bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Physical Meaning of the Holographic Principle
Authors: Fields Chris , Glazebrook James F. , Marciano Antonino
Published: November 2022

We show in this pedagogical review that far from being an apparent law of physics that stands by itself, the holographic principle is a straightforward consequence of the quantum information theory of separable systems. It provides a basis for the theories of measurement, time, and scattering. Utilizing the notion of holographic screens, which are information encoding boundaries between physical subsystems, we demonstrate that the physical interaction is an information exchange during which information is strictly conserved. Then we use generalized holographic principle in order to flesh out a fully-general quantum theory of measurement in which the measurement produces finite-resolution, classical outcomes. Further, we show that the measurements are given meaning by quantum reference frames and sequential measurements induce topological quantum field theories. Finally, we discuss principles equivalent to the holographic principle, including Markov blankets and the free-energy principle in biology, multiple realizability and virtual machines in computer science, and active inference and interface theories in cognitive science. This appearance in multiple disciplines suggests that the holographic principle is not just a fundamental principle of physics, but of all of science.Quanta 2022; 11: 72–96.
Notulae etymologicae Lemkovianae
Authors: Králik Ľubor
Published: November 2022

NOTULAE ETYMOLOGICAE LEMKOVIANAE (LEMKO ETYMOLOGICAL NOTES) The study was inspired by the recent monograph Lemko Etymologies (Fałowski, Hojsak, 2020) which analyses more than 520 words from the Lemko ethnolect, mostly lexicon of unclear and unreliable origin, lexicon for which new explanations may be proposed, as well as rare lexemes which had not yet been interpreted etymologically. The present article consists of 18 etymological notes in which the author discusses a fragment of the lexicon included in the monograph (additional arguments in favour of the proposed etymologies, alternative etymological explanations, attempts at interpretation of obscure lexemes). Against the background of recent advances in Slavonic etymology (more emphasis on etymological research into dialectal lexicon), the author also expresses his unequivocal support for the intended project of a comprehensive etymological dictionary of the Lemko ethnolect.
Historia polonistyki na Uniwersytecie przy Unter den Linden
Authors: Burkhardt Hanna
Published: November 2022

HISTORY OF POLISH STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY IN UNTER DEN LINDEN This paper presents the history of Slavonic/Polish Studies at the University of Berlin from 1841 until today. The most important scientific achievements of the successive heads of departments are briefly discussed, with particular emphasis on Polish linguistic research at the Humboldt University. Moreover, attention is paid to the changing statistics of students and various courses of study.
Mensuração da atividade física e comportamento sedentário: uma análise baseada em grupos de pesquisa
Authors: Romanzini Marcelo , Silva Danilo  Rodrigues Pereira da , Ricardo Luiza Isnardi Cardoso , Farias Júnior José Cazuza , Barbosa Arthur Oliveira , Silva Shana Ginar da , Crochemore-Silva Inácio , Moura Ially Rayssa Dias , Prazeres Filho Alcides , Sasaki Jeffer Eidi , Reichert Felipe Fossati
Published: November 2022

O presente estudo caracterizou os grupos de pesquisa brasileiros que possuem linhas de pesquisa voltadas à temática da mensuração da atividade física e/ou comportamento sedentário. Autores de artigos originais envolvendo desenvolvimento, adaptação, tradução e testagem de qualidade de medidas de instrumentos da atividade física/comportamento sedentário na população brasileira foram convidados a responder um instrumento online contendo 19 questões para a identificação de líderes e de características gerais dos grupos de pesquisa. Vinte e oito grupos de pesquisa foram identificados, sendo o pioneiro criado na década de 1970 e a maioria nas últimas duas décadas. Enquanto a região sudeste apresentou a maior concentração de grupos, foi identificada ausência de grupos nas regiões norte e centro-oeste. Os métodos de mensuração mais testados por estes grupos foram os subjetivos, predominantemente questionários (n = 24), seguidos pelos métodos objetivos por meio de acelerômetros (n = 18) e pedômetros (n = 9). Foram identificadas várias conexões (parcerias permanentes com outros grupos/instituições) em nível nacional e internacional, especialmente com países da América do Norte, Europa e Austrália. Espera-se que os resultados do presente estudo possam estimular ações colaborativas entre grupos e pesquisadores brasileiros com o intuito de reduzir desigualdades regionais e aprimorar a produção do conhecimento na área da mensuração da atividade física e do comportamento sedentário.
The cervical spine in paediatric radiology
Authors: Prasher Sparsh , Landes Caren
Published: November 2022

Accurate radiological assessment of the cervical spine is vital in the management of the child presenting with trauma. Compared to an adult's spine, the significant differences in the developmental anatomy (variants or synchondrosis), biomechanics and fracture patterns in the paediatric cervical spine makes assessment difficult, even for experienced radiologists. This review discusses the unique biomechanical factors, developmental anatomy, patterns of injury and imaging strategy in the paediatric population.
Amazon Launches New Messaged-Based Virtual Healthcare Service
Authors:   Phoenix Pulmonary and Critical Care Research and Education Foundation, Gilbert, AZ USA, Robbins Richard
Published: November 2022

