bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular Classification of Appendiceal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Foote Michael B. , Walch Henry , Chatila Walid , Vakiani Efsevia , Chandler Chris , Steinruecke Felix , Nash Garrett M. , Stadler Zsofia , Chung Sebastian , Yaeger Rona , Braghrioli Maria Ignez , Shia Jinru , Kemel Yelena , Maio Anna , Sheehan Margaret , Rousseau Benoit , Argilés Guillem , Berger Michael , Solit David , Schultz Nikolaus , Diaz Luis A. , Cercek Andrea
Published: December 2022

PURPOSE

Appendiceal adenocarcinomas (ACs) are rare, histologically diverse malignancies treated as colorectal cancers despite having distinct biology and clinical behavior. To guide clinical decision making, we defined molecular subtypes of AC associated with patient survival, metastatic burden, and chemotherapy response.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A comprehensive molecular analysis was performed in patients with AC to define molecular subtypes. Associations between molecular subtype and overall survival, intraoperative peritoneal cancer index, and first-line chemotherapy response were assessed adjusting for histopathologic and clinical variables using multivariable Cox proportional hazards, linear regression, and logistic regression models.

RESULTS

We defined distinct molecular lineages of mucinous appendiceal adenocarcinoma (MAAP) from co-occurring mutations in GNAS, RAS, and TP53. Of 164 MAAP tumors, 24 were RAS-mutant (mut) predominant ( RAS-mut/ GNAS-wild-type [wt]/ TP53-wt) with significantly decreased mutations and chromosomal alterations compared with tumors with GNAS mutations (GNAS-mut predominant) or TP53 mutations (TP53-mut predominant). No patient with RAS-mut predominant subtype metastatic MAAP died of cancer, and overall survival in this subgroup was significantly improved compared with patients with GNAS-mut ( P = .05) and TP53-mut ( P = .004) predominant subtypes. TP53-mut predominant subtypes were highly aneuploid; increased tumor aneuploidy was independently ( P = .001) associated with poor prognosis. The findings retained significance in patients with any metastatic AC. RAS-mut predominant metastases exhibited reduced peritoneal tumor bulk ( P = .04) and stromal invasion ( P < .001) compared with GNAS-mut or TP53-mut predominant tumors, respectively. Patients with RAS-mut predominant MAAP responded more to first-line chemotherapy (50%) compared with patients with GNAS-mut predominant tumors (6%, P = .03).

CONCLUSION

AC molecular patterns identify distinct molecular subtypes: a clinically indolent RAS-mut/GNAS-wt/TP53-wt subtype; a chemotherapy-resistant GNAS-mut predominant subtype; and an aggressive, highly aneuploid TP53-mut predominant subtype. Each subtype exhibits conserved clinical behavior irrespective of histopathology.
Experimental Investigation of Microwave-Specific Effect on Nazarov Cyclization
Authors: Kubota Yusuke , Fukuzumi Junichiro , Saito Kodai , Yamada Tohru
Published: December 2022

A copper-catalyzed Nazarov cyclization using an aryl vinyl ketone derivative containing a 1,3-dicarbonyl moiety was carried out under microwave irradiation conditions. The Nazarov cyclization was dramatically accelerated and the kinetic rate of the microwave irradiation was 5.8 times faster than that by conventional heating conditions. A theoretical interpretation of the microwave-specific effect as physical phenomena of the molecules based on chemical kinetics and dynamics was attempted. The microwave-specific effect in terms of the pre-exponential factor in the Arrhenius equation is discussed, thus a hypothesis of the conformational equilibrium activation by microwaves is theoretically supported. To further investigate the microwave-specific effect, a catalytic asymmetric Nazarov cyclization was finally performed. As the enantioselectivity is defined as the function of the reaction temperature, observation of the same enantioselectivity implies the same reaction temperature. Interestingly, when the asymmetric Nazarov cyclization was conducted using a chiral copper catalyst, the Nazarov reaction was subsequently enhanced by the microwave irradiation without any loss of the enantioselectivity. It is suggested that the drastic enhancement with the retention of the enantioselectivity was caused not by a thermal effect, but by a microwave-specific effect on the enantioselective reaction.
Nanometer-Flat DNA-Featured Thin Films Prepared via Laser Molecular Beam Deposition under High-Vacuum for Selective Methanol Sensing
Authors: Murata Tomohiro , Minami Kosuke , Yamazaki Tomohiko , Sato Tomomasa , Koinuma Hideomi , Ariga Katsuhiko , Matsuki Nobuyuki
Published: December 2022

We have developed nanometer-flat deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-featured solid thin films using a DNA source extracted from salmon sperm via laser molecular beam deposition (LMBD) under high-vacuum condition. The DNA thin films formed by LMBD had molecular flatness with an average surface roughness of 7.4 nm. Although fragmentation due to the cleavage of the phosphate bonds was observed, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensors fabricated with DNA thin films using LMBD showed higher methanol detection capability than sensors using DNA thin films fabricated by spin coating, indicating that LMBD-DNA thin films have a high potential for sensor applications.
Bayesian Multi-View Clustering given complex inter-view structure
Authors: Shapiro Benjamin D. , Battle Alexis
Published: December 2022

