bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
America’s Scrapbook
Authors: Hughes-Watkins Lae'l
Published: December 2023

In the last several years, the United States and the global community has witnessed a reckoning, one that has called upon all of us to step into our truths and ask what it means to be a fully recognized human being and genuinely integrated into the American story, specifically the descendants of the African Diaspora. This selection uses the lens of the author’s personal experiences and the role traditional archives have played in dehumanizing descendants of slaves, indigenous communities, Latinx, and other marginalized populations and their various intersections of existence. The author uses James Baldwin and Langston Hughes’s words as the preface to discussing the centuries-long effort for these communities to find their place in America’s Scrapbook. She suggests that the reckoning taking place in our spaces of memory assist in moving the United States and the global community closer to providing that full citizenship that for far too long has been denied.
Of Bonfires, Mindsets, and Policies
Authors: Ashie-Nikoi Edwina , Adjei Emmanuel , Adams Musah
Published: December 2023

The notion that archives are neutral places with no vested interests has been undermined by current philosophical and theoretical handlings of the concept of the ‘Archive’; it is now undeniable that archives are spaces of power, with the power to include and exclude, to distort, omit, and silence voices (Carter, 2006: 216). Inevitably, ‘not every story is told’. In the African context, this concern is pressing, considering the varied and sometimes ephemeral ways in which ‘texts’—written, visual, oral, ritual, performative—are documented. However, beyond the concern for the gaps created by the omission or ignoring of these non-conventional archives in African archival work, there yet remains within the conventional practice of archival management on the African continent, a simmering mix of factors that create silences. This chapter examines this multi-causal matrix of silence from the Ghanaian perspective.
Word Classes in Radical Construction Grammar
Authors: Croft William
Published: December 2023

Word classes are taken to be essentialist categories; they serve as the building blocks for syntactic constructions, and are language universals (that is, cross-linguistically valid). But a word class is language-specific. This is because a word class is defined distributionally, by the occurrence of the words in a particular construction in a particular language. Hence it is not a building block for syntactic constructions. Moreover, a word class is not an essentialist category. A word class is a population: a spatiotemporally bounded set of historical entities—in this case, the occurrences of the words in question in language use in the language, interconnected by lineages of replication. Hence a word class cannot serve as a comparative concept for language universals. Instead, meaning and certain non-distributional properties of form can be used to compare word classes/populations defined by different constructions within and across languages, and reveal universals of grammar.
The Pronunciation of English in Ireland
Authors: Hickey Raymond
Published: December 2023

With the first documents from the late Middle Ages, a specifically Irish form of English is clearly visible. Features of this variety reappeared in the satirical literary texts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, documenting a range of features, such as an incomplete Great Vowel Shift, which had become typical of Irish English. The dawn of the modern era in the late nineteenth century shows a split in varieties, on the one hand vernacular forms and on the other more supraregional ones which were influenced by British pronunciation norms. With independence for the south of Ireland in 1922 a reorientation towards endonormative models took place leading to supraregional Irish English of the late twentieth century. Further changes, emanating from Dublin in the 1990s and into the 2000s, continued the ever-changing nature of non-local varieties of Irish English which are increasingly under the influence of forms of English from outside, chiefly from North America.
Introduction to Thomas More’s Utopia
Authors: Withington Phil , Shrank Cathy
Published: December 2023

Thomas More’s Utopia is one of the most iconic, translated, and influential texts of the European Renaissance, attracting enormous amounts of critical attention since its first publication in Latin in 1516. The first half of this editors’ Introduction places Utopia in the context of More’s life and the world in which he lived. It also outlines the extensive critical and historiographical traditions associated with Utopia and utopianism. The second half then explains how the Handbook brings together for the first time three different ways of thinking about More’s text: in terms of its Renaissance contexts, its vernacular translations, and its utopian legacies. It introduces the individual chapters of the Handbook, showing how they make for a uniquely integrated approach to the genesis, vernacularization, and afterlives of Utopia, and draws out recurring and prominent themes. An Appendix provides a useful potted overview of Utopia for readers new to More’s book.
Ad fontes et ad futurum
Authors: Nicholas Lucy
Published: December 2023

This chapter examines Utopia’s Latin journey, from the earliest Louvain and Basel editions through to those published in epochs that followed, and right up to the twentieth century. A total of thirty-one in total were produced across Europe, from the Low Countries and Germany to France and England. By returning to the Latin, the reader is not only better placed to appreciate the original spirit of the work and its symbolic currency, but also to understand the men and women who continued to publish and read Utopia in Latin. The chapter considers the extent to which the earliest incarnations were primarily the products of a particular phase of humanist learning and embodied a distinctly Erasmian (and Greek-inflected) approach. At the same time, the particular motivations and contexts that impelled the production of new editions of Latin Utopias stand in relation to the concerns of their own time and place.
Utopia and Gilbert Burnet in 1684
Authors: Withington Phil
Published: December 2023

