bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidence of Post-Traumatic Arthrosis after Primary Healing of Scaphoid Fractures: A Clinical and Radiological Study
Authors: LINDSTRÖM G. , NYSTRÖM A.
Published: December 2021

In a retrospective study of 229 patients with healed fractures of the waist of the scaphoid, the incidence and development of post-traumatic radiocarpal arthrosis was studied. With a minimum follow-up period of seven years, 5.2% of patients showed radiological evidence of radiocarpal arthrosis. It is concluded that an alteration of the carpal dynamics, due to deformation and shortening of the scaphoid, is the most likely cause of post-traumatic arthrosis after primary healing of scaphoid fractures.
The Sensational Contributions of Erik Moberg
Authors: DELLON A. LEE
Published: December 2021

Erik Moberg is the father of functional sensory testing. During the past three decades, his research into quantitative testing of hand sensibility has provided the insight to bring us from classic academic tests (permitting localisation of lesions within the central nervous system) to clinical capability of restoring sensation to the hand. He introduced the Ninhydrin test to document objectively innervation. He defined hand function as precision-sensory and gross-sensory grips. He correlated Weber two-point discrimination with hand function. He introduced the pick-up test to document hand function. He coined the term “tactile gnosis”. He hypothesised that proprioception is principally due to skin, not joint, afferents. He classified the tetraplegic hand according to its combined sensory and motor capacity. He set the standard for sensory recovery after primary nerve repair, relating recovered two-point discrimination to age (Önne’s line) and he inspired the present generation of researchers to quantify their own studies of sensation.
Liquid Silicone as a Lunate Prosthesis
Authors: HASSELGREN G. , JERRE R. , ULLMAN M. , TÖRNVALL A. , EDSHAGE S.
Published: December 2021

Eleven patients with lunatomalacia were treated by excision of the lunate and instillation of liquid silicone. The silicone vulcanised and formed an in-situ molded prosthesis. The patients were re-examined after a mean of 7.1 years. Four patients were pain-free and two had pain only at work; three had not been improved by the operation and two had undergone arthrodesis. The patients with good results all belonged to group IV pre-operatively. Surprisingly, no patient showed any sign of silicone synovitis, although all the prostheses except one had either fractured or deformed. The reasons for this are discussed and the indications for the operation established.
Radial Shortening for Kienböck’s Disease: Factors Affecting the Operative Result
Authors: NAKAMURA R. , IMAEDA T. , MIURA T.
Published: December 2021

The operative results of radial shortening in 23 patients with Kienböck’s disease were analysed on the basis of age, stage of disease, ulnar variance and the amount of radial shortening. The patient’s age was found to be the factor which affected the operative result most and unsatisfactory results were obtained in patients over 30 years old. However, neither the clinical stage nor ulnar variance affected the results significantly and the results in patients with ulnar zero or plus were no worse than in patients with ulnar minus. The risk of ulnar wrist pain was increased when the radius was shortened more than 4 mm in patients with positive or zero ulnar variance. This was an important cause of unsatisfactory operative results.
The Dorsal Plate of the Proximal Interphalangeal Joint
Authors: SLATTERY P. G.
Published: December 2021

There exists on the articular surface of the central slip of the extensor tendon slip overlying the P.I.P. joint a constant structure which is morphologically similar to the patella of the knee joint and histologically similar to the fibro-cartilaginous palmar plate of the P.I.P. joint. It has been termed the dorsal plate. A study of 70 fingers, including 30 examined under magnification and 20 examined histologically, confirmed its constant presence and structure. Its functions appear to include stabilisation of the central extensor tendon and participation in stabilisation of the proximal interphalangeal joint.
Predictive Factors in the Non-Surgical Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Authors: KAPLAN S. J. , GLICKEL S. Z. , EATON R. G.
Published: December 2021

To identify which patients are likely to respond the medical management of carpal tunnel syndrome, 331 hands in 229 patients were evaluated. They were then treated with a wrist splint and anti-inflammatory medication. Follow-up averaged 15.4 months (minimum six months). Treatment was successful in 18.4%. Statistical evaluation identified five factors which were important in predicting response to treatment: age over 50 years, duration over ten months, constant paraesthesiae, stenosing flexor tenosynovitis, and a Phalen’s test positive in less than 30 seconds. When none of these factors was present, two-thirds of patients were cured by medical therapy. 59.6% of patients with one factor, 83.3% with two factors, and 93.2% with three factors failed. No patient with four or five factors present was cured by medical management.
Use of a Flap of Flexor Retinaculum to Cover Bone after Osteophyte Removal within the Carpal Tunnel
Authors: REGAN P. J. , ROBERTS J. O. , DICKINSON J. C. , BAILEY B. N.
Published: December 2021

We describe three instances of ruptured flexor pollicis longus tendons due to bony spurs within the carpal tunnel. In each case, the bony spur was excised and the remaining exposed bone was covered with a flap of flexor retinaculum.
Foreign Body in the Median Nerve: a Complication of Acupuncture
Authors: SOUTHWORTH S. R. , HARTWIG R. H.
Published: December 2021

