bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wildlife gut microbiomes of sympatric generalist species respond differently to anthropogenic landscape disturbances
Authors: Heni Alexander Christoph , Fackelmann Gloria , Eibner Georg , Kreinert Swetlana , Schmid Julian , Schwensow Nina Isabell , Wiegand Jonas , Wilhelm Kerstin , Sommer Simone
Published: April 2023

Background

Human encroachment into nature and the accompanying environmental changes are a big concern for wildlife biodiversity and health. While changes on the macroecological scale, i.e. species community and abundance pattern, are well documented, impacts on the microecological scale, such as the host’s microbial community, remain understudied. Particularly, it is unclear if impacts of anthropogenic landscape modification on wildlife gut microbiomes are species-specific. Of special interest are sympatric, generalist species, assumed to be more resilient to environmental changes and which often are well-known pathogen reservoirs and drivers of spill-over events. Here, we analyzed the gut microbiome of three such sympatric, generalist species, one rodent (Proechimys semispinosus) and two marsupials (Didelphis marsupialis and Philander opossum), captured in 28 study sites in four different landscapes in Panama characterized by different degrees of anthropogenic disturbance.

Results

Our results show species-specific gut microbial responses to the same landscape disturbances. The gut microbiome of P. semispinosus was less diverse and more heterogeneous in landscapes with close contact with humans, where it contained bacterial taxa associated with humans, their domesticated animals, and potential pathogens. The gut microbiome of D. marsupialis showed similar patterns, but only in the most disturbed landscape. P. opossum, in contrast, showed little gut microbial changes, however, this species’ absence in the most fragmented landscapes indicates its sensitivity to long-term isolation.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate that wildlife gut microbiomes even in generalist species with a large ecological plasticity are impacted by human encroachment into nature, but differ in resilience which can have critical implications on conservation efforts and One Health strategies.
The importance of personalized medicine in chronic myeloid leukemia management: a narrative review
Authors: Zaker Erfan , Nouri Negar , Sorkhizadeh Sepehr , Ghasemirad Hamidreza , Hajijafari Amir Hossein , Zare Fateme
Published: April 2023

Background

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are prescribed as a targeted therapy to treat chronic myeloid leukemia patients. A challenge in clinical practice is that despite excellent efficacy and improved clinical response levels acquired by imatinib, a number of patients receive TKI therapy but have a poor primary response, develop a drug resistance, or relapse after initial success. This inter-individual difference into response has increased the concern in investigating the pharmacogenetics of cancer drugs. This review discusses the influence of various factors, such as BCR-ABL point mutation, efflux and influx transporters, and others, on targeted drug response in CML. Additionally, we focus on how patients can overcome these issues.
Prenatal diagnosis of non-janiceps type of cephalopagus conjoined twins: a case report
Authors: Srinath Neela , Rajgarhia Nipun , Regmi Pratik , Bajpai Amit
Published: April 2023

Background

Conjoined twin pregnancy is a very rare variety of twin pregnancy which results from the failure of complete separation of a zygote after 13 days, ‘cephalopagus’ being the rarest variety of such twin pregnancies. Two forms of cephalopagus conjoined twins have been described in the literature: Janiceps (two faces are on the either side of the head) and non-janiceps (with one head and a single face); non-janiceps type being even rarer. The features that may hint towards the diagnosis on ultrasound include inseparable fetal bodies, unvarying relative positioning of the two fetuses, both heads persistently at the same level to each other, bi-breech or bicephalic presentations and a single umbilical cord with more than three vessels. 3-D ultrasound and Fetal MRI may help in confirmation of this rare entity.

Case presentation

A 19-year-old primigravida, presented at 12 weeks of gestation for antenatal ultrasound. Ultrasonography showed evidence of a conjoined twin with a single head and single face, fused thoracic cavities with single heart, two lungs, fused upper abdomen with shared stomach and liver, separate pelvic cavities with two different urinary bladders and two pairs of upper and lower limbs. Fetal MRI corroborated these findings. The pregnancy was terminated vaginally, and cephalopagus fetus was delivered. The parents were appropriately counselled for future pregnancies.

Conclusions

A very rare case of non-Janiceps variety of cephalopagus conjoined twin gestation which was detected at 12 weeks of gestation by antenatal ultrasound and confirmed on fetal MRI. Early antenatal diagnosis is extremely important for appropriate and timely management as the prognosis is very poor in such twins. Antenatal ultrasound and fetal MRI prove very beneficial in this aspect as well as for diagnosis of other associated fetal abnormalities.
Psychometric evaluation of a pragmatic measure of clinical supervision as an implementation strategy
Authors: Choy-Brown Mimi , Williams Nathaniel J. , Ramirez Nallely , Esp Susan
Published: April 2023

Background

Valid and reliable measurement of implementation strategies is essential to advancing implementation science; however, this area lags behind the measurement of implementation outcomes and determinants. Clinical supervision is a promising and highly feasible implementation strategy in behavioral healthcare for which pragmatic measures are lacking. This research aimed to develop and psychometrically evaluate a pragmatic measure of clinical supervision conceptualized in terms of two broadly applicable, discrete clinical supervision techniques shown to improve providers’ implementation of evidence-based psychosocial interventions—(1) audit and feedback and (2) active learning.

