Patient satisfaction and follow-up adherence to glaucoma case management clinic in China

AIM:To assess glaucoma patient satisfaction and follow-up adherence in case management and identify associated predictors to improve healthcare quality and patient outcomes.METHODS:In this cross-sectional study,a total of 119 patients completed a Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18 and a sociodemographic questionnaire.Clinical data was obtained from the case management system.Follow-up adherence was defined as completing each follow-up within±30d of the scheduled time set by ophthalmologists during the study period.RESULTS:Average satisfaction scored 78.65±7,with an average of 4.39±0.58 across the seven dimensions.Age negatively correlated with satisfaction(P=0.008),whilst patients with follow-up duration of 2 or more years reported higher satisfaction(P=0.045).Multivariate logistics regression analysis revealed that longer follow-up durations were associated with lower follow-up adherence(OR=0.97,95%CI,0.95-1.00,P=0.044).Additionally,patients with suspected glaucoma(OR=2.72,95%CI,1.03-7.20,P=0.044)and those with an annual income over 100000 Chinese yuan demonstrated higher adherence(OR=5.57,95%CI,1.00-30.89,P=0.049).CONCLUSION:The case management model proves effective for glaucoma patients,with positive adherence rates.The implementation of this model can be optimized in the future based on the identified factors and extended to glaucoma patients in more hospitals.

Loss to Specialized Cardiology Follow-Up in Adults Living with Congenital Heart Disease

Background:Much has been written about the loss to follow-up in the transition between pediatric and adult Congenital Heart Disease(CHD)care centers.Much less is understood about the loss to follow-up(LTF)after a successful transition.This is critical too,as patients lost to specialised care are more likely to experience mor-bidity and premature mortality.Aims:To understand the prevalence and reasons for loss to follow-up(LTF)at a large Australian Adult Congenital Heart Disease(ACHD)centre.Methods:Patients with moderate or highly complex CHD and gaps in care of>3 years(defined as LTF)were identified from a comprehensive ACHD data-base.Structured telephone interviews examined current care and barriers to clinic attendance.Results:Overall,407(22%)of ACHD patients(n=1842)were LTF.The mean age at LTF was 31(SD 11.5)years and 54%were male;311(76%)were uncontactable.Compared to adults seen regularly,lost patients were younger,with a greater socio-economic disadvantage,and had less complex CHD(p<0.05 for all).We interviewed 59 patients(14%).The top 3 responses for care absences were“feeling well”(61%),losing track of time(36%),and not needing fol-low-up care(25%).Conclusions:A large proportion of the ACHD population becomes lost to specialised cardiac care,even after a successful transition.This Australian study reports younger age,moderate complexity defects,and socio-economic disadvantage as predictive of loss to follow-up.This study highlights the need for novel approaches to patient-centered service delivery even beyond the age of transition and resources to maintain patient engagement within the ACHD service.

Essential role of postoperative follow-up in the management of clear cell sarcoma

Clear cell sarcoma(CCS)is a rare melanocytic soft tissue sarcoma known for itspropensity to metastasize to the lymph nodes and typically has an unfavorableprognosis.Currently,surgical resection is the primary treatment for localizedCCS,while radiotherapy and chemotherapy are preferred for metastatic cases.The roles of adjuvant chemotherapy,radiotherapy,and lymph node dissection arecontroversial.Although immunotherapy has emerged as a promising avenue inCCS treatment research,there are no established clinical standards for postoperativefollow-up.This editorial discusses a recent article by Liu et al,with afocus on current diagnostic modalities,treatment approaches,and the challengingprognosis associated with CCS.Our aim is to underscore the importance of longtermpatient follow-up in CCS management.