Fracture of an acupuncture needle resulted in a foreign body within the carpal tunnel of a patient who then developed median neuropathy. The needle fragment was recovered from within the median nerve during carpal tunnel release, with rapid post-operative relief of symptoms. Development of peripheral neuropathy is a potential complication of acupuncture.
Syndactyly: Can Web Creep be avoided?
Authors: MOSS A. L. H. , FOUCHER G.
Published: December 2021

Syndactyly is one of the most common congenital hand deformities but there still remains a high incidence of contractures and web creep after attempts at surgical correction using many assorted techniques. Little attention has been paid to the potential junctional scar in the aetiology of web creep. To remedy this, a technique is described which involves a dorsal flap and two palmar laterally-based flaps. This method not only breaks up the palmar junctional scar but also completely reconstructs the web, not just the floor. The procedure can be used in all varieties of syndactyly and has reduced the incidence of creep in a series of 49 webs.
Roentgenographic Examination of the Wrist: A Systematic Study of the Normal, Lax and Injured Wrist
Authors: SCHERNBERG F.
Published: December 2021

The precise appearances and relationships of the carpal bones have been studied in 53 normal wrists, 15 lax wrists, and 80 injured wrists, using frontal and lateral projections with the wrist in neutral and in various other positions. The findings are discussed and analysed.
Roentgenographic Examination of the Wrist: A Systematic Study of the Normal, Lax and Injured Wrist
Authors: SCHERNBERG F.
Published: December 2021

The standard and positional views of 53 normal wrists have been compared to views taken under stress. The stresses applied can be divided into normal and abnormal ones. All the injured wrists with pathological roentgenographic appearances were operated on and thus the findings confirmed. Roentgenographic examination of the wrist under stress appears to be a valuable and reliable diagnostic aid. Two types of laxity of the wrist and a radio-anatomical classification of wrist instabilities are defined.
Bilateral Arthrography of the Wrist
Authors: HERBERT T. J. , FAITHFULL R. G. , McCANN D. J. , IRELAND J.
Published: December 2021

In order to determine the true significance of a positive arthrogram in the investigation of wrist pain, a prospective trial was carried out in 60 patients, using the opposite asymptomatic wrist as a control. Of the 46 patients with positive findings in the symptomatic wrist, 34 (74%), had positive arthrograms in the opposite, asymptomatic, wrist. As a result of this, we conclude that a unilateral arthrogram is of little diagnostic value and we recommend the use of the opposite, asymptomatic, wrist as a control.
Evaluation of Ischaemic Necrosis of Carpal Bones by Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: CRISTIANI G. , CEROFOLINI E. , SQUARZINA P. B. , ZANASI S. , LEONI A. , ROMAGNOLI R. , CAROLI A.
Published: December 2021

Nine patients with chronic pain in the wrist were examined by M.R.I. to evaluate its accuracy in the detection of ischaemic necrosis of carpal bones. In seven patients, M.R.I. confirmed scintigraphic and radiographic signs of ischaemic necrosis. In two patients with radionuclide accumulations, M.R.I. did not confirm the diagnosis: in one, M.R.I. was totally normal and in the other it showed signs of a healing scaphoid fracture. From this limited experience, M.R.I. seems to be a sensitive imaging modality which is more specific than scintigraphy.
Acute suppurative thyroiditis progressing to a thyroid abscess; a case report with review of literature
Authors: Baba Hiwa O. , Salih Abdulwahid M. , Hammood Zuhair D. , Rashid Rezheen J. , Abdullah Ismael Y. , kakamad Fahmi H. , Abdulla Berwn A.
Published: December 2021

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

Acute suppurative thyroiditis is a rare and potentially life-threatening disease. The aim of the current study is to report a rare case of acute suppurative thyroiditis progressing to a thyroid abscess.

Case report:

A 67-year-old female presented with a painful neck swelling for one week. On Ultrasound examination, right thyroid lobe was enlarged due to a complex thick-walled mass with echogenic shadow. It pushed the right common carotid artery laterally. Computed tomography showed a well-defined collection in the right thyroid lobe with an enhancing margin. The center of the lesion was necrotic and contained gas, diffuse edema around the right thyroid lobe was also evident. The patient underwent right thyroid lobectomy and the result of histopathology examination was thyroid abscess without malignancy.

Discussion:

The clinical spectrum of acute suppurative thyroiditis is broad, since asymptomatic cases have been documented. Fever and painful anterior neck mass are the two of the most common clinical manifestations. Other frequent manifestations include dysphagia, hoarseness of voice, and sore throat. The pain may radiate to the chest, mandible, or ears.

Conclusion:

Acute suppurative thyroiditis progressing to an abscess formation is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition if left untreated.

Highlights
Hand Injuries in the Textile Industry
Authors: MYLES S. M. , ROBERTS A. H. N.
Published: December 2021

This paper is a review of the hand injuries occurring in the Yorkshire Wool Industry and referred to the Regional Plastic Surgery Unit for skin replacement, or other treatment, during the years 1965–1984.

A total of forty-one cases has been seen, and although the number employed in the industry has fallen about fivefold, the injuries referred yearly have remained approximately constant. An analysis of the types of injury has been made and the improvement in the results is shown with changes in the method of acute treatment.

The case for early referral, active initial treatment and early mobilisation is very obvious from the results.
The Use of a Computer in a Hand Clinic
Authors: RODGERS RICHARD , JONES DAVID , LEE RUTHIE
Published: December 2021

We have developed a computerised system for the storage, retrieval and analysis of the workload of a hand clinic. In a study of 800 patients we have found it superior to a punched card system collecting similar information.

