bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bias in expert witness practice: sources, routes to expression and how to minimise it
Authors: Eastman Nigel , Rix Keith
Published: May 2021

The expert witness practice of psychiatrists is under constant scrutiny by the courts and, in the UK, the General Medical Council, as well as within appraisal and revalidation as part of a doctor's overall practice. Regulation and appraisal of expert witness practice must address not only technical competence, including demonstration of a real understanding of the interface between medicine and law, but also ethical probity, including in respect of bias, which is the most challenging appraisal focus. In psychiatry, there is much room for ‘values expression’, and therefore bias, in the offering of expert opinion. This article first describes various legal and psychological definitions of bias; then addresses the sources and routes to expression of bias within expert witness practice, viewed legally, psychologically and neuroscientifically. Finally, it proposes ways in which inevitable bias can be minimised by the individual practitioner.
The Effect of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy on Skeletal Muscle Lipid Content in Obese and Nonobese Men
Authors: Koenig Alexander M , Koehler Ulrich , Hildebrandt Olaf , Schwarzbach Hans , Hannemann Lena , Boneberg Raphael , Heverhagen Johannes T , Mahnken Andreas H , Keller Malte , Kann Peter H , Deigner Hans-Peter , Laur Nico , Kinscherf Ralf , Hildebrandt Wulf
Published: May 2021

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), independently of obesity (OBS), predisposes to insulin resistance (IR) for largely unknown reasons. Because OSA-related intermittent hypoxia triggers lipolysis, overnight increases in circulating free fatty acids (FFAs) including palmitic acid (PA) may lead to ectopic intramuscular lipid accumulation potentially contributing to IR. Using 3-T-1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we therefore compared intramyocellular and extramyocellular lipid (IMCL and EMCL) in the vastus lateralis muscle at approximately 7 am between 26 male patients with moderate-to-severe OSA (17 obese, 9 nonobese) and 23 healthy male controls (12 obese, 11 nonobese). Fiber type composition was evaluated by muscle biopsies. Moreover, we measured fasted FFAs including PA, glycated hemoglobin A1c, thigh subcutaneous fat volume (ScFAT, 1.5-T magnetic resonance tomography), and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). Fourteen patients were reassessed after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. Total FFAs and PA were significantly (by 178% and 166%) higher in OSA patients vs controls and correlated with the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) (r ≥ 0.45, P < .01). Moreover, IMCL and EMCL were 55% (P < .05) and 40% (P < .05) higher in OSA patients, that is, 114% and 103% in nonobese, 24.4% and 8.4% in obese participants (with higher control levels). Overall, PA, FFAs (minus PA), and ScFAT significantly contributed to IMCL (multiple r = 0.568, P = .002). CPAP significantly decreased EMCL (–26%) and, by trend only, IMCL, total FFAs, and PA. Muscle fiber composition was unaffected by OSA or CPAP. Increases in IMCL and EMCL are detectable at approximately 7 am in OSA patients and are partly attributable to overnight FFA excesses and high ScFAT or body mass index. CPAP decreases FFAs and IMCL by trend but significantly reduces EMCL.
Preface to a Collective Pedagogical Document
Authors: Gourgouris Stathis
Published: May 2021

The preface is a description of the project as a collective pedagogical experience. Cavafy's orientations are reconsidered as responses to the contradictions of colonial life in the Southeastern Mediterranean world and his poetics as a rubric for disrupting interpretive orthodoxies all around.
Comparison of tillage costs among eight paddy farm regions in East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Authors: Karmini Karmini , Karyati Karyati
Published: May 2021

Background: Tillage is done to prepare land for wetland paddy farming, and it is commonly done by hand tractor. The purposes of this study were to identify the levels of ownership of hand tractor by paddy farmers, to describe the rental of hand tractor in rural areas, to calculate and compare the tillage costs on eight paddy farm regions, and to understand the utilization of farm machinery for paddy farming in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Methods: The study areas were Subcities/Subregencies of North Bontang, South Bontang, Muara Muntai, Loa Janan, Tenggarong Seberang, Waru, Penajam, and Babulu. Data collection was done by interviewing 380 respondents. Analysis of data used descriptive statistics, the Chi Square One Sample test, and One Way Anova.

Results: The number of hand tractor renters (87.37%) in East Kalimantan 2014 was bigger than that of hand tractor owners (12.63%). The tillage costs in Tenggarong Seberang, Loa Janan, and Muara Muntai in 2014 were USD48.56 ha-1, USD52.03 ha-1, and USD48.56 ha-1, respectively. Tillage costs were the same in Babulu, Penajam, Waru, South Bontang, and North Bontang (USD69.37 ha-1 in each regency).

