bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An improved statistical approach to compare means
Authors: Mahmood Tahir , Riaz Muhammad , Iqbal Anam , Mulenga Kabwe
Published: December 2022

In many experiments, our interest lies in testing the significance of means from the grand mean of the study variable. Sometimes, an additional linearly related uncontrollable factor is also observed along with the main study variable, known as a covariate. For example, in Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) problem, the effect of pulse current on the surface roughness (study variable) is affected by the machining time (covariate). Hence, covariate plays a vital role in testing means, and if ignored, it may lead to false decisions. Therefore, we have proposed a covariate-based approach to analyze the means in this study. This new approach capitalizes on the covariate effect to refine the traditional structure and rectify misleading decisions, especially when covariates are present. Moreover, we have investigated the impact of assumptions on the new approach, including normality, linearity, and homogeneity, by considering equal or unequal sample sizes. This study uses percentage type Ⅰ error and power as our performance indicators. The findings reveal that our proposal outperforms the traditional one and is more useful in reaching correct decisions. Finally, for practical considerations, we have covered two real applications based on experimental data related to the engineering and health sectors and illustrated the implementation of the study proposal.
Existence, uniqueness and approximation of nonlocal fractional differential equation of sobolev type with impulses
Authors: Manjula M. , Kaliraj K. , Botmart Thongchai , Nisar Kottakkaran Sooppy , Ravichandran C.
Published: December 2022

This paper is concerned with the study of nonlocal fractional differential equation of sobolev type with impulsive conditions. An associated integral equation is obtained and then considered a sequence of approximate integral equations. By utilizing the techniques of Banach fixed point approach and analytic semigroup, we obtain the existence and uniqueness of mild solutions to every approximate solution. Then, Faedo-Galerkin approximation is used to establish certain convergence outcome for approximate solutions. In order to illustrate the abstract results, we present an application as a conclusion.
The Growing Dictionary of the Slovenian Language (2014-) and Slovenian Neologisms: Study on Types of Data and Their Use
Authors: Krvina Domen
Published: December 2022

The article aims at presenting the methods of detection of Slovenian neologisms, used in the making of the Growing Dictionary of the Slovenian Language, accessible at the Fran portal , which integrates various dictionaries into a single whole, form 2014 onwards. In the first year of compiling and for the following few years, the main source of the candidates was corpus Gigafida 1.0, built in 2013. Due to the corpus not being updated regularly (and unavailability of other appropriate sources), users’ suggestions have taken over the main role. Users submit suggestions directly on the Fran portal. The corpus Gigafida and other (Janes, SlWaC) are still used for checking users’ suggestions. Due to a high number of such suggestions and a growing demand for new lexical descriptions, their importance cannot be overlooked. The neologisms collected in the dictionary exhibit a number of characteristics, a brief overview of which is provided at the end of the study.
Design of a Hand Pose Recognition System for Mobile and Embedded Devices
Authors: Lahiani Houssem , Neji Mahmoud
Published: December 2022

Today, smart devices such smart watches and smart cell phones are becoming ever-present in all fields that influence the quality of life of the modern people. These on-board systems have revolutionized the behavior of human beings and especially their way of communicating. In this context and to improve the experience of using these devices, we aim to develop a system that recognizes hand poses in the air by a smart device.  In this work, the system is based on Histogram of Oriented Gradient (HOG) features and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. The impact of using HOG and SVM on mobile devices is studied. To carry out this study, we used an improved version of the "NUS I" dataset and obtained a recognition rate of approximately 94%. In addition, we conducted run speed experiments on various mobile devices to study the impact of this task on this embedded platform. The main contribution of this work is to test the impact of using the HOG descriptor and the SVM classifier in terms of recognition rate and execution time on low-end smartphones.Today, smart devices such smart watches and smart cell phones are becoming ever-present in all fields that influence the quality of life of the modern people. These on-board systems have revolutionized the behavior of human beings and especially their way of communicating. In this context and to improve the experience of using these devices, we aim to develop a system that recognizes hand poses in the air by a smart device.  In this work, the system is based on Histogram of Oriented Gradient (HOG) features and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. The impact of using HOG and SVM on mobile devices is studied. To carry out this study, we used an improved version of the "NUS I" dataset and obtained a recognition rate of approximately 94%. In addition, we conducted run speed experiments on various mobile devices to study the impact of this task on this embedded platform. The main contribution of this work is to test the impact of using the HOG descriptor and the SVM classifier in terms of recognition rate and execution time on low-end smartphones.
Analysis of Pattern Searching Algorithms and Their Application
Authors: Retkoceri Festinë , Idrizi Florim , Ismaili Shpend , Imeri Florinda , Memeti Agon
Published: December 2022

