bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endoscopic Endonasal Treatment of Intra-Axial Ventral Brainstem Cavernomas: Case Experience and Literature Review
Authors: Priore Paolo , Giovannetti Filippo , Scagnet Mirko , Mussa Federico , Arcovio Elena , Di Giorgio Danilo , Primavera Marco , Valentini Valentino , Genitori Lorenzo
Published: July 2022

Introduction: Cavernous malformations of the ventral brainstem are a challenging disease to treat. From an anatomical perspective, the best surgical options are endoscopic endonasal approaches. The first reports of their usage for this purpose date back to 2012. In this study, we gathered data on the subject, share our experience, and outline technical notes and tips for this surgery. Case Presentation: We report a 14-year-old female with a ventral pons cavernoma, treated using an endoscopic endonasal transclival approach and followed-up for 5.9 years. This is the longest reported follow-up for this condition to date. Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and the accompanying images. Discussion: An endoscopic endonasal transclival approach was used. The skull base was reconstructed using the multilayer grafting technique and a nasoseptal flap. There was no postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leakage. In a literature review, we identified 8 patients who were treated endoscopically: 1 transplanum-transtuberculum, 1 transtuberculum-transclival, and 6 transclival approaches were employed. Skull base closure was achieved using multilayer grafting and a nasoseptal flap in 4 cases, a gasket seal technique combined with nasoseptal flap in 3 cases and a periumbilical fat graft, fibrin sealant patch, and fibrin glue in 1 case. There were 2 cases of leakage, which resolved completely with revision surgery. Conclusion: Endoscopic surgery is a reliable alternative to traditional open surgery. It may be the preferred choice for intra-axial ventral brain cavernomas.
By and Large, Thrombectomy in Large Core Is a Palpable Reality
Authors: Haussen Diogo C. , Fiehler Jens
Published: July 2022

Our Japanese colleagues deserve much praise for finishing the first randomized clinical trial of thrombectomy in Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score 3 to 5 patients showing an impressive therapy effect of thrombectomy. The predominant use of magnetic resonance imaging for patient selection, the low rate of alteplase therapy and its low dose limit direct comparisons with patients treated outside of Japan. Another limitation is the lack of benefit when using the traditional metric–modified Rankin Scale score 0–2. We consider the results of RESCUE-Japan LIMIT encouraging and a clear motivation to continue and complete other studies.
Family Agathotanaidae Lang, 1971a*
Authors: LARSEN KIM
Published: July 2022

The family Agathotanaidae was represented in the trench material by one new species of Agathotanais, A. hadalis; one new species of Paragathotanais, P. abyssorum and one previously described species of Paranarthrura. The new species are described and both genders of P. vitjazi Kudinova-Pasternak, 1970 are re-described. Paranarthrura zevinae Kudinova-Pasternak, 1970 is transferred to Paragathotanais.
Families Anarthruridae Lang, 1971, Colletteidae Larsen & Wilson, 2002, and Leptognathiidae Sieg, 1976*
Authors: BIRD GRAHAM J.
Published: July 2022

The records of the tanaidomorphan family Anarthruridae, from the trenches and other Japanese waters are limited to three species of Anarthruridae, Anarthruropsis langi Kudinova-Pasternak, A. longa Kudinova-Pasternak and a new species of Siphonolabrum Lang. The abysso-hadal Siphonolabrum tenebrosus n.sp. that is described from this trench material is very similar to a shallow-water species, S. californiensis Dojiri & Sieg, from the Santa Barbara Channel, California. The heterogeneous family Colletteidae is represented by only three genera in records of tanaidaceans from Japanese waters, the Kurile-Kamchatka Trench and the Japan Trench, Collettea, Leptognathiopsis and Tumidochelia. New specimens of Leptognathia langi have allowed it to be partially redescribed and transferred to Leptognathiopsis. Recent changes in the taxonomy and classification of the Family Leptognathiidae are reflected in a much reduced list of species that are recorded from Japanese waters and the Kurile-Kamchatka/Japan Trench. All three genera, Biarticulata, Forcipatia and Leptognathia are represented, by six species. A new species of Leptognathia is described and a partial redescription is given of Forcipatia rotundicauda with the collection of new material.
Description of the immature stages of Culex (Culex) ameliae Casal and Culex (Culex) articularis Philippi (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: LAURITO MAGDALENA , ALMIRÓN WALTER RICARDO , ROSSI GUSTAVO CARLOS
Published: July 2022

The pupa and the fourth-instar larva of Culex (Culex) ameliae Casal and Cx. (Cux.) articularis Philippi are described and illustrated for the first time. Information is provided on the distribution, bionomics and taxonomy of the species.
A new species of Margotrema (Digenea, Allocreadiidae) from the leopard splitfin Xenotaenia resolanae (Cyprinodontiformes, Goodeidae) from west-central Mexico
Authors: DE LEÓN GERARDO PÉREZ-PONCE , MARTÍNEZ-AQUINO ANDRÉS , MENDOZA-GARFIAS BERENIT
Published: July 2022

