bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Phubbing Scale (PS-8) in the Portuguese population: psychometric properties
Authors: García-Castro F. Javier , Abreu Ana Maria , Rando Belén , Blanca María J.
Published: March 2022

Phubbing is defined as ignoring other individuals by using a mobile phone during a face-to-face conversation. The Phubbing Scale (PS) was developed to assess this practice. In this study, we analyze the psychometric properties of the 8-item version of the PS (PS-8) in the Portuguese population, providing validity evidence based on internal structure and on relationships with other variables, and examining item properties, reliability, and measurement invariance across gender. Participants were 391 Portuguese adults (132 men, 259 women) who completed a battery of questionnaires. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded satisfactory goodness-of-fit indices for the two-factor structure (communication disturbance and phone obsession), which was invariant across gender. Item homogeneity and reliability of factor scores (McDonald’s omega) were satisfactory. Validity evidence based on relationships with other variables was provided by positive associations with time spent on the Internet on weekdays and at the weekend, time spent on social networking sites, number of social networks used, Internet addiction, problematic mobile phone use, Facebook intrusion, fear of missing out, and depression. These associations show the addictive component of phubbing and its relationship with mental health. The PS-8 is a short and easy-to-administer scale with adequate psychometric properties for measuring phubbing in the Portuguese population.
Off-task social media multitasking during class: determining factors and mediating mechanism
Authors: Deng Liping , Zhou Yujie , Hu Qingchun
Published: March 2022

Framed by social learning theory, the study examines a set of personal and social factors determining off-task social media multitasking inside university classrooms. We aim to clarify the relationships between social media multitasking and self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, multitasking preference as well as peer distraction, and to elucidate the interactive relationships between these factors. Questionnaire data from 203 university students in China show that academic self-efficacy fully mediates the association between intrinsic motivation and off-task multitasking. Moreover, multitasking preference partially mediates the association between peer distraction and off-task multitasking during class time. The findings of the study contribute to a deeper understanding of why students multitask during class, which can inform the development of strategies for combating social media distraction and enhancing students’ learning engagement.
Identification and mapping of QTL associated with some traits related for drought tolerance in wheat using SSR markers
Authors: Khaled Khaled Adly Mohamed , Habiba Rehab Mohamed Mohamed , Bashasha Jamila Abdelhafeeth , El-Aziz Mohamed Hassan Abd
Published: March 2022

Background

Wheat is the most important crop around the world. Drought stresses affect wheat production and their characterization. Most of the traits that are affected by drought are quantitative traits, so detection of the quantitative trait’s loci (QTLs) related to these traits is very important for breeder and wheat producers. In this trend, 285 F2 individuals from crosses between four bread wheat genotypes (Triticum aestivum L.), i.e., Sakha93, Sids1, Sakha94, and Gemmiza9, were used for identified QTLs associated with plant height (PH) and leaf wilting (LW). Single marker analysis and composite interval mapping (CIM) were used.

Results

A total of 116 QTLs loci were detected which covered 19 chromosomes out of the 21 chromosomes of wheat. PH and LW had 74 and 42 QTLs loci, respectively. On the other hand, chromosome 7A showed to bear the highest number of QTLs loci (15 loci). While chromosome 1A beard the highest number of QTLs loci related to PH (10 loci), chromosome 2B and 7A beard the highest number of QTLs related LW. We highly recommend our finding to help breeders in wheat breeding programs to improve plant height and leaf wilting.

Conclusion

Our investigation concluded that SSR markers have high efficiency in the identification of QTLs related to abiotic stress; also the CIM method had more advanced priority for QTLs mapping.
Effect of tax dynamics on linearly growing processes under stochastic resetting: A possible economic model
Authors: Santra Ion
Published: March 2022

We study a system ofNagents, whose wealth grows linearly, under the effect of stochastic resetting and interacting via a tax-like dynamics —all agents donate a part of their wealth, which is, in turn, redistributed equally among all others. This mimics a socio-economic scenario where people have fixed incomes, suffer individual economic setbacks, and pay taxes to the state. The system always reaches a stationary state, which shows a trivial exponential wealth distribution in the absence of tax dynamics. The introduction of the tax dynamics leads to several interesting features in the stationary wealth distribution. In particular, we analytically find that an increase in taxation for a homogeneous system (where all agents are alike) results in a transition from a society where agents are most likely poor to another where rich agents are more common. We also study inhomogeneous systems, where the growth rates of the agents are chosen from a distribution, and the taxation is proportional to the individual growth rates. We find an optimal taxation, which produces a complete economic equality (average wealth is independent of the individual growth rates), beyond which there is a reverse disparity, where agents with low growth rates are more likely to be rich. We consider three income distributions observed in the real world and show that they exhibit the same qualitative features. Our analytical results are in theN → ∞limit and backed by numerical simulations.
Proteomic Profiles of Body Mass Index and Waist-to-Hip Ratio and Their Role in Incidence of Diabetes
Authors: Bao Xue , Xu Biao , Yin Songjiang , Pan Jingxue , Nilsson Peter M , Nilsson Jan , Melander Olle , Orho-Melander Marju , Engström Gunnar
Published: March 2022

Context

It is unclear to what extent the plasma proteome of abdominal fat distribution differs from that of body mass index, and whether the differences have clinical implications.

