bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
591 Efficacy of a 3D Printed Microstomia Orthosis on Mouth Opening and Function, a Case Series
Authors: Edger-Lacoursière Zoë , Calva valérie , Schneider Genevieve , Nedelec Bernadette
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Microstomia, often observed following facial burn injuries, can hinder functional activities such as eating, speaking, dental care, and medical procedures such as intubation. Thus, microstomia orthoses (MO) are used to increase mouth opening and function. Various designs of custom fabricated MOs have been published, however, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of a 3D MO for mouth burns was presented at the 2023 ABA conference. This 3D MO was modified to generate additional sizes and address issues of comfort and material rigidity. The modified 3D MO (available on Thingverse) was then trialed with 3 patients at different stages of their rehabilitation and their outcomes documented.

Methods

The purpose of this case series was to evaluate the efficacy of a 3D MO on mouth opening and function when used to treat 3 adult burn survivors. The mouth impairment and disability assessment (MIDA), including measures of horizontal and vertical mouth opening, was completed before the use of the 3D MO and after 4 months of wear. All participants had previously reached a plateau on the MIDA and opening measures after the use of various commercially available MOs before starting the 3D MO. They were also asked to evaluate the comfort and whether they would modify any aspect of the MO.

Results

The total material cost of this MO ranged from 2-3 $CAD. The print time ranged between 5.5-8 hrs (depending on mouthpiece size) using a 3D printer valued at ~250$CAD. The 3 participants were male with a mean age of 40 years, mean TBSA of 9.5% and 2/3 participants received face grafts. Patients started using the 3D MO at different timepoints post-burn: 4m, 9m and 15m. The 4-month post 3D MO wear MIDAs are currently being completed. However, one patient completed the questionnaire, which improved by15 points. Another patient was able to avoid having reconstructive surgery. To date, all patients improved both their horizontal and vertical mouth opening measures (mean improvement - horizontal: 0.72 (0.52) cm range [0.16-1.2]; vertical: 0.92 (0.41) cm range [0.67-1.4]). The MOs were worn between 2 weeks-4 months for a minimum of 30 min/day to achieve these results, but data collection is ongoing. All patients reported that the MO was comfortable, and they prefer it to all the MOs they had worn previously.

Conclusions

Although data collection is ongoing, patients who had previously plateaued have improved function and oral opening after the application of this modified 3D MO.

Applicability of Research to Practice

This cost-effective solution increases accessibility of MOs for individuals who do not have access to commercially available MOs. The need for economically feasible alternatives is particularly important in developing countries where burn injuries are more prevalent.
719 Child Life Specialists in the Treatment of Acute Pediatric Burns: A Systematic Review
Authors: Knight Paige , Kore Zoe , Hynes Sally L
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Children undergoing acute burn care may experience pain and anxiety affecting their ability to tolerate wound care procedures. Non-pharmacological support, including Child Life Specialists (CLS), may compliment pharmacological treatments to reduce pain and anxiety. CLS support is particularly relevant in pediatric burn care; however, there is a paucity of literature on the impact of CLS interventions for pediatric burn care. This review aims to synthesize the current understanding of CLS in pediatric burn care.

Methods

A systematic review of peer reviewed databases (Embase, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus) and gray literature (Google Scholar, Proquest, Papers First) was conducted up until 28 April 2023. Search terms included ‘burn care’ and ‘child life specialist*.’ Included studies focused on acute burn care and patient centered outcomes as primary outcomes, and non-clinical studies, such as reviews, were excluded. The protocol was published on PROSPERO, and PRISMA guidelines were followed. Data on study type, burn characteristics, pain, and anxiety were extracted and analyzed descriptively.

Results

Seventy-one unique studies were found. Five publications (three peer reviewed articles and two conference abstracts) were included. Across the five included publications (n=226) patient median/mean age ranged from 2.2 years to 7.8 years old. Two studies had a control group (n=121). There was incomplete reporting of burn characteristics. Mean/median TBSA ranged from 0.5% to 9.17%, with the upper extremity the most frequently reported location (up to 66.7%). CLS interventions included inpatient and outpatient settings. Three studies reported pharmacological analgesia and CLS during burn care. CLS interventions included distraction with electronics and/or toys (4/5), music (1/5), and directed play (1/5). Patient and parent perceptions of pain and anxiety were collected via validated measures. For the two studies with control groups, CLS interventions were associated with a reduction in pain. There was no statistically significant reduction in anxiety.

Conclusions

This systematic review identified few published studies on the effect of CLS interventions in pediatric burn care, with heterogeneity in patient population and outcome measures. CLS interventions were associated with reduced pain in children undergoing acute burn care. Although we did not find a statistically significant reduction in anxiety, authors reported insufficient statistical power.

