bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tribunals and Adjudication
Authors: Bradley Kieran
Published: December 2020

This chapter concerns non-judicial review of administrative action, that is, review by bodies other than the judicial courts, including adjudication by the administration itself. It identifies in broad outline, and from a comparative perspective, the main attributes of administrative adjudication. These include: the variety and the origins of the bodies which carry out such review, the organization of internal and external administrative review, the principal structures of administrative tribunals and equivalent bodies, and their place in the justice system generally. A brief assessment of the perspectives for the study of administrative tribunals in the context of comparative administrative law is proffered by way of conclusion.
Material Liberty and the Administrative State
Authors: Bignami Francesca
Published: December 2020

This chapter draws on three aspects of German public law to throw into sharp relief the absence of substantive protection for material rights in the American administrative state. It first briefly deals with two conceptual issues important for comparative analysis: the scope of public action covered by the concept of the administrative state, and the type of rights that come under the umbrella of material liberty. The chapter then presents the American public law on individual rights and the heavily procedural cast of those rights. This is followed by a presentation of the key elements of German public law that promote substantive fairness for material rights and that bring to light the particularities of American law. The chapter concludes by pointing to the implications for general comparative law theories of the common law tradition and for the possible future development of American law.
Inequality, Victimhood, and Redress
Authors: Kesselring Rita
Published: December 2020

In relation to inequality, the law is ambivalent. Legal norms can be used to create or formalize differences in a society, but social groups can also use legal norms in their attempts to attenuate inequality. This contribution differentiates three ways in which law can affect structures of inequality: legislation, case law, and law enforcement, and law’s discursive forms and legal practices. It focuses on the latter, or what Bourdieu calls ‘the force of law’, at the level of lived reality. To do so, it examines the apartheid litigations where South African victims of human rights violations turned to U.S. federal courts to seek redress, and shows how, in that pursuit, new forms of inequalities were produced. As the law needs to valuate life, the evaluation of human life poses the danger of producing new disparities. Recourse to the law can, however, also be emancipatory for the injured. Both effects—emancipation from and cementation of inequalities—have societal rather than mere technical causes.
New International Human Resource Management Approaches and Multinational Enterprise Strategies
Authors: Conroy Kieran M. , Minbaeva Dana
Published: December 2020

The effective implementation of international strategies (ISs) is dependent on the mobilization and management of human resources (HR) across borders. It is widely recognized that the multinational enterprise (MNE) serves as an important organizational context to explore how the design and diffusion of human resource management (HRM) policies and practices contribute to the effective development of international business (IB) strategy. Yet, to date, we know very little about how the HR function helps or hinders the implementation of an MNE’s international strategies. This chapter specifically discusses the challenges associated with MNEs managing their increasingly diverse workforces. This, we propose, will change the manner in which we think about the relationship between the HR role and the implementation of MNE strategies.
Methods of site survey and excavation in Egypt
Authors: Tavares Ana
Published: December 2020

Site survey and excavation, within the subject of Egyptology, have historically aimed at the ‘discovery’ of monuments and objects. Gradually survey and excavation methodologies have shifted to a search for information. Current excavation and recording methodologies provide an understanding of site formation processes, while modern site survey methods provide alternatives to intrusive—and by their nature, destructive—excavations. Contemporary challenges concerning excavation methods in Egyptian archaeology include excessive focus on ‘discoveries’ rather than information, and a general dearth of archaeological context, which often neglected or poorly understood. A perceived lack of practical archaeological training has been partially addressed by field-schools.
The Libyans
Authors: Hulin Linda
Published: December 2020

Our picture of the Libyans in the New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Periods is heavily dependent upon Egyptian textual and visual evidence. This chapter reviews the much sparser archaeological evidence for Libyan culture, combining material from the fringes of Egypt with data from information from Libya proper. The models that scholars have used to assess this material are discussed particularly in the light of the sparse material evidence on Egyptian soil during the times of Libyan rule. Recent work on the archaeology of nomads is also refining these models and shining light upon their social complexity and adaptability across the nomadic-settled continuum.
Western Asia
Authors: Routledge Carolyn
Published: December 2020

Since Flinders Petrie, the importance of Western Asia to the history and development of culture in ancient Egypt has been recognized by scholars and has also been a significant driver in shaping Egyptological methodology and theoretical approaches. The study of relations between Western Asia and Egypt encompasses a wide range of specialisms given the broad range of evidence, the geographical breadth, and the academic disciplines involved. This chapter reviews the history of the study of relations between Western Asia and Egypt pointing to a selection of challenges scholars face in undertaking their research, and examines two case studies: theories concerning the role of Western Asia in the rise of the state, and the assessment of Egypt’s New Kingdom Empire in Canaan to illustrate the ways in which scholarly challenges are met and the resulting historical conclusions.
The Third Intermediate Period
Authors: Aston David A.
Published: December 2020