Moment Redistribution Effect of the Continuous Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer-Concrete Composite Slabs Based on Static Loading Experiment

This study aimed to investigate the moment redistribution in continuous glass fiber reinforced polymer(GFRP)-concrete composite slabs caused by concrete cracking and steel bar yielding in the negative bending moment zone.An experimental bending moment redistribution test was conducted on continuous GFRP-concrete composite slabs,and a calculation method based on the conjugate beam method was proposed.The composite slabs were formed by combining GFRP profiles with a concrete layer and supported on steel beams to create two-span continuous composite slab specimens.Two methods,epoxy resin bonding,and stud connection,were used to connect the composite slabs with the steel beams.The experimental findings showed that the specimen connected with epoxy resin exhibited two moments redistribution phenomena during the loading process:concrete cracking and steel bar yielding at the internal support.In contrast,the composite slab connected with steel beams by studs exhibited only one-moment redistribution phenomenon throughout the loading process.As the concrete at the internal support cracked,the bending moment decreased in the internal support section and increased in the midspan section.When the steel bars yielded,the bending moment further decreased in the internal support section and increased in the mid-span section.Since GFRP profiles do not experience cracking,there was no significant decrease in the bending moment of the mid-span section.All test specimens experienced compressive failure of concrete at the mid-span section.Calculation results showed good agreement between the calculated and experimental values of bending moments in the mid-span section and internal support section.The proposed model can effectively predict the moment redistribution behavior of continuous GFRP-concrete composite slabs.

Long-term assessment of collagenase treatment for Dupuytren’s contracture:A 10-year follow-up study

BACKGROUND Enzymatic fasciotomy with collagenase clostridium histolyticum(CCH)has revolutionized the treatment for Dupuytren’s contracture(DC).Despite its benefits,the long-term outcomes remain unclear.This study presented a comprehensive 10-year follow-up assessment of the enduring effects of CCH on patients with DC.AIM To compare the short-term(12 wk)and long-term(10 years)outcomes on CCH treatment in patients with DC.METHODS A cohort of 45 patients was treated with CCH at the metacarpophalangeal(MCP)joint and the proximal interphalangeal(PIP)joint and underwent systematic reevaluation.The study adhered to multicenter trial protocols,and assessments were conducted at 12 wk,7 years,and 10 years post-surgery.RESULTS Thirty-seven patients completed the 10-year follow-up.At 10 years,patients treated at the PIP joint exhibited a 100%recurrence.However,patients treated at the MCP joint only showed a 50%recurrence.Patient satisfaction varied,with a lower satisfaction reported in PIP joint cases.Recurrence exceeding 20 degrees on the total passive extension deficit was observed,indicating a challenge for sustained efficacy.Significant differences were noted between outcomes at the 7-year and 10-year intervals.CONCLUSION CCH demonstrated sustained efficacy when applied to the MCP joint.However,caution is warranted for CCH treatment at the PIP joint due to a high level of recurrence and low patient satisfaction.Re-intervention is needed within a decade of treatment.

Complete Convergenceand Complete Moment Convergence for Weighted Sums of ANA Random Variables

In this paper,we investigate the complete convergence and complete moment conver-gence for weighted sums of arrays of rowwise asymptotically negatively associated(ANA)random variables,without assuming identical distribution.The obtained results not only extend those of An and Yuan[1]and Shen et al.[2]to the case of ANA random variables,but also partially improve them.

Environmental Impact Assessment Follow-Up of Seismic Survey Offshore Activities in Brazil

Follow-up of environmental impacts is an integral part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, closely related to the effectiveness of the instrument. EIA follow-up has been receiving a lot of interest from scientists and practitioners, though it is recognized as one of the weakest points of EIA systems globally. Also, EIA follow-up is influenced by the context, mainly in terms of the types of projects or activities and their related impacts on the environment. Therefore, the present paper is focused on the investigation of the follow-up stage applied to the activity of seismic survey coupled with offshore oil & gas exploitation in Brazil. Research was based on a qualitative approach that included document analysis and semi-structured interviews with analysts involved in EIA processes, and sought to generate evidence of effectiveness of the EIA follow-up as conducted by the Federal Environment Agency (Ibama) in order to situate the practice of follow-up in the broader context of international best practice principles. Based on the findings, it was concluded that, due to the peculiarities of offshore seismic survey, it is necessary to promote adaptations in the procedures for monitoring impacts in order to ensure proper alignment with the principles and conceptual foundations that guide EIA practice. Specifically, the timing of the execution of the activity imposes challenges for its integration into the “conventional” cycle that has guided the monitoring of the impacts in the EIA of projects.

