bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transparent conducting oxides: from all-dielectric plasmonics to a new paradigm in integrated photonics
Authors: Jaffray Wallace , Saha Soham , Shalaev Vladimir M. , Boltasseva Alexandra , Ferrera Marcello
Published: March 2022

During the past few years, the optics and photonics communities have
renewed their attention toward transparent conducting oxides (TCOs),
which for over two decades have been broadly employed for the
fabrication of transparent electrodes in photovoltaic and
communication technologies. This reinvigorated research curiosity is
twofold: on the one hand, TCOs, with their metal-like properties, low
optical absorption, and fabrication flexibility, represent an
appealing alternative to noble metals for designing ultra-compact
plasmonic devices. On the other hand, this class of hybrid compounds
has been proved to possess exceptionally high optical nonlinearities
when operating on a frequency window centered around their crossover
point, the wavelength point at which the real part of the dielectric
permittivity switches sign. Because TCOs are wide-bandgap materials
with the Fermi level located in the conduction band, they are hybrid
in nature, thus presenting both interband and intraband
nonlinearities. This is the cause of a very rich nonlinear physics
that is yet to be fully understood and explored. In addition to this,
TCOs are epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) materials within a broad
near-infrared spectral range, including the entire telecom bandwidth.
In this operational window a myriad of novel electromagnetic phenomena
have been demonstrated experimentally such as supercoupling, wavefront
freezing, and photon doping. Furthermore, TCOs stand out among all
other ENZ systems due to one fundamental characteristic, which is
hardly attainable even by using structured materials. In fact, around
their ENZ wavelength and for a quite generous operational range, these
materials can be engineered to have an extremely small real index.
This peculiarity leads to a slow-light effect that is ultimately
responsible for a significant enhancement of the material nonlinear
properties and is the cornerstone of the emerging field of
near-zero-index photonics. In this regard, the recent history of
nonlinear optics in conductive oxides is growing extremely fast due to
a great number of experiments reporting unprecedentedly remarkable
effects, including unitary index change, bandwidth-large frequency
shift, efficient ultra-low-power frequency conversion, and many
others. This review is meant to guide the reader through the exciting
journey of TCOs, starting as an industrial material for transparent
electrodes, then becoming a new alternative for low-loss plasmonics,
and recently opening up new frontiers in integrated nonlinear optics.
The present review is mainly focused on experimental observations.
Estimating optical parameters of biological tissues with photon-counting micro-CT
Authors: Cong Wenxiang , Li Mengzhou , Guo Xiaodong , Wang Ge
Published: March 2022

Wavelength-dependent absorption and scattering properties determine the fluorescence photon transport in biological tissues and image resolution of optical molecular tomography. Currently, these parameters are computed from optically measured data. For small animal imaging, estimation of optical parameters is a large-scale optimization problem, which is highly ill-posed. In this paper, we propose a new, to the best of our knowledge, approach to estimate optical parameters of biological tissues with photon-counting micro–computed tomography (micro-CT). From photon-counting x-ray data, multi-energy micro-CT images can be reconstructed to perform multi-organ segmentation and material decomposition in terms of tissue constituents. The concentration and characteristics of major tissue constituents can be utilized to calculate the optical absorption and scattering coefficients of the involved tissues. In our study, we perform numerical simulation, phantom experiments, and in vivo animal studies to calculate the optical parameters using our proposed approach. The results show that our approach can estimate optical parameters of tissues with a relative error of

<

10

%

, accurately mapping the optical parameter distributions in a small animal.
Bragg grating sensor for refractive index based on a D-shaped circular photonic crystal fiber
Authors: Wei Na , Xu Piaorong , Yao Ye , Li Jianbo , Liu Exian , Luo Jianhua
Published: March 2022

In this paper, a silica-based D-shaped circular photonic crystal fiber Bragg grating sensor for refractive index sensing is proposed theoretically. D-shaped fiber construction can effectively enhance the coupling effect between the guiding mode and external liquid analyte, which then causes a distinct shift in the typical reflection spectrum as the refractive index of the analyte varies. This design exhibits highly improved sensitivity of 487 nm/RIU in a large refractive index range from 1.30 to 1.40 compared with the previous fiber grating sensors. Study of the dependence of sensing performance on the structure parameters suggests that the resonance peak shifts towards longer wavelengths with the increased air-hole diameter of fiber, while it is almost immobile as the hole spacing and the number of air-hole layers change in a certain range. For the influence of the Bragg grating structure, results show that the resonance peak is not sensitive to the grating length, but linearly increases as the grating period expands. The effects of polishing depth and fiber preparation error on the sensor are also discussed in detail. This high-sensitivity sensor based on a D-shaped photonic crystal fiber and Bragg grating has great potential in biochemical detection, environmental monitoring, and medical sensing.
Generalized normal mode expansion method for open and lossy periodic structures
Authors: Rao Sravya , Le Saux Guillaume , Sivan Yonatan , Chen Parry Y.
Published: March 2022

