bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AFFORDABLE VIRTUAL REALITY HAPTIC-FEEDBACK SURGICAL SIMULATOR: A PROOF OF CONCEPT
Authors: Bartle David , Wesley Joshua , Bartlett Jonathan
Published: May 2024

INTRODUCTION

Simulation plays an important role in surgical education and the ability to perfect surgical performance. Simulation can be enhanced by adding various layers of realism to the experience. Haptic feedback enhances the simulation experience by providing tactile responses and virtual reality imagery provides an immersive experience and allows for greater appreciation of three-dimensional structures. In this study, we present a proof-of-concept haptic simulator to replicate key steps of a cervical laminoplasty procedure. The technology uses affordable components and is easily modifiable so that it can be used from novice through to expert level. Custom models can be easily added ensuring the simulator can be used in a wide range of orthopaedic applications from baseline education through to day of surgery pre-operative simulation.

METHOD

We used the Unity Game Engine, the 3D Systems “Touch” Haptic Feedback Device (HFD), and a Meta Quest VR headset. Our system uses a number of complex algorithms to track the shape and provide haptic feedback of a virtual bone model. This allows for simulation of various tools including a high-speed burr, Kerrison rongeur and intraoperative X-rays.

RESULTS

Our simulator replicates the tactile sensations of bone-burring tasks. Although we focused on the cervical laminoplasty procedure, the system can load data from CT scans, enabling the simulation of multiple other procedures. The parts cost of our system, $10,000 NZD, is a fraction of the cost of traditional surgical simulators.

DISCUSSION

Our simulator reduces financial barriers to accessing orthopaedic simulators. Trainees can perform hands-on practice without compromising patient safety. The immersive nature of VR, combined with realistic haptic feedback, enables trainees to develop the dexterity and three-dimensional understanding of detailed bony work. Further refinements are needed before we can perform validation studies on our system.

CONCLUSIONS

We present an affordable surgical simulator capable of simulating bony surgical procedures in a VR environment using haptic feedback technology and consumer-grade components.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This research was made possible by the generosity of the Wishbone Trust.
TUBERCULOSIS OF THE WRIST
Authors: Arumugam Manohar
Published: May 2024

INTRODUCTION

Tuberculosis (TB) is a public health challenge. However, musculoskeletal involvement represents 10–15% of all extrapulmonary cases. Upper extremity involvement is extremely rare. The slow progressive course of clinical symptoms and lack of radiological signs lead to difficulties in establishing early diagnosis. Hence, the patients who have tuberculosis of the wrist are usually misdiagnosed. We report 5 cases of tuberculosis of the wrist seen in our unit from the year 2012 to 2021.

METHODS

Cases were retrospectively evaluated on demographics, nature of history, clinical presentation, culture finding, and histopathological findings from 2012 to 2021 at our unit.

RESULTS

A total of 5 cases were evaluated retrospectively. Three patients were more than 60 years old and two were less than 30 years old. Four of the patients presented with wrist swelling 2 of them had wrist pain and only 1 patient had discharge from the wound. The duration of the symptoms ranges from 2 months to 3 years. Only one of the patients had a history of pulmonary TB contact whereas the others didn't. All patients underwent surgery. All of the patients had positive cultures for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and histopathological examination showed necrotizing granulomatous inflammation from specimens taken intraoperatively, which confirmed the diagnosis of tuberculosis of the wrist.

DISCUSSIONS

Our cases show that the common presentation of tuberculosis of the wrist was comparable to other literature. Most of the patients presented with chronic wrist swelling with or without wrist pain. The diagnosis of the disease was delayed an average of 10 - 12 months from symptoms onset to diagnosis. S. Bayram et al reported a case where the diagnosis was made 45 months later. Due to its rarity, it often is misdiagnosed, resulting in delays in the proper treatment.

CONCLUSION

The diagnosis of the TB wrist remains difficult because of insidious and non-specific. presentation. However, early diagnosis is essential to avoid delays in treatment and complications. Hence, chronic wrist pain, and swelling with or without unexplained bone erosion around the wrist area must be highly suspected of being osteoarticular tuberculosis.
SUTURE CHOICE IN CARPAL TUNNEL SURGERY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
Authors: Leary Jessica , Lynskey Timothy , Muller Andrew
Published: May 2024

Objective

Carpal tunnel release surgery is a commonly performed procedure for alleviating symptoms of median nerve compression and restoring hand function. With pressure on theatre time these procedures are now commonly performed in a step-down out-patient facility under local anaesthetic. The choice of suture for skin closure in this procedure can impact the quality of wound healing, patient outcomes and the follow-up required however the question of the best type of suture remains unanswered. The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of absorbable and non-absorbable sutures using a randomised control trial design.