No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. A story in Medscape came at an opportune time yesterday (1). The article announced that Amazon had launched its latest version of virtual medical care on Tuesday, November 15, in 32 states. Called Amazon Clinic, the service omits phone and video calls but instead works through secure messaging between patients and providers. Just after finishing the story, my daughter called and wanted to know if she could buy antibiotic containing eye drops over the counter. She says that she has had “pink eye” (conjunctivitis) for about 2 weeks. Her symptoms of itchy, red eyes without discharge were mostly relieved by an over-the-counter tetrahydrozoline HCl 0.05% drops (Visine). She did not want to go to an emergency room for such a minor issue and had a demanding schedule the following day making a doctor’s appointment difficult. I told her she probably had a viral conjunctivitis but suggested that she could try …
Refinement method for compressive hyperspectral data cubes based on self-fusion
Authors: Zhu Mengjun , Yi Wenjun , Dong Zhaohua , Xiong Peng , Du Junyi , Tang Xingjia , Yang Ying , Li Libo , Qi Junli , Liu Ju , Li Xiujian
Published: November 2022

Compressive hyperspectral images often suffer from various noises and artifacts, which severely degrade the imaging quality and limit subsequent applications. In this paper, we present a refinement method for compressive hyperspectral data cubes based on self-fusion of the raw data cubes, which can effectively reduce various noises and improve the spatial and spectral details of the data cubes. To verify the universality, flexibility, and extensibility of the self-fusion refinement (SFR) method, a series of specific simulations and practical experiments were conducted, and SFR processing was performed through different fusion algorithms. The visual and quantitative assessments of the results demonstrate that, in terms of noise reduction and spatial–spectral detail restoration, the SFR method generally is much better than other typical denoising methods for hyperspectral data cubes. The results also indicate that the denoising effects of SFR greatly depend on the fusion algorithm used, and SFR implemented by joint bilateral filtering (JBF) performs better than SRF by guided filtering (GF) or a Markov random field (MRF). The proposed SFR method can significantly improve the quality of a compressive hyperspectral data cube in terms of noise reduction, artifact removal, and spatial and spectral detail improvement, which will further benefit subsequent hyperspectral applications.
Coaxial interferometry for camera-based ultrasound-modulated optical tomography with paired illumination
Authors: Lin Guangzhong , Wu Daixuan , Luo Jiawei , Liang Hanpeng , Wei Ziyang , Xu Yiyun , Liu Sinuo , Shao Lijie , Shen Yuecheng
Published: November 2022

Ultrasound-modulated optical tomography (UOT), which combines the advantages of both light and ultrasound, is a promising imaging modality for deep-tissue high-resolution imaging. Among existing implementations, camera-based UOT gains huge advances in modulation depth through parallel detection. However, limited by the long exposure time and the slow framerate of modern cameras, the measurement of UOT signals always requires holographic methods with additional reference beams. This requirement increases system complexity and is susceptible to environmental disturbances. To overcome this challenge, we develop coaxial interferometry for camera-based UOT in this work. Such a coaxial scheme is enabled by employing paired illumination with slightly different optical frequencies. To measure the UOT signal, the conventional phase-stepping method in holography can be directly transplanted into coaxial interferometry. Specifically, we performed both numerical investigations and experimental validations for camera-based UOT under the proposed coaxial scheme. One-dimensional imaging for an absorptive target buried inside a scattering medium was demonstrated. With coaxial interferometry, this work presents an effective way to reduce system complexity and cope with environmental disturbances for camera-based UOT.
Ablation threshold of GaN films for ultrashort laser pulses and the role of threading dislocations as damage precursors
Authors: Bornemann Steffen , Meyer Tobias , Voss Tobias , Waag Andreas
Published: November 2022

The laser-induced ablation threshold of c-plane GaN films upon exposure to ultrashort laser pulses was investigated for different wavelengths from the IR to the UV range and pulse widths between 0.34 and 10 ps. The one-pulse ablation threshold ranges between 0.15 and 3 J/cm2 and shows an increase with the wavelength and the pulse width, except for deep UV pulses. Based on a rate equation model, we attribute this behavior to the efficiency of seed carrier generation by interband absorption. In addition, the multi-pulse ablation threshold was analyzed. Accumulation effects are more prominent in case of IR than with UV pulses and are closely linked to damage precursors. By a thorough structural investigation, we demonstrate that threading dislocations, especially those with a screw component, significantly contribute to laser damage, since they provide a variety of dispersed states within the band gap.
Glucose sensing based on hydrogel grating incorporating phenylboronic acid groups
Authors: Wen Xin , Liu Yang , Liu Qingping , Chen Zhen , Hu Xuehao , Xu Ciyan , Chen Haoyu , Xing Malcolm , Qu Hang , Zhang Mingzhi
Published: November 2022

We proposed a hydrogel grating sensor functionalized with phenylboronic acid (PBA) group for glucose concentration detection. A PBA functionalized polyacrylamide hydrogel film was first prepared via ultraviolet polymerization. Then, the diffraction grating was written on the hydrogel film via the femto-second (fs) laser point-by-point direct inscription. Binding between the PBA groups in the hydrogel and glucose molecules would lead to the swelling of hydrogel and the thus grating structure, thus modifying the diffraction properties of the grating. We experimentally characterized the swelling and transmission of the grating with different glucose concentrations. Sensitivity of the sensor was defined as variations in relative diffraction efficiency in response to glucose concentration changes, and was experimentally found to 0.61%/mM. The proposed sensor showed fast response towards the presence of glucose, and its reusability and biocompatibility were also confirmed. The use of fs-laser inscription technique does not require a pre-fabricated template, and would allow to directly modify the fabrication parameters such as scanning speed, pulse energy and frequency. Therefore, one is able to conveniently optimize the grating structure and improve the inscription efficiency. The proposed hydrogel grating could be potentially fabricated into wearable sensors, namely, contact lenses, for continuous monitoring of tear glucose level with rapid response.
On the trade-off between mode volume and quality factor in dielectric nanocavities optimized for Purcell enhancement
Authors: Işiklar Göktuğ , Kristensen Philip Trøst , Mørk Jesper , Sigmund Ole , Christiansen Rasmus Ellebæk
Published: November 2022

