bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Captive ERVWE1 triggers impairment of 5-HT neuronal plasticity in the first-episode schizophrenia by post-transcriptional activation of HTR1B in ALKBH5-m6A dependent epigenetic mechanisms
Authors: Wu Xiulin , Liu Lianzhong , Xue Xing , Li Xuhang , Zhao Kexin , Zhang Jiahang , Li Wenshi , Yao Wei , Ding Shuang , Jia Chen , Zhu Fan
Published: November 2023

Background

Abnormalities in the 5-HT system and synaptic plasticity are hallmark features of schizophrenia. Previous studies suggest that the human endogenous retrovirus W family envelope (ERVWE1) is an influential risk factor for schizophrenia and inversely correlates with 5-HT4 receptor in schizophrenia. To our knowledge, no data describes the effect of ERVWE1 on 5-HT neuronal plasticity. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulates gene expression and impacts synaptic plasticity. Our research aims to systematically investigate the effects of ERVWE1 on 5-HT neuronal plasticity through m6A modification in schizophrenia.

Results

HTR1B, ALKBH5, and Arc exhibited higher levels in individuals with first-episode schizophrenia compared to the controls and showed a strong positive correlation with ERVWE1. Interestingly, HTR1B was also correlated with ALKBH5 and Arc. Further analyses confirmed that ALKBH5 may be an independent risk factor for schizophrenia. In vitro studies, we discovered that ERVWE1 enhanced HTR1B expression, thereby activating the ERK-ELK1-Arc pathway and reducing the complexity and spine density of 5-HT neurons. Furthermore, ERVWE1 reduced m6A levels through ALKBH5 demethylation. ERVWE1 induced HTR1B upregulation by improving its mRNA stability in ALKBH5-m6A-dependent epigenetic mechanisms. Importantly, ALKBH5 mediated the observed alterations in 5-HT neuronal plasticity induced by ERVWE1.

Conclusions

Overall, HTR1B, Arc, and ALKBH5 levels were increased in schizophrenia and positively associated with ERVWE1. Moreover, ALKBH5 was a novel risk gene for schizophrenia. ERVWE1 impaired 5-HT neuronal plasticity in ALKBH5-m6A dependent mechanism by the HTR1B-ERK-ELK1-Arc pathway, which may be an important contributor to aberrant synaptic plasticity in schizophrenia.
Measuring training effectiveness of laboratory biosafety program offered at African Center for Integrated Laboratory Training in 22 President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief supported countries (2008–2014)
Authors: Shrivastava Ritu , Stevens Thomas , Westerman Larry , Bressler David , van Schalkwyk Elsie , Bressler Cristina , Ugwu Ken , Mwangi Christina , Opio Joel Peter , Nkodyo Joseph , Mwangi Jane W. , Martin Monte D. , Nesby-O’Dell Shanna
Published: November 2023

Introduction

The African Center for Integrated Laboratory Training (ACILT) in Johannesburg, South Africa offered a laboratory biosafety program to improve laboratory biosafety practices in 22 President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) supported countries. This manuscript evaluates the transference of newly gained knowledge and skills to the participants’ place of employment for HIV and TB diagnostic laboratory programs. It also serves as a follow-on to a previously published manuscript that measured training effectiveness for all courses offered at ACILT.

Methods

ACILT offered 20 Laboratory Biosafety and Infrastructure courses (2008–2014), also referred as biosafety course/course comprising of 14 core laboratory safety elements to 402 participants from 22 countries. In 2015, participants received 22 e-questions divided into four categories: (1) Safety Policies, (2) Management’s Engagement, (3) Safety Programs and (4) Assessments of Safety Practices to determine retrospectively the training effectiveness of biosafety practices in their place of employment 6 months before and after attending their course. We used Kirkpatrick model to assess the transference of knowledge, skills and obstructive factors.

Results

20% (81/402) of the participants completed the e-questionnaire. The overall percentage of positive responses indicating implementation of new safety practices increased from 50% to 84%. Improvement occurred in all four categories after attending the course, with the greatest increases in Safety Policies (67–94%) and Safety Programs (43–91%). Creating a safety committee, allocating resources, and establishing a facility safety policy were important drivers for implementing and maintaining laboratory safety practices. In addition, accredited laboratories and countries with national safety regulations or policies had a higher percentage of improvements. The most reported challenges were inadequate funding and lack of management enforcement.

Conclusions

PEPFAR and other partners’ investments in training institutions, such as ACILT, were effective in building sustainable country ownership to strengthen biosafety practices and were leveraged to combat zoonotic diseases and COVID-19. Although support continues at the national/regional level, a standardized, coordinated and continent-wide sustainable approach to offer a biosafety program-like ACILT is missing. Continuous offerings of biosafety programs similar to ACILT could contribute to sustainable strengthening of laboratory biosafety, QMS and pandemic preparedness.
Role of cardiac magnetic resonance T1 mapping in comparison to T2* for cardiac iron overload assessment in transfusion-dependent thalassemia major patients
Authors: Ibrahim Heba R. , Ahmed Ahmed Tohamy
Published: November 2023

Background

Cardiac complications are the leading cause of death in transfusion-dependent thalassemia major (TDT) patients due to increased cardiac iron overload (CIO), so this study’s purpose is to assess the diagnostic utility of cardiac magnetic resonance T1 mapping in correlation to T2* for the assessment of CIO in TDT patients. This prospective case–control study involved 55 TDT patients and 30 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. All the patients underwent assessment of myocardial T2*, and native T1 values by conventional cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and native T1 mapping technique to assess the CIO. Comparison and association between T2*, and native T1 values among TDT patients were studied.

