bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying disappeared historic buildings of port of Callao using georeferencing
Authors: Celis Estrada Diego Javier , Chueca Francisco Felipe Quiroz , Grados Ruth Aracelis Manzanares
Published: October 2023

The port of Callao is important for its varied historical and archaeological heritage, which includes several military buildings that were the main actors and witnesses of the colonial era of Peru (from the 16th century to the country’s independence from Spain early in the 19th century). Despite the studies that have been carried out on the basis of documents and some eventual archaeological excavations, the port’s main monument, namely, the Real Felipe Fortress, continues to hide very important information that could be used to understand the role that the fortress played in numerous historical events throughout the centuries. The main contribution of this study is the use of photogrammetry software and a Geographic Information System (GIS) to examine the Real Felipe Fortress. In this way, the nature of the atypical construction within the fortress is determined. As a result, it is possible to accurately establish the location of the defensive wall that surrounded the ancient city of Callao, as well as its first churches, whose records were lost after being destroyed by the 1746 earthquake and tsunami in Lima, the worst cataclysm registered in the history of Peru and South America. As a result, this study demonstrates that technology can be successfully used to establish and validate with great precision the existence of the location of churches that have been built in the port of Callao since the founding of Lima in the 16th century. Such identification allows architects, engineers and students who are interested in the history of monuments to discover hidden structures and buildings and carry out the necessary restoration and archaeological works, with the aim of recovering the history of the colonial architecture of Callao and other similar cities and ports worldwide.
Cost-Utility Analysis of Geriatric Assessment and Management in Older Adults With Cancer: Economic Evaluation Within 5C Trial
Authors: Sahakyan Yeva , Li Qixuan , Alibhai Shabbir M.H. , Puts Martine , Yeretzian Shant T. , Anwar Mohammed R. , Brennenstuhl Sarah , McLean Bianca , Strohschein Fay , Tomlinson George , Wills Aria , Abrahamyan Lusine
Published: October 2023

PURPOSE

Geriatric assessment (GA) is a guideline-recommended approach to optimize cancer management in older adults. We conducted a cost-utility analysis alongside the 5C randomized controlled trial to compare GA and management (GAM) plus usual care (UC) against UC alone in older adults with cancer.

METHODS

The economic evaluation, conducted from societal and health care payer perspectives, used a 12-month time horizon. The Canadian 5C study randomly assigned patients to receive GAM or UC. Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were measured using the EuroQol five dimension-5L questionnaire and health care utilization using cost diaries and chart reviews. We evaluated the incremental net monetary benefit (INMB) for the full sample and preselected subgroups.

RESULTS

A total of 350 patients were included, of whom 173 received GAM and 177 UC. At 12 months, the average QALYs per patient were 0.728 and 0.751 for GAM and UC, respectively (ΔQALY, −0.023 [95% CI, −0.076 to 0.028]). Considering a societal perspective, the total average costs (in 2021 Canadian dollars) per patient were $46,739 and $45,177 for GAM and UC, respectively (ΔCost, $1,563 [95% CI, −$6,583 to $10,403]). At a cost-effectiveness threshold of $50,000/QALY, GAM was not cost-effective compared with UC (INMB, −$2,713 [95% CI, −$11,767 to $5,801]). The INMB was positive ($2,984 [95% CI, −$7,050 to $14,179]; probability of being cost-effective, 72%) for patients treated with curative intent, but remained negative for patients treated with palliative intent (INMB, −$9,909 [95% CI, −$24,436 to $4,153]). Findings were similar considering a health care payer perspective.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is the first cost-utility analysis of GAM in cancer. GAM was cost-effective for patients with cancer treated with curative but not with palliative intent. The study provides further considerations for future adoption of GAM in practice.
Enhanced nucleation of bimodal molecular weight distribution polymers: A molecular dynamics study
Authors: Zhai Zengqiang , Morthomas Julien , Fusco Claudio , Perez Michel , Lame Olivier
Published: October 2023

We perform coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CGMD) simulations to study the homogeneous nucleation of bimodal and unimodal molecular weight distribution polymers with equivalent average molecular weight. First, a statistical method is proposed to determine the critical nuclei and thus calculate the free energy barrier of nucleation. From the temperature dependence of diffusion coefficient, we also determine the activation energy of diffusion. Then we calculate the nucleation rate and find that it is consistent with the classical nucleation theory for homogeneous nucleation in semi-crystalline polymers. Compared with unimodal system, the bimodal system exhibits lower interfacial free energy and consequently lower free energy barrier for nucleation, while the two systems have similar activation energy for diffusion. This suggests that the promoted nucleation rate of bimodal molecular weight distribution polymer is a result of the reduction of interfacial free energy, which is eventually a consequence of chain-folding nucleation of long chain component.
Oocyte quality is enhanced by hypoglycosylated FSH through increased cell-to-cell interaction during mouse follicle development
Authors: Converse Aubrey , Liu Zhenghui , Patel Jai C. , Shakyawar Sushil , Guda Chittibabu , Bousfield George R. , Kumar T. Rajendra , Duncan Francesca E.
Published: October 2023

