bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phrenic Nerve Block at the Azygos Vein Level Versus Sham Block for Ipsilateral Shoulder Pain After Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Kimura Kuroiwa Kaori , Shiko Yuki , Kawasaki Yohei , Aoki Yoshitaka , Nishizawa Masaaki , Ide Susumu , Miura Kentaro , Kobayashi Nobutaka , Sehmbi Herman
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND:

Ipsilateral shoulder pain (ISP) is a common problem after pulmonary surgery. We hypothesized that phrenic nerve block (PNB) at the azygos vein level, near the location of the surgical operation, would be effective for reducing ISP. Our primary aim was to assess the effect of PNB on postoperative ISP, following video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).

METHODS:

This prospective, randomized, patient-blinded, single-institution trial was registered at the University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN000030464). Enrolled patients had been scheduled for VATS under general anesthesia with epidural analgesia. Patients were randomly allocated to receive infiltration of the ipsilateral phrenic nerve at the azygos vein level with either 10 mL of 0.375% ropivacaine (PNB group) or 0.9% saline (control group) before chest closure. Postoperative ISP was assessed using a numerical rating scale (NRS, 0–10) at rest at 2, 4, 8, 16, and 24 hours. The incidence of ISP was defined as the proportion of patients who reported an NRS score of ≥1 at least once within 24 hours after surgery. In the primary analysis, the proportion of patients with ISP was compared between PNB and control groups using the χ2 test. NRS values of ISP and postoperative incision pain within 24 hours were investigated, as was the frequency of postoperative analgesic use. Incision pain was assessed using an NRS at the time of ISP assessment. Finally, the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting and shoulder movement disorders were also evaluated.

RESULTS:

Eighty-five patients were included, and their data were analyzed. These patients were randomly assigned to either PNB group (n = 42) or control group (n = 43). There were no clinically relevant differences in demographic and surgical profiles between the groups. There was no significant difference in the incidence of ISP (the control group 20/43 [46.5%] versus the PNB group 14/42 [33.3%]; P = .215). The severity of ISP was lower in the PNB group than in the control group (linear mixed-effects model, the main effect of treatment [groups]: P < .001). There were no significant differences between groups in terms of postoperative incision pain. The frequency of postoperative analgesic use was significantly higher in the control group (Wilcoxon rank sum test, P < .001). Postoperative nausea and vomiting did not significantly differ between the 2 groups. There were no changes in the range of shoulder joint movement.

CONCLUSIONS:

Azygos vein level PNB did not significantly affect the incidence of ISP after VATS.
Potential for Kappa-Opioid Receptor Agonists to Engineer Nonaddictive Analgesics: A Narrative Review
Authors: Kaski Shane W. , White Allison N. , Gross Joshua D. , Siderovski David P.
Published: December 2020

A serious adverse effect of prescription opioid analgesics is addiction, both to these analgesics and to illicit drugs like heroin that also activate the µ-opioid receptor (MOR). Opioid use disorder (OUD) and opioid overdose deaths represent a current American health crisis, and the prescription of opioid analgesics has contributed significantly to this crisis. While prescription opioids are highly effective analgesics, there currently exists no facile way to use them for extended periods without the risk of addiction. If addiction caused by MOR-targeting analgesics could be blocked by blending in a new “antiaddiction” ingredient that does not diminish analgesia and does not introduce its own therapeutically limiting side effects, then continued clinical use of prescription opioids for treating pain could be maintained (or even enhanced) instead of curtailed. In this narrative review, we contextualize this hypothesis, first with a brief overview of the current American opioid addiction crisis. The neurobiology of 2 key receptors in OUD development, MOR and the κ-opioid receptor (KOR), is then discussed to highlight the neuroanatomical features and circuitry in which signal transduction from these receptors lie in opposition—creating opportunities for pharmacological intervention in curtailing the addictive potential of MOR agonism. Prior findings with mixed MOR/KOR agonists are considered before exploring new potential avenues such as biased KOR agonists. New preclinical data are highlighted, demonstrating that the G protein–biased KOR agonist nalfurafine reduces the rewarding properties of MOR-targeting analgesics and enhances MOR-targeting analgesic-induced antinociception. Finally, we discuss the recent discovery that a regulator of G protein signaling (namely, RGS12) is a key component of signaling bias at KOR, presenting another drug discovery target toward identifying a single agent or adjuvant to be added to traditional opioid analgesics that could reduce or eliminate the addictive potential of the latter drug.
Previsão de volatilidade a tempo discreto: Uma abordagem via regressão quantílica
Authors: Oliveira Víctor Henriques , Horta Eduardo de Oliveira
Published: December 2020

Este trabalho propõe o Heterogeneous Quantile Autoregressive Distributed Lag Realized Volatility, with Jumps and Leverage Effect (HQADL-RV-JL). Esta é uma uma nova especificação para a dinâmica da volatilidade, no âmbito da classe de modelos HAR, admitindo uma estrutura de Autoregressão Quantílica com Defasagens Distribuídas. O modelo foi estimado em uma grade percorrendo 91 níveis quantílicos, utilizando a série de retornos de alta frequência do índice S&P500. Os resultados empíricos da especificação HQADL-RV-JL sugerem que a estrutura semiparamétrica proposta é capaz de capturar os principais fatos estilizados apontados pela literatura, representando de maneira adequada o comportamento da volatilidade de um ativo de risco. Em termos de performance, os resultados sugerem que a previsão da mediana do modelo é tão boa quanto a previsão da esperança condicional da especificação proposta por Corsi & Renò (2012), para o médio e longo prazo. Também foi realizada a previsão da densidade da volatilidade realizada para os últimos quatro dias da amostra. Os aspectos distribucionais das densidades previstas exibem assimetrias em determinado grau, assumindo a forma de uma distribuição bimodal.
Managing Reputation Risk in Supply Chains: The Role of Risk Sharing Under Limited Liability
Authors: Dhingra Vibhuti , Krishnan Harish
Published: December 2020