Methods

Eighty patients diagnosed with bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome were enrolled and underwent outpatient carpal tunnel release surgery under local anaesthetic in a staged fashion. Random number generation was used to assign each hand to receive interrupted nylon or Vicryl Rapide sutures. Pre-operative data collection included patient demographics, ASA, inflammatory conditions, smoking status as well as a Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) for each hand. Patients were followed up at 2 and 6 weeks after each operation and the BCTQ was repeated along with the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale and the VAS score for wound discomfort. This study has approval from the DHB ethics committee, Local Iwi, HDC and ANZ Clinical Trials:ACTRN12623000100695.

Results

Statistical analysis assessed patient preference and the scores between the groups. Multi-variate analysis was performed to assess the factors that may be contributing to patient choice.

Conclusion

Insights into patient preference and clinical outcomes associated with absorbable sutures and non-absorbable sutures in the setting of out-patient surgery are discussed.
AN EIGHT-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF FLEXOR SHEATH INFECTIONS
Authors: Gerlach Sean , Chou Justin , Lee Michael , Morris Holly
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Flexor sheath infections require prompt diagnosis, and management with intravenous antibiotics and/or surgical washout followed by physiotherapy. Complication rates as high as 38% have been reported.

Methods

A retrospective review was carried out of all patients between January 2014 and May 2021 attending with a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of flexor sheath infection. Age, gender, co-morbidities, cause of infection, management, and subsequent complications recorded.

Results

Of 132 patients, 67% were male. Mean age was 50.8 years. A trend towards fewer presentations each year with animal bites, foreign bodies and penetrating trauma as the main cause of infection. 89% (n=117) required admission, 77% (n=101) underwent a surgical washout. 11% (n=15) were treated as an outpatient. 7% (n=9) suffered a complication.

Discussion

Whilst flexor sheath washout continues to be the treatment of choice, 23% of patients were managed with intravenous antibiotics, 48% of these purely via an outpatient service. Our overall complication rate was 7%.
RISK FACTORS FOR MENISCAL REPAIR FAILURE FOLLOWING CONCURRENT PRIMARY ACL RECONSTRUCTION: RESULTS FROM THE NEW ZEALAND ACL REGISTRY
Authors: Clatworthy Mark , Rahardja Richard , Young Simon , Love Hamish
Published: May 2024

Background

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with concomitant meniscal injury occurs frequently. Meniscal repair is associated with improved long-term outcomes compared to resection but is also associated with a higher reoperation rate. Knowledge of the risk factors for repair failure may be important in optimizing patient outcomes.

Purpose

This study aimed to identify the patient and surgical risk factors for meniscal repair failure, defined as a subsequent meniscectomy, following concurrent primary ACL reconstruction.

Methods

Data recorded by the New Zealand ACL Registry and the Accident Compensation Corporation, the New Zealand Government's sole funder of ACL reconstructions and any subsequent surgery, was reviewed. Meniscal repairs performed with concurrent primary ACL reconstruction was included. Root repairs were excluded. Univariate and multivariate survival analysis was performed to identify the patient and surgical risk factors for meniscal repair failure.

Results

Between 2014 and 2020, a total of 3,024 meniscal repairs were performed during concurrent primary ACL reconstruction (medial repair = 1,814 and lateral repair = 1,210). The overall failure rate was 6.6% (n = 201) at a mean follow-up of 2.9 years, with a failure occurring in 7.8% of medial meniscal repairs (142 out of 1,814) and 4.9% of lateral meniscal repairs (59 out of 1,210). The risk of medial failure was higher in patients with a hamstring tendon autograft (adjusted HR = 2.20, p = 0.001), patients aged 21–30 years (adjusted HR = 1.60, p = 0.037) and in those with cartilage injury in the medial compartment (adjusted HR = 1.75, p = 0.002). The risk of lateral failure was higher in patients aged ≤ 20 years (adjusted HR = 2.79, p = 0.021) and when the procedure was performed by a surgeon with an annual ACL reconstruction case volume of less than 30 (adjusted HR = 1.84, p = 0.026).

Conclusion

When performing meniscal repair during a primary ACL reconstruction, the use of a hamstring tendon autograft, younger age and the presence of concomitant cartilage injury in the medial compartment increases the risk of medial meniscal repair failure, whereas younger age and low surgeon volume increases the risk of lateral meniscal repair failure.
TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY FOLLOWING SEPTIC ARTHRITIS: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OVER 20 YEARS
Authors: Wells Zoe , Zhu Mark , Sim Katarina , Schluter Dean , Young Simon W
Published: May 2024

Objectives

Post-infective arthritis is an important sequalae of septic arthritis(SA). While total knee arthroplasty(TKA) is an effective treatment for said arthritis, previous SA brings challenges for treatment planning. Using prospectively collected data from a cohort of patients with knee SA, this study aims to determine the proportion of patients requiring eventual TKA, and risk factors of developing prosthetic joint Infection(PJI).

Methods

All cases of 1st episode knee SA from 01/01/2000 to 31/12/2020 were identified in the Auckland region. Patient records and NZJR records of all cases were searched to identify subsequent TKA. PJI following arthroplasty was identified using ICM criteria.

Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to determine risk factors for developing PJI.