Macroheterogeneity in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) β-subunit N-glycosylation results in distinct FSH glycoforms. Hypoglycosylated FSH21 is the abundant and more bioactive form in pituitaries of females under 35 years of age, whereas fully glycosylated FSH24 is less bioactive and increases with age. To investigate whether the shift in FSH glycoform abundance contributes to the age-dependent decline in oocyte quality, the direct effects of FSH glycoforms on folliculogenesis and oocyte quality were determined using an encapsulated in vitro mouse follicle growth system. Long-term culture (10-12 days) with FSH21 (10 ng/ml) enhanced follicle growth, estradiol secretion and oocyte quality compared with FSH24 (10 ng/ml) treatment. FSH21 enhanced establishment of transzonal projections, gap junctions and cell-to-cell communication within 24 h in culture. Transient inhibition of FSH21-mediated bidirectional communication abrogated the positive effects of FSH21 on follicle growth, estradiol secretion and oocyte quality. Our data indicate that FSH21 promotes folliculogenesis and oocyte quality in vitro by increasing cell-to-cell communication early in folliculogenesis, and that the shift in in vivo abundance from FSH21 to FSH24 with reproductive aging may contribute to the age-dependent decline in oocyte quality.
Upregulation of fibronectin and its integrin receptors – an adaptation to isolation stress that facilitates tumor initiation
Authors: Wu Chengsheng , Weis Sara M. , Cheresh David A.
Published: October 2023

Tumor initiation at either primary or metastatic sites is an inefficient process in which tumor cells must fulfill a series of conditions. One critical condition involves the ability of individual tumor-initiating cells to overcome ‘isolation stress’, enabling them to survive within harsh isolating microenvironments that can feature nutrient stress, hypoxia, oxidative stress and the absence of a proper extracellular matrix (ECM). In response to isolation stress, tumor cells can exploit various adaptive strategies to develop stress tolerance and gain stemness features. In this Opinion, we discuss how strategies such as the induction of certain cell surface receptors and deposition of ECM proteins enable tumor cells to endure isolation stress, thereby gaining tumor-initiating potential. As examples, we highlight recent findings from our group demonstrating how exposure of tumor cells to isolation stress upregulates the G-protein-coupled receptor lysophosphatidic acid receptor 4 (LPAR4), its downstream target fibronectin and two fibronectin-binding integrins, α5β1 and αvβ3. These responses create a fibronectin-rich niche for tumor cells, ultimately driving stress tolerance, cancer stemness and tumor initiation. We suggest that approaches to prevent cancer cells from adapting to stress by suppressing LPAR4 induction, blocking its downstream signaling or disrupting fibronectin–integrin interactions hold promise as potential strategies for cancer treatment.
Assessment of landmark detection in cephalometric radiographs with different conditions of brightness and contrast using the an artificial intelligence software
Authors: Menezes Liciane dos Santos , Silva Thaísa Pinheiro , Lima dos Santos Marcos Antônio , Hughes Mariana Mendonça , Mariano Souza Saulo dos Reis , Leite Ribeiro Patrícia Miranda , Freitas Paulo Henrique Luiz de , Takeshita Wilton Mitsunari
Published: October 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the reliability and reproducibility of an artificial intelligence (AI) software in identifying cephalometric points on lateral cephalometric radiographs considering four settings of brightness and contrast.

Methods and materials

Brightness and contrast of 30 lateral cephalometric radiographs were adjusted into four different settings. Then, the control examiner (ECont), the calibrated examiner (ECal), and the CEFBOT AI software (AIs) each marked 19 cephalometric points on all radiographs. Reliability was assessed with a second analysis of the radiographs 15 days after the first one. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results:

Reliability of landmark identification was excellent for the human examiners and the AIs regardless of the type of brightness and contrast setting (mean intraclass correlation coefficient >0.89). When ECont and ECal were compared for reproducibility, there were more cephalometric points with significant differences on the x-axis of the image with the highest contrast and the lowest brightness, namely N(p = 0.033), S(p = 0.030), Po(p < 0.001), and Pog’(p = 0.012). Between ECont and AIs, there were more cephalometric points with significant differences on the image with the highest contrast and the lowest brightness, namely N(p = 0.034), Or(p = 0.048), Po(p < 0.001), A(p = 0.042), Pog’(p = 0.004), Ll(p = 0.005), Ul(p < 0.001), and Sn(p = 0.001).

Conclusions

While the reliability of the AIs for cephalometric landmark identification was rated as excellent, low brightness and high contrast seemed to affect its reproducibility. The experienced human examiner, on the other hand, did not show such faulty reproducibility; therefore, the AIs used in this study is an excellent auxiliary tool for cephalometric analysis, but still depends on human supervision to be clinically reliable.
How does the clinical and tomographic appearance of MRONJ influences its treatment prognosis?
Authors: Moreno Rabie Catalina , García-Larraín Santiago , Contreras Diez de Medina David , Cabello-Salazar Isadora , Fontenele Rocharles Cavalcante , Van den Wyngaert Tim , Jacobs Reinhilde
Published: October 2023

Objectives:

To identify clinical and tomographic prognostic factors for conservative and surgical treatment of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ).