When a supplier fails to comply with social and environmental standards, the buyer’s reputation suffers. Reputation costs can typically be very high for the buyer, whereas the supplier’s liability is often limited. Conventional procurement strategies such as dual sourcing mitigate the buyer’s operational risk, but they often do so at the expense of increasing its reputation risk and sourcing costs. In this paper, we propose a risk-sharing contract for managing the buyer’s reputation concerns. We find that by sharing some of the supplier’s operational loss, the buyer may (in some conditions) decrease its reputational risk, but this has to be balanced against an increase in the operational risk. Risk sharing also reduces sourcing costs because the buyer takes on some of the worst-case loss of a wealth-constrained supplier. These results suggest that risk sharing can be superior, as a procurement strategy, to conventional approaches such as dual sourcing or penalty contracts. This is true when reputation and sourcing costs are a significant concern and operational costs are not that high. Under some conditions, the buyer may choose risk sharing even if it increases reputation risk in order to reduce procurement costs.

This paper was accepted by Victor Martínez-de-Albéniz, operations management.
Associação entre diabetes mellitus e doenças oculares em pessoas com deficiência visual
Authors: Brito Evandro Scarso de , Pinto Maria Helena , Beretta Denise , Rossi Lilian Cristina De Castro , Brito Thiare Júnia De Francisco , Czorny Rildo César Nunes
Published: December 2020

Objetivo: verificar associação entre diabetes mellitus e doenças oculares em pessoas com deficiência visual. Método: estudo transversal com 51 pessoas com diabetes e deficiência visual, em um centro de reabilitação visual paulista, que participaram de entrevista estruturada, em 2018. Utilizou-se os testes: Kolmogorov Smirnov, Regressão de Poisson, Regressão de Logística Binária, e Correlação de Spearman. Resultados: a maioria das pessoas era cega e relatou que a retinopatia diabética, o glaucoma e a catarata foram causa da deficiência visual; com tempo de diagnóstico do diabetes acima de 109 meses. A catarata apresentou um nível de correlação baixa (r=0,280 e p=0,047), e a retinopatia diabética um nível de correlação moderada (r=0,565 e p=0,000), considerando o tempo de diagnóstico do diabetes. Conclusão: associação estatisticamente significante entre o tipo de diabetes e a retinopatia, e correlação estatisticamente significante entre o tempo de diagnóstico do diabetes, a catarata e a retinopatia diabética.
Pós-operatório de paciente oncológico em jejum prolongado: diagnósticos e intervenções de enfermagem
Authors: Silva Sara Soares Ferreira da , Ferreira Rosiane Santos , Pinto Ana Cristina Silva , Andrade Lidiane Bonin de , Gomes Priscilla Manhães , Tavares Janaína De Medeiros
Published: December 2020

Objetivo: identificar os principais diagnósticos de enfermagem e suas respectivas intervenções em uma população de pacientes oncológicos submetidos a jejum prolongado no pós-operatório. Método: estudo descritivo, documental e transversal. O cenário do estudo foi um hospital federal de ensino no Rio de Janeiro, caracterizado como UNACON. Os dados foram coletados em prontuários referentes aos anos de 2016 a 2018 durante 60 dias. Foram analisados 61 prontuários que atendiam aos critérios de inclusão e 208 complicações foram apresentadas pelos pacientes oncológicos. Resultados: Oito diagnósticos foram definidos, dentre os quais os mais evidentes foram: Nutrição desequilibrada: menor que as necessidades corporais e Risco de glicemia instável. Onze intervenções de enfermagem foram definidas em consonância com a Taxonomia de NANDA-I e buscaram ser de fácil aplicação na prática assistencial de enfermagem. Conclusão: Foi evidenciada uma ampla gama de diagnósticos e intervenções de enfermagem a qual se recomenda sua adoção no processo de enfermagem.
Aleitamento materno até o sexto mês de vida em municípios da Rede Mãe Paranaense
Authors: Baier Marlene Pires , Toninato Ana Paula Contiero , Nonose Eliana Roldão dos Santos , Zilly Adriana , Ferreira Helder , Silva Rosane Meire Munhak da
Published: December 2020

Objetivo: avaliar a prevalência do aleitamento materno em municípios da Rede Mãe Paranaense e identificar fatores relacionados a sua prática até o sexto mês de vida da criança. Métodos: estudo exploratório, prospectivo de abordagem quantitativa, com 280 lactantes, realizada entre julho de 2017 e junho de 2018, com aplicação de questionários na maternidade, 24 horas pós-parto e durante visita domiciliar aos 6 meses de vida da criança. Resultados: o aleitamento materno no sexto mês foi 7,9% exclusivo, 38,2% predominante e 30,7% misto. As consultas de puericultura estiveram associadas com o aleitamento materno, e o retorno ao trabalho foi apontado como a principal dificuldade para continuidade da amamentação. Conclusão: a prevalência do aleitamento materno exclusivo está aquém do preconizado, sendo fundamental o planejamento de ações de promoção e proteção à amamentação por meio de uma rede de apoio social, familiar e da equipe multiprofissional.
Prevalência, fatores associados e desfechos reprodutivos relacionados ao ganho de peso gestacional excessivo
Authors: Lana Tahbatha Costa , Oliveira Laís Vanessa Assunção , Martins Eunice Francisca , Santos Nágela Cristine Pinheiro , Matozinhos Fernanda Penido , Felisbino-Mendes Mariana Santos
Published: December 2020