The computer system functioned reliably and achieved its user specification. It should prove a useful tool in helping a surgeon in matters of audit, research and disease or accident prevention but its long term performance in this regard requires evaluation.
Clinical Assessment of Hand Strength Using a Microcomputer
Authors: JAIN A. S. , HENNEDY J. A. , CARUS D. A.
Published: December 2021

A microcomputer based system has been designed for precise, objective quantification of hand strength. Pinch, grasp and shear strengths are measured using force transducers. The system, which is quick and easy to operate, not only measures these strengths accurately, but also collects, stores and displays this data numerically or in graphical form, at the touch of a button. The data can be manipulated to answer any type of statistical question related to any group of patients.

The assessment of hand strength in ninety-six people, representing normal hand function, by means of this system, is reported.
Fracture of the Ulnar Sesamoid of the Metacarpophalangeal Joint of the Thumb — An Arthrographic Study
Authors: BELL M. J. , McMURTRY R. Y. , RUBENSTEIN J.
Published: December 2021

We report a case of fracture of the ulnar sesamoid of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb. The role of arthrography and stress X-rays in delineating the pathological anatomy of this injury is discussed.
Simultaneous Fracture of the Carpal Scaphoid and Trapezium—A Very Unusual Combination of Fractures
Authors: HODGKINSON J. P. , PARKINSON R. W. , DAVIES D. R. A.
Published: December 2021

A case of simultaneous fracture of the carpal scaphoid and trapezium is reported and the mechanism of injury is considered.
Volar Intercalated Segment Instability as a Result of Spontaneous Rupture of The Supporting Ligaments of the Wrist Due to Longterm Systemic Steroid Medication.
Authors: BELL M. J. , McMURTRY R. Y.
Published: December 2021

Linscheid and Dobyns (1972), in a classical article on post-traumatic instability of the wrist described two major types of instability, dorsal and volar. The dorsal intercalated segment instability (D.I.S.I.) was the more common and occurred with scapholunate dissociation and displaced scaphoid fractures. The instability occurred in these conditions as a result of the scaphoid losing its ability to support the carpus. They presented five cases of volar intercalated segment instability (V.I.S.I.) of which four were related to congenital ligament laxity and not to traumatic ligament disruption. In the one case of traumatic origin they felt that the capitolunate ligament was ruptured. However, more recent publications by Taleisnik, Prietto (1982) and Reagan, (1984) have proposed that for V.I.S.I. to occur the lunate triquetral interosseous ligament must be disrupted.

We report this case as it demonstrates which ligamentous structures are torn for V.I.S.I. to occur. In addition, these ligament disruptions were pathological and occurred spontaneously as a result of longterm systemic steroid medication.
Cross Finger Flap. A New Technique
Authors: SUĆUR D. , RADIVOJEVIC M.
Published: December 2021

Avulsion injuries of the thumb resulting in volar defects and loss of neurovascular bundles are presented.

Treatment should aim at restoration of the skin and pulp with as near normal sensation as possible.

A new technique is described using a cross-finger flap or flaps with transfer of the superficial terminal branch of the radial nerve. It is claimed that this gives near normal restoration of sensation to the tactile surface of the thumb.

The fingers may be treated in the same way for similar injuries.
“Mbas Mi”: Fighting COVID-19 Through Music in Senegal
Authors: Ndiaye Bamba , Rowley Margaret
Published: December 2021

In the first two months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Senegalese musicians produced a large body of songs addressing the coronavirus. These songs engage with prophylaxes, symptoms, instructions in case of infection, and metaphysical conceptions about the origin and meaning of the pandemic. These songs are part of a national strategy aimed at containing and eradicating the coronavirus by developing “COVID-literacy”: knowledge about the pandemic which is spread through music. In this article, we examine a socio-local history of music’s use during health crises, its place in local religious communities, and how its use interlaces linguistic, traditional, and metaphysical tenets.
The Financial Crisis on Trial: What Went Wrong
Authors: Sturc John H.
Published: December 2021

Americans demanded retribution from the mortgage lenders whose subprime loans defaulted and from investment bankers whose mortgage-backed securities sharply declined in value in 2007, leading to financial panic and the Great Recession. From 2008 to 2019, the federal government extracted hundreds of billions in fines from dozens of corporations, but few individual business executives were held accountable, and no senior banker was convicted of a crime. I use the trial court record of five government enforcement cases against individuals to explain this apparently anomalous result. I conclude that, in addition to a lack of funding, the prosecution effort was hindered by the government’s erroneous selection of cases to pursue. Further, the diffused nature of decision making in the mortgage finance market made it difficult to prove that any one senior-level participant had the criminal intent necessary for a conviction or a Securities and Exchange Commission civil fine or injunction. The trial results also support the argument that the growth and consolidation of investment banks from 1990 to 2008 created incentives for misconduct within the firms.
Effect on the reduction of bacterial load after surgical hand antisepsis with triclosan 0.5% compared to triclosan 0.5% followed by 70% alcoholic solution
Authors: Santé Luis , Gómez-Lus María Luisa , Martin-Villa Carlos , Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo Ricardo , Alou Luis , Sevillano David
Published: December 2021

