bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Type 1 Diabetes: Relationship With Autoimmune and Microvascular Complications
Authors: De Melo Emilia N , Clarke Antoine B M , McDonald Charlotte , Saibil Fred , Lochnan Heather A , Punthakee Zubin , Assor Esther , Marcon Margaret A , Mahmud Farid H
Published: February 2022

Purpose

To assess reported rates of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and their association with autoimmune diseases and microvascular complications in adults and children with type 1 diabetes.

Methods

The Gastrointestinal Symptom Scale was used to assess GI symptom type and severity in 2370 patients with type 1 diabetes aged 8 to 45 years evaluated as part of a clinical trial screening for celiac disease (CD). The presence and severity of GI symptoms and relationships with demographic, clinical, and other diabetes-related factors were evaluated.

Results

Overall, 1368 adults (57.7%) aged 19 to 45 years and 1002 (42.3%) pediatric patients aged 8 to 18 years were studied. At least 1 GI symptom was reported in 34.1% of adults as compared with 21.7% of children (P < 0.0001). Common symptoms in children included upper and lower abdominal pain while adults more frequently reported lower GI symptoms. Participants with GI symptoms had higher hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels (68 ± 14mmol/mol; 8.35 ± 1.37%) than those without symptoms (66 ± 15mmol/mol; 8.22 ± 1.40%; P = 0.041). Patients with microvascular complications (nephropathy, retinopathy, and/or neuropathy) were 1.8 times more likely to report GI symptoms (95% CI: 1.26-2.60; P < 0.01) after adjusting for age and sex. No association was observed between GI symptoms and the presence of autoimmune conditions, including thyroid and biopsy-confirmed CD (odds ratio = 1.1; 95% CI: 0.86-1.42; P = 0.45).

Main Conclusions

These results highlight that GI symptoms are an important clinical morbidity and are associated with increasing age, duration of type 1 diabetes, HbA1c, and microvascular complications but not with autoimmune comorbidities including CD.
Quantitative live imaging of floral organ initiation and floral meristem termination in Aquilegia
Authors: Min Ya , Conway Stephanie J. , Kramer Elena M.
Published: February 2022

In-depth investigation of any developmental process in plants requires knowledge of both the underpinning molecular networks and how they directly determine patterns of cell division and expansion over time. Floral meristems (FMs) produce floral organs, after which they undergo floral meristem termination (FMT); precise control of organ initiation and FMT is crucial to the reproductive success of any flowering plant. Using live confocal imaging, we characterized developmental dynamics during floral organ primordia initiation and FMT in Aquilegia coerulea (Ranunculaceae). Our results uncover distinct patterns of primordium initiation between stamens and staminodes compared with carpels, and provide insight into the process of FMT, which is discernable based on cell division dynamics that precede carpel initiation. To our knowledge, this is the first quantitative live imaging of meristem development in a system with numerous whorls of floral organs, as well as an apocarpous gynoecium. This study provides crucial information for our understanding of how the spatial-temporal regulation of floral meristem behavior is achieved in both evolutionary and developmental contexts.

This article has an associated ‘The people behind the papers’ interview.
Drug Release Stimulated by Magnetic Field and Light on Magnetite- and Carbon Dot-Loaded Carbon Nanohorn
Authors: Su Chin-Hao , Soendoro Andree , Okayama Shinya , Rahmania Fitriani Jati , Nagai Takashi , Imae Toyoko , Tsutsumiuchi Kaname , Kawai Noriyasu
Published: February 2022

Magnetite nanoparticles of 9 nm size were synthesized by co-precipitation, hybridized with carbon dots by in situ hydrothermal treatment, and chemically bound on an acid-treated carbon nanohorn through carbon dots. Separately, magnetite nanoparticles were in situ deposited on an acid-treated carbon nanohorn. Both composites were well dispersed in aqueous medium and displayed magnetism. These composites were examined for drug (doxorubicin and gemcitabine) loading/release and, additionally, a carbon dot-immobilized composite exerted the influence of the photodynamic/photothermal effects under laser light emission on gemcitabine release. The release of gemcitabine from magnetite-bound composite was completed when the hyperthermia procedure was conducted together under a magnet. Thus, the magnetite- and carbon dot-including composites possess possible simultaneous usage in phototherapy and thermotherapy including hyperthermia beside chemotherapy.
Phenotypic differentiation of Rhododendron ferrugineum populations in European mountains
Authors: Lewandowska Amelia , Boratyńska Krystyna , Marcysiak Katarzyna , Gómez Daniel , Romo Angel , Malicki Marek , Iszkuło Grzegorz , Boratyński Adam
Published: February 2022