Multi-view datasets are becoming increasingly prevalent. These datasets consist of different modalities that provide complementary characterizations of the same underlying system. They can include heterogeneous types of information with complex relationships, varying degrees of missingness, and assorted sample sizes, as is often the case in multi-omic biological studies. Clustering multi-view data allows us to leverage different modalities to infer underlying systematic structure, but most existing approaches are limited to contexts in which entities are the same across views or have clear one-to-one relationships across data types with a common sample size. Many methods also make strong assumptions about the similarities of clusterings across views. We propose a Bayesian multi-view clustering approach (BMVC) which can handle the realities of multi-view datasets that often have complex relationships and diverse structure. BMVC incorporates known and complex many-to-many relationships between entities via a probabilistic graphical model that enables the joint inference of clusterings specific to each view, but where each view informs the others. Additionally, BMVC estimates the strength of the relationships between each pair of views, thus moderating the degree to which it imposes dependence constraints. We benchmarked BMVC on simulated data to show that it accurately estimates varying degrees of inter-view dependence when inter-view relationships are not limited to one-to-one correspondence. Next, we demonstrated its ability to capture visually interpretable inter-view structure in a public health survey of individuals and households in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. Finally, we showed that BMVC clusters integrate the complex relationships between multi-omic profiles of breast cancer patient data, improving the biological homogeneity of clusters and elucidating hypotheses for functional biological mechanisms. We found that BMVC leverages complex inter-view structure to produce higher quality clusters than those generated by standard approaches. We also showed that BMVC is a valuable tool for real-world discovery and hypothesis generation.
New Work In and Beyond Repertory at the Royal Shakespeare Company and Shakespeare’s Globe
Authors: Fallow Catriona
Published: December 2022

This article explores the role of new writing within two contemporary Shakespearean institutions, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and Shakespeare’s Globe. Focusing on the 2010 premieres and subsequent touring productions of David Greig’s Dunsinane for the RSC and Howard Brenton’s Anne Boleyn at the Globe, this article reflects on how these plays derive distinctive meanings from their repertory connection to Shakespeare. At the same time, I argue that by reconceiving accepted historical narratives and figures, these plays also challenge causal links between past and present, including the supposed lineage between Shakespeare and contemporary writers that both institutions espouse.
The Russian Narrative Construct towards Ukraine
Authors: Tyszkiewicz Adrian
Published: December 2022

The article focuses on revealing various civilisational-cultural (‘Russian order’, triune Ruthenian nation, Moscow – third Rome), geopolitical (Ukraine as an axis of European stability, a fragment of the so-called “convergence zone”, with features of a zone disorganised by conflict and internal fragmentation – crush zone, the concept of Russia – island) and intrasystemic (totalitarian tendencies) elements of the Russian narrative message towards Ukraine of the time of the second, great aggression (2022). The article refers to the notion of totalitarian political gnosis as a product of totalitarian reality that justifies social mobilisation against an acknowledged hostile target – in this case, an independent, struggling Ukraine with the possibility of sovereign choice of development path. The analysis refers to the historical approach and the paradigm of critical geopolitics, deconstructing the narrative that contributes to geopolitical perceptions and the geopolitical image of reality. To substantiate the claim of a totalitarian political gnosis conditioning the official narrative, reference was made to Vladimir Putin’s speech on February 21, 2022, constituting the decision to aggress against Ukraine.
Climate Policy Risk and Corporate Financial Decisions: Evidence from the NOx Budget Trading Program
Authors: Dang Viet Anh , Gao Ning , Yu Tiancheng
Published: December 2022

We find that manufacturing firms adopt more conservative capital structures in response to the Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Budget Trading Program (NBP) of 2004, a regional cap-and-trade program aimed at mitigating the NOx emissions of power plants in 11 midwestern and southeastern states in the United States. Our further analysis demonstrates that, because the NBP induces an electricity price shock, it affects manufacturers’ financial decisions by raising their operating leverage and distress risk. We also find that firms respond to the NBP’s adoption heterogeneously: they adjust their financial leverage more dramatically when facing greater electricity intensity, financial distress threats, or competitive pressure. In addition, firms adapt not only capital structure, but also other financial policies in response to the regulation. Overall, our study shows that climate policy risk constitutes an essential consideration in firm financial decisions. It also highlights potential unintended consequences of policy responses to climate change for the corporate sector.

This paper was accepted by George Serafeim, Special Section of Management Science on Business and Climate Change.

Funding: The authors gratefully acknowledge generous financial support from the Alliance Manchester Business School Strategic Research Investment Fund.

Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix and data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4617 .
Accounting-Driven Bank Monitoring and Firms’ Debt Structure: Evidence from IFRS 9 Adoption
Authors: Li Xiao , Ng Jeffrey , Saffar Walid
Published: December 2022

International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 9 is of practical relevance to banks because it requires intense monitoring of borrowers to record timely loan losses. Using data from 50 countries, we find that accounting-driven bank monitoring due to IFRS 9 adoption reduces firms’ reliance on bank debt relative to public debt. This finding is consistent with firms experiencing more costly bank monitoring after a shift in regulatory reporting that requires banks to monitor borrowers more intensely. In further analyses, we find that the negative effect of IFRS 9 adoption on bank debt reliance is more pronounced with more stringent regulatory supervision of banks, consistent with regulatory stringency exacerbating costly bank monitoring for firms. We also find that the negative effect is stronger when firms can more easily switch from bank debt to public debt financing, consistent with the relevance of switching costs in firms’ decisions to avoid costly bank monitoring.