Objetivo: avaliar o estado nutricional pré-gestacional, o ganho de peso durante a gestação, e investigar fatores associados ao ganho de peso excessivo (GPE) entre mulheres. Método: estudo com dados secundários de 747 puérperas da pesquisa “Nascer em Belo Horizonte”. Calculou-se prevalência, razão de prevalência e intervalos de 95% de confiança. Utilizou-se teste qui-quadrado de Pearson para avaliar diferenças das prevalências. Resultados: de acordo com os dados, 31% tinham excesso de peso pré-gestacional e 21% apresentaram GPE na gestação. Mulheres com baixa escolaridade (26,9%), multíparas (32,0%), que consumiam álcool (29,5%), com pré-natal no serviço público (25,4%), poucas consultas (26,5%), e gestação de risco (33,9%) apresentaram maior GPE. Tiveram maior chance de GPE mulheres com baixa escolaridade, pré-natal em serviço público e gestação de risco. Cesariana (52,6%) e macrossomia (6,6%) foram mais prevalentes entre aquelas com GPE. Conclusão: observou-se excesso de peso pré-gestacional, ganho ponderal excessivo na gravidez, principalmente em gestantes com maior vulnerabilidade social, resultando em desfechos reprodutivos desfavoráveis.
Christmas poisons
Authors: Bates Nicola
Published: December 2020

Christmas can be a busy and chaotic time at home with multiple visitors (depending on COVID-19 restrictions this year), an excess of food and the presence of Christmas plants and decorations. This will be a ‘COVID Christmas’ but efforts will undoubtedly be made to make it as normal as possible, after a difficult year for everyone.
Geochemical characteristics of Precambrian Basement rocks from southeastern Nigeria: an approach to their petrogenesis and tectonic setting.
Authors: IBE CHINEDU UDUMA
Published: December 2020

Trace and Rare-Earth element geochemical study of twenty samples of migmatitic banded gneisses, garnet biotite schists, dolerites, granites and rhyolites was carried out in a bid to determine their petrogenetic and tectonic significance in the evolution of the southeastern Basement complex of Nigeria. The data shows that partial melting (crustal anatexis) of migmatitic gneisses and schists played a significant role in the evolution of the granitic intrusions. This is supported by the high incompatible (Rb/Sr = 0.16 to 1.31 and Ba/Sr = 0.75 to 6.21) elements ratio in the granitic intrusions than that of the migmatitic gneisses and schists (Rb/Sr, 0.051 to 0.824; Ba/Sr, 0.7 to 5). High ratios of Ba/Sr and Rb/Sr and lesser values of Ba/Rb ratios in some granitic intrusions than in others suggests increasing fractionation during the anatexis. The role of partial melting is also evident in the smooth REE patterns shown by most of these rocks and the negative Eu anomaly as indicated by the values of Eu/Eu* (0.097 to 0.7). LREE enrichment is evident in the high values of Ce/YbN (12.08-174.5), La/YbN (15.2-228.4) and La/SmN (2.6-7.2) in the granitic intrusions. Tectonic discrimination diagrams of the rocks indicate that the basement rocks were most probably formed in a post-collision orogenic setting while the dolerite and the rhyolite were formed in within-plate anorogenic setting.
Laser manipulation of airborne microparticles behind non-transparent
obstacles with the help of circular Airy beams
Authors: Porfirev Alexey P.
Published: December 2020

An approach for the realization of three-dimensional laser manipulation of agglomerations of carbon nanoparticles behind non-transparent obstacles in the air is proposed and investigated. The approach is based on the use of circular Airy beams (CABs), which are structured laser beams with self-healing and autofocusing properties. The possibility to trap and guide both single and multiple microparticles in the case of a non-distorted CAB and a CAB distorted by an on-axis metal rod is demonstrated. We believe that these results open new possibilities for the control of trapped particles that are out of sight and hidden by different obstacles.
Advancing lightweight mirror design: a paradigm shift in mirror preforms by utilizing design for additive manufacturing
Authors: Horvath Nicholas , Davies Matthew
Published: December 2020

Additive manufacturing is a disruptive technology that can be leveraged
by the redesign of components in most engineering fields. Fundamental
engineering resources for lightweight mirrors were developed more than
30 years ago with a main design limitation, state of the art
manufacturing. Here, we present two design methodologies for the
design of lightweight mirrors. The first method utilizes analytical
expressions to design a traditional isogrid mirror, which provided the
foundation for most lightweight mirrors to date. The second method
employs a combination of topology optimization, lattice infill, and
analytical estimation to develop an advanced lightweight mirror
designed for additive manufacturing. The advanced mirror design
outperforms the traditional design for each functional requirement,
including a 94% reduction in predicted surface quilting and a higher
specific stiffness. The manufacturing of the advanced mirror is only
possible with an additive manufacturing process.
Low-cost fabrication of microlasers based on polymeric micropedestals
Authors: Reynoso-de la Cruz H. M. , Ortiz-Ricardo E. , Camarena-Chávez V. A. , Martínez-Borquez A. , Gutiérrez-Juárez G. , U’Ren A. B. , Castro-Beltrán R.
Published: December 2020

