bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Postoperative cardiac biomarker release is not associated with myocardial mass in computer tomography scans
Authors: Pölzl Leo , Sterzinger Philipp , Lohmann Ronja , Nägele Felix , Hirsch Jakob , Graber Michael , Engler Clemens , Eder Jonas , Abfalterer Hannes , Holfeld Johannes , Maier Sarah , Ulmer Hanno , Ruttmann-Ulmer Elfriede , Griesmacher Andrea , Grimm Michael , Bonaros Nikolaos , Feuchtner Gudrun , Gollmann-Tepeköylü Can
Published: December 2023

OBJECTIVES

Myocardial hypertrophy results in increased levels of cardiac biomarkers in healthy individuals and in patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction. The influence of cardiac mass on postoperative cardiac biomarkers release remains unclear. This study investigated the correlation between myocardial mass and the release of high-sensitivity cardiac Troponin T (hs-cTnT) and creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB) after isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR) or bypass surgery.

METHODS

Myocardial mass of a consecutive retrospective series of patients was measured automatically using preoperative computer tomography scans (636 patients, AVR = 251; bypass surgery = 385). Levels of cardiac biomarkers were measured before and serially after surgery. Spearman and Pearson correlation and a multivariate regression model was performed to measure the degree of association between myocardial mass and the release of hs-cTnT and CK-MB.

RESULTS

Patients were divided into 3 tertiles according to their myocardial mass index. Higher biomarker levels were measured preoperatively in the upper tertile of patients undergoing AVR (P = 0.004) or bypass surgery (P < 0.001). Patients with different heart sizes showed no differences in postoperative biomarker release neither after AVR nor bypass surgery. No statistical significant correlation was observed between myocardial mass index and postoperative release of hs-cTnT or CK-MB in any subgroup (ρ maximum 0.106).

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative biomarker release is not correlated with myocardial mass. Patient factors leading to increased postoperative biomarker levels need to be elucidated in future studies.
Prasad’s Conjecture About Dualizing Involutions
Authors: Arote Prashant , Mishra Manish
Published: December 2023

Let $G$ be a connected reductive group defined over a finite field ${\mathbb{F}}_{q}$ with corresponding Frobenius $F$. Let $\iota _{G}$ denote the duality involution defined by D. Prasad under the hypothesis $2\textrm{H}^{1}(F,Z(G))=0$, where $Z(G)$ denotes the center of $G$. We show that for each irreducible character $\rho $ of $G^{F}$, the involution $\iota _{G}$ takes $\rho $ to its dual $\rho ^{\vee }$ if and only if for a suitable Jordan decomposition of characters, an associated unipotent character $u_{\rho }$ has Frobenius eigenvalues $\pm $ 1. As a corollary, we obtain that if $G$ has no exceptional factors and satisfies $2\textrm{H}^{1}(F,Z(G))=0$, then the duality involution $\iota _{G}$ takes $\rho $ to its dual $\rho ^{\vee }$ for each irreducible character $\rho $ of $G^{F}$. Our results resolve a finite group counterpart of a conjecture of D. Prasad.
Making Political Science: Material-Aesthetic Approaches to Knowledge Production
Authors: Weitzel Michelle D
Published: December 2023

Making represents an important practice in political science research, but the relative unfamiliarity of “making” within the discipline often pushes discussion of it to the margins. This article helps theorize the value of making in political science and questions the idea that moves away from writerly research modes undermine or otherwise erode standards of scholarship. It argues that making processes generate unique opportunities for intellectual discovery; for data collection; for analytic practices of reflexivity, associative thinking, and the adaptation of multiple positionalities; and finally, for argumentation. As such, it suggests that boundary-pushing research that incorporates hands-on praxis to make aesthetic products may in fact augment systematicity and rigor according to established disciplinary norms.
General media over enrichment media supports growth of Campylobacter jejuni and maintains poultry cecal microbiota enabling translatable in vitro microbial interaction experiments
Authors: Olson Elena G , Dittoe Dana K , Chatman Chamia C , Majumder Erica L-W , Ricke Steven C
Published: December 2023

Aim

This study aimed to assess the suitability of two media types, Bolton enrichment broth (BEB) and anaerobic dilution solution (ADS), in replicating the poultry cecal environment to investigate metabolic interactions and Campylobacter presence within poultry ceca.

Methods

Using an anaerobic in vitro poultry cecal model, cecal contents (free of culturable Campylobacter) were diluted in BEB and ADS, inoculated with 105 CFU of Campylobacter jejuni, and incubated for 48 h at 42°C under microaerophilic conditions. Samples were collected at 0, 24, and 48 h. Genomic DNA was extracted, amplified, and sequenced on Illumina MiSeq platform. Data underwent analysis within QIIME2-2021.11, including alpha and beta diversity assessments, ANOVA, ADONIS, ANCOM, and Bradford assay for protein concentration.

Results

ADS supported a more diverse microbial population than BEB, influencing C. jejuni presence. ANCOM highlighted dominant genera in BEB (Lactobacillus and Campylobacter) and affirmed C. jejuni growth in ADS. Core microbiota analysis revealed unique associations with each media type, while the Bradford assay indicated ADS consistently yielded more uniform microbial growth.

