bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity analysis of S waves and their velocity measurement in slow formations from monopole acoustic logging while drilling
Authors: Ji Yunjia , Wang Hua
Published: March 2024

Monopole acoustic logging while drilling (LWD) enables the direct measurement of S-wave velocity in slow formations, which has been corroborated by recent theoretical and experimental studies. However, this measurement is hampered by the weakness of the S-wave signal and the lack of techniques to amplify it. To address this challenge, we analytically compute the monopole LWD wavefields, considering centralized and off-center tools in various slow formations. Modeling analysis reveals that four parameters primarily influence the excitation of the formation S wave: the formation S-wave velocity, the source-to-receiver distance, the radial distance from the receiver to the wellbore, and the source frequency. S-wave signals can be enhanced by judiciously optimizing these parameters during tool design. Furthermore, our research suggests that the S-wave velocity can be accurately extracted through the slowness-time correlation method only when formation S-wave velocities are in a suitable range. This is because an overly high S-wave velocity causes shear arrivals to interfere with the inner Stoneley mode, whereas an ultraslow formation S-wave velocity results in S-wave signals too faint to detect. For the LWD model with an off-center tool, simulations demonstrate that tool eccentricity, especially large eccentricity, can amplify the S wave and improve its measurement accuracy, provided that waveforms received in the direction of tool movement are used. In a very slow formation, we successfully extract the S-wave velocity from synthetic full wave data at that azimuth under conditions of large eccentricity, a task not achievable with a centralized instrument.
Navigating the Philippine mental health system for the nation's youth: challenges and opportunities
Authors: Alibudbud Rowalt
Published: March 2024

The challenges besetting the Philippine mental health system demand multifaceted, strategic responses to ensure the holistic well-being of Filipino youth. Through the integration of mental health into primary care, augmentation of the professional workforce, bolstering information infrastructure, reforming medication accessibility, augmenting budgetary allocations and invigorating governance, the Philippines can pave the way for an inclusive mental health system that adequately addresses the exigencies of its younger demographic. In doing so, the nation can make substantial strides towards alleviating the negative impacts of adverse social conditions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, on the mental well-being of its youth.
New-onset mental illness and long-term survival in survivors of critical illness: population-based cohort study in South Korea
Authors: Oh Tak Kyu , Park Hye Yoon , Song In-Ae
Published: March 2024

Background

Critical care unit (CCU) survivors have a high risk of developing mental illness.

Aims

We aimed to examine the incidence and associated factors of newly developed mental illness among CCU survivors of critical illness. Moreover, we examined the association between newly developed mental illness and 2-year all-cause mortality.

Method

All adult patients (≥20 years) who were admitted to the CCU during hospitalisation between 2010 and 2018 and survived for 1 year were defined as CCU survivors and were included in this nationwide population-based cohort study. CCU survivors with a history of mental illness before CCU admission were excluded from the study.

Results

A total of 1 353 722 CCU survivors were included in the analysis; of these, 33 743 survivors (2.5%) had newly developed mental illness within 1 year of CCU admission. Old age, longer CCU stay, hospital admission through the emergency room, increased total cost of hospitalisation, mechanical ventilatory support, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support and continuous renal replacement therapy were associated with an increased incidence of newly developed mental illness. Moreover, the newly developed mental illness group showed a 2.36-fold higher 2-year all-cause mortality rate than the no mental illness group (hazard ratio: 2.36; 95% CI: 2.30–2.42; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

In South Korea, 2.5% of CCU survivors had newly developed mental illness within 1 year of CCU admission. Moreover, newly developed mental illness was associated with an increased 2-year all-cause mortality.
Predicting Tumor Volume in Primary Hyperparathyroidism From Preoperative Clinical Data
Authors: Nakai Tomoyoshi , Horiuchi Kiyomi , Okamoto Takahiro
Published: March 2024

Context

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is an endocrine disorder that is treated surgically, and some correlation between the size of the responsible lesion and preoperative clinical data is assumed.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to predict tumor volume of the lesion responsible for PHPT from preoperative clinical data.

Methods

Participants comprised patients with surgically treated PHPT who underwent initial surgery in our department between January 2000 and December 2021. The volume of parathyroid gland removed was used as the primary outcome and associations with preoperative clinical data were assessed by multivariable analysis.

Results

A positive correlation was identified between parathyroid tumor volume and both preoperative intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) (Spearman's r = 0.503) and calcium values (Spearman's r = 0.338). Data for intact PTH value and tumor volume were logarithmically transformed (ln-PTH = log-transformed intact PTH value; ln-volume = log-transformed tumor volume). Multiple regression analysis revealed male sex, ln-PTH and calcium values as significant predictors of ln-volume, with standardized regression coefficients of 0.213 (95% CI 0.103-0.323), 0.5018 (95% CI 0.4442-0559), and 0.322 (95% CI 0.0339-0.149), respectively. The adjusted R2 for this model is 0.320.