This chapter gives a brief overview of the character of the Third Intermediate Period reflecting on the north–south divide, the changes in religious beliefs and the growth of archaism, before concentrating on the history of the period. Scholarship on the history of the Third Intermediate Period is in a state of flux owing to the recent discoveries of new kings, and a number of new theories discussing the moving of kings from one dynasty to another, as well as changing the order of some of them. The chapter does not summarise the narrative history of the Third Intermediate Period but highlights specific historical problems and issues.
Theology
Authors: von Lieven Alexandra
Published: December 2020

Theological speculation in ancient Egypt could take different forms, from simple strings of epithets attached to a deity in hymns to elaborate treatises, either in their own right or as commentaries to other texts. Especially the latter was an important part of the scholarship exerted by priests, forming also part of the curriculum for young priests in training. Thus, the main place of theology would have been the temple, its library, and scriptorium. Unfortunately, precisely for this reason, only little of this material is preserved, obscuring its importance particularly for the older periods.
Orality and literacy in ancient Egypt
Authors: Jay Jacqueline E.
Published: December 2020

Ancient Egypt has long been recognized for its importance as one of the world’s earliest ‘literate’ societies. However, it is only relatively recently that modern scholarship has begun to emphasize pharaonic Egypt’s ties to its pre-literate, prehistoric past and the many ways in which oral modes of behaviour continued to influence Egyptian society throughout the Pharaonic period and beyond. The educational process through which individuals were trained to read and write was itself heavily dependent upon oral recitation. Ritual and literary texts were intended for oral performance, and legal and business documents served to record an oral act. Over time, however, we do find a movement towards the independent use of such documentary texts as binding in their own right. The Ptolemaic and Roman periods witnessed particularly significant change, with writing being mobilized in new ways to support the foreign government’s control of a conquered population.
Cultural heritage management in Egypt
Authors: Bloxam Elizabeth , Kelany Adel
Published: December 2020

This chapter provides a broad, cross-cultural, and comparative discussion about the ways in which ‘westernized’ approaches to cultural heritage management (CHM) in Egypt have largely failed to live up to their expectations. The chapter reviews the processes of CHM funding and discusses the ways in which application procedures, and entrenched systems of allocating funds, marginalize those that they are seeking to empower. Within this context, it looks at the successes and failures of establishing community-based heritage strategies in Egypt and argues for a much more imaginative, ‘bottom up’ approach that diminishes the role of ‘top down’ bureaucracy and therefore the need for large amounts of international funding. Through two case studies in the Wadi Hammamat and Aswan, which focus on non-monumental landscapes, the chapter demonstrates the ways in which pragmatic, low-key, locally based strategies of engagement can work through dialogues that can harness the multi-vocality of people’s connection with place. It also addresses the need for a change in focus towards steering protection and promotion of archaeological heritage, and ultimately its sustainability, towards the more local and regional Egyptian tourist market.
Recording rock inscriptions
Authors: Kelany Adel
Published: December 2020

This chapter presents the Egyptian perspective in the recording and documenting of epigraphic data in Egypt. Usually the domain of non-Egyptian epigraphers and philologists, the chapter brings a unique insight into the methods and challenges faced by Egyptian Egyptologists in the recording and documenting of rock inscriptions that are facing numerous threats from modern development. Two case studies are presented: the first situated in Aswan and the second in the Wadi Hammamat. Both localities present differing examples of the range of methods that can be adapted to specific locales, as well as the ways in which increasing pressure from modern destruction requires a different focus to building a database relating to protection measures. As an Egyptian perspective and archive for future generations in Arabic, these approaches allow greater access to information which has largely remained in the domain of foreign institutions and archives.
Theory and Practice in Newton’s Alchemical Experimentation
Authors: Newman William R.
Published: December 2020

Isaac Newton’s laboratory notebooks describe decades of experimentation in alchemy, extending from the late 1660s or early 1670s up until his departure for the Royal Mint in the 1690s. As they stand, however, the highly detailed experiments are extremely hard to decipher. Newton gives few clues about their purpose and the idiosyncratic character of the experiments when compared to those of other alchemists makes it difficult to interpret them in terms of protocols from contemporary chymistry. At other places in his extensive chymical corpus, however, Newton presents theoretical ruminations that may provide the key to his experimentation. This is the first article to attempt a detailed comparison of Newton’s alchemical theory with his laboratory practice.
Participatory Arts-Based Pedagogy in Baccalaureate Nursing Education
Authors: Raber Anjanette M. , Vermeesch Amber
Published: December 2020

Arts-based pedagogy (ABP) is an innovative teaching method combining art and learning in an existing curriculum. To understand the impact of students’ perceptions of the effects of ABP on critical thinking, communication, and observational skills, 89 students completed an online survey. The results indicate that students enjoyed ABP and that it positively affected critical thinking, enhancing their future clinical practice and preparing them for increasingly complex health care environments.
COVID-19 and Cannabidiol (CBD)
Authors: Khalsa Jag H. , Bunt Greg , Maggirwar Sanjay B. , Kottilil Shyam
Published: December 2020

COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in devastating mortality and morbidity consisting of socioeconomic and health effects that have included respiratory/pulmonary, cardiovascular, mental health and neurological consequences such as anxiety, depression, and substance use. Extensive efforts are underway to develop preventive vaccines and therapeutics such as remdesivir, dexamethasone, convalescent plasma, and others to treat COVID-19 but many report residual mental health problems after recovery. Cannabis products such as cannabidiol (CBD) are being advertised for the treatment of COVID-19 associated mental health problems and substance use disorders. This commentary will briefly clear the myth that CBD can ameliorate a wide range of COVID-19 associated health effects including anxiety, depression, or any substance use disorder, and show that there is a clear lack of sufficient unbiased clinical evidence from well-designed double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials to prove the antianxiety or antidepression therapeutic properties of CBD and support its wide use as medicine to treat COVID-19- associated mental health conditions or substance use disorders. Finally, we suggest that addiction physicians must play an important role in dealing with their patients requesting CBD prescription for treating any of these conditions.
Discontinuing Methadone and Buprenorphine: A Review and Clinical Challenges
Authors: Zweben Joan E. , Sorensen James L. , Shingle Mallory , Blazes Christopher K.
Published: December 2020

This paper offers a review and recommendations for clinicians working with patients interested in discontinuing opioid agonist treatment. As buprenorphine/naloxone has gained widespread acceptance for opioid addiction, many treatment providers and patients have a range of hopes and expectations about its optimal use. A surprising number assume buprenorphine/naloxone is primarily useful as a medication to transition off illicit opioid use, and success is partially defined by discontinuing the medication. Despite accumulating evidence that a majority of patients will need to remain on medication to preserve their gains, clinicians often have to address a patient's fervent desire to taper. Using the concept of “recovery capital,” our review addresses (1) the appropriate duration of opioid agonist treatment, (2) risks associated with discontinuing, (3) a checklist that guides the patient through self-assessment of the wisdom of discontinuing opioid agonist treatment, and (4) shared decision making about how to proceed.
Inspiratory Muscle Training With an Electronic Resistive Loading Device Improves Prolonged Weaning Outcomes in a Randomized Controlled Trial*
Authors: da Silva Guimarães Bruno , de Souza Leonardo Cordeiro , Cordeiro Hebe Faria , Regis Thiago Loureiro , Leite Cristiane Almeida , Puga Fernanda Patricio , Alvim Sergio Hernando , Lugon Jocemir Ronaldo
Published: December 2020

OBJECTIVES:

To test if the use of an inspiratory muscle training program with an electronic resistive loading device is associated with benefits as to muscle strength, weaning, and survival in the ICU.

DESIGN:

Prospective randomized controlled trial.

SETTINGS:

Study conducted at the ICU of a Navy’s hospital, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from January 2016 to September 2018.

PATIENTS:

Tracheostomized patients (18–86 yr) on prolonged weaning.

INTERVENTIONS:

Participants were assigned to inspiratory muscle training (intervention group) or a traditional T-piece protocol (control group). In the inspiratory muscle training group, participants underwent training with an electronic inspiratory training device (POWERbreathe K-5; Technologies Ltd, Birmingham, United Kingdom).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

Changes in respiratory muscle strength and rates of ICU survival and weaning success were compared between groups. Forty-eight participants in the inspiratory muscle training group and 53 ones in the control group were included in the final analysis. The inspiratory muscle training was associated with a substantially higher gain on muscle strength as assessed by the maximal inspiratory pressure (70.5 [51.0–82.5] vs –48.0 cm H2O [36.0–72.0 cm H2O]; p = 0.003) and the timed inspiratory effort index (1.56 [1.25–2.08] vs 0.99 cm H2O/s [0.65–1.71 cm H2O/s]; p = 0.001). Outcomes at the 60th day of ICU were significantly better in the intervention group regarding both survival (71.1% vs 48.9%; p = 0.030) and weaning success (74.8% vs 44.5%; p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS:

The use of an inspiratory muscle training program with an electronic resistive loading device was associated with substantial muscle strength gain and positive impacts in two very relevant clinical outcomes: the rates of ICU survival and successful weaning.
Th17 cells are involved in mouse chronic obstructive pulmonary disease complicated with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis
Authors: Geng Wan-Ru , He Hang-Yong , Zhang Qing , Tong Zhao-Hui
Published: December 2020

Background:

The incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) complicated with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) has increased in the last two decades. The mechanism underpinning susceptibility to and high mortality of COPD complicated with IPA is unclear, and the role of T helper cells 17 (Th17 cells) in the compound disease remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the function of Th17 cells in COPD combined with IPA.

Methods:

COPD, IPA, and COPD+IPA mouse models were established in male wild type C57/BL6 mice. The amounts of Th17 cells and retinoic acid-related orphan receptors γt (RORγt) were tested by flow cytometry. Then, serum interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-23 levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the control, COPD, IPA and COPD+IPA groups. In addition, COPD+IPA was induced in IL-17 knockout (KO) mice, for determining the role of Th17 cells in COPD+IPA.

