Telework (also referred to as telecommuting or remote work), is defined as working outside of the conventional office setting, such as within one's home or in a remote office location, often using a ...form of information communication technology to communicate with others (supervisors, coworkers, subordinates, customers, etc.) and to perform work tasks. Remote work increased over the last decade and tremendously in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this article is to review and critically evaluate the existing research about telework and worker health and well-being. In addition, we review and evaluate how engaging in this flexible form of work impacts worker health and well-being. Specifically, we performed a literature search on the empirical literature related to teleworking and worker health and well-being, and reviewed articles published after the year 2000 based on the extent to which they had been discussed in prior reviews. Next, we developed a conceptual framework based on our review of the empirical literature. Our model explains the process by which telework may affect worker health and well-being in reference to individual, work/life/family, organizational, and macro level factors. These components are explained in depth, followed by methodological and fundamental recommendations intended to guide future research, policies, and practices to maximize the benefits and minimize the harms associated with telework, and offer recommendations for future research.
Cytosine methylation is found in the genomes of many plants and animals and has been associated with transcriptional silencing in mammals. At critical stages in embryo development, when cellular ...potential is reset, DNA methylation is lost in a series of “sequential waves.” The mechanism underlying this is controversial and complex. Several new reports now suggest that TET enzymes and cell division are important for these in vivo transitions as well as for experimentally induced reprogramming.
This Minireview highlights several recent reports that investigate DNA methylation changes that occur in different pluripotent states and the role of Tet proteins and cell division in mediating these changes.
Background. Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a major cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea and is most commonly associated with changes in normal intestinal flora caused by administration of ...antibiotics. Few studies have examined the risk of CDI associated with total dose, duration, or number of antibiotics while taking into account the complex changes in exposures over time. Methods. A retrospective cohort study conducted from 1 January to 31 December 2005 among hospitalized patients 18 years or older receiving 2 or more days of antibiotics. Results. The study identified 10,154 hospitalizations for 7,792 unique patients and 241 cases of CDI, defined as the detection of C. difficile toxin in a diarrheal stool sample within 60 days of discharge. We observed dosedependent increases in the risk of CDI associated with increasing cumulative dose, number of antibiotics, and days of antibiotic exposure. Compared to patients who received only 1 antibiotic, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for those who received 2, 3 or 4, or 5 or more antibiotics were 2.5 (95% confidence interval CI 1.6—4.0), 3.3 (CI 2.2—5.2), and 9.6 (CI 6.1—15.1), respectively. The receipt of fluoroquinolones was associated with an increased risk of CDI, while metronidazole was associated with reduced risk. Conclusions. Cumulative antibiotic exposures appear to be associated with the risk of CDI. Antimicrobial stewardship programs that focus on the overall reduction of total dose as well as number and days of antibiotic exposure and the substitution of high-risk antibiotic classes for lower-risk alternatives may reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired CDI.
The pluripotent state of embryonic stem cells is maintained by a core network of transcription factors, and by chromatin remodelling factors that support an environment permissive for transcription. ...Polycomb and trithorax Group proteins enable ‘bivalent’ chromatin to be established at lineage-specific genes within pluripotent cells that is thought to poise genes for rapid activation upon induction of differentiation. As differentiation proceeds, chromatin condenses and there is a genome-wide increase in the abundance of repressive histone modifications, alterations in the subnuclear organisation of particular genomic regions, and changes in DNA methylation profiles within genes. Reprogramming of somatic cells provides a platform to investigate the role of chromatin-based factors in establishing and maintaining pluripotency.
We report the storage and retrieval of single photons, via a quantum memory, in the optical phonons of a room-temperature bulk diamond. The THz-bandwidth heralded photons are generated by spontaneous ...parametric down-conversion and mapped to phonons via a Raman transition, stored for a variable delay, and released on demand. The second-order correlation of the memory output is g((2))(0)=0.65±0.07, demonstrating a preservation of nonclassical photon statistics throughout storage and retrieval. The memory is low noise, high speed and broadly tunable; it therefore promises to be a versatile light-matter interface for local quantum processing applications.
