bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mortality in a cohort of Egyptian systemic lupus erythematosus patients: retrospective two-center study
Authors: Moghazy Abdelkawy , Ibrahim Amira M.
Published: February 2021

Background

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a debilitating autoimmune disease with major contribution to the worldwide morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the causes of mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and the relation between clinical activity, disease-associated end-organ damage, laboratory markers and mortality.

Results

Among the 771 patients who were successfully followed up, 34 patients (4.4%) died. The leading causes of death were infectious causes (35.29%), cardiopulmonary causes (26.48%), renal causes (14.7%), unknown causes (14.7%), neuropsychiatric causes (5.88%), and lastly gastrointestinal causes (2.94%). Subjects who died had lower complement 3 level, more anemia, lymphopenia, neutropenia, leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, decreased glomerular filtration rate, higher incidence of infection, end-stage renal disease, and cardiopulmonary complications. Higher glucocorticoid dosage with more immunosuppressant (mofetil and cyclophosphamide) treatment was observed in patients who died. SLE disease Activity Index and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics damage index were both significantly higher in deceased persons. Multivariable hazards regression analysis revealed that lymphopenia (p= 0.017), decreased glomerular filtration rate < 50% (p= 0.002) with end-stage renal disease (p= 0.001), and high steroid daily use of > 40 mg (p= 0.016) were independent risk factors for the mortality of SLE patients.

Conclusion

Infections and cardiopulmonary complications are the leading causes of death in two centers caring for Egyptian SLE patients. Lymphopenia, end-stage renal failure, and high steroid daily use were associated with poor outcomes.
Understanding Treatment Strategies and Preferences in Nonmetastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer From the Japanese Physician Perspective
Authors: Suzuki Kazuhiro , Grillo Vince , Chen Yirong , Singh Shikha , Ledesma Dianne Athene
Published: February 2021

PURPOSE

Sixteen percent (16%) of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) show no bone metastasis at diagnosis. However, 33% will become metastatic within 2 years. The goal of treatment in patients with nonmetastatic CRPC (nmCRPC), therefore, is to delay symptomatic metastases without undue toxicity. With novel antiandrogen treatments of different strengths and limitations available, physician preferences for nmCRPC treatment in Japan should be understood.

METHODS

A discrete choice experiment was conducted. Physicians chose between two hypothetical treatments in nmCRPC defined by six attributes: risk of fatigue, falls or fracture, cognitive impairment, hypertension, rashes as side effects of treatment, and extension of time until cancer-related pain occurs. Relative preference weights and relative importance were estimated by hierarchical Bayesian logistic regression. Physicians were also asked to make treatment decisions based on four hypothetical patient profiles to understand the most important factors driving decision making.

RESULTS

A total of 151 physicians completed the survey. Extension of time until cancer-related pain occurs was the most important attribute (relative importance, 32.3%; CI, 31.3% to 33.3%). Based on summed preference weights across all attributes, preferences for hypothetical treatment profiles I, II, and III were compared. A hypothetical treatment profile with better safety though shorter extension time was preferred (I: mean [standard deviation] = 1.7 [1.6 to 2.1]) over treatment profiles with lower safety but longer extension time (II: −2.7 [−2.8 to −2.6] and III: −0.2 [−0.3 to −0.1]). Treatment characteristics were more important factors for physicians' decision making than patient characteristics in prescribing treatment.

CONCLUSION

Physicians preferred a treatment with better safety profile, and treatment characteristics were the most important factors for decision making. This might have implications in physicians' decision making for nmCRPC treatment in the future in Japan.
Masticatory system integration in a commensal canid: interrelationships between bones, muscles and bite force in the red fox
Authors: Brassard Colline , Merlin Marilaine , Monchâtre-Leroy Elodie , Guintard Claude , Barrat Jacques , Garès Hélène , Larralle Arnaud , Triquet Raymond , Houssin Céline , Callou Cécile , Cornette Raphaël , Herrel Anthony
Published: February 2021

The jaw system in canids is essential for defence and prey acquisition. However, how it varies in wild species in comparison with domestic species remains poorly understood, yet is of interest in terms of understanding the impact of artificial selection. Here, we explored the variability and interrelationships between the upper and lower jaws, muscle architecture and bite force in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes). We performed dissections and used 3D geometric morphometric approaches to quantify jaw shape in 68 foxes. We used a static lever model and bite force estimates were compared with in vivo measurements of 10 silver foxes. Our results show strong relationships exist between cranial and mandible shape, and between cranial or mandible shape on the one hand and muscles or estimated bite force on the other hand, confirming the strong integration of the bony and muscular components of the jaw system. These strong relationships are strongly driven by size. The functional links between shape and estimated bite force are stronger for the mandible, which probably reflects its greater specialisation towards biting. We then compared our results with data previously obtained for dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) to investigate the effect of domestication. Foxes and dogs differ in skull shape and muscle physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA). They show a similar amount of morphological variation in muscle PCSA, but foxes show lower variation in cranial and mandible shape. Interestingly, the patterns of covariation are not stronger in foxes than in dogs, suggesting that domestication did not lead to a disruption of the functional links of the jaw system.
Structure of 3′-PO4/5′-OH RNA ligase RtcB in complex with a 5′-OH oligonucleotide
Authors: Banerjee Ankan , Goldgur Yehuda , Shuman Stewart
Published: February 2021