Conclusions: There are very significant differences the number of hand tractor owners, the number of hand tractor renters, and the tillage costs among some regions in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Farm machinery is needed in development of paddy farming.
Studying the prominence effect amid the COVID-19 crisis: implications for public health policy decision-making.
Authors: Maaravi Yossi , Heller Ben
Published: May 2021

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought with it crucial policy- and decision-making situations, especially when making judgments between financial and health concerns. One particularly relevant decision-making phenomenon is the prominence effect, where decision-makers base their decisions on the most prominent attribute of the object at hand (e.g., health concerns) rather than weigh all the attributes together. This bias diminishes when the decision-making mode inhibits heuristic processes. In this study, we tested the prominence of health vs. financial concerns across two decision-making modes - choice (prone to heuristics) and matching (mitigates heuristics) - during the peak of the COVID-19 in the UK using Tversky et al.’s classic experimental paradigm. We added to the classic experimental design a priming condition. Participants were presented with two casualty-minimization programs, differing in lives saved and costs: program X would save 100 lives at the cost of 55-million-pound sterling, whereas program Y would save 30 lives at the cost of 12-million-pound sterling. Half of the participants were required to choose between the programs (choice condition). The other half were not given the cost of program X and were asked to determine what the cost should be to make it as equally attractive as the program Y. Participants in both groups were primed for either: a) financial concerns; b) health concerns; or c) control (no priming). Results showed that in the choice condition, unless primed for financial concerns, health concerns are more prominent. In the matching condition, on the other hand, the prominence of health concerns did not affect decision-makers, as they all “preferred” the cheaper option. These results add further support to the practical relevance of using the proper decision-making modes in times of consequential crises where multiple concerns, interests, and parties are involved.
Brain structural abnormalities in six major psychiatric disorders: shared variation and network perspectives
Authors: de Mendonça Filho Euclides José , Alves Márcio Bonesso , Silveira Patricia Pelufo
Published: May 2021

Common brain abnormalities are a possible explanation for comorbidities in psychiatric disorders. Challenges in understanding these conditions are likely due to the paucity of studies able to analyze the extent and regional distribution of shared morphometric abnormalities between disorders. Recently, Opeal et al. presented an elegant rationale to investigate shared and specific morphometric measures of cortical thickness and subcortical gray matter volume between healthy individuals and subjects across six major psychiatric disorders. Although their approach has the potential to systematically portrait shared brain alterations, the chosen principal component analysis solution may not address the central question of the observed shared versus specific brain alterations due to misspecification of the number of components. Given how this misspecification can lead to different conclusions, we reanalyzed Opel et al. data to thoroughly determine the number of factors to be considered, explore the alternative solution, and visualize the patterns of shared brain matter correlations using network analysis. Our approach suggests that a unidimensional solution was appropriate in this situation. The unidimensional solution indicated that brain alterations in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) had a significant negative component loading, suggesting that brain abnormalities found in ASD carry more similarities with major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia (SCZ), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) than demonstrated by the original work. Network analysis indicated that SCZ had the highest strength, BD the highest closeness, and BD and MDD had the highest betweenness in the network. This work highlights how different component solutions can lead to different conclusions, with important implications for the understanding of overlapped patterns of symptoms among six major psychiatric diseases. The network approach is complementary in indicating central markers of specific psychopathology domains. Investigations using shared-variation and network perspectives are promising for the study of pathophysiological patterns of common brain alterations.
Identification of potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 S protein–ACE2 interaction by in silico drug repurposing
Authors: Tristán-Flores Fabiola E , Casique-Aguirre Diana , Pliego-Arreaga Raquel , Cervantes-Montelongo Juan A , García-Gutierrez Ponciano , Acosta-García Gerardo , Silva-Martínez Guillermo A
Published: May 2021

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a new coronavirus discovered that appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, causes COVID-19 disease which have resulted in cases similar to SARS-atypical pneumonia. As of March 1, 2021, Mexico had reached 2.11 million cases of COVID-19 and 189 thousand deaths; around 116 million cases and 2.57 million deaths are reported worldwide with new cases and increasing mortality every day. To date, there is no specific commercial treatment to control the infection. Repurpose drugs targeting the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor represents an alternative strategy to block the binding of SARS-CoV-2 protein S and forestall virus adhesion, internalization and replication in the host cell.

Methods: Rigid molecular docking was performed using receptor binding domain of the S1 subunit of S protein (RBDS1)-ACE2 (PDB ID: 6VW1) interaction site and 1,283 drugs FDA approved and prescribed by the Mexican Public Health System. The results were analyzed by docking score, frequency of the drug in receptor site and the types of interactions at the binding site residues.

Results: About 40 drugs were identified as a potential inhibitor of RBDS1-ACE2 interaction. Within the top-ranked drugs, we identified ipratropium, formoterol and fexofenadine, which stands out as they are used as therapies to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and virtually any respiratory infection.

