remain restricted to the law-on-the-books. Knowledge about the implementation of these laws remains limited. This poses the question to what extent these measures correspond with the law as experienced by targeted populations. In order to overcome the implementation gap when comparing and measuring citizenship law globally, this paper addresses the question of how to gain a coherent understanding of implementation. Developing a comprehensive typology, the paper distinguishes three crucial elements of implementation: (1) the entry into force of legal provisions (capturing the applicable state of citizenship law), (2) the interpretation of law (the specific interpretation of legal provisions used by the authorities responsible for their execution), and (3) the application of law (executing legal provisions in practice by the authorities). Subsequently, the paper illustrates how this typology can be applied to the analysis of citizenship law implementation by a case study of dual citizenship acceptance, focusing on the renunciation requirement for naturalisation and dual citizenship treaties. The paper concludes by outlining directions for a comparative research agenda that better corresponds with the lived experience of citizenship laws.
The presence and distribution of various genes in postnatal CLP-affected palatine tissue
Authors: Goida Jana , Pilmane Mara
Published: January 2024

Background

Worldwide cleft lip with or without a cleft palate (CL/P) is the most common craniofacial birth defect. Apart from changes in facial appearance, additionally affected individuals often suffer from various associated comorbidities requiring complex multidisciplinary treatment with overall high expenses. Understanding the complete pathogenetic mechanisms of CL/P might aid in developing new preventative strategies and therapeutic approaches, help with genetic counselling, and improve quality of life. Many genes have been associated with the development of orofacial clefts; however, the majority require further research. Based on the role of PAX7, PAX9, SHH, SOX3, WNT3A, and WNT9B in orofacial development, the intention was to use chromogenic in situ hybridization to detect the six genes in postnatal CLP-affected palatine tissue and compare their distribution within the tissue samples.

Results

Statistically significant differences in the distribution of PAX7, PAX9, WNT3A, and WNT9B were observed. In total, 19 pairs of moderate to very strong positive correlations were noted.

Conclusions

Changes in the cleft-affected palatine epithelium primarily seem to be associated with the PAX7 gene; however, PAX9, WNT3A, WNT9B, and SOX3 role seems to be more limited. Whilst connective tissue changes seem to depend on PAX7 only, SHH seems to participate individually and indistinctly. Numerous positive correlations reflect the complicating interactions of the pathways and their components in the orofacial cleft morphopathogenesis.
Enhancing your practice: debriefing in interventional radiology
Authors: Fitzgerald Kara , Knight Jesse , Valji Karim
Published: January 2024

Learning objectives

Review the history of debriefing and provide an Interventional Radiologist (IR) specific framework for leading an effective debrief.

Background

A debrief is often regarded as a meeting with persons who were involved in a stressful, traumatic and/or emotionally challenging situation to review processes, communicate concerns or gather feedback. The goals of these sessions can be for learning/quality improvement (QI) or psychological/emotional support, or a mix of both. Debriefing after tough situations has become a standard tool of many medical specialties, such as surgery, critical care and emergency medicine, with specialty specific literature available. However, there is a paucity of Interventional Radiology specific literature available for debriefing techniques.

Clinical findings/procedure details

We will review the history and types of debriefing and why a debrief could be considered. We will provide a framework for leading a successful debrief in Interventional Radiology.

Conclusion

Debriefing can be a useful tool for learning and QI as well as psychological or emotional support after a challenging or tough situation. Debriefing can address multiple variables and can stylistically be tailored to suit specific needs. IRs have an opportunity to take a leadership role in debriefing, providing comfort and quality improvement through communication and support.
Isolation of four carbapenem-resistant gram-negative species from a single fly
Authors: Wang Hanyu , Zhou Hongwei , Chen Gongxiang , Dong Ning
Published: January 2024

