bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Beauty
Authors: Rozelle-Stone A. Rebecca
Published: February 2024

This chapter explores Weil’s aesthetic philosophy, following from an understanding of her attentive ethics examined in the previous chapter. Here, the focus shifts to what attention to the ‘things of this world’—including the natural world and works of art—reveals. Central to these explorations are Weil’s notions of metaxu, beauty, the precarity of existence, creaturely vulnerability, and necessity. One of the important points to emerge from discussion of these concepts is the need to orient ourselves within and towards the things of this world with consciousness of limitations, relations, and conditions. Yet, as we have seen, our attentiveness is constituted by a hunger for the eternal and the true, so there is a simultaneous attraction to and restlessness with earthly beauty insofar as they conceal and partially reveal true beauty. Weil calls these objects of our direct attention and love metaxu, a word which conveys their status as intermediaries between our longing for the eternal and the good/beautiful itself. Following a more detailed account of Weil’s idea of metaxu, this chapter examines two categories of earthly beauty—art and nature—and what they tell us about her aesthetic theory, as well as the kind of attentive disposition that is cultivated via encounters with such beauty.
Weil in the present and future
Authors: Rozelle-Stone A. Rebecca
Published: February 2024

The final chapter in this short book focuses on the continuing legacy of Simone Weil, both in terms of thinkers whose ideas have been shaped by her writings (highlighting Emmanuel Levinas, Iris Murdoch, Susan Sontag, and Anne Carson) and some of the contemporary crises which could benefit from reflection on her work. Some of the current global challenges raised and indirectly addressed by Weil’s philosophy include: growing authoritarianism, political and personal violence, pseudo-religious ideologies like the prosperity gospel, neoliberal values, the mechanization and technologization of everyday life, and deepening social-economic asymmetries. These crises find their roots in an admixture of late capitalist values tinged with nationalist-religious fervour alongside a sweeping (if unconscious) nihilism that prepares the path for tyrants, violence, and destruction of communities and the world at large. In her own time, Weil diagnosed many of these present ills and identified their root causes, noting our resentment of necessary limits, our propensity towards self-centredness and void-filling, and the ways in which we create dangerously powerful idols by conferring absolute values onto what is merely relative and temporal.
The volcanic menace
Authors: McGuire Bill
Published: February 2024

Volcanoes are one of the ways that our planet dissipates the colossal amounts of heat coming from its interior. There may be as many as 2,000 active volcanoes, more than 500 of which have erupted since 1800, and around 70 of which are in eruption every year. The magma that feeds eruptions is formed in the asthenosphere, which is located in the uppermost mantle. The viscosity of magma is controlled by the silica content, higher levels of which making them stickier. Silica-rich eruptions tend to be more explosive and form domes or steep-sided stratovolcanoes. Relatively silica-poor eruptions are typically effusive (lava-forming) and build gently sloping shield volcanoes. Eruptions can occur at a range of scales—measured by the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI)—right up to so-called super-eruptions that can excavate giant craters known as calderas and plunge our world into volcanic winter. Volcanoes can kill in any number of ways, the deadliest being the hurricane blasts of gas and ash known as pyroclastic flows, and the volcanic mudflows termed lahars. The effects of large explosive eruptions on the global climate can also result in many indirect deaths due to harvest failure and famine. On the plus side, no volcano erupts without warning signs, so—provided a volcano is being monitored—eruptions can be predicted in time for evacuation.
Storm force
Authors: McGuire Bill
Published: February 2024

At the most basic level, windstorms involve the anomalously rapid movement of batches of air in the lower atmosphere, or troposphere, which is measured on the Beaufort Wind-force Scale. Windstorms have always been with us. Now, however, they are being supercharged by global heating so that their potential for destruction and loss of life is progressively escalating. Hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones form in the tropics, taking their energy from the warm seas. Hurricanes are classified by wind speed using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The most powerful category 5 storms have sustained wind speeds of 252 kilometres or more and can cause immense destruction and loss of life. Storms in the tropics are capable of rapid intensification, turning an inoffensive blow into a raging tempest within a matter of hours. The greatest storm threats at mid-latitudes are extra-tropical cyclones, the most powerful of which are characterized by hurricane-force wind speeds, and can also be extremely destructive. Like hurricanes, extra-tropical cyclones can intensify rapidly via a process known as explosive cyclogenesis. Both tropical and extra-tropical storms can also cause damage and take lives due to accompanying heavy rain and flooding, blizzards and ice storms, and coastal storm surges. In continental areas, most notably across the United States, tornadoes also pose a major—if localized—threat. On the Enhanced Fujita Scale used to measure their intensity, the most powerful EF5 tornadoes have wind speeds of 320 kilometres an hour or more, and can obliterate entire communities.
Existential threats and systemic shocks
Authors: McGuire Bill
Published: February 2024