Methods

Items were generated based on a systematic review of the literature and administered to a sample of 154 outpatient mental health clinicians serving youth and 181 community-based mental health providers serving adults. Scores were evaluated for evidence of reliability, structural validity, construct-related validity, and measurement invariance across the two samples.

Results

In sample 1, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the hypothesized two-factor structure of scores on the Evidence-Based Clinical Supervision Strategies (EBCSS) scale (χ2=5.89, df=4, p=0.208; RMSEA=0.055, CFI=0.988, SRMR=0.033). In sample 2, CFA replicated the EBCSS factor structure and provided discriminant validity evidence relative to an established supervisory alliance measure (χ2=36.12, df=30, p=0.204; RMSEA=0.034; CFI=0.990; SRMR=0.031). Construct-related validity evidence was provided by theoretically concordant associations between EBCSS subscale scores and agency climate for evidence-based practice implementation in sample 1 (d= .47 and .55) as well as measures of the supervision process in sample 2. Multiple group CFA supported the configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance of scores on the EBCSS across the two samples.

Conclusions

Scores on the EBCSS provide a valid basis for inferences regarding the extent to which behavioral health providers experience audit and feedback and active learning as part of their clinical supervision in both clinic- and community-based behavioral health settings.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04096274. Registered on 19 September 2019.
Hepaticojejunostomy in proximal bile duct injury by left hepatic duct approach for patients attended at Muhimbili National Hospital
Authors: Swallow Andrew Yesaya , Mwanga Ali Hamisi , Kitembo Kibwana , Mchele Godfrey , Akoko Larry , Awadh Azza
Published: April 2023

Background

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become a gold standard treatment for symptomatic cholelithiasis and other related diseases done in most centers worldwide. It is associated with an increase in frequency of iatrogenic biliary injury with an incidence of 0.3–0.7%, resulting in a significant impact on quality of life, overall survival, and frequently medico-legal obligations. Early recognition of bile duct injury (BDI) is of supreme importance towards early treatment and good outcome. With an experienced hepatobiliary surgeon, hepaticojejunostomy by left hepatic duct approach is often challenging and considered impossible due to scarring and fibrosis but has a noble outcome for proximal common hepatic duct injury.

Cases presentation

We described two cases from northern Tanzania who had iatrogenic proximal bile duct injury following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Hepaticojejunostomy by left hepatic duct was the approach used after difficult dissection at porta hepatis and partly the liver tissue to attain a significant length of the left hepatic duct for anastomosis done at least 3 months post-bile duct injury. No postoperative complication was observed, which includes biliary fistula, restenosis, peritonitis, and cholangitis. To date, no evidence of biliary stenosis or other biliary complication happened during follow-up for 1 year.

Conclusion

Early recognition of BDI is of supreme importance towards early treatment and good outcome. With an experienced hepatobiliary surgeon, hepaticojejunostomy by left hepatic duct approach has an honorable outcome for proximal bile duct injury.
Atrial secondary mitral regurgitation: prevalence, characteristics, management, and long-term outcomes
Authors: Straw Sam , Gupta Ankit , Johnson Kerryanne , Cole Charlotte A. , Kneizeh Kinan , Gierula John , Kearney Mark T. , Malkin Christopher J. , Paton Maria F. , Witte Klaus K. , Schlosshan Dominik
Published: April 2023

Background

The prevalence, clinical characteristics, management and long-term outcomes of patients with atrial secondary mitral regurgitation (ASMR) are not well described.

Methods

We performed a retrospective, observational study of consecutive patients with grade III/IV MR determined by transthoracic echocardiography. The aetiology of MR was grouped as being either primary (due to degenerative mitral valve disease), ventricular SMR (VSMR: due to left ventricular dilatation/dysfunction), ASMR (due to LA dilatation), or other.

Results

A total of 388 individuals were identified who had grade III/IV MR; of whom 37 (9.5%) had ASMR, 113 (29.1%) had VSMR, 193 had primary MR (49.7%), and 45 (11.6%) were classified as having other causes. Compared to MR of other subtypes, patients with ASMR were on average older (median age 82 [74–87] years, p < 0.001), were more likely to be female (67.6%, p = 0.004) and usually had atrial fibrillation (83.8%, p = 0.001). All-cause mortality was highest in patients with ASMR (p < 0.001), but similar to that in patients with VSMR once adjusted for age and sex (hazard ratio [HR] 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.52–1.25). Hospitalisation for worsening heart failure was more commonly observed in those with ASMR or VSMR (p < 0.001) although was similar between these groups when age and sex were accounted for (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.34–1.58). For patients with ASMR, the only variables associated with outcomes were age and co-morbidities.

Conclusions

ASMR is a prevalent and distinct disease process associated with a poor prognosis, with much of this related to older age and co-morbidities.

