bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modification of the Association Between Frequent Aspirin Use and Ovarian Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis Using Individual-Level Data From Two Ovarian Cancer Consortia
Authors: Hurwitz Lauren M. , Townsend Mary K. , Jordan Susan J. , Patel Alpa V. , Teras Lauren R. , Lacey James V. , Doherty Jennifer A. , Harris Holly R. , Goodman Marc T. , Shvetsov Yurii B. , Modugno Francesmary , Moysich Kirsten B. , Robien Kim , Prizment Anna , Schildkraut Joellen M. , Berchuck Andrew , Fortner Renée T. , Chan Andrew T. , Wentzensen Nicolas , Hartge Patricia , Sandler Dale P. , O'Brien Katie M. , Anton-Culver Hoda , Ziogas Argyrios , Menon Usha , Ramus Susan J. , Pearce Celeste Leigh , Wu Anna H. , White Emily , Peters Ulrike , Webb Penelope M. , Tworoger Shelley S. , Trabert Britton
Published: July 2022

PURPOSE

Frequent aspirin use has been associated with reduced ovarian cancer risk, but no study has comprehensively assessed for effect modification. We leveraged harmonized, individual-level data from 17 studies to examine the association between frequent aspirin use and ovarian cancer risk, overall and across subgroups of women with other ovarian cancer risk factors.

METHODS

Nine cohort studies from the Ovarian Cancer Cohort Consortium (n = 2,600 cases) and eight case-control studies from the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium (n = 5,726 cases) were included. We used Cox regression and logistic regression to assess study-specific associations between frequent aspirin use (≥ 6 days/week) and ovarian cancer risk and combined study-specific estimates using random-effects meta-analysis. We conducted analyses within subgroups defined by individual ovarian cancer risk factors (endometriosis, obesity, family history of breast/ovarian cancer, nulliparity, oral contraceptive use, and tubal ligation) and by number of risk factors (0, 1, and ≥ 2).

RESULTS

Overall, frequent aspirin use was associated with a 13% reduction in ovarian cancer risk (95% CI, 6 to 20), with no significant heterogeneity by study design ( P = .48) or histotype ( P = .60). Although no association was observed among women with endometriosis, consistent risk reductions were observed among all other subgroups defined by ovarian cancer risk factors (relative risks ranging from 0.79 to 0.93, all P-heterogeneity > .05), including women with ≥ 2 risk factors (relative risk, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.90).

CONCLUSION

This study, the largest to-date on aspirin use and ovarian cancer, provides evidence that frequent aspirin use is associated with lower ovarian cancer risk regardless of the presence of most other ovarian cancer risk factors. Risk reductions were also observed among women with multiple risk factors, providing proof of principle that chemoprevention programs with frequent aspirin use could target higher-risk subgroups.
Trends in the Quality of Evidence Supporting FDA Drug Approvals: Results from a Literature Review
Authors: Brown Beatrice L. , Mitra-Majumdar Mayookha , Joyce Krysten , Ross Murray , Pham Catherine , Darrow Jonathan J. , Avorn Jerry , Kesselheim Aaron S.
Published: July 2022

Context: New drug approvals in the United States must be supported by substantial evidence from “adequate and well-controlled” trials. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has flexibility in how it applies this standard.

Methods: The authors conducted a systematic literature review of studies evaluating the design and outcomes of the key trials supporting new drug approvals in the United States. They extracted data on the trial characteristics, endpoint types, and expedited regulatory pathways.

Findings: Among 48 publications eligible for inclusion, 30 covered trial characteristics, 23 covered surrogate measures, and 30 covered regulatory pathways. Trends point toward less frequent randomization, double-blinding, and active controls, with variation by drug type and indication. Surrogate measures are becoming more common but are not consistently well correlated with clinical outcomes. Drugs approved through expedited regulatory pathways often have less rigorous trial design characteristics.

Conclusions: The characteristics of trials used to approve new drugs have evolved over the past two decades along with greater use of expedited regulatory pathways and changes in the nature of drugs being evaluated. While flexibility in regulatory standards is important, policy changes can emphasize high-quality data collection before or after FDA approval.
International Reference Pricing in the Context of US Drug Policy
Authors: Frank Richard , Conti Rena M. , Gruber Jonathan
Published: July 2022

International reference prices (IRP), also called external reference prices, are widely used across developed nations. IRP uses the prices paid in other countries to either inform negotiations with the pharmaceutical industry or as a cap on market prices. The authors review the application of IRP to cap the prices of negotiated outcomes in the context of US proposals for changing the way prescription drug prices are established for the Medicare program. They examine the economic, political, and administrative issues associated with the use of IRP, and they summarize the evidence on the impacts of IRP.
Value-Based Insurance Design: Clinically Nuanced Consumer Cost Sharing to Increase the Use of High-Value Medications
Authors: Smith Nicholas K. , Fendrick A. Mark
Published: July 2022

