bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endometriosis and Infertility: A Bibliometric Analysis of the 100 Most-Cited Articles from 2000 to 2023
Authors: Torres João Pedro Veras , Eulálio Eduardo Correia , Oliveira Felipe da Costa , Ximenes Gabriel Fontenele , Feitosa Filho Helvécio Neves , de Souza Leonardo Brito , Araujo Júnior Edward , Cavalcante Marcelo Borges
Published: September 2024

Objectives: This study aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis of research on endometriosis and infertility, focusing on the 100 most-cited (TOP100) articles in the literature. Design: The design of this study is a bibliometric analysis. Participants/Materials, Setting, Methods: The SCOPUS database was searched using the terms “endometriosis” and “infertility.” The productivity and impact of research publications by authors, countries, and journals were assessed using the following indicators: total number of publications, total number of citations (TNC), journal impact factor, and journal citation indicator. The bibliometric analysis was conducted from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2023, using IBM SPSS™ for Windows and VOSviewer 1.6.20. VOSviewer was used to evaluate the TNC, total number of authors/coauthors, and collaboration network between countries of the TOP100 articles. VOSviewer was also used to create keyword co-occurrence networks. Results: Of the TOP100 articles, 69 were literature review articles, with a mean of 448.97 ± 513.5 citations (range: 191–2,705). The TOP100 articles were published by 479 authors (mean 5.8 ± 7.3 per study) from 40 countries in 39 high-impact journals. The keyword co-occurrence network revealed a grouping of four clusters, with terms related to pathophysiology, clinical management, assisted reproductive technology, and hormonal treatment of endometriosis. Limitations: The main limitation of our study is the use of only one database and TNC as the main bibliometric indicator. Studies need at least 2–3 years after publication to accumulate sufficient citations for bibliometric indicators to be reliable. This means that large number of recent studies were not included in this bibliometric analysis. Conclusions: This study revealed trends in endometriosis and infertility research, especially in the fields of immunology and genetics. It also highlights the importance of global collaboration to improve diagnostics, treatments, and outcomes.
Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma: Injury Patterns, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Authors: Oh Taemin , Han Kasey J. , Ambati Vardhaan S. , Yue John K. , Burke John F. , Lu Alex Y. , Sun Peter P.
Published: September 2024

Background: Traumatic injuries to the cervical spine or spinal cord are uncommon pathologies in the pediatric population. As injury severity is disproportionately higher among children due to significant risk for debilitating long-term disability, traumatic spinal fractures in children raise greater clinical concern than comparable injuries in adults. Summary: Unlike adults, children possess unique features such as incomplete ossification of vertebrae, synchondroses, pseudo-subluxation, horizontal alignment of ligaments, and absence of lordosis, which results in greater mobility and flexibility in the pediatric spine. These features are prominent in the cervical spine, which accounts for the most common area of traumatic spinal injuries in children. Key Messages: In this review, we summarize injury patterns, diagnosis, and treatment of traumatic cervical spine injuries in the pediatric population.
Application Value of Iodine-131 Combined with Levothyroxine Sodium in Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Cancer after Surgery
Authors: Wang Jinmiao , Hao Jie , Gao Ying , Wang Shoujun , Wang Duowei , Tao Weijie , Duan Ran , Zhang Zhendong , Gao Ming
Published: September 2024

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of iodine-131 combined with levothyroxine sodium in the treatment of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) after surgery. Methods: Prospective randomized controlled studies were conducted. A total of 374 DTC patients who underwent total or near-total thyroidectomy in the Department of Thyroid Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center and Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, from January 2019 to February 2022 were selected and divided into control group (187 cases) and observation group (187 cases) according to random number table method. The control group was treated with levothyroxine sodium after surgery, and the observation group was treated with iodine-131 on the basis of the control group. Gender, age, course of disease, tumor diameter, pathological type, TNM classification, treatment effect, thyroglobulin (Tg) levels before and after treatment, SF-36 health status questionnaires (SF-36), occurrence of adverse reactions after treatment, and recurrence rate of 1-year follow-up were compared and analyzed between the two groups. Results: There was no significant difference in baseline data between the two groups. After treatment, the effective rate of the observation group increased by 11.23% compared to the control group, with a statistically significant difference (91.98% vs. 80.75%, p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in Tg level and scores of SF-36 evaluation including physical functioning, physical problems, vitality, pain, mental health, emotional problems, social functioning, and general health perception between the two groups before surgery (p > 0.05), Tg levels and scores of SF-36 evaluation in all dimensions were significantly improved in both groups after treatment (p < 0.05), and the levels of Tg and scores of SF-36 in all dimensions in observation group were significantly better than those in control group after treatment (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (p > 0.05). The recurrence rate in the observation group was 5.89% lower than that in the control group 1 year after treatment, with a statistically significant difference (2.67% vs. 8.56%, p < 0.05). Conclusions: The combination of iodine-131 and levothyroxine sodium in the postoperative treatment of DTC can improve the therapeutic effect and reduce the postoperative recurrence rate without increasing adverse reactions, which is worthy of clinical reference and promotion.
Coronary Implications of COVID-19
Authors: Triantafyllis Andreas S. , Sfantou Danai , Karapedi Eleni , Peteinaki Katerina , Kotoulas Sotirios C. , Saad Richard , Fountoulakis Petros N. , Tsamakis Konstantinos , Tsiptsios Dimitrios , Rallidis Loukianos , Tsoporis James N. , Varvarousis Dimitrios , Hamodraka Eftychia , Giannakopoulos Andreas , Poulimenos Leonidas E. , Ikonomidis Ignatios
Published: September 2024

Patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection carry an increased risk of cardiovascular disease encompassing various implications, including acute myocardial injury or infarction, myocarditis, heart failure, and arrhythmias. A growing volume of evidence correlates SARS-CoV-2 infection with myocardial injury, exposing patients to higher mortality risk. SARS-CoV-2 attacks the coronary arterial bed with various mechanisms including thrombosis/rupture of preexisting atherosclerotic plaque, de novo coronary thrombosis, endotheliitis, microvascular dysfunction, vasculitis, vasospasm, and ectasia/aneurysm formation. The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor plays pivotal role on the cardiovascular homeostasis and the unfolding of COVID-19. The activation of immune system, mediated by proinflammatory cytokines along with the dysregulation of the coagulation system, can pose an insult on the coronary artery, which usually manifests as an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Electrocardiogram, echocardiography, cardiac biomarkers, and coronary angiography are essential tools to set the diagnosis. Revascularization is the first-line treatment in all patients with ACS and obstructed coronary arteries, whereas in type 2 myocardial infarction treatment of hypoxia, anemia and systemic inflammation are indicated. In patients presenting with coronary vasospasm, nitrates and calcium channel blockers are preferred, while treatment of coronary ectasia/aneurysm mandates the use of antiplatelets/anticoagulants, corticosteroids, immunoglobulin, and biologic agents. It is crucial to untangle the exact mechanisms of coronary involvement in COVID-19 in order to ensure timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment. We have reviewed the current literature and provide a detailed overview of the pathophysiology and clinical spectrum associated with coronary implications of SARS-COV-2 infection.
Industrial Restructuring as a Driving Force in China’s Africa Policy: a Case Study of China’s Ethiopia Policy
Authors: Ge Xiaochang
Published: September 2024

Existing research suggests that natural resources, domestic markets, and decisive political influence attract China to build relationships with African countries. However, why China sought to deepen its relationship with Ethiopia since the mid-1990s despite its lack of these endowments? This article aims to address this empirical puzzle by combining theoretical perspectives from development economics and fragmented authoritarianism to analyse the driving factors behind China’s Ethiopia policy and its formulation and implementation process. Examining China’s diplomacy towards Ethiopia from 1995–2019, it finds that Ethiopia’s stable society and abundant labour force made it a key destination for China’s industrial transfer. And China’s need for industrial restructuring has driven its Ethiopia policy, with private enterprises playing a crucial role by proposing projects. These findings enrich the understanding of the motivations and processes behind China’s influence in Africa from an industrial restructuring perspective, offering insights into China’s diplomacy and its impact on Africa.
Studying Religiosity Beyond (Western) Christianity: an Empirical-Psychological Perspective and its Implications
Authors: Demmrich Sarah
Published: September 2024

Over recent decades, empirical research on religion has increasingly criticized its primary focus on Western Christianity. This paper has two aims: Firstly, it addresses challenges in applying ‘Western’ empirical research on religion to non-Western contexts (samples, measurement, results and discussion). Secondly, it highlights the convergent approach, bridging the gap between the perceived dichotomy of cultural universalism and cultural relativism. This approach acknowledges both religiosity’s universal commonalities across contexts and particularities in a certain cultural-religious context. Studying religiosity beyond Christianity enables to explore a nearly limitless field of basic research but also provides a robust empirical, social-scientific foundation for various practical applications that are gaining increasing social relevance, such as therapy, migration, and counseling for religious institutions. Such are vital for the future of our field, ensuring its continued relevance in times of accelerated secularization.
Three documents concerning the Oranjezaal, Huis ten Bosch (1648-1652): A new find and two more precise datings
Authors: Speleers Lidwien
Published: September 2024

Between 1648 and 1652, Amalia van Solms, widow of Stadholder Frederik Hendrik, had the central hall of her new country house in the Haagse Bos decorated from floor to ceiling with paintings. To perform the work, she hired twelve painters from both the Dutch Republic and the Southern Netherlands. The room at Huis ten Bosch Palace is known today as the Oranjezaal. A great deal is known about the production of the hall’s decorations thanks to the well-preserved correspondence of the stadholder’s secretary, Constantijn Huygens (1596-1687) and other contemporary documents. Several of the notes are not dated, however, which means the precise circumstances, sequence of activities and dating of some of the paintings has remained unclear. Fortunately, new archive documents turn up from time to time that can fill in the gaps.

