bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Osteonecrosis of the jaw under palbociclib: A case series description
Authors: Yosofi Chabnam , Cairon-Lejeune Sophie , Lefeuvre-Plesse Claudia , Polard Elisabeth , Briet Marie , Kammerer-Jacquet Solène-Florence , Triquet Louise , Scailteux Lucie-Marie
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Cases of osteonecrosis of the jaw have been reported by dental surgeons to the pharmacovigilance center in Rennes, France, occurring among patients treated with palbociclib, a cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor. Although this event was not expected with the drug, a safety signal was raised. Describing a local case series, the aim of our study was to identify specific patterns that might suggest a triggering role for these drugs, and to discuss pathophysiological hypotheses.

Materials and methods

A retrospective case series of patients exposed to cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors between 2016 and 2020 with a diagnosis of osteonecrosis of the jaw at the Rennes Dental Care Center was analyzed. The descriptive analysis was conducted on patient demographics, breast cancer characteristics, osteonecrosis of the jaw, biological data, and exposure to cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors.

Results

We identified eight cases, most of them at stages 0–1 (62.5%). Four patients were still exposed to palbociclib at the time of diagnosis and four had discontinued the treatment before the diagnosis. Chronological imputability could not be excluded given the drug’s half-life and the variable intervals of dental monitoring from one patient to another. All patients had at least one dental osteonecrosis risk factor (including dental extraction, dentures, and denosumab exposure at the time of diagnosis). Neutropenia and mucositis were not systematically reported at the time of diagnosis. The anatomopathological characteristics were nonspecific.

Conclusion

We did not identify a specific pattern that could suggest a triggering role of palbociclib in the development of ONJ.
Vaccine response after pneumococcal vaccination in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients
Authors: Cheplowitz Halle , Patel Nimish , Kim Alexander , Logan Cathy , Law Nancy , Koura Divya , Haste Nina , Medley Katherine , Trinh Julie , Sanders Tyler , Taremi Mahnaz , Saunders Ila M
Published: March 2023

Current guidelines for vaccination in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) recipients recommend initiation of pneumococcal vaccination series three to six months post-HCT, with most data supporting initiation at six months due to a more robust immune response. This single-center, retrospective, observational chart review aimed to evaluate the impact of initiating the pneumococcal vaccine series at three months post-HCT compared to six months post-HCT. The primary endpoints were defined as a percentage of patients with a serologic response of >1 and >1.3 µg/mL for over 50% of the defined serotypes. Outcomes showed no difference in immunologic response between the two groups.
Small Moves: New Teachers’ Perceptions of Authoritative Discourse
Authors: Lambert Claire , Myers Joy , Howard Christy , Adams-Budde Melissa
Published: March 2023

Novice teachers experience language about literacy instruction from a variety of sources. This longitudinal case study uses Bakhtin’s notions of authoritative and internally persuasive discourse to consider how four novice teachers negotiated messages regarding literacy instruction from the conclusion of preservice education through their first 2 years of teaching. Although the challenges of the initial years of teaching have been studied, limited attention has been given to the ways in which novice teachers negotiate and take up language about literacy instruction within their school contexts. Interviews and email journals were used as data sources. Findings reveal that novice teachers perceived authoritative discourse from curricula, programs and assessments, and instructional expectations of administrators or senior colleagues. Participants accessed internally persuasive literacy discourses through questioning, supplementing, and changing literacy programs they perceived as required by authorities. Implications for teacher educators, researchers, and school personnel are discussed.
Italy in Front of the Challenge of Infrastructure Maintenance: Existing Issues and Promising Responses
Authors: Mimmi Luisa Maria
Published: March 2023

It is puzzling how the optimal maintenance of infrastructure gets so little attention in the public policy debate and in national strategic infrastructure investment plans. In the case of Italy, an information deficit, inadequate strategic planning and governance, and unpreparedness for macro changes affecting infrastructure emerge as critical root causes of neglect. Despite the increasing attention to sustainability (at national, EU and international level), it is not consistently implemented along the life cycle of infrastructure assets, which would entail adequate funding to operate and maintain existing assets. Public administration plays a critical coordination role and must tackle the excessive normative complexity and consequent lengthiness of the authorization processes. Despite some unmet challenges, several ongoing interventions show Italy’s commitment to address some of the issues. Notably, the creation of an integrated repository tracking all the country’s infrastructure projects, or the national guidelines recently issued to rank and prioritize bridge safety interventions.
Endobronchial Intubation With the King Vision® and McGrath® Laryngoscopes in Simulated Easy and Difficult Airways by Novices (eKingMath)
Authors: Khidr Alaa M. , Masoudi Jumana , AlAboud Sarah , Alshahrani Mashael , Bokhari Aziza , Sorbello Massimiliano , Zdravkovic Ivana , Khalil Mohamed A , Al Shadowy Saeed , Al Ghamdi Talal , Al’ghamdi Abdulmohsen , Fallatah Summayah , El Tahan Mohamed R.
Published: March 2023

