The role of chronic conditions in influencing symptom attribution and anticipated help-seeking for potential lung cancer symptoms: a vignette-based study

BACKGROUND: Very little is known about the influence of chronic conditions on symptom attribution and help-seeking for potential cancer symptoms. AIM: To determine if symptom attribution and anticipated help-seeking for potential lung cancer symptoms is influenced by pre-existing respiratory conditions (often referred to as comorbidity), such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). DESIGN & SETTING: A total of 2143 adults (1081 with and 1062 without a respiratory condition) took part in an online vignette survey. METHOD: The vignette described potential lung cancer symptoms (persistent cough and breathlessness) after which questions were asked on symptom attribution and anticipated help-seeking. RESULTS: Attribution of symptoms to cancer was similar in participants with and without respiratory conditions (21.5% and 22.1%, respectively). Participants with respiratory conditions, compared with those without, were more likely to attribute the new or changing cough and breathlessness to asthma or COPD (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 3.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.02 to 4.39). Overall, 56.5% of participants reported intention to seek help from a GP within 3 weeks if experiencing the potential lung cancer symptoms. Having a respiratory condition increased the odds of prompt help-seeking (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.49). Regular healthcare appointments were associated with higher odds of anticipated help-seeking. CONCLUSION: Only one in five participants identified persistent cough and breathlessness as potential cancer symptoms, and half said they would promptly seek help from a GP, indicating scope for promoting help-seeking for new or changing symptoms. Chronic respiratory conditions did not appear to interfere with anticipated help-seeking, which might be explained by regular appointments to manage chronic conditions

Generalized Hamiltonian structures for Ermakov systems

We construct Poisson structures for Ermakov systems, using the Ermakov invariant as the Hamiltonian. Two classes of Poisson structures are obtained, one of them degenerate, in which case we derive the Casimir functions. In some situations, the existence of Casimir functions can give rise to superintegrable Ermakov systems. Finally, we characterize the cases where linearization of the equations of motion is possible

Cryogenic setup for trapped ion quantum computing

We report on the design of a cryogenic setup for trapped ion quantum computing containing a segmented surface electrode trap. The heat shield of our cryostat is designed to attenuate alternating magnetic field noise, resulting in 120~dB reduction of 50~Hz noise along the magnetic field axis. We combine this efficient magnetic shielding with high optical access required for single ion addressing as well as for efficient state detection by placing two lenses each with numerical aperture 0.23 inside the inner heat shield. The cryostat design incorporates vibration isolation to avoid decoherence of optical qubits due to the motion of the cryostat. We measure vibrations of the cryostat of less than $\pm$20~nm over 2~s. In addition to the cryogenic apparatus, we describe the setup required for an operation with $^{\mathrm{40}}$Ca$^{\mathrm{+}}$ and $^{\mathrm{88}}$Sr$^{\mathrm{+}}$ ions. The instability of the laser manipulating the optical qubits in $^{\mathrm{40}}$Ca$^{\mathrm{+}}$ is characterized yielding a minimum of its Allan deviation of 2.4$\cdot$10$^{\mathrm{-15}}$ at 0.33~s. To evaluate the performance of the apparatus, we trapped $^{\mathrm{40}}$Ca$^{\mathrm{+}}$ ions, obtaining a heating rate of 2.14(16)~phonons/s and a Gaussian decay of the Ramsey contrast with a 1/e-time of 18.2(8)~ms

Demographic and psychological predictors of community pharmacists’ cancer-related conversations with patients: a cross-sectional analysis and survey study

BACKGROUND: There is increasing interest in the role of community pharmacy in the early diagnosis and prevention of cancer. This study set out to examine how often community pharmacists (CPs) encourage patients to spot or respond to potential signs and symptoms of cancer, and how often they help people to make an informed decision about taking part in bowel cancer screening. METHODS: Data from 400 UK CPs, who completed the 2018 Cancer Research UK Healthcare Professional Tracker survey, were analysed. The primary outcomes were: ‘how often CPs encourage patients to spot or respond to potential signs and symptoms of cancer’ and ‘how often CPs encourage eligible people to make an informed decision to participate in bowel cancer screening’. Associations between behaviours and demographic and psychological variables (Capability, Opportunity and Motivation) were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Most (n = 331, 82.8%) CPs reported occasionally, frequently or always encouraging patients to spot or respond to potential signs and symptoms of cancer, while only half (n = 203, 50.8%) reported occasionally, frequently or always helping people make an informed decision to participate in bowel cancer screening. Female sex (aOR: 3.20, 95%CI: 1.51, 6.81; p < 0.01) and increased Opportunity (aOR: 1.72, 95%CIs: 1.12, 2.64; p < 0.05) and Motivation (aOR: 1.76, 95%CIs: 1.37, 2.27; p < 0.001) were associated with encouraging patients to spot or respond to potential signs and symptoms of cancer; all three psychological variables were associated with helping people to make an informed decision to participate in bowel cancer screening (Capability: aOR: 1.39, 95%CIs: 1.26, 1.52, p < 0.001; Opportunity: aOR: 1.44, 95%CIs: 1.11, 1.87; p < 0.01; Motivation: aOR: 1.45, 95%CIs: 1.05, 2.00; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Most CPs encourage patients to spot or respond to potential cancer symptoms, while only half help them make an informed decision to participate in bowel cancer screening. A multifaceted approach, targeting multiple COM-B components, is required to change these behaviours

A non-linear Oscillator with quasi-Harmonic behaviour: two- and nn-dimensional Oscillators

A nonlinear two-dimensional system is studied by making use of both the Lagrangian and the Hamiltonian formalisms. The present model is obtained as a two-dimensional version of a one-dimensional oscillator previously studied at the classical and also at the quantum level. First, it is proved that it is a super-integrable system, and then the nonlinear equations are solved and the solutions are explicitly obtained. All the bounded motions are quasiperiodic oscillations and the unbounded (scattering) motions are represented by hyperbolic functions. In the second part the system is generalized to the case of $n$ degrees of freedom. Finally, the relation of this nonlinear system with the harmonic oscillator on spaces of constant curvature, two-dimensional sphere $S^2$ and hyperbolic plane $H^2$, is discussed.Comment: 30 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Nonlinearit

Study of a class of non-polynomial oscillator potentials

We develop a variational method to obtain accurate bounds for the eigenenergies of H = -Delta + V in arbitrary dimensions N>1, where V(r) is the nonpolynomial oscillator potential V(r) = r^2 + lambda r^2/(1+gr^2), lambda in (-infinity,\infinity), g>0. The variational bounds are compared with results previously obtained in the literature. An infinite set of exact solutions is also obtained and used as a source of comparison eigenvalues.Comment: 16 page

A rare case of giant leiomyosarcoma in a filarial scrotum: a case report

Giant leiomyosarcoma of scrotum is a rare tumour. A case of scrotum leiomyosarcoma is presented in a 67 year old patient with scrotal filariasis which was managed successfully with total scrotectomy with bilateral orchidectomy, degloved penis reconstructed with rotation advancement supra pubic fasciocutaneous flap. We made a literature search proving the rarity of this lesion type. Only 36 cases have been described and the first case in a filarial scrotu