This study explores the effect of geometric limitations on the achievable Purcell factor for single emitters in dielectric structures by employing topology optimization as an inverse design tool to maximize the local density of states. Nanobeams of different lengths with varying fixed central bridge widths are considered to investigate the impact of footprint and geometric length-scale. In single-mode photonic cavities, the Purcell factor is known to be proportional to the ratio of the quality factor Q to the effective mode volume V. Analysis of the optimized nanocavities shows a trade-off between quality factor and mode volume as a function of geometric limitations. Crucially, the design exhibiting the largest Purcell enhancement does not have the highest Q nor the lowest V found in the design pool. On the contrary, it is found that Q consistently drops along with decreasing V as the minimum allowed geometric length-scale decreases while the Purcell factor increases. Finally, the study provides insight into the importance of Q and V for enhancing the Purcell factor under geometric limitations.
Towards optical toroidal wavepackets through tight focusing of the cylindrical vector two dimensional spatiotemporal optical vortex
Authors: Chen Jian , Zheng Pengkun , Zhan Qiwen
Published: November 2022

Spatiotemporal optical vortices (STOVs) carrying transverse orbital angular momentum (OAM) are of rapidly growing interest for the field of optics due to the new degree of freedom that can be exploited. In this paper, we propose cylindrical vector two dimensional STOVs (2D-STOVs) containing two orthogonal transverse OAMs in both x-t and y-t planes for the first time, and investigate the tightly focusing of such fields using the Richards-Wolf vectorial diffraction theory. Highly confined spatiotemporal wavepackets with polarization structure akin to toroidal topology is generated, whose spatiotemporal intensity distributions resemble the shape of Yo-Yo balls. Tightly focused radially polarized 2D-STOVs will produce wavepackets towards transverse magnetic toroidal topology, while the focused azimuthally polarized 2D-STOVs will give rise to wavepackets towards transverse electric toroidal topology. The presented method may pave a way to experimentally generate the optical toroidal wavepackets in a controllable way, with potential applications in electron acceleration, nanophotonics, energy, transient light-matter interaction, spectroscopy, quantum information processing, etc.
Mid-infrared frequency combs and staggered spectral patterns in χ(2) microresonators
Authors: Amiune N. , Fan Z. , Pankratov V. V. , Puzyrev D. N. , Skryabin D. V. , Zawilski K. T. , Schunemann P. G. , Breunig I.
Published: November 2022

The potential of frequency comb spectroscopy has aroused great interest in generating mid-infrared frequency combs in the integrated photonic setting. However, despite remarkable progress in microresonators and quantum cascade lasers, the availability of suitable mid-IR comb sources remains scarce. Here, we generate mid-IR microcombs relying on cascaded three-wave-mixing for the first time. By pumping a CdSiP2 microresonator at 1.55 µm wavelength with a low power continuous wave laser, we generate χ(2) frequency combs at 3.1 µm wavelength, with a span of about 30 nm. We observe ordinary combs states with a line spacing of the free spectral range of the resonator, and combs where the sideband numbers around the pump and half-harmonic alternate, forming staggered patterns of spectral lines. Our scheme for mid-IR microcomb generation is compatible with integrated telecom lasers. Therefore, it has the potential to be used as a simple and fully integrated mid-IR comb source, relying on only one single material.
Design of an achromatic zoom metalens doublet in the visible
Authors: Hu Tie , Feng Xing , Wei Yunxuan , Wang Shengqi , Wei Yuhong , Yang Zhenyu , Zhao Ming
Published: November 2022

Zoom metalens doublets, featuring ultra-compactness, strong zoom capability, and CMOS compatibility, exhibit unprecedented advantages over the traditional refractive zoom lens. However, the huge chromatic aberration narrows the working bandwidth, which limits their potential applications in broadband systems. Here, by globally optimizing the phase profiles in the visible, we designed and numerically demonstrated a moiré lens based zoom metalens doublet that can achromatically work in the band of 440–640 nm. Such a doublet can achieve a continuous zoom range from 1× to 10×, while also maintaining a high focusing efficiency up to 86.5% and polarization insensitivity.
Efficient single-scattering look-up table for lidar and polarimeter water cloud studies
Authors: Chemyakin Eduard , Stamnes Snorre , Hair Johnathan , Burton Sharon P. , Bell Adam , Hostetler Chris , Ferrare Richard , Chowdhary Jacek , Moore Richard , Ziemba Luke , Crosbie Ewan , Robinson Claire , Shook Michael , Thornhill Lee , Winstead Edward , Hu Yongxiang , van Diedenhoven Bastiaan , Cairns Brian
Published: November 2022

