bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Μέτρηση της σχετικής Τεχνικής Αποδοτικότητας των Συστημάτων Ανώτατης Εκπαίδευσης των χωρών της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης: Συγκριτική Αξιολόγηση, κατά τη χρονική περίοδο 2016 – 2020
Authors: Μαργαρίτης Στυλιανός , Τσαμαδιάς Κωνσταντίνος
Published: September 2024

Η παρούσα ερευνητική εργασία εκτιμά τη σχετική τεχνική αποδοτικότητα των συστημάτων Ανώτατης Εκπαίδευσης (ΑΕ) των χωρών της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης / EE,της Ευρωζώνης / ΕΖ  και άλλων επιλεγμένων ομάδων χωρών, κάνοντας χρήση 3 εισροών και 5 εκροών, με Προσανατολισμό τις Εκροές και την υπόθεση των Μεταβλητών Αποδόσεων Κλίμακας, καθώς και των μέσων ρυθμών μεταβολής της, κατά τη χρονική περίοδο 2016-2020. Τα ευρήματα της εμπειρικής ανάλυσης αποκαλύπτουν ότι η μέση επίδοση των συστημάτων ΑΕ των χωρών της ΕΕ ως προς την ΤE-ΟΟ είναι 0,892 με εύρος μεταβολής 0,479 και μέσο ρυθμό μεταβολής0,05 με εύρος μεταβολής 51,30. Η μέση τιμή της ΤΕ-ΟΟ των συστημάτων ΑΕ των χωρών της ΕΖείναι 0,899με εύρος μεταβολής 0,479και μέσο ρυθμό μεταβολής 0,07 με εύρος μεταβολής 51,30. Δηλαδή, τα συστήματα ΑΕ των χωρών της ΕΖ είχαν υψηλότερη μέση επίδοση.
Το διακύβευμα βιωσιμότητας της Περιφέρειας Δυτικής Μακεδονίας στα πλαίσια των πρόσφατων περιφερειακών, δημογραφικών και οικονομικών, εξελίξεων στην Ελλάδα.
Authors: Αντώνογλου Δημήτριος , Ρόντος Κώστας
Published: September 2024

Η παρούσα μελέτη επικεντρώνεται στην Περιφέρεια Δυτικής Μακεδονίας, παρουσιάζοντας τα κρίσιμα δημογραφικά, κοινωνικά και οικονομικά χαρακτηριστικά της, τη θέση της σε σύγκριση με τις υπόλοιπες ελληνικές καθώς και την ερμηνεία της διαχρονικά φθίνουσας πορείας της, αναλογιζόμενων των διακυμάνσεων των μακροοικονομικών μεγεθών. Ακόμη, αναλύονται οι παράγοντες που επηρεάζουν την αναπτυξιακή στόχευση της Περιφέρειας, ενώ εκτιμάται η συνολική προστιθέμενη αξία των κλάδων παραγωγής στην περιφερειακή οικονομία, τέλος αναφέρονται αναπτυξιακά θέματα που χρήζουν ιδιαίτερης προσοχής και συμβάλλουν στην αναπτυξιακή προοπτική της Περιφέρειας Δυτικής Μακεδονίας. Αν και το μέλλον της Περιφέρειας Δυτικής Μακεδονίας προδιαγράφεται ζοφερό, παρόλα αυτά επιβάλλεται να γίνουν σημαντικές συλλογικές προσπάθειες, ούτως ώστε αυτή η δύσκολη κατάσταση που αντιμετωπίζει η Περιφέρεια, να μετατραπεί σε μια ευκαιρία για την έναρξη νέων κοινωνικών και οικονομικών δραστηριοτήτων, με κύριο γνώμονα την διατήρηση της πληθυσμιακής δυναμικότητας. Ο επανακαθορισμός ενός ανασχεδιασμένου παραγωγικού μοντέλου συνιστά μια συνάρτηση παραγωγής, η οποία απαιτεί όραμα, υπευθυνότητα και συνεργασία μεταξύ όλων των μεταβλητών που εμπλέκονται σε αυτή.
Η εκπαίδευση και εργασία των γυναικών σε τομείς STEM, παράγων μεγέθυνσης της οικονομίας
Authors: Καλαντζής Γεώργιος , Πανταζής Γεώργιος , Τσιχουρίδης Χαρίλαος , Βαβουγυιός Διονύσιος
Published: September 2024