Objective

To evaluate the difference between the plasma proteomic profiles of body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and then examine the identified BMI- or WHR-specific proteins in relation to incidence of diabetes.

Methods

Data were obtained from the Malmö Diet and Cancer-Cardiovascular Cohort study in the general community. Participants (n = 4203) with no previous diabetes (aged 57.2 ± 6.0 years, 37.8% men) were included. Plasma proteins (n = 136) were measured by the Proseek proximity extension method. BMI- and WHR-specific proteins were identified at baseline using a 2-step iterative resampling approach to optimize internal replicability followed by β coefficient comparisons. The identified proteins were considered internally replicated and were then studied in relation to incident diabetes by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. The main outcome measure was incident diabetes over a mean follow-up of 20.3 ± 5.9 years.

Results

After excluding 21 overlapping proteins and proteins that did not show significantly different associations with BMI vs WHR, 10 internally replicated proteins were found to be specific to BMI, and 22 were found to be specific to WHR (false discovery rate-adjusted P < .05). Of the WHR-specific proteins, 18 remained associated with diabetes risk after multivariate adjustments, whereas none of the BMI-specific proteins showed associations with diabetes risk.

Conclusion

Abdominal fat distribution was associated with some unique characteristics of the plasma proteome that potentially could be related to its additional risk of diabetes beyond general obesity.
Patient-Controlled Sedation Versus Clinician-Administered Sedation for Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography: A Systematic Review
Authors: Hui Rex Wan-Hin , Leung Choy-May
Published: March 2022

Patient-controlled sedation (PCS) has been explored as a sedation method in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), yet a comprehensive review article on this topic is lacking. We performed a systematic review to compare PCS against clinician-administered sedation. The primary objectives are to compare the sedative dosage used and the sedation depth, while secondary objectives are to compare sedation failure rates, clinician intervention rates, and patient satisfaction. A systematic literature search was conducted on MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library Database using the terms “ERCP,” “Sedation,” “Patient-controlled,” and related terms. Randomized controlled trials comparing PCS against clinician-administered sedation in adults undergoing ERCP were included. Articles without English full texts were excluded. Studies were reviewed by 2 independent reviewers. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used for quality assessment of individual included trials. This systematic review is registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42020198647). A total of 2619 articles were identified from the literature search. A total of 2615 articles were excluded based on the exclusion criteria. Four articles (comprised of 4 independent trials involving 425 patients) were included in analysis. When compared with clinician-administered sedation, PCS in ERCP may lead to lower propofol dosage used and lower sedation depth. The sedation failure rates appear to be higher in PCS, whereas lower rates of airway maneuvers are required. No significant difference was observable for patient satisfaction rates between PCS and clinician-administered sedation. The included studies demonstrated unclear to high risk of bias, particularly in randomization, incomplete outcome data, and outcome measurement. PCS appears to be a feasible option for sedation in ERCP. Nonetheless, large-scale, high-quality trials will be required before PCS can be regularly implemented in ERCP.
Traip controls mushroom body size by suppressing mitotic defects
Authors: O'Neill Ryan S. , Rusan Nasser M.
Published: March 2022

Microcephaly is a failure to develop proper brain size and neuron number. Mutations in diverse genes are linked to microcephaly, including several with DNA damage repair (DDR) functions; however, it is not well understood how these DDR gene mutations limit brain size. One such gene is TRAIP, which has multiple functions in DDR. We characterized the Drosophila TRAIP homolog nopo, hereafter traip, and found that traip mutants (traip−) have a brain-specific defect in the mushroom body (MB). traip− MBs were smaller and contained fewer neurons, but no neurodegeneration, consistent with human primary microcephaly. Reduced neuron numbers in traip− were explained by premature loss of MB neuroblasts (MB-NBs), in part via caspase-dependent cell death. Many traip− MB-NBs had prominent chromosome bridges in anaphase, along with polyploidy, aneuploidy or micronuclei. Traip localization during mitosis is sufficient for MB development, suggesting that Traip can repair chromosome bridges during mitosis if necessary. Our results suggest that proper brain size is ensured by the recently described role for TRAIP in unloading stalled replication forks in mitosis, which suppresses DNA bridges and premature neural stem cell loss to promote proper neuron number.
FOXO1 represses sprouty 2 and sprouty 4 expression to promote arterial specification and vascular remodeling in the mouse yolk sac
Authors: Li-Villarreal Nanbing , Wong Rebecca Lee Yean , Garcia Monica D. , Udan Ryan S. , Poché Ross A. , Rasmussen Tara L. , Rhyner Alexander M. , Wythe Joshua D. , Dickinson Mary E.
Published: March 2022

