Knowledge, Attitudes, Willingness, and Associated Factors to Organ Donation Among Intensive Care Unit Health Care Workers: Findings of a Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: The lack of donor organs is a major barrier to the advancement of organ transplantation. This study aimed to understand the current status of knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to donate organs among intensive care unit (ICU) health care workers and analyzed the influencing factors to provide a scientific basis for improving the situation of a serious imbalance between the ratio of organ supply and demand. METHODS: From November 2021 to March 2022, 160 ICU health care workers from 3 level 3A hospitals in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China were chosen as subjects by the cluster sampling method. A cross-sectional study of the participants was carried out using a general information questionnaire, Organ Donation Knowledge Scale, Organ Donation Attitude Scale, and Organ Donation Willingness Scale. The determinants of ICU health care workers' knowledge, attitudes, and willingness toward organ donation were examined using multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 150 ICU health care workers completed the survey within the prescribed time, and the recovery rate of this questionnaire was 93.75%. The score on the Organ Donation Knowledge Scale was 7 (5, 7) points, and the full score was 10 points. The score on the Organ Donation Attitude Scale was (3.87 ± 0.93), and the full score was 7. The Organ Donation Willingness Scale score was 2 (2, 3) out of 5. The results of the multiple linear regression analysis revealed that several factors significantly influenced the score of organ donation knowledge. These factors were identified as the professional title and persuasive experience related to organ donation. Additionally, the score of organ donation attitude was found to be influenced primarily by the persuasive experience of organ donation. Furthermore, the score of organ donation willingness was influenced by 3 main factors: marital status, professional title, and persuasive experience in the context of organ donation. CONCLUSIONS: Although the level of ICU health care workers' knowledge and attitudes toward organ donation was above the median level, they still needed to be improved. The current status of ICU health care workers' desire to donate organs is not optimistic; thus, relevant departments should take specific actions to improve the situation.

Evaluation and Heritability Analysis of the Seed Vigor of Soybean Strains Tested in the Huanghuaihai Regional Test of China.

High seed vigor is a prerequisite for high and stable yield. At present, seed vigor is not considered a goal of soybean breeding in China. Therefore, the seed vigor status of soybean strains is unclear. In this study, the seed vigor of 131 soybean strains included in the Huanghuaihai regional test in 2019 was measured using the artificial accelerated aging method. Significant (p < 0.01) differences in seed vigor were found, with a coefficient of variation of four vigor indexes being more than 48%. The strains with high vigor only accounted for 28.24%, indicating the seed quality of the tested strains was generally not high. Furthermore, the seed vigor of four representative strains selected from each of three vigor types was evaluated using multiyear and multilocation experiments. The seed vigor indexes of high-vigor-type strains were the most stable, while medium- and low-vigor-type strains varied under different environmental conditions. The generalized heritability of the four vigor indexes of the three vigor types was more than 51% and in the order of high vigor type > low vigor type > medium vigor type. Our results suggested that the genotypes of high-vigor-type strains have a greater influence on seed vigor, so to ensure varieties with high seed vigor, this criterion should be prioritized in soybean breeding programs in China.

Large steering range and low-loss integrated optical phased array with SiN-Si dual-layer non-uniform antenna.

We propose and demonstrate a 64-channel SiN-Si dual-layer optical phased array (OPA). By taking advantages of both SiN and Si materials, high-power handling and efficient modulation could be achieved simultaneously. In addition, steering range and emission loss are improved by introducing the non-uniform dual-layer antenna. Thinned array efficiently utilized in microwave phased array is first introduced to the OPA. Design details and the corresponding simulation results are presented, and the proposed OPA is successfully fabricated and experimentally characterized. 2D scanning with a steering range of 120°×13.9° and with a resolution of 0.052°×2.72° is demonstrated and a total loss of 12.66 dB is also measured, making it promising for high-resolution long-distance light detection and ranging (Lidar) applications.

Two-dimensional silicon optical phased array with large field of view.