Περίληψη
Στην εργασία μας αυτή γίνεται επισκόπηση της διεθνούς βιβλιογραφία που αναφέρεται στην Εκπαίδευση STEM. Στο πλαίσιο της αναδεικνύεται η συνεισφορά των αντικειμένων STEM στην εκπαίδευση αλλά και την οικονομία. Καταγράφονται τα πλεονεκτήματα συμμετοχής και απασχόλησης  των γυναικών στα αντικείμενα αυτά στο εκπαιδευτικό ειδικότερα και το εργασιακό γενικότερα. Γίνεται επισκόπηση ερευνητικών εργασιών οι οποίες εξετάζουν το ερώτημα κατά πόσο η απασχόληση των γυναικών σε τομείς STEM συμβάλλει δυνητικά στη μεγέθυνση ή/και ανάπτυξη των οικονομιών τόσο των υπό ανάπτυξη όσο και των αναπτυγμένων χωρών. Ιδιαίτερα επί των ημερών όπου η εποχή της κοινωνίας και της οικονομίας της γνώσης εγκολπώνει το εργαλείο της τεχνικής νοημοσύνης το «τρίγωνο της γνώσης» με «κορυφές» αντίστοιχα την Εκπαίδευση, την Έρευνα και την Καινοτομία τεκμηριώνει  βιβλιογραφικά και προσδιορίζει τους βασικούς παράγοντες ανταγωνιστικότητας οι οποίοι είναι πολύ πιθανόν να αποτελέσουν τα προωθητικά της μεγέθυνσης ή/και ανάπτυξης της οικονομίας. Στο πλαίσιο αυτό καθίσταται αναγκαία η εκπαίδευση και απασχόληση  των γυναικών με θέματα που άπτονται των αντικειμένων του STEM.
Abstract
In this paper the international literature on STEM Education is reviewed. Within this context, the contribution of STEM subjects to education and the economy is highlighted. The advantages of women's participation and employment in these subjects in education in particular and work in general are recorded. Research papers that address the question of whether women's employment in STEM fields potentially contribute to the growth and/or development of the economies of both developing and developed countries are also reviewed. Particularly today, with society and knowledge economy embracing technical intelligence, the so-called “triangle of knowledge” with its angle ends being respectively Education, Research and Innovation is documented bibliographically and identifies the main factors of competitiveness which are very likely to promote growth and/or development of economy. To this end, it becomes necessary to train and employ women with issues related to STEM subjects.
Το South Aegean Future Lab, ο ψηφιακός μετασχηματισμός και οι προκλήσεις ως προϋπόθεση επιτυχούς εφαρμογής
Authors: Σοφός Αλιβίζος , Κώστας Απόστολος , Σαλτίδου Ευθυμία , Ρουσάκη Φεβρωνία , Τζόρτζογλου Φίλιππος , Βιτσιλάκη Χρυσή
Published: September 2024

Περίληψη
Το άρθρο παρουσιάζει το πλαίσιο δημιουργίας του South Aegean Future Lab, σκιαγραφεί τη φιλοσοφία και τον τρόπο οργάνωσης που το διέπει και εστιάζει σε βασικά ζητήματα που κρίνονται καίρια για τη λειτουργία του. Αρχικά, παρουσιάζονται θεωρητικά σχήματα και μοντέλα που εξηγούν τον τρόπο διασύνδεσης των πανεπιστημίων με την εκπαίδευση, τις επιχειρήσεις και τα πολιτιστικά ιδρύματα και, πιο συγκεκριμένα, τη συμβολή τους στο ψηφιακό μετασχηματισμό σε τοπικό επίπεδο. Εν συνεχεία, παρουσιάζεται το όραμα και ο τρόπος λειτουργίας του South Aegean Future Lab ως ψηφιακό κέντρο γνώσης και καινοτομίας με στόχο να υποστηρίξει τις τοπικές/περιφερειακές επιχειρήσεις, τους πολιτιστικούς φορείς και την εκπαιδευτική κοινότητα στον ψηφιακό τους μετασχηματισμό. Τέλος, το άρθρο ολοκληρώνεται με την κωδικοποίηση σημαντικών συνθηκών και συνεπαγόμενων πρακτικών που έχουν εντοπιστεί από την συγκριτική ανάλυση δομών, συνθηκών και πρακτικών άλλων αντίστοιχων Lab από τον διεθνή χώρο. Η ανάλυση αυτή έχει ιδιαίτερη σημασία, καθώς η δημιουργία σύγχρονων δομών, δεν αποτελεί επαρκή συνθήκη επιτυχίας, αν δεν ληφθούν υπόψη σημαντικές πρακτικές και δεν ενσωματωθούν λειτουργικά στα CFL.
Λέξεις κλειδιά: Εκπαίδευση, Επιχειρήσεις, Εργαστήρια του Μέλλοντος, Πανεπιστήμια, Πολιτισμός, Ψηφιακός Μετασχηματισμός.
Abstract
The article presents the framework for the creation of the South Aegean Future Lab, outlines the philosophy and the organization that governs it and focuses on key issues that are considered crucial for its operation. First, theoretical schemes and models are presented that explain how universities are interconnected with education, business and cultural institutions and, more specifically, their contribution to digital transformation at the local level. Subsequently, the vision and mode of operation of the South Aegean Future Lab as a digital knowledge and innovation center with the aim of supporting local/regional businesses, cultural institutions and the educational community in their digital transformation is presented. Finally, the article concludes with the codification of important conditions and consequent practices that have been identified by the comparative analysis of structures, conditions and practices of other corresponding Labs from the international field. This analysis is of particular importance, since the creation of modern structures is not a sufficient condition for success, if important practices are not considered and functionally integrated into the CFLs.
Code and Data Repository for Decomposition and Adaptive Sampling for Data-Driven Inverse Linear Optimization
Authors: Gupta Rishabh , Zhang Qi
Published: September 2024

This repository contains a snapshot of the Julia code used to generate computational results presented in the paper "Decomposition and Adaptive Sampling for Data-Driven Inverse Linear Optimization". A preprint of this paper is available on arXiv and our research group's website.
Code and Data Repository for Solving Natural Conic Formulations with Hypatia.jl
Authors: Coey Chris , Kapelevich Lea , Vielma Juan Pablo
Published: September 2024

Hypatia is a highly-customizable open source interior point solver for generic conic optimization problems, written in Julia.
Parallel Experimentation and Competitive Interference on Online Advertising Platforms
Authors: Waisman Caio , Sahni Navdeep S. , Nair Harikesh S. , Lin Xiliang
Published: September 2024