Rhododendron ferrugineum occurs in the mountains of the Central Europe with large disjunction in geographic range between Pyrenees and Alps and between Alps and Sudetes. We expect that these discon­tinuities in the species occurrence should involved their phenotypic differentiation, similar as described on the studies of molecular markers. The aim of the study was verification of phenotypic differences between the species populations from the Pyrenees, Alps and Sudetes. We examined characters of leaves and capsules from 13 populations, each represented by 25–30 individu­als, using ANOVA, discrimination analysis, principal components analysis and agglomeration on the closest Euclidean distances. Every from examined characters of leaves and capsules except of apex angle of a capsule valve and capsule valve shape differentiated between populations at P≤0.001. Despite, range of character variation differen­tiating even at the highest level overlapped between populations. The analysis of discrimination, principal component analysis and agglomeration gave similar results indicating differences between populations from Pyrenees, Alps and Sudetes. However, the differences between individuals did not allow distinguish regions. The morphological characteristics of the leaves and capsules allowed to distinguish among populations of R. ferrugineum from the Pyrenees, Alps and Sudetes, and the pattern of their phenotypic differentiation was similar to that described based on genetic markers. The relict population from the Sudetes is phenotypi­cally more similar to the populations from the Pyrenees and the Western Alps than to the spatially closest populations from the Eastern Alps.
Develop and assess the psychometric property test on Burdened Care Caregiver Scale-Thai Version for Schizophrenia and Co-occurring Methamphetamine Use
Authors: Imkome Ek-uma
Published: February 2022

Objective: The objective of the present study was to develop the Thai version of the Impact and Burden of Care Scale for Caregivers of Persons with Schizophrenia and Co-occurring Methamphetamine Use (TIBSCSM) and test its psychometric properties.

Methods: This instrument development research subjects were 142 caregivers of persons with schizophrenia and co-occurring methamphetamine use. Sample size adequacy was tested by Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO), and Bartlett's test of sphericity tested the adequacy of the item correlation matrix. The second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the theoretical model.

Results The 32-item TIBSCSM showed convergent validity correlations with two quality-of-life measures. Additionally, KMO=0.9, Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity χ2=5248.5, df=496, p<0.001, CVI =1, and internal consistency reliability was high (α=0.9). The CFA has shown that the findings are supported by the theoretical models (χ2=325.2, df=287, p<0.001, RMSEA=0.0, CFI =0.9).

Conclusion: The TIBSCSM scale has potential benefits for psychiatric nurses and psychiatric care teams to measure the impact and care burden of caregivers of persons with schizophrenia and methamphetamine use in the areas of nursing, research, education, and clinical determination.

The test results suggested that The TIBSCSM scale has potential benefits for psychiatric and mental health care team to assess the impact and burden care of schizophrenic caregiver for both research and clinical purposes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic for providing care to relieve the impact and burden of care.

Implication for nursing and research: The TIBSCSM is a new tool developed in the Thai context, and it may replicate the studies to evaluate variations in TIBSCSM across settings.
Epidemiology of first cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, from March to April 2020 and molecular characterization of the spike protein, in Gabon
Authors: LEKANA-DOUKI Sonia Etenna , N'DILIMABAKA Nadine , MBONGO-KAMA Elvire , KANDET YATTARA Marisca , MINTSA NDONG Armel , NGONGA DIKONGO Audrey Michel , ANDEKO Julia Cyrielle , ZONG MINKO Ornella , KOUMBA MAVOUNGOU Danielle Styvie , DIANE Abdoulaye , MABIKA MABIKA Arsene , NDONG MEBALEY Telstar , NDJANGANGOYE Nal Kennedy , BANGA MVE-ELLA Octavie , BOHOU KOMBILA Linda , MANGOMBI PAMBOU Joa Braithe , ENGONE ONDO Jeordy Dimitri , MAGANGA Gael Darren , LEKANA-DOUKI Jean-Bernard
Published: February 2022

Background

After the first cases of coronaviruses disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China in January 2020, we conducted an epidemiological surveillance of COVID-19 in Gabon.

Methods

We led molecular investigations on nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal samples from the 1161 first suspected cases of COVID-19. We diagnosed the first case of COVID-19 on March, 12 2020.

Results

Among those suspected cases, 83 were confirmed cases. There was no significant difference in prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 between age groups (p=0.14). 73% were asymptomatic. The viral loads were significantly higher in the nasopharyngeal samples than in the oropharyngeal samples (p=0.03). There was no significant difference in viral loads between age groups (p=0.9895) and no correlation between clinical symptoms and viral loads (p=0.06042). A phylogenetic analysis performed with five sequences of the spike S gene showed that two sequences had the D614G mutation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this study provides the first molecular data from Gabon concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. The data showed that most of the infected people were asymptomatic. The viral load was higher in the nasopharyngeal samples. The S gene analyzed suggested both introduction of the D614 and G614 variant in Gabon.
Trends and correlates of hardcore smoking in India: findings from the Global Adult Tobacco Surveys 1 & 2
Authors: Veena Kattiyeri Puthenveedu , Mathews Elezebeth , Kodali Prakash Babu , Thankappan Kavumpurathu Raman
Published: February 2022

Background: Data on prevalence of hardcore smoking (HCS) among different socioeconomic status (SES) groups in low- and middle-income countries are limited. We looked at the prevalence and pattern of HCS in India with the following objectives: 1) to analyse the association between SES and HCS, 2) to find trends in HCS in different SES groups and 3) to find state-wide variations in hardcore smoking.

Methods: Data of individuals aged ≥25 years from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India 2009-10 (N= 9223) and 2016-17 (N= 7647) were used for this study. If an individual met all the following criteria: (1) current smoker, (2) smokes 10 or more cigarettes/day, (3) smokes first puff within 30 minutes after waking up, (4) no quit attempt in last 12 months, (5) no intention to quit at all or in the next 12 months, (6) lack of knowledge of harmful effect of smoking, s/he was identified as a hardcore smoker. Multiple regression analysis was done to find the factors associated with HCS.

