Effects Of Aberrations Research Articles

Tatian polynomial-based annular pupil wavefront optimization method for high-NA extreme ultraviolet lithography

The advanced technology node has an exact error tolerance. The effect of projection objective aberration on imaging cannot be neglected. In order to reduce the effect of aberration, considering the central obscuration of the high-NA extreme ultraviolet projection objective, we propose a Tatian polynomial-based annular pupil wavefront optimization (TBAPWO) method. An active pupil consisting of 64-term Tatian polynomials is incorporated into the imaging model. The suitable coefficients of the Tatian polynomials are solved using the gradient iteration method. The optimized active pupil can improve lithographic imaging quality. Simulation results show that the TBAPWO method can effectively reduce the pattern error of imaging by more than 30%, which indicates that the effect of aberration on imaging is controlled.

Impact of bortezomib on 1q21+ in multiple myeloma: A meta-analysis of treatment outcomes and prognostic implications.

The gain of chromosomal region 1q21 is a significant risk factor in multiple myeloma (MM) and is associated with poor prognosis. The introduction of bortezomib has notably improved outcomes for patients with MM. However, recent studies have reported conflicting results regarding the efficacy of bortezomib in mitigating the adverse effects of 1q21 aberration in these patients. To address this, in the present study, a meta-analysis was conducted based on 6 studies encompassing 1,575 patients with MM. The prognosis of patients with 1q21+ who underwent treatment with a bortezomib-based regimen was evaluated in terms of complete response (CR), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates. The results demonstrated that patients with 1q21 aberration were more likely to achieve CR than those without 1q21+ under bortezomib-based treatment [odds ratio, 0.64; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.49-0.83; P=0.0008]. However, 1q21+ remained a high-risk factor in patients with MM even after bortezomib treatment [PFS: hazard ratio (HR), 1.72; 95% CI, 1.53-1.93; P<0.00001; and OS: HR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.58-2.42; P<0.00001]. In conclusion, although bortezomib improved the likelihood of achieving CR in patients with 1q21+, this genetic aberration continues to be considered a high-risk factor in patients with MM treated with a bortezomib-based regimen.

Proposal to correct aberration and turbulence effects in the propagation of Laguerre-Gaussian modes

Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) modes are known as carriers of orbital angular momentum (OAM) and, for this reason, such modes have potential applications in optical communications. In this work, we present a study of the effects of aberration and turbulence on LG modes and propose a correction for these effects using a spatial light modulator. The aberrations are introduced by a phase mask obtained through a combination of Zernike polynomials. A scaling factor in the corrective phase mask enables us to optimize the recovery of the transverse structure of the LG beam, opening, to our knowledge, a new investigative avenue on aberration and turbulence mitigation. Numerical simulations and experiments are presented with good agreement.

Mainstreaming Indigenous Knowledge of Pastoralists into Climate Change Policies in Cameroon

Indigenous pastoralists are hardest hit by the impacts of climate change because of their dependence on nature and limited adaptation. This paper seeks to examine the level of integration of traditional knowledge systems into adaptation policies in Cameroon, using the specific case of Mbororo pastoralists in the Western Highlands. Using a mainly qualitative approach in data collection, in-depth interviews were conducted with 28 purposively selected pastoralists from 4 divisions with intense pastoral activity, comprising 19 Mbororo pastoralists, 2 members of the Mbororo Social and Cultural Association (MBOSCUDA), 2 Mbororo traditional rulers, 5 Mbororo women and one focus group discussion. Discussions were recorded and voice notes were transcribed, coded and treated according to content and thematic with the aid of Atlas. Ti software. Results show that Mbororo pastoralists migrated into the region in the 1950s as nomadic herders and occupied marginal lands due to the nature of their activity. With climatic aberrations being acute, their closeness to nature permitted them to develop a wide array of knowledge and traditional practices to adapt and exploit existing opportunities. Semi-nomadic and transhumance methods of rearing, cross-breeding local species with high-breed species to produce resistant breeds of cattle, cultivating resistant pasture species, rotational grazing and using traditional medicines to treat cattle diseases have reduced resource degradation and curbed the effects of climatic aberrations. Nevertheless, these indigenous knowledge systems are eroding fast due to poor indigenous institutions and non-integration into policy. This work will reinforce capacities of decentralized communities in developing and implementing local adaptation plans on climate change.