This article presents one such find: a short letter from François Oliviers to Huygens. Although this has already been published by J.A. Worp in 1911-1917, the document has not previously been connected with the Oranjezaal. Oliviers was the ‘primuerder’, who supplied the prepared canvases for the ensemble. These were made to size, primed and sent out to the artists tasked with executing the paintings for the walls of the hall. Oliviers’ letter accompanied a consignment of four such prepared canvases and several ‘models’. While the letter is brief, it nonetheless provides all manner of fresh information, including confirmation of Oliviers’ previously suspected place of residence, Haarlem.

Also, a more precise dating is proposed here for two already known but undated documents. One of these – a report from Huygens for Amalia – can be dated more accurately thanks to a letter from the painter Pieter Soutman to Huygens, published by K. Barrett in 2009. The other document proved harder to date. In this note, the painter and architect Jacob van Campen, who acted as designer and project manager for the Oranjezaal, lists the number of pieces still to be done. It is not clear, however, whether he is referring to paintings, as has long been thought, or possibly to design sketches. The more accurate dating offers a better insight into the decoration of the Oranjezaal and the discussions that lay behind it.
Blaise Pascal and the Platonic Heart
Authors: Stróżyński Mateusz
Published: September 2024

The article analyzes the concept of the heart in Blaise Pascal’s (1623–62) Pensées in the context of the Platonic tradition. Augustine (354–430) is described as the main author who mediated to Pascal Plotinus’s view of nous as the intuitive and integrative faculty, superior to discursive and conceptual reason, which can be, ultimately, identified with Pascal’s coeur. The heart in Pascal’s philosophy is seen as the response to his diagnosis of modernity as the fallen, fragmented, and polarized mode of consciousness. From that perspective, Pascal’s opposition against that fragmented and polarized consciousness of reality, divorced from the Christian Platonic holistic and contemplative vision, can also be seen in the context of his criticism of the Jesuits as the representatives of that emerging, modern worldview.
Travels and Archives: A Conversation with Francisco de Borja Medina Rojas, S.J.
Authors: Colombo Emanuele
Published: September 2024

This article presents an interview with Francisco de Borja Medina Rojas, S.J., a prominent historian of the Society of Jesus. Born in 1925, Borja Medina has made significant contributions to Jesuit historiography. In conversation with Emanuele Colombo, the interview explores his academic journey, major projects, and perspectives on the evolution of Jesuit historical studies.
Effect of mineral fertilizers on the yield and growth parameters of watermelon in Kazakhstan
Authors: Yechshanova Gulnar , Utarbayeva Nurlygul , Bakytzhanova Maral , Berkaliуeva Anargul , Bissalyyeva Rakhima
Published: September 2024

The study aims to determine the optimal regimes of mineral fertilization for the yield of commercial watermelon fruits. The research goal is to analyze how fertilization regimes affect the growth parameters of this plant, such as weight per fruit and average fruit weight per plant. The research subjects are watermelon varieties, such as two Crimson Sweet varieties (including hybrid Producer Hollar) and Kholodok. The study involved a field survey on the territory of Zhana Tau, a farm located in the Aktobe area of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The experimental design encompassed the following fertilizer applications: Variant I – N30P40K60, Variant II – N60P60K120 and Variant III – N90P60K120. The study found that mineral fertilizers have a significant impact on the yield and growth parameters of watermelon fruits. After the application of N30P40K60, the weight per fruit was 8.13 kg for Crimson Sweet and 8.35 kg for Kholodok. The highest fruit weight indicator, 11.45 kg, was achieved when hybrid Producer Hollar was cultivated with N90P60K120. The highest yield (55.9 t/ha) was recorded when growing hybrid Producer Hollar with N90P60K120. The yield of the Crimson Sweet and Kholodok varieties, with the same level of fertilization, amounted to 49.6 t/ha and 51.2 t/ha, respectively. Correlation-regression analysis of the data on watermelon yield showed that this parameter tends to increase with the increase in the use of mineral fertilizers. Therefore, further research may focus on studying the influence of even higher levels of each macroelement and their combined effects on crop structure and fruit quality in watermelon cultivation.
Flexible Austerity: Negotiating the Unequal Effects of Resource Shortages in Racialized Organizations
Authors: Brewer Alexandra
Published: September 2024

Resource shortages unfold unequally, often affecting the most socially disadvantaged people and exacerbating preexisting inequalities. Given that most resources are obtained through organizations, what role do organizational processes play in amplifying inequalities during shortages? I argue that workers engage in a practice I term flexible austerity. Flexible austerity describes how resource shortages become opportunities for decision-makers to more readily rationalize unequal resource allocation. I develop this concept by drawing on an ethnography of an urban academic hospital and leveraging data from before and during a nationwide shortage of medical intravenous (IV) opioids. I show that prior to this shortage, clinicians disproportionately assessed Black patients’ pain as “undeserving” of IV opioids, but they allocated these resources liberally because they felt constrained by evidence-based clinical best practices guidelines. During the shortage, clinicians constructed resource scarcity as necessitating austerity practices when treating Black patients, yet they exercised flexibility with White patients. This widened care disparities in ways that may have been detrimental to Black patients’ health. Based on these findings, I argue that resource shortages amplify inequalities in organizations because they provide new “colorblind” justifications for withholding resources that allow workers to link ideas of deservingness to allocation decisions.
Infectious Complications After Modified Purse-String Stoma Closure
Authors: Hao Scarlett B. , Bridges Lindsey , Honaker Michael D.
Published: September 2024