Nowadays data is growing tremendously. Therefore, there is a great need to store and process data. The problem of Pattern Searching has different applications. When searching for text or words in computer application systems, Pattern searching is used to display the search results. The purpose of Pattern searching is to find text within another text. For example, searching for text in books will take a long time and is hard work. Using Pattern searching will save you time and effort. If similar words are found within the requested text, it will underline the word similar to what was requested, otherwise it does not display any matches if there are no similar words within a text.  This paper presents comparisons of the speed of different Pattern searching algorithms, precisely the Naive, KMP, Rabin-Karp, Finite Automata, Boyer-Moore, Aho-Corasick, Z Algorithm algorithms. We will test the time complexity of these algorithms in the three programming languages C#, Java and Python using three different CPUs. According to the results that appear in this comparison, we are able to perform the comparison between the programming languages and the comparison between the CPUs used in this research.
An urban experiment in small town sustainability in the UK: the case of Cittaslow
Authors: Ball Susan
Published: December 2022

Member towns of the international network of slow cities are recent examples of the working out of development approaches that aim to involve local communities in the maintenance of the unique environmental and cultural heritage of individual locations. Formalised as Cittaslow, over the last two decades these towns are having to respond to a range of issues brought on by the increasing pace of life associated with globalisation and, conversely, stagnation due to being by-passed by footloose capital. The charter requirements of Cittaslow offer a means by which third-tier towns may address sustainable development. Having bought into the ideas for action promoted by Cittaslow International, ten towns in the UK have worked towards developing support in the community for a package of complex, connected technical measures. They have done so over a period marked by a shift from government to governance, and in an economic climate characterised by austerity. Evidence from local government officers points to the challenges of maintaining support for a view of sustainable development formulated elsewhere and which many people find hard to grasp. Quality of life and local uniqueness are nonetheless broad goals, around which communities can be anticipated to continue to organise in processes of governance for sustainable development.
The End of History in Kevin Barry’s City of Bohane (2011)?
Authors: Mikowski Sylvie
Published: December 2022

This paper examines the issue of time and history in Kevin Barry’s 2011 novel City of Bohane, a mix of dystopia and satire in which post-Celtic Tiger, post-2008 “bust” Ireland is thinly disguised. That imaginary, dystopian world seems arrested in an eternal present, having reduced the historical past to the status of mere traces, the origin of which has been lost, while the future is jeopardized by entropy. However, the novel is not a critical dystopia in that the inhabitants of Bohane do not show any sign of protest or rebellion, numbed as they are by the pleasures of consumption of drugs or other material goods. The second part of the chapter analyses the different elements of the parody of contemporary Ireland and of the way neoliberalism has reduced the sacred cows of history—republicanism, nationalism, Catholicism—to devaluated signifiers. City of Bohane is comparable to visual artist Seán Hillen’s series of photomontage Irelantis, in which the incongruous, preposterous superimposition of a mythologized past with an equally artificial, implausible future is meant to set the onlooker aback, in the image of the sudden and unforeseeable transformation of an archaic, conservative, backward society into a globalized, multicultural vanguard of Western neo-liberalism.
Underground Manchester as urban palimpsest in Jeanette Winterson’s Frankissstein: A Love Story (2019)
Authors: Wrobel Claire
Published: December 2022

In her 2019 novel Frankissstein: A Love Story, Jeanette Winterson repatriates Mary Shelley’s myth to Britain, and more precisely to Manchester, the cradle of the Industrial Revolution. The visionary in this case is an AI-specialist called Victor Stein, who is striving to push back the limits of the human condition in a secret underground laboratory. Subterranean Manchester presents itself as an urban palimpsest in which different historical strata coexist, and whose meaning is defined by a process of cultural accretion involving history, local culture and literature. Winterson contributes a fictional layer by interweaving the urban text that is underground Manchester and her rewriting of Shelley’s myth. Building on Jens Martin Gurr’s suggestion that the notion of the urban palimpsest may be extended to post-industrial cities, the first section seeks to analyse how Winterson represent urban complexity – i.e. the coexistence of layers of urban memory – by mobilizing textual strategies centred on the figure of Victor Stein. The paper then demonstrates how the structure of the novel performs urban complexity, encouraging readers to engage in time travel and hypertextual reading. Finally, the last section shows how the challenge which lies in representing urban complexity is also an opportunity, as the time travel allowed by underground Manchester enables Winterson, like Mary Shelley before her, to contemplate the possibilities opened up by science, probing not just the future of the city, but that of humanity. The constant shifts between the nineteenth century and the present time reflect Winterson’s conviction that Shelley’s novel is a prophecy announcing the advent of the posthuman. Drawing on the collection of essays which Winterson recently published under the title 12 Bytes. How We Got Here. Where We Might Go Next (2021), the article examines how the novel’s reflection on the human and its boundaries invites us to question the contemporary polis and its monstrous Others.
Urban Innovation and Philanthropy, New Perspectives on the Columbia Market, London
Authors: Houssard Emeline
Published: December 2022