Conclusion

Preoperative serum intact PTH value is associated with tumor volume of the lesion responsible for PHPT. A rough estimation of the tumor size would provide responsible physicians with opportunities to add further imaging tests or plan appropriate surgical strategies.
Beekeeping from the South
Authors: Márquez-Osuna Angélica
Published: March 2024

This article examines the role of the stingless bee Melipona beecheii in beekeeping practices in the Yucatán Peninsula, México, in the nineteenth century. Native to Yucatán, the Melipona bee is capable of producing large amounts of honey and has been bred by Maya communities for over three thousand years. In the twentieth century, the Melipona population declined with the implementation of modern apiculture, a system designed to maximize the production of honey and wax with the European native honeybee, Apis mellifera. Previous scholarship on beekeeping has labeled the development of modern apiculture and the systematic expansion of the European honeybee across the Americas as a success story. However, these studies do not consider the cultural, economic, and social transformations brought by the introduction of Apis mellifera in environments that were already rich in bee biodiversity. In order to provide some clues about the impact of—and responses to—modern apiculture, this article focuses on the moment before this process occurred in the Yucatán Peninsula, when Melipona was still environmentally, culturally, and economically significant. The author argues that, far from being an unchanging cultural practice doomed to be superseded by modern apiculture, Melipona beekeeping continued to adapt in sophisticated ways to a modernizing world. During a period of upheaval, extraction of natural resources, environmental exploitation, violence, and Indigenous peoples’ defense of their land, the Melipona continued to be the only domesticated bee species used for beeswax and honey extraction in the entire peninsula during the nineteenth century.
The Second Hungarian Conquest of the Carpathian Basin
Authors: Pál Viktor
Published: March 2024

During the nineteenth century many European scientists shared the view that a nation could compete successfully if only it improved its landscape via new infrastructures, such as large reclamation and river regulation projects, and via the intensive use of natural resources—for example, the scientifically planned use of forests. This “high” modernization path orchestrated by the political and scientific elites of Hungary sought to consolidate control over resources, landscapes, and competing ethnic groups and was in many respects similar to the many other versions of high modernism in Europe at the time. This version, however, represented a particular vision closely linked to the ecological systems of the Middle Danube area. Although questions of the political, economic, and technological “rise” of Hungary have attracted scholarly attention for centuries, historians have not fully explored the ecological consequences of modernization. Three of these consequences—deforestation, desertification, and flooding—are the subjects of this article. More broadly, the article aims to show how the political and economic goals of nationalism produced a science of ecological domination.
Making Value
Authors: Taylor Timothy D.
Published: March 2024

In Making Value, Timothy D. Taylor examines how people's conceptions of value inform and shape their production and consumption of music. Drawing on anthropological value theory, Taylor theorizes music's economic and noneconomic forms of value both ethnographically and historically. He covers the creation and exchange of value in a wide range of contexts: indie rock scenes, an Irish traditional music session, the work of music managers, how supply chains function to create various forms of value, how trendspotters seek out and create value, and how musical performances act as media of value. Taylor shows that to focus on value is to attend to what is meaningful to people as they move through their worlds. Ultimately, Taylor demonstrates that theorizing value aids us in moving beyond the music itself toward understanding how musicians, workers in the music business, and audiences struggle to make and maintain what they value.
Φυσικοθεραπευτική παρέμβαση σε παιδιά με νευροκινητικές καθυστερήσεις και διαταραχές
Authors: Λέπουρα Αλεξάνδρα
Published: March 2024