Results:

Compared with the COPD group, the COPD+IPA group showed higher amounts of blood RORγt ([35.09 ± 16.12]% vs. [17.92 ± 4.91]%, P = 0.02) and serum IL-17 (17.96 ± 9.59 pg/mL vs. 8.05 ± 4.44 pg/mL, P = 0.02), but blood ([5.18 ± 1.09]% vs. [4.15 ± 0.87]%, P = 0.28) and lung levels of Th17 cells ([1.98 ± 0.83]% vs. [2.03 ± 0.98]%, P = 0.91), lung levels of RORγt ([9.58 ± 6.93]% vs. [9.63 ± 5.98]%, P = 0.49) and serum IL-23 (51.55 ± 27.82 pg/mL vs. 68.70 ± 15.20 pg/mL, P = 0.15) showed no significant differences. Compared with the IPA group, the COPD+IPA group displayed lower amounts of blood ([5.18 ± 1.09]% vs. [9.21 ± 3.56]%, P = 0.01) and lung Th17 cells ([1.98 ± 0.83]% vs. [6.29 ± 1.11]%, P = 0.01) and serum IL-23 (51.55 ± 27.82 pg/mL vs. 154.90 ± 64.60 pg/mL, P = 0.01) and IL-17 (17.96 ± 9.59 pg/mL vs. 39.81 ± 22.37 pg/mL, P = 0.02), while comparable blood ([35.09 ± 16.12]% vs. [29.86 ± 15.42]%, P = 0.25) and lung levels of RORγt ([9.58 ± 6.93]% vs. [15.10 ± 2.95]%, P = 0.18) were found in these two groups. Finally, Aspergillus load in IL-17 KO COPD+IPA mice was almost 2 times that of COPD+IPA mice (1,851,687.69 ± 944,480.43 vs. 892,958.10 ± 686,808.80, t = 2.32, P = 0.02).

Conclusion:

These findings indicate that Th17 cells might be involved in the pathogenesis of COPD combined with IPA, with IL-17 likely playing an antifungal role.
Long-term results of extensive aortoiliac occlusive disease (EAIOD) treated by endovascular therapy and risk factors for loss of primary patency
Authors: Jiang Xiao-Lang , Shi Yun , Chen Bin , Jiang Jun-Hao , Ma Tao , Lin Chang-Po , Guo Da-Qiao , Xu Xin , Dong Zhi-Hui , Fu Wei-Guo
Published: December 2020

Background:

Although endovascular therapy has been widely used for focal aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD), its performance for extensive AIOD (EAIOD) is not fully evaluated. We aimed to demonstrate the long-term results of EAIOD treated by endovascular therapy and to identify the potential risk factors for the loss of primary patency.

Methods:

Between January 2008 and June 2018, patients with a clinical diagnosis of the 2007 TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus II (TASC II) C and D AIOD lesions who underwent endovascular treatment in our institution were enrolled. Demographic, diagnosis, procedure characteristics, and follow-up information were reviewed. Univariate analysis was used to identify the correlation between the variables and the primary patency. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify the independent risk factors associated with primary patency. Five- and 10-year primary and secondary patency, as well as survival rates, were calculated by Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Results:

A total of 148 patients underwent endovascular treatment in our center. Of these, 39.2% were classified as having TASC II C lesions and 60.8% as having TASC II D lesions. The technical success rate was 88.5%. The mean follow-up time was 79.2 ± 29.2 months. Primary and secondary patency was 82.1% and 89.4% at 5 years, and 74.8% and 83.1% at 10 years, respectively. The 5-year survival rate was 84.2%. Compared with patients without loss of primary patency, patients with this condition showed significant differences in age, TASC II classification, infrainguinal lesions, critical limb ischemia (CLI), and smoking. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed age <61 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 6.47; 95% CI: 1.47–28.36; P = 0.01), CLI (aOR: 7.81; 95% CI: 1.92–31.89; P = 0.04), and smoking (aOR: 10.15; 95% CI: 2.79–36.90; P < 0.01) were independent risk factors for the loss of primary patency.

Conclusion:

Endovascular therapy was an effective treatment for EAIOD with encouraging patency and survival rate. Age <61 years, CLI, and smoking were independent risk factors for the loss of primary patency.
What providers need to know about progestogens in hormone therapy
Authors: Liu James H.
Published: December 2020

Progestogens such as micronized progesterone and the synthetic progestins are defined by their ability to transform the estrogen-primed proliferative endometrium into secretory endometrium. More than 200 progestogens have been synthesized, but only a few are used clinically in hormone therapy. Clinicians caring for menopausal women should be familiar with the clinical properties and characteristics of the three most-used progestogens for hormone therapy: micronized progesterone, medroxyprogesterone acetate, and norethindrone acetate.
Identifying major predictors of lower-extremity amputation in patients with diabetic foot ulcers
Authors: Perng Cherng-Kang , Chou Hsuan-Yu , Chiu Yu-Jen
Published: December 2020

Background:

The aim of the present study was to investigate the risk factors for amputation in patients with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU).