Gilbert Burnet translated Utopia in 1684 explicitly to update the Ralph Robinson editions into ‘modern’ English. His text became the standard English version for the English-speaking world during the eighteenth century (Thomas Jefferson owned a copy), but Burnet undertook the translation at a moment of political crisis and personal danger. This chapter places Burnet and his translation in political context, exploring why a savvy political operator and prolific writer should have regarded Utopia an appropriate and timely investment of his considerable energy and skills. It also considers some of the broader changes in early modern culture and society revealed by the translation, focusing on one of Burnet’s linguistic modernizations in particular: the introduction of ‘slave’ into Utopia’s English transcript. The chapter argues that Burnet’s scholarly and political agendas were inseparable and that the result was a ‘Renaissance’ text rewritten to speak to an early ‘Enlightenment’ audience.
Thomas Rousseau, Translator of an Enlightened Utopia
Authors: Astbury Katherine
Published: December 2023

Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century French translations of Thomas More’s Utopia have received recent scholarly attention, as have the considerable number of imitations, borrowings and utopian projects of the eighteenth century in France, but until now very little attention has been paid to the work of Thomas Rousseau (1750–1800), who produced a translation of Utopia in 1780 and republished it with a new title and introduction in December 1789, just five months after the fall of the Bastille and the start of the French Revolution at a time when many felt that the regeneration of the nation was close to being complete. This chapter will explore how Rousseau adapted More’s text to suit better his intended readers in Enlightenment France and how it influenced his other literary and political activities in the years leading up to and during the French Revolution.
Utopia in East Central Europe
Authors: Czigányik Zsolt
Published: December 2023

The chapter discusses the reception of Thomas More’s work in Hungary from the sixteenth century until the 1990s, by analysing its influence and offering an overview of Hungarian utopian literature. The relationship between More and the region is also touched upon, a relationship that culminated in A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation, whose frame narrative takes place in Hungary. Both Utopia and its author’s personality exerted significant influence in Central Europe, particularly during the religious debates in the early modern period. Protestants pointed out the religious tolerance in Utopia, while Catholics often refer to the perseverance of its author. The first Hungarian translation of Utopia appeared as late as 1910, followed by three others. The comparative analyses of these translations reveal the dual reception pattern of More’s book in Hungary either as an imaginative piece of Renaissance entertainment or as a treatise in social philosophy.
A Catalan in Search of Humanists
Authors: Johnson P. Louise
Published: December 2023

Josep Pin i Soler is scarcely known in Catalonia for his extraordinary Biblioteca d’Humanistes series of translations into Catalan of Erasmus, More, Vives, Richard de Bury, Agustí i Albanell, and Machiavelli, published in the first quarter of the twentieth century. As a critic of Pompeu Fabra’s attempts to modernize the Catalan language, Pin incurred the wrath of those who later sought to align him with Spanish nationalism, and his immense service to Catalan language, culture, and scholarship has been insufficiently recognized. Pin’s 1912 Utopia was the first printed translation on the Iberian peninsula to include Book One, and the first new translation to appear since the Castilian version by Medinilla y Porres (1637; reprinted 1790 and 1805). It evidences a sympathy towards More not extended to Erasmus, as well as an Anglophilia informed by Pin’s experience of European politics outside Spain. The work’s contemporary reception was overwhelmingly positive, even if More seems not to have been universally understood.
The Historical Fallacy
Authors: Moir Cat
Published: December 2023

This chapter examines the interpretative politics of Utopia in the aftermath of the First World War in Weimar Germany. It focuses on its treatment by historians trained in the Rankean tradition, whose engagement with More combined the methodological demands of their historicism with the need to speak to contemporary political affairs and navigate the ideological currents of conservatism, social democracy, and National Socialism. The chapter shows how the failure to accommodate the literary and ironic dimensions of More’s text led to particular—rivalrous—perspectives on Germany’s and Britain’s role in the world. It also reminds us that the German historian and political theorist Hermann Oncken suggested that More wrote Book Two in the Low Countries before writing Book One while in royal service many decades before J. H. Hexter launched the same argument.
Japanese Translations of More’s Utopia
Authors: Sako Teruhito
Published: December 2023

From the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, the Japanese have been translating Western books extensively and systematically, with More’s Utopia treated as one of the most prominent works in Western literature. This chapter outlines the chronology of the ten modern Japanese translations and interpretations of More’s Utopia and introduces the contexts of each text. The first (1882) and second (1883) versions were understood by the Japanese pro-government elites as a practical guide for formulating the Japanese modern state. The third (1894) and fourth (1914) were used by the social reformers as a way to critique the government and establishment. The fifth (1929a), sixth (1929b), and seventh (1934) functioned as the last stand for freedom of thought in Japanese society as a whole. The eighth (1957b), ninth (1969), and tenth (1993) were treated more academically and historically, and when analysed alongside Erasmus’ Praise of Folly, were understood as the key to medieval and early modern culture.
The Multiple Lives of Utopia in Modern China
Authors: Ma Tehyun
Published: December 2023