Methods:

A retrospective search identified patients treated with antiresorptive drugs (ARDs), diagnosed with Stage 1, 2 or 3 MRONJ, and having CBCT scans previous to conservative or surgical treatment. Following data collection, imaging assessment of the following parameters on each MRONJ site was performed: involvement of teeth and/or implants, presence of osteosclerosis, osteolysis, sequestrum formation, periosteal reaction, and pathological fractures. For statistical analysis, patients and lesions were divided into conservative and surgical treatment. Comparisons were made between successful and unsuccessful outcomes. Significance was set at p ≤ 0.05.

Results:

115 ARD-treated patients who developed 143 osteonecrosis lesions were selected. 40 patients and 58 lesions received conservative treatment, of which 14 patients (35%) and 25 lesions (43%) healed. Additionally, 75 patients and 85 lesions underwent surgery, with 48 patients (64%) and 55 lesions (65%) that healed. Clinical and tomographic risk factors for conservative treatment were MRONJ staging, tooth involvement, extensive osteosclerosis, and deep sequestrum formation (p < 0.05). Complementarily, poor prognostic indicators for surgical therapy were a short bisphosphonate (BP) holiday, MRONJ staging, absence of sequestrum formation, and presence of periosteal reaction (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

Lesions at Stage 3 MRONJ, with tooth involvement, or sequestrum formation showed poor outcomes when conservative treatment is chosen. Alternatively, surgical treatment is most effective when BPs are discontinued, in Stage 1 lesions, in the presence of sequestrum formation, and absence of periosteal reaction.
Study on Improving in the Evaluation of Untreated Specimens in the Decay Resistance Effect of Wood Preservatives
Authors: Hong Jin Young , Kim Young Hee , Park JI Hee
Published: October 2023

This study emphasizes the importance of verifying the vitality of test fungi through the results of untreated specimens in the evaluation of the efficacy of wood preservatives. However, in many cases, the weight loss of the untreated specimens does not meet the criteria in the Korean standard(KS) test method, so we devised an efficient and simplified test method by cross-applying the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) standard method. The study found that the feeder strip inoculation method specified in the soil block test(AWPA) was more effective than the KS standard, resulting in a higher weight loss (%) of the wood blocks. Among the strains used, Trametes versicolor KACC54448(white rot fungus) showed weight loss rate of 34.1% and Tyromyces palustris and Fomitopsis pinicola KACC53387(brown rot fungi) showed weight loss rates of 63.9%, 58.0%, respectively. Furthermore, we found that maintaining a relative humidity of around 50% by placing distilled water in a low-temperature incubator was sufficient to create an environment in which the test fungi could decay the wood blocks without using expensive equipment such as a constant temperature and humidity chamber. As a result, it was confirmed that the activity of the test fungi can be increased even under conditions of around 50% relative humidity without the shaking cultivation process of the test fungi.
Ten recommendations for organising bioimaging data for archival
Authors: Korir Paul K. , Iudin Andrii , Somasundharam Sriram , Weyand Simone , Salih Osman , Hartley Matthew , Sarkans Ugis , Patwardhan Ardan , Kleywegt Gerard J.
Published: October 2023

Organised data is easy to use but the growth of bioimaging, with improvements in instrumentation, detectors, software and experimental techniques has resulted in an explosion in the volumes of data being generated, making this an elusive goal. This guide offers a handful of recommendations whose implementation would contribute towards better organised data in preparation for archival. Based on our experience archiving large image datasets in EMPIAR, the BioImage Archive and BioStudies, we propose a number of strategies that we believe would make future data depositions more useful to the bioimaging community and that may also find use in other data-intensive disciplines. To facilitate the process of analysing data organisation, we present bandbox, a Python package that provides users with an assessment of their data by flagging potential issues that could be addressed before archival.
Stenotrophomonas goyi sp. nov., a novel bacterium associated with the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Authors: Torres María Jesus , Fakhimi Neda , Dubini Alexandra , González-Ballester David
Published: October 2023