Completed in 1868 by architect Alfred Darbishire, Columbia Market is an astounding philanthropic project undertaken by Baroness Georgina Burdett-Coutts on behalf of the impoverished neighbourhoods of London's East End. Celebrated as much for its grandiose neo-Gothic architecture as for its spectacular economic failure, it has almost never been studied beyond the scope of an architectural approach, usually monographic or narrowed down to its decorations (Pevsner 1952; Schmiechen and Carls 1999; Lewis 2012; Jones 2016). Firstly, this article refines the architectural analysis of the Columbia Market through a better consideration not only of its decorum but also of its structure. By doing so, it reveals Darbishire’s interest in other contemporary markets in London such as Covent Garden Market, Hungerford Market, Billingsgate Market and Spitalfields Market. Notwithstanding an outright economic collapse, Darbishire and Burdett-Coutt’s project is greeted with several echoes throughout Europe, of which this article offers the first comprehensive study. Mentioned in most of the contemporary journal articles, publications, and municipal reports devoted to neighbourhood covered markets, especially so in Berlin and Rome, it became an architectural model and a milestone in the European development of this type of building. Second, this article reconsiders Columbia Market as an exemplary case of the inherently urban character of neighbourhood covered markets, focusing on its implementation and insertion within a larger project associating urban facilities, housing and transportation. More than an isolated philanthropic gesture in this deprived area of London, Columbia Market emerged as an extension to Columbia Square’s dwellings, built in 1862 for Burdett-Coutts on the advice of Charles Dickens. Other less known urban facilities were later built in order to rationalize the neighbourhood and to respond to the hygienist principles of the time. In addition, several railway projects integrating Columbia Market were put forward between 1870 and 1890, revealing both the interest in a new approach to urban planning and the transportation problems specific to this typology.Considering the history of Columbia Market over the long term and the reasons for its failure thus contributes to a better understanding of its history and typology, as well as that of the neighbourhood and the city to which it belongs. The urban experiment associated with Columbia Market thus appears as a precursor of the programmes that only emerged in Europe after the Second World War, most notably the Lansbury Estate in London’s East End.
Pandémie et continuité pédagogique : peut-on faciliter le passage à distance ?
Authors: Molle Nicolas , Chateau Anne , Kalyaniwala Carmenne
Published: December 2022

La crise sanitaire a engendré de nombreuses conséquences sur la vie quotidienne de l’ensemble des citoyens. Ce fut le cas pour le monde de l’éducation et de l’enseignement supérieur. Du jour au lendemain, sans préparation, les étudiants et le personnel des universités ont déserté les campus et fait l’expérience de l’enseignement complètement en ligne. Des enquêtes journalistiques ou de terrain ont démontré les impacts négatifs que ce basculement du présentiel au distanciel a pu avoir sur les apprentissages : perte de repères, démotivation, isolement, etc. Cependant, dans l’établissement qui sert de contexte à cette étude, des formations semblent avoir facilité le passage au distanciel pour leurs apprenants. Il s’avère que certains éléments d’une formation hybride (carnet de bord, tâches, autonomisation…) ont accompagné les apprenants vers le distanciel sans obstacles majeurs, alors qu’un enseignement conçu en présentiel et transposé en distanciel déstabilise davantage les étudiants. L’accompagnement, l’habitude du format hybride, des outils numériques et le recours à une pédagogie autonomisante semblent être autant d’éléments rendant le passage au distanciel plus aisé pour les apprenants.
Deploying Internationalisation at Home During Lockdown
Authors: Reynolds Alexandra
Published: December 2022

This is a report on a variety of internationalisation at home (IaH) initiatives coordinated by Bordeaux University since 2020 (the start of the COVID pandemic). IaH is understood as “the purposeful integration of international and intercultural dimensions into the formal and informal curriculum for all students within domestic learning environments” (Beelen and Jones 69). On site, IaH programmes are defined in the following ways: 1) The opportunity for domestic students to study with incoming international students enrolled at Bordeaux University. 2) The opportunity to study with students from other universities through multi-institutional or bilateral virtual exchange. The institutional framework was provided by the NewDEAL project (open, student-centered and connected programmes, within a framework of transformative learning). We are therefore in a position to consider how IaH can best be deployed at University. We aim to discuss the merits and challenges of our IaH offer.
Unmet need for family planning and related difficulties among married women of childbearing age in Bandung Slum, Indonesia
Authors: Fitrianingsih Asti Dewi Rahayu , Deniati Ema Novita
Published: December 2022