This paper shows the existence of bias in the estimation of ad effectiveness created by concurrent online experimentation by competing advertisers and proposes a framework to account and correct for it.
LIBOR Discontinuation and the Cost of Bank Loans
Authors: Kim Jeong-Bon , Wang Chong , Wu Feng (Harry)
Published: September 2024

With the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) being replaced by risk-free rate (RFR)-based alternative reference rates, the fundamental differences between the two benchmarking frameworks impose significant risks on banks. Exploiting the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)’s announcement of the phase-out of LIBOR, we conduct a difference-in-differences analysis based on banks’ reliance on LIBOR and show that LIBOR discontinuation entails higher interest rate spread of bank loans. The result implies that banks tend to compensate for the LIBOR-to-RFR risks by passing on the transition costs to borrowers. This effect is attenuated if multiple benchmarks are already in use, for relationship lending, and among banks operating in a competitive environment. We further find that LIBOR discontinuation leads to more collateral and covenant requirements in loan terms. After the FCA announcement, banks are inclined to switch away from LIBOR dependence by referencing alternative rates.

This paper was accepted by Victoria Ivashina, finance.

Funding: J.-B. Kim acknowledges support from City University of Hong Kong; C. Wang acknowledges support from Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [No. 71932003]; F. (H.) Wu acknowledges support from the General Research Fund [No. 13500820] from the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong.

Supplemental Material: The data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.03133 .
Seductive Language for Narcissists in Job Postings
Authors: Gay Jonathan , Jackson Scott B. , Seybert Nicholas
Published: September 2024

Prior research indicates that narcissistic executives engage in earnings management and other negative organizational behaviors, and many studies ponder why firms hire such individuals, especially into corporate accounting positions. Utilizing a selection of terms from real-world job postings that we characterize as describing either a “Rule-Bender” or “Rule-Follower” candidate, we first conduct several validation studies which reveal that these terms vary predictably across types of job postings, that people generally agree with our categorization of these terms, and that Rule-Benders are viewed as possessing worse managerial skills but a higher proclivity for unethical behavior. We then demonstrate that narcissistic job seekers are more attracted to job postings that describe the ideal candidate using Rule-Bender terms for both general positions (Experiment 1) and senior accounting positions (Experiment 2). Finally, we examine firm characteristics that might lead professional recruiters to incorporate Rule-Bender language into Chief Accounting Officer job postings and find that Rule-Bender terms are preferred for higher-growth, higher-innovation firms (Experiment 3), and when more aggressive reporting would benefit the firm (Experiment 4). Our results suggest that recruiters’ language choices can attract Rule-Bending narcissists to firms, perhaps even in unintended circumstances.

This paper was accepted by Ranjani Krishnan, accounting.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2024.05254 .
The Mental Health of the Middle School Students with Alcoholics and non Alcoholics' Family
Authors: Pai Hang Ja
Published: September 2024

Purpose: This study is to Survey the distribution of Children with Alcoholics and nonacoholics* family in the 1st grade Students of middle-School. and to identify the difference of their mental health. Methods: This Survey was conducted through questioning with self-reporting questionaire by assistance of the Jinju Health Center from Feb. 1st to 28th in 2002 and analyzed by X 2 -test, t-test, ANOVA, using the SPSS/WIN 10. The Subjects were 1835 Students, who were selected conviniently from 12 middle schools considered their sex and district of schools.Results: The percentage of the Children of Alcoholics was 10.4% (68.8% father alcoholics, 7.8% mother, 7.3% others of them) 1) There were significant differences in economic status and parent status between Alcoholics and nonalcoholics Children. 2) The Score of mental health of subjects was higher than that of other adolescents(score 1.60) 3) The Score of mental health of alcoholics students was higher than that of nonalcoholics*(t=5.65, p=.00), especially interpersonal sensitivity(F=6.32, p=.00), hostility (F=6.19, p=.00) were the highest score among the subfactor of the mental health. Conclusion: The children of the Alcoholics were psychologically vulnerable and suffering from various emotional conflicts. Therefore, it is necessary to develop the program of promotion of mental health for the 1st grade of the middle-school-students with the alcoholic parent or family.
Effects of Meditation Training Program on Self Concept, Abstinence Self-efficacy, and Abstinence in Alcoholic Patients
Authors: Park Hoo-Nam , Yu Sook-Ja
Published: September 2024

Purpose: This study was designed to examine the effects of meditation training program on self concept, abstinence self efficacy, and abstinence in alcoholic patients. Methods: There were 25 subjects in the experimental group and 25 subjects in the control group. The experimental group was treated with 12 sessions of meditation training each lasting 90 minutes twice a week for 6 weeks, the control group did not have the training. Results: The self concept significantly increased in esteem, mood stability, interpersonal ability, higher in the experimental group than in increased in the experimental group overthe experimental group over the control group. The scores for self and interpersonal trust in the self concept subscales were significantly the control group. Abstinence self efficacy score was significantly the control group. 3 months after discharge, abstinence rate was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group. Conclusion: As a result of this study, it seems likely that meditation training program has a positive effect on self concept, abstinence self efficacy, and maintenance of abstinence. Thus, this meditation training program can be an effective nursing intervention for the recovery of alcoholic patients.
Clinical Nurses' Job Stress and Coping Strategies according to Personality Type
Authors: Im Sook-Bin , Kim Kyeong Eui
Published: September 2024