We describe and demonstrate the extension of permittivity mode expansion, which is also know as generalized normal mode expansion (GENOME), to open and lossy periodic structures. The resulting expansion gives a complete spatial characterization of any open periodic structure, via the quasi-periodic Green’s tensor, by a complete, discrete set of modes rather than a continuum. The method has been validated by comparing our expansion of an open waveguide array with a direct scattering calculation. Good agreement was obtained regardless of the source location or detuning from resonance.
Dual-insensitive zero refraction based on annular photonic crystals
Authors: Wu Jingren , He Weiji , Chen Qian , Jiang Liyong
Published: March 2022

Over the past few years, zero refraction (ZR) represents an important breakthrough in field of distinctive dynamic optical beam tuning for double-zero-index (media with zero relative permittivity and permeability) photonic crystals (PCs). Because accidental ZR effects for conventional PCs is sensitive to the structural or refractive index parameters, how to enhance the robustness of ZR design is vital for applications. Here, we report a pioneering wave property that reveals a non-accidental Dirac-like cone dispersion composed of low- or high-energy bands, corresponding to dual-insensitive ZR effects for both transverse magnetic and transverse electric polarizations based on the same annular PCs. The performance of non-accidental ZR is simultaneously based on refractive index-insensitivity and structural- insensitivity, attributed to a satisfactory filling ratio.
Luminance enhancement of top-emitting blue organic light emitting diodes encapsulated with silicon nitride thin films by a double-layer nano-structure
Authors: Cho Doo-Hee , Park Young-Sam , Choi Sukyung , Cho Hyunsu , Kwon Byoung-Hwa , Shin Jin-Wook , Cho Nam Sung
Published: March 2022

Even though it is in high demand to introduce a nano-structure (NS) light extraction technology on a silicon nitride to be used as a thin film encapsulation material for an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), only an industry-incompatible wet method has been reported. This work demonstrates a double-layer NS fabrication on the silicon nitride using a two-step organic vapor phase deposition (OVPD) of an industry-compatible dry process. The NS showed a wrinkle-like shape caused by coalescence of the nano-lenses. The NS integrated top-emitting OLED revealed 40 percent enhancement of current efficiency and improvement of the luminance distribution and color change according to viewing angle.
Long seed, short pump: converting Yb-doped laser radiation to multi-µJ few-cycle pulses tunable through 2.5–15 µm
Authors: Budriūnas Rimantas , Jurkus Karolis , Vengris Mikas , Varanavičius Arūnas
Published: March 2022

We present a setup for generating broadband (up to 1050 cm−1) and broadly tunable (2.5-15 µm) mid-infrared pulses using an Yb-doped femtosecond laser as the pump source. Our scheme, comprising two parametric amplifiers and a mixing stage, exploits favorable group velocity matching conditions in GaSe pumped at 2 µm to directly produce sub-70 fs pulses throughout the tuning range without any additional dispersion compensation, while 30–50 fs pulse durations are achieved with simple dispersion compensation by propagation through thin bulk media. The generated pulses have sub-1% short- and long-term energy noise, as well as stable spectral parameters, while delivering 0.5–2 W average mid-IR power. We expect the source to be useful for various spectroscopic applications in the mid-IR.
High power ultralow-intensity noise continuous wave laser tunable from orange to red
Authors: Darwich Dia , Prakash Roopa , Dixneuf Clément , Bardin Yves-Vincent , Goeppner Mathieu , Guiraud Germain , Traynor Nicholas , Santarelli Giorgio , Hilico Adèle
Published: March 2022

We report here on the development of a multi-Watt power tunable single frequency ultra-low noise laser system emitting around 620 nm. More than 5 W of output power is obtained between 616.5 nm and 630.8 nm using sum frequency generation of 1050 nm and 1550 nm tunable laser sources in a periodic poled lithium niobate crystal. The tunability is achieved through temperature and channel shift, and only limited by the crystal characteristics. An output power of 10.1 W and an optical-optical efficiency of 45% are reached at 624.5 nm. The relative intensity noise properties of the conversion process have been experimentally investigated in different configurations showing excellent agreement with the analytical prediction.
Flipped superposed constellation design for MIMO visible-light communication systems
Authors: Guo Xinyue , Yuan Yuansha , Zhao Yiheng , Chi Nan
Published: March 2022