Consumer cost sharing is widely employed by payers in the United States in an effort to control spending. Most cost-sharing strategies set patient contributions on the basis of costs incurred by payers and often do not consider medical necessity as a coverage criterion. Available evidence suggests that increases in cost sharing worsen health disparities and adversely affect patient-centered outcomes, particularly among economically vulnerable individuals, people of color, and those with chronic conditions. A key question has been how to better engage consumers while balancing appropriate access to essential services with increasing fiscal pressures. Value-based insurance design (VBID) is a promising approach designed to improve desired clinical and financial outcomes, in which out-of-pocket costs are based on the potential for clinical benefit, taking into consideration the patient's clinical condition. For more than two decades, broad multistakeholder support and multiple federal policy initiatives have led to the implementation of VBID programs that enhance access to vital preventive and chronic disease medications for millions of Americans. A robust evidence base shows that when financial barriers to essential medications are reduced, increased adherence results, leading to improved patient-centered outcomes, reduced health care disparities, and in some (but not most) instances, lower total medical expenditures.
Cistem Failure
Authors: Bey Marquis
Published: July 2022

In Cistem Failure Marquis Bey meditates on the antagonistic relationship between blackness and cisgender. Bey asks, What does it mean to have a gender that “matches” one’s sex---that is, to be cisgender---when decades of feminist theory have destroyed the belief that there is some natural way to be a sex? Moving from the The Powerpuff Girls to the greeting “How ya mama’n’em?” to their own gender identity, Bey finds that cisgender is too flat as a category to hold the myriad ways that people who may or may not have undergone gender-affirmative interventions depart from gender alignment. At the same time, blackness, they contend, strikes at the heart of cisgender’s invariable coding as white: just as transness names a non-cis space, blackness implies a non-cis space. By showing how blackness opens up a way to subvert the hegemonic power of the gender binary, Bey makes a case for an antiracist gender abolition project that rejects cisgender as a regulatory apparatus.
Synthesis of Optically Active π-Stacked Molecules: Effect of π-Stacking Position on the Chiroptical Properties
Authors: Sawada Risa , Gon Masayuki , Chujo Yoshiki , Inoue Ryo , Morisaki Yasuhiro
Published: July 2022

Optically active V-shaped and X-shaped molecules consisting of stacked five-ringed para-phenylene-ethynylenes (PPEs) were prepared using planar chiral [2.2]paracyclophanes as chiral building blocks. Despite having the same absolute configurations, the V- and X-shaped molecules exhibited opposite circular dichroism (CD) and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) signals. For example, the (Sp)-isomer of the V-shaped molecule and (Sp)-isomers of the X-shaped molecules exhibited negative and positive CPL emissions, respectively. Simulations using time-dependent density-functional theory calculations indicated that the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of the V-shaped molecule in the S1 state was localized in one of the stacking PPEs, whereas the LUMOs of the two X-shaped molecules in the S1 state were delocalized in both PPEs via the [2.2]paracyclophane moieties. The theoretical results were reproduced and explained the CD and CPL behaviors well.
The Role of Muscle Glycogen Content and Localization in High-Intensity Exercise Performance: A Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: VIGH-LARSEN JEPPE F. , ØRTENBLAD NIELS , NIELSEN JOACHIM , EMIL ANDERSEN OLE , OVERGAARD KRISTIAN , MOHR MAGNI
Published: July 2022

Purpose

We investigated the coupling between muscle glycogen content and localization and high-intensity exercise performance using a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group design with emphasis on single-fiber subcellular glycogen concentrations and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ kinetics.

Methods

Eighteen well-trained participants performed high-intensity intermittent glycogen-depleting exercise, followed by randomization to a high- (CHO; ~1 g CHO·kg−1·h−1; n = 9) or low-carbohydrate placebo diet (PLA, <0.1 g CHO·kg−1·h−1; n = 9) for a 5-h recovery period. At baseline, after exercise, and after the carbohydrate manipulation assessments of repeated sprint ability (5 × 6-s maximal cycling sprints with 24 s of rest), neuromuscular function and ratings of perceived exertion during standardized high-intensity cycling (~90% W
max) were performed, while muscle and blood samples were collected.

Results

The exercise and carbohydrate manipulations led to distinct muscle glycogen concentrations in CHO and PLA at the whole-muscle (291 ± 78 vs 175 ± 100 mmol·kg−1 dry weight (dw), P = 0.020) and subcellular level in each of three local regions (P = 0.001–0.046). This was coupled with near-depleted glycogen concentrations in single fibers of both main fiber types in PLA, especially in the intramyofibrillar region (within the myofibrils). Furthermore, increased ratings of perceived exertion and impaired repeated sprint ability (~8% loss, P < 0.001) were present in PLA, with the latter correlating moderately to very strongly (r = 0.47–0.71, P = 0.001–0.049) with whole-muscle glycogen and subcellular glycogen fractions. Finally, sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ uptake, but not release, was superior in CHO, whereas neuromuscular function, including prolonged low-frequency force depression, was unaffected by dietary manipulation.

