Underwater dynamic polarization imaging without dependence on the background region.

Active-polarization imaging holds significant promise for achieving clear underwater vision. However, only static targets were considered in previous studies, and a background region was required for image restoration. To address these issues, this study proposes an underwater dynamic polarization imaging method based on image pyramid decomposition and reconstruction. During the decomposition process, the polarized image is downsampled to generate an image pyramid. Subsequently, the spatial distribution of the polarization characteristics of the backscattered light is reconstructed by upsampling, which recovered the clear scene. The proposed method avoids dependence on the background region and is suitable for moving targets with varying polarization properties. The experimental results demonstrate effective elimination of backscattered light while sufficiently preserving the target details. In particular, for dynamic targets, processing times that fulfill practical requirements and yield superior recovery effects are simultaneously obtained.

Mental health literacy among Arab men living in high-income Western countries: A systematic review and narrative synthesis.

While interest in mental health literacy (MHL) is growing rapidly, cross-cultural research focusing on MHL is developing more slowly. This inaugural systematic review explored the recognition and beliefs about the causes of mental health disorders amongst Arab men living in high income Western countries (HIWC), their help-seeking beliefs, behaviors, and sources of help, as well as barriers and facilitators to help-seeking. Six electronic database searches were conducted using Medline, Embase, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science. These searches yielded a total of 9,460 citations. After applying inclusion criteria through both database and manual hand searches, 46 studies were identified. The findings corresponded with four of the socioecological model's five factors: intrapersonal, interpersonal, societal, and institutional. Intrapersonal factors included attributing mental health illness to life and migration stressors, and religious reasons. Interpersonal and societal factors included men favoring informal help-seeking sources as stigma was a barrier to formal help-seeking. Institutional factors around the perceived cultural competence of healthcare professionals and access difficulties were obstacles to seeking formal help. The growth in Arab migration to HIWC highlights the need for culturally tailored care. Research is needed to understand the perspectives of healthcare providers working with Arab men in addition to how men's stigmatizing attitudes are an obstacle to formal help-seeking. Interventions should be designed to address the unique mental health needs of Arab men, recognizing that some explanatory beliefs may not align with current Western models of mental health. Moreover, efforts should be made to integrate men's informal sources of support into treatment planning.

Ethyl cinnamate suppresses tumor growth through anti-angiogenesis by attenuating VEGFR2 signal pathway in colorectal cancer.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Kaempferia galanga Linn. is an aromatic medicinal herb with extensively applied in India, China, Malaysia and other South Asia countries for thousands of years. It has been mentioned to treat abdominal tumors. Ethyl cinnamate (EC), one of the main chemical constituents of the rhizome of K. galanga, exhibited nematocidal, sedative and vasorelaxant activities. However, its anti-angiogenic activity, and anti-tumor effect have not been investigated. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the anti-angiogenic mechanism of EC and its anti-tumor effect by suppressing angiogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The in vitro anti-angiogenic effect was evaluated using HUVECs model induced by VEGF and zebrafish model in vivo. The influence of the EC on phosphorylation of VEGFR2 and its downstream signaling pathways were evaluated by western blotting assay. Molecule docking technology was conducted to explore the interaction between EC and VEGFR2. SPR assay was used for detecting the binding affinity between EC and VEGFR2. To further investigate the molecular mechanism of EC on anti-angiogenesis, VEGFR2 knockdown in HUVECs and examined the influence of the EC. Anti-tumor activity of EC was evaluated using colony formation assay and apoptosis assay. The inhibitory effect of EC on tumor growth was explored using HT29 colon cancer xenograft model. RESULTS: EC obviously inhibited proliferation, migration, invasion and tube formation of VEGF-induced HUVECs. EC also induced apoptosis of HUVECs. Moreover, it inhibited the development of vessel formation in zebrafish. Further investigations demonstrated that EC could suppress the phosphorylation of VEGFR2, and its downstream signaling pathways were altered in VEGF-induced HUVECs. EC formed a hydrogen bond to bind with the ATP binding site of the VEGFR2, and EC-VEGFR2 interaction was shown in SPR assay. The suppressive effect of EC on angiogenesis was abrogated after VEGFR2 knockdown in HUVECs. EC inhibited the colon cancer cells colony formation and induced apoptosis. In addition, EC suppressed tumor growth in colon cancer xenograft model, and no detectable hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. In addition, it inhibited the phosphorylation of VEGFR2, and its downstream signal pathways in tumor. CONCLUSIONS: EC could inhibit tumor growth in colon cancer by suppressing angiogenesis via VEGFR2 signaling pathway, and suggested EC as a promising candidate for colon cancer treatment.