Overlooked effects of wavefront reception with or without speed limit, from aberration to time measurement

A general approach to wavefront reception applicable to any type of wave allows to point out some overlooked aspects and ignored consequences of established theories. The Doppler and aberration effects of electromagnetic waves, the cosmological redshift and the measurement of durations are all perceptual phenomena, and as such require the use of reception rather than Lorentz-transformed coordinates, since perceived durations relate proper to proper durations whereas the famous time dilation of special relativity relates proper to improper durations. Taking this subtlety into account rehabilitates the controversial Poincaré ellipsoid whose polar equation is just the relativistic Doppler effect. The application of this approach to the Galilean case whose transformed and received wavefronts are homothetic, reveals new aberration relations and the existence of a transverse Doppler effect very similar, in proportion to the respective wave velocities, to the relativistic one, thus forbidding in practice the test of his theory proposed by Einstein. The reasons for the long persistence of a classical angular Doppler formula divorced from wavefront reception are discussed, one of them ironically being the theory of special relativity.

Altered sense of agency in schizophrenia: the aberrant effect of cardiac interoceptive signals.

Schizophrenia (SZ) is characterized by abnormalities in self-representation, including a disturbed sense of agency (SoA). The continuous processing of sensory information concerning the internal state of the body (interoception) is argued to be fundamental to neural representations of the self. We, therefore, tested if aberrant interoception underpins disturbances in SoA in SZ, focusing on cardiac interoceptive signaling. Forty-two SZ and 29 non-clinical participants (healthy controls; HC) performed an intentional binding task to measure SoA during concurrent heartbeat recording. The effect of cardiac interoceptive signals on SoA was measured by the difference in intentional binding effect during systole and diastole. This measure was standardized based on the overall intentional binding effect to control for non-cardiac factors, and then compared between SZ and HC. Our study revealed a significant difference between SZ and HC groups, with opposite effects of cardiac systole on SoA. Specifically, cardiac systole disrupted SoA in SZ, contrasting with the enhanced SoA in HC. Across the SZ group, the extent to which SoA was disrupted by cardiac systole correlated significantly with a clinical proxy for symptom instability, namely the number of hospital admissions for hallucinations and delusions. Furthermore, the disruption was particularly observed in patients with severe hallucinations. This study revealed a disturbance in the impact of cardiac interoceptive signals on an implicit index of SoA in schizophrenia. This supports the notion that pathophysiological disruption of the central integration of interoceptive information increases vulnerability to disturbances in self-representation and the associated expression of schizophrenic symptoms.

Observation of the topological aberrations of twisted light

When reflected from an interface, a laser beam generally drifts and tilts away from the path predicted by ray optics, an intriguing consequence of its finite transverse extent. For twisted light, such beam shifts manifest even more dramatically: upon reflection, a field containing a high-order optical vortex is expected to experience not only geometrical shifts, but an additional splitting of its high-order vortex into a constellation of unit-charge vortices, a phenomenon known as topological aberration. In this article, we report on the experimental observation of the topological aberration effect, verified through the deformation of vortex constellations upon reflection. We develop a general theoretical framework to study topological aberrations in terms of the elementary symmetric polynomials of the coordinates of a vortex constellation, a mathematical abstraction which we prove to be the physical quantity of practical interest.

SLC12A1 variant c.1684+1 G>A causes Bartter syndrome type 1 by promoting exon 13 skipping.