Sensitivity Analysis of Electromagnetic Scattering from Dielectric Targets with Polynomial Chaos Expansion and Method of Moments

In this paper,an adaptive polynomial chaos expansion method(PCE)based on the method of moments(MoM)is proposed to construct surrogate models for electromagnetic scattering and further sensitivity analysis.The MoM is applied to accurately solve the electric field integral equation(EFIE)of electromagnetic scattering from homogeneous dielectric targets.Within the bistatic radar cross section(RCS)as the research object,the adaptive PCE algorithm is devoted to selecting the appropriate order to construct the multivariate surrogate model.The corresponding sensitivity results are given by the further derivative operation,which is compared with those of the finite difference method(FDM).Several examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm for sensitivity analysis of electromagnetic scattering from homogeneous dielectric targets.

The deterministic condition for the ground reaction force acting point on the combined knee valgus and tibial internal rotation moments in early phase of cutting maneuvers in female athletes

Background:Combined knee valgus and tibial internal rotation(VL+IR)moments have been shown to stress the anterior cruciate ligament(ACL)in several in vitro cadaveric studies.To utilize this knowledge for non-contact ACL injury prevention in sports,it is necessary to elucidate how the ground reaction force(GRF)acting point(center of pressure(CoP))in the stance foot produces combined knee VL+IR moments in risky maneuvers,such as cuttings.However,the effects of the GRF acting point on the development of the combined knee VL+IR moment in cutting are still unknown.Methods:We first established the deterministic mechanical condition that the CoP position relative to the tibial rotational axis differentiates the GRF vector’s directional probability for developing the combined knee VL+IR moment,and theoretically predicted that when the CoP is posterior to the tibial rotational axis,the GRF vector is more likely to produce the combined knee VL+IR moment than when the CoP is anterior to the tibial rotational axis.Then,we tested a stochastic aspect of our theory in a lab-controlled in vivo experiment.Fourteen females performed 60˚cutting under forefoot/rearfoot strike conditions(10 trials each).The positions of lower limb markers and GRF data were measured,and the knee moment due to GRF vector was calculated.The trials were divided into anterior-and posterior-CoP groups depending on the CoP position relative to the tibial rotational axis at each 10 ms interval from 0 to 100 ms after foot strike,and the occurrence rate of the combined knee VL+IR moment was compared between trial groups.Results:The posterior-CoP group showed significantly higher occurrence rates of the combined knee VL+IR moment(maximum of 82.8%)at every time point than those of the anterior-CoP trials,as theoretically predicted by the deterministic mechanical condition.Conclusion:The rearfoot strikes inducing the posterior CoP should be avoided to reduce the risk of non-contact ACL injury associated with the combined knee VL+IR stress.

Implementing and evaluating an automatic centroid moment tensor procedure for the Indonesia region and surrounding areas

The purpose of this research was to suggest an applicable procedure for computing the centroid moment tensor(CMT)automatically and in real time from earthquakes that occur in Indonesia and the surrounding areas.Gisola software was used to estimate the CMT solution by selecting the velocity model that best suited the local and regional geological conditions in Indonesia and the surrounding areas.The data used in this study were earthquakes with magnitudes of 5.4 to 8.0.High-quality,real-time broadband seismographic data were provided by the International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks Web Services(FDSNWS)and the European Integrated Data Archive(EIDA)Federation in Indonesia and the surrounding areas.Furthermore,the inversion process and filter adjustment were carried out on the seismographic data to obtain good CMT solutions.The CMT solutions from Gisola provided good-quality solutions,in which all earthquake data had A-level quality(high quality,with good variant reduction).The Gisola CMT solution was justified with the Global CMT(GCMT)solution by using the Kagan angle value,with an average of approximately 11.2°.This result suggested that the CMT solution generated from Gisola was trustworthy and reliable.The Gisola CMT solution was typically available within approximately 15 minutes after an earthquake occurred.Once it met the quality requirement,it was automatically published on the internet.The catalog of local and regional earthquake records obtained through this technology holds great promise for improving the current understanding of regional seismic activity and ongoing tectonic processes.The accurate and real-time CMT solution generated by implementing the Gisola algorithm consisted of moment tensors and moment magnitudes,which provided invaluable insights into earthquakes occurring in Indonesia and the surrounding areas.