Purpose To update the guideline recommendations on the use of larynx-preservation strategies in the treatment of laryngeal cancer. Methods An Expert Panel updated the systematic review of the ...literature for the period from January 2005 to May 2017. Results The panel confirmed that the use of a larynx-preservation approach for appropriately selected patients does not compromise survival. No larynx-preservation approach offered a survival advantage compared with total laryngectomy and adjuvant therapy as indicated. Changes were supported for the use of endoscopic surgical resection in patients with limited disease (T1, T2) and for initial total laryngectomy in patients with T4a disease or with severe pretreatment laryngeal dysfunction. New recommendations for positron emission tomography imaging for the evaluation of regional nodes after treatment and best measures for evaluating voice and swallowing function were added. Recommendations Patients with T1, T2 laryngeal cancer should be treated initially with intent to preserve the larynx by using endoscopic resection or radiation therapy, with either leading to similar outcomes. For patients with locally advanced (T3, T4) disease, organ-preservation surgery, combined chemotherapy and radiation, or radiation alone offer the potential for larynx preservation without compromising overall survival. For selected patients with extensive T3 or large T4a lesions and/or poor pretreatment laryngeal function, better survival rates and quality of life may be achieved with total laryngectomy. Patients with clinically involved regional cervical nodes (N+) who have a complete clinical and radiologic imaging response after chemoradiation do not require elective neck dissection. All patients should undergo a pretreatment baseline assessment of voice and swallowing function and receive counseling with regard to the potential impact of treatment options on voice, swallowing, and quality of life. Additional information is available at www.asco.org/head-neck-cancer-guidelines and www.asco.org/guidelineswiki .
The potassium sodium niobate, K
Na
NbO₃, solid solution (KNN) is considered as one of the most promising, environment-friendly, lead-free candidates to replace highly efficient, lead-based ...piezoelectrics. Since the first reports of KNN, it has been recognized that obtaining phase-pure materials with a high density and a uniform, fine-grained microstructure is a major challenge. For this reason the present paper reviews the different methods for consolidating KNN ceramics. The difficulties involved in the solid-state synthesis of KNN powder,
, obtaining phase purity, the stoichiometry of the perovskite phase, and the chemical homogeneity, are discussed. The solid-state sintering of stoichiometric KNN is characterized by poor densification and an extremely narrow sintering-temperature range, which is close to the solidus temperature. A study of the initial sintering stage revealed that coarsening of the microstructure without densification contributes to a reduction of the driving force for sintering. The influences of the (K + Na)/Nb molar ratio, the presence of a liquid phase, chemical modifications (doping, complex solid solutions) and different atmospheres (
, defect chemistry) on the sintering are discussed. Special sintering techniques, such as pressure-assisted sintering and spark-plasma sintering, can be effective methods for enhancing the density of KNN ceramics. The sintering behavior of KNN is compared to that of a representative piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT).
Fallout plume of submerged oil from Deepwater Horizon Valentine, David L.; Fisher, G. Burch; Bagby, Sarah C. ...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS,
11/2014, Letnik:
111, Številka:
45
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Significance Following the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico an unprecedented quantity of oil irrupted into the ocean at a depth of 1.5 km. The novelty of this event makes the ...oil’s subsequent fate in the deep ocean difficult to predict. This work identifies a fallout plume of hydrocarbons from the Macondo Well contaminating the ocean floor over an area of 3,200 km ². Our analysis suggests the oil initially was suspended in deep waters and then settled to the underlying sea floor. The spatial distribution of contamination implicates accelerated settling as an important fate for suspended oil, supports a patchwork mosaic model of oil deposition, and frames ongoing attempts to determine the event’s impact on deep-ocean ecology.
The sinking of the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico led to uncontrolled emission of oil to the ocean, with an official government estimate of ∼5.0 million barrels released. Among the pressing uncertainties surrounding this event is the fate of ∼2 million barrels of submerged oil thought to have been trapped in deep-ocean intrusion layers at depths of ∼1,000–1,300 m. Here we use chemical distributions of hydrocarbons in >3,000 sediment samples from 534 locations to describe a footprint of oil deposited on the deep-ocean floor. Using a recalcitrant biomarker of crude oil, 17α(H),21β(H)-hopane (hopane), we have identified a 3,200-km ² region around the Macondo Well contaminated by ∼1.8 ± 1.0 × 10 ⁶ g of excess hopane. Based on spatial, chemical, oceanographic, and mass balance considerations, we calculate that this contamination represents 4–31% of the oil sequestered in the deep ocean. The pattern of contamination points to deep-ocean intrusion layers as the source and is most consistent with dual modes of deposition: a “bathtub ring” formed from an oil-rich layer of water impinging laterally upon the continental slope (at a depth of ∼900–1,300 m) and a higher-flux “fallout plume” where suspended oil particles sank to underlying sediment (at a depth of ∼1,300–1,700 m). We also suggest that a significant quantity of oil was deposited on the ocean floor outside this area but so far has evaded detection because of its heterogeneous spatial distribution.
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