bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In splendid isolation: a new cloud forest species expands the distribution of Myrceugenia (Myrtaceae) into Las Yungas and adds a new genus to the flora of Bolivia
Authors: PROENÇA CAROLYN ELINORE BARNES , VIEIRA FÁBIO CHRISTIANO SPECK , SANO PAULO TAKEO , VILLARROEL DANIEL
Published: November 2024

Myrceugenia is a temperate or subtropical genus of c. 50 species with a disjunct distribution across South America. The ‘western’ species occur in central Chile and north-western Argentina with one species in the Juan Fernández Islands. The ‘eastern’ species occur in Uruguay, southern Brazil, and marginal regions of Argentina and Paraguay, reaching montane eastern Brazil (two isolated taxa in Central Brazil). It is hypothesized that Myrceugenia once grew across the temperate forests of southern South America, but that oceanic transgressions and the elevation of the Andes during the Miocene divided its populations as the forests retracted from the centre of the continent. The Las Yungas floristic province is a strip of cool, temperate forest that runs along the eastern slopes of the Andes from Venezuela to northern Argentina; Myrceugenia was not known to occur there. We report the discovery of a new species of Myrceugenia in southern Las Yungas (Bosque Tucumano Boliviano). It is distinct from all other species of the genus by the combination of solitary flowers, sub-ancipitate hypanthium, bilocular locules, and 12-13 clustered ovules. The phylogeny of Myrceugenia shows geographic structuring with three basal western clades and one derived eastern clade. The isolated taxa of Myrceugenia from Central Brazil were sisters, respectively, to the rest of the eastern clade and to one of its two subclades, suggesting that isolated taxa are relictual. The discovery of this species has made Myrceugenia the only genus of Myrtaceae to grow in the three cool, humid forests of southern South America.
Five new species of the genus Rhyacophila Stephens (Trichoptera, Rhyacophilidae) from southwestern Hokkaido, northern Japan
Authors: ITO TOMIKO , KUHARA NAOTOSHI , MALICKY HANS
Published: November 2024

Five new species of the genus Rhyacophila Stephens (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae) are described mainly based on adults from southwestern Hokkaido, northern Japan: R. eniwa Ito & Kuhara sp. nov. of the R. sibirica Species Group, R. bifue Ito & Kuhara sp. nov., R. imakane Ito & Kuhara sp. nov. and R. misago Ito & Kuhara sp. nov. of the R. kalkatica Species Group, and R. shimamaki Ito & Kuhara sp. nov., of an unknown species group. Also reported are records of R. arefini Lukyanchenko, a species similar to R. eniwa sp. nov., and R. hamata Hattori & Ohkawa, a species similar to the three new species of the R. kalkatica Species Group.
6. Digital hermeneutics
Authors: Elmo Raj P. Prayer
Published: November 2024

Classical hermeneutics, firmly rooted in the interpretation of cultural artifacts, stands at the precipice of a transformative paradigm shift as interactive digital networks pervade our existence. This essay probes the fundamental transformation brought about by technology, positing it as a dynamic hermeneutic agent with a dualistic magnification-reduction structure. This challenges the conventional notion of technology as a mere replica of reality, demanding a critical re-evaluation of its interpretational potency and its profound impact on comprehension and consequence. Digital hermeneutics unfurls along two distinct trajectories: one focused on the analysis and interpretation of digital-native texts and databases, while the other delves into the intricate dynamics of intentionality in human-AI interactions. The proliferation of digital ontologies necessitates a refined interpretive logic capable of navigating the intricate terrain of humanities research. By engaging with foundational hermeneutic theorists, this essay underscores the materiality intrinsic to language and underscores the transformative potential embedded in signs, symbols, and narratives. It interrogates the implications of digital texts, dismantling established constructs of narrative identity and fostering avenues for dynamic and evolving expressions of meaning. By critically addressing the materiality of meaning sources and the transformative prowess inherent in digital texts, this comprehensive study lays a foundation for an enhanced hermeneutical framework adept at navigating the intricate web of contemporary communication and information networks.
8. Building a book history database
Authors: Ward Rebekah
Published: November 2024

This chapter recounts my lived experience as a novice Digital Humanist. It is deliberately anecdotal, rather than theoretical, in style and form. The chapter tells the story of how I commenced a doctorate in the field of book history, then, with minimal technical training, came to build a large relational database that both enabled and complemented my written dissertation as well as providing value for future users. My research is centred on Angus & Robertson, the largest 20th-century Australian bookseller and publishing house. I was particularly interested in Angus & Robertson’s use of book reviews as a promotional tool. The company archive contains millions of miscellaneous documents and, even when limited to certain subsets, there were thousands of undigitised pages to interrogate. In response to that scale, I turned to the Digital Humanities, using the Heurist platform to design a bespoke database schema then populate the requisite fields with metadata from the physical documents, and subsequently enriching the records with secondary research. The resultant Angus & Robertson Book Reviews Database, which has been published online, remains a living database that at the time of writing contains 152,000 records, each with several fields, amounting to over a million data points.In this chapter, I explain design decisions as well as obstacles that I encountered whilst building the database without prior technical skills. I also share how the database has allowed me to tell previously untold stories about Angus & Robertson, book reviewing, and the 20th-century Australian print industry. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the ongoing potential of this specific database and how platforms like Heurist extend important opportunities to novice Digital Humanists.
12. Narratives of the self
Authors: Nandy Rimi
Published: November 2024