Triclosan 0.5% by scrubbing does not meet the UNE-EN12791 criteria to be used in the surgical hand preparation (SHP). Triclosan 0.5% by scrubbing followed by ethanol 70% hand rubbing is suitable without the additional characteristic of sustained effect. This limited effectiveness implies that triclosan should be avoided in SHP given the restrictions on its use in consumer antiseptic products. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT04538365).
Mass loss of the Antarctic ice sheet until the year 3000 under a sustained late-21st-century climate
Authors: Chambers Christopher , Greve Ralf , Obase Takashi , Saito Fuyuki , Abe-Ouchi Ayako
Published: December 2021

Ice-sheet simulations of Antarctica extending to the year 3000 are analysed to investigate the long-term impacts of 21st-century warming. Climate projections are used as forcing until 2100 and afterwards no climate trend is applied. Fourteen experiments are for the ‘unabated warming’ pathway, and three are for the ‘reduced emissions’ pathway. For the unabated warming path simulations, West Antarctica suffers a much more severe ice loss than East Antarctica. In these cases, the mass loss amounts to an ensemble average of ~3.5 m sea-level equivalent (SLE) by the year 3000 and ~5.3 m for the most sensitive experiment. Four phases of mass loss occur during the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet. For the reduced emissions pathway, the mean mass loss is ~0.24 m SLE. By demonstrating that the consequences of the 21st century unabated warming path forcing are large and long term, the results present a different perspective to ISMIP6 (Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6). Extended ABUMIP (Antarctic BUttressing Model Intercomparison Project) simulations, assuming sudden and sustained ice-shelf collapse, with and without bedrock rebound, corroborate a negative feedback for ice loss found in previous studies, where bedrock rebound acts to slow the rate of ice loss.
A review of level ice and brash ice growth models
Authors: Zhaka Vasiola , Bridges Robert , Riska Kaj , Cwirzen Andrzej
Published: December 2021

Brash ice forms in harbours and ship channels from frequent ship passages and the resulting freezing–breaking cycles create a unique ice formation. The brash ice accumulation over the winter season is a result of meteorological, thermodynamical and mechanical processes. A reliable brash ice growth model is an important asset when determining navigation routes through ice conditions and when establishing port ice management solutions. This review aims to describe the brash ice development and its modelling as well as the key parameters that influence the brash ice growth and its estimation. This paper summarises the brash ice growth models and the fundamental theories of level ice growth upon which these models are based, and outlines the main knowledge gaps. The results highlight the importance of porosity and piece size distribution and their effect on the consolidation process. The inclusion of the brash ice lateral movement and the side ridge formation would improve the accuracy of forecast models. Furthermore, the findings of the study identify the effect of omitting meteorological parameters such as snow and radiation, from the brash ice growth models. Their contribution to the level ice thickness suggests a significant influence on the brash ice consolidation process.
Diet Quality Index for older adults (DQI-65): development and use in predicting adherence to dietary recommendations and health markers in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey
Authors: Dorrington Nicole , Fallaize Rosalind , Hobbs Ditte , Weech Michelle , Lovegrove Julie Anne
Published: December 2021

Diet quality indexes (DQI) are useful tools for assessing diet quality in relation to health and guiding delivery of personalised nutritional advice; however, existing DQI are limited in their applicability to older adults (aged ≥ 65 years). Therefore, this research aimed to develop a novel evidence-based DQI specific to older adults (DQI-65). Three DQI-65 variations were developed to assess the impacts of different component quantitation methods and inclusion of physical activity. These were Nutrient and Food-based DQI-65 (NFDQI-65), NFDQI-65 with Physical Activity (NFDQI-65+PA) and Food-based DQI-65 with Physical Activity (FDQI-65+PA). To assess their individual efficacy, the NFDQI-65, NFDQI-65+PA and FDQI-65+PA were explored alongside the validated Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) and Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010) using data from the cross-sectional UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) rolling programme. Scores for DQI-65 variations, the HEI-2015 and AHEI-2010 were calculated for adults ≥ 65 years from years 2–6 of the NDNS (n 871). Associations with nutrient intake, nutrient status and health markers were analysed using linear and logistic regression. Higher DQI-65 and HEI-2015 scores were associated with increased odds of meeting almost all our previously proposed age-specific nutritional recommendations, and with important health markers of importance for older adults, including lower BMI, lower medication use and lower C-reactive protein (P < 0·01). Few associations were observed for the AHEI-2010. This analysis suggests value of all three DQI-65 as measures of dietary quality in UK older adults. However, methodological limitations mean further investigations are required to assess validity and reliability of the DQI-65.
Influence of geographical latitude on vitamin D status: cross-sectional results from the BiomarCaRE consortium
Authors: Oskarsson Viktor , Eliasson Mats , Salomaa Veikko , Reinikainen Jaakko , Männistö Satu , Palmieri Luigi , Donfrancesco Chiara , Sans Susana , Costanzo Simona , de Gaetano Giovanni , Iacoviello Licia , Veronesi Giovanni , Ferrario Marco M. , Padro Teresa , Thorand Barbara , Huth Cornelia , Zeller Tanja , Blankenberg Stefan , Anderson Annie S. , Tunstall-Pedoe Hugh , Kuulasmaa Kari , Söderberg Stefan
Published: December 2021