Purpose: To identify the relationship among personality type, symptoms of job stress and coping strategies.Methods: The data were collected from 140 nurses working E university hospital in D city using the instrument, MBTI, Symptoms of job stress, and Coping strategies. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chronbach'a, t-test, and ANOVA. Results: The subjects prefer to use 'Introversion' and 'Sensing' to perceive and respond. The job stress symptoms were not significantly different according to 4 preference of personality type.Twenty three point six percent of subjects were suffering from job stress symptoms and 3.6% of subjects needed the stress intervention to prevent burn-out. They used more inactive withdrawal, mental disengagement, and emotional expression coping, less active behavioral coping. There were significant differences on a few coping strategies according to personality preference. Conclusion: The result of this study suggest the stress management intervention for nurses could be developed considering personality type and preference. And the intervention program focused more detailed information and behavioral relaxation technique.
Medicine management: delegation, support and supervision
Authors: Peate Ian
Published: September 2024

This article explores the ways in which healthcare assistants (HCAs) and assistant practitioners (APs) must delegate, support and supervise the process of administering medicines. The role the HCA and AP play in accepting delegated duties has been considered, and the key notion of competence has been outlined; both notions are discussed in relation to the provison of safe, effective patient-centred care. The discussion also provides readers with some tips and hints regarding situations where they may need to assertively say ‘no’.
Effects of Internet Plus-Based Continuous Nursing on Hemodialysis Adherence in Patients with Chronic Renal Failure: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Li Xuejiao , Ba Xiaohui , Li Ying , Liang Jiexian
Published: September 2024

Aims/Background Chronic renal failure (CRF) is the eventual outcome shared by various progressive renal diseases, posing a serious threat to the physical health of patients. CRF patients are required to undergo hemodialysis (HD), which imposes heavy psychological and mental burdens for most individuals. This study explores the effects of Internet Plus-based continuous nursing on the compliance of CRF patients with HD.

Methods This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 160 CRF patients undergoing HD in the Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital from March 2021 to April 2023, after excluding eight cases from an originally selected cohort of 168 cases. These patients were divided into two groups: 79 cases who received the routine nursing from March 2021 to March 2022 were categorized as the routine group, whereas 81 cases who were given Internet Plus-based continuous nursing from April 2022 to April 2023 were assigned into the observation group. The treatment adherence, self-management behaviors, quality of life and incidence of HD complications were compared in both groups.

Results Both groups demonstrated no significant difference in the baseline information (p > 0.05). The scores of adherence in terms of HD attendance, medications, fluid restrictions and diet recommendations in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the routine group (p < 0.001). No significant difference in the Hemodialysis Self-Management Instrument (HDSMI) scores on the day of discharge between the two groups was found (p > 0.05). After 6 months of follow-up, the observation group showed significantly higher scores of partnership, problem solving, self-management execution and emotional processing than the routine group (p < 0.001). Both groups had no significant difference in the scores of Kidney Disease-Targeted Areas (KDTA) and 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) on the day of discharge (p > 0.05). After 6 months of follow-up, the scores of KDTA and SF-36 in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the routine group (p < 0.001). The incidence of HD complications in the observation group (7.41%) was significantly lower than that in the routine group (21.52%) (p < 0.05).

Conclusion Internet Plus-based continuous nursing can effectively improve treatment adherence, self-management behaviors as well as quality of life in patients, and reduce the incidence of HD complications.
Divergent welfare regimes, shared challenges: exploring the subjectivities of home-based eldercare workers in Sweden and Türkiye
Authors: Yavuz Sedagül
Published: September 2024

This article investigates the subjectivities of home-based eldercare workers in the context of the organization of care and the neoliberal transformation of welfare regimes in Sweden and Türkiye. Through a thematic analysis of interviews, two main findings emerge: first, despite differing welfare regimes, the subjectivities of home-based eldercare workers in both Türkiye and Sweden converge due to neoliberal transformations driven by marketization trends in the organization of care; and, second, complex and intersecting power dynamics, including race, gender, and migration status, exacerbate the vulnerability of eldercare workers to sexual harassment stemming from dehumanization and objectification.
Performance analysis of an AUV-aided NOMA-based vertical UWOC system with a cascaded WGG turbulence model
Authors: Hao Weihan , Wang Ping , Pang Weina , Zhou Binna , Zhang Linsheng
Published: September 2024

In this work, an autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) based downlink non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) vertical underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) system has been investigated for the first time in detail, to the best of our knowledge. Specifically, assuming that the turbulence-induced fading over this vertical UWOC link is subject to Weibull generalized gamma (WGG) distribution, one N-layer composite cascaded statistical fading model is derived under the comprehensive impacts of oceanic turbulence, pointing errors, absorption, and scattering, in which each layer considers the vertically inhomogeneous nature of the underwater environment with different parameters. On the basis of this model, the analytical as well as asymptotic expression for outage probability is obtained in the form of Fox’s H function, and the coverage probability and average achievable rate are derived for this UWOC system, which are all confirmed by Monte Carlo simulations. Moreover, the effects of the number of layers, water types, detection techniques, power allocation coefficient, pointing errors, and the residual power factor of imperfect successive interference cancellation are further analyzed on this system. This work would benefit the design and development of vertical UWOC systems.
Lognormal mode dissociation method based on intrinsic characteristics of aerosol size distribution
Authors: Chen Shunping , Dai Congming , Liu Nana , Lian Wentao , Zhang Yuxuan , Wu Fan , Zhang Cong , Wei Heli
Published: September 2024