Results

A statistically significant difference is noted between control and patient groups in regard to mean T2* and native T1 values (P = 0.03 and 0.01, respectively). The mean native T1 value in TDT patients was lower than in the control group (992 ± 54 vs. 1234 ± 42), respectively, with a statistically significant P value of 0.04. The study evoked a statistically significant strong positive association, and correlation was noted between measured T2* and native T1 values (r = 0.84, P value = 0.001), while a moderate negative association was observed between native T1 values and S. ferritin levels (r = − 0.53, P value = 0.02).

Conclusions

Native T1 mapping is a non-invasive promising complementary technique to T2* that helps to detect cardiac iron overload in TDT patients, as it is strongly associated with T2*. Also, native T1 value can differentiate mild, moderate, severe, and no cardiac iron overload.
Association between the severity of liver cirrhosis with quality of life and its impact on clinical practice
Authors: Mustika Syifa , Susanto Jefri Pratama , Lesmana Cosmas Rinaldi Adithya
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Liver cirrhosis (LC) has a significant impact in quality of life, and it is frequently linked to loss of a job, mood fluctuations, anxiety, low self-esteem, and despair. Recent LC treatment primarily focuses on clinical manifestations rather than the patient’s quality of life. By analyzing quality of life, one can learn about the disease’s emotional, physical, and lifestyle effects.

Objectives

To find the relationship between quality of life with the severity of liver cirrhosis.

Methods

The research was conducted as an observational study with cross-sectional data being collected. The study’s participants were recruited from Saiful Anwar Hospital’s outpatient and inpatient clinics. The individuals completed a chronic liver disease questionnaire to assess their quality of life, and the Child-Pugh score was used to determine the severity of their liver disease. The data was analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and the rank Spearman test, with a significance level of 0.05.

Result

There were 54 individuals, with an average age of 53.71 years and a male-to-female ratio of 74%. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the Child-Pugh A, Child-Pugh B, and Child-Pugh C groups in all aspects of the chronic liver disease questionnaire (p = 0.000). The rank Spearman test revealed a substantial link between quality of life and liver cirrhosis severity (r: −0.817).

Conclusion

The severity of LC is associated with the quality of life of the patients.
Invoking Identity? Partisan Polarization in Discussions of Race, Racism, and Gender in 2022 Midterm Advertising in the United States
Authors: Fowler Erika Franklin , Moore Steven T. , Floyd Breeze , Yao Jielu , Neumann Markus , Lewis Jr. Neil A. , Niederdeppe Jeff , Gollust Sarah E.
Published: November 2023

Context: Media messaging matters for public opinion and policy, and analyzing patterns of campaign strategy can provide important windows into policy priorities.

Methods: The authors used content analysis supplemented with keyword-based text analysis to assess the volume, proportion, and distribution of media attention to race-related issues in comparison to gender-related issues during the general election period of the 2022 midterm campaigns for federal office in the United States.

Findings: Race-related mentions in campaign advertising were overwhelmingly focused on crime and law and order, with very little attention to racism, racial injustice, and the structural barriers that lead to widespread inequities. In stark contrast to mentions of gender, racial appeals were less identity focused and were competitively contested between the parties in their messaging, but they were much more likely to be led by Republicans.

Conclusions: The results suggest that discussions of race and gender were highly polarized, with consequences for public understanding of and belief in disparities and policies important to population health.
Medicaid by Any Other Name? Investigating Malleability of Partisan Attitudes toward the Public Program
Authors: McIntyre Adrianna , McCrain Josh , Pavliv Danielle
Published: November 2023

Context: Medicaid is the largest health insurance program by enrollment in the United States. The program varies across states and across a variety of dimensions, including what it is called; some states use state-specific naming conventions, for example, MassHealth in Massachusetts.

Methods: In a preregistered online survey experiment (N = 5,807), the authors tested whether public opinion shifted in response to the use of state-specific Medicaid program names for the provision of information about program enrollment.

Findings: Replacing “Medicaid” with a state-specific name resulted in a large increase in the share of respondents reporting that they “haven't heard enough to say” how they felt about the program. This corresponded to a decrease in both favorable and unfavorable attitudes toward the program. Although confusion increased among all partisan groups, there is evidence that state-specific names may also strengthen positive perceptions among Republicans. Providing enrollment information generally did not affect public opinion.

Conclusions: These findings offer suggestive evidence that state-specific program names may muddle understanding of the program as a government-provided benefit. Policy makers seeking to bolster support for the program or claim credit for expanding or improving it may be better served by simply referring to it as “Medicaid.”
Impervious to Elite Influence: Americans’ ACA Attitudes, 2009–2020
Authors: Hopkins Daniel J.
Published: November 2023

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was a central issue dividing Republicans and Democrats for the decade following its 2010 enactment. As such, it offers key lessons about policy making and public opinion during a highly polarized political period. The author draws out some of those lessons from his 2023 book Stable Condition: Elites’ Limited Influence on Health Care Attitudes, detailing how polarization shaped both the elite- and mass-level politics of the ACA. At the elite level, polarization and nationalization within the federal and state governments laid the groundwork for a highly complex law that was a patchwork of policies experienced very differently by different Americans. At the mass level, polarization and nationalization contributed to a remarkable level of stability in public opinion, so much so that even direct beneficiaries of the law did not typically become markedly more positive toward it. Elite efforts at opinion leadership through policy making and messaging were largely unsuccessful.
ZAPINKI PROWINCJONALNORZYMSKIE ODKRYTE NA STANOWISKU 30 W PERKOWIE NA KUJAWACH
Authors: Rakoczy Jacek
Published: November 2023