Bartter syndrome type 1, an autosomal recessive genetic disorder, is caused by pathogenic loss-of-function variants in the SLC12A1 gene. It is characterized by metabolic alkalosis and prenatal-onset polyuria leading to polyhydramnios. We identified pathogenic gene in a 12-day-old newborn boy with Bartter syndrome type 1 using whole-exome sequencing. Sanger sequencing validated the identified variants. A minigene assay was performed to investigate the effect of a novel splice site variant on pre-mRNA splicing. We found a compound heterozygous variants in the SLC12A1 gene, consisting of a known pathogenic missense mutation (NM_000338: c.769 G>A; p.Gly257Ser) and a novel splice site variant (c.1684+1 G>A). In silico predictions and an in vitro minigene splicing assay demonstrated that the splicing variant c.1684+1 G>A abolished a consensus splice donor site of SLC12A1 intron 13, resulting in complete exon 13 skipping, translational frameshift, and premature termination codon, ultimately leading to loss of SLC12A1 function. Using a cell-based in vitro assay, we revealed the aberrant effect of the pathogenic splicing variant SLC12A1 c.1684+1 G>A on pre-mRNA splicing. Our findings expand the gene mutation spectrum of Bartter syndrome type 1, providing a basis for genetic diagnosis and the development of genetic medicines.

Aberration-robust monocular passive depth sensing using a meta-imaging camera

Depth sensing plays a crucial role in various applications, including robotics, augmented reality, and autonomous driving. Monocular passive depth sensing techniques have come into their own for the cost-effectiveness and compact design, offering an alternative to the expensive and bulky active depth sensors and stereo vision systems. While the light-field camera can address the defocus ambiguity inherent in 2D cameras and achieve unambiguous depth perception, it compromises the spatial resolution and usually struggles with the effect of optical aberration. In contrast, our previously proposed meta-imaging sensor1 has overcome such hurdles by reconciling the spatial-angular resolution trade-off and achieving the multi-site aberration correction for high-resolution imaging. Here, we present a compact meta-imaging camera and an analytical framework for the quantification of monocular depth sensing precision by calculating the Cramér–Rao lower bound of depth estimation. Quantitative evaluations reveal that the meta-imaging camera exhibits not only higher precision over a broader depth range than the light-field camera but also superior robustness against changes in signal-background ratio. Moreover, both the simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the meta-imaging camera maintains the capability of providing precise depth information even in the presence of aberrations. Showing the promising compatibility with other point-spread-function engineering methods, we anticipate that the meta-imaging camera may facilitate the advancement of monocular passive depth sensing in various applications.

Super-resolution Imaging of Telescopic Systems based on Optical-neural Network Joint Optimization

Optical telescopes are an important tool for acquiring optical information about distant objects, and resolution is an important indicator that measures the ability to observe object details. However, due to the effects of system aberration, atmospheric seeing, and other factors, the observed image of ground-based telescopes is often degraded, resulting in reduced resolution. This paper proposes an optical-neural network joint optimization method to improve the resolution of the observed image by co-optimizing the point-spread function (PSF) of the telescopic system and the image super-resolution (SR) network. To improve the speed of image reconstruction, we designed a generative adversarial net (LCR-GAN) with light parameters, which is much faster than the latest unsupervised networks. To reconstruct the PSF trained by the network in the optical path, a phase mask is introduced. It improves the image reconstruction effect of LCR-GAN by reconstructing the PSF that best matches the network. The results of simulation and verification experiments show that compared with the pure deep learning method, the SR image reconstructed by this method is rich in detail and it is easier to distinguish stars or stripes.

A Novel Heterozygous Intronic FBN1 Variant Contributes to Aberrant RNA Splicing in Marfan Syndrome.