Applicability of Research to Practice

Preliminary research supports the role of CLS interventions in reducing pain in pediatric burn care. Higher powered studies examining the role of CLS in pediatric burn care are needed to further elucidate the effect of CLS on pain and anxiety. We hope these findings stimulate further research to provide the evidence needed to fund CLS as a permanent member of multidisciplinary pediatric burn care teams.
746 Routinely Collected Burn Clinical Data in Canada: Determining the Knowledge Gap
Authors: Wang Sabrina , Gus Eduardo I , Malic Claudia C , Zuccaro Jennifer
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Unlike other developed countries that hold national burn registries to monitor burn injury and care, Canada relies on single-centre secondary datasets and administrative databases as surveillance mechanisms. The objective of this study is to determine the knowledge gap faced in Canada for not having a dedicated burn registry.

Methods

A comprehensive scoping review was conducted to identify the burn literature that has arisen from secondary datasets in Canada. Literature of all study designs was included with the exception of case reports and cases series. Once data extraction was concluded, a thematic framework was constructed based on the information that arose from nations that hold national burn registries.

Results

Eighty-eight studies were included. Twelve studies arose from national datasets, and 18 from provincial databases, most of which were from Ontario and British Columbia. Only seven studies were conducted using a combination of Canadian units’ single-centre datasets. The majority of included studies (58%) resulted from non-collaborative use of single-centre secondary datasets. Research efforts were predominantly conducted by burn units in Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba and Alberta. A significant number of the included studies were outdated and there were several provinces/territories with no published burn data whatsoever.

Conclusions

Efforts should be made towards the development of systems to surveil burn injury and care in Canada. This study supports the development of a working group and potentially a nation-wide burn registry to bridge this knowledge gap.

Applicability of Research to Practice

Decisions regarding burn injury prevention and delivery of burn care must be informed by clinical data, in order to maximize efficacy and outreach. Canada has a publicly funded healthcare system, and yet, these decisions at present are not informed by data. The establishment of the knowledge gap that is faced by the Canadian burn community is the first step towards the establishment of a working group that will discuss how Canada will move forward to bridge this gap and increase the quality of burn care delivered across the country.
747 Important Considerations for Healthcare Outreach Missions
Authors: Smith Susan L
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Up to 2 million people from the United States participate in short term medical mission trips to over 1000 missions annually with approximately 500 organizations spending $250 million annually in support of these trips. Depending on the mission, a wide variety of volunteers may be needed to support the effort, from multidisciplinary healthcare teams to translators and city planners. Moving past the romantic notion of “doing good”, it is imperative that participants follow a well-organized approach to trip preparation, delivery of care, and establishment of a sustainable plan when departing.

Methods

A review of existing literature was conducting to delineate the process to prepare outreach volunteers and the host country to maximize time and efforts. Key search terms included: medical and international mission, low-middle income country, medical and international outreach, medical volunteer, volunteer abroad. PubMed®, CINAHL®, MedlinePlus®, OVID®, and Google Scholar® were searched.

Results

Pre-trip information for participants should exceed the necessary logistics of finances, telecommunication, vaccinations, and travel arrangements. Preparation should address vital aspects of the host country, such as government structure, income, available medication and healthcare facilities, religion, weather, and available food sources. Sustainability mandates knowledge of and respect for skill set and host resources. Post trip evaluation is essential for participants to debrief about the physical, emotional and educational aspects of the mission. Evaluation by the host country provides critical information for ongoing support and future outreach. Missions should not disrupt local health and social services, but work to achieve productive and foundational outcomes.

Conclusions

Whether public good, private consumption or investment exchange, serious adverse consequences can result when there is poor alignment with host country needs. Research supported that isolated brief missions often do not have any impact on local poverty and struggling healthcare systems. Prioritizing local capacity building through sustainable educational, professional and appropriate financial resources, with recurring support is essential to achieving a long term positive impact. Efforts must avoid creating a culture of dependence, thereby perpetuating a power differential.

Applicability of Research to Practice

With the volume of outreach missions conducted and the large number of organizations and individuals involved in this effort annually, there is an enormous opportunity for research analyzing outcomes at a variety of intervals form the perspective of the volunteers, supporting organizations and the host countries. This data is crucial to refining efforts to truly achieve the greatest good.
774 A Novel Facial Mask Design: A Single Case Report
Authors: Martinez Andria , Warthman Renée , Pirsig Whitney , Murray Derek , Richey Karen J , Foster Kevin N
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Facial scarring can impact an individual’s self-worth and confidence. Treating facial scarring often includes fabrication and fitting of custom face masks. Facial masks are generally fabricated utilizing high or low temperature thermoplastic material. Facial masks may also include a silicone component to address scar formation. At present time, facial mask fabrication has evolved from plaster molding directly on the patient to 3-D scanning and subsequent molding. Impediments to current practice may include cost, delayed prescription, and breakage which can allow tissues to change which ultimately require extended modifications. This is a report of a single patient in which a 50/50 putty facemask with a thermoplastic overlay was utilized to address facial scarring, compliance, cost, and distance from clinic.