Combined lidar and polarimeter retrievals of aerosol, cloud, and ocean
microphysical properties involve single-scattering cloud calculations
that are time consuming. We create a look-up table to speed up these
calculations for water droplets in the atmosphere. In our new
Lorenz–Mie look-up table we tabulate the light scattering by an
ensemble of homogeneous isotropic spheres at wavelengths starting from
0.35 µm. The look-up table covers liquid water cloud particles with
radii in the range of 0.001–500 µm while gaining an increase of up to
104 in computational speed. The covered complex refractive
indices range from 1.25 to 1.36 for the real part and from 0 to 0.001
for the imaginary part. We show that we can precisely compute inherent
optical properties for the particle size distributions ranging up to
100 µm for the effective radius and up to 0.6 for the effective
variance. We test wavelengths from 0.35 to 2.3 µm and find that the
elements of the normalized scattering matrix as well as the asymmetry
parameter, the absorption, backscatter, extinction, and scattering
coefficients are precise to within 1% for 96.7%–100% of cases
depending on the inherent optical property. We also provide an example
of using the look-up table with in situ
measurements to determine agreement with remote sensing. The table
together with C++, Fortran, MATLAB, and Python codes to interpolate
the complex refractive index and apply different particle size
distributions are freely available online.
Fiber-integrated catenary ring-array metasurfaces for beam shaping
Authors: Luo Zhongyue , Zhang Wentao , Song Niannian , Chen Dawei , Deng Shijie , Liu Houquan , Ming Chen , Yuan Libo , Deng Hongchang
Published: November 2022

Catenary is referred to as “the real mathematical and mechanical form” in the architectural field. Because of the unique phase control characteristic of the catenary, it has excellent ability in optical manipulation. Here, we propose an optical waveform conversion device based on optical fiber-integrated catenary ring-array metasurfaces. The device consists of a cascade structure of a single-mode fiber (SMF) and a graded-index fiber (GIF). At the GIF end, two kinds of catenary ring-array metasurfaces are introduced to realize beam shaping from Gaussian beam (GB) to Bessel beam. The device can selectively generate a focused or non-diffracting Bessel beam by changing the circular polarization state of the incident light. It is worth noting that under some parameters of the device, the output Bessel beam can break through the diffraction limit, which has potential applications in the fields of optical imaging, optical communication, and optical trapping.
Spatially modulated light harvesting with plasmonic crescent metasurface
Authors: Wu Jing-Wen , Cong Rong , Xu Su , Liu Yue-Feng
Published: November 2022

Harvesting light by metallic structures with sharp corners, or the so-called photonic singularities, has exhibit their potential in nanophotonics, sensing, and bio-medical applications. The high-quality light confinement of the light energy mainly relies on the precise preparation of nanoscale photonic singularities. However, the realization of massive photonic singularities still meets the challenges on integration and low-cost mask multiplexing. Here, we show an angle-dependent elevated nanosphere lithography to achieve massive photonic singularities for spatially modulated light harvesting at the near-infrared regime. The photonic geometrical singularity is constructed by the gold crescent array of plasmonic materials. The numerical simulation shows that the light can be localized at the spatially distributed singularities. This phenomenon is verified experimentally through the infrared spectral measurement. Our work provides the possibility to produce integrated light-harvesting devices for numerous optical applications in illumination, display, and enhanced nonlinear excitation.
Predictive correction method based on deep learning for a phase compensation system with frozen flow turbulence
Authors: Meng Jingjing , He Jianguo , Huang Min , Li Yang , Zhu Baoyu , Kong Xinxin , Han Zhe , Li Xin , Liu Yang
Published: November 2022

We propose a deep learning method that includes convolution neural network (CNN) and convolutional long short-term memory (ConvLSTM) models to realize atmospheric turbulence compensation and correction of distorted beams. The trained CNN model can automatically obtain the equivalent turbulent compensation phase screen based on the Gaussian beams affected by turbulence and without turbulence. To solve the time delay problem, we use the ConvLSTM model to predict the atmospheric turbulence evolution and acquire a more accurate compensation phase under the Taylor frozen hypothesis. The experimental results show that the distorted Gaussian and vortex beams are effectively and accurately compensated. © 2020 Optica Publishing Group
Nonlocal metasurface for circularly polarized light detection
Authors: Hong Jiho , van de Groep Jorik , Lee Nayeun , Kim Soo Jin , Lalanne Philippe , Kik Pieter G. , Brongersma Mark L.
Published: November 2022

Modern-day sensing and imaging applications increasingly rely on
accurate measurements of the primary physical quantities associated
with light waves: intensity, wavelength, directionality, and
polarization. These are conventionally performed with a series of
bulky optical elements, but recently, it has been recognized that
optical resonances in nanostructures can be engineered to achieve
selective photodetection of light waves with a specific set of
predetermined properties. Here, we theoretically illustrate how a thin
silicon layer can be patterned into a dislocated nanowire-array that
affords detection of circularly polarized light with an efficiency
that reaches the theoretical limit for circular dichroism of a planar
detector in a symmetric external environment. The presence of a
periodic arrangement of dislocations is essential in achieving such
unparalleled performance as they enable selective excitation of
nonlocal, guided-mode resonances for one handedness of light. We also
experimentally demonstrate compact, high-performance chiral
photodetectors created from these dislocated nanowire-arrays. This
work highlights the critical role defects can play in enabling new
nanophotonic functions and devices.
Augmented light field tomography through parallel spectral encoding
Authors: Wang Zhaoqiang , Hsiai Tzung K. , Gao Liang
Published: November 2022

