bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The relationship between parents' oral hygiene knowledge and children with Down Syndrome's oral hygiene via OHI-S
Authors: Sosiawan Agung , Wahjuningrum Dian Agustin , Setyowati Dini , Suhartono Michelle , Audrey Natasha Winona , Mawantari Tata Prasantat , Setiawan Fery , Pawar Ajinkya M.
Published: March 2022

Background: Down Syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder responsible for mental and development retardation. DS occurs when a person has an extra chromosome (47 instead of 46), the third copy of the Trisomy 21 chromosome. This causes structural and functional anomalies in the human body and some degree of intellectual disability. Children with DS have poor oral hygiene as they are unable to understand and are unaware of its importance. Oral hygiene problems commonly found in children with DS are gingivitis, periodontal problems, pain, infection, and problems with the masticatory system. This study explored the relationship between parents' knowledge and maintenance of the oral hygiene of children with DS through the OHI-S (Oral Hygiene Index Simplified) Index Score.

Method: This study was conducted by distributing 25 questions via Google Form to 100 subjects that belong to POTADS (Down Syndrome Parents Association. The participants were children diagnosed with Down Syndrome and their parents. Questionnaires were used to assess parents' knowledge about their child's oral hygiene. To assess the children’s oral hygiene, dental exams were performed with the OHI-S on six tooth surfaces. To calculate the OHI-S score for each individual, the debris and calculus scores from the 6 surfaces of the teeth were totalled and divided by six.

Results: The relationship between parents' knowledge and the maintenance of oral hygiene of children with DS was found by conducting a linear regression analysis and hypothetical test. The equation of Y = 77.734 + (-7.377) X was achieved through linear regression analysis, and indicated that a 1% increase in parents' knowledge caused a reduction in OHI-S score to 7.377. The hypothetical test showed that parents' knowledge affected their children's OHI-S score significantly.

Conclusion: There was a significant contradictive relationship between parents' knowledge and the maintenance of oral hygiene of children with DS.
Przestrzenie kreatywne w bibliotekach w świetle najnowszych koncepcji badawczych (przykład makerspace)
Authors: Wojciechowska Maja Dorota , Orzoł Monika
Published: March 2022

W artykule zostało podjęte zagadnienie tworzenia w bibliotekach tzw. stref kreatywnych, nazywanych również przestrzeniami twórców. To coraz częstsze zjawisko wymaga analizy, która z jednej strony pozwoliłaby na zdefiniowanie kluczowych terminów, z drugiej zaś – wskazała na istotne problemy, wiążące się z tą nową funkcją bibliotek. Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie stref makerspace, które stanowią rodzaj przestrzeni kreatywnej oraz zasygnalizowanie, w oparciu o przegląd najnowszych koncepcji badawczych, publikowanych na łamach czasopism zagranicznych z dziedziny bibliotekoznawstwa, istotnych problemów, które mogą wiązać się z ich organizacją i funkcjonowaniem. W związku z tym omówiono funkcje przestrzeni kreatywnych, a zwłaszcza funkcję edukacyjną (w kontekście teorii uczenia się), problem przeprowadzania pomiarów i oceny działalności makerspace, zagadnienie ochrony praw własności intelektualnej w przestrzeniach twórców, a także potrzeby osób niepełnosprawnych, które powinny być uwzględniane podczas projektowania tej usługi.
Biblioteki w dobie pandemii. Przyczynek do badań
Authors: Osłowska Iwona
Published: March 2022

Artykuł jest próbą refleksji na temat oddziaływania pandemii na funkcjonowanie współczesnych bibliotek, ich dostępności dla czytelnika i relacji obu przestrzeni – tradycyjnej i cyfrowej – w których działają. Czas lockdownu pokazał bowiem, jak duży jest wpływ sieci i technologii na świat bibliotek w erze nowych wyzwań. Pandemia zmieniła dotychczasowe zasady korzystania z wielu ich funkcjonalności. Przede wszystkim pozbawiła możliwości odczuwania atmosfery i aury charakterystycznej dla tych placówek. Spowodowała, że wiele inicjatyw zostało przeniesionych do Internetu. Użytkownicy nie mają obecnie już tak wielu okazji do zatrzymania i refleksji w ich ciekawie zaaranżowanych i zaprojektowanych wnętrzach. Poza tym sami bibliotekarze z dnia na dzień stanęli przed nie lada wyzwaniem, jakim było zapewnienie stałego kontaktu z czytelnikami. W obecnej, wciąż dynamicznie zmieniającej się sytuacji pytanie o kształt bibliotek w przyszłości pozostaje otwarte.
Getting the balance right between functional and non-functional requirements: the case of requirement specification in IT procurement
Authors: Johansson Björn , Lahtinen Markus
Published: March 2022