Results

854 cases of native SA were identified. Of these, 71 (8.3%) progressed to TKA. Average time from completion of SA treatment to TKA was 3.8 years (SD 3.4). At an average follow-up of 7.8 years(1–19.6), 11(15.5%) developed PJI and required reoperation in the form of; DAIR (n =5), revision (n= 6). A further 4 were readmitted for superficial infections. Five-year and ten-year implant survival was 90.0% and 87.1%, significantly lower than average survival of TKA in the NZJR (97.3% at 5 years and 95.7% at 10). Average time between completion of SA treatment and TKA was 2.1 years in those developing PJI, vs 4.1 years in those who did not(p = 0.0019). 4.8% of cases developed PJI when TKA was performed >5 years after SA, compared with 20% risk of PJI within 5 years(p=0.16). Multivariate analysis showed no significant impact of pre-defined medical risk factors or demographic on outcomes.

Conclusion

A significant percentage of patients required TKA following knee SA. Time lapsed from SA treatment completion to TKA is an important risk factor for developing PJI.
CLAVICULAR OSTEOTOMY FOR SURGICAL EXPOSURE OF THE SHOULDER JOINT: FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES, COMPLICATIONS, AND SURGICAL TECHNIQUE. A REGIONAL NZ EXPERIENCE
Authors: Penumarthy Rushi , Turner Perry
Published: May 2024

Aim

Clavicular osteotomy was described as an adjunct to deltopectoral approach for improved exposure of the glenohumeral joint. This study aims to present contemporary outcomes and complications associated with the routine use of clavicular osteotomy by a single surgeon in a regional setting within New Zealand.

Methods

A retrospective case series of patients who have undergone any shoulder arthroplasty for any indication between March 2017 to August 2022. This time period includes all patients who had clavicular osteotomy(OS) and patients over an equal time period prior to the routine use of osteotomy as a reference group (N-OS).

Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) and a Simple Shoulder Test (STT) were used to assess functional outcomes and were compared with the reported literature. Operative times and Complications were reviewed.

Results

66 patients were included in the study. 33 patients in the OS group and 33 in the N-OS group. No difference in age, sex, indications for operative intervention and the surgery provided was identified. No significant difference in operative time between groups (N-OS 121 minutes; OS 128 minutes).

No clinically significant difference was identified in the OSS (N-OS; mean 38 vs OS 39) or the STT (N-OS 8.3 vs OS 9). The outcomes scores of both groups are in keeping with published literature.

Two post operative clavicle fractures, one prominent surgical knot occurred in the OS that required further surgical intervention. Two cases of localized pain over the clavicle and one case of the prominent lateral clavicle were reported in the OS group. Two cases of localized pain over clavicle reported in the N-OS group.

Conclusion

Use of clavicular osteotomy is not associated with inferior patient reported. The osteotomy introduces specific risks, however, the study provides evidence that these complications are infrequent and avoidable. Surgeons should feel confident in using this adjunct when exposure to the shoulder is difficult.
RISK FACTORS FOR MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY FOLLOWING HIP FRACTURES: AN ANZHFR STUDY
Authors: Zhu Mark , Mayo Christopher , Rahardja Chris , Seow Min Yee , Young Simon
Published: May 2024

Aims

Using the Australian and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry (ANZHFR) data, this study aimed to identify patient, fracture, and management factors associated with survival, mobility and residential status at 120 days. This will allow future interventions to target modifiable risk factors to improve the overall care of patients with hip fractures.

Methods

All NZ patients from 2018 – 2020 were included. Baseline demographics, management factors, and outcomes were recorded. Key outcomes were change in walking status, residential status and survival at 120 days. Univariate analysis was performed to compare differences in demographics, surgical and management factors for the key variables. Multivariate analysis was conducted to identify factors independently associated with outcomes.

Results

Data from 9432 patients were analysed. The average age was 82.8 years (SD 9.8). 70.3% were females. 39.5% of patients were cognitively impaired on admission, 71.4% were from their own residence.

At 120 days post injury, 10.9% (1029) had died 1029 (10.9%), 15.3% (1034) had a decrease in their residential status, 44.9% (2966) had a reduction in walking ability. On multivariate analysis; older age (RR1.1/yr, p<0.001), male sex (RR1.7, P<0.001), cognitive impairment (RR2.2, p<0.001) and ASA>3 (RR3.7, p=0.015) were risk factors for death. Similarly, increasing age (RR1.1 per year, p<0.001), cognitive impairment (RR1.2, p=0.04) and ASA>3 (RR2.9, p=0.047) were significant risk factors for worsening residential status. Decreasing mobility was associated with extracapsular fractures (RR1.4, p=0.01).

After adjustment for demographics, ASA and fracture type, performing total hip arthroplasty was preventative for both worsening residential status (RR0.23, p<0.001) and decreasing walking ability (RR 0.21, p<0.001). There was no significant survival, functional or revision differences for other fixation types.

