bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of chronic low back pain and its associated factors in the general population of South Korea: a cross-sectional study using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys
Authors: Park Hyun-Jin , Choi Jun-Young , Lee Woo Myung , Park Sang-Min
Published: January 2023

Background

Many factors associated with chronic low back pain (CLBP) have been proposed, including individual, psychosocial, and physical factors. However, these associated factors are still controversial.

Purpose

(1) To determine the prevalence of CLBP and (2) to analyze factors associated with CLBP in the general population using a nationally representative sample of South Koreans.

Study design

Cross-sectional study.

Patient sample

Data from versions IV-1, -2, and -3 of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), which were performed in 2007, 2008, and 2009, respectively (n = 24,871).

Outcome measures

Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between several factors (age, gender, alcohol consumption, household income, education level, mid-intensity physical activity, depressive symptoms, vitamin D level, and comorbidities [stroke, ischemic heart disease, knee osteoarthritis, asthma, COPD, cancer history]) and CLBP.

Methods

CLBP status was surveyed using a self-reported questionnaire. Demographic, socioeconomic status, comorbidities, and other factors were evaluated from health questionnaires, health and physical examinations, and laboratory tests. To analyze the association between these factors and CLBP, we used multiple logistic regression analysis.

Results

Data from 17,038 participants were included in the final analysis, including 2,693 with CLBP and 14,345 without. The prevalence of CLBP was 15.8% in South Korean subjects, with a prevalence of 11.8% in men and 24.5% in women. After regression analysis, we found advanced age, female gender, mid-intensity physical activity, depressive symptoms, stroke, ischemic heart disease, knee arthritis, asthma, COPD, and cancer history were positively associated with CLBP. In contrast, alcohol consumption ≥ 1 drink per month, increased household income, higher education level, and vitamin D insufficiency were negatively associated with CLBP.

Conclusions

Our study showed that CLBP was most common in the elderly and women in the general South Korean population. Several individual, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health-related factors were associated with CLBP. These results demonstrate the influence of these factors on CLBP in the general population and suggest that consideration of these factors may improve the management of CLBP.
Proteomics investigation of human sera for determination of postoperative indicators of pulmonary cystic echinococcosis
Authors: Sadjjadi Fatemeh Sadat , Hajjaran Homa , Sedaghat Bahareh , Mardani Parviz , Sadjjadi Seyed Mahmoud
Published: January 2023

Background

Cystic echinococcosis (CE)/hydatidosis is an important zoonotic parasitic disease caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus. The disease is a major health problem all over the world. Finding specific and sensitive biomarkers for follow-up of CE in patients after surgery is essential. Using proteomics methods, the present study aimed to evaluate post-surgical treatment by finding probable biomarker/s in the serum of human lungs CE.

Methods

A total of 24 human sera were tested. These sera included eight confirmed lung/s CE patients sera before surgery (BS), eight sera 12 months post-surgery (12MPS) as well as eight control sera from healthy people. Proteomics methods including 2DE and LC–MS/MS were performed on the specimens followed by bioinformatics analysis. Differentially expressed proteins (DEP) were detected and, separately integrated with protein–protein interaction (PPI) data to construct the PPI network.

Results

A total of 171 protein spots were detected in three groups including BS, 12MPS, and control groups; of which a total of 106 DEP have been expressed based on fold changes > = 2 and p-value < 0.05. More analysis was performed and a total of 10 protein spots were selected for identification by mass spectrometry showing the following proteins: APOA1, BGN, SPP2, EAF1, ACOXL, MRPL55, MCTP2, SEPTIN1, B4GALNT1, and ZNF843. Based on centrality parameters of the PPI network (degree and betweenness) five Hub-bottlenecks proteins with significant centrality values were found including APOA1, BGN, SPP2, EAF1, and ACOXL.

Conclusion

This study showed five proteins as hub-bottleneck proteins; of which APOA1 was more prominent. It can be concluded that a change in expression of this protein in patients’ sera could be used as an indicator tool for the achievement of lungs CE surgical therapy.
Psychiatric disorders, personality and neuropsychological alterations in Erdheim-Chester disease
Authors: Soumet-Leman Charlotte , Rotge Jean-Yves , Delavaud Pauline , Amoura Zahir , Cohen-Aubart Fleur , Haroche Julien
Published: January 2023

Although neurological manifestations and changes in brain volumes have been described in Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD), it remains unknown whether ECD may be associated with psychiatric symptoms and cognitive dysfunctions. We assessed the presence of psychiatric disorders, changes in temperaments and characters, and neuropsychological performances in 32 ECD patients (mean age = 59) younger than 70, not treated with interferon alpha during the last 6 months, and without other serious illnesses. ECD patients exhibited high level of past depressive disorder (80%) and anxiety disorder, especially agoraphobia (29%). They revealed personality changes, especially with high agreeableness (t = 3.18, p < 0.005) and high conscientiousness (t = 3.81, p < 0.001). Neuropsychological assessments showed impairments in attention (GZ: t = 16.12, p < 0.0001, KL: t = 37.01, p < 0.0001) and episodic memory performances (STIR: t = − 3.01, p = 0.006, LTFR: t = − 2.87, p = 0.008, LTIR: t = − 3.63, p = 0.001). Executive functions, such as flexibility, inhibitory control, were unimpaired. Although it remains to be clarified whether these psychiatric symptoms and cognitive impairments may impact the daily functioning and the quality of life, the present study highlights the need to consider cognitive and emotional states in ECD management.
Tumor biomarkers and efficacy in patients treated with trastuzumab emtansine + pertuzumab versus standard of care in HER2-positive early breast cancer: an open-label, phase III study (KRISTINE)
Authors: de Haas Sanne L. , Slamon Dennis J. , Martin Miguel , Press Michael F. , Lewis Gail D. , Lambertini Chiara , Prat Aleix , Lopez-Valverde Vanesa , Boulet Thomas , Hurvitz Sara A.
Published: January 2023