IT procurement represents a business process of high importance, including the ability to articulate requirements that the procurement deals with. Furthermore, specifying requirements is of importance for both procurer and potential supplier, as it functions as central contractual element between the two. The purpose of this article is two-fold: (i) to show how established terminology for requirement specification is represented in current call for bids for the procurement of IT; and (ii) to introduce an organizing framework that may assist procurers in actively addressing functional requirements and business requirements. Ten “call for bids” were examined from a Swedish national procurement database. From the analysis of the bids, it can be concluded that: (i) the call for bids displays a high degree of precision regarding hardware aspects, but less precision regarding software; (ii) supplier experience and competence is stressed, but rarely elaborated on in detail; and (iii) call for bids vagueness may be used as a lock-in opportunity for suppliers. From the discussion on this, a tentative procurement framework is suggested, aiming on increasing the logical transparency for the procurement of IT.
ERP systems: aspects of selection, implementation and sustainable operations
Authors: Munkelt Torsten , Völker Sven
Published: March 2022

This paper gives recommendations for selecting, implementing and sustainably operating ERP systems. We indicate special aspects which are important from our point of view. The paper addresses practitioners who are responsible for ERP systems, especially IT and project managers. The structure of the paper matches the three main phases of an ERP system’s lifecycle within an enterprise: selection, implementation and operations. General process models are given for selection and implementation of ERP systems. Our suggestions stretch from project management, business process reengineering, system selection criteria, reporting and customizing to choosing key users, data migration, and user training. Operations of ERP systems are commented according to the views defined by the ARIS concept. We are focusing on organizational issues, but give also remarks on business process maintenance, exploitation of ERP functions, and data management. While other publications give rather general advice, recommendations in this paper are selected to be use-oriented and easy to apply. The recommendations do not depend on any particular ERP system.
Identifying useful project management practices: A mixed methodology approach
Authors: Fernandes Gabriela , Ward Stephen , Araújo Madalena
Published: March 2022

This paper describes a mixed methodological research approach for identifying practitioner perceptions of the most useful project management (PM) practices to improve project management performance. By identifying the perceived most useful tools and techniques, as having the most potential for increased contribution to project management performance, practitioners and organizations can select their priorities when improving PM practices. The research involved a programme of thirty interviews with Project Management professionals in Portugal, followed by a global survey. Completed questionnaires were received from 793 practitioners worldwide, covering 75 different countries. The results showed that the top twenty of the list of the most useful tools and techniques is composed of very well-known and widely used tools, such as: progress report; requirements analysis; progress meetings; risk identification; and project scope statement. PM practices in the top of list cover the overall PM life cycle from initiation to project closing, but particular relevance is given to tools and techniques from planning. The areas of knowledge, scope, time, risk, communication and integration, assume a high relevance, each with at least three PM practices on the top of the list.
Review of corporate digital divide research: A decadal analysis (2003-2012)
Authors: Bach Mirjana Pejić , Zoroja Jovana , Vukšić Vesna Bosilj
Published: March 2022

The digital divide (DD) refers to the gap between individuals, companies, regions and countries in accessing and using the information and communication technology (ICT). DD research is mainly oriented towards detection of differences in the ICT use among individuals. An important part of DD research refers to the differences in ICT adoption and use among corporations. The goal of this paper is to present a review of published papers on DD among corporations. Papers from the journals indexed in SSCI that investigate corporate DD were examined in order to compare the research on corporate DD in terms of: (1) geographical area, time frame of the study, sampled corporations; (2) phenomena used as the indicators/measure of DD, inequality type, ICT adoption cycle, determinants of DD; and (3) data collection approach, data sources, sample size and methodology used for investigation of DD determinants.
Developing business advantages from the technological possibilities of enterprise information systems
Authors: Anaya Luay Ahmad
Published: March 2022

Organizations are increasingly implementing Enterprise Information Systems (EIS), and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in particular. Despite the notable studies on the advantages of an EIS, many organizations are not satisfied with the benefits or advantages gained. At the same time, it is assumed that such systems with increasing innovations and technological enhancements would generate abundant business advantages, if organizations exploited these opportunities. The investigation in this work drew on the sociomateriality perspective, using imbrication notion, and focused on a telecomm case study to examine how organizations can exploit the technological possibilities of an EIS to create business benefits. The study findings suggest that business benefits can be achieved when the EIS as a technical system is interwoven with the organizational work in which both dynamically change in practice (not from the technical features of the system), when the system provides interesting and beneficial technological possibilities that attract organizations, and when the firm has the organizational capabilities to translate these possibilities into real business benefits.
PESTOL - Framework for «Project Evaluation on Strategic, Tactical and Operational Levels»
Authors: Zidane Youcef J-T. , Johansen Agnar , Hussein Bassam A. , Andersen Bjørn
Published: March 2022

