bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolution of the Conception of Justice within the Field of Transitional Justice in Post-dictatorial Chilean Society
Authors: Cubillos-Vega Carla , Zúñiga-Fajuri Alejandra , Abarca Ximena Faúndez , Morales Dahiana Gamboa , Fiscella José Gaete
Published: April 2022

ABSTRACT∞

We have recently witnessed two political milestones in Chile: the social uprising of 18 October 2019 and, currently, the drafting of a new political constitution. In this context and based on data from interdisciplinary research on political and post-dictatorial culture, this article aims to present the conceptions of justice held by stakeholders in transitional justice efforts in Chile. The results reveal that the conception of justice has gone from being centred on retributive and, residually, restorative justice to focusing on social or distributive justice. We conclude that a new constitution that includes this expanded notion of justice – which has been observed in the last decade and crystallized in the demands manifested in the social uprising – would represent the completion of a lengthy political transition.
A new approach for stabilization of control-affine systems via integral inequalities
Authors: Ben Makhlouf Abdellatif , Hammami M A , Hammi M
Published: April 2022

In this work, we use a bilinear approximation to examine the stability problem of a class of control-affine systems. We show that a continuous feedback may stabilize the system with given constraints on the term of perturbation. We provide a stabilization result for bilinear systems in presence of perturbations using integral inequalities. Moreover, we prove a new extension of Gamidov’s Lemma that allows us to stabilize a class of affine systems. An example and an application are given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Local output feedback stabilization of reaction–diffusion PDEs with saturated measurement
Authors: Lhachemi Hugo , Prieur Christophe
Published: April 2022

This paper addresses the topic of output feedback stabilization of general one-dimensional reaction–diffusion partial differential equations (PDEs) in the presence of a saturation in the measurement. The boundary control and the second boundary condition take the form of Dirichlet/Neumann/Robin boundary conditions. The measurement is selected as a boundary Dirichlet trace. The boundary measurement, as available for feedback control, is assumed to be subject to a saturation. In this context, we achieve the local exponential stabilization of the reaction–diffusion PDE while estimating a subset of the domain of attraction of the origin.
Degree Conditions Forcing Directed Cycles
Authors: Grzesik Andrzej , Volec Jan
Published: April 2022

Caccetta–Häggkvist conjecture is a longstanding open problem on degree conditions that force an oriented graph to contain a directed cycle of a bounded length. Motivated by this conjecture, Kelly, Kühn, and Osthus initiated a study of degree conditions forcing the containment of a directed cycle of a given length. In particular, they found the optimal minimum semidegree, that is, the smaller of the minimum indegree and the minimum outdegree, which forces a large oriented graph to contain a directed cycle of a given length not divisible by $3$, and conjectured the optimal minimum semidegree for all the other cycles except the directed triangle. In this paper, we establish the best possible minimum semidegree that forces a large oriented graph to contain a directed cycle of a given length divisible by $3$ yet not equal to $3$, hence fully resolve the conjecture by Kelly, Kühn, and Osthus. We also find an asymptotically optimal semidegree threshold of any cycle with a given orientation of its edges with the sole exception of a directed triangle.
A simulation study on the association of HRO communication patterns and surgical team performance
Authors: Baty Amanda , Matis Timothy I , Griswold John
Published: April 2022

Background

The hallmarks of high-reliability organizations (HROs) have been broadly embraced by health-care organizations as a path to achieve greater reliability in patient care. A simulation study was conducted to investigate the hypothesis that surgical teams whose intraoperative communication displayed the HRO hallmarks had a greater capacity to detect and resolve surgical complications in less time.

Methods

The study consisted of presenting four simulations to five surgical teams using a within-subject experimental design. In each simulation, the patient would manifest a complication in which the detection and/or resolution was either obscure or obvious. Communication patterns related to the frequency and sustained duration of HRO content were extracted from coded transcripts using recurrence quantification analysis (RQA), which were paired with the teams’ elapsed time to detect or resolve a surgical complication. Spearman’s rank-order statistics was then used to test for a monotonically decreasing association between these variables.

Results

Data consisting of the RQA metrics and elapsed times are reported for each surgical team in each simulation in addition to statistical tests for association between these variables and inter-rater reliability statistics of the coded communication.

Conclusions

The study suggests that surgical teams whose communication espouses the HRO hallmarks of commitment to resilience and deference to expertise in both frequency and duration are able to resolve surgical complications with an obscure corrective action in less time. The study did not provide confirming evidence that these are associated with their ability to resolve a complication with an obvious corrective action in less time or that patterns of sensitivity to operations are associated with their ability to detect an obscure surgical complication in less time.
Spatial Audio for Multimodal Location Monitoring
Authors: Marentakis Georgios
Published: April 2022

Location monitoring is a common task that is typically performed using visual displays that may constrain user location and visual attention. Using spatial audio to present the location of the monitored target could help relax such constraints. To evaluate this hypothesis, we conducted three experiments in which the location monitoring display modality, location, cognitive load and the task spatial resolution were varied. Visual and audiovisual location monitoring resulted in a higher location monitoring accuracy and speed but it induced a significantly higher dual-task cost compared to auditory when both displays were not within peripheral vision. Furthermore, auditory location monitoring accuracy approximated visual when the spatial resolution required by the task was adapted to auditory localization accuracy. The results show that using spatial audio to create multimodal location monitoring can reduce visual attention load and increase the flexibility of user placement relative to the monitoring display without incurring an additional location monitoring cost.
Existential Aesthetics
Authors: Maes Hans
Published: April 2022