Our current work exploits direct laser writing (DLW) and low one-photon absorption (LOPA) in a low-cost three-dimensional optical fabrication system designed to print micrometric polymeric structures. Micropedestals were obtained by focusing a laser beam on a photoresist layer deposited on a silica glass substrate. Subsequent coating with rhodamine 6G dye allows these pedestals to function as microlasers upon optical excitation at 532 nm. Our microlasers, with a diameter of

∼

53

µ

m

and a height of

∼

40

µ

m

, exhibit a broad fluorescence peak in the spectral range 540–600 nm, in addition to narrow lasing peaks, exhibiting quality factors

Q

exceeding 2000 and a lasing threshold of

∼

5

µ

J
c

m

−
2

. The observed free spectral range associated with the lasing peaks of

∼

1.3

n
m

is consistent with simulations, which we include in this paper. In addition, we present simulations for the longitudinal shift of the patterning laser spot, which occurs particularly for relatively thick photoresist layers, coupled with a large index contrast at the photoresist top surface. Such a shift could introduce errors in the resulting microfabricated structures if left unaccounted for. We hope that our work will contribute to the development of microlasers for various photonic applications, particularly if dimensions can be reduced, for on-chip optical communications and data processing.
Efficient hybrid-mode excitation in plasmonic nanoantennas by tightly focused higher-order vector beams
Authors: Zang Xiaorun , Bautista Godofredo , Turquet Léo , Setälä Tero , Kauranen Martti , Turunen Jari
Published: December 2020

Efficient optical excitation of hybridized plasmon modes in nanoantennas is vital to achieve many promising functionalities, but it can be challenging due to a field-profile mismatch between the incident light and the hybrid mode. We present a general approach for efficient hybrid-mode excitation by focusing the incident light field in the basis of cylindrically polarized vector beams of various higher-order spiral phases. Such basis vector beams are described in the higher-order polarization states and Stokes parameters (both defined locally in polar coordinates), and visualized correspondingly on the higher-order Poincaré spheres. The focal field is formulated exclusively in cylindrical coordinates as a series sum of all focused beams of the associated high-order paraxial beams. Our focal field decomposition enables an analysis of hybrid-mode excitation via higher-order vector beams, and thus yields a straightforward design of an effective mode-matching field profile in the tightly focused region.
Optical linear frequency sweep based on a mode-spacing swept comb and multi-loop phase-locking for FMCW interferometry
Authors: Xie Weilin , Meng Yingxia , Feng Yuxiang , Zhou Haijun , Zhang Ling , Wei Wei , Dong Yi
Published: December 2020

We report on the generation of a highly coherent broadband optical linear frequency sweep (LFS) using mode-spacing swept comb and multi-loop composite optical phase-locked loop (OPLL). We exploit a specially designed agile opto-electronic frequency comb as a sweeping reference, whose mode-spacing is capable of arbitrary frequency sweep while preserving a stable phase and power distribution per mode. By locking a continuous-wave (CW) laser to any of its modes using composite OPLL with a large loop bandwidth, it allows the extraction of the optical LFS at high-order modes in a coherent manner with a multiplied sweep range and rate. With such capability, only intermediate frequency LFS with smaller bandwidth is required to yield a broadband LFS while inheriting the coherence and precision from the comb. We achieve optical LFS of 60 GHz at 6 THz/s sweep rate with a nine-folded sweep bandwidth of the driving signal. Fourier transform-limited spatial resolution at more than 80 times of the intrinsic coherence length of the CW laser is demonstrated in an OFMCW interferometry, verifying the high coherence with more than 4 orders of magnitude improvement in spatial resolution. The characteristics in terms of agility, coherence, and precision are discussed together with the potential limitations. The proposed method is capable of generating arbitrary frequency-modulated optical waveforms with a multiplied bandwidth, showing attractive potential in future metrology applications.
FPGA-based digital chaotic anti-interference lidar system
Authors: Feng Liyan , Gao Huazheng , Zhang Jianxun , Yu Minghai , Chen Xianfeng , Hu Weisheng , Yi Lilin
Published: December 2020

We use the chaotic signal generated by a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to establish a digital chaotic pulse lidar system, which can achieve mid-range detection and high ranging accuracy without a complex optical structure. We employ the FPGA to generate random sequences with different modulation rates based on different chaotic iterative equations and initial values. By selecting the initial value and improved logistic equations, we successfully achieve centimeter-level ranging accuracy. Experiments have proved that the digital chaotic lidar system can effectively resist the interference of chaotic signals, square wave signals, and sine wave signals with modulation frequencies of 10 MHz, 100 MHz, 200 MHz, and 1 GHz, showing its strong anti-interference capability.
Astigmatic hybrid SU(2) vector vortex beams: towards versatile structures in longitudinally variant polarized optics
Authors: Wang Zhaoyang , Shen Yijie , Naidoo Darryl , Fu Xing , Forbes Andrew
Published: December 2020

