bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Peace of Paris (1763)
Authors: Gould Eliga
Published: July 2024

One of the most important moments in the history of European peace-making is the treaty that Britain, France, and Spain signed in Paris on 10 February 1763. Together with the Treaty of Hubertusburg, the Peace of Paris brought the Seven Years’ War to an official close. For Britain, the treaty established the East India Company as a territorial power in India and confirmed the nation’s holdings in Africa and the Mediterranean. In terms of hopes for lasting peace, however, the single most important development took place in North America, where the treaty undid the colonial balance of power established fifty years before at the Peace of Utrecht. Britain gained dominion over the continent’s eastern third and a greatly strengthened position in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. For all concerned, the results were profound and ultimately set the stage not for enduring peace but for renewed war and revolution.
The Ezidis of Turkey
Authors: Robins Christine
Published: July 2024

Until the early 20th century, the Ezidis (Yezidis, Yazidis), a “closed” and nonproselytizing Kurdish-speaking religious minority, inhabited large swathes of Eastern Turkey. By comparison with their coreligionists in Iraq, Turkey’s Ezidi communities are little studied. They do not identify as Muslims though evidence indicates they were once much closer to “the Sunna”; however, Ezidi cosmogonies and belief structures apparently predate Islam. Accusations of “devil-worship,” persisting since the 16th century CE, are erroneous. Ottoman documents concerning Ezidis provide evidence on wider confession-building and governmentality in the early Ottoman Empire; in the 19th century, they demonstrate the deteriorating relationship between the Empire and the Ezidis, who were not “people of the Book” and lacked legal status until 1849. The Ezidis met the violence of both Ottoman state and tribal neighbors with resistance but were increasingly targeted alongside Christians. Most left for Transcaucasia in 1918. Almost all the rest left for Europe in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The tiny numbers left in Turkey have been unexpectedly swollen by refugees fleeing the Sinjar genocide in 2014, changing the dynamic once again.
Machine Learning, Infrastructures, and Their Sociomaterial Possibilities
Authors: Pardo-Guerra Juan Pablo
Published: July 2024

Machine learning hinges on various sociomaterial substrates, from computers where data is processed to infrastructures that support the networks of algorithmic experts. What happens when we place focus on these sociomaterial substrates? This chapter explores three distinct consequences. The first involves placing greater focus on organizational forms as contexts, enablers, and constraints for developments in machine learning. The second involves a focus on sociotechnical infrastructures, observing how the coevolution of practices, affordances, and built systems shape the trajectories of machine learning. The third involves being attentive to the way structural inequalities are reproduced and recombined by machine learning systems into novel categories of difference.
Colonialities of Machine Learning
Authors: Borch Christian
Published: July 2024

This chapter discusses the relationship between machine learning (ML) and coloniality, which refers to enduring colonial-like power imbalances between the Global North and Global South that continue beyond the official end of colonialism. First, it explores how postcolonial theory can illuminate the colonial aspects of ML by showing how ML usage is entwined with data extraction and underscoring the importance of recognizing cultural diversity within the various locales that contribute to ML’s design and implementation across divides between the Global North and Global South. Second, it considers how the field of ML can prompt a re-evaluation of critical elements within postcolonial sociology. The chapter contends that feminist standpoint theory—a foundational influence on postcolonial sociology—attributes an epistemological privilege to oppressed groups. This premise becomes problematic when considering the operational dynamics and structure of ML.
Thinking about Geoeconomics and Economic Statecraft
Authors: Aggarwal Vinod K. , Ming Cheung Tai
Published: July 2024

In the twenty-first century, world affairs have become increasingly marked by the convergence of economics, politics, technology, and strategic concerns. Economic and technological rivalries and competition for military and strategic dominance are intensifying at the international, regional, and domestic levels. This handbook explores these linkages through the evolving field of geoeconomics and economic statecraft, offering a comprehensive analysis of their conceptual underpinnings, historical evolution, and contemporary implications across global regions and critical issue areas. This volume is divided into five sections. Section 1 elaborates on historical and current conceptions of geoeconomics and economic statecraft, while Section 2 explores methodological approaches, emphasizing the importance of multilevel analysis and innovative data collection. Section 3 focuses on key issue areas that are widely considered to be central to the discipline including industrial policy, trade policy, and investment as well as the use of sanctions and foreign aid as tools of economic statecraft. Section 4 examines the intersection of national security and geoeconomics, illustrating how economic concerns influence grand strategy, war financing, and sanctions. Finally, Section 5 surveys regional and national perspectives on geoeconomics and economic statecraft. Together, these analyses provide a nuanced understanding of the strategic use of economic tools in advancing national interests and shaping global order in an era defined by both increasing interdependence and deepening competition.
Russian Approach to Geoeconomics
Authors: Kashin Vasily , Yankova Alexandra , Kondakova Kristina
Published: July 2024