Optical phased array (OPA) is a promising beam steering component for light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems. For most LiDAR applications, two-dimensional (2D, lateral and longitudinal) beam steering with large field of view is required. To achieve large lateral and longitudinal field of view, waveguide with nonuniform spacing and broadband tunable laser source is commonly utilized, resulting in complex structure and high cost. Here, a 2D OPA with large field of view is proposed and demonstrated on the silicon-on-insulator platform. Assisted by an improved optical antenna and polarization switch, lateral and longitudinal steering range could be both significantly improved. The experimental results show the steering ranges are 99.24° × 15.62° and 96.48° × 16.08° for transverse electric mode and transverse magnetic mode, respectively. The proposed scheme provides a promising approach to realize the integrated OPA with large field of view.

Comparative Genomics Reveals Potential Mechanisms of Plant Beneficial Effects of a Novel Bamboo-Endophytic Bacterial Isolate Paraburkholderia sacchari Suichang626.

Plant-beneficial microbes have drawn wide attention due to their potential application as bio-control agents and bio-fertilizers. Moso bamboo, which is among the monocots with the highest growth rate, lives perennially with abundant microbes that may benefit annually growing crops. Genome information of moso bamboo associated bacteria remains underexplored. We isolated and identified a novel Paraburkholderia strain Suichang626 from moso bamboo roots. Growth promoting effects of Suichang626 on both moso bamboo and seedlings of the model dicot Arabidopsis thaliana were documented in laboratory conditions. To gain insight into the genetic basis of this growth promotion effect, we sequenced the genome of Suichang626. Evidenced by genome-wide phylogeny data, we propose that Suichang626 is a novel strain of Paraburkholderia sacchari. Gene homologs encoding biosynthesis of the plant growth-promoting chemicals, acetoin and 2,3-butanediol, were identified in the genome of Suichang626. Comparative genomics was further performed with plant-beneficial and plant/animal pathogenic species of Paraburkholderia and Burkholderia. Genes related to volatile organic compounds, nitrogen fixation, and auxin biosynthesis were discovered specifically in the plant growth-promoting species of both genera.

High-speed performance of a TDFA-band micro-ring resonator modulator and detector.

We demonstrate a silicon-on-insulator micro-ring resonator (MRR) modulator and defect-mediated (DM) detector operating at a wavelength near 2 µm for use in the thulium doped fiber amplifier wavelength band. The MRR modulator was critically coupled with an unbiased notch-depth of 20 dB and Q-factor of 4700. The resonance shift under reverse bias was 23 pm/V with a calculated VπLπ of 2.2 to 2.6 V·cm from -1 to -8 V, respectively. Simulations are in good agreement with the measured data. The experimental modulation bandwidth was 12.5 GHz, limited by the response of the commercial external detector used for this measurement. The DM detector was operated in avalanche mode, had 1.97 µm wavelength responsivities of 0.04 and 0.14 A/W, and had bandwidths greater than 16 and 7.5 GHz at -15 and -30 V biases, respectively. Large-signal measurement demonstrated open eye-diagrams at 5, 10, and 12.5 Gbps for the DM detector and also for an optical link consisting of the modulator and detector integrated on the same silicon chip.

An ultra-low crosstalk and broadband two-mode (de)multiplexer based on adiabatic couplers.

A novel adiabatic couplers (ACs) based broadband and fabrication-tolerant two-mode multiplexer (MUX) is designed using silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform. Being different from the previously reported ACs-based scheme, the converted and multiplexed signals are on conventional modes, rather than supermodes. The experimental results are in good agreement with the simulations. Over a wavelength range of 75 nm measured, the crosstalk is lower than -20 dB, and the insertion loss is ~1 dB. The eye diagram and bit error rate measurements validate the good performance of the proposed mode MUX. The investigation on fabrication tolerance indicates reasonable performance degradation for a large gap deviation from -30 to 30 nm and etching depth deviation from -50 to 50 nm.

Switchable in-line monitor for multi-dimensional multiplexed photonic integrated circuit.