Conclusion

There is a significant decline in walking ability post hip fracture which may be a key contributor to long-term morbidity. The benefits of THA in preserving mobility and independence should be further investigated. Additional discharge planning and multi-disciplinary team input are likely required for high-risk patients of older age, with cognitive impairment and extracapsular fractures.
OUTCOMES OF SINGLE VERSUS COMBINATION FIXATION IN DISTAL FEMUR FRACTURES: A CHRISTCHURCH EXPERIENCE
Authors: Zhang J. , Miller R. , Chuang T.
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Distal femur fractures have traditionally been stabilized with either lateral locking plate or retrograde intramedullary nail. Dual-plates and nail-plate combination fixation have the theoretical biomechanical advantage, faster union and allows patients to weight bear immediately.

The aim of this study is to compare single vs combination fixation, and evaluate outcomes and complications.

Method

We retrospectively reviewed all patients over 60, admitted to Christchurch Hospital, between 1st Jan 2016 and 31st Dec 2022, with an AO 33A/33B/33C distal femur fracture. Patient demographics, fracture characteristics, operation details, and follow up data were recorded.

Primary outcomes are union rate, ambulatory status at discharge, and surgical complications. Secondary outcomes include quality of reduction, operation time and rate of blood transfusions.

Results

114 patients were included. (92 single fixation, 22 combination fixation).

Baseline demographic data and fracture characteristics did not differ between the cohorts.

There was no difference in the rate of union or time to union between the two cohorts. Combination fixation patients were allowed to weight-bear as tolerated significantly more than single fixation patients (50% vs 18.9%, p=0.003). There was no difference in length of hospital stay, transfusion, complication and mortality rates.

Medial translation of the distal articular block was significantly lower in the combination fixation cohort (1.2% vs 3.4%, p=0.021). Operation time was significantly longer in the combination fixation cohort (183mins vs 134mins, p<0.001).

Discussion

The results show no difference in achieving union or time to union, despite better quality of fracture reduction with dual fixation. This differs to previously published literature. The clear benefit of combination fixation is immediate weight-bearing. As expected, operation times were longer with combination fixation, however this did not translate to more complications.

Conclusion

Combination fixation allows earlier weight bearing, at the cost of longer operation times.
Cordiality of digraphs
Authors: Beasley LeRoy , Santana Manuel A. , Mousley Jonathan , Brown David E
Published: May 2024

A $(0,1)$-labelling of a set is said to be {\em friendly} if approximately one half the elements of the set are labelled 0 and one half labelled 1. Let $g$ be a labelling of the edge set of a graph that is induced by a labelling $f$ of the vertex set. If both $g$ and $f$ are friendly then $g$ is said to be a {\em cordial} labelling of the graph. We extend this concept to directed graphs and investigate the cordiality of sets of directed graphs. We investigate a specific type of cordiality on digraphs, a restriction of quasigroup-cordiality called $(2,3)$-cordiality. A directed graph is $(2,3)$-cordial if there is a friendly labelling $f$ of the vertex set which induces a $(1,-1,0)$-labelling of the arc set $g$ such that about one third of the arcs are labelled 1, about one third labelled -1 and about one third labelled 0. In particular we determine which tournaments are $(2,3)$-cordial, which orientations of the $n$-wheel are $(2,3)$-cordial, and which orientations of the $n -$fan are $(2,3)$-cordial.
Computation of minimum d-hop connected dominating set of trees in O(n) time
Authors: Charan Barman Sambhu , Amita Samanta Adhya  , Sukumar Mondal  , Jonecis  Dayap
Published: May 2024

For a graph G=(V,E) and a fixed constant $d\in \mathbb{N}$, a subset D_{hd} of the vertex set V is a d-hop connected dominating set of the graph G if each vertex $t\in V$ is situated at most d-steps from at least one vertex $z\in D_{hd}$, that is, $d(t,z)\leq d$, and the subgraph of G induced by $D_{hd}$ is connected. If $D_{hd}$ has minimum cardinality, then it is a minimum d-hop connected dominating set. In this paper, we present two O(n)-time algorithms for computing a minimum $D_{hd}$ of trees with n vertices. We also design an algorithm to find the central vertices of a tree. Besides that, we also study some properties related to hop-domination on trees.
The covering numbers of the McLaughlin group and some primitive groups of low degree
Authors: Epstein Michael
Published: May 2024

A \emph{finite cover} of a group $G$ is a finite collection $\mathcal{C}$ of proper subgroups of $G$ with the property that $\bigcup \mathcal{C} = G$. A finite group admits a finite cover if and only if it is noncyclic. More generally, it is known that a group admits a finite cover if and only if it has a finite, noncyclic homomorphic image. If $\mathcal{C}$ is a finite cover of a group $G$, and no cover of $G$ with fewer subgroups exists, then $\mathcal{C}$ is said to be a \emph{minimal cover} of $G$, and the cardinality of $\mathcal{C}$ is called the \emph{covering number} of $G$, denoted by $\sigma(G)$. Here we investigate the covering numbers of the McLaughlin sporadic simple group and some low degree primitive groups.
Curriculum Making Across Sites of Activity in Upper Secondary School Vocational Education and Training: A Review of the Research in Sweden
Authors: Alvunger Daniel
Published: May 2024