Aerosols significantly affect the transmission of optical signals in the atmosphere, necessitating accurate atmospheric models for the performance evaluation of electro-optic devices. Aerosol size distribution is a critical parameter in these models, and the lognormal function is commonly used to mathematically represent it. This study aims to handle the lack of a solid criterion for determining the number of lognormal modes and introduces an improved scheme that leverages the characteristics of the second derivative (SD) of the Gaussian curve to identify the mode amount and to initialize mode parameters for fitting. The optimization problem is solved using a genetic algorithm, incorporating a goodness-of-fit index to determine the presence of spurious modes. For aerosol size distributions characterized by a single Gaussian peak, mode parameters such as mode radius and width can be straightforwardly identified through the positions of peaks and roots on the SD curve. However, the original mode dissociation method may overlook potential modes in distributions composed of superimposed Gaussian peaks. Numerical tests indicate that such oversights can result in substantial errors in calculating the aerosol extinction coefficient, with relative errors exceeding 100%. The proposed scheme significantly enhances the accuracy of mode dissociation in aerosol size distribution, reducing errors in aerosol extinction coefficient calculations by approximately 40% when applied to data from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). An additional benefit of this method is its ability to constrain the number of lognormal modes in an aerosol size distribution. Results from applying this scheme to data from selected AERONET sites reveal that over half of the size distributions consist of more than two lognormal modes, highlighting the effectiveness of the proposed approach in capturing complex aerosol behaviors.
Terahertz spatial light modulation by phase change metasurface with pixel-wise switchable control
Authors: Zou Yongtu , Luo Rui , Chen Shanri , Zhou Shaolin , Fan Zhihua
Published: September 2024

Recently, the versatility of metasurfaces for pixel-wise wave regulation prompts emerging metadevices with spatially variant controllability, especially the spatial light modulator (SLM), with reliable prospects for applications in many scenarios. Somehow, the modulation depth and operating bandwidth remain elusive technical challenges, restricting the application scenarios and performance. In this paper, we propose a metasurface-based scheme for broadband terahertz (THz) SLM with large modulation depth as well as spatially varying programmable control. The phase change chalcogenide of Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) is integrated into meta-annulus units for electrically switchable and independent control of each pixel. For proof-of-concept experiments, a THz SLM composed of an array of 5 × 5 addressable pixels with electrically switchable transmittance is demonstrated. Finally, the feasibility of our scheme is confirmed by simulations and experiments with an average modulation depth (MD) of 87.8% in the range of 0.36 THz to 0.57 THz, potentially providing a remarkable feature for broadband applications in THz imaging, sensing and communication, etc.
JQR-Net: joint quantitative reconstruction network for dual-modal photoacoustic and optical coherence tomography imaging
Authors: Zheng Sun , Ranran Geng , Aoying Zhu
Published: September 2024

Photoacoustic (PA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging are complementary imaging modalities with distinct contrast mechanisms, penetration depths, and spatial resolutions. Integrating these two modalities into a dual-modal PA-OCT imaging system enables the simultaneous acquisition of multimodal signals within a single scan. This integration supports quantitative reconstruction of tissue characteristics, offering a more precise and comprehensive analysis than single-modal imaging. In this paper, we propose a deep learning approach for joint quantitative reconstruction in dual-modal PA-OCT imaging, potentially advancing imaging capabilities for detailed tissue examination and disease analysis. We develop a deep neural network that performs end-to-end mapping from photoacoustically induced pressure signals and backscattered OCT signals to parametric images representing the spatial distribution of optical absorption and attenuation coefficients. This network provides both morphological and functional insights. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first deep learning model designed to simultaneously reconstruct multiple tissue characteristic parameters from dual-modal imaging signals, facilitating in-depth tissue characterization.
Innozag amplifier: optimizing the Innoslab platform to improve beam quality and gain
Authors: Najafi Mohanna , Shayganmanesh Mahdi , Majidof M. Mahdi , Sepehr Arezue
Published: September 2024

This study presents an innovative zigzag-type Innoslab amplifier platform, termed ‘Innozag,’ that merges the essential attributes of both Innoslab and zigzag slab amplifiers. A thorough theoretical and experimental examination has been performed to analyze and compare the gain and amplified beam wavefront distortion of the Innoslab and Innozag amplifiers. Our investigation includes detailed optical path difference computation coupled with examination of the far-field amplified beam profile. The results confirm that the Innozag amplifier reduces the thermally induced wave distortion by up to 40%. Geometric features, particularly the overlapping zones in the zigzag path, increase the gain of the Innozag amplifier. The Innozag design achieves an amplification factor 1.4 times greater than that of the Innoslab amplifier in a five-pass structure.
Generation of strong mechanical squeezing through the joint effect of two-tone driving and parametric pumping
Authors: Wu Xiao-Jie , Cheng Huan-Huan , Wu Qiannan , Bai Cheng-Hua , Wu Shao-Xiong
Published: September 2024