The paper focuses on the development of the ex-post conceptual holistic framework for Project Evaluation on Strategic, Tactical and Operational Levels, the PESTOL model, by reviewing different definitions of project success and/or failure and combining the findings with the logic framework. The model reflects the project life cycle by considering all project phases, such as identification and conception. To demonstrate the relevance of the developed model, the authors applied it to a project case, the Algerian East–West Highway megaproject. The project has attracted media attention and a number of media discussions of the project have been limited to the completion of the project in a short-term perspective. In this regard, the discussions have been notably associated with delays and expenditures coming in over budget, referring to project efficiency. One reason for the media focus on these aspects alone is that they can easily be measured. The relevance of the project and its effects - whether it attains its goals and objectives measured in terms of effectiveness, including impact and sustainability - can only be verified at a later stage, after the project has delivered its results. These are much broader aspects and are therefore difficult to measure.
Are project managers ready for the 21th challenges? A review of problem structuring methods for decision support
Authors: San Cristóbal Mateo José Ramón , Ruiz de Navamuel Emma Diaz , González Villa María Antonia
Published: March 2022

Numerous contemporary problems that project managers face can be considered as unstructured decision problems, characterized by multiple actors and perspectives, incommensurable and/or conflicting objectives, and important intangibles. This work environment demands that project managers to possess not only hard skills but also soft skills with the ability to take a management perspective and, above all, develop real leadership capabilities. In this paper, is presented a family of problem structured methods for decision support, aimed at assisting project managers in tackling complex problems. Problem structured methods are a family of soft operations research methods for decision support that assist groups of diverse composition to agree on a problem focus and make commitments to consequential action. Project management programs are challenged to implement these methodologies in such a way that it is organized around the key competences that a project manager needs in order to be more effective, work efficiently as members of interdisciplinary teams and successfully execute even a small project.
Use of cloud computing services in micro and small enterprises: a fit perspective
Authors: Wamuyu Patrick Kanyi
Published: March 2022

Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) require the right Organizational Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure (OICTI) to provide them with the essential functionalities to support their business processes. In order to have the right OICTI, MSEs are expected to make huge investments in financial and human resources, to purchase, deploy and maintain Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs). Cloud Computing Services (CCS) avail OICTI, for a fraction of the resources required to own private ICT infrastructure. The purpose of this study was to assess the fit between the MSEs’ OICTI needs and the information processing capabilities of CCS and how this fit influences CCS adoption in the Kenyan MSEs. The research was quantitative in nature, in which, a theory-based model grounded on the task technology fit, organization information processing and technology-organization-environment theories, was developed and validated. Study findings suggest strong correlations between MSEs’ tasks and CCS and between MSEs’ information processing needs and CCS information processing capabilities. Other factors identified as influencing CCS procurement are affordability and the relationship between the CCS providers and the MSEs. The study contributes to the academic literature on technology adoption in MSEs by showing that there exists a multidimensional fit between CCS and MSEs’ OICTI requirements.
What are the requirements of a successful ERP implementation in SMEs? Special focus on Southern Africa
Authors: Hasheela-Mufeti Victoria , Smolander Kari
Published: March 2022

Many international Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems were developed based on the best practices of organizations in which they were developed. These organizations are usually large, and in developed countries. However, small organizations in other parts of the world are also implementing ERP. Implementing a system based on different practices that differ from yours is certainly bound to come with issues. The objective of the study is to identify challenges experienced by SMEs when implementing ERP systems, and to suggest requirements of achieving successful implementations in SMEs in Southern Africa. A thematic analysis methodology was used to explore identified challenges from fourteen SMEs and to identify themes within the data. The study suggested that a successful ERP implementation requires sufficient and appropriate training, reliable internet connection, involvement of end-users, change management, as well as sufficient demonstration of the prospective ERP system.
Shareholder Short-Termism, Corporate Control and Voluntary Disclosure
Authors: Jia Xue , Menon Rahul
Published: March 2022

This paper examines how a manager uses voluntary disclosure to influence corporate control by a short-term shareholder. Because a short-term shareholder intervenes excessively, the manager’s disclosure strategy is determined by the trade-off between excessive and insufficient intervention. In equilibrium, when shareholder short-termism is not too high, the manager discloses both good and bad news and withholds intermediate news. Alternatively, when shareholder short-termism is high, the manager only discloses good news and withholds bad news. In both equilibria, withholding information is value-enhancing for the nondisclosing firms. We also show that the likelihood of disclosure weakly decreases as the shareholder is more short-term-oriented. Moreover, nondisclosing firms are more likely to face shareholder intervention than disclosing firms.