Purpose: This paper presents a qualitative systematic review of Swedish research on vocational education and training (VET) at the upper secondary school level over the past 20 years. The review is based on a theoretical model on curriculum making as social practice that may serve as model for comparative studies between countries. By introducing the model, the ambition is to open for new perspectives on VET curriculum in policy and practice. Questions regarding key themes and the interplay of discourses and processes across multiple sites in the education system have not been addressed in previous systematic reviews of Swedish VET research. 
Methods: The methodological approach in the present paper is a qualitative systematic research review with an integrative and interpretative purpose and research design. The qualitative review is based on the conceptual model of curriculum making as social practice, seeking to capture the inherent complexity and porous boundaries of education systems and movements of ideas, discourses and actors between sites of activity. The model is used for mapping the research, and a content analysis for identifying main themes and emphases and exploring and discussing the potential gaps that may inform future international research studies. 
Findings: The results show that the research is focused on the micro and nano sites of curriculum making, with connections to macro site activities of national curriculum policy enactment. Research focusing on the macro site of activity has an emphasis on national policy and policymaking regarding the relationship between academic and vocational knowledge/programmes and apprenticeship and employability. In the micro and nano sites of activity – which comprise the majority of the research – the main themes are vocational knowing and identity, teaching, learning and assessment practices and work-based learning. 
Conclusion: An observation is the absence of principals and middle leaders as actors and informants in the studies. There is little evidence of actors moving between sites of activity and the meso site of activity only comprise a very small part of the research. In this respect, there is a potential gap to be explored, not least regarding how local curricula and syllabi are made and shaped in terms of the influence of representatives from local authorities, companies, trade unions, employer associations, universities and regional agencies. Curriculum making as social practice has the potential to be used for comparative international studies and as a framework that takes national differences in VET education systems into account.
The Aesthetics of Social Reproduction: Silences in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower
Authors: Jensen Martin Aagaard
Published: May 2024

Abstract: This essay interprets novels by Margaret Atwood and Octavia Butler as the authors engage with social reproduction theory, a field concerned with the relationship between productive labor—"value"-producing work, such as that of the factory—and reproductive labor (or so-called women's work), including housework. Charting the impact of Tillie Olsen's essay "Silences in Literature," the essay argues that subsequent authors of the 1980s and 1990s adapted Olsen's concept of silences to their own purposes. What was originally a mode of interpreting the missing contributions of women to literary history became for later writers an invitation to think about lapses as an aesthetic strategy. In The Handmaid's Tale and Parable of the Sower , Atwood and Butler reimagined Olsen's silences as developing a "trope of inarticulacy," a technique by which narrators insert gaps or occlusions in place of conveying events such as sex, pregnancy, or care work. The essay concludes that such a trope is the means by which these authors repeat the procedure that subordinates women's work to waged labor.
Decolonizing Travel(ing Theory): Vernacular Travels in (Post)Colonial India
Authors: Ray Avishek
Published: May 2024

Abstract: Postcolonial scholars, in general, institute a clear distinction between the "pre-modern-religious" and the "modern-secular" practices of travel. The problem is not so much with using this framework as with the pervasive tendency to unreflectively project it onto certain alternative travel performances that do not fit into the taxonomy. In this essay, I argue that this framework is inadequate in making sense of the alternative imaginaries and conditions that rendered possible the emergence of a new decolonial episteme of traveling in the Indian context that occasioned the articulation of vernacular modernity. Here, I insist that, within the remit of postcolonial scholarship, vernacular travel cults, when approached from a longue durée perspective, become subservient to the telos of postcoloniality. Conversely, I situate the decolonial travel(er)s beyond the prevailing postcolonialist regime. I also furnish a preliminary but provocative framework for decolonial thinking as a gesture toward alternative imageries of vernacular travel.
Two Early Christian Decorated Sarcophagi From Rome In The Bible Lands Museum Of Jerusalem: Authenticity, Provenance, Dating
Authors: Bodnaruk Mariana
Published: May 2024