Angular-Momentum Transfer Mediated by a Vibronic-Bound-State.

The notion that phonons can carry pseudo-angular momentum has many major consequences, including topologically protected phonon chirality, Berry curvature of phonon band structure, and the phonon Hall effect. When a phonon is resonantly coupled to an orbital state split by its crystal field environment, a so-called vibronic bound state forms. Here, a vibronic bound state is observed in NaYbSe2 , a quantum spin liquid candidate. In addition, field and polarization dependent Raman microscopy is used to probe an angular momentum transfer of ΔJz = ±â„ between phonons and the crystalline electric field mediated by the vibronic bound stat. This angular momentum transfer between electronic and lattice subsystems provides new pathways for selective optical addressability of phononic angular momentum via electronic ancillary states.

Examining the associations between control (primary and secondary) appraisals and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in Malaysian and Australian trauma survivors.

Background: Little research has considered the influence of culture on control appraisals in the context of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Objectives: This study aimed to investigate whether cultural group moderated the relationship between control (primary and secondary) appraisals and PTSD symptoms in trauma survivors from Western (Australian) and Asian (Malaysian) cultural contexts. Methods: Trauma survivors (107 Australian with European cultural heritage; 121 Malaysian with Malay, Indian or Chinese cultural heritage) completed an online survey assessing PTSD symptoms and appraisals of control. Results: Cultural group moderated the association between primary control and PTSD symptoms; the positive association was significant for the Australian group but not the Malaysian group. While cultural group did not moderate the association between secondary control and PTSD symptoms, there was an indirect pathway between secondary control appraisals and PTSD symptoms through interdependent self-construal for both cultural groups. Conclusion: The findings indicate that cultural group and self-construal influence the associations between different types of control appraisals and PTSD. Further research exploring the role of culture and different appraisal types in PTSD is needed.

Superwavelength self-healing of spoof surface sonic Airy-Talbot waves.

Self-imaging phenomena for nonperiodic waves along a parabolic trajectory encompass both the Talbot effect and the accelerating Airy beams. Beyond the ability to guide waves along a bent trajectory, the self-imaging component offers invaluable advantages to lensless imaging comprising periodic repetition of planar field distributions. In order to circumvent thermoviscous and diffraction effects, we structure subwavelength resonators in an acoustically impenetrable surface supporting spoof surface acoustic waves (SSAWs) to provide highly confined Airy-Talbot effect, extending Talbot distances along the propagation path and compressing subwavelength lobes in the perpendicular direction. From a linear array of loudspeakers, we judiciously control the amplitude and phase of the SSAWs above the structured surface and quantitatively evaluate the self-healing performance of the Airy-Talbot effect by demonstrating how the distinctive scattering patterns remain largely unaffected against superwavelength obstacles. Furthermore, we introduce a new mechanism utilizing subwavelength Airy beam as a coding/decoding degree of freedom for acoustic communication with high information density comprising robust transport of encoded signals.

Experimental Investigation of Vibration Isolator for Large Aperture Electromagnetic MEMS Micromirror.

The Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) micromirror has shown great advantages in Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) for autonomous vehicles. The equipment on vehicles is usually exposed to environmental vibration that may degrade or even destroy the flexure of the micromirror for its delicate structure. In this work, a mechanical low-pass filter (LPF) acting as a vibration isolator for a micromirror is proposed. The research starts with the evaluation of vibration influences on the micromirror by theoretical calculation and simulation. The results illustrate that mechanical load concentrates at the slow flexure of the micromirror as it is excited to resonate in second-order mode (named piston mode) in Z-direction vibration. A specific LPF for the micromirror is designed to attenuate the response to high-frequency vibration, especially around piston mode. The material of the LPF is a beryllium-copper alloy, chosen for its outstanding properties of elasticity, ductility, and fatigue resistance. To measure the mechanical load on the micromirror in practical, the on-chip piezoresistive sensor is utilized and a relevant test setup is built to validate the effect of the LPF. Micromirrors with or without the LPF are both tested under 10 g vibration in the Z-direction. The sensor output of the device with the LPF is 35.9 mV in piston mode, while the device without the LPF is 70.42 mV. The attenuation ratio is 0.51. This result demonstrates that the LPF structure can effectively reduce the stress caused by piston mode vibration.