Methods

This is a case study of a 5-year-old child who suffered deep partial thickness to full thickness burn injuries to his face for whom we created a facemask with a superimposed thermoplastic overlay to maintain the position of the 50/50 putty mask. The 50/50 facemask was fabricated in a t-shape with clearance of eyes, nose and mouth. The thermoplastic overlay was fabricated to contour the exact shape of the outer face over the 50/50 putty. The Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) was administered prior to applying the custom facemask and at day 42 to evaluate efficacy. Each item on the POSAS scale is scored from 1 to 10, with 1 being normal skin and 10 representing the worst scar possible. The total score can range from 6 to 60. There is a separate overall opinion score that is rated on the same 1-10 scale. The father completed the patient portion of the scale with feedback from the child.

Results

The custom facemask was worn 23 hours per day for 42 days. The baseline patient score was 42 and the patient overall opinion of scarring score was 7. The observer score was 43 with an overall opinion of scarring score of 7. At day 42 both the patient score and patient overall opinion score had improved, 18 and 4 respectively. The observer score and observer overall opinion score also improved, 21 and 3 respectively.

Conclusions

Utilization of a 50/50 putty facemask allowed for continuous wear with less incidence of modifications due to material composition. Utilization of a 50/50 putty facial mask accommodated tissue modulation without risk of erythema in a way that thermoplastic material is unable to achieve. The facemask utilized in this single case study provided standard of care treatment while increasing ease of management for patient, decreasing cost, and allowed for same day use following initial fabrication.

Applicability of Research to Practice

Utilization of this type of facial mask whether exclusively or as an adjunct to a thermoplastic mask, may provide standard of care treatment and expedite scar management.
778 Development of Medical Play Protocol for Pediatric Transparent Facial Orthosis Fabrication
Authors: Moore Amanda , Knight Deborah
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Until 2021, when fabricating custom Transparent Facial Orthoses (TFO), the Occupational Therapists at our facility utilized a 3rd party to produce 3-D molds of patient faces. In order to maintain HIPAA compliance, the level of digital security needed could no longer be provided by this third party, and our therapists had to revert to a more labor-intensive process. This process, which involved casting the face with plaster strips, can feel invasive and often produces high anxiety and fear for pediatric burn survivors with facial scars. Within the Child Life domain, the benefits of medical play have been well documented and well researched. Medical play provides increased mastery, control, comfort, and understanding which all lead to improved compliance and positive coping. By incorporating medical play in the TFO fabrication process, Child Life and Occupational Therapy were able to collaborate in order to develop a protocol through which pediatric burn survivors could perform the steps of casting a doll’s face. This allowed the patient to manipulate the materials, learn the process of the intervention, and rehearse coping skills prior to receiving this intervention. Through the development of this protocol, the interdisciplinary team was able to complete 8 successful TFO fabrications within a 9 month period.

Methods

Identification of need for custom fabricated TFO for pediatric burn survivors under 10 years of age, or 10 years or older with a documented history of maladaptive coping Successfully completed Child Life/Occupational Therapy medical play/TFO mold fabrication with 3 year-old patient, then continued the same process with an additional five children Interdisciplinary team assessment of TFO mold fabrication process with foundational medical play Protocol developed Protocol followed on additional two pediatric burn survivors with successful outcomes

Results

Based on our assessment of five successful and one unsuccessful TFO custom mold fabrication processes, we developed a medical-play based protocol to guide the interdisciplinary team. The implementation of this protocol has reduced the anxiety and fear experienced by pediatric burn survivors with facial scars. It has also improved rapport and buy-in with caregivers and has minimized procedural time for the interdisciplinary team.

Conclusions

Managing pediatric anxiety during interventions that involve close proximity to the patient’s face and restrict movement of the mouth and sometime the eyes can be challenging for the interdisciplinary pediatric burn team. By incorporating medical play as a standard of care protocol prior to these types of non-invasive but anxiety provoking procedures we have seen greater compliance and improved patient coping both in the fabrication of the TFO as well as in the ongoing wearing and usage of this method of scar management.

Applicability of Research to Practice

Pediatric protocol development to improve scar management compliance
Unlocking growth potential in Halomonas bluephagenesis for enhanced PHA production with sulfate ions
Authors: Yao Fuwei , Yuan Kai , Zhou Weiqiang , Tang Weitao , Tang Tang , Yang Xiaofan , Liu Haijun , Li Fangliang , Xu Qing , Peng Chao
Published: April 2024