A new species of Margotrema is herein described from the intestine of the freshwater fish Xenotaenia resolanae from the Cuzalapa River, Jalisco State, on the Pacific slope of west-central Mexico. The new species was first recognized after a molecular phylogenetic analysis which explored the genetic variation at the intraspecific level of Margotrema spp across central Mexico. Sequences of mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear (ITS1) genes were obtained for 125 individuals, and a general mixed Yule-coalescent analysis (GMYC) for species delimitation of both genes allowed the recognition of an independent evolutionary lineage, representing an undescribed species of Margotrema. Detailed morphological observations allowed the species description. The new species is easily distinguished from the other valid species of the genus, M. bravoae, by having vitelline follicles restricted to the region between the pharynx and the ventral sucker a wider and more prominent ventral sucker, larger eggs, and symmetrical testes.
A new species of Leptolalax (Anura: Megophryidae) from Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak, East Malaysia (Borneo)
Authors: DEHLING J. MAXIMILIAN , MATSUI MASAFUMI
Published: July 2022

We describe a new species of Leptolalax from Gunung Mulu National Park in eastern Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. The new species had been assigned to Leptolalax dringi and Leptolalax gracilis in the past. It is shown to differ from both these species and from all other species of the genus by a unique combination of morphological characters including large body size, rounded snout, interorbital distance being smaller than width of upper eyelid, bipartite subgular vocal sac in males, basal toe webbing, shagreened skin with tiny tubercles on dorsum and dorsal side of head, angled supratympanic fold, small pectoral glands, absence of supraaxillary glands and ventrolateral glandular ridges, spotted venter, advertisement call consisting of long series of 8–289 notes, each composed of three or four pulses, and dominant frequency at 7225– 9190 Hz, with prominent frequency modulation.
Two new species of Psephenops Grouvelle from Belize (Coleoptera: Byrrhoidea: Psephenidae), with a key to the known species from Mexico and Central America
Authors: ARCE-PÉREZ ROBERTO , NOVELO-GUTIÉRREZ RODOLFO
Published: July 2022

Two new species, Psephenops spiniparameri sp. nov. and P. shepardi sp. nov. are described, based on specimens collected from Cayo and Toledo Districts in Belize, bringing the total number of described species assigned to the genus to ten.
Five new species of Baeus Haliday, 1833 (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea: Scelioninae) from Brazil with an updated key to Neotropical species
Authors: ARAUJO RODRIGO DE OLIVEIRA , VIVALLO FELIPE , ARAUJO CRISTINA DE OLIVEIRA
Published: July 2022

The species of the genus Baeus are small endoparasitoids wasps that attack spiders’ egg sacs. Although there are data of occurrence in several biogeographical regions, their distribution records are scarce, especially due to their small size, mak-ing difficult to collect them in natural environments. In this paper, five new species of Baeus are described as results of collections made in southeastern Brazil: Baeus fluminensis new species, B. itatiaiaensis new species, B. leucophthalmus new species, B. melanocephalus new species and B. morenus new species. An updated key to the known Neotropical spe-cies of the genus is also provided.
Global-Scale Interpretable Drought Reconstruction Utilizing Anomalies of Atmospheric Dynamics
Authors: Liu Zhenchen , Zhou Wen , Zhang Ruhua , Zhang Yue , Wang Ya
Published: July 2022

Droughts and associated near-surface temperature anomalies can be attributed to amplified vertical subsidence and anomalous anticyclonic circulations from dynamic perspectives. However, two open and interesting issues remain unknown: 1) whether hydrometeorological situations under droughts can be reproduced directly utilizing variability of atmospheric dynamics and 2) what specific roles atmospheric dynamics play in drought reconstruction. To explore these questions, this study employs three kinds of dynamic features (i.e., vertical velocity, relative vorticity, and horizontal divergence) for hydrometeorological reconstruction (e.g., precipitation and near-surface air temperature) under drought situations through a so-called XGBoost (extreme gradient boosting) ensemble learning method. The study adopts two different reconstruction schemes (i.e., statistically preexisting dynamic–hydrometeorological relationships and interannual variability) and finds dynamically based reconstruction feasible. The three main achievements are as follows. 1) Regarding different hydrometeorological situations reconstructed with preexisting dynamic–hydrometeorological relationships, good reconstruction performance can be captured with the same or different lead times, depending on whether the evolution of dynamic anomalies (e.g., vertical motion and relative vorticity) is temporally asynchronous. 2) Reconstruction on the interannual scale performs relatively well, seemingly regardless of seasonality and drought-inducing mechanisms. 3) More importantly, from interpretable perspectives, global-scale analysis of dynamic contributions helps discover unexpected dynamic drought-inducing roles and associated latitudinal modulation. That is, low-level cyclonic/anticyclonic anomalies contribute to drought development in the northern middle and high latitudes, while upper-level vertical subsidence contributes significantly to tropical near-surface temperature anomalies concurrent with droughts. These achievements could provide guidance for dynamically based drought monitoring and prediction in different geographic regions.