Global geophysical events have the potential to wipe out not only our civilization, but the whole of humanity. Fortunately, only one event would be up to the job, a c.10 kilometre wide asteroid impact like the one that terminated the dinosaurs. At the moment, nothing like this is on the cards, although there are thousands of Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs), some with the potential to bring about a cosmic winter and global famine if they did hit us. Most Potentially Hazardous Objects (PHOs) are being tracked, so it looks as if we are okay for now. There are, however, other geophysical events that could seriously impact global society and its economy. These include a volcanic super-eruption capable of bringing a volcanic winter lasting years, and a North Atlantic mega-tsunami caused by a future Canary Island volcano collapse. A so-called strategic earthquake, striking at one of the global command and control centres—notably Tokyo, New York, or the San Francisco region—would also have the potential to bring the global economy to its knees, at least temporally. While considering such threats, however, it is critical that we never forget that we are already at the centre of a global geophysical event—climate breakdown brought about by global heating arising from humankind’s carbon-polluting activities. It is now practically impossible for us to stay this side of a 1.5°C global average temperature rise (since pre-industrial times), so that all-pervasive climate change that will affect everyone and insinuate itself into every aspect of our lives is now all but certain.
The Gulag
Authors: Barenberg Alan
Published: February 2024

A vast system of prisons, camps, and exile settlements, the Gulag was one of the defining institutions of the Stalinist Soviet Union and one of the most heinous examples of mass incarceration in the twentieth century. Combining the functions of a standard prison system with the goal of isolating and punishing alleged enemies of the Soviet regime, it stretched throughout the Soviet Union, from central Moscow to the farthest reaches of Siberia. From its creation in 1930 to its partial dismantling in the mid-1950s, approximately 25 million people passed through the Gulag. Prisoners and exiles were forced to work in brutal conditions, and millions perished. Although the majority of prisoners and exiles were released after Stalin’s death, this was not an end to their struggles. Survivors attempted to reintegrate themselves into a Soviet political, social, and economic system that was hardly welcoming. Although some former prisoners wrote or spoke about their experiences in the years and decades after release, it was not until after the collapse of the Soviet Union that a full reckoning became possible. The Gulag: A Very Short Introduction examines the Gulag and its legacies based on prisoner testimony, archival sources, and the very latest scholarship. It follows three themes: the close connections between the world of the Gulag and the Soviet Union at large; the diverse identities of prisoners and exiles and how this affected their experiences; and the long-term legacies of the Gulag.
After the Stalinist Gulag
Authors: Barenberg Alan
Published: February 2024

After Stalin’s death in 1953, the Soviet state launched major reforms of the Gulag. Millions of prisoners and exiles were released. Prisons and prison camps were reformed, and the Soviet system of mass incarceration became much smaller. Former prisoners and exiles struggled to re-establish lives for themselves on the “outside” as they navigated state policies and popular prejudices. At the same time, former inmates worked to process their experiences in the Gulag, leading to the development of a small but growing corpus of Gulag memoir literature. This chapter examines major developments in the evolution of such literature, from early works like Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich to the flood of new publications during Perestroika and following the collapse of the Soviet Union. It closes with a survey of efforts to memorialize the Gulag in Russia and other Soviet successor states.
Laboratory Automated Interrogation of Data: an interactive web application for visualization of multilevel data from biological experiments
Authors: Dando Owen R , Kozic Zrinko , Booker Sam A , Hardingham Giles E , Kind Peter C
Published: February 2024