Objective. The competency of using video laryngoscopes (VL) for double-lumen tube (DLT) endobronchial intubations can be improved with constant training as assessed by measuring the learning curves. We hypothesized that the time to DLT intubation would be reduced over the intubation attempts. Design. A crossover manikin study. Settings. University-affiliated hospital. Participants. Forty-two novice medical students unfamiliar with DLT intubation. Interventions. Participants were randomly allocated to two sequences, including DLT intubation, using King Vision and McGrath VLs. Each participant completed 100 DLT intubation attempts on both simulated easy and difficult airways on two different mannikins using the study devices (25 attempts for each). Measurements and Main Results. The primary outcome was the time to DLT intubation. The secondary outcomes included the best glottic view, optimizing maneuvers, and intubation first-pass success. The use of King Vision VL was associated with a significantly shorter time to DLT intubation ( P < 0.044 and P < 0.05, respectively) and a higher percentage of glottic opening (POGO) compared to the McGrath VL ( P < 0.011 and P < 0.002, respectively) in the simulated “easy” and “difficult” over most of the intubation attempts. In the simulated “easy” airway, the first-pass success ratio was higher when using the King Vision VL (median [Minimum–Maximum] 100% [100%–100%] and 100% [88%–100%], P = 0.012). Conclusion. Novice medical students developed skills over intubation attempts, meaning achievement of a faster DLT intubation, better laryngeal exposure, and higher success rate on simulated “easy” and “difficult” airways. A median of 9 DLT intubations was required to achieve a 92% or greater DLT intubation success rate.
Evaluation of Leptospira infection and exposure in free-roaming cat populations in northern California and southern Texas
Authors: Sebastian Jamie F , Reagan Krystle L , Peavy Tess , Zecca Italo B , Hamer Sarah A , Sykes Jane E
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Leptospirosis is a re-emergent zoonotic bacterial disease associated with renal and hepatic injury. In free-roaming cats in some regions, a high prevalence of Leptospira antibodies has been identified, and pathogenic leptospires have been detected in renal tissue, indicating that they may play a role in Leptospira epidemiology. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Leptospira seroreactivity and urinary shedding of Leptospira DNA in free-roaming cats from northern California and southern Texas. A secondary objective was to compare the results of a point-of-care (POC) assay, designed to detect Leptospira antibodies, with the results of the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) when applied to serum samples from feral cats.

Methods

Specimens were obtained from free-roaming cats from northern California (n = 52; 2020) and southern Texas (n = 75; 2017). Leptospira quantitative PCR was performed on blood and urine specimens from Californian cats. Serum samples from Californian and Texan cats were subjected to MAT to categorize them as Leptospira antibody-positive or antibody-negative. The performance of the POC assay was assessed using the MAT as the gold standard.

Results

Leptospira DNA was not detected in the blood or urine of any cats tested. The results of the MAT were positive in 17.3% (n = 9) of Californian cats and 10.7% (n = 8) of Texan cats ( P = 0.3). The median MAT titer was 1:100 (range 1:100–1:200) in Californian cats and 1:200 (range 1:100–1:800) in Texan cats. The POC assay was negative in all specimens.

Conclusions and relevance

Free-roaming cats in California and Texas are exposed to Leptospira species and may have the potential to act as sentinel hosts. No cats had evidence of current infection, as determined using PCR on blood and urine specimens. The POC test did not reliably detect anti- Leptospira antibodies in these cats. The role of cats in the maintenance or shedding of pathogenic leptospires requires further investigation.
Sterile corneal necrosis after bowman layer transplantation
Authors: Orive Bañuelos Ana , Santamaría Carro Alaitz , Feijóo Lera Raquel , Etxebarria Ecenarro Jaime
Published: March 2023

Purpose: To report sterile corneal necrosis as a severe and rare complication after Bowman Layer Transplantation (BTL). Methods: A 35-year-old woman with Down syndrome and advanced progressive keratoconus in her left eye was scheduled for a BLT. The patient rubbed her eyes and did not tolerate contact lenses. Following standard technique, a 8mm Bowman layer graft was placed into a intrastromal pocket with no intraoperative complications. Results: Postoperatively, the patient remained stable and topography showed notable central flattening but 17 days after the BTL was performed she developed a sterile corneal necrosis. Conclusions: Many studies have proven the efficacy of this technique as a potential treatment for stabilizing progressive and advanced keratoconus in selected cases. Few complications associated with BTL have been reported, including Bowman Layer tears or buttonholes when obtaining the tissue, very thick grafts or postoperative hydrops but no sterile necrosis described to the date. A combination of the hypotheses raised in this paper may explain this undesirable event.
Prior Periods of Abstinence Among Adults With an Alcohol Use Disorder: A Qualitative Template Analysis
Authors: Ware Orrin D. , Labos Breanna , Hudgins Daniella , Irvin Nathan A. , Buresh Megan E. , Bergeria Cecilia L. , Sweeney Mary M.
Published: March 2023