Graphical Abstract
Identification of an oil-bearing layer by formation water resistivity: A case study of the Jurassic reservoir, Southwest Ordos Basin
Authors: Guo Jingzhe , Li Ya , Wang Yuxia , Lyu Qiqi , Zhou Lifa
Published: April 2023

In the southwestern Ordos Basin, the formation water salinity and resistivity of Jurassic sandstone reservoirs are characterized by rapid changes and great variations, which lead to difficulties in the identification of reservoir fluid types and the development and exploration of the hydrocarbons in this area. To explore appropriate methods for reservoir fluid identification provided with complex formation water salinity and resistivity, we have conducted three research steps. First, using formation water testing and well-logging data, the formation water salinity, spontaneous potential, and reservoir resistivity are used to calculate the formation water resistivity. Second, the calculation results were used to separate the reservoir fluid types. Third, the calculated formation water resistivities are classified and the relationship between the formation water resistivity and the oil-producing interval is established. The results indicate that, for oil-producing intervals, the formation water resistivity calculated using the reservoir resistivity is the highest, whereas that using the formation water salinity is the lowest. Based on this understanding, two identification methods of reservoir fluid types are developed, including the qualitative curve overlap method and the quantitative ternary graph method. The curve overlap method can be applied to visually distinguish reservoir fluid types through the differentiation of formation water resistivity. Compared with some earlier quantitative methods, the ternary graph method can achieve an efficiency of 87.7% in identifying the type of reservoir fluid. Finally, the reliability of both methods is verified by case studies.
Deep-learning-based 3D fault detection for carbon capture and storage
Authors: Kaur Harpreet , Zhang Qie , Witte Philipp , Liang Luming , Wu Long , Fomel Sergey
Published: April 2023

Fault analysis plays an important role in determining the location of potential CO2 storage sites in which long-term storage feasibility is critical. The presence of faults and fracture zones can potentially lead to the gradual migration of CO2 from the storage reservoir to the atmosphere through the overburden strata. Traditional methods such as manual picking of faults are time-consuming and labor-intensive tasks, which can be costly for the CO2 storage site assessment process. To help address this concern, we develop a process for automating fault picking using deep neural networks. We implement two different deep neural networks based on the architectures of UNet and Deeplab v3+. We train the networks using synthetic data and labels and augment them using linear transformations and elastic deformations. We implement an ensemble-based approach to improve the generalization ability of our method. We also incorporate uncertainty estimation into the framework to aid in the risk management aspect of the decision-making process. We use data sets from different regions across the globe which help us to improve the methodology, with the ultimate aim to help 3D fault detection in the Smeaheia Field, a potential site for CO2 storage scale-up on the Horda Platform, offshore Norway.
Diurnal Cortisol Features and Type 2 Diabetes Risk in Patients With Hypertension and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Cohort Study
Authors: Gan Lin , Li Nanfang , Heizhati Mulalibieke , Li Mei , Yao Ling , Hong Jing , Wu Ting , Wang Hui , Liu Miaomiao , Maitituersun Adalaiti
Published: April 2023

Context

The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis may be associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D); however, whether HPA axis dysfunction is associated with incident T2D remains unclear in patients with hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Objective

To investigate the relationship between the diurnal cortisol features and the risk of incident T2D in patients with hypertension and OSA.

Methods

Participants with cortisol rhythm test at baseline in the Urumqi Research on Sleep Apnea and Hypertension cohort were enrolled. The Cox regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between ln-transformed diurnal cortisol features and T2D risk. Stratified and sensitivity analyses were also performed.

Results

A total of 1478 patients with hypertension and OSA were enrolled in this study. During a median follow-up of 7.0 years, 196 participants developed T2D. Overall, a steep diurnal cortisol slope (DCS) was significantly associated with decreased T2D risk (per SD increase, HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.97, P = .014). Midnight cortisol was positively associated with increased T2D risk (per SD increase, HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.08-1.45, P = .003). Sensitivity analyses showed similar results. Neither DCS nor midnight cortisol was associated with incident T2D in the women’s subgroup or participants with mild OSA.

Conclusion

Steeper DCS and higher midnight cortisol levels are associated with lower and higher T2D risks in patients with hypertension and OSA, respectively, at least in men or participants with moderate to severe OSA. Diurnal cortisol features may represent an early prevention target for diabetes in this population.
Heart Rate Variability and Incident Type 2 Diabetes in General Population
Authors: Wang Kan , Ahmadizar Fariba , Geurts Sven , Arshi Banafsheh , Kors Jan A , Rizopoulos Dimitris , Sijbrands Eric J G , Ikram M Arfan , Kavousi Maryam
Published: April 2023

Context

Hyperglycemia and autonomic dysfunction are bidirectionally related.

Objective

We investigated the association of longitudinal evolution of heart rate variability (HRV) with incident type 2 diabetes (T2D) among the general population.

Methods

We included 7630 participants (mean age 63.7 years, 58% women) from the population-based Rotterdam Study who had no history of T2D and atrial fibrillation at baseline and had repeated HRV assessments at baseline and during follow-up. We used joint models to assess the association between longitudinal evolution of heart rate and different HRV metrics (including the heart rate–corrected SD of the normal-to-normal RR intervals [SDNNc], and root mean square of successive RR-interval differences [RMSSDc]) with incident T2D. Models were adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors. Bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) using summary-level data was also performed.

Results

During a median follow-up of 8.6 years, 871 individuals developed incident T2D. One SD increase in heart rate (hazard ratio [HR] 1.20; 95% CI, 1.09-1.33), and log(RMSSDc) (HR 1.16; 95% CI, 1.01-1.33) were independently associated with incident T2D. The HRs were 1.54 (95% CI, 1.08-2.06) for participants younger than 62 years and 1.15 (95% CI, 1.01-1.31) for those older than 62 years for heart rate (P for interaction <.001). Results from bidirectional MR analyses suggested that HRV and T2D were not significantly related to each other.