The war in Ukraine and sweeping Western sanctions introduced against Russia in 2022 have produced major changes in the Russian model of economic development and the Russian approach to economic statecraft. Under the new economic model, the Russian leadership is trying to turn the country into an “economic fortress” that will be self-sufficient in key areas of technology that are vital for national security and social stability. Major import substitution programs have been launched. External economic relations are reoriented toward cooperation with the Global South. Any dependence on the West is considered a weakness to be eliminated even if Russia still manages to secure access to some Western goods and technologies. But dependence on “friendly countries” like China in some sectors is also considered undesirable. Russian economic and industrial policies are undergoing a process of deep securitization, because Russia expects to operate in conditions of a new cold war against the West for the foreseeable future. One of the consequences of that trend is a major redistribution of economic power with Russian state-run companies as well as some domestic private companies cheaply purchasing the assets of global companies or the more “globalized” part of Russian businesses that chose to leave the country. This process will, in turn, lead to significant changes in the Russian economic and political elite, affecting future policies. In spite of the Western sanctions, Russia is still capable of using offensive economic tools to prevent certain countries from supplying weapons to Ukraine or taking other anti-Russian actions.
European Perspectives on Geoeconomics
Authors: Maher Richard
Published: July 2024

This chapter provides an overview and critical assessment of the geoeconomic dimension of the European Union’s external relations. Its economic size and central position in global economic and financial networks have made the EU one of the leading geoeconomic actors in world politics today. It has used a variety of economic tools and instruments—such as trade policy, regulatory policy, enlargement, sanctions, and foreign aid—to advance its strategic interests in its region and beyond. At the same time, the EU currently faces several geoeconomic challenges, including foreign investments in European firms specializing in critical technologies, deglobalization, and Chinese companies’ inclusion in EU countries’ 5G network infrastructure. Given its underlying strengths in this area and the enduring obstacles to closer defense integration, the EU is likely to continue to view the use of economic instruments in pursuit of geopolitical objectives as essential for its goal of “strategic autonomy.”
French and the Languages of France
Authors: Kremnitz Georg , Broudic Fañch
Published: July 2024

Contrary to a widespread impression, France is not a monolingual country. French may be the official language, but numerous other languages are also spoken. There are native regional languages, each of which is associated with a given territory and is deemed to be a minority, or minoritized, language. There is also French Sign Language. A considerable number of languages are also spoken in French overseas departments and territories. Given that France is also a country of both older and more recent waves of immigration, numerous other European and non-European languages are also present on French territory. The languages of France other than French saw a strong decline in numbers of speakers over the twentieth century, but also various forms of resurgence, although their status remains precarious. Before considering what their future prospects may be, we need to understand their history in relation to the history of French, and to describe the complexity of the current situation.
Multilingualism
Authors: Smith Maya Angela
Published: July 2024

Throughout the world, French stands alongside a variety of other languages, often existing uneasily within complex multilingual societies. Scholars approach these language contact situations in various ways. Some look at language contact at the societal level to analyse phenomena such as language shift or the creation of new languages. Others focus more on the individual level to investigate how speakers use multiple languages in their linguistic repertoire such as through borrowing, code-switching, or translanguaging. Through a historical and present-day perspective, this chapter explores typologies of contact situations and their outcomes as well as typologies of multilingual practices before delving into two case studies of multilingualism in the Francophone world.
Translation and Interpreting
Authors: Froeliger Nicolas , Loock Rudy
Published: July 2024

This chapter is an attempt to delineate in statistical terms who translates what, for which purposes/audiences, where, and how in relation to the French language, and to outline whether translated French can be considered a variety of French. It begins by explaining that ‘translation’ and ‘interpreting’ are only the best-known terms for what is increasingly called the ‘translation professions’ before recalling the strong institutional support that French still enjoys especially in France, but also in the larger international organizations. It then explores the situation of literary and pragmatic translation, as well as the somewhat novel issues of training for the translation professions and the recent networking efforts that are changing the face of translation for French in these times of rapid technological advances: strong institutional support, slow institutionalization, and fast disruption. Given the state of present statistics, however, the picture is bound to remain somewhat imprecise and focused on France, which suggests further work on the subject is required as the situation evolves.
Acquiring Morphology and Syntax
Authors: Ayoun Dalila
Published: July 2024