A key step in understanding the results of biological experiments is visualization of the data. Many laboratory experiments contain a range of measurements that exist within a hierarchy of interdependence. An automated and facile way to visualize and interrogate such multilevel data, across many experimental variables, would (i) lead to improved understanding of the results, (ii) help to avoid misleading interpretation of statistics and (iii) easily identify outliers and sources of batch and confounding effects. While many excellent graphing solutions already exist, they are often geared towards the production of publication-ready plots and the analysis of a single variable at a time, require programming expertise or are unnecessarily complex for the task at hand. Here, we present Laboratory Automated Interrogation of Data (LAB-AID), an interactive tool specifically designed to automatically visualize and query hierarchical data resulting from biological experiments.
Relationships between disease severity, psychological stress, and health-related quality of life among patients with acute coronary syndrome: mediation of illness perception
Authors: Zhang Guiqin , Cui Jiatong , Zhang Xiaohong , Chair Sek Ying , Liu Wei , Liu Yu Jia , Cheng Yu Xin , Liu Qian , Yang Bing Xiang , Zou Huijing
Published: February 2024

Aims

Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) often experience reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL), which may be attributable to the disease severity and psychological stress. While illness perception is speculated to be a potential pathway underlying these relationships, evidence supporting this mechanism remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between disease severity, psychological stress, and HRQOL and whether these relationships are mediated by illness perception in patients with ACS.

Methods and results

Data were collected from June to July 2019 and June to September 2020 in the cardiology departments of four public hospitals in China. Eligible patients completed measures of disease severity, psychological stress, illness perception, HRQOL, and socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Data were analysed employing hierarchical multiple regression and structural equation modelling. This study included 405 participants (mean age 60.63 years, 67.4% male). After controlling for socio-demographic and clinical covariates, higher levels of disease severity (β = 0.115, P = 0.024) and psychological stress (β = −0.209, P＜0.001) were associated with poorer HRQOL; however, the relationships became non-significant after adding illness perception into the regression model. Structural equation modelling analysis suggested that illness perception played a mediating role between disease severity, psychological stress, and HRQOL, accounting for 45.95% and 65.79% of the total effects, respectively.

Conclusion

This study found that illness perception mediated the relationships between disease severity, psychological stress, and HRQOL among patients with ACS. Improving patients’ HRQOL should consider its important influencing factors with a focus on promoting positive illness perception.
Comparison of Self-Reported and Capacity-Based Measures of Mobility in Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Nigeria: The Mediating Role of Age, Cognitive Status, and Chronic Conditions
Authors: Kalu Michael E , Rayner Daniel , Nwachukwu Ernest C , Ibekaku Michael C , Ndukaku Miracle , Ekezie Uduonu C , Ezema Charles I , Ikele Chioma , Bhatt Vidhi , McArthur Caitlin
Published: February 2024

Background and Objectives

Although the association between self-reported and capacity-based mobility outcomes is prominently researched, the pathways through which self-reported measures affect capacity-based measures remains poorly understood. Therefore, our study examines the association between self-reported and capacity-based mobility measures and explores which mobility determinants mediate the association in Nigerian community-dwelling older adults.

Research Design and Methods

This cross-sectional study included 169 older adults [mean age (SD) = 67.7 (7.0)]. Capacity-based mobility outcomes included the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), and the 10-Meter Walk Test (10mWT), whereas the self-reported mobility outcomes included the Lower Extremity Functional scale (LEFS), the Life Space Questionnaire (LSQ), and the Mänty Preclinical Mobility scale (inability to walk 2 km, 0.5 km, or climb a flight of stairs). Spearman’s correlations were conducted to examine the relationship between self-reported and capacity-based mobility measures, whereas structural equation modeling was used to determine the mediators.

Results

The correlation between SPPB and LEFS (rho = 0.284) and 0.5 km (rho = −0.251) were fair, whereas the correlation between SPPB and inability to walk 2 km (rho = −0.244) and inability to climb a flight of stairs (rho = −0.190) were poor. Similarly, correlations between 6MWT and the LEFS (rho = 0.286), inability to walk 2 km (rho = −0.269), and 0.5 km (rho = −0.303) were fair. The 6WMT was poorly correlated with inability to climb one flight of stairs (rho = −0.233). The LSQ was not correlated with SPPB or 10mWT. Age was the only significant mediator, whereas the number of chronic conditions and cognitive status were not.