Structured light with more controllable degrees-of-freedom (DoFs) is an exciting topic with versatile applications. In contrast to conventional vector vortex beams (VVBs) with two DoFs of orbital angular momentum (OAM) and polarization, a hybrid ray-wave structure was recently proposed [Optica 7, 820 (2020)10.1364/OPTICA.382994], which simultaneously manifests multiple DoFs such as ray trajectory, coherent state phase, trajectory combination, besides OAM and polarization. Here we further generalize this exotic structure as the astigmatic hybrid VVB by hatching a new DoF of astigmatic degree. Importantly, the transverse topology varies with propagation, e.g. a linearly distributed hybrid trajectory pattern can topologically evolve to a circularly polygonal star shape, where the number of singularity changes from zero to multiple in a single beam. The propagation-dependent evolution can be easily controlled by the astigmatic degree, including as a vector vortex state such that different astigmatic trajectories have different polarizations. We experimentally generate such beams from a simple laser with a special astigmatic conversion by combined spherical and cylindrical lenses, and the results agree well with our theoretical simulation. With our new structured light, the propagation-multiplexing multi-DoF patterns can be controlled in a single beam, which can largely extend related applications such as high-dimensional large-capacity optical communication, laser machining, and particle trapping.
Analog radio of fiber link of 2-Gbaud OOK/BPSK radio frequency-orbital angular momentum beam transmission over 19.4 km
Authors: Huang Shanguo , Song Xiyao , Gao Xinlu , Zheng Zhennan , Cao Zizheng , Ma Jingcan , Bai Yunping , Koonen A. M. J.
Published: December 2020

The 5G mobile communication system provides ultrareliable, low-latency communications at up to 10 Gbps. However, the scale and power consumption of 5G is tremendous owing to a large number of antenna drivers required by the massive multiple-input multiple-output technique. The 6G system will require an architectural paradigm shift to resolve this problem. In this study, we propose an analog RoF downlink scheme for 6G wireless communications. The upcoming oversized base station problem is solved using photonics techniques. The antennas are driven together within the optical domain at a centralized station. The proposed system uses orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams as the generated space-division-multiplexing beams. An RF-OAM beam has a weak coupling effect between different modes, which will dramatically decrease the complexity of the signal processing. In our proof-of-concept experiment, the generated RF-OAM beam was shown to carry a 2-Gbaud OOK/BPSK signal in the Ku-band. Signals were transmitted over a 19.4-km RoF link without dispersion-induced power fading. In addition, by switching the OAM beams, a two-dimensional direction scanning was achieved.
Ultrathin two-dimensional Fe-doped cobaltous oxide as a piezoelectric enhancement mechanism in quartz crystal tuning fork (QCTF) photodetectors
Authors: Zhou Sheng , Chen Kui , Xu Linguang , Yu Benli , Jiang Tongtong , Li Jingsong
Published: December 2020

An innovative ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) Fe-doped cobaltous oxide (Fe–CoO) coated quartz crystal tuning fork (QCTF) was introduced for the purpose of developing a low-cost photoelectric detector with a simple configuration. The enhancement mechanism of the piezoelectric signal in the ultrathin 2D Fe–CoO-coated QCTF detector is assumed to be the synergetic photocarrier transfer and photothermal effect of ultrathin 2D Fe–CoO. The ultrathin 2D nanosheet structure of Fe–CoO with a large specific surface area can efficiently absorb and convert light into heat in the QCTF, and the photocarrier transfer from the Fe–CoO nanosheet to the electrode of the QCTF contributes to the enhancement in electricity given the shortened diffusion distance of carriers to the surfaces of the 2D nanosheet. Finite element modeling was adopted to simulate the thermoelastic expansion and mechanical resonance of the QCTF with 2D Fe–CoO coating to support experimental results and analyses. Moreover, the effects of 2D Fe–CoO on the performance of QCTF-based photoelectric detectors were investigated. This Letter demonstrates that ultrathin 2D materials have great potential in applications such as costly and tiny QCTF detectors, light sensing, biomedical imaging, and spectroscopy.
Electronically controlled liquid crystal terahertz polarization manipulation under static magnetic field pre-anchoring
Authors: Xu Shi-Tong , Fan Fei , Chen Shu , Xing Yanzhao , Gao Yuebo , Li Huixin , Niu Guangcheng , Chang Sheng-Jiang
Published: December 2020

In this work, a new strategy was proposed for active control of mm-thick liquid crystals (LC) cell to realize the polarization manipulation in terahertz (THz) regime, which through the electric field control and static magnetic field pre-anchoring. The LC cell was fabricated by a nematic 5CB LC and two silica substrates that were coated with the graphite layer as the transparent electrode. Under the pre-anchoring of the static magnetic field, the optical axis of LC can be precisely controlled by the variable electric field. By using a THz-TDS with a wire grid polarizer, the output THz polarization from the LC cell can be deduced from the amplitude and phase shift of ±45° components. Here, we systematically analyzed three different outfield configurations. Only if the ±45° components that output from the polarizer have phase shifts, can the polarization state conversion be realized. The results show that the linear to circular or the cross-polarization conversion were realized under the specific electric field. This work provides a new approach for the thick-LC layer anchoring and orientation control, and also the tunable polarization manipulation of THz LC devices.
Infection-induced 5′-half molecules of tRNAHisGUG activate Toll-like receptor 7
Authors: Pawar Kamlesh , Shigematsu Megumi , Sharbati Soroush , Kirino Yohei
Published: December 2020