Even though sunlight is viewed as the most important determinant of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) status, several European studies have observed higher 25(OH)D concentrations among north-Europeans than south-Europeans. We studied the association between geographical latitude (derived from ecological data) and 25(OH)D status in six European countries using harmonised immunoassay data from 81 084 participants in the Biomarkers for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in Europe (BiomarCaRE) project (male sex 48·9 %; median age 50·8 years; examination period 1984–2014). Quantile regression models, adjusted for age, sex, decade and calendar week of sampling and time from sampling to analysis, were used for between-country comparisons. Up until the median percentile, the ordering of countries by 25(OH)D status (from highest to lowest) was as follows: Sweden (at 65·6–63·8°N), Germany (at 48·4°N), Finland (at 65·0–60·2°N), Italy (at 45·6–41·5°N), Scotland (at 58·2–55·1°N) and Spain (at 41·5°N). From the 75th percentile and upwards, Finland had higher values than Germany. As an example, using the Swedish cohort as a comparator, the median 25(OH)D concentration was 3·03, 3·28, 5·41, 6·54 and 9·28 ng/ml lower in the German, Finnish, Italian, Scottish and Spanish cohort, respectively (P-value < 0·001 for all comparisons). The ordering of countries was highly consistent in subgroup analyses by sex, age, and decade and season of sampling. In conclusion, we confirmed the previous observation of a north-to-south gradient of 25(OH)D status in Europe, with higher percentile values among north-Europeans than south-Europeans.
Effects of natural clinoptilolite on physiology, water stress, sugar, and anthocyanin content in Sanforte (Vitis viniferaL.) young vineyard
Authors: Cataldo E. C. , Salvi L. S. , Paoli F. P. , Fucile M. F. , Masciandaro G. M. , Manzi D. M. , Masini C. M. M. , Mattii G. B. M.
Published: December 2021

In the Mediterranea area, major effects of climate change are a modification in rainfall patterns, an increase in temperature with an intensify in tropical nights, and an increase in incoming radiations, especially UV-Bs. Despite the various adaptation strategies, grapevines are sensitive to altered climatic conditions. This paper aims to assess the benefits of applying a new sustainable product to the soil that can implement farmers’ resources to adapt to this changing situation. Zeowine was realized by combining the properties of zeolite, which has excellent potential in many sectors such as in agriculture, with the organic substance of a compost obtained on a company scale from the reuse of waste processing grapes, pomace and stalks. The effects of two different soil management (Z – Zeowine, 30 t/ha dose and C – Compost, 20 t/ha dose) on vine physiology and berry compositions in Sanforte grapevines (new plantation) were studied during the 2019–2020–2021 growing seasons in the San Miniato area, Italy. The following physiological parameters of grapevines were measured: leaf gas exchange, leaf temperature, stem water potential and chlorophyll fluorescence. The results showed that Z increased single leaf photosynthesis, reduced leaf temperature and water stress. In addition, phenolic and technological parameters were studied. The Z-treated vines had higher sugar content and total and extractable anthocyanin content as well as berry weight. These results suggested that the application of zeolites added to compost in the vineyard to the soil can be a valid tool to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Integrating research into language teaching and learning: Learners and teachers as co-researchers exploring praxis
Authors: Hanks Judith
Published: December 2021

Classroom research has long been recommended as a fruitful avenue for English language teaching (ELT) in applied linguistics. Yet recognition of the value of practitioners exploring their own praxis has only recently come to the fore. In this plenary, I focus on Exploratory Practice, a form of ‘fully inclusive practitioner research’, in which learners as well as teachers are invited to integrate research and pedagogy. Drawing on studies from around the world, I spotlight the potential of learners and teachers to contribute to debates in the fields of language teaching and learning, applied linguistics and social sciences alike. This co-production between learners and teachers illuminates the nexus of research and pedagogy (praxis), providing plentiful puzzles for exploration.
Web-based Form as Expression of Networked Sociality in the Community-based Piano Piece Wiki-Piano.Net
Authors: Befera Luca
Published: December 2021

Digital and virtual dimensions play an essential role throughout Alexander Schubert’s work, among audiovisual media, mechanisation of performative gestures, stage setting and computer tools for composing. Wiki-Piano.Net, based on the ‘wiki’ peer-production principle applied to the artistic field, is one of his first experiments with online communities’ interactivity. This article investigates the relationships between author, users and performer through the editable website. The intermedia approach extends and reflects human beings’ compositive and performative possibilities. Indeed, a wide range of internet sources communicate with the historical reference of the piano repertoire while also reflecting recent online habits. Nevertheless, the preset form anchors its expressivity to a specific communication, referring to the author’s informatics-digital attitude and a further staged representation. The man–machine dialectics is consequently expressed on different levels, also entailing acoustic-gestural and audiovisual contents. Questioning the authorship principle and generating a non-hierarchical network, Wiki-Piano.Net reflects Schubert’s aim to create a collaborative work towards which he has no control. However, the virtual environment results are strongly influenced by his settings and artistic attitude. The interaction, hence, derives not only from online users but also from the creator and performer through fundamental website mediation.
Improvising Inside a House of Cards: New performance and music-making through a collective networked instrument
Authors: Engum Trond , Henriksen Thomas , Waadeland Carl Haakon
Published: December 2021