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a complex genetic systemic connective tissue disorder. It is well known that genetic factors play a critical role in the progression of MFS, with nearly all cases attributed to variants in the FBN1 gene. We investigated a Chinese family with MFS spanning two generations. Whole exome sequencing, in silico analysis, minigene constructs, transfection, RT-PCR, and protein secondary structure analysis were used to analyze the genotype of the proband and his father. The main clinical manifestations of the proband and his father were subluxation of the left lens and high myopia with pectus deformity. Whole exome sequencing identified a novel single nucleotide variant (SNV) in the FBN1 gene at a non-canonical splice site, c.443-3C>G. This variant resulted in two abnormal mRNA transcripts, leading to a frameshift and an in-frame insertion. Further invitro experiments indicated that the c.443-3C>G variant in FBN1 was pathogenic and functionally harmful. This research identified a novel intronic pathogenic FBN1: c.443-3C>G gene variant, which led to two different aberrant splicing effects. Further functional analysis expands the variant spectrum and provides a strong indication and sufficient basis for preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic disease (PGT-M).

Covariant cosmography: the observer-dependence of the Hubble parameter

The disagreement between low- and high-redshift measurements of the Hubble parameter is emerging as a serious challenge to the standard model of cosmology. We develop a covariant cosmographic analysis of the Hubble parameter in a general spacetime, which is fully model-independent and can thus be used as part of a robust assessment of the tension. Here our focus is not on the tension but on understanding the relation between the physical expansion rate and its measurement by observers — which is critical for model-independent measurements and tests. We define the physical Hubble parameter and its multipoles in a general spacetime and derive for the first time the covariant boost transformation of the multipoles measured by a heliocentric observer. The analysis is extended to the covariant deceleration parameter. Current cosmographic measurements of the expansion anisotropy contain discrepancies and disagreements, some of which may arise because the correct transformations for a moving observer are not applied. A heliocentric observer will detect a dipole, generated not only by a Doppler effect, but also by an aberration effect due to shear. In principle, the observer can measure both the intrinsic shear anisotropy and the velocity of the observer relative to the matter — without any knowledge of peculiar velocities, which are gauge dependent and do not arise in a covariant approach. The practical implementation of these results is investigated in a follow-up paper. We further show that the standard cosmographic relation between the Hubble parameter, the redshift and the luminosity distance (or magnitude) is not invariant under boosts and holds only in the matter frame. A moving observer who applies the standard cosmographic relation should correct the luminosity distance by a redshift factor — otherwise an incorrect dipole and a spurious octupole are predicted.

The Velocity Aberration Effect of the CSST Main Survey Camera* *This research has been generously supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC, Grant Nos. 12073047 and 12273077) and the National Key Research and Development (Grant No. 2022YFF0711500).

In this study, we conducted simulations to find the geometric aberrations expected for images taken by the Main Survey Camera of the Chinese Space Station Telescope (CSST) due to its motion. As anticipated by previous work, our findings indicate that the geometric distortion of light impacts the focal plane's apparent scale, with a more pronounced influence as the size of the focal plane increases. Our models suggest that the effect consistently influences the pixel scale in both the vertical and parallel directions. The apparent scale variation follows a sinusoidal distribution throughout one orbital period. Simulations reveal that the effect is particularly pronounced in the center of the Galaxy and gradually diminishes along the direction of ecliptic latitude. At low ecliptic latitudes, the total aberration leads to about a 0.94 pixel offset (a 20 minute exposure) and a 0.26 pixel offset (a 300 s exposure) at the edge of the field of view. Appropriate processings for the geometric effect during the CSST pre- and post-observation phases are presented.

Multidimensional images and aberrations in STEM

Abstract Recent advances in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) have led to increased development of multi-dimensional STEM imaging modalities and novel image reconstruction methods. This interest arises because the main electron lens in a modern transmission electron microscope usually has a diffraction-space information limit that is significantly better than the real-space resolution of the same lens. This state-of-affairs is sometimes shared by other scattering methods in modern physics and contributes to a broader excitement surrounding multidimensional techniques that scan a probe while recording diffraction-space images, such as ptychography and scanning nano-beam diffraction. However, the contrasting resolution in the two spaces raises the question as to what is limiting their effective performance. Here, we examine this paradox by considering the effects of aberrations in both image and diffraction planes, and likewise separate the contributions of pre- and post-sample aberrations. This consideration provides insight into aberration-measurement techniques and might also indicate improvements for super-resolution techniques.

