bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
25. Crime and consumer culture
Authors: Hayward Keith , Smith Oliver
Published: September 2023

Proceeding from a theoretical perspective, this chapter examines the various relationships that exist between consumer culture and crime. The chapter starts by looking at criminology’s past, and a short review of some of the main theories/theorists that have actually trained attention on consumerism as a criminogenic phenomenon. This section also includes a critique of the supposed oppositional potential of consumerism that dominated the social sciences until relatively recently. Turning to the present, the chapter then introduces three distinct but complementary perspectives that offer a more useful and critical explanation of ‘the crime-consumerism nexus’. First, cultural criminology addresses the criminogenic impact of global capitalism at the level of cultural discourse and everyday transgression. Second, ultra-realist criminology identifies the damage caused by consumer capitalism, and more specifically how the dominance of neoliberal ideology shapes the deep-rooted desires and drives behind much identity-driven criminality. Finally, the deviant leisure perspective draws on both these positions to illustrate how dominant forms of commodified leisure drive a range of social, environmental, and individual harms. The relationship between crime and consumerism is not a simple one but, as this chapter argues, it is one that demands serious and critical criminological attention.
28. Security and smart cities
Authors: Bradford Ben , Fussey Pete
Published: September 2023

This chapter explains the profound implications of digital society on the questions of crime, security, surveillance, and policing. In recent decades, digital technologies brought profound changes to human societies and the way they are governed. The chapter explains that digital processes do more than accelerate the production and availability of information, which highlights the implications of digital society from the abundance of data. The digital revolution has rendered criminological preoccupations more urgent and pressing than ever before. The chapter also provides an overview of the concept of a smart city by considering its criminogenic consequences and its potential for crime prevention and surveillance.
29. Policing and the police
Authors: Jones Trevor , Newburn Tim , Reiner Robert
Published: September 2023

In this chapter we review some of the key themes in scholarly work on policing, one of the major sub-fields within criminology. The focus is primarily upon the United Kingdom though many of the themes are familiar across all western democracies. We begin by considering what is meant by ‘policing’, before outlining the emergence of this field of academic research. The chapter then examines the development of modern policing, and the challenges of establishing and maintaining police legitimacy. This leads into a discussion of a series of key themes in policing research, including the operation and control of police discretion, occupational cultures, matters relating to diversity and discrimination, and the politics and governance of the police. The next section outlines distinctive policing ‘models’ that have emerged in recent times. The policing landscape is increasingly complex and the chapter concludes by considering two of the most significant developments: pluralization and transnationalization.
35. The punishment-welfare relationship: history, sociology, and politics
Authors: Garland David
Published: September 2023

The relationship between ‘punishment’ and ‘welfare’ is by now a well-established topic of theory and research in historical, sociological, and comparative studies of punishment. In recent years that relationship—and in particular the balance between penal and welfare approaches—has also become a focal point for social movements working to transform criminal justice, and more generally for activists seeking to shift power and resources away from police and prisons towards social service and public health approaches to crime control. This chapter discusses the punishment-welfare relationship as a matter of history, sociology, and comparative social policy, summarizing what we know, identifying promising lines of research, and commenting on key areas of contention. As a theoretical matter, it is argued that future research ought to view penal and welfare policies in relation to the underlying social problems these policies purportedly address and also in relation to the larger social and economic structures that shape these social problems and the policies that deal with them. By way of political commentary, some considerations are noted that should be borne in mind by activists pressing for a wholesale shift from penal to welfare modes of crime-control.
40. Why prison architecture and design matter to our understanding of the limits of punishment and rehabilitation
Authors: Jewkes Yvonne
Published: September 2023

In the last decade, perspectives from criminology, environmental psychology, healthcare studies, and human geography have offered new ways of understanding the prison environment and the ‘affective’ potentials of carceral space which foreground the connections between place, space and what it is to be human and to survive imprisonment. Drawing on these interdisciplinary perspectives, this chapter examines the extent to which the limits of punishment, rehabilitation, and hope may be understood in the context of prison architecture and design. Drawing on the author’s experience as a consultant advisor on the design of two new prisons at different ends of the penal spectrum (a maximum-security men’s facility in Auckland, New Zealand and a women’s prison in Limerick, Ireland), the chapter argues that claims that ‘people-change’ (that is, rehabilitating offenders through design of prisons) may be over-ambitious in the context of incarceration. However, ‘context-change’ (in the sense of offering people in prison an alternative context in which to imagine their futures) may be an achievable goal. Context-change also includes the society in which any new prison is conceived and built.
Introduction: The renewed vision
Authors: Liebling Alison , Maruna Shadd , Mcara Lesley
Published: September 2023