Narratives are structured around events, which are used to tell a story. The self is perpetually being constructed through narratives of experience. This chapter focuses on the phenomenon of Facebook confession pages and how they contribute to the construction of digital identity. Drawing on insights from my project on the role of Facebook College Confession pages, the chapter examines how these platforms have transformed the way users express and shape their identities. The anonymity provided by these pages allows users to post confessions without revealing their identities, encouraging a form of virtual self-exploration. These confessions, often written by nameless authors, generate a complex and ongoing narrative of identity, shaped by the interaction of multiple voices and viewpoints. The chapter also explores the motivations behind sharing personal confessions, even when the responses may be negative, and how this contributes to the perpetual construction of the digital self. By examining the intersection of public and private spheres in these online spaces, this chapter highlights how the breaking of the public-private divide enables users to create and negotiate their identities in a digital, networked world. The narrative constructed is endless, and the post is not an end in itself. It paves the way for the generation of an endless narrative by multiple authors with multiple viewpoints. This chapter explores the reasons behind sharing such posts on Facebook, even if the comments are negative in tone. It will refer to Anthony Giddens’ concept of time-space “distanciation” (Keefer et al., 2019) to show how multiple tellers through their narratives help to build the complex networked identity of a user. The study will also analyse the role played by the breaking of the public-private divide in creating such spaces for the construction of a private self through public voices.
14. Digital Humanities for a different purpose
Authors: Walker Julian , Hughes Miyuki , Leehy Madeleine , Mauch Peter
Published: November 2024

This chapter explores the recent application of Digital Humanities (DH) methods to a database for Australia-Japan Research and Industrial Collaboration (DAJRIC) and assesses their potential utility to a project outside of traditional scholarly purposes. The primary objective of this chapter is twofold: (i) to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach in serving our purposes, and (ii) to consider the scalability of the pilot database to accommodate numerous yet unfunded Japanese-Australian research projects. By developing a Heurist database, the project can harness the intuitive design principles that make DH methods so effective and appealing for scholarly purposes to users unfamiliar with these research fields. Throughout this process, the project team has discovered the challenges of raw data, ontology development, and bilingual functionality that face a project of this scale, whilst also realising the potential of Digital Humanities’ techniques in providing improved user interactivity and search functionality through record types and their connections with each other, and through data visualisation. These techniques, when applied with knowledge organisation techniques, enable a scalable database that can organically grow with the hundreds of projects to be entered in the future. As such, this project provides a valid example of how scholarly techniques within the Digital Humanities can be applied successfully to projects that act as a gateway between academia and other sectors.
Impact of regulatory and other changes on Australian unions’ strategies and campaigns, 2023–2024
Authors: Jerrard Marjorie , Bamber Greg J , McKeown Tui
Published: November 2024

This article reviews the challenges and opportunities facing Australian trade unions in 2023–2024. It covers industry challenges for specific unions and the changes introduced by the Federal Labor Government through its Closing the Loopholes Amendments to the Fair Work Act. It argues that the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and individual unions need to take the opportunity provided by the Federal Government's legal changes to make gains for members so that they are difficult to overturn if the federal government changes. It analyses campaigns and strategies of unions around challenges specific to them: for example, the recruitment of gig workers by the Transport Workers’ Union and campaigns by the ACTU and the Media and Entertainment Arts Alliance around inappropriate use of artificial intelligence by employers seeking to replace workers and usurp employees’ ownership rights to their work. It considers amalgamations (mergers) and disamalgamations (demergers) of concern for some unions. It discusses allegations of inappropriate behaviour facing the Construction and General Division of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees’ Union leading to its forced administration as a concern and possible impediment for the entire union movement if not resolved effectively.
Exploring the Effects of Augmented Reality on the Emotion Recognition Skills of Autistic Children
Authors: Hu Xiumei , Jiang Yitong , Sun Yunxuan , Xu Ziwei , Zheng Fang , Hu Xiaoyi
Published: November 2024