Background

KRISTINE is an open-label, phase III study of trastuzumab emtansine + pertuzumab (T-DM1 + P) versus docetaxel + carboplatin + trastuzumab + pertuzumab (TCH + P) in patients with HER2-positive, stage II–III breast cancer. We investigated the association of biomarkers with clinical outcomes in KRISTINE.

Methods

Patients were randomized to receive neoadjuvant T-DM1 + P or TCH + P and assessed for pathologic complete response (pCR; ypT0/is, ypN0). HER2 status (per central assessment), hormone receptor status, PIK3CA mutation status, HER2/HER3 mRNA levels, tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte levels, PD-L1 status, and NanoString data were analyzed. pCR rates by treatment arm were compared across biomarker subgroups. Analyses were descriptive.

Results

Biomarker analyses included data from all 444 patients (T-DM1 + P, n = 223; TCH + P, n = 221) enrolled in KRISTINE. Biomarker distribution was balanced across treatment arms. All subgroups with higher HER2 amplification/expression and immune marker levels showed numerically higher pCR rates in both arms. Mutated versus non-mutated PIK3CA tumors were associated with numerically lower pCR rates in the T-DM1 + P arm but not in the TCH + P arm. In a multivariate analysis, Prediction Analysis of Microarray with the 50-gene classifier (PAM50) HER2-enriched subtype, HER2 gene ratio ≥ 4, and PD-L1-positive status positively influenced the pCR rate. Biomarkers associated with lower pCR rates (e.g., low HER2 levels, positive hormone receptor status, mutated PIK3CA) were more likely to co-occur. Dynamic on-treatment biomarker changes were observed. Differences in the treatment effects for T-DM1 + P versus TCH + P were similar to those observed in the intent-to-treat population for the majority of the biomarker subgroups.

Conclusions

Although our biomarker analysis did not identify a subgroup of patients that benefited from neoadjuvant T-DM1 + P versus TCH + P, the data revealed that patients with higher HER2 amplification/expression and immune marker levels had improved response irrespective of treatment arm. These analyses confirm the role of HER2 tumor biology and the immune microenvironment in influencing pCR in the neoadjuvant setting and reaffirm the molecular diversity of HER2-positive breast cancer.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02131064. Registered 06 May 2014.
Lrig1 expression identifies quiescent stem cells in the ventricular-subventricular zone from postnatal development to adulthood and limits their persistent hyperproliferation
Authors: Nam Hyung-song , Capecchi Mario R.
Published: January 2023

Background

We previously identified Leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains 1 (Lrig1) as a marker of long-term neurogenic stem cells in the lateral wall of the adult mouse brain. The morphology of the stem cells thus identified differed from the canonical B1 type stem cells, raising a question about their cellular origin. Thus, we investigated the development of these stem cells in the postnatal and juvenile brain. Furthermore, because Lrig1 is a known regulator of quiescence, we also investigated the effect(s) of its deletion on the cellular proliferation in the lateral wall.

Methods

To observe the development of the Lrig1-lineage stem cells, genetic inducible fate mapping studies in combination with thymidine analog administration were conducted using a previously published Lrig1T2A-iCreERT2 mouse line. To identify the long-term consequence(s) of Lrig1 germline deletion, old Lrig1 knock-out mice were generated using two different Lrig1 null alleles in the C57BL/6J background. The lateral walls from these mice were analyzed using an optimized whole mount immunofluorescence protocol and confocal microscopy.

Results

We observed the Lrig1-lineage labeled cells with morphologies consistent with neurogenic stem cell identity in postnatal, juvenile, and adult mouse brains. Interestingly, when induced at postnatal or juvenile ages, morphologically distinct cells were revealed, including cells with the canonical B1 type stem cell morphology. Almost all of the presumptive stem cells labeled were non-proliferative at these ages. In the old Lrig1 germline knock-out mice, increased proliferation was observed compared to wildtype littermates without concomitant increase in apoptosis.

Conclusions

Once set aside during embryogenesis, the Lrig1-lineage stem cells remain largely quiescent during postnatal and juvenile development until activation in adult age. The absence of premature proliferative exhaustion in the Lrig1 knock-out stem cell niche during aging is likely due to a complex cascade of effects on the adult stem cell pool. Thus, we suggest that the adult stem cell pool size may be genetically constrained via Lrig1.
Cross-cultural adaptation, validity, reliability and responsiveness of the Japanese version of the Victorian Institute of sports assessment for patellar tendinopathy (VISA-P-J)
Authors: Togashi Ishin , Nagao Masashi , Nishio Hirofumi , Nozu Shojiro , Shiota Yuki , Takazawa Yuji
Published: January 2023

Background

This study aimed to translate, adapt, and test the psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the Victorian Institute of sports assessment for patellar tendinopathy (VISA-P-J).