Conclusions

ADS was identified as a preferred diluent for faithfully replicating cecal microbial changes in the presence of Campylobacter.
Filter Lifespan, Treatment Effect, and Influencing Factors of Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy for Severe Burn Patients
Authors: Yue Qian , Wu Hong , Xi Maomao , Li Feng , Li Tiantian , Li Yinyin
Published: December 2023

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is often disrupted due to various factors, such as patient-related issues, vascular access complications, treatment plans, and medical staff factors. This unexpected interruption is referred to as non-selective filter stoppage and can result in additional treatment expenses. This study conducted a retrospectively analyzed 501 CRRT filters used in 62 patients with severe burns, lifespan and therapeutic effect of all filters were mainly analyzed, used logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors associated with non-selective cessation filters. Out of 493 filters, 279 cases received heparin (56.60%), the median lifespan of the filter was 14.08 h (25th, 75th quantile: 7.30, 21.50); 128 cases were treated with nafamostat mesylate (26.00%), and the median lifespan of the filter was 16.42 h (10.49, 22.76); 86 cases were treated with sodium citrate (17.40%), and the median lifespan of the filter was 31.06 h (19.25, 48.75). In addition, significant differences were observed in the electrolyte index, renal function index, and procalcitonin levels before and after treatment with a single filter (P < .001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that the risk of non-selective cessation of sodium citrate anticoagulants was lower than that of heparin anticoagulation. Overall, CRRT is progressively becoming more prevalent in the treatment of patients with severe burns. The lifespan of individual filters and total patient treatment duration showed a consistent upward trend. The filter’s lifespan was notably greater during sodium citrate anticoagulation when compared to nafamostat mesylate and heparin, meanwhile notably reducing the risk of non-selective cessation. Therefore, we recommend sodium citrate for anticoagulation in patients without any contraindications.
Cancer survivorship—a framework for quality cancer care
Authors: Zebrack Bradley
Published: December 2023

When diagnosed with cancer or any other life-threatening condition, people must negotiate 2 once-separate but now integrated realms—a medical care industrial complex and an everyday life now lived in conscious awareness of mortality—a state of being subject to death. Life becomes a series of challenges and disruptions to relationships, body image and integrity, autonomy and independence, life goals, hopes, and dreams for the future. Whether one physically, emotionally, or spiritually survives, thrives, or succumbs to cancer is dependent on a treatment plan that accounts for the multiple and varied ways in which people experience dual citizenship in the realms of the well and the sick. A theory of cancer survivorship that integrates both medical and patient perspectives into a cogent and coherent framework has the potential to enhance the quality of cancer care and the patient experience.

“Everyone who is born holds dual citizenship in the kingdom of the well and in the kingdom of the sick.… Although we prefer to use the good passport, sooner or later each of us is obliged … to identify ourselves as citizens of that other place” (1).
Dynamical substructures of local metal-poor halo
Authors: Ye Dashuang , Du Cuihua , Shi Jianrong , Ma Jun
Published: December 2023

Based on 4098 very metal poor (VMP) stars with six-dimensional phase-space and chemical information from Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3) and Large sky Area Multi-Object fiber Spectroscopic Telescope DR9 as tracers, we apply an unsupervised machine learning algorithm, shared nearest neighbour, to identify stellar groups in the action–energy (J–E) space. We detect seven previously known mergers in local samples, including Helmi Stream, Gaia-Sausage/Enceladus (GSE), metal-weak thick disc (MWTD), Pontus, Wukong, Thamnos, and I’itoi + Sequoia + Arjuna. According to energy, we further divide GSE and Wukong into smaller parts to explore the orbital characteristics of individual fragments. Similarly, the division of Thamnos is based on action. It can be found that the apocentric distances of GSE parts of high and medium energy levels are located at $29.5\pm 3.6$ and $13.0\pm 2.7\ {\rm kpc}$, respectively, which suggests that GSE could account for breaks in the density profile of the Galactic halo at both ≈30 and 15–18 kpc. The VMP stars of MWTD move along prograde orbits with larger eccentricities than those of its more metal-rich stars, which indicates that the VMP part of MWTD may be formed by accreting with dwarf galaxies. Finally, we summarize all substructures discovered in our local VMP samples. Our results provide a reference for the formation and evolution of the inner halo of the Milky Way.
Disentangling the primordial nature of stochastic gravitational wave backgrounds with CMB spectral distortions
Authors: Cyr Bryce , Kite Thomas , Chluba Jens , Hill J Colin , Jeong Donghui , Acharya Sandeep Kumar , Bolliet Boris , Patil Subodh P
Published: December 2023