Zarys treści. Przedmiotem niniejszego opracowania są znalezione na stanowisku w Perkowie zapinki, które można zaliczyć do produktów prowincjonalnorzymskich. Stanowią one nieliczną, choć bardzo ważną grupę wśród ogromnej liczby zróżnicowanego chronologicznie materiału źródłowego ze wspomnianego stanowiska. Fibule są reprezentowane przez egzemplarze typów: A.18, A.22, A.65, A.73, A.247. Poza nimi znaleziono też dwie zapinki tarczowate: z grup III i II.8 według K. Exnera. Wszystkie odkryte na stanowisku artefakty datowane są od początku młodszego okresu przedrzymskiego po okres wędrówek ludów, czyli przez cały okres istnienia kultury przeworskiej. Zarówno liczba wyrobów importowanych, jak i tych miejscowej proweniencji stawia stanowisko w Perkowie w rzędzie najciekawszych pozostałości kultury przeworskiej. Niezwykle rzadko mamy do czynienia ze stanowiskami, na których możemy prześledzić rozwój danej jednostki kulturowej – od jej wykrystalizowania się aż do zaniku.
Z NOWYCH BADAŃ NAD WCZESNOŚREDNIOWIECZNYM ZESPOŁEM OSADNICZYM PRZY JEZIORZE ARCHIDIAKONKA W OKOLICY CHEŁMŻY
Authors: Poliński Dariusz
Published: November 2023

Zarys treści. Zaprezentowano wyniki nowych badań nad wczesnośredniowiecznym zespołem osadniczym położonym przy jeziorze Archidiakonka w okolicy Chełmży, uzyskane dzięki archeologicznym pracom ratowniczym przeprowadzonym w 2010 roku na stanowisku 11 w Bielczynach. Omówiono zarejestrowane podczas tych prac obiekty i nawarstwienia kulturowe związane z wczesnym średniowieczem, wykonano szczegółową analizę pozyskanego zbioru fragmentów naczyń ceramicznych z tego okresu oraz uaktualniono wiedzę na temat „archidiakońskiego” zespołu osadniczego, przede wszystkim w zakresie chronologii.
From awareness to action: Effects of a schoolbased intervention on TV viewing behavior stages and screen time guidelines knowledge in Brazilian adolescents
Authors: Santos Priscila Cristina dos , Bandeira Alexsandra da Silva , Costa Bruno Gonçalves Galdino da , Sousa Ana Caroline Ferreira Campos de , Silva Kelly Samara da
Published: November 2023

The aims of the study were to verify the effect of an intervention on the stage of behavior change for TV viewing and to identify the possible mediating role of knowledge on screen time guidelines among Brazilian students. This study is a multicomponent school-based intervention conducted with 727 students (54.3% female, 13 years; 427 in the intervention group and 300 in the control group). The intervention was performed in 2017 with baseline and post-intervention assessments (over one academic year). Teacher training was carried out at the beginning of the intervention along with environmental improvements, while educational curriculum such as the delivery of folders and posters were performed throughout the year. The stages of behavior change for TV viewing and knowledge of screen time guidelines were measured by a self-reported questionnaire and the structural equation modeling approach was performed. The intervention had no significant effects on stages of behavior change for TV (p = 0.744) nor did it result in significant changes on knowledge of screen time guidelines (p = 0.741). While there was no mediation between knowledge of screen time guidelines and the effect of the intervention on stages of behavior change for TV (95%CI: -0.45;0.63), an association was found between knowledge of screen time guidelines and stages of behavior change for TV (p<0.001). In conclusion, intervention had no significant effect on the stages of behavior change for TV and no mediating effect was observed. However, enhancing awareness on screen time guidelines may positively impact the adolescent’s intention to reduce TV time.
AUTOVERDADES DE UMA BASE IMPOSTA EM UMA EDUCAÇÃO EXPOSTA
Authors: Lopes Shayane França
Published: November 2023

Este artigo objetiva apresentar articulações linguístico-discursivas provenientes de enunciados de segmentos privatistas, a saber, Movimento pela Base (MPB) e Fundação Lemann (FL), a partir dos quais os próprios enunciadores justificam a necessidade do documento Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC), no que tange a questões legais, lançando mão da estratégia denominada por Brum (2018) como autoverdade. Para isso, realizou-se um movimento analítico cartográfico (BARROS; KASTRUP, 2010 DEUSDARÁ; ROCHA, 2021) de práticas comuns a agentes privatistas no contexto de produção de políticas educacionais recentes, relacionadas à BNCC, discutindo-as a partir de referenciais teóricos do campo da Educação e do Currículo (ADRIÃO; PERONI, 2008, 2012; APPLE, 2005; CAETANO, 2015, 2019; CURY, 2003), sob a perspectiva da Análise do Discurso de base enunciativa (MAINGUENEAU, 1997, 2011). Visando alcançar o objetivo estabelecido, foram analisados enunciados provenientes do MPB e da FL relativos à fundamentação legal para a necessidade da BNCC, explicitada no Documento Conceito (Movimento pela Base, 2015) e em notícia divulgada no portal da Fundação Lemann, intitulada BNCC do Ensino Médio: 5 razões para continuar colaborando (Fundação Lemann, 2018). Com o intuito de mostrar o processo de implementação da BNCC na sala de aula de colégios da Educação Básica, apresentou-se um aspecto presente na área de Linguagens no Ensino Médio da Rede Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, a partir do exame da Resolução 6035/22. As análises mostram inconsistências nos enunciados dos agentes privatistas e uma realidade educacional caótica aprimorada pelas determinações do Novo Ensino Médio.
GÊNERO, DIVERSIDADE E ENSINO DE LÍNGUA PORTUGUESA: para além do enclausuramento dos armários curriculares
Authors: Mourão de Uzêda André Luís
Published: November 2023