Οι νευροκινητικές καθυστερήσεις και διαταραχές οφείλονται σε ένα ετερογενές πεδίο βλαβών, με διαφορετικές κλινικές εκδηλώσεις, όπως είναι η αταξία. Επηρεάζεται η κινητικότητα και λειτουργικότητα των παιδιών, τα οποία η φυσικοθεραπεία προσεγγίζει πλέον μέσα από ένα πιο εντατικό και λειτουργικό πλαίσιο. Στην παρούσα διατριβή διεξήχθησαν τρείς ερευνητικές μελέτες. Αρχικά, υλοποιήθηκε μια συστηματική ανασκόπηση, αναφορικά με την επίδραση των εντατικών φυσικοθεραπευτικών προγραμμάτων στη στάση και βάδιση. Είκοσι συνολικά έρευνες περιλήφθησαν, αναδεικνύοντας i) ένα μέτριο έως υψηλό κίνδυνο μεροληψίας, ii) την ανάγκη σχεδιασμού προγραμμάτων πάνω σε συγκεκριμένες κλινικές εκδηλώσεις, όπως η αταξία και iii) αποτελεσματικές πρακτικές, όπως η εκπαίδευση στον διάδρομο. Ακολούθησε ο σχεδιασμός της κύριας μελέτης πάνω στη διερεύνηση της αποτελεσματικότητας ενός εντατικού προγράμματος, λειτουργικής εκπαίδευσης στο διάδρομο με μερική υποστήριξη του σωματικού βάρους (ΛΕΔΜΥΣΒ) για παιδιά με αταξία και πραγματοποιήθηκε διαπολιτισμική διασκευή της κλίμακας «Scale for assessment and rating ataxia (SARA)», προκειμένου να χρησιμοποιηθεί σταθμισμένα στην κύρια μελέτη. Μέσα από ένα σύνολο 30 παιδιών με αταξία, 8-18 ετών υποστηρίχθηκε η εγκυρότητα κι αξιοπιστία της Ελληνικής SARA, ενώ αναδείχθηκαν δείκτες δυσκολίας και συσχέτιση με την ανεξαρτησία στις καθημερινές δραστηριότητες των παιδιών. Η αποτελεσματικότητα της ΛΕΔΜΥΣΒ στην κινητικότητα και λειτουργικότητα εξετάστηκε με στρωματοποιημένη τυχαιοποιημένη ελεγχόμενη μελέτη, σε ένα δείγμα 18 παιδιών με προοδευτική και μη-προοδευτική αταξία και GMFCS II-IV (μέση ηλικία: 14 έτη, τυπική απόκλιση: 2,5), μετά την παρέμβαση και 2 μήνες από το τέλος αυτής. Βρέθηκαν στατιστικά σημαντικές αλληλεπιδράσεις και μεταβολές προς όφελος της ΛΕΔΜΥΣΒ σε όλες τις λειτουργικές εκτιμήσεις και χωροχρονικές παραμέτρους της βάδισης (p<0,05), οι οποίες στην πλειοψηφία τους διατηρήθηκαν. Δεν υπήρξε καμιά στατιστική αλληλεπίδραση και μεταβολή σε κινηματικές παραμέτρους (p>0,05). Η ΛΕΔΜΥΣΒ είναι πιο αποτελεσματική στην κινητικότητα και λειτουργικότητα των παιδιών με αταξία, 8-18 ετών, συγκριτικά με την τυπική φυσικοθεραπεία. Οι κινηματικές μεταβλητές ίσως να μην αποτελούν ευαίσθητους δείκτες αλλαγών σε σύντομο χρονικό διάστημα ή/και σε αυτό τον πληθυσμό. Η τήρηση του πρωτοκόλλου και η έλλειψη ανεπιθύμητων αντιδράσεων ενισχύουν ότι η ΛΕΔΜΥΣΒ δύναται να αποτελεί μια πολύτιμη παρέμβαση για παιδιά με αταξία, 8-18 ετών.
Effect of light stress on maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II and chloroplast structure in cryptogams Cladonia mitis and Pleurozium schreberi
Authors: Dziurowicz Patrycja , Fałowska Patrycja , Waszkiewicz Karolina , Wietrzyk-Pełka Paulina , Węgrzyn Michał
Published: March 2024

Lichens and bryophytes are cosmopolitan organisms found in diverse environments with varying sunlight availability. However, excessive light can be a stress factor for both lichens and bryophytes, as it can damage their photosynthetic apparatus, particularly the chlorophyll a and b pigments located in the chloroplasts. The measurement of photosynthetic activity and the use of fluorescence microscopy allows the assessment of the influence of light as a stress factor on the preservation state of the thallus. The main goal of our research was to determine the changes that occur in the photosynthetic activity and structure of chloroplasts of selected species lichen Cladonia mitis (Sandst.) and moss Pleurozium schreberi (Willd. Ex Brid.) under the influence of different light intensity in laboratory conditions: FL - 100% light, RL - 30% maximum light, and NL - natural sunlight. The results of the two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests showed a variation in the activities of the selected species over time depending on the amount of light energy supplied. It was also demonstrated that soaking lichens increased their photosynthetic activity, whereas in bryophytes, it had the opposite effect, decreasing it. The microscopic results showed that Cladonia mitis showed the lowest level of chloroplast fluorescence in the strongest and reduced light, which coincides with its low level of photosynthetic activity. The mosses exhibited strong fluorescence activity of the chloroplasts, suggesting its significantly higher resistance to light radiation.
An examination of Overactive Bladder Syndrome: present comprehension, methods of treatment, and innovative approaches
Authors: Kotowicz Zuzanna , Pabiś Jakub , Podgórski Piotr
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Overactive bladder syndrome poses a major challenge to healthcare, as an accurate estimate of its prevalence proves elusive due to patients' reluctance to disclose the embarrassing symptoms that accompany the disorder. Symptoms such as frequent urination, nocturia and incontinence are not only distressing but also significantly impair patients' quality of life. Effective diagnosis and treatment require the identification of associated risk factors, and behavioural therapy serves as the basis for implementing lifestyle modifications. This comprehensive study delves into the managing of overactive bladder syndrome, shedding light on recent advances in diagnosis and treatment. In particular, it looks at the integration of minimally invasive techniques and new medications that promise to not only alleviate symptoms, but also significantly improve patients' overall quality of life.

Aim of the study

This review aims to identify risk factors, symptoms, methods of diagnosis of overactive bladder syndrome and solutions in its treatment process. The main aim is to present treatment methods with the latest developments.

Material and method

This article presents the current state of knowledge about overactive bladder syndrome in various scientific articles. Publications describing overactive bladder syndrome, its symptoms, impact on life comfort and treatment options, including recent reports in the field, were reviewed using the PubMed platform. The search included the keywords ‘overactive bladder’, ‘urgency urinary incontinence’, ‘anticholinergics’, ‘mirabegron’, ‘nocturia’.
Concepto y regulación de la intermediación en el mercado de trabajo en la ley 3/2023, de empleo.
Authors: Lázaro Sánchez José Luis
Published: March 2024