Establishing a functional circulatory system is required for post-implantation development during murine embryogenesis. Previous studies in loss-of-function mouse models showed that FOXO1, a Forkhead family transcription factor, is required for yolk sac (YS) vascular remodeling and survival beyond embryonic day (E) 11. Here, we demonstrate that at E8.25, loss of Foxo1 in Tie2-cre expressing cells resulted in increased sprouty 2 (Spry2) and Spry4 expression, reduced arterial gene expression and reduced Kdr (also known as Vegfr2 and Flk1) transcripts without affecting overall endothelial cell identity, survival or proliferation. Using a Dll4-BAC-nlacZ reporter line, we found that one of the earliest expressed arterial genes, delta like 4, is significantly reduced in Foxo1 mutant YS without being substantially affected in the embryo proper. We show that FOXO1 binds directly to previously identified Spry2 gene regulatory elements (GREs) and newly identified, evolutionarily conserved Spry4 GREs to repress their expression. Furthermore, overexpression of Spry4 in transient transgenic embryos largely recapitulates the reduced expression of arterial genes seen in conditional Foxo1 mutants. Together, these data reveal a novel role for FOXO1 as a key transcriptional repressor regulating both pre-flow arterial specification and subsequent vessel remodeling within the murine YS.
Expression analysis and function of mitochondrial genome-encoded microRNAs
Authors: Kuthethur Raviprasad , Shukla Vaibhav , Mallya Sandeep , Adiga Divya , Kabekkodu Shama Prasada , Ramachandra Lingadakai , Saxena P. U. Prakash , Satyamoorthy Kapaettu , Chakrabarty Sanjiban
Published: March 2022

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a significant role in nuclear and mitochondrial anterograde and retrograde signaling. Most of the miRNAs found inside mitochondria are encoded in the nuclear genome, with a few mitochondrial genome-encoded non-coding RNAs having been reported. In this study, we have identified 13 mitochondrial genome-encoded microRNAs (mitomiRs), which were differentially expressed in breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231), non-malignant breast epithelial cell line (MCF-10A), and normal and breast cancer tissue specimens. We found that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion and inhibition of mitochondrial transcription led to reduced expression of mitomiRs in breast cancer cells. MitomiRs physically interacted with Ago2, an RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) protein, in the cytoplasm and inside mitochondria. MitomiRs regulate the expression of both nuclear and mitochondrial transcripts in breast cancer cells. We showed that mitomiR-5 targets the PPARGC1A gene and regulates mtDNA copy number in breast cancer cells. MitomiRs identified in the present study may be a promising tool for expression and functional analysis in patients with a defective mitochondrial phenotype, including cancer and metabolic syndromes.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Hepatic Arterial Infusion Pump Chemotherapy for Unresectable Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Holster Jessica J. , El Hassnaoui Marouan , Franssen Stijn , IJzermans Jan N. M. , de Jonge Jeroen , Mostert Bianca , Polak Wojciech G. , de Wilde Roeland F. , Homs Marjolein Y. V. , Groot Koerkamp Bas
Published: March 2022

Background

Patients with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) have poor survival. This systematic review describes the survival outcomes of hepatic arterial infusion pump (HAIP) chemotherapy with floxuridine for patients with unresectable iCCA.

Patients and Methods

A literature search was conducted using the electronic databases PubMed, Medline (Ovid), Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Cochrane to find studies that reported data on the survival of patients with unresectable iCCA treated with HAIP chemotherapy using floxuridine. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa quality assessment Scale (NOS). Overall survival (OS) was the primary outcome measure, and progression-free survival (PFS), response rates, resection rates, and toxicity were defined as secondary outcome measures.

Results

After removing duplicates, 661 publications were assessed, of which nine studies, representing a total of 478 patients, met the inclusion criteria. Three out of nine studies were phase II clinical trials, one study was a prospective dose-escalation study, and the remaining five studies were retrospective cohort studies. After accounting for overlapping cohorts, 154 unique patients were included for pooled analysis. The weighted median OS of patients with unresectable iCCA treated with HAIP chemotherapy with floxuridine was 29.0 months (range 25.0–39 months). The pooled 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 86.4, 55.5, 39.5, and 9.7%, respectively.

Conclusion

HAIP chemotherapy with floxuridine for patients with unresectable iCCA was associated with a 3-year OS of 39.5%, which is favorable compared with systemic chemotherapy for which no 3-year survivors were reported in the Advanced Biliary Cancer (ABC) trials.
Um Green New Deal para o Brasil
Authors: Alvarenga Junior Marcio , De Almeida Nogueira da Costa Lucas , Eduardo Frickmann Young Carlos
Published: March 2022

Propomos um GND-Brasil com base em um modelo de desenvolvimento justo, igualitário e sustentável e que deixa claro não existir dicotomia entre crescimento econômico e meio ambiente.
Digital twins: A brief overview of applications, challenges and enabling technologies in the last decade
Authors: Eleftheriou Orfeas Theodoros , Anagnostopoulos Christos-Nikolaos
Published: March 2022