Methods:

Between 2012 and 2017, 646 patients with DFU were admitted to our diabetic foot care center. A retrospective chart review was performed, and the end point was limb salvage and minor or major amputation. Chi-square test, dependent t test, and a multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify risk factors in patients with DFUs.

Results:

A total of 399 male and 247 female patients (mean age 64.6 years) were included in this study, of whom 159 (24.6%) underwent lower limb amputation (minor, 17.5; major, 7.1%). Independent risk factors of amputation were peripheral arterial disease (PAD) (odds ratio [OR], 3.196; p < 0.001), C-reactive protein (CRP) level (OR, 1.046; p = 0.001), and hospital stay (OR, 1.019; p = 0.001). Subgroup analysis based on all patients with PAD who underwent amputation showed that endovascular intervention (OR, 0.271; p = 0.049) was a protective factor for major amputation in addition to CRP level (OR, 1.116; p = 0.008).

Conclusion:

DFU remains a major medical and public health issue. PAD, CRP level, and hospital stay are independent risk factors for amputation. Endovascular intervention is an independent protective factor against major amputation among patients with PAD who underwent amputation.
A Qualitative Inquiry Into Patient Reported Factors That Influence Time From Stroke Symptom Onset to Hospitalization
Authors: Amtoft André C. , Danielsen Anne K. , Hornnes Nete , Kruuse Christina
Published: December 2020

BACKGROUND: Approximately 50% of Danish stroke patients did not arrive within the 4.5-hour revascularization window in 2018, and only 20% received acute revascularization therapy. Delay in seeking help was a major factor for missing the time window. This study explored patient-reported factors influencing the timing of a decision to seek help. METHODS: We performed a qualitative interview study to explore prehospital help-seeking behavior. Inclusion was guided by a purposive sampling of stroke and transient ischemic attack patients and, if necessary, bystanders. Semistructured explorative interviews with 8 patients and 2 bystanders were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed via thematic analysis. RESULTS: Analysis yielded 3 main themes: (1) symptom interpretation, (2) barriers and enablers to response, and (3) participant suggested optimization of acute stroke response and awareness. DISCUSSION: Factors associated with prompt action to seek help were either a perception that the symptom indicated a serious illness or a strong emotional response. Patients with recurrent stroke failed to associate symptoms with a new stroke. Having a stroke in unfamiliar surroundings prompted delay in seeking help. Suggestions for optimization included targeted stroke campaigns. CONCLUSION: Response to stroke onset may be driven by perceptions of symptom severity and emotional response rather than the ability to correctly identify symptoms. Stroke education should include the information that new stroke symptoms may be different from the old ones because different parts of the brain may be affected.
Gross Specimen Handling Procedures Do Not Impact the Occurrence of Spread Through Air Spaces (STAS) in Lung Cancer
Authors: Metovic Jasna , Falco Enrico C. , Vissio Elena , Santoro Federica , Delsedime Luisa , Massa Federica , Pittaro Alessandra , Osella-Abate Simona , Cassoni Paola , Volante Marco , Righi Luisella , Papotti Mauro
Published: December 2020

Spread Through Air Spaces (STAS) is a form of invasion characterized by neoplastic cell dissemination in the lung parenchyma surrounding the outer edge of the tumor. Its possible artifactual origin is widely debated in the literature. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential impact of gross sampling procedures in causing STAS. A prospective series of 51 surgical lung specimens was collected (35 adenocarcinomas, 68.6%; 13 squamous cell carcinomas, 25.5%; 2 large-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas, 3.9%; 1 atypical carcinoid, 2%). The fresh tissue was sectioned with a new and clean blade for each cut, to obtain a tissue slice comprising the upper lung parenchyma, the tumor, and the lower parenchyma. This slice was cut in half and separately processed. The same procedure was repeated in the residual (specular) specimen after formalin fixation. STAS was identified in 33/51 (64.7%) cases, the predominant pattern being cluster formation (29 cases, 87.9%), the remaining 4 cases having single-cell invasion. Comparing STAS detection in upper and lower lung parenchyma areas (ie, before and after the blade crossed the tumor), no significant preferential STAS distribution was observed, indeed being almost overlapping (60.6% and 63.6% for fresh and 61.3% and 65.6% for fixed tissues, respectively). There was no difference between STAS occurrence in freshly cut and fixed corresponding samples. These findings indicate that STAS is not a pathologist-related artifactual event because of knife transportation of tumor cells during gross specimen handling and support the notion that it is a phenomenon preexisting to surgical tissue processing.
Paraneoplastic Multicentric Reticulohistiocytosis on 18F-FDG PET/CT Breast Carcinoma Follow-up
Authors: Dietz Matthieu , Debarbieux Sebastien , Righetti Morgane , Harou Olivier , Tordo Jeremie
Published: December 2020