Abstaining from substance use is a goal of many people with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Understanding patient perspectives of a period of abstinence may assist persons with AUD in achieving this goal. We accessed the electronic health records of adults with AUD entering an emergency department in Baltimore, Maryland, who received a brief peer support intervention for substance use. Data contained open-ended text entered by staff after a patient indicated ever having a sustained period of substance abstinence. Using qualitative template analysis methodology, we identified codes and themes from these open-ended responses from N = 153 adults with AUD. The sample was primarily male (n = 109, 71.2%) and White (n = 98, 64.1%) with an average age of 43.8 years (SD = 11.2). Themes identified included the abstinence length, abstinence reason, relapse, triggers, time of relapse, and treatment. The most common code for abstinence length was “between 1 and 5 years” (n = 55, 35.9%). Other abstinence length codes included “less than 1 year” and “more than 5 years.” Relapse triggers included “family (non-death),” “death of a loved one,” “social,” “economic,” and “treatment-related” reasons. Findings from this study could be used to inform strategies for peer support interventions to assist patients with substance abstinence.
Schistosoma mansoni Infections and Morbidities Among School Children in Hotspot Areas of Jimma Town, Southwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Tiruneh Abebaw , Zemene Endalew , Abdissa Mizana Biru , Girma Hundaol , Dereje Eden , Sharew Bizuwork , Ayana Mio , Mekonnen Zeleke
Published: March 2023

Background:

Schistosoma mansoni is endemic in all regions of Ethiopia. School-age children are highly vulnerable to schistosomiasis-related morbidities. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of S. mansoni and morbidities among schoolchildren in schistosomiasis hotspot areas of Jimma Town.

Methods:

Cross-sectional study was conducted among schoolchildren in Jimma Town. Stool sample was examined using Kato-Katz for the detection of S. mansoni.

Results:

A total of 332 schoolchildren were included in the study. The prevalence of S. mansoni and STHs was 20.2% and 19.9%, respectively. Males (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 4.9; 95% CI: 2.4-10.1; p = .001), swimming habits (AOR = 3.0; 95% CI: 1.1-8.3; p = .033) and schools attended (AOR = 4.3; 95% CI: 1.4-13.6; p = .012, AOR = 3.8; 95% CI: 1.3-10.9; p = .014) were associated factors for S. mansoni infections. Blood in stool (AOR = 2.0; CI: 1.0-4.1; p = .045) and feeling general malaise (AOR = 4.0; CI: 1.4-11.3; p = .007) were significantly associated with S. mansoni infection-related morbidities. Moreover, prevalence of stunting among schoolchildren 6 to 11 years of age was 29.7% (71/239).

Conclusion:

The transmission of S. mansoni among schoolchildren is moderate. Sex, swimming habits and schools attended were associated with S. mansoni infections. Blood in stool and general malaise were clinical characteristics associated with S. mansoni infections. Integration of health promotion is needed to achieve control and elimination goals. Attention should also be given to stunted growth of the children.
Effectiveness of Exercise-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation for Heart Transplant Recipients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Costa Rúben , Moreira Emília , Silva Cardoso José , Azevedo Luís Filipe , Ribeiro João Alves , Pinto Roberto
Published: March 2023

Background:

Heart Transplant (HTx) is the ultimate chance of life for end stage Heart Failure (HF). Exercise training has consistently shown the potential to improve functional capacity in various chronic heart diseases. Still, the evidence in HTx recipients is scarcer. This study aims to systematically review the literature to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Exercise-based Cardiac Rehabilitation (EBCR) in HTx recipients and to identify possible moderators of success.

Methods:

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on the effect and safety of EBCR in adult HTx recipients. The primary outcome was functional capacity, measured by Peak Oxygen Uptake (pVO2). We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge databases until December 2020, reviewed references of relevant articles and contacted experts. Usual care (UC), the different dosages of exercise regimens and alternative settings were allowed as comparators. A quantitative synthesis of evidence was performed using random-effects meta-analyses.

Results:

A total of 11 studies with 404 patients were included. Nine studies comprising 306 patients compared EBCR with usual care. They showed that EBCR improved pVO2 compared to usual care (Mean Difference [MD] 3.03 mL/kg/min, 95% CI [2.28-3.77]; I2 = 32%). In the subgroup analysis, including length of intervention and timing of enrollment after HTx, no significant moderator was found. Two trials, with 98 patients total, compared High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Moderate Intensity Continuous Training (MICT). HIIT attained a significant edge over MICT (MD 2.23 mL/kg/min, 95% CI [1.79-2.67]; I2 = 0%). No major adverse events associated with EBCR were reported.