Methods

This prospective cohort study registered 43 participants ≥ 18 years old with a history of painful symptoms in the inferior pole of the patella to the proximal patellar tendon lasting ≥ 1 month for patellar tendinopathy. Pain in daily life and during sports activities, symptom classification, and patient global impression of change were assessed at the baseline, 1 week, and 12 weeks. The psychometric properties, test–retest reliability, standard error of measurement, internal consistency criterion validity, construct validity, responsiveness, and interpretability, of the VISA-P-J were calculated according to the COSMIN.

Results

The two-way random-effects, absolute agreement intraclass correlation coefficient for test–retest reliability of VISA-P-J was 0.87 (95% confidence interval: 0.78, 0.93), and the standard error of measurement of VISA-P-J was 0.89. The Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency of VISA-P-J was 0.81. A correlation between VISA-P-J and Roel’s classification, Visual Analog Scale for pain (VAS)-Active Daily Living, and VAS-Sports (r = − 0.52, r = − 0.66, r = − 0.86, p < 0.01, respectively) was observed for criterion validity. All hypotheses of the hypothesis-testing method to evaluate construct validity and responsiveness of VISA-P-J were substantiated. The minimal clinically important difference of VISA-P-J was 7 points.

Conclusion

We demonstrated that the VISA-P-J was a reliable, valid, and responsive assessment method for individuals with chronic pain in the patellar tendon.
New Minkowski and related inequalities via general kernels and measures
Authors: Iqbal Sajid , Samraiz Muhammad , Khan Muhammad Adil , Rahman Gauhar , Nonlaopon Kamsing
Published: January 2023

In this article, we introduce a class of functions $\mathfrak{U}(\mathfrak{p})$
U
(
p
)
with integral representation defined over a measure space with σ-finite measure. The main purpose of this paper is to extend the Minkowski and related inequalities by considering general kernels. As a consequence of our general results, we connect our results with various variants for the fractional integrals operators. Such applications have wide use and importance in the field of applied sciences.
Comparison of the accuracy of three intraocular lens power calculation formulas in cataract patients with prior radial keratotomy
Authors: Li Meng , Wang Jin-Da , Zhang Jing-Shang , Mao Ying-Yan , Cao Kai , Wan Xiu-Hua
Published: January 2023

Purpose

To compare the accuracy of three intraocular lens (IOL) formulas in Chinese cataract patients with prior radial keratotomy (RK).

Methods

Medical records of cataract patients with prior RK at Beijing Tongren Hospital were retrospectively analysed. The absolute error (AE) was calculated as the absolute difference between the actual postoperative spherical equivalent and the predicted spherical equivalent. The AE and percentages of eyes with AE within 0.5D, 1.0D, and 2.0D for three formulas [Barrett True-K, Holladay 1 (D–K), Haigis] were calculated and compared.

Results

Forty-seven eyes of 28 cataract patients were included. The Median AE (MedAE) was significantly different among the three formulas (P < 0.001). The MedAE was lowest for the Barrett True-K formula (0.62), followed by the Haigis (0.76), and Holladay 1 (D–K) (1.16). The percentages of eyes with AE within 0.5D, and 1.0D were significantly different among the 3 formulas (P = 0.009, and P < 0.001). The Barrett True-K formula achieved the highest percentages (46.8%) of eyes with AE within 0.5D. Haigis achieved the highest percentages (70.21%) of eyes with AE within 1.0 D.

Conclusions

Barrett True-K is the most accurate IOL power calculation formula among the 3 formulas and Haigis is an alternative choice. Considering the relatively lower accuracy of IOL formulas in cataract patients with prior RK, newer and more accurate IOL formulas are desirable.
Robust visual tracking using very deep generative model
Authors: AlBasiouny Eman R. , Attia Abdel-Fattah , Abdelmunim Hossam E. , Abbas Hazem M.
Published: January 2023

Deep learning algorithms provide visual tracking robustness at an unprecedented level, but realizing an acceptable performance is still challenging because of the natural continuous changes in the features of foreground and background objects over videos. One of the factors that most affects the robustness of tracking algorithms is the choice of network architecture parameters, especially the depth. A robust visual tracking model using a very deep generator (RTDG) was proposed in this study. We constructed our model on an ordinary convolutional neural network (CNN), which consists of feature extraction and binary classifier networks. We integrated a generative adversarial network (GAN) into the CNN to enhance the tracking results through an adversarial learning process performed during the training phase. We used the discriminator as a classifier and the generator as a store that produces unlabeled feature-level data with different appearances by applying masks to the extracted features. In this study, we investigated the role of increasing the number of fully connected (FC) layers in adversarial generative networks and their impact on robustness. We used a very deep FC network with 22 layers as a high-performance generator for the first time. This generator is used via adversarial learning to augment the positive samples to reduce the gap between the hungry deep learning algorithm and the available training data to achieve robust visual tracking. The experiments showed that the proposed framework performed well against state-of-the-art trackers on OTB-100, VOT2019, LaSOT and UAVDT benchmark datasets.
The influence of Chile’s food labeling and advertising law and other factors on dietary and physical activity behavior of elementary students in a peripheral region: a qualitative study
Authors: Pfister Franziska , Pozas Claudia
Published: January 2023