Background: A culture of the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was accidentally contaminated with three different bacteria in our laboratory facilities. This contaminated alga culture showed increased algal biohydrogen production. These three bacteria were independently isolated. Methods: The chromosomic DNA of one of the isolated bacteria was extracted and sequenced using PacBio technology. Tentative genome annotation (RAST server) and phylogenetic trees analysis (TYGS server) were conducted. Diverse growth tests were assayed for the bacterium and for the alga-bacterium consortium. Results: Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the bacterium is a novel member of the Stenotrophomonas genus that has been termed in this work as S. goyi sp. nov. A fully sequenced genome (4,487,389 base pairs) and its tentative annotation (4,147 genes) are provided. The genome information suggests that S. goyi sp. nov. is unable to use sulfate and nitrate as sulfur and nitrogen sources, respectively. Growth tests have confirmed the dependence on the sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cysteine. S. goyi sp. nov. and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii can establish a mutualistic relationship when cocultured together. Conclusions: S. goyi sp. nov. could be of interest for the design of biotechnological approaches based on the use of artificial microalgae-bacteria multispecies consortia that take advantage of the complementary metabolic capacities of their different microorganisms.
Tourette syndrome research highlights from 2022
Authors: Hartmann Andreas , Andrén Per , Atkinson-Clément Cyril , Czernecki Virginie , Delorme Cécile , Monique Debes Nanette Marinette , Müller-Vahl Kirsten , Paschou Peristera , Szejko Natalia , Topaloudi Apostolia , Ueda Keisuke , Black Kevin J.
Published: October 2023

This is the ninth yearly article in the Tourette Syndrome Research Highlights series, summarizing selected research reports from 2022 relevant to Tourette syndrome. The authors briefly summarize reports they consider most important or interesting.
Camptostemon philippinensis, a new record of endangered mangrove species in the Balikpapan Bay, East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Authors: Sitepu Bina Swasta , Chasani Abdul Razaq , Mukhlisi Mukhlisi , Atmoko Tri , Adman Burhanuddin , Prihatini Istiana
Published: October 2023

Background Camptostemon philippinensis, found in mangrove forests in Indonesia and the Philippines, is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. It is found primarily in isolated mangrove forests in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) and Sulawesi in Indonesia. Despite significant studies on mangrove biodiversity in this region, the occurrence of C. philippinensis in Balikpapan Bay, East Kalimantan, is not extensively recorded. Methods The study was conducted by exploring the mangrove forests along Balikpapan Bay. The first survey of about 200 km was conducted to observe mangrove vegetation and found one C. philippinensis tree. The second survey focused on the area around the first discovered C. philippinensis tree to census and record its growth stage and distribution. Results The study recorded a population of 527 individuals of C. philippinensis in Pantai Lango Village, East Kalimantan, dominated by seedlings. The high number of seedlings indicates good natural regeneration potential, but the low number of trees indicates intense competition for space in a restricted habitat. This species inhabits a small and restricted area in Balikpapan Bay, in the middle area of Balikpapan Bay, and is associated with other mangrove flora, such as Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata, Sonneratia alba, Avicennia alba, Lumnitzera littorea, Osbornia octodonta, Ceriops tagal, and Xylocarpus granatum. Conclusions C. philippinensis is vulnerable to habitat damage from anthropogenic activities, which could lead to local extinction. Its natural habitat in Balikpapan Bay also has the potential to be under pressure due to the development of Indonesia’s new capital city (Ibu Kota Nusantara/IKN). It emphasizes the need to understand the ecological role of this protected flora in the natural habitat of protected fauna (the proboscis monkey). Documenting the population of C. philippinensis is crucial for conservation efforts, including propagation and understanding its ecological role.
Body fat, overweight and obesity in adult menopausal women
Authors: Garland Rosario , Contreras Pavel J. , Tume Fernando , Del Castillo Vidal Giuliana Rosa , Rivera-Lozada Oriana , Lozada-Urbano Michelle
Published: October 2023

Background This study aimed to assess the factors correlated with the percentage of body fat, overweight, and obesity in menopausal adult women. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, data were extracted from the medical records of women aged 40 to 60 years, encompassing both premenopausal and menopausal phases. The variables under consideration comprised anthropometric indicators like weight, height, age, percentage of body fat, as well as sociodemographic elements including place of origin, marital status, physical activity, frequency of visits to nutritional consultations, and dietary consumption patterns. Additionally, the body mass index (BMI) was computed to determine overweight and obesity. Results The application of multiple regression analysis unveiled that a range of 8 to 16 nutritional consultations (Relative Risk (RR): 1.78 [95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.42-2.25]; p < 0.001), along with abstaining from coffee consumption (RR = 8.13 [95% CI: 1.22-54.31]; p < 0.031), exhibited associations with lower body fat among menopausal women. Conclusions The absence of coffee consumption and engagement in nutritional consultations were linked to diminished levels of body fat in menopausal women. Consequently, it is imperative to comprehensively evaluate middle-aged women to timely address overweight or obesity with suitable nutritional guidance and recommendations.
ChatGPT impacts in programming education: A recent literature overview that debates ChatGPT responses
Authors: Anagnostopoulos Christos-Nikolaos
Published: October 2023

This paper aims at a brief overview of the main impact of ChatGPT in the scientific field of programming and learning/education in computer science. It lists, covers and documents from the literature the major issues that have been identified for this topic, such as applications, advantages and limitations, ethical issues raised. Answers to the above questions were solicited from ChatGPT itself, the responses were collected, and then recent literature was surveyed to determine whether or not the responses are supported. The paper ends with a short discussion on what is expected to happen in the near future. A future that can be extremely promising if humanity manages to have AI as a proper ally and partner, with distinct roles and specific rules of cooperation and interaction.
Association between intrapartum fetal pulse oximetry and adverse perinatal and long-term outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol
Authors: Mitchell Jill M. , Walsh Siobhan , O'Byrne Laura J. , Conrick Virginia , Burke Ray , Khashan Ali S. , Higgins John , Greene Richard , Maher Gillian M. , McCarthy Fergus P.
Published: October 2023