Conclusion

Autonomic dysfunction precedes development of T2D, especially among younger individuals, while MR analysis suggests no causal relationship. More studies are needed to further validate our findings.
Stable Incidence and Increasing Prevalence of Primary Hyperparathyroidism in a Population-based Study in Scotland
Authors: Soto-Pedre Enrique , Newey Paul J , Leese Graham P
Published: April 2023

Context

Previous studies, including our own, have demonstrated a highly variable incidence of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) from year to year.

Objective

We planned to provide a current estimate of the incidence and prevalence of PHPT in a community-based study.

Methods

A population-based retrospective follow-up study was conducted in Tayside (Scotland) from 2007 to 2018. Record-linkage technology (demography, biochemistry, prescribing, hospital admissions, radiology, and mortality data) was used to identify all patients. Cases of PHPT were defined as those with at least 2 raised serum corrected calcium concentration CCA (> 2.55 mmol/L) and/or hospital admissions with PHPT diagnoses and/or surgery records with parathyroidectomy during the follow-up period. The number of prevalent and incident cases of PHPT per calendar year by age and sex were estimated.

Results

A total of 2118 people (72.3% female, mean age 65 years) were identified with an incident case of PHPT. The overall prevalence of PHPT over the 12 years of the study was 0.84% (95% CI, 0.68%-1.02%), steadily increasing from 0.71% in 2007 to 1.02% in 2018. From 2008, the incidence of PHPT was relatively stable from 4 to 6 cases per 10 000 person-years, declining from 11.5 per 10 000 person-years in 2007. The incidence varied from 0.59 per 10 000 person-years (95% CI, 0.40%-0.77%) for those aged 20 to 29 years, to 12.4 per 10 000 person-years (95% CI, 11.2%-13.3%) in those aged 70 to 79 years. Incidence of PHPT was 2.5 times higher in women than in men.

Conclusion

This study is the first showing a relatively steady annual incidence of PHPT at 4 to 6 per 10 000 person-years. This population-based study reports a PHPT prevalence of 0.84%.
Persistent Hypoglycemia and Hyperinsulinism in a Patient With KMT2D-Associated Kabuki Syndrome
Authors: Nunez Stosic Mariana , Gomez Patricia
Published: April 2023

We report a 3-year-old girl with persistent hypoglycemia and hyperinsulinism secondary to KMT2D-associated Kabuki syndrome (KS). During the neonatal period, the patient had multiple complications, including gastroesophageal reflux disease, failure to thrive, G-tube dependence, congenital heart disease, and persistent hypoglycemia. The initial workup at 2 weeks of age was suggestive of hyperinsulinism. She was treated with intravenous glucose infusion and diazoxide. She was discharged from the NICU on diazoxide, chlorothiazide, and enteral feeds. Diazoxide was discontinued at 2 months old secondary to adverse effects. Hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia was ultimately confirmed with a glucagon stimulation test at 5 months of age. At 11 months of age, when the enteral feeds were attempted to be spaced, she presented to our outpatient clinic with persistent hypoglycemia. Review of prior outside records confirmed a negative congenital hyperinsulinism genetic panel. She was treated with maltodextrin, enteral feeds, and close glucose monitoring. We noted that she had dysmorphic features that were suggestive of KS. At 2 years of age, a whole exome sequence confirmed a pathogenic mutation in KMT2D. Persistent hypoglycemia beyond the neonatal period is a rare finding in KS. In addition, it is a more common finding in KS type 2 (KDM6A).
Vemurafenib improves muscle histopathology in a mouse model of LAMA2-related congenital muscular dystrophy
Authors: Oliveira-Santos Ariany , Dagda Marisela , Wittmann Jennifer , Smalley Robert , Burkin Dean J.
Published: April 2023

Laminin-α2-related congenital muscular dystrophy (LAMA2-CMD) is a neuromuscular disease affecting around 1-9 in 1,000,000 children. LAMA2-CMD is caused by mutations in the LAMA2 gene resulting in the loss of laminin-211/221 heterotrimers in skeletal muscle. LAMA2-CMD patients exhibit severe hypotonia and progressive muscle weakness. Currently, there is no effective treatment for LAMA2-CMD and patients die prematurely. The loss of laminin-α2 results in muscle degeneration, defective muscle repair and dysregulation of multiple signaling pathways. Signaling pathways that regulate muscle metabolism, survival and fibrosis have been shown to be dysregulated in LAMA2-CMD. As vemurafenib is a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved serine/threonine kinase inhibitor, we investigated whether vemurafenib could restore some of the serine/threonine kinase-related signaling pathways and prevent disease progression in the dyW−/− mouse model of LAMA2-CMD. Our results show that vemurafenib reduced muscle fibrosis, increased myofiber size and reduced the percentage of fibers with centrally located nuclei in dyW−/− mouse hindlimbs. These studies show that treatment with vemurafenib restored the TGF-β/SMAD3 and mTORC1/p70S6K signaling pathways in skeletal muscle. Together, our results indicate that vemurafenib partially improves histopathology but does not improve muscle function in a mouse model of LAMA2-CMD.
Studying ancient human oral microbiomes could yield insights into the evolutionary history of noncommunicable diseases
Authors: Gancz Abigail S , Weyrich Laura S
Published: April 2023

