Adequate Allocation Research Articles

In Reply to the Letter to the Editor Regarding “Workforce Trends in Spinal Surgery: Geographic Distribution and Primary Specialty Characteristics from 2012 to 2017”

Lumbar fusions are commonly performed spinal procedures. Despite this, publicly available lumbar fusion procedural and monetary data are sparse. This study aimed to evaluate trends in utilization and reimbursement for Medicare patients from 2000–2019.Medicare National Summary Data Files were used. Data were collected for true physician reimbursements and procedural rates for posterolateral fusion, anterior lumbar interbody fusion, posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF), and combined PLIF and posterolateral fusion from 2000–2019. Reimbursement was adjusted to inflation utilizing the 2019 Consumer Price Index.From 2000–2019, 1,266,942 lumbar fusion procedures were billed to Medicare Part B. Annual number of lumbar interbody fusion procedures increased by 57,740 procedures (+95%) from 61,017 in 2000 to 118,757 in 2019. This change in annual volume varied by procedure type, with posterolateral fusion increasing from 24,873 procedures in 2000 to 45,665 procedures in 2019 (+20,792, +83.59%), anterior lumbar interbody fusion increasing from 4227 in 2000 to 29,285 procedures in 2019 (+25,058, 592.81%), PLIF increasing from 5579 procedures in 2000 to 5628 procedures in 2019 (+49, +0.88%), and combined PLIF and posterolateral fusion increasing from 26,338 procedures in 2012 to 38,179 procedures in 2019 (+11,841, +44.96%). The mean inflation-adjusted reimbursement decreased for posterolateral fusion from $1662.96 to $1245.85 (−$417.11, −25.08%), anterior lumbar interbody fusion from $1159.45 to $750.33 (−$409.12, −35.29%), PLIF from $1225.02 to $1223.72 (−$1.3, −0.11%), and combined PLIF and posterolateral fusion from $1541.59 per procedure in 2012 to $1467.08 per procedure in 2019.Lumbar fusions have increased in the last 2 decades, although reimbursement for all procedures has decreased. Knowledge of these trends is important to ensure adequate resource allocation to surgeons as treating lumbar pathologies becomes more common among the aging Medicare population.

Improving Ability in Reading the Qur’an for Students at Hidayatullah TPA Bogor Through the Art of Learning the Qur’an with the Tilawati Method

This research will be carried out to know how to implement the tilawati method for students at TPA Hidayatullah Bogor in studying the Qur’an and various factors that influence this implementation process. This research was carried out using various data obtained from various research results and previous studies related to this research. The results of this study indicate that the implementation of the increased learning of the Qur’an through the tilawati method for the students at the Hidayatullah TPA went quite smoothly. This success is due to the good understanding possessed by the teachers in implementing this tilawati method, sufficient supporting facilities and infrastructure, adequate time allocation, and a fairly conducive environment for learning so that the students possess a spirit to be able to learn Al-Qur’an well through this tilawati method.

ANALISIS PELAKSANAAN FUNGSI PENGAWASAN INSPEKTORAT DAERAH DALAM PENYELENGGARAAN PEMERINTAHAN DAERAH DI KABUPATEN SABU RAIJUA

The Office of the Regional Inspectorate of Sabu Raijua District is one of the government agencies that has a supervisory function on the implementation of regional government. Where one of the missions to be achieved is to improve the quality of supervision of the implementation of regional government. However, the problem that occurs is that the implementation of the supervisory function on the implementation of regional government in Sabu Raijua district, especially in 2019 to 2021, has been carried out according to the provisions, but there are still several sub-activities that have not been implemented. implemented due to the lack of available resources. Data collection techniques used in this research are questionnaires, interviews, and documentation. In this study, the analysis used was descriptive qualitative data analysis. The results of the study concluded that the implementation of the supervisory function, especially at the Regional Inspectorate of Sabu Raijua Regency in 2019 to 2021, namely audit, review, evaluation, and monitoring had been carried out according to the provisions, but there were several sub-activities that had not been carried out due to lack of adequate human resources and time allocation. implementation of inadequate supervisionactivities.