La aprobación de la Ley 3/2023, de Empleo resulta una ocasión propicia para analizar una actividad, la intermediación, presente tradicionalmente en las normativas sobre empleo. Y lo es, por cuanto se han producido algunos cambios, tanto en la concepción de la actividad como en su regulación, modificaciones que, además, se han producido en virtud de otras normas, que igualmente son objeto de análisis en este estudio.
Bilişsel Esneklik ile Sınav Kaygısı Arasındaki İlişkide Akademik Dayanıklılığın Aracı Rolü
Authors: Türkcan Nurullah , Yıldız Mehmet Ali
Published: March 2024

Bu çalışmada lise öğrencilerinde bilişsel esneklik ile sınav kaygısı arasındaki ilişkide akademik dayanıklılığın aracılığının incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu, Kilis ilindeki çeşitli liselerde 2021-2022 eğitim ve öğretim yılında öğrenim gören 222’si kız (% 55.2) ve 180’i erkek (% 44.2) olmak üzere toplam 402 öğrenci oluşturmuştur. Çalışmaya 14-20 yaş aralığında, yaş ortalaması 16.9, Ss= .84 olan öğrenciler katılmıştır. Bu çalışmada elde edilen veriler; Bilişsel Esneklik Ölçeği, Akademik Dayanıklılık Ölçeği, Westside Sınav Kaygısı Ölçeği ve araştırmacılar tarafından oluşturulan Kişisel Bilgi Formu ile toplanmıştır. Çalışmanın verilerinin analizinde tanımlayıcı istatistikler, Pearson Korelasyon Analizi, Sıradan En Küçük Kareler Regresyona dayalı aracılık analizi ve Bootstrap Yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmadan elde edilen sonuçlara göre, bilişsel esneklik ile akademik dayanıklılık arasında olumlu yönde anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmuştur. Sınav kaygısı ile bilişsel esneklik ve akademik dayanıklılık arasında ise olumsuz yönde anlamlı ilişkiler bulunmuştur. Aracılık analizi sonucuna göre ise bilişsel esneklik ile sınav kaygısı arasındaki ilişkide akademik dayanıklılığın aracı rolünün anlamlı olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Çalışmanın sonuçları alan yazın çerçevesinde tartışılmış, yorumlanmış ve ilgili çalışmacılara öneriler sunulmuştur.
Management of Ipsilateral Terrible Triad Injury of Elbow and Concomitant Proximal Humerus Fracture: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors:   Department of Orthopaedics, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India., Partheeswar Siva , Sathiyaseelan Naveen ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India., Vinodh J Benjamin ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India., Vignesh Arun ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India., Rathi Nitesh Kumar ,   Department of Orthopaedics, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Published: March 2024

Introduction: A difficult pattern of injuries is Hotchkiss’s terrible triad, which includes elbow dislocations with fracture of the coronoid and head of radius. It is uncommon to have a concurrent proximal humerus fracture, which makes clinical care even more difficult. Case Report: An injured worker, 33 years old, claimed to have fallen from a height and received several injuries when he arrived at our emergency center. On physical examination, the patient showed signs of deformity and had an open injury over his left elbow. The radiographic evaluation showed that the patient had a posterior elbow dislocation along with a fracture of the left coronoid, head of radius, and proximal humerus. Following the reduction in a closed manner, computed tomography of the left elbow was carried out for additional assessment. The patient had both the proximal humerus and elbow fixed, and then the elbow was immobilized for 2 weeks. Conclusion: Complex musculoskeletal injuries resulting from high-energy trauma require a thorough, multidisciplinary strategy to address since long-term results and any consequences will require ongoing monitoring and rehabilitation. Keywords: Lateral collateral ligament, multidisciplinary approach, proximal humerus fracture, terrible triad.
Discovery of a Novel Yadav–Kunal Reflex in Context of Upper Motor Neuron Lesions: A Report of Three Cases
Authors:   Department of Orthopaedics, AIIMS, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India., Yadav Sandeep K. , Kunal Kishor ,   Department of Orthopaedics, AIIMS, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India., Elhence Abhay ,   Department of Orthopaedics, AIIMS, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
Published: March 2024

Introduction: Numerous reflexive responses have been documented as alterations to the Babinski sign within upper motor neuron lesions. However, scant attention has been given to reflexes beyond these, which exhibit independence from the extensor plantar response. These reflexes predominantly form polysynaptic arcs, with nociceptive stimuli acting as afferents. Case Report: The reflex was serendipitously discovered in an 18-year-old female patient who presented with spastic paraplegia with bowel and bladder involvement, as a consequence of an aneurysmal bone cyst of the D3 (dorsal) vertebrae, and the same was named after the authors as “Yadav–Kunal reflex” which can be defined as: “In individuals with spastic paraparesis, forcibly plantarflexing the toes will result in sudden jerky flexion of the knee and hip on the same side.” This novel reflex was further investigated and validated in two additional patients with spastic paraplegia: one, a 45-year-old female with D9-D10 Pott’s spine and bowel and bladder involvement, and the other, a 65-year-old male with D10-D11 compressive myelopathy and bowel and bladder involvement. This reflex was meticulously tracked until the abatement of spasticity following surgical intervention. Notably, its manifestation was evident in individuals experiencing spastic paraparesis, dissipating concomitantly with the resolution of spasticity – a direct clinical correlation. Conversely, the reflex was conspicuously absent in cases of flaccid paraplegia. Conclusion: Spasticity, characterized by an increase in muscle tone on swift stretching movements, is a manifestation of a stretch reflex disorder. This condition is primarily induced by lesions affecting upper motor neurons. The activation of muscle spindles in toe dorsiflexors (primarily governed by the L5 nerve) occurs during forceful elongation caused by plantarflexion. Keywords: Reflex arc, muscle spasticity, spinal cord compression, motor neuron disease, neurologic examination.
Post-surgical Pyoderma Gangrenosum after Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Rare Case Report and Literature Review
Authors:   Department of Orthopedics, Shalby Multispeciality Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India., Shah Vikram I , Patel Shrikunj ,   Department of Orthopedics, Shalby Multispeciality Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India., Patil Jayesh ,   Department of Orthopedics, Shalby Multispeciality Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India., Shetty Gautam M ,   Department of Orthopedics, Shalby Multispeciality Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
Published: March 2024