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have played a critical role in shaping human evolution and societies. Despite the exceptional impact of NCDs economically and socially, little is known about the prevalence or impact of these diseases in the past as most do not leave distinguishing features on the human skeleton and are not directly associated with unique pathogens. The inability to identify NCDs in antiquity precludes researchers from investigating how changes in diet, lifestyle, and environments modulate NCD risks in specific populations and from linking evolutionary processes to modern health patterns and disparities. In this review, we highlight how recent advances in ancient DNA (aDNA) sequencing and analytical methodologies may now make it possible to reconstruct NCD-related oral microbiome traits in past populations, thereby providing the first proxies for ancient NCD risk. First, we review the direct and indirect associations between modern oral microbiomes and NCDs, specifically cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease. We then discuss how oral microbiome features associated with NCDs in modern populations may be used to identify previously unstudied sources of morbidity and mortality differences in ancient groups. Finally, we conclude with an outline of the challenges and limitations of employing this approach, as well as how they might be circumvented. While significant experimental work is needed to verify that ancient oral microbiome markers are indeed associated with quantifiable health and survivorship outcomes, this new approach is a promising path forward for evolutionary health research.
CRUMB: a shiny-based app to analyze rhythmic feeding in Drosophila using the FLIC system
Authors: Hidalgo Sergio , Chiu Joanna C
Published: April 2023

Rhythmic feeding activity has become an important research area for circadian biologists as it is now clear that metabolic input is critical for regulating circadian rhythms, and chrononutrition has been shown to promote health span. In contrast to locomotor activity rhythm, studies conducting high throughput analysis of Drosophila rhythmic food intake have been limited and few monitoring system options are available. One monitoring system, the Fly Liquid-Food Interaction Counter (FLIC) has become popular, but there is a lack of efficient analysis toolkits to facilitate scalability and ensure reproducibility by using unified parameters for data analysis. Here, we developed Circadian Rhythm Using Mealtime Behavior (CRUMB), a user-friendly Shiny app to analyze data collected using the FLIC system. CRUMB leverages the ‘plotly’ and ‘DT’ packages to enable interactive raw data review as well as the generation of easily manipulable graphs and data tables. We used the main features of the FLIC master code provided with the system to retrieve feeding events and provide a simplified pipeline to conduct circadian analysis. We also replaced the use of base functions in time-consuming processes such as ‘rle’ and ‘read.csv’ with faster versions available from other packages to optimize computing time. We expect CRUMB to facilitate analysis of feeding-fasting rhythm as a robust output of the circadian clock.
Evaluating Analog Self-Interference Cancellation for In-Band Full-Duplex Wireless Communication
Authors: Shilling Jonathan , Chen Chao
Published: April 2023

In-band full-duplex (IBFD) technology allows simultaneous transmission and reception in the same frequency band to boost spectral efficiency. However, selfinterference, introduced by transmitter-to-receiver leakage, poses the biggest obstacle to the realization of IBFD. Altogether IBFD radio performance and effective network throughput are directly correlated with the amount of energy suppressed by self-interference cancellation (SIC). In this work a model of an IBFD transceiver, featuring an adaptive, analog-domain, tapped-branch self-interference canceller, was developed to evaluate the inimical effects attributable to the various noise and nonlinear distortions of the simulated transceiver components. Results of the simulation show that noise incursions and nonlinearity in the transmission channel produced a negligible effect on the overall cancellation performance. However, the effectiveness of the cancellation hardware is highly dependent on the level of intrinsic nonlinearity within the canceller’s own components. Consideration of these non-ideal characteristics should be an essential part of analog SIC design to prevent any intrinsic limitations on the cancellation performance.
Supporting the digital transformation of SMEs — trained digital evangelists facilitating the positioning phase
Authors: Kääriäinen Jukka , Saari Leila , Tihinen Maarit , Perätalo Sari , Koivumäki Timo
Published: April 2023

As digital transformation (DT) sweeps over society, the exploitation of digital solutions is obvious, especially for large enterprises. Unfortunately, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) struggle with DT because of limited resources, understanding, and implementation skills. Thus, SME companies need both methods and tools to proceed with DT as well as support to exploit them. This article presents a study in which adult learners with professional experience are trained to use a digitalization development method and tools to analyze target organizations’ digitalization state and identify improvement ideas. Thirty trained digital evangelists used the tools and methods while conducting digitalization status analyses in eleven organizations. The study results show that the method and tools work in the context presented in this research. The study’s findings are beneficial for the educational professionals interested in educating students towards helping SME organizations along their digitalization pathway.
Corporate Purpose: A Social Judgement Perspective
Authors: Suddaby Roy , Manelli Luca , Fan Ziyun
Published: April 2023

We apply the lens of social judgement theory to understand the causes and consequences of the growing debate about the purpose of the corporation. Our historical analysis suggests that the debate about corporate purpose is not new and that it tends to arise during periods of growing economic inequality. Our analysis also suggests that the discursive shift from shareholder to stakeholder capitalism will trigger a new standard of social evaluation of corporations in which we no longer judge corporate behavior based on standards of legitimacy but rather on standards of authenticity. We explore what this change in social evaluation will mean for corporate competition.