This chapter charts the life of More’s Utopia in China from the late nineteenth century to the present by situating three translations in distinct political and cultural contexts. Around 1900, as disenchanted Late Qing intellectuals reconceptualized time as progressive rather than cyclical, the term ‘utopia’ entered the Chinese lexicon, capturing a new ‘future-oriented’ understanding of history among a cohort that rejected Confucian fatalism. By 1935, with anti-colonial nationalists now striving to shape China’s destiny, a fuller translation of More reflected enduring interest in European history and thought, and hinted at the ruling party’s preoccupation with a regimented, mobilized society. After the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949, a new edition of Utopia appeared, this time influenced by the Sino-Soviet alliance and the push for agricultural collectivization that presaged the Great Leap Forward. At each of these moments Utopia proved useful to intellectuals and politicians seeking to dictate China’s future.
Hythloday’s Books
Authors: Suthren Carla
Published: December 2023

The books brought by Hythloday to Utopia cover the range of materials recommended in early sixteenth-century educational manuals: the Utopians are to receive an exemplary humanist education, in spite of the remoteness of their island home. England was regularly characterized as a remote intellectual backwater, but Aldus Manutius’ innovative Greek type allowed English humanists to participate in a trans-European academic conversation by standardizing Greek texts and greatly increasing their availability. Thus the humanist Republic of Letters was fed by the Greek letters of Aldus’ type as well as the exchange of epistolary communications across Europe. This chapter positions More’s work—as it positions itself—within the framework of these broader European conversations and the humanist project exemplified by the Aldine academy and press. But the smooth transmission of Greek knowledge to Utopia is disrupted by a book-destroying monkey, raising questions about the place of Utopia in the Republic of Letters.
Mapping Utopia
Authors: Hiatt Alfred
Published: December 2023

In More’s Utopia the influence of theoretical geography of the early sixteenth century met New World exploration narrative, with the result that the excitement of encounter with non-European societies was given a philosophical and scientific veneer. This playful setting of Utopia, in addition to the careful description More gives of its topography, would seem to invite maps of the island. Yet the sixteenth-century cartographic response to Utopia was rather muted: apart from the crude woodcuts which appeared with the first editions, only Abraham Ortelius attempted a detailed representation of the island. It is arguably only the late twentieth and early twenty-first century that has seen a concerted effort to respond to More’s ideas through maps—and this not by cartographers, but by artists. The chapter begins with a discussion of More’s own textual mapping of Utopia. It examines in detail Ortelius’ map of Utopia (an appendix transcribes and translates its toponyms, and adds new information about their sources), before surveying Utopic maps from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. The chapter concludes with a consideration of three contemporary artistic ‘maps of Utopia’: Satomi Matoba’s ‘Topographic Map of Utopia’ (1998); Qiu Zhijie’s ‘Map of Utopia’ (2012), and Stephen Walter’s ‘Nova Utopia’ (2013).
Contemporary Utopianism
Authors: Williams Rhys
Published: December 2023

This chapter concerns itself with the contemporary return to islands in utopian thought, but with the twist that the islands are not empty containers any more, but busy sites of transformation; no longer peripheral, but central as an origin for a developing future. Further, they are legion. No single island provides the blueprint for a better future. Each ‘better’ is situational, deeply entangled in the place and the people that comprise it. Going beyond real islands, the chapter explores how the form and concept of the archipelago manifests itself in the act of curating as a key symptomatic logic of our time, extending far beyond the practices of the art world, drawing together elements to form a dialogue that opens up alternative futures.
Nec minus salutaris quam festivus
Authors: Zurcher Andrew
Published: December 2023

More’s Epigrammata, published with Utopia from the third, Froben edition of 1518, functions almost as a paratextual frame for the more famous work. This chapter reads the conspicuously Greek emphasis of the epigrams—their performance of argutia (‘brilliance’) and festivitas (‘wittiness’)—as an important influence on More’s construction of the relations between intimate and common, familiaris and alienum in his dialogue. In both works, More’s style treads a light, ironic step between the embarrassments of the disgusting body and the dignity of the incorruptible soul, seeming to privilege the former over the latter; but the operation of litotes and proverb across Utopia suggests, instead, an enduring compassion for material frailty, and a gentle though insistent critique of the humanist emphasis on communitas.
The Urban Context for Utopia
Authors: Hartrich Eliza
Published: December 2023

It has long been recognized that in Book Two of Utopia Thomas More followed the classical tradition of using the city as a metaphor for the ideal civil society, and that he drew, as well, from the communitarian rhetoric of London’s civic government (where he served as undersheriff). More, however, repudiated these traditions as much as he was influenced by them. Utopia stood at odds with both classical and sixteenth-century ideas of citizenship by emphasizing that harmonious social relations within a city were not sufficient for ensuring the common good. Just as essential were strict measures for economic and demographic equality between the different cities that constitute a polity. In describing mechanisms for ensuring equality between Utopia’s fifty-four cities, More may well have been satirizing the fractious relationships between English towns in 1450–1516, when population increases and growing rural industry disrupted existing hierarchies within the English urban system.
Utopia Unbound
Authors: Taylor Andrew W.
Published: December 2023