RtcB enzymes comprise a widely distributed family of manganese- and GTP-dependent RNA repair enzymes that join 2′,3′-cyclic phosphate ends to 5′-OH ends via RtcB-(histidinyl-N)–GMP, RNA 3′-phosphate, and RNA3′pp5′G intermediates. RtcB can ligate either 5′-OH RNA or 5′-OH DNA strands in vitro. The nucleic acid contacts of RtcB are uncharted. Here we report a 2.7 Å crystal structure of Pyrococcus horikoshii RtcB in complex with a 6-mer 5′-OH DNA oligonucleotide HOA1pT2pG3pT4pC5pC6, which reveals enzymic contacts of Asn202 to the terminal 5′-OH nucleophile; Arg238 to the A1pT2 and T2pG3 phosphates; Arg190 and Gln194 to the T2pG3 phosphate; and an Arg190 π-cation interaction with the G3 nucleobase. The structural insights affirm functional studies of E. coli RtcB that implicated the conserved counterpart of Arg238 in engagement of the 5′-OH strand for ligation. The essential active site Cys98 that coordinates two manganese ions is oxidized to cysteine sulfonic acid in our structure, raising the prospect that RtcB activity might be sensitive to modulation during oxidative stress.
Fiber reinforced composite supported restoration of congenitally missing tooth by minimally invasive approach: Two years follow-up
Authors: Javed Muhammad Qasim
Published: February 2021

Maxillary lateral incisor is the most frequent congenitally missing anterior tooth of the permanent dentition. The absence of the anterior tooth can adversely affect the production/transmission of speech sounds, mental health, and facial aesthetics of an individual. Considering this, prosthetic rehabilitation of missing front tooth is important. The treatment alternatives include implant supported single crown, conventional fixed partial dentures (FPDs), and resin bonded FPDs that are unilaterally or bilaterally supported by metallic wings. However, with the development in adhesive dentistry fiber reinforced composite (FRC) supported FPDs have provided a workable substitute for traditional techniques because of their improved esthetics, minimal invasiveness, less cost, enhanced bond strength, and revocable nature. The current case, reports the two years follow up of twenty-four years old female patient, for whom the congenitally absent maxillary right lateral incisor was restored with FRC supported FPD.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.3.3873

How to cite this:Javed MQ. Fiber reinforced composite supported restoration of congenitally missing tooth by minimally invasive approach: Two years follow-up. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(3):919-921. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.3.3873

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
‘Strong clinging to objects’: materiality and relationality in Melanie Klein’s Observations after an Operation (1937)
Authors: Barratt Harriet
Published: February 2021

This article presents and analyses a set of notes written by the psychoanalyst Melanie Klein following an operation in 1937. The notes, entitled Observations after an Operation, act as a case study of the intersection of psychical, material and social relations as they play out in the immediate aftermath of surgical intervention. Using a close reading method, the article contextualises an analysis of Observations after an Operation by linking it to Klein’s wider corpus of theoretical work. It deals in turn with the representation of anxiety mechanisms in the patient experience, drawing upon Klein’s notes on the similarity with ‘anxiety-situations’ in early childhood; with Klein’s changed relation with both external objects and their counterparts in the individual’s mental landscape; with the role of sensation in phantasy, and the connection to bodily pain; with the doctor-patient relationship and the way this is perceived as being embodied in material objects, played out across two dreams experienced by Klein during her recovery; with the emphasis on illness as a form of mourning; and with the creative potential that the experience offers for a renewed structure of object relations. The article concludes that a greater attention to the role and representation of material objects, using psychoanalytic object relations theory as a starting point, can enhance how we collectively understand and assess the psychical impact of healthcare settings upon the patient. It also invites other scholars across the critical medical humanities to consult and analyse the newly available text upon which this article is based.
Lewisian Naturalness and a new Sceptical Challenge
Authors: Drobňák Matej
Published: February 2021

The criterion of naturalness represents David Lewis’s attempt to answer some of the sceptical arguments in (meta-) semantics by comparing the naturalness of meaning candidates. Recently, the criterion has been challenged by a new sceptical argument. Williams argues that the criterion cannot rule out the candidates which are not permuted versions of an intended interpretation. He presents such a candidate – the arithmetical interpretation (a specific instantiation of The criterion of naturalness represents David Lewis’s attempt to answer some of the sceptical arguments in (meta-) semantics by comparing the naturalness of meaning candidates. Recently, the criterion has been challenged by a new sceptical argument. Williams argues that the criterion cannot rule out the candidates which are not permuted versions of an intended interpretation. He presents such a candidate – the arithmetical interpretation (a specific instantiation of Henkin’s model), and he argues that it opens up the possibility of Pythagorean worlds, i.e. the worlds similar to ours in which the arithmetical interpretation is the best candidate for a semantic theory. The aim of this paper is a) to reconsider the general conditions for the applicability of Lewis’s criterion of naturalness and b) to show that Williams’s new sceptical challenge is based on a problematic assumption that the arithmetical interpretation is independent of fundamental properties and relations. As I show, if the criterion of naturalness is applied properly, it can respond even to the new sceptical challenge.
Responsabilidad social empresarial en la jurisprudencia de la Corte Constitucional colombiana: dimensiones de obligatoriedad en la voluntariedad
Authors: Lorenzoni Escobar Lina
Published: February 2021