We propose an innovative scheme to efficiently prepare strong mechanical squeezing by utilizing the synergistic mechanism of two-tone driving and parametric pumping in an optomechanical system. By reasonably choosing the system parameters, the proposal highlights the following prominent advantages: the squeezing effect of the cavity field induced by the optical parametric amplifier can be transferred to the mechanical oscillator, which has been squeezed by the two-tone driving, and the degree of squeezing of the mechanical oscillator will surpass that obtained by any single mechanism; the joint mechanism can enhance the degree of squeezing significantly and break the 3 dB mechanical squeezing limit, which is particularly evident in range where the red/blue-detuned ratio is sub-optimal; the mechanical squeezing achieved through this distinctive joint mechanism exhibits notable robustness against both thermal noise and decay of mechanical oscillator. Our project offers a versatile and efficient approach for generating strong mechanical squeezing across a wide range of conditions.
Fully planar solar-pumped fiber laser with 0.1% slope efficiency
Authors: Endo Masamori , Tomizawa Ryota , Nagano Tomoya , Hayashi Koji
Published: September 2024

A slope efficiency of 0.1% has been achieved for a fully planar solar-pumped fiber laser (SPFL) with a diameter of 30 cm and an output power of 34 mW. The fiber length is constrained to 400 m, but numerical simulations indicate that the maximum laser output power can be elevated to 113 mW by simply extending the length of the fiber and housing it in the same body. The tolerance to the solar tracking error was quantified, and the results demonstrated that more than 80% of the maximum output power can be sustained up to a ±23° tracking error. This study demonstrates the capability of the fully planar SPFL to operate without solar tracking.
Observation of multiple topological bound states in the continuum in the photonic bilayer trimer lattice
Authors: Liu Weijie , Yan Wenchao , Cheng Weizhao , Zhang Bin , Wu Bo , Zhu Han , Chu Lingrui , Jia Yuechen , Chen Feng
Published: September 2024

A topological bound state in the continuum (TBIC) is a novel
topological phase that has attracted significant attention. Different
from conventional topological insulators (TIs), where boundary states
reside within gaps, TBICs can support unconventional boundary states
that remain isolated from the surrounding bulk states. In this work,
we experimentally demonstrate multiple TBICs in photonic bilayer
trimer lattices using femtosecond laser writing technology. By
modulating the interlayer coupling between two trimer chains, we
observe the emergence of two distinct types of TBICs. Moreover, we
experimentally achieve the coexistence of in-gap topological states
and TBICs and demonstrate the transformation between them. Our work
unveils new insights into the flexible construction of TBICs, and this
method can be easily applied to other one-dimensional topological
structures, offering promising avenues for further research.
High sensitivity measurement of ULF, VLF, and LF fields with a Rydberg-atom sensor
Authors: Lei Mingwei , Shi Meng
Published: September 2024

Fields with frequencies below megahertz are challenging for Rydberg-atom-based measurements, due to the low-frequency electric field screening effect caused by the alkali-metal atoms adsorbed on the inner surface of the container. In this paper, we investigate electric field measurements in the ultralow frequency (ULF), very low frequency (VLF), and low frequency (LF) bands in a Cs vapor cell with built-in parallel electrodes. With optimization of the applied DC field, we achieve high-sensitive detection of the electric field at frequencies of 1 kHz, 10 kHz, and 100 kHz based on the Rydberg-atom sensor, with the minimum electric field strength down to 18.0 μV/cm, 6.9 μV/cm, and 3.0 μV/cm, respectively. The corresponding sensitivity is 5.7 μV/cm/Hz1/2, 2.2 μV/cm/Hz1/2, and 0.95 μV/cm/Hz1/2 for the ULF, VLF, and LF fields, which is better than a 1-cm dipole antenna. Besides, the linear dynamic range of the Rydberg-atom sensor is over 50 dB. This work presents the potential to enable more applications that utilize atomic sensing technology in the ULF, VLF, and LF fields.
Alveolin proteins in the Toxoplasma inner membrane complex form a highly interconnected structure that maintains parasite shape and replication
Authors: Back Peter S. , Senthilkumar Vignesh , Choi Charles P. , Quan Justin J. , Lou Qing , Snyder Anne K. , Ly Andrew M. , Lau Justin G. , Zhou Z. Hong , Ward Gary E. , Bradley Peter J.
Published: September 2024

Apicomplexan parasites possess several specialized structures to invade their host cells and replicate successfully. One of these is the inner membrane complex (IMC), a peripheral membrane-cytoskeletal system underneath the plasma membrane. It is composed of a series of flattened, membrane-bound vesicles and a cytoskeletal subpellicular network (SPN) comprised of intermediate filament-like proteins called alveolins. While the alveolin proteins are conserved throughout the Apicomplexa and the broader Alveolata, their precise functions and interactions remain poorly understood. Here, we describe the function of one of these alveolin proteins in Toxoplasma, IMC6. Disruption of IMC6 resulted in striking morphological defects that led to aberrant invasion and replication but surprisingly minor effects on motility. Deletion analyses revealed that the alveolin domain alone is largely sufficient to restore localization and partially sufficient for function. As this highlights the importance of the IMC6 alveolin domain, we implemented unnatural amino acid photoreactive crosslinking to the alveolin domain and identified multiple binding interfaces between IMC6 and 2 other cytoskeletal IMC proteins—IMC3 and ILP1. This provides direct evidence of protein–protein interactions in the alveolin domain and supports the long-held hypothesis that the alveolin domain is responsible for filament formation. Collectively, our study features the conserved alveolin proteins as critical components that maintain the parasite’s structural integrity and highlights the alveolin domain as a key mediator of SPN architecture.
An exploration into CTEPH medications: Combining natural language processing, embedding learning, in vitro models, and real-world evidence for drug repurposing
Authors: Steiert Daniel , Wittig Corey , Banerjee Priyanka , Preissner Robert , Szulcek Robert
Published: September 2024

Background

In the modern era, the growth of scientific literature presents a daunting challenge for researchers to keep informed of advancements across multiple disciplines.