This study was conducted to assess what factors cause women of childbearing age (15-49 years) who live in slums in Bandung City, Indonesia to experience unmet need for family planning. Unmet need for family planning is a phenomenon in the population sector that requires serious and immediate treatment because it can inhibit the increase in Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) and decrease in Total Fertility Rate (TFR). A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to July 2021. 304 women were selected as respondents using a purposive sampling technique. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis was performed using STATA 16. The result is 29.3% of women have unmet need for family planning, while the factors that influence the occurrence of unmet need for family planning include marital age, family income, experienced a child’s death, number of children living, women’s decision-making power, and media exposure. Increasing access to information and free family planning services for married couples is important, especially for low-income families with many children.
Death risk among COVID-19 patients with diabetes mellitus
Authors: Dahlia Dahlia , Artanti Kurnia Dwi , Hargono Arief , Martini Santi , Nasr Nayla Mohamed Gomaa , Li Chung-Yi
Published: December 2022

Deaths from COVID-19 are increasing in patients with comorbidities. One of the most common comorbidities is diabetes mellitus. The researchers wanted to see how having diabetes affected the mortality rate of COVID-19 participants. This investigation is a case control observational analytical study. Different types of people, called “cases,” and “controls,” complete the research sample. Each group had 68 responders, for a grand total of 136. Medical records from COVID-19 patients treated at Airlangga University Hospital, Surabaya, between March 2020 and September 2021 serve as the study’s secondary data source. The purpose of this study’s data analysis is to calculate an odds ratio. Patients with COVID-19 with concomitant diabetes mellitus had an increased risk of death, and this risk increased with age, gender, and COVID-19 symptoms. In contrast, education, occupation, and laboratory results were not significantly related to mortality among COVID-19 individuals with concomitant diabetes mellitus (GDA status). The results of this study show that COVID-19 patients with concomitant diabetes mellitus are at a higher risk of death if they are over the age of 65, if they are male, and if they have severe symptoms.
Early detection and determinants of dementia in the working area of Mojolangu Public Health Center, Malang (Indonesia)
Authors: Prihandini Nonel , Wardani Hartati Eko , Tama Tika Dwi
Published: December 2022

Lack of public awareness about the symptoms of dementia and the absence of dementia screening can lead to delays in diagnosis. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of dementia in the working area of Mojolangu Public Health Center Malang. This cross-sectional study was conducted in January- March 2020. A total of 84 respondents aged ≥45 years old who registered at the Integrated Health Service Post for the Elderly were selected using the proportionate stratified random sampling method. Dementia was assessed by using The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the determinants of dementia. The prevalence of dementia from mild to severe was found to be 69%. Sex, smoking behavior, and education level had a significant relationship with dementia. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out early detection of dementia to the public. People can be encouraged to stop smoking and optimize various activities that can hone cognitive functions, such as reading, discussing, doing hobbies to prevent early dementia.
We are facing some barriers: A qualitative study on the implementation of kangaroo mother care from the perspectives of healthcare providers
Authors: Rahmatika Qory Tifani , Aditya Ronal Surya , Yusuf Ah. , Almutairi Reem Lafi , Al Razeeni Daifallah M. , Kotijah Siti , Sulistyorini Anita
Published: December 2022

Health systems at all levels are under pressure to provide comprehensive and high quality of care based on the best evidencebased interventions. The kangaroo mother care (KMC) is one way to care for Low Birth Weight babies (LBW) especially in developing country where the rates of preterm and LBW neonates are higher and the resources are limited. The purpose of this paper is to explore healthcare providers’ perspectives of kangaroo mother care implementation in perinatology ward in the rural surgical hospital of East Java Province, Indonesia. We conducted an in-depth interviews to identify KMC implementations. Ten healthcare providers engaged with KMC were interviewed. Data was analyzed using a thematic analysis. Healthcare providers reported positives perceptions of KMC and acknowledged their important roles to give education. The barriers in implementing the KMC including the level of knowledge and the age of the mother of LBW babies. KMC as a method of treating LBW babies is effective intervention care of preterm and LBW babies. This research provides information regarding the need of supports from all levels in KMC implementation.
Oral health literacy in Malang City, Indonesia
Authors: Gayatri Rara Warih , Deniati Ema Novita , Bin Saub Roslan
Published: December 2022

Dental and oral health are the main indicators of health, well-being, and quality of life. The concept of Oral Health Literacy (OHL) has become important because it regards individual capacity to understand and use dental information to transform into oral health behaviours. Thus, the aim of this study was to discover and describe the OHL status of adults in Malang City and its relationship with sociodemographic status so that it can be used as a basis for making policy. This study used observational analytical study design involving 450 respondents in Malang by quota random sampling method. The data was collected by the self-administered 29-item HeLD-ID (Health Literacy in Dentistry Indonesian Version) questionnaire. The study resulted that the overall HeLD-ID score was 3.68±0.69. The HeLDID score significant difference was affected by sex (p<0.05) and the other sociodemographic determinants (age, last education, and income) were not. However, there were significant differences of HeLD scores in communication domain (p<0.05) affected by age, sex, and income.
Comparing mental toughness: An investigation on elite Indian standing and seated para-thrower athletes
Authors: Singh Vikas , Bhutia Tenzing Norzom , Singh Mahendra Kumar , Bisht Pawan , Singh Harish , Thomas Cicelia Mohan
Published: December 2022