A flexible monitor suitable for the discrimination of on-chip transmitted mode division multiplexed (MDM) and wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signals is proposed and fabricated. By selectively extracting part of the incoming signals through the tunable wavelength and mode dependent drop filter, the in-line and switchable monitor can discriminate the wavelength, mode and power information of the transmitted signals. Being different from a conventional mode and wavelength demultiplexer, the monitor is specifically designed to ensure a flexible in-line monitoring. For demonstration, three mode and three wavelength multiplexed signals are successfully processed. Assisted by the integrated photodetectors (PDs), both the measured photo currents and eye diagrams validate the performance of the proposed device. The bit error ratio (BER) measurement results show less than 0.4 dB power penalty between different modes and ~2 dB power penalty for single wavelength and WDM cases under 10-9 BER level.

Integrated dual-mode 3 dB power coupler based on tapered directional coupler.

A dual-mode 3 dB power coupler based on silicon-on-insulator platform for mode division multiplexing system is proposed and demonstrated. The device, which consists of a tapered directional coupler and two output bend waveguides, has a 50:50 coupling ratio around the wavelength of 1550 nm for both fundamental and first order transverse magnetic (TM0 and TM1) modes. Based on asymmetrical tapered structure, a short common coupling length of ~15.2 µm for both modes is realized by optimizing the width of the tapered waveguide. The measured insertion loss for both modes is less than 0.7 dB. The crosstalks are about -14.3 dB for TM0 mode and -18.1 dB for TM1 mode.

On-chip data exchange for mode division multiplexed signals.

Data exchange is an important function for flexible optical network, and it has been extensively investigated for the time and wavelength domains. The mode division multiplexing (MDM) has been proposed to further increase the transmission capacity by carrying information on different modes with only single wavelength carrier. We propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel on-chip data exchange circuit for the MDM signals by utilizing two micro-ring resonator (MRR) based mode converters. For demonstration, single and four wavelengths non-return-to-zero on-off-keying (NRZ-OOK) signals at 10 Gb/s carried on different modes are successfully processed, with open and clear eye diagrams. Measured bit error ratio (BER) results show reasonable power penalties. The proposed circuit can be potentially used in advanced and flexible MDM optical networks.

On-chip WDM mode-division multiplexing interconnection with optional demodulation function.

We propose and fabricate a wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) compatible and multi-functional mode-division-multiplexing (MDM) integrated circuit, which can perform the mode conversion and multiplexing for the incoming multipath WDM signals, avoiding the wavelength conflict. An phase-to-intensity demodulation function can be optionally applied within the circuit while performing the mode multiplexing. For demonstration, 4 × 10 Gb/s non-return-to-zero differential phase shift keying (NRZ-DPSK) signals are successfully processed, with open and clear eye diagrams. Measured bit error ratio (BER) results show less than 1 dB receive sensitivity variation for three modes and four wavelengths with demodulation. In the case without demodulation, the average power penalties at 4 wavelengths are -1.5, -3 and -3.5 dB for TE0-TE0, TE0-TE1 and TE0-TE2 mode conversions, respectively. The proposed flexible scheme can be used at the interface of long-haul and on-chip communication systems.

Ultra efficient silicon nitride grating coupler with bottom grating reflector.

We theoretically propose a silicon nitride (Si(3)N(4)) grating coupler (GC) with both ultrahigh efficiency and simplified fabrication processes. Instead of using a bottom distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) or metal reflector, a bottom Si grating reflector (GR) with comparable reflectivity is utilized to improve the coupling efficiency. The fully etched Si GR is designed based on an industrially standard silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer with 220 nm top Si layer. By properly adjusting the trench width and period length of the Si GR, a high reflectivity over 90% is obtained. The Si(3)N(4) GC is optimized based on a common 400 nm Si(3)N(4) layer sitting on the Si GR with a SiO(2) separation layer. With an appropriate distance between the Si(3)N(4) GC and bottom Si GR, a low coupling loss of -1.47 dB is theoretically obtained using uniform GC structure. A further record ultralow loss of -0.88 dB is predicted by apodizing the Si(3)N(4) GC. The specific fabrication processes and tolerance are also investigated. Compared with DBR, the bottom Si GR can be easily fabricated by single step of patterning and etching, simplifying the fabrication processes.