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) visible-light communication (VLC) systems based on the concept of superposed constellation have attracted increasing attention because multiplexing gains can be achieved even in a highly correlated MIMO channel. In this paper, a novel superposed constellation scheme is proposed for 2×2 MIMO VLC systems, where a 2
n
-order quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signal is obtained by superposing 4QAM and processed 2
n
−2-order QAM signals. Based on the original 2
n
−2-order QAM signal, the processed signal is generated by adding an optimal offset, power normalization, and flipping according to the value of the 4QAM signal. Thus, the required power ratio between the two superposed signals is equal to 1, which not only avoids the power competition in the receiver, but also reduces the risk of the nonlinear distortion of the light-emitting diode at the transmitter. Moreover, benefitting from the flipped superposition method, two additional performance gains are provided. First, thorough Gray coding can be achieved. Second, the received power can be improved because the two transmitted signals are correlated. An algorithm for solving the optimal offset is proposed based on the target of the equal power ratio, and the expression of the received power is derived as well. Then, the performance of the proposed scheme is investigated using detailed simulations in an additive white Gaussian noise channel, where the superposed 64QAM constellation is assumed as an example. Further, we perform an experimental demonstration and examine the performance of the proposed system when a practical optical channel is considered, where nonideal impacts, such as nonlinearity and power competition, may occur. The experimental results confirm that the proposed scheme achieves a lower bit error rate (BER) and a larger dynamic range of driving peak-to-peak voltage compared with the existing superposed constellation schemes. Considering the 7% pre-forward error correction BER threshold of 3.8 × 10−3, the proposed superposed 64QAM constellation system can achieve a maximum transmission rate of 3 Gb/s.
Microfiber-directed reversible assembly of Au nanoparticles for SERS detection of pollutants
Authors: Xu Yu , Zhong Huiqing , Shi Meng , Zheng Zhidong , Liu Shaojing , Shou Qian , Li Heng , Yang Guanjie , Li Zongbao , Xing Xiaobo
Published: March 2022

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy has attracted tremendous interest as a highly sensitive label-free tool to detect pollutants in aqueous environments. However, the high cost and poor reusability of conventional SERS substrates restrict their further applications in rapid and reproducible pollutant detection. Here, we report a reliable optical manipulation method to achieve rapid photothermal self-assembly of Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) in water within 30 s by a tapered optical fiber, which is utilized for highly sensitive SERS substrate preparation. The results show that the SERS substrate achieves low detection limits of 10−9 mol/L with an enhancement factor (EF) of 106 for chemical pollutants solutions, including thiram, pyrene, and rhodamine 6G. The SERS enhancement effect based on assembled AuNPs was more than 20 times that based on a gold colloid solution. As a result, the smart reversible assembly of AuNPs exhibits switchable plasmonic coupling for tuning SERS activity, which is promising for the application of SERS-based sensors and environmental pollutant detection.
High-speed infrared photonic band microscope using hyperspectral Fourier image spectroscopy
Authors: Amemiya Tomohiro , Okada Sho , Kagami Hibiki , Nishiyama Nobuhiko , Yao Yuanzhao , Sakoda Kazuaki , Hu Xiao
Published: March 2022

In this study, we developed a photonic band microscope based on hyperspectral Fourier image spectroscopy. The developed device constructs an infrared photonic band structure from Fourier images for various wavelength obtained by hyperspectral imaging, which make it possible to speedily measure the dispersion characteristics of photonic nanostructures. By applying the developed device to typical photonic crystals and topological photonic crystals, we succeeded in obtaining band structures in good agreement with the theoretical prediction calculated by the finite element method. This device facilitates the evaluation of physical properties in various photonic nanostructures, and is expected to further promote related fields.
Quantum coherence of an orbital angular momentum multiplexed continuous-variable entangled state
Authors: Wen Hong , Zeng Li , Ma Rong , Kang Haijun , Liu Jun , Qin Zhongzhong , Su Xiaolong
Published: March 2022

Orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexed entangled state is an important quantum resource for high dimensional quantum information processing. In this paper, we experimentally quantify quantum coherence of OAM multiplexed continuous-variable (CV) entangled state and characterize its evolution in a noisy environment. We show that the quantum coherence of the OAM multiplexed CV entangled state carrying topological charges l = 1 and l = 2 are the same as that of the Gaussian mode with l = 0 in a noisy channel. Furthermore, we show that the quantum coherence of OAM multiplexed entangled state is robust to noise, even though the sudden death of entanglement is observed. Our results provide reference for applying quantum coherence of OAM multiplexed CV entangled state in a noisy environment.
Recommendations for daytime, evening, and nighttime indoor light exposure to best support physiology, sleep, and wakefulness in healthy adults
Authors: Brown Timothy M. , Brainard George C. , Cajochen Christian , Czeisler Charles A. , Hanifin John P. , Lockley Steven W. , Lucas Robert J. , Münch Mirjam , O’Hagan John B. , Peirson Stuart N. , Price Luke L. A. , Roenneberg Till , Schlangen Luc J. M. , Skene Debra J. , Spitschan Manuel , Vetter Céline , Zee Phyllis C. , Wright Kenneth P.
Published: March 2022

Ocular light exposure has important influences on human health and well-being through modulation of circadian rhythms and sleep, as well as neuroendocrine and cognitive functions. Prevailing patterns of light exposure do not optimally engage these actions for many individuals, but advances in our understanding of the underpinning mechanisms and emerging lighting technologies now present opportunities to adjust lighting to promote optimal physical and mental health and performance. A newly developed, international standard provides a SI-compliant way of quantifying the influence of light on the intrinsically photosensitive, melanopsin-expressing, retinal neurons that mediate these effects. The present report provides recommendations for lighting, based on an expert scientific consensus and expressed in an easily measured quantity (melanopic equivalent daylight illuminance (melaponic EDI)) defined within this standard. The recommendations are supported by detailed analysis of the sensitivity of human circadian, neuroendocrine, and alerting responses to ocular light and provide a straightforward framework to inform lighting design and practice.
Dietary choline in gonadectomized kittens improved food intake and body composition but not satiety, serum lipids, or energy expenditure
Authors: Godfrey Hannah , Rankovic Alexandra , Grant Caitlin E. , Shoveller Anna Kate , Bakovic Marica , Abood Sarah K. , Verbrugghe Adronie
Published: March 2022