The widespread occurrence of carbapenem-resistant organisms has garnered significant public attention. Arthropods, including flies, are important vectors of multidrug-resistant bacteria. In this study, we reported the simultaneous carriage of four carbapenem-resistant isolates from different species, namely, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Providencia manganoxydans (P. manganoxydan), Myroides odoratimimus (M. odoratimimus) and Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabilis), from a single fly in China. These isolates were characterized through antimicrobial susceptibility testing, conjugation assays, whole-genome sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis. M. odoratimimus showed intrinsic resistance to carbapenems. The mechanisms of carbapenem resistance in E. coli, P. manganoxydans, and P. mirabilis were due to the production of NDM-5, NDM-1 and NDM-1, respectively. Genetic context of the blaNDM genes in these three isolates varied. The blaNDM-5 gene in E. coli was located on an IncHI2/HI2A multidrug-resistant plasmid, which was conjugatively transferable. The blaNDM-1 gene in P. mirabilis resided on the pPM14-NDM_123k-like nonconjugative plasmid. The blaNDM-1 gene in P. manganoxydans was found in a nonconjugatively transferable, multidrug-resistant region. The results of this study enhance our understanding of the dissemination of carbapenem-resistant organisms and suggest the need for a more comprehensive approach to antibiotic resistance research encompassing humans, animals, and the environment.
Role of ERα and Aromatase in Juvenile Gigantomastia
Authors: Santen Richard J , Karaguzel Gulay , Livaoglu Murat , Yue Wei , Cline J Mark , Ratan Aakrosh , Sasano Hironobu
Published: January 2024

Context

Approximately 150 patients with juvenile gigantomastia have been reported in the literature but the underlying biologic mechanisms remain unknown.

Objective

To conduct extensive clinical, biochemical, immunochemical, and genetic studies in 3 patients with juvenile gigantomastia to determine causative biologic factors.

Methods

We examined clinical effects of estrogen by blockading estrogen synthesis or its action. Breast tissue aromatase expression and activity were quantitated in 1 patient and 5 controls. Other biochemical markers, including estrogen receptor α (ERα), cyclin D1 and E, p-RB, p-MAPK, p-AKT, BCL-2, EGF-R, IGF-IR β, and p-EGFR were assayed by Western blot. Immunohistochemical analyses for aromatase, ERα and β, PgR, Ki67, sulfotransferase, estrone sulfatase, and 17βHD were performed in all 3 patients. The entire genomes of the mother, father, and patient in the 3 families were sequenced.

Results

Blockade of estrogen synthesis or action in patients resulted in demonstrable clinical effects. Biochemical studies on fresh frozen tissue revealed no differences between patients and controls, presumably due to tissue dilution from the large proportion of stroma. However, immunohistochemical analysis of ductal breast cells in the 3 patients revealed a high percent of ERα (64.1% ± 7.8% vs reference women 9.6%, range 2.3-15%); aromatase score of 4 (76%-100% of cells positive vs 30.4% ± 5.6%); PgR (69.5% ± 15.2% vs 6.0%, range 2.7%-11.9%) and Ki67 (23.7% ± 0.54% vs 4.2%). Genetic studies were inconclusive although some intriguing variants were identified.

Conclusion

The data implicate an important biologic role for ERα to increase tissue sensitivity to estrogen and aromatase to enhance local tissue production as biologic factors involved in juvenile gigantomastia.
Consciousness: The Force is Back
Authors: Demetriou Andreas
Published: January 2024

This commentary discusses the papers included in this special issue which focuses on the role of consciousness in various aspects of behavior. The commentary first outlines dominant theories of consciousness and awareness. It then focuses on the papers included in the special issue, outlining the main findings or claims of each and embedding them in the general frame of the current study of consciousness. Finally, we conclude by outlining some general premises a general theory of consciousness would have to satisfy.
Healthcare resource allocation decisions and non-emergency treatments in the aftermath of Covid-19 pandemic. How should children with chronic illness feature in prioritisation processes?
Authors: Lignou Sapfo , Sheehan Mark , Parker Michael , Wolfe Ingrid
Published: January 2024

Background In the aftermath of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, allocation of non-urgent medical interventions is a persistent ethical challenge as health systems currently face an unprecedented backlog of patients requiring treatment. Difficult decisions must be made that prioritise certain patients over others. Ethical resource allocation requires that the needs of all patients are considered properly, but at present there is no guidance that can help support such decision-making which explicitly considers the needs of children with chronic and complex conditions. Methods This paper reviews the NHS guidance for priorities and operational planning and examines how the needs of children with chronic illness are addressed in NHS objectives for restoring services and meeting elective care demands. Results The usual criteria for prioritisation featured in the NHS guidance fail to account for the distinct needs of children with chronic illnesses and fail to match more general considerations of what constitutes fair resource allocation decisions. To address this issue, two considerations, namely 'protecting age-related opportunity' and 'recognising complexity of care,' are proposed as additions to the existing approach. Conclusion By providing a broader conception of needs, these criteria address inefficiencies of the current guidance and relevant ethical frameworks and help to embed a currently missing children-related ethical approach to healthcare policy making in general.
How are suburbanization and peri-urbanization not the same? Key differences in urban regions in Central and Eastern European countries: the case of cities in southern Poland
Authors: Zborowski Andrzej , Gałka Jadwiga , Surmacz-Wybrańczyk Małgorzata
Published: January 2024