Phase regeneration for polarization-division multiplexed signals based on vector dual-pump nondegenerate phase sensitive amplification.

The polarization-division multiplexing (PDM) technology is a practical method to double the transmission capacity, and the corresponding phase regeneration (PR) for PDM signals is meaningful and necessary to extend the transmission distance and increase the transparency for the phase-encoded PDM system. Those reported PDM PR schemes either utilized polarization-diversity technique or required special PDM format. In order to overcome these issues, the PR for the PDM phase-modulated signals is proposed and theoretically demonstrated in this paper, based on the vector dual-pump nondegenerate phase sensitive amplification (PSA). The theoretical model is established and the detailed characteristics are investigated to optimize the PR performance. Results show an obvious phase squeezing for the degraded 80 Gbit/s PDM differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) signals, and the error vector magnitude (EVM) of the regenerated signals on dual polarization states can be improved from 22.58% and 21.39% to 4.57% and 4.63%, respectively. Furthermore, the applicability of the proposed scheme for PDM quaternary-phase shift keying (QPSK) signals is investigated. The proposed scheme can be useful and promising in current PDM based coherent fiber-optic communication.

Short and efficient mode-size converter designed by segmented-stepwise method.

We present an efficient segmented-stepwise method to design a short and low-loss mode-size converter. A silicon-on-insulator platform-based converter with 20 µm length and 95.2% conversion efficiency is acquired by taking only 10 optimization generations using 2D-FDTD method. A 3D-FDTD simulation is performed to verify the calculated results, returning an efficiency of 92.1%. The proposed device can be used to connect a 12-µm-wide waveguide and a 0.5-µm-wide single-mode waveguide, with comparable performance of a regular scheme using 150-µm-long linear taper. For demonstration, the converter was fabricated by electron-beam-lithography and inductively-coupled-plasma etching. A conversion loss of -0.62±0.02 dB at 1550 nm was experimentally measured.

An SOI based polarization insensitive filter for all-optical clock recovery.

We fabricate and demonstrate a compact polarization insensitive filter for all-optical clock recovery (CR) based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI), which consists of a microring resonator (MRR) and two modified two-dimensional (2D) grating couplers. The distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) are introduced to improve the coupling efficiency of the 2D grating coupler. The MRR works as a comb filter for CR, while the 2D grating couplers serve as the polarization diversity unit to achieve a polarization insensitive operation. A subsequent semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) performs the amplitude equalization. Based on this scheme, a good clock signal with 970 fs timing jitter can be achieved at 44 Gb/s from input signals with arbitrary polarization states.

On-chip multiplexing conversion between wavelength division multiplexing-polarization division multiplexing and wavelength division multiplexing-mode division multiplexing.

A compact silicon-on-insulator device used for conversions between polarization division multiplexing (PDM) and mode division multiplexing (MDM) signals is proposed and experimentally demonstrated by utilizing a structure combining the improved two-dimensional grating coupler and two-mode multiplexer. The detailed design of the proposed device is presented and the results show the extinction ratio of 16 and 20 dB for X- and Y-pol input, respectively. The processing of 40 Gb/s signal is achieved within the C-band with good performance. The proposed converter is capable of handling multiple wavelengths in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) networks, enabling the conversions between WDM-PDM and WDM-MDM, which is promising to further increase the throughput at the network interface.

Silicon based polarization insensitive filter for WDM-PDM signal processing.

We propose and fabricate a novel circuit that combines two two-dimensional (2D) grating couplers and a microring resonator (MRR). According to the polarization states, one 2D grating coupler first splits the input signals into two orthogonal paths, which co-propagate in the loop and share a common MRR, and then the two paths are combined together by the other 2D grating coupler. The proposed circuit is polarization insensitive and can be used as a polarization insensitive filter. For demonstration, the wavelength division and polarization division multiplexing (WDM-PDM) non return-to-zero differential-phase-shift-keying (NRZ-DPSK) signals can be demodulated successfully. The bit error ratio measurements show an error free operation, reflecting the good performance and the practicability.