Aproximando teoria e prática, o presente trabalho discute a pertinência da temática “gênero e diversidade” nos currículos praticados em aulas de Língua Portuguesa e relata um projeto didático desenvolvido com turmas do terceiro ano do Ensino Médio no XXX. A exposição do relato, ao assumir uma criação cotidiana do currículo, encontra na pesquisa narrativa (ALVES,2008) um tempo-espaço privilegiado para a análise de “políticaspráticas educacionais cotidianas”, que se embasam em efetivas “práticas curriculares reais” (OLIVEIRA, 2006; 2013). Na primeira parte do artigo, analisa-se, em linhas gerais, o histórico da BNCC (2018), que excluiu de sua versão final qualquer proposta de trabalho com as temáticas de “gênero” e “sexualidade”. Em diálogo com os estudos de Judith Butler (2003), discute-se, criticamente, a pertinência deste debate para uma formação dos estudantes de educação básica que esteja efetivamente comprometida com o respeito à diversidade de identidades de gênero para a garantia dos direitos humanos. Na segunda parte, apresenta-se o relato em si, que recorre às teorias das textualidades (ANTUNES, 2009) para apresentarmos uma proposta de ensino de língua portuguesa preocupado com a formação cidadã e democrática dos estudantes, tomando como eixo transversal a temática “gênero e diversidade”.
BNCC E O ENSINO DE LITERATURA: o trabalho nas trincheiras e frinchas para (quem sabe) abrir portões
Authors: Mendes Nataniel
Published: November 2023

O presente artigo problematiza o processo de elaboração da BNCC, destacando quem foram os interlocutores privilegiados e como isso impacta negativamente o ensino de literatura, punindo de forma mais veemente os menos abastados. O trabalho localiza a promulgação da BNCC e da Reforma do Ensino Médio no período das Contrarreformas (2016-2018). Por meio de uma revisão bibliográfica, aponta alguns questionamentos e críticas levantados por estudiosos, ao mesmo tempo em que destaca o esforço teórico realizado nos interstícios das contradições para a superação dos problemas atinentes ao ensino de literatura. Por fim, considerando a forte influência que os exames de acesso às universidades têm exercido na elaboração dos currículos escolares, encaminha uma proposta para que seja avaliada, criticada e enriquecida pelos pares. Ela é mais uma tentativa de atuação nas frinchas do que, de modo consensual entre pesquisadores, é ruim para o ensino de literatura, a realização de exames de grande escala, como o ENEM.
Laser tissue welding by using collagen excitation at a 1,720  nm near-infrared optical window III
Authors: Thomas Stefan , Sriramoju Vidyasagar , Alfano Robert R.
Published: November 2023

Laser tissue welding (LTW) is a method of fusing incised tissues together. LTW has the potential to revolutionize plastic surgery and wound healing techniques by its ability to produce watertight, scarless seals with minimal foreign body reaction. While using thermal mechanisms to achieve LTW, energy from the incident laser is absorbed by water in the tissue. As the water temperature increases, partial denaturing of the collagen triple helix briefly occurs, which is quickly followed by renaturation of collagen as the tissue cools, thus providing a watertight seal. This research study investigates the efficacy of direct collagen excitation at 1,720 nm to accomplish LTW. This wavelength falls within the near-infrared (NIR) optical window III. The tensile strengths of pig skin that have been welded with NIR continuous-wave (CW) diode lasers at 1,455 nm, which promote thermal mechanisms of tissue welding, and 1,720 nm wavelengths, are compared. Near-infrared lasers tuned to 1,455 and 1,720 nm were used to weld incised pieces of porcine skin together without extrinsic solders or dyes. The tensile force of the welded tissues was measured using a digital force gauge. The average tensile force of the welded pig skin using the 1,720 nm laser was approximately four times greater than that using the CW 1,455 nm laser, suggesting that LTW accomplished through direct collagen excitation in the NIR optical window III provides greater tensile strengths.
Sinc method for generating and extending phase screens of atmospheric turbulence
Authors: Cubillos Max , Luna Kevin
Published: November 2023

We present a method, based on sinc series approximation, for generating and extending phase screens of atmospheric turbulence in real time to arbitrary lengths. Unlike phase screen representations based on the Fourier series, the sinc approximation is naturally suited to problems on infinite domains and thus avoids the problem of artificial periodicity inherent in the Fourier series. In particular, phase screens generated using the sinc method have accurate non-periodic statistics throughout the computational domain. They can also be extended using a conditional probability distribution without having to deal with artifacts of periodicity. This is a crucial feature for long time-dependent simulations of dynamic turbulence that require very long phase screen realizations. Both the generation and extension methods take advantage of special structures inherent in the sinc approximation, leading to light memory footprints and fast computations based on the FFT. Numerical results demonstrate the accuracy of the sinc method, reproducing the correct ensemble averaged statistics as well as the sample statistics of single realizations. In other words, the sinc method preserves ergodicity when this is a feature of the turbulence model. We also verify the computational efficiency of the proposed methods.
High-energy acousto-optic Q-switched alexandrite laser with wavelength tunable fundamental and UV second harmonic generation
Authors: Liang Meizhen , Minassian Ara , Damzen Michael J
Published: November 2023