Conclusions

Together, these results support an important role of muscle glycogen availability for high-intensity exercise performance, which may be mediated by reductions in single-fiber levels, particularly in distinct subcellular regions, despite only moderately lowered whole-muscle glycogen concentrations.
Professional qualifications of medical affairs pharmaceutical physicians and other internal stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry
Authors: Jandhyala Ravi
Published: July 2022

Background: Medical affairs pharmaceutical physicians (MAPPs) have unique value to pharmaceutical companies due to their accountability for activities that benefit regulators, payors, prescribers and patients. This study assessed whether MAPPs’ specialist training and education in pharmaceutical medicine could account for this level of value by determining whether there was significant variation in education and training between MAPPs and other internal stakeholders of pharmaceutical companies.

Methods: A systematic search of LinkedIn profiles from the 10 pharmaceutical companies by revenue was conducted between June and October 2021. Job title and type and year of undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications were extracted. A one-sided Mann-Whitney test assessed for differences in the total number of qualifications between MAPPs and other internal stakeholders involved in medical affairs using MAPPs as the reference group. Other internal stakeholders included medical affairs pharmacists (MAPharm), other medical affairs professionals (MAOth), and market access (MAcc), commercial (COmm) and sales professionals. Sub-group analysis determined differences in undergraduate and postgraduate education.

Results: In total, 524 profiles were included. Compared to all other internal stakeholders, MAPPs had a significantly higher number of undergraduate (p < 0.001) and postgraduate (MAPharm, p = 0.003; MAOth, p = 0.004; MAcc, COmm and Sales, p < 0.001) qualifications. Additionally, MAPPs had a significantly longer time to industry than other internal stakeholders apart from MAPharm. Of those with clinical qualifications, MAPPs were almost twice as likely to have business qualifications.

Conclusions: Of all internal stakeholders, MAPPs had the highest number of qualifications and the best match between expertise and the contextual demands of decision-makers in the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical companies in the UK can use these findings to clarify role boundaries and decision-making power based on the nature and level of expertise of each internal stakeholder.
Transparency, Values and Trust in Science
Authors: Antiochou Konstantina , Psillos Stathis
Published: July 2022

Current debates over inductive risk and the role(s) of values in science have largely revolved around the question of the moral responsibilities of scientists: Do scientists have the duty to consider the potential non-epistemic consequences of theories they advocate and, if yes, what (or whose) values should be taken into account in decision-making? The paper discusses two different – though potentially complementary – responses to this question: a) H. Douglas’s view that scientists should avoid causing reckless or negligent harm to others as a result of the decisions they make and b) K. Elliott’s Multiple Goals Criterion. Drawing from the case of potential coronavirus transmission by sharing the Holy Communion that recently divided Greek society and medical experts, it shows the tensions emerging between autonomy and the moral responsibilities of scientists, when the boundaries of science are blurred and the epistemic goal of truth is inconsistent with (or succumbs to) alternative goals. It argues that the balance attempted between scientific principles and religious beliefs was unattainable and concludes that the need to distinguish between epistemic and non-epistemic values (and contexts or truths), which is traditionally related to the ideal of value free science, should be reconsidered and even prioritized among the responsibilities of scientists.
Privacy Management in Service Systems
Authors: Hu Ming , Momot Ruslan , Wang Jianfu
Published: July 2022

Problem definition: We study customer-centric privacy management in service systems. Academic/practical relevance: We explore the consequences of extended control over personal information by customers in such systems. Methodology: We adopt a stylized queueing model to capture a service environment that features a service provider and customers who are strategic in deciding whether to disclose personal information to the service provider—that is, customers’ privacy or information disclosure strategy. A customer’s service request can be one of two types, which affects service time but is unknown when customers commit to a privacy strategy. The service provider can discriminate among customers based on their disclosed information by offering different priorities. Results: Our analysis reveals that, when given control over their personal data, strategic customers do not always choose to withhold them. We find that control over information gives customers a tool they can use to hedge against the service provider’s will, which might not be aligned with the interests of customers. More importantly, we find that under certain conditions, giving customers full control over information (e.g., by introducing a privacy regulation) may not only distort already efficiently operating service system but might also backfire by leading to inferior system performance (i.e., longer average wait time), and it can hurt customers themselves. We demonstrate how a regulator can correct information disclosure inefficiencies through monetary incentives to customers and show that providing such incentives makes economic sense in some scenarios. Finally, the service provider itself can benefit from customers being in control of their personal information by enticing more customers joining the service. Managerial implications: Our findings yield insights into how customers’ individually rational actions concerning information disclosure (e.g., granted by a privacy regulation) can lead to market inefficiencies in the form of longer wait times for services. We provide actionable prescriptions, for both service providers and regulators, that can guide their choices of a privacy and information management approach based on giving customers the option of controlling their personal information.
The Dial-a-Ride Problem with School Bell Time Adjustment
Authors: Vercraene Samuel , Lehuédé Fabien , Monteiro Thibaud , Péton Olivier
Published: July 2022