Conclusions: Our results will serve as the basis for in vitro and in vivo studies to evaluate the potential use of those drugs to generate affordable and convenient therapies to treat COVID-19.
GDPR and the immigration exemption: what healthcare providers need to know
Authors: Kilburn Elizabeth
Published: May 2021

The immigration exemption to the Data Protection Act means that government bodies can access patients' personal data through healthcare providers. Elizabeth Kilburn discusses this issue in the context of data protection responsibilities in healthcare and the potential consequences of this exemption for patients.
Local knowledge of Karangwangi People of Cianjur District, West Java, Indonesia on water pollution of the Cikawung River
Authors: PRIMADIANI DINI , ISKANDAR JOHAN , SUNARDI SUNARDI
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Primadiani D, Iskandar J, Sunardi. 2018. Local knowledge of Karangwangi People of Cianjur District, West Java, Indonesia on water pollution of the Cikawung River. Asian J Ethnobiol 1: 9-14. In the past, village people of Karangwangi, Cianjur District, West Java Province did not face any problem of water supply, including supply from the Cikawung River. Of late, however, they are experiencing problems with water sources, particularly water supply from the Cikawung River. Since pesticides have been intensively used in the local agroecosystems, such as irrigated rice fields and monoculture vegetable gardens, the Cikawung river water is polluted. In addition, the consequences of increase in conversion of forests and traditional mixed-gardens into agricultural and settlement areas have dramatically affected hydrological balances. On this background, this research was carried out to elucidate the local knowledge of the Karangwangi people on the status of pollution of water of the Cikwaung river. This research used a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods with descriptive qualitative analysis. Qualitative data collection technique used was deep interviews with informants chosen purposely with snowball sampling. Quantitative data collection technique was interview with respondents using questionnaires and measurement of physical, chemical and biology parameters of Cikawung River water. Results of this research confirm that village people of Karangwangi have considerable local knowledge on water categorization, pollution and pollution indicators of Cikawung River
The local wisdom of the coastal community of Bakaran Village, Central Java, Indonesia, in maintaining rice to improve the food security
Authors: ALFIAN RAHMAN LATIF , ISKANDAR BUDIAWATI SUPANGKAT , GUNAWAN BUDI
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Alfian RL, Iskandar BS, Gunawan B. 2018. The local wisdom of the coastal community of Bakaran Village, Central Java, Indonesia, in maintaining rice to improve the food security. Asian J Ethnobiol 1: 47-52. On the basis of tradition, the community of Bakaran Village, Juwana, Pati, Central Java has prohibited (pantang) to sell of the cooked rice (nasi). This prohibition or Pantangan of the Bakaran community appears to be due to Nyai Ageng Bakaran, the founder of the village. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the meaning of prohibition (pantangan) on the selling of cooked rice, and its functions for improving food security in the village. The qualitative with ethnographical and ethnoecological approach was applied in this study. Several techniques namely the observation, participant observation, the deep interview, and the literature study were carried out. The result of the study shows that the Pantangan of selling the cooked rice was initially undertaken based on a story of Nyai Ageng Bakaran that provided a message to his community not to sell the cooked rice and better sharing it with others. This Pantangan has some meaning and values, such as instilling the values of mutual sharing, helping and caring among the community members. In addition, Pantangan teaches that prosperity is not always measured with the money, but keeping people away from starving is a form of prosperity. The Pantangan functions as one of the ways by which Bakaran community ensures the security of food needs. Indeed, the Pantangan is also functioned as a form of actualization of their identity.
Ethnobotany of traditional rituals in the Karangwangi Village, Cianjur District, West Java, Indonesia
Authors: ERAWAN TATANG SUHARMANA , ALILLAH ANNISA NUR , ISKANDAR JOHAN
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Erawan TS, Alillah AN, Iskandar J. 2018. Ethnobotany of ritual plants in Karangwangi Village, Cianjur District, West Java, Indonesia. Asian J Ethnobiol 1: 53-60. According to Sundanese tradition, each Sundanese village community practice some distinctive traditional rituals in which diverse plants grown in different local ecosystems are used. The objectives of this study were to document the traditional rituals performed by the people of Karangwangi Village, Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia and various plants used in these traditional rituals, by employing qualitative and quantitative ethnobotanical approaches. To collect primary data, techniques namely observations and deep interviews were applied. The results of the study showed that 6 kinds of traditional rituals have been practiced by the village people of Karangwangi. These traditional rituals are locally named as srokalan (the traditional ritual of naming the baby), nikahan (the traditional ritual of wedding), nujuh bulanan (the traditional ritual associated with seventh month of pregnancy), nyepitan (the traditional ritual of circumcision), upacara pare (the traditional ritual of planting rice) and upacara nelayan (traditional ritual of fishermen before going to sea). As many as 26 species representing 17 families of plants are used in these rituals. The plants used in traditional rituals were harvested mainly from the homegarden systems and most of these species also commonly used as spices. As the plants used in the traditional rituals have been predominantly cultivated in the homegardens, these plants are indirectly conserved by the village people.
Ethnobotanical study on Daksina constituent plants on Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
Authors: SUTRANINGSIH NI KETUT AYU , SUKENTI KURNIASIH , SUKIMAN SUKIMAN , ARYANTI EVY
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Sutraningsih NKA, Sukenti K, Sukiman, Aryanti E. 2019. Ethnobotanical study on Daksina constituent plants on Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Asian J Ethnobiol 2: 48-53. Lombok Island is located between Bali and Sumbawa Island in Lesser Sunda, Indonesia. About 80% of the population is inhabited by the original tribe called Sasak. Another tribe that has a close cultural relationship is Bali, whose a variety of Hinduism traditional rituals both religious and ancestral beliefs. In carrying out a traditional ritual, Balinese required several means to support the ceremony, one of which is daksina. Daksina is a kind of offerings in Hindu ceremonies composed of various types of plants. This research aims to explore the ethnobotanical aspects of plants that compose daksina. The study was conducted in several Balinese-Hindu villages in 5 regions in Lombok Island, i.e., Mataram City, West Lombok Regency, North Lombok Regency, Central Lombok Regency and East Lombok Regency. Field data collection was done through participatory observation, interviews and documentation. Informants were selected based on purposive sampling and snowball sampling methods. Reported Use (RU) and Index of Cultural Significance (ICS) were calculated to obtain the cultural importance value of the species. The result records that 46 plant species of 27 families are utilized in composing daksina that used in 13 traditional ceremonial rituals in Balinese-Hindu communities on Lombok Island. In general, traditional rituals have some valuable ethnobotanical aspects that should be revealed as an effort in preserving natural and cultural resources, and in supporting ecotourism.
Students’ perceptions on snake in Northwestern Bangladesh
Authors: Jaman M. Firoj , Rabbe Md. Fazle , Alam Md. Mahabub , Shome Ashikur Rahman , Hossain Md. Afzal , Sarker Mohammad Abdur Razzaque
Published: May 2021