The aim of the paper is to discuss differences between suburbanization and peri-urbanization using the Kraków, Tarnów, and Nowy Sącz urban regions in the Province of Małopolska as a case study. The paper highlights the lack of distinction in the use of these terms in Central and Eastern European countries and in the Polish research literature, where these two unique urban decentralization processes (suburbanization and peri-urbanization) are described using the same term: suburbanization. In spite of the terminological ambiguities discussed in the paper and lack of agreement on ways to distinguish the two concepts as well as significant difficulties in their operationalization the analysis presented in the current study demonstrates that there does exist a case for a distinction in the treatment of suburbanization and peri-urbanization in many post-socialist urban regions.
Surgical treatment of high-pressure injection injuries of the hand caused by using paint guns: a report of three serial cases
Authors: Jeong Jiwon , Chung Chul Hoon , Chang Yongjoon , Kim Kuylhee , Jung Soyeon
Published: January 2024

The incidence of high-pressure injection injuries is increasing with the development of industry and use of injectors. Although high-pressure injection injuries are relatively rare, they commonly lead to complications such as skin necrosis, infection, and amputation. Moreover, the initial presentation is prone to be underestimated because of the small entry point at the patient’s first encounter in emergency care. A prompt surgical intervention is required, with appropriate and rapid initial treatments, including broad-spectrum antibiotics and tetanus toxoid. The surgical treatment involves wide debridement for foreign material removal and subsequent reconstruction. In this case report, we present three cases we encountered and the ensuing complications. All three patients who received the same treatments are discussed in detail.
The Spillover Effects of Capacity Pooling in Hospitals
Authors: Lim Jong Myeong , Song Hummy , Yang Julius J.
Published: January 2024

Off-service placement is a common capacity-pooling strategy that hospitals utilize to address mismatches in supply and demand that arise from the day-to-day variation in patient demand. This strategy involves placing patients in a bed in a unit that is designated for another specialty service. Building on prior work that documents the negative first order effects of off-service placement on patients who are placed off service themselves, we quantify the spillover effects of this practice on patients who are actually placed on service. Using an estimation strategy that combines the Heckman correction procedure and a heteroskedasticity-based identification approach, we find that off-service placement has substantial negative spillover effects on the efficiency of care delivered to on-service patients. In particular, we find that a 10 percentage point increase in the level of off-service placement during a patient’s hospitalization is associated with a 10.9% increase in length of stay. Through a series of counterfactual analyses, we propose alternate routing and capacity-planning policies that could meaningfully improve the efficiency of care in the inpatient setting.

This paper was accepted by Stefan Scholtes, healthcare management.

Funding: This work was supported by Claude Marion Endowed Faculty Scholar Award; Fishman-Davidson Center for Service and Operations Management.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.02202 .
Climate Change Mitigation Potential of Forestry Sector for Sustainability of Agro-Ecosystem: A Review
Authors: Tripathi M K , Kumar Hemant , Tyagi P. K.
Published: January 2024

