bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pseudo Artificial Intelligence Bias
Authors: Zhai Xiaoming , Krajcik Joseph
Published: November 2024

Pseudo artificial intelligence bias (PAIB) is broadly disseminated in the literature, which can result in unnecessary AI fear in society, exacerbate the enduring inequities and disparities in access to and sharing the benefits of AI applications, and waste social capital invested in AI research. This study systematically reviews publications in the literature to present three types of PAIBs identified due to (a) misunderstandings, (b) pseudo mechanical bias, and (c) overexpectations. We discuss the consequences of and solutions to PAIBs, including certifying users for AI applications to mitigate AI fears, providing customized user guidance for AI applications, and developing systematic approaches to monitor bias. We concluded that PAIB due to misunderstandings, pseudo mechanical bias, and overexpectations of algorithmic predictions is socially harmful.
Far-Right Protest and Electoral Mobilization
Authors: Gattinara Pietro Castelli , Pirro Andrea L. P.
Published: November 2024

This chapter presents ten movement parties of the far right in Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, and Sweden. To shed light on the different ways in which protest can be combined with elections, the chapter positions these collective actors in their respective national contexts, specifically focusing on the accessibility of the electoral market and the strength of the far-right movement sector. Combining original protest event data and information on institutional representation, the chapter classifies the ten cases on the basis of their different trajectories in the protest and electoral arena, distinguishing between ‘dormant’, ‘unfulfilled’, ‘institutional’, and ‘accomplished’ movement parties.
Resources and Organizational Capacity
Authors: Gattinara Pietro Castelli , Pirro Andrea L. P.
Published: November 2024

This chapter addresses the logic of resources in far-right movement parties, exploring the role of human and financial resources in the protest mobilization of these collective actors. While parties entering national parliaments are expected to institutionalize and professionalize, movement parties are likely to strike a balance between institutional and non-institutional politics. Triangulating original interviews with statutory and other data sources on the membership, organizational spread, and professionalization of ten movement parties in nine European countries, the chapter demonstrates that the resources deriving from institutional representation can be put at the service of organizational capacity but reveals no straightforward relationship between pre-existing resources and protest activity. More specifically, a strong membership does not necessarily feed into high rates of protest mobilization; membership figures seem rather a function of institutionalization. Professionalization efforts otherwise vary, with electorally successful ‘radical’ movement parties investing acquired resources to hire professional staff and routinize their operations.
Participation and Decision-Making Processes
Authors: Gattinara Pietro Castelli , Pirro Andrea L. P.
Published: November 2024

This chapter addresses the logic of participation in far-right movement parties, examining decision-making processes and the level of intra-organizational democracy. Far-right collective actors often combine informal processes with top-down decision-making. The chapter therefore considers whether protest activity is linked to more or less formal ways to aggregate interests, the availability of participatory practices empowering grassroots activists, and the leadership models adopted by far-right collective actors. Triangulating original interviews with statutory and other data sources, the chapter challenges the notion that heightened protest mobilization stems from bottom-up processes and the empowerment of rank-and-file activists. Instead, protest mobilization tends to occur more frequently in far-right movement parties in which informal, top-down structures, rather than bottom-up, horizontal practices are in place.
Contention and External Mobilization
Authors: Gattinara Pietro Castelli , Pirro Andrea L. P.
Published: November 2024

This chapter delves into the logic of contention in far-right movement parties, exploring the radicalness of their non-institutional activities and various features of their protest networks. The main concerns of this part of the study are the repertoire of action of movement parties, as well as the size and diversity of their protest network. In order to tackle these aspects, the empirical analysis uses and triangulates interviews with protest event and social network data. The chapter demonstrates that contention and external mobilization respond to multiple strategic needs and considerations, ranging from reputational pressures to the recruitment of activists, while also serving goals such as voicing opposition and offering various forms of political socialization. The chapter concludes by observing the increasingly porous boundaries between extremist and radical collective actors, and between conventional and confrontational forms of activism.
Introduction
Authors: Diago Ortega José-Modesto
Published: November 2024

The book’s Introduction places the reader in a multidisciplinary setting in which economic, legal, political and cultural contexts will overlap and intertwine. In order to better understand, develop, and transcend the French brass instrument manufacturing industry during the nineteenth century and how the evolution of capitalism affected these enterprises, several preparatory and useful tools are provided: a retrospective of brass instrument manufacture over time, key points of nineteenth-century industrial property law, a discussion of the French judicial system was like at the time, precautions to be taken when dealing with intangible capital codified in patents and other sources, a brief and practical guide to the morphology and components of the main brasswinds, and a summary of the seventeen chapters.
Judicial Setback or ‘Nothing Patentable’
Authors: Diago Ortega José-Modesto
Published: November 2024