The mutant strain Halomonas bluephagenesis (TDH4A1B5P) was found to produce PHA under low-salt, non-sterile conditions, but the yield was low. To improve the yield, different nitrogen sources were tested. It was discovered that urea was the most effective nitrogen source for promoting growth during the stable stage, while ammonium sulfate was used during the logarithmic stage. The growth time of H. bluephagenesis (TDH4A1B5P) and its PHA content were significantly prolonged by the presence of sulfate ions. After 64 hr in a 5-L bioreactor supplemented with sulfate ions, the dry cell weight (DCW) of H. bluephagenesis weighed 132 g/L and had a PHA content of 82%. To promote the growth and PHA accumulation of H. bluephagenesis (TDH4A1B5P), a feeding regimen supplemented with nitrogen sources and sulfate ions with ammonium sodium sulfate was established in this study. The DCW was 124 g/L, and the PHA content accounted for 82.3% (w/w) of the DCW, resulting in a PHA yield of 101 g/L in a 30-L bioreactor using the optimized culture strategy. In conclusion, stimulating H. bluephagenesis (TDH4A1B5P) to produce PHA is a feasible and suitable strategy for all H. bluephagenesis.
The concept of normalization in the production of LGBTIQ+ media imaginaries: the scriptwriters’ conceptions
Authors: Villegas-Simón Isabel , Soto-Sanfiel Maria T
Published: April 2024

The representation of the LGBTIQ+ community in TV series has received major attention from academia, mostly from textual and reception perspectives. However, the creative and industrial processes behind the production of media content, including the writers’ views and experiences, remain under-explored, especially outside of the United States and Northern Europe. Drawing on Queer Production Studies, this research seeks to fill this gap in Queer Media Studies by examining Spanish screenwriters’ experiences and conceptions regarding the creation of fictional LGBTIQ+ characters for TV shows, and observes how the broadcasting industry influences this process. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 Spanish screenwriters. Following thematic analysis informed by grounded theory, the main results show that normalization guides the creation of LGBTIQ+ characters, although there are differences in the way screenwriters define this concept. Moreover, the narrative exposition of the intimate lives of LGBTIQ+ characters emerges as the main dilemma in that normalization. Likewise, scriptwriters perceive ambivalent attitudes from the TV industry: Whereas the inclusion of LGBTIQ+ characters seems mandatory these days, there are fears that this might lead to low viewing figures or of reputations being tarnished by negative criticism. The results of this investigation further our understanding of how the concept of normalization shapes the creation of LGBTIQ+ media representations as perceived by professionals who play significant roles in their production. These findings contribute to the advancement of knowledge within LGBTIQ+ media studies and the construction of queer media representations. They also expand the scope of the under-explored field of Production Studies and diversify its geographical area of study.
The 2021 UNHCR-IE SOGI Global Roundtable on Protection and Solutions for LGBTIQ+ People in Forced Displacement: Toward a New Vision for LGBTIQ+ Refugee Protection
Authors: Chen Eirene
Published: April 2024

This field reflection critically examines how emerging international norms concerning forcibly displaced people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) were negotiated during the 2021 UNHCR-IE SOGI Global Roundtable on Protection and Solutions for LGBTIQ+ People in Forced Displacement. I argue that the Roundtable was a crucial site of norm contestation on queer refugee intersectionality and inclusion within the global refugee policy regime, particularly among stakeholders grounded in two interconnected, mutually responsive policy ecosystems: (1) refugee rights and assistance and (2) LGBTIQ+ human rights. Through an intersectional queer feminist understanding of complex adaptive systems, I show how Roundtable stakeholders constructively challenged precepts of impartiality, neutrality, and a charity model of needs-based humanitarianism. Finally, I propose several ways to effectively innovate the international norms that will impact LGBTIQ+ refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people, and stateless people in coming years.
Surgical resection as a curative intervention for solitary renal cell carcinoma metastasis to the nasal cavity
Authors: Williams Caroline E , Sohail Amir H , Smithee William , Mercado Jose , Reynolds Stephen
Published: April 2024

Persistent unilateral nasal obstruction with recurrent epistaxis in an adult should raise suspicion of malignancy. Renal cell carcinoma accounts for 90% of all renal malignancies but rarely manifests as a nasal mass. We describe a case of clear cell renal cell carcinoma metastasizing to the nasal cavity.
Fatal cerebritis and ventriculitis secondary to tracheoesophageal prosthesis
Authors: Crotty Thomas J , Sexton Gerard P , Kavanagh Fergal , Kinsella John , Lennon Paul , Timon Conrad V , Fitzgerald Conall W R
Published: April 2024

Tracheoesophageal puncture and voice prosthesis placement is the preferred method of voice restoration following total laryngectomy. Although this is a safe and effective means of optimizing voice, severe complications can occur. We present the case of a patient who developed cerebritis and ventriculitis secondary to a tracheoesophageal prosthesis eroding his cervical vertebrae 20 years following pharyngo-laryngo-esophagectomy. Despite optimal antimicrobial therapy, he deteriorated and succumbed to his disease. Although tracheoesophageal prostheses are a safe and effective means of voice restoration, life-threatening complications can occur. This case report highlights a rare but severe case of cervical osteomyelitis, epidural abscess, and cerebritis and ventriculitis secondary to tracheoesophageal prosthesis. Clinicians must be aware of this severe complication in postlaryngectomy patients with tracheoesophageal prostheses.
Beyond Kafala! Employers’ discriminatory attitudes and violations of the rights and freedoms of women migrant domestic workers in Lebanon
Authors: Abdulrahim Sawsan , Cherri Zeinab , Adra May , Hassan Fahed
Published: April 2024