Having psychological advantage that enables athletes to perform at their best regardless of challenges and adversity is what is meant by having mental toughness (MT). In order to better understand the mental toughness of elite Indian standing and sitting para-thrower athletes, this study looked at a variety of mental sub - scales. Elite para-throwers who competed at the international level, consider making up the sample of the current study; which includes a total of nine elite para-throwers [5 Standing Para-throwers (StPT) and 4 Seated Para-throwers (SePT)]. The researcher used the Psychological Performance Inventory (PPI), designed by Loehr, and the Personal Demographic Information form to gather data in order to ascertain the participants’ attitudes of mental toughness. An independent T-test with 0.05 significance level was performed for the research’s findings, there are no statistical significant difference between the two groups’ levels of motivation, self-confidence, ability to control negative energy, attention, visualisation, ability to control positive energy, and attitude control factors of MT. Elite Indian para-thrower athletes’ mental toughness is similar in both groups, with no discernible differences.
Violence against children during the COVID-19 pandemic: Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) analysis on Lowokwaru District, Indonesia
Authors: Rachmawati Windi Chusniah , Redjeki Endang Sri , Nadhilah Hanifati
Published: December 2022

The high number of cases of violence against children has become a big concern, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research purposes to analyze the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in violence against children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lowokwaru District, Malang City. Research design a quantitative analytic study with a cross-sectional study primary data. Research instrument used was a questionnaire with Google Form application which was online collecting by 100 mothers. Analysis technique uses Somers’d and Ordinal Logistic Regression. Variables related to the intention to commit violence against children are subjective norms (p=0.00α=0.05) and behavioral control (p=0.002 α=0.05), while attitudes are not related to the intention to commit violence against children (p=0.501 α=0.05). Variables that have a significant effect on the intention of violence against children are subjective norms (p=0.001α=0.05) and behavioral control (p=0.002α=0.05). Subjective norms and behavioral control are related and have an effect on the intention to commit violence against children, while attitudes do not.
Are Only a Few Hours Adequate for Hospitalisation Following Mini-Incision Open Appendectomy in Paediatric Patients?
Authors: Sookpotarom Paiboon , Na Ayudhya Vichack Chakrapan , Tangsirapat Vorapatu
Published: December 2022

Background:

A very short hospital length of stay following an open appendectomy in children with acute simple appendicitis has never been mentioned yet in the literature. The authors reviewed the outcome of these paediatric patients who were treated with the open technique.

Materials and Methods:

In this analytical cohort observational study, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the 115 consecutive patients who underwent open appendectomy from June 2017 to July 2021.

Results:

There were 84 patients whose appendices were inflammatory or suppurative and appendectomies were done only through McBurney's point. Of these, the average age was 9.11 ± 2.67 years. The mean length of the incision was 1.95 ± 0.48 cm. Nearly one-third (25/85) were discharged within 3 h following surgery. Of the remaining cases, nine patients were discharged within the same day. There were increased percentages of patients who were eligible for early discharge in each consecutive year.

Conclusion:

The idea of immediate discharge within 3 h seems to be feasible for children with acute simple appendicitis who were treated with open appendectomy. We believe that the practice will be widely acknowledged and proceed to reduce the resources and the expenses in the hospital.
Prolonged hospitalization of persons with mental disorders in state-funded tertiary care psychiatric hospitals and unaccounted public health implications
Authors: Angothu Hareesh , Philip Sharad , Jayarajan Deepak , Rachana Arun , Jagannathan Aarti , Prasad M. Krishna
Published: December 2022

Introduction:

National strategy for an inclusive and community-based living (NSCIL) for persons with mental health issues 2019 report informs us that the length of stay (LOS) of 36% of inpatients in 43 state-funded tertiary care psychiatric hospitals (TCPHs) is above one year. This is concerning and its public health implications are not studied.

Objectives:

This study was carried out to estimate the average duration of hospitalization by persons with prolonged hospitalization (PPH) in TCPH and to estimate the number of additional inpatient admissions that could have been offered.

Methodology:

We analyzed the data in NSICL for calculating cumulative hospitalization years and the mean duration of stay by all PPH under each state. Based on the presumption that each psychiatric bed could cater to at least four admissions, a prediction is made on the number of additional inpatient admissions that could have been offered.

Results:

The mean duration LOS of 4869 people in these TCPHs is 9.6 years (range 1 – more than 25 years) with significant variation between the states. An additional 190,153 persons could have been offered inpatient care in these TCPHs over 25 years duration, and a minimum of 7606 additional admissions could be accommodated every year.