This chapter discusses the events that happened after Rapport d’expertise was recorded (November 1847). The proceedings were awaiting the Court to reconvene and (predictably) rule in favour of Sax. However, the Revolution broke out (February 1848) and with it the collapse of the July Monarchy and the resurgence of the Republic. Among the six members of the provisional government was Pierre Marie de Saint-Georges, the lawyer who represented the interests of the rival manufacturers. In this impasse, the military bands were redefined without the disputed instruments and Marie was appointed Minister of Justice. The trial was resumed (August 1848) and the same chamber struck down the saxhorn patent and completely invalidated the saxotromba’s, which was key to the strategy. The saxophone was exonerated. The judges did not value the experts’ report either. This chapter develops that abrupt change of judicial and economic course: the market had once again been liberalized.
Hasty Raids
Authors: Diago Ortega José-Modesto
Published: November 2024

This chapter opens with the early (December 1854) initiatives of Sax to seize instruments, ledgers, and machinery from several of his competitors, claiming that they were allegedly manufacturing and selling brasswinds that stemmed from his patents. Nevertheless, those first raids turned out to be null and void because the raider had not satisfied any of the statutory prerequisites. However, the political and media outlets had already bet on Sax and could not afford to let him fall. To cover up the fiasco of the first, he organized a second wave of much more aggressive seizures at the companies’ workshops, but also at the site of the newly opened Parisian Universal Exhibition (May 1855), which implied public humiliation and the branding of his rivals as pirates. This time the raids were considered legal because Napoleon III had signed an imperial decree admitting Sax’s residence and allowing the conditions to be met.
Besson, a Brass Heavyweight Maker
Authors: Diago Ortega José-Modesto
Published: November 2024

This chapter focuses on Gustave Besson, another of Sax’s fiercest and most vicious adversaries, who also suffered his raids early (1854) and often (four in 1857 and another in 1858). This entrepreneur is interesting not only because of his inventiveness but also because he designed ad hoc machinery that brought maturity, fluidity, and competitiveness to the market, which made him a constant target for his enemy. This chapter discusses those confrontations, but especially at how well Besson fought against the monopoly situation he suffered. Like Gautrot, he also realized early on the shift of the business towards the civil market and used novel and advanced commercial strategies, such as adapting advertising to this new consumer, organizing popular demonstrations, giving more years of guarantee, approaching municipal institutions, and even expanding abroad. Besson had already (c.1855) established in the UK (London) and protected new inventions there.
Drouelle or the Valve Big Business
Authors: Diago Ortega José-Modesto
Published: November 2024

This chapter discusses the vicissitudes of the persecution of Sébastien Drouelle (a manufacturer of valves), which lasted more than nine years and was escalated to the Court of Cassation three times. The complaint was based on the fact that this businessman was illegally manufacturing valves and other loose parts for the saxotromba. One of the defence’s arguments was that these valves were in the public domain and, more interestingly, that some of his customers were licensees of Sax. This episode has a very accurate account of exactly how that raid unfolded and what it uncovered, for Drouelle employed twenty-five people and his books were very reliably kept. These records showed that he traded with a plethora of builders. Thus, this chapter explores some of the aspects that made the business more competitive—for example, outsourcing or exploiting workers—and also the enormous amount of money it moved.
Conclusions
Authors: Diago Ortega José-Modesto
Published: November 2024

This chapter analyses, relativizes and, above all, transcends what it meant the largest judicial battle in culture and industrial property in nineteenth-century Europe. The turbulent process that French brasswinds manufacturing and marketing sector went through led to a modern understanding of this type of instruments that not only affected France later on but was also reflected in other countries. These last pages are also a reminder that brasswinds are simply products of the Industrial Revolution, namely the development of metallurgy and new technologies applicable to brass, but under the ubiquitous cover, evolution, and rules of the capitalist system, one of the latter being the codification of these advances and progressions through the patent system. Like other consumer goods, brasswinds were and are at the mercy of the economic interests and vagaries of the bourgeois liberal society.
Locative Predications in Chadic Languages
Authors: Frajzyngier Zygmunt
Published: November 2024

The general aim of the book is to demonstrate that the grammatical systems of individual languages code unique semantic structures. These semantic structures should be the main object of semantic description. The role of semantic structures encoded in grammatical systems is examined within a specific area, namely, how languages convey a presumably universal task such as information about the location of an entity or an event in a place and movements of an entity in space. The demonstration is based on non-aprioristic analyses of all of the formal coding means used for locative expressions in eight typologically distinct languages that belong to three branches of the Chadic family (Afroasiatic phylum), spoken in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. Chadic languages were chosen because some of them represent semantic and syntactic characteristics involving locative expressions that have not been observed in or described in other languages. The most important of these characteristics is the coding of the locative domain in the grammatical system. The crucial contribution of the volume is that it demonstrates the existence of the semantic structure coded by the grammatical system of the language, and that the forms of the utterances in the language are determined by the functions encoded in the grammatical system, by means of coding found in the language, and by the locus within the utterance where various functions are coded. The volume also demonstrates that the syntactic properties of some lexical items are determined by the functions encoded in the grammatical system.
The locative domain in Mina
Authors: Frajzyngier Zygmunt
Published: November 2024