Gonadectomy is a major risk factor for feline obesity. The lipotropic effects of choline have demonstrated benefits for growth and carcass composition in livestock. The consumption of supplemental choline on body weight (BW), body composition, lipid metabolism, energy expenditure (EE), and serum satiety hormones were evaluated in 15 gonadectomized male kittens. Kittens were offered a base diet formulated for growth (3310mg choline/kg dry matter [DM]) to daily energy requirements (DER) over an 11-week acclimation. Post-gonadectomy, kittens were assigned to a base diet (CONTROL, n = 7) or choline group (base diet with additional choline at 300mg/kg BW0.75as a top dress) (CHOLINE, n = 8). For 12-weeks post-neuter, kittens were offered three times their DER over three meals to mimicad libitumfeeding. At week -1 and 12, body composition was assessed using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), 24-hour indirect calorimetry was performed for EE and respiratory quotients (RQ), and fasted serum samples were analyzed for lipid compounds and satiety hormones. Daily food intake (FI) and weekly BW were measured. Data was analyzed as a repeated measures of variance (ANCOVA) using the GLIMMIX procedure with time and group as fixed effects. CHOLINE had lower mean daily FI and lower rates of BW accretion (P<0.05) in contrast to CONTROL. All absolute body composition data increased over time for both groups, with lower increases in total tissue mass (P = 0.031) and fat mass (P = 0.005) in CHOLINE. Serum satiety hormones and lipid compounds did not differ (P>0.05) between groups, but both groups experienced a decrease in low-density lipoproteins and increase in high-density lipoproteins (P<0.05). Primary substrate utilization showed lipid use when fasted and use of protein or mixed macronutrients in the fed state. Fed state EE decreased post-gonadectomy (P = 0.004), however, CHOLINE did not affect total EE or RQ. These results suggest that supplemental dietary choline reduces FI, BW, and fat mass and may help to reduce the propensity of weight gain and subsequent obesity in gonadectomized feline populations.
SerumCovid database: Description and preliminary analysis of serological COVID-19 diagnosis in healthcare workers
Authors: Lins Isis Didier , Raupp Leonardo Streck , Maior Caio Bezerra Souto , de Barros Felipe Felipe Cavalcanti , Moura Márcio José das Chagas , de Santana João Mateus Marques , dos Santos Alexsandro , Victor de Arruda Freitas Marcelo , Silva Ramon Nascimento , Henrique da Conceição Ewerton , Ferraz José Cândido , Araújo Alice , Fernandes Mariana , Gomes Ana Lisa
Published: March 2022

Serological databases represent an important source of information to perceive COVID-19 impact on health professionals involved in combating the disease. This paper describesSerumCovid, a COVID-19 serological database focused on the diagnosis of health professionals, providing a preliminary analysis to contribute to the understanding of the antibody response to the SARS-CoV-2. The study population comprises 321 samples from 236 healthcare and frontline workers fighting COVID-19 in Vitória de Santo Antão, Brazil. Samples were collected from at least six days of symptoms to more than 100 days. The used immunoenzymatic assays were Euroimmun Anti-SARS-CoV-2 ELISA IgG and IgA. The most common gender inSerumCovidis female, while the most common age group is between 30 and 39 years old. However, no statistical differences were observed in either genders or age categories. The most reported symptoms were fatigue, headaches, and myalgia. Still, some subjects presented positive results for IgA after 130 days. Based on a temporal analysis, we have not identified general patterns as subjects presented high and low values of IgA and IgG with different evolution trends. Unexpectedly, for subjects with both serological tests, the outcome of IgA and IgG tests were the same (either positive or negative) for more than 80% of the samples. Therefore,SerumCovidhelps better understand how COVID-19 affected healthcare and frontline workers, which increases knowledge about the infection and enables direct prevention actions.
STA-TSN: Spatial-Temporal Attention Temporal Segment Network for action recognition in video
Authors: Yang Guoan , Yang Yong , Lu Zhengzhi , Yang Junjie , Liu Deyang , Zhou Chuanbo , Fan Zien
Published: March 2022