This paper was accepted by Suraj Srinivasan, accounting.

Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 71802205], the Program for Innovation Research, and the Program for Young Talents Cultivation [Grant QYP202103] in Central University of Finance and Economics.

Supplemental Material: Data and the online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4628 .
Femoral artery aneurysms
Authors: Sokhal Balamrit S , Ma Yangmyung , Rajagopalan Sriram
Published: December 2022

True aneurysms are dilatations of blood vessels, bounded by the tunica intima, tunica media and tunica adventitia. False aneurysms are dilatations bounded by the tunica adventitia only, and are more common than true aneurysms. The femoral artery is the second most common location for true peripheral artery aneurysms, and the most common site of false aneurysms. If left untreated, devastating complications can occur, such as infection, rupture, ischaemia and limb loss. Femoral artery aneurysms should be identified early and managed by a vascular specialist. This article outlines the evidence for the epidemiology, investigation and management of femoral artery aneurysms.
Are we too reliant on medical imaging?
Authors: Meshaka Riwa , Arthurs Owen J
Published: December 2022

Imaging technology has revolutionised modern medicine. It is difficult to imagine a time when we practiced without it, but have we become too reliant, and should we be aiming for more judicious use of imaging services?
GPU-accelerated image registration algorithm in ophthalmic optical coherence tomography
Authors: Bian Haiyi , Wang Jingtao , Hong Chengjian , Liu Lei , Ji Rendong , Cao Suqun , Abdalla Ahmed N. , Chen Xinjian
Published: December 2022

Limited to the power of the light source in ophthalmic optical coherence tomography (OCT), the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the reconstructed images is usually lower than OCT used in other fields. As a result, improvement of the SNR is required. The traditional method is averaging several images at the same lateral position. However, the image registration average costs too much time, which limits its real-time imaging application. In response to this problem, graphics processing unit (GPU)-side kernel functions are applied to accelerate the reconstruction of the OCT signals in this paper. The SNR of the images reconstructed from different numbers of A-scans and B-scans were compared. The results demonstrated that: 1) There is no need to realize the axial registration with every A-scan. The number of the A-scans used to realize axial registration is suitable to set as ∼25, when the A-line speed was set as ∼12.5kHz. 2) On the basis of ensuring the quality of the reconstructed images, the GPU can achieve 43× speedup compared with CPU.
Dissymmetry between left- and right-handed circularly polarized photoluminescence enhancement of plasmonic nanostructures
Authors: Le Khai Q. , Okamoto Hiromi
Published: December 2022

We report here strong dissymmetry between left- and right-handed circularly polarized photoluminescence enhancement (PLE) induced by two-dimensional chiral gold nanostructures, which can be utilized to provide circularly polarized luminescence. We employed the dye molecule IR-125 as an emitter whose photoluminescence was enhanced by a near-field interaction between the chiral plasmon and the molecule. The difference between the PLE factors for left- and right-handed circular polarizations induced by the near-field enhancement was correlated to the dissymmetry of left- and right-handed extinction of the gold nanostructures.
Blocking Hot Electron Emission by SiO2 Coating Plasmonic Nanostructures
Authors: Takeyasu Nobuyuki , Yamaguchi Kenzo , Kagawa Ryusuke , Kaneta Takashi , Benz Felix , Fujii Masamitsu , Baumberg Jeremy
Published: December 2022

The transformation of para-aminothiophenol (PATP) to dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB) is widely believed to be due to the emission of hot electrons from the plasmonic nanostructures,1 which are generated during the decay of the surface plasmons (LSPPs). Our aim here is to separate the catalytic activity of plasmonic nanostructures from their SERS activity by using a 5 nm thick silicon dioxide (SiO2) layer. This layer blocks hot electrons from reaching the PATP molecules but lets the electromagnetic field penetrate, allowing us to measure the SERS of the monomer without triggering a chemical reaction. The SERS measurement was performed at 633 nm on two-dimensional gold nanoparticle (2D AuNP) arrays covered with/without thin SiO2.
Super-Resolution in Two-Photon Excitation Microscopy via Saturated Excitation
Authors: Oketani Ryosuke , Doi Atsushi , Smith Nicholas I. , Nawa Yasunori , Kawata Satoshi , Fujita Katsumasa
Published: December 2022

Two-photon excitation microscopy is widely used to observe interiors of biological tissues with utilizing the long penetration and the depth discrimination capability. However, the use of near-infrared light decreases the spatial resolution compared to that in typical fluorescence microscopes using visible light for excitation. The wave distortion and scattering also degrade the spatial resolution in tissue. Although several super-resolution techniques are utilized for two-photon excitation microscopy, improving the spatial resolution in the deep imaging still remains as a challenge.
Adaptive Appearance Manipulation for the Installation Art
Authors: Amano Toshiyuki
Published: December 2022

The optical feedback system that consists of a video projector and a camera enables appearance manipulation, which manipulates apparent color, and brightness, etc., with adaptive radiometric compensation and it affects our material perception. Its application field includes the visual inspection, assistance for visual impairment, optical illusion, and installation art.
Plasmon activated forbidden phonon modes in defect-free graphene by tip-enhanced nano-confined light
Authors: Balois Maria Vanessa C. , Hayazawa Norihiko , Yasuda Satoshi , Ikeda Katsuyoshi , Yang Bo , Kazuma Emiko , Yokota Yasayuki , Kim Yousoo , Tanaka Takuo
Published: December 2022