Abstract. Jaman MF, Rabbe MF, Alam MM, Shome AR, Hossain MA, Sarker MAR. 2020. Students’ perceptions on snake in Northwestern Bangladesh. Asian J Ethnobiol 21: 62-69. Human-snake interaction has an ancestral history with different outcomes at different times. This study was done to assess the student's perceptions of snakes and current superstitions practiced in some areas of northwestern Bangladesh. We interviewed 348 students from 7 educational institutions under 3 districts from January 2019 to April 2019. We asked dichotomous (yes-no) question to know perceptions about snakes and variation among superstitions of the students. We found significant variation in responses with respect to the demographic status of the respondents. Religion and education were the most influencing factors affecting the results of students’ perceptions. Among the total respondents, 329 (94.5%) had seen snakes, 182 (52.3%) considered snake as a notorious animal, 224 (64.4%) considered snakes as an economically harmful animal, 155 (44.5%) think killing snake gives a good feeling, 313 (90%) believe that snakes attack humans, 321 (92.2%) students have seen others killing snakes and 127 (36.5%) had killed snakes themselves. Of the five superstitions, “snake can drink milk” was the topmost statement believed by 293 (84.2%) students. Due to these negative attitudes and misconceptions, we assume that snakes are regularly killed and there is a potential risk for population decline.
Cálculo de la potencia estadística en estudios de asociación
mediante sintaxis en SPSS
Authors: Santabarbara Serrano Javier
Published: May 2021

INTRODUCCIÓN. El estudio de la asociación entre dos
variables se expresa de forma analítica con el estadístico
denominado coeficiente de correlación. Con frecuencia, encontramos
asociaciones de magnitud relevante pero que no alcanzan la
significación estadística, planteándonos entonces si el contraste de
hipótesis tiene la suficiente potencia estadística para detectar
diferencias cuando realmente existen. Desafortunadamente, SPSS no
ofrece el cálculo de la potencia estadística para los estudios de
asociación de variables cuantitativas. Por ello, se plantea el
cálculo de la potencia estadística mediante sintaxis de SPSS en el
escenario de estudios de asociación a través de un caso práctico.
MÉTODO. Se proporciona un fichero de sintaxis de SPSS para calcular
la potencia estadística en estudios de asociación. DISCUSIÓN. El uso
del fichero de sintaxis será de utilidad para aquellos
investigadores familiarizados con SPSS que necesiten realizar el
cálculo de la potencia estadística en estudios de
asociación.
Análisis comparativo: las pruebas de acceso a los estudios
superiores de jazz en España
Authors: Bermúdez-Cañete Borja
Published: May 2021

NTRODUCCIÓN. En España los aspirantes a cursar Estudios
Superiores de Jazz se preparan para las pruebas de acceso
mayoritariamente en escuelas o clases privadas de música, ya que
–salvo excepciones– no es posible prepararse para ello en el sistema
público de enseñanza. Dichas pruebas y sus sistemas de puntuación
varían entre unos centros y otros, en algunos casos de forma
drástica, lo que hace que los aspirantes tengan una doble dificultad
a la hora de prepararse, especialmente los que quieren realizar la
prueba en dos o más centros. MÉTODO y RESULTADOS. Tras un análisis
comparativo de todas las pruebas de acceso a los Estudios Superiores
de batería de jazz de España, se han evidenciado las diferencias que
existen entre ellas, y se han remarcado las similitudes para crear
una “prueba tipo” que ayude a entender cómo funciona el acceso a
dichos estudios en este país. DISCUSIÓN. Además, el estudio pretende
servir de ayuda a futuros aspirantes a los Estudios Superiores de
Jazz, así como a profesores y a centros de Enseñanzas Profesionales
que ofrecen el perfil jazz, e incluso a las autoridades encargadas
de diseñar las normativas de las Enseñanzas Profesionales o las
propias pruebas de acceso mencionadas anteriormente.
Rugged diode-pumped Alexandrite laser as an emitter in a compact mobile lidar system for atmospheric measurements
Authors: Munk Alexander , Strotkamp Michael , Jungbluth Bernd , Froh Jan , Mense Thorben , Mauer Alsu , Höffner Josef
Published: May 2021