The recent detection of a stochastic gravitational wave background (SGWB) at nanohertz frequencies by pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) has sparked a flurry of interest. Beyond the standard interpretation that the progenitor is a network of supermassive black hole binaries, many exotic models have also been proposed, some of which can potentially offer a better fit to the data. We explore how the various connections between gravitational waves (GWs) and cosmic microwave background (CMB) spectral distortions (SDs) can be leveraged to help determine whether an SGWB was generated primordially or astrophysically. To this end, we present updated k-space window functions that can be used for distortion parameter estimation on enhancements to the primordial scalar power spectrum. These same enhancements can also source GWs directly at second order in perturbation theory, so-called scalar-induced GWs (SIGWs), and indirectly through the formation of primordial black holes (PBHs). We perform a mapping of scalar power spectrum constraints into limits on the GW parameter space of SIGWs for δ-function features. We highlight that broader features in the scalar spectrum can explain the PTA results while simultaneously producing an SD within reach of future experiments. We additionally update PBH constraints from μ- and y-type SDs. Refined treatments of the distortion window functions widen existing SD constraints, and we find that a future CMB spectrometer could play a pivotal role in unravelling the origin of GWs imprinted at or below CMB anisotropy scales.
Jeans modelling of weakly flattened ellipsoidal systems
Authors: Mancino Antonio , Ciotti Luca , Pellegrini Silvia , Giannetti Federica
Published: December 2023

In the homoeoidal expansion, a given ellipsoidally stratified density distribution and its associated potential are expanded in the (small) density flattening parameter η, and usually truncated at the linear order. The truncated density–potential pair obeys exactly the Poisson equation, and it can be interpreted as the first-order expansion of the original ellipsoidal density–potential pair, or as a new autonomous system. In the first interpretation, in the solutions of the Jeans equations the quadratic terms in η must be discarded (‘η-linear’ solutions), while in the second (‘η-quadratic’) all terms are retained. In this work, we study the importance of the quadratic terms by using the ellipsoidal Plummer model and the Perfect Ellipsoid, which allow for fully analytical η-quadratic solutions. These solutions are then compared with those obtained numerically for the original ellipsoidal models, finding that the η-linear models already provide an excellent approximation of the numerical solutions. As an application, the η-linear Plummer model (with a central black hole) is used for the phenomenological interpretation of the dynamics of the weakly flattened and rotating globular cluster NGC 4372, confirming that this system cannot be interpreted as an isotropic rotator, a conclusion reached previously with more sophisticated studies.
Decoding the molecular complexity of the solar-type protostar NGC 1333 IRAS 4A
Authors: Quitián-Lara Heidy M , Fantuzzi Felipe , Mason Nigel J , Boechat-Roberty Heloisa M
Published: December 2023

The characterization of the molecular inventory of solar-type protostars is of crucial importance for a deep understanding of the chemical complexity underlying our cosmic origins. In this context, we present here the full millimetre line survey of the Class 0 protostellar object NGC 1333 IRAS 4A in the spectral bands at 3, 2, and 1.3 mm. In recognition of the powerful tool that unbiased spectral studies provide for investigating the chemistry and physics of star-forming regions, we provide a detailed description of the survey and the results of the analysis. We describe the identification of 1474 spectral lines belonging to 97 different molecular species, including complex organic molecules, which together cover the most ubiquitous chemical elements of life on Earth, namely carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulphur. The abundances obtained herein are compared with the Class 0 protostellar objects L483 and L1527, and selected molecular ratios are used as tracers of physicochemical properties of the sources. Particularly, the dominance of oxygen-bearing species and the presence of distinct excitation temperature regimes support the attribution of NGC 1333 IRAS 4A as a hot corino featuring three physical components with distinguished and diverse chemical composition.
Dust- and inclination-corrected star formation and interstellar medium scaling relations in nearby galaxies
Authors: Pastrav Bogdan A
Published: December 2023

Following from our recent work, we present a detailed analysis of star formation and interstellar medium (ISM) scaling relations, done on a representative sample of nearby galaxies. H α images are analysed in order to derive the integrated galaxy luminosity, known as a more instantaneous and accurate star formation rate (SFR) tracer, and the required photometric and structural parameters. Dust- and inclination-corrected H α luminosities, SFRs, and related quantities are determined using a self-consistent method based on previous work prescriptions, which does not require the assumption of a dust attenuation curve and use of Balmer decrements (or other hydrogen recombination lines) to estimate the dust attenuation, with the advantage of determining dust opacities and dust masses along the way. We investigate the extent to which the dust and inclination effects bias the specific parameters of these relations, the scatter and degree of correlation, and which relations are fundamental or are just a consequence of others. Most of our results are consistent with errors with other similar studies, while others come in opposition or are inconclusive. By comparing the B-band optical and H α (star-forming) discs scale lengths, we found on average the star formation distribution to be more extended than the stellar continuum emission one (the ratio being 1.10), this difference increasing with stellar mass. Similarly, more massive galaxies have a more compact stellar emission surface density than the star formation one (average ratio of 0.77). The method proposed can be applied in larger scale studies of star formation and ISM evolution, for normal low- to intermediate-redshift galaxies.
Exploring the dependence of gas cooling and heating functions on the incident radiation field with machine learning
Authors: Robinson David , Avestruz Camille , Gnedin Nickolay Y
Published: December 2023