El propósito de este artículo es determinar si la normatividad y esquemas que materializan la responsabilidad social empresarial (RSE), se traducen en obligaciones para las empresas activas en el territorio colombiano. Para el desarrollo de este objetivo, se lleva a cabo un estudio general del concepto de RSE, en concreto, de su origen, desarrollo y estructura, con apoyo en la doctrina y en algunos instrumentos de RSE internacionales. En particular, se evidencia cómo el debate internacional sobre la RSE oscila entre intentos por volverla obligatoria, e instrumentos donde se manifiesta como una herramienta normativa blanda. Este fenómeno es evidente también en el plano doméstico colombiano, donde la jurisprudencia constitucional se ha ocupado de la RSE y de su relación con el ordenamiento constitucional colombiano. A través de esta jurisprudencia, se identifica el respaldo constitucional de la RSE en Colombia, así como el entendimiento sobre su alcance. Se concluye que, si bien el juez constitucional reitera que la RSE es voluntaria, la narrativa constitucional de la RSE contiene elementos de obligatoriedad.
Distance training for professionals in the Academia das Cidades and Academia de Saúde Programs in Pernambuco
Authors: Lemos Emmanuelly Correia de , Silva  Thassia Christina Azevedo da , Macêdo Neuza Buarque de , Brainer Mateus Gustavo , Souza Sandra Luzia Barbosa de , Santana Célia Maria Borges da Silva
Published: February 2021

The objective of this study was to describe the experience of the development of the upgrading course in strategic actions for professionals in the Academia das Cidades e Saúde Programs, conducted by the School of Government in Public Health, together with the technical team of the Programs at the State Health Secretariat and the Secretariat for Urban Development and Housing, both from Pernambuco. For this, the experience report format was used. The course was developed through distance learning, in three stages: planning, development and evaluation. The minutes of meetings, tutors’ reports, online course monitoring files and students’ evaluations were used to describe the experience. The course was offered in 2019, in the state’s first health macro-region. Of the 156 professionals enrolled in the course, and who worked in the Programs, 100 concluded it, and positively evaluated the course, mainly in terms of changes in their work practices.
Attentional Engagement as Practice: A Study of the Attentional Infrastructure of Healthcare Chief Executive Officers
Authors: Nicolini Davide , Korica Maja
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we investigate the attentional engagement of chief executive officers (CEOs) of large healthcare organizations in England. We study attention ethnographically as something managers do—at different times, in context, and in relation to others. We find that CEOs match the challenges of volume, fragmentation, and variety of attentional demands with a bundle of practices to activate attention, regulate the quantity and quality of information, stay focused over time, and prioritize attention. We call this bundle of practices the CEO’s attentional infrastructure. The practices that compose the attentional infrastructure work together to ensure that CEOs balance paying too much with paying too little attention, sustain attention on multiple issues over time, and allocate attention to the issues that matter, while avoiding becoming swamped by too many other concerns. The attentional infrastructure and its component practices are constantly revised and adapted to match the changes in the environment and ensure that managers remain on top of the things that matter to them. The idea of a practice-based attentional infrastructure advances theory by expanding and articulating the concept of attentional engagement, a central element in the attention-based view of the firm. We also demonstrate the benefits of studying attention as practice, rather than as an exclusively mental phenomenon. Finally, we contribute to managerial practice by introducing a set of categories that managers can use to interrogate their existing attentional practices and address attentional traps and difficulties.
Thomas Willis: physician who described the circle of Willis, the arterial anastomosis at the base of the brain
Authors: Ellis Harold
Published: February 2021

Thomas Willis is known for the discovery and description of the circle of Willis, but his contributions to the development of medicine were much broader, including the first use of the term ‘neurology’.
Reduction of Torsional Vibration in Resonance Phenomena for Tractor Power Take-Off Drivelines Using Torsional Damper
Authors: Ahn Da-Vin , Shin In-Kyung , Oh Jooseon , Chung Woo-Jin , Han Hyun-Woo , Kim Ji-Tae , Park Young-Jun
Published: February 2021

Highlights

Rattling of tractor power take-off drivelines can be detrimental to operators.

A novel driveline model, which includes a torsional damper, was constructed.

The behavior of the model was validated against that of an actual tractor driveline.

The validated model was used to determine the optimal torsional damper parameters.

These optimal parameters were validated by laboratory tests.