Quantitative analysis of the contrast modulation for multilateral shearing interferometers

Multilateral shearing interferometers (multi-LSIs) utilize the phase difference information of multiple shear directions with high accuracy and strong noise resistance. However, the interferogram fringe contrast of multi-LSIs can reverse due to the effect of contrast modulation, leading to incorrect measurement result. This issue has lacked comprehensive quantitative research to effectively guide the elimination of its effects. In this work, a quantitative analysis of the contrast modulation is proposed. This paper rigorously derives contrast modulation function, analyzing the effect of aberration and shear ratio on it. It is the first time that a quantitative theoretical model of aberration measurement range and shear ratio has been established, offering guidance in practical application for precise shear ratio adjustment to eliminate modulation effect and extend measurement range. By eliminating modulation effects, phase difference information from multiple directions can be effectively utilized, maximizing the benefits of multi-LSIs. In simulation and experiment, the distribution of fringe contrast reversal bands and the variation of aberration measurement range with shear ratio are consistent with theoretical analysis, which verifies the validity of the proposed approach. This approach aims to address the issue of interferogram fringe contrast inversion caused by modulation in multi-LSIs, providing a theoretical basis and practical guidance for precise measurement.

Wave Optical Modeling of the SEM Column From Source to Specimen.

Probe formation in scanning electron microscope (SEM) is often reduced to objective lens action modeling based on a point-spread function or Fourier transforms. In this study, we present the first complete wave optical modeling of the whole SEM column based on plane-by-plane propagation of the electron beam wavefunction without simplifying the optical system. We identify the challenges in plane-by-plane beam propagation and show how sampling limitations produce aliased results. Through a careful selection and combination of propagators, we have developed a general wave optical propagation method that is able to overcome the aliasing problem to achieve the appropriate probe widths. Using a two-step propagator, we show that it is possible to model the electron beam distribution throughout the column from the virtual source plane to the specimen plane. We also show that our results from the wave optical simulations are consistent with the geometrical theory of probe formation. Finally, as a direct application of this method, we demonstrated that the combined effect of aberrations in the condenser lens and the probe forming objective lens cannot be accurately represented using only the objective lens. Designing beam shaping experiments and studying the effect of partial coherence can be some novel applications.

The Role of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) in the Management of Metabolic Diseases in Humans: A Narrative Review.

The gut microbiota represents a complex ecosystem of trillions of microorganisms residing in the human gastrointestinal tract, which is known to interact with the host physiology and regulate multiple functions. Alterations in gut microbial composition, diversity, and function are referred to as dysbiosis. Dysbiosis has been associated with a variety of chronic diseases, including Clostridioides difficile infections, but also cardiometabolic diseases, including obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The implication of gut microbiota dysbiosis in the pathogenesis of both obesity and T2DM has paved the way to implementing novel therapeutic approaches for metabolic diseases through gut microbial reconfiguration. These interventions include probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics, while a more innovative approach has been fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). FMT is a procedure that delivers healthy human donor stool to another individual through the gastrointestinal tract, aiming to restore gut microbiota balance. Several studies have investigated this approach as a potential tool to mitigate the adverse metabolic effects of gut microbiota aberrations associated with obesity and T2DM. The aim of the present review was to critically summarize the existing evidence regarding the clinical applications of FMT in the management of obesity and T2DM and provide an update on the potential of this method to remodel the entire host microbiota, leading thus to weight loss and sustained metabolic benefits. Safety issues, long-term efficacy, limitations, and pitfalls associated with FMT studies are further discussed, emphasizing the need for further research and standardization in certain methodological aspects in order to optimize metabolic outcomes.