This chapter reviews developments in the field of criminology in the context of the fundamental shifts that have occurred over the past seven years in almost every aspect of society, caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the global economic down-turn, rising geo-political tensions, and the impact of activist movements such as #MeToo and Black Lives Matter. It argues that these shifts highlight the continued relevance of British criminology as currently practised, with its expanding knowledge-base, inter-disciplinary insight, and diverse array of methodological tools, all contributing to a better understanding of the conditions necessary to support just social orders. The chapter pays tribute to the previous editorial team and to those that criminology has lost since the last edition. The changing of the generations is reflected in this volume: it constitutes a living archive—a marked step in the life narrative of the field and a celebration of its growing strengths and popularity as a subject.
Telomere-to-telomere genome assembly of melon (Cucumis melo L. var. inodorus) provides a high-quality reference for meta-QTL analysis of important traits
Authors: Wei Minghua , Huang Ying , Mo Changjuan , Wang Haiyan , Zeng Qingguo , Yang Wenli , Chen Jihao , Zhang Xuejun , Kong Qiusheng
Published: September 2023

Melon is an important horticultural crop with extensive diversity in many horticultural groups. To explore its genomic diversity, it is necessary to assemble more high-quality complete genomes from different melon accessions. Meanwhile, a large number of QTLs have been mapped in several studies. Integration of the published QTLs onto a complete genome can provide more accurate information for candidate gene cloning. To address these problems, a telomere-to-telomere (T2T) genome of the elite melon landrace Kuizilikjiz (Cucumis melo L. var. inodorus) was de novo assembled and all the published QTLs were projected onto it in this study. The results showed that a high-quality Kuizilikjiz genome with the size of 379.2 Mb and N50 of 31.7 Mb was de novo assembled using the combination of short reads, PacBio high-fidelity long reads, Hi-C data, and a high-density genetic map. Each chromosome contained the centromere and telomeres at both ends. A large number of structural variations were observed between Kuizilikjiz and the other published genomes. A total of 1294 QTLs published in 67 studies were collected and projected onto the T2T genome. Several clustered, co-localized, and overlapped QTLs were determined. Furthermore, 20 stable meta-QTLs were identified, which significantly reduced the mapping intervals of the initial QTLs and greatly facilitated identification of the candidate genes. Collectively, the T2T genome assembly together with the numerous projected QTLs will not only broaden the high-quality genome resources but also provide valuable and abundant QTL information for cloning the genes controlling important traits in melon.
Designing of future ornamental crops: a biotechnological driven perspective
Authors: Partap Mahinder , Verma Vipasha , Thakur Meenakshi , Bhargava Bhavya
Published: September 2023

With a basis in human appreciation of beauty and aesthetic values, the new era of ornamental crops is based on implementing innovative technologies and transforming symbols into tangible assets. Recent advances in plant biotechnology have attracted considerable scientific and industrial interest, particularly in terms of modifying desired plant traits and developing future ornamental crops. By utilizing omics approaches, genomic data, genetic engineering, and gene editing tools, scientists have successively explored the underlying molecular mechanism and potential gene(s) behind trait regulation such as floral induction, plant architecture, stress resistance, plasticity, adaptation, and phytoremediation in ornamental crop species. These signs of progress lay a theoretical and practical foundation for designing and enhancing the efficiency of ornamental plants for a wide range of applications. In this review, we briefly summarized the existing literature and advances in biotechnological approaches for the improvement of vital traits in ornamental plants. The future ornamental plants, such as light-emitting plants, biotic/abiotic stress detectors, and pollution abatement, and the introduction of new ornamental varieties via domestication of wild species are also discussed.
Some Unipotent Arthur Packets for Reductive p-adic Groups
Authors: Ciubotaru Dan , Mason-Brown Lucas , Okada Emile
Published: September 2023

Let ${\textsf k}$ be a $p$-adic field, and let $\textbf {G}({\textsf k})$ be the ${\textsf k}$-points of a connected reductive group, inner to split. The set of Aubert–Zelevinsky duals of the constituents of a tempered L-packet forms an Arthur packet for $\textbf {G}({\textsf k})$. In this paper, we give an alternative characterization of such Arthur packets in terms of the wavefront set, proving in some instances a conjecture of Jiang–Liu and Shahidi. Pursuing an analogy with real and complex groups, we define some special unions of Arthur packets, which we call weak Arthur packets and describe their constituents in terms of their Langlands parameters.
Understanding Organisms Using Ecological Observatory Networks
Authors: Dantzer B , Mabry K E , Bernhardt J R , Cox R M , Francis C D , Ghalambor C K , Hoke K L , Jha S , Ketterson E , Levis N A , McCain K M , Patricelli G L , Paull S H , Pinter-Wollman N , Safran R J , Schwartz T S , Throop H L , Zaman L , Martin L B
Published: September 2023