Purpose: Current society guidelines recommend purse-string closure technique for stoma reversal, which has been shown to reduce but not eliminate the risk of deep surgical site infection (SSI) at the original stoma site, a complication associated with increased morbidity and cost. We studied an adjunctive technique to further reduce the risk of SSI. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on adult patients who underwent stoma reversal between May 2016 - July 2022. Stoma reversal was performed with purse-string closure, and placement of a strip of povidone-iodine soaked non-adherent pad in the remaining two cm opening at the prior stoma site. This pad was taken out on post-operative day one and changed to wet-to-dry saline moistened gauze. Results: 82 patients were identified. The cohort had a median BMI 26.5 [IQR 23.0-31.0] and median age 57.5 [IQR 45.8-67.0]. Mean time from original surgery to reversal was nine months. 59.8% identified as female, 24.4% were currently smoking, 18.3% were had diabetes. The cohort experienced a 11.0% readmission rate and 18.3% rate of stoma site hernia with a mean follow up of 17 17 months. No patient developed an SSI. Conclusion: In this cohort study with known risk factors for SSI, no patients undergoing stoma reversal experienced a post-operative SSI. The adjunctive technique of a povidone-iodine soaked non-adherent pad in addition to purse-string closure should be further examined in conjunction with surgical bundles to reduce the risk of SSI and overall morbidity of stoma reversal surgery.
Land and Identity in Afrikan Tradition: The Origins of the Ancestral Land Complex
Authors: Nehusi Kimani S. K.
Published: September 2024

The Afrikan traditional attitude toward land is marked by the understanding that land is inalienable and owned by the community, not by any individual. This essay aims to recover, explain and analyze the presence of the Afrikan Ancestral Land Complex, a specific behavioral complex that is rooted in the land. The focus is the ancient Hapi [Nile] Valley, primarily at Kemet. Approaches derived mainly from history and language and linguistics are used to interrogate the sacred and secular texts of Kemet, Ancient Egypt, as well as the texts generated by modern scholarship on this area of Afrika. The results show that the ritual insertion of placentas, navel strings and dead bodies of ancestors into the land was fundamental to its transformation and maintenance as Ancestral Land. Furthermore, Kemet oriented itself by its Ancestral Land, which the people knew to be their birthplace in the sacred south, in the heart of the continent. It was a powerful spiritual, psychological, and cultural reference point, the very foundations of their collective self. It is a reservoir of knowledge that is deeper than memory.
To compete or strategically retreat? The global diffusion of reconnaissance strike
Authors: Horowitz Michael C , Schwartz Joshua A
Published: September 2024

The reconnaissance strike complex is synonymous with modern military power, and prominent realist theories would have predicted rapid proliferation after its successful debut in the Gulf War. Instead, the complex has proliferated slowly. To explain this puzzle, we theorize that interstate security threats significantly impact proliferation, but not in the way traditionally presumed. Although the literature on weapons proliferation has largely assumed a monotonically increasing relationship should hold between the capabilities of a state’s adversaries and a state’s own capability, we draw from the economics literature and game theoretic insights from political science to argue that the relationship should resemble an inverted-U. When states have rivals with moderate reconnaissance strike capabilities, they have security incentives to compete with them. However, when states face highly advanced adversaries, it becomes more difficult to escape or match their competition, making symmetrical acquisition less appealing. While most prior research focuses on narrower aspects of the reconnaissance strike complex like missiles or smart bombs, we test our theory on a novel dataset tracking country-level acquisition of eight aspects of the complex from 1980 to 2017: Ballistic missiles; bombers; cruise missiles; fighter aircraft; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets; precision-guided munitions; satellites; and submarines. We find strong support for our inverted-U argument. States that have rivals with moderate reconnaissance strike capabilities have over double the reconnaissance strike capabilities themselves than states that have rivals with very low or very high capabilities. Our findings hold for broader measures of the complex that closely proxy a state’s general military capabilities, narrower measures of the complex, and alternative measures of general military sophistication, indicating our theory has broad applicability. This article explains why some states invest heavily in conventional capabilities despite an already-large lead over their adversaries, and why other states instead opt to invest in alternatives rather than balancing symmetrically.
Christianity and reverential naturalism engage a world in peril: A dialogue between disciplines
Authors: BRAMADAT Paul , THATAMANIL John
Published: September 2024