Women migrant domestic workers (WMDWs) constitute 7.7 per cent of migrant workers worldwide, of whom more than a quarter work in the Arab region under the exploitative Kafala, system. In this article, we center employers as key actors in the making of the discursive meaning of Kafala. Utilizing data from a mixed-methods study on Lebanese employers of live-in WMDWs, we investigate whether practices that violate the rights and freedoms of workers are determined by the employers’ knowledge of what Kafala and local legal obligations entail versus other factors. The findings reveal that, although knowledge of legal obligations increases compliance with basic worker rights, employers shape the meaning of Kafala through practices that resonate with their discriminatory attitudes and financial interests. Thus, whilst benefit may accrue from enhancing employers’ knowledge of local legal obligations, only anti-racism advocacy that addresses deep-seated discriminatory attitudes and mobilizes employer morality would improve the rights and freedoms of WMDWs. The article does not abrogate Kafala as an exploitative system but calls for centering employers who, through their daily practices, contribute to shaping its meaning and reinforcing its power.
Examining chromatin heterogeneity through PacBio long-read sequencing of M.EcoGII methylated genomes: an m6A detection efficiency and calling bias correcting pipeline
Authors: Dennis Allison F , Xu Zhuwei , Clark David J
Published: April 2024

Recent studies have combined DNA methyltransferase footprinting of genomic DNA in nuclei with long-read sequencing, resulting in detailed chromatin maps for multi-kilobase stretches of genomic DNA from one cell. Theoretically, nucleosome footprints and nucleosome-depleted regions can be identified using M.EcoGII, which methylates adenines in any sequence context, providing a high-resolution map of accessible regions in each DNA molecule. Here, we report PacBio long-read sequence data for budding yeast nuclei treated with M.EcoGII and a bioinformatic pipeline which corrects for three key challenges undermining this promising method. First, detection of m6A in individual DNA molecules by the PacBio software is inefficient, resulting in false footprints predicted by random gaps of seemingly unmethylated adenines. Second, there is a strong bias against m6A base calling as AT content increases. Third, occasional methylation occurs within nucleosomes, breaking up their footprints. After correcting for these issues, our pipeline calculates a correlation coefficient-based score indicating the extent of chromatin heterogeneity within the cell population for every gene. Although the population average is consistent with that derived using other techniques, we observe a wide range of heterogeneity in nucleosome positions at the single-molecule level, probably reflecting cellular chromatin dynamics.
SARS-CoV-2 nsp15 preferentially degrades AU-rich dsRNA via its dsRNA nickase activity
Authors: Wang Xionglue , Zhu Bin
Published: April 2024

It has been proposed that coronavirus nsp15 mediates evasion of host cell double-stranded (ds) RNA sensors via its uracil-specific endoribonuclease activity. However, how nsp15 processes viral dsRNA, commonly considered as a genome replication intermediate, remains elusive. Previous research has mainly focused on short single-stranded RNA as substrates, and whether nsp15 prefers single-stranded or double-stranded RNA for cleavage is controversial. In the present work, we prepared numerous RNA substrates, including both long substrates mimicking the viral genome and short defined RNA, to clarify the substrate preference and cleavage pattern of SARS-CoV-2 nsp15. We demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 nsp15 preferentially cleaved pyrimidine nucleotides located in less thermodynamically stable areas in dsRNA, such as AU-rich areas and mismatch-containing areas, in a nicking manner. Because coronavirus genomes generally have a high AU content, our work supported the mechanism that coronaviruses evade the antiviral response mediated by host cell dsRNA sensors by using nsp15 dsRNA nickase to directly cleave dsRNA intermediates formed during genome replication and transcription.
Immigration and Child Welfare
Authors: Rafieifar Maryam
Published: April 2024

The child welfare and immigration systems in the United States intersect when children of immigrants enter the child welfare system. In the United States, there are three ways that children of immigrants might be involved in the child welfare system: (1) occurrence and report of child abuse, neglect, or maltreatment by their immigrant parents; (2) immigration enforcement actions (apprehension, detention, or deportation) against the immigrant parents; and (3) unaccompanied immigrant minors who enter the United States alone. These children and their families may face an array of complex issues, including legal barriers, difficulties in accessing services, language and cultural issues, prolonged family separation, and sometimes termination of parental rights resulting from lack of communication or miscommunication between immigration and child welfare systems. The estimated share of children under eighteen who are foreign-born or live with at least one foreign-born parent has consistently risen. However, the number of children of immigrants in the child welfare system is unknown, as this information is not collected at the state or federal levels. Some states have specialized policies and practices to respond to the needs of children with immigrant parents. However, there are considerable variations in procedures by state throughout the country.
Umayyad History
Authors: Marsham Andrew
Published: April 2024