This article presents experiences and reflections related to performing improvised, live processed electroacoustic music within a context of networked music performance. The musical interaction is performed through a new collective networked instrument, and we report how the ensemble ‘Magnify the Sound’, consisting of two of the authors of this article, meets the instrument in different networked performance situations, and how this is related to the affordance of the instrument. In our performances the network is inherent to our artistic practice, and we experience a phenomenological and somatic transformation in our roles as musicians, from individual instrumentality to shared instrumentality. The instrument invites new forms of music-making and contributes in fundamental ways to the ensemble’s musical communication and artistic expression. In the present article we outline our methods of working artistically with the networked instrument, and we point at some artistic results. We then discuss how the collective instrument has facilitated new performance and musical practice within the network.
Musical Hyperrealism: Exploring Noah Creshevsky’s compositions through Jean Baudrillard’s ideas
Authors: Windleburn Maurice
Published: December 2021

While a familiar term in art history, philosophy and cultural studies, ‘hyperrealism’ is rarely applied to music. This is despite Noah Creshevsky’s use of the term to describe his unique compositional process and aesthetic approach. A composer of electroacoustic music and founder of the Brooklyn College Center for Computer Music, Creshevsky has described his musical hyperrealism as a ‘language constructed from sounds that are found in our shared environment (“realism”), handled in ways that are somehow exaggerated or excessive (“hyper”)’. In this article, I summarise the ideas behind Creshevsky’s hyperreal music and compare them to philosopher Jean Baudrillard’s theorisation of the hyperreal. Numerous similarities between Creshevsky and Baudrillard’s ideas will be made evident. The first half of this article focuses on Creshevsky’s sampling of sounds as ‘simulacra’ and how the interweaving textures and melodies that Creshevsky makes out of these samples are similar to ‘simulations’. In the article’s second half, Creshevsky’s creation of disembodied ‘superperformers’ is addressed and related to Baudrillard’s transhumanism. Towards the end of the article, Creshevsky’s aesthetic more broadly and what he calls ‘hyperdrama’ are linked to Baudrillard’s ‘transaesthetics’, before a concluding note addressing Baudrillard and Creshevsky’s different dispositions towards hyperrealism.
Between Computer Automation, Voltage Control and Literature: A portrait of Peter Zinovieff
Authors: Battier Marc
Published: December 2021

The life and times of Peter Zinovieff (1933–2021) have been amply commented upon and there are numerous testimonies of his role on developing electronic music as well as his strong impact on musicians throughout the 1970s. However, besides his important role in developing synthesisers, sound processing and various other devices, he is now recognised as a significant pioneer in music with computers. His collaboration with Harrison Birtwistle’s opera The Mask of Orpheus has been deemed an important contribution to contemporary music in Great Britain. Finally, his late return to composition and performance shows his lifelong attachment to innovation and experimentation in music.
R. Murray Schafer (1933–2021) and the World Soundscape Project
Authors: Truax Barry
Published: December 2021

This in memoriam tribute for Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer focuses on his seminal work in establishing soundscape studies and the World Soundscape Project. It discusses his intellectual legacy in terms of emphasising a perceptually based approach and the importance of soundscape design, along with critical responses to his ideas.
Rewiring Linked Fate: Bringing Back History, Agency, and Power
Authors: Rogers Reuel , Kim Jae Yeon
Published: December 2021

Linked fate, the concept introduced by Dawson almost three decades ago, reoriented the study of racism and political behavior in the United States. The scholarship traditionally had focused on the racial psychology of whites and how racism seeps into their political views and actions. Dawson proposed the Black utility heuristic theory and linked fate, its associated measure, to investigate the political behavior of Blacks, the minority group most harmed by racism. Since then, linked fate has become a ubiquitous variable of interest in research on minority group politics. Yet the research program around linked fate is due for some extension. Most studies gloss over the fact that the Black utility heuristic theory is historically and socially conditional. We call for bringing elite-level agency and group-level social practices back into the literature to clarify the macro- and meso-level conditions under which a group’s racial status translates into linked fate at the individual level. Greater inquiry into these dynamics is not only warranted but also has broad implications for the research on racial and ethnic politics.
Curricular Reform and a Culture of Listening: Lessons from the Rosedale Freedom Project
Authors: Hershberger Monica A.
Published: December 2021

I was formally introduced to antiracist pedagogy in the spring of 2016, several months before I traveled for the first time to the Rosedale Freedom Project (RFP) in Rosedale, Mississippi, to teach a course on music and politics to high school students. Oft romanticized as the place where blues guitarist Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads, Rosedale is a small town in the Delta region. The majority of its population is Black, and consistently, more than half of this population has lived below the poverty line. The RFP seeks to help send its students, the majority of whom are Black and profoundly underserved by the state of Mississippi, to and through college. In preparation for the summer (and at the request of the director of the RFP), I read a number of foundational texts on antiracism and critical pedagogy including Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1968), bell hooks's Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom (1994), and Beverly Daniel Tatum's “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?”: And Other Conversations About Race (1997). As a white woman with no prior experience in Mississippi, I also read Nan Elizabeth Woodruff's history of the Delta region, American Congo: The African American Struggle in the Delta (2003) and Jesmyn Ward's novel Where the Line Bleeds (2008), among other texts, and reflected on how to design a course that would further the RFP's mission of “supporting the Mississippi Delta's young leaders in the development of critical consciousness and the practice of justice.”
Ice Is Hot and Water Is Dry
Authors: Förster Natalie , Kuhn Jörg-Tobias
Published: December 2021