Synopsis

Human activities are rapidly changing ecosystems around the world. These changes have widespread implications for the preservation of biodiversity, agricultural productivity, prevalence of zoonotic diseases, and sociopolitical conflict. To understand and improve the predictive capacity for these and other biological phenomena, some scientists are now relying on observatory networks, which are often composed of systems of sensors, teams of field researchers, and databases of abiotic and biotic measurements across multiple temporal and spatial scales. One well-known example is NEON, the US-based National Ecological Observatory Network. Although NEON and similar networks have informed studies of population, community, and ecosystem ecology for years, they have been minimally used by organismal biologists. NEON provides organismal biologists, in particular those interested in NEON's focal taxa, with an unprecedented opportunity to study phenomena such as range expansions, disease epidemics, invasive species colonization, macrophysiology, and other biological processes that fundamentally involve organismal variation. Here, we use NEON as an exemplar of the promise of observatory networks for understanding the causes and consequences of morphological, behavioral, molecular, and physiological variation among individual organisms.
Gravitation search-based hybrid algorithm for solving inverse kinematics of an n-link redundant manipulator
Authors: S A R Sheik Masthan , Kanagaraj G , Yu Vincent F
Published: September 2023

Inverse kinematics is one of the most complicated problems in robotics. The inverse kinematics calculation is the basis for any industrial robot’s ability to plan and follow a trajectory. This paper proposes a hybrid algorithm, e3GSA, based on the gravitational search algorithm (GSA) for solving the inverse kinematics problem of an n-link redundant robot manipulator. The algorithm’s efficiency was evaluated using a fitness function comprising of position error, orientation error, and collision error, and it was found to perform better than the conventional GSA in simulations. A generalized framework was proposed and tested by simulating a 6-, 8-, and 12-link robot manipulators. Experimental validation is carried out using a 6-link robot manipulator, which shows that the simulation data are on par with the experimental data. The proposed algorithm was also found to perform adaptively with faster convergence rates and lesser computation time, making it a better choice for other engineering problems that can be transformed into optimization problems.
Reference genome of the bicolored carpenter ant, Camponotus vicinus
Authors: Ward Philip S , Cash Elizabeth I , Ferger Kailey , Escalona Merly , Sahasrabudhe Ruta , Miller Courtney , Toffelmier Erin , Fairbairn Colin , Seligmann William , Shaffer H Bradley , Tsutsui Neil D
Published: September 2023

Carpenter ants in the genus Camponotus are large, conspicuous ants that are abundant and ecologically influential in many terrestrial ecosystems. The bicolored carpenter ant, Camponotus vicinus Mayr, is distributed across a wide range of elevations and latitudes in western North America, where it is a prominent scavenger and predator. Here, we present a high-quality genome assembly of C. vicinus from a sample collected in Sonoma County, California, near the type locality of the species. This genome assembly consists of 38 scaffolds spanning 302.74 Mb, with contig N50 of 15.9 Mb, scaffold N50 of 19.9 Mb, and BUSCO completeness of 99.2%. This genome sequence will be a valuable resource for exploring the evolutionary ecology of C. vicinus and carpenter ants generally. It also provides an important tool for clarifying cryptic diversity within the C. vicinus species complex, a genetically diverse set of populations, some of which are quite localized and of conservation interest.
Agenesis of flexor pollicis longus without thenar hypoplasia: a case report and literature review
Authors: Alwatari Mohammed , Khalaf Ahmed , Alghannami Mohammed , Alwattary Maryam
Published: September 2023

We present a case of congenital of flexor pollicis longus agenesis without thenar hypoplasia in a 12-year-old girl with no history of trauma. Two-staged corrective surgery was planned. In the first stage, the flexor pulley was reconstructed using silicone followed by the second stage 3 months later when flexor pollicis longus reconstruction was performed using tendon transfer of the flexor digitorum superficialis. The patient completed post-operative physiotherapy and the result of the surgical treatment in both functional and cosmetic aspects was, in the authors’ opinion, excellent.
Evolution of the Mutation Spectrum Across a Mammalian Phylogeny
Authors: Beichman Annabel C , Robinson Jacqueline , Lin Meixi , Moreno-Estrada Andrés , Nigenda-Morales Sergio , Harris Kelley
Published: September 2023

Although evolutionary biologists have long theorized that variation in DNA repair efficacy might explain some of the diversity of lifespan and cancer incidence across species, we have little data on the variability of normal germline mutagenesis outside of humans. Here, we shed light on the spectrum and etiology of mutagenesis across mammals by quantifying mutational sequence context biases using polymorphism data from thirteen species of mice, apes, bears, wolves, and cetaceans. After normalizing the mutation spectrum for reference genome accessibility and k-mer content, we use the Mantel test to deduce that mutation spectrum divergence is highly correlated with genetic divergence between species, whereas life history traits like reproductive age are weaker predictors of mutation spectrum divergence. Potential bioinformatic confounders are only weakly related to a small set of mutation spectrum features. We find that clock-like mutational signatures previously inferred from human cancers cannot explain the phylogenetic signal exhibited by the mammalian mutation spectrum, despite the ability of these signatures to fit each species’ 3-mer spectrum with high cosine similarity. In contrast, parental aging signatures inferred from human de novo mutation data appear to explain much of the 1-mer spectrum's phylogenetic signal in combination with a novel mutational signature. We posit that future models purporting to explain the etiology of mammalian mutagenesis need to capture the fact that more closely related species have more similar mutation spectra; a model that fits each marginal spectrum with high cosine similarity is not guaranteed to capture this hierarchy of mutation spectrum variation among species.
Solar eclipses observed worldwide in the first half of the 15th century and ΔT determined from multiply observed eclipses
Authors: Tanikawa Kiyotaka , Sôma Mitsuru , Simmonds Ockie , Iwahashi Kiyomi
Published: September 2023