Autistic children have significant difficulties in recognizing and labeling emotions, difficulties which may hinder the natural development of their ability to express and regulate further emotions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an augmented reality emotion recognition program (ARERP) delivered in a group format on the emotion recognition of young autistic children. This study employed a concurrent multiple probe design across behaviors to evaluate the effects of the training on children’s emotion recognition. The target behavior was recognizing three emotion sets: positive, negative, and complex. The sequence of conditions included pre-test, baseline, training, post-test, and follow-up sessions. Positive results were found across all four children who all achieved 100% accuracy in identifying emotions during the training. Further, the emotion recognition skills were successfully maintained for 4–7 weeks post-training, with observed generalization to untrained still pictures and GIFs. This study provides preliminary evidence supporting the effectiveness of AR-based group training for young autistic children.
Associations Between Body Mass Index, Gait Biomechanics, and In Vivo Cartilage Function After Exercise in Those With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Garcia Steven A. , White McKenzie S. , Gallegos Jovanna , Balza Isabella , Kahan Seth , Palmieri-Smith Riann M.
Published: November 2024

Background:

Both high body mass index (BMI) and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) independently influence knee osteoarthritis risk. Preliminary evidence shows the combination of these risk factors leads to poorer recovery and altered biomechanical outcomes after ACLR, but few studies have directly evaluated early changes in cartilage health between normal-BMI and high-BMI groups in this population.

Purpose:

To evaluate ultrasound-based measures of cartilage strain and compositional changes (via echo-intensity [EI]) in response to an incline walking stress test between normal-BMI and high-BMI individuals with ACLR. A secondary evaluation was conducted of associations between habitual walking biomechanics (ie, ground-reaction forces, sagittal knee kinetics and kinematics) and cartilage strain and EI outcomes.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Gait biomechanics and femoral trochlear ultrasound analyses were evaluated in 64 participants with ACLR who had normal BMI (BMI < 27.0; n = 40) and high BMI (BMI ≥ 27.0; n = 24). Ultrasound images were collected bilaterally before and after an incline treadmill walk, and medial and lateral trochlear strain and EI changes pre-post exercise were used to compare BMI groups and limbs. Gait outcomes included ground-reaction forces, peak sagittal plane knee moments, angles, and excursions and were used to determine associations with cartilage outcomes in the entire cohort.

Results:

High-BMI individuals with ACLR exhibited greater medial trochlear cartilage strain in the ACLR limb compared with normal-BMI individuals (approximately 6%; P < .01). In those with high BMI, the ACLR limb exhibited greater medial trochlear strain relative to non-ACLR limbs (approximately 4%; P < .05), but between-limb differences were not observed in the normal-BMI group ( P > .05). Medial trochlear EI changes were greater bilaterally in those with high BMI compared with normal-BMI ACLR counterparts (approximately 10%; P < .01). Last, individuals who walked with greater peak knee flexion angles exhibited less medial cartilage strain (Δ R2 = 0.06; P = .025).

Conclusion:

The data suggested that high BMI affects cartilage functional properties after ACLR, whereas smaller knee flexion angles were associated with larger medial cartilage strain.

Clinical Relevance:

High-BMI individuals with ACLR may represent a subset of patients exhibiting earlier declines in cartilage functional integrity in response to loading, necessitating additional or more targeted interventions to mitigate disease development.
Long-Term Impact of the Bloor Viaduct Suicide Barrier on Suicides in Toronto: A Time-Series Analysis: Effet à long terme de la barrière anti-suicide du viaduc Bloor sur les suicides à Toronto : une analyse chronologique
Authors: Sinyor Mark , Men Vera Yu , Chan Prudence Po Ming , Sanchez Morales Daniel , Levitt Anthony J , Schaffer Ayal
Published: November 2024

Background

A suicide prevention barrier was installed at Toronto's Bloor Viaduct bridge in 2003. It was associated with short-term location substitution, possibly mediated by media effects that did not persist over 1 decade. The long-term impact of the barrier is unknown.

Methods

We examined rates of suicides by jumping from the Bloor Viaduct, other bridges and by other methods using coroner's records in Toronto (1998–2020). We used interrupted time-series Poisson regression analyses to model changes in quarterly bridge-related suicides after barrier installation. A secondary analysis explored the potential substitution effects of suicide by other methods.

Results

Of 5219 suicides from 1998 to 2020, 303 were by jumping from bridges. After controlling for covariates, installation of the Bloor Viaduct suicide barrier was associated with a 49% step decrease in bridge-related suicide in the next quarter in Toronto (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.51, 95% CI, 0.30 to 0.86) with no rebound increase in bridge-related suicide during the subsequent 17 years after the original drop (IRR = 0.99, 95% CI, 0.96 to 1.03). There was also no associated change in suicides by other methods after the barrier (IRR = 1.04, 95% CI, 0.90 to 1.20).