Abstract. Rattle noise and high levels of vibration in agricultural tractors lower the productivity of the operators and may cause serious health issues in them. This study examined a method for preventing resonance and reducing the torsional vibration that causes rattling in tractor power take-off (PTO) drivelines in the idle state using a two-stage torsional damper. The PTO driveline was simplified to a 6-DOF model based on the principle of equivalent mass moment of inertia using commercial simulation software. The variations in the angular velocity of the PTO drive shaft in an actual tractor were measured and compared to the simulation results using a single-stage torsional damper to validate the model. Using this validated PTO driveline model, the pre spring of a two-stage torsional damper was investigated to determine its optimal torsional stiffness to minimize torsional vibration. The simulation results showed that the variations in the angular velocity of the PTO drive shaft decreased as the torsional stiffness of the pre spring decreased; accordingly, an appropriate torsional stiffness reduced the variation in the angular velocity delivered to the PTO drive shaft. The optimal torsional stiffness of the pre spring was determined by considering the manufacturing limitations of the torsional damper and the magnitude of the input engine torque. A pre spring with this optimal torsional stiffness was installed on an actual PTO driveline to measure the angular velocity transmissibility, which was the ratio of the variation in the angular velocity of the engine flywheel to the variation in the angular velocity of the PTO drive shaft, and the results were compared with those of the simulation. When the angular velocity of the engine was 850 rpm, the angular velocity transmissibility of the PTO drive shaft was 0.4 in the actual test, similar to the value of 0.29 obtained using the simulation. Thus, the simulation-optimized pre spring was able to avoid the resonance domain, while considerably reducing the torsional vibration that leads to rattling. The results of this study support the safe operation of agricultural tractors and guide the evaluation of torsional damper configurations of different vehicles. Keywords: PTO driveline, Resonance, Simulation model, Torsional damper, Torsional vibration, Tractor rattle.
Effects of Blending Dairy Manure Compost and Canola Meal on Pellet Quality and Nutrient Concentrations
Authors: Alege Femi P. , Miito Gilbert J. , DeVetter Lisa W. , Tao Haiying , Ndegwa Pius M.
Published: February 2021

Highlights

Nutrient contents and unit density were positively correlated with canola meal blending ratio.

Pellet durability, bulk density, and length were inversely correlated with canola meal blending ratio.

Pellets produced from compost and 20% canola meal blend were 67% denser than the compost.

Pelleting dairy manure and canola meal blends improved nutrient transport and storage.

Abstract. The potential for adverse environmental impacts from excess manure nutrients generated in regions with large concentrations of animal production is enormous and real. The goal of this research was to investigate ways of alleviating such threats via pelleting and blending of excess dairy manure nutrients to enhance their value, utilization, transport, and storage. In this study, composted dairy manure was blended with canola meal in ratios ranging from 0% to 40% canola meal prior to pelleting. The pre-pelleting moisture content was set at 21% (wet basis) and an 8 mm diameter die was selected for pelleting, based on previous studies. The effect of canola blending ratio was evaluated against moisture content, unit and bulk densities, recovery, durability, and nutrient concentrations (total nitrogen and phosphate) of the resulting pellets. Results indicated positive correlations between the blending ratio and pellet recovery (r = 0.83), moisture content (r = 0.75), unit density (r = 0.74), total nitrogen (r = 0.99), and phosphate (r = 0.87). In contrast, inverse correlations were observed between the blending ratio and pellet durability (r = -0.93), bulk density (r = -0.99), and length (r = -0.76). No significant differences were observed between the blending ratio and all these parameters for blending ratios of 0% to 15%. However, data indicated significant differences between pellet durability and recovery at blending ratios above 20%. Overall, this study showed that blending dairy manure with up to 15% canola meal significantly (p < 001) improved the nutrient value, storage, and transport. Keywords: Blending, Dairy manure, Durability, Environmental pollution, Pelleting.
In euglossine we trust as ecological indicators: a reply to Añino et al. (2019)
Authors: Gonçalves Rodrigo Barbosa , Faria Luiz Roberto Ribeiro
Published: February 2021

Orchid bees have been considered as good ecological indicators of habitat disturbances but recently Añino et al. (2019. Sociobiology, 66: 194-197) highlighted reasons why Euglossini role as indicators should be reevaluated. Despite agreeing with some points raised by them, we present an alternative view for the use of orchid bees as indicators. For us, the main problematic issues are: (i) the authors do not present a clear definition of ecological indicator, including its role as an indirect measure of biota response to disturbed environments; (ii) they do not properly acknowledge the relative good taxonomic status of orchid bees when compared with the remaining bees; (iii) and they do not distinguish the use of particular Euglossini species as indicators in certain circumstances. In spite of some knowledge gaps, we argue that Euglossini is a good candidate to be ecological indicators in tropical forests, maybe the best candidate among all the bees.
Annual survival rate of tropical stingless bee colonies (Meliponini): variation among habitats at the landscape scale in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Authors: Silva Marília Dantas e , Ramalho Mauro , Rosa Jaqueline Figuerêdo
Published: February 2021