Ecosystems that are currently struggling are likely faring and pathetic conditions because of climate change. The most pressing problems facing people in the world's developing parts of the world are water scarcity, dwindling biodiversity, and stagnant agricultural output. According to the majority of scientists, global warming can be stopped before it becomes irreversible if temperatures are kept within a range of 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius. Greenhouse gases, sometimes known as GHGs, are the burning causes of climate change impacts. Accelerated emissions of GHGs could be dependent on the rate of social, economic, and technological development. Forest systems have a crucial impact in mitigating global warming. Clearing forests, setting them on fire, or otherwise destroying those releases massive amounts of other greenhouse gases (GHGs), even if the forests are the planet's greatest terrestrial carbon sink. Forests' source-sink dynamics and the total quantity of carbon they store are profoundly impacted by regional differences in human land use, anthropogenic climate change, and disturbance. Constantly expanding conservation, restoration, reforestation, and afforestation operations will be necessary to keep global warming under control and stop it from exceeding the crucial threshold. Forests are currently being employed as a potential tool for combating climate change, which has been demonstrated to be an effective and long-term strategy. However, the impact of climate change on forests is largely negative. The negative effects of climate change on forests are becoming more pronounced, as evidenced by an increase in the forest fire events and results in a shift in species distribution at higher altitudes, an increase in dieback, an increase in the number of insect and pathogen infestations, drought and flood conditions, and a decrease in the ecosystem services provided by forests. The IPCC has predicted that changes to ecosystems, arctic ice melting, rising sea levels, decreased grain yields, declining fisheries, and the loss of coral reefs will all have significant consequences. Therefore, protecting ecosystem services and biodiversity is crucial to ensuring humanity's survival.
Environment-Friendly Refrigerants for Sustainable Refrigeration and Air Conditioning: A Review
Authors: Bhatti S. S. , Kumar Ajay , R Reetu , Singh Rajinder
Published: January 2024

Refrigeration and air conditioning systems play a vital role in our modern society, and refrigerants are integral components of these systems. Traditional refrigerants like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) have caused significant environmental concerns because of their role in ozone depletion and global warming. Consequently, interest has increased in developing and implementing environmentally benign refrigerants possessing minimal global warming potential (GWP) and no ozone depletion potential (ODP). This review explores the emerging field of environment-friendly refrigerants such as natural refrigerants (NH3, CO2, hydrocarbons), hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) with ultra-low GWP, hydrofluoroethers (HFEs) and mixtures or blends of these refrigerants. The article also compares their thermophysical, thermodynamic, environmental and safety properties, and their suitability for different applications. The key recommendations encompass the promotion of natural refrigerants, including NH3, CO2, and hydrocarbons, exhibit minimal environmental effects. Additionally, the exploration of HFOs and HFCs with ultra-low GWP and their mixtures as potential substitutes is advised. Transitioning to environment-friendly refrigerants is essential for achieving sustainable refrigeration and air conditioning systems, mitigating climate change, and ensuring the long-term viability of cooling technologies while preserving the environment.
Impact of a Crisis on Waste Management Policy Adherence And Practices - A Narrative Review of Bio-Medical Waste Management During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Costa John D , Patel Harshad , Braganza Vincent , Solanki Hitesh
Published: January 2024

As the greatest threat to humanity since the Black Death of 1929, the COVID-19 pandemic is believed to be the worst and most terrible world-wide health catastrophe of the century. This pandemic has significantly altered the demographics, and ordinary economic activity ceased to save human lives. Although the limited economy has helped to create an environmentally friendly atmosphere, it additionally brought about a significant problem with biomedical waste. This review paper covers the various steps, initiatives, methods, and techniques to degrade biomedical waste(BMW) from hospitals, clinics, production units, workplaces, homes, and laboratories due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the narrative review was to identify how the crisis impacted existing practices of biomedical waste management and adherence to overarching policy frameworks, along with the changes that were initiated in the same. We have reviewed a range of statutory norms, techniques, and methods used to dispose of biomedical waste appropriately during the pandemic. A big challenge to the world today is to dispose of them properly, without promulgating the infection in the immediate and larger environment. The results of the review show that there were definitive changes in the way BMW management practices were followed before and after the pandemic, along with overarching changes in statutory regulations and policy frameworks around these practices. The study also puts forth reasoning behind these changes and recommends a direction and context for the same in order to help prepare for another crisis while reducing the environmental impact of BMW.
Assessment of Plants Sensitivity to Air Pollution using Physiological and Biochemical Parameters
Authors: Prasath G. Sriram , Rebellow M. Alga Celine , G Kannan , Subramani A
Published: January 2024