Introduction: Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) following a primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery is extremely rare, with very few cases reported in the literature. Case Report: We report our clinical experience of a 65-year-old female who developed PG following a primary TKA surgery. Corticosteroids and local wound care with vacuum-assisted closure dressing helped achieve rapid improvement in the wound condition. Conclusion: Post-surgical PG in TKA can be challenging with limited evidence for its definitive treatment. A high degree of suspicion and a multidisciplinary management approach will help in the timely diagnosis and optimization of treatment for this condition. Keywords: Wound breakdown, pyoderma gangrenosum, knee, total knee arthroplasty.
Unilateral Biportal Endoscopy for L5-S1 Extraforaminal Stenosis (Far Out Syndrome) – Technical note With Literature Review
Authors:   Yonsei Okay Hospital, Seoul, South Korea., Ha Ji Soo , Sakhrekar Rajendra ,   Yonsei Okay Hospital, Seoul, South Korea., Han Hee-Don ,   Yonsei Okay Hospital, Seoul, South Korea., Kim Do-Hyoung ,   Yonsei Okay Hospital, Seoul, South Korea., Kim Chang Wook ,   Yonsei Okay Hospital, Seoul, South Korea., Kulkarni Shreenidhi ,   Yonsei Okay Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.
Published: March 2024

Introduction: Extraforaminal stenosis in L5–S1, or far-out syndrome (FOS), is defined as L5 nerve compression by the transverse process (TP) of the L5 and the ala of the sacrum and disc bulging with/without osteophytes and/or the thickened lumbosacral and extraforaminal ligament. This study aims to describe the unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) decompression technique for extraforaminal stenosis at L5–S1 or far-out syndrome and evaluate its clinical results with a literature review. Case Report: A 44-year-old male presented with severe right sharp shooting pain in the buttock, thigh, leg, foot, and/or toes with numbness in the foot and toes (Visual Analog Scale [VAS] 8/10) for six months. Her pain aggravated when bending forward and performing daily routine activities. He also complained of exaggeration of pain in daily regular activities. On physical examination, power in the right lower limbs was 5/5 as per the Medical Research Council grading, and deep tendon reflexes were normal. Pre-operative X-ray and CT scan showed no instability or calcified disc osteophyte, and magnetic resonance imaging showed extraforaminal stenosis due to disc herniation at L5–S1 (Fig. 1). We performed UBE-assisted extraforaminal discectomy on L5-S1 to resolve his symptoms. The operative time was 38 min; blood loss was less than 30 mL (total saline intake volume – corrected fluid output volume). After surgery, the patient was able to be discharged on postoperative day (POD) 3 and followed up at one week, six weeks, three months, six months, 12 months, and two years. The pain and tingling sensation in the legs improved at the 1-week follow-up, with a VAS back/buttock pain score improved to 1/10 and VAS leg pain improved from 8 preoperatively to 0. The preoperative mean ODI score decreased from 70% to 10% at 2 years following surgery. Patient satisfaction was surveyed using Macnab’s criteria at the final follow-up visit of 2 years and was found to be excellent. Post-operative imaging showed a good extraforaminal decompression at L5-S1 Conclusion: The unilateral biportal endoscopic is an advanced technique in treating spinal pathologies and has served as another treatment option for the past 10-15 years. The UBE decompression technique for extraforaminal stenosis at L5–S1 has the advantages of minimally invasive spine surgery; it is a safe and effective treatment option for treating extraforaminal stenosis at L5–S1. Keywords: Unilateral biportal endoscopy, L5–S1 Extraforaminal stenosis, far-out syndrome, minimally invasive spine surgery, lumbar spine
In Praise of the Ordinary: Shifting Knowledge and Practice in the Medical Use of Drinking Water in Italy, 1550–1750
Authors: Gentilcore David
Published: March 2024

summary: This article is conceived as a contribution to our increasing appreciation of the importance of water for drinking purposes in early modern culture. By analyzing the medical recommendations contained in the case histories and consultations of three prominent Italian doctors—Epifanio Ferdinando, Francesco Redi, and Francesco Torti—it provides evidence of shifting medical knowledge and practice in the use of drinking water. It traces how, as the medical philosophies shifted, so too did the medical use of drinking water, as both aliment (part of a healthy and healing diet) and medicament (part of therapy to treat specific diseases). The most significant finding regards the increasing appreciation and enthusiasm for the health benefits of drinking ordinary local waters, from the mid-seventeenth century. Any ordinary local water would do—as long as it was pure, of good quality, and reputable—overturning a long-standing hierarchy of waters inherited from the ancient world.
"Denied the Joys of Motherhood": Infertility and Medicine in French Interwar Advice Columns
Authors: Andersen Margaret
Published: March 2024

