Valuable Resource Research Articles

Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser technology: A comprehensive review

Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) technology has become an indispensable element in optical communication systems and optoelectronics due to its many advantages, and the unique characteristics of VCSELs, including vertical emission, high-speed operation, and low power consumption, have attracted much interest from researchers and industry professionals. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of VCSELs, explaining their basic principles and two commonly used structures. It also delves into the field of optical communications, highlighting the challenges faced in the current development, from which it introduces the significant progress made by VCSELs over the past decade in various applications such as high-speed data transmission, multi-mode communications, and long-distance networks. In addition, this study provides valuable insights into the future trajectory and potential evolution of VCSEL technology to facilitate further research and innovation in the field of communications. By providing a holistic analysis, this study is a valuable resource for scientists and researchers to help them realize the full potential of VCSELs in advancing optical communication technologies to meet the ever-changing needs of modern communication networks.

Rights-based sexual and reproductive health services: a call for improved access for youth.

Constituting a valuable resource, youth deserve more attention regarding their rights through increased access to sexual and reproductive health services. Limitations in health service delivery for youth should be overcome, whether pertaining to restrictive legislation and policies or technical approaches. Clear clinical guidelines will improve quality of care thereby complying with national commitments to international legal instruments. It is apt for both decision-makers and service providers to celebrate International Youth Day on Monday 12 August, by paying special consideration to innovative approaches for the delivery of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services that are adaptable to local circumstances.

Dronelab: a wing of a visionary entrepreneur

Learning outcomes After completion of the case study, the students will be able to discuss topics such as new venture creation and opportunity sensing, knowledge sharing and employee bonding and the use of social networks in business growth. Case overview/synopsis This case study focuses on the entrepreneurial journey of Mr Nikhil Methiya, the owner of Dronelab Technology Private Limited, which provides surveying, inspection, agriculture, surveillance and research and development services using drone technologies. This case highlights how Methiya used his minimal resources to grew his business, diversified his activities and developed a sound company profile and work culture to provide the best services to clients. This case also discusses the role of social networks in business growth and expansion, the use of effectuation theory in forming new businesses and the importance of conducting a SWOT analysis to understand a firm’s internal and external environments. Furthermore, this case touches upon the challenges and opportunities of the drone industry in India. It leaves readers in a dilemma should Methiya plan to expand his business to Europe and Africa in the upcoming years. This case study is suitable for postgraduate management students specializing in entrepreneurship and can serve as a valuable resource for the Venture Creation Program’s start-up strategy and execution. The case study’s pedagogy involves discussion-based learning. Complexity academic level This case study can be used in management for an entrepreneurship specialty course. It is ideal for postgraduate students and has a moderate level of difficulty. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Single-cell transcriptome analysis reveals distinct cell populations in dorsal root ganglia and their potential roles in diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a common complication associated with diabetes, and can affect quality of life considerably. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) plays an important role in the development of DPN. However, the relationship between DRG and the pathogenesis of DPN still lacks a thorough exploration. Besides, a more in-depth understanding of the cell type composition of DRG, and the roles of different cell types in mediating DPN are needed. Here we conducted single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) for DRG tissues isolated from healthy control and DPN rats. Our results demonstrated DRG includes eight cell-type populations (e.g., neurons, satellite glial cells (SGCs), Schwann cells (SCs), endothelial cells, fibroblasts). In the heterogeneity analyses of cells, six neuron sub-types, three SGC sub-types and three SC sub-types were identified, additionally, biological functions related to cell sub-types were further revealed. Cell communication analysis showed dynamic interactions between neurons, SGCs and SCs. We also found that the aberrantly expressed transcripts in sub-types of neurons, SGCs and SCs with DPN were associated with diabetic neuropathic pain, cell apoptosis, oxidative stress, etc. In conclusion, this study provides a systematic perspective of the cellular composition and interactions of DRG tissues, and suggests that neurons, SGCs and SCs play vital roles in the progression of DPN. Our data may provide a valuable resource for future studies regarding the pathophysiological effect of particular cell type in DPN.

Nurses' responses to patients' medication self-management problems in hospital and the use of recommendations.