Background: Current methods of intrapartum fetal monitoring based on heart rate, increase the rates of operative delivery but do not prevent or accurately detect fetal hypoxic brain injury. There is a need for more accurate methods of intrapartum fetal surveillance that will decrease the incidence of adverse perinatal and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes while maintaining the lowest possible rate of obstetric intervention. Fetal pulse oximetry (FPO) is a technology that may contribute to improved intrapartum fetal wellbeing evaluation by providing a non-invasive measurement of fetal oxygenation status.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to synthesise the evidence examining the association between intrapartum fetal oxygen saturation levels and adverse perinatal and long-term outcomes in the offspring.

Methods: We will include randomised control trials (RCTs), cohort, cross-sectional and case-control studies which examine the use of FPO during labour as a means of measuring intrapartum fetal oxygen saturation and assess its effectiveness at detecting adverse perinatal and long-term outcomes compared to existing intrapartum surveillance methods. A detailed systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library and Web of Science will be conducted following a detailed search strategy until August 2023. Three authors will independently review titles, abstracts and full text of articles. Two reviewers will independently extract data using pre-defined data extraction and assess the quality using the Risk of Bias tool for RCTs and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for observational studies. We will use random-effects meta-analysis for each exposure-outcome association to calculate pooled estimates using the generic variance method. This systematic review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines.

PROSPERO registration:  CRD42023457368 (04/09/2023)
A longitudinal analysis comparing the proportion of children with excess weight before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Santorelli Gillian , Wright John , Cooper Duncan , Lennon Laura , Muckle Sarah , West Jane
Published: October 2023

Background The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) reported an increase in the prevalence of children in Reception (4–5 years) and Year 6 (10–11 years) with overweight/obesity during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic compared to the previous year. This prompted us to conduct a longitudinal analysis to compare weight status before and during the pandemic. Methods We compared the change in overweight/obesity status of children in Year 1 (Y1) (during the pandemic) who had also been measured as part of the NCMP in Reception (the year before the pandemic), with the change in a sample of children during a two-year ‘pre-pandemic’ period. Results Overweight/obesity increased by 1.2% to 24.8% (p=0.582) between Reception and Y1 in the pre-pandemic group and by 5.4% to 28.5% (p=0.002) in the pandemic group. This was mainly driven by an increase in the proportion of overweight/obese boys in the pandemic group (22% to 30%) compared to the pre-pandemic group rates (~24% at both time-points). Rates in girls increased by 2.0% to 24.8% in the pre-pandemic group and by 3.3% to 27.6% in the pandemic group. A higher proportion of Reception-aged White children in the pre-pandemic group were overweight/obese compared to the pandemic group, but by Y1 the rates were higher in the pandemic group. In children of South Asian (SA) heritage, the proportion with excess weight in Reception was 18.3% in the pre-pandemic group, increasing to 21.6% by Y1. The increase was substantially higher in the pandemic group of SA children, with an increase from 22.9% in Reception to 30.3% by Y1. Conclusions We observed a marked increase in the proportion of children with an unhealthy body mass index (BMI) during the first year of the pandemic, suggesting that the societal disruptions caused by lockdown may have adversely affected children’s diet and levels of physical activity.
The genome sequence of the Cabbage Moth, Mamestra brassicae (Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Green Etxabe Amaia , Hesketh Helen , Short Stephen , Robinson Alex , Spurgeon David ,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: October 2023

We present a genome assembly from an individual male Mamestra brassicae (the Cabbage Moth; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Noctuidae). The genome sequence is 576.2 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 31 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 15.38 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 12,891 protein coding genes.
Distributional Robustness and Inequity Mitigation in Disaster Preparedness of Humanitarian Operations
Authors: Li Hongming , Delage Erick , Zhu Ning , Pinedo Michael , Ma Shoufeng
Published: October 2023

Problem definition: In this paper, we study a predisaster relief network design problem with uncertain demands. The aim is to determine the prepositioning and reallocation of relief supplies. Motivated by the call of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to leave no one behind, we consider three important practical aspects of humanitarian operations: shortages, equity, and uncertainty. Methodology/results: We first employ a form of robust satisficing measure, which we call the shortage severity measure, to evaluate the severity of the shortage caused by uncertain demand in a context with limited distribution information. Because shortages often raise concerns about equity, we then formulate a mixed-integer lexicographic optimization problem with nonconvex objectives and design a new branch-and-bound algorithm to identify the exact solution. We also propose two approaches for identifying optimal postdisaster adaptable resource reallocation: an exact approach and a conservative approximation that is more computationally efficient. Our case study considers the 2010 Yushu earthquake, which occurred in northwestern China, and demonstrates the value of our methodology in mitigating geographical inequities and reducing shortages. Managerial implications: In our case study, we show that (i) incorporating equity in both predisaster deployment and postdisaster reallocation can produce substantially more equitable shortage prevention strategies while sacrificing only a reasonable amount of total shortage; (ii) increasing donations/budgets may not necessarily alleviate the shortage suffered by the most vulnerable individuals if equity is not fully considered; and (iii) exploiting disaster magnitude information when quantifying uncertainty can help alleviate geographical inequities caused by uncertain relief demands.