In this paper, we study a paratransit application in which children are transported every day from their homes to their special schools or medical-social establishments. To optimize this transportation system, the establishments collaborate to propose a joint transportation plan. We propose a new algorithm to jointly build vehicle routes that visit several establishments and simultaneously set the establishments’ opening hours. This algorithm combines a large neighborhood search, the resolution of a route-based model, and the progressive shrinkage of the planning window. It is applied to a real case from the area of Lyon in France, including 34 schools and 575 heterogeneous users served by a heterogeneous fleet of reconfigurable vehicles. On average, we show that in addition to the 10% of saving that can be expected by sharing vehicle routes between schools, 7% of additional savings can be achieved by school bell adjustment. This cost saving also decreases average user ride times and the number of vehicles required, creating longer routes that are more attractive for driver services.

Funding: This work was supported by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund [Grant RA0012500] and by the French Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes through the NOMAd project.

Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2022.1160 .
Fathers and domestic abuse
Authors: Hanley Jane
Published: July 2022

Health visitors are usually the first to become aware of any domestic abuse issues within the family. Early identification can significantly reduce the risk of any further harm, says Jane Hanley
Vegan diets for felines
Authors: Lakeman Nicola
Published: July 2022

Vegan diets for pets are widely discussed within the veterinary profession, with many products now available for the general nutrition market. The nutrients arachidonic acid, taurine and pre-formed vitamin A are available from non-animal sources, so are vegan pet food companies now making complete and balanced diet using these ingredients?
Endotracheal intubation of small exotic mammals
Authors: Glendinning Iffy
Published: July 2022

The veterinary nurse or technician plays an important role in avian and exotic anaesthesia, often inducing, intubating, and maintaining an anaesthetic while the veterinary surgeon prepares for a procedure. Gone are the days of avian and exotic specialists being the only source of veterinary care for companion rodents; with an increase in the ownership of these species comes an increase in general practitioners undertaking routine or preventative health procedures. Owners of these pets expect the same standard of care afforded to dogs and cats, and consequently veterinary staff may be required to provide the same standard of intensive anaesthetic management. Successful anaesthetic management requires an awareness of patient limitations, and one such limitation in small exotic mammals is the difficulty of endotracheal intubation. Intubation allows for better respiratory control while minimising the risk of aspiration and is particularly important for procedures lasting longer than 30 minutes, during which hypoventilation and respiratory obstruction are most likely to occur. Regardless of procedure length or complexity, intubation should be the routine standard of care if it can be done in a swift and safe manner.
Formal and Informal Supports for Women With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities During Pregnancy
Authors: Rosenthal Eliana , Parish Susan L. , Ransom Cristina , Smith Lauren D. , Mitra Monika
Published: July 2022

This article explores the role of formal and informal supports for women with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) throughout their pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum experiences. Data from qualitative interviews with women with IDD (n = 16) were analyzed. Results showed that formal supports aided in planning, transportation, advocacy, and providing emotional support throughout pregnancy. Informal supports helped with errands, comfort, and emotional encouragement. The community surrounding these women facilitated communication with providers, self-empowerment regarding health choices, and increased preparedness for parenthood. Findings indicate the importance of encouraging and sustaining both formal and informal supports during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum to improve pregnancy and parenting experiences for women with IDD.
Prevalence of Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Direct Support Professionals in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Field
Authors: Boamah Daniel A. , Barbee Anita P.
Published: July 2022

Direct support professionals (DSPs) are deemed by existing literature as vital support to persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). They may be exposed to the traumatic experiences of people with IDD with potential psychological implications. Secondary traumatic stress (STS) has been studied among related professionals across human services, but little is known among DSPs. The current study examines the prevalence of STS in a sample of DSPs. The results suggested that DSPs are exposed to traumatic experiences, and exposure to a greater number of traumatized clients is significantly correlated with symptoms of STS. At least 12.4% of DSPs in this sample met the diagnostic criteria for experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Also, results suggest STS differences in DSPs based on demographics.
Seeking Out Social Learning: Online Self-Education in Parents of Children With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Karns Christina M. , Todis Bonnie , Glenn Elizabeth , Glang Ann , Wade Shari L. , Riddle Ilka , McIntyre Laura Lee
Published: July 2022

Supportive, informed parenting is critical to improve outcomes of children who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Parents want to learn about their child's condition, needs, and strategies to improve family life. The internet is a valuable resource, but how parents evaluate and apply information is unknown. We conducted focus groups to understand how parents use internet resources to learn about their children with IDD. Parents described using the internet to access information from trusted sources, find examples to apply their knowledge, and seek social support. Social learning theory, which posits that cognitive, behavioral, and social processes influence each other to support real-world learning, could provide a theoretical framework for unifying these findings and for designing efficacious online interventions.
Applied Optics Research at Tianjin University: introduction to the feature issue
Authors: Tian Zhen
Published: July 2022

