Optically manipulated micromirrors for precise excitation of WGM microlasers

Whispering gallery mode microlasers are highly sensitive refractive index sensors widely explored for biophotonic and biomedical applications. Microlaser excitation and collection of the emitted light typically utilize microscope objectives at normal incidence, limiting the choice of the oscillation plane of the modes. Here, we present a platform that enables the excitation of microlasers from various directions using an optically manipulated micromirror. The scheme enables precise sensing of the environment surrounding the microlasers along different well-controlled planes. We further demonstrate the capability of the platform to perform a time-resolved experiment of dynamic sensing using a polystyrene probe bead orbiting the microlaser

Two-tier manipulation of holographic information

The project was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Grant Agreement No. 819346).Here we demonstrate the two-tier manipulation of holographic information using frequency-selective metasurfaces. Our results show that these devices can diffract light efficiently at designed frequency and environmental conditions. By changing the frequency and refractive index of the surrounding environment, the metasurfaces produce two different holographic images. We anticipate that these environmental dependent, frequency-selective metasurfaces will have practical applications in holographic encryption and sensing.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Confidence-Aware Multi-Field Model Calibration

Accurately predicting the probabilities of user feedback, such as clicks and conversions, is critical for advertisement ranking and bidding. However, there often exist unwanted mismatches between predicted probabilities and true likelihoods due to the rapid shift of data distributions and intrinsic model biases. Calibration aims to address this issue by post-processing model predictions, and field-aware calibration can adjust model output on different feature field values to satisfy fine-grained advertising demands. Unfortunately, the observed samples corresponding to certain field values can be seriously limited to make confident calibrations, which may yield bias amplification and online disturbance. In this paper, we propose a confidence-aware multi-field calibration method, which adaptively adjusts the calibration intensity based on confidence levels derived from sample statistics. It also utilizes multiple fields for joint model calibration according to their importance to mitigate the impact of data sparsity on a single field. Extensive offline and online experiments show the superiority of our method in boosting advertising performance and reducing prediction deviations

Comparison of algorithms for road surface temperature prediction

Purpose - The influence of road surface temperature (RST) on vehicles is becoming more and more obvious. Accurate predication of RST is distinctly meaningful. At present, however, the prediction accuracy of RST is not satisfied with physical methods or statistical learning methods. To find an effective prediction method, this paper selects five representative algorithms to predict the road surface temperature separately. Design/methodology/approach - Multiple linear regressions, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, random forest and gradient boosting regression tree (GBRT) and neural network are chosen to be representative predictors. Findings - The experimental results show that for temperature data set of this experiment, the prediction effect of GBRT in the ensemble algorithm is the best compared with the other four algorithms. Originality/value - This paper compares different kinds of machine learning algorithms, observes the road surface temperature data from different angles, and finds the most suitable prediction method

Genetic alteration of histone lysine methyltransferases and their significance in renal cell carcinoma

Background Histone lysine methyltransferases (HMTs), a category of enzymes, play essential roles in regulating transcription, cellular differentiation, and chromatin construction. The genomic landscape and clinical significance of HMTs in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remain uncovered. Methods We conducted an integrative analysis of 50 HMTs in RCC and discovered the internal relations among copy number alterations (CNAs), expressive abundance, mutations, and clinical outcome. Results We confirmed 12 HMTs with the highest frequency of genetic alterations, including seven HMTs with high-level amplification, two HMTs with somatic mutation, and three HMTs with putative homozygous deletion. Patterns of copy number and expression varied among different subtypes of RCC, including clear cell renal cell carcinoma, papillary cell carcinoma, and chromophobe renal carcinoma. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and multivariate analysis identified that CNA or mRNA expression in some HMTs were significantly associated with shorter overall patient survival. Systematic analysis identified six HMTs (ASH1L, PRDM6, NSD1, EZH2, WHSC1L1, SETD2) which were dysregulated by genetic alterations as candidate therapeutic targets. Discussion In summary, our findings strongly evidenced that genetic alteration of HMTs may play an important role in generation and development of RCC, which lays a solid foundation for the mechanism for further research in the future

Opioid use and opioid use disorder in mono and dual-system users of veteran affairs medical centers