Between 644 and 750 ce, the Umayyad branch of the Prophet Muhammad’s tribe of Quraysh presided over the expansion of the first Islamic empire. Control over the former lands of Rome and Iran in Egypt and the Fertile Crescent was consolidated, while new conquests were made in North Africa, the Mediterranean, the Caucasus, Iran, and Central and South Asia. The first Umayyad leader (and third leader after the Prophet), ʿUthman, ruled from Medina, in West Arabia, as his predecessors had done. ʿUthman’s killing in 656 triggered widespread conflict within the new elite, from which his second cousin, Muʿawiya, emerged victorious. Muʿawiya ruled from Syria, where he had close ties with the tribes of the Syrian Desert. After Muʿawiya’s death in 680, there was a second episode of widespread violence. It ended in c. 692, when a third branch of the Umayyad clan—ʿUthman’s first cousin, Marwan, and his descendants—took power, retaining Syria as their capital but seeking greater control over other territories. Under the Marwanid caliph ʿAbd al-Malik (r. 685–705) and his successors, the empire’s resources supported the public articulation of a distinctive claim to rule in the name of Islam, manifested in monuments such as the Dome of the Rock and on coins bearing only Arabic text in place of images. In 750, tensions in Iraq and in the frontier armies, and conflict within the Marwanid family and their army, brought about the end of Umayyad rule everywhere except al-Andalus. (This medieval Umayyad “successor state,” in what is now Spain and Portugal, is not addressed in this bibliography.) The Umayyads were supplanted as imperial monarchs by their Abbasid cousins, who ruled the empire from Iraq. Since the revisionist scholarship of the 1970s and 1980s, source-critical, literary-critical, and prosopographical approaches have been taken to the (mostly 9th- and 10th-century) literary sources for the Umayyad era. Meanwhile, archaeology and numismatic, epigraphic, and other documentary sources have been crucial to understanding not only the empire’s administration but also social and economic history. Earliest Islam and Islamic history have also been recontextualized within the frameworks of Late Antiquity and world history. Despite the problematic evidence, the era of the Marwanid Umayyads stands out as the period when a recognizably “Islamic” identity becomes visible across the various material evidence and as the earliest period to which some of the earliest textual elements of the later Arabic-Islamic tradition can be traced.
8 ½
Authors: Ariano Raffaele
Published: April 2024

8 ½ (Otto e mezzo) is usually considered the best and most representative film of the most influential director of Italian cinema, and one of the great masterpieces of the cinema of all times. There is a “before” and “after” 8 ½: this holds true for the internal trajectory of Federico Fellini’s career, whose signature style, the so called “Fellinesque,” would significantly change in nature after the film, taking on many of the traits—the oneiric, the insistence on memory and the unconscious, the unabashed assertion of a boldly private and flamboyant imagery—which are commonly associated with it. This holds true, moreover, for film culture at large. When 8 ½ was released in 1963, Federico Fellini was already a more than accomplished director, successful both commercially and critically. However, the scope and depth the innovations brought forth by the film would set his fame on a significantly new path, and were quickly recognized as breaking new ground for the medium of film as such. 8 ½ won Fellini his third Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In the heyday of the politique des auteurs and European art cinema, it made him into the quintessential example of the modernist film author. The film has regularly appeared at the top positions in most rankings of the best movies in film history ever since, and has been an avowed influence for directors of the likes of Bob Fosse, François Truffaut, Woody Allen, and Paolo Sorrentino, to name only a few. Its achievements in the most different compartments of film language still stand as exemplary and keep rewarding analysis and interpretation, be it Gianni Di Venanzo’s black and white cinematography, Nino Rota’s soundtrack, the complex alchemy of the screenplay co-authored with Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli, and Brunello Rondi, or the way the star personas of the likes of Marcello Mastroianni and Claudia Cardinale are absorbed in the narrative and thereby reshaped. And there is even more than this. With its bold narrative expedient—telling the story, full of resonances with Fellini’s own biography, of a film director in crisis who is attempting to shoot an autobiographical film—8 ½ shifted the boundaries of what a film can do: it gave a decisive contribution to the introduction of meta-cinema as one of the permanent possibilities of the medium; it improved on its ability to reflect critically, philosophically even, on topics ranging from the nature of art and creativity to gender relations and society; it opened new avenues with psychoanalysis, with its theory and practice, and also with the multifarious galaxy of practices and discourses which, in the history of European culture, deal with self-writing and autobiography.
Business History
Authors: Decker Stephanie
Published: April 2024