Background

In 2016, Chile implemented the Food Labeling and Advertising Law to fight childhood obesity through front-of-package food labelling, marketing restrictions and school activities and programs. Nevertheless, little is known on its influence on key stakeholders in vulnerable peripheral regions of the country. This study aimed at identifying important influencing factors including the Food Labeling and Advertising Law on dietary habits and physical activity patterns of second graders in Chile, as perceived by school representatives and the children themselves.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews with four school directors and 17 groups of three second graders, informal interviews with 9 key teachers and 4 food services staff complemented with documented observations were carried out in four primary schools of the Chilean city of Punta Arenas, in the Magallanes Punta Arenas region. The different sources allowed for triangulation of results.

Results

FLAL seems to have a negligible influence on young children’s diet and physical activity in the study region. Barriers are children’s deeply rooted dietary habits, excessive screen-time, the parents’ lacking problem awareness, limited time for parenting practices and bad role modeling. Environmental barriers are overloaded schools due to insufficient coordination between governmental entities, lacking funds for sound teacher training and unsafe neighborhoods limiting children’s play.

Conclusions

Policy interventions aimed at reducing childhood obesity need to include and empower schools, families and local communities as active partners and consider their framework conditions for greater influence on dietary habits and physical activity.
Ten Years of the International Cancer Control Partnership: Promoting National Cancer Control Plans to Shape the Health System Response for Cancer Control
Authors: Torode Julie S. , Tittenbrun Zuzanna , Romero Yannick , Johnson Sonali E. , Bourque Jean-Marc , Given Leslie S. , Hohman Karin E. , Hawk Ernest , Stevens Lisa M.
Published: January 2023

Growing premature mortality because of cancer is an increasing public health concern in all countries. This article reviews 10 years of the International Cancer Control Partnership (ICCP) considering the themes of National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP) support, technical assistance, governance, and the renewed momentum of global calls to action. ICCP has provided key resources for the cancer community by hosting a portal with national cancer control and noncommunicable disease (NCD) plans, strategies, guidelines, and key implementation guides for a growing community of best practices. ICCP partners have responded to the changing needs of country planners, adjusting technical guidance as needs evolve from planning to implementation at the national level with an associated shift to peer-to-peer learning and knowledge exchange. The ICCP offer to assist countries in cancer planning continues to be relevant as countries focus on implementation of global initiatives for breast, cervical, and childhood cancers. These initiatives are important to drive priority actions and a systems approach in the emerging road map on NCDs—a message that will be supported by a second global review of NCCPs in 2023. This is critical for driving national action in all countries on cancer and other NCDs in line with global health commitments made for 2030 and adopted by the United Nations General Assemblies. ICCP sees robust systems and financial planning for implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of NCCPs and protection from cancer-related catastrophic expenditure, as critical to longer-term sustainability and success. ICCP calls for national policymakers to prioritize integration of cancer prevention and control into emerging universal health care approaches, including pandemic preparedness/health system resilience and calls for an equity focus in new NCCPs.
Increasing Racial and Ethnic Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Cancer Treatment Trials: Evaluation of an ASCO-Association of Community Cancer Centers Site Self-Assessment
Authors: Guerra Carmen , Pressman Alice , Hurley Patricia , Garrett-Mayer Elizabeth , Bruinooge Suanna S. , Howson Alexandra , Kaltenbaugh Melinda , Hanley Williams Jen , Boehmer Leigh , Bernick Lea Ann , Byatt Leslie , Charlot Marjory , Crews Jennie , Fashoyin-Aje Lola , McCaskill-Stevens Worta , Merrill Janette , Nowakowski Greg , Patel Manali I. , Ramirez Amelie , Zwicker Victoria , Oyer Randall A. , Pierce Lori J.
Published: January 2023

Clinical trial participants do not reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of people with cancer. ASCO and the Association of Community Cancer Centers collaborated on a quality improvement study to enhance racial and ethnic equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in cancer clinical trials. The groups conducted a pilot study to examine the feasibility, utility, and face validity of a two-part clinical trial site self-assessment to enable diverse types of research sites in the United States to (1) review internal data to assess racial and ethnic disparities in screening and enrollment and (2) review their policies, programs, procedures to identify opportunities and strategies to improve EDI. Overall, 81% of 62 participating sites were satisfied with the assessment; 82% identified opportunities for improvement; and 63% identified specific strategies and 74% thought the assessment had potential to help their site increase EDI. The assessment increased awareness about performance (82%) and helped identify specific strategies (63%) to increase EDI in trials. Although most sites (65%) were able to provide some data on the number of patients that consented, only two sites were able to provide all requested trial screening, offering, and enrollment data by race and ethnicity. Documenting and evaluating such data are critical steps toward improving EDI and are key to identifying and addressing disparities more broadly. ASCO and Association of Community Cancer Centers will partner with sites to better understand their processes and the feasibility of collecting screening, offering, and enrollment data in systematic and automated ways.
Visual detection threshold in the echolocating Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentonii)
Authors: Céchetto Clément , Jakobsen Lasse , Warrant Eric J.
Published: January 2023