Discussion and Implications

The correlation between self-reported and capacity-based mobility outcomes in older adults in Nigeria is lower than those in developed countries. Our analysis provides a foundation to explore mobility determinants that could be predictive mediators for mobility outcomes, making meaningful contributions to explaining mobility complexities.
AI based 1-D P- and S-wave velocity models for the greater alpine region from local earthquake data
Authors: Braszus Benedikt , Rietbrock Andreas , Haberland Christian , Ryberg Trond
Published: February 2024

The recent rapid improvement of machine learning techniques had a large impact on the way seismological data can be processed. During the last years several machine learning algorithms determining seismic onset times have been published facilitating the automatic picking of large data sets. Here we apply the deep neural network PhaseNet to a network of over 900 permanent and temporal broad-band stations that were deployed as part of the AlpArray research initiative in the Greater Alpine Region (GAR) during 2016–2020. We selected 384 well distributed earthquakes with ML ≥ 2.5 for our study and developed a purely data-driven pre-inversion pick selection method to consistently remove outliers from the automatic pick catalogue. This allows us to include observations throughout the crustal triplication zone resulting in 39 599 P and 13 188 S observations. Using the established VELEST and the recently developed McMC codes we invert for the 1-D P- and S-wave velocity structure including station correction terms while simultaneously relocating the events. As a result we present two separate models differing in the maximum included observation distance and therefore their suggested usage. The model AlpsLocPS is based on arrivals from ≤130 km and therefore should be used to consistently (re)locate seismicity based on P and S observations. The model GAR1D_PS includes the entire observable distance range of up to 1000 km and for the first time provides consistent P- and S-phase synthetic traveltimes for the entire Alpine orogen. Comparing our relocated seismicity with hypocentral parameters from other studies in the area we quantify the absolute horizontal and vertical accuracy of event locations as ≈2.0 and ≈6.0 km, respectively.
Development of a Mass Spectrometry-Based Method for Quantification of Total Cashew Protein in Roasting Oil
Authors: Chen Shimin , Downs Melanie L
Published: February 2024

Background

Food allergen cross-contact during food preparation and production is one of the causes of unintentional allergen presence in packaged foods. However, little is known about allergen cross-contact in shared frying or roasting oil, which prevents the establishment of effective allergen controls and may put allergic individuals at risk. To better understand the quantity of allergen transferred to frying oil and subsequent products, an analytical method is needed for quantifying protein in oil that has been exposed to frying/roasting conditions.

Objective

The goal of this study was to develop a parallel reaction monitoring LC–MS/MS method to quantify the amount of cashew protein in shared roasting oil.

Methods

The sample preparation method was evaluated to improve protein extractability and peptide performance. Four quantitative peptides representing cashew 2S and 11S proteins were selected as targets based on their sensitivity, heat stability, and specificity. A calibration strategy was developed to quantify the amount of total cashew protein in oil. Method performance was evaluated using a heated cashew-in-oil model system.

Results

The method showed high recovery in oil samples spiked with 100 or 10 parts per million (ppm) total cashew protein heated at 138 or 166°C for 2–30 min. Samples (100 ppm total cashew protein) heated for 30 min had more than 90% recovery when treated at 138°C and more than 50% when heated at 166°C.

Conclusion

The method is fit-for-purpose for the analysis of cashew allergen cross-contact in oil.

Highlights

A novel MS-based method was developed that can accurately quantify the amount of cashew protein present in heated oil.
Obesity-related glomerulopathy: recent advances in inflammatory mechanisms and related treatments
Authors: Guan Yucan , Wei Xianping , Li Jicui , Zhu Yuexin , Luo Ping , Luo Manyu
Published: February 2024