Objective

We apply natural language processing (NLP) and embedding learning concepts to design PubDigest, a tool that combs PubMed literature, aiming to pinpoint potential drugs that could be repurposed.

Methods

Using NLP, especially term associations through word embeddings, we explored unrecognized relationships between drugs and diseases. To illustrate the utility of PubDigest, we focused on chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), a rare disease with an overall limited number of scientific publications.

Results

Our literature analysis identified key clinical features linked to CTEPH by applying term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) scoring, a technique measuring a term’s significance in a text corpus. This allowed us to map related diseases. One standout was venous thrombosis (VT), which showed strong semantic links with CTEPH. Looking deeper, we discovered potential repurposing candidates for CTEPH through large-scale neural network-based contextualization of literature and predictive modeling on both the CTEPH and the VT literature corpora to find novel, yet unrecognized associations between the two diseases. Alongside the anti-thrombotic agent caplacizumab, benzofuran derivatives were an intriguing find. In particular, the benzofuran derivative amiodarone displayed potential anti-thrombotic properties in the literature. Our in vitro tests confirmed amiodarone’s ability to reduce platelet aggregation significantly by 68% (p = 0.02). However, real-world clinical data indicated that CTEPH patients receiving amiodarone treatment faced a significant 15.9% higher mortality risk (p<0.001).

Conclusions

While NLP offers an innovative approach to interpreting scientific literature, especially for drug repurposing, it is crucial to combine it with complementary methods like in vitro testing and real-world evidence. Our exploration with benzofuran derivatives and CTEPH underscores this point. Thus, blending NLP with hands-on experiments and real-world clinical data can pave the way for faster and safer drug repurposing approaches, especially for rare diseases like CTEPH.
Shedding light on blue-green photosynthesis: A wavelength-dependent mathematical model of photosynthesis in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
Authors: Pfennig Tobias , Kullmann Elena , Zavřel Tomáš , Nakielski Andreas , Ebenhöh Oliver , Červený Jan , Bernát Gábor , Matuszyńska Anna Barbara
Published: September 2024

Cyanobacteria hold great potential to revolutionize conventional industries and farming practices with their light-driven chemical production. To fully exploit their photosynthetic capacity and enhance product yield, it is crucial to investigate their intricate interplay with the environment including the light intensity and spectrum. Mathematical models provide valuable insights for optimizing strategies in this pursuit. In this study, we present an ordinary differential equation-based model for the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to assess its performance under various light sources, including monochromatic light. Our model can reproduce a variety of physiologically measured quantities, e.g. experimentally reported partitioning of electrons through four main pathways, O2 evolution, and the rate of carbon fixation for ambient and saturated CO2. By capturing the interactions between different components of a photosynthetic system, our model helps in understanding the underlying mechanisms driving system behavior. Our model qualitatively reproduces fluorescence emitted under various light regimes, replicating Pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM) fluorometry experiments with saturating pulses. Using our model, we test four hypothesized mechanisms of cyanobacterial state transitions for ensemble of parameter sets and found no physiological benefit of a model assuming phycobilisome detachment. Moreover, we evaluate metabolic control for biotechnological production under diverse light colors and irradiances. We suggest gene targets for overexpression under different illuminations to increase the yield. By offering a comprehensive computational model of cyanobacterial photosynthesis, our work enhances the basic understanding of light-dependent cyanobacterial behavior and sets the first wavelength-dependent framework to systematically test their producing capacity for biocatalysis.
Joint regression modeling of blood pressure and associated factors among adults in Uganda: Implications for clinical practice
Authors: Appeli Saidi , Omala Saint Kizito , Izudi Jonathan
Published: September 2024

Blood pressure (BP) is a repeated measurement data as multiple measurements of both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) are simultaneously obtained on a patient to determine a raised blood pressure (hypertension). In examining factors associated with hypertension, BP is measured either as a binary outcome leading to information loss and reduced statistical efficiency or as a continuous outcome based on the average of one of the measurements or a combination of the two but independently thus ignoring possible correlation. We simultaneously modeled the risk factors for increased SBP and DBP among adults in Uganda and tested the difference in the effect of certain determinants on SBP versus DBP. We analyzed the 2014 nationwide non-communicable disease risk factor baseline survey data of Ugandans aged 18–69 years. We considered SBP and DBP as two continuous outcomes and conducted multivariate linear regression to jointly model SBP and DBP accounting for their distribution as bivariate normal. Of 3,646 participants, 950 (26.1%) had hypertension based on SBP (BP ≥ 140 mmHg) and DBP (BP ≥ 90 mmHg), 631 (17.3%) based on SBP alone, and 780 (21.4%) based on DBP alone. The study found that an increase in age (ranging from 18–69 years), obesity, income, being centrally obese, and hypercholesterolemia were significantly associated with higher SBP levels. Living in eastern, northern, and western Uganda regions was significantly associated with lower SBP, whereas increasing age, obesity, and hypercholesterolemia were significantly associated with higher DBP. Adults who rarely added salt to their meals were on average associated with higher DBP levels than those who never added salt to their meals. We found a strong residual correlation between SBP and DBP (r = 0.7307) even after accounting for covariates at the marginal level. This study presents a statistical technique for joint modeling of blood pressure, enabling the estimation of correlation between two outcomes and controlling family-wise error rate by testing the effect of a risk factor across both outcomes simultaneously.
Effects of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and seasonal weather conditions on Aedes aegypti infestation in the State of São Paulo (Brazil): A Bayesian spatio-temporal study
Authors: Pirani Monica , Lorenz Camila , de Azevedo Thiago Salomão , Barbosa Gerson Laurindo , Blangiardo Marta , Chiaravalloti-Neto Francisco
Published: September 2024

Background

Seasonal fluctuations in weather are recognized as factors that affect both Aedes (Ae.) aegypti mosquitoes and the diseases they carry, such as dengue fever. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is widely regarded as one of the most impactful atmospheric phenomena on Earth, characterized by the interplay of shifting ocean temperatures, trade wind intensity, and atmospheric pressure, resulting in extensive alterations in climate conditions. In this study, we investigate the influence of ENSO and local weather conditions on the spatio-temporal variability of Ae. aegypti infestation index.