This study aimed to describe the use of recommendations as a guide for healthcare providers to support patients experiencing medication self-management problems and to evaluate their feasibility, user-friendliness and usefulness. Between March and August 2023, 58 hospitalized patients completed a self-assessment on medication self-management problems. The problems addressed in this self-assessment were based on a list of frequently encountered medication self-management problems from previous research. Consequently, 18 nurses responded to the reported problems using the recommendations. Nurses evaluated the feasibility, user-friendliness and usefulness of these recommendations through a survey. A total of 217 medication self-management problems were reported by 58 patients. Nurses intervened in 52% of the problems using the recommendations. According to nurses, the recommendations were user-friendly and feasible but required a substantial time investment. Considering these pilot-based results, the recommendations have the potential to be a valuable resource for nurses in practice, though this potential requires further exploration.

Pre-clinical and early clinical considerations for the development of non-hormonal contraceptives for men.

This manuscript presents non-hormonal male contraceptive development in the context of mitigating risk to investigators and investors. The manuscript uses examples to illustrate drug development principles to move a project from discovery to development. The content is intended for those with reproductive biology backgrounds without significant exposure to drug development-particularly early-stage targeted drug development-and those with general interest in developing non-hormonal methods of contraception. The goal of issues addressed in this manuscript is to facilitate the advancement of innovative male contraceptives into late-stage clinical trials, while keeping in mind early recognition of program deficiencies and development of mitigation strategies, or reassignment of limited, valuable resources.

An interactive 3D atlas of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer developed using SPECT/CT

BackgroundThe identification and assessment of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in breast cancer is important for optimised patient management. The aim of this study was to develop an interactive 3D breast SLN atlas and to perform statistical analyses of lymphatic drainage patterns and tumour prevalence.MethodsA total of 861 early-stage breast cancer patients who underwent preoperative lymphoscintigraphy and SPECT/CT were included. Lymphatic drainage and tumour prevalence statistics were computed using Bayesian inference, non-parametric bootstrapping, and regression techniques. Image registration of SPECT/CT to a reference patient CT was carried out on 350 patients, and SLN positions transformed relative to the reference CT. The reference CT was segmented to visualise bones and muscles, and SLN distributions compared with the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO) clinical target volumes (CTVs). The SLN atlas and statistical analyses were integrated into a graphical user interface (GUI).ResultsDirect lymphatic drainage to the axilla level I (anterior) node field was most common (77.2%), followed by the internal mammary node field (30.4%). Tumour prevalence was highest in the upper outer breast quadrant (22.9%) followed by the retroareolar region (12.8%). The 3D atlas had 765 SLNs from 335 patients, with 33.3–66.7% of axillary SLNs and 25.4% of internal mammary SLNs covered by ESTRO CTVs.ConclusionThe interactive 3D atlas effectively displays breast SLN distribution and statistics for a large patient cohort. The atlas is freely available to download and is a valuable educational resource that could be used in future to guide treatment.

Ant-following behavior is correlated with plumage traits in African understory birds

Ant-following behavior is a common phenomenon in birds of Neotropical and Afrotropical rainforests but yet little is known from Central Africa. We here report on the phenomenon in lowland rainforest in Cameroon, quantifying the strength of the interaction of different ant-following bird species with driver ants and test the hypothesis that higher levels of specialization in ant-following behavior are associated with dominance or aggression-dependent plumage and other morphological traits. Flock size varied between 1 and 11 individuals with a mean size of 5.34 ± 2.68 (mean ± SD) individuals occurring at the same time. The maximum number of species present during one raid observed was ten, whereas the minimum number was four with an overall species richness of 6.89 ± 2.1 species. The 21 attending bird species strongly varied in the degree of ant-following behavior. In an interspecific comparison, plumage traits such as the presence of a colored crown, eyespots, and bare skin around the eye, in combination with metatarsus length and weight, were significantly correlated with ant-following behavior. These results suggest that—in size and identity of species—ant-following bird assemblages in Central Africa are similar to those reported from East Africa. They also suggest that ant following favors the selection of traits that signal dominance in interactions between individuals struggling for valuable food resources in the forest understory.

