Control of polarization and mode mapping of small volume high Q micropillars

We show that the polarization of the emission of a single quantum dot embedded within a microcavity pillar of elliptical cross section can be completely controlled and even switched between two orthogonal linear polarizations by changing the coupling of the dot emission with the polarized photonic modes. We also measure the spatial profle of the emission of a series of pillars with different ellipticities and show that the results can be well described by simple theoretical modeling of the modes of an infinite length elliptical cylinder

CLUTCH SIZE AND INCUBATION TEMPERATURES OF GREEN TURTLE EGGS

Southeast Asia Sea Turtle Associative ResearchBangkok, Thailand, 16-19 December 2002Since clutch size of sea turtle eggs, through metabolic heating, can affect incubation temperatures, a study was conducted on Redang Island, Malaysia to look into the magnitude of this effect and its possible influence on sex determination of hatchlings. Miniature self-recording temperature loggers were used to monitor the incubation temperatures of relocated green turtle nests with 0, 5, 25, 50, 75, and 100 eggs at 60cm depth. Incubation temperatures were not constant but changed depending on weather, season, period of incubation and clutch size. The differential effects of metabolic heating on nest temperature due to clutch size only became evident after the first-third of incubation. These effects increase as the incubation progresses until hatching. Metabolic heating effects were greater in larger clutches compared to smaller clutch sizes. Incubation temperature reached its maximum after approximately 45 days of incubation. Clutch size can have a significant impact on incubation temperature through metabolic heating but may not necessarily influence significantly the sex ratio output of hatchlings

HOPX functions as a tumour suppressor in head and neck cancer.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is generalized term that encompasses a diverse group of cancers that includes tumours of the oral cavity (OSCC), oropharynx (OPSCC) and nasopharynx (NPC). Genetic alterations that are common to all HNSCC types are likely to be important for squamous carcinogenesis. In this study, we have investigated the role of the homeodomain-only homeobox gene, HOPX, in the pathogenesis of HNSCC. We show that HOPX mRNA levels are reduced in OSCC and NPC cell lines and tissues and there is a general reduction of HOPX protein expression in these tumours and OPSCCs. HOPX promoter methylation was observed in a subset of HNSCCs and was associated with a worse overall survival in HPV negative tumours. RNAseq analysis of OSCC cells transfected with HOPX revealed a widespread deregulation of the transcription of genes related to epithelial homeostasis and ectopic over-expression of HOPX in OSCC and NPC cells inhibited cell proliferation, plating efficiency and migration, and enhanced sensitivity to UVA-induced apoptosis. Our results demonstrate that HOPX functions as a tumour suppressor in HNSCC and suggest a central role for HOPX in suppressing epithelial carcinogenesis

A large, curated, open-source stroke neuroimaging dataset to improve lesion segmentation algorithms

Accurate lesion segmentation is critical in stroke rehabilitation research for the quantifcation of lesion burden and accurate image processing. Current automated lesion segmentation methods for T1-weighted (T1w) MRIs, commonly used in stroke research, lack accuracy and reliability. Manual segmentation remains the gold standard, but it is time-consuming, subjective, and requires neuroanatomical expertise. We previously released an open-source dataset of stroke T1w MRIs and manually-segmented lesion masks (ATLAS v1.2, N=304) to encourage the development of better algorithms. However, many methods developed with ATLAS v1.2 report low accuracy, are not publicly accessible or are improperly validated, limiting their utility to the feld. Here we present ATLAS v2.0 (N=1271), a larger dataset of T1w MRIs and manually segmented lesion masks that includes training (n=655), test (hidden masks, n=300), and generalizability (hidden MRIs and masks, n=316) datasets. Algorithm development using this larger sample should lead to more robust solutions; the hidden datasets allow for unbiased performance evaluation via segmentation challenges. We anticipate that ATLAS v2.0 will lead to improved algorithms, facilitating large-scale stroke research.Sook-Lei Liew ... Brenton G. Hordacre ... et al

SARS-CoV-2-specific nasal IgA wanes 9 months after hospitalisation with COVID-19 and is not induced by subsequent vaccination