The morphosyntax of second language (L2) French includes a wide range of properties including verb morphology and usage, the complex pronominal system, and question formation. The present longitudinal study focuses on the acquisition of number and gender, which is crucial since it permeates French morphosyntax, semantics, and the lexicon, and contributes to discourse cohesiveness. The study uses a pre-test, repeated exposure and testing, delayed post-test design to investigate the second language (L2) acquisition of French morphosyntax by instructed learners (n = 16), enrolled in a fourth-year film and fiction college class, who formed three groups—L1 English, French heritage speakers, Spanish heritage speakers—and completed a written gender assignment task (GAT), and a free production task (essays). Results showing an improved performance on the GAT, as well as generally accurate, but inconsistent, gender and number agreement on determiners and adjectives, support the Feature Reassembly Hypothesis.
Acquiring Lexical, Sociolinguistic, and Pragmatic Competence
Authors: Tyne Henry , Howard Martin
Published: July 2024

This chapter explores the acquisition of lexical, sociolinguistic, and pragmatic competence in French as a second language (L2). Key constructs are considered in each area. They include dimensions of lexis, sociolinguistic variation and sociolinguistic variables, speech style, pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic competence, and speech acts. The chapter considers the principal insights in each area stemming from the existing literature on the learner’s acquisition challenge and developmental trends in L2 French. Factors impacting development are considered such as proficiency level, instruction, and language contact. Against the background of existing insights, the chapter ends with a roadmap of potential directions for consideration in future research.
French Language and Cinema
Authors: Abecassis Michaël
Published: July 2024

Studies on language in French and Francophone cinema are scarce, with the exception of articles devoted to theoretical questions. Each film with its screenwriter, filmmaker, and actors has its uniqueness and individual particularities and is a valuable tool for analysis. This chapter explores a selection of distinctive French films chronologically, from the silent era to contemporary cinema. The films in the corpus at the heart of this analysis were selected because they represented new trends at the time of release, in which salient linguistic features can be identified. The purpose of the chapter is to highlight major prominent patterns in the spoken French used and to provide key insights into the evolution of French language from the origins of cinema to the present day.
French and its Varieties
Authors: Ayres-Bennett Wendy , McLaughlin Mairi
Published: July 2024

This introductory chapter presents an overview of different disciplinary perspectives on the French language and highlights new directions for scholarship on French today. The chapter is divided into seven sections, each of which corresponds to one of the parts of the handbook: Structures of French; History of the French language; Axes of variation; French around the world; French in contact with other languages; Second language acquisition; and French in literature, culture, arts, and the media. Each section offers a general overview of research in that domain of work on the French language, situating it within the broader research context and highlighting the particularities of the different research paradigms and traditions for French. A final concluding section presents some of the main trends that cut across the different disciplines and areas, and identifies prominent directions for future research.
External History of French
Authors: Caron Philippe
Published: July 2024

This chapter offers a survey of some key moments when external factors such as language contact, civil wars, conquests, political changes, and large-scale colonization played a major role in the evolution of the French language. It focuses on pivotal moments such as the hypothetical birth of an oral koine in Paris during the twelfth century that may, for the first time, be deemed ‘French’, or the gradual increase in the number of French-speaking people in France during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries due to the effects of education and the mass media. The chapter also deals with the growing emergence of a linguistic norm during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, which leads to the reallocation of a large set of variants which had been in widespread use until they became stigmatized at this point.
Metalinguistic Texts
Authors: Walsh Olivia , Kibbee Douglas
Published: July 2024

As French replaced Latin as the language of administration and the law and became the language of a burgeoning literature and eventually of education, scholars and other members of the social elite defined the linguistic limits of supposedly acceptable usage in metalinguistic texts: orthographic treatises, guides to pronunciation, grammars, dictionaries, and commentaries on the language. Creating a standard language was considered a necessary step in making French equal to the classical languages, a language of empire, a prestigious language of courtly society, and ultimately, of a functioning republic. These texts formalized the standard in pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary, morphology, and syntax. The definition of usage has included geographic, social, historical, and philosophical criteria, varying according to the societal needs of each period. Although metalinguistic texts have moved towards democratization and an increased acknowledgement—and tolerance—of variation, speakers themselves often reject variation and value adherence to a narrow norm.
Historical Phonetics, Phonology, and Orthography
Authors: Rainsford Thomas
Published: July 2024

This chapter presents the most important changes, processes, and debates in the field of French historical phonetics, phonology, and orthography. The primary focus is on sound change, which is divided into two periods, the first covering the development of Latin into ninth-century Early Old French and the second examining sound changes during the textual history of the language. The main developments of individual sounds are summarized as in historical grammars but with a focus on how sound change causes and is conditioned by changes in syllable structure. Additionally, different approaches to palatalization, nasalization, and the emergence of distinctive vowel length are considered. The final section briefly discusses the principal tendencies of orthographic change, contrasting changes primarily driven by phonology with those that served to make the writing system more semiographic.
Historical Morphology and Syntax
Authors: Prévost Sophie
Published: July 2024

