bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Internal medicine trainee perspectives on back‐up call systems and relationships to burnout
Authors: Sheikh Natasha , Ng Stella L. , Flett Heather , Shah Rupal
Published: December 2022

Introduction

As burnout within medicine escalates, residency programmes should strive to understand how training structures may contribute. Back‐up call systems that address gaps in overnight resident call coverage are one possible contributing structure. However, the intersection between back‐up call policies and burnout remains unclear. The authors explored residents' decision‐making process when deciding whether or not to activate a back‐up resident for call coverage, perspectives surrounding the legitimacy of call activations and the impact of back‐up call systems on education and experienced burnout.

Methods

Internal medicine residents at the University of Toronto were recruited through email. Eighteen semi‐structured one‐on‐one interviews were conducted with residents from September 2019 to February 2020. Interviews explored participants' experiences and perceptions with back‐up call and call activations. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to develop a conceptual understanding of the back‐up system as it relates to residents' decisions underlying activations, downstream impacts and relationships to burnout.

Results

Residents described a complex thought process when deciding whether to activate back‐up. Decisions were coloured by inner conflicts including sense of collegiality, need to maintain an image and time of year balanced against self‐reported burnout. Residents described how back‐up calls can lead to burnout, usually in the form of exhaustion, lowering their threshold to trigger future back‐up activations. Impacts included anxiety of not knowing whether an activation would occur, decreased educational productivity and the ‘domino effect’ of increased workload for colleagues.

Discussion

Residents weigh inner tensions when deciding to activate back‐up. Their collective experience suggests that burnout is both a trigger and consequence of back‐up calls, creating a cyclical relationship. Escalating rates of call activations may signal that burnout amongst residents is high, warranting educational leads to assess for resident wellness and to critically evaluate the structure of such systems with respect to unintended consequences.
The relationship between organising pneumonia and invasive mould disease in patients with haematologic malignancy
Authors: Bae Moonsuk , Song Joon Seon , Kim Ji Yeun , Bae Seongman , Jung Jiwon , Kim Min Jae , Chong Yong Pil , Lee Sang‐Oh , Choi Sang‐Ho , Kim Yang Soo , Kim Sung‐Han
Published: December 2022

Background

Organising pneumonia (OP) is reported in patients with haematologic malignancy suspected of having invasive mould disease, yet little is known about this relationship.

Objective

To investigate molecular evidence of invasive mould pneumonia in paraffin‐embedded lung tissues from histologically diagnosed OP patients with suspected invasive mould pneumonia.

Patients/Methods

Patients with haematologic malignancy suspected to have invasive pulmonary mould disease who underwent lung biopsy at a tertiary hospital, Seoul, South Korea, between 2008 and 2020, were retrospectively reviewed. To find molecular evidence of fungal infection, PCR assay was used to detect Aspergillus‐ and Mucorales‐specific DNA within OP lung tissue sections.

Results

Forty‐seven patients with suspected invasive mould pneumonia underwent lung biopsy and 15 (32%) were histologically diagnosed as OP without any evidence of fungal hyphae. Of these 15 patients, 3 (20%) received allogenic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation prior to developing OP. Before biopsy, 2 and 13 patients had probably and possible invasive mould disease, respectively. The median antifungal treatment length was 81 [8–114] days, and the median steroid treatment dosage was 0.35 mg/kg/day for 36 days (methylprednisolone equivalent doses), respectively. After biopsy, three patients with possible invasive mould infection revealed probable invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. From the 15 paraffin‐embedded lung tissues, 6 (40%) exhibited positive PCR assay results for detecting Aspergillus‐ and Mucorales‐specific DNA.

Conclusions

More than one third of OP cases in patients with suspected invasive mould pneumonia exhibited molecular evidence of invasive mould infection by fungus‐specific PCR in lung tissues, likely associated with concurrent or prior fungal infection.
Self‐compassion reduces parental burnout: Mediation roles of parental psychological control and support
Authors: Nguyen Thanh Minh , Nguyen An Hong , Tran Phuong Truc Thi , Vo Hong Tan Phuong
Published: December 2022

This study investigated the mediating role of parental psychological control (PPC) and support in the relationship between self‐compassion and parental burnout syndrome. The study participants included 1185 Vietnamese parents who completed questionnaires regarding demographic information, parental burnout, self‐compassion, parental support of the child, and PPC. We used data analyses, including structural equation modeling, to test the mediation roles of PPC and parental support of the child. Our main findings include: (1) self‐compassion had a significant negative effect on parental burnout; (2) the mediation roles of PPC and parental support of the child were also significant. These results suggest that parents with high self‐compassion tend to provide more support for children in daily parenting, which helps reduce parental burnout. In contrast, parents with low self‐compassion were more likely to use PPC, which exacerbated their burnout. The results from this study provide suggestions for creating effective interventions in the family context to reduce parental burnout and improve parenting effectiveness.
Engineered Ferritin with Eu3+ as a Bright Nanovector: A Photoluminescence Study
Authors: Affatigato Luisa , Sciortino Alice , Sancataldo Giuseppe , Incocciati Alessio , Piacentini Roberta , Bonamore Alessandra , Cannas Marco , Messina Fabrizio , Licciardi Mariano , Militello Valeria
Published: December 2022