This chapter traces the publication of the early Latin editions of Utopia—Louvain (1516), Paris (1517), Basel (1518 twice), and Florence (1519)—exploring the various and shifting influences that informed the rhetorical and material representation of More’s work. It considers the nature of authorial control as Utopia passed through many hands, whether those of editors and typesetters in the print shops or those of readers whose letters anticipated and then discussed Utopia as part of the correspondents’ self-presentation and participation in Erasmian circles. The mutating prefatory materials of Utopia are seen as overlapping with the epistolary rhetoric propagated by Erasmus’ and Budé’s printed collections, publications enlarging the paratextual interplay between ‘fact’ and ‘fiction’; likewise, in Froben’s hands, and through the design of his title pages, Utopia was framed with a range of Erasmian works. The chapter turns finally to the attenuated Florentine edition to consider its breaking from these patterns of collaborative aggregation.
How Imagination Informs
Authors: Myers Joshua
Published: December 2023

An influential objection to the epistemic power of the imagination holds that it is uninformative. You cannot get more out of the imagination than you put into it, and therefore learning from the imagination is impossible. This paper argues, against this view, that the imagination is robustly informative. Moreover, it defends a novel account of how the imagination informs, according to which the imagination is informative in virtue of its analog representational format. The core idea is that analog representations represent relations ‘for free’, and this explains how the imagination can contain more information than is put into it. This account makes important contributions to both philosophy of mind, by showing how the imagination can generate new content that is not represented by a subject's antecedent mental states, and epistemology, by showing how the imagination can generate new justification that is not conferred by a subject's antecedent evidence.
Lymphadenopathy in the rheumatology practice: a pragmatic approach
Authors: Rodolfi Stefano , Della-Torre Emanuel , Bongiovanni Lucia , Mehta Puja , Fajgenbaum David C , Selmi Carlo
Published: December 2023

Lymphadenopathy is a common clinical finding and diagnostic challenge within general medicine and rheumatology practice. It may represent a primary manifestation of an underlying immune-mediated disease or indicate an infectious or neoplastic complication requiring differing management. Evaluating lymphadenopathy is of particular relevance in rheumatology, given that lymph node enlargement is a common finding within the clinical spectrum of several well-known rheumatologic disorders including RA, SLE and SS. In addition, lymphadenopathy represents a hallmark manifestation of rare immunological diseases such as Castleman disease and IgG4-related disease that must be considered in the differential diagnosis because effective targeted treatments can now impact the prognosis of these conditions. In this review we present an overview of the clinical significance of lymphadenopathy in common and rare rheumatologic diseases and propose a practical approach to lymphadenopathy in the rheumatology practice. Differential diagnosis of Castleman disease and therapeutic options for this condition of increasing rheumatologic interest will be discussed in detail.
Attribution of neuropsychiatric symptoms and prioritization of evidence in the diagnosis of neuropsychiatric lupus: mixed methods analysis of patient and clinician perspectives from the international INSPIRE study
Authors: Sloan Melanie , Andreoli Laura , Zandi Michael S , Harwood Rupert , Pitkanen Mervi , Sloan Sam , Barrere Colette , Massou Efthalia , Wincup Chris , Bosley Michael , Naughton Felix , Ubhi Mandeep , Jayne David , Leschziner Guy , Brimicombe James , Diment Wendy , Middleton Kate , Gordon Caroline , D’Cruz David , Pollak Thomas A
Published: December 2023

Objective

Neuropsychiatric lupus (NPSLE) is challenging to diagnose. Many neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as headache and hallucinations, cannot be verified by tests or clinician assessment. We investigated prioritizations of methods for diagnosing NPSLE and attributional views.

Methods

Thematic and comparative analyses were used to investigate how clinicians prioritize sources of evidence from a 13-item list, and explore discordances in clinician (surveys n = 400, interviews n = 50) and patient (surveys n = 676, interviews n = 27) perspectives on attribution.

Results

We identified high levels of variability and uncertainty in clinicians’ assessments of neuropsychiatric symptoms in SLE patients. In attributional decisions, clinicians ranked clinicians’ assessments above diagnostic tests (many of which they reported were often unenlightening in NPSLE). Clinicians ranked patient opinion of disease activity last, and 46% of patients reported never/rarely having been asked if their SLE was flaring, despite experienced patients often having ‘attributional insight’. SLE patients estimated higher attributability of neuropsychiatric symptoms to the direct effects of SLE on the nervous system than clinicians (P < 0.001 for all symptoms excluding mania), and 24% reported that their self-assessment of disease activity was never/rarely concordant with their clinicians. Reports of misattributions were common, particularly of non-verifiable diffuse symptoms. Terminology differed between clinicians and influenced attribution estimates.

Conclusion

NPSLE diagnostic tests and clinician assessments have numerous limitations, particularly in detecting diffuse neuropsychiatric symptoms that can be directly attributable and benefit from immunosuppression. Our findings suggest that incorporating patient attributional insights—although also subject to limitations—may improve attribution decision-making. Consensus regarding terminology and interpretations of ‘direct attributability’ is required.
Will you go the distance? A satisfaction survey of telemedicine in sexual medicine
Authors: Saffati Gal , Naeem Taher , Kassab Jordan , Orozco Rendon Daniela , Green Charles , Liphsultz Larry I , Khera Mohit
Published: December 2023

Background

The success of telemedicine depends on patient satisfaction with the care that they receive, which is impacted by the ease of use of the technology, quality of the connection, and perceived effectiveness of care.