The aim of what I propose to call “existential aesthetics” is to investigate the various ways in which art and certain kinds of aesthetic practice or aesthetic experience can be of existential importance to people. Section I provides a definition of existential aesthetics, while Section II delineates this emerging field from cognate areas of research. Sections III and IV explore various subcategories and examples of existential aesthetics. Section V seeks to identify important avenues for future research and Section VI presents some concluding thoughts about the potential of existential aesthetics and why philosophers should be encouraged to fulfill this potential.
Whole genome sequencing-based drug resistance predictions of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from Tanzania
Authors: Mbelele Peter M. , Utpatel Christian , Sauli Elingarami , Mpolya Emmanuel A. , Mutayoba Beatrice K. , Barilar Ivan , Dreyer Viola , Merker Matthias , Sariko Margaretha L. , Swema Buliga M. , Mmbaga Blandina T. , Gratz Jean , Addo Kennedy K. , Pletschette Michel , Niemann Stefan , Houpt Eric R. , Mpagama Stellah G. , Heysell Scott K.
Published: April 2022

Background

Rifampicin- or multidrug-resistant (RR/MDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) strains account for considerable morbidity and mortality globally. WGS-based prediction of drug resistance may guide clinical decisions, especially for the design of RR/MDR-TB therapies.

Methods

We compared WGS-based drug resistance-predictive mutations for 42 MTBC isolates from MDR-TB patients in Tanzania with the MICs of 14 antibiotics measured in the Sensititre™ MycoTB assay. An isolate was phenotypically categorized as resistant if it had an MIC above the epidemiological-cut-off (ECOFF) value, or as susceptible if it had an MIC below or equal to the ECOFF.

Results

Overall, genotypically non-wild-type MTBC isolates with high-level resistance mutations (gNWT-R) correlated with isolates with MIC values above the ECOFF. For instance, the median MIC value (mg/L) for rifampicin-gNWT-R strains was >4.0 (IQR 4.0–4.0) compared with 0.5 (IQR 0.38–0.50) in genotypically wild-type (gWT-S, P < 0.001); isoniazid-gNWT-R >4.0 (IQR 2.0–4.0) compared with 0.25 (IQR 0.12–1.00) among gWT-S (P = 0.001); ethionamide-gNWT-R 15.0 (IQR 10.0–20.0) compared with 2.50 (IQR; 2.50–5.00) among gWT-S (P < 0.001). WGS correctly predicted resistance in 95% (36/38) and 100% (38/38) of the rifampicin-resistant isolates with ECOFFs >0.5 and >0.125 mg/L, respectively. No known resistance-conferring mutations were present in genes associated with resistance to fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, capreomycin, bedaquiline, delamanid, linezolid, clofazimine, cycloserine, or p-amino salicylic acid.

Conclusions

WGS-based drug resistance prediction worked well to rule-in phenotypic drug resistance and the absence of second-line drug resistance-mediating mutations has the potential to guide the design of RR/MDR-TB regimens in the future.
Therapeutic drug monitoring of cefepime in a non-critically ill population: retrospective assessment and potential role for model-based dosing
Authors: Suttels Véronique , André Pascal , Thoma Yann , Veuve François , Decosterd Laurent , Guery Benoît , Buclin Thierry
Published: April 2022

Objectives

To describe the therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of cefepime in non-critically ill adults and compare four different ways of dosing: conventional table-based; empirically adjusted following TDM; individualized based on a population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) model without TDM; and TDM-adjusted with a Bayesian approach integrating TDM and PopPK.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study in a tertiary centre to examine the current practice of TDM and to evaluate the potential for improvement by PopPK-based software individualization. The prediction of trough concentrations and the total daily doses (TDD) prescribed according to each approach were compared by calculating the mean logarithmic bias and the root mean squared error, complemented by linear regression and variance analysis.

Results

Among 168 trough concentrations in 119 patients (median: 12 mg/L), 38.6% of measurements exceeded 15 mg/L, the reported threshold for neurotoxicity. Nine patients developed neurotoxicity. The prediction performance of PopPK alone for trough concentrations was moderate, but clearly improved after integration of TDM. Accordingly, TDD were significantly lower for a priori PopPK-based dosage (mean: 2907 mg/24 h) compared with actual table-based dosage (4625 mg/24 h, P < 0.001). They were also lower for a posteriori dosage based on PopPK and TDM (3377 mg/24 h) compared with actual dosage after empirical TDM (4233 mg/24 h, P < 0.001), as model-based adjustment privileged more frequent administrations.