Conclusion:

We found moderate quality evidence suggesting EBCR has a significant benefit on functional capacity improvement HTx recipients at the short-term. HIIT showed superiority when compared to MICT. Research focusing long term outcomes and standardized protocols are needed to improve evidence on EBCR effectiveness.
Developing Community-Based Palliative Care for Children: A Community Case Study from an Urban Informal Settlement in Bangladesh
Authors: Chowdhury Mostofa Kamal , Bezzahou Maryam , Khanom Marufa , Doherty Megan
Published: March 2023

Background:

Globally, more than 97% of children needing palliative care reside in low- and middle-income countries, where there is very limited access to palliative care. Several community-based palliative care programs focused on adults, have been described in resource limited settings, suggesting a simple and low-cost approach to providing palliative care. The implementation of community-based palliative care for children has not previously been described.

Context:

This community case study describes the implementation of an innovative model of community-based palliative care program in and urban informal settlement, (Korail Slum, Bangladesh). The program is led by a local government hospital, with experience in community-based palliative care, in partnership with the local community.

Problem:

Children with serious conditions in an urban unformal settlement do not have access to health services which address their medical, psychosocial and spiritual needs. This gap leads to a significant burden of preventable suffering for them and their families.

Solution:

A community-based palliative care program was implemented, which includes home care by trained community health workers, with support and supervision from palliative care nurses and physicians. The program’s objective is to provide effective symptom management, clear communication about the child’s condition with parents, and psychosocial support including support for basic needs. The program was free for families including medications, medical equipment, physiotherapy, and speech therapy. The program was monitored through regular assessments of quality of life using standardized tools (PedsQL Family Impact Module), as well as interviews and focus group discussions.

Conclusion and lessons learned:

A model of community-based palliative care for children can be implemented in an urban informal settlement. Program effectiveness is enhanced by community health workers who share language, culture, and life-experiences with the individuals they serve. Partnerships with local health care facilities and community groups strengthen the program’s sustainability. Ensuring financial sustainability remains a challenge.
Taking Play Seriously in Urban Design: The Evolution of Barcelona’s Superblocks
Authors: Amati Marco , Stevens Quentin , Rueda Salvador
Published: March 2023

The original Cerdà plan (Pla Cerdà) of 1855 for the extension of Barcelona is famous for its grid array of large blocks and wide streets to promote circulation. Each block was originally intended to have an area of open space in the center to provide for the needs of residents. Already by the 1920s, however, the center of the blocks had been filled with buildings. Barcelona currently suffers from a chronic lack of open space, excess noise, and air pollution that exceeds European Union law. This article aims to trace the agency of play as a dynamic process in urban planning to provide new sources of open space through Superblocks (aka Superillas and Supermanzanas). We begin with a brief history of their implementation in the city of Barcelona and the evolution of their justification from the 1990s onward. We then explain the capacity for urban transformation that Superblocks have and how they can modify the urban mobility model and the public space model. We then analyze the role of different forms of play that are used in the area of Poblenou to suggest how play can be used to increase the legitimacy of public participation. Finally, we observe the contingent role of play within urban socialization and in motivating and shaping the urban planning processes of implementing Superblocks.
Internet use and inverted U-shaped employment polarization in tourism occupations
Authors: Guo Wei , Wang Jing , Kang Yue
Published: March 2023

The existing literature has not fully explored the polarization of tourism employment and the causes of this polarization, and this article makes contributions to addressing this issue. Using data on tourism-related occupations from the China General Social Survey , the article finds that current tourism employment is polarized in an inverted “U” shape, with the top of the polarization occurring in the middle-skilled occupational area. This differs significantly from the existing literature, which concludes that there is a “U” shaped employment polarization. The article finds that workers’ use of the Internet is the main cause of the inverted U-shaped polarization of tourism employment. This is reflected in the relatively low proportion of employment in the low-skilled and high-skilled occupational groups and the relatively high and stable proportion of employment in the middle-skilled occupational groups. However, dynamically, the employment of low-skilled groups tends to increase, and high-employment groups tend to decrease. These results reveal new findings in the tourism labor market and have important implications for current research on tourism employment.
Technoliberalism and the Complementary Relationships between Humanitarian, Conservation, and Entrepreneurial Dronework in Indonesia
Authors: Fish Adam
Published: March 2023

Criticism of commercial drones as violators of personal privacy or unsafe public annoyances continues to influence public and academic discourse. At the same time, the commercial drone’s benefits for humanitarian, conservation, industry, and emissions-reduced delivery have also become evident. That such a powerful technology which enhances vision, movement, and force-from-afar could have ambivalent properties appears contradictory. Drawing from the physics and diplomatic work of Niels Bohr, the article argue that drone dualities are complementary rather than contradictory. This theory of complementarity is supported by Bernard Stiegler’s theories including technicity, which argues for hominization or the coevolutionary complementarity of humans and technology, and pharmacology, a bifurcation of technicity into complementary sanitive and poisonous possibilities. This article brings complementarity into the present by linking it to the theory of technoliberalism which situates technicity’s bifurcation in the context of liberalism, namely, the complementary relationship between social liberalism for the collective good and economic liberalism for market benefit. This theory of technoliberal complementarity is examined through ethnographic research into humanitarian, conservation, and economic dronework on the Indonesian islands of Bali, West Papua, and Java in 2018. Complementarity does not elide the importance of dissonance. Instead, it reframes it as a result of interdependent tensions, not their opposition. In this manner, complementarity is a synthetic theory about the generative frictions inherent in technocultural production.
Care trajectories for patients utilizing electronic visits for COVID-like symptoms in a large healthcare delivery system: May 2020–December 2021
Authors: Groom Holly C , Crawford Phil , Azziz-Baumgartner Eduardo , Henninger Michelle L , Smith Ning , Salas Bianca , Donald Judy , Naleway Allison L
Published: March 2023

Background

There is limited information about how on-line screening tools developed by integrated systems facilitated management of COVID-like illness patients.