Abstract: The article aims at dispelling the repeatedly expressed assumption that two late Roman sarcophagi formerly in the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and now in the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem are forgeries. It analyses their epigraphy and iconography based on autopsy of the monuments and assesses arguments brought forward in the scholarly controversy regarding the authenticity, provenance, and dating of the two coffins. Réesumé: L'article vise à infirmer l'hypothèse maintes fois formulée selon laquelle deux sarcophages de l'époque romaine tardive, qui se trouvaient autrefois au Musée royal de l'Ontario à Toronto, et qui se trouvent désormais au Musée des Terres de la Bible à Jérusalem, sont des faux. Il réalise une analyse épigraphique et iconographique de ces monuments par examen autoptique et évalue également les arguments avancés dans le débat scientifique concernant l'authenticité, la provenance, et la datation des deux cercueils.
Housing for the people, housing for the needy: Public housing across continents
Authors: Freund Bill , Mabin Alan
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT: Response to need, or providing for the requirements of social reproduction, form two apparent causes of public housing action. In both cases, the state intervenes in response to market failure. While these may be underlying truths, it is equally valid and important to look at the ideological context which motivates and powers the process; a context which is bound to reflect in the impact of the housing once constructed. This paper points to several different 20th century contexts for large-scale housing projects in Europe and in Africa. Turning to South Africa, the paper looks at the changing ideological context of public housing and the impact of societal goals going far beyond the provision of worker accommodation and also raises more questions than just the familiar racial separation issues. The paper seeks to integrate findings from different periods and locational spaces, making use of research over many decades.
'Welbedacht is a beautiful place': Community insights on placemaking and social transformation in a state resettlement programme in eThekwini, Durban, South Africa.
Authors: Moodley Sogen , Marks Monique
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT: Welbedacht East (Welbedacht hereafter), situated in the margins of Durban's peripheral south, was a resettlement area for one of eThekwini Municipality's largest slum clearance projects in history. With long work commutes, few income opportunities, and minimal state-provided social facilities, the project is considered to be badly located (Sokhela 2006). The authors entered Welbedacht to profile this almost forgotten space, documenting its emergent practices of community care, integration, and resilience. Initiated after the July 2021 social unrest in KwaZulu Natal, this research explores the impact of the rioting in a racially and culturally diverse township. As engaged scholars, we sought first-hand knowledge of Welbedacht's unique social fabric, connecting its residents to government actors and to the wider public. Over nearly two years, we observed how residents of state-provided housing make sense of place and belonging, and how social networks counter deficits in infrastructure and state-delivered services. Wise local governance, we argue, requires the provision of infrastructure in collaboration with local residents who we contend are the most crucial resource. The intention of co-created infrastructure is to reduce community marginalisation and promote upward mobility, recognising that people are infrastructure and have agency. Through government partnership, small changes can impact massively in meeting such a community's needs. This accompaniment as a governance practice reduces harm and optimises emergent coping capacities.
The spirit of gifts: Public housing, citizenship and the ambiguities of home in South Africa
Authors: Bank Leslie
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT: This paper explores the 'spirit of the gift' as a framework for the analysis of the moral and political economy of public housing delivery in South Africa since democracy. The paper compares the gifts of Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses delivered by the state to 'beneficiaries', selected from long waiting lists in cities, towns and some rural places, with the homes built by families as gifts for their ancestors in their former homelands and rural areas. One of the central features of gifts, according to anthropologists, is that they are meant to be inalienable possessions, things that should not be sold or commodified. They are also assumed to carry a spirit, an aura or identity that binds them to the givers and communicates a relationship with those who receive the gifts. In post-colonial societies scholars tend to discuss the delivery of public goods and infrastructures within a framework of rights and entitlements. What they overlook is the extent to which public goods are also sometimes conceptualised and received as gifts that carry a sense of expectation, obligation, and the spirit of social exchange. The paper focuses on what happens when the 'spirit of the gift' of public housing is not honoured or reciprocated by beneficiaries as the gifts develop new social lives outside the parameters of those intended in the original policy. The ethnographic and historical evidence presented in the paper is drawn from numerous research projects undertaken by the author in Cape Town and the Eastern Cape.
Public endeavour and shelter at Cradock/Kaladokhwe/Nxuba, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Authors: Mabin Alan
Published: May 2024

ABSTRACT: Publicly-funded housing in small towns in South Africa remains a relatively understudied field, and most of the hundreds of small towns find themselves in difficult positions in the 21st century, posing the question of how public housing relates to their pasts, their presents, and perhaps their futures. One such town, Cradock, has a long history during which shelter has been provided, and in some ways welcomed, but which also demonstrates problems. The paper periodises this history in four parts, noting breaks in public provision. First, growing application of public funds created a significant portion of the shelter people occupied in Cradock over the first half of the twentieth century – the segregation period. Second, apartheid and its draconian effects but also the period of much greater public funding of shelter, changed the landscape and the lives of Cradock substantially up to the mid- 1980s. Third, mass-based opposition in Cradock of the 1980s shifted the terrain, followed by a 'transitional' period until new national housing policy took effect in the 1990s. Fourth, the twenty-first century brought more complexity and uncertainty and a lack of new projects over the past two decades. The last part of the paper then considers the question: What are the futures for public housing in Cradock (and other small towns)? How can it contribute to the futures of such towns? The article is based on secondary sources, archival and documentary research, field work and discussions with numerous people.
Fast high-precision 3D shape measurement using linear phase encoding with geometry constraints
Authors: Guo Bingquan , Wu Yibo , Di Rui , Zhang Peiqing , Shen Xiang , Song Baoan
Published: May 2024