Results: Prevalence of HCS deceased from 2.5% in GATS 1 to 1.9% in GATS 2: males from 6.2% to 3.9% and females from 0.3% to 0.2%. Compared to the richest group the poorest, poor and those who belonged to the middle-income group were more likely to report HCS in GATS 1 and 2. However, only in the poorest SES group there was an increase in the proportion of hardcore smokers in GATS 2 compared to GATS 1. Other factors that were significantly associated with HCS in both surveys were male gender, working adults, those with lower education, early initiation of smoking and households without any rules for smoking inside the home.

Conclusions: Tobacco control and cessation efforts need to focus on individuals of poor SES groups particularly in the high prevalence Indian states.
Changes in children’s wellbeing in Bradford during COVID-19: The Born in Bradford COVID-19 longitudinal research study
Authors: Pybus Katie , Kelly Brian , Hou Bo , Ajebon Mildred , McIvor Claire , Bingham Daniel , McEachan Rosemary , Pickett Kate , Dickerson Josie
Published: February 2022

Background: Concerns have been raised about the potential impact of COVID-19 and associated lockdown measures on child mental wellbeing, but emerging evidence suggests mixed results and there is a dearth of information from ethnically diverse samples. The current study aims to explore the impact of the pandemic on wellbeing using longitudinal data collected from the multi-ethnic Born in Bradford family cohort study.

Methods: Within-child changes in wellbeing were explored using data collected pre-pandemic and again during the first UK lockdown for 500 children aged 7-13 from a range of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, using self-reported feelings of happiness and sadness. Associations between changes in wellbeing, demographic factors, quality of social relationships and physical activity levels were explored using multinomial logistic regression models.

Results: In this sample, 55% of children reported no change in their wellbeing from pre-pandemic to during the first lockdown (n=264). Children of Pakistani heritage were more than twice as likely to report feeling sad less often than White British children (RRR: 2.61, 95% CI: 1.23, 5.51) during the first lockdown, and those who reported being left out by other children before the pandemic were over three times as likely than those who did not (RRR: 3.72: 1.51, 9.20) to report feeling sad less often during the pandemic. Around a third of children reported feeling happier (n=152, 31.6%), but these changes did not relate to any of the explanatory variables included in this analysis.

Conclusion: Many children in this study reported no changes in their wellbeing during the first UK lockdown compared to before the pandemic and some described improved wellbeing. These findings suggest that children have coped well with the significant changes over the past year, though targeted support, particularly for those children who felt excluded before the pandemic, would be beneficial.
A Village Remembered: Reconstruction of the Lemko Cultural Space from Before the Displacement using the Example of Bartne Village
Authors: Nowak Klaudia
Published: February 2022

A Village Remembered. Reconstruction of the Lemko Cultural Space from Before the Displacement on the Example of Bartne Village

Tragic events of the middle of the 20th century, which were massive displacements of Lemkos to the western territories, led to irreversible spatial changes in the whole Lemkovyna. This destruction of space was a multi- stage process which progressed from the 1940s to the present day. In the material context, places such as the village of Bartne described in the article were almost completely destroyed, and the people living there and creating it were displaced. Based on oral narratives of contemporary inhabitants of Bartne, the article attempts to reconstruct the cultural space of Bartne from before the displacement.
Loss-Framed Incentives and Employee (Mis-)Behavior
Authors: Czibor Eszter , Hsu Danny , Jimenez-Gomez David , Neckermann Susanne , Subasi Burcu
Published: February 2022

This paper explores how loss-framed incentives affect behavior in a multitasking environment in which participants have more than one way of recovering (expected) losses. In a real-effort laboratory experiment, we offer participants task incentives that are framed as either a reward (gain) or penalty (loss). We study their responses along three dimensions: performance in the incentivized task, theft, and voluntary provision of help. We find that framing incentives as a penalty rather than as a reward does not significantly improve task performance, but it increases theft and leads to a small and insignificant reduction in the share of participants willing to help the experimenter. Secondary analyses based on our theoretical framework help us pin down the mechanism at play and suggest that loss aversion drives participants’ response. Our findings have important implications for incentive design in practice.

This paper was accepted by Axel Ockenfels, behavioral economics and decision analysis.
Parametric Shortest-Path Algorithms via Tropical Geometry
Authors: Joswig Michael , Schröter Benjamin
Published: February 2022

We study parameterized versions of classical algorithms for computing shortest-path trees. This is most easily expressed in terms of tropical geometry. Applications include shortest paths in traffic networks with variable link travel times.
Generalized Exact Scheduling: A Minimal-Variance Distributed Deadline Scheduler
Authors: Nakahira Yorie , Ferragut Andres , Wierman Adam
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we adapt tools from optimization and control theory to characterize the optimal distributed policies in a broad range of settings without any approximation. We show that Exact Scheduling minimizes both the stationary mean and variance of the service capacity subject to strict demand and deadline requirements. For more general settings, we characterize the minimal-variance distributed policies with soft demand requirements, soft deadline requirements, or both. Moreover, we derive the Pareto-optimality condition for distributed policies that balance the variance and mean square of the service capacity. The performance of the optimal distributed policies is compared with that of the optimal centralized policy by deriving closed-form bounds. Finally, we discuss a scalable partially centralized algorithm that uses centralized information to boost performance and a method to deal with missing information on service requirements. Our finding can ultimately lead to more efficient power distribution networks and cloud computing services, which optimally match the service capacity to changing demands.
Optimal Dynamic Momentum Strategies
Authors: Li Kai , Liu Jun
Published: February 2022