The main purpose of the present paper is to list all the solar eclipses which took place in the first half of the 15th century, to list all the available records of observation of these eclipses, and, by using the multiply observed or contemporaneously observed solar eclipses, to determine ΔT for a few periods of the first half of the 15th century. We make the table using solar eclipse records from East Asia (China, Korea, and Japan), India, West Asia, and Europe, though the table is not perfect because the compilation of records is not complete in some of the relevant areas. We evaluate the reliability of the Chinese records of solar eclipses. The Chinese official history book, the Mingshi, records visible eclipses, while it does not record invisible eclipses. A simple analysis shows that the reliability of the book is $97\%$. The marginally observable eclipses in China are useful for us to determine ΔT. We briefly consider the Māori eclipse observed in 1409. We extract the multiply observed eclipses and check whether these are useful for determining the value of ΔT. Finally, with newly added records of solar eclipses, we re-determine the value range of ΔT during the years 1431–1433 (see Tanikawa et al. 2019, in Proc. 5th Symposium on Historical Astronomical Records and Modern Science), and add a new ΔT in the year 1445.
Reproducible Quantitative Trait Loci for Resistance to Soft Rot Caused by Dickeya dianthicola Derived from the Wild Potato Solanum microdontum (PI 458355) Are Located on Chromosomes 1, 3, and 5
Authors: Fenstemaker Sean , Ma Xing , Bamberg John , Swingle Bryan
Published: September 2023

The potato wild relative Solanum microdontum is a breeder-friendly source of genetic resistance to soft rot. Our objectives were to (i) identify loci associated with soft rot resistance in S. microdontum germplasm and (ii) develop bi-parental populations in a self-compatible S. tuberosum genetic background to recover segregating F2 progenies, construct a linkage map, and identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Under objective (i), tubers from 103 S. microdontum genotypes from the United States Potato Genebank were inoculated with a high virulence strain of Dickeya dianthicola, and lesion size was measured after a 24-h incubation period at 30°C. Association analysis using 3,490 polymorphic Infinium array SNP markers identified soft rot resistance loci on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, and 12. Under objective (ii), a resistant S. microdontum accession PI 458355 was crossed with a highly fertile, self-compatible, diploid S. tuberosum pollen parent (PI 654351) to generate segregating F2 populations. Composite interval mapping was conducted using a genetic linkage map with 970 GBS-based SNP markers. Reproducible QTLs were detected on chromosomes 1, 3, and 5, explaining 11, 13, and 23% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. Homozygous S. microdontum alleles at the QTL on chromosome 5 and heterozygous or homozygous S. microdontum alleles at QTLs on chromosomes 1 and 3 significantly decrease lesion size compared with the homozygous S. tuberosum parent. The germplasm created in these studies provides a resource for studying traits from S. microdontum, and we can use the advanced F2 selections for future potato improvement.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Genotyping-by-Sequencing Reveals Population Differentiation and Linkage Disequilibrium in Alternaria linariae from Tomato
Authors: Adhikari Tika B. , Olukolu Bode A. , Paudel Rajan , Pandey Anju , Halterman Dennis , Louws Frank J.
Published: September 2023

Alternaria linariae is an economically important foliar pathogen that causes early blight disease in tomatoes. Understanding genetic diversity, population genetic structure, and evolutionary potential is crucial to contemplating effective disease management strategies. We leveraged genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) technology to compare genome-wide variation in 124 isolates of Alternaria spp. ( A. alternata, A. linariae, and A. solani) for comparative genome analysis and to test the hypotheses of genetic differentiation and linkage disequilibrium (LD) in A. linariae collected from tomatoes in western North Carolina. We performed a pangenome-aware variant calling and filtering with GBSapp and identified 53,238 variants conserved across the reference genomes of three Alternaria spp. The highest marker density was observed on chromosome 1 (7 Mb). Both discriminant analysis of principal components and Bayesian model-based STRUCTURE analysis of A. linariae isolates revealed three subpopulations with minimal admixture. The genetic differentiation coefficients (FST) within A. linariae subpopulations were similar and high (0.86), indicating that alleles in the subpopulations are fixed and the genetic structure is likely due to restricted recombination. Analysis of molecular variance indicated higher variation among populations (89%) than within the population (11%). We found long-range LD between pairs of loci in A. linariae, supporting the hypothesis of low recombination expected for a fungal pathogen with limited sexual reproduction. Our findings provide evidence of a high level of population genetic differentiation in A. linariae, which reinforces the importance of developing tomato varieties with broad-spectrum resistance to various isolates of A. linariae.
Dead or Alive, that Is the Question: Development and Assessment of Molecular Synchytrium endobioticum Viability Tests
Authors: van de Vossenberg Bart T. L. H. , Smith Donna S. , van Gent-Pelzer Marga P. E. , van den Berg Marlies , Govaert Marcel , Helderman Carin M. , van der Lee Theo A. J.
Published: September 2023