The business history of Africa has not been widely researched. As a subject area, it has seen engagement from different disciplines: business and economic history, African history, and imperial history. The general perception of Africa as a continent needing development may have contributed to a lack of interest in the role of business in African history. Nevertheless, from the 1970s onwards, the subject has had more engagement from scholars. Larger economies and regions with longer-standing intercontinental trade relationships have seen more research (e.g., South Africa, Nigeria). As both the private and higher education sectors are not consistently strongly developed across African countries, there are substantial differences in how much research has been conducted on a given country or industry. North African states are sometimes included in the historiography of the Middle East and only rarely included in the history of African business. As the subject area crosses disciplinary boundaries, research controversies and questions can be somewhat disconnected, and contributions to one field may not always be referenced by researchers from another. Research has also tended to differentiate between business actors, such as African and expatriate (with domestic ethnic minority trading diasporas such as the Lebanese in West Africa and the Indians in East Africa being included in this binary distinction or researched separately) and types of business, such as formal and informal enterprises, which usually require different methodological approaches as informal economic activities are more difficult to research archivally.
Increased cytoplasmic Mg2+ level contributes to rice salicylic acid accumulation and broad-spectrum resistance
Authors: Zeng Wenzhi , Zhang Yanjun , Tian Xinyue , Li Wenyan , Meng Han , Zhou Yuanchang , Wang Zonghua , Chen Zhichang , Zhang Kewei , Wang Mo
Published: April 2024

Elevating Mg2+ levels in rice cytoplasm by genetic modification or exogenous supply increases salicylic acid accumulation and enhances broad-spectrum resistance to pathogens.
Misleading Polls in the Media: Does Survey Clickbait Have Social Consequences?
Authors: Graham Matthew H , Hillygus D Sunshine , Trexler Andrew
Published: April 2024

In today’s competitive information environment, clicks are the currency of the digital media landscape. Clickbait journalism attempts to entice attention with provocative and sensational headlines, but what are the implications when public opinion polls are the hook? Does the use of survey clickbait—news stories that make misleading claims about public opinion—have implications for perceptions of the public, journalists, or the polling industry? In two survey experiments conducted in the United States, we find that exposure to apolitical survey clickbait that makes exaggerated claims about the incompetence of the American public undermines perceptions of their capacity for democratic citizenship. At the same time, we find no evidence that this type of survey clickbait damages the reputations of the media or polling industry, suggesting that the media may have perverse incentives to use low-quality polls or to misrepresent polling results to drive traffic.
Importance of Strange Sea to the Charge Radii and Quadrupole Moment of $J^P=\frac{1}{2}^+,\frac{3}{2}^+$ Baryons
Authors: Bhall Preeti , Upadhyay A
Published: April 2024

A statistical framework in conjugation with the principle of detailed balance is employed to examine the low-energy properties, i.e. charge radii and quadrupole moment, of JP = $\frac{1}{2}^+$ octet and JP = $\frac{3}{2}^+$ decuplet baryons. The statistical model relies on the assumption that the baryons can be expanded in terms of quark–gluon Fock states. We systematically apply operator formalism along with the statistical approach to study the charge radii and quadrupole moment of baryons. Based on the probabilities of all possible Fock states in spin, flavor, and color space, the importance of sea with quarks and gluons is studied. The individual contribution of the constituent quarks and sea (scalar, vector, and tensor sea) is explored. Due to the large mass difference between strange and nonstrange content, the SU(3) breaking effect is also investigated. The extent to which strange $q\bar{q}$ pairs are considered in sea is constrained by the mass of hadrons and the free energy of gluons, in accordance with experimental evidence. We focus on the individual contribution of strange and nonstrange sea ($g, \langle u\bar{u}\rangle$, $\langle d\bar{d}\rangle$, and $\langle s\bar{s}\rangle$) accommodability in the respective hadrons for their charge radii and quadrupole moment. The present work has been compared with various theoretical approaches and some known experimental observations. The obtained results may give valuable information for upcoming experimental findings.
Using narratives to correct politically charged health misinformation and address affective belief echoes
Authors: Lillie Helen M , Ratcliff Chelsea L , King Andy J , Pokharel Manusheela , Jensen Jakob D
Published: April 2024

Background

In May 2020, news outlets reported misinformation about the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) related to COVID-19. Correcting misinformation about outbreaks and politics is particularly challenging. Affective belief echoes continue to influence audiences even after successful correction. Narrative and emotional flow scholarship suggest that a narrative corrective with a positive ending could reduce belief echoes. Therefore, this study investigated the efficacy of a narrative corrective with a relief ending for correcting misinformation about the CDC.

Methods

Between 29 May and 4 June 2020, we tested the effectiveness of a narrative to correct this misinformation. Participants in the United States (N = 469) were enrolled via Qualtrics panels in an online message experiment and randomized to receive a narrative corrective, a didactic corrective or no corrective.

Results

The narrative corrective resulted in lower endorsement of the misinformation compared with the control and the didactic corrective. The narrative corrective had a positive indirect effect on perceived CDC competence and mask wearing intentions for politically moderate and conservative participants via relief.

