Objective: To characterize the public conversations around long COVID, as expressed through X (formerly Twitter) posts from May 2020 to April 2023.
Methods: Using X as the data source, we extracted tweets containing #long-covid, #long_covid, or "long covid," posted from May 2020 to April 2023. We then conducted an unsupervised deep learning analysis using Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT).
Objectives: Population ageing and increased care needs lead to adults making consequential medical decisions for others, potentially impacting treatment and end of life. We aim to describe the prevalence of medical decision-making by proxy among the national population and associated demographic and care factors.
Methods: We designed a cross-sectional online survey with a nationally representative adult cohort with an 80% participation rate.
Topological exciton-polaritons are a burgeoning class of topological photonic systems distinguished by their hybrid nature as part-light, part-matter quasiparticles. Their further control over novel valley degree of freedom (DOF) has offered considerable potential for developing active topological optical devices towards information processing. Here, employing a two-dimensional (2D) valley-Hall perovskite lattice, we report the experimental observation of valley-polarized topological exciton-polaritons and their valley-dependent propagations at room temperature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Standardization of neuropsychological tests is crucial for consistency in cognitive assessment, as well as for validity and comparability of results across different populations. We examined the applicability and measurement equivalence of the Alzheimer Disease Research Centers' Neuropsychological Test Battery (version 3) (ADRC-NTB3) in Singapore.
Methods: The ADRC-NTB3 was administered to 978 older persons with normal cognition in Singapore.
Objectives: Horticultural therapy (HT) has garnered growing interest because of its psychological and physical benefits. Previous reviews have demonstrated its therapeutic effects in older adults with cognitive impairment or mental illnesses. However, its impact on older adults without dementia has not been synthesized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhys Rev Lett
September 2024
We report the experimental observation of trembling quantum motion, or Zitterbewegung, of exciton polaritons in a perovskite microcavity at room temperature. By introducing liquid-crystal molecules into the microcavity, we achieve spinor states with synthetic Rashba-Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling and tunable energy splitting. Under a resonant excitation, the polariton fluid exhibits clear trembling motion perpendicular to its flowing direction, accompanied by a unique spin pattern resembling interlocked fingers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTransition-metal dichalcogenide monolayers possess large exciton binding energy and a robust valley degree of freedom, making them a viable platform for the development of spintronic devices capable of operating at room temperature. The development of such monolayer TMD-based spintronic devices requires strong spin-dependent interactions and effective spin transport. This can be achieved by employing exciton-polaritons.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn recent years, two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals materials have emerged as a focal point in materials research, drawing increasing attention due to their potential for isolating and synergistically combining diverse atomic layers. Atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are one of the most alluring van der Waals materials owing to their exceptional electronic and optical properties. The tightly bound excitons with giant oscillator strength render TMDs an ideal platform to investigate strong light-matter coupling when they are integrated with optical cavities, providing a wide range of possibilities for exploring novel polaritonic physics and devices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLong-life interlayer excitons (IXs) in transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) heterostructure are promising for realizing excitonic condensates at high temperatures. Critical to this objective is to separate the IX ground state (the lowest energy of IX state) emission from other states' emissions. Filtering the IX ground state is also essential in uncovering the dynamics of correlated excitonic states, such as the excitonic Mott insulator.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe realization of efficient optical devices depends on the ability to harness strong nonlinearities, which are challenging to achieve with standard photonic systems. Exciton-polaritons formed in hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites offer a promising alternative, exhibiting strong interactions at room temperature (RT). Despite recent demonstrations showcasing a robust nonlinear response, further progress is hindered by an incomplete understanding of the microscopic mechanisms governing polariton interactions in perovskite-based strongly coupled systems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To investigate societal perceptions of ketamine's use in depression therapy by analysing Twitter posts from January 1, 2010 to April 1, 2023.
Methods: Using Twitter as the social media platform of choice, and employing search terms based on (depression OR depressed OR depressive) AND (ketamine OR esketamine OR Spravato), we collected English-language tweets from January 1, 2010, to April 1, 2023. Using unsupervised machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) techniques, including Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) and BERTopic, the study identified prevalent topics surrounding public chatter around the use of ketamine in depression treatment.