Ferritin nanoparticles play many important roles in theranostic and bioengineering applications and have been successfully used as nanovectors for the targeted delivery of drugs due to their ability to specifically bind the transferrin receptor (TfR1, or CD71). They can be either genetically or chemically modified for encapsulating therapeutics or probes in their inner cavity. Here, we analyzed a new engineered ferritin nanoparticle, made of the H chain mouse ferritin (HFt) fused with a specific lanthanide binding tag (LBT). The HFt‐LBT has one high affinity lanthanide binding site per each of the 24 subunits and a tryptophane residue within the tag that acts as an antenna able to transfer the energy to the lanthanide ions via a LRET process. In this study, among lanthanides, we selected europium for its red emission that allows to reduce overlap with tissue auto‐fluorescence. Steady state emission measurements and time‐resolved emission spectroscopy have been employed to investigate the interaction between the HFt‐LBT and the Eu3+ ions. This allowed us to identify the Eu3+ energy states involved in the process and to pave the way for the future use of HFt‐LBT Eu3+ complex in theranostics.
Ewing and Ewing‐like sarcomas: A morphological guide through genetically‐defined entities
Authors: Yoshida Akihiko
Published: December 2022

The fifth edition of the World Health Organization classification of soft tissue and bone tumors redefined Ewing sarcoma by fusions between EWSR1/FUS and ETS family of transcription factors, and recognized three tumor groups among Ewing‐like sarcoma: CIC‐rearranged sarcoma, sarcoma with BCOR genetic alterations, and round cell sarcoma with EWSR1::non‐ETS fusions. Although this classification underscores the critical role of molecular genetics in the diagnosis of small round cell sarcoma, each entry is recognized as a specific entity not only because they have different genetics but because their phenotypes are distinct and reasonably robust to support the diagnosis. This review focuses on the morphological aspects of Ewing sarcoma and a subset of Ewing‐like sarcomas (CIC‐rearranged sarcoma, BCOR‐associated sarcoma, and EWSR1::NFATC2 sarcoma) for which phenotypic characteristics have been well established. Classic histological findings, uncommon variations, and recurrent diagnostic pitfalls are addressed, along with the utility of recently developed immunohistochemical markers (NKX2.2, PAX7, ETV4, BCOR, CCNB3, and NKX3.1). Phenotypic expertise would significantly expedite the diagnostic process and complement (or sometimes outperform) genetic testing, even in well‐resourced settings. Morphological knowledge plays an even more substantial role in facilities that do not have easy access to molecular testing.
When does it pay to invest in pricing algorithms?
Authors: Wang Xin , Li Xi , Kopalle Praveen K.
Published: December 2022

Nowadays, firms frequently use big data and pricing algorithms to offer consumers personalized prices according to their willingness to pay. Advances in information technologies have further facilitated the use of customized pricing, which we consider an important facet of transformative marketing. At the outset, personalized pricing may appear to reduce the asymmetry of information between the firm and consumers, and benefits the firm but hurts consumers. To investigate this view, we consider a novel setting in which consumers must incur search costs to make an informed purchase from the firm. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we find that personalized pricing can sometimes make both the firm and consumers better off, thus leading to a win–win situation. We also show that an imperfect pricing algorithm can outperform a perfect one, thereby explaining why certain retailers like Amazon are adopting imperfect pricing algorithms. On the one hand, a moderately reliable pricing algorithm gives high‐preference consumers a chance to be misclassified as low‐preference consumers and obtain a low price, thereby encouraging consumer search. On the other hand, a highly reliable pricing algorithm significantly reduces consumers' surplus, which stifles consumer search. As a result, both firm profit and consumer surplus can be nonmonotone in the reliability of the algorithm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that documents the effect of personalized pricing under consumer search.
From the AKNS system to the matrix Schrödinger equation with vanishing potentials: Direct and inverse problems
Authors: Demontis Francesco , van der Mee Cornelis
Published: December 2022

We relate the scattering theory of the focusing AKNS system with vanishing boundary conditions to that of the matrix Schrödinger equation. The corresponding Miura transformation, which allows this connection, converts the focusing matrix nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation into a new nonlocal integrable equation. We apply the matrix triplet method to derive the multisoliton solutions of the nonlocal integrable equation, thus proposing a new method to solve the matrix NLS equation.
Dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy‐augmented characterization of pigmented micro‐basal cell carcinoma (less than 2 mm diameter)
Authors: Foltz Emilie , Ludzik Joanna , Witkowski Alexander
Published: December 2022

Background

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer, accounting for approximately 80% of nonmelanoma skin cancer diagnoses each year. Among other factors, the staging of BCC is influenced by its measured diameter. Stage 1 BCC is defined as a lesion measuring 2 cm across or less. Of note, there have been increasing publications reporting features of “small‐sized” BCCs, which can present smaller than 1 mm. However, few of these studies have characterized features of pigmented small‐sized BCC. The application of in‐vivo imaging such as dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) allows for the non‐invasive distinction of these lesions from benign and malignant melanocytic neoplasms, thereby reducing unnecessary biopsies.