The articles in this feature issue provide a small glimpse of Tianjin University’s fundamental and applied research in optical engineering.
Multiple forward scattering reduces the measured scattering coefficient of whole blood in visible-light optical coherence tomography
Authors: Fang Raymond , Rubinoff Ian , Zhang Hao F.
Published: July 2022

The optical properties of blood encode oxygen-dependent information. Noninvasive optical detection of these properties is increasingly desirable to extract biomarkers for tissue health. Recently, visible-light optical coherence tomography (vis-OCT) demonstrated retinal oxygen saturation (sO2) measurements by inversely measuring the oxygen-dependent absorption and scattering coefficients of whole blood. However, vis-OCT may be sensitive to optical scattering properties of whole blood, different from those reported in the literature. Incorrect assumptions of such properties can add additional uncertainties or biases to vis-OCT’s sO2 model. This work investigates whole blood’s scattering coefficient measured by vis-OCT. Using Monte Carlo simulation of a retinal vessel, we determined that vis-OCT almost exclusively detects multiple-scattered photons in whole blood. Meanwhile, photons mostly forward scatter in whole blood within the visible spectral range, allowing photons to maintain ballistic paths and penetrate deeply, leading to a reduction in the measured scattering coefficient. We defined a scattering scaling factor (SSF) to account for such a reduction and found that SSF varied with measurement conditions, such as numerical aperture, depth resolution, and depth selection. We further experimentally validated SSF in ex vivo blood phantoms with pre-set sO2 levels and in the human retina, both of which agreed well with our simulation.
Dielectric property measurement of human sweat using attenuated total reflection terahertz time domain spectroscopy
Authors: Hashimoto Kazuma , Ben Ishai Paul , Bründermann Erik , Tripathi Saroj R.
Published: July 2022

Sweat is one of the essential biofluids produced by the human body, and it contains various physiological biomarkers. These biomarkers can indicate human health conditions such as disease and illness. In particular, imbalances in the concentration of electrolytes can indicate the onset of disease. These same imbalances affect the dielectric properties of sweat. In this study, we used attenuated total reflection terahertz time domain spectroscopy to obtain the frequency-dependent dielectric properties of human sweat in a frequency range from 200 GHz to 2.5 THz. We have investigated the variation of dielectric properties of sweat collected from different regions of the human body, and we have observed that the real and imaginary part of dielectric permittivity decreases with the increase in frequency. A combination of left-hand Jonscher and Havriliak-Negami processes is used to model the results and reveal the presence of relaxation processes related to sodium and calcium ions concentrations. This information may help design novel biosensors to understand the human health condition and provide a hydration assessment.
Multi-band DFT-S 100 Gb/s 32 QAM-DMT transmission in intra-DCI using 10 G-class EML and low-resolution DAC
Authors: Yin Mingzhu , Wang Wei , Zou Dongdong , Luo Zhibin , Sui Qi , Yi Xingwen , Li Fan , Li Zhaohui
Published: July 2022

In this paper, 100 Gb/s/λ 32 quadrature amplitude modulation discrete multi-tone (QAM-DMT) transmission using 10 G-class electro-absorption modulated laser (EML) and 4/5-bit digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are experimentally demonstrated to meet the requirement of intra-datacenter interconnection (intra-DCI). Unequal length multi-band (ULM) discrete Fourier transform spread (DFT-S) precoding is investigated to alleviate the distortion induced by the high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of DMT. The results show that the required computational complexity of ULM DFT-S precoding with 2-bands (k1=256, k2=64) decreases sharply compared to the traditional DFT-S technique with only about 0.5 dB receiver sensitivity penalty. In addition, compared to the equal length multi-band (ELM) DFT-S precoding, the ULM DFT-S precoding can bring about 2.5 dB receiver sensitivity improvement with slight added computational complexity. With the assistance of ULM DFT-S precoding and noise shaping (NS) technique, the bit-error ratio (BER) of 100 Gb/s 32 QAM-DMT signal generated by 5-bit DAC over 2-km single-mode fiber (SMF) transmission can reach the hard-decision forward error correction (HD-FEC) threshold with received optical power (ROP) of -6.5 dBm, with only additional 39.9% multiplier and 33.7% adder.
SiSPRNet: end-to-end learning for single-shot phase retrieval
Authors: Ye Qiuliang , Wang Li-Wen , Lun Daniel P. K.
Published: July 2022