Plants act as a main green belt enhancement component. Green plants create a surface that may absorb air pollutants and act as a sink for them, making greenbelts an efficient method of controlling air pollution. Thus attention is needed to promote and develop green belt zones in polluted areas. The current study is focused on evaluating the air pollution tolerance levels of Mangifera indica, Ficus religiosa, Psidium guajava, Annona squamosa already grown in polluted and unpolluted sites. By taking into account biochemical markers such as total chlorophyll level, ascorbic acid level, pH, water content, the Air pollution tolerance index (APTI) was calculated. APTI is an empirical relationship that assesses the degree to which different plant species can tolerate air pollution .Plants that possess APTI value less than or equal to 11 are known as sensitive, between 12 and 16 are moderately tolerant and greater than 17 are tolerant. The results obtained from the study showed that M. indica is more tolerant in nature. The rest of the plants used in the study are found to be intermittently tolerant. From this study, it can be concluded that planting Mangifera indica, Psidium guajava ,Annona squamosa, Ficus religosa in urban areas can reduce air pollution. This study also concludes that use of the APTI evaluation for the identification of air pollution tolerant plants is a suitable method.
Effect of Physico-Chemical Parameters and Inorganic Nutrient Ions in Relation with Seasonal Algal Diversity of River Ichhamati, West Bengal, India.
Authors: Ray Monojit , SK Suraj
Published: January 2024

The present study reflects seasonal algal diversity as a source of food for fishes in the river Ichhamati during October 2021 to August 2022. To understand the seasonal algal pattern in the river Ichhamati, physicochemical parameters of river water such as Hardness, Conductivity, pH, Total Dissolve Solids, Turbidity, Dissolve Oxygen, Salinity, Turbidity, Total Alkalinity, Salinity, Biological Oxygen Demand as well as biologically significant inorganic ion concentrations in river water namely sodium, potassium, calcium, carbonate, bicarbonate, nitrate, chloride were also evaluated during study period. It is found that physico-chemical parameters and inorganic ions in river water play an important and significant role in seasonal algal growth. Throughout the study period it was established that river Ichhamati is not very rich in floral diversity. During study time it was observed that dominant group of algae in this river are Chlophytes, Cyanophytes and Bacilariophyceae, including Species of Oscillatoria Nostoc, Klebsormidium, Spirogyra, Lyngbya, Chlorococcum, Chlorella, Diatoms in all seasons. During spring, summer and monsoon Conductivity, salinity, TDS and hardness of river water is high. Ichhamati contained adequate Na+, K+ and NO3- in summer and monsoon season. High rate of bio-mineralisation during winter was found due to presence of high calcium ion concentration and also high TDS along with high salinity as well as high hardness of river water.
Comparative Analysis of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Wavelet Integrated Artificial Neural Network (W-ANN) Approaches for Rainfall Modeling of Southern Rajasthan, India
Authors: Paradkar Vinayak , Mittal H K
Published: January 2024

This paper addresses the challenge of predicting erratic rainfall in Rajasthan state of India, particularly in southern regions. Reliable rainfall predictions are crucial for water resource management and agriculture planning. The research involved selecting 58 stations across seven districts of southern Rajasthan and identifying the best fit computational neural (ANN) and wavelet integrated computational neural (W-ANN) architectures based on performance metrics. Different combinations of input characters, hidden layer neurons, learning algorithms, and training cycles were tested to determine optimal models. Hybrid models, combining wavelet analysis with ANN, were explored to tackle non-stationary hydrologic signals effectively. Results showed that ANN Model C with ten input layer neurons performed best for 74% of stations, followed by Model B (21% of stations) and Model A (5% of stations). Models with increased input and hidden layer neurons performed better. Among the selected stations, 81% of stations demonstrated improved performance using W-ANN models due to effective signal decomposition and information extraction. The hybrid W-ANN models outperformed simple ANN models for rainfall prediction. Both ANN and W-ANN models accurately forecasted weekly rainfall, as observed in the comparison of actual and forecasted values.
The Farm Mule 5000
Authors: Pope Jon
Published: January 2024

Jon Pope is a US-based industrial designer of considerable repute, and no stranger to the Design Challenge. As a previous finalist he knows what it takes to make the grade. Once again, he hasn’t disappointed
Synergistic monitoring of PM2.5 and CO2 based on active and passive remote sensing fusion during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics
Authors: Wang Shuaibo , Xu Wentao , Chen Sijie , Xu Chengkang , Li Weize , Cheng Chonghui , Deng Jiesong , Liu Dong
Published: January 2024