This paper was accepted by Brian Bushee, accounting.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4357 .
Warranty Reserve Management: Demand Learning and Funds Pooling
Authors: Wang Xiao-Lin , Zhong Yuanguang , Li Lishuai , Xie Wei , Ye Zhi-Sheng
Published: March 2022

Problem definition: Warranty reserves are funds used to fulfill future warranty obligations for a product. In this paper, we investigate the warranty reserve planning problem faced by a manufacturing firm who manages warranties for multiple products. Academic/practical relevance: It is nontrivial to determine a proper amount of reserves to hold, because warranty expenditures are random in nature and reserving either excess or insufficient cash would incur losses. How can warranty reserve levels be optimized and promptly adjusted is a focal issue, especially for firms selling multiple products. Methodology: Inspired by the general pattern of empirical warranty claims data, we first develop an aggregate warranty cost (AWC) forecasting model for a single product by coupling stochastic product sales and failure processes, which can be used to plan for warranty reserves periodically. The reserve levels are then optimized via a distributionally robust approach, because the exact distribution of AWC is generally unknown. To reduce the losses generated from managing the funds, we further investigate two potential loss-reduction approaches: demand learning and funds pooling. Results: For the demand learning algorithm, we prove that, as the sales period grows, the optimal learning parameter asymptotically converges to a constant in a fairly fast rate; our simulation experiments show that the performance of demand learning is promising and robust under general warranty claim patterns. Moreover, we find that the benefits of funds pooling change over different stages of the warranty life cycle; in particular, the relative pooling benefit in terms of reserve losses is nonincreasing over time. Managerial implications: This study offers guidelines on how manufacturers should adaptively forecast and dynamically plan warranty reserves over the warranty life cycle.
Middle-Aged Couples Educational Needs for Psychological Well-Being: A Mixed Method Study
Authors: Gil Minji , Kim Daeun , Kim Suk-Sun
Published: March 2022

Purpose: To explore and identify priorities of middle-aged couples’ educational needs for psychological well-being.Methods: Exploratory sequential mixed method design was used. Qualitative data were collected from 14 couples through couple interviews and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Quantitative data were collected from 234 middle-aged adults using self-administered questionnaires and analyzed using paired t-test and Borichs’ needs assessment model. Finally, qualitative and quantitative data were integrated to describe mixed-method findings.Results: Three major themes were identified: (1) confronting vulnerability to mental health problem, (2) navigating lifes journey together, and (3) progressing toward self-transcendence. In quantitative results, “couple communication” had the highest need, followed by “mental health”, the “emotional awareness and expression”, and “improvement of marital relationships”. Integrated results indicated that couple-communication and mental health were priority needs.Conclusion: Results of this study provided evidence for middle-aged couples educational needs for psychological well-being. Thus, healthcare professionals need to consider development of educational interventions to enhance couple communication and mental health for middle-aged couples psychological well-being.
Predicting Factors for Nursing Students’ Mental Health Services Use Intention: Focusing on Mental Health Literacy
Authors: Oh Hyun Joo
Published: March 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to identify predicting factors on intention to use mental health services of nursing students. Factors such the predisposing, enabling, and need factors based on Anderson’s behavioral model were tested.Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study design was used. The subjects in the study were 220 nursing students. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, x2 test, t-test, and logistic regression with SPSS 24.0.Results: On logistic regression analysis, the experience of accessing information related to mental health (disease) (OR=3.90, p<.05) and sub-factors of mental health literacy, knowledge of self-treatment (OR=1.89, p<.05) were statistically significant factors for mental health services use intention. This constitued 30.5% of the intentions to use mental health services.Conclusion: Nursing students are more likely to use mental health services as they have more experience with mental health related information and more knowledge on self-treatment related to mental health.
Factors related to Depression of Single-Parents with Minor Children: Focusing on the Gender Differences
Authors: Lee Hyojin , Park Subin , Kim Heejung
Published: March 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate gender differences as ecological factors associated with depression of single-parents who lived with minors.Methods: This study was secondary data analysis using national data from the 2018 Single Parent Family Survey, including 2,427 participants (1,575 mothers and 852 fathers). Data were analyzed using SPSS/MAC 26.0 program for the descriptive analysis, independent t-tests, chi-squared tests, and binary logistic regression.Results: The depression groups were identified as 17.4% for women and 11.0% for men based on Patient Health Questionnaire-9. In logistic regression, single mothers’ depression was significantly associated with low income, unemployment, low education level, parenting difficulties, a sense of distance from family, and family discrimination experiences. However, single fathers’ depression was significantly associated with low income, unemployment, and parenting difficulties.Conclusion: Our study findings suggest that depression interventions should be tailored to different gender groups of the single-parents, specifically socio-emotional factors should be considered for the single mother group.
Effects of a Competency-Based Education Program for Inpatient Psychiatric Nurses: A Pre-Post Intervention Study
Authors: Song Young-Ok , Kim Haeyoung , Nam Yunyoung , Choe Kwisoon , Ha Jeongmin
Published: March 2022

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a competency-based educational program for strengthening the competency of psychiatric nurses and evaluate its effects.Methods: The study used a quasi-experimental design. Participants included 64 psychiatric nurses in South Korea: 33 nurses (32 females, 1 male) in the experimental group and 31 nurses (26 females, 5 males) in the control group. A competency-based education program for psychiatric nurses was developed through a literature review and discussion with 12 experts. The program addressed eight topics and provided 24 hours of education over 4 days, for 6 hours each day. The collected data via questionnaires were analyzed statistically.Results: The education program enhanced overall clinical nursing competence and strengthened professional self-growth competence. The management and teaching competencies of both the experimental and the control groups also increased significantly.Conclusion: The findings of this study presented an educational program to strengthen the clinical competency of psychiatric nurses and it was proven that the education had a capacity-building effect.
Gênero e equidade na escola do campo
Authors: Sampaio Edna Santos , Gritti Silvana Maria
Published: March 2022