Manipulating the Thermal Conductivity of the Graphene/Poly(vinyl alcohol) Composite via Surface Functionalization: A Multiscale Simulation.

The reverse non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation is used to investigate the influence of functional groups (FGs) on the thermal conductivity of a graphene/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composite, which considers non-polar (methyl) and polar (hydroxyl, amino, and carboxyl) groups. First, the polar groups can be more effective to improve the interfacial thermal conductivity than the non-polar group. This can be explained well by characterizing the interfacial Coulombic energy, number and lifetime of hydrogen bonds, vibrational density of states, and integrated autocorrelation of the interfacial heat power. Moreover, the hydroxyl group can improve the interfacial thermal conductivity more than the other groups, which can be rationalized by analyzing the surface roughness of graphene and the radial distribution function of FGs and the PVA chains. However, the introduction of FGs destroys the graphene structure, which consequently reduces the intrinsic thermal conductivity. Furthermore, by adopting the effective medium approximation model and finite element method, there exists a critical graphene length where the overall thermal conductivities are equal for the functionalized and pristine graphene. Finally, the distribution state of graphene is emphasized to be more vital in determining the overall thermal conductivity than the generally accepted interfacial thermal conductivity.

Underwater active polarization descattering based on a single polarized image.

Active polarization imaging techniques have tremendous potential for a variety of underwater applications. However, multiple polarization images as input are necessary for almost all methods, thereby limiting the range of applicable scenarios. In this paper, via taking full advantage of the polarization feature of target reflective light, the cross-polarized backscatter image is reconstructed via introducing an exponential function for the first time, only based on mapping relations of co-polarized image. Compared with rotating the polarizer, the result performs a more uniform and continuous distribution of grayscale. Furthermore, the relationship of degree of polarization (DOP) between the whole scene and backscattered light is established. This leads to an accurate estimation of backscattered noise and high-contrast restored images. Besides, single-input greatly simplifies the experimental process and upgrades efficiency. Experimental results demonstrate the advancement of the proposed method for objects with high polarization under various turbidities.

Dual-Polarized Multi-Beam Fixed-Frequency Beam Scanning Leaky-Wave Antenna.

A fixed-frequency beam-scanning leaky-wave antenna (LWA) array with three switchable dual-polarized beams is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The proposed LWA array consists of three groups of spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) LWAs with different modulation period lengths and a control circuit. Each group of SPPs LWAs can independently control the beam steering at a fixed frequency by loading varactor diodes. The proposed antenna can be configured in both multi-beam mode and single-beam mode, where the multi-beam mode with optional two or three dual-polarized beams. The beam width can be flexibly adjusted from narrow to wide by switching between multi-beam and single-beam states. The prototype of the proposed LWA array is fabricated and measured, and both simulation and experimental results show that the antenna can accomplish a fixed frequency beam scanning at an operating frequency of 3.3 to 3.8 GHz with a maximum scanning range of about 35° in multi-beam mode and about 55° in single-beam mode. It could be a promising candidate for application in the space-air-ground integrated network scenario in satellite communication and future 6G communication systems.

Analyzing and Predicting the Viscosity of Polymer Nanocomposites in the Conditions of Temperature, Shear Rate, and Nanoparticle Loading with Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Machine Learning.