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a crucial role in the innate immune response. Although endosomal TLR7 recognizes single-stranded RNAs, their endogenous RNA ligands have not been fully explored. Here, we report 5′-tRNA half molecules as abundant activators of TLR7. Mycobacterial infection and accompanying surface TLR activation up-regulate the expression of 5′-tRNA half molecules in human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDMs). The abundant accumulation of 5′-tRNA halves also occur in HMDM-secreted extracellular vehicles (EVs); the abundance of EV-5′-tRNAHisGUGhalf molecules is >200-fold higher than that of the most abundant EV-microRNA (miRNA). Sequence identification of the 5′-tRNA halves using cP-RNA-seq revealed abundant and selective packaging of specific 5′-tRNA half species into EVs. The EV-5′-tRNAHisGUGhalf was experimentally demonstrated to be delivered into endosomes in recipient cells and to activate endosomal TLR7. Up-regulation of the 5′-tRNA half molecules was also observed in the plasma of patients infected withMycobacterium tuberculosis. These results unveil a novel tRNA-engaged pathway in the innate immune response and assign the role of “immune activators” to 5′-tRNA half molecules.
Permeability of the HIV-1 capsid to metabolites modulates viral DNA synthesis
Authors: Xu Chaoyi , Fischer Douglas K. , Rankovic Sanela , Li Wen , Dick Robert A. , Runge Brent , Zadorozhnyi Roman , Ahn Jinwoo , Aiken Christopher , Polenova Tatyana , Engelman Alan N. , Ambrose Zandrea , Rousso Itay , Perilla Juan R.
Published: December 2020

Reverse transcription, an essential event in the HIV-1 life cycle, requires deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs) to fuel DNA synthesis, thus requiring penetration of dNTPs into the viral capsid. The central cavity of the capsid protein (CA) hexamer reveals itself as a plausible channel that allows the passage of dNTPs into assembled capsids. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism of nucleotide import into the capsid remains unknown. Employing all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we established that cooperative binding between nucleotides inside a CA hexamer cavity results in energetically favorable conditions for passive translocation of dNTPs into the HIV-1 capsid. Furthermore, binding of the host cell metabolite inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) enhances dNTP import, while binding of synthesized molecules like benzenehexacarboxylic acid (BHC) inhibits it. The enhancing effect on reverse transcription by IP6and the consequences of interactions between CA and nucleotides were corroborated using atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and virological assays. Collectively, our results provide an atomistic description of the permeability of the HIV-1 capsid to small molecules and reveal a novel mechanism for the involvement of metabolites in HIV-1 capsid stabilization, nucleotide import, and reverse transcription.
Recombination events are concentrated in the spike protein region of Betacoronaviruses
Authors: Bobay Louis-Marie , O’Donnell Angela C. , Ochman Howard
Published: December 2020

The Betacoronaviruses comprise multiple subgenera whose members have been implicated in human disease. As with SARS, MERS and now SARS-CoV-2, the origin and emergence of new variants are often attributed to events of recombination that alter host tropism or disease severity. In most cases, recombination has been detected by searches for excessively similar genomic regions in divergent strains; however, such analyses are complicated by the high mutation rates of RNA viruses, which can produce sequence similarities in distant strains by convergent mutations. By applying a genome-wide approach that examines the source of individual polymorphisms and that can be tested against null models in which recombination is absent and homoplasies can arise only by convergent mutations, we examine the extent and limits of recombination in Betacoronaviruses. We find that recombination accounts for nearly 40% of the polymorphisms circulating in populations and that gene exchange occurs almost exclusively among strains belonging to the same subgenus. Although experimental studies have shown that recombinational exchanges occur at random along the coronaviral genome, in nature, they are vastly overrepresented in regions controlling viral interaction with host cells.
Zika and dengue but not chikungunya are associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome in Mexico: A case-control study
Authors: Grijalva Israel , Grajales-Muñiz Concepción , González-Bonilla César , Borja-Aburto Victor Hugo , Paredes-Cruz Martín , Guerrero-Cantera José , González-Ibarra Joaquín , Vallejos-Parás Alfonso , Rojas-Mendoza Teresita , Santacruz-Tinoco Clara Esperanza , Hernández-Bautista Porfirio , Arriaga-Nieto Lumumba , Garza-Sagástegui Ma Guadalupe , Vargas-Ramos Ignacio , Sepúlveda-Núñez Ana , Campos-Villarreal Omar Israel , Corrales-Pérez Roberto , Azuara-Castillo Mallela , Sierra-González Elsa , Meza-Medina José Alfonso , Martínez-Miguel Bernardo , López-Becerril Gabriela , Ramos-Orozco Jessica , Muñoz-Guerrero Tomás , Gutiérrez-Lozano María Soledad , Cervantes-Ocampo Arlette Areli
Published: December 2020

Background

Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses (ZIKV, CHIKV and DENV) are temporally associated with neurological diseases, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Because these three arboviruses coexist in Mexico, the frequency and severity of GBS could theoretically increase. This study aims to determine the association between these arboviruses and GBS in a Mexican population and to establish the clinical characteristics of the patients, including the severity of the infection.