Potato wart disease caused by the obligate biotrophic fungus Synchytrium endobioticum is a devastating disease that can result in significant crop losses. Resting spores of this pathogen can remain viable and infectious in soil for decades. The detection of viable resting spores using conventional methods such as bioassays and direct microscopic examination are challenging and time-consuming and require specific expertise and facilities. Molecular methods, such as real-time PCR, have been shown to be effective in detecting the presence of S. endobioticum DNA in soil samples but cannot differentiate between viable and nonviable spores. In this paper, we present three novel mRNA-based molecular tests to potentially detect viable S. endobioticum resting spores. The tests are specific to the transcribed mRNA and do not detect the genomic DNA of the target genes. We demonstrate the analytical sensitivity using synthetic constructs of the target mRNAs. The tests were found to be able to repeatedly detect 10 target copies per reaction. Soils and waste of potato processing industries free from S. endobioticum were used to assess the exclusivity of the tests. The biological relevance of mRNA detection was determined in the context of replicated bioassays. Applications of the tests to facilitate collection management, assessment of the effects of treatments on presumed viability of S. endobioticum resting spores, and the potential use in descheduling of previously infested plots are discussed.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Achilles tendon disorders
Authors: Patch David A. , Andrews Nicholas A. , Scheinberg Mila , Jacobs Roshan A. , Harrelson Whitt M. , Rallapalle Vyshnavi , Sinha Tanvee , Shah Ashish
Published: September 2023

Achilles tendon-related pain affects up to 6% of the US population during their lifetime and is commonly encountered by primary care providers. An accurate diagnosis and early conservative management can improve patient quality of life and reduce unnecessary surgical consultations, saving healthcare dollars. Achilles tendon pathologies can be categorized into acute (pain lasting less than 6 weeks), chronic (pain lasting more than 6 weeks), and acute on chronic (worsening of pain with preexisting chronic Achilles tendon pathology). This article describes the diagnosis, conservative management, indications for imaging, and indications for surgical referral for acute and chronic Achilles tendon rupture, Achilles tendinitis, gastrocnemius strain, plantaris rupture, insertional Achilles tendinopathy, Haglund deformity, and noninsertional Achilles tendinopathy.
Eye of the Carpenter: How Well do Orthopaedic Surgeons Estimate Angular Measurements in Derotational Osteotomies?
Authors: Chaclas Nathan , Dyer Olivia , Mayers Alexander , Wheatley Benjamin , Grandizio Louis C. , Seeley Mark
Published: September 2023

Background:

Femoral derotational osteotomies are used by orthopaedic surgeons to decrease version in a variety of pathologies. Intraoperatively, the goal of the surgery is to decrease the rotation of the femur to within physiological range. Surgeons generally visually estimate the angle of correction based on bone markers at the rotating cylindrical portion of the femur. This study sought first to assess the accuracy and inter-rater reliability of surgeons with respect to angle creation, and then to implement a training intervention.

Methods:

A rotational femur model was constructed and tested among surgeons and nonsurgeons. Surgeons were then randomized into an experimental and control cohort with training on the model as the intervention. Subjects were asked to create target angles of 15, 30, 45, and 60 degrees using only Kirschner wires and then only bone marks for reference. Independent and paired t-tests were performed to determine variability between cohorts.

Results:

The mean angle creation error and range of the surgeon cohort were significantly lower than those of the nonsurgeon cohort. Within the nonsurgeon cohort, the mean angle creation error and range of the wire modality were significantly lower than that of the mark modality. The mean angle creation error and range of the trained cohort were significantly lower than the untrained cohort.

Conclusions:

The considerable inter-subject range within the surgeon cohort highlights a need for the reinforcement of basic geometric principles within orthopaedic instruction. This model allows for immediate, accurate feedback on angle creation, and training appears to be both time and cost-effective. The physiological range allows for a level of variability between surgical outcomes without consequence. However, the more than 20 degree range determined by this study does not fall within those bounds and should be addressed.

Clinical Relevance:

Moving forward, rotational estimation as a surgical skill should increase in prominence within orthopaedic instruction to maximize future joint health, and additional emphasis should be placed on fundamental spatial orientation during training.
Impact of postoperative sexual function on health-related quality of life after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy
Authors: Iwahashi Yuya , Deguchi Ryusuke , Muraoka Satoshi , Wakamiya Takahito , Yamashita Shimpei , Kikkawa Kazuro , Kohjimoto Yasuo , Hara Isao
Published: September 2023

Background

We investigated potential disparities in health-related quality of life, particularly concerning urinary function, between patients with preserved and those with impaired sexual function after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).

Materials and methods

Between December 2012 and April 2020, 704 men underwent RARP in our hospital. This study included 155 patients with a preoperative 5-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) of ≥12 points and an assessable IIEF-5 at 12 months postoperatively. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the 8-item Short-Form Health Survey and Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. A logistic regression analysis and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were performed.

