bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optical fiber-coupled Kretschmann SPR sensor with re-attachable gold nano-thin film sensing chip
Authors: Rutirawut Teerapat , Joonmasa Kwanjira , Rasritat Aissara , Chitaree Ratchapak , Meemon Panomsak , Ismaeel Rand , Sangtawesin Sorawis , Talataisong Wanvisa
Published: October 2024

We designed and demonstrated a portable and reusable surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on an optical fiber-coupled Kretschmann configuration with a variable detection limit enabled by the re-attachable gold nano-thin film. The prism angle of SPR has been optimized to 63.5 degrees to enable the SPR sensor to operate in the near-infrared band. We highlight the effects of the chromium to gold film thickness ratio and the prism angle on the SPR characteristics to improve sensitivity. Both simulations and experimental results reveal that the narrowest FWHM and deepest amplitude of the SPR curve were achieved when the chromium to gold film thickness ratio was set to 2 nm/40 nm. Furthermore, the refractive index (RI) sensitivity of the sensor was simulated within the RI detection range of 1.3235-1.3290, and with the optimized SPR sensor, we obtained a record high RI sensitivity of 34,888 nm/RIU. The capability to detect variations in saline and sucrose concentration in aqueous form has been experimentally demonstrated, revealing a sensitivity of 455 nm/M and 3,056 nm/M over concentration ranges of 0.10 to 0.55 M and 0.018 M to 0.053 M, respectively. The results show that the proposed optical fiber-coupled SPR sensor with an optimized sensing chip offers high sensitivity and is promising for a broad range of applications, including medical diagnostics, agriculture, food safety, and environmental monitoring. The sensor’s advantages include miniaturization and flexibility, highlighting its potential for broad and versatile use.
Characterizing the shaping, transmission, and amplification of near flat-top Gaussian beams through soft-edged apertures
Authors: Zhang Jiachao , Bai Zhenxu , Zheng Hao , Zhao Chen , Ding Yu , Lu Zhiwei , Wang Yulei
Published: October 2024

The near flat-top Gaussian beam, which finds significant applications in energy amplification, laser processing, nonlinear frequency transformation, and atmospheric turbulence studies, has received limited attention regarding its transverse mode field distribution characteristics during spatial transmission and amplification. In this study, we simulated the spatial transmission and amplification processes of the near flat-top Gaussian beam using the Collins diffraction equation and a traditional side-pumping gain model. To validate our simulations, we conducted experiments employing a gradual soft-edged aperture to produce a near flat-top Gaussian beam. Our findings revealed that during free transmission, the near flat-top Gaussian beam evolved into a Gaussian-like beam, and a secondary peak emerged when amplified by a conventional laser diode side-pumping amplifier. These results underscored the necessity of using an image transfer system to maintain the energy uniformity of the near flat-top Gaussian beam during amplification. Furthermore, we identified the optimal shaping parameter of the Gaussian beam with a soft-edged aperture to be approximately 2.3. By utilizing an image transfer system and a two-stage amplifier, we successfully amplified the beam energy post-shaping. Ultimately, we achieved a near flat-top Gaussian beam with an energy of 219.5 mJ and an energy root-mean-square (RMS) normalized deviation of 0.144, compared to the initial Gaussian beam, which had an energy of 52.3 mJ and an energy RMS normalized deviation of 1.434.
Adjustable viewpoint allocation for enhancing the viewing angle and reducing the crosstalk in super multi-view display
Authors: Li Jingnan , Ma Haowen , Sun Yutong , Liu Juan
Published: October 2024

In this Letter, we propose an adjustable viewpoint allocation method with forward and backward ray tracing to enhance the viewing angle and reduce the crosstalk in super multi-view (SMV) display. The synthetic image (SI) is initially calculated by backward ray tracing according to the viewing distance and the viewpoint interval. Forward ray tracing is then performed on the result of the viewpoint allocation to correct the deviation between the actual and the ideal viewpoint positions. Optical experiments are performed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method effectively suppresses the crosstalk between viewpoints and eliminates artifacts in adjacent viewing areas within the ideal viewing angle, thereby enhancing the actual viewing angle. Meanwhile, due to the ability of reallocating information on the SI, the proposed method can achieve varying information density from different views. It is expected that our proposed method could be widely used in light field display to realize high quality display in the future.
Streamlined line-defect taper design for broadband and efficient mode coupling: connecting a silicon strip with a planar valley photonic crystal zigzag interface
Authors: Chen Lei , Ye Han , Liu Yumin
Published: October 2024

The integration of planar valley photonic crystal (VPC) interfaces into high-speed data communication chips markedly improves data rates and system robustness. This Letter presents a novel, to the best of our knowledge, edge coupler, termed the line-defect taper, which is crucial for efficient and broadband light delivery to planar VPC interfaces via silicon strip waveguides. The coupling performance of the line-defect taper is evaluated through full-wave three-dimensional finite-element simulations. The results demonstrate a −3 dB transmission bandwidth of 65.5 nm, covering 41.2% of the topological bandgap, and a −1 dB transmission bandwidth of 16.3 nm, accounting for 10.3%. With its compact design (only 3.6 µm in length), simplicity, and scalability, the line-defect taper is a promising candidate for integration into densely packed chips, highlighting its potential in advancing on-chip devices.
Cascadable optical nonlinear activation function based on Ge–Si
Authors: Zhao Baiheng , Wu Bo , Zhou Hailong , Dong Jianji , Zhang Xinliang
Published: October 2024