We present design and performance data of two diode-pumped Alexandrite lasers developed explicitly as laser emitters in mobile potassium resonance lidar systems. The lasers yield an output power of up to 1.75 mJ at a repetition rate of 500 Hz with a beam quality of

M

2

<

1.1

in both spatial directions. Reliable single longitudinal mode operation with a unrivaled narrow linewidth of 3.3 MHz at a potassium resonance line at 769.898 nm is achieved. The wavelength can be switched from pulse to pulse in a range of several gigahertz so the potassium line can be scanned. The lasers are finally integrated in highly efficient lidar systems with a power consumption of 500 W for the whole lidar system. The extremely high spectral requirements are investigated and the performance for different working points regarding repetition rates and pump durations is investigated. Several weeks of remotely controlled operation of the prototype in a field campaign were conducted without changes of the output parameters. Approximately 1000 h of reliable single longitudinal mode operation was achieved during the campaign and measurements of Doppler–Mie wind observations in the stratosphere and of the potassium layer in the mesopause were conducted simultaneously even at daytime.
Experimental and theoretical analysis of Dy3+-doped fiber lasers for efficient yellow emission
Authors: Amin M. Z. , Jackson S. D. , Majewski M. R.
Published: May 2021

We report a detailed experimental and theoretical analysis of the

4

F

9

/

2

to

6

H

13

/

2

lasing transition of a dysprosium (

D
y

3
+

)-doped ZBLAN fiber, a strong candidate for future compact and highly efficient yellow laser emission. Experimentally, we used a gallium nitride laser diode emitting at 447 nm as a pump source and measured yellow laser output generated with a maximum slope efficiency of 33%, which is less than half of the Stokes limit (of

∼

78
%

). This result is commensurate with two other reports of yellow emission from

D
y

3
+

. As a result, we developed a numerical model to understand and analyze the improvement potential of this fiber laser system. For reliable spectroscopic data input to the numerical model, we measured the absorption and emission cross sections from

D
y

3
+

-doped ZBLAN glass. We investigated the potential causes of the low experimental slope efficiency and found contributions from the background loss of the fiber and excited-state absorption (ESA) of the intracavity yellow light. We estimated the signal re-absorption cross section using the emission cross section and the McCumber relation, which was subsequently used in our numerical model to compare successfully with our experimental results. We show that the ESA can be reduced for future

D
y

3
+

-doped yellow laser systems by cascade lasing or co-doping with a suitable rare earth ion desensitizer.
Near-infrared long-range surface plasmon resonance in a D-shaped honeycomb microstructured optical fiber coated with Au film
Authors: Chen Xi , Bu Wenyi , Wu Zhifang , Zhang Haojie , Shum Perry Ping , Shao Xuguang , Pu Jixiong
Published: May 2021

Long-range surface plasmon resonances (LRSPRs) are featured with longer propagation and deeper penetration, compared with conventional surface plasmon resonances (SPRs). Thus, LRSPR-based fiber sensors are considered to have great potential for highly sensitive detection in chemistry or biomedicine areas. Here, we propose and demonstrate a near-infrared LRSPR sensor based on a D-shaped honeycomb microstructured optical fiber (MOF) directly coated with gold film. Although there is no additional heterogeneous buffer layer, the optical field of the long-range surface plasmon polariton (LRSPP) mode penetrates strongly into the analyte region. Thus the effective refractive index of the LRSPP mode depends highly on the analyte’s material refractive index and an abnormal dispersion relationship between the LRSPP mode and MOF’s y-polarized core mode is observed. The mechanism of the LRSPR excitation in the coupling zone is attributed to an avoided crossing effect between these two modes. It also results in the generation of a narrow-bandwidth peak in the loss spectrum of the core mode. Further discussion shows that the resonance wavelength is mainly determined by the core size that is contributed by the MOF’s cladding pitch, silica-web thickness and planar-layer-silica thickness together. It indicates that the operation wavelength of the proposed LRSPR device can be flexibly tuned in a broadband wavelength range, even longer than 2 µm, through appropriately designing the MOF’s structural parameters. Finally, the proposed LRSPR sensor shows the highest wavelength sensitivity of 14700 nm/RIU and highest figure of merit of 475 RIU−1 for the analyte refractive index range from 1.33 to 1.39.
Large asymmetric anomalous reflection in bilayer gradient metasurfaces
Authors: Dong Guohua , Jiang Zhongjiao , Li Yicheng , Zhu Zheng , Lv Tingting , Sun Mengke , Lv Bo , Li Yuxiang , Guan Chunying , Liu Zhihai , Shi Jinhui
Published: May 2021