Obesity-related glomerulopathy, which is an obesity-triggered kidney damage, has become a significant threat to human health. Several studies have recently highlighted the critical role of inflammation in obesity-related glomerulopathy development. Additionally, excess adipose tissue and adipocytes in patients with obesity produce various inflammatory factors that cause systemic low-grade inflammation with consequent damage to vascular endothelial cells, exacerbating glomerular injury. Therefore, we conducted a comprehensive review of obesity-related glomerulopathy and addressed the critical role of obesity-induced chronic inflammation in obesity-related glomerulopathy pathogenesis and progression, which leads to tubular damage and proteinuria, ultimately impairing renal function. The relationship between obesity and obesity-related glomerulopathy is facilitated by a network of various inflammation-associated cells (including macrophages, lymphocytes, and mast cells) and a series of inflammatory mediators (such as tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 6, leptin, adiponectin, resistin, chemokines, adhesion molecules, and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1) and their inflammatory pathways. Furthermore, we discuss a recently discovered relationship between micronutrients and obesity-related glomerulopathy inflammation and the important role of micronutrients in the body's anti-inflammatory response. Therefore, assessing these inflammatory molecules and pathways will provide a strong theoretical basis for developing therapeutic strategies based on anti-inflammatory effects to prevent or delay the onset of kidney injury.
The Phenomenology of the Face-to-Facetime: A Levinasian Critique of the Virtual Clinic
Authors: O’Brien Daniel C
Published: February 2024

In order to promote social distancing during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, physicians and healthcare systems have made efforts to replace in-person with virtual clinic visits when feasible. While these efforts have been well received and seem compatible with sound clinical practice, they do not perfectly replicate the experience of a face-to-face exchange between doctor and patient. This essay attempts to describe features of the virtual visit that distinguish it from its face-to-face analog and considers the phenomenological work of Emmanuel Levinas in arguing that these differences may limit the force of the ethical summons a provider would otherwise experience before the face of a patient. The diminishment of this signal therapeutic experience may engender vocational as well as clinical consequences, which should be weighed against the practical benefits of the virtual visit as we consider whether our enthusiasm for this mode of practice should continue.
The contemporaneous phase of GRB afterglows – application to GRB 221009A
Authors: Derishev Evgeny , Piran Tsvi
Published: February 2024

The TeV observations of GRB 221009A provided us with a unique opportunity to analyse the contemporaneous phase in which both prompt and afterglow emissions are seen simultaneously. To describe this initial phase of gamma-ray burst afterglows, we suggest a model for a blast wave with an intermittent energy supply. We treat the blast wave as a two-element structure. The central engine supplies energy to the inner part (shocked ejecta material) via the reverse shock. As the shocked ejecta material expands, its internal energy is transferred to the shocked external matter. We take into account the inertia of the shocked external material so that the pressure difference across this region determines the derivative of the blast wave’s Lorentz factor. Applied to GRB 221009A, the model yields a very good fit to the observations of the entire TeV light curve except for three regions where there are excesses in the data with respect to the model. Those are well correlated with the three largest episodes of the prompt activity and thus, we interpret them as the reverse shock emission. Our best-fitting solution for GRB 221009A is an extremely narrow jet with an opening angle θj ≈ 0.07° (500/Γ0) propagating into a wind-like external medium. This extremely narrow angle is consistent with the huge isotropic equivalent energy of this burst, and its inverse jet break explains the very rapid rise of the afterglow. Such inverse jet break occurs in an accelerating blast wave when the relativistic beaming becomes narrower than the jet’s opening angle. Interestingly, photon–photon annihilation does not play a decisive role in the best-fitting model.
Search and study for meteorites analogous to Didymos
Authors: Massa G , Palomba E , Longobardo A , Dirri F , Angrisani M , Gisellu C , Polishook D , Rivkin A S , Thomas C
Published: February 2024

The Hera mission will arrive at the Didymos system to study the efficiency of momentum transfer and to further investigate the binary system in great detail after the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission impact. We took advantage of two online data bases of meteorites spectra and of recent Didymos spectra taken before and after the DART impact. We performed the first selection based on the comparison of the band centre values of the silicate absorption bands (localized at 1 and 2 μm) between Didymos and the meteorites. The second selection was made defining a four-dimensional space parameter whose dimensions were the band depth and the slope of the two bands, normalized to Didymos values. We introduced a distance measure to find the closest meteorites to Didymos in this space. Finally, we made the last selection based on other criteria, such as the presence of different spectra of the same meteorite, the presence of different spectra from different data bases, and the comparison with the literature. The result of this work is a list of six meteorites that are the most analogous to Didymos system. We also found out that Didymos is most probably mainly composed of L/LL ordinary chondrites, with a preference for the LL sub-type. From our list of meteorites, we were able to estimate the normalized abundance of olivine and pyroxene of Didymos. Finally, a match between Didymos and OC meteorites was also found in the Mid-InfraRed (MIR) range.
Tumor-treating fields dosimetry in glioblastoma: Insights into treatment planning, optimization, and dose–response relationships
Authors: Mikic Nikola , Gentilal Nichal , Cao Fang , Lok Edwin , Wong Eric T , Ballo Matthew , Glas Martin , Miranda Pedro C , Thielscher Axel , Korshoej Anders R
Published: February 2024