Bolstering Measures for Combating the Challenges of Safe Working Cycle Implementation in Hong Kong’s Construction Industry

To heighten the safety performance of construction projects, multitudinous safety initiatives or measures have been promulgated in Hong Kong over the past three decades. These initiatives have led to the drastic reduction in construction site accidents. However, implementing these safety initiatives, such as the Safe Working Cycle (SWC), does not go without facing challenges. This paper illustrates the survey findings from an evaluation of the challenges encountered with the execution of SWC in construction projects in Hong Kong and proffers possible bolstering improvement measures for its successful implementation. The study was quantitative in nature and data were gathered from construction participants involved in projects adopting SWC. The data gathered were analysed using diverse descriptive, inferential and first-generation multivariate analyses. The study findings revealed that the effective implementation of SWC is still deterred by several major challenges that can be grouped into: (1) tight project schedule and limited site space; and (2) lack of promotions and support for SWC implementation. To address these profound challenges, the study recommended some essential improvement measures including: (1) adequate budget allocation and reasonable project schedule; (2) establishment of a reward system towards construction workers; and (3) development of a tailor-made SWC system for each specific construction site. The study has provided useful guidelines and insightful recommendations for both the client organisations and construction firms and their site management staff in developing their site safety policies and adopting SWC for improving the existing site safety performance of various construction projects.

Is There a Weekend Effect in the Management of Maxillofacial Trauma Patients?

Many previous studies have shown that patients admitted to the hospital at weekends have a longer delay than those on weekdays. It has been proposed that the equality of specialist services throughout the week could mitigate the 'weekend effect.' This study aimed to determine whether or not a weekend effect is observed in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery patients at a medical college and teaching hospital. Our primary predictor variable was the day of admission. Our primary outcome of interest was the length of hospital stay from admission to operation. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, One way ANOVA, and post hoc comparison were performed for statistical analysis. Out of 1185, 1005 (84.8%) were male and 180 (15.2%) female, with a mean age of 30.3 (SD=14.1) years. There was a significantly higher admission on weekends, Friday, and Saturday, and the weekend admissions were associated with a longer delay from admission to operation. The night shift was also associated with a longer delay from admission to operation. The diagnosis based procedure had the most significant effect on delay from admission to operation. The patient's age and gender had no association with the primary outcome. There is a delay in the definitive treatment of maxillofacial surgery patients admitted on weekends. These findings have implications for adequate staffing and resource allocation on the weekends based on admission volume.

Multi-tenant resource sharing with equitable-priority-based performance isolation of slices for 5G cellular systems

Network slicing is a promising technique to enable multi-tenant operation in fifth generation (5G) cellular systems. However, efficient implementation of this technique at the air interface requires an adequate resource allocation policy that provides slice isolation and takes into account the heterogeneity of services and their performance requirements. We propose a new slicing scheme aimed at slice performance isolation, efficient capacity utilization, and fair resource allocation among all users. The policy ensures a slice-specific minimum data rate to all slice users as long as their number remains within a contracted limit, yet provides higher data rates whenever capacity is available. Specifically, we incorporate the best features of the complete partitioning and complete sharing policies, while ensuring flexibility and customization for network operators. The proposed scheme is based on an iterative solution of a convex programming problem characterized by polynomial complexity, which makes it suitable for on-line implementation. Associated algorithms are also proposed. Our numerical results demonstrate that the proposed slicing scheme is capable to accommodate heterogeneous traffic and provides performance isolation of slices while maintaining resource utilization at the level of complete sharing. Depending on the system parameters, the proposed scheme allows to improve session loss probability by an order of magnitude as compared to static slicing, while keeping the user data rates comparable to that of the complete sharing scheme and improving the average user satisfaction index by up to 90%. Overall, the proposed scheme results in efficient resource utilization compared to slicing policies in which slice isolation is provided via reservation by setting fixed upper or lower capacity bounds.

Practitioners’ Perceptions of Co-Product Allocation Methods in Biorefinery Development—A Case Study of the Austrian Pulp and Paper Industry

The utilization of coproducts is a strategy that can be applied to increase the economic and environmental performance of industrial processes and thus reach an objective targeted in several environmental policies. In multi-output production processes, allocation needs to be performed to assess the products’ environmental and economic performance. It is crucial to choose an adequate allocation method, because this choice has been shown to strongly influence overall outcomes. Consequently, rash choices can lead to poor decision-making. Various ways to apply and combine allocation methods can be found in the academic literature, but it is often difficult to find sufficient guidance on how to choose an allocation method for a specific context. This study explores practitioners’ perceptions of the cost and environmental impact allocation methods used in biorefinery development (lignin, fiber fines) by applying the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Results indicate that professional background represents a major factor influencing individual preferences and, thus, the selection of specific allocation methods. Policy makers should be aware that practitioners with different professional backgrounds have varying preferences for different allocation methods and that this influences the overall assessments. These factors, in turn, affect the interpretation of results, further decision-making and, ultimately, the realization of environmentally sound and economically viable biorefinery projects. This issue deserves more attention in biorefineries, but also in other multi-output production processes. The findings indicate a need to consider multidisciplinary, diverse views and knowledge when conducting such assessments and to display the underlying approaches transparently.