Methods

Within one year, three patients presented to Oregon Health and Science University's dermatology clinic with pigmented lesions of concern measuring less than 2 mm that were histologically confirmed as pigmented BCC. We sought to characterize the features of these lesions in a case series with the non‐invasive imaging modalities of dermoscopy and RCM.

Results

All cases presented clinically as a small, brown, macule on the face. Each of the three cases exhibited differing features on dermoscopy. With the application of RCM, we were able to visualize characteristic BCC features, prompting removal by shave biopsy.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, no other study has reported dermoscopic and RCM features of a cohort of pigmented BCCs 2 mm in diameter or smaller. We propose to define BCCs of this size as micro‐BCCs. The variability of dermoscopic findings observed in our study, combined with the small size of these pigmented lesions, shows the utility of RCM as a non‐invasive diagnostic tool for pigmented micro‐BCCs.
Soil legacy phosphorus after 10 years of annual dairy liquid manure application in a no‐tillage system
Authors: Gotz Lenir Fátima , Favaretto Nerilde , Barth Gabriel , Pavinato Paulo Sergio , Pauletti Volnei
Published: December 2022

The benefits of manure as a source of nutrients for plants and to improve soil quality are well‐known. Monitoring of manure application is needed if environmental issues are to be prevented. In particular, the availability and accumulation of phosphorus (P) has to be subject to rigorous monitoring. This study aims to both evaluate the efficacy of the resin method in extracting inorganic labile P in soils under the long‐term application of dairy liquid manure (DLM), and verify the influence of DLM on the recovery of applied P and soil legacy P. To realize our objectives, two long‐term field experiments were established under a no‐tillage system with annual DLM application on sandy clay loam (sandy Oxisol) and clayey (clayey Oxisol) soils. Treatment consisted of DLM applications (0, 60, 120, 180 m3 ha−1 year−1), independent of mineral fertilizer. Soil samples were taken from the 0–5, 5–10 and 10–15 cm layers after 10 years from the beginning of the trial. A single extraction with resin underestimated inorganic labile P; however, successive extractions were able to take up 43% and 26% of the total P in sandy and clayey Oxisols, respectively, whereas in a single extraction the take‐up was 17% and 8% from the same soils, respectively. The resin method was more effective in extracting P from the sandy Oxisol. Thus, when interpreting soil P contents for fertilizer planning, the soil texture should be taken into account. DLM application decreased P recovered from applied P, ranging from 54% to 83% (sandy), and 43% to 67% (clayey), and substantially increased soil legacy P.
Topical vanadate improves tensile strength and alters collagen organisation of excisional wounds in a mouse model
Authors: Lintel Hendrik , Abbas Darren B. , Mackay Duncan J. , Griffin Michelle , Lavin Christopher V. , Berry Charlotte E. , Guardino Nicholas J. , Guo Jason L. , Momeni Arash , Mackay Donald R. , Longaker Michael T. , Wan Derrick C.
Published: December 2022

Wound dehiscence, oftentimes a result of the poor tensile strength of early healing wounds, is a significant threat to the post‐operative patient, potentially causing life‐threatening complications. Vanadate, a protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, has been shown to alter the organisation of deposited collagen in healing wounds and significantly improve the tensile strength of incisional wounds in rats. In this study, we sought to explore the effects of locally administered vanadate on tensile strength and collagen organisation in both the early and remodelling phases of excisional wound healing in a murine model. Wild‐type mice underwent stented excisional wounding on their dorsal skin and were divided equally into three treatment conditions: vanadate injection, saline injection control and an untreated control. Tensile strength testing, in vivo suction Cutometer analysis, gross wound measurements and histologic analysis were performed during healing, immediately upon wound closure, and after 4 weeks of remodelling. We found that vanadate treatment significantly increased the tensile strength of wounds and their stiffness relative to control wounds, both immediately upon healing and into the remodelling phase. Histologic analysis revealed that these biomechanical changes were likely the result of increased collagen deposition and an altered collagen organisation composed of thicker and distinctly organised collagen bundles. Given the risk that dehiscence poses to all operative patients, vanadate presents an interesting therapeutic avenue to improve the strength of post‐operative wounds and unstable chronic wounds to reduce the risk of dehiscence.
Epiregulin is a dendritic cell–derived EGFR ligand that maintains skin and lung fibrosis
Authors: Odell Ian D. , Steach Holly , Gauld Stephen B. , Reinke-Breen Lauren , Karman Jozsef , Carr Tracy L. , Wetter Joseph B. , Phillips Lucy , Hinchcliff Monique , Flavell Richard A.
Published: December 2022