A case-control study was conducted (2016/07/01-2018/06/30) in Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (Mexican Social Security Institute) hospitals, using serum and urine samples that were collected to determine exposure to ZIKV, DENV, CHIKV by RT-qPCR and serology (IgM). For the categorical variables analysis, Pearson’s χ2 or Fisher exact tests were used, and the Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables. To determine the association of GBS and viral infection diagnosis through laboratory and symptomatology before admission, we calculated the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) using a 2x2 contingency table. A p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered as significant. Ninety-seven GBS cases and 184 controls were included. The association of GBS with ZIKV acute infection (OR, 8.04; 95% CI, 0.89–73.01, p = 0.047), as well as laboratory evidence of ZIKV infection (OR, 16.45; 95% CI, 2.03–133.56; p = 0.001) or Flavivirus (ZIKV and DENV) infection (OR, 6.35; 95% CI, 1.99–20.28; p = 0.001) was observed. Cases of GBS associated with ZIKV demonstrated a greater impairment of functional status and a higher percentage of mechanical ventilation. According to laboratory results, an association between ZIKV or ZIKV and DENV infection in patients with GBS was found. Cases of GBS associated with ZIKV exhibited a more severe clinical picture. Cases with co-infection were not found.
Livestock grazing is associated with seasonal reduction in pollinator biodiversity and functional dispersion but cheatgrass invasion is not: Variation in bee assemblages in a multi-use shortgrass prairie
Authors: Thapa-Magar Khum Bahadur , Davis Thomas Seth , Kondratieff Boris
Published: December 2020

Livestock grazing and non-native plant species affect rangeland habitats globally. These factors may have important effects on ecosystem services including pollination, yet, interactions between pollinators, grazing, and invasive plants are poorly understood. To address this, we tested the hypothesis that cattle grazing and site colonization by cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) impact bee foraging and nesting habitats, and the biodiversity of wild bee communities, in a shortgrass prairie system. Bee nesting habitats (litter and wood cover) were marginally improved in non-grazed sites with low cheatgrass cover, though foraging habitat (floral cover and richness, bare soil) did not differ among cattle-grazed sites or non-grazed sites with low or high cheatgrass cover. However, floral cover was a good predictor of bee abundance and functional dispersion. Mean bee abundance, richness, diversity and functional diversity were significantly lower in cattle-grazed habitats than in non-grazed habitats. Differences in bee diversity among habitats were pronounced early in the growing season (May) but by late-season (August) these differences eroded asMelissodesspp. andBombusspp. became more abundant at study sites. Fourth-corner analysis revealed that sites with high floral cover tended to support large, social, polylectic bees; sites with high grass cover tended to support oligolectic solitary bees. Both cattle-grazed sites and sites with high cheatgrass cover were associated with lower abundances of above-ground nesting bees but higher abundance of below-ground nesters than non-grazed sites with low cheatgrass cover. We conclude that high cheatgrass cover is not associated with reduced bee biodiversity or abundance, but cattle grazing was negatively associated with bee abundances and altered species composition. Although floral cover is an important predictor of bee assemblages, this was not impacted by cattle grazing and our study suggests that cattle likely impact bee communities through effects other than those mediated by forbs, including soil disturbance or nest destruction. Efforts aimed at pollinator conservation in prairie habitats should focus on managing cattle impacts early in the growing season to benefit sensitive bee species.
Population dynamics and species composition of maize field parasitoids attacking aphids in northeastern China
Authors: Zhang Ying , Zhao Min-chi , Cheng Jia , Liu Shuo , Yuan Hai-bin
Published: December 2020

Maize, Zea mays L., is the most abundant field crop in China. Aphids are the most economically damaging pest on maize, particularly in the maize agri-ecosystems of Jilin Province, northeastern China. Parasitic wasps are important natural enemies of aphids, but limited information exists about their species composition, richness and seasonal dynamics in northeastern China. In this study, the population dynamics of maize aphids and parasitoid wasps were assessed in relation to each other during the summer seasons of two consecutive years, 2018 and 2019. We selected maize fields in the Changchun, Songyuan, Huinan and Gongzhuling areas of Jilin Province. Four species of aphids were recorded from these maize fields: Rhopalosiphum padi (L), Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch), Aphis gossypii Glover and Macrosiphum miscanthi (Takahashi). The dominant species in each of the four areas were R. maids (Filch) and R. padi in Changchun, R. padi in Songyuan, A. gossypii and R. padi in Huinan, and A.gossypii and R. padi in Gongzhuling. We delineated a species complex made up of primary parasitoids and hyperparasitoids associated with maize aphids. The primary parasitoids Lysiphlebus testaceipes, Binodoxys communis and Aphelinus albipodus together formed approximately 85.3% of the parasitoid complex. Pachyneuron aphidis, Phaenoglyphis villosa, Syrphophagus taeniatus and Asaphes suspensus made up the hyperparasitoids. Of the primary parasitoids, L. testaceipes was the dominant species (81.31%). Of the hyperparasitoid group, P. villosa was the dominant species (68.42%). Parasitism rates followed the fluctuation of the aphid population. The highest parasitic rate was observed during the peak period of cotton aphids. In this paper, the occurrence dynamics and dominant species of aphids and the dynamics of parasitic natural enemies of aphids in maize fields in Jilin Province are, for the first time, systematically reported. This study provides important information for the establishment and promotion of aphid biological control in maize fields.
Effectiveness of strip footing with geogrid reinforcement for different types of soils in Mosul, Iraq
Authors: Hasan Noor Ibrahim , Mohd Taib Aizat , Muhammad Nur Shazwani , Mat Yazid Muhamad Razuhanafi , Mutalib Azrul A. , Abang Hasbollah Dayang Zulaika
Published: December 2020