To augment the capabilities of optical computing, specialized nonlinear devices as optical activation functions are crucial for enhancing the complexity of optical neural networks. However, existing optical nonlinear activation function devices often encounter challenges in preparation, compatibility, and multi-layer cascading. Here, we propose a cascadable optical nonlinear activation function architecture based on Ge–Si structured devices. Leveraging dual-source modulation, this architecture achieves cascading and wavelength switching by compensating for loss. Experimental comparisons with traditional Ge–Si devices validate the cascading capability of the new architecture. We first verified the versatility of this activation function in a MNIST task, and then in a multi-layer optical dense neural network designed for complex gesture recognition classification, the proposed architecture improves accuracy by an average of 23% compared to a linear network and 15% compared to a network with a traditional activation function architecture. With its advantages of cascadability and high compatibility, this work underscores the potential of all-optical activation functions for large-scale optical neural network scaling and complex task handling.
Geometrical predictions of focus-based passive ranging via image-displaced mean absolute Fourier transform
Authors: Tran Phillip , Iorga Michael , Parrish Todd
Published: October 2024

Using geometrical optics, the authors predict the mean absolute Fourier transform (MAFT) as a novel method of focus-based passive optical ranging. A formalism and simulatory results are given for lensed imaging of a point source at a movable image-plane. The MAFT peak indicates the best-focused image, and the image-displacement of the MAFT peak relates to source distance as a smooth one-to-one function, implying passive ranging capabilities. Primary advantages of our method include nonparametricity and technical simplicity, requiring only a lens and focus modulation. Thus MAFT ranging is desirable where compact, robust hardware and low computational overhead are key objectives.
Socioeconomic and demographic patterning of family uptake of a paediatric electronic patient portal innovation
Authors: Solebo Ameenat Lola , Horvat-Gitsels Lisanne , Twomey Christine , Wagner Siegfried Karl , Rahi Jugnoo S.
Published: October 2024

Patient portals allowing access to electronic health care records and services can inform and empower but may widen existing sociodemographic inequities. We aimed to describe associations between activation of a paediatric patient portal and patient race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status and markers of previous engagement with health care. A retrospective single site cross-sectional study was undertaken to examine patient portal adoption amongst families of children receiving care for chronic or complex disorders within the United Kingdom. Descriptive and multivariable regression analysis was undertaken to describe associations between predictors (Race/Ethnicity, age, socio-economic deprivation status based on family residence, and previous non-attendance to outpatient consultations) and outcome. A sample of 3687 children, representative of the diverse ‘real world’ patient population, was identified. Of these 37% (1364) were from a White British background, 71% (2631) had English as the primary family spoken language (PSL), 14% (532) lived in areas of high deprivation, and 17% (643) had high (>33%) rates of non-attendance. The families of 73% (2682) had activated the portal. In adjusted analyses, English as a PSL (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.58, 95% confidence interval 1.29–1.95) and multi-morbidity (aOR 1.26, 1.22–1.30) was positively associated with portal activation, whilst families from British Black African backgrounds (aOR 0.68, 0.50–0.93), and those with high rates of non-attendance (aOR 0.48, 0.40–0.58) were less likely to use the portal. Family race/ethnicity and previous low engagement with health care services are potentially key drivers of widening inequity in access to health care following the implementation of patient portals, a digital health innovation intended to inform and empower. Health care providers should be aware that innovative human-driven engagement approaches, targeted towards previously underserved communities, are needed to ensure equitable access to high quality patient-centred care.
Prevalence of depression and anxiety in Colombia: What happened during Covid-19 pandemic?
Authors: Martínez-Cabezas Sandra , Pinilla-Roncancio Mónica , Carrasquilla Gabriel , Casas Germán , González-Uribe Catalina
Published: October 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the well-being of millions of people around the globe. The evidence has shown that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health of the population was affected, which means that there is an extra demand to implement different actions to mitigate and treat mental health disorders result of the pandemic. According to the literature it was expected that the prevalence of mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression increased by 25 per cent worldwide, and Colombia was not the exception. However, there is not clear evidence on how much this increase might be. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depression for female and male adolescents and adults in Colombia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. It estimated the potential increase of the prevalence in each group as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. We used the Individual Registry of Health Services Delivery data from 2015–2021 to estimate the observed prevalence of anxiety and depression in Colombia for female and male adults. In addition, using the National Mental Health Survey 2015, we simulated the prevalence of anxiety and depression for adolescents (12 to 17 years) and adults (18 or older) in 2015 and using a static Monte Carlo simulation process we estimated the expected prevalence of depression and anxiety for each group from 2016 to 2021. The results of the analysis using revealed an important increase in the observed prevalence of depression and anxiety for adults and adolescents and men and women between 2015 and February 2020. When we simulated different scenarios using as a base line the National Mental Health Survey and estimated the prevalence of depression and anxiety for female and male adults and adolescents, we found that the prevalence of depression and anxiety has had an important increase in the last five years for all groups and had an important increase during 2020. This increase was greater for women compared to men, and adolescents than adults. Our results show the number of people who need potential attention from the health system in Colombia and highlight the importance to think about how to avoid and detect potential cases of anxiety and depression especially in female adolescents.
Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor expression correlates with programmed death ligand 1 expression and poor survival in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Nagamine Hiroaki , Yashiro Masakazu , Mizutani Megumi , Sugimoto Akira , Matsumoto Yoshiya , Tani Yoko , Sawa Kenji , Kaneda Hiroyasu , Yamada Kazuhiro , Watanabe Tetsuya , Asai Kazuhisa , Suzuki Satoshi , Kawaguchi Tomoya
Published: October 2024

The insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) has been associated with growth and metastasis in various cancers. However, its role in postoperative recurrence and prognosis in lung cancer lacks clear consensus. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between IGF1R and postoperative recurrence as well as long-term survival in a large cohort. Additionally, we assessed the relationship between IGF1R and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. Our study encompassed 782 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Immunostaining of surgical specimens was performed to evaluate IGF1R and PD-L1 expression. Among the patients, 279 (35.8%) showed positive IGF1R expression, with significantly worse relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Notably, no significant differences in RFS and OS were observed between IGF1R-positive and -negative groups in stages 2 and 3. However, in the early stages (0–1), the positive group displayed significantly worse RFS and OS. In addition, PD-L1 expression was detected in 100 (12.8%) patients, with a significant predominance in the IGF1R-positive. IGF1R may serve as a prognostic indicator and a guide for perioperative treatment strategies in early-stage lung cancer. In conclusion, our findings underscore an association between IGF1R expression and poor survival and PD-L1 expression in NSCLC.
Development of a prediction model for 30-day COVID-19 hospitalization and death in a national cohort of Veterans Health Administration patients–March 2022—April 2023
Authors: Bui David P. , Bajema Kristina L. , Huang Yuan , Yan Lei , Li Yuli , Rajeevan Nallakkandi , Berry Kristin , Rowneki Mazhgan , Argraves Stephanie , Hynes Denise M. , Huang Grant , Aslan Mihaela , Ioannou George N.
Published: October 2024

Objective

The epidemiology of COVID-19 has substantially changed since its emergence given the availability of effective vaccines, circulation of different viral variants, and re-infections. We aimed to develop models to predict 30-day COVID-19 hospitalization and death in the Omicron era for contemporary clinical and research applications.

Methods

We used comprehensive electronic health records from a national cohort of patients in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 between March 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023. Full models incorporated 84 predictors, including demographics, comorbidities, and receipt of COVID-19 vaccinations and anti-SARS-CoV-2 treatments. Parsimonious models included 19 predictors. We created models for 30-day hospitalization or death, 30-day hospitalization, and 30-day all-cause mortality. We used the Super Learner ensemble machine learning algorithm to fit prediction models. Model performance was assessed with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), Brier scores, and calibration intercepts and slopes in a 20% holdout dataset.

Results

Models were trained and tested on 198,174 patients, of whom 8% were hospitalized or died within 30 days of testing positive. AUCs for the full models ranged from 0.80 (hospitalization) to 0.91 (death). Brier scores were close to 0, with the lowest error in the mortality model (Brier score: 0.01). All three models were well calibrated with calibration intercepts <0.23 and slopes <1.05. Parsimonious models performed comparably to full models.

Conclusions

We developed prediction models that accurately estimate COVID-19 hospitalization and mortality risk following emergence of the Omicron variant and in the setting of COVID-19 vaccinations and antiviral treatments. These models may be used for risk stratification to inform COVID-19 treatment and to identify high-risk patients for inclusion in clinical trials.
Care-related quality of life of informal caregivers of stroke survivors: Cross-sectional analysis of a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Villa-García Lorena , Salvat-Plana Mercè , Slof John , Pérez de la Ossa Natalia , Abilleira Sònia , Ribó Marc , Hidalgo-Benítez Verónica , Inzitari Marco , Ribera Aida
Published: October 2024

Purpose

We aimed to describe the intensity of care and its consequences on informal caregivers of stroke survivors according to the degree of care receivers’ functional dependence for activities of daily living; and to identify the factors associated with caregivers’ care-related quality of life.

Methods

Cross-sectional analysis of prospective data collected in a cost-utility study alongside the RACECAT trial in Catalonia (Spain). One-hundred and thirty-two care receiver-caregiver pairs were interviewed six months after stroke. Functional dependence for activities of daily living was measured with the Barthel index. We assessed caregivers care-related quality of life with the CarerQoL, which measures seven dimensions of subjective burden (CarerQoL-7D) and a happiness score (CarerQoL-VAS). We evaluated the association between characteristics of informal caregivers, characteristics of care receivers, and intensity of care, and the caregiver’s care-related quality of life (subjective burden and happiness) in a hypothesized model using a structural equation model.

Results

Of the 132 caregivers, 74,2% were women with an average age of 59.4 ± 12.5 years. The 56.8% of them were spouses. The care intensity ranged from a mean of 24h/week for mild to 40h/week for severe dependence. Most caregivers (76.3%) were satisfied with their task, regardless of dependence, but showed increasing problems in caring for severely dependent persons. Being a woman (coeff. -0.23; 95%CI: -0.40, -0.07), spending more time in care tasks (coeff -0.37; -0.53, -0.21) and care receiver need of constant supervision (coeff 0.31; -0.47, -0.14) were associated with higher burden of care, irrespective of the degree of dependence. Caregiver burden (coeff 0.46; 0.30–0.61) and care receiver anxiety or depression (coeff -0.19; -0.34, -0.03) were associated with lower caregiver happiness.