Immune cells are fundamental regulators of extracellular matrix (ECM) production by fibroblasts and have important roles in determining extent of fibrosis in response to inflammation. Although much is known about fibroblast signaling in fibrosis, the molecular signals between immune cells and fibroblasts that drive its persistence are poorly understood. We therefore analyzed skin and lung samples of patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that causes debilitating fibrosis of the skin and internal organs. Here, we define a critical role of epiregulin-EGFR signaling between dendritic cells and fibroblasts to maintain elevated ECM production and accumulation in fibrotic tissue. We found that epiregulin expression marks an inducible state of DC3 dendritic cells triggered by type I interferon and that DC3-derived epiregulin activates EGFR on fibroblasts, driving a positive feedback loop through NOTCH signaling. In mouse models of skin and lung fibrosis, epiregulin was essential for persistence of fibrosis in both tissues, which could be abrogated by epiregulin genetic deficiency or a neutralizing antibody. Therapeutic administration of epiregulin antibody reversed fibrosis in patient skin and lung explants, identifying it as a previously unexplored biologic drug target. Our findings reveal epiregulin as a crucial immune signal that maintains skin and lung fibrosis in multiple diseases and represents a promising antifibrotic target.
Supplemental Material: Multiple spatial and temporal scales of deformation from geodetic monitoring point to active transcrustal magma system at Uturuncu volcano, Bolivia
Authors: Eiden E. , al. et
Published: December 2022

Additional details on InSAR processing and analysis, GNSS analysis, and Mogi model.
Deformation and Fracture Behavior of Particle-Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites and Coatings
Authors: Balokhonov R. R. , Romanova V. A. , Buyakova S. P. , Kulkov A. S. , Bakeev R. A. , Evtushenko E. P. , Zemlyanov A. V.
Published: December 2022

This paper considers the deformation of Al/B4C and NiTi/TiC composites and 6061T6 aluminum alloy with double-layer composite coatings reinforced by B4C and TiC particles. Three- and two-dimensional dynamic problems are solved numerically using Abaqus/Explicit. The thermomechanical behavior of homogeneous aluminum matrices and substrates is modeled by an isotropic elastic-plastic formulation. The nitinol matrix implies the possibility of a completely reversible elastic phase transition from austenite to martensite upon reaching the critical equivalent strains. The fracture of particles in the composite coating is modeled using the Huber criterion, taking into account the stress mode type. The study also examines the effects of the volume fraction of boron carbide particles and the phase transition in NiTi on the magnitude of residual stresses and strains in composites after cooling and under mechanical loads. The influence of the arrangement of composite layers on the strength of the material with a double-layer coating is evaluated theoretically and experimentally. The results of the experiments qualitatively confirm the simulation results.
The Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Compositions of Larvae of Burrowing Shrimps (Crustacea: Decapoda: Gebiidea and Axiidea) from Vostok Bay, Sea of Japan
Authors: Kornienko E. S. , Kiyashko S. I.
Published: December 2022

Larvae of eight burrowing shrimp species from Vostok Bay, Sea of Japan, were analyzed for their carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope composition. In zoeae I of these species, the δ13C values varied in a range characteristic of planktotrophic organisms, with the average values for larvae of gebiids being lower than for larvae of axiids. The highest δ15N values, comparable to those reported for omnivorous zooplankton, were recorded from larvae ofLeonardsaxius amurensisandBoasaxius princeps. The dominance of phytoplankton in the diet of zoeae I ofNihonotrypaea makaroviwas indicated by the low δ15N values close to the nitrogen isotope ratio of particulate organic matter. According to the nitrogen isotope composition, the larvae of threeUpogebiaspecies and twoNihonotrypaeaspecies held an intermediate position (with δ15N values ranging from 6.2 to 6.4‰). It was found that the diet of the studied burrowing shrimp larvae does not depend on the taxonomic position, and food preferences differ markedly even in zoeae of congener species, which should be taken into account when cultivating decapod larvae under laboratory conditions.
Lumbar spinal intraosseous schwannoma: a non-operative approach
Authors: O'Halloran Louis , O'Halloran Amanda , Murphy Suzanne , Morris Seamus
Published: December 2022

Intraosseous schwannomas are benign tumours composed of nerve sheath cells, most commonly affecting the mandible and sacrum. Such intraosseous schwannomas in the vertebra can result in spinal instability causing deformity, pain and even neurological compression. Vertebral involvement in the lumbar spine is extremely rare. A case of a schwannoma of the lumbar spine at the level of L3/L4 is presented. It resulted in progressive lower back pain and right lower limb radiculopathy. The clinical findings, radiological reports and histological diagnosis of this case, along with a review of the literature, are presented. The rationale for non-surgical management of this rare benign tumour is also explored.
Tuberculous spondylitis following intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy for bladder cancer surgically treated through the anterior approach
Authors: Shimizu Toshiyuki , Kobayashi Yoshiomi , Fujiyoshi Kanehiro , Yato Yoshiyuki
Published: December 2022

Intravesical BCG therapy is commonly used to treat superficial bladder cancer. Although various complications associated with this therapy have been reported, tuberculous spondylitis is uncommon. Here, we report a rare case of tuberculous spondylitis that occurred after intravesical BCG therapy for bladder cancer. A man in his 80s received BCG immunotherapy for bladder cancer and developed low back pain after treatment. Remarkably, he presented with neurological symptoms. Spondylitis was suspected on imaging. CT-guided biopsy was performed to confirm the diagnosis. Consequently,Mycobacterium boviswas identified as the causative pathogen by multiplex PCR. Multidrug therapy, administered for several months, was ineffective. Therefore, surgery was performed through an anterior approach. The symptoms, including low back pain, improved and postoperative C reactive protein tests were within the normal range. Tuberculous spondylitis following BCG therapy should be considered in cases with a history of bladder cancer treatment.
Surgical approach for traumatic chiasmal syndrome and complete third nerve palsy following severe head trauma
Authors: Portela Mariana , Lorga Tiago , Portelinha Joana , Costa João Marques
Published: December 2022