The concept of Digitals Twins (DTs) is an evolving idea, which is becoming the center of attention for the industry and the scientific community. It can be described as the pairing of the digital and the physical, interconnected for data sharing. DT is a key enabler for Industry 4.0, especially on the digitalization and visualization processes. Even though the idea of DT has been defined thoroughly throughout the recent years, there are still many different interpretations which are the result of different viewpoints of the involved professionals. The digitalization process requires huge amounts of data, which is generated, collected, handled and processed by various sources as well as digital twins themselves, thus offering new challenges that need to be addressed. In this paper, we attempt to i) assess the current state of digital twins, ii) describe the terms digital model and digital shadow as they are often misused as synonyms and iii) review the concepts of Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 and discuss how these are connected. Moreover, some applications of DTs and their enabling technologies will be presented.
Comparison of clinical effectiveness of conventional and self-etch sealant: a split mouth randomized controlled trial
Authors: Gupta Deveshi , Rao Arathi , Shenoy Ramya , Suprabha Baranya Srikrishna
Published: March 2022

Background: Self-etching has been shown to be beneficial compared to the other resin sealants especially in pediatric practice. The present in-vivo study was designed to clinically evaluate the sealing ability and retention of the self-etching sealant compared to the conventional resin sealant. The aim was to evaluate and compare the retention and marginal integrity of the self-etch and acid etch sealant materials at three, six and twelve-month follow up.

Methods: The study was designed as a double blinded, split mouth randomized controlled trial, . In total, 35 children (70 teeth) between 7 and 10 years of age formed part of the study. Group 1 received acid-etch sealant and Group 2 received self-etch sealants. The study participants and the investigator who performed the statistical analysis were blinded to the treatment allocation. All the samples were evaluated at 3, 6, and 12 months. The inter-group and intragroup comparison were carried out using the Chi-Square test and Friedman test with level of significance set at 5% and the P value less than 0.05.

Results: Complete retention of sealants was observed in 34.5% of conventional acid etch (group 1) and 22.9% of self-etch samples (group 2) whereas complete loss of sealants were seen in 11.4% of group 1 and 20% of the group 2 samples and intergroup comparison of retention failure was non-significant (p=0.135). In total, 85.7% of the group 1 and 82.9% of the group 2 samples exhibited good marginal integrity with no clinical changes in the enamel around the margins but this was not statistically significant (p=0.5).

Conclusions: Sealants with fewer procedural steps and those which provide adequate retention would be ideal for use in children. Thus, self-etch sealants have been found to be effective and efficient as a sealant in the present in-vivo study.

Clinical Trials Registry, India registration: CTRI/2019/03/018343 (29/03/2019).
The network structure of depressive symptomatology in Peruvian adults with arterial hypertension
Authors: Ramos-Vera Cristian , Banos-Chaparro Jonatan , Ogundokun Roseline Oluwaseun
Published: March 2022

Background: Globally, arterial hypertension (AH) has increased by 90% over the last four decades, and has increased by 1.6% in Peru over the previous four years. Scientific evidence indicates the prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with AH and its importance in the comprehensive evaluation of the adult for adherence to clinical treatment. Previous studies carried out in the Peruvian population with AH mostly report the prevalence and associations, but do not indicate which depressive symptoms are more relevant in patients with AH. This study involved a network analysis of depressive symptomatology in Peruvian patients with AH using network estimation. Network analysis is used in this study for analysis, control, and monitoring purposes.

Method: A representative cross-sectional study at the national level, using secondary data from 2019 Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES) was performed. The sample used included men and women of age over 17 years diagnosed with AH and was able to respond to Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).

Results: The symptoms of depressive mood (bridging force and centrality) and energy fatigue or loss (bridge centrality) play an essential role in the network structure, as does the feeling of uselessness in terms of closeness and intermediation.

Conclusion: The study highlighted the symptoms related to depressive mood and energy fatigue or loss as bridging symptoms, which could trigger a depressive episode in patients diagnosed with AH. The results will contribute to developing personalized treatments aimed at patients with specific depressive symptoms who have also been diagnosed with AH. The study analysis presents statistical coefficients of effect size (≤ 0,1 = small; > 0,1 to < 0,5 = moderate; ≥ 0,5 = large) to determine network connections.
Students’ attitudes and coping strategies relating to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Rahmat Hawa , Aris Adlene , Mohd Miskam Hazlina , Rajendran Kogilavani , Mashudi Rohaidah
Published: March 2022

Background: The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has forced most classes at the tertiary education level to be held online or in a digital mode. This study investigates Multimedia University (MMU) students’ attitudes and coping strategies in relation to online learning classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis among students at the MMU campus in Malaysia. Student respondents were chosen using simple random sampling. They answered online surveys developed through Google forms with an appended consent form. Two questions were developed inquiring about students' acceptance of online learning courses to gauge their attitudes. The coping strategies questions were adapted from the Brief-COPE questionnaire with 28 items. There are 14 strategies in the Brief-COPE: self-distraction, active coping, denial, substance use, emotional support, instrumental support, behavioural disengagement, venting, positive reframing, planning, humour, acceptance, religion, and self-blame. We hypothesised that there would be a significant correlation between attitudes and coping strategies among MMU students taking online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Results: 8 out of 14 coping strategies were significantly correlated with students’ attitudes towards online learning. The study showed that those students with a positive or accepting attitude towards online learning were more likely to use positive coping strategies. Those students with negative, less accepting attitudes towards online learning seemed to use more negative coping strategies.  