Conclusions

The findings suggest the importance of developing mainly two types of support interventions for caregivers: respite and psychosocial support. Especially for women with high caring burden and/or caring for persons with high levels of anxiety or depression.
Therapeutic potential of archaeal unfoldase PANet and the gateless T20S proteasome in P23H rhodopsin retinitis pigmentosa mice
Authors: Brooks Celine , Kolson Douglas , Sechrest Emily , Chuah Janelle , Schupp Jane , Billington Neil , Deng Wen-Tao , Smith David , Sokolov Maxim
Published: October 2024

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the presence of misfolded and aggregated proteins which are thought to contribute to the development of the disease. In one form of inherited blinding disease, retinitis pigmentosa, a P23H mutation in the light-sensing receptor, rhodopsin causes rhodopsin misfolding resulting in complete vision loss. We investigated whether a xenogeneic protein-unfolding ATPase (unfoldase) from thermophilic Archaea, termed PANet, could counteract the proteotoxicity of P23H rhodopsin. We found that PANet increased the number of surviving photoreceptors in P23H rhodopsin mice and recognized rhodopsin as a substate in vitro. This data supports the feasibility and efficacy of using a xenogeneic unfoldase as a therapeutic approach in mouse models of human neurodegenerative diseases. We also showed that an archaeal proteasome, called the T20S can degrade rhodopsin in vitro and demonstrated that it is feasible and safe to express gateless T20S proteasomes in vivo in mouse rod photoreceptors. Expression of archaeal proteasomes may be an effective therapeutic approach to stimulate protein degradation in retinopathies and neurodegenerative diseases with protein-misfolding etiology.
A novel mean shape based post-processing method for enhancing deep learning lower-limb muscle segmentation accuracy
Authors: Lin Zhicheng , Dall’Ara Enrico , Guo Lingzhong
Published: October 2024

This study aims at improving the lower-limb muscle segmentation accuracy of deep learning approaches based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans, crucial for the diagnostic and therapeutic processes in musculoskeletal diseases. In general, segmentation methods such as U-Net deep learning neural networks can achieve good Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) values, e.g. around 0.83 to 0.91 on various cohorts. Some generic post-processing strategies have been studied to incorporate connectivity constraints into the resulting masks for the purpose of further improving the segmentation accuracy. In this paper, a novel mean shape (MS) based post-processing method is proposed, utilizing Statistical Shape Modelling (SSM) to fine-tune the segmentation output, taking into consideration the muscle anatomical shape. The methodology was compared to existing post-processing techniques and a commercial semi-automatic tool on MRI scans from two cohorts of post-menopausal women (10 Training, 8 Testing, voxel size 1.0x1.0x1.0 mm3). The MS based method obtained a mean DSC of 0.83 across the different analysed muscles and the best performance for the Hausdorff Distance (HD, 20.6 mm) and the Average Symmetric Surface Distance (ASSD, 2.1 mm). These findings highlight the feasibility and potential of using anatomical mean shape in post-processing of human lower-limb muscle segmentation task and indicate that the proposed method can be popularized to other biological organ segmentation mission.
Bolivian River Dolphin trends: A long-term analysis in the Mamore basin
Authors: Guizada Duran Luis A. , Aliaga-Rossel Enzo , Frias Mariana Paschoalini , Zerbini Alexandre N.
Published: October 2024

South American river dolphins face significant threats from intense human activities, resulting in habitat loss, fragmentation of their natural connectivity, overfishing, pollution, and incidental and intentional catches for use as bait for fisheries. From 1998 to 2022, 12 surveys were conducted in a river system in the Mamore River (Ibare-Tijamuchi-Mamore) basin, one of the primary distribution areas of the Bolivian river dolphin (BRD ‐ Inia geoffrensis boliviensis). Generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to assess population trends. The most supported model does not definitively indicate a decline in population. The estimated mean annual rate of population change for BRDs over the 24-year monitoring period was -0.0115 per year. The average count of BRDs in the Ibare River is lower (mean = 20, n = 4) compared to the mean of Tijamuchi (mean = 260, n = 4), and the same pattern is observed with the Mamore River (mean = 76, n = 4). There is tentative visual evidence of negative trend for the count of BRD based on the GLM curves, but the statistics are still inconclusive to the sub-basin of the Mamore River. This study highlights the importance of continue with monitoring efforts on river dolphin populations. Similar population dynamics are observed in other river dolphin species in the Amazon region, requiring immediate actions to reduce mortality and reverse the concerning decreasing trend exhibited by these populations.
Development and cross-validation of prediction equations for body composition in adult cancer survivors from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES)
Authors: Park Changwoo , Kim Kyuwoong , Kim Minju , Choi Jin Young
Published: October 2024