Most deep learning-based action recognition models focus only on short-term motions, so the model often causes misjudgments of actions that are combined by multiple processes, such as long jump, high jump, etc. The proposal of Temporal Segment Networks (TSN) enables the network to capture long-term information in the video, but ignores that some unrelated frames or areas in the video can also cause great interference to action recognition. To solve this problem, a soft attention mechanism is introduced in TSN and a Spatial-Temporal Attention Temporal Segment Networks (STA-TSN), which retains the ability to capture long-term information and enables the network to adaptively focus on key features in space and time, is proposed. First, a multi-scale spatial focus feature enhancement strategy is proposed to fuse original convolution features with multi-scale spatial focus features obtained through a soft attention mechanism with spatial pyramid pooling. Second, a deep learning-based key frames exploration module, which utilizes a soft attention mechanism based on Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) to adaptively learn temporal attention weights, is designed. Third, a temporal-attention regularization is developed to guide our STA-TSN to better realize the exploration of key frames. Finally, the experimental results show that our proposed STA-TSN outperforms TSN in the four public datasets UCF101, HMDB51, JHMDB and THUMOS14, as well as achieves state-of-the-art results.
Linking robust spatiotemporal datasets to assess and monitor habitat attributes of a threatened species
Authors: Witt Chris , Davis Raymond J. , Yang Zhiqiang , Ganey Joseph L. , Gutiérrez R. J. , Healey Sean , Hedwall Shaula , Hoagland Serra , Maes Ron , Malcolm Karl , Sanderlin Jamie , Seamans Mark , Jones Gavin M.
Published: March 2022

Accessibility of multispectral, multitemporal imagery combined with recent advances in cloud computing and machine learning approaches have enhanced our ability to model habitat characteristics across broad spatial and temporal scales. We integrated a large dataset of known nest and roost sites of a threatened species, the Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida), in the southwestern USA with Landsat imagery processed using the Continuous Change Detection and Classification (CCDC) time series algorithm on Google Earth Engine. We then used maximum entropy modeling (Maxent) to classify the landscape into four ‘spectral similarity’ classes that reflected the degree to which 30-m pixels contained a multispectral signature similar to that found at known owl nest/roost sites and mapped spectral similarity classes from 1986–2020. For map interpretation, we used nationally consistent forest inventory data to evaluate the structural and compositional characteristics of each spectral similarity class. We found a monotonic increase of structural characteristics typically associated with owl nesting and roosting over classes of increasing similarity, with the ‘very similar’ class meeting or exceeding published minimum desired management conditions for owl nesting and roosting. We also found an increased rate of loss of forest vegetation typical of owl nesting and roosting since the beginning of the 21st century that can be partly attributed to increased frequency and extent of large (≥400 ha) wildfires. This loss resulted in a 38% reduction over the 35-year study period in forest vegetation most similar to that used for owl nesting and roosting. Our modelling approach using cloud computing with time series of Landsat imagery provided a cost-effective tool for landscape-scale, multidecadal monitoring of vegetative components of a threatened species’ habitat. Our approach could be used to monitor trends in the vegetation favored by any other species, provided that high-quality location data such as we presented here are available.
Outcomes of implementation of the FilmArray meningoencephalitis panel in a tertiary hospital between 2017 and 2020
Authors: Teoh TeeKeat , Powell James , O’Keeffe Jillian , Donlon Eoghan , Dillon Lisa , Lenihan Marie , Mostyn Amanda , Power Lorraine , Boers Peter , Stapleton Patrick J. , O’Connell Nuala H. , Dunne Colum P.
Published: March 2022

Background

Acute meningoencephalitis is encountered commonly in the acute hospital setting and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, in addition to significant healthcare costs. Multiplex PCR panels now allow syndromic testing for central nervous system infection. The BioFire® FilmArray® Meningoencephalitis (ME) allows testing of 14 target pathogens using only 0.2mls of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We conducted a retrospective observational study to assess the performance of the assay and secondarily to observe the clinical utility of negative results by comparing clinical outcomes of aseptic meningitis to bacterial and viral meningoencephalitis.

Methods

Data for CSF samples tested using the FilmArray ME panel from October 2017 to October 2020 were analysed. Detection of bacterial and viral targets was analysed. Admission to critical care area, 90-day readmission rates, average length of stay and 30-day and 90-day mortality were analysed for three groups with following diagnoses: bacterial meningitis, viral meningoencephalitis, or aseptic meningitis.

Results

From October 2017 to October 2020, 1926 CSF samples were received in the Clinical Microbiology laboratory. Of those, 543 CSF samples from 512 individual patients were tested using the FilmArray ME panel. Twenty-one bacterial targets and 56 viral targets were detected during the study period. For viral targets, the cumulative specificity was 98.9% (95% confidence interval: 93.1–99.9) when compared to the reference laboratory methods. The outcomes for 30- and 90-day mortality of the aseptic meningitis group were non-inferior relative to the viral meningoencephalitis and bacterial meningitis group. Patients with bacterial meningitis had a longer average length of stay. Aseptic meningitis was associated with a higher 90-day readmission rate than the other 2 groups, but without statistical significance.