Gas cooling and heating functions play a crucial role in galaxy formation. But, it is computationally expensive to exactly compute these functions in the presence of an incident radiation field. These computations can be greatly sped up by using interpolation tables of pre-computed values, at the expense of making significant and sometimes even unjustified approximations. Here, we explore the capacity of machine learning to approximate cooling and heating functions with a generalized radiation field. Specifically, we use the machine learning algorithm XGBoost to predict cooling and heating functions calculated with the photoionization code cloudy at fixed metallicity, using different combinations of photoionization rates as features. We perform a constrained quadratic fit in metallicity to enable a fair comparison with traditional interpolation methods at arbitrary metallicity. We consider the relative importance of various photoionization rates through both a principal component analysis (PCA) and calculation of SHapley Additive exPlanation (shap) values for our XGBoost models. We use feature importance information to select different subsets of rates to use in model training. Our XGBoost models outperform a traditional interpolation approach at each fixed metallicity, regardless of feature selection. At arbitrary metallicity, we are able to reduce the frequency of the largest cooling and heating function errors compared to an interpolation table. We find that the primary bottleneck to increasing accuracy lies in accurately capturing the metallicity dependence. This study demonstrates the potential of machine learning methods such as XGBoost to capture the non-linear behaviour of cooling and heating functions.
Unprecedented coexistence of autoinflammatory myositis and chronic thrombosis with heterozygotic M694V mutation: An atypical presentation of familial Mediterranean fever
Authors: Bahar Furkan , Ugurlu Serdal
Published: December 2023

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is a hereditary autoinflammatory disorder predominantly characterised by periodic fever, abdominal pain, and joint manifestations. It can exhibit various atypical presentations. However, cases of FMF concurrently presenting with chronic thrombosis and myositis have not been previously reported. A 41-year-old male presented with alternating severe bilateral leg pain, stiffness, and localised swellings without fever or abdominal symptoms. His history included inflammatory joint pain treated with prednisolone. Physical examination revealed leg pain, limited ankle joint movement, and tender swellings in thighs, forearms, and feet. Collateral abdominal veins were also observed. Unresponsive to prednisolone and colchicine, the patient underwent MRI, revealing muscle inflammation in both legs and thighs and chronic thrombosis in the infrarenal inferior vena cava. Genetic testing confirmed the heterozygotic M694V mutation, diagnosing an atypical FMF. This case uniquely showcases coexisting myositis and chronic thrombosis in FMF. Myalgia is common in FMF, with M694V mutation associated with severe muscular symptoms. The lack of fever and myositis findings differentiate our case from protracted febrile myalgia syndrome. FMF’s chronic inflammatory state is known to influence thrombosis risk, and our findings align with this association. Chronic thromboembolism and myositis together signify an unusual clinical presentation of FMF. This case highlights the potential for FMF to present with complex manifestations beyond the conventional symptoms. Myositis and vascular involvement should prompt consideration of FMF diagnosis when combined with patient history, clinical features, and laboratory results. These rare associations underscore the need for further research to enhance understanding of FMF’s diverse clinical spectrum.
Pathological mutations promote proteolysis of mitochondrial tRNA-specific 2-thiouridylase 1 (MTU1) via mitochondrial caseinolytic peptidase (CLPP)
Authors: Ahmad Raja Norazireen Raja , Zhang Long-Teng , Morita Rikuri , Tani Haruna , Wu Yong , Chujo Takeshi , Ogawa Akiko , Harada Ryuhei , Shigeta Yasuteru , Tomizawa Kazuhito , Wei Fan-Yan
Published: December 2023

MTU1 controls intramitochondrial protein synthesis by catalyzing the 2-thiouridine modification of mitochondrial transfer RNAs (mt-tRNAs). Missense mutations in the MTU1 gene are associated with life-threatening reversible infantile hepatic failure. However, the molecular pathogenesis is not well understood. Here, we investigated 17 mutations associated with this disease, and our results showed that most disease-related mutations are partial loss-of-function mutations, with three mutations being particularly severe. Mutant MTU1 is rapidly degraded by mitochondrial caseinolytic peptidase (CLPP) through a direct interaction with its chaperone protein CLPX. Notably, knockdown of CLPP significantly increased mutant MTU1 protein expression and mt-tRNA 2-thiolation, suggesting that accelerated proteolysis of mutant MTU1 plays a role in disease pathogenesis. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that disease-associated mutations may lead to abnormal intermolecular interactions, thereby impairing MTU1 enzyme activity. Finally, clinical data analysis underscores a significant correlation between patient prognosis and residual 2-thiolation levels, which is partially consistent with the AlphaMissense predictions. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of MTU1-related diseases, offering prospects for modification-based diagnostics and novel therapeutic strategies centered on targeting CLPP.
Toxin release by conditional remodelling of ParDE1 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis leads to gyrase inhibition
Authors: Beck Izaak N , Arrowsmith Tom J , Grobbelaar Matthew J , Bromley Elizabeth H C , Marles-Wright Jon , Blower Tim R
Published: December 2023