Traumatic chiasmal syndrome and traumatic third nerve palsies are rare entities usually caused by severe, high-speed, closed-head road accidents that require a thorough diagnostic work-up and complex medical and surgical management. This report presents the case of a young adult who was involved in a motorcycle accident and sustained blunt frontal head trauma, resulting in optical chiasmal syndrome and complete unilateral third nerve palsy. Ophthalmological examination demonstrated a right complete ptosis, a downward and outward position of the right eye with a fixed and dilated pupil, and bitemporal hemianopsia. In addition, funduscopy revealed bilateral optical nerve atrophy. After stabilisation and during follow-up, strabismus surgery was performed with improvement of ocular alignment in the primary position. Subsequently, eyelid surgery was carried out with good amplification of the visual field, particularly on the left side. Although challenging, surgical intervention in these cases should be considered for both functional and cosmetic reasons.
Prediction of breast cancer risk among women of the Mariana Islands: the BRISK retrospective case–control study
Authors: Shvetsov Yurii B , Wilkens Lynne R , White Kami K , Chong Marie , Buyum Arielle , Badowski Grazyna , Leon Guerrero Rachael T , Novotny Rachel
Published: December 2022

Objectives

To develop a breast cancer risk prediction model for Chamorro and Filipino women of the Mariana Islands and compare its performance to that of the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (BCRAT).

Design

Case–control study.

Setting

Clinics/facilities and other community-based settings on Guam and Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands).

Participants

245 women (87 breast cancer cases and 158 controls) of Chamorro or Filipino ethnicity, age 25–80 years, with no prior history of cancer (other than skin cancer), residing on Guam or Saipan for at least 5 years.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Breast cancer risk models were constructed using combinations of exposures previously identified to affect breast cancer risk in this population, population breast cancer incidence rates and all-cause mortality rates for Guam.

Results

Models using ethnic-specific relative risks performed better than those with relative risks estimated from all women. The model with the best performance among both ethnicities (the Breast Cancer Risk Model (BRISK) model; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC): 0.64 and 0.67 among Chamorros and Filipinos, respectively) included age at menarche, age at first live birth, number of relatives with breast cancer and waist circumference. The 10-year breast cancer risk predicted by the BRISK model was 1.28% for Chamorros and 0.89% for Filipinos. Performance of the BCRAT was modest among both Chamorros (AUC: 0.60) and Filipinos (AUC: 0.55), possibly due to incomplete information on BCRAT risk factors.

Conclusions

The ability to develop breast cancer risk models for Mariana Islands women is constrained by the small population size and limited availability of health services and data. Nonetheless, we have demonstrated that breast cancer risk prediction models with adequate discriminatory performance can be built for small populations such as in the Mariana Islands. Anthropometry, in particular waist circumference, was important for estimating breast cancer risk in this population.
Smoking cessation interventions and implementations in Japan: a study protocol for a scoping review and supplemental survey
Authors: Nagasawa Tomomi , Saito Junko , Odawara Miyuki , Imamura Haruhiko , Kaji Yuki , Yuwaki Keiichi , Nogi Kazuya , Nakamura Masakazu , Shimazu Taichi
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Despite various tobacco control measures in Japan, smoking remains a leading cause of mortality. This manuscript outlines proposed methodology for scoping review that aims to describe the knowledge gaps for local-level smoking cessation interventions in Japan, their implementation barriers and facilitators, and the use of implementation strategies.

Methods and analysis

A scoping review will be conducted using the updated guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-extension for Scoping Reviews to systematically search peer-reviewed journal articles and grey literature to identify studies on smoking cessation interventions in Japan. The six-stage scoping review model will involve (1) identifying the research question; (2) identifying relevant studies; (3) selecting studies; (4) charting data; (5) collating, summarising and reporting the results; and (6) consultation exercise. Since there is little information available on the implementation context in the literature, we will use grey literature to identify organisations implementing smoking cessation interventions and conduct a cross-sectional survey among them to supplement the information gap. Based on a literature review, findings will be organised on smoking cessation interventions in local settings (ie, communities, workplaces, schools and hospitals) at the population, provider and individual levels in Japan to understand knowledge gaps. We will adopt the consolidated framework for implementation research to identify implementation barriers and facilitators, and the expert recommendations for implementing change to identify implementation strategies.

Ethics and dissemination

This study does not require ethical committee approval. The scoping review method will be robust in searching available smoking cessation interventions in Japan. The findings of this study will be compiled as case studies of best practices on smoking cessation interventions and disseminated to relevant stakeholders at the public and private levels through publications, presentations in conferences and stakeholder meetings.
Endovascular revascularisation versus surgical revascularisation in patients with lower limb atherosclerosis obliterans: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis and meta-regression
Authors: Huang Qun , Shu Hongxin , Zeng Chuanfei , Qiu Peng , Xiong Xiaowei , Lu Xinwu
Published: December 2022

Introduction

The revascularisation strategy for lower limb atherosclerosis obliterans (ASO) remains controversial. In this meta-analysis, we will summarise existing evidence to compare the long-term and short-term outcomes between endovascular revascularisation and open revascularisation for patients with ASO.