Prevalence of cognitive impairment following chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Breast cancer survival rates have markedly improved. Consequently, survivorship issues have received increased attention. One common sequel of treatment is chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI). CICI causes a range of impairments that can have a significant negative impact on quality of life. Knowledge of the prevalence of this condition is required to inform survivorship plans, and ensure adequate resource allocation and support is available for sufferers, hence a systematic review of prevalence data was performed. Medline, Scopus, CINAHL and PSYCHInfo were searched for eligible studies which included prevalence data on CICI, as ascertained though the use of self-report, or neuropsychological tests. Methodological quality of included studies was assessed. Findings were synthesised narratively, with meta-analyses being used to calculate pooled prevalence when impairment was assessed by neuropsychological tests. The review included 52 studies. Time-points considered ranged from the chemotherapy treatment period to greater than 10 years after treatment cessation. Summary prevalence figures (across time-points) using self-report, short cognitive screening tools and neuropsychological test batteries were 44%, 16% and 21–34% respectively (very low GRADE evidence). Synthesised findings demonstrate that 1 in 3 breast cancer survivors may have clinically significant cognitive impairment. Prevalence is higher when self-report based on patient experience is considered. This review highlights a number of study design issues that may have contributed to the low certainty rating of the evidence. Future studies should take a more consistent approach to the criteria used to assess impairment. Larger studies are urgently needed.

A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials on Interventions Adopting Body-Mind-Spirit (BMS) Model on Holistic Well-Being.

BackgroundThis systematic review aims to examine existing randomized controlled trials on interventions adopting Body-Mind-Spirit (BMS) model and evaluated the effectiveness of holistic well-being outcomes. Following three key concepts of the BMS model, our review questions included (1) How was BMS defined? (2) What activities were included, and how were they related to BMS dimensions? (3) What were interventionists’ backgrounds, and whether they received BMS training? (4) What were holistic outcomes? and (5) What were the effectiveness and qualities of studies?MethodsSearches were performed using nine databases for the studies published through August 2020. The process follows PRISMA protocol, and the “risk of bias” tool from the Cochrane Handbook was utilized to determine the quality of included studies.ResultsAcross 20 included studies, 18 (90%) presented a BMS definition, but only seven (35%) included all three key concepts of the BMS model. Eight studies (40%) offered detailed descriptions of body, mind, and spirit sections, and 12 (60%) mentioned cultural factors. Only five (25%) specified the body, mind, and spirit activities, and only three (15%) reported the BMS training in detail. Seven studies (35%) showed effectiveness in holistic outcomes. Only three (15%) were considered as high quality.ConclusionA unified definition of the BMS model and the guideline to apply the BMS model to design and implement interventions are highly recommended to provide a standard framework for researchers to conduct future studies. The reason for low quality is because the lack of adequate allocation concealment and blindings.

Climate Change and Poverty Reduction Strategies: Challenges and Lessons from Tanzania

There is no doubt that climate change has significantly impeded poverty reduction and development efforts in many countries. Recent climate-related catastrophes have caused significant damages to developing countries and their citizens. This article analyses the nexus between climate change mitigation and its impact on Tanzania’s poverty reduction strategies. With the government’s decision to abandon poverty reduction strategies in 2011, it is vital to understand how these issues are mainstreamed in national plans. Drawing on extensive literature of secondary sources and official publications, the article demonstrates that, notwithstanding many promising features of the new national development plan, Tanzania has performed poorly within the overarching notion of mainstreaming climate change in its various national development plans. Findings further show that despite all these efforts made in previous climate change and poverty reduction strategies, Tanzania is still ill-prepared to face future climate change challenges. The article concludes that climate change issues are real and have already caused a significant setback to agricultural production and other productive sectors, posing a serious threat to human and food security. It recommends reconsidering mainstreaming climate change in development plans, adequate budgetary allocation, and establishing an effective National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) to coordinate climate-risk information at national and local levels.