Conclusions

Contrary to initial findings, these results indicate an enduring suicide prevention effect of the Bloor Viaduct suicide barrier. They support the long-term utility of structural interventions at high-frequency sites for suicide.
Soft, precision engineered porous, hydrogel scaffolds mechanically tailored toward applications in the central nervous system
Authors: Zhen Le , Darrow Rebecca , Chen Ningjing , Anant Manjari , Tang Chaoyang , Gorantla Lahari , Crawford Lars , Dryg Ian , Ratner Buddy
Published: November 2024

Diseases and traumatic injuries to the central nervous system (CNS) demand the development of new biomaterials to improve healing and treatment options. Matching material mechanical properties to specific tissues and optimizing material porous structures are central goals for improving biomaterials. However, biomaterials with both precision-controlled porous structures and brain-matched mechanical properties (low modulus) are still lacking. In this study, we developed soft hydrogel scaffolds with mechanical properties similar to that of CNS tissues, and a uniform 40 µm porous structure—40 µm pores have been shown to be optimal for healing in many tissues. The two characteristics were achieved by a new fabrication process combining phase separation and sphere templating. The resulting scaffolds are non-cytotoxic according to the ISO 10993-5 standard. In addition, the three-dimensional culture of microglial cells within the scaffolds demonstrates cell attachment and maintenance of a rounded, quiescent morphology, potentially due to spatial confinement. These results justify further in vivo studies and suggest broad potential in CNS applications, such as brain-computer interfaces, neural regeneration, and basic neurobiology.

Subject classification codes: Neural Interfaces, soft hydrogel, synthetic biomaterials
Hybrid managers in an evolving healthcare: Does gender matter?
Authors: Sartirana Marco , Montanelli Roberta
Published: November 2024

Introduction

Hybrid managers have the potential to respond to the need for more integrated, responsive and accountable healthcare. Scholars have studied the antecedents of hybridization, but the role of gender has been neglected. Therefore, we study whether and how gender impacts on the way in which medical professionals exercise their managerial role.

Methods

We adopted a qualitative approach in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the specificities of women hybrids. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, focusing on hybrids in Italy in the field of neurology.

Results

We found that women hybrids show specific abilities and motivations, but they also encounter a specific lack of opportunities. Women hybrid managers appear well positioned to foster the evolution of professionalism, but healthcare organizations should implement policies and practices to effectively support them.

Conclusion

While existing research has treated hybrid managers as a homogenous group, we underline the specificities of women hybrids. They can support the evolution of healthcare organizations towards logics of service integration, user centricity, and staff engagement. Therefore, our findings have important theoretical and practical implications for health policy and management.
Improving sustainability in sexual health: A pilot project reintroducing reusable stainless steel vaginal specula at a sexual health clinic
Authors: Hall Isobel , Dean Gillian , Clarke Amanda
Published: November 2024

Introduction

In line with the NHS net zero initiative, University Hospitals Sussex (UHS) committed to a Green Plan which included the introduction of reusable instruments. Following positive responses from a staff and patient survey in 2021, the sexual health and contraception (SHAC) department began a pilot scheme of 100 medium size reusable stainless steel vaginal specula (RMS) as an alternative to disposable acrylic models. The aim was to determine outcomes regarding sustainability goals and clinician experiences.

Methods

Estimated carbon footprint and cost was calculated for actual use during study period, and expected use if RMS were to be exclusively used in the future. A staff questionnaire was distributed to ascertain attitudes towards RMS, including obstacles to their use and how these might be overcome.

Results

Monthly medium size plastic specula use decreased during the pilot, resulting in a 22.4% reduction in carbon footprint. Exclusively using RMS for all examinations could reduce carbon emissions by 85.6%. Clinicians had an overall positive attitude towards RMS. Key obstacles to use were poorly stocked rooms and insufficient variety of size.

Discussion

The success of this pilot scheme is being built upon by investing in a greater variety of sizes of RMS for use in SHAC aiming for a 100% reusable system.
Effects of combined exposure of manganese and iron on serum inflammatory factor levels among workers
Authors: Liang Dian-yin , Peng Jian-chao , Xie Bing-yan , Qin Wen-xia , Aschner Michael , Ou Shi-yan , Jiang Yue-ming
Published: November 2024

Objective

The aim of the study is to examine the association between long-term occupational exposure to Mn and Fe and their health effects in workers.

Methods

108 Mn workers were selected for the Mn exposure groups; 92 non-Mn workers were in the control group. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was used to determine the Mn and Fe concentration in the working environment. Graphite furnace-atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to determine the blood Mn concentration of workers. Serum inflammatory factors were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

The blood Mn concentration, positive rate of clinical symptoms and serum inflammatory response in the Mn exposure group was higher than in the control group.