Significance Statement

It is common sense that severe drought events are physically attributable to amplified vertical subsidence and anomalous anticyclonic circulations. However, the specific contributions of atmospheric dynamics, together with the feasibility of dynamically based drought reconstruction, are crucial components that are seldom investigated. To our knowledge, this manuscript is the first to reconstruct drought utilizing atmospheric dynamics and to interpret quantified dynamic contributions; it also represents a new interdisciplinary attempt to reproduce hydrological variability based on routine atmospheric dynamic variables.
A Machine Learning Tutorial for Operational Meteorology. Part I: Traditional Machine Learning
Authors: Chase Randy J. , Harrison David R. , Burke Amanda , Lackmann Gary M. , McGovern Amy
Published: July 2022

Recently, the use of machine learning in meteorology has increased greatly. While many machine learning methods are not new, university classes on machine learning are largely unavailable to meteorology students and are not required to become a meteorologist. The lack of formal instruction has contributed to perception that machine learning methods are “black boxes” and thus end-users are hesitant to apply the machine learning methods in their everyday workflow. To reduce the opaqueness of machine learning methods and lower hesitancy toward machine learning in meteorology, this paper provides a survey of some of the most common machine learning methods. A familiar meteorological example is used to contextualize the machine learning methods while also discussing machine learning topics using plain language. The following machine learning methods are demonstrated: linear regression, logistic regression, decision trees, random forest, gradient boosted decision trees, naïve Bayes, and support vector machines. Beyond discussing the different methods, the paper also contains discussions on the general machine learning process as well as best practices to enable readers to apply machine learning to their own datasets. Furthermore, all code (in the form of Jupyter notebooks and Google Colaboratory notebooks) used to make the examples in the paper is provided in an effort to catalyze the use of machine learning in meteorology.
Farmers Reading Nature’s Clues to Figure Out Impending Weather
Authors: Poudel Jiban Mani , Sigdel Madan , Chhetri Ram Bahadur , Sudarsan K. C.
Published: July 2022

Traditional ways of reading nature’s clues to figure out impending weather are widely practiced in many rural societies in the world. They have been, however, often discounted by a western science-based meteorological forecasting system, although they are important sociocultural tools for mitigating climatic risks. This paper concerns two thematic issues: traditional knowledge about reading nature’s clues to figure out impending weather; and the transformation of that knowledge in the changing context of livelihood, the intervention of modern education, and use of modern weather forecasting technology. This study was carried out at Kirtipur of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, between 2011 and 2021. Information was collected through key informant interviews, observation, and informal discussion and survey. The findings reveal that the traditional weather forecasting system is closely intertwined with climatic phenomena, traditional agriculture practices, the local landscape, myths, and beliefs. The recognition of farmers’ knowledge on weather forecasting should be a resource of a great potential value. However, rapid expansion of the market economy, access to modern technology, affordability, access to modern education, and anthropogenic climate change have gradually detached people from their farmlands, traditional livelihoods, and occupations. All of this seems to have weakened social interaction between generations as well as their attachment to nature. Last, we conclude that the production and consumption of weather forecasting knowledge need local and scientific communities to work together to reduce knowledge gaps.

Significance Statement

The purpose of this study is to understand how farmers read nature to figure out impending weather, even as such knowledge is gradually weakening with the expansion of new technology, the intervention of modern education, the shift from farming-based to nonfarming activities for livelihood, and climate change. In such a context, the survival of traditional weather forecasting knowledge may seem uncertain. Our study reveals that traditional weather forecasting knowledge is rooted in the local landscape and subsistence farming culture. Therefore, the production and consumption of weather forecasting knowledge need local and scientific communities to work together to reduce knowledge gaps and recognize the contributions of both types of knowledge.
Manufacturing routes of vacuum assisted resin infusion: Numerical investigation
Authors: Ouezgan Ahmed , Mallil El Hassan , Echaabi Jamal
Published: July 2022

The vacuum assisted resin infusion (VARI) process is a cost-effective technique for manufacturing lightweight large complex composite components. It belongs to the liquid composite molding (LCM) family. In this process, a fibrous preform is placed into a mold cavity, and covered by a vacuum bag, then a sealant tape is used to adhere it to the mold in order to avoid air-resin leakage. A vacuum pump is used to evacuate the air from the closed cavity which leads to compact the fabric preform. The inlet gate is opened and resin impregnates the preform under atmospheric pressure. Based on the tripping of compaction and resin infusion phases, several manufacturing routes manifest and have influence on the process time, resin pressure distribution and preform thickness uniformity. In this paper, a numerical simulation, based on the finite difference method, is conducted to investigate the effect of four major manufacturing routes of VARI process on the aforementioned parameters. The obtained results reveal that the merging of the air vacuuming and resin infusion phases has no mentioned effect on the reduction of the process time. While, the fourth manufacturing route, where the resin injection precedes vacuuming phase, is the best practice of vacuum assisted resin infusion process. In its optimum scenario, this route can reduce the process time with 19.9% as compared to the optimum scenario of the first manufacturing route.
Political power’s media capture strategies in Spain (2016–2021)
Authors: Fernández Alonso Isabel
Published: July 2022