Conclusions

Our observations support routine TDM of cefepime to prevent overdosing and subsequent toxicity in the non-critically ill. Software-based individualization seems promising to optimize the benefits of TDM, but has little potential to replace it.
Electronic health record developer market segmentation contributes to divide in physician interoperable exchange
Authors: Everson Jordan , Barker Wesley , Patel Vaishali
Published: April 2022

Objectives

To assess whether previously observed differences in interoperable exchange by physician practice size persisted in 2019 and identify the role of 3 factors shaping interoperable exchange among physicians in practices of varying sizes: Federal incentive programs designed to encourage health IT use, value-based care, and selection of electronic health record (EHR) developer.

Materials

Cross-sectional analysis of a 2019 survey of physicians. We used multivariable Poisson models to estimate the relative risk of interoperable exchange based on the size of the practice accounting for other characteristics and the mediating role of 3 factors.

Results

Seventeen percent of solo practice physicians integrated outside data relative to 51% of large practice physicians. This difference remained substantial in initial multivariable models including physician characteristics. When included in models, Federal incentive programs partially mediated the relationship between practice size and interoperable exchange status. In final models including EHR developer, developer was strongly associated with both exchange and integration while practice size was no longer an independent predictor. These trends persisted when comparing practices with 4 or fewer physicians to those with 5 or more.

Discussion

Public and private initiatives that increase the benefits of interoperable exchange may encourage small practices to pursue it. Technical and policy changes that reduce the costs and complexity of supporting exchange could make it easier for small developers to advance their capabilities to support small practices.

Conclusion

Addressing the gap between small and large practices will take a 2-pronged approach that targets both small EHR developers and small practices.
Supervised segmentation with domain adaptation for small sampled orbital CT images
Authors: Suh Sungho , Cheon Sojeong , Choi Wonseo , Chung Yeon Woong , Cho Won-Kyung , Paik Ji-Sun , Kim Sung Eun , Chang Dong-Jin , Lee Yong Oh
Published: April 2022

Deep neural networks have been widely used for medical image analysis. However, the lack of access to a large-scale annotated dataset poses a great challenge, especially in the case of rare diseases or new domains for the research society. Transfer of pre-trained features from the relatively large dataset is a considerable solution. In this paper, we have explored supervised segmentation using domain adaptation for optic nerve and orbital tumour, when only small sampled CT images are given. Even the lung image database consortium image collection (LIDC-IDRI) is a cross-domain to orbital CT, but the proposed domain adaptation method improved the performance of attention U-Net for the segmentation in public optic nerve dataset and our clinical orbital tumour dataset by 3.7% and 13.7% in the Dice score, respectively. The code and dataset are available at https://github.com/cmcbigdata.
Review of applications and user perceptions of smart home technology for health and environmental monitoring
Authors: Rhee Jee Heon , Ma Jae Hoon , Seo JoonOh , Cha Seung Hyun
Published: April 2022

In recent decades, smart home technology has advanced, improving the well-being and quality of life of its users. Thus, its applications have expanded, particularly in health and environmental monitoring. Numerous devices have been developed to accommodate user requirements of monitoring; however, the adoption of monitoring devices is closely related to user perception. User perception can be considered from different perspectives. One method of understanding different user perceptions is comparing wearable and nonwearable devices, owing to the differences in their obtrusiveness. The aim of this study was to systematically review the applications and user perceptions of health and environmental monitoring devices, emphasizing on the wearable and nonwearable distinction. We conducted a focused search of articles related to smart home technology and its user perceptions based on its applications. The inclusion criteria were original and peer-reviewed articles centered on health and environmental monitoring devices. We identified and analysed 159 of the 4476 relevant articles and divided the articles into two categories. The first category comprised health and environmental monitoring and their applications by the type of device. The second category comprised user perceptions of monitoring devices. The devices were grouped into wearable and nonwearable devices for our analysis. We identified user perceptions based on usefulness, ease of use, and privacy. Because wearable and nonwearable devices complement their limitations, we recommend their integration for improving user perception.
Weight distribution algorithm for global ship analysis in preliminary design stage
Authors: Lim Chaeog , Han Ik-seung , Park Byeong-cheol , Oh Sang-jin , Kim Gi-yong , Shin Sung-chul
Published: April 2022

Structural analysis, based on a global ship model, is vital for examining the structural strength and safety of a hull. In the “NASTRAN” global ship model, only the structural members and cargo tank of a ship are modeled and the outfit, electric system, and other tanks and liquid are omitted from the model. The additional weight of these omitted elements, however, constitutes part of the light weight of the ship and must be considered in conducting an accurate structural analysis of the ship. Generally, the weight of these omitted elements is calculated using the trim and stability information of the ship and is then added to the model. In such cases, the center of gravity of the global ship model, which now includes the weight of these omitted elements, must be adjusted to the target center of gravity required for the analysis. In this study, an algorithm was developed to satisfy the target center of gravity while distributing the weight of these omitted elements to the global ship model using Gaussian elimination. The algorithm was developed using C#, and its accuracy was verified by applying it to the global ship models.
L’Art Pour l’Art: Experiencing Art Reduces the Desire for Luxury Goods
Authors: Wang Yajin , Xu Alison Jing , Zhang Ying
Published: April 2022