Inference of chromosome selection parameters and missegregation rate in cancer from DNA-sequencing data

Aneuploidy is frequently observed in cancers and has been linked to poor patient outcome. Analysis of aneuploidy in DNA-sequencing (DNA-seq) data necessitates untangling the effects of the Copy Number Aberration (CNA) occurrence rates and the selection coefficients that act upon the resulting karyotypes. We introduce a parameter inference algorithm that takes advantage of both bulk and single-cell DNA-seq cohorts. The method is based on Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) and utilizes CINner, our recently introduced simulation algorithm of chromosomal instability in cancer. We examine three groups of statistics to summarize the data in the ABC routine: (A) Copy Number-based measures, (B) phylogeny tip statistics, and (C) phylogeny balance indices. Using these statistics, our method can recover both the CNA probabilities and selection parameters from ground truth data, and performs well even for data cohorts of relatively small sizes. We find that only statistics in groups A and C are well-suited for identifying CNA probabilities, and only group A carries the signals for estimating selection parameters. Moreover, the low number of CNA events at large scale compared to cell counts in single-cell samples means that statistics in group B cannot be estimated accurately using phylogeny reconstruction algorithms at the chromosome level. As data from both bulk and single-cell DNA-sequencing techniques becomes increasingly available, our inference framework promises to facilitate the analysis of distinct cancer types, differentiation between selection and neutral drift, and prediction of cancer clonal dynamics.

Postoperative Visual Function of Extended Depth-of-Focus Intraocular Lenses Versus Monofocal Lenses.

To assess the effects of intraocular lens (IOL) decentration and tilt, as well as age, on postoperative visual function (corrected distance visual acuity [CDVA] and contrast sensitivity) by comparing an extended depth-of-focus IOL using higher order aspheric optics against a monofocal IOL from the same platform. This retrospective observational study targeted patients without other eye diseases who underwent surgery to implant the Tecnis Eyhance OptiBlue or the monofocal IOL Tecnis OptiBlue 1-Piece (J&J Vision) during cataract surgery from November 2021 to December 2022. The effects of age, axial length, IOL decentration, tilt, and corneal higher order aberrations (HOAs) on the postoperative 5 m CDVA and area under log contrast sensitivity function (AULCSF) under photopic and scotopic conditions were evaluated within 3 months of surgery. No significant difference was found in postoperative CDVA between the Tecnis Eyhance OptiBlue group (n = 61 eyes) and the Tecnis OptiBlue 1-Piece group (n = 35 eyes), but AULCSF was significantly better in the Tecnis Eyhance OptiBlue group for photopic (1.58 ± 0.13 vs 1.46 ± 0.18; P = .002) and scotopic (1.71 ± 0.11 vs 1.59 ± 0.19; P = .002) eyes. Multivariate analysis showed a negative correlation between AULCSF and IOL decentration and age in the Tecnis Eyhance OptiBlue group (P < .01), with no significant correlation with tilt, axial length, and corneal HOAs. The Tecnis Eyhance OptiBlue yielded significantly better contrast sensitivity under photopic and scotopic conditions than the Tecnis OptiBlue 1-Piece. However, it is important to consider the effects of IOL decentration and age when evaluating the contrast sensitivity of the Tecnis Eyhance OptiBlue. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(7):e499-e505.].

Unique yellow shifts for small and brief stimuli in the central retina.

The spectral locus of unique yellow was determined for flashes of different sizes (<11 arcmin) and durations (<500ms) presented in and near the fovea. An adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope was used to minimize the effects of higher-order aberrations during simultaneous stimulus delivery and retinal imaging. In certain subjects, parafoveal cones were classified as L, M, or S, which permitted the comparison of unique yellow measurements with variations in local L/M ratios within and between observers. Unique yellow shifted to longer wavelengths as stimulus size or duration was reduced. This effect is most pronounced for changes in size and more apparent in the fovea than in the parafovea. The observed variations in unique yellow are not entirely predicted from variations in L/M ratio and therefore implicate neural processes beyond photoreception.