Conclusion

In our hands, implementation of the FilmArray ME panel was relatively straightforward. We experienced a transition in our workflow processes that enabled streamlining of CSF diagnostics and the safe removal of Gram staining in those samples being tested by this molecular assay. Coupled to this improvement, there was a positive clinical impact on patient care due to rapid turnaround time to results.
Identifying the evidence of speech emotional dialects using artificial intelligence: A cross-cultural study
Authors: Kanwal Sofia , Asghar Sohail , Hussain Akhtar , Rafique Adnan
Published: March 2022

The advancement in technology especially in the field of artificial intelligence has opened up novel and robust ways to reanalyze the many aspects of human emotional behavior. One of such behavioral studies is the cultural impact on the expression and perception of human emotions. In-group advantage makes it easy for the people of the same cultural group to perceive each other’s emotions accurately. The goal of this research is to re-investigate human behavior regarding expression and perception of emotions in speech. The theoretical basis of this research is grounded on the dialect theory of emotions. For the purpose of this study, six datasets of audio speeches have been considered. The participants of these datasets belong to six different cultural areas. A fully automated, machine learning-based framework i.e. Support Vector Machine (SVM) is used to carry out this study. The overall emotion perception for all six cultural groups supports in-group advantage, whereas emotion wise analysis partially supports the In-group advantage.
Comparative metabolomic analysis of polyphenic horn development in the dung beetle Onthophagus taurus
Authors: Williamson Naomi G. , Walsh Callee M. , Kijimoto Teiya
Published: March 2022

Organisms alter their phenotypes in response to changing environmental conditions. The developmental basis of this phenomenon, phenotypic plasticity, is a topic of broad interest in many fields of biology. While insects provide a suitable model for studying the genetic basis of phenotypic plasticity, the physiological aspects of plasticity are not fully understood. Here, we report the physiological basis of polyphenism, an extreme form of phenotypic plasticity by utilizing a dung beetle species, Onthophagus taurus. We highlighted the metabolome between sexes as well as two distinct male morphs—large and small horns. Unlike results from previous transcriptomic studies, the comparative metabolomic study revealed that differences in metabolite level were more prominent between animals with different body sizes than different sexes. Our results also indicate that specific metabolites and biochemical pathways may be active during horn size determination.
Performance characteristics of the first Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) assay for BCR::ABL1 monitoring in chronic myelogenous leukemia
Authors: Shelton Dawne N. , Bhagavatula Prasanthi , Sepulveda Nathan , Beppu Lan , Gandhi Shital , Qin Dahui , Hauenstein Scott , Radich Jerald
Published: March 2022

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a hematopoietic stem cell malignancy that accounts for 15–20% of all cases of leukemia. CML is caused by a translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22 which creates an abnormal fusion gene, BCR::ABL1. The amount of BCR::ABL1 transcript RNA is a marker of disease progression and the effectiveness of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment. This study determined the analytical and clinical performance of a droplet digital PCR based assay (QXDx BCR-ABL %IS Kit; Bio-Rad) for BCR::ABL1 quantification. The test has a limit of detection of MR4.7 (0.002%) and a linear range of MR0.3–4.7 (50–0.002%IS). Reproducibility of results across multiple sites, days, instruments, and users was evaluated using panels made from BCR::ABL1 positive patient samples. Clinical performance of the assay was evaluated on patient samples and compared to an existing FDA-cleared test. The reproducibility study noted negligible contributions to variance from site, instrument, day, and user for samples spanning from MR 0.7–4.2. The assay demonstrated excellent clinical correlation with the comparator test using a Deming regression with a Pearson R of 0.99, slope of 1.037 and intercept of 0.1084. This data establishes that the QXDx™ BCR-ABL %IS Kit is an accurate, precise, and sensitive system for the diagnosis and monitoring of CML.
Distrust within protected area and natural resource management: A systematic review protocol
Authors: Erickson Brian D. , Biedenweg Kelly
Published: March 2022

Trust is a key variable for successful natural resource management and is commonly the focus of conceptual and methodological development. Distrust, on the other hand, is frequently cited as an obstacle to management, but appears to be rarely defined, conceptually underdeveloped, and inconsistently examined. This systematic review protocol (OSF preregistration https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/GKUAW) was developed to answer two primary questions in relation to protected area and natural resource management: 1) How is distrust conceptualized, and 2) What methods are used to gather evidence of distrust? The aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of how distrust is theoretically developed and what questions are used to uncover distrust. Also, it will summarize findings on what leads to and results from distrust. Four academic and eight gray literature databases will be searched using Boolean keyword searches. Articles eligible for inclusion are those that present original research, gather and present evidence of distrust, and focus on protected areas and/or natural resource management. The review will result in a narrative synthesis that summarizes approaches to distrust within protected area and natural resource management.
The syndemic effects of adverse mental health conditions and polysubstance use on being at risk of clinical depression among marginally housed and homeless transitional age youth living in San Francisco, California
Authors: Jain Jennifer P. , Santos Glenn-Milo , Hao Jennifer , Leonard Adam , Miller Aaron M. , Cuca Yvette P. , Dawson-Rose Carol
Published: March 2022