French has undergone major upheavals in the domains of morphology and syntax. The main morphological changes are the loss of inflectional verbal and nominal richness, the regularization and simplification of paradigms, and a general tendency to systematize functional oppositions. The main syntactic changes have affected both the internal structure of noun and verb groups (with increasing contiguity and dependence between elements, resulting in a more tightly structured and hierarchical organization) and the clause, leading to a more rigid word order. The evolution is also characterized by the loss of null subjects and of the verb-second constraint, as well as by an increased use of subordinate clauses. Also notable are the increasing number of interrogative structures as well as the evolution of negation along a Jespersen’s cycle. Many of the changes started as early as Old French and most of them reached their endpoint by the seventeenth century.
Due Process and Environmental Law
Authors: Kodiveri Arpitha
Published: July 2024

This chapter provides an overview of how due process requirements interact with environmental law. It looks at both procedural and substantive due process as an integral part of how to navigate the development and implementation of environmental law in India. Using due process as the lens the chapter unpacks how community-based consent and consultation requirements form a part of the procedural due process requirements. On substantive due process the chapter elucidates how public participation in environmental law making and the power of judicial review of legislative decision-making become avenues for the fulfilment of this requirement. The chapter argues that there exists a due process deficit by examining the consent provision under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 (FCA) and the recent amendments being brought to the FCA. The chapter concludes by offering a few pathways to address the due process deficit identified in the examples above.
Biosafety in Synthetic Biology
Authors: K. J. Sophy
Published: July 2024

The 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity defines ‘synthetic biology’ as ‘further development and a new dimension of biotechnology that combines science, technology and engineering to design, redesign, manufacture/construct and or modify genetic materials, living organism and biological systems’. Policy questions around the use of synthetic biology in plant genetic resources include discussions of equity, fairness and bio-safety/security. This chapter addresses these policy questions, focusing specifically on biosafety concerns of synthetic biology. It maps discussions on biosafety at international forums regulating biotech trade and its further expansion to synthetic biology and contrasts the domestic regulatory approach towards the new technology over the last two decades. It reviews recent policies governing bio-risk issues and emphasises the precautionary principle and the command-and-control approach to address the biological risks of synthetic biology.
Cross-Fertilization of Environmental Law in the SAARC
Authors: Alam Shawkat
Published: July 2024

This chapter explores environmental law within the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), comprising Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. SAARC countries share the constitutional recognition to a right to a clean environment. Whilst this is explicit in newly created constitutions (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, and Nepal), this right has been read into other existing rights (such as the right to life) in older constitutions (India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka). The former have borrowed principles and ideas from the latter through shared constitutional mechanisms, that is, Directive Principles thus illustrating the cross-fertilization of environmental law within the SAARC. Furthermore, SAARC members share implementation and enforcement challenges, including a lack of technical, human and financial capacity, as well as low environmental literacy. The SAARC can overcome these challenges by improving access to justice to allow maturation of environmental law and to further regional cooperation.
Regulatory science promotes the translation of transcatheter tricuspid valve repair/replacement devices
Authors: Cheng Maobo , Xu Yun , Liu Wei , Mu Lanlan , Lian Xiaoqi , Gao Guobiao , Sun Lei
Published: July 2024

For patients with symptomatic and severe tricuspid regurgitation but inoperable with open surgery, transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention (TTVI) is a procedure of great clinical value. TTVI products include repair and replacement devices. TTVI products are one of the hotspots of investigation now, with different innovative biomaterials and structural designs in trials to satisfy divergent indications and reduce complications. With the emerging biomaterials, the technical difficulty of structural design will be greatly reduced, spurring further product innovation and development. The innovativeness and complexity of TTVI products have brought challenges to academia, industry, and regulatory agencies. Regulatory science provides a bridge to address these difficulties and challenges. This perspective article introduces the latest development of the TTVI products. With traditional methods, regulatory agencies face challenges in evaluating the safety and efficacy of TTVr/TTVR devices given the uncertainty of clinical use and the diversity of innovative structural design. This perspective article analyzes the regulatory challenges and discusses regulatory science that can be developed to assess the safety, efficacy, quality and performance of such products: including new approaches for innovative devices, pre-review path, computer modeling and simulation, accelerated wear testing methods for transcatheter heart valves and evidence-based research. This article reveals for the first time how to apply regulatory science systematically to TTVI products, which is of great relevance to their development and translation.
‘Imitate the Motions of Those that are Infected’: Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost in Margaret Cavendish’s The Convent of Pleasure
Authors: Taylor Caroline
Published: July 2024