Conclusion: The study focuses on students studying at MMU. Therefore, the outcome cannot be generalised for all university students in Malaysia. The primary goal of the study was to investigate the attitudes and coping strategies of Multimedia University students when confronted with the unexpected outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the study may assist MMU in understanding student behaviour and developing strategies to assist the students.
Determinations of the effects of cyfluthrin on the hemocytes parameters of freshwater mussel (Unio delicatus)
Authors: Arslan Pınar
Published: March 2022

The overuse of pesticides has been increasing since the 20th century. Depending on this use, non-target organisms are also affected apart from target organisms. Cyfluthrin is a synthetic pyrethroid pesticide used in agriculture, domestic and veterinary medicine against insects. It may also affect non-target aquatic organisms as a result of mixing with aquatic ecosystems. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of cyfluthrin on freshwater mussels, one of the aquatic invertebrate species, with hemocyte parameters. Total hemolymph counts, hemolymph cell morphology, and differential hemocyte counts were performed from hemolymph taken from mussels exposed to different cyfluthrin doses exposures for 24 and 48 hours. Compared to the control group, the total hemocyte counts of the experimental groups were found to increase in 24h and decrease in 48h significantly (p<0.05). In the examination of hemocyte morphologies, granular, semi granular, and hyalinocyte cells were observed. Similar values of differential hemocyte counts were found both 24 and 48h exposure times. As a result, in aquatic toxicology studies, besides total hemocyte count, analysis of hemocyte morphologies and differential hemocyte counts are found to be good biomarkers.
BUSINESS DIDACTIC GAME "INDIVIDUAL METHODOLOGICAL STYLE OF TEACHER'S ACTIVITY"
Authors: TETINA S.V. , GUTROVA Yu.V. , ZHIDKOVA I.E. , MAKOVETSKAYA Yu.G. , KRASNITSKAYA E.S. , KOLIKOVA E.G. , NIKOLOV N.O.
Published: March 2022

Abstract: the proposed business didactic game is aimed at developing the creative attitude of the teacher to his own professional activity. The motivational material of a business didactic game allows the teacher to understand that his activity has sometimes elusive pedagogical algorithms and strategies, the totality of which can be called such a concept as an individual methodological style of activity. In addition to pedagogical strategies, this concept reflects the unique psychological qualities of the individual, which allow the teacher to influence the quality of the acquired knowledge. It is also emphasized that the concept of an individual style of activity is the result of the teacher's internal hard work, the result of a long search, value. On this basis, the individual style of activity rejects the concept of "charisma", since it is self-sufficient and does not need to be theatrically announced to any audience. All the value bases of an individual methodological style of activity are aimed not at narcissism, but at helping students in mastering the internal content of a particular academic subject. The leading sign of the formation of an individual methodological style of activity is the ability to correctly combine one's original author's position on the content principles of the taught subject with the guiding and prescriptive lines of the work program. The author's position of the teacher, which combines the emotional and rational components, is also reflected in external behavioral mechanisms. At the same time, expressive forms of behavior are not a mandatory feature of the individual style of methodological activity. A special style of preparing educational material, a list of methods and forms of teaching is structured on the basis of a situational understanding of the subtle mechanisms of teaching, educating and developing schoolchildren
The impact of family-external business succession on digitalization: exploring management buy-ins
Authors: Pöschl Alexander , Freiling Jörg
Published: March 2022

Digitalization in small- and medium-sized (SME) family firms and processes of family-external business succession within these firms are under-researched areas. As SME and their future viability are important for many economies around the world, we aim to study the effects of succession processes on those companies’ digitalization activities. Utilizing a unique data set comprising of around 340 pages of transcribed interviews within a multiple case study involving four family firms in the DACH region of Europe, we perform exploratory research of this matter. Our findings indicate that incumbent and new owner-managers focus on efficiency-related digitalization activities during succession processes. More long-term issues such as changes to business models or the exploitation of external opportunities through digitalization are underrated and postponed. Our findings contribute to both digitalization and family firm literature and we provide suggestions for future research in this regard.
Managing a remote workforce's IT
Authors: Davidson Scott
Published: March 2022

The legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic will be a fundamental change to the makeup of many businesses today. With lockdown came remote working and now, since many have returned to the office, countless companies are choosing to continue a hybrid working environment where employees split their time between home and the office. This approach can require a major overhaul of a business's IT infrastructure, but just how novel is remote working anyway?
The emergence of data governance as a service
Authors: Queenan Michael
Published: March 2022

Recent years have seen a significant growth in the importance attached to data governance – a vital but often inexact set of investments, methodologies and tools used by organisations to manage and exploit their data assets and stay compliant. Data governance strategies are motivated by a range of factors, from a specific focus on compliance and regulation to approaches that prioritise transformational business impact. However, many organisations struggle to exercise the appropriate levels of control over their datasets, let alone derive the potential that exists within them to improve processes and performance.
Return to work and sport after a humeral shaft fracture
Authors: Oliver William M. , Molyneux Samuel G. , White Timothy O. , Clement Nick D. , Duckworth Andrew D.
Published: March 2022

Aims

The primary aim of this study was to determine the rates of return to work (RTW) and sport (RTS) following a humeral shaft fracture. The secondary aim was to identify factors independently associated with failure to RTW or RTS.