Moment magnitudes of two large Turkish earthquakes on February 6,2023 from long-period coda

Two large earthquakes(an earthquake doublet)occurred in south-central Turkey on February 6,2023,causing massive damages and casualties.The magnitudes and the relative sizes of the two mainshocks are essential information for scientific research and public awareness.There are obvious discrepancies among the results that have been reported so far,which may be revised and updated later.Here we applied a novel and reliable long-period coda moment magnitude method to the two large earthquakes.The moment magnitudes(with one standard error)are 7.95±0.013 and 7.86±0.012,respectively,which are larger than all the previous reports.The first mainshock,which matches the largest recorded earthquakes in the Turkish history,is slightly larger than the second one by 0.11±0.035 in magnitude or by 0.04 to 0.18 at 95%confidence level.

Analysis of rockburst mechanism and warning based on microseismic moment tensors and dynamic Bayesian networks

One of the major factors inhibiting the construction of deep underground projects is the risk posed by rockbursts.A study was conducted on the access tunnel of the Shuangjiangkou hydropower station to determine the evolutionary mechanism of microfractures within the surrounding rock mass during rockburst development and develop a rockburst warning model.The study area was chosen through the combination of field studies with an analysis of the spatial and temporal distribution of microseismic(MS)events.The moment tensor inversion method was adopted to study rockburst mechanism,and a dynamic Bayesian network(DBN)was applied to investigating the sensitivity of MS source parameters for rockburst warnings.A MS multivariable rockburst warning model was proposed and validated using two case studies.The results indicate that fractures in the surrounding rock mass during the development of strain-structure rockbursts initially show shear failure and are then followed by tensile failure.The effectiveness of the DBN-based rockburst warning model was demonstrated using self-validation and K-fold cross-validation.Moment magnitude and source radius are the most sensitive factors based on an investigation of the influence on the parent and child nodes in the model,which can serve as important standards for rockburst warnings.The proposed rockburst warning model was found to be effective when applied to two actual projects.

GPU-acceleration 3D rotated-staggered-grid solutions to microseismic anisotropic wave equation with moment tensor implementation

To improve the accuracy of microseismic inversion,seismic anisotropy and moment tensor source should be carefully considered in the forward modelling stage.In this study,3D microseismic anisotropy wave forward modelling with a moment tensor source was proposed.The modelling was carried out based on a rotated-staggered-grid(RSG)scheme.In contrast to staggered-grids,the RSG scheme defines the velocity components and densities at the same grid,as do the stress components and elastic parameters.Therefore,the elastic moduli do not need to be interpolated.In addition,the detailed formulation and implementation of moment-tensor source loaded on the RSG was presented by equating the source to the stress increments.Meanwhile,the RSG-based 3D wave equation forward modelling was performed in parallel using compute unified device architecture(CUDA)programming on a graphics processing unit(GPU)to improve its efficiency.Numerical simulations including homogeneous and anisotropic models were carried out using the method proposed in this paper,and compared with other methods to prove the reliability of this method.Furthermore,the high efficiency of the proposed approach was evaluated.The results show that the computational efficiency of proposed method can be improved by about two orders of magnitude compared with traditional central processing unit(CPU)computing methods.It could not only help the analysis of microseismic full wavefield records,but also provide support for passive source inversion,including location and focal mechanism inversion,and velocities inversion.

Determining the moment of inertia of triaxial Mars with updated global gravity models

The principal moments of inertia(PMIs)with the principal axes are usually taken as the dynamic figure parameters of Mars;they can be deduced from satellite-observed degree-two gravitational potentials in recent global gravity models and from the dynamic ellipticities resulting from precession observations.These PMIs are natural and significant for the geodetic,geophysical,and geodynamic problems of Mars,which are functions of internal density distributions.In this study,a closed and concise formula for determining the PMIs of the entire planet and its core was developed based on the second invariants of gravity and a multipole expansion.We deduced the polar oblateness J^(2)and the equatorial ellipticity J_(22)of Mars to be 1.9566×10^(−3)and 6.3106×10^(−5),respectively.The preferred principal moments of inertia of Mars are A=2.66589×1036 kg·m^(2),B=2.66775×10^(36)kg·m^(2),and C=2.68125×10^(36)kg·m^(2).These values indicate that Mar is slightly triaxial.The equatorial principal moment of inertia of the Martian core is 1.46008×10^(35)kg·m^(2),accounting for~5.47%of the planet’s PMI;this result is critical for investigating the density and size of the core of Mars,and the planet’s free core nutation.