We report the case of a 60-year-old woman who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT to evaluate a metastatic breast carcinoma. Follow-up 18F-FDG PET/CT showed progressive disease with 18F-FDG increased in primary tumor, axillary lymph nodes, and pleural and bone diffuse metastases but also a concomitant uptake in multiples joints. The anatomopathological analysis from skin biopsy revealed a multicentric reticulohistiocytosis, considered paraneoplastic in the context. Second follow-up PET/CT after treatment showed a decrease of 18F-FDG uptake in previously affected joints, consistent with the symptoms evolution. 18F-FDG PET/CT could be helpful in the detection and the evaluation of such rare systemic disorder.
Bone Infarction Mimicking a Bone Metastasis on 18F–Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen PET/CT
Authors: Elsobky Sherif , Nathan Malavika , Robertson Nicola , Wagner Thomas
Published: December 2020

18F–prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT imaging is increasingly used in staging, assessment of biochemical recurrence, and treatment response in men with prostate cancer. We present a case report of a 70-year-old man who underwent 18F-PSMA PET/CT imaging to investigate biochemical recurrence following radical prostatectomy for prostate adenocarcinoma. New focal moderate PSMA uptake was identified in the left femur. A previous PSMA study, performed 5 months earlier, was normal. A subsequent MRI scan demonstrated that the PSMA avidity corresponded to a new femoral bone infarct. An English literature search revealed no previous cases of PSMA tracer uptake in bone infarction.
Does Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Avidity of Vertebral Hemangioma Change?
Authors: Oksuzoglu Kevser , Engur Ceren Ozge , Ozguven Salih , Turoglu Halil Turgut , Erdil Tanju Yusuf
Published: December 2020

Vertebral hemangiomas are the most common benign tumors of the spine and mostly occur in the thoracic spine. Mostly they are detected incidentally during imaging studies for other reasons. We present the case of vertebral hemangioma that showed prostate-specific membrane antigen uptake in the second 68Ga–prostate-specific membrane antigen PET/CT, whereas no uptake was observed in the initial study.
Incidental Detection of Radiotracer Uptake in Intracranial Dermoid Cyst on 18F-Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen PET/CT During Staging for Prostate Carcinoma
Authors: Hod Nir , Levin Daniel , Novoa Rosa , Lantsberg Sophie
Published: December 2020

A 68-year-old man underwent 18F–prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT for staging of a newly diagnosed prostate adenocarcinoma. Unexpectedly, PET/CT revealed high focal 18F-PSMA brain uptake, which initially was suspected for a brain metastasis. Corresponding CT and MRI scans revealed characteristic imaging features of an intracranial dermoid cyst at this site. This is an exceptional location for a dermoid cyst, which had been followed up conservatively with no substantial changes. This case shows that dermoid cyst should be added to the reported list of benign neoplasms that shows “false-positive” PSMA uptake during evaluation of patients with prostate carcinoma, representing a potential interpretative pitfall.
Insight into the structure of decagonite – the extraterrestrial decagonal quasicrystal
Authors: Buganski Ireneusz , Bindi Luca
Published: December 2020

A set of X-ray data collected on a fragment of decagonite, Al71Ni24Fe5, the only known natural decagonal quasicrystal found in a meteorite formed at the beginning of the Solar System, allowed us to determine the first structural model for a natural quasicrystal. It is a two-layer structure with decagonal columnar clusters arranged according to the pentagonal Penrose tiling. The structural model showed peculiarities and slight differences with respect to those obtained for other synthetic decagonal quasicrystals. Interestingly, decagonite is found to exhibit low linear phason strain and a high degree of perfection despite the fact it was formed under conditions very far from those used in the laboratory.
Understanding the low adoption of prefabrication prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC) among SMEs in Singapore: from a change management perspective
Authors: Shang Gao , Pheng Low Sui , Gina Ong Le Tian
Published: December 2020

Purpose

Construction productivity issues have constantly surfaced in Singapore's construction industry. To push for productivity, the Government has implemented various initiatives to encourage industry players, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and to adopt more productive construction technologies. One of these technologies is prefabrication prefinished volumetric construction (PPVC), a concept of the design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) approach. This exploratory study sheds lights on PPVC adoption and its issues in Singapore in the context of the launch of the Construction Industry Transformation Map (ITM).

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used here is mainly a quantitative approach in the form of a survey. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to a pool of about 100 contractors, randomly chosen as part of a stratified sample. The questionnaire survey helps gain further insights into the industry's perceptions of PPVC and its adoption.

Findings

The study succeeded in identifying and analysing a list of drivers of and barriers to the adoption of PPVC. The top three most important potential drivers were “increase efficiency,” “technological change” and “changing nature of composition of workforce”. The three most important barriers were “ineffective on-site storage,” “high up-front payment” and “transportation issues”.

Originality/value

This study also looked into the organizational change management theory. Various theories were considered to help understand and implement change. It is understood that it is not only important for an organization to focus on the steps of these frameworks and models when the change is initiated but also for the organization to acknowledge and be mindful of the emotions of employees and take measures to overcome their emotions as part of organizational change management.
International tax competition and foreign direct investment in the Asia–Pacific region: a panel data analysis
Authors: Xu Chengwei , Wu Alfred M.
Published: December 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate how a country's competitive tax policy influences its inward foreign direct investments (FDI) in the Asia–Pacific region, even when given particular constraints (e.g., population, public governance, skilled labor, and so on) exist.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses the system GMM estimation approach to test the hypothesis. Data on FDI, corporate income tax, and various confounding factors were drawn from Ernst and Young's worldwide corporate tax guide, the World Bank, and other sources to create a panel of 28 economies over the period 2000–2016.