Gradient metasurfaces have attracted much attention due to intriguing wavefront and polarization manipulation. Here, a bilayer gradient metasurface is constructed by use of a rectangular nanorod layer and its complementary nanoaperture. It reveals asymmetric anomalous reflection and symmetric anomalous transmission for two counter-propagating directions. The dependence of the anomalous reflection and transmission phenomena on nanostructure thickness are numerically studied in optical frequencies. The increasing metallic layer thickness of the gradient metasurface greatly enhances anomalous reflection of the left-handed circularly polarized wave (LCP) for the nanorod side and suppresses anomalous reflection for the other side. Both resonant frequencies of anomalous reflection and transmission linearly shift with the refractive index. The bilayer gradient metasurface is important for realizing wavefront modulation and optical sensing.
IlluminatedZoom: spatially varying magnified vision using periodically zooming eyeglasses and a high-speed projector
Authors: Ueda Tatsuyuki , Iwai Daisuke , Sato Kosuke
Published: May 2021

Spatial zooming and magnification, which control the size of only a portion of a scene while maintaining its context, is an essential interaction technique in augmented reality (AR) systems. It has been applied in various AR applications including surgical navigation, visual search support, and human behavior control. However, spatial zooming has been implemented only on video see-through displays and not been supported by optical see-through displays. It is not trivial to achieve spatial zooming of an observed real scene using near-eye optics. This paper presents the first optical see-through spatial zooming glasses which enables interactive control of the perceived sizes of real-world appearances in a spatially varying manner. The key to our technique is the combination of periodically fast zooming eyeglasses and a synchronized high-speed projector. We stack two electrically focus-tunable lenses (ETLs) for each eyeglass and sweep their focal lengths to modulate the magnification periodically from one (unmagnified) to higher (magnified) at 60 Hz in a manner that prevents a user from perceiving the modulation. We use a 1,000 fps high-speed projector to provide high-resolution spatial illumination for the real scene around the user. A portion of the scene that is to appear magnified is illuminated by the projector when the magnification is greater than one, while the other part is illuminated when the magnification is equal to one. Through experiments, we demonstrate the spatial zooming results of up to 30% magnification using a prototype system. Our technique has the potential to expand the application field of spatial zooming interaction in optical see-through AR.
Rotation sensitivity and shot-noise-limited detection in an exceptional-point coupled-ring gyroscope
Authors: Grant Matthew J. , Digonnet Michel J. F.
Published: May 2021

A theoretical study is performed of the sensitivity and quantum-noise limit of a passive coupled-ring optical gyroscope operated at and detuned from its exceptional point (EP) and interrogated with a practical conventional readout system. When tuned to its EP, the Sagnac frequency splitting is proportional to the square root of the applied rotation rate, but the signal generated by the sensor is shown to be proportional to the applied rotation rate. The sensitivity is never larger, and the minimum detectable rotation rate in the quantum-noise limit never lower, than that of a standard single-ring gyro of the same radius and loss, even when the coupled-ring gyro is tuned exactly to its EP. As pointed out elsewhere for other EP sensors, in this particular passive sensor at least, there is no sensitivity or resolution benefit in operating at an EP.
Structural basis for SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies with novel binding epitopes
Authors: Fu Dan , Zhang Guangshun , Wang Yuhui , Zhang Zheng , Hu Hengrui , Shen Shu , Wu Jun , Li Bo , Li Xin , Fang Yaohui , Liu Jia , Wang Qiao , Zhou Yunjiao , Wang Wei , Li Yufeng , Lu Zhonghua , Wang Xiaoxiao , Nie Cui , Tian Yujie , Chen Da , Wang Yuan , Zhou Xingdong , Wang Qisheng , Yu Feng , Zhang Chen , Deng Changjing , Zhou Liang , Guan Guangkuo , Shao Na , Lou Zhiyong , Deng Fei , Zhang Hongkai , Chen Xinwen , Wang Manli , Liu Louis , Rao Zihe , Guo Yu
Published: May 2021

The ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) threatens global public health and economy unprecedentedly, requiring accelerating development of prophylactic and therapeutic interventions. Molecular understanding of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) would greatly help advance the development of monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy, as well as the design of next generation recombinant vaccines. Here, we applied H2L2 transgenic mice encoding the human immunoglobulin variable regions, together with a state-of-the-art antibody discovery platform to immunize and isolate NAbs. From a large panel of isolated antibodies, 25 antibodies showed potent neutralizing activities at sub-nanomolar levels by engaging the spike receptor-binding domain (RBD). Importantly, one human NAb, termed PR1077, from the H2L2 platform and 2 humanized NAb, including PR953 and PR961, were further characterized and subjected for subsequent structural analysis. High-resolution X-ray crystallography structures unveiled novel epitopes on the receptor-binding motif (RBM) for PR1077 and PR953, which directly compete with human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) for binding, and a novel non-blocking epitope on the neighboring site near RBM for PR961. Moreover, we further tested the antiviral efficiency of PR1077 in the Ad5-hACE2 transduction mouse model of COVID-19. A single injection provided potent protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in either prophylactic or treatment groups. Taken together, these results shed light on the development of mAb-related therapeutic interventions for COVID-19.
Water pre-filtration methods to improve environmental DNA detection by real-time PCR and metabarcoding
Authors: Takasaki Kazuto , Aihara Hiroki , Imanaka Takanobu , Matsudaira Takahiro , Tsukahara Keita , Usui Atsuko , Osaki Sora , Doi Hideyuki
Published: May 2021