DESIGNING NEW TREND OF PESANTREN FOR SANTRI ENHANCEMENT IN RESPONSE TO GOLDEN INDONESIA VISION 2045

Golden Indonesia is predicted to reach a tipping point in its development as a sovereign, advanced, just, and rich nation in 2045. The golden Indonesia 2045 Vision is supported by four pillars: Human development, scientific and technological mastery are prioritized, followed by sustainable economic development, equitable development, national resilience and government consolidation. Pesantren, as one of the oldest educational institutions in Nusantara, plays a key role in supporting the government in achieving the above-mentioned vision. The goal of this article is to look at the concept of a new pesantren trend for responding emerging issues in 2045 for succeeding the vision of a golden Indonesia. The research methodology used in this research was a qualitative method with library research. Academic texts (manuscripts) were used as primary data sources. The researcher intentionally applied the content-analyzed to read and analyze the data collected from the source mentioned above. The following were the study's findings: First, renewing the governance architecture of Islamic boarding schools entails: a. improving the quality of learning, which can enhance students' ability to read classical texts, memorize the Al-Quran, and increase a capacity in practicing Islamic religion and Islamic values in daily life; b. improving the quality of learning English, mathematics, and science; and c. providing adequate practice allocation supported by the availability of resources. Second, create new forecasts for pesantren graduates by requiring them to possess fundamental competencies, holistic integrative competences, and skills in cultivating the priority sectors tied directly to natural capital in the areas surrounding their homes.

Impacts of synergies on software project scheduling

The adequate allocation of human resources is one of the most important success factors in software projects. Although project teams can be regarded as complex systems in which a team’s performance is highly influenced by the interdependencies among team members, the allocation methods applied to date have focused only on individual skills and consider project teams as units of isolated workers. The existing software project scheduling problem (SPSP) is extended to (1) consider different skills and efficiencies of employees and (2) examine the pairwise synergies between them, as well as to (3) handle the flexible structure of the project that is used in flexible management, such as agile project management. To better understand the impact of synergies on the project’s cost, the solutions of the traditional and extended SPSP versions are analyzed and compared on the generated project networks. The results show not only that this factor has a highly significant impact but also that the project cost strongly depends on the structural parameters of the synergy network (e.g., topology, network size and degree centrality). Among these parameters, a low degree of centrality and some topologies, most notably star and circular networks, obtained the highest reduction in the projects’ total cost.

Quantifying the contribution of diminishing green spaces and urban sprawl to urban heat island effect in a rapidly urbanizing metropolitan city of Pakistan

Sustainable urban land-use development and management practices are imperative to ensure the quality of the living environment. Unplanned expansion and densification of the urban area tend to imbalance the ratio of impervious surface to green spaces, resulting in the Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) effect. Land Use Land Cover changes, anthropogenic activity, and a sustainable future environment are all intertwined. This study aims to analyze urban policies impacts by quantifying built-up land, green spaces and their associated SUHI effects in the Lahore district of Pakistan. We used a tri-temporal medium resolution remote sensing imagery (2003, 2010 and 2019) and a long-term low resolution (1 km) Land Surface Temperature (LST) time series (2001–2020) to evaluate the impacts of the LULC changes on SUHI. We found rapid urban development in the study area over the last two decades (2003 - 2019) that resulted in the losses (36%) and gains (16%) in urban vegetation at the Union Council (UC) level. Spatial patterns showed the inconsistent distribution of green spaces across the study area. Large green spaces exhibit 1 to 4 °C lower LST compared to their surrounding built-up land. The overall green spaces were reduced from 15215 ha in 2003 to 10528 ha in 2010 and a total loss of ~19% was recorded in agricultural land and open spaces during 2003–2019. Nonetheless, it showed a recovery during the last decade with a current extent of 12316 ha in 2019. This increase in green space areas is due to the rising awareness about the significance of urban green spaces and nationwide plantation drives programs which help to mitigate SUHI effect. On the other hand, transition zones under development phase consisting of sand/vacant and barren land exhibit a mean 3-4 °C higher LST while the old city areas, including the walled city, continuously exhibit 1-2 °C higher LST from the average LST of the district which triggered the SUHI pockets formation. These results of the study highlight the importance of devising effective policies to monitor unprecedented urban sprawl and the reduction in the cooling effect because of disappearing vegetation particularly in old city areas and transition zones. However, the effective implementation of the urban land use policies should be ensured through institutional strengthening, adequate resource allocation, efficient procedures, and continuous geospatial monitoring for a better living environment and to combat climate change.