Conclusions

Low levels of Mn exposure may increase blood Mn concentrations, the rate of complaints of neurological symptoms and promote increased serum inflammatory response in workers.
A Bayesian method for adverse effects estimation in observational studies with truncation by death
Authors: Sisti Anthony , Zullo Andrew , Gutman Roee
Published: November 2024

Death among subjects is common in observational studies evaluating the causal effects of interventions among geriatric or severely ill patients. High mortality rates complicate the comparison of the prevalence of adverse events between interventions. This problem is often referred to as outcome “truncation” by death. A possible solution is to estimate the survivor average causal effect, an estimand that evaluates the effects of interventions among those who would have survived under both treatment assignments. However, because the survivor average causal effect does not include subjects who would have died under one or both arms, it does not consider the relationship between adverse events and death. We propose a Bayesian method which imputes the unobserved mortality and adverse event outcomes for each participant under the intervention they did not receive. Using the imputed outcomes we define a composite ordinal outcome for each patient, combining the occurrence of death and the adverse event in an increasing scale of severity. This allows for the comparison of the effects of the interventions on death and the adverse event simultaneously among the entire sample. We implement the procedure to analyze the incidence of heart failure among geriatric patients being treated for Type II diabetes with sulfonylureas or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors.
Amended WHO International Health Regulations for better global pandemic governance?
Authors: Zidar Andraž , Cotič Zidar Živa
Published: November 2024

Recent amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR), adopted at the 77th World Health Assembly in May 2024, represent an important conceptual development in the field of global pandemic governance. The regulations now include the notion of a pandemic emergency, a heightened subcategory of the public health emergency of international concern, which necessitates rapid, equitable, and enhanced coordinated international action to counteract global pandemics. In addition, changes to the guiding principles expressly require that the implementation process ‘shall promote equity and solidarity’. This is further crystallised in concrete commitments to enable equitable access to health products and provide for the mobilisation of financial resources for developing countries. Taking lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, these changes make the IHR a more effective tool against global pandemics and represent significant steps towards achieving global health justice.
Relationships between perceived parenting styles and the self-regulated music practice of Chinese music majors
Authors: Zhang Chunxiao , Kwan Joyce Lok Yin , Leung Bo-Wah
Published: November 2024

Parents influence their children’s music learning and practice. This study examines relationships between perceived parenting styles and the self-regulated music practice of Chinese university students majoring in music. A survey was administered to Chinese music majors ( N  = 880) studying in mainland China. It examined relationships between the parenting styles participants perceived themselves to have experienced, authoritative and authoritarian, and the six dimensions of self-regulated music practice: motivation, method, behavior, social factors, physical environment, and time. The results suggest that both authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles are positively associated with most dimensions of self-regulated music practice, with authoritative parenting showing a more beneficial effect on learners’ self-regulated music practice. All paths from perceived parenting styles and self-regulated music practice were found to be structurally invariant across gender. The findings contribute to a better understanding of parental influence on the self-regulated practice of Chinese music majors. The limitations of the study and possible future research directions are discussed at the end of the article.
Functional Outcome and Patient Satisfaction After Primary vs Secondary Arthrodesis for Lisfranc Injuries: Toward a Single-Surgery Approach
Authors: Wilhelmina Maria Engelmann Esmee , Halm Jens Anthony , Schepers Tim
Published: November 2024

Background:

The choice between primary arthrodesis (PA) and open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for acute Lisfranc injuries remains contentious. Apart from primary treatment, arthrodesis is often used for treating chronic Lisfranc injuries, including patients in whom initial ORIF or nonoperative treatment failed. The aim of this study was to compare PA and secondary arthrodesis (SA) in terms of complications and functional outcome.

Methods:

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on trauma patients with Lisfranc injuries treated at a level 1 trauma center between July 1, 2010, and July 1, 2020. Selected patients were evaluated at the outpatient clinic and received a survey. Demographics, injury characteristics, management, complications, and patient-reported outcomes (American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society midfoot score, Foot Function Index) were analyzed.

Results:

Twenty-nine of 37 potential patients (78.4%; PA n = 11, SA n = 18) completed the survey with a median follow-up of 7.1 (PA) to 9.3 (SA) years ( P = .01). The majority were female (n = 18, 62.1%); the mean age of PA patients was 57.1 years (SD 14.2) compared with 43.5 years (SD 17.1) in SA patients ( P = .04). In the PA group, there was no infection, 100% union, and implants were removed in 5 of 11 patients. In the SA group, 11.1% (n = 2) developed infection, malunion rate was 11.1%, implants were removed in 33.3% (n = 6), and 22.2% required revision surgery. AOFAS was “good” in PA (77.7, SD 17.3) compared with rated “fair” in SA (67.1, SD 21.3, P = .19). FFI was better in PA (26.0, SD 26.2) than SA (37.6, SD 30.8, P = .32), which exceeded the minimally important clinical difference.