Abstract: To monitor students’ progress and adapt instruction to students’ needs, teachers increasingly use repeated assessments of equivalent tests. The present study investigates whether equivalent reading tests can be successfully developed via rule-based item design. Based on theoretical considerations, we identified 3-item features for reading comprehension at the word, sentence, and text levels, respectively, which should influence the difficulty and time intensity of reading processes. Using optimal design algorithms, a design matrix was calculated, and four equivalent test forms of the German reading test series for second graders (quop-L2) were developed. A total of N = 7,751 students completed the tests. We estimated item difficulty and time intensity parameters as well as person ability and speed parameters using bivariate item response theory (IRT) models, and we investigated the influence of item features on item parameters. Results indicate that all item properties significantly affected either item difficulty or response time. Moreover, as indicated by the IRT-based test information functions and analyses of variance, the four different test forms showed similar levels of difficulty and time-intensity at the word, sentence, and text levels (all η2< .002). Results were successfully cross-validated using a sample of N = 5,654 students.
The Illumination of Thunderclouds by Lightning: 2. The Effect of GLM Instrument Threshold on Detection and Clustering
Authors: Peterson Michael , Light Tracy E. L. , Mach Douglas
Published: December 2021

Lightning is measured from space using optical instruments that detect transient changes in the illumination of the cloud top. How much of the flash (if any) is recorded by the instrument depends on the instrument detection threshold. NOAA's Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) employs a dynamic threshold that varies across the imaging array and changes over time. This causes flashes in certain regions and at night to be recorded in greater detail than other flashes, and threshold inconsistencies will impose biases on all levels of GLM data products. In this study, we quantify the impact of the varying GLM threshold on event/group/flash detection, flash clustering, and gridded product generation by imposing artificial thresholds on the event data taken from a thunderstorm with a low instrument threshold (∼0.7 fJ). We find that even modest increases in threshold severely impact event (60% loss by 2 fJ, 90% loss by 10 fJ) and group (25% loss by 2 fJ, 81% loss by 10 fJ) detection by suppressing faint illumination of the cloud top from weak sources and scattering. Flash detection is impacted less by threshold increases (4% loss by 2 fJ), but reductions are still significant at higher thresholds (35% loss by 10 fJ, or 44% if single‐group flashes are removed). Undetected pulses cause individual flashes to be split and severely impact the construction of gridded products. All of these factors complicate the interpretation of GLM data, particularly when trended over time under a changing threshold.
The Role of Moisture Conveyor Belts for Precipitation in the Atacama Desert
Authors: Böhm Christoph , Reyers Mark , Knarr Leon , Crewell Susanne
Published: December 2021

In the hyperarid Atacama Desert in northern Chile, rare precipitation events can leave long‐lasting geomorphological traces and have strong impacts on biota. While moisture conveyor belts (MCBs) and atmospheric rivers (ARs) have been associated with extreme precipitation in semiarid regions, their role for the Atacama Desert has not been previously investigated. This study reveals that about four MCBs per year make landfall in the Atacama Desert. According to simulated precipitation, 40–80% of the total precipitation between the coast and the Andean foothills is associated with MCBs. A case study reveals an elevated moisture transport decoupled from the maritime boundary layer, which is generalized by a composite analysis. Back trajectories reveal the Amazon Basin as the main source of moisture. MCB landfall times are derived from the AR catalog by Guan and Waliser (2015), https://doi.org/10.1002/2015jd024257. Implications of the results on paleoclimate reconstructions are discussed.
Millennial‐Scale Monsoon Variability Modulated by Low‐Latitude Insolation During the Last Glaciation
Authors: Zhang Zeke , Li Gaojun , Cai Yanjun , Cheng Xing , Sun Youbin , Zhao Jiaju , Shu Peixian , Ma Le , An Zhisheng
Published: December 2021

Earth's climate system has experienced substantial millennial‐scale oscillations characterized by abrupt changes superimposed on orbital‐scale changes. However, the dynamic connection between millennial and orbital timescales remains elusive. Here, we provide a summer monsoon precipitation δ18O record spanning from ∼8 to ∼60.5 ka based on the oxygen isotopic composition of microcodium from loess deposits on the Chinese Loess Plateau. This record shows distinct precessional variations (23 ka) punctuated by prominent millennial‐scale oscillations. It is generally consistent with speleothem δ18O and other loess‐based records, reflecting the East Asian summer monsoon changes. More importantly, our result also shows that large increases in the magnitude of millennial‐scale variability correspond to the Northern Hemisphere summer insolation minimum. We propose that precession‐induced low‐latitude summer insolation modulates the amplitudes of millennial‐scale summer monsoon variability by changing the mean monsoon state during the last glaciation.
An Integrated Modeling Approach for Analyzing the Deformation Style of Active Volcanoes: Somma‐Vesuvius Case Study
Authors: De Matteo Ada , Massa Bruno , Castaldo Raffaele , D’Auria Luca , James Mike R. , Lane Stephen J. , Pepe Susi , Tizzani Pietro
Published: December 2021