Snapshot recording of transient dynamics in three dimensions (3-D) is highly demanded in both fundamental and applied sciences. Yet it remains challenging for conventional high-speed cameras to address this need due to limited electronic bandwidth and reliance on mechanical scanning. The emergence of light field tomography (LIFT) provides a new solution to these long-standing problems and enables 3-D imaging at an unprecedented frame rate. However, based on sparse-view computed tomography, LIFT can accommodate only a limited number of projections, degrading the resolution in the reconstructed image. To alleviate this problem, we herein present a spectral encoding scheme to significantly increase the number of allowable projections in LIFT while maintaining its snapshot advantage. The resultant system can record 3-D dynamics at a kilohertz volumetric frame rate. Moreover, by using a multichannel compressed sensing algorithm, we improve the image quality with an enhanced spatial resolution and suppressed aliasing artifacts.
16-channel photonic–electric co-designed silicon transmitter with ultra-low power consumption
Authors: Shi Jingbo , Jin Ming , Yang Tao , Shu Haowen , Yang Fenghe , Liu Han , Tao Yuansheng , Deng Jiangrui , Chen Ruixuan , Han Changhao , Qi Nan , Wang Xingjun
Published: November 2022

A hybrid integrated 16-channel silicon transmitter based on co-designed photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and electrical chiplets is demonstrated. The driver in the 65 nm CMOS process employs the combination of a distributed architecture, two-tap feedforward equalization (FFE), and a push–pull output stage, exhibiting an estimated differential output swing of 4.0Vpp. The rms jitter of 2.0 ps is achieved at 50 Gb/s under nonreturn-to-zero on–off keying (NRZ-OOK) modulation. The PICs are fabricated on a standard silicon-on-insulator platform and consist of 16 parallel silicon dual-drive Mach–Zehnder modulators on a single chip. The chip-on-board co-packaged Si transmitter is constituted by the multichannel chiplets without any off-chip bias control, which significantly simplifies the system complexity. Experimentally, the open and clear optical eye diagrams of selected channels up to 50 Gb/s OOK with extinction ratios exceeding 3 dB are obtained without any digital signal processing. The power consumption of the Si transmitter with a high integration density featuring a throughput up to 800 Gb/s is only 5.35 pJ/bit, indicating a great potential for massively parallel terabit-scale optical interconnects for future hyperscale data centers and high-performance computing systems.
Conflicting effects of recombination on the evolvability and robustness in neutrally evolving populations
Authors: Klug Alexander , Krug Joachim
Published: November 2022

Understanding the benefits and costs of recombination under different scenarios of evolutionary adaptation remains an open problem for theoretical and experimental research. In this study, we focus on finite populations evolving on neutral networks comprising viable and unfit genotypes. We provide a comprehensive overview of the effects of recombination by jointly considering different measures of evolvability and mutational robustness over a broad parameter range, such that many evolutionary regimes are covered. We find that several of these measures vary non-monotonically with the rates of mutation and recombination. Moreover, the presence of unfit genotypes that introduce inhomogeneities in the network of viable states qualitatively alters the effects of recombination. We conclude that conflicting trends induced by recombination can be explained by an emerging trade-off between evolvability on the one hand, and mutational robustness on the other. Finally, we discuss how different implementations of the recombination scheme in theoretical models can affect the observed dependence on recombination rate through a coupling between recombination and genetic drift.
Mutation of the Drosophila melanogaster serotonin transporter dSERT impacts sleep, courtship, and feeding behaviors
Authors: Knapp Elizabeth M. , Kaiser Andrea , Arnold Rebecca C. , Sampson Maureen M. , Ruppert Manuela , Xu Li , Anderson Matthew I. , Bonanno Shivan L. , Scholz Henrike , Donlea Jeffrey M. , Krantz David E.
Published: November 2022

The Serotonin Transporter (SERT) regulates extracellular serotonin levels and is the target of most current drugs used to treat depression. The mechanisms by which inhibition of SERT activity influences behavior are poorly understood. To address this question in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, we developed new loss of function mutations in Drosophila SERT (dSERT). Previous studies in both flies and mammals have implicated serotonin as an important neuromodulator of sleep, and our newly generated dSERT mutants show an increase in total sleep and altered sleep architecture that is mimicked by feeding the SSRI citalopram. Differences in daytime versus nighttime sleep architecture as well as genetic rescue experiments unexpectedly suggest that distinct serotonergic circuits may modulate daytime versus nighttime sleep. dSERT mutants also show defects in copulation and food intake, akin to the clinical side effects of SSRIs and consistent with the pleomorphic influence of serotonin on the behavior of D. melanogaster. Starvation did not overcome the sleep drive in the mutants and in male dSERT mutants, the drive to mate also failed to overcome sleep drive. dSERT may be used to further explore the mechanisms by which serotonin regulates sleep and its interplay with other complex behaviors.
Overweight and obesity in south central Uganda: A population-based study
Authors: Ayoola Adeoluwa , Ssekubugu Robert , Grabowski Mary Kathryn , Ssekasanvu Joseph , Kigozi Godfrey , Mustapha Aishat , Reynolds Steven J. , Ekstrom Anna Mia , Nordenstedt Helena , Enriquez Rocio , Gray Ronald H. , Wawer Maria J. , Kagaayi Joseph , Post Wendy S. , Chang Larry W.
Published: November 2022