Human Trafficking Awareness Training and Response Procedure Template for Transit Agencies

As the frontline eyes on communities, transit operators are uniquely positioned to recognize suspicious activities and report them to authorities. Training is necessary to inform and empower transit agencies in the fight against human trafficking. Human trafficking is modern day slavery, which the U.S. Department of Justice defines as a crime that involves the exploitation of a person for labor, services, or commercial sex. Human trafficking is a worldwide criminal industry that the denies freedom of 25 million people around the world. This heinous crime often targets the most vulnerable populations and preys on their needs, weaknesses, and insecurities as a strategy to control their victims through force, fraud, and coercion. This paper reviews the resources available for transit agencies to train their employees on the signs of human trafficking that they should be on the lookout for. Truckers Against Trafficking’s Busing on the Lookout program has shared success stories related to transit employees recognizing situations and saving human trafficking victims. However, the existence of transit agency policies and associated procedures is a recognized resource gap in the transit industry. The available training materials direct trainees to refer to their agency policy on how to report suspicious activity. However, as noted, many transit agencies do not have a formalized policy or procedures in place to dictate how to report suspected human trafficking activity. This paper provides agencies with valuable human trafficking awareness training resources and a response procedure template as tools to improve the awareness and reporting procedures in their agency.

Utilising fatty acid prediction equations and mid‐infrared spectroscopy to estimate the seasonality changes in bovine milk from pasture‐based systems

The aim of this study was to utilise mid‐infrared spectroscopy with fatty acid (FA) predictions to characterise the seasonality‐associated changes to the FA profile of milk from Irish spring‐calving pasture‐based dairy cow production systems. A total of 546 454 individual milk records were collected from the Years 2015 to 2020, from 264 003 cows in 2400 commercial dairy farms. Significant changes occur to the predicted FA profile of milk across the year, such as increases in unsaturated FAs including C18:1 n‐9 until April. This can be associated with the increasing proportion of fresh pasture in the cows' diet, and a decrease between September and October as the cows begin to transition indoors for the winter period. The opposite trend was noted for saturated FAs and in particular C16:0, where proportions decreased until April and increased between September and November. Milk produced between April and September also coincided with the lowest spreadability index, indicating a more beneficial milk FA profile for more spreadable butter texture during this period. This work provides a valuable reference resource at a national level of the FA profile of milk from pasture‐based spring‐calving dairy systems.

Research on Business Model Innovation of Media Industry in the Era of “Internet+”

In the pattern of rapid development of the media industry characterized by the emergence of the “Internet Plus” era, enterprises are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities. This paper discusses the influence of Internet technology on the media industry, and discusses the strategy of business model innovation to improve competitiveness and adapt to the changing market demand. Through a comprehensive analysis of the changing dynamics of content production, distribution and consumer behavior, this study determines the necessity of media enterprises to innovate business models. By taking advantage of Internet technology, such as resource integration and value creation, media companies can open up new ways of growth and sustainable development. Empirical research shows that enterprises that adopt business model innovation are superior to their traditional counterparts in profitability. Finally, this study provides valuable reference for the media industry stakeholders who seek to master the complexity of the digital age and flourish in the era of “Internet Plus”.

Recent advances in crack detection technologies for structures: a survey of 2022-2023 literature