Mina (Central Chadic) codes the locative domain in its grammatical system, as evidenced by the grammatical markers dedicated to code functions within the locative domain and by the existence of inherently locative verbs and nouns along with inherently non-locative verbs and nouns, with each of these classes affecting the forms of utterances in a different way. The grammatical markers dedicated to coding locative functions include the predicator á that codes locative predication when the predicate of the clause is inherently non-locative or there is no predicate in the clause. The preposition n codes the complement as locative-only when the noun in the complement phrase is not inherently locative. Directionality is coded by verbs and inflectional markers added to verbs. Spatial relations to the locative complement are coded by markers derived from body-part terms. Mina codes motion toward a beneficiary as a distinct function within the grammatical system.
The locative domain in Hausa
Authors: Frajzyngier Zygmunt , Munkaila Mohammed
Published: November 2024

Chapter 4 demonstrates that there exists in Hausa (West Chadic) a grammatical category ‘locative domain’, which differs from all other domains in the language. Because of the existence of the locative domain, some verbs and nouns are inherently locative, and others are not. There are two types of locative predication in Hausa: stative and directional. The forms of locative predications differ depending on the value of the feature [locative] in predicates and in nouns in locative complements. If the predicate is not inherently locative, a locative predication is coded by the locative predicator. If the noun is inherently non-locative, the locative predication must deploy markers that allow such nouns to function as locative complements. The study proposes a new taxonomy of prepositions in Hausa. The presence of some prepositions is motivated by the lexical properties of predicates and of others by the lexical properties of nouns.
The locative domain in Wandala
Authors: Frajzyngier Zygmunt
Published: November 2024

Chapter 9 describes the locative domain in Wandala (Central Chadic). Evidence for the existence of the locative domain in Wandala is provided by the dedicated formal means that are used to code only locative functions. These formal means include the category ‘locative predicator’ and the locative-only prepositions. The locative domain in Wandala is composed of three subdomains: stative predications, locative functions of the event, and locative functions of the complement. That the three subdomains share some of the same coding means is evidence that they belong to one locative domain. The specific locative functions encoded in the subdomain of the event and the locative complement are directionality and spatial dimensions of motion. The domain of the locative complement also codes spatial relations within the locative complement.
Theory of Mind and Metacognition
Authors: Tomasello Michael , Call Josep
Published: November 2024

This chapter reviews the primate research literature on the ability to attribute mental states to others as well as the understanding of the self and skills of metacognition. The chapter begins by reviewing the evidence on understanding goals and intentions in apes and monkeys, followed by studies on understanding perception in others including detecting gaze direction on the self, gaze directed to external entities, and joint attention. There is also a section on attribution of knowledge and ignorance in competitive situations and distinguishing knowledge from beliefs. Next, the chapter shifts its attention towards the self by focusing on monitoring and controlling self-generated actions, mirror self-recognition, and mirror use to monitor the self’s actions. The last part of the chapter is devoted to metacognition; more specifically, it reviews the evidence on monitoring and controlling the self’s decisions under uncertainty by displaying opting out responses or seeking additional information.
Europolity
Authors: Hewitson Mark
Published: November 2024

The European Union, in Habermas’s opinion, owes its existence to the efforts of political elites who could count on the passive consent of their more or less indifferent populations, as long as the peoples could regard the Union as also being in their economic interest. The legitimacy of the EU rested on outcomes, not the citizens’ political will. ‘This state of affairs is explained not only by the history of its origins but also by the legal constitution of this unique formation’, with the European Central Bank, the Commission and the European Court of Justice intervening most profoundly in the lives of European citizens ‘even though these institutions are the least subject to democratic controls’. The European Council, which had taken the initiative during the eurozone crisis, is made up of heads of government whose role in the eyes of their citizens is to represent their respective national interests in distant Brussels, the German philosopher continues. Although the European Parliament was meant to be a ‘bridge between the conflict of opinions in the national arenas and the momentous decisions taken in Brussels’, the bridge is ‘almost devoid of traffic’. The European Union is neither a state-like entity nor a normal liberal, democratic polity. The old questions remain in place, therefore. What role should the European Union have and how can it function most effectively?
The Liberal Border Script and Its Contestations
Authors: Drewski Daniel , Gerhards Jürgen
Published: November 2024

With reference to political philosophy, this chapter argues that the “liberal border script” is characterized by an inherent tension between individual self-determination, which includes the right to cross-border interactions, and collective self-determination, which covers the states’ right to control their borders. It further argues that international law provides a reasonable point of reference to determine the specific content of the current border script. It then analyzes how international law regulates three kinds of cross-border interactions (communication, economic transactions, and the movement of people) and to what extent this can be interpreted in terms of the liberal border script. The chapter demonstrates that the right of the state to interfere with communication across national borders is very limited (1), that most states have substantially limited their ability to interfere with trade (2), and that states retain the right to control immigration, but they are required to open their borders to refugees (3).
Order-Making through Contestations
Authors: Risse Thomas
Published: November 2024