We investigate high-energy mJ-class diode-pumped acousto-optic (AO) Q-switched alexandrite lasers with broad tunability at both the fundamental near-IR wavelength range and second harmonic generation (SHG) in the UV wavelength range. An AO Q-switched alexandrite laser with continuous-wave diode-pumping has been operated at up to 10 kHz and producing pulse energy of 700 µJ at repetition rate of 1 kHz. With pulsed double-pass diode-pumping, we demonstrate higher pulse energy of 2.6 mJ. With wavelength tuning, this laser system demonstrated broad fundamental tuning range from 719 to 787 nm with diffraction-limited beam quality (M2 = 1.05). By external cavity second harmonic generation in a Type-I LBO crystal, pulse energy of 0.66 mJ is generated at 375 nm and with UV tuning range from 361 to 391 nm. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of AO Q-switched alexandrite laser with broad wavelength tuning in the near-IR and UV wavelength ranges and shows its excellent potential as a pulsed source for future applications.
Asymmetric vortex beam emission from a metasurface-integrated microring with broken conjugate symmetry
Authors: Huang Jianzhi , Yu Wangke , Pi Hailong , Shen Yijie , Yan Jize , Fang Xu
Published: November 2023

Vortex beams that carry orbital angular moment (OAM) have recently attracted a great amount of research interest, and metasurfaces and planar microcavities have emerged as two prominent, but mostly separated, methods for Si chip-based vortex beam emission. In this work, we demonstrate in numerical simulation for the first time the hybridization of these two existing methods in a Si chip-based passive emitter (i.e., a light coupler). A unique feature of this device is its broken conjugate symmetry, which originates from introducing a metasurface phase gradient along a microring. The broken conjugate symmetry creates a new phenomenon that we refer to as asymmetric vortex beam emission. It allows two opposite input directions to generate two independent sets of OAM values, a capability that has never been reported before in Si chip-based passive emitters. In addition, we have also developed here a new analytical method to extract the OAM spectrum from a vector vortex beam. This analytical method will prove to be useful for vector vortex beam analysis, as mode purity analysis has rarely been reported in literature due to the complexity of the full-vector nature of such beams. This study provides new approaches for both the design and the analysis of integrated vortex beam emission, which could be utilized in many applications such as free-space optical communications and microfluidic particle manipulation.
Thermometry and velocimetry in a ramjet using dual comb spectroscopy of the O2 A-band
Authors: Yun David , Sabin Walter B. , Coburn Sean C. , Hoghooghi Nazanin , France Jacob J. , Hagenmaier Mark A. , Rice Kristin M. , Donbar Jeffrey M. , Rieker Gregory B.
Published: November 2023

Dual comb spectroscopy (DCS) of near-infrared H2O absorption has been demonstrated in the past for low-uncertainty flow measurements in ground test ramjets. However, H2O is scarce at actual ramjet flight altitudes, so oxygen is a preferable absorption target. Here, we demonstrate DCS of the O2 A-band (13000–13200 cm−1) and fit temperature and velocity across different flow conditions in a ground-test ramjet, demonstrating precisions of 3–5% and 7–11% respectively in five minutes and total uncertainty estimates of 7–9% and 8–12% respectively. The DCS measurements and uncertainty estimates are compared to predicted values for the test facility.
Dark2Light: multi-stage progressive learning model for low-light image enhancement
Authors: Li Rui-Kang , Li Meng-Hao , Chen Shi-Qi , Chen Yue-Ting , Xu Zhi-Hai
Published: November 2023

Due to severe noise and extremely low illuminance, restoring from low-light images to normal-light images remains challenging. Unpredictable noise can tangle the weak signals, making it difficult for models to learn signals from low-light images, while simply restoring the illumination can lead to noise amplification. To address this dilemma, we propose a multi-stage model that can progressively restore normal-light images from low-light images, namely Dark2Light. Within each stage, We divide the low-light image enhancement (LLIE) into two main problems: (1) illumination enhancement and (2) noise removal. Firstly, we convert the image space from sRGB to linear RGB to ensure that illumination enhancement is approximately linear, and design a contextual transformer block to conduct illumination enhancement in a coarse-to-fine manner. Secondly, a U-Net shaped denoising block is adopted for noise removal. Lastly, we design a dual-supervised attention block to facilitate progressive restoration and feature transfer. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that the proposed Dark2Light outperforms the state-of-the-art LLIE methods both quantitatively and qualitatively.
All-optically controlled holographic plasmonic vortex array for multiple metallic particles manipulation
Authors: Ju Zhendong , Ma Haixiang , Zhang Shuoshuo , Xie Xi , Min Changjun , Zhang Yuquan , Yuan Xiaocong
Published: November 2023