IntroductionCracks, as structural defects or fractures in materials like concrete, asphalt, and metal, pose significant challenges to the stability and safety of various structures. Addressing crack detection is of paramount importance due to its implications for public safety, infrastructure integrity, maintenance costs, asset longevity, preventive maintenance, economic impact, and environmental considerations.MethodsIn this survey paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of recent advancements and developments in crack detection technologies for structures, with a specific focus on articles published between 2022 and 2023. Our methodology involves an exhaustive search of the Scopus database using keywords related to crack detection and machine learning techniques. Among the 129 papers reviewed, 85 were closely aligned with our research focus.ResultsWe explore datasets that underpin crack detection research, categorizing them as public datasets, papers with their own datasets, and those using a hybrid approach. The prevalence and usage patterns of public datasets are presented, highlighting datasets like Crack500, Crack Forest Dataset (CFD), and Deep Crack. Furthermore, papers employing proprietary datasets and those combining public and proprietary sources are examined. The survey comprehensively investigates the algorithms and methods utilized, encompassing CNN, YOLO, UNet, ResNet, and others, elucidating their contributions to crack detection. Evaluation metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and IoU are discussed in the context of assessing model performance. The results of the 85 papers are summarized, demonstrating advancements in crack detection accuracy, efficiency, and applicability.DiscussionNotably, we observe a trend towards using modern and novel algorithms, such as Vision Transformers (ViT), and a shift away from traditional methods. The conclusion encapsulates the current state of crack detection research, highlighting the integration of multiple algorithms, expert models, and innovative data collection techniques. As a future direction, the adoption of emerging algorithms like ViT is suggested. This survey paper serves as a valuable resource for researchers, practitioners, and engineers working in the field of crack detection, offering insights into the latest trends, methodologies, and challenges.

A Geospatial Drug Abuse Risk Assessment and Monitoring Dashboard Tailored for School Students: Development Study With Requirement Analysis and Acceptance Evaluation.

The enormous consequences of drugs include suicides, traffic accidents, and violence, affecting the individual, family, society, and country. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly identify and monitor the drug abuse rate among school-going youth. A geospatial dashboard is vital for the monitoring of drug abuse and related crime incidence in a decision support system. This paper mainly focuses on developing MyAsriGeo, a geospatial drug abuse risk assessment and monitoring dashboard tailored for school students. It introduces innovative functionality, seamlessly orchestrating the assessment of drug abuse usage patterns and risks using multivariate student data. A geospatial drug abuse dashboard for monitoring and analysis was designed and developed in this study based on agile methodology and prototyping. Using focus group and interviews, we first examined and gathered the requirements, feedback, and user approval of the MyAsriGeo dashboard. Experts and stakeholders such as the National Anti-Drugs Agency, police, the Federal Department of Town and Country Planning, school instructors, students, and researchers were among those who responded. A total of 20 specialists were involved in the requirement analysis and acceptance evaluation of the pilot and final version of the dashboard. The evaluation sought to identify various user acceptance aspects, such as ease of use and usefulness, for both the pilot and final versions, and 2 additional factors based on the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire and Task-Technology Fit models were enlisted to assess the interface quality and dashboard sufficiency for the final version. The MyAsriGeo geospatial dashboard was designed to meet the needs of all user types, as identified through a requirement gathering process. It includes several key functions, such as a geospatial map that shows the locations of high-risk areas for drug abuse, data on drug abuse among students, tools for assessing the risk of drug abuse in different areas, demographic information, and a self-problem test. It also includes the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test and its risk assessment to help users understand and interpret the results of student risk. The initial prototype and final version of the dashboard were evaluated by 20 experts, which revealed a significant improvement in the ease of use (P=.047) and usefulness (P=.02) factors and showed a high acceptance mean scores for ease of use (4.2), usefulness (4.46), interface quality (4.29), and sufficiency (4.13). The MyAsriGeo geospatial dashboard is useful for monitoring and analyzing drug abuse among school-going youth in Malaysia. It was developed based on the needs of various stakeholders and includes a range of functions. The dashboard was evaluated by a group of experts. Overall, the MyAsriGeo geospatial dashboard is a valuable resource for helping stakeholders understand and respond to the issue of drug abuse among youth.

Checklist of the mites (Acari) of Türkiye. Third supplement

As new species are described, taxonomic modifications or revisions are made and distributional data are increased, the checklists are frequently updated regularly. The present paper is a comprehensive supplementary document that aims to list the current species of mites (Acari) found in Türkiye. The species list is arranged alphabetically orders and includes the published records. According to the current information, among the 1241 taxa, 241 belong to the Mesostigmata, 19 to the Ixodida, 728 to the Trombidiformes and 253 to the Sarcoptiformes. This supplement might be a valuable resource for researchers and ecologists interested in understanding the biodiversity of mites in this region.

A Comprehensive Review of CO2 Hydrogenation into Formate/Formic Acid Catalyzed by Whole Cell Bacteria.