Funding: This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada [Grant RGPIN-2016-05208], the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 71971154, 72010107004, 72091214, and 72122015], and the Canada Research Chairs [Grant CRC-2018-00105].

Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2023.1230 .
Metamorfose à brasileira: sobre 22 traduções da novela Die Verwandlung, de Franz Kafka
Authors: Galle Helmut Paul Erich
Published: October 2023

Este artigo apresenta resultados provisórios de um projeto que compara 22 traduções da novela A Metamorfose (1915) de Franz Kafka (1883-1924) publicadas no Brasil. O objetivo é analisá-las em relação ao texto de partida, com vistas a uma futura leitura crítica das várias versões. A comparação se baseia em quatro exemplos de frases representativas dos três capítulos, cujas traduções também estão listadas em quatro apêndices.
How volunteering shapes immigrants’ social identity: insights from foreign-born formal and informal volunteers
Authors: Ruiz A. Stefanie , Kanter Rebecca
Published: October 2023

This study explores how formal versus informal volunteering is related to immigrants’ identities in the US. We analyse 24 semi-structured interviews to investigate the identity-related influences of immigrant volunteering within and outside nonprofits’ auspices. We base our data analysis on the theoretical framework of individual mobility and a conceptual framework consisting of social identity theory and role identity theory. While past research has addressed how voluntary work affects immigrants’ social identity, we offer a comparative outlook by investigating how the associations differ for formal versus informal volunteering. Our findings show that immigrants who volunteer formally apply their immigrant identity to emphasise the integrative qualities of their volunteer role in US society, and that immigrants who volunteer informally apply their volunteer role towards the preservation of their immigrant identity.
Rapid identification of pathogens in blood serum via Raman tweezers in combination with advanced processing methods
Authors: Vaculík Ondřej , Bernatová Silvie , Rebrošová Katarína , Samek Ota , Šilhan Lukáš , Růžička Filip , Šerý Mojmír , Šiler Martin , Ježek Jan , Zemánek Pavel
Published: October 2023

Pathogenic microbes contribute to several major global diseases that kill millions of people every year. Bloodstream infections caused by these microbes are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, which are among the most common causes of hospitalizations. The search for the “Holy Grail” in clinical diagnostic microbiology, a reliable, accurate, low cost, real-time, and easy-to-use diagnostic method, is one of the essential issues in clinical practice. These very critical conditions can be met by Raman tweezers in combination with advanced analysis methods. Here, we present a proof-of-concept study based on Raman tweezers combined with spectral mixture analysis that allows for the identification of microbial strains directly from human blood serum without user intervention, thus eliminating the influence of a data analyst.
Frequency conversion of orbital angular momentum with optimized efficiency and modal purity
Authors: Singh Sachleen , Sephton Bereneice , Morland Imogen , Cox Mitchell A. , Leach Jonathan , Forbes Andrew , Buono Wagner T.
Published: October 2023

The use of nonlinear optics for the creation, control, and detection of structured light has gained prominence of late, but it is plagued by low efficiency and variable modal purity. Here, we show how to optimize the efficiency and modal purity in the nonlinear conversion of structured light modes. Using difference frequency generation of orbital angular momentum carrying Laguerre–Gaussian modes as an example, we achieved more than a 40% rise in efficiency while maintaining the modal purity above 90% compared to conventional methods. To demonstrate the versatility of our approach, we show the frequency conversion of perfect vortex beams up toℓ=40 in a topological charge, achieving a new state of the art. We believe this theoretical treatment will facilitate our work’s translation to other modal forms and nonlinear processes.
ZnO nanorod and rGO based nanocomposite decorated with Au nanoparticles for enhanced UV photodetection
Authors: Chetry Deepjyoti , Basumatary Pritymala , Das Karen , Kakoty Priyanka
Published: October 2023

A comprehensive analysis of a hydrothermally prepared Au nanoparticle decorated nanocomposite of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and a ZnO nanorod (NR) for possible use as a UV photodetector is presented. The effect of rGO loading in ZnO and incorporation of Au decoration in the best combination of rGO/ZnO for possible enhancement of a photocatalytic effect are experimented. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy diffraction, and UV-Vis spectroscopy are done for morphological, structural, and optical attribute analysis of the prepared materials. An increase in photocurrent is seen from 2.19 nA to 6.14 mA in dark and UV environments (370 nm) at 5 V bias voltage for the Au decorated nanocomposite, which is found to be better among the experimented composites. The responsivity and detectivity of the Au decorated nanocomposite are analyzed with the increase in incident UV light intensities. The findings are analyzed, and an explanation of the detailed UV photodetection mechanism is outlined in this paper.
Accelerated fixed-point iterative reconstruction for fiber borescope imaging
Authors: Saiham Dewan , Zhu Zheyuan , Klein Andrew B. , Pang Shuo S.
Published: October 2023