When consumers shop in luxury boutiques, high-end shopping malls, and even online, they increasingly encounter luxury products alongside immersive art displays. Exploring this novel phenomenon with both field studies and lab experiments, the current research shows that experiencing art reduces consumer desire for luxury goods. Three boundary conditions have been identified. The effect does not materialize in contexts in which the work of art is not experienced as art per se, such as when the work of art appears as decoration on the product or packaging or is processed analytically rather than naturally, and when luxury goods are not seen as status goods. We propose that experiencing art induces a mental state of self-transcendence, which undermines consumers’ status-seeking motive and consequently decreases their desire for luxury goods. This research contributes to the literature on consumer esthetics and has important practical applications for luxury businesses.
Imitation and Piracy in Paisley Shawl Design, 1805–1870
Authors: Quaile Sheilagh
Published: April 2022

Facilitated by increased trade between Asia and Europe, handwoven shawls from the Kashmir region of the Indian subcontinent became desirable clothing for Europeans during the mid-eighteenth century. By the 1770s, European manufacturers had picked up on this trend, producing textiles that imitated Kashmiri shawls but sold at lower prices to meet a wider market. In this article, I investigate the imitation Kashmiri shawl industry of one of the most prominent European centers of shawl production—the town of Paisley, Scotland—to study the designing of its products between 1805 and 1870. I examine the training and sources used by Paisley’s ‘pattern drawers’—as the industry’s designers were then called—to answer the question: How much did Paisley’s pattern drawers rely on the patterns of their competitors—European and Asian—to produce their own work? And did all Paisley pattern drawers pirate others’ work? The answer will provide insight into the intertwined nature of imitation and innovation, and moral assessments of copying from European versus Asian products.
Giorgio de Chirico’s artful deception: The story of Nathan Cummings’s ‘true-fakes’ scandal
Authors: Farmer Sophia Maxine
Published: April 2022

In 1953 Nathan Cummings purchased six paintings from Giorgio de Chirico. Accompanying these works was a letter from the artist indicating the dates and titles of the paintings. Cummings nevertheless came to question the authenticity of the dates of these works. While it may seem odd for an artist to be challenged on the dating of his own work, in de Chirico’s case the doubts raised by Cummings were not without precedent. From the 1920s, de Chirico, frustrated with the art market’s rejection of his later work, created copies or ‘verifalsi’, which played off the compositions and themes of his earlier style and bore dates from his Metaphysical period in the 1910s. There is little doubt that de Chirico backdated the paintings sold to Cummings. The correspondence between the artist, Cummings and James Thrall Soby, the leading authority on de Chirico’s works, reveals much about de Chirico’s reasoning and the treatment his later output received in the art market.
Rock value: Scientific and economic conditions for collecting minerals in the early nineteenth century
Authors: Strauß Angela
Published: April 2022

The physician Carl Wilhelm Nose (1753–1835) invested a substantial amount of time and money in exploring the rocks of the Siebengebirge, a mountain range in western Germany from the 1780s onwards. Although virtually unknown today, during his lifetime Nose earned a reputation as a leading mineralogical expert in German-speaking countries. He used his private rock collections as the basis for his research, and hoped that his findings would support his position in one of the fundamental scientific debates of the time – the neptunism–volcanism controversy, which concerns the question of the origin of the earth. At the same time, Nose sought to gain recognition for his rock-collecting work. He gave free samples to institutions and individuals, and donated specimens to various institutions. In 1814 he gifted his private collection of rocks to the Royal Mineral Cabinet in Berlin, a precursor of today’s Museum für Naturkunde there. Nose’s rocks provide deep insights into the mineral-collecting and donation practices of the early nineteenth century, the era in which modern scientific museums emerged. In addition, their collection history shows how the transformation of natural objects into museum objects was linked to the scientific, monetary and economic values attached to them. This paper argues that these natural objects embody epistemic and economic values combined.
International Efforts Against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria
Authors: Aloklah Wissam Aldien
Published: April 2022

This article examines international developments in the investigation of incidents involving the use of chemical weapons (CWs) in Syria between 2012 and 2021. Specifically, it analyses the measures adopted by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in cooperation with the United Nations, and the progress in eliminating the Syrian chemical weapons programme. The article further addresses the international community’s responses to the use of CWs in Syria from the perspective of international law, and its inability to hold those responsible accountable and to offer redress the victims. Such inability is illustrated by the somewhat weak action following two reports of the Investigation and Identification Team of the OPCW, which clearly indicated that the authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic are behind a number of CW attacks in Syria. The article argues that the lack of international justice, despite clear evidence of blatant violations, is rooted in the fundamental differences between major powers within the Security Council, as well as in the existing gaps in the law.
Current trends in chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer
Authors: Takahashi Nobutaka , Takekuma Munetaka
Published: April 2022

Chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer has progressed over the past several decades with the introduction of cytotoxic agents. Various methods, including single agents, combination therapy and changes in the method of administration, have been validated in many clinical trials and have been combined in an attempt to improve the prognosis of advanced ovarian cancer. In recent years, molecular-targeted agents have been added to cytotoxic agents as a treatment option for maintenance therapy; however, their efficacy has been limited, and further development of treatment options is expected. The advent of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors has considerably improved prognosis and has affected treatment strategies for advanced ovarian cancer over the past few years. With the addition of the recently introduced immune checkpoint inhibitors, future treatment strategies for advanced ovarian cancer may become more complex. In this review, we introduce the latest advances in chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer and discuss future perspectives.
Large volume was associated with increased risk of acute non-hematologic adverse events in the hybrid of intracavitary and interstitial brachytherapy for locally advanced uterine cervical cancer: preliminary results of prospective phase I/II clinical trial
Authors: Murakami Naoya , Watanabe Miho , Uno Takashi , Sekii Shuhei , Tsujino Kayoko , Kasamatsu Takahiro , Machitori Yumiko , Aoshika Tomomi , Kato Shingo , Hirowatari Hisako , Kaneyasu Yuko , Nakagawa Tomio , Ikushima Hitoshi , Ando Ken , Murata Masumi , Yoshida Ken , Yoshioka Hiroto , Murata Kazutoshi , Ohno Tatsuya , Okonogi Noriyuki , Saito Anneyuko , Ichikawa Mayumi , Okuda Takahito , Tsuchida Keisuke , Sakurai Hideyuki , Yoshimura Ryouichi , Yoshioka Yasuo , Yorozu Atsunori , Okamoto Horoyuki , Inaba Koji , Kato Tomoyasu , Igaki Hiroshi , Itami Jun
Published: April 2022

Objective

This is the preliminary results of a multi-center prospective clinical trial evaluating the feasibility of the hybrid of intracavitary and interstitial brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer.

Methods

Patients with FIGO stage IB2, IIA2, IIB, IIIA, IIIB and IVA uterine cervical cancer pretreatment width of which was ≥5 cm measured by MRI were eligible. Protocol therapy consisted of 30–30.6 Gy in 15–17 fractions of whole pelvic radiotherapy concurrent with weekly CDDP, followed by 24 Gy in 4 fractions of hybrid of intracavitary and interstitial and pelvic radiotherapy with central shield up to 50–50.4 Gy in 25–28 fractions. The primary endpoint of phase I part was that the rate of grade ≥ 3 acute non-hematologic adverse events related to hybrid of intracavitary and interstitial would be <10%.

Results

Between October 2015 and October 2019, 74 patients underwent primary registration, with 52 patients eventually proceeding to the secondary registration. The median pretreatment tumor width was 5.7 cm, and FIGO Stages were IB2 10, IIA2 2, IIB 20 and IIIB 20, respectively. The median high-risk clinical target volume D90 was 72.0 Gy (54.8–86.6 Gy, EQD2), rectum D2cc was 53.7 Gy (29.3–80.3 Gy) and bladder D2cc was 69.8 Gy (38.9–84.8 Gy). The rate of grade ≥ 3 non-hematologic adverse events related to hybrid of intracavitary and interstitial was 1.9% (1/52), and 17.3% (9/52) of patients experienced non-hematologic adverse events related to hybrid of intracavitary and interstitial of any grade. In multivariate analysis, high-risk clinical target volume ≥ 35 ml was associated with an increased risk of any grade of acute non-hematologic adverse events related to hybrid of intracavitary and interstitial (P = 0.036).

Conclusion

The feasibility and reproducibility of hybrid of intracavitary and interstitial were demonstrated from a multi-center prospective clinical trial.
Croup Associated With SARS-CoV-2: Pediatric Laryngotracheitis During the Omicron Surge
Authors: Sharma Sujit , Agha Beesan , Delgado Carlos , Walson Karen , Woods Charles , Gonzalez Mark D , Jerris Robert , Sysyn Gregory , Beiter James , Kamidani Satoshi , Rostad Christina A
Published: April 2022

In this retrospective analysis, we describe weekly croup and corresponding viral prevalence patterns in a pediatric quaternary care system in metropolitan Atlanta. We characterize a series of 24 patients with croup associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and show that this clinical presentation increased substantially in frequency during the period of high Omicron vs Delta transmission.
Development and dosimetric verification of 3D customized bolus in head and neck radiotherapy
Authors: Chatchumnan Nichakan , Kingkaew Sakda , Aumnate Chuanchom , Sanghangthum Taweap
Published: April 2022

The commercial flat bolus cannot form perfect contact with the irregular surface of the patient’s skin, resulting in an air gap. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using a 3D customized bolus from silicone rubber. The silicone rubber boluses were studied in basic characteristics. The 3D customized bolus was fabricated at the nose, cheek and neck regions. The point dose and planar dose differences were evaluated by comparing with virtual bolus. The hardness, thickness, density, Hounsfield unit (HU) and dose attenuation of the customized bolus were quite similar to a commercial bolus. When a 3D customized bolus was placed on the RANDO phantom, it can significantly increase buildup region doses and perfectly fit against the irregular surface shape. The average point dose differences of 3D customized bolus were −1.1%, while the commercial bolus plans showed −1.7%. The average gamma results for planar dose differences comparison of 3D customized bolus were 93.9%, while the commercial bolus plans were reduced to 91.9%. Overall, A silicone rubber bolus produced the feasible dosimetric properties and could save cost compared to a commercial bolus. The 3D printed customized bolus is a good buildup material and could potentially replace and improve treatment efficiency.
Dosimetric effect of set-up error in accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy for head and neck cancer
Authors: Komori Shinya , Hirose Katsumi , Sato Mariko , Takeuchi Akihiko , Kato Ryohei , Motoyanagi Tomoaki , Harada Takaomi , Yamazaki Yuhei , Harada Mayumi , Narita Yuki , Kato Takahiro , Takai Yoshihiro
Published: April 2022