Stingless social bees live in perennial colonies whose longevity is influenced by various ecological factors. This study analyzed the influence of habitat anthropization and native forest regeneration stage on the longevity of natural colonies at the landscape scale. Random sampling of 25x25m plots, totaling 30ha per habitat type, located and monitored 118 nests of 14 species in the forest and 105 nests of six species in the anthropic habitat. Significant differences in colony longevity were observed between young and long-lived forests  and between long-lived forests and anthropized habitat. Shorter longevities have generally been associated with a set of smaller-bodied species residing in anthropized habitats. The greatest longevities were associated with the three abundant and exclusive forest species, and was similar in the two forest regeneration stages: Melipona scutellaris, Scaptotrigona xanthotricha and Scaptotrigona bipunctata had high annual survival rates ranging from 87% to 93%. Another abundant species in the landscape was Tetragonisca angustula, a small habitat-generalist with short longevity (63%) that varied among habitats. Euclidean distance analysis based on this generalist placed young forest closest to anthropic habitat, and grouped the replicates of long-lived forest. Considering spatial variation in the life history traits, we infer that, among prospective landscape habitats, the Atlantic Forest favors stingless bees with high colonial longevity. On the other hand, generalists, such as T. angustula, with shorter colonial longevity and high reproduction rates are being favored by the expansion of anthropized habitats in place of deforested areas.
Honey bee colony losses: Why are honey bees disappearing?
Authors: Hristov Peter , Shumkova Rositsa , Palova Nadezhda , Neov Boyko
Published: February 2021

The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera L., Hymenoptera: Apidae) is a species of crucial economic, agricultural and environmental importance.In the last ten years, some regions of the world have suffered from a significant reduction of honey bee colonies. In fact, honey bee losses are not an unusual phenomenon, but in many countries worldwide there has been a notable decrease in honey bee families. The cases in the USA, in many European countries, and in the Middle East have received considerable attention, mostly due to the absence of an easily identifiable cause.It has been difficult to determine the main factors leading to colony losses because of honey bees’ diverse social behavior. Moreover, in their daily routine, they make contact with many agents of the environment and are exposed to a plethora of human activities and their consequences. Nevertheless, a number of different factors are considered to be contributing to honey bee losses, and recent investigations have established some of the most important ones, in particular, pests and diseases, bee management, including bee keeping practices and breeding, the change in climatic conditions, agricultural practices, and the use of pesticides. The global picture highlights the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor as a major factor in colony loss. Last but not least, microsporidian parasites, mainly Nosema ceranae, also contribute to the problem.Thus, it is obvious that many factors are involved in honey bee colony losses globally. Increased monitoring and scientific research should throw new light on the factors involved in recent honey bee colony losses.This review focuses on the main factors which have been found to have an impact on the increase in honey bee colony losses.
Machining characteristics of Ti6Al4V alloy turning assisted by laser heating and ultrasonic atomization
Authors: Hu Yizhong , Meng Jianbing , Hu Zhenwei , Zhou Haian , Luan Xiaosheng , Huang Bingqi , Wei Xiuting
Published: February 2021

Based on the heating and softening of a laser as well as the
lubrication and cooling effect of ultrasonic atomized droplets, a new
processing method of

T

i

6

A

l

4

V

alloy turning, assisted by laser
heating and ultrasonic atomization, has been proposed. A series of
comparison experiments were conducted by dry machining, laser-assisted
machining (LAM), ultrasonic atomization-assisted machining (UAAM), and
laser heating and ultrasonic atomization-assisted machining
(LAM-UAAM). The results show that, while fully retaining the
advantages of laser-assisted machining, LAM-UAAM gives full play to
the advantages of ultrasonic atomization cooling and overcomes the
adverse thermal effects on the quality of cutting tools and surface
processing. While reducing tool wear, processing quality has been
significantly improved.
Kerr-nonlinearity induced bistable-like parity-time phase transition in coupled waveguides
Authors: Sun Lin-Shan , Zhao Bo , Yuan Jia-Qi , Chen Jing
Published: February 2021

We analyze the parity-time (

P
T

) symmetric phase in coupled two waveguides with a Kerr-type medium in between. Paying attention to the emitted field from a dipole source inside, we show that when the strength of the dipole increases, the optical Kerr effect can render a phase transition from the exact

P
T

phase to the broken

P
T

phase. Furthermore, a salient phenomenon of bistable-like

P
T

phase is observed, in which the emitted field possesses a paradox between the two kinds of

P
T

phases. We show that the physical mechanism of this bistable-like phenomenon is a globally inhomogeneous

P
T

phase, in which different spatial regions of the whole structure can possess different

P
T

phases (broken or exact). This study highlights the potential to manipulate the

P
T

phase transition by using optical nonlinearity for many interesting applications.
Cladding softened fiber for sensitivity enhancement of distributed acoustic sensing
Authors: Yao Jiazhen , Han Bing , Jiang Xinli , Cao Shanshan , Fu Yun , Rao Yunjiang , Ran Zengling , Wang Wenyu , Guan Hongjian , Long Jingfeng
Published: February 2021