Methods

Using the Kaiser Permanente Northwest (KPNW) Electronic Health Record, we identified adult plan members who accessed online COVID-19 screening e-visits and enumerated their subsequent medical encounters, tests for SARS-CoV-2, and test outcomes.

Results

Between May 2020 and December 2021, members completed 55,139 e-visits, with disproportionate representation among females (65% vs. 53% in the overall membership) and members aged <45 years (61% vs. 39%). Thirty percent of patients (16,953) were managed entirely through e-visits and 70% received subsequent in-person care. The percent of SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals was highest among the 1055 individuals triaged to inpatient care (17.9%), compared to 9.5% among those escalated to additional ambulatory care.

Conclusions

The e-visit on-line screening tool helped KPNW assist thousands of patients with COVID-19 symptoms, avoid unnecessary in-person patient encounters, and preserved KPNW infection control and pandemic surge capacity.
Association between Hispanic or Latino ethnicity and pulmonary embolism severity, management, and in-hospital outcomes
Authors: Snyder Daniel J , Zilinyi Robert S , V Madhavan Mahesh , Alsaloum Marissa , Saleem Danial , Buyske John J , Healy Emma W , McGredy Maxine J , Da Silva Bernardo T , Rosenzweig Erika B , Takeda Koji , Brodie Daniel , Agerstrand Cara , Eisenberger Andrew , Kirtane Ajay J , Parikh Sahil A , Sethi Sanjum S
Published: March 2023

Background:

Hispanic and Latino patients are under-represented in existing healthcare disparities research in pulmonary embolism (PE). The goal of this study was to determine if differences in PE severity, treatment modality, or in-hospital outcomes exist for Hispanic or Latino patients with PE.

Methods:

All PE cases from 2013 to 2019 at a single institution were reviewed. Clinical characteristics, imaging findings, intervention types, and in-hospital and 30-day outcomes were collected. Two cohorts were created based on patients’ self-reported ethnicity. Outcomes were compared using univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results:

A total of 1265 patients were identified with confirmed PE; 474 (37%) identified as Hispanic or Latino. Hispanic or Latino patients presented with high-risk PE significantly less often (19% vs 25%, p = 0.03). On univariate analysis, Hispanic or Latino patients had lower rates of PE-specific intervention (15% vs 19%, p = 0.03) and similar rates of inpatient mortality (6.8% vs 7.5%, p = 0.64). On ordinal regression analysis, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity was associated with lower PE severity (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.54–0.89, p = 0.003). In subgroup analyses of intermediate and high-risk PEs, ethnicity was not a significant predictor of receipt of PE-specific intervention or in-hospital mortality.

Conclusions:

At this institution, Hispanic or Latino patients were less likely to present with high-risk PE but had similar rates of inpatient mortality. Future research is needed to identify if disparities in in-hospital care are driving perceived differences in PE severity and what addressable systematic factors are driving higher-than-expected in-hospital mortality for Hispanic or Latino patients.
The Energy Prices Act 2022: A barrier to net zero?
Authors: Caine Catherine Ann
Published: March 2023

This legislative note evaluates the recently introduced Energy Prices Act 2022, particularly with respect to the impact that it might have on the renewables industry and the UK's ability to meet its climate change targets through the installation of renewable energy technology. The Act comes at a time where the UK and many other countries are gripped by both a global energy crisis and a cost of living crisis which has resulted in significant struggles, with some households in the UK being forced to choose whether to heat and power their homes or pay for food. The Energy Prices Act 2022 was introduced to reduce the financial burden of energy bills, and also to limit the profits made by low carbon generators. Since the enactment of the Act, further developments have been made in both of these fields. This legislative note will evaluate the contents of the Act itself, along with the further developments which have taken place and will analyse the potential impact that these changes could have on the renewables industry.
Carbon tax as a climate intervention in South Africa: A potential aid or hindrance to human rights?
Authors: Nemavhidi Muano , Jegede Ademola Oluborode
Published: March 2023