Conclusions:

Our predictions suggest a need for research on the possibility of deferred inpatient care to others with acute mental health needs and the scope for inpatient care to as many as in need by unblocking these beds.
Telepresence robots to support telehealth during pandemics
Authors: Pan Chongdan , Wang Mingzhong , Ray Pradeep K.
Published: December 2022

As the world becomes older, sustainable healthy aging becomes an important goal of social development. Robotic technologies have been widely considered an effective solution to reduce the labor demand and cost in aged care, thus providing satisfiable services to the elderly while keeping the cost low. The global outbreak of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has strengthened this trend when it impacted the elderly most because (1) the elderly was generally the most vulnerable population group to pandemics, and (2) the resources available to the elderly significantly declined due to lockdown and quarantines. The observations and experience from COVID-19 inspired us to consider the impact of pandemics on sustainable healthy aging, which was largely missing in existing work, leading to the study of the use of robots in general and telepresence robots in specific to aid sustainable healthy aging. The methodology of systematic review is applied to retrieve and analyze the articles published in nine databases between 2010 and 2020. Based on the review, the paper classifies the applications of robots in pandemics into four main categories, including healthcare, social support, education, and manufacturing. Further analysis of these applications revealed the missing features and challenges in applying them to healthy aging. The discoveries and findings in this paper provide practical guidelines for the future design and development of (telepresence) robots.
Patient-reported outcome measures in spine surgery
Authors: Beighley Adam , Zhang Allen , Huang Brendan , Carr Christopher , Mathkour Mansour , Werner Cassidy , Scullen Tyler , Kilgore Mitchell D. , Maulucci Christopher M. , Dallapiazza Robert F. , Kalyvas James
Published: December 2022

Background:

Steadily increasing expenditure in the United States health-care system has led to a shift toward a value-based model that focuses on quality of care and cost-effectiveness. Operations involving the spine rank among some of the most common and expensive procedures performed in operating rooms nationwide. Patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) are a useful tool for reporting levels of outcome and analyzing patient recovery but are both under-utilized and nonstandardized in spine surgery.

Methods:

We conducted a systematic review of the literature using the PubMed database, focusing on the most commonly utilized PROMs for spine disease as well as spinal deformity. The benefits and drawbacks of these PROMs were then summarized and compared.

Results:

Spine-specific PROMs were based on the class of disease. The most frequently utilized PROMs were the Neck Disability Index and the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association scale; the Oswestry Disability Index and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire; and the Scoliosis Research Society 22-item questionnaire (SRS-22) for cervicothoracic spine disease, lumbar spine disease, and spinal deformity, respectively.

Conclusion:

We found limited, though effective, use of PROMs targeting specific classes of disease within spine surgery. Therefore, we advocate for increased use of PROMs in spine surgery, in both the research and clinical settings. PROM usage can help physicians assess subjective outcomes in standard ways that can be compared across patients and institutions, more uniquely tailor treatment to individual patients, and engage patients in their own medical care.
Concomitant cervical spine fractures are the primary driver of disability after traumatic vertebral artery dissection
Authors: Cloney Michael Brendan , Roumeliotis Anastasios G. , Azad Hooman A. , Prasad Nikil , Shlobin Nathan A. , Hopkins Benjamin S. , Jahromi Babak S. , Potts Matthew B. , Dahdaleh Nader S.
Published: December 2022

Background:

Traumatic vertebral artery dissections (tVADs) occur in up to 20% of patients with head trauma, yet data on their presentation and associated sequelae are limited.

Aims and Objectives:

To characterize the tVAD population and identify factors associated with clinical outcomes.

Materials and Methods:

We retrospectively analyzed all cases of tVAD at our institution from January 2004 to December 2018 with respect to mechanism of injury, clinical presentation, anatomic factors, associated pathologies, and relevant outcomes.

Results:

Of the 123 patients with tVAD, the most common presenting symptoms were neck pain (n=76, 67.3%), headache (57.5%), and visual changes (29.6%). 101 cases (82.1%) were unilateral, and 22 cases (17.9%) were bilateral. V2 was the most involved anatomic segment (83 cases, 70.3). 30 cases (25.4%) led to stroke, and 39 cases (31.7%) had a concomitant cervical fracture. The anatomic segment and number of segments involved, and baseline clinical and demographic characteristics were not associated with risk of stroke. Patients with associated fractures were older (50.3 years v. 36.4 years, p=0.0233), had a higher comorbid disease burden (CCI 1 vs. CCI 1, p<0.0007), were more likely to smoke (OR 3.0 [1.2178, 7.4028], p=0.0202), be male (OR 7.125 [3.0181, 16.8236], p<0.0001), and have mRS≥3 at discharge (OR 3.0545 [1.0937, 8.5752], p=0.0449). On multivariable regression, only fracture independently predicted mRS≥3 at discharge (OR 5.6898 [1.5067, 21.4876], p=0.010).