Esta pesquisa-ação realizada na escola do campo abordou como ocorrem as relações de gênero entre os integrantes da escola, considerando que o ambiente escolar reproduz a visão capitalista e patriarcal do mundo exterior, juntos formam obstáculos para a formação educacional igualitária. A educação do campo no Brasil se originou junto aos movimentos sociais do campo e o feminismo junto ao sufrágio e às greves das mulheres. Estas lutas tiveram a contestação e a autonomia dos sujeitos como principal fundamento. O gênero e a escola do campo possuem desafios semelhantes ao se oporem a lógica do capital. A fundamentação teórica apoiou-se nos estudos de gênero, do feminismo, dos movimentos campesinos, da escola do campo e legislações vigentes sobre cada tema. O protagonismo dos participantes foi respeitado, de maneira democrática, propondo a abertura do espaço de fala dos sujeitos que a compõem, iniciando uma caminhada para a equidade.
A INTENSIFICAÇÃO DAS PRECARIEDADES E O APEGO A UM PASSADO IMAGINADO. O caso de Moçambique.
Authors: Pereira Talita Vidal , Nhantumbo Hermínio Ernesto
Published: March 2022

O Sars-Cov-2 contamina indistintamente os seres humanos de diferentes etnias, gênero e classes sociais, no entanto, é incontestável que ele se constituí em uma ameaça maior aqueles que sobrevivem apesar das condições precárias de vida. Contingentes populacionais que se distribuem por diferentes lugares no mundo, mas uma distribuição que é desigual. Nesse texto analisamos os impactos da crise sanitária e humanitária no continente africano onde essas precariedades são mais expressivas. Nesse artigo discutiremos o caso de Moçambique para argumentar que a vulnerabilidade do sistema educativo em um contexto de globalização em que o Estado Moçambicano vive o desafio de atender às demandas postas pelos organismos internacionais e ao mesmo tempo forjar as bases de um Estado Nacional. Isso em meio a relações de dependência que marcam a história do País. Dependência externa, dominação e bloqueio das diferenças que as utopias do movimento nacionalista pós libertação colonial não foram suficientes para superar. O texto é desenvolvido a partir das apropriações das reflexões pós-coloniais para sustentar que o apego a ideia de formação de uma identidade nacional moçambicana tem contribuído para o aprofundamento de práticas que favorecem processos de exclusão comprometendo a construção da democracia como porvir.
2020 – NARRATIVAS INDÍGENAS EM TEMPOS DE PANDEMIA
Authors: Peixoto Leonardo Ferreira , Pacífico Marsiel
Published: March 2022

Em nossas redes sociais, amigas e amigos indígenas estão narrando seus momentos de medos, inseguranças, incertezas e suas práticas cotidianas de resistências e criações através de postagens ou por meio de audiovisuais que ficam disponíveis em plataformas públicas. O objetivo principal deste artigo é narrar e analisar os impactos da covid-19 nas práticas cotidianas destes indígenas. Este artigo tem como referencial estético, ético, político, epistemológico e metodológico as pesquisas com os cotidianos, tendo como principal referência o autor Michel de Certeau. Como resultado, temos o registro histórico dos impactos da covid-19 nos cotidianos de indígenas a partir de suas narrativas; a compreensão das transformações impostas pela pandemia no cenário atual e os movimentos de resistências e criações cotidianas das/dos indígenas. Concluímos valorizando as aprendizagens com indígenas, afinal, são mais de 500 anos de resistência à inúmeras tentativas de extermínio, apagamentos e produção de invisibilidade.
A IDIOSUBJETIVAÇÃO: UMA APRESENTAÇÃO
Authors: Casara Rubens
Published: March 2022

O texto apresentado trata-se de um artigo de opinião.
Methods of Coping with the Class Engagement Crisis in the Philippines’ COVID-19 New Normal
Authors:   University of Southern Mindanao, Philippines, Ramos Sarah V.
Published: March 2022