Predicting the viscosity (η) of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) is of critical importance as it governs a dominant role in PNCs' processing and application. Machine-learning (ML) algorithms, enabled by pre-existing experimental and computational data, have emerged as robust tools for the prediction of quantitative relationships between feature parameters and various physical properties of materials. In this work, we employed nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulation with ML models to systematically investigate the η of PNCs over a wide range of nanoparticle (NP) loadings (φ), shear rates (γ̇), and temperatures (T). With the increase in γ̇, shear thinning takes place as the value of η decreases on the orders of magnitude. In addition, the φ dependence and T dependence reduce to the extent that it is not visible at high γ̇. The value of η for PNCs is proportional to φ and inversely proportional to T below the intermediate γ̇. Using the obtained NEMD results, four machine-learning models were trained to provide effective predictions for the η. The extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model yields the best accuracy in η prediction under complex conditions and is further used to evaluate feature importance. This quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) model used physical views to investigate the effect of process parameters, such as T, φ, and γ̇, on the η of PNCs and paves the path for theoretically proposing reasonable parameters for successful processing.

Testing electron-phonon coupling for the superconductivity in kagome metal CsV3Sb5.

In crystalline materials, electron-phonon coupling (EPC) is a ubiquitous many-body interaction that drives conventional Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superconductivity. Recently, in a new kagome metal CsV3Sb5, superconductivity that possibly intertwines with time-reversal and spatial symmetry-breaking orders is observed. Density functional theory calculations predicted weak EPC strength, λ, supporting an unconventional pairing mechanism in CsV3Sb5. However, experimental determination of λ is still missing, hindering a microscopic understanding of the intertwined ground state of CsV3Sb5. Here, using 7-eV laser-based angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and Eliashberg function analysis, we determine an intermediate λ=0.45-0.6 at T = 6 K for both Sb 5p and V 3d electronic bands, which can support a conventional superconducting transition temperature on the same magnitude of experimental value in CsV3Sb5. Remarkably, the EPC on the V 3d-band enhances to λ~0.75 as the superconducting transition temperature elevated to 4.4 K in Cs(V0.93Nb0.07)3Sb5. Our results provide an important clue to understand the pairing mechanism in the kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5.

Association between Circulating Ectodysplasin A and Diabetic Kidney Disease.

Background: Ectodysplasin A (EDA), a member of the TNF family, plays important roles in ectodermal development, while recent studies expanded its regulatory effects on insulin resistance and lipid metabolism. This study was the first time to investigate the correlation between circulating EDA and albuminuria in patients with T2DM. Methods: A total of 189 T2DM and 59 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. We analyzed the concentrations of EDA by ELISA. Plasma glucose, insulin, HbA1c, lipids, creatinine, BUN, and UACR were also measured. Insulin resistance and pancreatic cell function were assessed by HOMA. Results: Circulating EDA concentration was significantly increased in T2DM patients and increased with the degree of albuminuria. EDA was positively correlated with age, FIns, HOMA-IR, HOMA-ß, Scr, and UACR, and negatively correlated with eGFR. Linear stepwise regression showed that FIns, HOMA-ß, and UACR were independent influencing factors of EDA. Logistic regression analysis showed that EDA was independently associated with the occurrence of albuminuria in T2DM. ROC curve showed that EDA had an area under the receiver operating curve of 0.701 [95%CI = (0.625 - 0.777), P < 0.001]. Conclusion: EDA is positively correlated with the degree of albuminuria in patients with T2DM and may be involved in the occurrence and progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD).

A Method for Detecting the Vacuum Degree of Vacuum Glass Based on Digital Holography.

The vacuum degree is the key parameter reflecting the quality and performance of vacuum glass. This investigation proposed a novel method, based on digital holography, to detect the vacuum degree of vacuum glass. The detection system was composed of an optical pressure sensor, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and software. The results showed that the deformation of monocrystalline silicon film in an optical pressure sensor could respond to the attenuation of the vacuum degree of vacuum glass. Using 239 groups of experimental data, pressure differences were shown to have a good linear relationship with the optical pressure sensor's deformations; pressure differences were linearly fitted to obtain the numerical relationship between pressure difference and deformation and to calculate the vacuum degree of the vacuum glass. Measuring the vacuum degree of vacuum glass under three different conditions proved that the digital holographic detection system could measure the vacuum degree of vacuum glass quickly and accurately. The optical pressure sensor's deformation measuring range was less than 4.5 µm, the measuring range of the corresponding pressure difference was less than 2600 pa, and the measuring accuracy's order of magnitude was 10 pa. This method has potential market applications.