The main cause of problematic soil failure under a certain load is due to low bearing capacity and excessive settlement. With a growing interest in employing shallow foundation to support heavy structures, it is important to study the soil improvement techniques. The technique of using geosynthetic reinforcement is commonly applied over the last few decades. This paper aims to determine the effect of using geogrid Tensar BX1500 on the bearing capacity and settlement of strip footing for different types of soils, namely Al-Hamedat, Ba’shiqah, and Al-Rashidia in Mosul, Iraq. The analysis of reinforced and unreinforced soil foundations was conducted numerically and analytically. A series of conditions were tested by varying the number (N) and the width (b) of the geogrid layers. The results showed that the geogrid could improve the footing’s bearing capacity and reduce settlement. The soil of the Al-Rashidia site was sandy and indicated better improvement than the other two sites’ soils (clayey soils). The optimum geogrid width (b) was five times the footing width (B), while no optimum geogrid number (N) was obtained. Finally, the numerical results of the ultimate bearing capacity were compared with the analytical results, and the comparison showed good agreement between both the analyses and the optimum range published in the literature. The significant findings reveal that the geogrid reinforcement may induce improvement to the soil foundation, however, not directly subject to the width and number of the geogrid alone. The varying soil properties and footing size also contribute to both BCR and SRR values supported by the improvement factor calculations. Hence, the output complemented the benefit of applying reinforced soil foundations effectively.
Geographical distribution of Enterobacterales with a carbapenemase IMP-6 phenotype and its association with antimicrobial use: An analysis using comprehensive national surveillance data on antimicrobial resistance
Authors: Hirabayashi Aki , Yahara Koji , Kajihara Toshiki , Sugai Motoyuki , Shibayama Keigo
Published: December 2020

Enterobacterales resistant to carbapenems, a class of last-resort antimicrobials, are ranked as an “urgent” and “critical” public health hazard by CDC and WHO. IMP-type carbapenemase-containing Enterobacterales are endemic in Japan, and blaIMP-6 is one of the notable carbapenemase genes responsible for the resistance. The gene is plasmid-encoded and confers resistance to meropenem, but not to imipenem. Therefore, IMP-6-producing Enterobacterales isolates are occasionally overlooked in clinical laboratories and are referred to as ‘stealth-type’. Since previous reports in Japan were confined only to some geographical regions, their distribution across prefectures and the factors affecting the distribution remain unclear. Here, we revealed the dynamics of the geographical distribution of Enterobacterales with IMP-6 phenotype associated with antimicrobial use in Japan. We utilized comprehensive national surveillance data of all routine bacteriological test results from more than 1,400 hospitals in 2015 and 2016 to enumerate Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates with the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern (phenotype) characteristic of IMP-6 (imipenem susceptible, meropenem resistant), and to tabulate the frequency of isolates with the phenotype for each prefecture. Isolates were detected in approximately half of all prefectures, and combined analysis with the national data of antimicrobial usage revealed a statistically significant association between the frequency and usage of not carbapenems but third-generation cephalosporins (p = 0.006, logistic mixed-effect regression) and a weaker association between the frequency and usage of fluoroquinolones (p = 0.043). The usage of third-generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones may select the strains with the IMP-6 phenotype, and contribute to their occasional spread. We expect the findings will promote antimicrobial stewardship to reduce the spread of the notable carbapenemase gene.
Cyberchondria in the age of COVID-19
Authors: Jokic-Begic Natasa , Lauri Korajlija Anita , Mikac Una
Published: December 2020

The global epidemic of (mis)information, spreading rapidly via social media platforms and other outlets, can be a risk factor for the development of anxiety disorders among vulnerable individuals. Cyberchondria can be a vulnerability factor for developing anxiety in a pandemic situation, particularly when the Internet is flooded with (mis)information. The aim of our study was to examine how cyberchondria is related to changes in levels of COVID-19 concern and safety behaviours among persons living in Croatia during the period in which the first COVID-19 case was identified and when the country recorded its first fatality. Repeated cross-sectional data collection was conducted during two waves over a period of three weeks (N1 = 888; N2 = 966). The first began on the day of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Croatia (February 24th, 2020) and the second wave began three weeks later, on the day the first COVID-19 fatality was recorded in Croatia (March 19th, 2020). Participants completed an online questionnaire regarding various COVID-19 concerns and safety behaviours aimed at disease prevention (information seeking, avoidance and hygiene) and a measure of cyberchondria (Short Cyberchondria Scale, SCS). We analysed whether changes to the epidemiological situation during the period between the two waves of data collection led to an increase in COVID-19 related behaviour directly and indirectly via an increase in COVID-19 concerns. The results indicated that, between the two waves of research, there was a pronounced increase in concerns regarding COVID-19 (b = 1.11, p < .001) as well as significant behavioural changes (b = 1.18–2.34, p < .001). Also, results demonstrated that cyberchondria plays a moderating role in these changes. In the first wave, persons with severe cyberchondria were already intensely concerned with safety behaviours. High cyberchondria and high levels of concern about the COVID-19 are associated with intense avoidance behaviours, R2 = .63, p < .001. A moderated partial mediation model was confirmed, in which the effect of the epidemiological situation was weaker for those with higher results on the SCS (as indicated by index of moderated mediation between -.10 and -.15, p < .05). As such, cyberchondria is a contributing factor to long-term anxiety and its impact during pandemic on the general mental health burden should therefore be further investigated.