Methods

Relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies are included from the following databases: MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library. The last search time is 1 August 2022. Two reviewers will independently identify RCTs and cohort studies according to eligibility and exclusion criteria. The risk of bias of included cohort studies, and RCTs are assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, Methodological Index of Non-randomized Studies and Cochrane Collaboration’s tool, respectively. The primary outcomes include overall survival, amputation-free survival and 30-day mortality. TSA Beta Software V.0.9.5.10 is used to perform the trial sequential analysis for primary outcomes. The Grades of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) tool will be used to assess the level of evidence for outcome from RCTs. Stata V.17.0 software is used to pool primary outcomes.

Ethics and dissemination

This study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals or conference reports. No ethical approval requirements are required because the results presented in this study are conducted based on published data.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022359591
Additional operation rates after surgery for degenerative spine diseases: minimum 10 years follow-up of 4705 patients in the national Swedish spine register
Authors: Joelson Anders , Sigmundsson Freyr Gauti
Published: December 2022

Objectives

To identify rates of additional operation after the index operation for degenerative lumbar spine diseases.

Design

Retrospective register study.

Setting

National outcome data from Swespine, the National Swedish spine register.

Participants

A total of 4705 patients who underwent one-level surgery for degenerative disk disease (DDD) or lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) with or without degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2010 were followed from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2020 to record all cases of additional lumbar spine operations.

Interventions

One-level spinal decompression and/or posterolateral fusion for degenerative spine diseases.

Primary outcome measures

Number of additional operations.

Results

Additional operations were more common at adjacent levels for patients with LSS with DS treated with decompression and fusion whereas additional operations were more evenly distributed between the index level and the adjacent levels for DDD treated with fusion and LSS with and without DS treated with decompression only. For patients younger than 60 years, treated with decompression and fusion for LSS with DS, the additional operations were evenly distributed between the index level and the adjacent levels.

Conclusions

There are different patterns of additional operations following the index procedure after surgery for degenerative spine diseases. Rigidity across previously mobile segments is not the only important factor in the development of adjacent segment disease (ASD) after spinal fusion, also the underlying disease and age may play parts in ASD development. The findings of this study can be used in the shared decision-making process when surgery is a treatment option for patients with degenerative lumbar spine diseases as the first operation may be the start of a series of additional spinal operations for other degenerative spinal conditions, either at the index level or at other spinal levels.
The phosphinoboration of thiosemicarbazones
Authors: Baird Samuel R. , Vogels Christopher M. , Geier Stephen J. , Watanabe Lara K. , Binder Justin F. , Macdonald Charles L. B. , Westcott Stephen A.
Published: December 2022

This study reports on the exploration of the phosphinoboration reaction with several thiosemicarbazones (R5R4NC(S)NR3N=CR1R2). Reactions between either Ph2PBpin (pin = 1,2-O2C2Me4) or Ph2PBcat (cat = 1,2-O2C6H4) with thiosemicarbazones containing a terminal primary or secondary amine afforded boron-containing heterocyclic 1,3,4-thiadiazoline products in excellent yield. The addition of Ph2PBpin to thiosemicarbazones containing an NMe2 group in the terminal position generated novel five-membered heterocycles in moderate yield, which included boron, sulfur, and nitrogen atoms. Heterocyclization of the thiosemicarbazones occurs preferentially in the presence of functional groups such as acetyl and pyridyl groups.
Growth of perturbations in Tsallis and Barrow cosmology
Authors: Sheykhi Ahmad , Farsi Bita
Published: December 2022

We report the effects of entropic corrections to the Friedmann equations on the growth of perturbations in the early stages of the universe. We consider two types of corrections to the area law of entropy, known as Tsallis and Barrow entropy. Using these corrections to entropy, we derive the modified Friedmann equations and explore the growth of perturbations in a flat universe filled with dark matter (DM) and the cosmological constant. We employ the spherically symmetric collapse formalism and work in the linear regime for the perturbations. Interestingly enough, we find that the profile of density contrast is quite different from the standard cosmology in Tsallis and Barrow cosmology. We observe that the growth rate of matter perturbations crucially depends on the values of Tsallis and Barrow parameters. By increasing these entropy correction parameters, the total density contrast increases as well. This implies that perturbations grow faster in a universe with modified entropy-corrected Friedmann equations.
Calibration strategy of the JUNO-TAO experiment
Authors: Xu Hangkun , Abusleme Angel , Anfimov Nikolay V. , Callier Stéphane , Campeny Agustin , Cao Guofu , Cao Jun , Cerna Cedric , Chen Yu , Chepurnov Alexander , Ding Yayun , Druillole Frederic , Fabbri Andrea , Fei Zhengyong , Gromov Maxim , He Miao , He Wei , He Yuanqiang , Hor Joseph Y. K. , Hou Shaojing , Hu Jianrun , Hu Jun , Huss Cédric , Ji Xiaolu , Jiang Tao , Jiang Xiaoshan , Jolliet Cécile , Li Daozheng , Li Min , Li Ruhui , Li Yichen , Liu Caimei , Liu Mengchao , Liu Yunzhe , Lombardo Claudio , Di Lorenzo Selma Conforti , Lu Peizhi , Luo Guang , Mari Stefano M. , Ma Xiaoyan , Montini Paolo , Ochoa-Ricoux Juan Pedro , Pei Yatian , Perrot Frédéric , Petrucci Fabrizio , Qian Xiaohui , Rebii Abdel , Roskovec Bedr̆ich , Rybnikov Arsenij , Steiger Hans , Sun Xilei , Walker Pablo , Wang Derun , Wang Meifen , Wang Wei , Wang Wei , Wang Zhimin , Wu Diru , Xiao Xiang , Xie Yuguang , Xie Zhangquan , Yan Wenqi , Yang Huan , Yao Haifeng , Ye Mei , Yuan Chengzhuo , Zamogilnyi Kirill , Zhan Liang , Zhang Jie , Zhang Shuihan , Zhao Rong
Published: December 2022