Exploring the associations between social support and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder among Malaysian and Australian trauma survivors.

Background: Social support is an important feature in understanding posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its treatment. Non-clinical research has identified distinct profiles of culturally appropriate social support. Despite this, little research has examined cultural influences on social support in the context of PTSD.Objective: This study examined cultural differences in the associations between social support and symptoms of PTSD.Method: The study employed a cross-sectional design. Australian (n = 91) and Malaysian (n = 91) trauma survivors completed an online survey assessing PTSD symptomatology and social support (explicit and implicit social support, perceived helpfulness of support provider, attitudes towards professional help-seeking). A quasi-experimental paradigm assessed the influence of mutual (i.e. the sharing of support between relationship partners) and non-mutual support (i.e. where one person constantly receives support, while the other person constantly provides support) on negative emotion and subjective distress.Results: First, explicit social support was negatively associated with PTSD symptoms for the Australian group but not the Malaysian group. Second, perceived helpfulness of support from family was negatively associated with PTSD symptoms for the Malaysian group but not the Australian group. Third, the Malaysian group reported significantly greater distress for non-mutual support and significantly fewer negative emotions and distress for mutual support than the Australian group. Fourth, the Malaysian group reported that they were significantly more open to acknowledging psychological problems and the possibility of seeking professional help for these problems than the Australian group.Conclusions: As the PTSD social support literature continues to evolve, it is essential that cultural influences are considered given the important theoretical and clinical implications.

Social support is an important feature in understanding posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While non-clinical research has identified distinct profiles of culturally appropriate social support, little research has examined cultural influences on social support in the context of posttraumatic stress disorder.Disclosing the trauma to others and explicating requesting assistance was negatively associated with PTSD symptoms for the Australian group but not the Malaysian group. Support from family was negatively associated with PTSD symptoms for the Malaysian group but not the Australian group. The Malaysian group reported significantly greater distress for non-mutual support and significantly less negative affect and distress for mutual support than the Australian group.As the psychotraumatology literature continues to evolve, it is essential that cultural influences on social support are considered given the important theoretical and clinical implications.

Influence mechanism of the particle size on underwater active polarization imaging of reflective targets.

Underwater active polarization imaging is a promising imaging method, however, it is ineffective in some scenarios. In this work, the influence of the particle size from isotropic (Rayleigh regime) to forward-scattering on polarization imaging is investigated by both Monte Carlo simulation and quantitative experiments. The results show the non-monotonic law of imaging contrast with the particle size of scatterers. Furthermore, through polarization-tracking program, the polarization evolution of backscattered light and target diffuse light are detailed quantitatively with Poincaré sphere. The findings indicate that the noise light's polarization and intensity scattering field change significantly with the particle size. Based on this, the influence mechanism of the particle size on underwater active polarization imaging of reflective targets is revealed for the first time. Moreover, the adapted principle of scatterer particle scale is also provided for different polarization imaging methods.

Electronic structure and correlations in planar trilayer nickelate Pr4Ni3O8.

The discovery of superconductivity in planar nickelates raises the question of how the electronic structure and correlations of Ni1+ compounds compare to those of the Cu2+ cuprate superconductors. Here, we present an angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) study of the trilayer nickelate Pr4Ni3O8, revealing a Fermi surface resembling that of the hole-doped cuprates but with critical differences. Specifically, the main portions of the Fermi surface are extremely similar to that of the bilayer cuprates, with an additional piece that can accommodate additional hole doping. We find that the electronic correlations are about twice as strong in the nickelates and are almost k-independent, indicating that they originate from a local effect, likely the Mott interaction, whereas cuprate interactions are somewhat less local. Nevertheless, the nickelates still demonstrate the strange-metal behavior in the electron scattering rates. Understanding the similarities and differences between these two families of strongly correlated superconductors is an important challenge.