A three-dimensional (3D) profile measurement method based on geometric constraints combined with linear phase encoding (GCPE) is proposed. This method encodes the wrapped phase and the linear signal in the same phase domain, achieves the elimination of the phase ambiguity within the local fringe period, and obtains an unambiguous absolute phase within the entire period through geometric constraints. Compared with the traditional phase encoding method, this method solves the problem of period sequence errors caused by a large number of codewords by encoding linear signals in the phase domain and using a period order correction method to deal with the period jump phenomenon caused by noise. At the same time, the measurement range of the fringe projection system under geometric constraints is significantly improved. Experimentally, 3D profiles of standard planes, complex statues, and separated objects were measured by the use of the GCPE. The results show that the GCPE has the advantage of fast speed and high accuracy in measuring the 3D profile of objects.
Correlation of TRPA1 RNAscope and Agonist Responses
Authors: Rojas-Galvan Natalia S. , Ciotu Cosmin I. , Heber Stefan , Fischer Michael J.M.
Published: May 2024

The TRPA1 ion channel is a sensitive detector of reactive chemicals, found primarily on sensory neurons. The phenotype exhibited by mice lacking TRPA1 suggests its potential as a target for pharmacological intervention. Antibody-based detection for distribution analysis is a standard technique. In the case of TRPA1, however, there is no antibody with a plausible validation in knockout animals or functional studies, but many that have failed in this regard. To this end we employed the single molecule in situ hybridization technique RNAscope on sensory neurons immediately after detection of calcium responses to the TRPA1 agonist allyl isothiocyanate. There is a clearly positive correlation between TRPA1 calcium imaging and RNAscope detection ( R = 0.43), although less than what might have been expected. Thus, the technique of choice should be carefully considered to suit the research question. The marginal correlation between TRPV1 RNAscope and the specific agonist capsaicin indicates that such validation is advisable for every RNAscope target. Given the recent description of a long-awaited TRPA1 reporter mouse, TRPA1 RNAscope detection might still have its use cases, for detection of RNA at particular sites, for example, defined structurally or by other molecular markers.
Knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of healthcare students and professionals on the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare in Pakistan
Authors: Habib Muhammad Mustafa , Hoodbhoy Zahra , Siddiqui M. A. Rehman
Published: May 2024

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has emerged as a promising solution to enhance healthcare efficiency and improve patient outcomes. The objective of this study is to analyse the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of healthcare professionals in Pakistan about AI in healthcare. We conducted a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire distributed via Google Forms. This was distributed to healthcare professionals (e.g., doctors, nurses, medical students, and allied healthcare workers) working or studying in Pakistan. Consent was taken from all participants before initiating the questionnaire. The questions were related to participant demographics, basic understanding of AI, AI in education and practice, AI applications in healthcare systems, AI’s impact on healthcare professions and the socio-ethical consequences of the use of AI. We analyzed the data using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical software, version 26.0. Overall, 616 individuals responded to the survey while n = 610 (99.0%) of respondents consented to participate. The mean age of participants was 32.2 ± 12.5 years. Most of the participants (78.7%, n = 480) had never received any formal sessions or training in AI during their studies/employment. A majority of participants, 70.3% (n = 429), believed that AI would raise more ethical challenges in healthcare. In all, 66.4% (n = 405) of participants believed that AI should be taught at the undergraduate level. The survey suggests that there is insufficient training about AI in healthcare in Pakistan despite the interest of many in this area. Future work in developing a tailored curriculum regarding AI in healthcare will help bridge the gap between the interest in use of AI and training.
A novel method for multiple phenotype association studies based on genotype and phenotype network
Authors: Cao Xuewei , Zhang Shuanglin , Sha Qiuying
Published: May 2024

Joint analysis of multiple correlated phenotypes for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) can identify and interpret pleiotropic loci which are essential to understand pleiotropy in diseases and complex traits. Meanwhile, constructing a network based on associations between phenotypes and genotypes provides a new insight to analyze multiple phenotypes, which can explore whether phenotypes and genotypes might be related to each other at a higher level of cellular and organismal organization. In this paper, we first develop a bipartite signed network by linking phenotypes and genotypes into a Genotype and Phenotype Network (GPN). The GPN can be constructed by a mixture of quantitative and qualitative phenotypes and is applicable to binary phenotypes with extremely unbalanced case-control ratios in large-scale biobank datasets. We then apply a powerful community detection method to partition phenotypes into disjoint network modules based on GPN. Finally, we jointly test the association between multiple phenotypes in a network module and a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). Simulations and analyses of 72 complex traits in the UK Biobank show that multiple phenotype association tests based on network modules detected by GPN are much more powerful than those without considering network modules. The newly proposed GPN provides a new insight to investigate the genetic architecture among different types of phenotypes. Multiple phenotypes association studies based on GPN are improved by incorporating the genetic information into the phenotype clustering. Notably, it might broaden the understanding of genetic architecture that exists between diagnoses, genes, and pleiotropy.
Preventable trauma deaths in the Western Cape of South Africa: A consensus-based panel review
Authors: Dixon Julia , de Vries Shaheem , Fleischer Chelsie , Bhaumik Smitha , Dymond Chelsea , Jones Austin , Ross Madeline , Finn Julia , Geduld Heike , Steyn Elmin , Lategan Hendrick , Hodsdon Lesley , Verster Janette , Mukonkole Suzan , Doubell Karlien , Baidwan Navneet , Mould-Millman Nee-Kofi
Published: May 2024