History: This paper has been accepted for the Strategy Science Special Issue on Corporate Purpose.
Corporate Personhood and Fiduciary Duties as Critical Constructs in Developing Stakeholder Management Theory and Corporate Purpose
Authors: Mahoney Joseph T.
Published: April 2023

This article considers the complex process of economic value creation in joint production in which a corporation is viewed as more than a nexus of contracts for four reasons related to the interdependent functions of the corporate personhood concept of the corporation as a separate legal entity. Corporate personhood facilitates stewardship and stakeholder management, which can encourage firm-specific investments, reduce shirking, and attenuate rent seeking to provide economic value. The corporate personhood approach illuminates multidimensional constructs for the governance of a corporation at the board level to embody fiduciary duties and corporate purpose, which is much richer than the nexus of contract view.

History: This paper has been accepted for the Strategy Science Special Issue on Corporate Purpose.
Promoting Business Development and Attracting Investments: the Ireland Experience
Authors:   Institute of Industrial Economics of the NAS of Ukraine, Osadcha N. , Lukianov A. ,   Institute of Industrial Economics of the NAS of Ukraine
Published: April 2023

Ukraine can study and use Ireland's experience in the future, but at the same time take into account that Ireland, which has not been at war for a long time, has an agrarian nature of economic development. This investment policy may be suitable for regions with a higher agricultural GRP, for example, Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi regions. First, it is necessary to assess the investment attractiveness of each region and determine the mechanisms for attracting investments. At the same time, the legislative framework needs coordinated changes taking into account the existing Recovery Plan of Ukraine and existing priorities and opportunities. At the first stage, it is advisable to use the experience of Israel, which has been at war for more than 20 years and has developed a military-industrial complex.
Mobilization Economy in Ukraine: an Overview of State Priorities and Possibilities of Using Digital tools
Authors:   Institute of Industrial Economics of the NAS of Ukraine, Chorna O. , Bryukhovetsky Ya. ,   Institute of Industrial Economics of the NAS of Ukraine
Published: April 2023

The essence and reasons for the introduction of the mobilization economy, to which the transition is ongoing in Ukraine, have been studied. The main economic indicators after February 24, 2022, which relate to the decline of the economy, the scale of destruction, demographic problems, problems in industry, exports, are considered. The main priorities of Ukraine in the conditions of the mobilization economy, the legislative basis for the activation of the activities of enterprises and businesses, which found themselves in difficult operating conditions, were studied. It was found that the IT industry revealed the prospects for development in wartime conditions, and the digitalization of the economy and society accelerated. The use of digital tools made it possible to expand the list of public services that can be obtained online through the «Diya» application. It is substantiated that the introduction of the mobilization economy under the conditions of cooperation between the Government, business, and civil society in the conditions of martial law in Ukraine will allow more effective concentration of efforts on solving traditional and new tasks. The mobilization economy in Ukraine requires enhanced state coordination of the development of economic processes and the functioning of the economy in emergency situations to ensure the defense, food, economic, and social security of the country. The mobilization model of the economy will be relevant even after the end of martial law, since the recovery of the economy and the reconstruction of the state will require increased attention, coordination and support of the state. A comprehensive systematic approach to deepening the theoretical and practical problems of the mobilization economy will contribute to the growth of the country's self-sufficiency, faster entry into the ways of increasing the efficiency of the economy of economic entities, the development of civil society, industrial and social collectives, citizens of Ukraine.
Prospects for the Involvement of Ukrainian Industry in Global Value Added Chains and their Impact on Economic Growth
Authors:   Central Ukrainian National Technical University, Mytsenko V.
Published: April 2023

The article presents the study of the involvement of processing industry in the global value chains of added value on the economic growth of Ukraine. Main product groups in export and import, taking into account the inclusion of these industries in the global value chains of added value were characterized with the help of dynamic and structural analysis of foreign trade of Ukraine. The regression analysis revealed a strong direct link between the actual volumes of GDP of Ukraine and the change in the volume of exports of machines and equipment and the volume of imports of vehicles. It is concluded that the existing state of attracting national machine-building enterprises in the global chains of value creation has a positive effect on Ukraine's economic growth despite a high import component in the export of mechanical engineering products and a relatively low share of these products in exports. Statistically significant dependence of the GDP index of Ukraine on changes in export and import by the main product groups were not revealed. The lack of statistically significant link between the actual volumes of Ukraine's GDP and the change in the volume of ferrous metals, despite their high share in exports, confirms low efficiency of inclusion of Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises in the global value chains. The results of the study confirmed the expediency of development of export-oriented production of machines and equipment on the basis of modernization of domestic metallurgical base during the period of post-war restoration of the Ukrainian economy.
Isolation and Characterization of Potential Potassium Solubilizing Bacteria with Various Plant Growth Promoting Traits
Authors: Sood Yashika , Singhmar Raina , Singh Vivek , Malik Deepak Kumar
Published: April 2023