The objective of this study was to identify the correlates of being at risk of clinical depression and examine the role of syndemic factors among marginally housed and homeless transitional age youth (TAY). From 2017–2018, 100 TAY between the ages of 18 and 24 in San Francisco were recruited from Larkin Street Youth Services into a cross-sectional study. Participants completed surveys on mental health, substance use, and HIV risk behaviors. A syndemic score ranging from 0–3 was calculated by summing dichotomous measures of moderate or severe anxiety in the past two weeks, PTSD symptoms in the past month and polysubstance use in the past three months. We used modified Poisson regression with robust error variances to identify the correlates of being at risk of clinical depression in the past week, all primary effects measures were modeled separately. Among 100 participants, the average age was 21 (SD = 1.7), 67% were male, 38% were Multiracial, 54% identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual or pansexual, 13% were unstably housed, 50% were homeless and 23% were living with HIV. The majority (74%) were at risk of clinical depression, 51% had symptoms of moderate or severe anxiety, 80% exhibited symptoms of PTSD and 33% reported polysubstance use. After controlling for age in years, gender, race/ethnicity and sexual orientation, factors independently associated with being at risk of clinical depression were; symptoms of moderate or severe anxiety (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] = 1.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.23–2.12, P<0.001), symptoms of PTSD (aRR = 3.78, 95% CI = 1.58–9.04, P = 0.003), polysubstance use (aRR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.06–1.68), P = 0.012), an increasing syndemic score (aRR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.21–1.62), P<0.001), and having one, two or three syndemic factors (compared to none); (aRR = 2.68, 95% CI = 1.08–6.65, P = 0.032), (aRR = 3.24, 95% CI = 1.24–7.83, P = 0.003) and (aRR = 3.97, 95% CI = 1.65–9.52, P = 0.002), respectively. Integrated behavioral health models that treat co-occurring disorders simultaneously are needed to reduce syndemic risk among marginally housed and homeless TAY.
Impact of the Sustainable Development Goals on the academic research agenda. A scientometric analysis
Authors: Sianes Antonio , Vega-Muñoz Alejandro , Tirado-Valencia Pilar , Ariza-Montes Antonio
Published: March 2022

Today, global challenges such as poverty, inequality, and sustainability are at the core of the academic debate. This centrality has only increased since the transition from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), whose scope is to shift the world on to a path of resilience focused on promoting sustainable development. The main purpose of this paper is to develop a critical yet comprehensive scientometric analysis of the global academic production on the SDGs, from its approval in 2015 to 2020, conducted using Web of Science (WoS) database. Despite it being a relatively short period of time, scholars have published more than five thousand research papers in the matter, mainly in the fields of green and sustainable sciences. The attained results show how prolific authors and schools of knowledge are emerging, as key topics such as climate change, health and the burden diseases, or the global governance of these issues. However, deeper analyses also show how research gaps exist, persist and, in some cases, are widening. Greater understanding of this body of research is needed, to further strengthen evidence-based policies able to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of the SDGs.
Phytoconstituents of traditional Himalayan Herbs as potential inhibitors of Human Papillomavirus (HPV-18) for cervical cancer treatment: An In silico Approach
Authors: Salaria Deeksha , Rolta Rajan , Mehta Jyoti , Awofisayo Oladoja , Fadare Olatomide A. , Kaur Baljinder , Kumar Balvir , Araujo da Costa Renato , Chandel Shikha Rangra , Kaushik Neha , Choi Eun Ha , Kaushik Nagendra Kumar
Published: March 2022

Human papillomavirus (HPV) induced cervical cancer is becoming a major cause of mortality in women. The present research aimed to identify the natural inhibitors of HPV-18 E1 protein (1R9W) from Himalayan herbs with lesser toxicity and higher potency. In this study, one hundred nineteen phytoconstituents of twenty important traditional medicinal plants of Northwest Himalayas were selected for molecular docking with the target protein 1R9W of HPV-18 E1 Molecular docking was performed by AutoDock vina software. ADME/T screening of the bioactive phytoconstituents was done by SwissADME, admetSAR, and Protox II. A couple of best protein-ligand complexes were selected for 100 ns MD simulation. Molecular docking results revealed that among all the selected phytoconstituents only thirty-five phytoconstituents showed the binding affinity similar or more than the standard anti-cancer drugs viz. imiquimod (-6.1 kJ/mol) and podofilox (-6.9 kJ/mol). Among all the selected thirty-five phytoconstituents, eriodictyol-7-glucuronide, stigmasterol, clicoemodin and thalirugidine showed the best interactions with a docking score of -9.1, -8.7, -8.4, and -8.4 kJ/mol. Based on the ADME screening, only two phytoconstituents namely stigmasterol and clicoemodin selected as the best inhibitor of HPV protein. MD simulation study also revealed that stigmasterol and clicoemodin were stable inside the binding pocket of 1R9W, Stigmasterol and clicoemodin can be used as a potential investigational drug to cure HPV infections.
The relation between urinary sodium and potassium excretion and risk of cardiovascular events and mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease
Authors: Groenland Eline H. , Vendeville Jean-Paul , Bots Michiel L. , de Borst Gert Jan , Nathoe Hendrik M. , Ruigrok Ynte M. , Blankestijn Peter J. , Visseren Frank L. J. , Spiering Wilko ,   on behalf of the UCC-SMART Study Group
Published: March 2022

Background

Most evidence on the relationship between sodium and potassium intake and cardiovascular disease originated from general population studies. This study aimed to evaluate the relation between estimated 24-hour sodium and potassium urinary excretion and the risk of recurrent vascular events and mortality in patients with vascular disease.