summary: The interwar period was marked by developments in fertility medicine and intense concerns about the national birthrate in France. This article explores how physicians leading new specialized fertility clinics promoted the idea that their work treating infertility medically would produce more births for France. It also shows how women's magazines in the 1930s presented new treatment options to their female readership, offering them reassurance and medical advice. Women wrote into advice columns about their experiences with involuntary childlessness, sometimes expressing reluctance to seek fertility testing or continue recommended treatments. Prominent fertility specialists also contributed articles, complete with illustrations, explaining the medical causes of infertility and describing available treatments. These magazines conveyed the message that modern medicine, especially hormonal treatments, offered effective solutions for infertility. Consistent with the dominant pronatalist messages of the period, women were urged to accept medical solutions so they could assume the socially expected role of motherhood.
Underrepresented Minority Recruitment: Manpower as Motivator in Late Twentieth-Century Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy
Authors: Hogan Andrew J.
Published: March 2024

summary: This article offers a historical perspective on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in health professions. Historians have highlighted how workforce shortages have facilitated increased gender diversity in male-dominated scientific and clinical occupations. Less attention has been given to manpower as a motivator for enhancing racial/ethnic diversity. I explore the history of minority recruitment, retention, and inclusion initiatives in occupational therapy and physical therapy after 1970 and examine the evolving ways in which the longstanding underrepresentation of racial/ethnic minority health professions students and practitioners was recognized, mobilized, and instrumentalized in each field. I argue that broad-based manpower concerns, though often compelling initial motivators for action, were insufficient for sustaining successful and long-term minority initiatives, due to constant shifts in job market demand. Instead, this article shows that annual and institutionalized minority-specific awards and fundraisers were the most effective strategies for maintaining minority recruitment initiatives over multiple decades.
Power, Performance, and Legitimacy
Authors: Diamond Larry
Published: March 2024

Abstract: Democracies today remain in a potent and protracted recession, and they have retreated from the ideological struggle against autocracy. We can renew the world's democratic momentum through power, performance, and legitimacy. Democracies must generate economic prosperity and opportunity while containing corruption, crime, and abuses of power, to reinvigorate support for democracy across regions and generations. Liberal democracies cannot be weak or retreat; they must exert their power to safeguard free and fair elections, independent media, and the rule of law. Nowhere in the world where dictatorships repress rights, censor information, and propagate disinformation can democracy be secure. Every defense of democracy is a source of inspiration and instruction. We must get serious again about promoting the values, experiences, requirements, and institutions of democracy. And we must do so on the scale, with the scope and ease of access in many languages, required to save it.
America's Crisis of Civic Virtue
Authors: Brooks Arthur C.
Published: March 2024

Abstract: The world is witnessing a loss of faith in both capitalism and democracy, which seemed nearly unimaginable just a generation ago. Many blame "the other party." Others blame capitalism's flaws, as market systems increase inequality, which is inherently undemocratic—and believe the solution is to strengthen government control and weaken market forces in modern economies. This conclusion is incorrect: In fact, capitalism naturally reinforces democracy, but both are under attack by a decline in civic virtue, in the form of honesty and civility, in politics, the media, academia, and other institutions. The reestablishment of civic virtue should be our priority.
Experimental assessment of a low-cost aberration-free compact double aperture four-hololens imaging system: application to the enhancement of sensitivity and accuracy of in-plane displacement measurement
Authors: Khan Arasad Ali , Yadav Hira Lal
Published: March 2024

In this work, an experimental analysis of hololens imaging configuration consisting of four holographic lenses has been carried out to realize Duffy’s double aperture speckle interferometer. It is demonstrated that using holographic lenses recorded for typical f-number in the four-hololens imaging system, the sensitivity of measurement is not limited due to the f-number of the lens. However, the sensitivity can be significantly enhanced by increasing the angle between the plane and spherical waves while recording the holographic lenses. In-plane displacements were measured using holographic lenses recorded at nearly equal f-number and with different beam angles between the plane and spherical waves. Experimental results show that holographic lenses recorded with a large beam angle between the plane and the spherical waves give a higher measurement sensitivity in comparison to those holographic lenses that were recorded with a lower beam angle at an equal f-number. This work shows that a four-hololens imaging system can be used advantageously as a low-cost alternative to Duffy’s double aperture interferometer to overcome the need for expensive diffraction-limited low f-number lenses for higher measurement accuracy and sensitivity.
BFE-Net: bilateral fusion enhanced network for gastrointestinal polyp segmentation
Authors: Zhang Kaixuan , Hu Dingcan , Li Xiang , Wang Xiaotong , Hu Xiaoming , Wang Chunyang , Yang Jinlin , Rao Nini
Published: March 2024