Epidemiological studies frequently use indices of adiposity related to mortality. However, no studies have validated prediction equations for body composition in adult cancer survivors. We aimed to develop and cross-validate prediction equations for body fat mass (BFM), lean body mass (LBM), trunk fat mass (TFM), and appendicular lean mass (ALM) in adult cancer survivors using sociodemographic, anthropometric, and laboratory test data. This study included adult cancer survivors from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008–2011 with complete data on Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements. A total of 310 participants were randomly divided into development and cross-validation groups (5:5 ratio). Age, height, weight, waist circumference, serum creatinine levels, and lifestyle factors were included as independent variables The predictive equations were developed using a multiple linear regression and their predictive performances were primarily evaluated with R2 and Concordance Correlation Coefficient (CCC). The initial equations, which included age, height, weight, and waist circumference, showed different predictive abilities based on sex for BFM (total: R2 = 0.810, standard error of estimate [SEE] = 3.072 kg, CCC = 0.897; men: R2 = 0.848, SEE = 2.217 kg CCC = 0.855; women: R2 = 0.791, SEE = 2.194 kg, CCC = 0.840), LBM (total: R2 = 0.736, SEE = 3.321 kg, CCC = 0.838; men: R2 = 0.703, SEE = 2.450 kg, CCC = 0.774; women: R2 = 0.854, SEE = 2.234 kg, CCC = 0.902), TFM (total: R2 = 0.758, SEE = 1.932 kg, CCC = 0.844; men: R2 = 0.650, SEE = 1.745 kg, CCC = 0.794; women: R2 = 0.852, SEE = 1.504 kg, CCC = 0.890), and ALM (total: R2 = 0.775, SEE = 1.726 kg, CCC = 0.876; men: R2 = 0.805, SEE = 1.320 kg, CCC = 0.817; women: R2 = 0.726, SEE = 1.198 kg, CCC = 0.802). When additional factors, such as creatinine, smoking, alcohol consumption, and physically inactive were included in the initial equations the predictive performance of the equations were generally improved. The prediction equations for body composition derived from this study suggest a potential application in epidemiological investigations on adult cancer survivors.
Identifying individuals at high risk for dementia in primary care: Development and validation of the DemRisk risk prediction model using routinely collected patient data
Authors: Reeves David , Morgan Catharine , Stamate Daniel , Ford Elizabeth , Ashcroft Darren M. , Kontopantelis Evangelos , Van Marwijk Harm , McMillan Brian
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Health policy in the UK and globally regarding dementia, emphasises prevention and risk reduction. These goals could be facilitated by automated assessment of dementia risk in primary care using routinely collected patient data. However, existing applicable tools are weak at identifying patients at high risk for dementia. We set out to develop improved risk prediction models deployable in primary care.

Methods

Electronic health records (EHRs) for patients aged 60–89 from 393 English general practices were extracted from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD database. 235 and 158 practices respectively were randomly assigned to development and validation cohorts. Separate dementia risk models were developed for patients aged 60–79 (development cohort n = 616,366; validation cohort n = 419,126) and 80–89 (n = 175,131 and n = 118,717). The outcome was incident dementia within 5 years and more than 60 evidence-based risk factors were evaluated. Risk models were developed and validated using multivariable Cox regression.

Results

The age 60–79 development cohort included 10,841 incident cases of dementia (6.3 per 1,000 person-years) and the age 80–89 development cohort included 15,994 (40.2 per 1,000 person-years). Discrimination and calibration for the resulting age 60–79 model were good (Harrell’s C 0.78 (95% CI: 0.78 to 0.79); Royston’s D 1.74 (1.70 to 1.78); calibration slope 0.98 (0.96 to 1.01)), with 37% of patients in the top 1% of risk scores receiving a dementia diagnosis within 5 years. Fit statistics were lower for the age 80–89 model but dementia incidence was higher and 79% of those in the top 1% of risk scores subsequently developed dementia.

Conclusion

Our models can identify individuals at higher risk of dementia using routinely collected information from their primary care record, and outperform an existing EHR-based tool. Discriminative ability was greatest for those aged 60–79, but the model for those aged 80–89 may also be clinical useful.
Teaching national identity in post-handover Hong Kong: Pedagogical discourse and re-contextualization in the curriculum
Authors: Zhao Zhenzhou , Kennedy Kerry J. , Wang Xingxing
Published: October 2024

Teaching young Hongkongers a sense of ‘Chineseness’, especially in a cultural sense, was embedded in the city’s colonial history. Yet moulding the young generation to be patriotic citizens of the People’s Republic of China was a new objective for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government after 1 July 1997. This study analyses civic and citizenship curriculum guidelines issued in Hong Kong from 1997 to 2022 to explore how a new construct of national identity was pedagogized in the post-handover context. The research findings of this study suggest that the pedagogical discourse of national identity in the curriculum guidelines has tended to prioritize an ethno-cultural sense of Chineseness as an external entity and orient Hong Kong students as passive recipients for this new identity after the handover. The article concludes by considering the implications of these findings for the teaching of national identity in Hong Kong’s new political context after the implementation of the National Security Law in 2020.
The Relationship between Regime ‘Type’ and Civic Education: The Cases of Three Chinese Societies, Hui Li (2021)
Authors: Chen Sicong
Published: October 2024

Review of: The Relationship between Regime ‘Type’ and Civic Education: The Cases of Three Chinese Societies, Hui Li (2021)

Singapore: Springer, 159 pp.,

ISBN 978-9-81165-233-2, e-book, £67.55
Intelectuais e Esfera Pública no Brasil: Ideias e prática política de Joaquim Nabuco
Authors: Prado Maria Emilia
Published: October 2024