Obesity is a rapidly growing global health challenge, but there are few population-level studies from non-urban settings in sub-Saharan Africa. We evaluated the prevalence of overweight (body mass index (BMI)>25 kg/m2), obesity (BMI>30 kg/m2), and associated factors using data from May 2018 to November 2020 from the Rakai Community Cohort Study, a population-based cohort of residents aged 15 to 49 living in forty-one fishing, trading, and agrarian communities in South Central Uganda. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate adjusted prevalence risk ratios (PRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) in 18,079 participants. The overall mean BMI was 22.9 kg/m2. Mean BMI was 21.5 kg/m2 and 24.1 kg/m2 for males and females, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were 22.8% and 6.2%, respectively. Females had a higher probability of overweight/obesity (PRR: 4.11, CI: 2.98–5.68) than males. For female participants, increasing age, higher socioeconomic status, residing in a trading or fishing community (PRR: 1.25, CI 1.16–1.35 and PRR: 1.17, CI 1.10–1.25, respectively), being currently or previously married (PRR: 1.22, CI 1.07–1.40 and PRR: 1.16, CI 1.01–1.34, respectively), working in a bar/restaurant (PRR: 1.29, CI 1.17–1.45), trading/shopkeeping (PRR: 1.38, CI 1.29–1.48), and reporting alcohol use in the last year (PRR: 1.21, CI 1.10–1.33) were risk factors for overweight/obese. For male participants, increasing age, higher socioeconomic status, being currently married (PRR: 1.94, CI 1.50–2.50), residing in a fishing community (PRR: 1.68, CI 1.40–2.02), working in a bar/restaurant (PRR: 2.20, CI 1.10–4.40), trading/shopkeeping (PRR: 1.75, CI 1.45–2.11), or fishing (PRR: 1.32, CI 1.03–1.69) increased the probability of overweight/obesity. Non-Muslim participants, male smokers, and HIV-positive females had a lower probability of overweight/obese. The prevalence of overweight/obesity in non-urban Ugandans is substantial. Targeted interventions to high-risk subgroups in this population are needed.
Biomarkers of sickle cell nephropathy in Senegal
Authors: Ndour El Hadji Malick , Mnika Khuthala , Tall Fatou Guèye , Seck Moussa , Ly Indou Dème , Nembaware Victoria , Mazandu Gaston Kuzamunu , Sagna Bassène Hélène Ange Thérèse , Dione Rokhaya , Ndongo Aliou Abdoulaye , Diop Jean Pascal Demba , Barry Nènè Oumou Kesso , Djité Moustapha , Ndiaye Diallo Rokhaya , Guèye Papa Madièye , Diop Saliou , Diagne Ibrahima , Cissé Aynina , Wonkam Ambroise , Lopez Sall Philomène
Published: November 2022

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is caused by a single point variation in the β-globin gene (HBB): c.20A> T (p.Glu7Val), in homozygous state. SCA is characterized by sickling of red blood cells in small blood vessels which leads to a range of multiorgan complications, including kidney dysfunction. This case-control study aims at identifying sickle cell nephropathy biomarkers in a group of patients living with SCA from Senegal. A total of 163 patients living with SCA and 177 ethnic matched controls were investigated. Biological phenotyping included evaluation of glycemia, glucosuria, albuminuria, proteinuria, tubular proteinuria, serum creatinine, urine creatinine, urine specific gravity and glomerular filtration rate. Descriptive statistics of biomarkers were performed using the χ2 –test, with the significance level set at p<0.05. Patients living with SCA had a median age of 20 years (range 4 to 57) with a female sex frequency of 53.21%. The median age of the control participants was 29 years (range: 4–77) with a female sex frequency of 66.09%. The following proportions of abnormal biological indices were observed in SCA patients versus (vs.) controls, as follows: hyposthenuria: 35.3%vs.5.2% (p<0.001); glomerular hyperfiltration: 47.66%vs.19.75% (p<0.001), renal insufficiency: 5.47%vs.3.82% (p = 0.182); microalbuminuria: 42.38%vs.5.78% (p<0.001); proteinuria: 39.33%vs.4.62% (p<0.001); tubular proteinuria: 40.97%vs.4.73% (p<0.001) and microglucosuria: 22.5%vs.5.1% (p<0.001). This study shows a relatively high proportion of SCA nephropathy among patients living with SCA in Senegal. Microglucosuria, proteinuria, tubular proteinuria, microalbuminuria, hyposthenuria and glomerular hyperfiltration are the most prevalent biomarkers of nephropathy in this group of Senegalese patients with SCA.
Estimating the number of livebirths to Hepatitis C seropositive women in England in 2013 and 2018 using Bayesian modelling
Authors: Dema Emily , Stander Julian , Cortina-Borja Mario , Thorne Claire , Bailey Heather
Published: November 2022

Background

The UK National Screening Committee currently recommends against antenatal screening for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in England due to lack of HCV prevalence data and treatment licensed for use in pregnancy. We aimed to produce regional and national estimates of the number and proportion of livebirths to HCV seropositive women in England in 2013 and 2018.

Methods

A logistic regression model fitted in the Bayesian framework estimated probabilities of HCV seropositivity among 24,599 mothers delivering in the North Thames area of England in 2012 adjusted by maternal age and region of birth. These probabilities were applied to the underlying population structures of women delivering livebirths in England in 2013 and 2018 to estimate the number of livebirths to HCV seropositive women in these years nationally and by region. The Bayesian approach allowed the uncertainty associated with all estimates to be properly quantified.