Despite a Restoration vogue for adapted—or ‘improved’—productions of Shakespeare’s plays, Love’s Labour’s Lost (c.1594) fell out of the theatrical repertoire after 1660. The play’s immediate afterlife exists solely in Margaret Cavendish’s inversion of the play in her closet drama The Convent of Pleasure (1668). This essay argues that both plays respond to the virulent plague outbreaks which immediately preceded them in their depiction of single-sex cloistering, and engage with contemporaneous debates around the efficacy of household quarantine as a public health response. Love’s Labour’s Lost offers a complicated defence of public theatre in the face of quarantine restrictions which saw the playhouses forcibly closed for 11 months. Convent repurposes Shakespeare’s portrayal of infection risk in a public theatre for the closet environment. But transferring a play predicated upon the fear of contagious bodies from the commercial stage to the ‘Stage of Imagination’ has potentially dangerous consequences for its readers. Cavendish’s vitalist materialism renders the recreation of the public stage within the mind an act of potential self-harm. Yet Cavendish’s adaptation of a Shakespearean play preoccupied with plague allows her to think through her own theory of imitation as the driving force behind both contagion and sympathetic inclination.
Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. apii Race 4 Threatening Celery Production in South Florida
Authors: Ferreira Junior Tarciso A. , Ferreira Larissa C. , Moura Vitor A. S. , Xavier Katia V.
Published: July 2024

Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. apii (Foa), is a vascular disease affecting celery. This soilborne pathogen is classified into four distinct pathogenic races: 1, 2, 3, and 4. Notably, race 4 emerges as the most virulent, representing the latest evolutionary development of this pathogen, which was first reported in 2013 in California. In 2022, celery plants in South Florida exhibited typical Fusarium wilt symptoms, with the disease reaching a 100% incidence and causing yield losses ranging from 20 to 100%. Given the significance of celery as a vegetable crop and the severity of this outbreak, the primary objective of this study was to identify and characterize the causal agent of Fusarium wilt in South Florida. The second goal aimed to test the pathogenicity and virulence of the Fusarium isolates from Florida on celery and parsley plants. Using race-specific primers and dual-loci phylogenetic analyses, the isolates surveyed in this study were identified as Foa race 4. Pathogenicity assays in the greenhouse showed that the Foa race 4 isolate from celery induced disease not only on the two celery cultivars (Duda 30 and Duda 71) but also on two commonly cultivated parsley varieties (curly and Italian). Our study also revealed that the Foa race 4 significantly (P < 0.05) affected plant health attributes in all cultivars, including plant height, total plant weight, and root weight. Interestingly, the pathogen exhibited higher (P < 0.0001) virulence on parsley than celery based on vascular discoloration. These findings strongly indicate the urgency of comprehending and managing Fusarium wilt on celery and related crops. Furthermore, the ability of Foa race 4 to affect different plant species highlights a potential threat to agricultural production, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to mitigate the impact of this virulent pathogen.
The Prevalence of Acute Compartment Syndrome in Pediatric Tibial Tubercle Fractures
Authors: Martinez Victor H. , Pluta Natalia , Tadlock Joshua C. , Cognetti Daniel J.
Published: July 2024

Objective:

Tibial tubercle fractures are a unique class of pediatric orthopaedic injuries that frequently necessitate surgical treatment and strict monitoring due to the associated risk of acute compartment syndrome (ACS). However, current literature is conspicuously limited in its ability to estimate the risk of ACS after these fractures. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to utilize a nationwide database to estimate the prevalence of ACS after pediatric tibial tubercle fractures.

Methods:

We utilized the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s Kids’ Inpatient Database (2019) to identify all pediatric patients, 18 years of age and under, with isolated tibial tubercle fractures (International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision Clinical Modification S82.151-S82.156) and ACS (T79.A0, T79.A2, T79.A29). Patients were excluded if they had additional lower extremity injuries (ie, tibial shaft, plateau, etc). A subanalysis was conducted for those undergoing fasciotomy, with and without an ACS diagnosis.

Results:

Among the 591 isolated tibial tubercle fractures, there were 8 ACS cases for a prevalence of 1.35%. There were 22 (3.72%) additional cases of fasciotomy without an ACS diagnosis. All ACS cases were diagnosed during the original hospitalization; all were male and had closed fractures. The cohort included 469 teenagers (13+ years) and 77 pre-teens, with 40 females and 506 males. Racial demographics: 132 white, 232 black, 112 Hispanic, 15 Asian, 4 Native American, 23 unknown, and 28 others. No significant associations were found between ACS and age, race, insurance status, mechanism of injury, or hospital region.

Conclusion:

The rate of ACS in pediatric tibial tubercle fractures appears to be much lower than previously reported, at 1.35%. However, the nearly three-fold higher prevalence of fasciotomy without an ACS diagnosis, suggests a generous use of prophylactic fasciotomies and/or an undercharacterization of actual ACS cases from miscoding. This is the first and largest study to employ a nationally representative database to investigate the prevalence of ACS after tibial tubercle fractures.