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, is a growing threat to global health, with recent efforts towards its eradication being reversed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing resistance to gyrase-targeting second-line fluoroquinolone antibiotics indicates the necessity to develop both novel therapeutics and our understanding of M. tuberculosis growth during infection. ParDE toxin–antitoxin systems also target gyrase and are regulated in response to both host-associated and drug-induced stress during infection. Here, we present microbiological, biochemical, structural, and biophysical analyses exploring the ParDE1 and ParDE2 systems of M. tuberculosis H37Rv. The structures reveal conserved modes of toxin–antitoxin recognition, with complex-specific interactions. ParDE1 forms a novel heterohexameric ParDE complex, supported by antitoxin chains taking on two distinct folds. Curiously, ParDE1 exists in solution as a dynamic equilibrium between heterotetrameric and heterohexameric complexes. Conditional remodelling into higher order complexes can be thermally driven in vitro. Remodelling induces toxin release, tracked through concomitant inhibition and poisoning of gyrase activity. Our work aids our understanding of gyrase inhibition, allowing wider exploration of toxin–antitoxin systems as inspiration for potential therapeutic agents.
The Illiberal Global Politics of Religions and Civilizations
Authors: Bettiza Gregorio
Published: December 2023

Religious and civilizational politics are widely recognized as powerful forces challenging key norms of the liberal international order in the twenty-first century. The chapter begins by emphasizing that religions and civilizations are not inherently illiberal phenomena incompatible with liberal principles and values. Upon clearing this conceptual ground, it turns to highlighting how resurging religious and civilizational politics are nonetheless involved in significant forms and processes of liberal contestation. On the one hand, much of the contemporary illiberal (global) politics of religion is implicated in a rejection of evolving transnational norms on gender, sexuality, and family associated with a cultural liberal script; on the other hand, the illiberal (global) politics of civilizationism mostly contests certain universalist, cosmopolitan, and globalist principles associated with liberal internationalism. While noting that the illiberal politics of religion and civilization can overlap and reinforce each other, both express an ambivalent and contextually specific attitude toward political liberalism.
Neoliberalism and Its Others
Authors: Hendrikse Reijer
Published: December 2023

Where ongoing debates suggest that neoliberalism is ill, dying, or indeed dead—once again—this chapter sets out how the neoliberal order has increasingly morphed into its “other.” I first unpack key epochs of modern liberalism, having been built on top of each other since the nineteenth century. Although the divide between liberalism and illiberalism is anything but clear in practice, incompatibility with core liberal premises is understood as illiberal. Next, I highlight where and how neoliberalism relates to preceding liberal epochs; how neoliberalism harbors illiberal tendencies within; why it is compatible with politically illiberal regimes, and how it fuels illiberalization domestically and globally. As neoliberalism’s compatibility with its “other” becomes increasingly legible, we not only ought to revisit neoliberalism’s liberal credentials, but understand that modern liberalism has principally functioned as the core ideological ordering rationality undergirding global capitalism, with most liberal premises anything but sacrosanct across time and space.
A New Literature for a Naya Kashmir
Authors: Bazaz Abir
Published: December 2023

The history of Kashmiri literature from the 14th to the 20th centuries was shaped by its relations with cosmopolitan literatures (in Sanskrit, Persian, and English) and the political languages of antinomian religion. It is against this background of fluid relations between the vernacular and the cosmopolitan as well as the literary and the religious that a modern Kashmiri literature emerged in the early 20th century. The author does not intend in this chapter to offer a narrative of modern Kashmiri literature but to read a moment of transition in its history in order to delimit the horizon against which it can be read. This moment of transition is the shift from progressivism to modernism in modern Kashmiri poetry. The chapter turns to the tension between progressivism and modernism in Kashmiri poetry in order to draw out the persistence of the mystical as a theme in Kashmiri literature from the 14th century to the present. It contends that modernism in Kashmiri literature is marked by a turn to the existential-political ideas of premodern Kashmiri poetry, which reverses a trend toward materiality in Kashmiri progressive poetry in the 1940s and early 1950s. It argues that this shift toward a mystical modernism was catalyzed by political despair in Kashmir after the arrest of the popular Kashmiri nationalist leader Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah in 1953. The persistence of the theme of the mystical in modern Kashmiri literature can then be understood in relation to the political upheavals that gave rise to it.
Representing Caste in Odia Literature
Authors: Kumar Raj
Published: December 2023

How do caste questions get documented in Odia literature? From the 8th century onward, many Odia poets and writers have addressed caste issues in their writings. Taking up Gopinath Mohanty’s Harijan and Basudev Sunani’s Padapodi, two Odia novels, this chapter proposes to study caste in Odia literature. Both novels center on questions of caste and show the violence to which Dalits have been subject in Odisha from the 20th century to the present. Both authors use the power of literature to raise the question of Dalit human rights, even as they come from different positions, with Mohanty being an outsider and Sunani bringing his own Dalit perspective. However, despite these important literary interventions, there is still more to be done to dismantle caste injustice in the region.
The Literary Management of Multilingualism in Postcolonial India
Authors: Mani Preetha
Published: December 2023