Green and low-carbon are the keywords of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games (WOG) and the core of sustainable development. Beijing’s PM2.5 and CO2 emissions attracted worldwide attention during WOG. However, the complex emission sources and frequently changing weather patterns make it impossible for a single monitoring approach to meet the high-resolution, full-coverage monitoring requirements. Therefore, we proposed an active–passive remote sensing fusion method to address this issue. The haze layer height (HLH) was first retrieved from vertical aerosol profiles measured by our high-spectral-resolution lidar located near Olympic venues, which provides new insights into the nonuniform boundary layer and the residual aerosol aloft above it. Second, we developed a bootstrap aggregating (bagging) method that assimilates the lidar-based HLH, satellite-based AOD, and meteorological data to estimate the hourly PM2.5 with 1 km resolution. The PM2.5 at Beijing region, Bird’s Nest, and Yanqing venues during WOG was 23.00±18.33, 22.91±19.48, and 16.33±10.49µg/m3, respectively. Third, we also derived the CO2 enhancements, CO2 spatial gradients resulting from human activities, and annual growth rate (AGR) to estimate the performance of carbon emission management in Beijing. Based on the top-down method, the results showed an average CO2 enhancement of 1.62 ppm with an annual decline rate of 2.92 ppm. Finally, we compared the monitoring data with six other international cities. The results demonstrated that Beijing has the largest PM2.5 annual decline rate of 7.43µg/m3, while the CO2 AGR is 1.46 ppm and keeps rising, indicating Beijing is still on its way to carbon peaking and needs to strive for carbon neutrality.
Phase retrieval from single-shot square wave fringe based on image denoising using deep learning
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Cheng Peng , You ZhiSheng , You Di
Published: January 2024

Fringe-structured light measurement technology has garnered significant
attention in recent years. To enhance measurement speed while
maintaining a certain level of accuracy using binary fringe, this
paper proposes a phase retrieval method with single-frame binary
square wave fringe. The proposed method utilizes image denoising
through deep learning to extract the phase, enabling the use of a
trained image denoiser as a low-pass filter, which adaptively replaces
the manual selection of the appropriate band-pass filter. The results
demonstrate that this method achieves higher reconstruction accuracy
than the traditional single-frame algorithm while preserving more
object details.
Detectability of unresolved particles in off-axis digital holographic microscopy
Authors: Johnston Nikki , Dubay Megan Marie , Serabyn Eugene , Nadeau Jay L.
Published: January 2024

Off-axis digital holographic microscopy (DHM) provides both amplitude and phase images, and so it may be used for label-free 3D tracking of micro- and nano-sized particles of different compositions, including biological cells, strongly absorbing particles, and strongly scattering particles. Contrast is provided by differences in either the real or imaginary parts of the refractive index (phase contrast and absorption) and/or by scattering. While numerous studies have focused on phase contrast and improving resolution in DHM, particularly axial resolution, absent have been studies quantifying the limits of detection for unresolved particles. This limit has important implications for microbial detection, including in life-detection missions for space flight. Here we examine the limits of detection of nanosized particles as a function of particle optical properties, microscope optics (including camera well depth and substrate), and data processing techniques and find that DHM provides contrast in both amplitude and phase for unresolved spheres, in rough agreement with Mie theory scattering cross-sections. Amplitude reconstructions are more useful than phase for low-index spheres and should not be neglected in DHM analysis.
Laser forward and backward scattering characteristics and experimental study of bubbles in ship wake
Authors: Zong Siguang , Chen Bao , Zhang Xin , Duan Zike , Yang Shaopeng , Xionghui Li
Published: January 2024