All bats possess eyes that are of adaptive value. Echolocating bats have retinae dominated by rod photoreceptors and use dim light vision for navigation, and in rare cases for hunting. However, the visual detection threshold of insectivorous echolocating bats remains unknown. Here we determine this threshold for the vespertilionid bat Myotis daubentonii. We show that for a green luminous target, M. daubentonii has a visual luminance threshold of 3.2±0.9×10−4 candela/m2, an intensity corresponding to the luminance of an open cloudless terrestrial habitat on a starlit night. Our results show that echolocating bats have good visual sensitivity, allowing them to see when they are active. Together with previous results showing that M. daubentonii has poor visual acuity (∼0.6 cycles/deg), suggests that echolocating bats do not use vision to hunt but rather to orient themselves.
Blood python (Python brongersmai) strike kinematics and forces are robust to variations in substrate geometry
Authors: Jurestovsky Derek J. , Joy Sidarth P. , Astley Henry C.
Published: January 2023

Snake strikes are some of the most rapid accelerations in terrestrial vertebrates. Generating rapid body accelerations requires high ground reaction forces, but on flat surfaces snakes must rely on static friction to prevent slip. We hypothesize that snakes may be able to take advantage of structures in the environment to prevent their body from slipping, potentially allowing them to generate faster and more forceful strikes. To test this hypothesis, we captured high-speed video and forces from defensive strikes of juvenile blood pythons (Python brongersmai) on a platform that was either open on all sides or with two adjacent walls opposite the direction of the strike. Contrary to our predictions, snakes maintained high performance on open platforms by imparting rearward momentum to the posterior body and tail. This compensatory behavior increases robustness to changes in their strike conditions and could allow them to exploit variable environments.
Megabenthic invertebrate diversity in Mediterranean trawlable soft bottoms: a synthesis of current knowledge
Authors: STAMOULI CATERINA , ZENETOS ARGYRO , KALLIANIOTIS ARGYRIOS , VOULTSIADOU ELENI
Published: January 2023

Mediterranean bottom trawling is generally characterised by a highly diversified mixed catch, composed of fish, cephalopods,crustaceans, and other megabenthic invertebrates. Although management of Mediterranean trawling requires a multispecies approach on a community basis, this does not seem to be the case in the relevant literature. Herein, we present an extensive review ofthe existing knowledge on megabenthic invertebrate communities, focusing on the trawlable bottoms. A total of 207 publicationsfrom 1930 to the early 2021 was collected and classified into seven research areas. Research effort on soft bottom megabenthicinvertebrates of trawlable grounds was higher for the Western Mediterranean and the depth zone of 50-200 m. Overall, 1,797 taxawere reported belonging to different taxonomic groups, the most diverse of which were Mollusca, Crustacea, Polychaeta, andPorifera. Among the reported taxa, 43 species are alien to the Mediterranean Sea, and 42 are included in the lists of threatened/ endangered and protected species under the Barcelona and Bern Conventions. The Western Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea werethe ecoregions with the highest number of megabenthic invertebrate species reported from trawlable grounds. All Mediterraneanecoregions were grouped according to their megabenthic fauna at a similarity level of 27%. The present work compiles the knownscattered information, highlights knowledge gaps, and underlines the need for time series data on the megabenthic communitiesof the Mediterranean fishing grounds.
Work (Un)Interrupted: How Non-territorial Space Shapes Worker Control over Social Interaction
Authors: Gonsalves Leroy
Published: January 2023