Conclusions

Public health institutions, such as the CDC, should consider utilizing narrative messaging with positive emotion endings to correct misinformation. Narratives better address affective belief echoes, particularly for counter-attitudinal audiences.
Identify Potential Causal Relationships Between Cortical Thickness, Mismatch Negativity, Neurocognition, and Psychosocial Functioning in Drug-Naïve First-Episode Psychosis Patients
Authors: Li Xiaojing , Wei Wei , Wang Qiang , Deng Wei , Li Mingli , Ma Xiaohong , Zeng Jinkun , Zhao Liansheng , Guo Wanjun , Hall Mei-Hua , Li Tao
Published: April 2024

Background

Cortical thickness (CT) alterations, mismatch negativity (MMN) reductions, and cognitive deficits are robust findings in first-episode psychosis (FEP). However, most studies focused on medicated patients, leaving gaps in our understanding of the interrelationships between CT, MMN, neurocognition, and psychosocial functioning in unmedicated FEP. This study aimed to employ multiple mediation analysis to investigate potential pathways among these variables in unmedicated drug-naïve FEP.

Methods

We enrolled 28 drug-naïve FEP and 34 age and sex-matched healthy controls. Clinical symptoms, neurocognition, psychosocial functioning, auditory duration MMN, and T1 structural magnetic resonance imaging data were collected. We measured CT in the superior temporal gyrus (STG), a primary MMN-generating region.

Results

We found a significant negative correlation between MMN amplitude and bilateral CT of STG (CT_STG) in FEP (left: r = −.709, P < .001; right: r = −.612, P = .008). Multiple mediation models revealed that a thinner left STG cortex affected functioning through both direct (24.66%) and indirect effects (75.34%). In contrast, the effects of the right CT_STG on functioning were mainly mediated through MMN and neurocognitive pathways.

Conclusions

Bilateral CT_STG showed significant association with MMN, and MMN plays a mediating role between CT and cognition. Both MMN alone and its interaction with cognition mediated the effects of structural alterations on psychosocial function. The decline in overall function in FEP may stem from decreased CT_STG, leading to subsequent MMN deficits and neurocognitive dysfunction. These findings underline the crucial role of MMN in elucidating how subtle structural alterations can impact neurocognition and psychosocial function in FEP.
miRNAs mediate the impact of smoking on dental pulp stem cells via the p53 pathway
Authors: Hardin Leyla Tahrani , Abid Nabil , Vang David , Han Xiaoyuan , Thor Der , Ojcius David M , Xiao Nan
Published: April 2024

Cigarette smoke changes the genomic and epigenomic imprint of cells. In this study, we investigated the biological consequences of extended cigarette smoke exposure on dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and the potential roles of miRNAs. DPSCs were treated with various doses of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) for up to 6 weeks. Cell proliferation, survival, migration, and differentiation were evaluated. Cytokine and miRNA expression were profiled. The results showed that extended exposure to CSC significantly impaired the regenerative capacity of the DPSCs. Bioinformatic analysis showed that the cell cycle pathway, cancer pathways (small cell lung cancer, pancreatic, colorectal, and prostate cancer), and pathways for TNF, TGF-β, p53, PI3K-Akt, mTOR, and ErbB signal transduction, were associated with altered miRNA profiles. In particular, 3 miRNAs has-miR-26a-5p, has-miR-26b-5p, and has-miR-29b-3p fine-tune the p53 and cell cycle signaling pathways to regulate DPSC cellular activities. The work indicated that miRNAs are promising targets to modulate stem cell regeneration and understanding miRNA-targeted genes and their associated pathways in smoking individuals have significant implications for disease control and prevention.
A manoeuvre indicator and ensemble learning-based risky driver recognition approach for highway merging areas
Authors: Liu Xingliang , Deng Shuang , Liu Tangzhi , Liu Tong , Wang Song
Published: April 2024

Due to the complex traffic characteristics in highway merging areas, drivers tend to exhibit high-risk driving behaviours. To address the characteristics of driving behaviour in highway merging areas, we have developed a real-time identification model for risky drivers by combining a driver risk level labelling method with load balancing-ensemble learning (LB-EL). In this paper, we explore four types of manoeuvre indicator indexes (MIIs)—acute direction, stomp pedal, dangerous following and dangerous lane changing—that can describe the negative behaviours of both individual vehicles and vehicle platoons in highway merging areas. To quantize the label driver risk level, we use the interquartile range (IQR) method and Criteria Importance Though Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) while evaluating the reliability of the MII using spatial analysis. Furthermore, we balance the dataset using three load balancing (LB) algorithms and create nine ensemble strategies by pairing adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and light gradient boosting machine (LGBM) with the three LB algorithms. Finally, we validate the proposed model using trajectory data extracted from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) videos. The results indicate that the distribution laws of risky driving behaviours in the acute direction and stomp pedal show a high degree of similarity and good matching with the distribution laws of traffic conflict points in existing research. Moreover, the synthetic minority over-sampling technique-light gradient boosting machine (SMOTE-LGBM) ensemble model achieves the best performance, reaching an accuracy rate of 93.4%, and a recall rate of 92.1%, which demonstrates the validity of our proposed model. This model can be widely applied to recognize risky drivers in video-based surveillance systems.