Conclusion:

Although this study was limited by sample size, the overall results suggest equivalent functional outcome, pain and treatment satisfaction in primary arthrodesis compared with secondary arthrodesis patients for treatment of Lisfranc injury.
Commentary: The Future of Human-Robot Interactions
Authors: Mende Martin , Shneiderman Ben , Boccanfuso Laura
Published: November 2024

Service robots are poised for enormous impact helping to achieve the U.N Sustainable Development goals as well as supporting older adults and young learners. This article briefly explores these application areas in three invited commentaries written by leading scholars and an industry entrepreneur, expressing their varied perspectives on the future of service robots. The article accompanies this Journal of Service Research special issue on human-robot interactions. In their commentaries, the authors share views on areas of personal interest ranging from global grand challenges to healthy aging and educational development. Included within each commentary are managerial insights and suggestions for needed research in the highlighted area.
Choroid Plexus as a Mediator of CNS Inflammation in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Hochstetler Alexandra , Lehtinen Maria K.
Published: November 2024

The pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) remains poorly understood despite decades of tremendous research efforts. Advances in neuroradiography coupled with availability of unbiased approaches including spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics that are compatible with brain and fluid specimens from patients raise hope that discovery of novel disease drivers is on the horizon. Once thought to be little more than salty bathwater, our modern understanding of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) suggests the CSF as a compelling, critical regulator of brain function in health and disease. Recent studies in the field have reinvigorated interest in CSF as a medium to better understand MS and to deliver disease-modifying therapies. In turn, the choroid plexus, an epithelial tissue located within each brain ventricle that regulates CSF and forms a key blood-CSF barrier, is uniquely positioned to orchestrate neuroinflammation associated with MS. In this perspective review, we will discuss what is known about the choroid plexus as a conductor of immune responses and how it may propagate neuroinflammation associated with MS via the CSF.
Impact of symptomatic multiple sclerosis therapy on pregnancy outcome
Authors: Witt Laura , Haben Sabrina , Dost-Kovalsky Karen , Friedmann Natalia , Bast Nadine , Oganowski Theresa , Gold Ralf , Thiel Sandra , Hellwig Kerstin
Published: November 2024

Background:

Information on symptomatic therapy (ST) use in women of childbearing age with multiple sclerosis is sparse, and data on the impact of ST pregnancy exposure on pregnancy outcome are lacking.

Objective:

To investigate (1) ST use patterns pre-conception, during pregnancy and postpartum and (2) pregnancy outcomes.

Methods:

Pregnancy data from the German Multiple Sclerosis and Pregnancy Registry were analyzed for the ST use from pre-conception to postpartum. Pregnancy outcomes were compared between ST-exposed ( n = 282) and matched (disease modifying therapy and age) ST-naive (n = 536) pregnancies.

Results:

Of 2,449 pregnancies, 1,053 (43.0%) received ST anytime between pre-conception and postpartum, 282 (11.5%) at pre-conception and during pregnancy. The most commonly used drug classes were antidepressants (24.8%), analgetics (31.0%), and anticonvulsives (8.7%). Exposure to ST during pregnancy did not result in an increased incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes, major congenital abnormalities, or pregnancy complications.

Conclusion:

Nearly 50% of women used ST between pre-conception and postpartum, but only 12% pre-conception and during pregnancy. ST use during pregnancy did not adversely affect pregnancy outcomes in our cohort. More data are needed to analyze the effect of ST on pregnancy and fetal outcomes stratified by drug to improve recommendations for ST use in family planning.
The ‘P-word’ in Indian juvenile justice: Toward a deeper understanding of legal rhetoric and practice
Authors: Prasad Pupul Dutta
Published: November 2024

Although the Indian juvenile justice statute is rhetorically silent about punishment, nonetheless recognisably punitive ideas and practices remain ubiquitous. Standard interpretations do not go beyond legal analyses of the mismatch between discourse and practice. However, interviews with policymakers and practitioners arrayed throughout the juvenile justice field in India reveal the need for a nuanced and deeper understanding of legal rhetoric and practice. A more rigorous, qualitative analysis of penal practices foregrounds the interplay between a set of enabling factors that include, but are not limited to, social constructions of childhood deviance, and attitudes and interests of key juvenile justice actors. It also accounts for why Indian juvenile justice actors euphemise punishment as if it were an unspeakable ‘p-word’, while reinscribing punishment as a normal and normative objective to pursue.
Genderqueer reflections on Weird Barbie
Authors: Babin Darby M.
Published: November 2024