The dosimetric effect of set-up error in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for head and neck cancer remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed the tendency of dose error by treatment location when simulating the set-up error of patients. We also determined the tolerance level of the set-up error in BNCT for head and neck cancer. As a method, the distal direction was shifted with an interval of 2.5 mm, from 0.0 mm to +20.0 mm and compared with the dose at the reference position. Similarly, the horizontal direction and vertical direction were shifted, with an interval of 5.0 mm, from −20.0 mm to +20.0 mm. In addition, cases with 3.0 mm and 5.0 mm simultaneous shifts in all directions were analyzed as the worst-case scenario. The dose metrics of the minimum dose of the tumor and the maximum dose of the mucosa were evaluated. From unidirectional set-up error analysis, in most cases, the set-up errors with dose errors within ±5% were Δdistal < +2.5 mm, Δhorizontal < ±5.0 mm and Δvertical < ±5.0 mm. In the simulation of 3.0 mm shifts in all directions, the errors in the minimum tumor dose and maximum mucosal dose were −3.6% ±1.4% (range, −5.4% to −0.6%) and 2% ±1.4% (range, 0.4% to 4.5%), respectively. From these results, if the set-up error was within ±3.0 mm in each direction, the dose errors of the tumor and mucosa could be suppressed within approximately ±5%, which is suggested as a tolerance level.
Adamantinoma of tibia: excision and reconstruction with free vascularized fibula flap: a case report and review of literature
Authors: Sahu Shamendra Anand , Mishra Jiten Kumar , Kar Bikram Keshari , Manju R , De Moumita
Published: April 2022

Adamantinoma is a rare malignant tumour usually affecting the diaphysis of long bones. The tumour most commonly affects the tibia. Conventional management involves excision with a wide margin, reconstruction and sometimes amputation. Multiple options are available, but reconstruction depends upon the size of the bony defect and available resources. None has proved to be the favourable one. We have analysed the advantages and shortcomings of various methods used. In our case, a 33-year-old male patient presented with a large adamantinoma of the midtibial region of the left leg, which was managed with excision and reconstruction of long segment bony defect with free vascularized osteocutaneous fibula flap. There are osseointegration and hypertrophy of the vascularized bone with good functional gain in long term follow-up. Autologous bone reconstruction after adamantinoma excision with microvascular free fibula flap in large bone segment defects salvage the limb with satisfactory functional outcome.
Deep venous thrombosis in a 41-year-old female with May–Thurner syndrome following abdominoplasty and medial thigh lift
Authors: Bombardelli Joao , Kaplan Jordan , Doval Andres F , Rappaport Norman H
Published: April 2022

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a feared occurrence following body contouring surgery as it can result in pulmonary embolism. Acute presentation can range from lower extremity edema and pain to being totally asymptomatic. Surgical literature reports reveal many risk factors for developing DVT, and surgeons must risk stratify their patients to best prevent this outcome. However, there are conditions which place patients at risk that are difficult to account for when making such decisions as they can be undiagnosed and are not a part of standard screening protocols. We present a case of DVT in a 41-year-old female with undiagnosed May–Thurner syndrome following abdominoplasty and medial thigh lift for massive weight loss. The authors discuss the current literature as well as challenges faced by surgeons who strive to appropriately risk stratify their cosmetic surgery patients to avoid complications such as venous thromboembolism.
Cytoreductive surgery for giant locally advanced intra-abdominal tumors in Uganda
Authors: Okello Michael , Nuwagaba Julius , Ddungu Henry , Okuku Fred Machyo
Published: April 2022

Cytoreductive surgery is removal of tumor as much as possible when complete resection is impossible because of advanced disease. It is a management option for giant intra-abdominal tumors with pressure symptoms. We present three patients who underwent cytoreductive surgery for giant intra-abdominal tumors between May 2019 and November 2021. Patient 1 had a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) involving stomach, spleen and transverse colon. En bloc resection of the GIST with the involved viscera was done. Patient 2 had a liposarcoma measuring 25.8 × 19.6 × 15.3 cm infiltrating the stomach, spleen and the left hemidiaphragm. Involved viscera and liposarcoma were resected en bloc. Patient 3 had a liposarcoma measuring 40 × 35 × 12 cm and encasing the left ureter. Mass was excised together with part of the left ureter and left ureter reconstructed. Giant intra-abdominal tumors are rare. Involvement of adjacent structures may necessitate multivisceral resections with or without organ reconstruction.
Excision of large right atrial myxoma through a right mini thoracotomy
Authors: Henmi Soichiro , Salica Andrea , Scaffa Raffaele , D’Aleo Salvatore , Wolf Lorenzo Guerrieri , De Paulis Ruggero
Published: April 2022