When light interacts with a metallic nanostructure, two interesting phenomena occur: (1) field enhancement and (2) high photon confinement.
Metasurface for Rational OAM and Large Angle of View Hologram Generation
Authors: Teng Jinghua
Published: December 2022

Metasurfaces composed of ultrathin subwavelength structures are versatile in manipulating light properties over a wide spectrum range and are promising for integrated optoelectronics for their compactness and compatibility for large volume manufacturing. In this talk I will introduce a simplified binary metasurface, photon sieves, for optical wavefront manipulation for hologram and optical vortex generation, including high tolerance and large angle of view hologram using nano photon sieves, spatial multiplexing of optical angular momentum using plasmonic nanosieves, and arbitrary rational order optical vortex generation using gratings with an aperture.
Measurement of elliptically-polarized E-field waveforms in mid infrared range by electro-optic sampling
Authors: Oguchi Kenichi , Kurihara Takayuki , Fischer Marco , Watanabe Shinichi , Brida Daniele
Published: December 2022

Electro-optic sampling (EOS) is a technique widely used to measure electric field waveform in ultra-broadband frequency range from terahertz (THz), mid-(MIR) [1], and near infrared (NIR) [2].
Performance analysis of Plasmonic based ZnO/Silicon Thin-Film Heterojunction Solar cell
Authors: Askari Syed Sadique Anwer , Kumar Manoj , Imam Muzaffar , Ahmed Tauseef , Das Mukul Kumar
Published: December 2022

Silicon based heterojunction solar cells have gained popularity in the market recently because such structure with c-Si as absorber layer can have the power conversion efficiency me than 25% [1]. Several efforts has been made to reduce the cost by curtailing process steps e.g., by using ZnO as both emitter and anti-reflector layers. But the experimentally reported efficiency of ZnO/p-Si solar cells is somewhat below the theoretically predicted values.
Computational Acquisition and Display Technologies for Light Fields
Authors: Takahashi Keita
Published: December 2022

As a framework of describing 3-D visual information, the concept of light field (LF) was developed in early 1990s. An LF describes all the light-rays originating from a target scene and proceeding to a limited range of directions. Thus, in theory, the LF can reproduce all possible 3-D appearances of the target scene within the limited directional range. This framework has been used for many applications such as depth estimation, object recognition, photo-realistic view synthesis, and 3-D displays.
Multi-layered aerial images formed by AIRR and a light-field display
Authors: Yasugi Masaki , Shimose Kazuki , Fujii Kengo , Ito Shusei , Kawai Kazuki , Nakajima Masao , Iwane Toru , Takeda Yukihiro , Yamamoto Hirotsugu
Published: December 2022

Aerial imaging is no longer technology seen in the movies, but are beginning to be used in various areas of real life, such as advertisements, entertainment and operating devices. One of methods to form such aerial images is aerial imaging by retro-reflection (AIRR) [1]. In this paper, we proposed the device that enable us to see the mul- ti-layered aerial image which pops up from the display, by using AIRR with a slit-shaped retro-reflector and a light-field display.
High-Speed Imaging and Tracking of Very Small Nanoparticles by Coherent Brightfield (COBRI) Microscopy
Authors: Cheng Ching-Ya , Liao Yi-Hung , Hsieh Chia-Lung
Published: December 2022

Brightfield optical microscopy has been used extensively in many scientific fields including biology because of its simple and reliable configuration.
Resonant Dielectric Nanoparticles as Efficient Nanoantennas in Optical Regime
Authors: Sugimoto Hiroshi , Fujii Minoru
Published: December 2022

Low-loss optical nanoantennas composed of high index dielectrics have attracted much attention as an alternative to plasmonic antennas that often suffer from losses of noble metals. Among several high-index dielectrics, Si has some advantages such as earth abundance, CMOS- compatibility and most importantly, the small imaginary part of the permittivity in the optical regime. However, the previously developed fabrication methods have problems in the control of the size, shape and crystallinity and in the scalability for mass production.
Tabletop Two-Layer Aerial Display with AIRR
Authors: Terashima Yoshiki , Suyama Shiro , Yamamoto Hirotsugu
Published: December 2022

Aerial displays are expected to be the next-generation information screens for like digital signage. Aerial imaging by retro-reflection (AIRR) [1] has proposed as one of the image-forming methods. AIRR can form a translucent image through which users can observe the reflected image while observing aerial image.
Carrier Multiplication in Dual-gate p-n Junction of MoTe2 Film
Authors: Kim Ji-Hee
Published: December 2022

A major challenge to improve solar energy conversion lies in the efficient use of the excess energy of photoexcited hot carriers.
High mobility and 2D electron gas in aggregates of 1D transition metal chalcogenide atomic wires
Authors: Shimizu Hiroshi , Pu Jiang , Liu Zheng , Lim Hong En , Nakanishi Yusuke , Endo Takahiko , Yanagi Kazuhiro , Takenobu Taishi , Miyata Yasumitsu
Published: December 2022