The Taishan Antineutrino Observatory (TAO or JUNO-TAO) is a satellite experiment of the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO). Located near a reactor of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant, TAO will measure the reactor antineutrino energy spectrum with an unprecedented energy resolution of $$<2\%$$

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at 1 MeV. Energy calibration is critical to achieve such a high energy resolution. Using the Automated Calibration Unit (ACU) and the Cable Loop System (CLS), multiple radioactive sources are deployed to various positions in the TAO detector for energy calibration. The residual non-uniformity can be controlled within 0.2%. The energy resolution degradation and energy bias caused by the residual non-uniformity can be controlled within 0.05% and 0.3%, respectively. The uncertainty of the non-linear energy response can be controlled within 0.6% with the radioactive sources of various energies, and could be further improved with cosmogenic $$^{12}{\textrm{B}}$$

12

B

which is produced by the interaction of cosmic muon in the liquid scintillator. The stability of other detector parameters, e.g., the gain of each Silicon Photo-multiplier, will be monitored with an ultraviolet LED calibration system.
Accurate intercensal estimates of energy access to track Sustainable Development Goal 7
Authors: Pokhriyal Neeti , Letouzé Emmanuel , Vosoughi Soroush
Published: December 2022

Intercensal estimates of access to electricity and clean cooking fuels at policy planning microregions in a country are essential for understanding their evolution and tracking progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 7. Surveys are prohibitively expensive to get such intercensal microestimates. Existing works, mainly, focus on electrification rates, make predictions at the coarse spatial granularity, and generalize poorly to intercensal periods. Limited works focus on estimating clean cooking fuel access, which is one of the crucial indicators for measuring progress towards SDG 7. We propose a novel spatio-temporal multi-target Bayesian regression model that provides accurate intercensal microestimates for household electrification and clean cooking fuel access by combining multiple types of earth-observation data, census, and surveys. Our model’s estimates are produced for Senegal for 2020 at policy planning microregions, and they explain 77% and 86% of variation in regional aggregates for electrification and clean fuels, respectively, when validated against the most recent survey. The diagnostic nature of our microestimates reveals a slow evolution and significant lack of clean cooking fuel access in both urban and rural areas in Senegal. It underscores the challenge of expanding energy access even in urban areas owing to their rapid population growth. Owing to the timeliness and accuracy of our microestimates, they can help plan interventions by local governments or track the attainment of SDGs when no ground-truth data are available.
Design of Low-Power 16-Bit R-2R Digital-to-Analog Converter for Effective Biomedical Signal Processing
Authors: Singh Tejender , Tripathi Suman Lata , Prakash Kolla Bhanu
Published: December 2022

Digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is a part of various biomedical signal processing systems. DAC is one of the essential blocks optimizing the performance of various analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) such as SAR-ADC, Delta-Sigma ADC. In this paper, a 16-bit DAC is designed and analyzed that can be used in various applications of ADCs specifically useful in effective biomedical data processing. A design of resistor-2 resistor (R-2R) type DAC based on binary weighted resistors is implemented using 16-bit resolution at sampling rate of 500 MS/s. The main components of the design are R-2R ladder, Switch and operational amplifier. During the design of R-2R DAC op-amp, a current mirror circuit is used that provides a single-ended voltage signal without having any losses. In addition to that, it also uses RC coupling for blocking the DC part of the signal and improves the closed loop stability. All the work was carried out by using cadence virtuoso editor tool. The DAC is designed and simulated at 90 and 45 nm CMOS technology and a comparative analysis is done. The result obtained matches the desired specifications of DAC and it is more efficient and can be used for high-speed applications.
A 40% PAE and 34 dBm Peak OIP3 CMOS Power Amplifier with Integrated Zero Power Consumption Phase Linearizer
Authors: Gunasegaran Premmilaah , Rajendran Jagadheswaran , Mariappan Selvakumar , Yusof Yusman , Aziz Zulfiqar Ali Abd , Kumar Narendra
Published: December 2022