Fiber-optic distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technology with high spatial and strain resolutions has been widely used in many practical applications. New methods to enhance the phase sensitivity of sensing fiber are worth exploring to further improve DAS performances, although the standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) has been widely used for DAS technology. In this work, we propose and demonstrate the concept of enhancing the phase sensitivity of DAS by softening the cladding of the sensing fiber, for the first time. The theoretical analysis indicates that softening sensing fiber cladding is an effective way to improve phase sensitivity. Thus, we fabricated cladding softened fibers (CSFs) and tested their phase sensitivities experimentally. According to the results, it is found that the phase sensitivity of the CSF with 0.48 WT% phosphorus-doping concentration and 80 µm cladding diameter is 22% and 54% higher than that of the non-phosphorus-doping fiber with 80 µm cladding diameter and SSMF, respectively. The results show that by reducing fiber cladding Young's modulus with higher phosphorus-doping concentration, the DAS phase sensitivity can be enhanced effectively, verifying the theoretical analysis. Also, we found that the phase sensitivity enhancement of the sensing fiber has a linear relationship with the cladding phosphorus-doping concentration, i.e. Young’s modulus. In conclusion, the reported CSF paves a way for improving the DAS phase sensitivity and would be applied to other major optical fiber sensing systems as a better sensing element over SSMF due to the enhancement in the elasto-optical effect of the sensing fiber.
Selection rules for the orbital angular momentum of optically produced THz radiation
Authors: Curcio A. , Mou S. , Palumbo L. , Lupi S. , Petrarca M.
Published: February 2021

In this work, we theoretically study the transduction of orbital angular momentum (OAM)

l

for infrared pump lasers into the THz domain. In the case of optical rectification, the transduction of OAM occurs only through a spin–orbit interaction, with the selection rule on the OAM

l
=
0

valid for any kind of polarization of the pump, which means that there is no transfer of OAM along the propagation axis. In difference frequency generation, the selection rule for the difference

Δ
l

between the OAM of the pump fields with linear or circular polarization is

l
=
Δ
l

, whereas

l

ranges from

Δ
l
−
2

to

Δ
l
+
2

in cases of both radial and azimuthal polarization. Moreover, for THz generation in the latter case, the high diffraction obtained with tightly focused pumps yields

l

tending to

Δ
l
±
2

, while

l

tends to zero in the opposite case of large pump beams.
Low-loss edge-coupling thin-film lithium niobate modulator with an efficient phase shifter
Authors: Ying Pan , Tan Heyun , Zhang Junwei , He Mingbo , Xu Mengyue , Liu Xiaoyue , Ge Renyou , Zhu Yuntao , Liu Chuan , Cai Xinlun
Published: February 2021

Thin-film lithium-niobate-on-insulator (LNOI) is a very attractive
platform for optical interconnect and nonlinear optics. It is
essential to enable lithium niobate photonic integrated circuits with
low power consumption. Here we present an edge-coupling Mach–Zehnder
modulator on the platform with low fiber-chip coupling loss of
0.5 dB/facet, half-wave voltage

V

π

of 2.36 V, electro-optic (EO)
bandwidth of 60 GHz and an efficient thermal-optic phase shifter with
half-wave power of 6.24 mW. In addition, we experimentally demonstrate
single-lane 200 Gbit/s data transmission utilizing a discrete
multi-tone signal. The LNOI modulator demonstrated here shows great
potential in energy-efficient large-capacity optical
interconnects.
Supercontinuum generation of 314.7  W ranging from 390 to 2400  nm by tapered photonic crystal fiber
Authors: Zhang Haoyu , Li Fengyun , Liao Ruoyu , Dong Kegong , Li Yue , Lin Honghuan , Wang Jianjun , Jing Feng
Published: February 2021

To consider both high-power handling and blue-extended supercontinuum (SC) generation, a long-tapered photonic crystal fiber is pumped by a high-power laser source. An SC ranging from 390 to 2400 nm with 314.7 W output power is obtained. A spectral component below 960 nm accounts for 36.1% of the total output power, exceeding 113.5 W, with a spectral flatness within 16 dB. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time an SC coverage of all visible wavelengths with more than 300 W output power has been achieved. This result increases the output power of the SC covering the visible range by a factor of three.
Systematic characterization of THz dielectric properties of multi-component glasses using the unified oscillator model
Authors: Wada Osamu , Ramachari Doddoji , Yang Chan-Shan , Uchino Takashi , Pan Ci-Ling
Published: February 2021

A terahertz (THz) dielectric property characterization method based on a unified single oscillator model has been developed and applied to a variety of multi-component silicate oxide glasses. The experimental values of dielectric constant determined by THz time-domain spectroscopy (TDS) in the sub-THz region have been confirmed to agree well with the values calculated by the single oscillator model which incorporates the local field effects and the material’s ionicity. This has provided a unified formulation that enables systematic determination of the key physical parameters solely from the high-frequency (optical) and low-frequency (sub-THz) dielectric constants and characteristic resonance frequency in the (sub-)THz region. The low-frequency dielectric constant has been demonstrated to be fully determined by a single parameter of the microscopic total susceptibility. Also, the polarization ionicity, which is defined by the ionic fraction in the microscopic total susceptibility, has been found to be a good indicator to represent the ionic nature of the material. Through this analysis, an increasing trend of the effective ionic charge has been found in high-dielectric constant glasses such as oxyfluorosilicate glasses, and the physical mechanism of their dielectric constant enhancement has been discussed. The present method is expected to be applied to design and characterize dielectric properties of a wide range of multi-component glasses and other isotropic, insulating materials.
Complete coupling of focused light to surface polaritons
Authors: Dias Eduardo J. C. , García de Abajo F. Javier
Published: February 2021