Accurate segmentation of polyp regions in gastrointestinal endoscopic images is pivotal for diagnosis and treatment. Despite advancements, challenges persist, like accurately segmenting small polyps and maintaining accuracy when polyps resemble surrounding tissues. Recent studies show the effectiveness of the pyramid vision transformer (PVT) in capturing global context, yet it may lack detailed information. Conversely, U-Net excels in semantic extraction. Hence, we propose the bilateral fusion enhanced network (BFE-Net) to address these challenges. Our model integrates U-Net and PVT features via a deep feature enhancement fusion module (FEF) and attention decoder module (AD). Experimental results demonstrate significant improvements, validating our model's effectiveness across various datasets and modalities, promising advancements in gastrointestinal polyp diagnosis and treatment.
Optical characterization of a fiber Fabry-Perot cavity: precision measurement of intra-cavity loss, transmittance, and reflectance
Authors: Qin Chen , Guo Xiqing , Zhou Jing , Wang Chenxi , Rong Jingyu , Zhang Qiang , Li Gang , Zhang Pengfei , Zhang Tiancai
Published: March 2024

We propose and demonstrate a method for characterizing the individual mirror parameters of a fiber Fabry–Perot cavity (FFPC). By measuring the reflection and transmission spectra of the FFPC with an incident laser propagating from the two mirrors of the FFPC and considering several normal or unique losses, the transmittance, reflectance, and intra-cavity loss of the individual mirrors can be determined. Due to the intrinsic limitation of cavity length, traditional powerful methods, such as the cavity ring-down technique, are not applicable to FFPCs for characterizing the parameters of individual mirrors. This scheme provides a dependable method for assessing FFPC mirrors and provides a significant capability for the implementation of strong-coupling cavity quantum electrodynamics based on FFPCs.
LED-based temporal variant noise model for Fourier ptychographic microscopy
Authors: Ma Qiong , Zhao Jufeng , Cui Guangmang
Published: March 2024

Fourier ptychographic microscopy (FPM) is a technique to reconstruct a high-resolution image from a set of low-resolution images captured with different illumination angles, which is susceptible to ambient noise, system noise, and weak currents when acquiring large-angle images, especially dark field images. To effectively address the noise problem, we propose an adaptive denoising algorithm based on a LED-based temporal variant noise model. Taking the results of blank slide samples as the reference value of noise, and analyzing the distribution of noise, we establish a statistical model for temporal variant noise, describing the relationship between temporal noise and LED spatial location. Based on this model, Gaussian denoising parameters are selected to adaptively denoise the images with different locations, with which high-resolution images can be reconstructed. Compared with other methods, the experimental results show that the proposed method effectively suppresses the noise, recovers more image details, increases the image contrast, and obtains better visual effects. Meanwhile, better objective evaluation also mirrors the advantages of the proposed algorithms.
Time-varying media, dispersion, and the principle of causality [Invited]
Authors: Koutserimpas Theodoros T. , Monticone Francesco
Published: March 2024

The article reviews general properties of time-varying dispersive materials. We first briefly discuss different dispersion models that have been proposed in the literature, the role of the causality principle, and the generalization of the Kramers-Kronig relations for the susceptibility of linear time-dependent media. Furthermore, we discuss the Kramers-Kronig-like relations for nonlinear optical processes, with a focus on those processes that may be used to realize strong and fast temporal modulations at optical frequencies to enable, for instance, photonic time-crystal phenomena.
Modelling and analysis of cAMP-induced mixed-mode oscillations in cortical neurons: Critical roles of HCN and M-type potassium channels
Authors: Martin Matteo , Pedersen Morten Gram
Published: March 2024

Cyclic AMP controls neuronal ion channel activity. For example hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide–gated (HCN) and M-type K+ channels are activated by cAMP. These effects have been suggested to be involved in astrocyte control of neuronal activity, for example, by controlling the action potential firing frequency. In cortical neurons, cAMP can induce mixed-mode oscillations (MMOs) consisting of small-amplitude, subthreshold oscillations separating complete action potentials, which lowers the firing frequency greatly. We extend a model of neuronal activity by including HCN and M channels, and show that it can reproduce a series of experimental results under various conditions involving and inferring with cAMP-induced activation of HCN and M channels. In particular, we find that the model can exhibit MMOs as found experimentally, and argue that both HCN and M channels are crucial for reproducing these patterns. To understand how M and HCN channels contribute to produce MMOs, we exploit the fact that the model is a three-time scale dynamical system with one fast, two slow, and two super-slow variables. We show that the MMO mechanism does not rely on the super-slow dynamics of HCN and M channel gating variables, since the model is able to produce MMOs even when HCN and M channel activity is kept constant. In other words, the cAMP-induced increase in the average activity of HCN and M channels allows MMOs to be produced by the slow-fast subsystem alone. We show that the slow-fast subsystem MMOs are due to a folded node singularity, a geometrical structure well known to be involved in the generation of MMOs in slow-fast systems. Besides raising new mathematical questions for multiple-timescale systems, our work is a starting point for future research on how cAMP signalling, for example resulting from interactions between neurons and glial cells, affects neuronal activity via HCN and M channels.
A time of decline: An eco-anthropological and ethnohistorical investigation of mpox in the Central African Republic
Authors: Duda Romain , Betoulet José Martial , Besombes Camille , Mbrenga Festus , Borzykh Yanina , Nakouné Emmanuel , Giles-Vernick Tamara
Published: March 2024