Path Dependence of Optimal Dynamic Momentum Strategies

The momentum effect has been studied by a tremendous number of papers, but surprisingly, there is little research on optimal momentum strategies. In “Optimal Dynamic Momentum Strategies,” Li and Liu explicitly solve the optimal dynamic portfolio problem when a risky asset has momentum. They show that, to optimally exploit momentum, one needs to account for path dependence, as well as momentum. In contrast, the momentum strategies discussed in most papers exploit only momentum. The optimal portfolio weight also significantly differs from that in the classic framework of Merton. Due to their path dependence, optimal portfolio weights have a wide distribution for a given level of momentum; for example, investors may short the risky asset if it has rebound price paths but leverage if it has hump-shaped price paths. This effect tends to be the most significant after large price swings. Path dependence is described through explicit formulas as well as heuristic statistics.
Parastomal hernias and information retention: how and when to educate ostomates on risk minimisation
Authors: Vernon Emma , Wright Stephen , White Pamela
Published: February 2022

Background:

Parastomal herniation is a common complication of stoma formation, caused by protrusion of the bowel through the abdominal wall, with a major negative impact on quality of life. Stoma care nurses should educate ostomates on how to minimise the risk of a parastomal hernia. However, new ostomates must absorb so much pre- and postoperative information that some of it may be missed, misunderstood or forgotten.

Aims:

A survey was conducted to determine how much information about parastomal hernias and risk minimisation patients remember, as well as the best way and time to deliver this information, including how often it should be repeated.

Method:

The survey comprised 13 multiple-choice questions and was distributed to adults with any type of stoma through medical equipment supplier SecuriCare Medical's postal mailing list and social media pages. These results were compared with findings from the literature.

Findings:

Of 544 participants, most were over 70 years old (55.2%) and had had a stoma for more than 10 years (59.1%). Of these, 70.6% had heard of parastomal hernias and 29.4% had not. Most of those who had heard of parastomal herniation heard of it when they were diagnosed with the complication (37.3%). Only 9.8% first heard of it from a stoma care nurse. Of those who had discussed herniation with a nurse, the largest group (26.4%) had done so at a postoperative home visit or clinic appointment.

Conclusion:

Those who have had their stoma for a long time are particularly likely to have never been educated on parastomal herniation or forgotten what they had learned, so are a priority for patient education. This education should be tailored to a patient's age, learning style and ability to process information in a short period, as well as anxiety level. Stoma care nurses should be careful to limit their use of jargon, abbreviations and the passive voice, as well as the amount and type of information being delivered. Such education should be delivered early and then repeated at regular intervals.
Reviewing information provision for patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Cagayon Hazel , Brady Kirsty , Donnelly Leigh
Published: February 2022

Over the past 2 years, working with cancer patients amid the COVID-19 pandemic has created the necessity to review ways of working to deliver patient-centred care for people on their colorectal cancer journey. One area for development was improving the type and quality of information given to patients at each stage of their journey. With collaboration from patients, a group of colorectal nurse specialists embarked of a process to improve the quality of information by proving a pathway that offered a multimedia approach.
Clinical outcomes for microvascular reconstruction in oral cancers: experience from a single surgical centre
Authors: Katna R , Naik G , Girkar F , Deshpande A , Chalke S , Bhosale B , Kalyani N
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Reconstruction of a surgical defect is an important part of the management of oral cancers. Microvascular free flap construction provides better functional and cosmetic outcomes.

Methods

Between 2014 and 2020, some 524 patients underwent microvascular reconstruction. Comorbidity variables were scored using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Complications were recorded using Clavien–Dindo criteria.

Results

Eighty-three (15.84%), 339 (64.69%) and 102 (19.47%) patients underwent free radial forearm flap, free anterolateral thigh flap and free fibula osteocutaneous flap (FFOCF), respectively. Clavien–Dindo complications of grade III and above were seen in 39 (7.44%) patients. Total flap loss was seen in 18 patients and of these, 16 were salvaged using alternative free flaps or pedicled flaps. On univariate analysis, overall and major complication rates were higher in FFOCF (p=0.171). Major complications significantly more common in patients with a CCI score >4 (p=0.001). Patients aged >65 years had higher rates of complications (p=0.03).

Conclusion

Microvascular free tissue transfer is a reliable, safe and gold standard modality in surgical reconstruction and can be replicated in non-institutional settings.
Breast cancer liver metastases: systematic review and time to event meta-analysis with comparison between available treatments
Authors: Rangarajan K , Lazzereschi L , Votano D , Hamady Z
Published: February 2022

Introduction

The current gold standard treatment for breast cancer liver metastases (BCLM) is systemic chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy. Nonetheless, greater consideration has been given to local therapeutic strategies in recent years. We sought to compare survival outcomes for available systemic and local treatments for BCLM, specifically surgical resection and radiofrequency ablation.