In this paper, an Integrated Phase Linearizer (IPL) technique is designed to improve the linearity performance of a CMOS power amplifier (PA). The IPL is integrated at the gate of the PA so that the effect of the parasitic gate-to-source ([Formula: see text]) capacitance of the main transistor is compensated by the linearizer. Thus, it improves the 3rd-order intermodulation point (OIP3) without trading-off the power added efficiency (PAE). The proposed solution is designed and fabricated in an 180[Formula: see text]nm CMOS technology process consuming the chip area of 2.25[Formula: see text]mm2. At the operating frequency of 2.45[Formula: see text]GHz, it exhibits a gain of 11.14[Formula: see text]dB with unconditional stability characteristics from 1[Formula: see text]GHz to 10[Formula: see text]GHz. Biased quiescent current of 19.35[Formula: see text]mA, the IPL-PA delivers a maximum output power of 15.20[Formula: see text]dBm with 40.86% peak PAE, 34.91[Formula: see text]dBm of peak OIP3 and maximum power consumption of 63.65[Formula: see text]mW at 2.45[Formula: see text]GHz with supply voltage headroom of 1.8[Formula: see text]V. The proposed linearization scheme proved to be an excellent solution for low-power transceivers integration.
Detecting Overlapping Communities in Complex Networks: An Evolutionary Label Propagation Approach
Authors: Saif Mojtaba , Samie Mohammad Ebrahim , Hamzeh Ali
Published: December 2022

A challenging issue in complex network analysis is overlapping community detection, which has attracted many studies. Label Propagation Algorithm (LPA) is one of the famous studies to detect communities. But it has some weaknesses such as using local information and randomly choosing the sequences of processing nodes. We introduce Evolutionary Label Propagation Algorithm (ELPA) to solve these problems and improve accuracy. ELPA uses an intelligent search instead of randomly processing nodes and fuses local and global perspectives. The proposed ELPA is compared with several state-of-the-art algorithms on synthetic and real-world networks with different sizes, densities, and complexities. The results indicate that ELPA provides better results on most of the test instances. Therefore, ELPA is an accurate and efficient algorithm for detecting overlapping communities.
Positive solutions of multipoint ϕ-Laplacian BVPs with first-order derivative dependence
Authors: Bachouche K. , Tair H. , Dogan A.
Published: December 2022

This paper concerns existence of positive solutions for a second-order boundary value problem of Sturm–Liouville type associated with a [Formula: see text]-Laplacian operator and posed on a bounded interval. Existence results are obtained by an adapted version of the Krasnosel’skii’s fixed point theorem of cone expansion and compression. Some examples illustrate our results.
Weight enumerators of all irreducible cyclic codes of length n
Authors: Kumar Pankaj , Riddhi
Published: December 2022

Let [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] are distinct odd primes, be an integer and [Formula: see text] be a finite field of order [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text]. We determine the weight enumerators of all irreducible cyclic codes of length [Formula: see text] over [Formula: see text] when multiplicative order of [Formula: see text] modulo [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text].
Exploring the Processing of Japanese Compound Verbs: Evidence from Unmasked Priming Lexical Decision Task
Authors: Yao Yijia
Published: December 2022

In this study, we used an unmasked constituent priming paradigm to test the effect of whole-word frequency and semantic transparency in the processing of Japanese compound verbs. Native speakers of Japanese saw a prime (related prime such as first constituent of the compound verb or an unrelated prime) overtly and then made lexical decision to a target compound verb. Results showed that target words with high whole-word frequency were significantly recognized faster than target words with low whole-word frequency, irrespective of prime type and semantic transparency. These results contrasted with English, in which robust constituent priming effects have been consistently reported. We contend that the processing of compound words is modulated by language-specific properties such as morphological properties, syntactic properties and orthographic properties.
REVIEWING THE RETURNS FOR BRUNEI DARUSSALAM’S PENSION SYSTEM
Authors: KOK JASON LIH CHENG
Published: December 2022

There has been concern among the public and policymakers on the adequacy of Brunei Darussalam’s pension system, with particular emphasis on the returns generated. This paper will investigate the historical returns since 1993, comparing them with other countries as well as theoretical optimal asset allocations. The detailed financial statements, statistics and annual reports released by Tabung Amanah Pekerja (TAP) provide the basis for a robust assessment. This paper will then conclude with recommendations to improve the returns generated by Brunei Darussalam’s pension system.
Partial Menger algebras and their weakly isomorphic representation
Authors: Denecke K.
Published: December 2022

As generalization of semigroups, Karl Menger introduced in the 1940th algebras of multiplace operations. Such algebras satisfy the superassociative law, a generalization of the associative law. Menger algebras are defined as models of this superassociative law. Cayley’s theorem for semigroups says that any model of the associative law is isomorphic to a transformation semigroup. R. M. Dicker proved in 1963 that every Menger algebra of rank n is isomorphic to a Menger algebra of n-ary operations on some set. The composition of terms in which each variable occurs at most r-times, so-called r-terms, leads to partial algebras where the superassociative law is satisfied as a weak identity. In this paper, we introduce the concepts of a partial Menger algebra, a unitary partial Menger algebra and of a generalized partial Menger algebra. We prove that r-terms of some type form a generalized partial Menger algebra with infinitely many nullary operations. Using weak identities and weak isomorphisms, Dicker’s result will be extended to partial Menger algebras and to unitary partial Menger algebras.