The chapter discusses the Liberal International Order (LIO) pertaining to the international system and institutionalized particularly after World War II. The liberal order script for the international system has been written and rewritten through various internal and external contestations over the past more than 70 years. Some of these contestations have successfully transformed the LIO, while others have had little effect. The chapter challenges the dominant interpretation of the LIO as a US or “Western” hegemonic order by pointing to its many authors from Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The chapter documents the history of the LIO as a history of contestations by focusing on three foundational documents, namely the 1945 United Nations Charter (the LIO’s “constitution”), the 1944 Bretton Woods agreements as setting up the liberal international economic order, and the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the founding document of international political liberalism.
Beyond “Liberal Education”
Authors: Caruso Marcelo , Waldow Florian
Published: November 2024

This chapter asks how institutionalized education relates to the principles, contents, and narratives that make up the liberal script, such as individual and collective self-determination, meritocracy, individualism, and private property. It looks at how modern liberalism became closely associated with universal schooling, including how this in many respects contradicted what had for a long time been known as “liberal education.” The chapter then discusses how compulsory education and mass schooling became institutionalized as central elements of a liberal order, nationally and internationally. Then, it focuses on the role of education as a medium for the ordering of liberal societies and the allocation of life chances according to “merit.” It concludes with the argument that what is “liberal” about education in the liberal script is a particular set of tensions, contradictions, and struggles.
Peripheral Liberalism: New Perspectives on the Liberal Script in the (Post-)Socialist World
Authors: Axe Kevin , Rupprecht Tobias , Trinkle Alice
Published: November 2024

This chapter puts into question a widely held belief that the liberal script in countries of (former) state socialism was simply transferred from West to the East after the end of the Cold War. It introduces the term “peripheral liberalism” for a range of ideas on a market- and individual rights-based transformation that emerged in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, and East Asia as early as the 1970s. While political dissent and human rights activism of the informal opposition have long dominated Western perceptions of the transformation of socialist states, recent scholarship suggests that elites of late state socialism themselves paved the way for economic reforms and political change. Such local intellectual traditions and domestic powerplay were eventually also more influential than Western advisory and political pressure after 1989, although the latter have become a major target of current contestations of the liberal script especially in Eastern Europe.
Liberal Rationality and Its Unacknowledged Commitments
Authors: Menzel Anne
Published: November 2024

Within the contemporary liberal script, “rationality” describes an orientation toward progress based on objective knowledge. Objective knowledge and rational policymaking are seen as the best options for improving human welfare, especially when dealing with the poor and “underdeveloped.” This chapter sets out to disrupt this liberal imaginary by drawing attention to unacknowledged commitments in liberal practice, namely in peacebuilding and development cooperation. It begins with some historical background on the emergence of the social sciences alongside rising demands for rational policies “at home” and in the colonies. In this context, it also discusses Max Weber’s early defence of objectivity despite his awareness of the situatedness of knowledge. Next, the chapter turns to contemporary examples in peacebuilding and development practice and discusses how unacknowledged commitments shape rational policymaking in these fields. The main point is not new but worth repeating: Liberal rationality is not objective but situated in particular—and usually unacknowledged—commitments.
Better than the “Liberal Peace”? Brazilian Peacekeeping between Postcolonial Branding and Violent Order-Making
Authors: Müller Markus-Michel , Xavier do Monte Izadora
Published: November 2024

This chapter analyzes how and to what effect Brazil’s domestic liberal script and contemporary UN-mandated international interventions interact at the beginning of the 21st century. Zooming in on the causes and consequences of Brazil’s contribution to MINUSTAH—the country’s biggest peacekeeping engagement thus far—we argue that the elite-driven enactment of the liberal script in Brazil, while discursively embracing ideas of collective and individual self-determination, has produced a violent and exclusionary form of governing security. Far from seeking to provide a public good, Brazilian security governance primarily aims at safeguarding the (re-)production of a highly unequal and racialized sociopolitical order, which, in turn, negatively impacts upon people’s self-determination regarding the exercise of their personal freedom and autonomy. Our analysis reveals how Brazil’s leading role in MINUSTAH implied a traveling abroad of this violent form of governing security with negative implications for the individual self-determination of those intervened upon in Haiti.
The European Union’s Public Finances in Times of Crisis
Authors: Crowe Richard
Published: November 2024