O papel dos intelectuais na esfera pública tem sido objeto de estudos e debates realizados a partir de diversas perspectivas teóricas e historiográficas. Há, porém, certo consenso de que compete ao intelectual atuar criticamente no cenário político e social. Dessa forma, este texto objetiva apresentar a especificidade da atividade intelectual na América Latina, em especial o caso do Brasil, onde os intelectuais, para além de intervirem criticamente na esfera pública, atuavam também, ao longo dos séculos XIX e XX, como formuladores e executores de políticas públicas. Para exemplificar esta particularidade será objeto de análise algumas das ideias e prática política de Joaquim Nabuco, um dos líderes do movimento abolicionista.
Regime autoritário em Portugal: suas narrativas e a memória dos operários em perspectiva
Authors: Nascimento Eliane , Valente Isabel
Published: October 2024

Além de uma função documental e histórica, registros sobre períodos autoritários têm uma função educativa e social, pois rememorar este passado é uma forma de resistência e uma forma de reafirmar a importância da garantia das liberdades e dos direitos. Neste contexto, este texto centra‑ se nas memórias da categoria operária, um de entre os atores que tiveram protagonismo na resistência ao governo autoritário em Portugal (1926‑1974). Procuraremos compreender de que forma os discursos que emergem destas memórias articulam‑ se ao recriarem este vivido.
Falando de Migrações: Benefícios e Desafios
Authors: Cordeiro de Azevedo Ana
Published: October 2024

O presente texto tem como objeto de estudo as migrações no contexto da globalização, enfatizando a sua complexidade e os seus impactos positivos e negativos. O autor sustenta que as migrações não podem ser compreendidas a partir de uma perspetiva unidimensional e simplista, pois requerem uma abordagem sistémica, que leve em conta as suas causas, caraterísticas e consequências nos âmbitos social, político e económico. O texto pretende oferecer uma contribuição para uma discussão mais fundamentada e crítica sobre as migrações, sem ter a pretensão de abarcar a totalidade do tema.
Gallstone Disease Is Associated With an Increased Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Results From 3 Prospective Cohort Studies
Authors: Mi Ningning , Yang Man , Wei Lina , Nie Peng , Zhan Shukai , Nguyen Long H. , Smith Fang Gao , Acharjee Animesh , Liu Xudong , Huang Junjie , Xia Bin , Yuan Jinqiu , Meng Wenbo
Published: October 2024

INTRODUCTION:

Gallstone diseases affect intestinal inflammation, bile flow, and gut microbiota, which in turn may increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, epidemiological studies exploring the associations between gallstone diseases and subsequent IBD risk have been limited.

METHODS:

This is a combined analysis of 3 prospective cohort studies (Nurses' Health Study, Nurses' Health Study II, and UK Biobank) and replicated in a case-control study (Chinese IBD Etiology Study). We evaluated the hazard ratios (HRs)/odds ratios (ORs) between gallstone diseases with IBD risk by Cox logistic regression or conditional logistic regression, adjusting for demographic characteristics, lifestyles, comorbidities, and medication usage.

RESULTS:

We identified 3,480 cases of IBD over 2,127,471 person-years of follow-up in the 3 cohort studies. The participants with gallstone disease had a 38% increase in the risk of IBD (HR 1.38, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.21–1.59), 68% increase in Crohn's disease (HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.38–2.06), and 24% increase in ulcerative colitis (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.03–1.49). In Chinese IBD Etiology Study, we found even larger magnitude of effects between gallstone diseases and IBD risk (IBD: OR 3.03, 95% CI 2.32–3.97; Crohn's disease: OR 5.31; 95% CI 3.71–7.60; ulcerative colitis: OR 1.49; 95% CI 1.07–2.06). There were no major differences in the estimated associations between the presence of unremoved gallstones and prior cholecystectomy with IBD risk.

DISCUSSION:

Gallstone disease was linked to an increased risk of IBD and its subtypes, independent of traditional risk factors. Further research is needed to confirm these associations and clarify the underlying biological mechanisms.
Liver Dysfunction and Systemic Inflammation Drive Organ Failures in Acute Decompensation of Cirrhosis: A Multicentric Study
Authors: Verma Nipun , Roy Akash , Valsan Arun , Garg Pratibha , Ralmilay Samonee , Girish Venkitesh , Kaur Parminder , Rathi Sahaj , De Arka , Premkumar Madhumita , Taneja Sunil , Goenka Mahesh Kumar , Duseja Ajay
Published: October 2024

INTRODUCTION:

Hospitalized patients with acute decompensation (AD) of cirrhosis are at risk of progressing to acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), significantly increasing their mortality. The aim of this study was to identify key predictors and patient trajectories predisposing to ACLF.

METHODS:

In this multicenter, prospective study spanning 2 years, clinical, biochemical, and 90-day survival data were collected from 625 patients with AD (European Association for the Study of the Liver criteria) across North, South, and East India. We divided the cohort into a Derivation cohort (DC: 318 patients) and a Validation cohort (VC: 307 patients). Predictive models for pre-ACLF were derived, validated, and compared with established scores such as model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) 3.0 and chronic liver failure Consortium acute decompensation.