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a novel approach for biomonitoring and has been mostly used in clear water. It is difficult to detect eDNA in turbid water as filter clogging occurs, and environmental samples contain various substances that inhibit the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and affect the accuracy of eDNA analysis. Therefore, we applied a pre-filtration method to better detect the fish species (particularly pale chub, Opsariichthys platypus) present in a water body by measuring eDNA in environmental samples containing PCR inhibitors. Upon conducting 12S rRNA metabarcoding analysis (MiFish), we found that pre-filtration did not affect the number or identities of fish species detected in our samples, but pre-filtration through pore sizes resulted in significantly reduced variance among replicate samples. Additionally, PCR amplification was improved by the pre-filtration of environmental samples containing PCR inhibitors such as humic substances. Although this study may appear to be a conservative and ancillary experiment, pre-filtration is a simple technique that can not only improve the physical properties of water, such as turbidity, but also the quality of eDNA biomonitoring.
Alopecia areata is not a risk factor for heart diseases: A 10-year retrospective cohort study
Authors: Lee Heera , Kim You Chan , Choi Jee Woong
Published: May 2021

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune skin disease caused by chronic inflammation of hair follicles. Chronic inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis and lupus erythematosus can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, the relationship between AA and heart diseases (HDs) remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted this retrospective cohort study to evaluate the risk of subsequent HDs in patients with AA. We reviewed 3770 cases of AA and from 18,850 age, sex, and income level-matched controls from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort. In the subgroup analysis, patients who suffered from alopecia totalis, alopecia universalis, and ophiasis were designated as patients with severe AA and patients having the disease for over a year were designated as patients with long-standing AA. As a result, we found that AA was not associated with a higher risk of heart failure, angina pectoris, or myocardial infarction. There was no significant increase in the risk of overall HD associated with AA (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.17; 95% confidence interval: 0.93–1.48; p = 0.177). Neither the severity nor the duration of AA was related to an increased risk of HDs. During the study period, AA patients did not show a significantly higher cumulative incidence of HDs than controls (log-rank p = 0.157). In conclusion, AA does not increase the risk of HD.
The relative power of individual distancing efforts and public policies to curb the COVID-19 epidemics
Authors: Aubert Cécile , Augeraud-Véron Emmanuelle
Published: May 2021

Lockdown curbs the COVID-19 epidemics but at huge costs. Public debates question its impact compared to reliance on individual responsibility. We study how rationally chosen self-protective behavior impacts the spread of the epidemics and interacts with policies. We first assess the value of lockdown in terms of mortality compared to a counterfactual scenario that incorporates self-protection efforts; and second, assess how individual behavior modify the epidemic dynamics when public regulations change. We couple an SLIAR model, that includes asymptomatic transmission, with utility maximization: Individuals trade off economic and wellbeing costs from physical distancing with a lower infection risk. Physical distancing effort depends on risk aversion, perceptions of the epidemics and average distancing effort in the population. Rational distancing effort is computed as a Nash Equilibrium. Equilibrium effort differs markedly from constant, stochastic or proportional contacts reduction. It adjusts to daily incidence of hospitalization in a way that creates a slightly decreasing plateau in epidemic prevalence. Calibration on French data shows that a business-as-usual benchmark yields an overestimation of the number of deaths by a factor of 10 compared to benchmarks with equilibrium efforts. However, lockdown saves nearly twice as many lives as individual efforts alone. Public policies post-lockdown have a limited impact as they partly crowd out individual efforts. Communication that increases risk salience is more effective.
ai-corona: Radiologist-assistant deep learning framework for COVID-19 diagnosis in chest CT scans
Authors: Yousefzadeh Mehdi , Esfahanian Parsa , Movahed Seyed Mohammad Sadegh , Gorgin Saeid , Rahmati Dara , Abedini Atefeh , Nadji Seyed Alireza , Haseli Sara , Bakhshayesh Karam Mehrdad , Kiani Arda , Hoseinyazdi Meisam , Roshandel Jafar , Lashgari Reza
Published: May 2021