The increasing levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, primarily due to the use of fossil fuels, pose a significant threat to the environment and necessitate urgent action to mitigate climate change. Carbon capture and utilization technologies that can convert CO2 into economically valuable compounds have gained attention as potential solutions. Among these technologies, biocatalytic CO2 hydrogenation using bacterial whole cells shows promise for the efficient conversion of CO2 into formate, a valuable chemical compound. Although it was discovered nearly a century ago, comprehensive reviews focusing on the utilization of whole-cell bacteria as the biocatalyst in this area remain relatively limited. Therefore, this review provides an analysis of the progress, strategies, and key findings in this field. It covers the use of living cells, resting cells, or genetically modified bacteria as biocatalysts to convert CO2 into formate, either naturally or with the integration of electrochemical and protochemical techniques as sources of protons and electrons. By consolidating the current knowledge in this field, this review article aims to serve as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners interested in understanding the recent progress, challenges, and potential applications of bacterial whole cell catalyzed CO2 hydrogenation into formate.

Microhabitat-differentiated distribution of culturable and antagonistic bacteria in marine ecosystem: Seawater as the original microbial provider

Abstract: Due to the typical tropical climatic characteristics, the Xisha archipelago in the South China Sea has derived typical biological treasures, particularly culturable bacteria. Microbial resources in nature will be valuable resources for industrial application only after being culturable microorganisms. Herein, the global distribution of culturable and antagonistic bacteria against aquatic pathogenic vibrios, including Vibrios parahaemolyticus, Vibrios harveyi, Vibrios alginolyticus, Vibrios campbellii, and Vibrios owensii, in thirty-nine stations of the Xisha archipelago across four main microhabitats of sediment, seawater, corals, and marine organisms were investigated by cultivation-based strategies. Vibrio was the dominant genus (68.98%) among the culturable bacteria, followed by Pseudoalteromonas (9.36%) and Alteromonas (4.91%). Only four targeted antagonistic strains with an antagonistic specificity of a certain Vibrio were obtained, namely the strains of SP52, C219 and W198, which provided a new insight of precise disease prevention/treatment by further revealing the targeted antagonistic mechanism. The correlations between the abundance of culturable bacteria and environmental factors in the whole Xisha archipelago and four microhabitats showed that salinity as the main factor significantly affected the distribution of 6 microbial genera, while total inorganic nitrogen (TIN), total carbon (TC), and PO43− significantly related to 3 genera, 2 genera, and 1 genus, respectively. Importantly, we found that microhabitat discrepancy rather than distance discrepancy of environmental factors made a greater contribution to the distribution of culturable bacteria and antagonistic bacteria and the capability of antagonistic bacteria, which was emphasized as an important factor in shaping bacterial communities. Additionally, seawater was the original microbial provider of other microhabitats in the marine ecosystem, which was the opposite of the terrestrial ecosystem in that the soil is the original microbial provider.

Accelerated de-chelation of EDTA-metal complexes: A novel and versatile approach for wastewater and solid waste remediation

Industrial waste, including wastewater and solid waste, often contains toxic heavy metals that necessitate extraction and separation prior to safe disposal or reusing them. Sewage sludge incineration ash (SSIA), a non-incinerable waste, holds significant amounts of heavy metals such as iron, zinc, copper, nickel, chromium, and lead. Recovery and reuse of heavy metals from SSIA and further application of treated SSIA sludge remain challenging. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is widely used for heavy metals chelation in different applications. While its chelation with heavy metals is rapid and easy to achieve, the de-chelation of the metal complexes is otherwise slow (∼3 days) and challenging due to their high stability constants. In this study, we investigate the recovery of heavy metals from SSIA through chelation using EDTA, and develop, for the first time, a method to rapidly de-chelate the EDTA-metal complexes through the facile chilling process (1 – 3 h) that accelerates the separation of EDTA and metal ions. A sequential precipitation of high-purity heavy metals from the EDTA-metal complexes was demonstrated with and without de-chelation. This novel and versatile method allows the separation of many valuable compounds from the treated SSIA, including regenerated EDTA, potassium hexafluorosilicate, iron phosphate, iron(III) hydroxide, iron silicate, titanium phosphate, calcium phosphate, copper(I) thiocyanate, nickel bis(dimethylglyoximate), lead(II) sulfate, and zinc sulfide. This approach opens doors for more sustainable waste management and the recovery of valuable resources from industrial waste.