Aim

The study sought to evaluate patient satisfaction with telemedicine services in a high-volume andrology clinic.

Methods

We included all patients who had a telemedicine appointment between January 1, 2020, and August 22, 2022. Demographic information was gathered, and a satisfaction survey was conducted using REDCap software. Data were grouped into 2 age categories, with ≥50 years as the cutoff (19-50 years; >50 years). The data were analyzed according to age, distance from the patient’s home to our center, and survey responses. Pearson’s chi-square test and ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed.

Outcomes

The main outcome is satisfaction with telemedicine in a men’s sexual health context.

Results

A total of 4071 patients were identified based on attending a telemedicine visit. Hypogonadism was the most common diagnosis. Other diagnoses included erectile dysfunction, varicocele, Peyronie’s disease, vasectomy, and infertility. In total, 613 patients completed the survey, with a mean age of 56.6 years. Older patients were less likely to prefer telemedicine (odds ratio [OR], 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36-0.80; P < .001), less likely to agree to a video visit because of privacy concerns (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.35-0.75; P < .001), and less likely to recommend a telemedicine visit compared with their younger counterparts (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.27-0.51; P < .001). The median distance was 22.4 (interquartile range, 7.5-57.5) miles. However, there was no significant association between distance and patients’ likelihood of preferring telehealth visits, including reviews of outside laboratories and imaging (OR, 1; 95% CI, 0.99-1; P = .35), belief in the quality of care provided via video visits (OR, 0.99, CI 0.99-1; P = .25), and overall preference for telehealth visits (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.99-1; P = .35).

Clinical Implications

Healthcare providers should consider the age of patients when deciding to offer telemedicine while addressing privacy concerns to provide adequate reassurance to patients who may have concerns about the quality of care provided through telemedicine.

Strengths and Limitations

Our study achieved a substantial sample size that reached statistical significance. Conducted at a single academic center, our study was constrained, possibly introducing biases related to the institution’s advanced telemedicine system. Geographic and diagnostic limitations could lead to regional biases, affecting the generalizability of the findings.

Conclusion

Older patients exhibited a lower inclination toward preferring telemedicine, along with decreased odds of endorsing in-person visits.
Wheat Rhizosphere-Derived Bacteria Protect Soybean from Soilborne Diseases
Authors: Yin Chuntao , Larson Matt , Lahr Nathan , Paulitz Timothy
Published: December 2023

Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) is an important oilseed crop with a high economic value. However, three damaging soybean diseases, soybean cyst nematode (SCN; Heterodera glycines Ichinohe), Sclerotinia stem rot caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lid.) de Bary, and soybean root rot caused by Fusarium spp., are major constraints to soybean production in the Great Plains. Current disease management options, including resistant or tolerant varieties, fungicides, nematicides, and agricultural practices (crop rotation and tillage), have limited efficacy for these pathogens or have adverse effects on the ecosystem. Microbes with antagonistic activity are a promising option to control soybean diseases with the advantage of being environmentally friendly and sustainable. In this study, 61 bacterial strains isolated from wheat rhizospheres were used to examine their antagonistic abilities against three soybean pathogens. Six bacterial strains significantly inhibited the growth of Fusarium graminearum in the dual-culture assay. These bacterial strains were identified as Chryseobacterium ginsengisoli, C. indologenes, Pseudomonas poae, two Pseudomonas spp., and Delftia acidovorans by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Moreover, C. ginsengisoli, C. indologenes, and P. poae significantly increased the mortality of SCN second-stage juveniles (J2), and two Pseudomonas spp. inhibited the growth of S. sclerotiorum in vitro. Further growth chamber tests found that C. ginsengisoli and C. indologenes reduced soybean Fusarium root rot disease. C. ginsengisoli and P. poae dramatically decreased SCN egg number on SCN-susceptible soybean ‘Williams 82’. Two Pseudomonas spp. protected soybean plants from leaf damage and collapse after being infected by S. sclerotiorum. These bacteria exhibit versatile antagonistic potential. This work lays the foundation for further research on the field control of soybean pathogens.
Semiautomatic Assessment of Facet Tropism From Lumbar Spine MRI Using Deep Learning
Authors: Kowlagi Narasimharao , Kemppainen Antti , Panfilov Egor , McSweeney Terence , Saarakkala Simo , Nevalainen Mika , Niinimäki Jaakko , Karppinen Jaro , Tiulpin Aleksei
Published: December 2023

Study Design.

This is a retrospective, cross-sectional, population-based study that automatically measured the facet joint (FJ) angles from T2-weighted axial magnetic resonance imagings (MRIs) of the lumbar spine using deep learning (DL).

Objective.

This work aimed to introduce a semiautomatic framework that measures the FJ angles using DL and study facet tropism (FT) in a large Finnish population-based cohort.

Summary of Data.

T2-weighted axial MRIs of the lumbar spine (L3/4 through L5/S1) for (n=1288) in the NFBC1966 Finnish population-based cohort were used for this study.

Materials and Methods.