The detection and tracking of
ships can be realized by using the laser forward and backward
scattering characteristics of ship wake bubbles. In this paper, the
detection ability of two kinds of scattering to wake bubbles is
studied. Based on the distribution characteristics of ship wake and
bubble targets, typical bubble targets are selected to study from both
micro and macro aspects. The light scattering model of water is
established from the microscopic aspect, and the forward and backward
scattering light intensity equations of water are derived. The
circumferential scattering characteristics of a single bubble are
analyzed based on the Mie scattering theory. According to the
transmission characteristics of light in wake bubbles, the secondary
scattering model of wake bubbles is established, and the forward and
backward scattering light intensity equations are derived. In the
macroscopic aspect, the laser scattering simulation model of wake
bubbles is established by Monte Carlo, and the forward and backward
scattering characteristics of wake bubble clusters with different
radii, densities, and thicknesses are analyzed emphatically. A laser
forward scattering and backscattering detection system under typical
bubble characteristics was built, and the composite scattering
characteristics of wake bubbles with different parameter
characteristics were experimentally analyzed. The theoretical and
experimental results show that with the increase of bubble radius,
density, and thickness, the amplitude of laser forward scattering
signal of bubble groups decreases gradually, the amplitude of backward
scattering signal increases gradually, the change rate of forward and
backward scattering amplitude increases, and the change rate of
backscattering is obviously larger than that of forward scattering.
The detection of wake bubbles by backscattering has more
characteristic changes than that by forward scattering, and the
detection success rate is higher. The research results can provide
theoretical and experimental support for the design of a ship wake
laser detection system.
High-accuracy noninvasive continuous glucose monitoring using OCT angiography-purified blood scattering signals in human skin
Authors: Gao Mengqin , Guo Dayou , Wang Jiahao , Tan Yizhou , Liu Kaiyuan , Gao Lei , Zhang Yulei , Ding Zhihua , Gu Ying , Li Peng
Published: January 2024

The accuracy of noninvasive continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) through near-infrared scattering is challenged by mixed scattering signals from different compartments, where glucose has a positive correlation with a blood scattering coefficient but a negative correlation with a tissue scattering coefficient. In this study, we developed a high-accuracy noninvasive CGM based on OCT angiography (OCTA)-purified blood scattering signals. The blood optical scattering coefficient (BOC) was initially extracted from the depth attenuation of backscattered light in OCT and then purified by eliminating the scattering signals from the surrounding tissues under the guidance of a 3D OCTA vascular map in human skin. The purified BOC was used to estimate the optical blood glucose concentration (BGC) through a linear calibration. The optical and reference BGC measurements were highly correlated (R = 0.94) without apparent time delay. The mean absolute relative difference was 6.09%. All optical BGC measurements were within the clinically acceptable Zones A + B, with 96.69% falling in Zone A on Parke's error grids. The blood glucose response during OGTT was mapped with a high spatiotemporal resolution of the single vessel and 5 seconds. This noninvasive OCTA-based CGM shows promising accuracy for clinical use. Future research will involve larger sample sizes and diabetic participants to confirm these preliminary findings.
Frequency modulated continuous wave and time of flight LIDAR with single photons: a comparison
Authors: Staffas Theodor , Elshaari Ali , Zwiller Val
Published: January 2024

In this study, we compare the two prominent Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technologies: Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) and Time of Flight (ToF). By constructing a setup capable of performing both LIDAR methods at the single photon level using a Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detector (SNSPD), we compare the accuracy and investigate the dependence of the resulting images and accuracy on the signal power and the corresponding signal to noise ratio. We demonstrate that both LIDAR methods are able to reconstruct 3D environments with a signal-to-noise ratio as low as 0.03. However, the accuracy of FMCW LIDAR is shown to degrade in the low photon regime, while ToF LIDAR accuracy is shown to be stable across the same range. Lastly, we use a median de-noising convolution filter to effectively combat the typical "salt and pepper" noise found in LIDAR images, further enhancing the performance of both methods.
Failure mechanisms of a silicon-based CMOS image sensor irradiated by a 1550 nm nanosecond laser
Authors: Bi Wanjun , Meng Ying , Wang Yunfeng , Liu Yingbiao , Yin Hui , Wu Hui , Liu Han
Published: January 2024

Cameras, LiDAR, and radars are indispensable for accurate perception of the surrounding environment and autonomous driving. Failure mechanisms of silicon-based CMOS image sensor (CIS) irradiated by 1550 nm nanosecond laser were investigated systematically in this paper. The damages of CIS were divided into point damage, line damage, and cross damage according to different damage performances. The damage thresholds under different irradiation conditions (different repetition rates, pulse widths, and irradiation times) were explored. Large repetition rates and long irradiation times would induce more heat accumulation, more temperature increase, and a low point damage threshold. The damage threshold for a pulse with a narrow pulse width is lower than that for a pulse with a long pulse width. The damaged CIS was analyzed further by focused ion beam (FIB) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The damage location in the internal CIS structure was analyzed and the overall failure process was summarized. The results we get could enrich the database of laser damage mechanisms and laser damage thresholds of CIS, which will provide meaningful guidance for the camera design technology and anti-laser reinforcement technology of optoelectronic devices.