Under the pressures of multiple crises, the European Union’s public finances are in a state of flux. In seeking to understand the dynamics that are driving that flux, this chapter draws particular attention to the interplay between the Union’s legislative and budgetary powers in matters of European Union (EU) funding. In circumstances where the Union’s budgetary autonomy is constrained by rigid expenditure ceilings and an outdated revenue system, the legislative authority has been forced to innovate to find alternative sources of financing or to use the budget in new ways to pursue Union policy objectives. Based on an examination of different legal mechanisms and public finance techniques employed in response to recent crises, including recourse to off-budget borrowing and external assigned revenue, it is suggested that this flux is symptomatic of a difficult transition from the rather archaic budgetary architecture of the 1980s to a more modern public finance system for the larger and more diverse ‘geopolitical’ Union that is emerging. Looking to the future, the Union will need to breathe more autonomously with both its legislative and budgetary ‘lungs’ if it is to fully exploit its policy competences and assert the strategic autonomy, or even sovereignty, that some now advocate for it.
SpMS1, a male sterility factor, interacts with SpAP1 to regulate unisexual flower development in dioecious spinach
Authors: Li Ning , Wang Bingxin , Shang Xinran , Yang Qiangwei , Yang Liang , Tao Minjie , Muhammad Shoaib , Shi Ainong , Deng Chuanliang
Published: November 2024

The emergence of unisexual flower is an important event during plant evolution. The molecular mechanism underlying the formation of unisexual flowers remains unclear in dioecious spinach. In this study, we identified the spinach MALE STERILITY1 gene, SpMS1, which serves as a masculine factor to regulate male fertility and sex reversion. Silencing SpMS1 led to stamen sterility in male flowers and the development of masculine traits in female flowers. Overexpression of SpMS1 in wild-type Arabidopsis resulted in sterile stamens and irregular pollen exine. Notably, ectopic expression of SpMS1 in Arabidopsis ms1 mutants restored pollen viability and flower fertility. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that SpMS1 interacts with MADS-box transcription factor SpAP1 to regulate unisexual flower development. Thus, SpMS1 exhibits a conserved function in pollen fertility akin to bisexual flowers, while also acting as a key regulator of unisexual flower development in spinach. This study sheds light on the mechanism of sex differentiation in dioecious plants and also provides valuable insights for manipulating male sterility in plant breeding programs.
Notch inhibition enhances morphological reprogramming of microRNA-induced human neurons
Authors: Burbach Kyle F , Wu Shanyun , Yoo Andrew S
Published: November 2024

The role of Notch signaling in direct neuronal reprogramming remains unknown despite its importance to brain development in vivo. Here, we use microRNA-induced neurons that are directly reprogrammed from human fibroblasts to determine how Notch signaling contributes to neuronal identity. We found that Notch inhibition during the first week of reprogramming was both necessary and sufficient to enhance neurite outgrowth at a later timepoint, indicating an important role in the erasure of the original cell identity. Accordingly, transcriptomic analysis showed that the effect of Notch inhibition was likely due to improvements in fibroblast fate erasure and silencing of non-neuronal genes. To this effect, we identify MYLIP, whose downregulation in response to Notch inhibition significantly promoted neurite outgrowth. Moreover, Notch inhibition resulted in cells with neuronal transcriptome signatures defined by expressing long genes at a faster rate than the control, demonstrating the effect of accelerated fate erasure on neuronal fate acquisition. Our results demonstrate the antagonistic role of Notch signaling to the pro-neuronal microRNAs 9 and 124 and the benefits of its inhibition to the acquisition of neuronal morphology.
Pharmacogenomic testing and implications for psychiatric medication prescribing
Authors: Xavier Rose Mary
Published: November 2024

A pharmacogenomics-informed prescribing strategy examines genetic variations in individual patients for more personalized selection and dosing of psychiatric medications for which a clinical evidence base and/or clinical guidelines exist. Clinicians who prescribe psychiatric medications should be aware of the pharmacogenomic evidence base and existing guidelines relevant to medication selection, dosing, and interactions to ensure safe and effective treatment. Although pharmacogenomic testing does not replace current prescribing strategies, when used alongside them, it acts as a valuable clinical decision support tool that can improve the selection and dosing of specific psychiatric medications.
Patients with Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures in Denmark 2010-2018
Authors: Andersen Mikkel Ø. , Andresen Andreas K. , Frølich Jacob Stampe , Hansen Karen Højmark , Nielsen Line , Petersen Tanja Gram , Carreon Leah Y , Hermann Anne Pernille , Sørensen Jan
Published: November 2024

Study Design.

Register-based cohort study based on linked data from multiple national registries.

Objective.

To describe the sociodemographic and health characteristics of individuals in Denmark with osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF) and analyze time trends. The study compares labor market participation and comorbidities between OVF patients and a matched control group without these fractures.

Summary of Background Data.

The incidence and characteristics of OVF patients in Denmark are not well-documented. Multiple national health and economic registries enable linking of individual patient data, providing new insights.

Methods.

We identified individuals with hospital-diagnosed vertebral compression fractures from 2010 to 2018 using the Danish National Patient Register. A control group was matched by sex, age, and municipality. Work status prior to OVF was categorized as employed, on paid sickness benefit, in early retirement, or on old-age pension. Comorbidities were analyzed based on hospital diagnoses within 10 years prior to the fracture.

Results.