The Central African Republic (CAR) has experienced repeated mpox outbreaks since 2001. Although several mpox epidemiological risk factors for zoonotic and interhuman transmission have been documented, the reasons for more frequent epidemic outbreaks are less well understood, relying on vague explanatory categories, including deforestation, hunting, and civil unrest. To gain insight into increasingly frequent outbreaks, we undertook an ethnohistorical, eco-anthropological analysis in two CAR regions: the Lobaye prefecture, experiencing one or more annual outbreaks in the past decade, and the Sangha-Mbaere prefecture, with a longer history of mpox but less frequent outbreaks. We comparatively examined changing political economies, forest use practices, and understandings of mpox. In 2022, we conducted 40 qualitative ethnohistorical, anthropological interviews and participant-observation of forest activities in two languages (Sango and French). We compared contemporary practices with hunting, trapping, and meet consumption practices, documented through quantitative and qualitative observation in one research site, over 6 months in 1993. We find increased rodent capture and consumption in both sites in the past 30 years and expanded practices of other potentially risky activities. Simultaneously, we also identify important differences in risky practices between our Lobaye and Sangha-Mbaere participants. In addition, Lobaye and Sangha participants underscored historical processes of decline producing mpox among other emergences, but they framed these declension processes diversely as economic, political, nutritional, and moral. Our findings are important because they mobilize new types of evidence to shed light on the processual dynamics of mpox outbreaks in the CAR. This study also reveals variability across two sites within the same country, highlighting the importance of comparative, fine-grained anthropological and historical research to identify underlying dynamics of mpox outbreaks. Finally, our study points to the need for mpox interventions and risk communication accounting for these regional differences, even within a single country.
“And this is the life jacket, the lifeline they’ve been wanting”: Participant perspectives on navigating challenges and successes of prescribed safer supply
Authors: Henderson Nancy , Marris John , Woodend Kirsten
Published: March 2024

Background

In 2021, 43% of drug toxicity deaths in Ontario were reported by public health units serving medium-sized urban and rural communities. Safer supply programs (SSPs) have been primarily established in large urban centres. Given this, the current study is based on an evaluation of a SSP based in a medium-sized urban centre with a large catchment area that includes rural and Indigenous communities. The aim of this research paper is to understand the challenges and successes of the nurse practitioner-led SSP from the perspective of program participants.

Methods

Interpretive description was used to understand the experiences of 14 participants accessing a SSP. Each participant was interviewed using a semi-structured approach, and 13 of the interviewees also completed surveys accessed through Qualtrics. An iterative process using NVivo software was used to code interviews, and a constant comparative data analysis approach was used to refine and categorize codes to themes.

Findings

Three overarching themes were the result of this analysis: feeling better, renewed hope, and safety. These three themes capture the experiences of participants in the SSP, including both the challenges and successes they faced.

Conclusion

The findings and subsequent discussion focus on both the key best practices of the program, and areas for future development and improvement. Despite barriers to services, prescribed SSPs are improving the lives of people who use drugs, and the current outcomes align with reports and evaluations from other SSPs across Canada.
A flexible mixed-optimization with H∞ control for coupled twin rotor MIMO system based on the method of inequality (MOI)- An experimental study
Authors: Abbas Nadir , Liu Xiaodong , Iqbal Jamshed
Published: March 2024

This article introduces a cutting-edge H∞ model-based control method for uncertain Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) systems, specifically focusing on UAVs, through a flexible mixed-optimization framework using the Method of Inequality (MOI). The proposed approach adaptively addresses crucial challenges such as unmodeled dynamics, noise interference, and parameter variations. Central to the design is a two-step controller development process. The first step involves Nonlinear Dynamic Inversion (NDI) and system decoupling for simplification, while the second step integrates H∞ control with MOI for optimal response tuning. This strategy is distinguished by its adaptability and focus on balancing robust stability and performance, effectively managing the intricate cross-coupling dynamics in UAV systems. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated through simulations conducted in MATLAB/Simulink environment. Results demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed robust control approach as evidenced by reduced steady-state error, diminished overshoot, and faster system response times, thus significantly outperforming traditional control methods.
Constructing a student development model for undergraduate vocational universities in China using the Fuzzy Delphi Method and Analytic Hierarchy Process
Authors: Xing Qiaona , Tan Huey Pyng , Gan Su Wan
Published: March 2024

As the industrial structure changes, the severe shortage of high-quality technical and skilled talent in China is one of the most significant factors affecting the high-quality development of China’s economy. Bridging the gap between cultivating talent from new undergraduate vocational universities and the demand for industrial talent is regarded as an efficient strategy to address the talent shortage. In addressing the gap, China is hindered by a lack of clarity regarding student development goals and effective assessment instruments. Thus, this study aimed to use the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to overcome the above challenges. Specifically, we used the FDM to establish a five-level undergraduate vocational education student development model with two 2nd-level indicators, three 3rd-level indicators, eight 4th-level indicators, and 33 5th-level indicators to clarify student development goals. Then, the AHP was applied to determine the indicator weights, and a student development assessment instrument was developed to help universities acquire student development data and improve the matching degree between talent supply and demand. This study could help undergraduate vocational universities cultivate high-quality technical and skilled talent quickly to meet the demand for China’s new economic system and to promote industry independence and global competitiveness.