Methods

A review of the PubMed (MEDLINE), Embase and Cochrane Library databases was conducted. Data from included studies were extracted and subjected to time-to-event data synthesis, algorithmically reconstructing individual patient-level data from published Kaplan–Meier survival curves.

Findings

A total of 54 studies were included, comprising data for 5,430 patients (surgery, n=2,063; ablation, n=305; chemotherapy, n=3,062). Analysis of the reconstructed data demonstrated survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years of 90%, 65.9% and 53%, respectively, for the surgical group, 83%, 49% and 35% for the ablation group and 53%, 24% and 14% for the chemotherapy group (p<0.0001).

Conclusion

Local therapeutic interventions such as liver resection and radiofrequency ablation are effective treatments for BCLM, particularly in patients with metastatic disease localised to the liver. Although the data from this review support surgical resection for BCLM, further prospective studies for managing oligometastatic breast cancer disease are required.
Achieving the learning curve in total thyroidectomy: a prospective evaluation on resident’s training by CUSUM and KPSS analysis
Authors: Tarallo M , Crocetti D , Gurrado A , Iorio O , Iossa A , Caruso D , Bononi M , Stabilini C , Bracale U , Chiappini A , Testini M , Avenia N , Polistena A , Cavallaro G
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Total thyroidectomy (TT) is one of the most common procedures among general and endocrine surgeons worldwide. The conventional approach by neck incision is still the most frequently used, despite the growth of mini-invasive approaches. Controversies exist about the optimal learning curve for resident surgeons approaching this procedure. The aim of this study was to compare TT performed by experienced surgeons and residents in two academic hospitals, to define the correct shape of the specific learning curve.

Methods

Between January 2016 and December 2018 patients undergoing TT in two academic departments were prospectively enrolled. In each department patients were divided into four groups: a reference group (A), consisting of 50 consecutive patients operated on by a senior surgeon, and three other groups (B, C, D) of 50 patients each where thyroidectomy was carried out by three different general surgery residents in their last 3 years of residency, respectively. Data were analysed by CUSUM and KPSS tests in order to compare operative time (OT) and its stabilisation during the learning curve.

Results

Data from CUSUM test reported that residents could perform TT with OT similar to the senior surgeon after approximately 25–30 procedures, while the KPSS test showed that residents became more stable after 30 procedures, with no increase in perioperative complications.

Conclusions

This prospective study shows how a specific training in thyroid surgery can be reliable thanks to experienced tutors, and confirmed that the effect of dedicated and programmed training may result in positive outcomes for patients requiring thyroidectomy.
Fallibility of tattooing colonic neoplasia ahead of laparoscopic resection: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Sparks R , Power S , Kearns E , Clarke A , Mohan HM , Brannigan A , Mulsow J , Shields C , Cahill RA
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Precise geographical localisation of colonic neoplasia is a prerequisite for proper laparoscopic oncological resection. Preoperative endoscopic peri-tumoural tattoo practice is routinely recommended but seldom scrutinised.

Methods

A retrospective review of recent consecutive patients with preoperative endoscopic lesional tattoo who underwent laparoscopic colonic resection as identified from our prospectively maintained cancer database with supplementary clinical chart and radiological, histological, endoscopic and theatre database/logbook interrogation.

Results

Some 210 patients with ‘tattooed’ colonic neoplasia were identified, of whom 169 underwent laparoscopic surgery (mean age 68 years, median BMI 27.8kg/m2, male-to-female ratio 95:74). The majority of tumours were malignant (149; 88%), symptomatic (133; 79%) and proximal to the splenic flexure (92; 54%). Inaccurate colonoscopist localisation judgement occurred in 12% of cases, 60% of which were corrected by preoperative staging computed tomography scan. A useful lesional tattoo was absent in 11/169 cases (6.5%) being specifically stated as present in 104 operation notes (61%) and absent in 10 (5.9%). Tumours missing overt peritumoral tattoos intraoperatively were more likely to be smaller, earlier stage and injected longer preoperatively (p=0.006), although half had histological ink staining. Eight lesions missing tattoos were radiologically occult. Four (44%) of these patients had on-table colonoscopy, and five (55%) needed laparotomy (conversion rate 55% vs 23% overall, p<0.005) with one needing a second operation to resect the initially missed target lesion. Mean (range) operative duration and postoperative length of stay of those missing tattoos compared with those with tattoos was 200 (78–300) versus 188 (50–597) min and 15.5 (4–22) versus 12(4–70) days (p>0.05).

Conclusions

Tattoo in advance of attempting laparoscopic resection is vital for precision cancer surgery especially for radiologically unseen tumours to avoid adverse clinical consequence.
Abdominal stab wounds with retained knife: 15 years of experience from a major trauma centre in South Africa
Authors: Kong V , Cheung C , Buitendag J , Rajaretnam N , Xu W , Varghese C , Bruce J , Laing G , Clarke D
Published: February 2022

Introduction

This study reviews our cumulative experience with the management of patients presenting with a retained knife following an abdominal stab wound (SW).

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted at a major trauma centre in South Africa over a 15-year period from July 2006 to December 2020 including all patients who presented with a retained knife in the abdomen following a SW.