This article analyses political power's media capture strategies in Spain by addressing the central government's and several regional governments' actions between 2016 and 2021. The policies implemented by parties from across the political spectrum are studied, with similar behaviours that continue to pursue or even reinforce strategies from previous eras being observed. This confirms the trait of strong government interventionism that is typical of Polarised Pluralist media systems. This article specifically takes an in-depth look at control over public media's governing bodies, the fragility of independent regulators, and opaqueness and indicators of instrumentalisation in the management of institutional advertising. The conclusions are of a propositional nature. Potential solutions to the forms of capture highlighted throughout the article are proposed. The legal reform of the General Audiovisual Communication Law—in progress at the time of writing—does not contemplate such solutions.
Pathways From Prosocial Behaviour to Emotional Health and Academic Achievement in Early Adolescence
Authors: Oberle Eva , Ji Xuejun Ryan , Molyneux Tonje Mari
Published: July 2022

This study examined pathways from prosocial behaviour in the beginning of the school year to emotional health and academic achievement in the end of the year, taking into account the mediating role of peer acceptance. Participants were 734 grade 4 to 7 students in public elementary schools (51% female) in Western Canada. As expected, pathway analyses taking into account the clustered structure of the data indicated that self-reported prosocial behaviour in the beginning of the school year was significantly related higher levels of self-reported optimism, lower levels of depressive symptoms, and better grades in the end of the year; the association was mediated by peer-reported peer acceptance in the classroom. Findings support the role of peer acceptance as an underlying mechanism involved in the association between prosocial behaviour and positive developmental health outcomes in early adolescence. Findings are also practically relevant as they inform school-based social-emotional competence promotion through interventions.
Migraine-attributed burden, impact and disability, and migraine-impacted quality of life: Expert consensus on definitions from a Delphi process
Authors: Steiner Timothy J , Terwindt Gisela M , Katsarava Zaza , Pozo-Rosich Patricia , Gantenbein Andreas R , Roche Sarah L , Dell’Agnello Grazia , Tassorelli Cristina
Published: July 2022

Background

Migraine-attributed burden, impact, disability and migraine-impacted quality of life are important concepts in clinical management, clinical and epidemiological research, and health policy, requiring clear and agreed definitions. We aimed to formulate concise and precise definitions of these concepts by expert consensus.

Methods

We searched the terms migraine-attributed burden, impact, disability and migraine-impacted quality of life in Embase and Medline from 1974 and 1946 respectively. We followed a Delphi process to reach consensus on definitions.

Results

We found widespread conflation of concepts and inconsistent terminology within publications. Following three Delphi rounds, we defined migraine-attributed burden as “the summation of all negative consequences of the disease or its diagnosis”; migraine-attributed impact as “the effect of the disease, or its diagnosis, on a specified aspect of life, health or wellbeing”; migraine-attributed disability as “physical, cognitive and mental incapacities imposed by the disease”; and migraine-impacted quality of life as “the subjective assessment by a person with the disease of their general wellbeing, position and prospects in life”. We complemented each definition with a detailed description.

Conclusion

These definitions and descriptions should foster consistency and encourage more appropriate use of currently available quantifying instruments and aid the future development of others.
Effects of defects in automated fiber placement laminates and its correlation to automated optical inspection results
Authors: Böckl Benno , Wedel André , Misik Adam , Drechsler Klaus
Published: July 2022

Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) is a widely used production process for the manufacturing of large scale CFRP parts. However, the occurrence of manufacturing defects such as gaps or overlaps is still a common problem in today’s AFP production environments. This study investigates the effect of different defect configurations on the mechanical performance (i.e., tensile strength, flexural strength, and shear strength) of AFP laminates. The results are then linked to the data generated “inline” by a ply inspection system. We use the Pearson correlation in order to relate the measured defect volume to the strength of samples containing different types of defects. A clear knockdown in tensile strength was found for specimens with gaps or overlaps that caused a high amount of fiber undulations in the laminate. The sensor data analysis showed a similar trend. Specimens with a high defect volume had significantly lower values for the tensile strength. A correlation coefficient of −0.98 between these two values was calculated. The obtained results are a promising step towards automated quality inspection for the AFP process.
Protean Career Orientation and Proactive Career Behaviors During School-to-Work Transition: Mechanism Exploration and Coaching Intervention
Authors: Zhang Ying , Wang Qing , Zhang Yuanyuan , Xu Chenxin , Xu Ziyi
Published: July 2022