The development of medical assisting tools based on artificial intelligence advances is essential in the global fight against COVID-19 outbreak and the future of medical systems. In this study, we introduceai-corona, a radiologist-assistant deep learning framework for COVID-19 infection diagnosis using chest CT scans. Our framework incorporates an EfficientNetB3-based feature extractor. We employed three datasets; the CC-CCII set, the MasihDaneshvari Hospital (MDH) cohort, and the MosMedData cohort. Overall, these datasets constitute 7184 scans from 5693 subjects and include the COVID-19, non-COVID abnormal (NCA), common pneumonia (CP), non-pneumonia, and Normal classes. We evaluateai-coronaon test sets from the CC-CCII set, MDH cohort, and the entirety of the MosMedData cohort, for which it gained AUC scores of 0.997, 0.989, and 0.954, respectively. Our results indicatesai-coronaoutperforms all the alternative models. Lastly, our framework’s diagnosis capabilities were evaluated as assistant to several experts. Accordingly, We observed an increase in both speed and accuracy of expert diagnosis when incorporatingai-corona’s assistance.
Overexpression of oncogenic H-Ras in hTERT-immortalized and SV40-transformed human cells targets replicative and specialized DNA polymerases for depletion
Authors: Tsao Wei-chung , Buj Raquel , Aird Katherine M. , Sidorova Julia M. , Eckert Kristin A.
Published: May 2021

DNA polymerases play essential functions in replication fork progression and genome maintenance. DNA lesions and drug-induced replication stress result in up-regulation and re-localization of specialized DNA polymerases η and κ. Although oncogene activation significantly alters DNA replication dynamics, causing replication stress and genome instability, little is known about DNA polymerase expression and regulation in response to oncogene activation. Here, we investigated the consequences of mutant H-RAS G12V overexpression on the regulation of DNA polymerases in h-TERT immortalized and SV40-transformed human cells. Focusing on DNA polymerases associated with the replication fork, we demonstrate that DNA polymerases are depleted in a temporal manner in response to H-RAS G12V overexpression. The polymerases targeted for depletion, as cells display markers of senescence, include the Pol α catalytic subunit (POLA1), Pol δ catalytic and p68 subunits (POLD1 and POLD3), Pol η, and Pol κ. Both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms mediate this response. Pol η (POLH) depletion is sufficient to induce a senescence-like growth arrest in human foreskin fibroblast BJ5a cells, and is associated with decreased Pol α expression. Using an SV-40 transformed cell model, we observed cell cycle checkpoint signaling differences in cells with H-RasG12V-induced polymerase depletion, as compared to Pol η-deficient cells. Our findings contribute to our understanding of cellular events following oncogene activation and cellular transformation.
Environmental impacts on single-cell variation within a ubiquitous diatom: The role of growth rate
Authors: Groß Elisabeth , Boersma Maarten , Meunier Cédric Léo
Published: May 2021

Morphological and physiological characteristics of phytoplankton cells are highly sensitive to changes in environmental conditions and, in turn, influence the dynamics of phytoplankton populations and communities. To cope with environmental change, trait variability and phenotypic plasticity may play an important role. Since global change comprises simultaneous changes in abiotic parameters, we assessed the impact of multiple drivers on functional traits of the diatom Thalassiosira (Conticribra) weissflogii by manipulating concurrently temperature, pCO2, and dissolved nitrogen:phosphorus (N:P) ratio. We tested three scenarios: ambient (ambient temperature and atmospheric pCO2; 16 N:P ratio), moderate future scenario (+1.5°C and 800 ppm CO2; 25 N:P ratio), and more severe future scenario (+3°C and 1000 ppm CO2; 25 N:P ratio). We applied flow cytometry to measure on single-cell levels to investigate trait variability and phenotypic plasticity within one strain of diatoms. Growth rates differed significantly between the treatments and were strongly correlated with cell size and cellular chlorophyll a content. We observed a negative correlation of growth rate with chlorophyll a variability among single strain populations and a negative correlation with the phenotypic plasticity of cell size, i.e. when growth rates were higher, the cell size cell-to-cell variability within cultures was lower. Additionally, the phenotypic plasticity in cell size was lower under the global change scenarios. Overall, our study shows that multiple traits are interlinked and driven by growth rate and that this interconnection may partly be shaped by environmental factors.
Diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound for pulmonary tuberculosis: A systematic review
Authors: Bigio Jacob , Kohli Mikashmi , Klinton Joel Shyam , MacLean Emily , Gore Genevieve , Small Peter M. , Ruhwald Morten , Weber Stefan Fabian , Jha Saurabh , Pai Madhukar
Published: May 2021

The advent of affordable, portable ultrasound devices has led to increasing interest in the use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) for the detection of pulmonary TB (PTB). We undertook a systematic review of the diagnostic accuracy of POCUS for PTB. Five databases were searched for articles published between January 2010 and June 2020. Risk of bias was assessed using QUADAS-2. Data on sensitivity and specificity of individual lung ultrasound findings were collected, with variable reference standards including PCR and sputum smear microscopy. Six of 3,919 reviewed articles were included: five in adults and one in children, with a total sample size of 564. Studies had high risk of bias in many domains. In adults, subpleural nodule and lung consolidation were the lung ultrasound findings with the highest sensitivities, ranging from 72.5% to 100.0% and 46.7% to 80.4%, respectively. Only one study reported specificity data. Variability in sensitivity may be due to variable reference standards or may imply operator dependence. There is insufficient evidence to judge the diagnostic accuracy of POCUS for PTB. There is also no consensus on the optimal protocols for acquiring and analysing POCUS images for PTB. New studies which minimise potential sources of bias are required to further assess the diagnostic accuracy of POCUS for PTB.