Results

A total of 42 cases were included: 37 males (93%) with a mean age of 26 years. A total of 18 knives (43%) were in the anterior abdomen and 24 were posterior abdomen. Plain radiography was performed in 88% (37/42) of cases and computed tomography was performed in 81% (34/42); 90% (38/42) underwent extraction in the operating theatre. Laparotomy was performed in 62% (26/42). Of all the laparotomies performed, 77% (20/26) were positive for intra-abdominal organ or visceral injury. Overall morbidity was 31%. There were two mortalities (5%). Laparotomy was less commonly required for the posterior abdomen (33% (8/24) vs 100% (18/18), p<0.001). For retained knives in the anterior abdomen, 72% (13/18) of the laparotomies were positive for intra-abdominal organ or visceral injury. For the posterior abdomen, 7 of the 8 (88%) were positive for intra-abdominal organ or visceral injury. There were no differences in the need for intensive care unit admission, length of hospital stay, morbidities or mortalities.

Conclusions

Uncontrolled extraction of a retained knife in the abdomen outside of the operating theatre must be avoided. Retained knives in the anterior abdomen usually require formal laparotomy, but this is generally not required for posterior abdomen.
Performance of ultrasound in the diagnosis of cholecystitis: not so (ultra)sound?
Authors: Room H , Wood A , Ji C , Nightingale H , Toh SKC
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Ultrasound has long been the radiological investigation of choice for right upper quadrant pain in the detection of gallstones and cholecystitis. However, previously reported sensitivity, specificity and other diagnostic metrics have varied widely and the underlying patient numbers have been small. We present robust and exhaustive diagnostic metrics based on a large series of 795 patients.

Methods

All laparoscopic cholecystectomies at Portsmouth Hospitals University were prospectively logged between 2017 and 2020. Ultrasound findings, Nassar operative difficulty and histopathological findings were all collected in addition to patient biometrics.

Results

In our large patient series, the sensitivity of ultrasound for cholecystitis was lower than previously reported at 75.7% for acute cholecystitis, 34.6% for chronic cholecystitis and 42.7% overall. Moreover, we show that sensitivity degrades with the time between ultrasound and cholecystectomy, falling below 50% at 140 days. Finally, we show that ultrasound strongly predicts the Nassar difficulty grade of cholecystectomy and that its ability to do so is greatest when the interval between ultrasound and cholecystectomy is less than 27 days.

Conclusions

We present robust diagnostic metrics for ultrasound in the diagnosis of cholecystitis. These should caution the clinician that ultrasound may miss a quarter of cases of acute cholecystitis and over half of all cases of cholecystitis. Conversely, the finding of a thickened gallbladder wall on ultrasound can predict a ‘difficult cholecystectomy’ and highlight the need for appropriate expertise and resources. Both this prediction and the diagnostic sensitivity are best if the ultrasound is done less than 27 days before cholecystectomy.
Analysis of metasurfaces in general-form asymmetrical rectangular lattices
Authors: Ghasemi Mizuji Ensiyeh , Abbasi Arand Bijan , Hesari-Shermeh Maryam , Forooraghi Keyvan
Published: February 2022

In this paper, an analytical method is expanded to analyze asymmetrical metasurfaces under normal plane-wave illuminations. In our proposed method, two key factors of the polarizabilities of individual particles, and the interaction constants between them, are employed to analyze the frequency responses of some asymmetrical metasurfaces. The associated interaction constants are extracted analytically, in the general form of an asymmetrical arrangement. Our proposed semianalytical method is validated using different asymmetrical arrays of applicable structures, including plasmonic and dielectric particles, such as a gold split ring resonator and a split Si nanocone. The reflections and transmissions of these arrays are compared to the results of numerical full-wave simulations, while the applications of our suggested method, in achieving unidirectional scattering of the split Si nanocone, are also studied. This proposed method is useful in computing the effective polarizabilities of asymmetrical arrays, as it gives a comprehensive view of the metasurface. Therefore, our proposed method is a step forward in designing and synthesizing metasurfaces.
Study on the polarization dependence of nonlinear absorption of ultrafast laser pulses in bulk fused silica
Authors: Hu Kailin , Guo Ziyue , Cao Tao , Liu Shaozhen , Liu Zhihong , Li Zhou , Xu Qi , Chen Kun , Peng Jiahui
Published: February 2022

By studying the nonlinear absorption of ultrafast laser pulses in fused silica, we examine, both with experiments and numerical simulations, the different polarization dependence of multiphoton ionization and avalanche ionization. Results show multiphoton ionization and avalanche ionization play different roles in femtosecond and picosecond laser micromachining, and the contribution via avalanche ionization increases with pulse duration. Meanwhile, the spatial distribution of the free carriers generated by circularly polarized pulses is more concentrated than those generated by linear polarization for picosecond laser pulses. These properties make the circular polarized ultrafast laser a possible way to improve the ultrafast laser micromachining efficiency and spatial quality, and can help to reduce some problematic nonlinear effects in ultrafast laser micromachining of low energy band materials.
Blazed grating enables highly decoupled optically variable devices fabricated by vibration-assisted diamond texturing
Authors: Wang Jianjian , Wang Yaoke , Zhang Jianfu , Schulze Volker , Guo Ping
Published: February 2022