The school-to-work transition (STWT) period is crucial for students, and a protean career orientation (PCO) is important for a successful transition. The present study aimed to examine the effects of PCO on proactive career behaviors, the underlying mechanisms, and the development of PCO using a coaching approach. Study 1 was conducted based on 250 Chinese undergraduate and postgraduate students during STWT using self-reported questionnaires. Statistical results showed that PCO positively predicted proactive career behaviors and mediated by vocational identity and career adaptability. In Study 2, a randomized controlled trial was used to implement a coaching program that aimed at improving PCO and associated positive career outcomes. Statistical analyses found that the intervention group showed significant improvements in PCO, and the increase in PCO positively predicted increases in career adaptability, vocational identity, and proactive career behaviors.
Experimental analysis of latent heat thermal energy storage system using encapsulated multiple phase-change materials
Authors: Singh Santosh Kumar , Verma Sujit Kumar , Kumar Rahul , Sharma Abhishek , Singh Ramanpreet , Tiwari Nishant
Published: July 2022

The current study aims to improve the energy storage capability of the thermal energy storage system by utilizing multiple phase-change materials. In this regard, a new thermal energy storage system has been studied when multiple phase-change material with different melting temperatures are employed. In this study, three-set, each having 70 encapsulated phase-change materials, are arranged horizontally in the order of decreasing melting temperature for the charging cycle and increasing melting temperature in the case of discharging cycle. Water is employed as heat transfer fluid, and the SAE 304 spherical capsule with a diameter of 60 cm is used to encapsulate the phase-change material. The arrangement showed an excellent thermal response for input parameters such as inlet temperature, flow rate. Further, it was observed that as the heat transfer fluid flow rate increases from 1 litres per minute (LPM) to 5 LPM, the melting and solidification time decreases from 10% to 30% and 14% to 28%, respectively. It was also noticed that as the flow rate increases, exergy and overall efficiency decreases.
Single reader between-cases AUC estimator with nested data
Authors: Du Hongfei , Wen Si , Guo Yufei , Jin Fang , Gallas Brandon D
Published: July 2022

The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) is widely used in evaluating diagnostic performance for many clinical tasks. It is still challenging to evaluate the reading performance of distinguishing between positive and negative regions of interest (ROIs) in the nested-data problem, where multiple ROIs are nested within the cases. To address this issue, we identify two kinds of AUC estimators, within-cases AUC and between-cases AUC. We focus on the between-cases AUC estimator, since our main research interest is in patient-level diagnostic performance rather than location-level performance (the ability to separate ROIs with and without disease within each patient). Another reason is that as the case number increases, the number of between-cases paired ROIs is much larger than the number of within-cases ROIs. We provide estimators for the variance of the between-cases AUC and for the covariance when there are two readers. We derive and prove the above estimators’ theoretical values based on a simulation model and characterize their behavior using Monte Carlo simulation results. We also provide a real-data example. Moreover, we connect the distribution-based simulation model with the simulation model based on the linear mixed-effect model, which helps better understand the sources of variation in the simulated dataset.
Rethinking Lines of Operations: Jomini's Contribution to the Conceptualization of Strategy in the Early Nineteenth Century
Authors: Rapin Ami-Jacques
Published: July 2022

The changes in the conduct of military operations during the wars of the French Revolution were the basis for the theory of lines of operation formulated by Jomini in his Traité de grande tactique. The notion of lines of operation gained a new meaning that paved the way for the conceptualisation of the operational art and the transition from tactical debate to strategic thinking. Jomini's contribution to the development of strategic thought is considered from the dual perspective of the break with the military writers of the 18th century and the judgments made on the Traité by Napoleon and Clausewitz.
Association of Cervical Vestibular-Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMP) and Postural Instability in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Gaur Archana , Rajamanickam Ravichandran , Chinnathambi Chennappan , Selvaraju Divya , Sakthivadivel Varatharajan
Published: July 2022

Background

Postural instability is a common problem in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The appropriate cooperation of vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive signals along with apt anticipatory and adaptive postural responses is essential for postural stability. Abnormalities in this sensorimotor admixture lead to postural instability in PD. The function of vestibular otolith function and its central connections in postural instability of PD is still obscure. Cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) can be used to assess the function of the saccular part of otolith and its connections.

Purpose

We aimed to study the role of dysfunction of the saccule and its connections at the brainstem by comparing the VEMP with normal controls and correlating it with the postural instability in patients with PD.

Methods

Thirty patients with PD and 30 healthy volunteers were included in the study, after obtaining the institutional ethical committee approval. Patient’s demographic data, stage and duration of illness, treatment history, history of fall, postural instability, Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score, and Non-Motor Symptoms Scales (NMSs) were noted. Cervical VEMP analysis was done for both patients and controls.