This chapter explores a tension in postcolonial Indian literature between the monolingual form of the nation and the multilingual tendencies of the linguistic regions through a comparison between the Sahitya Akademi’s (India’s national academy of letters) activities and Tamil putukkavitai (new poetry) writing. By promoting translation and constructing a Sanskritic literary past, the Akademi used literature to manage multilingualism and make it compatible with the monolingualism intrinsic to the nation. Putukkavitai writing, by contrast, epitomizes the challenge of linguistic regionalism to national integration, offering a view of Indian multilingualism in less hierarchical terms than those expressed in Akademi discourses. To understand Tamil literature as Indian literature, the chapter proposes, requires taking the monolingual dimensions of the region into greater account. Tracing Tamil new poets’ engagement with new poetry in other Indian languages in the magazine Eḻuttu, the chapter argues that Indian multilingualism is built on shared experiences of linguistic alienation.
The Rise of a Muslim Voice
Authors: Mohammad Afsar
Published: December 2023

This chapter discusses the politics and poetics of Muslim writing in the South Indian language of Telugu around 1992, under the shadow of Hindu nationalism. Writing against the political agenda of Hindutva, Muslim Telugu poets have launched a cultural movement that makes a claim for their Muslim identity while also challenging a normative version of Islam and its mainstream textual and ritual practices. To this end, this chapter is focused on three key questions: (1) Who speaks for Muslims and how do we understand minoritarian critiques of Hindu nationalism since the early days of modernity? (2) How and where do we locate these interventions within the dominant literary historiography? (3) How do we understand diverse manifestations of Islam as a religion and the sense of Muslim belonging in the search for a post-1992 Indian identity? Exploring these questions, this chapter debates how Muslim writing has evolved into a discourse during these critical junctures.
Sociolinguistic Perspectives on Machine Learning with Text Data
Authors: Alvero AJ
Published: December 2023

Digitized text has become a popular form of data for sociologists. But text is also the product of many different social and linguistic processes, a topic traditionally examined by sociolinguists in the case of spoken language. This chapter presents a sociolinguistic perspective as a methodological framework when using machine learning to analyze text data. The chapter describes sociolinguistic theories and approaches to studying language while also highlighting ways that this literature tends to differ from traditional sociology. To exemplify this approach, the chapter analyzes a corpus of college admissions essays written by Latinx-identifying applicants using two popular machine-learning-based methods: topic modeling and word embeddings. Similar to variation in spoken language among constituent groups and ethnicities within the panethnic category (e.g., Mexican, Cuban), written language also varies by subgroup in meaningful ways. A sociolinguistic perspective for computational text analysis could spur theoretical and empirical insights.
Ethnography and Machine Learning
Authors: Li Zhuofan , Abramson Corey M.
Published: December 2023

Ethnography—social scientific methods that illuminate how people understand, navigate and shape the real world contexts in which they live their lives—and machine learning—computational techniques that use big data and statistical learning models to perform quantifiable tasks—are each core to contemporary social science. Yet these tools have remained largely separate in practice. This chapter draws on a growing body of scholarship that argues that ethnography and machine learning can be usefully combined, particularly for large comparative studies. Specifically, this paper (a) explains the value (and challenges) of using machine learning alongside qualitative field research for certain types of projects, (b) discusses recent methodological trends to this effect, (c) provides examples that illustrate workflow drawn from several large projects, and (d) concludes with a roadmap for enabling productive coevolution of field methods and machine learning.
Predictability Hypotheses
Authors: van Loon Austin Craig
Published: December 2023

Perhaps owing to decades of metatheoretical work done during a time of methodological and computational limitations, it is a widespread belief that machine learning and deductive hypothesis testing are fundamentally incompatible. This chapter argues that the more flexible estimators provided by machine learning are in fact invaluable tools for testing pre-specified social theories, especially sociological ones. This chapter defines a class of hypotheses called predictability hypotheses, or general theoretical statements that posit some unspecified (though potentially causal) relationship between two or more theoretical constructs. It then points to several examples of predictability hypotheses already being used by social scientists and describes how and when they are useful. It then considers some methodological implications for testing predictability hypotheses and concludes by making predictions about their future in sociology.
Weekly pain trajectories among people with knee or hip osteoarthritis participating in a digitally delivered first-line exercise and education treatment
Authors: Kiadaliri Ali , Hörder Helena , Lohmander L Stefan , Dahlberg Leif E
Published: December 2023

Objective

Digital self-management programs are increasingly used in the management of osteoarthritis (OA). Little is known about heterogeneous patterns in response to these programs. We describe weekly pain trajectories of people with knee or hip OA over up to 52-week participation in a digital self-management program.

Methods

Observational cohort study among participants enrolled between January 2019 and September 2021 who participated at least 4 and up to 52 weeks in the program (n = 16 274). We measured pain using Numeric Rating Scale (NRS 0–10) and applied latent class growth analysis to identify classes with similar trajectories. Associations between baseline characteristics and trajectory classes were examined using multinomial logistic regression and dominance analysis.