RESULTS:

Of 625 patients (mean age 49 years, 83% male, 77.5% with alcohol-related liver disease), 32.2% progressed to ACLF. Patients progressing to ACLF showed significantly higher bilirubin (10.9 vs 8.1 mg/dL), leukocyte counts (9,400 vs 8,000 per mm3), international normalized ratio (1.9 vs 1.8), and MELD 3.0 (28 vs 25) but lower sodium (131 vs 134 mEq/L) and survival (62% vs 86%) compared with those without progression (P < 0.05) in the DC. Consistent results were noted with alcohol-associated hepatitis, infection and hepatic encephalopathy as additional risk factors in VC. Liver failure at presentation (odds ratio: 2.4 [in DC], 6.9 [in VC]) and the 7-day trajectories of bilirubin, international normalized ratio, and MELD 3.0 significantly predicted ACLF progression (P < 0.001). A new pre-ACLF model showed superior predictive capability (area under the curve of 0.71 in DC and 0.82 in VC) compared with MELD 3.0 and chronic liver failure Consortium acute decompensation scores (P < 0.05).

DISCUSSION:

Approximately one-third of AD patients in this Indian cohort rapidly progressed to ACLF, resulting in high mortality. Early identification of patients at risk can guide targeted interventions to prevent ACLF.
Potential of Soursop Leaf Extract as an Antioxidant in MCF-7 Cells
Authors: Mustofa Muhammad Samsul , Hadi Restu Syamsul , Rahmah Nunung Ainur , Pandrianto Pandrianto
Published: October 2024

The frequency of breast cancer tends to increase. Malondialdehyde (MDA) is a marker of oxidative stress as an end product from the chain reaction of lipid peroxidation. The use of traditional medicine soursopleaf (Annona muricata L.) has been reported for a long time because of its bioactivity as an antioxidant. This study analyzes the relationship between MDA levels and glutathione enzymes in MCF-7 cells given the methanol extract of soursop leaves. The methanol extract of soursop leaves was carried out by infusion method. The methanol extract of soursop leaves was given to cancer cells at several doses with an incubation of 24 hours. The cytotoxic test was carried out using the MTT method. Measurement of MDA levels was carried out using the thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS/TBA) reactivity test method. GSH measurements used the colorimetric method. The results showed that the ethanol extracts of soursop leaves have cytotoxic activity in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line with IC50 values of 23.96 ppm. Ethanol extract of soursop leaves increased levels of MDA inhibition and GSH level. Soursop leaf extract could increase MDA inhibition GSH level in human breast cancer cells MCF-7.
Method for the design and evaluation of binary sensitivity tests
Authors: Wilrich Cordula , Wilrich Peter-Th.
Published: October 2024

For many materials or specimen, their resistance to stress is an important (safety) characteristic. The target value is the event stress, i.e., the value of the stress at which the (adverse) event occurs. Depending on the test procedure and the test items, the event stress cannot always be measured directly but must be determined by binary sensitivity tests. A method for the evaluation of binary sensitivity tests based on the principle of Maximum Likelihood is presented and compared to other methods (traditionally) applied. Sensitivity testing of explosives and fatigue testing of metallic materials are used as real examples to illustrate application of the method and to compare actual results. The method presented delivers not only the estimate of the stress at any specified probability of the event but also the respective 95 % confidence interval. Application of the method is facilitated because it does not require the data to be obtained in a staircase procedure, can process any kind of input data (e.g., as measured or logarithmic), and does not require the stress levels to be equidistant. The method is easily applicable for any laboratory because it is implemented into an Excel file, which is made freely available at https://www.statistics-wilrich.info.
El nuevo gobierno de Milei y China
Authors: Villasenin Lucas
Published: October 2024

La llegada al gobierno de Javier Milei en Argentina constituye una novedad para la historia política argentina y también para el análisis de las relaciones con la República Popular China. El gobierno que comenzó el 10 de diciembre de 2023 es un resultado de la profunda crisis económica que atraviesa el país y de la habilidad del líder libertario de sumar apoyos a partir del descontento social. Este cambio de gobierno vino de la mano de un marcado cambio en materia de política internacional para el Estado argentino. Las tensiones abiertas por el nuevo presidente que sistémicamente declara en contra del gobierno chino ponen en riesgos los avances obtenidos en 52 años de relaciones bilaterales entre ambos países. El acelerado desarrollo del vínculo sino-argentino en las últimas décadas actualmente se ve afectado por decisiones como el rechazo a incorporarse al bloque ampliado de los BRICS o mantener vínculos con funcionarios en Taiwan de China. En este artículo se destacan las implicancias concretas de la llegada de Milei al Gobierno para la relación bilateral entre ambos países y se analizan las perspectivas futuras en función de la dinámica global en curso.
Synthesis, structure and optically limiting NLO properties of a distorted cubane-like cluster (µ-Cl)(µ
3-WSe4)(CuPPh3)3
Authors: Chen Meng-Ting , Liang Qing-Wen , Pan Song , Jia Ai-Quan , Zhang Qian-Feng
Published: October 2024

Treatment of [Et4N]2[WSe4] with three equivalents of CuCl and PPh3 (Ph = phenyl) in a mixed solvent of 25 mL of CH2Cl2 and 5 mL of DMF afforded a distorted cubane-like cluster [(µ-Cl)(µ
3-WSe4)(CuPPh3)3] (1), which has been structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The coordination geometry of the tungsten center and two copper atoms is tetrahedral, whereas that of the other copper atom is triangular. Regarding the NLO properties, a large optical limiting effect with a threshold of 0.91 J cm−2 was observed with laser pulses of 7 ns at 532 nm.
Medidor de Caudal Inteligente Aplicando Tecnologías del Internet de las Cosas (IOT)
Authors: Navarro Silva Stephany , Flores García Salomón , Tapia Tinoco Guillermo , Saldaña Robles Noé
Published: October 2024