Results and Conclusion

Patients with absent VEMP had significant postural instability, a history of falls, and a high UPDRS score. Mean P13 and N23 latencies were prolonged, and the amplitude was significantly low in patients with PD. Absent cVEMP was significantly associated with postural instability, non-motor symptoms, especially gastrointestinal, miscellaneous symptoms, and mood/cognition. VEMP can be considered an early electrophysiological marker for dysfunction of otolith and its central connections.
Noticed and then Forgotten: Gender in Alcohol Policy Stakeholder Responses to Alcohol and Violence
Authors: Farrugia Adrian , Moore David , Keane Helen , Ekendahl Mats , Graham Kathryn , Duncan Duane
Published: July 2022

In this article, we analyse interview data on how alcohol policy stakeholders in Australia, Canada and Sweden understand the relationship between men, masculinities, alcohol and violence. Using influential feminist scholarship on public policy and liberal political theory to analyse interviews with 42 alcohol policy stakeholders, we argue that while these stakeholders view men’s violence as a key issue for intervention, masculinities are backgrounded in proposed responses and men positioned as unamenable to intervention. Instead, policy stakeholders prioritise generic interventions understood to protect all from the harms of men’s drinking and violence without marking men for special attention. Shared across the data is a prioritisation of interventions that focus on harms recognised as relating to men’s drinking but apply equally to all people and, as such, avoid naming men and masculinities as central to alcohol-related violence. We argue that this process works to background the role of masculinities in violence, leaving men unmarked and many possible targeted responses unthinkable.
Clinical Significance of Thrombelastography Results in Patients with Lung Adenocarcinoma in Situ Complicated with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Chen Ke , Wang Qiuping , Du Xuan , Hu Jingcheng , Niu Lijuan , Zhou Yingyi
Published: July 2022

To investigate the significance of thrombelastography (TEG) in patients who have lung adenocarcinoma in situ (LAIS) complicated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), 120 subjects were enrolled: 40 with LAIS, 40 with LAIS and T2D (LAIS + T2D), and 40 healthy controls (HCs). Correlation analysis was used to assess the relationships of TEG with indicators of T2D. The LAIS + T2D group had lower reaction time (R), rate of clot formation (K), estimated percentage of lysis (EPL), and lysis after 30 min (LY30), but higher maximum amplitude (MA), angle (α), and coagulation index (CI) than other group. Compared with the HC group, the LAIS group had lower R, K, EPL, and LY30, but higher MA, α, and CI. In LAIS + T2D group, R and LY30 had negatively correlations with fasting blood glucose (FBG) and triglycerides (TGs); α and MA had positive correlations with FBG and TG; K had negative correlations with FBG; EPL had negative correlations with FBG and low-density lipoprotein (LDL); and CI had positive correlations with FBG and LDL. TEG may be a useful indicator of blood coagulation dysfunction in these patients rather the healthy individuals.
Motivated Localism: Polarization and Public Support for Intergovernmental Carbon Reduction Efforts
Authors: Deslatte Aaron
Published: July 2022

Climate challenges in the 21st century have given rise to re-thinking the role of local governments in confronting larger-than-local challenges. However, anthropogenic climate change has become a weaponized partisan issue, and surveys show a growing partisan tribalization over climate science. Empowering local governments to take broader climate and sustainability actions is one avenue for addressing this. This study tests a localism hypothesis, which holds that citizens will be more supportive of local climate efforts when the benefits are internalized by the community. This deference to locally directed actions springs from the predisposition for decentralization of political authority widely attributed to localism, a directional goal of motivated reasoners which may feed into social identity, cohesion and shared community values. Through three survey experiments, the study finds citizens are more likely to favor continuation of local climate-related programs in the face of high performance and politicization at the federal level.
Do Shallow Rental Subsidies Promote Housing Stability? Evidence on Costs and Effects from DC’s Flexible Program
Authors: Alva Maria L. , Mammo Natnaell , Moore Ryan T. , Quinney Samuel
Published: July 2022

Residents of cities face housing instability due to high housing costs. We conduct a randomized experiment evaluating the impacts of a flexible “shallow subsidy” among 668 qualified renters with recent housing instability. This local subsidy provides $7,200 a year directly to families earning less than 30 percent of the median family income, who choose how much assistance to use each month. Using administrative data, we track outcomes for the first year of program administration. After one year, the program has no statistically significant effect on homelessness, cash benefit receipt, or emergency rental assistance utilization, demonstrating no harm when compared to alternatives. However, the program leads to a 29 percentage point decrease in participants’ use of other types of local government housing services, which they must weigh against the shallow subsidy. We show that the program can be administratively cost-saving, but is not always beneficial for a very low-income subset of applicants.
Addressing Adverse Selection in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Procurement: An Agent-Based Approach
Authors: Vecchi Veronica , Cusumano Niccolò , Casady Carter B. , Gatti Stefano , Borgonovo Emanuele
Published: July 2022

In risky public-private partnership (PPP) projects, governments and public institutions tend to offer private investors certain guarantees for their participation. However, when public sector capacity and institutions are weak, these guarantees can generate moral hazard in the bidding process and lead to contractual renegotiations, resulting in a loss for taxpayers. Drawing on a sophisticated, agent-based model that recreates the complex dynamics of the PPP procurement process, this paper demonstrates public sector competency is crucial for limiting moral hazard when guarantees are offered in PPP projects.
Retinal arterial occlusive vasculitis following IgA nephropathy: A case report
Authors: Miguel Vazquez-Membrillo , Felipe Ramírez-Solís , Claudia Zepeda-Palacio , Anurag Shrivastava , Kira Lin , Marlon Garcia-Roa , Veronica Romero-Morales , Yolanda Villalpando-Gomez , Sonia Corredor-Casas
Published: July 2022

Purpose

To discuss diagnosis and management in the case of a patient presenting with bilateral ischemic retinal vasculopathy associated with a previously undiagnosed IgA nephropathy.