Methods

We collected seasonal entomological survey data of immature forms of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes (Breteau index), as well as data on temperature, rainfall and the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) for the period 2008–2018 over the 645 municipalities of the subtropical State of São Paulo (Brazil). We grounded our analytical approach on a Bayesian framework and we used a hierarchical spatio-temporal model to study the relationship between ENSO tracked by ONI, seasonal weather fluctuations and the larval index, while adjusting for population density and wealth inequalities.

Results

Our results showed a relevant positive effect for El Niño on the Ae. aegypti larval index. In particular, we found that the number of positive containers would be expected to increase by 1.30-unit (95% Credible Intervals (CI): 1.23 to 1.37) with El Niño events (i.e., ≥ 1°C, moderate to strong) respect to neutral (and weak) events. We also found that seasonal rainfall exceeding 153.12 mm appears to have a notable impact on vector index, leading potentially to the accumulation of ample water in outdoor discarded receptacles, supporting the aquatic phase of mosquito development. Additionally, seasonal temperature above 23.30°C was found positively associated to the larval index. Although the State of São Paulo as a whole has characteristics favourable to proliferation of the vector, there were specific areas with a greater tendency for mosquito infestation, since the most vulnerable areas are predominantly situated in the central and northern regions of the state, with hot spots of abundance in the south, especially during El Niño events. Our findings also indicate that social disparities present in the municipalities contributes to Ae. aegypti proliferation.

Conclusions

Considering the anticipated rise in both the frequency and intensity of El Niño events in the forthcoming decades as a consequence of climate change, the urgency to enhance our ability to track and diminish arbovirus outbreaks is crucial.
Superspreading of SARS-CoV-2 at a choir rehearsal in Finland—A computational fluid dynamics view on aerosol transmission and patient interviews
Authors: Tuhkuri Matvejeff Anna , Laitinen Alpo , Korhonen Marko , Oksanen Lotta-Maria , Geneid Ahmed , Sanmark Enni , Vuorinen Ville
Published: September 2024

Introduction

COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the role of aerosol transmission and the importance of superspreading events. We analyzed a choir rehearsal in November 2020, where all participants, except one who had recently earlier recovered from COVID-19, were infected. We explore the risk factors for severe disease in this event and model the aerosol dispersion in the rehearsal room.

Materials and methods

Characteristics of participants were collected by interviews and supplemented with patient records. A computational simulation of aerosol distribution in the rehearsal room and the efficacy of potential safety measures was conducted using the Large-Eddy Simulation approach. Infection risk was studied by analyzing quanta emission and exposure with the Wells-Riley equation.

Results

The simulation showed that airborne transmission likely explains this mass contagion event. Every singer was exposed to the virus in only 5 min from the beginning of the rehearsal, and maximum concentration levels were reached at 20 min the concentration levels started to approach a steady state after 20 min. Although concentration differences existed in the room, risk levels near (1 m) and far (5 m) from the aerosol source were similar for certain singers. Modeling indicated infection risk levels of 70–100% after one hour; the risk would have been considerably reduced by wearing high-filtration respirators. Age and pre-existing comorbidities predicted more severe disease. The high incidence of illness may be partly attributed to the relatively high median age of individuals. Additionally, those admitted to the hospital had multiple underlying health conditions that predispose them to more severe disease.

Conclusions

Airborne transmission and indoor space can explain this mass exposure event. High-filtration respirators could have prevented some infections. The importance of safety distances diminishes the longer the indoor event. The concept of safety distance is challenging, as our study suggests that long range airborne transmission may occur in indoor events with extended duration. We encourage informing the public, especially persons at risk, of safety measures during epidemics.
The impact of data imputation on air quality prediction problem
Authors: Hua Van , Nguyen Thu , Dao Minh-Son , Nguyen Hien D. , Nguyen Binh T.
Published: September 2024

With rising environmental concerns, accurate air quality predictions have become paramount as they help in planning preventive measures and policies for potential health hazards and environmental problems caused by poor air quality. Most of the time, air quality data are time series data. However, due to various reasons, we often encounter missing values in datasets collected during data preparation and aggregation steps. The inability to analyze and handle missing data will significantly hinder the data analysis process. To address this issue, this paper offers an extensive review of air quality prediction and missing data imputation techniques for time series, particularly in relation to environmental challenges. In addition, we empirically assess eight imputation methods, including mean, median, kNNI, MICE, SAITS, BRITS, MRNN, and Transformer, to scrutinize their impact on air quality data. The evaluation is conducted using diverse air quality datasets gathered from numerous cities globally. Based on these evaluations, we offer practical recommendations for practitioners dealing with missing data in time series scenarios for environmental data.