Due to the sub-diffraction-limited size and giant field enhancement, plasmonic tweezers have a natural advantage in trapping metallic particles. However, the strict excitation condition makes it difficult to generate an arbitrary plasmonic field in a controllable manner, thus narrowing its practical applications. Here, we propose an all-optical plasmonic field shaping method based on a digital holographic algorithm and generate plasmonic vortex arrays with controllable spot numbers, spatial location, and topological charge. Our experimental results demonstrate that multiple gold particles can be stably trapped and synchronously rotated in the vortex arrays, and the particles’ kinestate can be dynamically switched. The proposed holographic plasmonic vortex tweezers are suitable for a broadband particle trapping, and this method can be generalized to other surface electromagnetic waves like Bloch surface wave.
Sub-millimeter resolution and high-precision φ-OFDR using a complex-domain denoising method
Authors: Liu Kaijun , Yin Guolu , Zhang Zeheng , Zhong Zixuan , Lu Huafeng , Li Duidui , Zhu Tao
Published: November 2023

Phase noise is one of the main obstacles to achieve high spatial resolution, high precision, and large measurement range in φ-OFDR. Here, we proposed a complex-domain denoising method to achieve unwrapping of phase signals. In this method, the wrapped phase was used to construct a complex signal, and then both real and imaginary parts are denoised by using a wavelet packet. The two sets of denoised signals are reconstructed into a complex form, allowing to obtain an unwrapped phase. Additionally, the spatial position correction algorithm addresses the phase decoherence from strain accumulation. Finally, a high numerical aperture optical fiber is used to enhance the Rayleigh scattering intensity by 15 dB. The comprehensive approach yields remarkable results: a sensing resolution of 0.89 mm, a root mean square error of 1.5 µε, and a maximum strain sensing capability of 2050 µε.
High-efficiency cladding-pumped Er/Yb co-doped alumino-phosphosilicate fiber for an extended L-band amplification
Authors: He Le , Chen Yang , Yin Xiaoke , Gu Zhimu , Liu Shaokun , Li Wenzhen , Xing Yingbin , Chu Yingbo , Dai Nengli , Li Jinyan
Published: November 2023

Extending the gain bandwidth of L-band optical fiber amplifier has provoked a widespread interest. To date, achieving a high-efficiency extended L-band amplification remains a challenge. Here, we report a cladding-pumped Er/Yb co-doped alumino-phosphosilicate fiber, prepared by the modified chemical vapor deposition process. We demonstrate the efficiency of alumino-phosphosilicate glass for cladding-pumped Er/Yb co-doped fiber, with a gain per unit fiber length of 0.45 dB/m at 1625 nm and a gain ripple of ∼9.4 dB. For 0.8 W pump power, the fiber exhibits a 20 dB gain bandwidth covering 1575–1625 nm and 6.9 dB noise figure at 1625 nm. Additionally, the utilization of multi-mode laser diode enables further significant power savings and cost reduction. To the best of our knowledge, Er/Yb co-doped fiber in alumino-phosphosilicate glass is first proposed, with a cladding-pumped scheme for enhancing an extended L-band performance.
Fully integrated and broadband Si-rich silicon nitride wavelength converter based on Bragg scattering intermodal four-wave mixing
Authors: Vitali Valerio , Bucio Thalía Domínguez , Liu Hao , González José Manuel Luque , Jurado-Romero Francisco , Ortega-Moñux Alejandro , Churchill Glenn , Gates James C. , Hillier James , Kalfagiannis Nikolaos , Melati Daniele , Schmid Jens H. , Cristiani Ilaria , Cheben Pavel , Wangüemert-Pérez J. Gonzalo , Molina-Fernández Íñigo , Gardes Frederic , Lacava Cosimo , Petropoulos Periklis
Published: November 2023

Intermodal four-wave mixing (FWM) processes have recently attracted significant interest for all-optical signal processing applications thanks to the possibility to control the propagation properties of waves exciting distinct spatial modes of the same waveguide. This allows, in principle, to place signals in different spectral regions and satisfy the phase matching condition over considerably larger bandwidths compared to intramodal processes. However, the demonstrations reported so far have shown a limited bandwidth and suffered from the lack of on-chip components designed for broadband manipulation of different modes. We demonstrate here a silicon-rich silicon nitride wavelength converter based on Bragg scattering intermodal FWM, which integrates mode conversion, multiplexing and de-multiplexing functionalities on-chip. The system enables wavelength conversion between pump waves and a signal located in different telecommunication bands (separated by 60 nm) with a 3 dB bandwidth exceeding 70 nm, which represents, to our knowledge, the widest bandwidth ever achieved in an intermodal FWM-based system.
Phosphorylation of AHR by PLK1 promotes metastasis of LUAD via DIO2-TH signaling
Authors: Li Chaohao , Allison Derek B. , He Daheng , Mao Fengyi , Wang Xinyi , Rychahou Piotr , Imam Ibrahim A. , Kong Yifan , Zhang Qiongsi , Zhang Yanquan , Liu Jinghui , Wang Ruixin , Rao Xiongjian , Wu Sai , Evers B. Mark , Shao Qing , Wang Chi , Li Zhiguo , Liu Xiaoqi
Published: November 2023

Metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a major cause of death in patients. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), an important transcription factor, is involved in the initiation and progression of lung cancer. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), a serine/threonine kinase, acts as an oncogene promoting the malignancy of multiple cancer types. However, the interaction between these two factors and their significance in lung cancer remain to be determined. In this study, we demonstrate that PLK1 phosphorylates AHR at S489 in LUAD, leading to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastatic events. RNA-seq analyses reveal that type 2 deiodinase (DIO2) is responsible for EMT and enhanced metastatic potential. DIO2 converts tetraiodothyronine (T4) to triiodothyronine (T3), activating thyroid hormone (TH) signaling. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that treatment with T3 or T4 promotes the metastasis of LUAD, whereas depletion of DIO2 or a deiodinase inhibitor disrupts this property. Taking together, our results identify the AHR phosphorylation by PLK1 and subsequent activation of DIO2-TH signaling as mechanisms leading to LUAD metastasis. These findings can inform possible therapeutic interventions for this event.
Influences on policy-formulation, decision-making, organisation and management for maternal, newborn and child health in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda: The roles and legitimacy of a multi-country network
Authors: Akter Kohenour , Shawar Yusra Ribhi , Tesfa Anene , Howell Callie Daniels , Seruwagi Gloria , Kyamulabi Agnes , Dube Albert , Gonfa Geremew , Mwaba Kasonde ,   QCN Evaluation Group, Kinney Mary , English Mike , Shiffman Jeremy , Djellouli Nehla , Colbourn Tim
Published: November 2023

The Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (QCN) is intended to facilitate learning, action, leadership and accountability for improving quality of care in member countries. This requires legitimacy—a network’s right to exert power within national contexts. This is reflected, for example, in a government’s buy-in and perceived ownership of the work of the network. During 2019–2022 we conducted iterative rounds of stakeholder interviews, observations of meetings, document review, and hospital observations in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Malawi, Uganda and at the global level. We developed a framework drawing on three models: Tallberg and Zurn which conceptualizes legitimacy of international organisations dependent on their features, the legitimation process and beliefs of audiences; Nasiritousi and Faber, which looks at legitimacy in terms of problem, purpose, procedure, and performance of institutions; Sanderink and Nasiritousi, to characterize networks in terms of political, normative and cognitive interactions. We used thematic analysis to characterize, compare and contrast institutional interactions in a cross-case synthesis to determine salient features. Political and normative interactions were favourable within and between countries and at global level since collective decisions, collaborative efforts, and commitment to QCN goals were observed at all levels. Sharing resources and common principles were not common between network countries, indicating limits of the network. Cognitive interactions—those related to information sharing and transfer of ideas—were more challenging, with the bi-directional transfer, synthesis and harmonization of concepts and methods, being largely absent among and within countries. These may be required for increasing government ownership of QCN work, the embeddedness of the network, and its legitimacy. While we find evidence supporting the legitimacy of QCN from the perspective of country governments, further work and time are required for governments to own and embed the work of QCN in routine care.
Activation extending based on long-range dependencies for weakly supervised semantic segmentation
Authors: Liu Haipeng , Zhao Yibo , Wang Meng , Ma Meiyan , Chen Zhaoyu
Published: November 2023

Weakly supervised semantic segmentation (WSSS) principally obtains pseudo-labels based on the class activation maps (CAM) to handle expensive annotation resources. However, CAM easily involves false and local activation due to the the lack of annotation information. This paper suggests weakly supervised learning as semantic information mining to extend object mask. We proposes a novel architecture to mining semantic information by modeling through long-range dependencies from in-sample and inter-sample. Considering the confusion caused by the long-range dependencies, the images are divided into blocks and carried out self-attention operation on the premise of fewer classes to obtain long-range dependencies, to reduce false predictions. Moreover, we perform global to local weighted self-supervised contrastive learning among image blocks, and the local activation of CAM is transferred to different foreground area. Experiments verified that superior semantic details and more reliable pseudo-labels are captured through these suggested modules. Experiments on PASCAL VOC 2012 demonstrated the proposed model achieves 76.6% and 77.4% mIoU in val and test sets, which is superior to the comparison baselines.
Validation of the Malay version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS-M) among patients with cancer in Malaysia
Authors: Song Wenjun , Mansor Nor Shuhada , Shari Nurul Izzah , Azman Nizuwan , Zhang Ruiling , Leong Bin Abdullah Mohammad Farris Iman
Published: November 2023

Background

The well-being and adaptive functioning of patients with cancer depend on their perception of social support. To accurately assess and understand the impact of social support in a diverse population, validated measurement tools are essential. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Malay version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS-M) among patients with cancer in Malaysia.

Methods

A total of 346 cancer patients with mixed disease types were recruited and completed the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire and the MSPSS-M. The MSPSS-M was assessed for internal consistency, construct validity, face, content, convergent, discriminant validity, and confirmatory factor analyses.

Results

The MSPSS-M and its three domains demonstrated good internal consistency with Cronbach’s α ranging from 0.900 to 0.932. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the MSPSS-M supported the three-factor model of the original English version of the MSPSS. The MSPSS-M also exhibited good convergent validity and discriminant validity.

Conclusion

The MSPSS-M demonstrates favorable psychometric properties among patients with cancer in Malaysia. The validation of the MSPSS-M provides a culturally adapted and linguistically valid instrument to assess perceived social support among Malay-speaking patients with cancer in Malaysia.
A growing threat: Investigating the high incidence of benzimidazole fungicides resistance in Iranian Botrytis cinerea isolates
Authors: Mobasher Amini Mohamad , Mirzaei Soheila , Heidari Ahmad
Published: November 2023