For better or worse, Barbie (2023) was part of a summer blockbuster phenonemon. Much of the fanfare around the film included conersations about feminism, ‘girlhood’ and whether or not the film was reductive in terms of upholding an iconic yet often criticised doll. This article attempts to wade through that noise by focusing on my own experience of the film as a genderqueer feminist academic. Blending personal reflection with queer theory and feminist critique, I unpack the use of the gender binary in Barbie Land and the implications, if any, for viewers and the overall ‘feminist’ positioning of the film (and whether or not that matters). In particular, I focus on Jack Halberstam's concept of gender failure and what that failure looks like in the idyllic world of Barbie. Following my own feminist epistemological commitments, this article makes use of academic as well as non-academic texts, in addition to blogs and other pop culture sources. Ultimately, this article considers the role of whiteness in the acceptance of the non-normative characters in Barbie – particulalry Weird Barbie – and why it is essential for white queers to remember that their experiences are not the queer experience.
Ken's best friend: masculinities in Barbie
Authors: Estlick Julie
Published: November 2024

Greta Gerwig's Barbie (2023) has predominantly been labelled either as anti-man propaganda or as a paragon for women's empowerment. I suggest that such positions miss a crucial point: Barbie is not anti-man; it is pro-man and is not necessarily a revolutionary film for women, at least not as much as it is for men. This is because Barbie espouses non-hegemonic masculinity through cultural critiques that are rare to see in popular media, especially with the immense commercial success that the film has had . I postulate that Barbie can be utilised as a blueprint for men through its representation of queered masculinity and intimate heterosexual male homosocial relationships. The film portrays heterosexual deviance that can be used as an alternative thinking of how masculinity can be performed sans patriarchy and hegemony. This subversive representation is paramount, and the ramifications of such an analysis can hopefully result in future media representations of non-hegemonic masculinity and can also lend to the effort in normalising the existence of men's emotions and mental health struggles, and in underlining discussions of what it means to be man enough; or better yet, what it means to be Kenough.
Have German leaders become ‘sentimental’? A qualitative study of novel leadership practices and expectations since COVID
Authors: Mahadevan Jasmin , Stärkle Annabelle , Bacher Lisa , Bernhardt Erwin , Burghardt Robin , Hammer Marvin , Mohaupt Michael , Seifert Jesse , Vögele Jule Amelie , Bensel Franziska , Diehm Raphael , Goroll Frederik , Metzler Sven , Schoss Theodor
Published: November 2024

This qualitative study investigates the leadership implications of COVID-induced work-from-home in the German context. We find that sentiment has become part of post-pandemic leadership expectations and identify the ‘coaching leader’, on lower leadership levels, and in relation to one’s peers, as a new style. The increased relevance of empathy, sentiment and development is in contrast to the leadership expectations which project GLOBE has established for Germany. Furthermore, we see that leadership in times of crisis becomes more malleable, providing individuals with the possibility of moving beyond existing norms, such as culture-specific value orientations, standards and leadership styles. The contribution of our study lies firstly in identifying the ‘coaching leader’ as a new style. Secondly, we show that leaders’ creative performances might be more relevant to New Work than the culture-specific styles which comparative cross-cultural management is based upon. Consequently, cross-cultural management research on leadership, as well as leadership development in practice, needs to become more individualized and contextualized. We also find that interviewees continue to make sense of leadership using the established culturally-contingent templates identified by project GLOBE, even though their actual leadership practices have changed. This gap between subjective leadership perception and objective leadership practice needs to be taken into account by cross-cultural management theory and practice. In summary, we propose that cross-cultural management research on leadership should (1) integrate qualitative, in-depth, and quantitative, comparative approaches for mutual enrichment, (2) differentiate leadership contexts into stability and change (crisis), and (3) consider both subjective and objective leadership realities.
How Do Young People Who Have Offended in the United Kingdom Conceptualise the Term ‘Family’?
Authors: Coleman Nicola
Published: November 2024

Children and young people’s understandings and experiences of ‘family’ have largely been ignored in research that concerns them. This article reports the findings from research that was generated in collaboration with young people who have offended to understand how they conceptualise the term ‘family’. Key themes that were drawn from the research identified that the young people placed more emphasis on the emotional aspects of ‘family life’ than on the presence of specific ‘family members’. The focus group discussions centred around the importance of love, trust and safety, in determining who should be considered ‘family’. The language used by the young people was largely based on their own personal experiences of ‘family’ and ‘family life’, which for some of the young people, was significantly affected by their time spent in the care system.
Party Switching in Elected Upper Chambers: The Case of the Brazilian Senate
Authors: Couto Lucas , Lopes Amanda Vitoria , Albala Adrián , Paley Vinícius Ruiz
Published: November 2024

Party switching has received considerable attention in academic literature in recent years, especially in Brazil. Surprisingly, however, very little is known about the reasons why senators decide to change their party affiliation. Against this backdrop, this study takes the first step and sheds light on the matter by investigating what is behind senatorial party defection in Brazil. Overall, the results indicate that ideological distance between senators and parties emerges as the primary factor explaining the switch, although this relationship is slightly conditioned by office and vote considerations. However, the findings also highlight how the behaviour of senators changes according to the degree of the seats up to contest in the upcoming elections (i.e. one-third or two-thirds of the chamber). Thus, our results add another piece to understanding the party switching puzzle in Brazil and bring important implications for legislative studies and legislative behaviour.
Creating Caregiver-Friendly Recipes for Thickened Liquids Using Noncommercial Thickening Agents for Older Infants and Young Children
Authors: Oommen Elizabeth , Dozeman Megan , Cuellar Megan , Koetje Alyssa , Witte Jacob , Timmer Lauren , Bradford Erica
Published: November 2024