During 2010 to 2018, 20.262 individuals had a hospital contact with an OVF. Sixty-four percent were women and the mean age was 73.6 (SD 12.4) years. OVF incidence increased from 86 in 2010 to 142 per 100,000 persons in 2018. In 2018, the regional incidence ranged from 120 to 154 per 100,000. More than a fifth of the patients were working prior to the fracture, while 77% were in early retirement or old-age pension. The population with OVF had more comorbidities than the matched comparison group.

Conclusion.

The incidence of hospital-diagnosed OVFs has risen over the last decade, with regional differences. Notably, over 20% of OVF patients were still employed, highlighting the socioeconomic impact of this condition.
Team-Based Care of the Patient Receiving Venovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
Authors: Presti Carmen Rosa , Casey Jessica
Published: November 2024

Background

Guideline-based care of patients requiring extracorporeal membranous oxygenation, a form of life support for patients with refractory respiratory and/or cardiac failure, requires a multidisciplinary approach, yet a detailed description of the ideal integration of teams of physicians, acute care nurse practitioners, critical care nurses, and other disciplines is lacking in the literature.

Objectives

We sought to define team-based care of the patient receiving venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with an emphasis on the roles of the critical care nurse and the acute care nurse practitioner.

Methods

A narrative literature review was conducted using the keywords or MeSH terms “team-based care” AND “ECMO” and “nurse practitioner” AND “ECMO.” Electronic databases searched included PubMed, Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PsycINFO.

Results

Sixty-five articles met the search criteria, with 21% (n = 10) focusing on characteristics of team-based care for patients receiving ECMO. Articles describe the ideal composition of teams and their education and training, frameworks for the formation of ECMO teams, and aspects of communication. One article details the role of the acute care nurse practitioner in managing ECMO, but several omit or barely describe the nurse’s role as a team member.

Discussion

No articles were found that specifically define the key elements, structure, and dynamics of effective team-based care of the patient receiving ECMO. A holistic definition of team-based care of the patient receiving ECMO is proposed. Further research is warranted to correlate aspects of team-based care that optimize patient, team, and organization outcomes.
Surgical Algorithm of Poland Syndrome Based on Thorax, Breast, and Nipple-areola Complex Classification
Authors: Romanini Maria Victoria , Forlini Valentina , Valle Maura , Puliti Aldamaria , Martinoli Carlo , Torre Michele
Published: November 2024

Background:

Poland syndrome (PS) is a rare congenital syndrome characterized by unilateral pectoralis major muscle defect. In 2016, we proposed the thorax, breast, and nipple-areola complex (TBN) classification and a subsequent treatment algorithm, which included conservative and surgical procedures. Our aim is to report the results we obtained treating all thoracic anomalies according to the proposed algorithm in a cohort of adolescents affected by PS.

Methods:

Between January 2016 and June 2023, 52 patients with PS were treated using the TBN classification in our institute. Each patient was evaluated by a multidisciplinary team composed of pediatric and plastic surgeons and treated according to the algorithm. Surgical procedures included were minimally invasive pectus excavatum repair, open sternochondroplasty, patch, metal plate, 3-dimensional chest wall prosthesis, fat grafting, tissue expanders, and breast and pectoral implants. Conservative treatments included vacuum bell and corset.

Results:

Half of the patients had no thoracic skeletal defect (T1), but all had soft-tissues defects. Nineteen patients required thoracoplasty, all of whom experienced T downstaging after treatment, and 90% were postoperatively reclassified as T1. Conservative treatment for T correction was proposed in 8 patients; 83% underwent fat grafting, and 88% had a breast/pectoral prosthesis implanted. There were no major complications registered. The mean follow-up was 5.9 years.

Conclusions:

The proposed algorithm can be considered a useful tool for standardized surgical decision-making in PS. Fat grafting can play a major role in a pediatric setting. A multidisciplinary and minimally invasive approach, whenever possible, should be prioritized in patients younger than 18 years.
Rapid-printed Three-dimensional Models for Craniomaxillofacial Trauma
Authors: Scharf Isabel M. , Mathis Sydney A. , Bou Zeid Naji , Saini Devansh , Nahass George R. , Arias Eduardo , Purnell Chad A. , Zhao Linping , Patel Pravin K. , Alkureishi Lee W.T.
Published: November 2024

Background:

Advances in surgical planning and 3-dimensional (3D) printing have benefitted the field of craniomaxillofacial surgery by allowing visualization of patient anatomy in settings of otherwise restricted surgical fields. Long 3D print times limit the usability of surgical planning workflows in acute trauma reconstruction. We sought to identify variables affecting print time and produce rapid-printed models with sufficient quality for prebending osteosynthesis plates.

Methods:

Three-dimensional printing variables, including resolution, print orientation, and region of interest cropping, were optimized on a single mandibular and midface fracture model to maximize print time efficiency. Five mandibular and 5 midface fractures were printed both in the high-resolution and time-efficient protocol. Fixation plates were contoured to fit the optimized models and computed tomography scan. Distances and volumes between the fracture surface and plate were computed.