Results

Patients were grouped according to the median IIEF-5 score 12 months after surgery: those with preserved sexual function (n = 71) and those with impaired sexual function (n = 84). The mental component summary of the 8-item Short-Form Health Survey was better in the group with preserved sexual function at 6 months postoperatively than in the group with impaired sexual function (p < 0.01). In the EPIC, the group with preserved sexual function performed better not only in the sexual domain but also in the urinary domain at all time points compared with the group with impaired sexual function (p < 0.01). In the comparison of the urinary subdomains of the EPIC, there were no significant differences in urinary function or incontinence, but there were significant differences in urinary distress and irritative/obstructive scores (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Patients with preserved postoperative sexual function after RARP showed better urinary function than those with impaired sexual function. Hence, preserved sexual function is closely associated with urinary function.
Pain Management in Abortion Care
Authors: Oviedo Johana , Denny Colleen C.
Published: September 2023

Both medication and procedural abortion are associated with pain. The experiences of pain depend on both physical and emotional factors. Several pain management options are available for abortion, depending on abortion type, clinical setting, and patient considerations, and a comprehensive approach is necessary to optimize pain management.
Impact of PCSK9 inhibitors on coronary atheroma phenotype following myocardial infarction: insights from intravascular imaging
Authors: Abrahams Timothy , Fujino Masashi , Nelson Adam J. , Nicholls Stephen J.
Published: September 2023

Purpose of review

The aim of this study was to review the impact of combination lipid lowering with statins and proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors on coronary atherosclerosis using serial intravascular imaging.

Recent findings

Early studies using intravascular ultrasound established the ability of increasingly intensive lipid lowering to both slow progression and ultimately promote regression of coronary disease. More recent clinical trials that have employed serial imaging with optical coherence tomography have permitted the ability to evaluate the impact of intensive lipid lowering on compositional features associated with plaque vulnerability. In particular, the combination of intensive statin and PCSK9 inhibitor therapy promotes plaque stability in patients following an acute coronary syndrome.

More intensive lipid lowering using the combination of statins and PCSK9 inhibitors promote plaque regression in addition to promoting calcification, fibrous cap thickening and reductions in plaque lipid. These plaque-stabilizing effects underscore the benefits of combination therapy on cardiovascular events and highlight the importance of combination lipid-lowering therapy.
Reconsideration of the definition of blanking period and significance of early recurrences after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation
Authors: Wen Songnan , Liao Yu , Khurana Tejas S. , Bai Rong
Published: September 2023

Purpose of review

Early recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia (ERAT) during blanking period (BP) is not uncommon after catheter ablation of AF. Current guidelines and consensus statements recommend conservative treatment of ERAT. This review summarized recent studies, underlying mechanism and clinical managements of ERAT, and proposed a reconsideration of the definition and clinical significance of BP.

Recent findings

Recent studies have shown that the entity of ERAT in the very early phase of BP (i.e., first 4 weeks of the 3-month period) is different from those ERATs occurring late which is strongly associated with the late recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia. The optimal BP duration suggested by clinical observation ranges from 21 to 58 days. Using antiarrhythmic drugs and early electrical cardioversion are the effective management for ERAT, whereas re-ablation is a reasonable strategy although remains controversial.

The definition of BP with a shorter duration, that is, 1 month instead of 3 months post AF ablation, is supported by the observations of latest clinical studies. Recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmia beyond the 1-month time frame is associated with higher risk of late recurrence and may warrant repeat ablation. A revisit to the guideline recommendation on management of ERAT is needed to change clinical practice.
Vertical and horizontal metamorphopsia one year after surgery for macular holes ≤ 500 µm with and without inverted ILM-Flap
Authors: Baumann Carmen , Maier Mathias , Johannigmann-Malek Navid , Gabka Katharina , Schwer Lydia , Kaye Stephen B
Published: September 2023

Purpose:

To investigate the effect of an inverted internal limiting membrane flap (IF) and other factors on metamorphopsia after macular hole surgery

Methods:

Prospective case series of patients undergoing pars-plana vitrectomy with gas tamponade, with either conventional internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling (CP) or with an inverted ILM-flap (IF), for primary idiopathic macular holes (MH) ≤ 500 µm. Vertical and horizontal metamorphopsia were measured as M-scores (degrees) using M-charts preoperatively and at 2, 6 and 12 months postoperatively.

Results:

Fifty-three eyes of 53 patients were included of whom 27 underwent CP and 26 were treated with an IF. After MH surgery, all patients were pseudophakic. Vertical and horizontal metamorphopsia improved from 1.08 (±0.51) and 0.98 (±0.70) preoperatively to 0.58 (±0.37) and 0.45 (±0.36) at 2 months (p<0.01), with no further significant improvement at 6 months (0.39 (±0.31), p=0.07, and 0.31 (±0.28), p=0.18) or at 12 months (0.37 (±0.30), p=0.72 and 0.28 (±0.28), p=0.99). There was no significant difference in mean vertical and horizontal metamorphopsia between patients with CP and with an IF at 2 months (p=0.063, p=0.10), 6 months (p=0.25, p=0.16) or 12 months (p=0.62, p=0.22). Preoperative vertical M-score improved at 12 months after MH surgery by 61 % and 64% in the CP and IF groups (p=0.84), and the horizontal M-score by 65 % and 71% (p=0.98).