Results

Nationally, the estimated number of livebirths to women seropositive for HCV for England was 464 (95% credible interval [CI] 300–692) in 2013 and 481 (95%CI 310–716) in 2018, or 70.0 (95%CI 45.0–104.1) per 100,000 and 76.9 (95%CI 49.5–114.4) per 100,000 in these years respectively. Regions with the highest estimated number of livebirths to HCV seropositive women in 2013 and 2018 included London with 118.5 and 124.4 and the South East with 67.0 and 74.0 per 100,000 livebirths.

Conclusion

Few previous studies have investigated HCV among pregnant women in England. These findings complement and supplement existing research by providing national and regional estimates for the number of livebirths to HCV seropositive women in England. Bayesian modelling allows future national and regional estimates to be produced and the associated uncertainty to be properly quantified.
A reproducible experimental survey on biomedical sentence similarity: A string-based method sets the state of the art
Authors: Lara-Clares Alicia , Lastra-Díaz Juan J. , Garcia-Serrano Ana
Published: November 2022

This registered report introduces the largest, and for the first time, reproducible experimental survey on biomedical sentence similarity with the following aims: (1) to elucidate the state of the art of the problem; (2) to solve some reproducibility problems preventing the evaluation of most current methods; (3) to evaluate several unexplored sentence similarity methods; (4) to evaluate for the first time an unexplored benchmark, called Corpus-Transcriptional-Regulation (CTR); (5) to carry out a study on the impact of the pre-processing stages and Named Entity Recognition (NER) tools on the performance of the sentence similarity methods; and finally, (6) to bridge the lack of software and data reproducibility resources for methods and experiments in this line of research. Our reproducible experimental survey is based on a single software platform, which is provided with a detailed reproducibility protocol and dataset as supplementary material to allow the exact replication of all our experiments and results. In addition, we introduce a new aggregated string-based sentence similarity method, called LiBlock, together with eight variants of current ontology-based methods, and a new pre-trained word embedding model trained on the full-text articles in the PMC-BioC corpus. Our experiments show that our novel string-based measure establishes the new state of the art in sentence similarity analysis in the biomedical domain and significantly outperforms all the methods evaluated herein, with the only exception of one ontology-based method. Likewise, our experiments confirm that the pre-processing stages, and the choice of the NER tool for ontology-based methods, have a very significant impact on the performance of the sentence similarity methods. We also detail some drawbacks and limitations of current methods, and highlight the need to refine the current benchmarks. Finally, a notable finding is that our new string-based method significantly outperforms all state-of-the-art Machine Learning (ML) models evaluated herein.
Prevalence, causes, impacts, and management of needle phobia: An international survey of a general adult population
Authors: Alsbrooks Kimberly , Hoerauf Klaus
Published: November 2022

Needle phobia is an overlooked condition that affects virtually all medical procedures. Our study aimed to identify how commonly needle phobia is experienced, its underlying reasons, impacts, and potential mitigation strategies. A global survey was conducted in a general adult population using a questionnaire based on a targeted literature review that identified under-researched areas. The 21-item questionnaire was completed on a secure, web-based survey platform. Statistical analyses and models were utilized to identify relationships between participant characteristics and needle phobia. Of the 2,098 participants enrolled in the study, 63.2% (n = 1,325) reported experiencing needle phobia, and rated the intensity of their fear as 5.7 (±2.6) on average on a scale from 0 (no fear) to 10 (very strong/unreasonable fear or avoidance). According to the logistic regression model, other medical fears (odds coefficient = 2.14) and family history (1.67) were the most important factors associated with needle phobia. General anxiety (96.1%) and pain (95.5%) were the most common reasons for needle fear. Of the participants experiencing needle phobia, 52.2% stated avoiding blood draws, followed by 49.0% for blood donations, and 33.1% for vaccinations. While 24.3% of participants have seen a therapist, most have never sought help. The majority have shared their fear with nurses (61.1%) or physicians (44.4%); however, the provider helpfulness was rated as 4.9 (±3.1) on average on a scale from 0 (unhelpful) to 10 (extremely helpful). Utilizing non-invasive alternatives (94.1%) and smaller needles (91.1%) were most commonly identified as potential device-related solutions to alleviate fear; distractions (92.1%) and relaxation techniques (91.7%) were the top non-device-related approaches. Our findings highlight the prevalent nature of needle phobia and provide insights into its etiology and effects on patient care. Clinician responses were not perceived as helpful, emphasizing the need to address needle phobia, and improve patient experience.
DR4/DQ2 haplotype confers susceptibility to T1DM with early clinical disease onset: A retrospective analysis in a tertiary-care hospital in Italy
Authors: Ricci Silvia , Perugia Francesca , Piccini Barbara , Lodi Lorenzo , Pegoraro Francesco , Giovannini Mattia , Rombolà Giovanni , Perferi Giancarlo , Toni Sonia , Azzari Chiara
Published: November 2022

Introduction

T1DM is the most frequent form of diabetes in children. It has a multifactorial pathogenesis in which genetic, environmental and immunological factors are involved. Among genetic explanations a major role is attributed to second class HLA genes, with the greatest risk associated with the simultaneous presence of the haplotypes DR3DQ2 and DR4DQ8. Based on results obtained in other countries, the aim of this research is to verify a possible association between the haplotype DRB1 * 04: 05-DQA1 * 03-DQB1 * 02 and the onset of T1DM among Italian children with possible genotype-phenotype correlations. Greater knowledge of genes which increase or decrease susceptibility is important for genome analysis.