With the success of deep learning methods in many image processing tasks, deep learning approaches have also been introduced to the phase retrieval problem recently. These approaches are different from the traditional iterative optimization methods in that they usually require only one intensity measurement and can reconstruct phase images in real-time. However, because of tremendous domain discrepancy, the quality of the reconstructed images given by these approaches still has much room to improve to meet the general application requirements. In this paper, we design a novel deep neural network structure named SiSPRNet for phase retrieval based on a single Fourier intensity measurement. To effectively utilize the spectral information of the measurements, we propose a new feature extraction unit using the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) as the front end. It allows all pixels of the input intensity image to be considered together for exploring their global representation. The size of the MLP is carefully designed to facilitate the extraction of the representative features while reducing noises and outliers. A dropout layer is also equipped to mitigate the possible overfitting problem in training the MLP. To promote the global correlation in the reconstructed images, a self-attention mechanism is introduced to the Up-sampling and Reconstruction (UR) blocks of the proposed SiSPRNet. These UR blocks are inserted into a residual learning structure to prevent the weak information flow and vanishing gradient problems due to their complex layer structure. Extensive evaluations of the proposed model are performed using different testing datasets of phase-only images and images with linearly related magnitude and phase. Experiments were conducted on an optical experimentation platform (with defocusing to reduce the saturation problem) to understand the performance of different deep learning methods when working in a practical environment. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach consistently outperforms other deep learning methods in single-shot maskless phase retrieval. The source codes of the proposed method have been released in Github [see references].
Tailoring transmission window in a dynamic way with a multi-degree-of-freedom
Authors: Li Chenchen , Yan Mingbao , Wang He , Wang Jiafu , Qin Zhe , Zheng Lin , Li Yongfeng , Qu Shaobo
Published: July 2022

With the rapid development of wireless technology, the revolution of tailoring transmission window in dynamic way for the next generation communication systems is urgently required. However, the degree-of-freedom for switching transmission spectra of an effective medium still needs further investigation. Here, we propose a paradigm of solving this difficult academic issue via the method of bias-voltage-driven. Leveraging PIN diodes and varactor diodes into the predesigned positions of plasmonic meta-structures, the macro-control of transmission windows switch and the detailed dispersion manipulation can be separately achieved by synergy modulation of feed networks. Both the numerical simulations and experimental verifications are conducted to support the effectiveness of the proposed method. Significantly, the proposed paradigm presents great potential for applications in intelligent radome, adaptive communication systems, and other EM scenarios with multi-degree-of-freedom.
C-band coherent transmission at 1.6 TB/s over 3.5 km of OM4 fiber using a fundamental mode operation
Authors: Szostkiewicz L. , Wilczyński K. , Tenderenda T. , Markiewicz K. , Witoń K. , Turkiewicz J. P. , Mazurek P. , Napierała M. , Kapuscinski R. , Sabat M. , Lattanzi C. , Sputo R. , Peters J. , Nasiłowski T.
Published: July 2022

We demonstrate the highest, to the best of our knowledge, capacity obtained for an OM4 fiber reaching 1.6 Tb/s for 3.5 km of OM4 fiber. The result is obtained using a highly selective modal multiplexer exciting the LP01 mode and a state-of-the-art coherent transmission setup operating in the C-band. The results indicate that there is no need to replace legacy optical fibers to increase their capacity, which may be an extremely important factor when considering the costs of upgrading existing networks.
Fourier spatial transform-based method of suppressing motion noises in OCTA
Authors: Zhang Yue , Gao Wanrong , Xie Chenxia
Published: July 2022

A large amount of lateral noise will be generated in blood flow imaging with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) due to the presence of muscle shaking, heartbeat, and respiration, resulting in the deterioration of images. In this paper, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time, the spatial frequency information of motion noise in the blood flow signal region is used to remove the motion noise and false connections in the blood flow signal region. The effectiveness of the proposed adaptive denoising algorithm is verified by the imaging of finger blood flow. It is found that OCTA with different projection methods has improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) after applying our algorithm. It is also found that the visual effect of the original blood flow image based on standard deviation projection is better, but mean projection is the most sensitive to the algorithm, and the average SNR and CNR are improved by 5.7 dB and 8.9 dB, respectively.
Uncertainty quantification in cerebral circulation simulations focusing on the collateral flow: Surrogate model approach with machine learning
Authors: Yuhn Changyoung , Oshima Marie , Chen Yan , Hayakawa Motoharu , Yamada Shigeki
Published: July 2022