Effects of an Omaha System-based follow-up regimen on self-care and quality of life in gastrointestinal surgery patients

BACKGROUND Currently,a variety of new nursing methods and routine nursing have been widely used in the nursing of gastrointestinal surgery patients.AIM To investigate the effect of follow-up protocol based on the Omaha System on self-care ability and quality of life of gastrointestinal surgery patients.METHODS A total of 128 patients with inflammatory bowel disease in gastrointestinal surgery in gastrointestinal surgery from March 2019 to August 2021 were divided into A(n=64)and B(n=64)groups according to different nursing methods.The group A received a follow-up program Omaha System-based intervention of the group B,whereas the group B received the routine nursing intervention.Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire,Crohn’s and Colitis Knowledge Score(CCKNOW),inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire(IBDQ),Exercise of Self-nursing Agency Scale(ESCA),The Modified Mayo Endoscopic Score,and Beliefs about Medicine Questionnaire(BMQ)were compared between the two groups.RESULTS Following the intervention,the group A were facing score significantly increased than group B,while the avoidance and yield scores dropped below of group B(all P<0.05);in group A,the level of health knowledge,personal care abilities,self-perception,self-awareness score and ESCA total score were more outstanding than group B(all P<0.05);in group A the frequency of defecation,hematochezia,endoscopic performance,the total evaluation score by physicians and the disease activity were lower than group B(all P<0.05);in the group A,the total scores of knowledge in general,diet,drug,and complication and CCKNOW were higher than group B(all P<0.05);in group A,the necessity of taking medicine,score of medicine concern and over-all score of BMQ were more significant than group B(all P<0.05);at last in the group A,the scores of systemic and intestinal symptoms,social and emotional function,and IBDQ in the group A were higher than group B(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION For gastrointestinal surgery patients,the Omaha System-based sequel protocol can improve disease awareness and intervention compliance,help them to face the disease positively,reduce disease activity,and improve patients’self-nursing ability and quality of life.

Intensive follow-up vs conventional follow-up for patients with nonmetastatic colorectal cancer treated with curative intent:A metaanalysis

BACKGROUND The frequency and content of follow-up strategies remain controversial for colorectal cancer(CRC),and scheduled follow-ups have limited value.AIM To compare intensive and conventional follow-up strategies for the prognosis of non-metastatic CRC treated with curative intent using a meta-analysis.METHODS PubMed,Embase,and the Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched for potentially eligible randomized controlled trials(RCTs)from inception until April 2023.The Cochrane risk of bias was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies.The hazard ratio,relative risk,and 95%confidence interval were used to calculate survival and categorical data,and pooled analyses were performed using the random-effects model.Additional exploratory analyses were performed for sensitivity,subgroups,and publication bias.RESULTS Eighteen RCTs involving 8533 patients with CRC were selected for the final analysis.Intensive follow-up may be superior to conventional follow-up in improving overall survival,but this difference was not statistically significant.Moreover,intensive follow-up was associated with an increased incidence of salvage surgery compared to conventional follow-up.In addition,there was no significant difference in the risk of recurrence between intensive and conventional follow-up strategies,whereas intensive follow-up was associated with a reduced risk of interval recurrence compared to conventional follow-up.Finally,the effects of intensive and conventional follow-up strategies differed when stratified by tumor location and follow-up duration.CONCLUSION Intensive follow-up may have a beneficial effect on the overall survival of patients with non-metastatic CRC treated with curative intent.