Conclusion:

tVADs may be associated with stroke and/or cervical fracture. Presenting symptoms predict stroke, but baseline demographic and clinical characteristics do not. Comorbid cervical fractures, not stroke, drive negative outcomes
Lumbar facet joint stabilization for symptomatic spinal degenerative disease
Authors: Musso Sofia , Buscemi Felice , Bonossi Lapo , Silven Manikon Poulley , Torregrossa Fabio , Iacopino Domenico Gerardo , Grasso Giovanni
Published: December 2022

Objective:

Lumbar spinal degenerative disease (LSDD), unresponsive to conservative therapy, is commonly treated by surgical decompression and interbody fusion. Since facet joint incompetence has been suggested as responsible for the entire phenomenon of spinal degeneration, facet stabilization can be considered as an alternative technique to treat symptomatic spinal degenerative disease. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature for studies utilizing lumbar facet joint fixation techniques for LSDD to assess their safety and efficacy.

Methods:

A systematic literature review was performed following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses statement, with no limits in terms of date of publication. Demographic data, inclusion criteria, clinical and radiological outcome, frequency of adverse events (AEs), and follow-up time were evaluated.

Results:

A total of 19 studies were included with a total of 1577 patients. The techniques used for facet arthrodesis were Goel intra-articular spacers in 21 patients (5.3%), Facet Wedge in 198 patients (15.8%), facet screws fixation techniques in 1062 patients (52.6%), and facet joints arthroplasty in 296 patients (26.3%). Clinical outcomes were assessed through the evaluation of pain relief and improvement in functional outcome. Radiological outcomes were assessed by the evaluation of proper positioning of instrumentation, solid bony fusion rate, and preservation of disk height. AE's mainly observed were pseudoarthrosis, reoperation, instrumentation displacement/malpositioning/migration, neurological impairment, deep vein thrombosis, and infections. The mean follow-up time ranged from 6 months to 11.7 years.

Conclusion:

Our data demonstrate that facet joint arthrodesis appears to be effective in managing LSDD. These findings, however, are limited by the small sample size of patients. Accordingly, larger series are needed before formal recommendations can be made.
C2 Screw fixation techniques in atlantoaxial instability
Authors: Singh Deepak Kumar , Shankar Diwakar , Singh Neha , Singh Rakesh Kumar , Chand Vipin Kumar
Published: December 2022

Atlantoaxial instability (AAI) is surgically a complex entity due to its proximity to vital neurovascular structures. C1-C2 fusion has been an established standard in its treatment for a considerable time now. Here, we have outlined the most common techniques for C2 screw fixation in practice at present such as C2 pedicle, C2 pars, C2 translaminar, C2 subfacetal, C2-C3 transfacetal, and C2 inferior facet screw. We have discussed in detail the technical as well as biomechanical aspects of each technique of C2 screw fixation in AAI and explored the intricacies of each technique.
Radiologic utility of the Gehweiler and AO spine classification systems for C1 Trauma
Authors: Fiester Peter , Rao Dinesh , Soule Erik , Jenson Matthew , Patel Jeet , Supsupin Emilio , Rahmathulla Gazanfar , Tavanaiepour Daryoush
Published: December 2022

Objective:

The purpose of our study was to identify adult trauma patients with an acute C1 burst fracture, evaluate for concomitant transverse atlantal ligament (TAL) injury, and apply the modified Gehweiler and AO spine classification systems to determine the utility of these classification systems in accurately defining C1 trauma.

Materials and Methods:

Adult trauma patients with an acute C1 fracture were identified retrospectively using Nuance mPower software. The C1 fracture was described based on whether the fracture involved the anterior arch, posterior arch, lateral mass, medial tubercle, and/or transverse process. If follow-up cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed, the presence and location of an associated TAL injury was recorded. The anatomic location of the C1 burst fracture and TAL injury, if present, were compared with the descriptive classification systems outlined by Gehweiler/Dickman (modified) and the AO Spine society. Any additional osseous trauma of the skull base and C1-C2 was also recorded along with relevant clinical history and management.

Results:

Thirty-nine patients were identified with an acute C1 burst fracture on cervical computed tomography (CT) with seventy-seven percent of patients undergoing follow-up cervical MRI. Observed fracture patterns were divided into five distinct types based on CT findings and further subdivided based on the integrity of the transverse altantal ligament on MRI. TAL tears were observed exclusively in type 3 fractures (anterior and posterior arch fractures) and type 4 fractures (anterior arch, posterior arch, and lateral mass fractures). The modified Gehweiler classification system failed to accurately describe the anatomic location of the C1 fracture in forty-four percent of patients, whereas the AO spine was too broad and failed to accurately describe fracture location in our cohort.