Christian theologians and ostensibly secular sociologists of religion rely on different resources to respond to personal, local, or global problems. The environmental crises we see around the world reflect a strict hierarchy between human beings and the natural world. In both the theological and social scientific arenas of the last few decades, however, we see an ‘animal turn’ that exposes the hubris of anthropocentrism and creates opportunities for new ways of writing and teaching about the natural environment. Using the Pacific Northwest’s ‘reverential naturalism’ as a touchstone, the authors reflect on the extent to which their respective fields prepare secular scholars and theologians to address the crises all animals – including humans – now face. Using a dialogue format, they explore whether theological and social scientific regimes of truth and knowledge are incommensurable. What might this mean for the region and the two fields out of which they authors emerge?
“There Is Only One Childhood”: A New Interpretation of China’s “Crackdown” on Education Companies
Authors: Binah-Pollak Avital
Published: September 2024

In recent years, the Chinese government has implemented a series of dramatic crackdowns on various business sectors in China, one of which, beginning in July 2021, targeted the private tutoring industry. This article offers a new interpretation of this crackdown on private education companies, arguing that it is part of a new comprehensive education policy called the “Double Reduction” (DR) policy. Although the policy’s main goal has been to reduce students’ educational burden, this article also links the policy to China’s core objective of advancing indigenous innovation to enable national rejuvenation. The analysis of the DR policy also reveals two contradictions that currently characterize China’s educational path: first, the contradiction inherent in the authoritarian and paternalistic state using tough measures to enforce parental compliance with policies aimed at fostering more democratic parenting styles; and second, the contradiction inherent in policies aimed at fostering happy childhoods for the purposes of global competitiveness.
Retrospective Analysis of Systemic Steroid and Combined Systemic-Intratympanic Steroid Treatment Results and Prognostic Factors in Sudden Idiopathic Hearing Loss
Authors: Kutlu Bunyamin , Arslan Selcuk , Cobanoglu Bengu , Imamoglu Mehmet , Isik Abdulcemal , Bahadir Osman
Published: September 2024

Sudden idiopathic hearing loss (SIHL) is defined as sensorineural hearing loss at 30 dB or more at 3 consecutive frequencies that begins within 72 hours, and the etiology of the disease is still unclear. Steroid treatment is used as systemic and local (intratympanic) in sudden hearing loss, and different results have been reported for both treatment modalities. This study aimed to compare the results of the treatment in patients who received systemic steroid (SS) therapy and in patients who received systemic and intratympanic steroid (ITS) therapy for SIHL. In all, 169 patients who were admitted to our clinic with the diagnosis of SIHL between January 2007 and June 2018 were randomly divided into 2 treatment groups according to their admittance day, such as patients who received only SSs and patients who received SSs and ITSs. The results of these 2 treatment protocols were investigated. Statistical analysis was performed for all patients by grouping many factors that could be effective in prognosis, such as age, sex, and time of initiation of treatment. No differences were found between the SS group and the combined systemic-ITS group in treatment success. It was determined that being under 15 years of age, over 60 years of age, starting treatment after 7 days, vertigo, high initial hearing loss, descendant type, and total loss type in the audiogram configuration are poor prognostic factors. Being between 16 and 59 years of age, starting treatment within 7 days, having no vertigo, mild hearing loss, and having ascendant and plateau type in audiogram configuration are good prognostic factors. We observed that adding ITS treatment to SS treatment as an initial treatment did not provide any extra benefit. However, prospective, randomized, controlled studies will clarify the topic.
Facial Nerve Paresis After Combined Intraoral and Preauricular Approach to High Condylar Fractures: A Case Report
Authors: Cahill Gabrielle , Park Aric
Published: September 2024

Condylar fractures are the most common mandibular fractures, and a variety of open and closed approaches are used for repair, each with its own inherent risks and benefits. A 27-year-old man had a severely displaced and angulated high subcondylar fracture with anterior open bite deformity. The patient underwent open reduction and internal fixation of the condyle via a combined preauricular and intraoral approach as well as maxillomandibular fixation to repair his fracture. This combined approach allows the surgeon to maximize exposure while limiting risks of permanent injury from surgery.
Rapid Vision Loss After Root Canal Treatment Due to Invasive Fungal Sinusitis
Authors: Petrovic Masa , Fischer Jakob L. , Goldberg Robert A. , Suh Jeffrey D.
Published: September 2024

We present a novel case of acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (AIFRS) following a maxillary molar root canal in a 69-year-old diabetic female, who subsequently developed unilateral vision loss. The patient reported a 1-week history of progressive left facial pain, trismus, and numbness following the procedure. Initial evaluation was unremarkable, but her condition rapidly deteriorated, culminating in complete vision loss in the left eye. Imaging studies revealed opacification of the left-sided sinuses and a rim-enhancing collection in the left pterygopalatine fossa. Surgical debridement confirmed mucormycosis. The therapeutic approach included systemic and retrobulbar amphotericin B administration, along with multiple sinonasal debridements. The patient’s poorly controlled diabetes mellitus significantly contributed to the rapid progression of the infection. Retrobulbar amphotericin B injections were effective in managing orbital involvement, thus avoiding the need for exenteration. Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment are paramount in improving outcomes for patients with AIFRS.
Bruno Latour and Translation
Authors: Muecke Stephen
Published: September 2024