Results:

High-resolution mandible models were printed in 7.47 hours and maxillae in 7.53 hours. Optimized models were printed in 0.93 and 1.07 hours, respectively. Cropping to regions of interest, rotating the model, and decreasing print resolution significantly reduced print time. The difference (optimized versus high resolution) in distance between the plate and model averaged 0.22 and 0.34 mm for mandibles and maxillae; the air space volume differed by 1.39 and 0.90 mm3, respectively.

Conclusions:

Adjusting size, resolution, and position on the printing platform allows rapid fabrication of 3D models for surgical reconstruction without sacrificing surface quality. These edits reduce printing time, enabling the implementation of 3D-printing workflows for surgical planning in acute craniomaxillofacial trauma settings.
Successful Surgical Management of Grade 4 Gynecomastia in a Renal Transplant Recipient
Authors: Alabdulkarim Abdulaziz
Published: November 2024

This case report details the clinical presentation, surgical intervention, and postoperative management of a 36-year-old male renal transplant recipient with grade 4 gynecomastia, classified by the Rohrich scale. The patient had hypertension and was on nifedipine, metoprolol, allopurinol, prednisol, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate. With a body mass index of 31 kg/m2 and significant breast hypertrophy 4 months posttransplant, surgical intervention was chosen. The patient underwent bilateral breast tissue excision with free nipple grafting under general anesthesia. Postoperative management included overnight admission, and follow-up showed successful graft take and satisfactory wound healing.
Treatment of Genital Lymphedema With Lymphatic System Pedicled SCIP Transfer in Combination With Nanofibrillar Collagen Scaffolfds
Authors: Barrantes Sergi , de la Torre Sílvia , Visconti Giuseppe , Blasi Marc , López-Ojeda Anna
Published: November 2024

Genital lymphedema is a challenging condition often refractory to conservative treatments. This case report presents a novel surgical approach combining a lymphatic system transfer based on a pedicled superficial circumflex iliac perforator flap with nanofibrillar collagen scaffolds to address genital lymphedema secondary to hidradenitis suppurativa. A 47-year-old man with hidradenitis suppurativa–related genital lymphedema, unresponsive to conservative measures, underwent the procedure. Indocyanine green lymphography and ultrahigh-frequency ultrasound were used for preoperative flap planning, including lymphatic vessels in the skin paddle. Nanofibrillar collagen scaffolds were placed to enhance lymphangiogenesis in distal genital areas. The patient experienced significant improvement, with a reduction in lymphedema severity from 5 of 9 to 1 of 9 on the Genital Lymphedema Score and substantial relief of symptoms. Single-photon emission computed tomography demonstrated uptake of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose at the right inguinal lymph nodes, ipsilateral to the lymphatic flap. This case demonstrates the potential of this combined approach in managing complex genital lymphedema.
Empowering Gynecologists With Artificial Intelligence: Tailoring Surgical Solutions for Fibroids
Authors: Sinha Rooma , Raina Rohit , Bag Moumita , Rupa Bana
Published: November 2024

(Abstracted from Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2024:299:72–77)

The development and recent more widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) has created opportunities for advancement in many fields, including healthcare. Large language models (LLMs) are being used more and more in recommending treatment and providing healthcare information, and have been shown to be acceptable in detecting and recommending treatment to the public.
Efficacy of doxycycline-sitafloxacin sequential therapy for urogenital Mycoplasma genitalium infection in Nanjing, China
Authors: Yuan Mengjin , Le Wenjing , Zhao Yuanyuan , Gan Lu , Li Sai , Su Xiaohong
Published: November 2024

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of doxycycline-sitafloxacin sequential therapy in the treatment of Mycoplasma genitalium (Mg) urogenital infections in Nanjing, China.

Methods

Potential subjects were tested initially for Mg infection by nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) and again at least 21 days after completion of doxycycline (100 mg twice daily for 7 days)-sitafloxacin (100 mg twice daily for 7 days) sequential therapy. The presence of macrolide and quinolone resistance-associated mutations in 23S rRNA, parC, gyrA and gyrB genes in Mg was examined at baseline and upon retesting of specimens from subjects that did not clear Mg.

Results

218 patients were screened for Mg, of whom 65 were positive for Mg; 63 Mg-infected patients were enrolled. 22 (35%) Mg-infected subjects (16 heterosexual men, 5 women, and one man who had sex with men [MSM]) were successfully evaluated with a test of cure (TOC); 20 (91%) cleared Mg infection. In pre-treatment specimens, mutations in: 23S rRNA; parC (G248T [S83I]); gyrA (G277T [G93C]) and gyrB genes were present in: 100% (19/19), 61.1% (11/18), 6.7% (1/15), and 7.1% (1/14), respectively. Mg clearance rates were 4/4 in infected subjects that possessed both wildtype (WT) parC and gyrA genes and 9/10 when a parC G248T mutation and an otherwise WT gyrA gene were identified. Two subjects (9%) reported mild adverse events.