Case report

In 2021, a 35-year-old male presented with a sudden onset asymmetric bilateral (OU) visual loss. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 20/200 OD, and no light perception (NLP) OS with an associated relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD). Slit-lamp examination (SLE) confirmed normal anterior segment anatomy OU. Indirect ophthalmoscopy and subsequent fluorescein angiography (FA) confirmed the presence of bilateral arterial attenuation, telangiectatic lesions, associated perivascular sheathing, and capillary leakage. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed multiple areas of thinning of the inner retina. This constellation of diagnostic findings was highly suggestive of a bilateral ischemic retinal vasculopathy with an inflammatory vasculitis. Based on a high index of suspicion for a systemic etiology, nephrology was consulted, and a diagnosis of IgA nephropathy was confirmed by renal biopsy. Systemic immunomodulatory therapy was initiated.

Conclusion

Although it is among the most commonly occurring forms of glomerulonephritis leading to renal failure, IgA nephropathy rarely presents with a bilateral retinal vasculopathy. Schölein – Henoch purpura, the other primary disease associated with glomerular IgA deposition, may be indistinguishable from primary IgA nephropathy. A comprehensive retinal examination with multimodal functional and structural ophthalmic diagnostic testing in conjunction with renal biopsy was needed to confirm the diagnosis. It is critical to include primary renal pathology when formulating a differential diagnosis for cases of bilateral retinal vasculitis, particularly in young otherwise healthy patients.
Choroidal changes in posterior microphthalmos
Authors: Venkatesh Ramesh , Arora Sahil , Reddy Nikitha Gurram , Rubble Mangla , Yadav Naresh Kumar , Chhablani Jay
Published: July 2022

Purpose

To describe the choroidal variations in posterior microphthalmos (PM).

Methods

In this observational case series, four eyes of two patients diagnosed as PM based on the characteristic clinical features were included. Multimodal retinal imaging with clinical fundus documentation using ultrawide field fundus camera, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) was done for these cases.

Results

Multimodal imaging of these cases confirmed the variations in the choroid in PM cases. In both cases, on OCT, the retina and choroid were thick. retinal papillomacular fold (RPMF) was noted in all four eyes. On ICGA, the dye transit time from the arm to choroid and retina were within normal limits. Choroidal vasculature in the far retinal periphery was reduced and was noted as hypocyanescent areas anterior to the equator while the density of choroidal vessels was significantly more posterior to the equator. Vortex veins were not visualised in both cases.

Conclusion

Choroidal structure and vessels undergo alterations in PM. Further validation of these findings is required in a larger cohort of PM cases.
Retinal vessel wall imaging using fluorescein angiography and adaptive optics imaging in acute branch retinal artery occlusion
Authors: Venkatesh Ramesh , Mutalik Deepashri , Reddy Nikitha Gurram , Akkali Mukunda Chaitanya , Yadav Naresh Kumar , Chhablani Jay
Published: July 2022

Purpose

To report the retinal vessel wall changes in a patient with acute branch retinal artery occlusion with fundus fluorescein angiography and adaptive optics imaging.

Methods

Retrospective, observational case

Case description

A 49-year-old female with cardiac ailment complained of sudden onset superior field loss for 4 days in her right eye. Her presenting visual acuity in the right eye was 20/20, N6. She was diagnosed with right eye infero-temporal branch retinal artery occlusion. A golden-yellow, round coloured embolus was noted on clinical examination obstructing the temporal division of the inferior branch of central retinal artery. Patient underwent ocular massage, anterior chamber paracentesis and oral Acetazolamide (Tab. Diamox 250 mg QID) medications. Vessel wall changes were noted using fluorescein angiography and adaptive optics retinal imaging at presentation and 10-day follow-up visit.

Conclusion

This case highlights the importance of multimodal retinal imaging like fluorescein angiography and adaptive optics imaging in identifying and understanding the retinal vessel wall changes in the occluded vascular segment of the retina.
Meaning making in peacekeeping missions: mandate interpretation and multinational collaboration in the UN mission in Mali
Authors: Ruffa Chiara , Rietjens Sebastiaan
Published: July 2022

Peacekeeping helps to prevent conflict and to protect civilians. But how does it work to achieve those aims? Notwithstanding a growing recognition that peacekeeping mandates alone do not directly determine what actually happens in the field, we still know little about how—once deployed—military units translate an ambiguous mandate into action. In this paper, we focus on one dimension of peacekeepers’ behavior that has become increasingly important, namely, how peacekeepers relate to other military units with whom they are supposed to implement their mandate. We systematically document how mandate interpretations emerge and how they influence peacekeepers’ understanding of other troops they work with. Central to this is peacekeepers’ meaning making, a concept we borrow from the sociological literature, which refers to the common and human process through which individuals give meaning to their surrounding context. Drawing on nearly 120 interviews with peacekeepers deployed to the United Nations (UN) mission in Mali (2014–2019), we identify three different ways by which peacekeepers interpret their mandate and interact with other contingents: Voltaire’s garden; building bridges; and othering. Acknowledging peacekeepers’ agency and the social dimension of peacekeeping has important implications for both scholarly and policy debates.
Explaining the migrant–native vote gap under open-list proportional representation
Authors: Sipinen Josefina , Söderlund Peter
Published: July 2022