Conclusion:

The use of an IF has no evident bearing on the degree of postoperative metamorphopsia 12 months after surgical repair of MHs ≤ 500 µm.
Vicarious Trauma and Health Outcomes in Forensic Mental Health Nurses
Authors: Newman Claire , Roche Michael , Elliott Doug
Published: September 2023

Background

Nurses working in forensic mental health settings are at risk of vicarious trauma because of their exposure to traumatized patients and distressing material such as the aversive details of patient crimes.

Aim

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of vicarious trauma and explore its impact on health and absence from work.

Methods

A cross-sectional descriptive correlational study was undertaken. All 205 forensic mental health nurses working in a high-security inpatient facility were invited to participate. An online survey included the Vicarious Trauma Scale and the SF-36v2 to measure mental and physical health. Absence from work was also explored.

Results

Sixty-seven respondents completed the survey. Almost half of respondents had a moderate level of vicarious trauma, and only over one-quarter experienced high levels. Higher levels of vicarious trauma were associated with poorer mental health (r = −0.59, p < 0.000) and absence from work (r = 0.27, p < 0.010).

Conclusions

Forensic mental health nurses are at a greater risk of vicarious trauma than nurses working in mainstream mental health services, given their exposure to aversive details of patients' violent crimes. Adverse mental health consequences of vicarious trauma, and other forms of workplace trauma experienced by forensic mental health nurses, are likely to include trauma-related symptoms, depression, and anxiety. Forensic mental health nurses experiencing vicarious trauma may use sick leave as time away from work to care for their own mental health or a coping mechanism for workplace-induced psychological distress.
Practice Variations in Managing Infantile Hemangiomas
Authors: McLean Thomas W. , Borst Alexandra J. , Hammill Adrienne M. , Iacobas Ionela , Atkinson Autumn , Shah Tishi , Margolin Judith F. , Bayliff Sherry L. , Blatt Julie
Published: September 2023

Infantile hemangioma (IH) is the most common benign tumor of infancy. For children with IH who require treatment, propranolol and other beta blockers have been shown to be safe and effective. Although consensus guidelines for managing IH have been published, anecdotal experience suggests that there remain variations in management. This study was performed to document these variations amongst providers and to identify areas for future research. We conducted an Internet-based survey of clinicians who treat patients with IH. Hypothetical cases and management scenarios were presented. Twenty-nine respondents participated in the survey. Most respondents use generic propranolol in infants with growing IH of the head and neck, with a goal dose of 2 mg/kg/d, until ~1 year of age. A variety of management strategies were documented including which patients should be treated, optimal dose and duration of therapy, how patients should be monitored, which patients should get additional workup, how propranolol should best be discontinued, and how often to see patients in follow-up. This study demonstrates wide practice variations in managing patients with IH. Further research is indicated to address these variations and develop additional/updated evidence-based guidelines.
Use of the Interalar Ligament Flap for Tip and Supratip Contouring in Primary Open Structural Rhinoplasty
Authors: Marianetti Tito Matteo , Segreto Francesco , Iademarco Antonio , Rossi Caterina , Persichetti Paolo
Published: September 2023

Background:

Precise tip contouring is paramount to achieve pleasant cosmetic results in rhinoplasty. Loss of tip projection or rotation, supratip deformities, and long-lasting edema may jeopardize the outcome and lead to patient dissatisfaction or to reintervention. Several approaches have been reported, sometimes with considerable drawbacks or conclusions supported mainly by experience. The aim of this study was to describe the interalar ligament flap for tip and supratip contouring and to comparatively assess its efficacy and safety.

Methods:

The study included 147 patients who underwent primary structured open rhinoplasty and were divided into 2 groups: group 1 underwent harvesting and repositioning of the interalar ligament flap, and group 2 underwent conventional tip dissection. Tip edema, supratip definition, and fullness were blindly scored at 2-, 6-, and 12-month postoperative follow-up. Nasolabial angle was measured at 2 and 12 months postoperatively. Univariate analysis and multivariable regression modeling were performed.

Results:

Supratip definition was significantly higher in group 1 at the 2-, 6-, and 12-month postoperative follow-up visits (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, and P < 0.01, respectively). Tip edema and supratip fullness were significantly lower in group 1 at each time point (P < 0.01). Nasolabial angle, and its modification between 2 and 12 months after intervention, did not differ in the 2 groups. All findings were confirmed when controlled for eventual confounders.