Cardiac myxoma is the most common primary benign cardiac tumor in adults and right atrial myxoma is a rare observation. We report a case of a 56-year-old woman who presented with dyspnea and diagnosed with a right atrial myxoma. Urgent operation through a right mini thoracotomy was done and myxoma was completely excised. Traditionally, median sternotomy with cardiopulmonary bypass is used for excision of cardiac myxoma. Excision through a mini thoracotomy for patients with right atrial myxoma appear to be safe, feasible and efficacious.
Data Privacy Concerns as a Source of Resistance to Complete Mobile Data Collection Tasks Via a Smartphone App
Authors: Roberts Caroline , Herzing Jessica M E , Sobrino Piazza Jimena , Abbet Philip , Gatica-Perez Daniel
Published: April 2022

Smartphones present many interesting opportunities for survey research, particularly through the use of mobile data collection applications (apps). There is still much to learn, however, about how to integrate apps in general population surveys. Recent studies investigating hypothetical willingness to complete mobile data collection tasks via an app suggest there may be substantial resistance, in particular, due to concerns around data privacy. There is not much evidence about how privacy concerns influence actual decisions to participate in app-based surveys. Theoretical approaches to understanding privacy concerns and survey participation decisions would suggest that the influence of the former over the latter is likely to vary situationally. In this paper, we present results from a methodological experiment conducted in the context of a three-wave probability-based online panel survey of the general population as part of the 2019 Swiss Election Study (“Selects”) testing different ways of recruiting participants to an app. Questions included at wave 1 about online data privacy concerns and comfort sharing different types of data with academic researchers allow us to assess their impact on both hypothetical willingness to download a survey app for completing questionnaires, to take and share photos, and to share the smartphone’s GPS location and actual completion of these tasks. Our findings confirm that general concerns about online data privacy do influence hypothetical willingness to complete mobile data collection tasks, but may be overridden by how comfortable people feel about sharing specific types of data with researchers. When it comes to actual compliance with task requests, however, neither privacy concerns nor comfort sharing data seem to matter. We conclude with recommendations for exploring these relationships further in future app-based studies.
Compliance with the Current NCCN Guidelines and Its Critical Role in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Petersen Jeffrey M , Jhala Darshana N
Published: April 2022

Objectives

Since 2019, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has recommended genetic testing for patients diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma that includes universal germline testing and tumor gene profiling for metastatic, locally advanced, or recurrent disease. However, testing compliance with this guideline has not yet been published in the English literature.

Methods

A quality assurance/quality improvement retrospective review was done to identify patients diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma from January 2019 to February 2021 to include the patient’s clinical status and genetic test results.

Results

There were 20 patient cases identified with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. A total of 11 cases had molecular tumor gene profiling and microsatellite instability/mismatch repair (MSI/MMR) testing performed and 1 case had only MSI/MMR testing by immunohistochemistry performed. Only 3 patients of the 20 in total received germline testing.

Conclusion

There was a significant number of patients for whom tumor gene profiling or germline testing had never been attempted as per recommended NCCN guidelines.
LERA—an interactive platform for synoptical representations of multiple text witnesses
Authors: Pöckelmann Marcus , Medek André , Ritter Jörg , Molitor Paul
Published: April 2022

In the humanities, text comparison is essential for scholarly editing the traditions of a text with its different witnesses under study. For the computer-aided creation of a critical apparatus, there have been established approaches and tools for many years. However, they mainly focus on subsentences or sentences. An efficient and easy-to-use automatic comparison of entire chapters or books still represents a research desideratum. The Locate, Explore, Retrace and Apprehend complex text variants (LERA) working environment presented here solves this issue. It is based on a two-stage collation approach: an efficient, fully automatic alignment of text segments, which can be paragraphs, subparagraphs or sentences, with interactive post-processing options, followed by the detailed comparison at segment level. Because aligning text segments, such as paragraphs, for more than two text witnesses is algorithmically challenging, we discuss the heuristics we developed in more detail. LERA combines the entire process of document management, tokenization/segmentation, normalization, alignment, and visualization with interactive control options and exploratory tools. It has already been and is being successfully applied in several Digital Humanities projects of different languages, e.g. for Arabic, French, Hebrew as well as German and English texts.
Immigrant legalization: A dilemma between justice and the rule of law
Authors: Song Sarah , Bloemraad Irene
Published: April 2022

Immigrant legalization policies pose an ethical dilemma between justice and the rule of law. On the one hand, liberal democracies aspire to the principles of individual liberty and equality. Building on liberal ideals of justice, compelling arguments have been made for granting legal status and a path to citizenship to unauthorized migrants by virtue of the social ties they have developed, their contributions to the host society, and their vulnerability to exploitation. On the other hand, legalization poses a challenge to another important value, the rule of law, which requires government to operate within a framework of law in accordance with well-established public norms. Immigrant legalization programmes are said to undermine the rule of law because they reward lawbreaking, allow queue-jumping, and incentivize further unauthorized migration. This article clarifies each horn of the dilemma, focusing on rule of law arguments. We offer a critical reappraisal of immigrant legalization policies by reflecting on the normative meaning of the rule of law and by examining empirical evidence assessing the effects of legalization. Our central contention is that legalization policies can enhance the rule of law. We offer five rule of law arguments in support of legalization, which help to mitigate the dilemma between justice and the rule of law. We conclude by discussing some policy implications of our analysis.
Excellence in Exile: Jewish Exceptionalism in Anti-Zionist Thought
Authors: Kimche J J
Published: April 2022