A DL model was developed and trained on 430 participants’ MRI images. The authors computed FJ angles from the model’s prediction for each level, that is, L3/4 through L5/S1, for the male and female subgroups. Inter-rater and intrarater reliability was analyzed for 60 participants using annotations made by two radiologists and a musculoskeletal researcher. With the developed method, we examined FT in the entire NFBC1966 cohort, adopting the literature definitions of FT thresholds at 7° and 10°. The rater agreement was evaluated both for the annotations and the FJ angles computed based on the annotations. FJ asymmetry (

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was used to evaluate the agreement and correlation between the raters. Bland-Altman analysis was used to assess the agreement and systemic bias in the FJ asymmetry. The authors used the Dice score as the metric to compare the annotations between the raters. The authors evaluated the model predictions on the independent test set and compared them against the ground truth annotations.

Results.

This model scored Dice (92.7±0.1) and intersection over union (87.1±0.2) aggregated across all the regions of interest, that is, vertebral body (VB), FJs, and posterior arch (PA). The mean FJ angles measured for the male and female subgroups were in agreement with the literature findings. Intrarater reliability was high, with a Dice score of VB (97.3), FJ (82.5), and PA (90.3). The inter-rater reliability was better between the radiologists with a Dice score of VB (96.4), FJ (75.5), and PA (85.8) than between the radiologists and the musculoskeletal researcher. The prevalence of FT was higher in the male subgroup, with L4/5 found to be the most affected region.

Conclusion.

The authors developed a DL-based framework that enabled us to study FT in a large cohort. Using the proposed method, the authors present the prevalence of FT in a Finnish population-based cohort.
Anatomical Breast Implant Assessment Using Ultrasound: A Case Series from the International Breast Implant Check Clinic
Authors: Jaeger Marie , Randquist Charles , Gahm Jessica
Published: December 2023

Background:

Breast augmentation with anatomic implants can achieve a natural look, but over time, implant-related complications can occur. This includes a risk of potential rotation, which can cause a change in breast shape. Reported rates of rotation vary widely (0%–42%). Implant rotation is often detected by physical examination only or as a perioperative finding. Change in breast shape after augmentation requires clinical evaluation. In-office ultrasound allows for detailed assessment of implants for rotation and other complications.

Methods:

Women with anatomical breast implants seeking follow-up at the International Breast Implant Check Clinic in Stockholm, Sweden, from April 2020 to July 2022 were included in the study. Using a standardized protocol, subjective symptoms were recorded, and a physical examination followed by an ultrasound assessment was performed by a single board-certified plastic surgeon (M.J.) trained in implant assessment via ultrasound. Rotation was defined as an implant rotated past 30 degrees off the breast midline at 6 o’clock.

Results:

The study included 308 women (mean age 40.1, range 20-78) with bilateral anatomical implants. Overall, 40 women (13.0%) reported a change in breast shape; 35 had one or more implant-related complications, including five with rotation on ultrasound. Of the 308 women, 11 (3.6%) had rotations upon physical examination, and an additional 10 cases were identified using ultrasound.

Conclusions:

Rotation is a potential complication of anatomical breast implants. However, in this study, change in breast shape was more commonly caused by other implant-related complications. Ultrasound is a valuable tool in evaluating causes of change in breast shape.
An Evaluation of Patient-reported Outcome Measures and Minimal Clinically Important Difference Usage in Hand Surgery
Authors: Nielsen Colby , Merrell Dallin , Reichenbach Rachel , Mayolo Patrick , Qubain Leeann , Hustedt Joshua W.
Published: December 2023

Background:

This study was designed to examine the current use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) calculations in the hand surgery literature in an effort to standardize their use for research purposes.

Methods:

A systematic review of the hand surgery literature was conducted. All nonshoulder upper extremity articles utilizing PROMs were compared between different journals, different surgical indications, and differing usage. MCID values were reported, and calculation methods assessed.

Results:

In total, 4677 articles were reviewed, and 410 met the inclusion criteria of containing at least one PROM. Of the 410 articles reporting PROMs, 148 also mentioned an associated MCID. Of the articles that mentioned MCIDs, 14 calculated MCID values based on their specific clinical populations, whereas the remainder referenced prior studies. An estimated 35 different PROMs were reported in the study period; 95 different MCID values were referenced from 65 unique articles.

Conclusions:

There are many different PROMs currently being used in hand surgery clinical reports. The reported MCIDs from their related PROMs are from multiple different sources and calculated by different methods. The lack of standardization in the hand surgery literature makes interpretation of studies utilizing PROMs difficult. There is a need for a standardized method of calculating MCID values and applying these values to established PROMs for nonshoulder upper extremity conditions.
Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause in Cancer Survivors
Authors: DUGAN CATHERINE L. , OTHIENO ALISHA A. , GOLDMAN MINDY E.
Published: December 2023

Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) encompasses the symptoms of estrogen deprivation in the vaginal, vulva, and bladder areas. Because many cancer treatments induce a hypoestrogenic state, GSM is common in cancer survivors. The number of cancer survivors is increasing, and the unique aspects of GSM management for cancer survivors, such as the safety of hormonal therapies, is important to understand. In this review, we cover important considerations in the assessment of GSM; nonpharmacologic, behavioral, integrative, pharmacologic, and medical device treatments for GSM: the unique considerations in GSM by cancer treatment modality; bladder manifestations of GSM; and GSM in specific populations.
Central and Peripheral Involvement of the Retina in the Initial Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Santos Ana Rita , Almeida Ana Catarina , Rocha Ana Cláudia , Reste-Ferreira Débora , Marques Inês Pereira , Cunha-Vaz Martinho António , Mendes Luís , Santos Torcato , Lewis Warren , Cunha-Vaz José
Published: December 2023

Purpose:

To determine the degree of central microvascular closure using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in eyes of type 2 diabetes patients with visible lesions only in the central retina or only in the periphery.