One-dimensional (1D) transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) have attracted much attention lately due to their atomically-thin, wired structures and superior conducting properties.
Photothermal heating and heat transfer analysis of anodized aluminum oxide having high optical absorptivity
Authors: Tanjaya Nicholaus K. , Kaur Manpreet , Nagao Tadaaki , Ishii Satoshi
Published: December 2022

Photothermal heating with metallic nanostructures can have a unique property of being able to generate heat in the nanoscale owing to the plasmon resonances.
Observation of carrier transports at exciton-plasmon coupling in MoS2 monolayers and 1D plamsmonic nanogrooves
Authors: Yu Min-Wen , Ishii Satoshi , Li Shisheng , Ku Ji-Ren , Yang Jhen-Hong , Su Kuan-Lin , Taniguchi Takaaki , Nagao Tadaaki , Chen Kuo-Ping
Published: December 2022

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have studied intensively owing to their unique optical and electronic properties [1]. Among TMDCs, monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is a direct bandgap semiconductor with strong binding energies which make it as a perfect candidate for light-matter coupling system. In the current work, we fabricated hybrid systems of MoS2 monolayers [2] and 1D plasmonic nanogrooves made of gold (Au) to study exciton-plasmon coupling, particularly the carrier transport at the coupling state (see Fig. 1(a)). The nanogrooves were suited to excite in-plane plasmons, which are different from metallic-nanoparticle-on-mirror configuration.(/p)(p)The exciton-plasmon couplings were confirmed by the reflectance measurements and the dispersion relations were plotted from the reflectance measurements as shown in Fig. 1(b). In Fig. 1(b), the plasmon-exciton coupling of the upper polariton and lower polariton were plotted as a function of detuning. The splitting energy was as large as 65 meV, which is one of the largest among the values reported so far at room temperature. The exciton-plasmon coupling has also been confirmed by the Kelvin probe force microscope (KPFM) which recorded the surface potentials. As shown in Fig. 1(c), while there was no surface potential change for the MoS2 on planar Au film, a surface potential shift of 13.5 meV was observed for the MoS2 on nanogroove upon laser irradiation at 532 nm. This is a direct evidence that surface potential shift was induced at the exciton-plasmon coupling. Our results indicated that the 1D plasmonic nanogrooves are appropriate structures to study exciton-plasmon coupling with large splitting energy at room temperature.
Silicon Perfect Absorber of Quadrupole Modes within the visible light range
Authors: Xu Rongyang , Takahara Junichi
Published: December 2022

Perfect absorbers based on metasurfaces are extensively studied owing to their engineered optical properties.
Thermal resistance reduction of membrane FP laser bonded by a-Si nano-film assisted surface activated bonding
Authors: Fang Weicheng , Takahashi Naoki , Ohiso Yoshitaka , Amemiya Tomohiro , Nishiyama Nobuhiko
Published: December 2022

Replacing conventional electrical global wiring to optical wiring is a promising solution to overcome interconnect bottleneck of Si-LSIs.
Novel GaAs-Based, MBE-Grown Materials for THz Photoconductive Antenna Emitter Research at the University of the Philippines
Authors: Estacio Elmer , Prieto Elizabeth Ann , De Los Reyes Alexander , Cabello Neil Irvin , Bardolaza Hannah R. , Mag-Usara Valynn Katrine , Afalla Jessica Pauline , Somintac Armando , Salvador Arnel , Kitahara Hideaki , Tani Masahiko
Published: December 2022

We report on the continuing efforts of the National Institute of Physics, University of the Philippines, in the design, growth, and fabrication of novel structures for THz photoconductive antennas (PCA’s) [1-3]. In particular, the talk presents recent works on the molecular beam epitaxial growth of gallium arsenide-based semiconductor trilayer films and modulation-doped heterostructures (MDH) as substrates for THz PCA emitter’s [1,2]. The improvement of these novel substrates on the performance of the emitters are primarily attributed to the surface/interface electric field modification for the trilayer design; as well as an increase in the carrier mobility for the MDH design. Additionally, work is also being undertaken on the surface modification of the PCA’s [3]. Initial results on the adsorption of Si nanowires on the PCA gap to improve THz generation will also be presented; as well recent work on the incorporation of micron-size metal line arrays on the emission side of the PCA. Being relatively large, these metal line arrays do not require electron beam lithography that are commonly employed in metamaterial enhanced PCA’s. These research activities are carried out in collaboration with the FIR Center, University of Fukui, Japan.
Development of CW Terahertz Time Domain Spectroscopy System Based on 650-nm Chaotic Multimode Semiconductor Laser
Authors: Li J. J. , Mag-usara V. K. , Agulto V. C. , Ohta I. S. , Kuwashima F. , Yoshimura M. , Nakajima M.
Published: December 2022

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) has been applied in various material investigations for a wide range of research fields [1-7].
Orbital angular momentum spectra of twisted Laguerre-Gaussian Schell-model beams propagating in weak-to-strong Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence
Authors: Wang Haiyun , Yang Zhaohui , Liu Lin , Chen Yahong , Wang Fei , Cai Yangjian
Published: December 2022