Surface polaritons display short wavelengths compared to propagating light, thus enabling large spatial concentration and enhancement of electromagnetic energy. However, this wavelength mismatch is generally accompanied by poor light-to-polariton coupling that limits potential applications in areas such as optical sensing and optoelectronics. Here, we address this problem by demonstrating that a small scatterer placed at a suitable distance from a planar surface can produce complete coupling of a focused light beam to surface polaritons. We present rigorous theoretical results for light coupling to plasmons in silver films and graphene, as well as phonon polaritons in hexagonal boron nitride films. We further formulate detailed general prescriptions on the beam profile and particle response that are required to achieve maximum coupling, which we supplement by analytical calculations for dipolar scatterers and finite-size particles. Our results open a practical route to circumvent the long-standing photon-polariton wavelength mismatch problem in nanophotonics.
FourierCam: a camera for video spectrum acquisition in a single shot
Authors: Hu Chengyang , Huang Honghao , Chen Minghua , Yang Sigang , Chen Hongwei
Published: February 2021

The novel camera architecture facilitates the development of machine vision. Instead of capturing frame sequences in the temporal domain as traditional video cameras, FourierCam directly measures the pixel-wise temporal spectrum of the video in a single shot through optical coding. Compared to the classic video cameras and time-frequency transformation pipeline, this programmable frequency-domain sampling strategy has an attractive combination of characteristics for low detection bandwidth, low computational burden, and low data volume. Based on the various temporal filter kernel designed by FourierCam, we demonstrated a series of exciting machine vision functions, such as video compression, background subtraction, object extraction, and trajectory tracking.
Optical Vernier sampling using a dual-comb-swept laser to solve distance aliasing
Authors: Bak Seongjin , Kim Gyeong Hun , Jang Hansol , Kim Chang-Seok
Published: February 2021

Optical interferometry using comb-swept lasers has the advantage of efficiently reducing the acquisition bandwidth for high-speed and long-range detection. However, in general, the use of a comb-swept laser involves a critical limitation in that the absolute distance cannot be measured, and, thus, multiple layers cannot be distinguished when measuring each position. This is because of the distance ambiguity induced by optical aliasing, in which there is periodic repetition of the frequency of an interferometric signal owing to discrete spectral sweeping, which does not occur in conventional optical interferometry that uses a continuous swept laser. In this paper, we introduce an optical Vernier sampling method using a dual-comb-swept laser to measure the absolute distances in a multi-layer target. For this, we designed a new type of dual-comb-swept laser to include two different free spectral ranges (FSRs) in separated wavelength bands to provide a stable lasing condition. Using a principle similar to that of a Vernier caliper for length measurement, the two different FSRs can be used to recover a higher frequency of an optical interferometric signal to measure longer distances from different layers in a target. Using the dual-comb-swept laser in optical interferometry, we solved the optical aliasing issue and measured the absolute distances of three layers separated over 83 mm using a point-scanning imaging setup and the simultaneous absolute distance of the top surfaces separated over 45 mm using a full-field imaging setup at 14 and 8 times lower acquisition bandwidth than a conventional continuous swept laser that is based on optical interferometry.
RNA-binding protein syncrip regulates starvation-induced hyperactivity in adult Drosophila
Authors: Chi Wanhao , Liu Wei , Fu Wenqin , Xia Shengqian , Heckscher Ellie S. , Zhuang Xiaoxi
Published: February 2021

How to respond to starvation determines fitness. One prominent behavioral response is increased locomotor activities upon starvation, also known as Starvation-Induced Hyperactivity (SIH). SIH is paradoxical as it promotes food seeking but also increases energy expenditure. Despite its importance in fitness, the genetic contributions to SIH as a behavioral trait remains unexplored. Here, we examined SIH in theDrosophila melanogasterGenetic Reference Panel (DGRP) and performed genome-wide association studies. We identified 23 significant loci, corresponding to 14 genes, significantly associated with SIH in adultDrosophila. Gene enrichment analyses indicated that genes encoding ion channels and mRNA binding proteins (RBPs) were most enriched in SIH. We are especially interested in RBPs because they provide a potential mechanism to quickly change protein expression in response to environmental challenges. Using RNA interference, we validated the role ofsypin regulating SIH.sypencodes Syncrip (Syp), an RBP. While ubiquitous knockdown ofsypled to semi-lethality in adult flies, adult flies with neuron-specificsypknockdown were viable and exhibited decreased SIH. Using the Temporal and Regional Gene Expression Targeting (TARGET) system, we further confirmed the role of Syp in adult neurons in regulating SIH. To determine howsypis regulated by starvation, we performed RNA-seq using the heads of flies maintained under either food or starvation conditions. RNA-seq analyses revealed thatsypwas alternatively spliced under starvation while its expression level was unchanged. We further generated an alternatively-spliced-exon-specific knockout (KO) line and found that KO flies showed reduced SIH. Together, this study demonstrates a significant genetic contribution to SIH as a behavioral trait, identifiessypas a SIH gene, and highlights the significance of RBPs and post-transcriptional processes in the brain in regulating behavioral responses to starvation.
Human uniqueness? Life history diversity among small-scale societies and chimpanzees
Authors: Davison Raziel J. , Gurven Michael D.
Published: February 2021