In the ‘new normal’ of distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need to increase class engagement and help teachers scaffold students’ needs. This article examines the class engagement crisis between teachers and students in the Philippines and seeks to determine coping methods of teachers and students. Research for the article employed two survey questionnaires: one on teaching-learning crises and one on coping methods. The data was then analyzed and tabulated by frequency and percentage distribution. The results revealed that in the class engagement crisis, 90.3 percent of teachers agreed that the majority of teachers must be accommodating rather than imposing because students experienced delays due to intermittent internet connectivity. In terms of the class engagement crisis for students, 68.9 percent of students are still adjusting to the new normal; some are experiencing stress and worry. In terms of class engagement coping methods, 87.1 percent of teachers chose consultation, while 64.4 percent of students chose to seek information. The study concluded that in this new normal environment, teachers need to adjust to the situations of their students, particularly regarding internet connectivity. Consultation with students is necessary to address their concerns, while students need to cope with the challenges encountered through seeking notions related to class engagement. Keywords: Class engagement crisis, Coping methods, New normal, Tuition-free, Teacher, Students
Profile analysis with reconstruction robustness for measurement data subject to outliers
Authors: Gu Tianqi , Xiong Cui , Tang Dawei , Chen Jianxiong , Lin Shuwen
Published: March 2022

In the surface profile analysis, there are often a few observations that contain outliers. Due to the existence of outliers, the application of non-robust reconstruction algorithms for measurement data will become a huge problem because these methods are often sensitive to outliers and the approximation effectiveness will be greatly aggravated. In view of this, this paper presents a novel angle-based moving total least squares reconstruction method, to the best of our knowledge, that applies two-step pre-treatment to handle outliers. The first step is an abnormal point detection process that characterizes the geometric features of discrete points in the support domain through a new angle-based parameter constructed by total least square. Then, the point with the largest anomaly degree is removed, and a relevant weight function is defined to adjust the weights of the remaining points. After pre-treatment, the final estimates are calculated by weighted total least squares (WTLS) based on the compact weight function. The detection and removal of outliers are automatic, and there is no need to set a threshold value artificially, which effectively avoids the adverse impacts of human operation. Numerical simulations and experiments verify the applicability of the proposed algorithm as well as its accuracy and robustness.
Reflectional quantitative phase-contrast microscopy (RQPCM) with annular epi-illumination
Authors: Ma Ying , Wang Yang , Ma Lin , Zheng Juanjuan , Liu Min , Gao Peng
Published: March 2022

Quantitative phase microscopy (QPM) is a label-free microscopic technique that exploits the phase of a wave passing through a sample; hence, it has been applied to many fields, including biomedical research and industrial inspection. However, the high spatiotemporal resolution imaging of reflective samples still challenges conventional transmission QPM. In this paper, we propose reflectional quantitative phase-contrast microscopy based on annular epi-illumination of light-emitting diodes. The unscattered wave from the sample is successively phase-retarded by 0,

π

/

2

,

π

, and

3

π

/

2

through a spatial light modulator, and high-resolution phase-contrast images are obtained, revealing the finer structure or three-dimensional tomography of reflective samples. With this system, we have quantitatively obtained the contour of tissue slices and silicon semiconductor wafers. We believe that the proposed system will be very helpful for the high-resolution imaging of industrial devices and biomedical dynamics.
Dehazing and deblurring of underwater images with heavy-tailed priors
Authors: Li Shiwen , Liu Feng , Wei Jian
Published: March 2022

The common problems of underwater images include color cast, haze effect, and the motion blur effect caused by turbulence and camera shake. To address these problems, research on color cast and haze and blur effects is carried out in this paper. Because red light has significant attenuation underwater, which could cause color cast of images, this paper proposes a red channel compensation method to solve this problem. This approach adaptively compensates for the red channel according to the pixel value of the red channel, successfully preventing excessive compensation. To address the haze effect of underwater images, combined with the physical model of underwater images, a variational method is introduced in the paper. This method can not only recover clear underwater images, but also refine the transmission map at the same time. Furthermore, the blind deconvolution method is adopted to deblur underwater images. First, the blur kernel of an underwater image is estimated, and then a clear underwater image is recovered based on the obtained blur kernel. Finally, qualitative and quantitative comparisons of the underwater images recovered by different methods are also carried out. From the qualitative perspective, the images recovered by our method have higher image sharpness and more outstanding details. The quantitative comparison results show that the images recovered using our method have higher scores according to various criteria. Therefore, on the whole, our method presents great advantages in comparison with others.
Narrow-band tunable optical filters based on cascaded Fabry-Perot cavities
Authors: Chang Zhongcan , Luo Zhixiang , Cao Shiyi , Ouyang Kui , Ge Keting , Wan Zhujun
Published: March 2022

Narrow-band tunable optical filters (TOF) based on three cascaded Fabry-Perot (FP) cavities are demonstrated. The FP cavities are fabricated with Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PMN-PT), which is a transparent electro-optic ceramic. With a reflective design, the optical signal passes the three FP cavities twice. Thus we can design the FP cavities with a relatively low reflectivity, which enables it more tolerant to the loss in the cavities. Two types of TOF samples are fabricated. The specifications of the transmissive type TOF with dual-ports are tuning range >48nm, FWHM (full width half maximum) <0.06nm, insertion loss <3.87dB, crosstalk <−39dB, which meet the requirements by optical performance monitor (OPM) applications. The specifications of the reflective type TOF with single-port are tuning range >48nm, FWHM (full width half maximum) <0.1nm, insertion loss <2.82dB, crosstalk <−30dB, which can be employed in tunable fiber lasers for wavelength selection and tuning.
Integrated scanning spectrometer with a tunable micro-ring resonator and an arrayed waveguide grating
Authors: Zhang Zunyue , Wang Yi , Wang Jiarui , Yi Dan , Chan David Weng U , Yuan Wu , Tsang Hon Ki
Published: March 2022