The presence of atmospheric turbulence in a beam propagation path results in the spread of orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes of laser beams, limiting the performance of free-space optical communications with the utility of vortex beams. The knowledge of the effects of turbulence on the OAM spectrum (also named as spiral spectrum) is thus of utmost importance. However, most of the existing studies considering this effect are limited to the weak turbulence that is modeled as a random complex “screen” in the receiver plane. In this paper, the behavior of the OAM spectra of twisted Laguerre-Gaussian Schell-model (TLGSM) beams propagation through anisotropic Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence is examined based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel integral which is considered to be applicable in weak-to-strong turbulence. The discrepancies of the OAM spectra between weak and strong turbulence are studied comparatively. The influences of the twist phase and the anisotropy of turbulence on the OAM spectra during propagation are investigated through numerical examples. Our results reveal that the twist phase plays a crucial role in determining the OAM spectra in turbulence, resisting the degeneration of the detection mode weight by appropriately choosing the twist factor, while the effects of the anisotropic factors of turbulence on the OAM spectra seem to be not obvious. Our findings can be applied to the analysis of OAM spectra of laser beams both in weak and strong turbulence.
On-chip integrated quantum emitter with ‘trap-enhance-guide’: a simulation approach
Authors: Saha Samprity , Hong Chuchuan , Fomra Dhruv , Ozgur Umit , Avrutin Vitaly , Ndukaife Justus C. , Kinsey Nathaniel
Published: December 2022

To address the challenges of developing a scalable system of an on-chip integrated quantum emitter, we propose to leverage the loss in our hybrid plasmonic-photonic structure to simultaneously achieve Purcell enhancement as well as on-chip maneuvering of nanoscale emitter via optical trapping with guided excitation-emission routes. In this report, we have analyzed the feasibility of the functional goals of our proposed system in the metric of trapping strength (∼8KBT), Purcell factor (>1000∼), and collection efficiency (∼10%). Once realized, the scopes of the proposed device can be advanced to develop a scalable platform for integrated quantum technology.
Polarizer-free measurement of the full Stokes vector using a fiber-coupled superconducting nanowire single photon detector with a polarization extinction ratio of ∼2
Authors: Fei Yue , Ji Tianhao , Zhu Guanghao , Zhang Labao , Zhang Lijian , Tan Jingrou , Chen Qi , Guan Yanqiu , Yin Rui , Wang Hao , Jia Xiaoqing , Zhao Qingyuan , Tu Xuecou , Kang Lin , Chen Jian , Wu Peiheng
Published: December 2022

The characterization and manipulation of polarization state at single photon level are of great importance in research fields such as quantum information processing and quantum key distribution, where photons are normally delivered using single mode optical fibers. To date, the demonstrated polarimetry measurement techniques based on a superconducting nanowire single photon detector (SNSPD) require the SNSPD to be either highly sensitive or highly insensitive to the photon’s polarization state, therefore placing an unavoidable challenge on the SNSPD’s design and fabrication processes. In this article, we present the development of an alternative polarimetry measurement technique, of which the stringent requirement on the SNSPD’s polarization sensitivity is removed. We validate the proposed technique by a rigorous theoretical analysis and comparisons of the experimental results obtained using a fiber-coupled SNSPD with a polarization extinction ratio of ∼2 to that obtained using other well-established known methods. Based on the full Stokes data measured by the proposed technique, we also demonstrate that at the single photon level (∼ -100 dBm), the polarization state of the photon delivered to the superconducting nanowire facet plane can be controlled at will using a further developed algorithm. Note that other than the fiber-coupled SNSPD, the only component involved is a quarter-wave plate (no external polarizer is necessary), which when aligned well has a paid insertion loss less than 0.5 dB.
Implantable metaverse with retinal prostheses and bionic vision processing
Authors: Xi Ning , Ye Jiaxun , Chen Chao Ping , Chu Qiang , Hu Haiyang , Zou Seak Pang
Published: December 2022

We present an implantable metaverse featuring retinal prostheses in association with bionic vision processing. Unlike conventional retinal prostheses, whose electrodes are spaced equidistantly, our solution is to rearrange the electrodes to match the distribution of ganglion cells. To naturally imitate the human vision, a scheme of bionic vision processing is developed. On top of a three-dimensional eye model, our bionic vision processing is able to visualize the monocular image, binocular image fusion, and parallax-induced depth map.
Complex amplitude modulated holographic display system based on polarization grating
Authors: Wang Jie , Zhang Shijie , Pi Dapu , Yang Yan , Zhao Weirui , Wang Yongtian , Liu Juan
Published: December 2022

We propose a holographic display system for complex amplitude modulation (CAM) using a phase-only spatial light modulator (SLM) and two polarization gratings (PG). The two sub-holograms of the complex-amplitude computed generated hologram (CGH) are loaded in different regions of SLM. Two diffractive components couple in space after longitudinal migration from the double PGs, and finally interfered through the line polarizer. The influence of the system error on the reconstructed image quality is analyzed, which provides a theoretical assessment for adding pre-compensation to CGH to compensate the system error. Moreover, on the base of the proposed system, a large depth of field and enlarged display area display is realized and the real-time display can be achieved because of the analytical complex-amplitude computed generated hologram. The optical experimental results show that the proposed system has high energy efficiency, and can provide high-quality holographic display with a large depth of field and enlarged display area.
Temporal reflection and refraction in the presence of a zero-nonlinearity wavelength
Authors: Sparapani A. C. , Bonetti J. , Linale N. , Hernandez S. M. , Fierens P. I. , Grosz D. F.
Published: December 2022