Methods:

Cross-sectional study. All 127 eyes underwent Ultra-Widefield Fundus Photography (UWF-FP) 200° examinations with OPTOS California (Optos, Dunfermline, UK) and Cirrus Angioplex OCT-Angiography 3x3mm acquisitions (ZEISS, Dublin, CA, USA).

Results:

Twenty-five eyes showed visible lesions only in the central retina (inside the 7-ETDRS fields area), 57 only in the peripheral retina (outside the 7-ETDRS fields) and 45 presented visible lesions in entire retina (both locations). The group with visible lesions only in the periphery showed definite closure in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) in 49% of the eyes, whereas the group with visible lesions only in the central 7-ETDRS fields area showed a definite closure in 64%.

Conclusions:

Central capillary closure is already present in the initial stages of diabetic retinopathy even when lesions are only visible in the peripheral retina. Capillary closure in the SCP is three times more frequent than in the DCP, demonstrating earlier closure of the SCP. Eyes with visible lesions only in the periphery show a milder form of retinopathy.
Hepatic encephalopathy: From novel pathogenesis mechanism to emerging treatments
Authors: Pun Chon Kit , Huang Hui-Chun , Chang Ching-Chih , Hsu Shao-Jung , Huang Yi-Hsiang , Hou Ming-Chih , Lee Fa-Yauh
Published: December 2023

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is one of the major complications of liver disease and significantly affects the quality of life (QOL) of patients. HE is common and frequently relapses in cirrhotic patients. The management of HE is supportive, and precipitating conditions should be eliminated. Most drugs used to treat HE are conventional and include nonabsorbable disaccharides such as lactulose, and antibiotics such as rifaximin. However, their therapeutic efficacy is still suboptimal, and novel therapeutic agents are urgently needed. In addition, the optimal management and diagnosis of minimal HE/covert HE are under debate. In this review, we focus on novel pathogenetic mechanisms such as central nervous system clearance, and emerging therapeutic targets of HE, such as fecal material transplantation. We also discuss different classifications and etiologies of HE.
Epstein-Barr Virus–Positive Plasma Cell Neoplasms in Immunocompetent Patients
Authors: Xiao Shanshan , Lin Yansong , Fu Jia , Weng Xin , Cao Qinghua , Kuang Zhongsheng , Yun Jingping , Zhang Meifang , Huang Yuhua
Published: December 2023

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive plasma cell neoplasms (PCNs) in immunocompetent patients are a rare entity, the clinicopathological and prognostic features of which have not been well characterized. Fifteen cases of EBV-positive PCN arising in immunocompetent patients from south China were retrospectively analyzed, and an additional 44 cases from the literature were reviewed. The overall EBV-positive rate defined by EBV-encoded small RNAs (EBERs) in-situ hybridization of PCNs was 12.3% (15/122), and it was significantly higher in plasmacytoma (17.1%, 13/76) than in plasma cell myeloma/multiple myeloma (4.3%, 2/46;P=0.031). The age of the patients ranged from 17 to 79 years, with a median age of 56 years. There was a large preponderance of men, with a male-to-female ratio of 4:1. Solitary plasmacytoma of bone (23.8%, 5/21) had comparable EBV-encoded small RNAs-positive rates with extramedullary plasmacytoma arising in the upper respiratory tract (19.5%, 8/41;P=0.949). Anaplastic and classic cytologic appearance was observed in 61.5% (8/13) and 38.5% (5/13) of EBV-positive plasmacytomas, respectively. Cases with an anaplastic cytologic appearance had a significantly higher Ki-67 proliferation index than those with a classic cytologic appearance (median: 55% vs. 10%,P=0.001). In the combined cohorts, anaplastic/plasmablastic cytologic appearance was significantly more common in extramedullary plasmacytoma arising in the upper respiratory tract (72.0%, 18/25) than outside the upper respiratory tract (11.1%, 1/9;P=0.006). Among the 59 cases of EBV-positive PCN, survival data of 34 cases were available for analysis, including 30 cases of plasmacytoma and 4 cases of plasma cell myeloma/multiple myeloma. There was no statistically significant difference in overall survival between patients with EBV-positive plasmacytomas in the combined cohorts and EBV-negative plasmacytomas in the present cohort. The prevalence of EBV in PCN in immunocompetent patients varies according to histologic subtype and tumor location. Compared with EBV-negative cases, EBV-positive plasmacytomas tend to have an anaplastic/plasmablastic cytologic appearance. No significant impact of EBV infection on clinical outcomes is observed in the limited number of reported cases.
Severe axonal motor neuropathy after heat stroke
Authors: Quoilin Melanie Madeleine J. , Dragojlovic Nikola
Published: December 2023