Methods

From 2008 to 2017, all patients with a humeral diaphyseal fracture were retrospectively identified. Patient demographics and injury characteristics were recorded. Details of pre-injury employment, sporting participation, and levels of return post-injury were obtained via postal questionnaire. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Activity Scale was used to quantify physical activity among active patients. Regression was used to determine factors independently associated with failure to RTW or RTS.

Results

The Work Group comprised 177 patients in employment prior to injury (mean age 47 years (17 to 78); 51% female (n = 90)). Mean follow-up was 5.8 years (1.3 to 11). Overall, 85% (n = 151) returned to work at a mean of 14 weeks post-injury (0 to 104), but only 60% (n = 106) returned full-time to their previous employment. Proximal-third fractures (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.0 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2 to 14.2); p = 0.029) were independently associated with failure to RTW. The Sport Group comprised 182 patients involved in sport prior to injury (mean age 52 years (18 to 85); 57% female (n = 104)). Mean follow-up was 5.4 years (1.3 to 11). The mean UCLA score reduced from 6.9 (95% CI 6.6 to 7.2) before injury to 6.1 (95% CI 5.8 to 6.4) post-injury (p < 0.001). There were 89% (n = 162) who returned to sport: 8% (n = 14) within three months, 34% (n = 62) within six months, and 70% (n = 127) within one year. Age ≥ 60 years was independently associated with failure to RTS (aOR 3.0 (95% CI 1.1 to 8.2); p = 0.036). No other factors were independently associated with failure to RTW or RTS.

Conclusion

Most patients successfully return to work and sport following a humeral shaft fracture, albeit at a lower level of physical activity. Patients aged ≥ 60 yrs and those with proximal-third diaphyseal fractures are at increased risk of failing to return to activity. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(3):236–244.
Phase derivative estimation in digital holographic interferometry using a deep learning approach
Authors: Vithin Allaparthi Venkata Satya , Vishnoi Ankur , Gannavarpu Rajshekhar
Published: March 2022

In digital holographic interferometry, reliable estimation of phase derivatives from the complex interference field signal is an important challenge since these are directly related to the displacement derivatives of a deformed object. In this paper, we propose an approach based on deep learning for direct estimation of phase derivatives in digital holographic interferometry. Using a Y-Net model, our proposed approach allows for simultaneous estimation of phase derivatives along the vertical and horizontal dimensions. The robustness of the proposed approach for phase derivative extraction under both additive white Gaussian noise and speckle noise is shown via numerical simulations. Subsequently, we demonstrate the practical utility of the method for deformation metrology using experimental data obtained from digital holographic interferometry.
Pixel-scale miniaturization of guided mode resonance transmission filters in short wave infrared
Authors: Sayeed R. , Mamun M. , Avrutin V. , Özgür Ü.
Published: March 2022

The effects of miniaturization on theoretically predicted performance of dual-period guided mode resonance (GMR) transmission filters, which demonstrate immense potential for multispectral imaging in short wave infrared (SWIR), have been compared with experimental findings. With reducing filter size from 112 periods (90 µm) to 12 periods (10 µm), peak transmittance (Tpeak) of simulated and measured filters reduced gradually from 84% to 55% and from 76% to 65%, respectively, with a moderate change of 1 - 3 nm in full width at half maximum (FWHM). For 6 period filters (5 µm), simulations predict drastically reduced Tpeak = 14% accompanied by increase in FWHM by 12 nm. The Tpeak value is theoretically shown to increase to 46% with FWHM reduced by 7 nm upon placing metal reflectors at the optimum positions to increase the optical path length. Our findings indicate that four 5 µm × 5 µm size filters with metal reflectors designed for different resonance wavelengths can be used to form a single, 20 µm × 20 µm mosaic pixel for SWIR multispectral imaging.
Freeform illumination optics design for extended LED sources through a localized surface control method
Authors: Zhu Zhengbo , Wei Shili , Fan Zichao , Ma Donglin
Published: March 2022

Freeform illumination optics design with extended light sources to realize an accurate light control is very important, but still remains a challenging issue. Here, we propose a new method to design compact and efficient freeform lenses for extended sources. We employ a localized surface control strategy to directly modify the freeform surface to redistribute the light rays emitted from the extended LED source in a desired manner. By the combination of basic radiometry calculation and backward ray tracing, we obtain the irradiance distribution on the target plane and estimate the localized freeform surface to be modified. The optimization function with a Gaussian form is adopted to modify the localized surface. The smoothness of the freeform surface is taken into account in the optimization process to guarantee the processability of the freeform optics. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method with three design examples.
Femtosecond laser processing for a high sensitivity fiber MZI microcavity
Authors: Chen Ning , Liu Changning , Lu Zhiqi , Tao Wuqiang , Peng Min
Published: March 2022