Integrated spectrometers with both wide optical bandwidths and high spectral resolutions are required in applications such as spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Here we propose a compact integrated scanning spectrometer by using a tunable micro-ring resonator (MRR) integrated with a single arrayed waveguide grating for operation in the 1265–1335-nm range. The spectral resolution of the spectrometer is determined by the quality factor of the MRR, and the optical bandwidth is defined by the free spectral range of the arrayed waveguide grating. The spectrometer is integrated with on-chip germanium photodetectors, which enable direct electrical readout. A 70-nm optical bandwidth and a 0.2-nm channel spacing enabled by scanning the MRR across one free spectral range are demonstrated, which offer a total of 350 wavelength channels with 31-kHz wavelength scanning speed. The integrated spectrometer is applied to measure different spectra and the interference signals from an SD-OCT system, which shows its great potential for future applications in sensing and imaging systems.
Monolithic GaAs/Si V-groove depletion-type optical phase shifters integrated in a 300  mm Si photonics platform
Authors: Kim Younghyun , Yudistira Didit , Kunert Bernardette , Baryshnikova Marina , Alcotte Reynald , Ozdemir Cenk Ibrahim , Kim Sanghyeon , Lardenois Sebastien , Verheyen Peter , Van Campenhout Joris , Pantouvaki Marianna
Published: March 2022

We demonstrate monolithically integrated n-GaAs/p-Si depletion-type optical phase shifters fabricated on a 300 mm wafer-scale Si photonics platform. We measured the phase shifter performance using Mach–Zehnder modulators with the GaAs/Si optical phase shifters in both arms. A modulation efficiency of

V
π

L

as low as 0.3 V·cm has been achieved, which is much lower compared to a carrier-depletion type Si optical phase shifter with pn junction. While propagation loss is relatively high at

∼
6.5
  
dB
/
mm

, the modulator length can be reduced by the factor of

∼
4.2

for the same optical modulation amplitude of a Si reference Mach–Zehnder modulator, owing to the high modulation efficiency of the shifters.
Immunohistochemical Expression of VDR in Myocardium: Postmortem Evaluation of COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Kriventsov Maxim A. , Yermola Yulianna A. , Davydova Alexandra A. , Beketov Alexey A. , Makalish Tatyana P. , Zyablitskaya Evgeniya Yu. , Geraschenko Alina V. , Kubyshkin Anatoly V. , Galyshevskaya Anna A. , Zausalina Anastasia I.
Published: March 2022

Morphological data on heart damage and its mechanisms due to extremely severe course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are limited, as well as data on the correlation of damage and expression of vitamin D receptors (VDRs). In this study, we analyzed a series of myocardial samples obtained during postmortem autopsy of 48 critically ill patients with COVID-19 who died with SARS-CoV-2-associated pneumonia. The purpose of the study was to evaluate immunohistochemical VDR expression in the myocardium. The results showed the only minimal or no immunohistochemical expression of VDR in the nuclei of cardiomyocytes in most cases, along with the persisted strong expression in lymphoid cells. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first study and data provided were regarding myocardial VDR expression in COVID-19 patients. The results are of interest in terms of further study of the effects of ligand-associated VDR activation on the cardiovascular system.
Status of psychological health of students following the extended university closure in Bangladesh: Results from a web-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Hossain Md. Jamal , Ahmmed Foyez , Khandokar Labony , Rahman S. M. Abdur , Hridoy Asaduzzaman , Ripa Farhana Alam , Emran Talha Bin , Islam Md. Rabiul , Mitra Saikat , Alam Morshed
Published: March 2022

Students’ severe affective mental distress has emerged as significant public health attention globally because of the disastrous effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The current study aimed at exploring the prevalence of two alarming psychological distresses, depression and anxiety, among university students following a prolonged shutdown of educational institutions in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional online-based study was conducted by deploying two standard scales to assess the depression and anxiety among Bangladeshi students from various universities amid the 2nd stream of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 568 Bangladeshi university students participated in this questionnaire-based survey through various social media platforms. Frequency and percentage distribution as univariate, chi-square (χ2) test as bivariate, and logistic regression as multivariate analyses were applied to investigate the prevalence of depression and anxiety and their associated various sociodemographic factors. After cleaning and eliminating the partial data, we analyzed 465 responses, where 42% were female and 64.3% were from public universities. Both mental disorders were prevalent in more than 50% of Bangladeshi university students. The students from the private universities were two times and 2.7 times more depressed and anxious, respectively than the students from the public universities. In addition, the students who became incomeless had significantly more anxiety (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.711; p = 0.018) than those who did not lose income source during the COVID-19 lockdown. The present study revealed that more than 50% of Bangladeshi university students were suffering from depression and anxiety. Several effective measures must be assured by the concerted efforts of university authorities, educationalists, and the Government to alleviate these distressing mental health burdens.
Water pollution and administrative division adjustments: A quasi-natural experiment in Chaohu Lake, China
Authors: Li Jing , Liu Di , Cai Mengyuan
Published: March 2022