Background

Humans life histories have been described as “slow”, patterned by slow growth, delayed maturity, and long life span. While it is known that human life history diverged from that of a recent common chimpanzee-human ancestor some ~4–8 mya, it is unclear how selection pressures led to these distinct traits. To provide insight, we compare wild chimpanzees and human subsistence societies in order to identify the age-specific vital rates that best explain fitness variation, selection pressures and species divergence.

Methods

We employ Life Table Response Experiments to quantify vital rate contributions to population growth rate differences. Although widespread in ecology, these methods have not been applied to human populations or to inform differences between humans and chimpanzees. We also estimate correlations between vital rate elasticities and life history traits to investigate differences in selection pressures and test several predictions based on life history theory.

Results

Chimpanzees’ earlier maturity and higher adult mortality drive species differences in population growth, whereas infant mortality and fertility variation explain differences between human populations. Human fitness is decoupled from longevity by postreproductive survival, while chimpanzees forfeit higher potential lifetime fertility due to adult mortality attrition. Infant survival is often lower among humans, but lost fitness is recouped via short birth spacing and high peak fertility, thereby reducing selection on infant survival. Lastly, longevity and delayed maturity reduce selection on child survival, but among humans, recruitment selection is unexpectedly highest in longer-lived populations, which are also faster-growing due to high fertility.

Conclusion

Humans differ from chimpanzees more because of delayed maturity and lower adult mortality than from differences in juvenile mortality or fertility. In both species, high child mortality reflects bet-hedging costs of quality/quantity tradeoffs borne by offspring, with high and variable child mortality likely regulating human population growth over evolutionary history. Positive correlations between survival and fertility among human subsistence populations leads to selection pressures in human subsistence societies that differ from those in modern populations undergoing demographic transition.
An R Package for Computing Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (CAPL) scores and interpretations from raw data
Authors: Barnes Joel D. , Guerrero Michelle D.
Published: February 2021

The Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (CAPL) is the first comprehensive protocol designed to assess a child’s level of physical literacy. Current approaches to analyzing CAPL-2 raw data are tedious, inefficient, and/or can lead to computation errors. In this paper we introduce the capl R package (open source), designed to compute and visualize CAPL-2 scores and interpretations from raw data. The capl package takes advantage of the R environment to provide users with a fast, efficient, and reliable approach to analyzing their CAPL-2 raw data and a “quiet” user experience, whereby “noisy” error messages are suppressed via validation. We begin by discussing several preparatory steps that are required prior to using the capl package. These steps include preparing, formatting, and importing CAPL-2 raw data. We then use demo data to show that computing the CAPL-2 scores and interpretations is as simple as executing one line of code. This one line of code uses the main function in the capl package (get_capl()) to compute 40 variables within a matter of seconds. Next, we showcase the helper functions that are called within the main function to compute individual variables and scores for each test element within the four domains as well as an overall physical literacy score. Finally, we show how to visualize CAPL-2 results using the ggplot2 R package.
Interprofessional perceptions of emotional, social, and ethical effects of multidrug-resistant organisms: A qualitative study
Authors: Bushuven Stefan , Dettenkofer Markus , Dietz Andreas , Bushuven Stefanie , Dierenbach Petra , Inthorn Julia , Beiner Matthias , Langer Thorsten
Published: February 2021

Introduction

Multi-drug-resistant organisms (MDRO) are usually managed by separating the infected patients to protect others from colonization and infection. Isolation precautions are associated with negative experiences by patients and their relatives, while hospital staff experience a heavier workload and their own emotional reactions.

Methods

In 2018, 35 participants (nurses, physicians, pharmacists) in an antimicrobial-stewardship program participated in facilitated discussion groups working on the emotional impact of MDRO. Deductive codings were done by four coders focusing on the five basic emotions described by Paul Ekmans.

Results

All five emotions revealed four to 11 codes forming several subthemes: Anger is expressed because of incompetence, workflow-impairment and lack of knowledge. Anxiety is provoked by inadequate knowledge, guilt, isolation, bad prognoses, and media-related effects. Enjoyment is seldom. Sadness is experienced in terms of helplessness and second-victim effects. Disgust is attributed to shame and bad associations, but on the other hand MDROs seem to be part of everyday life. Deductive coding yielded additional codes for bioethics and the Calgary Family Assessment Method.

Conclusion

MDRO are perceived to have severe impact on emotions and may affect bioethical and family psychological issues. Thus, further work should concentrate on these findings to generate a holistic view of MDRO on human life and social systems.