Randomized controlled trials of Chinese herbal medicine published in English from 2010 to 2019: a bibliometrics study.

As the use of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) in the international market increases, the number of clinical studies including randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CHM which published in international journals has also increased. Using bibliometrics, we systematically and comprehensively analyzed the research status of CHM RCTs published in English during the period of 2010 to 2019. Electronic searches in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were undertaken. CHM RCTs published in English between January 2010 and December 2019 were included. We randomly selected 20% from the eligible articles. Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out by extracting information on general information, characteristics of the study participants, interventions, outcomes, and risk of bias assessment of included RCTs. Two hundred and twenty-seven CHM RCTs published in English were included in our study. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine was the journal which published most of the relevant papers (22.0%). A total of 45,774 participants were included, sample size ranged from 12 to 3,143 (median: 115). The most common disease was the circulatory diseases (n=36, 15.9%). Decoction was the most common dosage form (28.2%), and "CHM vs. placebo" was the most common type of control (36.1%). The median of the total number of outcomes was 4 (range, 1-14), 92 (40.5%) did not clearly specify any primary outcome, 56 (24.7%) did not report any adverse event, 41 (18.1%) and 68 (30.0%) reported traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-specific outcomes and quality of life, respectively. Eighty-five (37.4%) did not report sufficient information about the random sequence generation process, 100 (44.1%) used the adequate allocation concealment, 92 (40.5%) blinded participants and key study personnel, and 24 (10.6%) blinded outcome assessors. Our results provided insight into the research status regarding CHM RCTs published in English during the past decade, this study may be helpful in understanding research trends in this field.

Visitor’s Willingness to Pay for Cultural Ecosystem Services in Bangladesh: An Assessment for Lawachara National Park, a Biodiversity Hotspot

The valuation of natural ecosystems helps policymakers to allocate adequate resources for the provision of ecosystem services they provide. Cultural ecosystem services are the non-material benefits we obtain from nature, which include but are not limited to recreation, aesthetic enjoyment, physical and mental health benefits. They are essential for a proper sense of a place, human health, and wellbeing. We quantified the recreational and other non-material benefits of Lawachara National Park (LNP), one of the oldest and most diverse forest protected areas and tourist attractions in northeast Bangladesh. A Modified Travel Cost Method (MTCM) was applied for quantifying the recreational and other non-material values of LNP. Altogether 309 respondents were interviewed, covering both peak season and slack season. In our MTCM, we considered several additional factors, unlike the commonly used Travel Cost Method (TCM). The value of cultural ecosystem services of LNP was estimated to be Taka 476.70 million and Taka 476.44 million per annum using MTCM and TCM, respectively. The value estimated using MTCM was marginally higher than the value estimated using TCM and was due to the additional variables we considered in our modified approach. We believe our estimates using MTCM will guide policymakers to properly value natural ecosystems and facilitate adequate resource allocation for ecotourism in LNP and elsewhere.

Intracorporeal versus extracorporeal anastomosis in laparoscopic right colectomy: updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BackgroundSelection of intracorporeal anastomosis (IA) or extracorporeal anastomosis (EA) in laparoscopic right colectomy (LRC) remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of IA compared with EA in LRC patients.MethodsLiterature was searched systematically for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared IA with EA in LRC patients until May 2021. The eligible studies for risk of bias were assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Data were extracted and analysed for the following outcomes of interest: operative time, length of incision, nodal harvest, bowel function recovery, postoperative pain, postoperative complications (wound infection, anastomotic leak, ileus, obstruction, reoperation), death at 30 days, duration of hospital stay and 30-day readmission.ResultsFive RCTs, including a total of 559 patients, were eligible for meta-analysis. All of the trials reported adequate random sequence generation and allocation concealment. There were significantly better outcomes in the IA group than in the EA group in time to first flatus (mean difference (MD) −0.71 (95 per cent c.i. −1.12 to −0.31), P = 0.0005), time to first passage of stool (MD −0.53 (95 per cent c.i. −0.69 to −0.37), P < 0.00001), visual analogue scale of pain on postoperative day (POD) 3 (MD −0.76 (95 per cent c.i. −1.23 to −0.28), P = 0.002), POD 4 (MD −0.83 (95 per cent c.i. −1.46 to −0.20), P = 0.01), POD 5 (MD −0.60 (95 per cent c.i. −0.95 to −0.25), P = 0.0007), length of incision (MD −1.52 (95 per cent c.i. −2.30 to −0.74), P = 0.0001) and wound infection (relative risk 0.46 (95 per cent c.i. 0.23 to 0.91), P = 0.02). However, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in duration of hospital stay (P = 0.47), operative time (P = 0.07), number of lymph nodes harvested (P = 0.70), anastomotic leak (P = 0.88), postoperative ileus (P = 0.48), bleeding (P = 0.15), bowel obstruction (P = 0.24), reoperation (P = 0.34), readmission within 30 days (P = 0.26), and death (P = 0.70).ConclusionCompared with EA, IA shows a faster recovery of bowel function with fewer wound infections.