A 22-year-old healthy man experienced heat stroke while hiking and collapsed, resulting in multiorgan failure, cerebral edema, and prolonged intensive care unit stay. He developed flaccid tetraplegia, facial weakness, and dysphagia, and was diagnosed with severe axonal sensorimotor polyneuropathy. Rehabilitation improved dysphagia, but he remained dependent on daily activities and required assistance for transfers. The prognosis of critical illness polyneuropathy is typically good in young, healthy individuals. Peripheral neuropathy is a rare complication of heat stroke due to hyperthermia-induced neuronal injury. As global temperatures continue to rise, it is essential to recognize the potential impact of climate change on the incidence of heat stroke and to implement public health interventions to mitigate its effects.
Late Subacute Cerebral Hematoma Mimicking a Metastasis on PSMA PET/CT
Authors: Vaz Nuno , Dietsche Eric , Mooney Michael A. , Choudhury Atish D. , Jacene Heather A.
Published: December 2023

A 64-year-old man with history of prostate cancer was found to have rising prostate-specific antigen after radical prostatectomy.18F-DCFPyL PET/CT demonstrated a prostate-specific membrane antigen–avid brain lesion in the left frontal lobe and no other findings to account for rising prostate-specific antigen. Brain MRI demonstrated a small intraparenchymal hematoma with late subacute features in this location. The patient reported a seizure 3 weeks before but was otherwise asymptomatic, and neurologic examination was normal. Follow-up MRI demonstrated gradual decrease in size of the hematoma without treatment.
Sevoflurane anesthesia reduces the expression of inflammatory response genes and β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme in hippocampi of diabetic mice
Authors: Han Yu Xiang , Liang Rui , Yi Xian Ping , Zhang Xue Xia , Zhou Shao Peng
Published: December 2023

Diabetes and inhaled anesthesia are associated with an increased likelihood of developing postoperative cognitive dysfunction in humans and animal models, but the mechanisms are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of sevoflurane anesthesia on cognitive function in diabetic (DM) mice. Spontaneously diabetic db/db and control db/m mice were subject to sevoflurane anesthesia or allowed to breathe air, respectively. The Morris water maze test as spatial learning and novel object recognition test as recognition memory were performed. The expression of inflammatory cytokines and neurotoxicity-related genes in the hippocampus of four groups was measured using real-time PCR. The expression level of neurotoxicity and neuroprotection-related proteins in DM mice hippocampus were estimated using Western blot assay. It is found that DM mice developed cognitive impairment; however, the cognitive impairment was not exacerbated in sevoflurane-exposed mice. Sevoflurane anesthesia led to a decrease in mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines in DM mice hippocampi, including interleukin 17 (IL-17), C-C motif chemokine (CCL20), CCL7 as well as high mobility group box 1 and beta-site amyloid-β cleaving enzyme 1; and no effect was observed on the expression of neurotoxicity genes, including amyloid precursor protein, choline O-acetyltransferase, tumor necrosis factor, alpha-induced protein 1, B-cell lymphoma 2 and estrogen receptor 2. In addition, we observed elevated phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein in DM mice exposed to sevoflurane anesthesia. In conclusion, sevoflurane did not exacerbate DM-associated cognitive impairment.
Intravenous administration of human chorionic membrane mesenchymal stem cells promotes functional recovery in a rat traumatic brain injury model
Authors: Zhou Honglong , Yi Zhaohui , Le Dongsheng , Mao Guohua , Zhang Hongri
Published: December 2023

Human chorionic membrane mesenchymal stem cells (hCM-MSCs) have increasingly emerged as an excellent source of transplanted cells for regenerative therapy as they can be isolated via a non-invasive and simple method with high proliferative capabilities. However, the roles and mechanisms of hCM-MSCs on traumatic brain injury (TBI) animal models have not been investigated yet. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential and mechanism of hCM-MSCs transplantation in a rat model of TBI. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to moderate lateral fluid percussion-induced TBI. At 2 h after TBI, hCM-MSCs, or PBS were administered intravenously via the tail vein. Neurological function, brain water content, Evans blue dye extravasation, immunofluorescence staining, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent were evaluated. The results showed that transplanted hCM-MSCs were observed in the injured brain. Compared with the PBS group, hCM-MSCs treatment significantly decreased the numbers of M1 macrophages/microglia, MPO+ neutrophils and caspase-3+ cells (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, hCM-MSCs treatment significantly reduced the expression levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, interleukin-(IL)6 and IL-1β) while increasing the numbers of M2 macrophages/microglia and the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 (P < 0.01). In addition, hCM-MSCs treatment significantly reduced brain water content and Evans blue extravasation. Lastly, hCM-MSCs treatment significantly promoted neurogenesis and angiogenesis, and attenuated neurological deficits. Collectively, these findings indicate that hCM-MSCs exhibited effective therapeutic efficacy in a rat TBI model, and its mechanism may be by reducing inflammation, apoptosis and the blood-brain barrier disruption, promoting angiogenesis and neurogenesis.