Este artículo describe el diseño e implementación de un medidor caudal inteligente basado en tecnologíasdel internet de las cosas (IOT). El sistema incorpora un caudalímetro para medir el flujo de agua y una válvulade bola que se acciona mediante un servomotor, acoplado mecánicamente a la válvula. El prototipo funcionaen dos modos de operación. En el modo local, se controla la válvula con un potenciómetro y se visualiza elcaudal en una pantalla OLED. En el modo remoto, aplicando protocolos de comunicación de internet de lascosas (IoT), se puede controlar la válvula y monitorear el flujo a través de una interfaz gráfica creada con elsoftware Node-RED. Esta interfaz permite al usuario abrir o cerrar válvulas y monitorear el caudal de formaremota. El microcontrolador ESP32 es el núcleo del prototipo realizando tareas de monitoreo, control,conexión a internet y la implementación de protocolos MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport). Elartículo detalla los elementos principales del sistema implementado, los algoritmos utilizados para elfuncionamiento del prototipo, así como los resultados y pruebas que validan su efectividad y versatilidad.
Compositos de ceniza volcánica para la remoción de contaminantes tóxicos en agua
Authors: Gámez-Morales A. M. , Campos-Bustos E. , Laurel-Hernández V.P. , Méndez-Rocha V. , Jimenez-Jacobo A. T. , Bernal-Silva E.C. , Ortega-Rivera P. , Ramírez-Torres E. , González-Cárdenas B. , Castro-Becerra I.P. , Jacobo-Azuara A.
Published: October 2024

En este trabajo se realizó la síntesis de un composito poroso a partir de ceniza volcánica proveniente de laexhalación del volcán Popocatépetl en el mes de mayo del 2023. La síntesis de los compositos se realizómediante una reacción de geopolimerización en medio alcalino. Los datos de equilibrio y cinética de adsorciónse obtuvieron en un adsorbedor de lote y en una columna de adsorción, respectivamente. Los experimentosse realizaron a pH =5 y T = 25 °C y se usaron concentraciones entre 20 y 200 ppm de cada uno de loscontaminantes. Los datos experimentales se interpretaron con el modelo de la isoterma de Langmuir y seobservó que el equilibrio de adsorción de los metales la adsorción sobre los compositos se favorece deacuerdo con la siguiente relación Cu > Pb > Cd, para los iones de carga negativa la capacidad de adsorciónfue de 5 mg/g para el Flúor y de 1.8 mg/g para el Cromo VI. Para el caso de los colorantes azul de metilenoy naranja de metilo, el porcentaje de remoción fue del 95 %.
Remoción de cromo hexavalente de un lixiviado industrial utilizando un composito biocarbon-nanopartícula e impacto de las nanopartículas de Cerio en el tratamiento de aguas residuales
Authors: Martínez Dávalos Giovanna Del Rocío , Navarro Mendiola Pedro Alberto , Díaz Reyes Sofía Jimena , Cuevas Rodríguez Germán , Bernal Martínez Arodí
Published: October 2024

Este estudio se enfocó en la síntesis de biocarbón a partir de olotes de maíz (Zea mays) para la eliminaciónde cromo hexavalente (Cr (VI)) de lixiviados industriales. Se realizó la caracterización fisicoquímica dellixiviado, la determinación de la máxima remoción de Cr (VI) mediante isotermas de adsorción y la aplicaciónde un método de impregnación con nanopartículas de γ-Fe2O3 . La hipótesis estipulada de que laimpregnación mejoraría la remoción de Cr (VI) fue confirmada, mostrando que el biocarbón con impregnaciónlogró una remoción significativamente mayor en comparación con el biocarbón no impregnado.
Inteligencia emocional y su relación con el consumo de drogas en adolescentes: Revisión integrativa
Authors: Morales Hernández Lorena , Monroy Gutiérrez Elizabeth , Martínez Martínez Daniela Monserrath , Elizarraga Hernández Gabriela , Fuentes Ocampo Lucero
Published: October 2024

Introducción: El consumo de drogas es un fenomeno multifactorial se reporta que en el 2021 más de 275millones de personas de entre 15 y 64 años quienes consumieron drogas por lo menos una vez al año . Asímismo se indica que 36.3 millones consumieron drogas de alto riesgo, como la heroína, la cocaína, lasanfetaminas y las drogas sintéticas. Objetivo: Indagar sobre la inteligencia emocional y su relación con elcon consumo de drogas. Metodología: Revisión integrativa, bajo la metodología propuesta por Whittermore(2005), la cual muestra los siguientes pasos: 1) Identificación del problema. 2) Búsqueda de literatura. 3)Evaluación de los datos. 4) Análisis de los datos. 5) Presentación de los datos obtenidos.Resultados: En larevisión de la literatura se incluyeron 7 artículos que cumplieron los criterios de inclusión, se incluyeronestudios: descriptivo correlacional, transversales, analíticos de corte transversal y revisión de literatura.Conclusiones: Existen diversos factores de protección para el consumo de drogas entre los que seencuentre la inteligencia emocional, la cual una vez que la persona aprende a manejar sus emocionespuede tomar mejores decisiones.