The aim of this study was to develop caregiver-friendly recipes for thickened liquids consistent with the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) guidelines using noncommercial thickening agents to reduce variability in preparation. Recipes were tested combining base and thickening agents, where base agents were measured in fluid ounces and thickening agents in weight (ounces). The IDDSI flow test was completed after preparation, 10 min, and 20 min. Step-by-step protocols for slightly thick, mildly thick, and moderately thick recipes of thickened liquids were created. Each recipe resulted in a consistency within the prescribed IDDSI ml range of thickness immediately after preparation and remained stable over 20 min. Given the ease and reliability of preparation, lower costs, and readily available thickening agents, the protocols outlined in this study offer an appealing option for preparing thickened liquids. Additional research is warranted to determine palatability, long-term effects, and caloric value of the recipes.
Clinical Application of DynaCT in the Study of Vascular Neointimal Hyperplasia Characteristics after Option Filter Placement
Authors: An Rui , Cai Yandong , Zhu Tianyi , Gao Ruijiao , Zhang Yanrong , Li Liang , Cao Pengkai , Liu Xiangdong , Li Yunsong
Published: November 2024

Objective:

The objective of this study was to analyze neointimal hyperplasia of the inferior vena cava (IVC) after Option filter implantation by DynaCT and to provide a reference for the safety of effective neointimal hyperplasia cutting after long retrieval window filter implantation in vivo.

Methods:

Clinical data on 22 patients with Option filters were retrospectively analyzed. DynaCT was used to analyze the characteristics of neointimal hyperplasia after filter implantation, including the distribution of neointimal hyperplasia and the maximum thickness of the neointimal hyperplasia. Correlation analysis was performed between the measurement results and the number of times the inner membrane of the filter was cut during filter retrieval, and correlation analysis also was performed between the measurement results and the time of filter placement.

Results:

As measured by DynaCT, the neointimal hyperplasia after filter placement was located around the barbs of the filter plug, and the maximum neointimal hyperplasia thickness was located in the 1 to 5 points of the IVC. There was a linear trend between neointimal hyperplasia thickness of the IVC and filter neointimal cutting times by the retrieval catheter after filter placement. Correlation analysis showed a correlation coefficient of r = 0.609 ( P = 0.003), indicating a significant correlation between the two. There also was a linear trend between neointimal hyperplasia thickness and implantation time. Correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficient was r = 0.36 ( P = 0.102), and the correlation between the two was not significant.

Conclusion:

Based on DynaCT, the characteristics of IVC neointimal hyperplasia after Option filter implantation were analyzed, and the cutting force and direction of neointimal hyperplasia could be controlled effectively and safely by changing the filter retrieval catheter.

Clinical Impact

we can effectively and safely cut the hyperplastic intima by modifying the filter retrieval catheter to control the cutting force and direction and provide a reference for the safe and effective retrieval of the long-retrieval-time window filter after implantation in the body.
Infections and Patient Satisfaction in WALANT Hand Surgery in a Hospital Procedure Room
Authors: Derby Michaela J. , McKnight Kelly N. , Van Demark Robert E.
Published: November 2024

Background: Wide-awake hand surgery has allowed many hand procedures to be moved out of the operating room and into minor procedure rooms while increasing efficiency, maintaining safety, and reducing both patient and hospital costs. The goal of this study was to evaluate patient satisfaction and postoperative complications of wide-awake local anesthesia with no tourniquet procedures performed in a community-based hospital procedure room. Methods: A total of 786 patients underwent 948 elective hand procedures in a hospital procedure room. At the conclusion of their surgeries, the patients were surveyed regarding their satisfaction. Following surgery, patients were evaluated for postoperative complications including infections. The trend in postoperative infection rates across 8 age groups was analyzed using a Cochran-Armitage test in R. Results: The overall infection rate was 6.2% ( n = 59). All infections were superficial. Carpal tunnel had the highest number of infections ( n = 25), followed by trigger finger ( n = 8), and the combination trigger finger with carpal tunnel ( n = 7). All infections were managed with antibiotics and/or soaks. Three patients did require a return to the operating room for irrigation and debridement. Ninety-nine percent of patients said the procedure room experience was better or the same as going to the dentist, would recommend wide-awake anesthesia to a friend or family member, and would undergo the procedure again. Conclusion: Wide-awake procedures performed in a hospital procedure room have low infection rates with high patient satisfaction.