Injury causes 4.4 million deaths worldwide annually. 90% of all injury-related deaths occur in low-and-middle income countries. Findings from expert-led trauma death reviews can inform strategies to reduce trauma deaths. A cohort of trauma decedents was identified from an on-going study in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. For each case, demographics, injury characteristics, time and location of death and postmortem findings were collected. An expert multidisciplinary panel of reviewed each case, determined preventability and made recommendations for improvement. Analysis of preventable and non-preventable cases was performed using Chi-square, Fisher’s exact, and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. A rapid qualitative analysis of recommendations was conducted and descriptively summarized. 138 deaths (48 deceased-on-scene and 90 pre- or in-hospital deaths) were presented to 23 panelists. Overall, 46 (33%) of deaths reviewed were considered preventable or potentially preventable. Of all pre- and in-hospital deaths, late deaths (>24 hours) were more frequently preventable (22, 56%) and due to multi-organ failure and sepsis, compared to early deaths (≤24 hours) with 32 (63%) that were non-preventable and due to central nervous system injury and haemorrhage. 45% of pre and in-hospital deaths were preventable or potentially preventable. The expert panel recommended strengthening community based primary prevention strategies for reducing interpersonal violence alongside health system improvements to facilitate high quality care. For the health system the panel’s key recommendations included improving team-based care, adherence to trauma protocols, timely access to radiology, trauma specialists, operative and critical care.
Reports on sexual violence published in an online Chinese newspaper: A new frame research
Authors: Liu Yang , Fang Zhongzheng
Published: May 2024

The leading role of the media is very important in the new media era to build the reporting system and framework of sexual violence crimes, guide people’s awareness and public opinion, and improve society’s vigilance on sexual crimes. This study took People’s Daily Online, a representative online media in China, as a research object to analyse the reporting of sexual crimes over the past 15 years. We conducted relevant searches for specific keywords set in the Python crawler and used IBM SPSS Statistics 19 software to analyse the frequency of relevant content. The results of the research show that, firstly, there have been significant changes in the number of news stories about sexual crimes. Second, the majority of sexual crime news stories are from mainland China. Third, the focus of the news stories and people is relatively concentrated on the perpetrators. Fourth, the People’s Daily Online’s coverage of sexual crimes focuses on blaming the perpetrators. Fifth, sexual crimes show that the framework is more episodic. This paper examines changes in the coverage of sexual crimes in China and captures how the media cover socially relevant issues, providing important insights for future social health, psychological awareness and diversion, and media policy.
Children and young people’s body mass index measures derived from routine data sources: A national data linkage study in Wales
Authors: Griffiths Lucy J. , Rafferty James , Fry Richard , Daniels Helen , Dezateux Carol , Firman Nicola , Pouliou Theodora , Stratton Gareth , Mizen Amy , Lyons Ronan A. , Watkins Alan , Davies Jo , Bailey Rowena
Published: May 2024

Background

Routine monitoring of Body Mass Index (BMI) in general practice, and via national surveillance programmes, is essential for the identification, prevention, and management of unhealthy childhood weight. We examined and compared the presence and representativeness of children and young people’s (CYPs) BMI recorded in two routinely collected administrative datasets: general practice electronic health records (GP-BMI) and the Child Measurement Programme for Wales (CMP-BMI), which measures height and weight in 4-5-year-old school children. We also assessed the feasibility of combining GP-BMI and CMP-BMI data for longitudinal analyses.

Methods

We accessed de-identified population-level GP-BMI data for calendar years 2011 to 2019 for 246,817 CYP, and CMP-BMI measures for 222,772 CYP, held within the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank. We examined the proportion of CYP in Wales with at least one GP-BMI record, its distribution by child socio-demographic characteristics, and trends over time. We compared GP-BMI and CMP-BMI distributions. We quantified the proportion of children with a CMP-BMI measure and a follow-up GP-BMI recorded at an older age and explored the representativeness of these measures.

Results

We identified a GP-BMI record in 246,817 (41%) CYP, present in a higher proportion of females (54.2%), infants (20.7%) and adolescents. There was no difference in the deprivation profile of those with a GP-BMI measurement. 31,521 CYP with a CMP-BMI had at least one follow-up GP-BMI; those with a CMP-BMI considered underweight or very overweight were 87% and 70% more likely to have at least one follow-up GP-BMI record respectively compared to those with a healthy weight, as were males and CYP living in the most deprived areas of Wales.

Conclusions

Records of childhood weight status extracted from general practice are not representative of the population and are biased with respect to weight status. Linkage of information from the national programme to GP records has the potential to enhance discussions around healthy weight at the point of care but does not provide a representative estimate of population level weight trajectories, essential to provide insights into factors determining a healthy weight gain across the early life course. A second CMP measurement is required in Wales.