Computational imaging systems with embedded processing have potential advantages in power consumption, computing speed, and cost. However, common processors in embedded vision systems have limited computing capacity and low level of parallelism. The widely used iterative algorithms for image reconstruction rely on floating-point processors to ensure calculation precision, which require more computing resources than fixed-point processors. Here we present a regularized Landweber fixed-point iterative solver for image reconstruction, implemented on a field programmable gated array (FPGA). Compared with floating-point embedded uniprocessors, iterative solvers implemented on the fixed-point FPGA gain 1 to 2 orders of magnitude acceleration, while achieving the same reconstruction accuracy in comparable number of effective iterations. Specifically, we have demonstrated the proposed fixed-point iterative solver in fiber borescope image reconstruction, successfully correcting the artifacts introduced by the lenses and fiber bundle.
Mechanism and performance evaluation of transient and selective laser processing of glass based on optical monitoring
Authors: Zhang Yanming , Ito Yusuke , Yoshizaki Reina , Shibata Akihiro , Nagasawa Ikuo , Nagato Keisuke , Sugita Naohiko
Published: October 2023

Femtosecond laser processing has been widely applied in glass processing owing to its ability to fabricate microscale components. To improve processing efficiency, a transient and selective laser (TSL) processing technique was previously developed, in which electron excitation was induced inside a transparent medium by a single pulse of femtosecond (fs) laser, and a single pulse of microsecond (µs) laser can be selectively absorbed in this excited region to heat and remove the material. However, because of its high speed removal process, the unclear mechanism and inefficient evaluation of its processing performance limit its further application. This study analyzes the transient spatiotemporal evolution of the induced plasma and the related material removal mechanism of the TSL processing using a side high-speed monitoring method. To achieve a rapid performance evaluation, a quantitative analysis of the optical plasma signals (on a microsecond timescale) generated in TSL processing was performed by employing a developed coaxial high-speed monitoring method using a photodetector. The variations in the shapes, intensity distribution, and dimensions of the plasma were quantitatively investigated. In addition, the relation between the plasma signal and drilling performance under different laser parameters, including hole depth, hole types, and cracks, was explored and quantitatively analyzed. The revealed mechanism is expected to contribute to the broadening of the application of TSL processing in microfabrication. Furthermore, the developed high-speed and precision monitoring technology can be utilized for high-speed evaluation and precision control of machining quality in real time during ultrahigh-speed laser machining, without time-consuming camera observations.
Quantitative evaluation on thermal seeing induced 2m ring solar telescope
Authors: Zhang Yuchen , Xu Fangyu , Zhuang Yongchen , Wan Fan , Cai Zheng , Lu Wenlong , Lao Junsen , Guo Liquan , Bian Qi , Huang Lei
Published: October 2023

Thermal seeing is one of the factors that affect solar telescope observations. A comprehensive analysis method is developed to quantify the thermal seeing effects. A three-dimensional Large Eddy Simulation (LES) turbulence model is used to obtain the transient flow fields around the primary mirror, the secondary mirror and the heat-stop. The thermal seeing is calculated based on the stochastic dynamic influence of turbulence on the light rays. The key parameters of the simulation were calibrated by experiments, and the simulation results were validated by empirical formulas. This method has been applied to evaluate the thermal seeing of the 2m Ring Solar Telescope (2m-RST). Error allocation is performed based on the research results to ensure the Observation effect of 2m-RST.
GSNet: a multi-class 3D attention-based hybrid glioma segmentation network
Authors: Jawad Md Tasnim , Yeafi Ashfak , Halder Kalyan Kumar
Published: October 2023

In modern neuro-oncology, computer-aided biomedical image retrieval (CBIR) tools have recently gained significant popularity due to their quick and easy usage and high-performance capability. However, designing such an automated tool remains challenging because of the lack of balanced resources and inconsistent spatial texture. Like in many other fields of diagnosis, brain tumor (glioma) extraction has posed a challenge to the research community. In this article, we proposed a fully developed robust segmentation network called GSNet for the purpose of glioma segmentation. Unlike conventional 2-dimensional structures, GSNet directly deals with 3-dimensional (3D) data while utilizing attention-based skip links. The network is trained and validated using the BraTS 2020 dataset and further trained with BraTS 2019 and BraTS 2018 datasets for comparison. While utilizing the BraTS 2020 dataset, our 3D network achieved an overall dice similarity coefficient of 0.9239, 0.9103, and 0.8139, respectively for whole tumor, tumor core, and enhancing tumor classes. Our model produces significantly high scores across all occasions and is capable of dealing with newer data, despite training with imbalanced datasets. In comparison to other articles, our model outperforms some of the state-of-the-art scores designating it to be suitable as a reliable CBIR tool for necessary medical usage.
Cascaded stimulated Brillouin laser and Brillouin-Kerr optical frequency comb in high-Q MgF2 disk resonators
Authors: Xu Linfeng , Xie Chengfeng , Wang Mengyu , Guo Zhuang , Wei Bin , Zhang Hailin , Zhang Lei , He Xingdao
Published: October 2023