Findings

The present research confirms the negative association between corporate income tax (CIT) and FDI inflows. The effects of other confounding factors on FDI net inflows are also supported (e.g., connectivity, GDP per capita, population, skilled labor, and trade openness). Our results support the argument that foreign investments may be more sensitive to CIT. Therefore, CIT is an effective indicator to observe international tax competition.

Originality/value

The present research uses rich data on statutory CIT and other economic and public governance factors to investigate the relationship between tax competition and FDI inflows in the Asia–Pacific region. The findings add important supplements to the nuanced understanding of the political-economic dynamics in this region, especially when cut-throat tax competition, trade tensions, and stagnant economic growth have been key challenges for global economies.
Feminization of multidimensional urban poverty in sub‐Saharan Africa: Evidence from selected countries
Authors: Zenebe Ede'o Amlaksetegn , Ketebo Jibril Haji , Chala Badassa Wolteji
Published: December 2020

The main purpose of this study was to examine feminization of poverty in urban areas of sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). The paper used the Alkire–Foster multidimensional poverty approach and compared the wellbeing of female‐headed households with their male‐headed counterparts. The study utilized data compiled from demographic and health surveys of selected SSA countries, namely, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, and Tanzania. It applied a multilevel mixed effect logistic regression model to analyze the effects of household‐ and country‐level variables on the incidence of multidimensional poverty on the two household structures separately. The study confirmed that female‐headed households were poorer than male‐headed households. Among household‐level variables, having access to finance, a higher level of education completed by the household head, the age of the household head, having a smaller‐sized family, and being employed have a positive and significant effect on multidimensional wellbeing of households. Moreover, expenditures on primary school and health significantly reduce the incidence of multidimensional poverty. The effects of these micro and macro variables are found to be different for the two household structures. Therefore, antipoverty policies and programs should be implemented in such a way that they mitigate these differences in household characteristics in favor of female‐headed households.
Differential benefits of cardiac care regionalization based on driving time to percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Shen Yu‐Chu , Hsia Renee Y.
Published: December 2020

Background

Patients with ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) require timely reperfusion, and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) decreases morbidity and mortality. Regionalization of STEMI care has increased timeliness and use of PCI, but it is unknown whether benefits to regionalization depend on a community's distance from its nearest PCI center. We sought to determine whether STEMI regionalization benefits, measured by access to PCI centers, timeliness of treatment (same‐day or in‐hospital PCI), and mortality, differ by baseline distance to nearest PCI center.

Methods

Using a difference‐in‐difference‐in‐differences model, we examined access to PCI‐capable hospitals, receipt of PCI either on the day of admission or during the care episode, and health outcomes for patients hospitalized from January 1, 2006, to September 30, 2015.

Results

Of 139,408 patients (2006 to 2015), 51% could reach the nearest PCI center in <30 minutes, and 49% required ≥30 minutes driving time. For communities with baseline access ≥30 minutes, regionalization increased the probability of admission to a PCI‐capable hospital by 9.4% and also increased the likelihood of receiving same‐day PCI (by 11.2%) and PCI during the hospitalization (by 7.4%). Patients living within 30 minutes did not accrue significant benefits (measured by admission to a PCI‐capable hospital or receipt of PCI) from regionalization initiatives. Regionalization more than halved access disparities and completely eliminated treatment disparities between communities ≥30 minutes and communities <30 minutes from the nearest PCI hospital.

Conclusions

Measured by likelihood of admission to a PCI‐capable facility and receipt of PCI, benefits of STEMI regionalization in California accrued only to patients whose nearest PCI center was ≥30 minutes away. We found no mortality benefits of regionalization based on distance from PCI center. Our results suggest that policymakers focus STEMI regionalization efforts in communities that are not already well serviced by PCI‐capable hospitals.
Childhood trauma and adult mental disorder: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of longitudinal cohort studies
Authors: McKay Michael T. , Cannon Mary , Chambers Derek , Conroy Ronán M. , Coughlan Helen , Dodd Philip , Healy Colm , O’Donnell Laurie , Clarke Mary C.
Published: December 2020

Objective

To systematically review evidence for the association between trauma experienced in childhood or adolescence, and the subsequent experience of affective or psychotic mental disorders in adulthood.

Methods

Electronic databases (Scopus, Medline (for Ovid), EMBASE and PsychINFO) were searched for peer‐reviewed, longitudinal cohort studies in the English language examining child or adolescent exposure to trauma, and adult‐diagnosed depression, anxiety, psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder. A total of 23 manuscripts were retained.