This article argues that the concept of translation is central to the work of Bruno Latour, starting before ANT, with the group working on the sociologie de la traduction at the École des Mines. As one of his translators, I reflect on the extension of his identity via translation, then on the idea of translation as ‘political labour’ across social discontinuities, including those in colonisation contexts where certain languages can become hegemonic. Finally, with Latour’s major project, the Inquiry into Modes of Existence, translation continues its descriptive task, but carries so much weight over the various modes of existence that it qualifies as a key philosophical concept of considerable analytic value.
Current state of education in venous diseases within vascular surgery training programs in Italy: A national web-based survey among residents
Authors: Bissacco Daniele , Pisani Chiara , Verlato Paolo , Forcella Edoardo , Aprea Tiziana , Baldazzi Giulia , Belloni Ailin , Di Mauro Vanessa , Giuffrè Giuseppe , Mucignat Marianna , Greco Michele ,   Collaborators
Published: September 2024

Background

To analyze the perception of vascular surgery trainees from Italian schools of Vascular Surgery regarding the level of practical and theoretical education in venous diseases.

Methods

An anonymous electronic survey was sent to Italian vascular surgery residents affiliated with 19 universities, asking about their training and experience in the management of venous diseases. The survey gathered information on the residents’ personal and demographic details, their university’s teaching program, operative experience in phlebology, as well as their confidence levels in performing various venous procedures, with the goal of analyzing the training and learning programs provided by Italian vascular surgery schools.

Results

The analysis showed that 28% of programs do not include phlebology in the curriculum, and more than 40% of residents are unable to independently perform venous duplex ultrasound or treat venous ulcers. Additionally, most residents (over 70%) have limited weekly exposure to phlebology cases, with only 5% having access to a dedicated phlebology operating room. The vast majority of residents (96%) expressed a strong desire to deepen their knowledge and skills in this field, particularly in areas such as endovascular ablation techniques, venous duplex ultrasound, and management of deep venous disease.

Conclusions

The survey reveals significant limitations in phlebology education and hands-on experience within the current training programs, highlighting the need to standardize and enhance venous disease management education in order to ensure that future vascular surgeons are adequately equipped to provide high-quality care for patients with a wide range of venous disorders.
Exploring the contextual assumptions, interventions and outcomes of digital advance care planning systems: A theory of change approach to understand implementation and evaluation
Authors: Bradshaw Andy , Allsop Matthew J , Birtwistle Jacqueline , Evans Catherine J , Relton Samuel D , Richards Suzanne H , Twiddy Maureen , Foy Robbie , Millares Martin Pablo , Yardley Sarah , Sleeman Katherine E
Published: September 2024

Background:

Digital advance care planning systems are used internationally to document and share patients’ wishes and preferences to inform care delivery. However, their use is impeded by a limited understanding of factors influencing implementation and evaluation.

Aim:

To develop mid-range programme theory to account for technological, infrastructure and human factor influences on digital advance care planning systems.

Design:

Exploratory qualitative research design incorporating Theory of Change workshops that explored contextual assumptions affecting digital advance care planning in practice. A mid-range programme theory was developed through thematic framework analysis using the Non-adoption, Abandonment, Scale-up, Spread and Sustainability (NASSS) framework, generating a conceptual model depicting contextual assumptions, interventions and outcomes influencing implementation.

Participants:

A total of 38 participants (16 from London, 14 from West Yorkshire and 8 online) including patients, carers and health and care professionals (including those with commissioning responsibilities).

Results:

A conceptual model was generated depicting five distinct components relating to digital advance care planning system use: (sociocultural, technical and structural prerequisites; recognition of the clinical need for conversation; having conversations and documenting decisions; accessing, actioning and amending; and using data to support evaluation, use and implementation). There were differences and uncertainty relating to what digital advance care planning systems are, who they are for and how they should be evaluated.

Conclusions:

Digital advance care planning lacks shared beliefs and practices, despite these being essential for complex technology implementation. Our mid-range programme theory can guide their further development and application by considering technological, infrastructure and human factor influences to optimise their implementation.
Applying the Expectation-Maximization Algorithm to Multivariate Signal Extraction
Authors: Livsey James , McElroy Tucker
Published: September 2024