This essay seeks to illuminate an understudied strain of modern Jewish political thought, which is here termed ‘exceptionalist anti-Zionism’. Thinkers of this diverse school strongly subscribe to some form of Jewish exceptionalism and believe that it is precisely this exceptional nature that obviates or undermines the necessity for a Jewish state. This essay presents three versions of this intellectual strain through an analysis of one important thinker who exemplifies each version. Samson Raphael Hirsch offers a religious form of exceptionalist anti-nationalism, in which the divine mission of the Jewish nation requires its perpetual dispersion throughout the world’s civilizations. Franz Rosenzweig offers a philosophical form of exceptionalist anti-Zionism, in which the Jewish nation inhabits an entirely distinct temporal plane that precludes the traditional attributes of national life. George Steiner offers an ethical form of exceptionalist anti-Zionism, in which the Jews’ ethical superiority depends on their status as the perpetually itinerant ‘guests’ of every human society, and therefore naturally rejects any coalescence of national self-identity. These three thinkers, despite their irreducible differences, constitute an important counter-voice within a political discourse that generally conflates nationhood and nationalism, and present an alternative vision for a Jewish diasporic existence.
Autonomy and Radical Evil: Kant’s Ethical Transformation of Sin
Authors: Dalferth Ingolf U
Published: April 2022

The paper examines Kant’s idea of autonomy as well as his conception of radical evil against the background of the theological tradition relevant to him. It is shown that both of them can be understood as ethical secularizations of theological concepts—the freedom of God and the concept of original sin—and that in both cases the problems of the theological tradition reoccur.
Multimodal synchrotron X-ray fluorescence imaging reveals elemental distribution in seeds and seedlings of the Zn–Cd–Ni hyperaccumulatorNoccaea caerulescens
Authors: van der Ent Antony , de Jonge Martin D , Echevarria Guillaume , Aarts Mark G M , Mesjasz-Przybyłowicz Jolanta , Przybyłowicz Wojciech J , Brueckner Dennis , Harris Hugh H
Published: April 2022

The molecular biology and genetics of the Ni–Cd–Zn hyperaccumulator Noccaea caerulescens has been extensively studied, but no information is yet available on Ni and Zn redistribution and mobilization during seed germination. Due to the different physiological functions of these elements, and their associated transporter pathways, we expected differential tissue distribution and different modes of translocation of Ni and Zn during germination. This study used synchrotron X-ray fluorescence tomography techniques as well as planar elemental X-ray imaging to elucidate elemental (re)distribution at various stages of the germination process in contrasting accessions of N. caerulescens. The results show that Ni and Zn are both located primarily in the cotyledons of the emerging seedlings and Ni is highest in the ultramafic accessions (up to 0.15 wt%), whereas Zn is highest in the calamine accession (up to 600 μg g–1). The distribution of Ni and Zn in seeds was very similar, and neither element was translocated during germination. The Fe maps were especially useful to obtain spatial reference within the seeds, as it clearly marked the vasculature. This study shows how a multimodal combination of synchrotron techniques can be used to obtain powerful insights about the metal distribution in physically intact seeds and seedlings.
Clinical Profile of Monomicrobial Corynebacterium Hip and Knee Periprosthetic Joint Infections
Authors: Tabaja Hussam , Tai Don Bambino Geno , Beam Elena , Abdel Matthew P , Tande Aaron J
Published: April 2022

Background

Corynebacterium periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a poorly described infectious syndrome. Prior studies included cases of polymicrobial infections. This series describes the clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes of monomicrobial Corynebacterium PJI.

Methods

We queried the Mayo Clinic Total Joint Registry for cases of monomicrobial Corynebacterium knee and hip PJI in adults (age ≥18 years) between 2010 and 2019.

Results

A total of 20 (1%) out of 2067 PJI cases met our inclusion criteria. Most were males (55%), and the median age was 64 years. Seventy percent had chronic symptoms (>4 weeks). PJI was delayed to late (>3 months postimplantation) in 90%. Three species were identified: C. striatum (70%), C. jeikeium (20%), and C. amycolatum (10%). All tested isolates were susceptible to vancomycin (100%) and linezolid (100%), and most had a minimum inhibitory concentration ≤0.06 mcg/mL to daptomycin (75%). Other agents were less reliable, with high resistance to oral agents commonly used for suppression. Nineteen patients were treated: 37% debridement and implant retention (DAIR), 47% 2-stage exchange, and 16% resection without reimplantation. Of these, failure occurred in 29%, 11%, and 0%, respectively.

Conclusions

Corynebacterium PJIs pose a therapeutic challenge due to limited antimicrobial armamentarium and undefined optimal surgical intervention. Vancomycin and linezolid remain the most reliable agents for treatment. DAIR may be attempted for acute PJI, but verification of durable chronic suppression options will be critical for this approach.