Results

Results revealed a significant association between the following childhood exposures and adult mental disorder: bullying (victimhood, perpetration and frequency); emotional abuse; physical neglect; parental loss; and general maltreatment (unspecified and/or multiple trauma exposure). There was some evidence of a dose‐response relationship with those exposed to multiple forms of maltreatment having more than three times the odds of developing a mental disorder (Odds ratio = 3.11, 95% CI = 1.36–7.14). There was no significant association found between physical or sexual abuse and adult mental disorder; however, this is likely an artefact of how these adversities were assessed.

Conclusion

There is strong evidence of an association between childhood trauma and later mental illness. This association is particularly evident for exposure to bullying, emotional abuse, maltreatment and parental loss. The evidence suggests that childhood and adolescence are an important time for risk for later mental illness, and an important period in which to focus intervention strategies.
The structure of temperate yellowjacket communities is affected by land development and loss of forest cover
Authors: MacLean Jessica L. , van Akker Lara , Van Hezewijk Brian H.
Published: December 2020

As anthropogenic disturbance continues to encroach on natural areas, it is imperative to establish how this disturbance affects species assemblages. Yellowjackets are important predators of a wide range of arthropods, acting as natural population control in many ecosystems. This study seeks to explore how Vespinae community structure shifts with increasing land development in a temperate North American environment.

Yellowjackets were sampled from May to September 2019 using heptyl butyrate and acetic acid plus isobutanol traps. Sampling sites represented a gradient of developed landscapes, from fully forested to entirely developed. Seven species from the genera Dolichovespula and Vespula were trapped during the study.

Yellowjacket community structure was found to be significantly affected by the amount of land development. These results were driven by the replacement of Vespula consobrina with Vespula germanica in urban landscapes. A high level of development, greater than 75%, reduced species abundance relative to the fully forested landscapes, primarily due to the loss of Vespula pensylvanica and V. consobrina.

Our results highlight that the replacement of forested areas with urban development causes a shift in yellowjacket community composition, favouring generalist scavengers (e.g. V. germanica) and threatening the abundance of forest specialists such as V. consobrina.
The art of mind changing—solidarity in dementia care*
Authors: Głos Aleksandra
Published: December 2020

Many studies, across various disciplines, have confirmed that artistic and cultural programs can significantly improve the experience of persons with dementia. While drawing on this data, this paper takes a different angle. It asks what lessons art practiced in the context of dementia care can teach us, as thinkers, carers, policymakers, friends, and all those with the interests of people with dementia at heart. It then argues that these lessons are threefold: firstly, they teach a strikingly actual lesson on the contemporary theories of rationality; secondly, and most importantly, they are a valuable lesson about what we owe each other, about the meaning of solidarity, citizenship, and the fundamental features of a decent society, and thirdly, they give an unusual insight into the theory of art and its meaning in the constitution of solidarity. All of these arguments amount to the conclusion that social practices of solidarity can be salutary both to persons with dementia, and also to the paradoxes of contemporary healthcare and some of the maladies of today’s society. Fulfilment of the duties of solidarity (for example, by introducing participatory art programs in dementia care settings) does not require major financial expense. It does, however, require a lot of moral imagination, for which this paper advocates.
The first comprehensive DNA barcode reference library of Chinese Tanytarsus (Diptera: Chironomidae) for environmental DNA metabarcoding
Authors: Lin Xiao‐Long , Mo Lidong , Bu Wen‐Jun , Wang Xin‐Hua
Published: December 2020

Aim

Reliable DNA barcode reference libraries are critical for biodiversity monitoring based on Environmental DNA (eDNA). DNA barcoding has proven successful in species delimitation and association of life stages in many groups of animals, such as non‐biting midges (Chironomidae). We use the genus Tanytarsus van der Wulp, 1874, second largest genus of the family Chironomidae, to test whether DNA barcodes can be used to identify unknown and cryptic species. A comprehensive DNA barcode library will be built to facilitate further eDNA studies for biodiversity monitoring and conservation in freshwater ecosystems.

Location

Mainland China.

Methods

In this study, the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) DNA barcodes from 298 individuals, representing 56 morphospecies from China, were analysed, including 136 sequences from previous studies and 162 newly generated DNA barcodes. 298 COI barcodes were applied into the Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) to compare the operational taxonomic units (OTU) number resulting from the Barcode Index Number (BIN) based “Barcode Gap Analysis” and neighbour joining (NJ) tree.

Results

Total 298 barcode sequences were applied to 66 BINs, including 20 singleton BINs and 46 concordant BINs. ABGD yielded 55 OTUs with a prior intraspecific divergence of Pmax = 3.59%. By Integrating DNA barcodes with morphology, we revealed 21 putative species new to science and two unidentified species from the 56 well‐separated morphospecies. Besides, several cryptic species are uncovered using the NJ tree and TCS haplotype network based on COI DNA barcodes.

Main conclusions

Our results demonstrate that DNA barcodes enable the discovery and identification of Tanytarsus non‐biting midges. A comprehensive DNA barcode reference library could speed up accurate species delimitation and discovery by providing a reliable resource for taxonomic studies, and improve the application of eDNA metabarcoding in biomonitoring of freshwater ecosystems.