Optically variable devices (OVDs) are well received for anti-counterfeiting and decorative applications. In this study, new strategies to develop highly decoupled OVDs were proposed and demonstrated based on the fast patterning of blazed gratings by vibration-assisted diamond texturing. A unique surface generation mechanism was revealed as a combined cutting and forming process. One facet of blazed grating is generated by the cutting motion defined by the tool tip trajectory. The other facet is formed by the tool flank face, which establishes the blaze angle. This process is able to generate high-resolution, structurally colored graphics by modulating cutting velocity to control the grating distribution. Due to the unique surface generation mechanism, the orientation of the created blazed gratings is intrinsically perpendicular to the cutting direction. Thus, it enables the flexible control of concentration directions of diffracted light by tuning the orientation of blazed gratings. We designed and demonstrated two types of highly decoupled OVDs based on vibration-induced blazed gratings. The orthogonal-type OVD utilizes the azimuth angle dependence of blazed gratings to encode two images in orthogonal cutting directions. The in-plane-type OVD utilizes the optimized diffraction efficiency of blazed gratings in a given diffraction order to encode two images in opposite cutting directions. The fabricated OVDs are presented and compared with optical simulation results based on an extended scalar diffraction theory.
Broadband ultrasound sensing based on fused dual-core chalcogenide-PMMA microfibers
Authors: Wang Haiyang , Baker Chams , Kelly Liam , Tovar Pedro , Chen Liang , Bao Xiaoyi
Published: February 2022

High-frequency ultrasound sensors are essential for high-resolution medical ultrasonic imaging and industrial ultrasonic non-destructive monitoring. In this paper, we propose highly sensitive broadband ultrasound sensors based on fused dual-core chalcogenide-polymethyl methacrylate (As2Se3-PMMA) microfibers. We demonstrate that ultrasound response is determined by the differential slope of transmission spectra in the dual-core microfiber, which is verified by detecting the acoustic response in various microfibers of different tapering parameters. A broadband ultrasound frequency range with a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is achieved in the fused dual-core microfiber (DCM) with a sub-micron core diameter and a close core separation due to the large spectral slope at the quadrature points of the transmission spectrum. In addition, we experimentally demonstrate the sensing of ultrasound waves propagating with and without an aluminum plate in the DCM sensor. An ultrasound sensor with a broadband frequency range from 20 kHz to 80 MHz and an average SNR of 31 dB is achieved in a compact fused dual-core As2Se3-PMMA microfiber when it is directly placed on a piezoelectric transducer (PZT).
CMOS compatible ultra-compact MMI based wavelength diplexer with 60 Gbit/s system demonstration
Authors: Mohammed Zakriya , Paredes Bruna , Rasras Mahmoud
Published: February 2022

We design and experimentally demonstrate an ultra-compact 1310/1550 nm wavelength diplexer based on a multimode interference (MMI) coupler. The proposed device is designed at the first imaging length for 1550 nm wavelength resulting in an MMI length of only 41 µm. In order to improve the extinction ratio, the output ports are made asymmetric in width. A low insertion loss (< 1dB) and high extinction ratio (> 20 dB) is measured at the two operating wavelengths. It also displays a wide 3-dB bandwidth of 100 nm centered around 1310 nm and 1550 nm wavelengths. Furthermore, an on-chip wavelength demultiplexing experiment carried out on the fabricated device, with a non-return-to-zero (NRZ) on-off keying (OOK) signal at 60 Gbit/s, shows clear eye diagrams for both the wavelengths.
Hybrid metal/Ga2O3/GaN ultraviolet detector for obtaining low dark current and high responsivity
Authors: Huang Guansen , Chu Chunshuang , Guo Long , Liu Zupin , Jiang Ke , Zhang Yonghui , Sun Xiaojuan , Zhang Zi-Hui , Li Dabing
Published: February 2022

In this work, we have proposed and fabricated a metal/Ga2O3/GaN hybrid structure metal-semiconductor-metal ultraviolet photodetector with low dark current and high responsivity. The Schottky contact of Ni/Ga2O3 makes the Ga2O3 layer fully depleted. The strong electric field in the Ga2O3 depletion region can push the photo-induced electrons from the Ga2O3 layer into the GaN layer for more efficient carrier transport. Therefore, the hybrid structure simultaneously utilizes the advantage of the absorption to solar-blind ultraviolet light by the Ga2O3 layer and the high electron mobility of the GaN layer. Thus, the dark current and the photocurrent for the proposed device can be greatly improved. As a result, an extremely high photo-to-dark-current ratio of 1.46 × 106 can be achieved. Furthermore, quick rise and fall times of 0.213 s and 0.027 s at the applied bias of 6 V are also obtained, respectively.
Ultrafast magnetic scattering on ferrimagnets enabled by a bright Yb-based soft x-ray source
Authors: Fan G. , Légaré K. , Cardin V. , Xie X. , Safaei R. , Kaksis E. , Andriukaitis G. , Pugžlys A. , Schmidt B. E. , Wolf J. P. , Hehn M. , Malinowski G. , Vodungbo B. , Jal E. , Lüning J. , Jaouen N. , Giovannetti G. , Calegari F. , Tao Z. , Baltuška A. , Légaré F. , Balčiūnas T.
Published: February 2022