Level of Evidence:

Level III.
Understanding Arrhythmia-Induced Cardiomyopathy: Symptoms and Treatments
Authors: Desai Dev , Maheta Darshil kumar , Agrawal Siddharth Pravin , Abouarab Ahmed Gamal , Frishman William H. , Aronow Wilbert S.
Published: July 2024

Arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy is a complex condition that causes a decline in heart function as a result of irregular heart rhythms. This disorder highlights the link between irregular heart rhythm and heart failure, necessitating prompt identification and intervention. It often occurs due to ongoing fast heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation or tachycardia. Understanding the mechanisms, symptoms, and available treatments is essential for enhancing patient outcomes given the complicated nature of the condition. This article delves into various aspects of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy, including pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnostic methods, epidemiology, typical arrhythmias associated with the condition, and management options. It assesses patients’ future outlook and necessary follow-up, aiming to provide healthcare providers with a comprehensive understanding of how to handle this intricate condition. The article emphasizes the important effect an integrative approach can have on both patients’ lives and the clinical consequences of diagnosing and treating this condition. This extensive understanding enhances the resources at the disposal of physicians, enabling targeted treatments that enhance cardiomyopathy by targeting arrhythmia regulation. More research and development are needed in the field of cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia relationship. The presentation urges the medical field to delve deeper into the complexities of illness by emphasizing the need for continuous research and a multifaceted treatment plan. By combining these understandings, our goal is to enhance patient outcomes and create opportunities for further studies on cardiovascular wellness.
Disparities in Telehealth Uptake for Developmental-Behavioral Pediatric Assessments by Preferred Family Language: A Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics Research Network Study
Authors: Wallis Kate E. , Kennelly Annie , Wozniak Sarah N. , Craig Sansanee , Flaherty Carina M. , Cacia Jaclyn , Christiansen Audrey , Cordero Lucero , Ortiz Priscilla , Kellom Katherine S. , Stefanski Kristen ,   DBPNet Steering Committee
Published: July 2024

Objective:

Owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many developmental-behavioral pediatric (DBP) practices adopted telehealth for care delivery. However, telehealth access and use for families with a preferred language other than English (PLOE) is an equity concern. Therefore, our study objective is to compare rates of telehealth utilization and visit completion by preferred family language among patients seen for DBP assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

We completed a descriptive chart review using electronic health record data at 4 academic DBP practices to examine visits for patients up to 5 years seen for new-patient appointments between April 2020 and April 2021. We compared rates of in-person and telehealth visits by preferred family language and visit outcome (completed or missed).

Results:

A total of 3241 visits were scheduled between April 2020 and April 2021; 48.2% were for in-person and 51.8% for telehealth. Families reported the following languages: 90.5% English, 6.2% Spanish, and 3.3% other language. Missed visits accounted for 7.6% of scheduled visits. The relative percentage of in-person versus telehealth visits varied significantly by site (p < 0.001) and preferred family language (p < 0.001). English-speaking patients had 2.10 times the odds of being scheduled for telehealth compared with patients with PLOE, adjusting for site. Statistically significant differences were not found for visit outcome (completed or missed) by visit type (in-person or telehealth) (p = 0.79), including after accounting for PLOE status (p = 0.83).

Conclusion:

At the height of the pandemic, most English-speaking families were scheduled for new DBP evaluations by telehealth, but fewer families with PLOE were. Attention to language to ensure telehealth access equity is critical.
SHORT-TERM REACTIVATION OF RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY AFTER PRIMARY RANIBIZUMAB TREATMENT
Authors: Strawbridge Jason , Cheng John Y. , Gundlach Bradley S. , Gillespie Tessa , Karmouta Reem , Khitri Monica , Chu Alison , Tsui Irena
Published: July 2024

Purpose:

Investigate risk factors for short-term reactivation of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) after intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) therapy and determine safety and efficacy of repeat injections.

Methods:

Retrospective chart review study of patients screened for ROP as inpatients between 2013 and 2023 who received IVR within the UCLA health care system. Primary outcomes were rates and timing of short-term ROP reactivation, defined as repeat worsening of ROP to stage 2 or 3 before 52 weeks postmenstrual age, as well as risk factors for reactivation. Other outcomes included adverse events and rates of reactivation after a second intravitreal injection.