Migrant candidates tend to win fewer preference votes compared to native candidates across electoral systems. We focus on two general explanations for the observed migrant–native vote gap: (1) disproportionate amounts of electorally valuable resources and (2) an electoral penalty whereby migrant candidates who hold similar resources as native candidates are treated differently by the voters. Three types of resources are included as independent variables: personal, social, and contextual. We analyse candidate survey data from the 2017 Finnish municipal elections and apply the twofold Kitagawa–Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition method. The results show that group differences in the distribution of political capital, length of residence, and size of the municipality are associated with the vote gap, as well as the inability of migrant candidates to capitalise on campaign support from people in their immediate social environment.
Maintaining a medical institution in a context of materiality change: Lessons from a Canadian university hospital
Authors: Touati Nassera , Rodríguez Charo , Moreault Marie-Pierre , Sicotte Claude , Lapointe Liette
Published: July 2022

This research aimed to better understand how institutions are maintained, and the role of materiality in this institutional work. More specifically, the present qualitative case study analyzed how different actors in a large academic hospital in Canada worked together (i.e. accomplished institutional work) to maintain the institution of medical record keeping as a new clinical information system (computerized physician order entry-the material entity) was enacted. The study reveals that, to maintain the institution at stake, the intertwinement of processes of creating and maintaining institutions took place. In fact, different forms of institutional work interact Results also strongly suggest that the design of computerized physician order entry and its implementation (i.e. the materiality involved in this institutional change) played an important role in the maintenance of the institution of medical record keeping: on the one hand, it was particularly present in three types of institutional work, namely enabling, policing, and deterring; on the other hand, it appeared to be an essential component of the routinization of work by allowing a better fit between the new technology and the organization of work
Negotiating Australian academia as a historically white settler colonial institution: A comparison between Muslim and non-Muslim students
Authors: Abdel-Fattah Randa
Published: July 2022

In Australia, there is a dearth of research applying the theoretical lens of critical race theory to explore Muslim university students’ experiences in higher degree education institutions. The prevailing approach has been to focus on institutional barriers and policies. This article deviates from such studies by framing the analysis in terms of a comparison between Muslim and non-Muslim white students in higher degree education institutions in New South Wales (NSW) Australia in order to operationalize whiteness in Australia's settler colonial society as a central category of analysis. The article seeks to explore how Muslim and non-Muslim students experience and respond to the university as a white institution, considering how Muslim students engage in both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies in response to the university as a white institution, and how white, non-Muslim students experience the normativity, invisibility and hegemony of whiteness in the university.
Everyday disconnection experiences: Exploring people’s understanding of digital well-being and management of digital media use
Authors: Nguyen Minh Hao , Büchi Moritz , Geber Sarah
Published: July 2022

With the permeation of digital media into all spheres of life, individual-level efforts to manage information abundance and constant availability have become more common. To date, information on the prevalence of the motivations and strategies for such disconnection practices and how different sociodemographic groups experience digital disconnection is scarce. We surveyed a national sample of 1163 Swiss Internet users in November 2020. Thematic coding of open-text responses demonstrated people’s understandings of “balanced digital media use” as primarily concerned with subjectively appropriate amounts of use, purposeful use, social connections, non-addiction, and time for “real life.” Through principal components analysis, we provide a classification of the types of motivations people have for disconnecting and strategies people use to disconnect. Persistent age differences suggest that life-span approaches to studying digital disconnection are imperative. We formulate implications for disconnection research in the context of digital inequality and provide an outlook for evolving digital habits in future digital societies.
Popularizing in legal discourse: What efforts do Russian judges make to facilitate juror’s comprehension of law-related contents?
Authors: Boginskaya Olga
Published: July 2022

Previous research has demonstrated that judicial instructions are not well understood by jurors tasked with returning informative verdicts, and explanatory strategies can facilitate juror’s comprehension of law-related contents. Unlike a great deal of research on legal-lay interactions in a jury trial, most of which is based on English-language materials, the present article uncovers how Russian judges communicate law-related information to the jury. The study was motivated by the lack of guidance on interactions with the jury and the challenges faced by the latter in attempting to understand technical concepts. Through quantitative and qualitative analyses of 18 jury instructions, the paper demonstrates that Russian judges work toward the achievement of a goal of recontextualizing law-related information and making legal concepts comprehensible to a lay audience using a wide repertoire of popularization tools, including definitions, descriptions, illustrations, paraphrases and metaphors.