Conclusions:

The interalar ligament flap has proven to be versatile, effective, and consistently reliable in reducing tip edema and improving supratip definition. It may be tailored to the patient, partially folded to improve tip projection, or used to camouflage tip grafts.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, III.
Remote Real-Time Training for Sustainable Cleft Operation in Rural Region of West Africa: Effective Webinar in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Eo Mi Young , Thi Hoang Nguyen Truc , Amponsah Emmanuel K. , Sodnom-Ish Buyanbileg , Frimpong Paul , Yang Hoon Joo , Kim Soung Min
Published: September 2023

Introduction:

The surgical requirement for cleft lip and palate repair remains unmet in many developing areas of the world, including remote regions of Ghana. This article reviews the utilization of Internet education and online consultation for cleft lip and palate surgical training in Sunyani Regional Hospital (SRH), Ghana.

Methods:

The cleft lip and palate treatment was promoted to patients in remote areas of Sunyani, Ghana region, through a charitable outreach program. These basic designs and settings were managed by local participants such as doctors, residents, nurses, and staff in SRH, Ghana.

Results:

From November 2014 to December 2020, the authors collaborated in surgical treatment for 84 cases that were diagnosed with unilateral cleft lip, bilateral cleft lip, hard and soft palate cleft, and microstomia. The type of surgery has varied and has included cheiloplasty, palatoplasty, and others. The average scores of esthetic outcome evaluation were nasal form=2.4, symmetry of the nose=2.9, and vermillion border=2.9. Through the program, the surgeons and residents became significantly more proficient at cleft lip and palate surgery. The seminar topics have covered essential and sustainable topics based on SRH’s current needs and showed the effectiveness in the current coronavirus disease-19 pandemic situation.

Conclusions:

The shortage of orofacial cleft surgeons working in rural areas like Sunyani, Ghana, remains an obstacle that poses a challenge to any effort to improve health care quality in these rural communities. Sustainable remote education is essential for the training of local cleft surgeons to fill this local need; our collaborative and charitable program could be a recommended education design for cleft surgeons and institutes for their sustainable education.
Nutritional Status of Moroccan Pediatric Patients With Celiac Disease
Authors: Guennouni Morad , Bourrahouat Aicha , Admou Brahim , Elkhoudri Noureddine , Belghali Moulay Yassine , Qadiry Rabiy El , Hilali Abderraouf
Published: September 2023

We aimed to assess the nutritional status at diagnosis and during the follow-up of gluten free diet (GFD) therapy among 127 children with celiac disease (CD) in comparison with 127 controls. The median body mass index of children with CD was significantly lower than that of controls. At the time of diagnosis, children with CD had a significantly higher rate of undernutrition, with underweight (37.8%), height insufficiency (54.3%), and thinness (22%). During GFD follow-up, we noticed a significant decrease in thinness (P = .047) and a moderate increase in obesity. This emphasizes the role of the dietitian in implementing a nutritionally balanced diet.
Investigation of the Relationship Between Disease Severity and Nutritional Status in Male Outpatients With COPD Through Subjective Global Assessment
Authors: Uzunlar Elif Adanur , Yildiran Hilal , Kokturk Nurdan , Kilic Hatice , Hasanoglu H. Canan
Published: September 2023

We aimed to investigate the relationship between disease severity and nutrition status through subjective global assessment (SGA) in men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A total of 80 stable male subjects with COPD (20 in each group) were included in the study according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease 2011 classification (A, B, C, and D). Nutritional assessment was performed using SGA as the gold standard. It was determined that 55.6% of the patients with severe malnutrition were in group D. SGA appears to represent a useful method for identifying ambulatory patients in need of comprehensive nutrition assessment and support.
Gene duplication is the primary driver of intraspecific genomic divergence in coral algal symbionts
Authors: Shah Sarah , Dougan Katherine E. , Chen Yibi , Bhattacharya Debashish , Chan Cheong Xin
Published: September 2023

Dinoflagellates in the order Suessiales include the family Symbiodiniaceae, which have essential roles as photosymbionts in corals, and their cold-adapted sister group,
Polarella glacialis
. These diverse taxa exhibit extensive genomic divergence, although their genomes are relatively small (haploid size < 3 Gbp) when compared with most other free-living dinoflagellates. Different strains of Symbiodiniaceae form symbiosis with distinct hosts and exhibit different regimes of gene expression, but intraspecific whole-genome divergence is poorly understood. Focusing on three Symbiodiniaceae species (the free-living
Effrenium voratum
and the symbiotic
Symbiodinium microadriaticum
and
Durusdinium trenchii
) and the free-living outgroup
P. glacialis
, for which whole-genome data from multiple isolates are available, we assessed intraspecific genomic divergence with respect to sequence and structure. Our analysis, based on alignment and alignment-free methods, revealed a greater extent of intraspecific sequence divergence in Symbiodiniaceae than in
P. glacialis
. Our results underscore the role of gene duplication in generating functional innovation, with a greater prevalence of tandemly duplicated single-exon genes observed in the genomes of free-living species than in symbionts. These results demonstrate the remarkable intraspecific genomic divergence in dinoflagellates under the constraint of reduced genome sizes, shaped by genetic duplications and symbiogenesis events during the diversification of Symbiodiniaceae.