Collateral circulation in the circle of Willis (CoW), closely associated with disease mechanisms and treatment outcomes, can be effectively investigated using one-dimensional–zero-dimensional hemodynamic simulations. As the entire cardiovascular system is considered in the simulation, it captures the systemic effects of local arterial changes, thus reproducing collateral circulation that reflects biological phenomena. The simulation facilitates rapid assessment of clinically relevant hemodynamic quantities under patient-specific conditions by incorporating clinical data. During patient-specific simulations, the impact of clinical data uncertainty on the simulated quantities should be quantified to obtain reliable results. However, as uncertainty quantification (UQ) is time-consuming and computationally expensive, its implementation in time-sensitive clinical applications is considered impractical. Therefore, we constructed a surrogate model based on machine learning using simulation data. The model accurately predicts the flow rate and pressure in the CoW in a few milliseconds. This reduced computation time enables the UQ execution with 100 000 predictions in a few minutes on a single CPU core and in less than a minute on a GPU. We performed UQ to predict the risk of cerebral hyperperfusion (CH), a life-threatening condition that can occur after carotid artery stenosis surgery if collateral circulation fails to function appropriately. We predicted the statistics of the postoperative flow rate increase in the CoW, which is a measure of CH, considering the uncertainties of arterial diameters, stenosis parameters, and flow rates measured using the patients’ clinical data. A sensitivity analysis was performed to clarify the impact of each uncertain parameter on the flow rate increase. Results indicated that CH occurred when two conditions were satisfied simultaneously: severe stenosis and when arteries of small diameter serve as the collateral pathway to the cerebral artery on the stenosis side. These findings elucidate the biological aspects of cerebral circulation in terms of the relationship between collateral flow and CH.
A clustering metaheuristic for large orienteering problems
Authors: Elzein Almiqdad , Di Caro Gianni A.
Published: July 2022

The Orienteering Problem is a routing problem that commonly appears in mapping, transportation, distribution, and scheduling scenarios. The Orienteering Problem is a challenging NP-hard problem, such that obtaining optimal or near optimal solutions usually requires a significant amount of computation for large and even moderately large instances. As a result, existing algorithms cannot effectively be utilized for solving large Orienteering Problems in an online setting, which is often required in real-world applications where a plan has to be iteratively computed. For instance, a planner might need to adapt to changes in the scenario or in the environment (e.g., this is common in goods delivery, as well as in mobile robotic scenarios for coverage, monitoring, and surveillance). Motivated by these limitations, we propose a multi-stage clustering-based metaheuristic for tackling large Orienteering Problems in an effective, strategically controlled amount of computation time. The metaheuristic starts by decomposing the problem into smaller, independent sub-problems that are efficiently solved using an algorithm of choice, sequentially or in parallel. The obtained solutions are then merged to form a solution for the original problem, and then further optimized and processed to ensure feasibility. The metaheuristic aims to dramatically improve the computation time of a given Orienteering Problem algorithm without a significant decrease in the solution quality of that algorithm, especially for large Orienteering Problems. We have validated the effectiveness of the proposed metaheuristic design through a set of computational experiments. In particular, using a state-of-the-art heuristic and an exact algorithm, we have shown that it is significantly beneficial to use the Orienteering Problem algorithm plugged into our metaheuristic, as opposed to using it as a standalone algorithm. This was found to be especially true for large problems. As a result, large instances of Orienteering Problems can be effectively tackled within reasonable time bounds even for online application scenarios.
Integration and evaluation of magnetic stimulation in physiology setups
Authors: Ahlers Malte T. , Block Christoph T. , Winklhofer Michael , Greschner Martin
Published: July 2022

A large number of behavioral experiments have demonstrated the existence of a magnetic sense in many animal species. Further, studies with immediate gene expression markers have identified putative brain regions involved in magnetic information processing. In contrast, very little is known about the physiology of the magnetic sense and how the magnetic field is neuronally encoded. In vivo electrophysiological studies reporting neuronal correlates of the magnetic sense either have turned out to be irreproducible for lack of appropriate artifact controls or still await independent replication. Thus far, the research field of magnetoreception has little exploited the power of ex vivo physiological studies, which hold great promise for enabling stringent controls. However, tight space constraints in a recording setup and the presence of magnetizable materials in setup components and microscope objectives make it demanding to generate well-defined magnetic stimuli at the location of the biological specimen. Here, we present a solution based on a miniature vector magnetometer, a coil driver, and a calibration routine for the coil system to compensate for magnetic distortions in the setup. The magnetometer fits in common physiology recording chambers and has a sufficiently small spatial integration area to allow for probing spatial inhomogeneities. The coil-driver allows for the generation of defined non-stationary fast changing magnetic stimuli. Our ex vivo multielectrode array recordings from avian retinal ganglion cells show that artifacts induced by rapid magnetic stimulus changes can mimic the waveform of biological spikes on single electrodes. However, induction artifacts can be separated clearly from biological responses if the spatio-temporal characteristics of the artifact on multiple electrodes is taken into account. We provide the complete hardware design data and software resources for the integrated magnetic stimulation system.
Effects of anti-SSA antibodies on the response to methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis: A retrospective multicenter observational study
Authors: Waki Daisuke , Tamai Hiroya , Yokochi Ritsuko , Kido Toshiki , Yagyu Yuriko , Yanai Ryo , Sada Ken-Ei
Published: July 2022