Conclusions:

The Gehweiler and AO spine classifications demonstrated significant shortcomings in the accurate description of patients with C1 trauma. Whereas the Gehweiler system did not accurately describe the anatomic location of the various C1 fractures, the AO spine system was too broad and failed to radiologically classify fracture location. Moreover, there was a high number of patients with AO spine type B injuries without atlantoaxial translation that nevertheless required C1-C2 fusion for atlantoaxial instability. We suggest the need for an updated classification system that takes into account both the CT (fracture location) and MRI (TAL integrity) appearance of C1 trauma. An updated classification strategy will offer a radiologic standardization of C1 trauma that will aid in future research studies and help optimize patient management.
Tasks of the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law in the light of art. 17.1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland
Authors: Patyra Sławomir
Published: December 2022

The article deals with the issue of the constitutional basis for the functioning of the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law as set forth in Article 17 of the Basic Law. The author stresses the particular importance of bar associations functioning independently from political power, linking their constitutional attributes to the axiology of the democratic system. He infers the need to preserve the independence of the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law from their systemic function as protectors of the freedoms and rights of individuals and as collaborators in the administration of justice. The key determinant of the place and role of bar associations in the system of law protection authorities is their constitutional status of public trust professions and the related function of protecting the public interest in the activities of the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law. Further in the paper, the author focuses on the issue of ensuring the proper practice of the profession by the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law, e.g., through disciplinary liability mechanisms, which in essence are supposed to guarantee politically independent, reliable, and effective legal assistance is provided by attorneys-at-law to their clients. In the last part of the publication, the author points out the current threats to the constitutionally guaranteed independence of the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law, seeing their sources in the consistent questioning of the rule of law standards by political authorities. According to the author, its manifestations include, inter alia, excessive interference by the Minister of Justice in the field of professional self-government of the attorneys-at-law and attempts by politicians of the ruling majority to question the constitutionality of the principle of mandatory membership in the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law, which is fundamental for the independent and effective functioning of this professional association.
The mission of the self-government of attorneys-at-law and its members
Authors: Stankiewicz Rafał
Published: December 2022

This article presents the issues of the mission of the professional self-government of legal advisers as well as the mission of legal advisers associated with the self-government. The elements defining, in fact, the mission of professional self-government, together with the mission of legal advisers, are determined by the goals set for the profession of legal adviser, being participation in the justice system and supporting a democratic state ruled by law. Art. 17 sec. 1 of the Constitution contains a regulation expressed in the obligation to harmoniously combine the many functions of the self-governments of professions of public trust. Importantly, the function of professional self-government is not only to shape the environmental interests of people performing public trust professions but also to seek to agree them with the public interest. Professional self-governments are primarily committed to the priority of implementing the public interest.
The role of attorneys-at-law in a democratic state ruled by law
Authors: Wieczorek Mariusz
Published: December 2022

Attorneys-at-law, both at the individual and group level, i.e., as a professional self-government, when performing their duties and obligations arising from the provisions of law and deontological norms defining their professional status, have a role of a systemic nature to play. This role is intended to contribute to the strengthening and development of the democratic character of the Republic of Poland. A particularly important tool for carrying out this task of the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law is the possibility to present opinions on draft legal acts, a constitutional tool which, due to the very essence of the attorney-at-law’s profession, allows the National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law to present at the stage of legislative work possible threats arising from the proposed normative acts to constitutionally guaranteed civil rights and freedoms.

The systemic role of attorneys-at-law in a democratic state ruled by law can also be seen in an individual dimension, which is manifested primarily in the course of providing legal assistance (as part of the professional practice). After all, the rule of law clause cannot be deprived of its fundamental component, which is considered to be the rights and freedoms of the individual. In this concept of the rule of law, attorneys-at-law, who participate in the implementation of the rule of law by providing legal assistance, can and should be treated as its constituent.

The systemic role to be played by attorneys-at-law individually and in gremio, i.e., as a professional self-government, becomes particularly important in times of crisis of the state ruled by law. The National Bar of Attorneys-at-Law, like the bar associations of other legal professions, is particularly predestined to take the floor in public debate on changes in the administration of justice that may violate the constitutional order.
On the unconstitutionality of the remuneration policy for attorneys-at-law who provide ex-officio legal aid
Authors: Florczak-Wątor Monika
Published: December 2022

The paper discloses the reasons why the principles of remunerating attorneys-at-law who provide legal aid ex officio do not meet constitutional standards as well as indicates the resulting legal consequences. The author concludes that differentiating the remuneration of attorneys-at-law appointed by a party to the proceedings and attorneys-at-law appointed by the court for the same activities undertaken as part of the legal aid provided is unconstitutional, especially in the light of the conclusions resulting from the analysis of the judgement of the Constitutional Tribunal of 23 April 2020, file ref. SK 66/19. The paper also interprets the possible ways of removing the aforementioned unconstitutionality in the process of judicial application of the law, which may be significant before the compliance with the Constitution of the principles for remuneration of attorneys-at-law providing ex officio legal aid will be ensured by the legislator.