Organizational research has long emphasized the importance of physical space in structuring opportunities for social interaction among workers. Using 14 months of field research during an office redesign at a large team-based sales company, I find that the adoption of non-territorial space—a change from assigned cubicles to an unassigned mix of spaces—substantially increased worker control over social interaction. Whereas the old territorial space rendered workers constantly accessible to others, the new non-territorial space altered information about workers’ location and availability preferences, enabling new strategies for hiding in the space and signaling availability to others through workspace selection. This led to greater reliance on virtual or asynchronous communication technologies, and less unwanted interruption in the new non-territorial space. The findings identify how the non-territorial dimension of office space affects worker control over social interaction. They also reveal the social practices through which individuals actively use material and symbolic resources in the physical environment to avoid cognitive and temporal costs of unwanted interruption. The study complements dominant structural accounts with a richer theorization of individual agency—while physical spaces certainly structure opportunities for social interaction, they also structure the strategies that individuals can use to actively manage social interaction.
Intra-articular osteoid osteoma of the hip mimicking as monoarthritis-A case report
Authors: Chandan Nalli , Paul Nirvin , J Pragadeeshwaran , Kaganur Raghavendra
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Osteoid osteoma is a common benign bone tumor affecting young adults with the typical clinical and radiological presentation when arising from common locations. However, when they arise from unusual locations like intra-articular regions the diagnosis may be confusing thereby leading to delay in diagnosis and appropriate management. Here we present a case with an intra-articular osteoid osteoma of the hip involving the anterolateral quadrant of the femoral head. Case Report: An active 24-year-old man, with no relevant or significant medical history presented with progressive left hip pain radiating to the thigh for the past 1 year. There was no significant history of trauma. His initial symptoms were dull aching groin pain which worsened over weeks, associated with night cries, and loss of weight and appetite. Conclusion: The unusual site of presentation led to a diagnostic challenge and caused a delay in diagnosis. Computed tomography scan is the gold standard to detect osteoid osteoma and radiofrequency ablation can be used as a reliable and safe modality of the treatment for intra-articular lesions. Keywords: Osteoid osteoma, hip monoarthritis, benign tumor, Nidus, radiofrequency ablation
Morel-Lavallée Lesion: Uncommon Injury often Missed
Authors: Vagholkar Ketan
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Morel-Lavalleé lesion is an uncommon closed degloving injury usually affecting the lower extremity. Although these lesions have been documented in literature, yet there is no standard treatment algorithm for the same. A case of Morel-Lavallée lesion following blunt injury to the thigh is therefore presented to highlight the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in managing such lesions. The aim of presenting the case is to create awareness of clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of Morel-Lavallée lesions, especially in the setting of polytrauma patients. Case Report: A case of Morel-Lavallée lesion in a 32-year-old male with history of a blunt injury to the right thigh caused by a partial run over accident is presented. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was done to confirm the diagnosis. A limited open approach for evacuating the fluid in the lesion was performed followed by irrigation of the cavity with a combination of 3% hypertonic saline and hydrogen peroxide in order to induce fibrosis to obliterate the dead space. This was followed by continuous negative suction accompanied with a pressure bandage. Conclusion: A high index of suspicion is necessary especially in cases of severe blunt injuries to the extremities. MRI is essential for early diagnosis of Morel-Lavallée lesions. A limited open approach is a safe and effective option for treatment. The use of 3% hypertonic saline along with hydrogen peroxide irrigation of the cavity to induce sclerosis is a novel method for treating the condition. Keywords: Morel-Lavallée lesion, diagnosis, management.
USTW Vs. STW: A Comparative Analysis for Exam Question Classification based on Bloom’s Taxonomy
Authors: Gani Mohammed Osman , Ayyasamy Ramesh Kumar , Sangodiah Anbuselvan , Fui Yong Tien
Published: January 2023

Bloom’s Taxonomy (BT) is widely used in educational institutions to produce high-quality exam papers to evaluate students’ knowledge at different cognitive levels. However, manual question labeling takes a long time, and not all evaluators are familiar with BT. The researchers worked to automate the exam question classification process based on BT as a solution. Enhancement in term weighting is one of the ways to increase classification accuracy while working with text data. However, all the past work on the term weighting in exam question classification focused on unsupervised term weighting (USTW) schemes. The supervised term weighting (STW) schemes showed effectiveness in text classification but were not addressed in past studies of exam question classification. As a result, this study focused on the effectiveness of STW in classifying exam questions using BT. Hence, this research performed a comparative analysis between the USTW schemes and STW for exam question classification. The STW schemes used in this study are TF-ICF, TF-IDF-ICF, and TF-IDF-ICSDF, whereas the USTW schemes used for comparison are TF-IDF, ETF-IDF, and TFPOS-IDF. This study used Support Vector Machines (SVM), Na¨ıve Bayes (NB), and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) to train the model. Accuracy and F1 score were used in this study to evaluate the classification result. The experiment result showed that overall, the STW scheme TF-ICF outperformed all the other schemes, followed by the USTW scheme ETF-IDF. Both the ETF-IDF and TFPOS-IDF outperformed standard TFIDF. The outcome of this study indicates the future research direction where the combination of STW and USTW schemes may increase the Accuracy of BT-based exam question classification.
Segmentation of Chest X-Ray Images Using U-Net Model
Authors: Kamil Mohammed Y. , Hashem Sahar A.
Published: January 2023

Medical imaging, such as chest X-rays, gives an acceptable image of lung functions.  Manipulating these images by a radiologist is difficult, thus delaying the diagnosis. Coronavirus is a disease that affects the lung area. Lung segmentation has a significant function in assessing lung disorders. The process of segmentation has seen widespread use of deep learning algorithms. The U-Net is one of the most significant semantic segmentation frameworks for a convolutional neural network. In this paper, the proposed U-Net architecture is evaluated on 565 datasets divided into 500 training images and 65 validation images, For chest X-ray. The findings of the experiments demonstrate that the suggested strategy successfully achieved competitive outcomes with 91.47% and 89.18% accuracy, 0.7494 and 0.7480 IoU, 19.23% and 26.11% loss for training and validation images, respectively.
Interferon-gamma release assay and chest X-ray to classify intraocular tuberculosis among clinically undifferentiated uveitis
Authors: Riasanti Mei , Putera Ikhwanuliman , Jessica Priscilla , Waliyuddin Muhammad Zakiy , Tagar Faiz Alwan , Karlina CH Andini , Aziza Yulia , Susiyanti Made , Edwar Lukman , Sitompul Ratna , La Distia Nora Rina
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND Tuberculosis (TB) is a common cause of intraocular inflammation in Indonesia. As no accurate biomarker can confirm the diagnosis, ophthalmologists often rely on systemic findings, such as tuberculin skin test, interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), and chest X-ray (CXR) for TB suspicion. This study aimed to evaluate IGRA and CXR in classifying intraocular TB among patients with a clinically undifferentiated cause of uveitis.