Materials and methods

165 patients with type 1 diabetes treated at the Diabetology Unit of the Meyer Children’s University Hospital, were clinically analyzed. Data relating to age at diagnosis, pancreatic anti-beta cell autoimmunity, comorbidities with date of diagnosis and family history were retrospectively collected from medical data. A case-control study was conducted to investigate the HLA types of the patients compared to a control group of 819 Tuscan donors enrolled in the National Bone Marrow Donor Register. Typing was carried out using the Eurospital "DIABEGEN" kit, currently in use at the immunology laboratory of the Meyer Children’s University Hospital.

Results

Mean age at diagnosis was 9.3 years; most children (97%) had anti-pancreatic beta cell autoimmunity; the anti-insulin antibody (IAA) was more frequent among children with early clinical disease onset (0–5 years of age). From the case control comparison performed on HLA typing, it emerged that the greatest risk for the development of type 1 diabetes is conferred by the haplotypes DR3DQ2 and DR4DQ8, but in addition to these haplotypes, already known in other countries, we identified another haplotype, DR4DQ2 (DRB1 * 04: 05-DQA1 * 03-DQB1 * 02) which appears to predispose children to type 1 diabetes (p value 2.80E-08) and it is associated with early clinical disease onset (p-value = 0.002).

Conclusions

We report a new haplotype which increases susceptibility to type 1 diabetes among Italian children and which is associated with early clinical disease onset. Given the central role attributed to genetic factors in the pathogenesis of T1DM and to the II class HLA genes, this new haplotype ought to be recognized as a risk factor and included in tests routinely carried out to identify patients with a genetic predisposition to type I diabetes in Italy. These findings could have practical implications in research and prevention programs.
Genetic characterization of a novel pheasant-origin orthoreovirus using Next-Generation Sequencing
Authors: Tang Yi , Yu Haiyang , Jiang Xiaoning , Bao Endong , Wang Dong , Lu Huaguang
Published: November 2022

A field isolate (Reo/SDWF /Pheasant/17608/20) of avian orthoreovirus (ARV), isolated from a flock of game-pheasants in Weifang, Shandong Province, was genetically characterized being a field variant or novel strain in our recent research studies in conducting whole genome sequencing by using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technique on Illumina MiSeq platform. Among a total of 870,197 35-151-mer sequencing reads, 297,711 reads (34.21%) were identified as ARV sequences. The de novo assembly of the ARV reads resulted in generation of 10 ARV-related contigs with the average sequencing coverage from 1390× to 1977× according to 10 ARV genome segments. The complete genomes of this pheasant-origin ARV (Reo/SDWF /Pheasant/17608/20) were 23,495 bp in length and consist of 10 dsRNA segments ranged from 1192 bp (S4) to 3958 bp (L1) encoding 12 viral proteins. Sequence comparison between the SDWF17608 and classic ARV reference strains revealed that 58.1–100% nucleotide (nt) identities and 51.4–100% amino acid (aa) identities were in genome segment coding genes. The 10 RNA segments had conversed termini at 5’ (5’-GCUUUU) and 3’ (UCAUC-3’) side, which were identical to the most published ARV strains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this pheasant ARV field variant was closely related with chicken ARV strains in 7 genome segment genes, but it possessed significant sequence divergence in M1, M3 and S2 segments. These findings suggested that this pheasant-origin field variant was a divergent ARV strain and was likely originated from reassortments between different chicken ARV strains.
Risk stratification with explainable machine learning for 30-day procedure-related mortality and 30-day unplanned readmission in patients with peripheral arterial disease
Authors: Cox Meredith , Panagides J. C. , Tabari Azadeh , Kalva Sanjeeva , Kalpathy-Cramer Jayashree , Daye Dania
Published: November 2022

Predicting 30-day procedure-related mortality risk and 30-day unplanned readmission in patients undergoing lower extremity endovascular interventions for peripheral artery disease (PAD) may assist in improving patient outcomes. Risk prediction of 30-day mortality can help clinicians identify treatment plans to reduce the risk of death, and prediction of 30-day unplanned readmission may improve outcomes by identifying patients who may benefit from readmission prevention strategies. The goal of this study is to develop machine learning models to stratify risk of 30-day procedure-related mortality and 30-day unplanned readmission in patients undergoing lower extremity infra-inguinal endovascular interventions. We used a cohort of 14,444 cases from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. For each outcome, we developed and evaluated multiple machine learning models, including Support Vector Machines, Multilayer Perceptrons, and Gradient Boosting Machines, and selected a random forest as the best-performing model for both outcomes. Our 30-day procedure-related mortality model achieved an AUC of 0.75 (95% CI: 0.71–0.79) and our 30-day unplanned readmission model achieved an AUC of 0.68 (95% CI: 0.67–0.71). Stratification of the test set by race (white and non-white), sex (male and female), and age (≥65 years and <65 years) and subsequent evaluation of demographic parity by AUC shows that both models perform equally well across race, sex, and age groups. We interpret the model globally and locally using Gini impurity and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). Using the top five predictors for death and mortality, we demonstrate differences in survival for subgroups stratified by these predictors, which underscores the utility of our model.