Correlation between monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and insulin resistance in male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with metabolic-related fatty liver disease / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: Objective　To explore the correlation between monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) and insulin resistance (IR) in male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) combined with metabolic-related fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Methods A total of 454 male patients with T2DM combined with MAFLD in National Metabolic Management Center (MMC) of the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University from May 2018 to July 2020 were enrolled. The general clinical data of subjects were collected, blood routine and biochemical indexes were tested, homeostasis model insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) was calculated, visceral fat area (VFA) and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) were measured. Accordingtothe MHR quartile, patients were divided into group Q1 (MHR≤0.38), group Q2 (0.38<MHR≤0.48), group Q3 (0.48<MHR≤0.64) and group Q4 (MHR>0.64) to compare the differences in measured indicators above. In addition, patients were divided into two groups according to HOMA-IR, HOMA-IR<2.5 and HOMA-IR≥2.5, and the differences in MHR were compared. Results The patients were divided into four groups according to MHR:group Q1 (n=115), group Q2 (n=110), group Q3 (n=120) and group Q4 (n=109). Fasting insulin (FINS) were respectively 6.17(4.20,9.76), 7.73(4.94,10.66), 8.92(5.32,11.33) and 9.13(5.25,12.27) mU/L, 2-hour postprandial insulin were 22.75(12.87,39.59), 27.55(16.44,39.77), 30.98(17.46,43.11) and 31.28(18.54,45.92) U/L. HOMA-IR were 3.12(1.63,4.25), 3.72(2.26,4.66), 3.87(2.48,5.44) and 3.95(2.42,5.31). Neutrophil (Neu) were 3.10(2.60,3.70), 3.20(2.50,3.93), 3.60(2.80,4.28), 4.20(3.30,5.00)×109/L. Subcutaneous fat area (SFA) were (181.27±53.60), (192.64±62.41), (199.53±61.40) and (203.69±71.51) cm2. They all increased gradually. However, the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) [1.18(1.06,1.35), 1.02(0.86,1.17), 0.96(0.80,1.03) and 0.80(0.69,0.92) mmol/L] and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) [(3.00±0.79), (2.76±0.83), (2.67±0.85) and (2.59±0.92) mmol/L] decreased gradually. Pearson's or Spearman's correlation analysis showed that MHR was positively correlated with FINS, 2-hour postprandial insulin (2hINS), HOMA-IR, VFA and SFA (r=0.190, 0.153, 0.184, 0.114, 0.127, P<0.05). The coronary heart disease history, systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,fasting plasmaglucose (FPG), FINS, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood uric acid (Ur), body mass index (BMI), VFA, SFA and MHR of patients in group HOMA-IR≥2.5 were higher than group HOMA-IR<2.5 (P<0.05). Conclusion　MHR is positively correlated with IR in male patients with T2DM combined with MAFLD, and as MHR increases, the degree of IR is higher.

Visibility enhancement of underwater images based on polarization common-mode rejection of a highly polarized target signal.

Underwater active polarization imaging is promising due to its effect of significantly descattering. Polarization-difference is commonly used to filter out backscattered noise. However, the polarization common-mode rejection of target signal has rarely been utilized. In this paper, via taking full advantage of this feature of Stokes vectors S2 which ably avoids interference from target light, the spatial variation of the degree of polarization of backscattered light is accurately estimated, and the whole scene intensity distribution of background is reconstructed by Gaussian surface fitting based on least square. Meanwhile, the underwater image quality measure is applied as optimization feedback, through iterative computations, not only sufficiently suppresses backscattered noise but also better highlights the details of the target. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for highly polarized target in strongly scattering water.

Does culture moderate the relationships between rumination and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression?

Brooding rumination is positively associated with symptoms of both depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, non-clinical cross-cultural research indicates that culture may influence these associations. This study aimed to examine the moderating effect of cultural group (Australian versus Malaysian) on the associations between brooding rumination and symptoms of depression and PTSD. European Australians (n = 109) and Malaysians of varying Asian heritages (n = 144) completed an online questionnaire containing the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, PTSD checklist for DSM-5 and the Ruminative Response Scale-Short Form. First, Malaysian participants had higher brooding rumination than Australian participants. Second, higher levels of brooding rumination were positively associated with depression and PTSD symptom severity. Third, contrary to our expectations, cultural group did not moderate the relationships between brooding rumination and symptoms of depression and PTSD. If replicable, these results suggest that existing assessment and treatment approaches that target brooding rumination may apply to Malaysian individuals with depression and PTSD.