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) strategically manipulate their environment to deny conspecifics access to food

Humans modify their environment to grant or prevent others’ access to valuable resources, for example by using locks. We tested whether sanctuary-living chimpanzees (N = 10) would flexibly modify their environment to either allow or deny a dominant conspecific access to a shared food source by giving them the option to change a food reward’s pathway prior to releasing it. The food could end up in one of two locations: one was accessible to both the subject and a dominant conspecific, the other one was only accessible to the subject. We further manipulated the extent of inhibitory control needed for modifying the pathway by varying the subjects’ starting position. Our subjects reoriented the pathway competitively to monopolize food but changed the pathway less often in trials with high inhibitory demands. We further show how inhibitory task demands in a social context influence chimpanzees’ future planning. Our results show that chimpanzees will strategically manipulate their environment to maximize their own and deny a dominant conspecific access to food.

Adsorption of Cobalt Ions by Activated Carbon Prepared from Agricultural Waste Residues and Treated with Magnetic Nanomaterials: A Review

General Background: The study of heavy metal adsorption is crucial for environmental protection and industrial wastewater management. Specific Background: The adsorption of cobalt ions (Co2+) by activated carbon derived from agricultural waste, enhanced with magnetic nanomaterials, has garnered significant interest due to its potential for cost-effective and efficient wastewater treatment. Knowledge Gap: Despite numerous studies, there remains a lack of comprehensive research on the specific combination of agricultural waste-derived activated carbon and magnetic nanomaterials for Co2+ adsorption. Aims: This study aims to meticulously review the existing literature on the preparation of activated carbon from agricultural residues, the enhancement of its properties with magnetic nanomaterials, and its effectiveness in Co2+ ion adsorption. Results: The review demonstrates that activated carbon with a large specific surface area and diverse functional groups significantly improves Co2+ adsorption. The incorporation of magnetic nanomaterials further enhances this efficiency due to increased surface area and magnetic properties. Novelty: This research uniquely combines agricultural waste valorization with advanced nanotechnology, presenting a sustainable and innovative approach to heavy metal adsorption. Implications: The findings underscore the dual environmental benefits of recycling agricultural waste and mitigating industrial pollution, offering a cost-effective and efficient solution for cobalt ion recovery from wastewater. This study serves as a valuable resource for researchers and engineers focusing on sustainable environmental remediation technologies. Highlights: Enhanced Adsorption: Magnetic nanomaterials boost activated carbon's efficiency. Sustainable Solution: Agricultural waste-derived activated carbon is eco-friendly and cost-effective. Comprehensive Insight: Review identifies research gaps and future directions. Keywords: cobalt ion adsorption, activated carbon, agricultural waste, magnetic nanomaterials, wastewater treatment

Comparison of factors affecting Turkish citizens’ search for online health information before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundHealth information consumers can acquire knowledge regarding health problems, combat health problems, make health-related decisions, and change their behaviour by conducting health information searches. This study aims to identify the sociodemographic and economic factors affecting individuals’ search for health information on the internet before and during COVID-19.MethodsIn this study, micro data sets of the Household Information Technologies (IT) Usage Survey conducted by the Turkish Statistical Institute in 2018 and 2021 were used. The binary logistic regression analysis was also used in the study.ResultsIt was determined that age, gender, education level, occupation, social media use, searching for information about goods and services, internet banking use, e-government use, having a desktop computer, having a tablet computer, and region variables were associated with the status of searching for health information on the internet during the COVID-19 period.ConclusionThe main reasons for the increase in health information searches during the COVID-19 epidemic can be attributed to several key factors, such as society’s need for information and meeting its need for information, access to up-to-date health data and increased trust in official sources. The study’s findings serve as a valuable resource for health service providers and information sources attempting to identify the health information-seeking behaviour of the public and to meet their needs in this context.