An ultra-compact fiber inline Mach-Zehnder interferometer sensor based on femtosecond laser micromachining technology is demonstrated. It is found that the microstructure has an ultra-high refractive index sensitivity of 16660 nm/RIU when a femtosecond pulsed laser is used to remove the upper cladding and part of the core of a standard single-mode fiber. However, its temperature sensitivity is not much different from that of most pure quartz fibers and can be as high as 7.934 nm/°C when the microcavity is coated with a low-refractive-index ultraviolet adhesive, which was originally used for bonding glass. With this coating, however, it demonstrates excellent robustness.
Liquid crystal spatial light modulator based non-mechanical beam steering system fractional-order model
Authors: Wang Zishuo , Wang Chunyang , Liang Shuning , Liu Xuelian
Published: March 2022

The liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LCSLM) is an optical device that can realise non-mechanical beam scanning. However, the traditional integer-order model cannot adequately characterise the dynamic performance of LCSLM beam steering because of the viscoelasticity of liquid crystals. This paper uses the memory characteristics of fractional calculus to construct a fractional constitutive equation for liquid crystals. Combining this equation with the LCSLM beam steering principle, a fractional-order model of the beam steering system is established, and the Legendre wavelet integration operational matrix method is used to estimate the model parameters. In addition, we established a test platform for the dynamic characteristics of LCSLM beam steering system and verified the effectiveness of the established model through experiments. The fitting effects of the integer-order and fractional-order models are compared, and the influence of different model orders on the dynamic performance of beam steering is analysed. Experimental results show that the fractional-order model can accurately describe the dynamic process of beam steering, and this model can be applied to the study of LCSLM-based two-dimensional non-mechanical beam steering control strategies to achieve fast, accurate, and stable beam scanning.
Optimizations of optical chaos in semiconductor lasers based on multiobjective genetic algorithms
Authors: Kuang Shang-qi , Guo Xiang-shuai , Feng Yu-ling
Published: March 2022

We investigated the frequency bandwidth, autocorrelation function, and complexity of chaotic temporal waveforms in unidirectionally coupled semiconductor lasers with time-delayed optical feedback. The effective bandwidth, peak value of autocorrelation function, and maximum Lyapunov exponent were simultaneously optimized by searching several control parameters of the laser systems based on multiobjective genetic algorithms. We found a conflicting relation between the effective bandwidth enhancement and the time-delay signature suppression, and a detailed relationship between the maximum Lyapunov exponent and the peak value of autocorrelation function.
A shared ancient enhancer element differentially regulates the bric-a-brac tandem gene duplicates in the developing Drosophila leg
Authors: Bourbon Henri-Marc G. , Benetah Mikhail H. , Guillou Emmanuelle , Mojica-Vazquez Luis Humberto , Baanannou Aissette , Bernat-Fabre Sandra , Loubiere Vincent , Bantignies Frédéric , Cavalli Giacomo , Boube Muriel
Published: March 2022

Gene duplications and transcriptional enhancer emergence/modifications are thought having greatly contributed to phenotypic innovations during animal evolution. Nevertheless, little is known about how enhancers evolve after gene duplication and how regulatory information is rewired between duplicated genes. The Drosophila melanogaster bric-a-brac (bab) complex, comprising the tandem paralogous genes bab1 and bab2, provides a paradigm to address these issues. We previously characterized an intergenic enhancer (named LAE) regulating bab2 expression in the developing legs. We show here that bab2 regulators binding directly the LAE also govern bab1 expression in tarsal cells. LAE excision by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing reveals that this enhancer appears involved but not strictly required for bab1 and bab2 co-expression in leg tissues. Instead, the LAE enhancer is critical for paralog-specific bab2 expression along the proximo-distal leg axis. Chromatin features and phenotypic rescue experiments indicate that LAE functions partly redundantly with leg-specific regulatory information overlapping the bab1 transcription unit. Phylogenomics analyses indicate that (i) the bab complex originates from duplication of an ancestral singleton gene early on within the Cyclorrhapha dipteran sublineage, and (ii) LAE sequences have been evolutionarily-fixed early on within the Brachycera suborder thus predating the gene duplication event. This work provides new insights on enhancers, particularly about their emergence, maintenance and functional diversification during evolution.
Cytosolic O-GlcNAcylation and PNG1 maintain Drosophila gut homeostasis by regulating proliferation and apoptosis
Authors: Na Hyun-jin , Abramowitz Lara K. , Hanover John A.
Published: March 2022