Results:

Eighty-two eyes of 43 patients received primary IVR 0.25 mg/0.025 cc for type 1 ROP. Thirteen patients (22 eyes) (30.2% of patients, 26.8% of eyes) developed short-term reactivation an average of 7.2 weeks ± 1.7 weeks after treatment. Increased reactivation risk was associated with zone I disease (odds ratio 6.23, 95% CI, 1.35–28.7, P = 0.019), lower postmenstrual age at first injection (odds ratio 1.64, 95% CI, 1.19–2.26; P = 0.003), and lower gestational age at birth (odds ratio 1.80, 95% CI, 1.04–3.13, P = 0.037). Of the 13 patients that received repeat injections, five required laser treatment for a second reactivation (11.6% of patients receiving IVR). No eyes developed retinal vascular occlusion, endophthalmitis, or cataract.

Conclusion:

Repeat injections may be required after primary IVR for aggressive ROP. Repeat IVR treatment for ROP is effective and poses few ophthalmic adverse events, although additional reactivation remains a risk.
A Survey of Current Gonioscopy Practice in the United Kingdom
Authors: Khan Shaheryar Ahmed , Zhou Sean , Niyadurupola Nuwan
Published: July 2024

Précis:

This survey highlights a deficiency in gonioscopy practices across the UK, particularly in the utilization of indentation gonioscopy and training of junior ophthalmologists. Recommendations include standardizing practice and enhancing training opportunities to improve patient care.

Objective:

Gonioscopy is an important general skill learned and practiced by all grades of ophthalmologists. The aim of this study is to discover the general attitude, perception, and practice of gonioscopy among ophthalmologists in the UK.

Materials and Methods:

A National gonioscopy survey was carried out by utilizing an anonymous electronic questionnaire of 18 questions. The questionnaire was electronically distributed online, using the survey tool, Microsoft 2016 “MS Forms” to all grades of ophthalmologists in the UK.

Results:

A total of 146 responses were analyzed. Overall, 89% of the participants felt “comfortable in performing slit lamp gonioscopy,” but only 38% of junior trainees (ophthalmic specialist trainees years 1–3) felt comfortable in gonioscopy. Only 13% of the junior trainees felt they had adequate training in performing gonioscopy compared with 68% of the total respondents. Surprisingly, the majority of consultants (58%) did not “strongly agree” to be confident in assessing the angle and its configuration on gonioscopy. The most commonly used gonioscopic lens in this survey was the Zeiss four-mirror gonio lens, but only 38% of participants performed indentation gonioscopy routinely. The majority of the participants utilized the modified Shaffer’s classification for gonioscopy. Fewer than expected numbers performed gonioscopy routinely for new patients with glaucoma.

Conclusion:

This survey suggests that gonioscopy is not being performed according to the UK national recommendations, and few ophthalmologists perform indentation gonioscopy. Additional gonioscopy training in the curriculum may be helpful.
Updating the paradigm of prophylactic abdominal drainage following pancreatoduodenectomy
Authors: Li Zhenli , Zhang Yibing , Ni Yuanzhi , Li Liang , Xu Lindi , Guo Yang , Zhu Shuaishuai , Tang Yufu
Published: July 2024

Background:

Prophylactic abdominal drainage (PAD) is considered a routine procedure after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) to prevent and detect severe complications at an early stage. However, the drainage itself may cause adverse consequences. Thus, the optimal strategy of PAD after PD remains controversial.

Methods:

The present paper summarizes the latest research on the strategies of PAD following PD, mainly focusing on 1) the selective placement of PAD, 2) the optimal drainage types, 3) the early removal of drainage (EDR), and 4) novel strategies for PAD management.

Results:

Accurate stratifications based on the potential risk factors of clinically relevant-postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) facilitates the selective placement of PAD and the implementation of EDR, with postoperative outcomes superior or similar to routine PAD placement. Both active and passive drainage methods are feasible in most patients after PD, with similar prognostic outcomes. Novel predictive models with accurate, dynamic, and individualized performance further guide the management of PAD and afford a better prognosis.

Conclusions:

Evidence-based risk stratification of CR-POPF aids in the management of PAD in patients undergoing PD. Novel dynamic and individualized PAD strategies might be the next hotspot in drain-relevant explorations.
Clinical Nurses’ Perceptions of a “Brain-Friendly” Peer Feedback Program
Authors: Wisner Kirsten , Lopez Megan
Published: July 2024

Background:

While clinicians routinely observe issues with safety and quality, they may not always speak up and intervene. Peer feedback supports nurses to speak up about errors or near misses and actively improve nursing care quality. Effective peer feedback requires addressing barriers to speaking up.

Purpose:

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to evaluate a‘brain-friendly‘peer feedback program´s effect on clinical nurses´ perceptions of peer review.

Methods:

Nurses were surveyed before and after the implementation of a peer feedback program that integrated social cognitive neuroscience principles. Open comments were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results:

Responses to nearly half of survey questions improved. Thematic analysis identified institutional and personal barriers to peer feedback use, revealing the personal and social complexity of speaking up.