METHODS This cross-sectional study included 116 patients (a total of 163 affected eyes) with a clinically undifferentiated cause of uveitis. IGRA and CXR were performed as part of the workup. Data on visual acuity, anterior chamber inflammation grade, and anatomical classification of uveitis were recorded. As there were no confirmed ocular tuberculosis (OTB) in our cases, eyes were classified into probable OTB, possible OTB, and unclassified.

RESULTS Overall, 93 patients (80.2%) with a clinically undifferentiated cause of uveitis had positive IGRA, whereas 10 (8.6%) had CXR results suggestive of TB. More than one-third of the patients were blind (visual acuity <3/60), and panuveitis was the commonest anatomical classification. A trend was identified in patients with panuveitis, who often showed ≥2+ cell anterior chamber inflammation (p for trend = 0.023), according to OTB criteria (probable OTB = 3/4, 75.0%; possible OTB = 44/67, 65.7%; unclassified = 2/9, 22.2%). Furthermore, the clinically undifferentiated uveitis cases were eligible to be stratified into probable (8.6%) and possible (75.0%) OTB categories after IGRA and CXR examinations.

CONCLUSIONS The combination of IGRA and CXR is valuable for classifying and diagnosing TB-related uveitis. A multidisciplinary approach is essential when the cause of uveitis is unknown.
Charting well-being over adulthood into pandemic times: a longitudinal perspective
Authors: Jongbloed Janine , Andres Lesley
Published: January 2023

The purpose of this study is to investigate how well-being changes over the adult life course from early adulthood in 1998 through to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. We identify diverse well-being trajectories over time in a cohort of British Columbians and explore the extent to which changes in well-being associated with the pandemic varied for individuals in these different trajectory groups. Specifically, we ask: what was the effect of the pandemic on the well-being of individuals with different prior well-being trajectories over adulthood and how were these effects related to personal, educational and employment factors? To address this question, we model well-being trajectories over a large span of adulthood from the age of 28 to 51 years old. We find a diversity of distinct patterns in well-being changes over adulthood. The majority experience high well-being over time, while almost one in five experiences either chronically low or drastically decreased well-being in mid-adulthood, which coincides with the pandemic. Notably, those who have completed post-secondary education are less likely to report low well-being trajectories. Those with the lowest well-being over time also report the largest negative effects of the pandemic, which illustrates the compounding effects of the pandemic on existing inequalities.
Characterizing physician concerns with publicly supporting abortion at Wisconsin's largest medical school
Authors: Cutler Abigail S. , Swan Laura T. , Lands Madison , Schmuhl Nicholas B. , Higgins Jenny A.
Published: January 2023

Objective

To examine factors associated with physicians' level of concern and perceived consequences of publicly supporting abortion at Wisconsin's largest and only publicly funded medical school.

Methods

We surveyed physicians at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health about their knowledge, attitudes, and referral practices regarding abortion care. Among those who expressed support for abortion (N = 701), we analyzed perceived concerns about making their support public.

Results

Nearly a quarter (22%) of respondents felt very or extremely concerned that taking a strong public stance on abortion would alienate patients and 17% felt very or extremely concerned that doing so would alienate coworkers. More than a quarter (27%) felt very or extremely concerned that publicly supporting abortion would lead to harassment or harm. Those with greater concerns about expressing public support for abortion were comparatively less willing to refer for or participate in abortion care themselves.

Conclusions

Many physicians supportive of abortion reported concerns over publicizing their support for this common health care service. These concerns may render physicians less likely to refer patients for needed abortion care or weigh in on abortion policy.
Analysis of a photonic integrated circuit for passive optical network for 5G NR
Authors: Marciano Pablo Rafael Neves , Coelho Diogo Vieira Nogueira , Pontes Maria José , Segatto Marcelo Eduardo Vieira
Published: January 2023

This work presents the performance analysis of a passive optical network (PON) proposal with photonic integrated circuits (PIC). The PON architecture was simulated on MATLAB, focusing on the main functionalities of the optical line terminal, distribution network, and network unity regarded its effects on the physical layer. We show a simulated PIC, implemented on MATLAB through its analytic transfer function equation, used to implement orthogonal frequency division multiplexing in the optical domain to enhance the current optical networks for the 5G New-Radio (NR) scenario. We analyzed the OOK and optical PAM4 compared with phase modulation formats such as the DPSK and DQPSK. All modulation formats can be directly detected for the case in the study, simplifying the reception. Consequently, this work achieved a maximum symmetric transmission capacity of 1.2 Tbps over 90 km of standard single-mode fiber with 128 carriers, 64 carriers for downstream and 64 for upstream, obtained from an optical frequency comb with 0.3 dB flatness. We concluded that phase modulation formats associated with PIC could increase PON capability and push further our current scenario to the 5G new era.
Method for measuring the extinction coefficient of fluorescing media within the emission band
Authors: Reyes-Alberto Miguel , García-Valenzuela Augusto , Gutierrez-Herrera Enoch
Published: January 2023