Analysis of physical health with internet of things-based computational narrowband physical health framework.

Physical health is vital to the improvement of our skills and the enhancement of eye movements. The coordination of good body movement helps to establish a safe position of the body. The challenging characteristics of physical education include insufficient time allocation, inadequately trained teachers, and inadequate provision of the equipment is considered as an important factor. In this paper, IoT-based Computational Narrowband Physical Health Framework (IoT-CNPHF) has been proposed to strengthen adequate time allocation, appropriately qualified teachers, and sustainable provision in the physical education system. Massive extended range analysis is introduced to enhance the duration and time allotted for physical activity that helps in creating awareness about the importance of physical activities and sports in our daily life. The multimodal supervised technique is incorporated with IoT-CNPHF to improve the knowledge of physical education for the teachers and to provide suitable provision for students in the physical education system. The simulation analysis is performed based on accuracy, performance, and its efficiency proves the reliability of the proposed framework.

1496 Building Inclusivity and Diversity from our Foundations: A Cross-Sectional Study Identifying Barriers to Theatre Based Training for Foundation Doctors

Abstract Aim Theatre experience is a powerful factor enabling trainees to determine whether they possess the enthusiasm and aptitude to undertake a surgical career. Removing barriers to theatre learning should allow a more meritorious and diverse cohort of surgical trainees. Method An 18 -point open and closed question Likert scale survey was distributed to Foundation Doctors in three hospitals within the Northern Deanery. The survey was designed via focus group and literature review, ascertaining perceived levels of preparedness, acceptance, enjoyment, and barriers to theatre access. Results The survey dichotomized respondents (n = 54) into those who attended theatre (n = 40) and those who did not (n = 14). Of those attending 38% (n = 15) reported intimidation and 15% (n = 6) cited a cultural barrier to attendance. Of those who did not attend 79% (n = 11) were interested in surgery. These respondents predominantly reported concerns around prohibitive ward workload and unfamiliarity with protocols. Covid restricted surgical rotations for some. There was a statistically significant difference (p fishers exact test = 0.001) between 83% of respondents who felt welcomed by the surgeons compared to just 45% made to feel welcome by the wider theatre team. Only 20% (n = 11) of respondents felt prepared for theatre by medical school. 50% (n = 27) were confident with theatre protocols. Conclusions The study raises concerns around apprehension surrounding the theatre environment and ward workload which appear to impede access to theatre. Adequate undergraduate surgical teaching, appropriate induction and allocation of theatre time are crucial to improve safety, diversity of applicants, confidence for trainees and compliance within the team.

Barotrauma, invasive ventilation, and timing of tocilizumab as predictors of mortality along with inflammatory markers and comorbidities in critically ill COVID-19 patients: A retrospective study.

Barotrauma, invasive ventilation, and timing of tocilizumab as predictors of mortality along with inflammatory markers and comorbidities in critically ill COVID-19 patients: A retrospective study.

Anemia prevalence in women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2018

Anemia is a globally widespread condition in women and is associated with reduced economic productivity and increased mortality worldwide. Here we map annual 2000–2018 geospatial estimates of anemia prevalence in women of reproductive age (15–49 years) across 82 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), stratify anemia by severity and aggregate results to policy-relevant administrative and national levels. Additionally, we provide subnational disparity analyses to provide a comprehensive overview of anemia prevalence inequalities within these countries and predict progress toward the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target (WHO GNT) to reduce anemia by half by 2030. Our results demonstrate widespread moderate improvements in overall anemia prevalence but identify only three LMICs with a high probability of achieving the WHO GNT by 2030 at a national scale, and no LMIC is expected to achieve the target in all their subnational administrative units. Our maps show where large within-country disparities occur, as well as areas likely to fall short of the WHO GNT, offering precision public health tools so that adequate resource allocation and subsequent interventions can be targeted to the most vulnerable populations.