Band engineering of valleytronics WSe_(2)–MoS_(2)heterostructures via stacking form,magnetic moment and thickness

Spin-valley polarization and bandgap regulation are critical in the developing of quantum devices.Here,by employing the density functional theory,we investigate the effects of stacking form,thickness and magnetic moment in the electronic structures of WSe_(2)–MoS_(2)heterostructures.Calculations show that spin-valley polarization maintains in all situations.Increasing thickness of 2H-MoS_(2)not only tunes the bandgap but also changes the degeneracy of the conduction band minimums(CBM)at K/K_(1) points.Gradual increase of micro magnetic moment tunes the bandgap and raises the valence band maximums(VBM)atΓpoint.In addition,the regulation of band gap by the thickness of 2H-MoS_(2)and introduced magnetic moment depends on the stacking type.Results suggest that WSe_(2)–MoS_(2)heterostructure supports an ideal platform for valleytronics applications.Our methods also give new ways of optical absorption regulation in spin-valley devices.

The natural course of bacillus Calmette-Guerin induced bladder lesions:A long-term follow-up study and systematic review

Objective:Bacillus Calmette-Gue´rin(BCG)instillation is the standard adjuvant treatment for intermediate-and high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer after transurethral resection.Nevertheless,its toxicity often causes bladder complications.On follow-up cystoscopy,post-BCG bladder lesions can be pathologically benign,urothelial carcinoma recurrence,or other types of bladder malignancy.Only a small number of case reports have been published on post-BCG bladder lesions.Their clinical features,natural course,and management remain unknown.Methods:We retrospectively studied cystoscopic videos and medical records of BCG-treated bladder cancer patients at our center.During a long-term follow-up,we took biopsies on tumor-like lesions and described their changes.In addition,we summarized previous studies on post-BCG bladder lesions by systematic literature searching and review.Results:We described a series of three cases with post-BCG bladder lesions mimicking tumor recurrence from a total of 38 cases with follow-up data for more than 5 years.Those lesions could last,grow,or disappear spontaneously,and remain pathological benign for years.In systematic review,we identified and analyzed a total of 15 cases with post-BCG bladder lesions with detailed clinical information.Eleven of the 15 were benign and have a good prognosis with nephrogenic adenoma being the most common pathological type.Conclusion:Based on previous studies and our experience,benign lesions after BCG instillation cannot distinguish with cancer recurrence by cystoscopy alone,even under narrow band imaging mode.Nonetheless,given most of them have a good prognosis,random biopsy or transurethral resection might be spared in the patients with long-term negative biopsy and urine cytology.

Unusual magnetic relaxation in a single-molecule magnet with toroidal magnetic moments

We report the synthesis and characterization of a single-molecule magnet composed of triangular clusters of dysprosium ions.The structural study shows that the symmetry changes from one polar point group(mm2)at room temperature to another polar point group(m)at low temperature.Magnetic studies and theory calculations illustrate that the vortex distribution of magnetic dipoles in the triangular dysprosium clusters forms a toroidal magnetic moment.Interestingly,the analysis of AC magnetic susceptibility reveals the coexistence of three distinct magnetic relaxation processes,corresponding to the Raman,Orbach,and QTM relaxation pathways,respectively.The sum of three modified Debye functions is successfully used to describe the multiple relaxation behavior.

Dynamic connectedness and network in the high moments of cryptocurrency,stock,and commodity markets

This study examines the connectedness in high-order moments between cryptocurrency,major stock(U.S.,U.K.,Eurozone,and Japan),and commodity(gold and oil)markets.Using intraday data from 2020 to 2022 and the time and frequency connectedness models of Diebold and Yilmaz(Int J Forecast 28(1):57–66,2012)and Barunik and Křehlik(J Financ Econom 16(2):271–296,2018),we investigate spillovers among the markets in realized volatility,the jump component of realized volatility,realized skewness,and realized kurtosis.These higher-order moments allow us to identify the unique characteristics of financial returns,such as asymmetry and fat tails,thereby capturing various market risks such as downside risk and tail risk.Our results show that the cryptocurrency,stock,and commodity markets are highly connected in terms of volatility and in the jump component of volatility,while their connectedness in skewness and kurtosis is smaller.Moreover,jump and volatility connectedness are more persistent than that of skewness and kurtosis connectedness.Our rolling-window analysis of the connectedness models shows that connectedness varies over time across all moments,and tends to increase during periods of high uncertainty.Finally,we show the potential of gold and oil as hedging and safe-haven investments for other markets given that they are the least connected to other markets across all moments and investment horizons.Our findings provide useful information for designing effective portfolio management and cryptocurrency regulations.