The deformation style of active volcanoes can provide insight into the structural evolution of their edifices, volcanic activity and associated hazards. The Somma‐Vesuvius volcano is considered one of the most dangerous on the planet due to its proximity to the megacity of Naples (Southern Italy). Thus, understanding its deformation style and corresponding long‐term structural evolution are critical aspects for risk reduction. Although a large amount of data has already been collected about Somma‐Vesuvius, the deformation style affecting its volcanic edifice is still debated. Therefore, we devised an integrated approach to clarify the current state of deformation of this volcano. In particular, we combined analog experiments and finite element (FE) modeling to constrain the current deformation style affecting Somma‐Vesuvius and determine the physical parameters controlling its structural evolution. The analog models were built at a scale of 1:100,000 using sand mixtures (brittle analog) and polydimethylsiloxane (ductile analog). The FE models were implemented by considering a three‐dimensional time‐dependent fluid‐dynamic approach performed at both the analog model scale (1:100,000) and actual volcano scale (1:1). We obtained an FE model and a corresponding analog one that faithfully reproduced the observed deformation velocity patterns revealed by differential interferometric synthetic aperture radar (DInSAR) and GPS measurements at Somma‐Vesuvius. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that a combined gravitational spreading‐sagging process governs the deformation style of Somma‐Vesuvius.
Influence of the Solar Cycle on the North Atlantic Oscillation
Authors: Kuroda Yuhji , Kodera Kunihiko , Yoshida Kohei , Yukimoto Seiji , Gray Lesley
Published: December 2021

We examine the influence of the solar cycle on the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on its pathway from the upper stratosphere to the surface by applying lagged regression analyses to recent observations, historical observations covering 194 years, and an Earth system model simulation covering 165 years. The propagation of the solar signal can well be explained by a top‐down mechanism, but one that was strongly affected by air‐sea coupling. The solar signal first appears in the subtropical upper stratosphere as a temperature signal. The associated zonal wind signal then propagates downward to the surface in response to stratospheric variability known as the Polar‐night Jet Oscillation. The NAO signal tends to appear in February during years of peak solar activity. The solar signal is further modulated such that positive NAO signals tend to appear earlier in winter with increasing years after peak solar activity associated with the appearance of the NAO‐related SST signal. There are also 50‐year scale fluctuations and amplitude modulations of the solar‐NAO signal, but the tendency of increasing NAO amplitude with increasing NAO‐related SST amplitude suggests a strong influence of decadal ocean dynamics on these modulations.
Neoadjuvant immunotherapy with nivolumab and ipilimumab induces major pathological responses in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Vos Joris L. , Elbers Joris B. W. , Krijgsman Oscar , Traets Joleen J. H. , Qiao Xiaohang , van der Leun Anne M. , Lubeck Yoni , Seignette Iris M. , Smit Laura A. , Willems Stefan M. , van den Brekel Michiel W. M. , Dirven Richard , Baris Karakullukcu M. , Karssemakers Luc , Klop W. Martin C. , Lohuis Peter J. F. M. , Schreuder Willem H. , Smeele Ludi E. , van der Velden Lilly-Ann , Bing Tan I. , Onderwater Suzanne , Jasperse Bas , Vogel Wouter V. , Al-Mamgani Abrahim , Keijser Astrid , van der Noort Vincent , Broeks Annegien , Hooijberg Erik , Peeper Daniel S. , Schumacher Ton N. , Blank Christian U. , de Boer Jan Paul , Haanen John B. A. G. , Zuur Charlotte L.
Published: December 2021

Surgery for locoregionally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) results in 30‒50% five-year overall survival. In IMCISION (NCT03003637), a non-randomized phase Ib/IIa trial, 32 HNSCC patients are treated with 2 doses (in weeks 1 and 3) of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) using nivolumab (NIVO MONO, n = 6, phase Ib arm A) or nivolumab plus a single dose of ipilimumab (COMBO, n = 26, 6 in phase Ib arm B, and 20 in phase IIa) prior to surgery. Primary endpoints are feasibility to resect no later than week 6 (phase Ib) and primary tumor pathological response (phase IIa). Surgery is not delayed or suspended for any patient in phase Ib, meeting the primary endpoint. Grade 3‒4 immune-related adverse events are seen in 2 of 6 (33%) NIVO MONO and 10 of 26 (38%) total COMBO patients. Pathological response, defined as the %-change in primary tumor viable tumor cell percentage from baseline biopsy to on-treatment resection, is evaluable in 17/20 phase IIa patients and 29/32 total trial patients (6/6 NIVO MONO, 23/26 COMBO). We observe a major pathological response (MPR, 90‒100% response) in 35% of patients after COMBO ICB, both in phase IIa (6/17) and in the whole trial (8/23), meeting the phase IIa primary endpoint threshold of 10%. NIVO MONO’s MPR rate is 17% (1/6). None of the MPR patients develop recurrent HSNCC during 24.0 months median postsurgical follow-up. FDG-PET-based total lesion glycolysis identifies MPR patients prior to surgery. A baseline AID/APOBEC-associated mutational profile and an on-treatment decrease in hypoxia RNA signature are observed in MPR patients. Our data indicate that neoadjuvant COMBO ICB is feasible and encouragingly efficacious in HNSCC.