In soil, microorganisms participate in diverse processes such as C, N, P and S conversion, breakdown of xenobiotic organic compounds, soil structure development and plant nutrient uptake intensification. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) serve as biofertilizer in both direct and indirect ways. In this study, two potassium solubilizing bacteria strains designated as AKY2 and HPY10 were isolated from rhizospheric soil. The bacterial isolate HPY10 was characterized as Serratia marcescens by using 16s rRNA sequencing. The potassium solubilisation index of strain HPY10 was 3.2. The potassium released by isolates AKY2 and HPY10 was 7.29 and 8.66 mg/L after 10 days of incubation respectively. Both isolates were showing different plant growth promoting activity. The present study, suggests use of isolates AKY2 and HPY10 as biofertilizers which is beneficial for crop cultivation by enhancing growth and yield due to the production of phosphate solubilization, IAA (indole-3-acetic acid) and also having antagonistic potential against Fusarium oxysporum.
Phylogenetic Analysis of the Economically Important Hymenopterans using cytochrome oxidase 1 Enzyme Sequences
Authors: Charul Charul , Bandral Sunali , Shivalika Shivalika , Dogra Vikas , Feroz Mohd. , Farook Umer Bin , Panjaliya Rakesh K.
Published: April 2023

Hymenoptera is the fourth diverse and the most economically important insect order comprising of bees, wasps, ants, sawflies etc. Being an important part of ecosystem, their conservation is of utmost importance. The first step towards conservation strategies is the identification of the species. The traditional morphological approach can sometimes lead to misidentification due to a lack of expertise. DNA barcoding using the small genomic fragments has been identified as an efficient tool in the identification as well as the phylogenetic analysis of the species. In the present study, we used the COI gene sequences as a tool for the characterization of Hymenoptera from different parts of the Jammu region. The collected samples were proceeded for the isolation of DNA, PCR for amplification of the COI gene, and then sequenced by Sanger dideoxy method. A total of 22 COI sequences belonging to 18 different species were successfully generated. Among which eight species sequences (Tachytes sp., Bombus trifasciatus, Rhynchium carnaticum, Ropalidia brevita, Lasioglossum marginatum, Camponotus pennsylvanicus, Tapinoma melanocephalum, Formica rufibarbis) are the novel contribution in the global database. NJ tree using the K2P model with 1000 bootstrap supporting values has been used to study the phylogeny of the species. Sequence analysis shows high AT content (67-77%) in the COI region of Hymenopterans. The generated COI sequence analysis also revealed less than 1% intra-specific divergence in the examined taxa, while the interspecific distances ranged between 8% to 38%. This study added significantly to the databases of DNA barcodes of Hymenopterans species from Jammu region.
Evaluation of the Combined C/N ratio, DO Set Point, and HRT Influence on Nitrogen Removal Rate in One-Stage Reactor Through Partial Nitrification Anammox Process During Treatment of Synthetic Digestate of Poultry Litter Wastewater
Authors: Xiao Yiting , Zhan Yuanhang , Zhu Jun , Vanotti Matias
Published: April 2023

Highlights

A one-stage reactor PN/A process was developed and evaluated.

The highest TN removal rate was 87.3% for the PN/A process to treat synthetic wastewater containing poultry litter at room temperature.

Bacterial composition of mature sludge community of wastewater was investigated in this study.

Adjusted parameters controlled the growth of AOB and NOB.

Abstract. Anammox is an increasingly common process used for the treatment of municipally rejected water and even mainstream wastewater due to its low oxygen demand. However, anammox is not commonly utilized in the treatment of poultry litter because of its high organic content, which would inhibit the anammox process. One-stage partial nitrification and anammox (PN/A) process was developed and evaluated for removing total nitrogen (TN) content from synthetic digestate of poultry litter using a sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR). Independent variables including carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) at 1, 2, and 3, dissolved oxygen level (DO, mg/L) at 0.2, 0.35, and 0.5, and hydraulic retention time (HRT, h) at 24, 48, and 72 were examined using Central Composite Design (CCD) coupled with Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to optimize the TN removal rate. Results showed that the one-stage PN/A process achieved an optimal TN removal rate of 87.3% and an optimal NH4+-N removal rate of 100% when C/N, DO, and HRT were 1, 0.5 mg/L, and 72 h, respectively. The quadratic regression model developed (p = 0.0018) perfectly fitted the nitrogen removal efficiency of the SBBR. The uncertainty analysis showed an error range of 0.12% to 0.96% for the model's accuracy within the DO, C/N ratio, and HRT ranges tested. The bacterial consortium analysis suggested that the control of the growth of ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) was achieved. Keywords: Anammox, Comammox, Nitrospira, Partial nitrification, Poultry litter wastewater.
Can Woodchip Bioreactors Be Used at a Catchment Scale? Nitrate Performance and Sediment Considerations
Authors: Feyereisen Gary W. , Ghane Ehsan , Schumacher Todd W. , Dalzell Brent J. , Williams M. R.
Published: April 2023

Highlights

Novel three-bed, cascading-inlet bioreactor treated agricultural drainage from a 249-ha catchment.

Nitrate removal rates and load reduction efficiencies were similar to those of traditional single-field bioreactors.

Sedimentation problems reduced bed life; a sediment sensing and exclusion system solved them.

This scale provides opportunities for centralized management and nutrient reduction verification.