We put forth a theoretical model allowing for the analysis of short-pulse interactions at time boundaries in waveguides with arbitrary frequency-dependent nonlinear profiles, in particular those exhibiting a zero-nonlinearity wavelength. Moreover, this is performed within a photon-conserving framework, thus circumventing use of the nonlinear Schrödinger equation in such scenarios, as it may lead to unphysical outcomes. Results indicate that the waveguide zero-nonlinearity wavelength has a great influence on said interactions, specifically by defining spectral bands where either signal total reflection or signal transmission can occur. We believe these findings to be of relevance in the area of all-optical switching schemes based on the interaction of short pulses in nonlinear media.
Microfabricated strontium atomic vapor cells
Authors: Pate Jacob M. , Kitching John , Hummon Matthew T.
Published: December 2022

We demonstrate strontium (Sr) atomic vapor cells having a total external volume of 0.63 cm3 that can operate above 300 °C for times exceeding 380 h. The cells are fabricated using micromachined silicon frames anodically bonded to glass windows that have a 20-nm thick protective layer of Al2O3 deposited on the interior surfaces. The presence of Sr vapor in the cell is confirmed through laser absorption spectroscopy for the 1S0 → 1P1 transition in Sr at 461 nm. Measurements of sub-Doppler linewidths indicated negligible (<3 MHz) broadening of this transition from residual background gas collisions. This compact and manufacturable, high-temperature atomic vapor cell can enable narrow-line optical frequency references based on strontium and other alkaline earth species.
Estimates of pandemic excess mortality in India based on civil registration data
Authors: Banaji Murad , Gupta Aashish
Published: December 2022

The population health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are less well understood in low and middle-income countries, where mortality surveillance before the pandemic was patchy. Interpreting the limited all-cause mortality data available in India is challenging. We use existing data on all-cause mortality from civil registration systems of twelve Indian states comprising around 60% of the national population to understand the scale and timing of excess deaths in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. We carefully characterize the reasons why registration is incomplete and estimate the extent of coverage in the data. Comparing the pandemic period to 2019, we estimate excess mortality in twelve Indian states, and extrapolate our estimates to the rest of India. We explore sensitivity of the estimates to various assumptions. For the 12 states with available all-cause mortality data, we document an increase of 28% in deaths during April 2020–May 2021 relative to expectations from 2019. This level of increase in mortality, if it applies nationally, would imply 2.8–2.9 million excess deaths. More limited data from June 2021 increases national estimates of excess deaths during April 2020–June 2021 to 3.8 million. With more optimistic or pessimistic assumptions, excess deaths during this period could credibly lie between 2.8 million and 5.2 million. The scale of estimated excess deaths is broadly consistent with expectations based on seroprevalence and COVID-19 fatality rates observed internationally. Moreover, the timing of excess deaths and recorded COVID-19 deaths is similar–they rise and fall at the same time. The surveillance of pandemic mortality in India has been extremely poor, with 8–10 times as many excess deaths as officially recorded COVID-19 deaths. India is among the countries most severely impacted by the pandemic. Our approach highlights the utility of all-cause mortality data, as well as the significant challenges in interpreting it.
Hygienic practice during complementary food preparation and associated factors among mothers of children aged 6–24 months in Debark town, northwest Ethiopia, 2021: An overlooked opportunity in the nutrition and health sectors
Authors: Zeleke Agerie Mengistie , Bayeh Gashaw Melkie , Azene Zelalem Nigussie
Published: December 2022

Background

Hygienic practices during complementary food preparation are suboptimal in developing countries, in Ethiopia in particular. Hygienic complementary food preparation is crucial to prevent childhood communicable diseases like diarrhea and associated malnutrition among children aged 6–24 months. However, in Ethiopia, there is a paucity of evidence on the practice of hygiene during complementary food preparation. Thus, this study is aimed to assess the hygienic practice of complementary food preparation and associated factors among women having children aged 6–24 months in Debark town, northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 mothers with 6–24 months of age children from December 1 to January 30, 2021. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. Epi-data version 4.6 and SPSS version 23 software were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. Binary logistic regressions (Bivariable and multivariable) were performed to identify statistically significant variables. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI was used to declare statistically significant variables on the basis of p-value < 0.05 in the multivariable logistic regression model.

Results

The study revealed that 44.9% (95% CI (40.2, 49.4%)) of the mothers having children aged 6–24 months had good practice of complementary food preparation. Maternal age of 25–29 years[AOR:3.23, 95% CI: (1.555–9.031)], husband’s attained secondary school and above (AOR:2.65, 95% CI (1.211–5.783)], using modern stove for cooking [AOR:3.33,95% CI (1.404–7.874)], having a separate kitchen[AOR: 8.59, 95%Cl: (2.084–35.376], and having a three bowl dishwashing system(AOR: 8.45, 95% CL: (4.444–16.053)) were significantly associated with good hygiene practice of complementary food preparation.