Results

We identified 4 pain trajectory classes: “mild-largely improved” (30%), “low moderate-largely improved” (34%), “upper moderate-improved” (24%), and “severe-persistent” (12%). For classes with decreasing pain, the most pain reduction occurred during first 20 weeks and was stable thereafter. Male sex, older age, lower body mass index (BMI), better physical function, lower activity impairment, less anxiety/depression, higher education, knee OA, no walking difficulties, no wish for surgery and higher physical activity, all measured at enrolment, were associated with greater probabilities of membership in “mild-largely improved” class than other classes. Dominance analysis suggested that activity impairment followed by wish for surgery and walking difficulties were the most important predictors of trajectory class membership.

Conclusions

Our results highlight the importance of reaching people with OA for first-line treatment prior to developing severe pain, poor health status and a wish for surgery.
The Influence of Active, Passive, and Manual Therapy Interventions for Low Back Pain on Opioid Prescription and Health Care Utilization
Authors: Farrokhi Shawn , Bechard Laura , Gorczynski Sara , Patterson Charity , Kakyomya Joseph , Hendershot Brad D , Condon Rachel , Perkins L T C Matthew , Rhon Daniel I , Delitto Anthony , Schneider Michael , Dearth Christopher L
Published: December 2023

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore associations between the utilization of active, passive, and manual therapy interventions for low back pain (LBP) with 1-year escalation-of-care events, including opioid prescriptions, spinal injections, specialty care visits, and hospitalizations.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of 4827 patients identified via the Military Health System Data Repository who received physical therapist care for LBP in 4 outpatient clinics between January 1, 2015 and January 1, 2018. One-year escalation-of-care events were evaluated based on type of physical therapist interventions (ie, active, passive, or manual therapy) received using adjusted odds ratios.

Results

Most patients (89.9%) received active interventions. Patients with 10% higher proportion of visits that included at least 1 passive intervention had a 3% to 6% higher likelihood of 1-year escalation-of-care events. Similarly, with 10% higher proportion of passive to active interventions used during the course of care, there was a 5% to 11% higher likelihood of 1-year escalation-of-care events. When compared to patients who received active interventions only, the likelihood of incurring 1-year escalation-of-care events was 50% to 220% higher for those who received mechanical traction and 2 or more different passive interventions, but lower by 50% for patients who received manual therapy.

Conclusion

Greater use of passive interventions for LBP was associated with elevated odds of 1-year escalation-of-care events. In addition, the use of specific passive interventions such as mechanical traction in conjunction with active interventions resulted in suboptimal escalation-of-care events, while the use of manual therapy was associated with more favorable downstream health care outcomes.

Impact

Physical therapists should be judicious in the use of passive interventions for the management of LBP as they are associated with greater likelihood of receiving opioid prescriptions, spinal injections, and specialty care visits.
Role of N-acetylcysteine and vitamin B complex in improving outcomes of corrosive ingestion
Authors: El-Sobky Heidi , El-Shanawany Safaa Mostafa , Ghanem Maha , Atef Maram
Published: December 2023

Background

Corrosive ingestion remains a worldwide public health problem. To date, there are no specific medications with approved efficacy in reducing gastrointestinal injury progression following corrosive ingestion.

Aim

The current study assessed the efficacy of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and vitamin B complex as adjuvant therapy in improving the outcome of patients with corrosive ingestion.

Subjects and methods

The study included 92 patients with acute corrosive ingestion admitted to Alexandria Poison Center. Patients were distributed into four equal-sized groups and managed as such; Group I received the standard treatment protocol. The other three groups received IV antioxidants in addition to the standard treatment; Group II received NAC, Group III received vitamin B complex, and Group IV received both NAC and vitamin B complex. To assess occurrence of delayed complications, barium swallow and meal were done 21 days after acute corrosive ingestion, and every patient was followed up for one year.

Results

Start of oral intake was earliest among patients in Group II, and as a result, the need for parenteral nutrition decreased significantly with a subsequent decrease in duration of hospitalization. The highest percentage of patients showing normal findings of barium swallow and meal was among the two groups that received NAC (72.7% in Group II and 77.8% in Group IV). Group IV patients who received NAC and vitamin B complex had no esophageal strictures with improved outcomes.

Conclusion

NAC and vitamin B complex enhanced recovery in the acute stage, in addition to prevention of delayed complications, especially esophageal strictures.

Highlights
Predicting Blood Pressure After Nitroglycerin Infusion Dose Titration in Critical Care Units
Authors: Kamboj Navpreet , Metcalfe Kelly , Chu Charlene H. , Conway Aaron
Published: December 2023