Development of ultrafast table-top x-ray sources that can map various
spin, orbital, and electronic configurations and reordering processes
on their natural time and length scales is an essential topic for
modern condensed matter physics as well as ultrafast science. In this
work, we demonstrate spatiotemporally resolved resonant magnetic
scattering (XRMS) to probe the inner-shell 4d electrons of a
rare-earth (RE) composite ferrimagnetic system using a bright

>

200

e
V

soft x-ray high harmonic generation
(HHG) source, which is relevant for future energy-efficient,
high-speed spintronic applications. The XRMS is enabled by direct
driving of the HHG process with power-scalable, high-energy Yb laser
technology. The optimally phase-matched broadband plateau of the HHG
offers a record photon flux (

>

2

×

1

0

9

p
h
o
t
o
n
s

/

s

/

1

%

bandwidth) with excellent spatial
coherence and covers the entire resonant energy range of RE’s

N

4
,
5

edges. We verify the underlying
physics of our x-ray generation strategy through the analysis of
microscopic and macroscopic processes. Using a CoTb alloy as a
prototypical ferrimagnetic system, we retrieve the spin dynamics, and
resolve a fast demagnetization time of

500

±

126

f
s

, concomitant with an expansion of the
domain periodicity, corresponding to a domain wall velocity of

∼

750

m

/

s

. The results confirm that, far from
cross-contamination of low-energy absorption edges in multi-element
systems, the highly localized states of

4
d

electrons associated with the

N

4
,
5

edges can provide high-quality
core-level magnetic information on par with what can be obtained at
the

M

edges, which is currently accessible
only at large-scale x-ray facilities. The analysis also indicates the
rich material-, composition-, and probing-energy-dependent driving
mechanism of RE-associated multicomponent systems. Considering the
rapid emergence of high-power Yb lasers combined with novel nonlinear
compression technology, this work indicates potential for
next-generation high-performance soft x-ray HHG-based sources in
future extremely photon-hungry applications on the table-top scale,
such as probing electronic motion in biologically relevant molecules
in their physiological environment (liquid phase), and advanced
coherent imaging of nano-engineered devices with

5

∼

8

n
m

resolution.
Is Europe prepared to go digital? making the case for developing digital capacity: An exploratory analysis of Eurostat survey data
Authors: van Kessel Robin , Wong Brian Li Han , Rubinić Ivan , O’Nuallain Ella , Czabanowska Katarzyna
Published: February 2022

Digital divides are globally recognised as a wicked problem that threatens to become the new face of inequality. They are formed by discrepancies in Internet access, digital skills, and tangible outcomes (e.g. health, economic) between populations. Previous studies indicate that Europe has an average Internet access rate of 90%, yet rarely specify for different demographics and do not report on the presence of digital skills. This exploratory analysis used the 2019 community survey on ICT usage in households and by individuals from Eurostat, which is a sample of 147,531 households and 197,631 individuals aged 16-74. The cross-country comparative analysis includes EEA and Switzerland. Data were collected between January and August 2019 and analysed between April and May 2021. Large differences in Internet access were observed (75-98%), especially between North-Western (94-98%) and South-Eastern Europe (75-87%). Young populations, high education levels, employment, and living in an urban environment appear to positively influence the development of higher digital skills. The cross-country analysis exhibits a positive correlation between high capital stock and income/earnings, and the digital skills development while showing that the internet-access price bears marginal influence over digital literacy levels. The findings suggest Europe is currently unable to host a sustainable digital society without exacerbating cross-country inequalities due to substantial differences in internet access and digital literacy. Investment in building digital capacity in the general population should be the primary objective of European countries to ensure they can benefit optimally, equitably, and sustainably from the advancements of the Digital Era.
Transfer learning for non-image data in clinical research: A scoping review
Authors: Ebbehoj Andreas , Thunbo Mette Østergaard , Andersen Ole Emil , Glindtvad Michala Vilstrup , Hulman Adam
Published: February 2022

Background

Transfer learning is a form of machine learning where a pre-trained model trained on a specific task is reused as a starting point and tailored to another task in a different dataset. While transfer learning has garnered considerable attention in medical image analysis, its use for clinical non-image data is not well studied. Therefore, the objective of this scoping review was to explore the use of transfer learning for non-image data in the clinical literature.

Methods and findings

We systematically searched medical databases (PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL) for peer-reviewed clinical studies that used transfer learning on human non-image data.

We included 83 studies in the review. More than half of the studies (63%) were published within 12 months of the search. Transfer learning was most often applied to time series data (61%), followed by tabular data (18%), audio (12%) and text (8%). Thirty-three (40%) studies applied an image-based model to non-image data after transforming data into images (e.g. spectrograms). Twenty-nine (35%) studies did not have any authors with a health-related affiliation. Many studies used publicly available datasets (66%) and models (49%), but fewer shared their code (27%).

Conclusions

In this scoping review, we have described current trends in the use of transfer learning for non-image data in the clinical literature. We found that the use of transfer learning has grown rapidly within the last few years. We have identified studies and demonstrated the potential of transfer learning in clinical research in a wide range of medical specialties. More interdisciplinary collaborations and the wider adaption of reproducible research principles are needed to increase the impact of transfer learning in clinical research.