Methods

7561 patients with vascular disease enrolled in the UCC-SMART cohort (1996–2015) were included. Twenty-four hour sodium and potassium urinary excretion were estimated (Kawasaki formulae) from morning urine samples. Cox proportional hazard models with restricted cubic splines were used to evaluate the relation between estimated urinary salt excretion and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; including myocardial infarction, stroke, cardiovascular mortality) and all-cause mortality.

Results

After a median follow-up of 7.4 years (interquartile range: 4.1–11.0), the relations between estimated 24-hour sodium urinary excretion and outcomes were J-shaped with nadirs of 4.59 gram/day for recurrent MACE and 4.97 gram/day for all-cause mortality. The relation between sodium-to-potassium excretion ratio and outcomes were also J-shaped with nadirs of 2.71 for recurrent MACE and 2.60 for all-cause mortality. Higher potassium urinary excretion was related to an increased risk of both recurrent MACE (HR 1.25 per gram potassium excretion per day; 95%CI 1.13–1.39) and all cause-mortality (HR 1.13 per gram potassium excretion per day; 95%CI 1.03–1.25).

Conclusions

In patients with established vascular disease, lower and higher sodium intake were associated with higher risk of recurrent MACE and all-cause mortality. Higher estimated 24-hour potassium urinary excretion was associated with a higher risk of recurrent MACE and all-cause mortality.
Mental health follow-up and treatment engagement following suicide risk screening in the Veterans Health Administration
Authors: Bahraini Nazanin , Reis Daniel J. , Matarazzo Bridget B. , Hostetter Trisha , Wade Christina , Brenner Lisa A.
Published: March 2022

Importance

Understanding the extent to which population-level suicide risk screening facilities follow-up and engagement in mental health treatment is important as engaging at-risk individuals in treatment is critical to reducing suicidal behaviors.

Objective

To evaluate mental health follow-up and treatment engagement in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) following administration of the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) screen, a component of the VHA’s universal suicide risk screening program.

Design

This cross-sectional study used data from VA’s Corporate Data Warehouse.

Settings

140 VHA Medical Centers.

Participants

Patients who completed the C-SSRS screen in ambulatory care between October 1, 2018—September 30, 2020.

Exposure

Standardized suicide risk screening.

Main outcomes and measures

Mental health follow-up (one or more visits within 30 days of C-SSRS screening) and treatment engagement (two or more visits within 90 days of C-SSRS screening) were examined.

Results

97,224 Veterans in Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) (mean age 51.4 years; 86.8% male; 64.8% white, 22.4% African-American) and 58,693 Veterans in FY20 (mean age 49.6 years; 85.5% male; 63.4% white, 21.9% African-American) received the C-SSRS screen. Across FYs, a positive C-SSRS screen was associated with increased probability of mental health follow-up and treatment engagement. Patients who were not seen in mental health in the year prior to screening had the greatest increase in probability of mental health follow-up and engagement following a positive screen (P<0.001). For FY19, a positive C-SSRS screen in non-mental health connected patients was associated with an increased probability of follow-up from 49.8% to 79.5% (relative risk = 1.60) and engagement from 39.5% to 63.6% (relative risk = 1.61). For mental health-connected patients, a positive C-SSRS screen was associated with a smaller increase in probability of follow-up from 75.8% to 87.6% (relative risk = 1.16) and engagement from 63.3% to 76.4% (relative risk = 1.21). Results for FY20 were similar.

Conclusions and relevance

Identification of suicide risk through population-level screening was associated with increased mental health follow-up and engagement, particularly for non-mental health connected patients. Findings support the use of a standardized, comprehensive suicide risk screening program for managing elevated suicide risk in a large healthcare system.
A systematic review about the performance indicators related to ball possession
Authors: Wang Si hang , Qin Yang , Jia You , Igor Kwetche Emmauel
Published: March 2022

The purpose of this review was to investigate the influence of the performance indicators related to ball possession on the match outcome and team performance. Following the PRISMA 2020 (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines, this systematic review searched for literature on Web of Science, Scopus and Pub Med database, the publication date of the retrieved literature is set from January 2000 to December 2020. The keywords ‘football’ or ‘soccer’ were each paired with the following terms: ‘ball possession’, ‘ball recovery’, ‘ball regain’, ‘transition’, ‘playing style’, ‘possession zone’, ‘duration’ and ‘running performance’. The search returned 2,436 articles. After screening the records against set criteria, 75 analysis were made, and their technical and physical indicators were identified. Through analysing ball-possession related variables, the review concluded that the match outcome is not related to ball possession percentage. The ball possession percentage is not dominant to predict the match success. The status of ball possession percentage can affect the team’s performance in passing, organizational and running distance with the ball possession. There are league differences in ball possession strategies and duration. The frequency and offensive efficiency of direct ball recovery types are higher than indirect types. Ball possessions regained in the defensive third were higher than the final third. However, there remain some limitations such as the difference in the definition of concepts and sample participants, only a few studies consider the influence of situational variables and lack of in-depth analysis on ball possession strategy. Therefore, further study should adopt a more comprehensive approach, establishing a new connection between possession strategy and more technical and tactical indicators.