Abstract. Denitrifying bioreactors, a structural practice deployed at the field scale to meet water quality goals, have been underutilized and require additional evaluation at the small catchment scale. The objective of this study was to quantify the performance of a large, multi-bed denitrifying bioreactor system sized to treat agricultural drainage runoff (combined drainage discharge and surface runoff) from a 249-ha catchment. Three woodchip bioreactor beds, 7.6 m wide by 41 m long by 1.5 m deep, with cascading inlets, were constructed in 2016 in southern Minnesota, U.S. The beds received runoff for one water year from a catchment area that is 91% tile-drained row crops, primarily maize and soybeans. Initial woodchip quality differed among the three beds, affecting flow and nitrate removal rates. Bioreactor flow was unimpeded by sediment for twelve events from September 2016 to July 2017, during which time 55% of the discharge from the catchment was treated in the bioreactor beds. Average daily nitrate removal rates ranged from 2.5 to 6.5 g-N m-3 d-1 for the three bioreactor beds, with nitrate-N load removal of flow through the beds between 19% and 27%. When accounting for untreated by-pass flow, the overall nitrate-N removal of the multi-bed system was 12.5% (713 kg N). During high-flow events, incoming sediment clogged the reactor beds, decreasing their performance. There was 4,520 kg of sediment trapped in one bed, and evidence suggests the other two trapped a similar load. To solve this problem and prolong the bioreactor’s lifespan, we installed a shutoff gate that activated when inflow turbidity exceeded a threshold value. Finally, the findings indicate that catchment-scale denitrifying bioreactors can successfully remove nitrate load from agricultural runoff, but sediment-prevention measures may be required to extend the bioreactor's lifespan. Keywords: Bioreactor, Denitrification, Nitrate removal, Sedimentation, Subsurface drainage.
Reflection characteristics of a cavity-resonator-integrated guided-mode resonance mirror for a microdiameter Gaussian beam
Authors: Watanabe Akari , Ozawa Keisuke , Teranishi Shunsuke , Taniguchi Aika , Inoue Junichi , Kintaka Kenji , Ura Shogo
Published: April 2023

A guided-mode resonance mirror was designed for reflecting a vertically
incident Gaussian beam of 3.6-µm beam waist to a backpropagating
Gaussian beam. A grating coupler (GC) is integrated in a waveguide
resonance cavity consisting of a pair of distributed Bragg reflectors
(DBRs) on a reflection substrate. An incident free-space wave is
coupled by the GC into the waveguide, and the guided wave is resonated
in the waveguide cavity and coupled out by the same GC to a free-space
wave simultaneously in resonance condition. The reflection phase can
vary by 2π rad, according to wavelength in a
wavelength band of resonance. The grating fill factors of the GC were
apodized to have a Gaussian profile in its coupling strength and
resultantly maximize a Gaussian reflectance defined by the power ratio
of backpropagating Gaussian beam to the incident Gaussian beam. The
fill factors of the DBR were also apodized in the boundary zone to the
GC in order to avoid discontinuity in equivalent refractive index
distribution and resultant scattering loss. Guided-mode resonance
mirrors were fabricated and characterized. The Gaussian reflectance of
the mirror with the grating apodization was measured to be 90%, higher
by 10% than that of the mirror without apodization. It is also
demonstrated that the reflection phase changes more than π rad within wavelength band of
1 nm. The fill factor apodization narrows the resonance
band.
Powell lens-based line-field spectral domain optical coherence tomography system for cellular resolution imaging of biological tissue
Authors: Chen Keyu , Song Weixiang , Han Le , Bizheva Kostadinka
Published: April 2023

A Powell lens is used in a line-field spectral domain OCT (PL-LF-SD-OCT) system to generate a line-shaped imaging beam with almost uniform distribution of the optical power in the line direction. This design overcomes the severe sensitivity loss (∼10 dB) observed along the line length direction (B-scan) in LF-OCT systems based on cylindrical lens line generators. The PL-LF-SD-OCT system offers almost isotropic spatial resolution (Δx and Δy ∼2 µm, Δz ∼1.8 µm) in free space and sensitivity of ∼87 dB for 2.5 mW imaging power at 2,000 fps imaging rate with only ∼1.6 dB sensitivity loss along the line length. Images acquired with the PL-LF-SD-OCT system allow for visualization of the cellular and sub-cellular structure of biological tissues.
Quasi-periodic spectro-temporal pulse breathing in a femtosecond-pumped tellurite graded-index multimode fiber
Authors: Karpate Tanvi , Stępniewski Grzegorz , Kardaś Tomasz , Pysz Dariusz , Kasztalanic Rafał , Stepanenko Yuriy , Buczyński Ryszard , Krupa Katarzyna , Klimczak Mariusz
Published: April 2023

We report on the multidimensional characterization of femtosecond pulse nonlinear dynamics in a tellurite glass graded-index multimode fiber. We observed novel multimode dynamics of a quasi-periodic pulse breathing which manifests as a recurrent spectral and temporal compression and elongation enabled by an input power change. This effect can be assigned to the power dependent modification of the distribution of excited modes, which in turn modifies the efficiency of involved nonlinear effects. Our results provide indirect evidence of periodic nonlinear mode coupling occurring in graded-index multimode fibers thanks to the modal four-wave-mixing phase-matched via Kerr-induced dynamic index grating.