Tissue homeostasis requires a delicate balance between stem cell self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation. Essential to this process is glycosylation, with both intra-and extra-cellular glycosylation being required for stem cell homeostasis. However, it remains unknown how intracellular glycosylation, O-GlcNAcylation, interfaces with cellular components of the extracellular glycosylation machinery, like the cytosolic N-glycanase NGLY1. In this study, we utilize the Drosophila gut and uncover a pathway in which O-GlcNAcylation cooperates with the NGLY1 homologue PNG1 to regulate proliferation in intestinal stem cells (ISCs) and apoptosis in differentiated enterocytes. Further, the CncC antioxidant signaling pathway and ENGase, an enzyme involved in the processing of free oligosaccharides in the cytosol, interact with O-GlcNAc and PNG1 through regulation of protein aggregates to contribute to gut maintenance. These findings reveal a complex coordinated regulation between O-GlcNAcylation and the cytosolic glycanase PNG1 critical to balancing proliferation and apoptosis to maintain gut homeostasis.
Visit-to-visit blood pressure variability and the risk of stroke in the Netherlands: A population-based cohort study
Authors: Heshmatollah Alis , Ma Yuan , Fani Lana , Koudstaal Peter J. , Ikram M. Arfan , Ikram M. Kamran
Published: March 2022

Background

Apart from blood pressure level itself, variation in blood pressure has been implicated in the development of stroke in subgroups at high cardiovascular risk. We determined the association between visit-to-visit blood pressure variability and stroke risk in the general population, taking into account the size and direction of variation and several time intervals prior to stroke diagnosis.

Methods and findings

From 1990 to 2016, we included 9,958 stroke-free participants of the population-based Rotterdam Study in the Netherlands. This is a prospective cohort study including participants aged 45 years and older. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) variability was calculated as absolute SBP difference divided by mean SBP over 2 sequential visits (median 4.6 years apart). Directional SBP variability was defined as SBP difference over 2 visits divided by mean SBP. Using time-varying Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, mean SBP, and cardiovascular risk factors, hazard ratios (HRs) for stroke up to January 2016 were estimated per SD increase and in tertiles of variability. We also conducted analyses with 3-, 6-, and 9-year intervals between variability measurement and stroke assessment. These analyses were repeated for diastolic blood pressure (DBP). The mean age of the study population was 67.4 ± 8.2 years and 5,776 (58.0%) were women. During a median follow-up of 10.1 years, 971 (9.8%) participants had a stroke, including 641 ischemic, 89 hemorrhagic, and 241 unspecified strokes. SBP variability was associated with an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke (HR per SD 1.27, 95% CI 1.05–1.54, p = 0.02) and unspecified stroke (HR per SD 1.21, 95% CI 1.09–1.34, p < 0.001). The associations were stronger for all stroke subtypes with longer time intervals; the HR for any stroke was 1.29 (95% CI 1.21–1.36, p < 0.001) at 3 years, 1.47 (95% CI 1.35–1.59, p < 0.001) at 6 years, and 1.38 (95%CI 1.24–1.51, p < 0.001) at 9 years. For DBP variability, we found an association with unspecified stroke risk. Both the rise and fall of SBP and the fall of DBP were associated with an increased risk for unspecified stroke. Limitations of the study include that, due to an average interval of 4 years between visits, our findings may not be generalizable to blood pressure variability over shorter periods.

Conclusions

In this population-based study, we found that visit-to-visit blood pressure variation was associated with an increased risk of unspecified and hemorrhagic stroke, independent of direction of variation or mean blood pressure.
Visual performance with multifocal lenses in young adults and presbyopes
Authors: Vedhakrishnan Shrilekha , Vinas Maria , Benedi-Garcia Clara , Casado Pilar , Marcos Susana
Published: March 2022

A better understanding of visual performance with Multifocal Contact Lenses (MCLs) is essential, both in young eyes, where MCLs may be prescribed to control the progression of myopia wherein the MCLs optics interact with accommodation, and in presbyopes, where MCLs are increasingly used to compensate the lack of accommodation. In this study, we evaluated the through focus visual acuity (TFVA) with center-near MCLs of three additions (low, medium and high) and without an addition (NoLens) in 10 young adults and 5 presbyopes. We studied the effect of accommodation, age and pupil diameter (in cyclopleged subjects) on visual performance. The MCLs produced a small but consistent degradation at far (by 0.925 logMAR, averaged across eyes and conditions) and a consistent benefit at near in young subjects with paralyzed accommodation (by 1.025 logMAR), and in presbyopes with both paralyzed and natural accommodation (by 1.071 logMAR, on average). TFVA in young adults with NoLens and all MCLs showed statistically significant differences (Wilcoxan, p<0.01) between natural and paralyzed accommodation, but not in presbyopes with MCLs. In young adults, VA improved with increasing pupil diameter with the HighAdd MCL (0.08 logMAR shift from 3 to 5-mm pupil size). Visual imbalance (standard deviation of VA across distances) was reduced with MCLs, and decreased significantly with increasing near add. The lowest imbalance occurred in young adults under natural accommodation and was further reduced by 13.33% with MCLs with respect to the NoLens condition. Overall, the visual performance with MCLs in young adults exceeds that in presbyopes at all distances, and was better than 0.00 logMAR over the dioptric range tested. In conclusion, the center-near lenses do not degrade the near high contrast visual acuity significantly but maintains the far vision in young adults, and produce some visual benefit at near in presbyopes.