Carbon tax has attracted attention as an instrument of climate action for transiting towards the objective of stabilising global temperatures below 2 °C. Its significance as a response to climate change is, however, disputed. Also, its possible implications on key fundamental human rights of poor populations are rarely discussed. South Africa enacted a Carbon Tax Act in 2019 amid the challenge of poverty and its commitments to both climate actions and human rights. This paper interrogates the significance of the Carbon Tax Act and clarifies the potential implications that it may have on key human rights of poor populations. It recommends the need to channel the revenue generated from the implementation of the Carbon Tax Act to address its potential adverse impact on human rights of poor populations in South Africa.
Evoking the resemblance: Descriptive representation of ethnic minorities
Authors: Lončar Jelena
Published: March 2023

The constructivist approach to political representation has shown that descriptive representation cannot be reduced to passive presence. Descriptive representatives rather actively contribute to the construction of constituencies’ identities. Nevertheless, the existing empirical literature still dominantly operationalizes descriptive representation as mere presence of group members in the representative institutions. This article adds to the previous efforts of rethinking descriptive representation in the more constructivist terms by defining it as consisting of two necessary elements: 1) construction of a representative through activation of claim-maker’s ethnicity, and 2) portrayals of ethnic constituency. The article argues that descriptive representation is performed through the use of diverse boundary mechanisms. In the process of positioning themselves and portraying their constituency, representatives work with and around ethnic boundaries. Using the case of ethnic minority representation in Serbia, the article demonstrates how resemblance or group membership is not necessarily transparent and self-evident. Instead, representatives first need to activate and deploy ethnic boundaries to be perceived as group’s descriptive representatives. In doing so, they also tell stories about ethnic groups, which are consequential upon the ways group members perceive themselves and relations within and across the boundaries.
Philosophical foundations for worst-case arguments
Authors: Buchak Lara
Published: March 2023

Certain ethical views hold that we should pay more attention, even exclusive attention, to the worst-case scenario. Prominent examples include Rawls's Difference Principle and the Precautionary Principle. These views can be anchored in formal principles of decision theory, in two different ways. On the one hand, they can rely on ambiguity-aversion: the idea that we cannot assign sharp probabilities to various scenarios, and that if we cannot assign sharp probabilities, we should decide pessimistically, as if the probabilities are unfavorable. On the other hand, they can rely on risk-avoidance: the idea that we should pay more attention to worse scenarios, even when we can assign sharp probabilities. I distinguish these two foundations. I also show how they can be modified to support versions of these views that pay more but not exclusive attention to worst-case scenarios. Finally, I argue that risk-avoidance provides a superior foundation than ambiguity-aversion for the Difference Principle and the Precautionary Principle; in particular, it correctly identifies which ethical facts should matter to those who champion these principles.
A mathematical study of water wave interaction with a thin perforated barrier in a two-layer fluid over a permeable bottom
Authors: Barman Koushik Kanti , Bora Swaroop Nandan
Published: March 2023

This article studies the impact of a submerged interface-piercing perforated barrier in a two-layer fluid flowing over a permeable bottom. We investigate oblique wave scattering, trapping and radiation due to the structure focusing on the bottom permeability. The dead water phenomenon is analysed with the consideration of the bottom permeability, which results in a higher variation of the interfacial wave due to the bottom permeability. The matched eigenfunction expansion method and the least square technique are used to calculate various hydrodynamic coefficients. Wave energy identity relation is derived for the scattering scenario, and the associated energy loss due to the barrier is calculated. In order to attain the maximum wave dissipation, an ideal porous-effect parameter of the barrier is proposed for consideration, and it is observed that larger values of porous-effect parameter result in the lowest feasible pressure distribution. A good comparison with a prior result justifies the current semi-analytical procedure. Furthermore, the verification of the energy-identity terms aid in the validation of the computed results. Additionally, wave trapping in a confined region is examined by investigating reflection coefficients by considering a rigid wall. The thin perforated barrier model is further considered for examining the radiation aspect while considering its slow motion. For various porous-effect parameters of the barrier, the amplitude ratio of the radiated potential is investigated, and it is clearly observed that higher frequency significantly lowers the amplitude for both free surface and interfacial propagating modes. The impact of the perforated barrier is analysed by investigating the essential hydrodynamic coefficients, namely, added mass and damping coefficient.
Pity the unready and the unwilling: Choice, chance, and injustice in Martin’s ‘The Right to Higher Education’
Authors: Cook Philip
Published: March 2023

For Martin, the right to free higher education may be claimed only by those ready and willing pursue autonomy supporting higher education. The unready and unwilling, among whom may be counted carers, disabled, and devout, are excluded. This is unjust. I argue that this injustice follows from a tension between three elements of Martin’s argument: (1) a universal right to autonomy supporting higher education; (2) qualifications on entitlements to access this right in order to preserve the value of higher educational goods; (3) luck egalitarian motivations in Martin’s distributive ethics. I consider options for avoiding such injustices and their implications for Martin’s argument.
Attractive or Aggressive? A Face Recognition and Machine Learning Approach for Estimating Returns to Visual Appearance
Authors: Guo Guodong , Humphreys Brad R. , Wang Qiangchang , Zhou Yang
Published: March 2023