Conclusions

Doxycycline-sitafloxacin sequential therapy was well tolerated and effective against most urogenital Mg infections in Nanjing and may provide an option for treatment.
Dry needling for orofacial pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
Authors: Kuzdzal Adrian , Ernst Edzard , Posadzki Pawel , Wronski Zbigniew
Published: November 2024

Orofacial pain (OFP) is an ache in the front part of the head and typically has musculoskeletal, dental, neural, or sinogenic origin. Dry needling (DN) is the insertion of a solid sterile fine needle through the skin aimed at deactivating the myofascial trigger points has extensively been studied in randomized clinical trials (RCTs). This systematic review was aimed at evaluating the evidence base for the effectiveness of DN for OFP. We searched Medline, Cochrane Central, and Web of Science (from their respective inceptions to February 2024) for RCTs evaluating the effectiveness of DN in patients with OFP. Studies with individuals suffering from cervicogenic or tension type headaches as well as observational studies were excluded. Primary outcomes were pain intensity and severity; secondary outcomes were disability, quality of life, and adverse effects. The review adhered to the methods described by in the Cochrane Handbook. Twenty-four RCTs with a total of 1,318 patients suffering from OFP were included. Most had an unclear or high risk of bias, and the quality of the evidence ranged from very low to low for all comparisons and outcomes. A meta-analysis suggested that, compared with usual care alone, DN + usual care had no effect on pain intensity (visual analogue scale) (standardized mean difference = −1.89, 95% confidence intervals −5.81 to 2.02, very low certainty evidence) at follow-ups of up to 6 weeks. There is little reliable evidence for the effectiveness of DN in reducing OFP. Future, larger, more rigorous studies might reduce the existing uncertainties.
Concordance of Urogenital Microbiome From Sequentially Self-collected Specimens
Authors: Lukacz Emily S. , McDonald Daniel , Bryant MacKenzie , Putnam Sara , Rudser Kyle , Brennan Caitriona , Meister Melanie , Fok Cynthia S. , Mueller Margaret G. , Knight Rob , Brubaker Linda ,   for the Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) Research Consortium
Published: November 2024

Importance

Population-based research is necessary to understand the relationship between the urobiome and bladder health.

Objective

Using advanced contamination controls and ecological metrics, we aimed to evaluate the concordance of microbiota in self-collected urogenital specimens from home versus a clinical research setting.

Study Design

A subset of community-dwelling women was enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study, self-collected urogenital samples at 3 time points: 1-day prior, the day of and during an in-person evaluation. Samples were sequenced with V4 16S rRNA and KatharoSeq removed samples indistinguishable from background contamination. Data were matched to Greengenes2-2022.10 and rarefied to 1000 seqs/sample. Intersample concordance pairs above the KatharoSeq threshold were assessed between samples. Unweighted UniFrac distances, Mantel Pearson correlations, Kruskal-Wallis, and chi-square tests were used for comparisons.

Results

Detectable sequences were obtained in 261 samples from the 114 participants with 186 (71%) above the KatharoSeq threshold. Escherichia_710834, Lactobacillus, and Prevotella were most prevalent. Intersample concordance was determined for samples above the threshold from 38 participants with 2 home samples and 47 with home and clinic samples. Correlations between 2 home and between home and clinic were significant (r = 0.43, P = 0.001; r = 0.362, P = 0.001, respectively). There were no significant differences across time points (X
2 = 2.72, P = 0.256).

Conclusions

Home-collected urine samples for urogenital microbiome ecological analysis have sufficient short-term similarity and concordance with self-collected urine samples from a research clinic setting for use in population-based research, which may facilitate inclusion of participants with limited access to clinic-based research.
Physicochemical properties, bioactive ingredients, and antioxidant
activity of cheonggukjang added with brewer’s spent
grain
Authors: Lee Si Hyung , Yoon Kyung Young
Published: November 2024

Brewer’s spent grain (BSG), a major by-product of the brewing industry, is
often discarded despite its high nutritional and functional components. This
study aimed to utilize BSG as a food material by incorporating it into
cheonggukjang. The physicochemical properties, bioactive
components, and antioxidant activity of cheonggukjang were
measured with varying BSG addition ratios. There were no significant differences
in crude fat, crude protein, and carbohydrate contents based on BSG addition.
Crude saponin and taurine contents increased with BSG, with
cheonggukjang (15% BSGC) containing 15% BSG
showing the highest levels at 232.52 μg/g diosgenin equivalent (DE)/g DW
and 213.95 μg/g DW, respectively. Eighteen types of free amino acids were
detected, and total and essential amino acid contents were highest in 15%
BSGC at 17.80 mg/g DW and 12.50 mg/g DW, respectively. The addition of BSG to
cheonggukjang increased the contents of reducing sugar and
glutamic acid, which impart sweetness and umami, respectively. The total
polyphenol content also increased with higher BSG, and IC50 values
for DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities decreased, indicating enhanced
antioxidant activity. As a result, it is anticipated that
cheonggukjang, with improved palatability and biological
activities, could be manufactured by adding BSG.