Conclusions:

Social cognitive neuroscience may enhance peer feedback programs. Research using immersive qualitative methods is needed to better understand factors supporting or impeding peer feedback.
Toward Zero New HIV Infections in Amsterdam in 2026: Building Bridges Between Community Organizations, Undocumented Migrants, and Sexual Health Care Providers
Authors: Teijema Martha T. , van der Meij Laura L.M. , de Groot Steffen M. , Hoogerbrugge Annette , Hoornenborg Elske
Published: July 2024

Background

In the 4 largest cities in the Netherlands, an estimated 400 people live with undiagnosed HIV, including 170 in Amsterdam. Amsterdam targets having zero new HIV infections in 2026. Undocumented migrants are disproportionately affected by HIV and often contract HIV after migration. Moreover, they often experience difficulties accessing health care. The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes of an HIV/sexually transmitted infection testing program for undocumented migrants through community based testing.

Methods

Between May 2021 and January 2022, data for this cross-sectional study were collected during outreach testing activities of the Amsterdam Center for Sexual Health of the Public Health Service, and the NGO Doctors of the World. Activities were organized in collaboration with migrant partner organizations. Participants were tested free-of-charge for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and, if indicated, hepatitis B and C. Before testing, a health care provider–administered questionnaire was filled out.

Results

A total of 126 people from 22 countries were tested for HIV during 28 outreach activities. Mean age was 37 (IQR 32–43). Forty-nine people (39%) were additionally tested, (through self-sampling) for chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, 42 (33%) for Hepatitis B and 14 (11%) for Hepatitis C. We found zero new HIV infections and 5 positive chlamydia cases.

Reaching 52 HIV first time testers and 19 first time testers since migration shows the importance of these activities. The number of participants tested were lower than initially expected due to lower attendance per testing day for various reasons.

Conclusions

To increase the likelihood of reaching undocumented migrants for HIV/sexually transmitted infection testing and linkage to care, focus should be on on-site provider-initiated testing, e.g. during outreach health care activities, and on easy access to centers for sexual health. Collaboration between health care providers and community stakeholders is essential.
A Framework for Response Escalation and Emergency Response Asset Management
Authors: Jeisy-Scott Victoria , Morgan Samantha , Stampley Chaunté , Lubar Debra , Brown Christopher K. , Vagi Sara J.
Published: July 2024

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) responds to public health emergencies at various levels within its organization. Overtime, CDC’s response capabilities have matured across the organization due to years of emergency management investment and experience across the agency. In 2019, CDC began to implement the Graduated Response Framework to formalize an approach for managing public health emergencies that recognizes its response capabilities and meets the evolving needs of the country. This brief report summarizes CDC’s Graduated Response Framework structure, and how response management escalates and de-escalates according to resource needs and complexity.
Subfascial Transaxillary Breast Augmentation: Critical Evaluation of a 25-Year Review of 1015 Consecutive Cases
Authors: Munhoz Alexandre Mendonça , de Azevedo Marques Neto Ary
Published: July 2024

Background:

Subfascial (SF) pocket breast augmentation (BA) has gained popularity, whereas the transaxillary approach (TAA) offers the benefit of an inconspicuous scar. Previous reports on both techniques involved limited follow-up/samples, and few clinical studies specifically address surgical technique and outcomes following primary and secondary BA. The purpose of this study was to assess outcomes from the SF TAA technique in a large series of patients who underwent primary and secondary BA.

Methods:

A retrospective cohort of patients who underwent BA between 1999 and 2024 was identified. The primary outcome was occurrence of incision and implant/pocket complications. Regression logistic analysis evaluated risk factors including age, body mass index, smoking, implant surface/volume, and fat grafting.

Results:

The cohort contained 1015 patients (mean age, 28.5 ± 7.3 years), and the average follow-up was 77.6 ± 38.6 months. In primary BA, 212 patients (23.4%) experienced at least 1 complication, most frequently capsular contracture. More complications were seen in secondary BA (P = 0.016). Multivariate regression identified body mass index less than 18.5 kg/m2 as a significant risk factor for incision complications, whereas textured surface (OR, 2.70; P < 0.001) and implant volume greater than 350 cc (OR, 2.79; P < 0.001) were risk factors for implant/pocket complications.

Conclusions:

Despite extensive research on BA procedures, studies on SF TAA procedures are limited and have not analyzed long-term outcomes following primary/reoperative operations. These results demonstrate that SF TAA is a reliable technique, and the data are compatible with other studies using different BA approaches. Knowledge of the axillary and pectoralis fascia anatomy allows surgeons to safely implement the SF TAA technique and minimize risk.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, III.