This paper provides a methodological contribution by illustrating the use of computer vision and machine learning methods to identify facial characteristics for the study of facial characteristics in economics. We analyze facial appearance premia for head football coaches at big-time college sports programs to illustrate this methodology. Specifically, we estimate facial attractiveness and aggressiveness premia using quantitative measures of these characteristics from a neural network approach applied to observable facial features. Parametric regression results show evidence of a salary discount for attractive employees along with evidence of an aggressiveness premium. Nonparametric gradient results provide similar qualitative implications.
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation Post Endovascular Aortic Repair
Authors: Schizas Nikolaos , Nazou Georgia , Antonopoulos Constantine , Angouras Dimitrios C
Published: March 2023

Background

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) after Endo-Vascular Aneurysm Repair (EVAR) is a highly uncommon clinical entity. With only a few case-reports available, its management strategy still remains enigmatic.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to retrieve, synthesize, and appraise all existing data for DIC after EVAR.

Materials and methods

All published articles regarding DIC post-EVAR were identified from 3 major databases and analyzed. Clinical parameters, predisposing factors, along with mortality and morbidly were assessed.

Results

The total number of publications included in the review was 15 describing 17 cases. DIC presented with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, while the time of diagnosis varied significantly. Endoleak was the main causative factor, with an incidence reaching 71%. The mortality of DIC after EVAR reached 29%, regardless of the therapeutic approach chosen. DIC was treated effectively in 47% of the patients (8/17), with better outcomes among patients who received conservative therapy or among those who were submitted to endovascular interventions.

Conclusions

DIC after EVAR, although rare, is a potentially lethal clinical condition which requires prompt diagnosis and urgent medical consideration. Treatment of endoleak may help in quick restoration of normal parameters
qEEG in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of a Case with Delusional Infestation
Authors: Arıkan Mehmet Kemal , İlhan Reyhan , Ozulucan Mahmut Taha , Aşık Murat
Published: March 2023

Stroke can have neuropsychological consequences, such as poststroke psychosis. One aspect of poststroke psychosis is delusional infestation (DI), also known as delusional parasitosis. Patients with DI have fixed sensations that they get infested by lice. Some explanations of DI indicate that striatal and fronto-cortical structural and functional abnormalities are related to DI symptomatology. In this case report, we present a patient with DI due to right intracarotid artery occlusion, which is detected radiologically. Before treatment with escitalopram and risperidone, the case had a frontal slowing in quantitative electroencephalography activity, which was normalized after 2 weeks of treatment. At the end of treatment, psychotic symptoms and OCD symptoms evaluated by the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms, were remarkably reduced. These results revealed the role of brain imaging studies in the diagnosis and prognosis of DI.
Complications and Reoperation Following Surgery for Concurrent Carpal Tunnel and Cervical Spine Compression
Authors: Li Neill Y. , Yang Daniel S. , Dwivedi Shashank , Gil Joseph A. , Daniels Alan H.
Published: March 2023

Background:

Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) may also have cervical radiculopathy (CR) or vice versa, potentially requiring carpal tunnel release (CTR) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). This study evaluates whether there is an increased risk of complications following CTR or ACDF in patients with concurrent CTS and CR (CTS-CR) compared with those with only CTS or CR.

Methods:

A multipayer database was used to identify patients with CTS-CR. From this cohort, patients who underwent CTR and/or ACDF were identified. Patients with CTS-CR undergoing surgery were compared with those undergoing surgery with only CTS or CR. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare matched populations to assess postoperative complications and risk of undergoing both procedures.

Results:

A total of 110 379 patients with CTS-CR were identified. Carpal tunnel release was performed in 21 152 patients (19.2%) with CTS-CR, from which 835 (0.76%) underwent ACDF. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion was performed in 6960 patients (6.31%) with CTS-CR followed by CTR in 1098 patients (0.99%). Patients with CTS-CR were at greater risk of reoperation and complex regional pain syndrome following CTR. In ACDF, patients with CTS-CR were at greater risk of reoperation. Obesity and tobacco use were significant risk factors in patients with CTS-CR who underwent both CTR and ACDF rather than a single surgery.

Conclusions:

Examination of more than 100 000 patients with CTS-CR found a greater likelihood of reoperation and perioperative complications following surgery than those without concurrent diagnoses. Obesity and smoking increased the risk for patients undergoing both procedures. Patients presenting with CTS-CR are high risk and should be counseled on risk of complication and reoperation and optimized to reduce risk of undergoing both CTR and ACDF.
Photo-Elicitation Technique: Utility and Challenges in Clinical Research
Authors: Kyololo O’Brien M. , Stevens Bonnie J. , Songok Julia
Published: March 2023