Understanding time series signal extraction is vital for federal agencies, especially as data collection accelerates. One natural extension is moving from univariate to multivariate signal extraction, which offers the promise of reducing extraction error by exploiting cross-sectional relationships. However, such an extension ushers in new computational challenges, viz. larger parameter spaces and more complicated objective functions. The Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm provides a methodology to implicitly compute (or approximate) maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs). This paper provides methodology for applying the EM algorithm to a class of latent component multivariate time series models that allow for a nuanced specification of the unobserved signal. We derive an explicit formula for the maximization step, which facilitates computation speed while also improving the stability of the algorithm. Numerical studies demonstrate EM’s ability to efficiently compute MLEs in low-dimensional systems, while also providing feasible estimates in moderate-dimensional systems where MLEs are infeasible to compute. Applications to monthly housing starts and daily immigration are provided.
The effect of self-management program performed via telerehabilitation on occupational performance and satisfaction of individuals with systemic sclerosis
Authors: Karakuş Emirhan , Sari Fulden , Avanoğlu Güler Aslıhan , Oskay Deran , Öksüz Çiğdem
Published: September 2024

Introduction:

Individuals with systemic sclerosis experience difficulties in perceived occupational performance and satisfaction in daily life activities, largely due to the various symptoms associated with the disease.

Methods:

Twenty-nine individuals with systemic sclerosis participated in the study. Occupational performance and satisfaction levels were evaluated before and after the program were performed using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. The self-management program, guided by the COPM activities, was tailored to the patients’ needs and informed by relevant literature. The program consisted of eight sessions over 8 weeks, with one 45-minute session per week.

Results:

A statistically significant increase was found in Canadian Occupational Performance Measure performance and satisfaction scores before and after the guided training ( p < 0.001). Analysis of the occupation distributions revealed that self-care constituted 31.97%, productivity 45.90%, and leisure time 22.13%.

Conclusion:

The self-management program delivered via telerehabilitation positively impacted the perceived occupational performance and satisfaction of individuals with systemic sclerosis. It is believed that self-management intervention can be effectively used to enhance the occupational performance and satisfaction of these individuals.
Asset impairments surrounding chief financial officer turnover
Authors: Bugeja Martin , Spiller Michelle , Spiropoulos Helen , Wells Peter
Published: September 2024

We examine the effect of chief financial officer (CFO) turnover on the likelihood and size of asset impairments. Using Australian data, we find evidence consistent with incoming CFOs recording larger asset impairments, particularly when they are external hires with prior listed experience, or receive equity-based compensation. Our results also indicate that outgoing CFOs report higher profits in the year prior to their departure by reporting fewer and smaller asset impairments. This effect is larger when outgoing CFOs move to another listed firm or receive equity-based compensation, consistent with reputational and compensation incentives to maximise earnings. Overall, our results provide evidence of the independent influence CFOs have on financial reporting.

JEL Classification: M41, G34, M40
Estimate non-Gaussian road roughness from international roughness index
Authors: Xu Fei , Ma Feifei , Ahlin Kjell
Published: September 2024

Gaussian model is commonly used to characterize road roughness, while field measured data is usually non-Gaussian. A new method based on the amplitude modulation and International Roughness Index is proposed in this paper to estimate non-Gaussian road roughness. A modified Gamma distribution is proposed to describe the International Roughness Index and to create the amplitude modulation signal. To ensure that the high kurtosis of the amplitude-modulated non-Gaussian profile is correctly transferred to the vehicle response, the method is further developed to fulfill the specifications for the fatigue damage spectrum by controlling the spectral content of the amplitude modulation signal. Herein, a Gaussian amplitude modulation signal with a cutoff frequency is firstly generated, and then converted to a modified Gamma distribution amplitude modulation signal based on the cumulative distribution function transform. Field data are used to verify the proposed method. The results show that a good match is obtained between the estimated and measured non-Gaussian road roughness. The estimated International Roughness Index and fatigue damage potential of vehicle response are well represented using the proposed method.
Long-Term Outcome of Patients Who Received Starr-Edwards Valves between 1965 and 1977
Authors: Hayashi J. , Nakazawa S. , Eguchi S. , Ohtani S. , Asano K.
Published: September 2024

To determine the risk factors relating to long-term outcomes of the Starr-Edwards ball valve, data from 150 patients (75 males, 75 females; age range 9–67 years); who underwent valve replacement (44 aortic, 106 mitral) between 1965 and 1977 at Niigata University were reviewed retrospectively. Valve models 6120/6320 and 1260/2320 were mainly used in mitral and aortic positions, respectively. The cumulative follow-up period was 2227.4 patient-years. Using the Kaplan-Meier life-table method, actuarial probability of freedom from valve-related mortality, morbidity and thromboembolism were analysed. Thirteen patients died from various causes during hospitalization. Some 80 patients suffered 97 instances of valve-related morbidity and 58 died during follow-up (up to 28 years). Patient age >50 years affected the actuarial probability of freedom from valve-related mortality in the entire group ( P <0.05). Valve type and the year of operation were discriminative predictors of thromboembolic complications in the entire group (both P <0.05) and in the mitral valve replacement group ( P <0.01 and P < 0.001). However, only the year of operation affected the actuarial probability of freedom from all valve-related morbidity in the entire group and in the mitral valve replacement group (both P <0.05). Univariate analysis revealed that age at surgery, valve type, and the year of operation were related to late postoperative outcome in patients who received a Starr-Edwards ball valve between 1965 and 1977. Copyright © 1996 The International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery.
Echocardiographic Characteristics of the Cryopreserved Allograft Aortic Valve Replacement Assessed by Intraoperative Transoesophageal Echocardiography
Authors: Hasegawa J. , Kitamura S. , Kawata T. , Kawachi K. , Niwaya K.
Published: September 2024