IntroductionEfforts to achieve opioid guideline concordant care may be undermined when patients access multiple opioid prescription sources. Limited data are available on the impact of dual-system sources of care on receipt of opioid medications.ObjectiveWe examined whether dual-system use was associated with increased rates of new opioid prescriptions, continued opioid prescriptions and diagnoses of opioid use disorder (OUD). We hypothesized that dual-system use would be associated with increased odds for each outcome.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study was conducted using Veterans Administration (VA) data from two facilities from 2015 to 2019, and included active patients, defined as Veterans who had at least one encounter in a calendar year (2015–2019). Dual-system use was defined as receipt of VA care as well as VA payment for community care (non-VA) services. Mono users were defined as those who only received VA services. There were 77,225 dual-system users, and 442,824 mono users. Outcomes were three binary measures: new opioid prescription, continued opioid prescription (i.e., received an additional opioid prescription), and OUD diagnosis (during the calendar year). We conducted a multivariate logistic regression accounting for the repeated observations on patient and intra-class correlations within patients.ResultsDual-system users were significantly younger than mono users, more likely to be women, and less likely to report white race. In adjusted models, dual-system users were significantly more likely to receive a new opioid prescription during the observation period [Odds ratio (OR) = 1.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.76–1.93], continue prescriptions (OR = 1.24, CI 1.22–1.27), and to receive an OUD diagnosis (OR = 1.20, CI 1.14–1.27).DiscussionThe prevalence of opioid prescriptions has been declining in the US healthcare systems including VA, yet the prevalence of OUD has not been declining at the same rate. One potential problem is that detailed notes from non-VA visits are not immediately available to VA clinicians, and information about VA care is not readily available to non-VA sources. One implication of our findings is that better health system coordination is needed. Even though care was paid for by the VA and presumably closely monitored, dual-system users were more likely to have new and continued opioid prescriptions

Biological responses of an elite centipedegrass [Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro) Hack.] cultivar (Ganbei) to carbon ion beam irradiation

Carbon ion beam irradiation (CIBI) is a highly efficient mutagenesis for generating mutations that can be used to expand germplasm resources and create superior new germplasm. The study investigated the effects of different doses of CIBI (50 Gy, 100 Gy, 150 Gy, 200 Gy and 300 Gy) on seed germination and seedling survival, seedling morphological and physiological traits of an elite centipedegrass cultivar Ganbei. The results showed that irradiation greater than 50 Gy cause inhibition of seed germination, and the semi-lethal dose (LD50) is around 90 Gy for CIBI treated seeds of Ganbei. A carbon ion beam-mutagenized centipedegrass population was generated from Ganbei, with irradiation dosages from 50 Gy to 200 Gy. More than ten types of phenotypic variations and novel mutants with heritable tendencies mainly including putative mutants of stolon number, length and diameter, of internode length, of leaf length and width, of leaf chlorophyll content, of stolon growth rate, of aboveground tissue dry weight, of sward height were identified. While the total sugar content of the plants from irradiated seeds showed no obvious change in all treatments as compared to the control, the crude protein content displayed significant reduction at a high-dose treatment of 200 Gy. Genetic polymorphism was detected in mutagenized centipedegrass population using SSR-PCR analysis, suggesting that CIBI caused alteration of larger fragments of the DNA sequence. As a result, a preliminary batch of mutants was screened in this study. In summary, carbon ion beam mutagenesis is an effective way for developing centipedegrass germplasm with wider variation, and treating seeds with CIBI at a dosage of ~100 Gy could be effective in centipedegrass mutation breeding

Anthropogenic Aerosols Cause Recent Pronounced Weakening of Asian Summer Monsoon Relative to Last Four Centuries

The Asian Summer Monsoon (ASM) affects ecosystems, biodiversity, and food security of billions of people. In recent decades, ASM strength (as represented by precipitation) has been decreasing, but instrumental measurements span only a short period of time. The initiation and the dynamics of the recent trend are unclear. Here for the first time, we use an ensemble of 10 tree ring-width chronologies from the west-central margin of ASM to reconstruct detail of ASM variability back to 1566 CE. The reconstruction captures weak/strong ASM events and also reflects major locust plagues. Notably, we found an unprecedented 80-year trend of decreasing ASM strength within the context of the 448-year reconstruction, which is contrary to what is expected from greenhouse warming. Our coupled climate model shows that increasing anthropogenic sulfate aerosol emissions over the Northern Hemisphere could be the dominant factor contributing to the ASM decrease. Plan Language Summary Monsoonal rainfall has a certain influence on agriculture and industry in the regions of Asian Summer Monsoon (ASM). An understanding of the spatial-temporal variability of the ASM and the associated dynamics is vital for terrestrial ecosystems, water resources, forests, and landscapes. We have developed a 448-year ASM reconstruction back to 1566 CE using 10 tree ring chronologies from the margin region of ASM. We find that historical severe droughts and locust plague disasters during weak ASM events. The recent decreasing ASM trend persisting for over 80 years is unprecedented over the past 448 years. Coupled climate models show that increasing anthropogenic aerosol emissions are the dominant underlying factor. Our aim is that the time series will find a wide range of utility for understanding past climate variability and for predicting future climate change.National Natural Science Foundation of China [41630531]; National Research Program for Key Issues in Air Pollution Control [DQGG0104]; Chinese Academy of Sciences [QYZDJ-SSW-DQC021, XDPB05, GJHZ1777]; Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences; State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology6 month embargo; first published: 09 April 2019This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]