Effective management of fungicide application programs requires monitoring the profile of resistant populations of Botrytis cinerea, given its high-risk nature. This research aimed to examine the sensitivity of 200 B. cinerea isolates collected from different plant species and regions across Iran towards thiophanate-methyl and carbendazim fungicides. To distinguish between susceptible and resistant isolates, the discriminatory dose assay was employed, followed by the selection of representative isolates from each group for EC50 analysis. To identify potential modifications in codon 198 of the β-tubulin gene in B. cinerea resistant isolates, the researchers employed the PCR-RFLP diagnostic method. More than two-thirds of the isolates exhibited a varying degree of resistance to MBC fungicides, even in farms where the application of these fungicides had not taken place in recent years. After treatment with the BsaI enzyme, the PCR product of sensitive isolates displayed two bands measuring 98 and 371 bp, while only one band of 469 bp was identified in resistant isolates. The study also evaluated whether resistance to fungicides could affect the pathogenicity and mycelial growth of the isolates. The findings showed no significant difference between the resistant and sensitive groups in terms of these factors, indicating that resistance does not come at a cost to the pathogen’s fitness. Considering the high incidence of resistance and the absence of negative consequences on fitness, it is recommended to exercise caution in the employment of benzimidazole fungicides as part of B. cinerea management strategies.
Simulation of gravity- and pump-driven perfusion techniques for measuring outflow facility of ex vivo and in vivo eyes
Authors: Mohamed Youssef , Passaglia Christopher L.
Published: November 2023

Aqueous humor dynamics are commonly assessed by infusing fluid into the eye and measuring intraocular pressure (IOP). From the pressure-flow relationship, conventional outflow facility is estimated to study glaucomatous processes that lower facility or identify therapeutics that enhance facility in hopes of restoring healthy IOP levels. The relative merits and limitations of constant flow (CF), gravity-driven constant pressure (CPg), and pump-driven constant pressure (CPp) infusion techniques were explored via simulations of a lumped parameter viscoelastic model of the eye. Model parameter values were based on published perfusion system properties and outflow facility data from rodents. Step increases in pressure or flow were simulated without and with IOP noise recorded from enucleated eyes, anesthetized animals, and conscious animals. Steady-state response levels were determined using published window and ratio criteria. Model simulations show that all perfusion techniques estimate facility accurately and that ocular fluid dynamics set a hard limit on how fast measurements can be taken. This limit can be approached with CPg and CPp systems by increasing their gain but not with CF systems, which invariably take longest to settle. Facility experiment duration is further lengthened by inclusion of IOP noise, and data filtering is needed for steady-state detection with in vivo noise. The ratio criterion was particularly affected because noise in the flow data is amplified by the higher gain of CPg and CPp systems. A recursive regression method is introduced, which can ignore large transient IOP fluctuations that interfere with steady-state detection by fitting incoming data to the viscoelastic eye model. The fitting method greatly speeds up data collection without loss of accuracy, which could enable outflow facility measurements in conscious animals. The model may be generalized to study response dynamics to fluid infusion in other viscoelastic compartments of the body and model insights extended to optimize experiment design.
Ressenya del llibre: Mestres, Albert (2022): Joaquim Rubió i Ors poeta: vol I. Estudi i edició crítica de Lo Gaiter del Llobregat; vol II. Textos de l’edició crítica de Lo Gaiter del Llobregat
Authors: Panyella Ferreres Ramon
Published: November 2023

Ressenya del llibre: Mestres, Albert (2022): Joaquim Rubió i Ors poeta: vol I. Estudi i edició crítica de Lo Gaiter del Llobregat; vol II. Textos de l’edició crítica de Lo Gaiter del Llobregat.
Intertextualidad en los productos cinematográficos: análisis transtextual de Siete novias para siete hermanos (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Stanley Donen, 1954)
Authors: Martín Rodríguez Antonio María , Espinosa Charry Inés Alicia
Published: November 2023

En este trabajo ilustramos la posibilidad de aplicar el modelo de relaciones transtextuales de Gérard Genette (Palimpsestos, 1962), pensado en su origen para textos literarios, al análisis de textos cinematográficos. Como objeto de estudio hemos seleccionado la película Siete novias para siete hermanos (Stanley Donen, 1954), que será analizada desde el punto de vista de las relaciones de hipertextualidad, intertextualidad, paratextualidad y architextualidad. Los resultados del análisis muestran la aplicabilidad del modelo y el enriquecimiento que supone esta perspectiva de estudio para la valoración de la película.
Trendek a szilárdhulladék-gazdálkodásban
Authors: Csipkés Margit
Published: November 2023

A technika és technológia fejlődésével egyre jobban előtérbe
kerülnek a keletkező hulladékok energiagazdálkodásba való bevonási
lehetőségei. Azon anyagoknál melyek újra feldolgozhatók lehetőség nyíljon
ezen anyagokból újabb hasznosítható termékeket előállítani. A hulladék
feldolgozása energiává kényelmes megoldás lehet a környezetterhelés, az
energiatermelés, illetve az energiamodellek esetében is. Az általam
tanulmányozott energia modellek mindegyike a hulladék rendelkezésre állásán
és a hulladék típusán alapult. Mivel napjainkban egyre nagyobb szerephez
jut a vidékfejlesztés, így el kell gondolkodni azon, hogy a
hulladéktermelés mellett milyen módon lehet a hulladékunkból legjobban
kivonni az energiát, illetve milyen feldolgozási lehetőségek vannak az új
termékek előállítására hulladékból. A cikkem elkészítésével célom, hogy
felhívjam a környezetünkben szereplő hulladékok felhasználási lehetőségeit,
illetve rámutassak arra, hogy egy átgondolt technológia alkalmazásával a
keletkező hulladékok is bevonhatók a fenntartható energiagazdálkodásba.