Improvements in cryopreservation techniques have made possible excellent long-term results using aortic valve allografts. Few studies, however, have examined the echocardiographic characteristics of allograft aortic valves and postoperative valve function. Aortic allograft function was eveluated in 16 patients by intraoperative transoesophageal echocardiography, postoperative catheterization, and angiography. The mean(s.d.) coaptation zone length of the allograft leaflet was significantly greater (7.3(1.4) mm) than that of the normal aortic valve (3.2(0.8) mm) (P < 0.01). No regurgitation was noted in any patients with coaptation zone length of 7–11 mm (P < 0.01). The increment of the leaflet coaptation zone length did not produce a significant pressure gradient during exercise and appeared to be one of the important mechanisms for the prevention of postoperative aortic regurgitation, because commissural orientations may be distorted in the new aortic position. This finding is consistent with the report that allografts with the largest diameter implantable in the recipient annulus should be selected for use. Copyright © 1996 The International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery.
Surgical Treatment for Acute Aortic Arch Dissection
Authors: Suda H , Itoh T. , Natsuaki M. , Minato N. , Ueno T. , Ohteki H.
Published: September 2024

Between March 1983 and December 1993, 24 consecutive patients with acute aortic dissection resulting from a tear located in the aortic arch or at the base of the innominate artery underwent surgical treatment. Before 1988, 11 patients (group 1) underwent either isolated ascendina aorta replacement (eight cases) or composite graft replacement (three) by the conventional method. In this group, the hospital mortality rate was 36.4%; two of seven surviving patients required reoperation for aortic arch. After 1989, 13 patients (group 2) underwent either hemiarch replacement (five cases), total arch replacement (three), extended ascendina aortic replacement or composite graft replacement with hemiarch replacement (one) under a brief period of circulatory arrest (mean 33.3 min) at a mean(range) rectal temperature of 20.8(18-23)°C by open distal anastomosis. The operative mortality rate in group 2 was 15 4% Ten of 13 surviving patients are free from reoperation (mean follow-up 40 months). In most patients with acute type A dissection in which the tear is located at the proximal aortic arch or at the base of the innominate artery, the use of an open technique durina a brief period of hypothermic circulatory arrest is advocated to: (1) perform a more secure distal anastomosis; (2) provide a more accurate assessment and resection of intimal disruption; and (3) avoid further aortic injury from the cross-clamp. Copyright © 1996 The International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery.
Bilateral Splenorenal Bypass and Axillofemoral Graft for Management of Juxtarenal mycotic Aneurysm
Authors: Marty-Ané Ch. , Alric P. , Prudhomme M. , Picard E. , Mary H.
Published: September 2024

The principles of treatment of mycotic aortic aneurysms are not well established and the optimal method of revascularization - extra-anatomic bypass or in situ grafting - is still debated. Infection of the juxtarenal or suprarenal aorta poses an additional challenge in management because of the requirement for visceral revascularization. The case of a 73-year-old man is reported who developed several mycotic aneurysms of the juxtarenal, infrarenal aorta and right main iliac artery following a Candida infection. He was successfully treated with suprarenal aortic ligation, aneurysmal excision, splenorenal bilateral bypass and systemic antifungal therapy. The patient subsequently underwent extra-anatomic revascularization of the lower extremities with a left axillobifermoral bypass involving a polytetrafluoroethylene graft. Copyright © 1996 The International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery.
Sigmoidal Ischaemia after Aortic Grafting, Detected by Endoluminal Pulse Oximetry
Authors: Vahl A. C. , Nauta S. H. M. , van Rij G. L. , Scheffer G. J. , Brom H. L. F. , Rauwerda J. A.
Published: September 2024

Colonic ischaemia after abdominal aortic grafting is a severe complication. Late detection of transmural ischaemia will result in a high mortality rate. No simple specific methods are available to detect the early stage. The aim of this pilot study was to detect and monitor sigmoidal ischaemia after aortic surgery with a new endoluminal sigmoidal probe, based on pulse oximetry. Twelve patients with sigmoidal ischaemia were included, the endoluminal probe being introduced into the sigmoid at least 25 cm proximal to the anal verge. It is shown that with this method mucosal and transmural ischaemia can be graded and differentiated. Patients who showed no wave-form had transmural ischaemia; those with mucosal ischaemia showed reliable wave-forms with oxygen saturation from 40–85%. Colonic ischaemia after aortic grafting can be detected bv endoluminal pulse oximetry but the clinical outcome will only improve by early detection in the preclinical stage. Copyright © 1996 The International Society for Cardiovasular Surgery.