Comparison of clinical response to methotrexate between anti-SSA antibody-positive and -negative patients with methotrexate-naïve rheumatoid arthritis and investigate the reasons for the differences in the response. For this multicenter retrospective cohort study, a total of 210 consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis who newly initiated methotrexate were recruited. The effects of anti-SSA antibody positivity on achieving a low disease activity according to the 28-joint Disease Activity Score based on C-reactive protein after 6 months of methotrexate administration were investigated using a logistic regression analysis. This study involved 32 and 178 anti-SSA antibody-positive and -negative patients, respectively. The rate of achieving low disease activity according to the 28-joint Disease Activity Score based on C-reactive protein at 6 months was significantly lower in the anti-SSA antibody-positive group than in the anti-SSA antibody-negative group (56.2% vs. 75.8%, P = 0.030). After 6 months, anti-SSA antibody-positive patients had significantly higher scores on the visual analogue scale (median [interquartile range]: 22 [15–41] vs. 19 [5–30], P = 0.038) and were frequently prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (37.5% vs. 18.0%, P = 0.018). In conclusion, the presence of anti-SSA antibodies might be a predictive factor for insufficient responses to treat-to-target strategy in rheumatoid arthritis. Residual pain might contribute to the reduced clinical response to methotrexate in anti-SSA antibody-positive patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Hydrolyzed chicken liver used as single source of animal protein in diet and its effect on cytokines, immunoglobulins, and fecal microbiota profile of adult dogs
Authors: Pinto Caroline Fredrich Dourado , de Oliveira Bianca Brum , Bortolo Marcelino , Guldenpfennig Ryan , Marx Fábio Ritter , Trevizan Luciano
Published: July 2022

Dogs with food allergies and enteropathies may require hydrolyzed diets to prevent or reduce clinical signs, therefore the protein sources used in these diets must be previously characterized and evaluated in healthy dogs. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a hydrolyzed chicken liver powder-based diet (HCLP) versus a poultry by-product meal and bovine meat and bone meal-based diet (Control), on complete blood count (CBC), cytokine, immunoglobulins responses (assessed on days 0, 15, 30 and 45), and fecal microbiota (assessed on day 45) in healthy adult dogs. The CBC did not differ between diets (P>0.05), remaining within reference range. Total plasma IL-4 concentrations were decreased over time independent of the dietary treatment (P<0.001). Total plasma IgA decreased on day 30 compared to days 0 and 45 in dogs fed the control diet (P<0.001). Total plasma IgE concentrations were reduced on days 30 and 45 in dogs fed the control diet, and on days 15 vs 30 and 15 vs 45 in dogs fed HCLP diet (P = 0.001). The 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed similar species richness and abundances of phyla and genera between diets (P>0.05). β-diversity principal coordinate analysis plots demonstrated that HCLP group had a higher similarity than control. Based on our results, healthy adult dogs fed a HCLP based diet maintained normal values for hematological and immunological characteristics, and fecal microbiota after 45 days of feeding.
De Coimbra para o Rio Grande do Sul: análise de passaportes, 1881-1889
Authors: Piassini Carlos Eduardo
Published: July 2022

O presente estudo tem como principal objetivo apresentar a análise de registros de passaportes do distrito de Coimbra cujos titulares pretendiam viajar/emigrar para a província brasileira do Rio Grande do Sul entre 1881 e 1889. Apesar da vasta bibliografia existente a respeito da emigração portuguesa para o Brasil nos séculos XIX e XX, ainda são poucos os trabalhos que se centram no Rio Grande do Sul, local onde predomina o estudo das imigrações alemã e italiana. Foram analisados 396 registros de passaporte do Governo Civil de Coimbra, disponíveis no Arquivo da Universidade de Coimbra e no site FamilySearch. As principais conclusões a que foi possível chegar são: uma maioria absoluta de titulares do sexo masculino; a proximidade entre o número de casados e solteiros; o elevado índice de instrução para os parâmetros portugueses da segunda metade do século XIX; uma maioria de trabalhadores do mundo rural e indícios de uma realidade violenta.
COVID-19 and the accommodation sector: first measures, and online communications strategies. A multiple case study in a Spanish province
Authors: Aguado-Correa Francisco , Rabadán-Martín Inmaculada , Padilla-Garrido Nuria
Published: July 2022

The aim of this paper is to analyse the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on the accommodation sector by looking at the measures in place, prospects and future strategies. Using a multiple-case-study methodology, an electronically self-administered questionnaire was sent to the managers of 10 establishments located in the province of Huelva (Spain), between March and June 2020. Additionally, a thematic analysis was performed to compare the messages posted on social media over the same four-month period in both 2019 and 2020. The results showed that those establishments belonging to large chains diversified their strategies to obtain better chances of success. Also, reactions to the COVID-19 crisis appeared to differ by type of accommodation. An important change in the online communication strategy during the lockdown in relation to the same period in 2019 was observed. It was not just the different themes of the messages that were in different proportions, but so too were the levels of engagement expressed in each one. This study provides a snapshot of the effect that the economic shutdown had on Spain’s tourist accommodation and contributes to the thematic social media strategies deployed by the accommodation sector in situations of natural disasters and global pandemics.