We propose and test a method for determining a fluorescent medium’s absorption or extinction index while it is fluorescing. The method uses an optical arrangement that records changes in fluorescence intensity at a fixed viewing angle as a function of the angle of incidence of an excitation light beam. We tested the proposed method on polymeric films doped with Rhodamine 6G (R6G). We found a strong anisotropy in the fluorescence emission and, thus, limited the method to TE-polarized excitation light. The method proposed is model dependent, and we provide a simplified model for its use in this work. We report the extinction index of the fluorescing samples at a selected wavelength within the emission band of the fluorophore R6G. We found that the extinction index at the emission wavelengths in our samples is appreciably larger than the extinction index at the excitation wavelength, which is the opposite of what one might expect from measuring the absorption spectrum of the medium with a spectrofluorometer. The proposed method could be applied to fluorescent media with additional absorption other than by the fluorophore.
Terahertz phase modulator based on a metal-VO2 reconfigurable metasurface
Authors: Zhou Wen , Jiang Mingzhu , Hu Fangrong , Gong Yumin , Zhang Longhui , Zeng Lizhen , Jiang Wenying , Li Dongxia , Wang Hong , Liu Wentao , Lin Shangjun , Hou Xuehe
Published: January 2023

Actively controlling the phase of a terahertz (THz) wave is of great
significance for beaming, tunable focusing, and holography. We present
a THz phase modulator based on an electrically triggered vanadium
dioxide (

V
O

2

) reconfigurable metasurface. The unit
cell of the device consists of two split-ring resonators embedded with
a

V
O

2

ribbon. By electrically triggering
the insulator-to-metal transition of

V
O

2

, the resonance mode and resonance
intensity of the unit cell can be dynamically controlled. The
simulation results show that the structure can achieve a phase shift
of about 360° in the range of 1.03–1.13 THz, and the reflection
amplitude can reach 80%. The device has potential applications in THz
imaging, radar, broadband wireless communications, and array phase
control.
Detection of polarization-spatial classical optical entanglement in partially coherent light fields using intensity measurements
Authors: Asokan S. , Ivan J. Solomon
Published: January 2023

Detection of polarization-spatial classical optical entanglement through implementation of partial transpose on measured intensities is explored. A sufficient criterion for polarization-spatial entanglement in partially coherent light fields based on intensities measured at various orientations of the polarizer, as implied through partial transpose, is outlined. Detection of polarization-spatial entanglement using the outlined method is demonstrated experimentally through a Mach–Zehnder interferometer setup.
Regularization of dielectric tensor tomography
Authors: Hugonnet Herve , Shin Seungwoo , Park YongKeun
Published: January 2023

Dielectric tensor tomography reconstructs the three-dimensional dielectric tensors of microscopic objects and provides information about the crystalline structure orientations and principal refractive indices. Because dielectric tensor tomography is based on transmission measurement, it suffers from the missing cone problem, which causes poor axial resolution, underestimation of the refractive index, and halo artifacts. In this study, we study the application of total variation and positive semi-definiteness regularization to three-dimensional tensor distributions. In particular, we demonstrate the reduction of artifacts when applied to dielectric tensor tomography.
Generalized design of simple, stable and compact nested multipass cells with a reentrant symmetric concentric circle pattern
Authors: Ou Xue , Liu Peng , Zhou Xin
Published: January 2023

We present a particular solution of the Herriott design by replacing each spherical mirror with two coaxial nested spherical mirrors with different curvatures. The analytical solution of the nested MPC parameters is derived based on the principle of the Herriott cell and the symmetry of the pattern, which enables the rapid design of nested MPCs with different optical path lengths (OPLs). The nested MPC performance is explored by parameter analysis, the ray tracing method and the transfer matrix method. We further designed and manufactured a miniaturized and long-OPL MPC, which exhibits robustness, high mirror utilization and a good q-parameter of the output beam. The miniaturized nested MPC can achieve a 10 m effective OPL at a volume of 28.4 mL, and the long-OPL MPC can obtain a 100 m effective OPL at a volume of 1.3 L.
Single-pixel three-dimensional imaging of the terahertz-wave by complex-field synthesis
Authors: Liu Jung-Ping , Tsai Kun-Chi , Lin Yu-Chih , Chen Kun-Huang
Published: January 2023

We propose a novel three-dimensional (3D) imaging technique by terahertz (THz) waves. Specifically, we modulate the THz wave using diffusers to produce three different speckle-like illumination patterns. The object is raster scanned by the three illumination patterns to generate three raw images via the single-pixel detection method. Subsequently, we synthesize a complex field using the three raw images. Finally, the retrieved image is calculated using the phase correlation of the complex point spread function. The proposed imaging system is simple and highly cost-effective. Therefore, it is a promising technique that can be adopted for industrial inspection and security screening.