BACKGROUND: Most studies of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 focus on circulating antibody, giving limited insights into mucosal defences that prevent viral replication and onward transmission. We studied nasal and plasma antibody responses one year after hospitalisation for COVID-19, including a period when SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was introduced. METHODS: In this follow up study, plasma and nasosorption samples were prospectively collected from 446 adults hospitalised for COVID-19 between February 2020 and March 2021 via the ISARIC4C and PHOSP-COVID consortia. IgA and IgG responses to NP and S of ancestral SARS-CoV-2, Delta and Omicron (BA.1) variants were measured by electrochemiluminescence and compared with plasma neutralisation data. FINDINGS: Strong and consistent nasal anti-NP and anti-S IgA responses were demonstrated, which remained elevated for nine months (p < 0.0001). Nasal and plasma anti-S IgG remained elevated for at least 12 months (p < 0.0001) with plasma neutralising titres that were raised against all variants compared to controls (p < 0.0001). Of 323 with complete data, 307 were vaccinated between 6 and 12 months; coinciding with rises in nasal and plasma IgA and IgG anti-S titres for all SARS-CoV-2 variants, although the change in nasal IgA was minimal (1.46-fold change after 10 months, p = 0.011) and the median remained below the positive threshold determined by pre-pandemic controls. Samples 12 months after admission showed no association between nasal IgA and plasma IgG anti-S responses (R = 0.05, p = 0.18), indicating that nasal IgA responses are distinct from those in plasma and minimally boosted by vaccination. INTERPRETATION: The decline in nasal IgA responses 9 months after infection and minimal impact of subsequent vaccination may explain the lack of long-lasting nasal defence against reinfection and the limited effects of vaccination on transmission. These findings highlight the need to develop vaccines that enhance nasal immunity. FUNDING: This study has been supported by ISARIC4C and PHOSP-COVID consortia. ISARIC4C is supported by grants from the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council. Liverpool Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre provided infrastructure support for this research. The PHOSP-COVD study is jointly funded by UK Research and Innovation and National Institute of Health and Care Research. The funders were not involved in the study design, interpretation of data or the writing of this manuscript

Factors Associated with Revision Surgery after Internal Fixation of Hip Fractures

Background: Femoral neck fractures are associated with high rates of revision surgery after management with internal fixation. Using data from the Fixation using Alternative Implants for the Treatment of Hip fractures (FAITH) trial evaluating methods of internal fixation in patients with femoral neck fractures, we investigated associations between baseline and surgical factors and the need for revision surgery to promote healing, relieve pain, treat infection or improve function over 24 months postsurgery. Additionally, we investigated factors associated with (1) hardware removal and (2) implant exchange from cancellous screws (CS) or sliding hip screw (SHS) to total hip arthroplasty, hemiarthroplasty, or another internal fixation device. Methods: We identified 15 potential factors a priori that may be associated with revision surgery, 7 with hardware removal, and 14 with implant exchange. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses in our investigation. Results: Factors associated with increased risk of revision surgery included: female sex, [hazard ratio (HR) 1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-2.50; P = 0.001], higher body mass index (fo

Optimization of a functional cookie formulation by using response surface methodology

A functional cookie formulation containing oligofructose, dietary fibre and lower calorie, fat and sugar contents than conventional cookies was optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Instant N-Oil II was used as a fat replacer, while Raftilose ®P95 was used as a sugar substitute with the addition of fructose to enhance sweetness. Selection of the optimal formulation was based on caloric content. An optimized formulation, V1, was obtained from the model Y = 4927.70 – 152.34X1 – 155.42X3 + 104.20X32 + 151.71X33 – 95.08X34, where Instant N-Oil II replaced 30% of butter and 24.4%, w/w (30.5g) fructose replaced 40.0%, w/w (50.0g) sucrose. Two additional optimized formulations, S1 and S2, were proposed which contained the same ingredients as V1, but both contained 19.0%, w/w (23.8g) Raftilose ®P95. Also, S2 had a higher fat replacement level (42%). A reference cookie prepared from a conventional recipe received significantly higher scores (P < 0.05) than the functional cookies V1, S1 and S2 in the sensory evaluation. However, when health benefits of the functional cookies were explained to the panel after the sensory evaluation had concluded, majority of the panelists stated that they would prefer S1, had they known of its health benefits. S1 contained 19.04% fat, 8.62% fructose and 0.74% sucrose, namely, significantly lower fat and sucrose levels and higher fructose content than the conventional cookie

Tapered box columns under biaxial loading

Journal of structural engineering New York, N.Y.11571697-1710JSEN