Background: Higher educational attainment is strongly associated with a reduced risk of neurocognitive disorders (NCDs). However, the literature is not yet clear on (1) the minimum years of compulsory education that would sufficiently mitigate the risk of NCDs, and (2) whether educational attainment has differential effects across sexes. To bridge these gaps, this study sought to model potential non-linear relationship between years of education and NCD risk, across men and women.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnergy transfer is a ubiquitous phenomenon that delivers energy from a blue-shifted emitter to a red-shifted absorber, facilitating wide photonic applications. Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors provide unique opportunities for exploring novel energy transfer mechanisms in the atomic-scale limit. Herein, we have designed a planar optical microcavity-confined MoS/hBN/WS heterojunction, which realizes the strong coupling among donor exciton, acceptor exciton, and cavity photon mode.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Disparities in cardiovascular outcomes between Māori and non-Māori persist despite technological advances in the treatment of cardiovascular disease and improved service provision. Little is known about how social determinants of health, such as income [in]security affect Māori men's access, treatment, and recovery from cardiovascular disease. This paper explores the contexts within which cardiovascular disease is experienced and healthcare becomes embedded.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough influenza vaccines are safe and efficacious, vaccination rates have remained low globally. Today, with the advent of new media, many individuals turn to social media for personal health questions and information. However, misinformation may be rife, and health communications may be suboptimal.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The article aims to study the demographics and clinical characteristics of ocular trauma patients presenting to the Eye Casualty Clinic between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 era in Ampang Hospital, Malaysia.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data of patients presented with ocular trauma injury to the Ampang Hospital during the COVID-19 era from 18 March 2020 to 17 September 2020 were retrieved and compared with the similar period of the previous non-COVID-19 era year.
Results: Among the total number of 453 patients, 76.
Several countries are witnessing significant increases in influenza cases and severity. Despite the availability, effectiveness and safety of influenza vaccination, vaccination coverage remains suboptimal globally. In this study, we examined the prevailing negative sentiments related to influenza vaccination via a deep learning analysis of public Twitter posts over the past five years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite the proven safety and clinical efficacy of the Measles vaccine, many countries are seeing new heights of vaccine hesitancy or refusal, and are experiencing a resurgence of measles infections as a consequence. With the use of novel machine learning tools, we investigated the prevailing negative sentiments related to Measles vaccination through an analysis of public Twitter posts over a 5-year period. We extracted original tweets using the search terms related to "measles" and "vaccine," and posted in English from January 1, 2017, to December 15, 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLoneliness is an issue of public health significance. Longitudinal studies indicate that feelings of loneliness are prevalent and were exacerbated by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. With the advent of new media, more people are turning to social media platforms such as Twitter and Reddit as well as online forums, e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlike conventional laser, the topological laser is able to emit coherent light robustly against disorders and defects because of its nontrivial band topology. As a promising platform for low-power consumption, exciton polariton topological lasers require no population inversion, a unique property that can be attributed to the part-light-part-matter bosonic nature and strong nonlinearity of exciton polaritons. Recently, the discovery of higher-order topology has shifted the paradigm of topological physics to topological states at boundaries of boundaries, such as corners.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMonolayer transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials have attracted a great attention because of their unique properties and promising applications in integrated optoelectronic devices. Being layered materials, they can be stacked vertically to fabricate artificial van der Waals lattices, which offer unique opportunities to tailor the electronic and optical properties. The integration of TMD heterostructures in planar microcavities working in strong coupling regime is particularly important to control the light-matter interactions and form robust polaritons, highly sought for room temperature applications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
February 2023
Context: The cause of cybercrime phishing threats in Malaysia is a lack of knowledge and awareness of phishing.
Objective: The effects of self-efficacy (the ability to gain anti-phishing knowledge) and protection motivation (attitude toward sharing personal information online) on the risk of instant messaging phishing attacks (phishing susceptibility) are investigated in this study. The protection motivation theory (PMT) was tested in the context of attitudes toward sharing personal information online with a view to improving interventions to reduce the risk of phishing victimisation.