Critical care nurses use physiological indicators, such as blood pressure, to guide their decision-making regarding the titration of nitroglycerin infusions. A retrospective study was conducted to determine the accuracy of systolic blood pressure predictions during nitroglycerin infusions. Data were extracted from the publicly accessible eICU program database. The accuracy of a linear model, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, ridge regression, and a stacked ensemble model trained using the AutoGluon-Tabular framework were investigated. A persistence model, where the future value in a time series is predicted as equal to its preceding value, was used as the baseline comparison for model accuracy. Internal-external validation was used to examine if heterogeneity among hospitals could contribute to model performance. The sample consisted of 827 patients and 2541 nitroglycerin dose titrations with corresponding systolic blood pressure measurements. The root-mean-square error on the test set for the stacked ensemble model developed using the AutoGluon-Tabular framework was the lowest of all models at 15.3 mm Hg, equating to a 22% improvement against the baseline. Internal-external validation revealed consistent accuracy across hospitals. Further studies are needed to determine the impact of using systolic blood pressure predictions to inform nurses' clinical decision-making regarding nitroglycerin infusion titration in critical care.
The Effectiveness of a Self-Directed e-Learning Module on Trainee Knowledge and Confidence during Plastic Surgery Clinical Rotations
Authors: Akbari Pedram , Valiquette Chantal R. , Brathwaite Shakira , Hawley Greg , Martou Glykeria , Hendry J. Michael
Published: December 2023

Background:

Exposure to plastic surgery is limited during medical school. This makes rotations for clinical clerks and off-service residents challenging. Available resources are often too detailed and overwhelming. Having an accessible, concise, and interactive plastic surgery e-learning module reviewing core plastic surgery topics could help prepare incoming trainees for their rotations.

Methods:

An e-learning module was created using text, images, and in-house recorded video recordings. Two cohorts were recruited: control cohort (n = 9), who completed their plastic surgery rotation without use of the module, and an interventional cohort (n = 18), who completed the rotation with use of the module. A demographic survey, a 20-question multiple-choice knowledge test, and self-reported confidence score were completed by both cohorts at the end of their plastic surgery rotations. The intervention cohort also completed the knowledge test at the beginning of their rotation to establish baseline. Knowledge and confidence scores were compared using two-tailed, unpaired, nonparametric analyses (Mann-Whitney test).

Results:

Learners from the intervention cohort reported a 95% module completion rate and found the resource “extremely helpful” (average Likert of 4.8/5). Learners indicated that they were very likely to recommend the resource to others (average Likert 4.9/5). The intervention cohort scored significantly higher on the knowledge test compared with the control cohort (P = 0.008), and on average reported higher confidence levels; however, this was not statistically significant (P = 0.057).

Conclusion:

An accessible and concise module on core plastic surgery concepts enhances learner knowledge and confidence during plastic surgery clinical rotations.
Visualization of the Facial Nerve with Ultra-high–Frequency Ultrasound
Authors: Poelaert Jeroen , Coopman Renaat , Ureel Matthias , Dhooghe Nicolas , Genbrugge Eva , Mwewa Tana , Blondeel Phillip , Vermeersch Hubert
Published: December 2023

Background:

Profound variations in facial nerve branching, combined with the severe impact of facial palsy on the patient’s quality of life, make surgery in this region challenging. Recent advancements in ultrasound (US) technology, including the improved visualization of small structures, have led to a sharp increase in its medical indications in various medical disciplines. We aimed to prove the feasibility of using ultra-high–frequency (UHF) US to visualize the facial nerve and to guide surgeons during surgery on and around the facial nerve.

Methods:

A cadaveric study was performed on one hemi-face with a UHF US imaging system and state-of-the-art transducers. Firstly, a transcutaneous US was performed, and the facial nerve branches of interest (zygomatic, buccal, and marginal mandibular branches) were marked using US-guided color-injections of filler mixed with methylene blue. Skin and subcutaneous fat were then removed to simulate the intraoperative field. Secondly, an “intraoperative” US examination was performed, and the same branches were marked by US-guided color-injections of filler mixed with indocyanine green. Anterograde facial nerve dissection was performed, and the distance between the nerve branches and the injected filler was measured.

Results:

All color-injections (mixed with both methylene blue and indocyanine green) were positioned right next to the nerve branches (<1 mm). The image quality of the US below the skin was observed to be far superior to that of the transcutaneous US.

Conclusion:

UHF US can be used to visualize the facial nerve with high precision both transcutaneously and intraoperatively (after elevation of the skin flap).
PLASMA CIRCULATING TUMOR DNA TO ASSIST IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF UNKNOWN PRIMARY MALIGNANCY UNDERLYING CHOROIDAL METASTASES
Authors: Francis Jasmine H. , Levine Sara , Canestraro Julia , Eng Juliana , Abramson David H.
Published: December 2023

Purpose:

Management of suspected choroidal metastases requires diagnostic imaging and an invasive, sometimes intraocular, biopsy to determine the primary malignancy. This multistep process takes time, which may affect morbidity and mortality.

Methods:

This was a retrospective review of one case.

Results:

A 56-year-old woman presented with bilateral amelanotic choroidal masses suspicious for metastases of unknown origin. Plasma circulating tumor DNA revealed EGFR, PTEN, and SMAD4, a profile consistent with non–small-cell lung cancer. Subsequent radiographic imaging and scapular biopsy revealed lung adenocarcinoma and genetic profile concordant with the liquid biopsy. The patient was started on EGFR inhibitor, osimertinib, with measurable systemic and ocular response.

Conclusion:

Plasma circulating tumor DNA revealed the genetic profile of the primary malignancy underlying choroidal metastases of unknown origin, aiding in the prompt diagnosis and detecting the driver mutation that guided management with targeted therapy.