Administrative division adjustments, such as agglomerations, upgrading, and revocation, introduce a series of uncertain impacts on the social and economic development in administrative regions. Previous studies have focused more on the economic effects of administrative division adjustments, but in this paper, we also consider the environmental effects of such adjustments. In 2011, with the approval of the State Council, the prefecture-level Chaohu city was officially revoked, resulting in a county-level Chaohu city. One district and four counties under the jurisdiction of the original Chaohu city were placed under the jurisdiction of Hefei, Wuhu, and Ma’anshan. This adjustment made Chaohu Lake an inner lake of Hefei city. The administrative division adjustment of Chaohu Lake, China, is used as a quasi-natural experiment to explore the influence of such an adjustment on pollution control. The synthetic control method (SCM) is used in this study to evaluate the effect of the administrative division adjustment on the water quality indicators of Chaohu Lake. The following conclusions are drawn. First, after the administrative division adjustment, some water quality indicators, such as ammonia nitrogen, improved; however, other major pollution indicators, such as chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dissolved oxygen (DO), worsened to varying degrees. Second, the results reveal that improper development ideas, excessive industrial expansion, and the shift in economic growth and environmental goals were problems after the adjustment. Returning to the original intention of the administrative division adjustment, rationalizing the Chaohu Lake management system and designing a sound and feasible accountability mechanism are fundamental measures for reducing pollution.
Introgression and mating patterns between white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) and pileated gibbons (Hylobates pileatus) in a natural hybrid zone
Authors: Matsudaira Kazunari , Reichard Ulrich H. , Ishida Takafumi , Malaivijitnond Suchinda
Published: March 2022

Gibbons (Family Hylobatidae) are a suitable model for exploring hybridization in pair-living primates as several species form hybrid zones. In Khao Yai National Park, Thailand, white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) and pileated gibbons (Hylobates pileatus) are distributed parapatrically and hybridize in a narrow zone. Their phenotypic characteristics suggest limited inter-species gene flow, although this has never been assessed. To uncover the history and degree of gene flow between the two species, we studied the genetic structure of gibbons in the hybrid zone by analyzing fecal DNA samples, phenotypic characteristics, vocalizations and individuals’ social status. We determined eight autosomal single nucleotide variant (SNV) loci, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosomal haplotypes of 72 gibbons. We compared these markers with reference types of wild pureblood white-handed gibbons (n= 12) in Kaeng Krachan National Park and pureblood pileated gibbons (n= 4) in Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Sanctuary. Autosomal genotypic analyses confirmed the various levels of mixed ancestry for several adult gibbons with or without atypical phenotypic traits in Khao Yai National Park. In some other adult gibbons, the mixed ancestry was not detected in either autosomal SNVs or their phenotypic traits but the mtDNA. Both male and female adult hybrids formed reproductive units mainly with a phenotypic pureblood partner and many of them produced offspring. Taken together, our results suggest that once hybridization occurs, white-handed-pileated-gibbon hybrids can reproduce with either parental species and that the backcrossing and thus introgression may occur in successive generations, with no drastic changes in phenotypic appearance.
Development of a combinatory filtration system for pollution and virus abatement by optimized nanoparticle deposition
Authors: Nag Ishika
Published: March 2022

PM2.5, particulate matter less than 2.5 microns, is the leading contributor to air pollution which results in cardio-vascular and respiratory diseases. Recent studies also indicate a strong correlation between ambient air pollution and COVID-19 cases, which have affected the lives of billions of people globally. Abatement technologies such as ionic and other high efficiency filtration systems are expensive and unaffordable in communities with limited resources. The goal of this study was to develop a mask with an optimized nanoparticle coating which has a dual capability of particulate matter and virus filtration, while being affordable and safe for human use. The nanoparticles were selected for their filtration and virucidal capabilities. Particle filtration efficiency, tested with a wind tunnel and PM2.5 from incense sticks measured by laser particle detectors, improved by ~60% with nanoparticle coatings on KN95 and surgical masks. Virus filtration efficiency, tested using nebulized NaCl particles as a virus surrogate, improved by 95% with coated masks. The nanoparticle retention efficacy, tested by simulating a normal 8-hour workday, was well within the permissible exposure limits. This technology has several applications such as in personal protective equipment for virus protection, and in air-conditioning and car cabin filters for pollution abatement. In conclusion, the chosen combination of nanoparticles provides an effective and safe solution for both particulate matter and viral particle filtration.