Photo-elicitation interview techniques, a method in which researchers incorporate images to enrich the interview experience, have been gaining traction in numerous spheres of research over the last two decades. Little is, however, written about the utility of the technique in studies involving vulnerable populations in clinical contexts. Drawing on research where researcher-generated photographs were used to elicit mothers’ experiences of pain and perceptions about use of pain-relieving strategies in critically ill infants, we aim to demonstrate (a) how the method can be used to generate harmonized and detailed accounts of experiences from diverse groups of participants of limited literacy levels, (b) the ethical and methodological consideration when employing photo-elicitation interview techniques and the (c) possible limitations of employing photo-elicitation interview techniques in clinical research.
Emergent Coding and Topic Modeling: A Comparison of Two Qualitative Analysis Methods on Teacher Focus Group Data
Authors: Miyaoka Atsushi , Decker-Woodrow Lauren , Hartman Nancy , Booker Barbara , Ottmar Erin
Published: March 2023

More than ever in the past, researchers have access to broad, educationally relevant text data from sources such as literature databases (e.g., ERIC), an open-ended response from online courses/surveys, online discussion forums, digital essays, and social media. These advances in data availability can dramatically increase the possibilities for discovering new patterns in the data and testing new theories through processing texts with emerging analytic techniques. In our study, we extended the application of Topic Modeling (TM) to data collected from focus groups within the context of a larger study. Specifically, we compared the results of emergent qualitative coding and TM. We found a high level of agreement between TM and emergent qualitative coding, suggesting TM is a viable method for coding focus group data when augmenting and validating manual qualitative coding. We also found that TM was ineffective in capturing more nuanced information than the qualitative coding was able to identify. This can be explained by two factors: (1) the word level tokenization we used in the study, and (2) variations in the terminology teachers used to identify the different technologies. Recommendations include additional data cleaning steps researchers should take and specifications within the topic modeling code when using topic modeling to analyze focus group data.
Health challenges in South Dakota: Creation of healthcare provider referral list for Special Olympic athletes
Authors: Wilson Patrick T. , Martin Marni Johnson
Published: March 2023

Special Olympics promotes the health of their athletes year-round and offers their athletes options to obtain free health screenings. Following screening events, athletes often have difficulties finding needed referral care. Obstacles to finding a healthcare provider (HCP) for a referral is what necessitates the need for a state-wide HCP referral list in South Dakota. Creation of a HCP referral list was done via an online two-part survey and sent to HCPs throughout the state of South Dakota. Currently, this is the only database of healthcare providers that is accessible to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) that are members of Special Olympics South Dakota (SOSD). While the created referral list offers increased opportunities to access HCPs in South Dakota, there are still limits to ensuring easy access to HCPs throughout the entire state.
Comparative evaluation between external jugular and internal jugular venous catheterization through landmark technique
Authors: Khanna Hitesh , Shouche Sachin , Singh Shalendra
Published: March 2023

Background:

Cannulation of a central vein is crucial in patients for hemodynamic management and when insertion of a peripheral line is not possible. The internal jugular vein is the preferred access site; however, in the case of not being accessible, the second cannulation site of choice is still unclear. The study aimed to access the feasibility of external jugular vein cannulation versus internal jugular vein cannulation in terms of success, cannulation time, number of attempts and complications.

Materials and Methods:

In this prospective, randomised double-blinded study, 100 patients received 7Fr size triple-lumen central vein catheter either in the internal jugular vein (n = 50) or external jugular vein (n = 50) through the landmark technique as a part of anaesthetic care in the operation theatre. The number of attempts, cannulation time and incidence of complications in both the techniques were observed and recorded.

Results:

The success rate in internal jugular vein cannulation was 88%, while in the external jugular vein, it was 78% (p = 0.17). The external jugular vein cannulation was comparatively quicker in our study (p = 0.01). Similarly, elevated body mass index did not affect the success rate in the number of cannulations attempts in either group (p = 0.08). In terms of complications, the internal jugular vein group had a total of 20% and the external jugular vein group had 28% complications; however, the complications were more severe in the internal jugular vein group.

Conclusion:

Anaesthetists should rethink alternate routes for the insertion of central vein cannulation. The external jugular cannulation route is one of them.
Spinning interactional plates: Managing multicommunication behind the screen of Facebook
Authors: Ditchfield Hannah
Published: March 2023

Multicommunication is a form of multitasking that involves engaging in two or more interactional activities simultaneously. Technological features of mediated communication make multicommunication more practical, yet it is questioned whether the quality of our interactions is upheld when interpersonal engagement is split. This paper addresses this concern by asking whether interactional techniques are employed by multicommunicators in the context of Facebook and what this means for the quality of our online interactions. Building on previous multicommunication research, this paper examines how multicommunication is managed behind the screen: that is, how interlocutors move between overlapping conversations rather than the organisation within conversations themselves. In doing this, this paper extends the Goffmanian concept of ‘participatory roles’, arguing that multicommunicators adopt the role of a ‘manager’ to move between numerous conversation threads. Through presenting screen capture data of Facebook Messenger interactions, and drawing on micro analytic methods, it is revealed how Facebook users work to simplify their interactions when multicommunicating whilst simultaneously preserving interactional complexity.