Conclusions

The findings have indicated that the majority of the mothers had poor hygienic practices of complementary food preparation. Mother’s age, husband’s educational status, type of stove used for cooking, having a separate kitchen, having a three bowl dishwashing system were factors that significantly influenced the hygiene practice of mothers during complementary food preparation. Therefore, training and counseling mothers and caregivers on complementary food processing and preparation is important and such endeavors which inform the development and implementation of complementary food hygiene interventions in urban communities are recommended.
Diversity matters in wheat mixtures: A genomic survey of the impact of genetic diversity on the performance of 12 way durum wheat mixtures grown in two contrasted and controlled environments
Authors: Alsabbagh Pauline , Gay Laurène , Colombo Michel , Montazeaud Germain , Ardisson Morgane , Rocher Aline , Allard Vincent , David Jacques L.
Published: December 2022

In ecology, an increase in genetic diversity within a community in natural ecosystems increases its productivity, while in evolutionary biology, kinship selection predicts that relatedness on social traits improves fitness. Varietal mixtures, where different genotypes are grown together, show contrasting results, especially for grain yield where both positive and negative effects of mixtures have been reported. To understand the effect of diversity on field performance, we grew 96 independent mixtures each composed with 12 durum wheat (Triticum turgidumssp.durumThell.) inbred lines, under two contrasting environmental conditions for water availability. Using dense genotyping, we imputed allelic frequencies and a genetic diversity index on more than 96000 loci for each mixture. We then analyzed the effect of genetic diversity on agronomic performance using a genome-wide approach. We explored the stress gradient hypothesis, which proposes that the greater the unfavourable conditions, the more beneficial the effect of diversity on mixture performance. We found that diversity on average had a negative effect on yield and its components while it was beneficial on grain weight. There was little support for the stress gradient theory. We discuss how to use genomic data to improve the assembly of varietal mixtures.
Obeticholic acid treatment ameliorates the cardiac dysfunction in NASH mice
Authors: Liu Szu-Yu , Huang Chia-Chang , Yang Ying-Ying , Huang Shiang-Fen , Lee Tzung-Yan , Li Tzu-Hao , Hou Ming-Chih , Lin Han-Chieh
Published: December 2022

Background

Suppression of cardiac iinflammasome, which can be inhibited by Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist, can ameliorate cardiac inflammation and fibrosis. Increased cardiac inflammasome decrease the abundance of regulatory T (Treg) cells and exacerbate cardiac dysfunction. Interaction between cardiomyocytes and Treg cells is involved in the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-related cardiac dysfunction.

Aims

This study evaluates whether the FXR agonist obeticholic acid (OCA) treatment improves NASH-associated cardiac dysfunction.

Methods

Thein vivoandin vitromechanisms and effects of two weeks of OCA treatment oninflammasome and Treg dysregulation-related cardiac dysfunction in NASH mice (NASH-OCA) at systemic, tissue and cellular levels were investigated.

Results

The OCA treatment suppressed the serum and cardiac inflammasome levels, reduced the cardiac infiltrated CD3+T cells, increased the cardiac Treg-represented anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10/IL-10R) and improved cardiac inflammation, fibrosis and function [decreased left ventricle (LV) mass and increased fractional shortening (FS)] in NASH-OCA mice. The percentages of OCA-decreased cardiac fibrosis and OCA-increased FS were positively correlated with the percentage of OCA-increased levels of cardiac FXR and IL-10/IL-10R. In the Treg cells from NASH-OCA mice spleen, in comparison with the Treg cells of the NASH group, higher intracellular FXR but lower inflammasome levels, and more proliferative/active and less apoptotic cells were observed. Incubation of H9c2 cardiomyoblasts with Treg-NASHcm [supernatant of Treg from NASH mice as condition medium (cm)], increased inflammasome levels, decreased the proliferative/active cells, suppressed the intracellular FXR, and downregulated differentiation/contraction marker. The Treg-NASHcm-induced hypocontractility of H9c2 can be attenuated by co-incubation with OCA, and the OCA-related effects were abolished by siIL-10R pretreatment.

Conclusions

Chronic FXR activation with OCA is a potential strategy for activating IL-10/IL-10R signalling, reversing cardiac regulatory T cell dysfunction, and improving inflammasome-mediated NASH-related cardiac dysfunction.
Inertial imitation method of MMC with hybrid topology for VSC-HVDC
Authors: Wu Jie , Yin Shiyi , Li Chuanjiang , Zhang Qiaozhen
Published: December 2022

A new virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control strategy was researched and proposed for a VSC-HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current Based on Voltage Source Converter) transmission system. It can be applied to half-bridge or full-half-bridge hybrid topology modular multi-level converter (MMC) to improve the stability and reliability of the system. First, it is proposed that the energy stored in the equivalent capacitor of MMC power module was used to imitate the rotor inertial of synchronous generator. It can buffer transient power fluctuations and synchronize autonomously with the grid. Then the impedance characteristics of the proposed control method have been deduced and analyzed. The results show that the VSG control loop mainly improves the low frequency characteristics of the converter. Secondly, the ability to suppress transient fault current is weak. So, a method, that the given values of inner current loop are calculated by grid impedance matrix, was used. A double closed loop control structure composed by a power outer loop based on VSG control and a current inner loop is obtained. The simulation results show that it can effectively improve the current control capability during the transient process for systems with a 1:2 ratio of converter capacity to grid capacity (The grid short-circuit capacity is 60MW and the MMC is 30 MW). Finally, a hybrid MMC simulation model was built based on PSCAD and the steady-state and transient fault ride-through simulations were performed. The power adjustment time of MMC under the proposed VSG control is about 1s, while the adjustment time under the conventional control strategy is greater than 4s.