Backward stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in optical microcavities has been widely used in nonlinear optics and microwave photonics. Compared with glass material microcavity, magnesium fluoride crystal microcavity has the advantages of small absorption coefficient, fewer defects and larger nonlinear coefficient, moreover, it usually has a narrow gain bandwidth of tens of megahertz. Here, we design a high precision machining system to produce ultra-smooth surface magnesium fluoride crystal disk cavities with a diameter of about 5 mm, Q value exceeding 108, FSR matching material Brillouin gain. By simply modulating the pump wavelength and coupling power, we observe SBS phenomena with a 13.47 GHz Brillouin frequency shift near 1.55µm and cascaded stimulated Brillouin lasers (SBL) of up to 12 orders. In addition, the Brillouin-Kerr optical frequency comb in this device is demonstrated, observing nearly 300 comb lines spanning across a spectral window of 250 nm. Our research provides a way to fabricate high-Q crystal microcavities and demonstrates the potential of these devices in applications such as microwave sources and nonlinear optics.
Performance analysis of versatile video coding for encoding phase-only hologram videos
Authors: Kim Yongrok , Shin Won , Lee Jaewoo , Oh Kwan-Jung , Ko Hyunsuk
Published: October 2023

In recent decades, holographic technology has made significant progress with the development of novel hologram generation methods and three-dimensional rendering devices. Nevertheless, the substantial size of holographic data presents a significant challenge to its practical applications and thus necessitates the implementation of an efficient coding solution. In this study, we evaluate the efficiency of various coding tools within the state-of-the-art video coding standard, Versatile Video Coding, for encoding video of computer-generated phase-only hologram. Specifically, we examine the coding performance of transform/in-loop filter/screen-content coding tools. Through extensive encoding experiments and various statistical analyses, we investigated the limitations of existing standard codecs that do not account for the unique signal characteristics of phase-only holograms (POHs). The effects of coding artifacts on the visual quality of numerical reconstructions rendered from compressed POHs are also analyzed in detail. These comprehensive performance evaluations will provide valuable insights for developing efficient coding strategies for POH videos.
Photoacoustic speckle pattern interferometry for detecting cracks of different sizes
Authors: Zhu Yaowen , Chen Zhenkai , Zhou Wenjing , Yu Yingjie , Tornari Vivi
Published: October 2023

A system and method for non-destructive detection of cracks of different width and depths based on digital speckle interferometry coupled with pulsed laser excitation is introduced and tested. Based on photoacoustic effect, acoustic waves are induced onto the rear of the samples by pumping a pulsed laser beam on it. The generated mechanical wave propagates from the rear surface of the sample to the front while front surface is monitored by speckle interferometry. In order to acquire information about surface deformation, the front surface is illuminated by continuous wave laser and interference are imaged onto the camera as speckle images. After processing the produced fringe patterns, it indicates the presence and location of the cracks in qualitative way. In this study, the system and method mentioned above are validated by detecting medium density fiberboard with simulated cracks. The fringe patterns from areas with or without defects are compared and discussed. Besides, the system and method to distinguish and predict cracks sizes is proposed and validated.
End-to-end neural network for pBRDF estimation of object to reconstruct polarimetric reflectance
Authors: Duan Jin , Hao Youfei , Liu Ju , Cheng Cai , Fu Qiang , Jiang Huilin
Published: October 2023

Estimating the polarization properties of objects from polarization images is still an important but extremely undefined problem. Currently, there are two types of methods to probe the polarization properties of complex materials: one is about the equipment acquisition, which makes the collection of polarization information unsatisfactory due to the cumbersome equipment and intensive sampling, and the other is to use polarized imaging model for probing. Therefore, the accuracy of the polarized imaging model will be crucial. From an imaging perspective, we propose an end-to-end learning method that can predict accurate, physically based model parameters of polarimetric BRDF from a limited number of captured photographs of the object. In this work, we first design a novel pBRDF model as a powerful prior knowledge. This hybrid pBRDF model completely defines specular reflection, body scattering and directional diffuse reflection in imaging. Then, an end-to-end inverse rendering is performed to connect the multi-view measurements of the object with the geometry and pBRDF parameter estimation, and a reflectance gradient consistency loss is introduced to iteratively estimate the per-pixel normal, roughness, and polarimetric reflectance. Real-world measurement and rendering experiments show that the results obtained by applying our method are in strong agreement with ground truth, validating that we can reproduce the polarization properties of real-world objects using the estimated polarimetric reflectance.