Tumor-treating fields (TTFields) are currently a Category 1A treatment recommendation by the US National Comprehensive Cancer Center for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Although the mechanism of action of TTFields has been partly elucidated, tangible and standardized metrics are lacking to assess antitumor dose and effects of the treatment. This paper outlines and evaluates the current standards and methodologies in the estimation of the TTFields distribution and dose measurement in the brain and highlights the most important principles governing TTFields dosimetry. The focus is on clinical utility to facilitate a practical understanding of these principles and how they can be used to guide treatment. The current evidence for a correlation between TTFields dose, tumor growth, and clinical outcome will be presented and discussed. Furthermore, we will provide perspectives and updated insights into the planning and optimization of TTFields therapy for glioblastoma by reviewing how the dose and thermal effects of TTFields are affected by factors such as tumor location and morphology, peritumoral edema, electrode array position, treatment duration (compliance), array “edge effect,” electrical duty cycle, and skull-remodeling surgery. Finally, perspectives are provided on how to optimize the efficacy of future TTFields therapy.
Evaluation of Less Invasive Sampling Tools for the Diagnosis of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Authors: van Henten Saskia , Kassa Mekibib , Fikre Helina , Melkamu Roma , Mekonnen Tigist , Dessie Dilargachew , Mulaw Tadele , Bogale Tadfe , Engidaw Asinakew , Yeshanew Arega , Cnops Lieselotte , Vogt Florian , Moons Karel G M , van Griensven Johan , Pareyn Myrthe
Published: February 2024

Background

Diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) usually relies on invasive samples, but it is unclear whether more patient-friendly tools are good alternatives for diverse lesions when used with polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Methods

Patients with suspected CL were enrolled consecutively in a prospective diagnostic accuracy study. We compared dental broach, tape disc, and microbiopsy samples with PCR as index tests, using PCR with skin slit samples as reference test. Subsequently, we constructed a composite reference test including microscopy, the 3 index tests and skin slit PCR, and we compared these same tests with the composite reference test. We assessed diagnostic accuracy parameters with 95% confidence intervals for all comparisons.

Results

Among 344 included patients, 282 (82.0%) had CL diagnosed, and 62 (18.0%) CL absence, by skin slit PCR. The sensitivity and specificity by PCR were 89.0% (95% confidence interval, 84.8%–92.1%) and 58.1% (45.7%–69.5%), respectively, for dental broach, 96.1% (93.2%–97.8%) and 27.4% (17.9%–39.6%) for tape disc, and 74.8% (66.3%–81.7%) and 72.7% (51.8%–86.8%) for microbiopsy. Several reference test–negative patients were consistently positive with the index tests. Using the composite reference test, dental broach, and skin slit had similar diagnostic performance.

Discussion

Dental broach seems a less invasive but similarly accurate alternative to skin slit for diagnosing CL when using PCR. Tape discs lack specificity and seem unsuitable for CL diagnosis without cutoff. Reference tests for CL are problematic, since using a single reference test is likely to miss true cases, while composite reference tests are often biased and impractical as they require multiple tests.
Trump Support Explains COVID-19 Health Behaviors in the United States
Authors: Gadarian Shana Kushner , Goodman Sara Wallace , Pepinsky Thomas B
Published: February 2024

A wide range of empirical scholarship has documented a partisan gap in health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, but the political foundations and temporal dynamics of these partisan gaps remain poorly understood. Using an original six-wave individual panel study (n = 3,000) of Americans throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, we show that at the individual level, partisan differences in health behavior grew rapidly in the early months of the pandemic and are explained almost entirely by individual support for or opposition to President Trump. Our results comprise powerful evidence that Trump support (or opposition), rather than ideology or simple partisan identity, explains partisan gaps in health behavior in the United States. In a time of populist resurgence around the world, public health efforts must consider the impact of charismatic authority in addition to entrenched partisanship.
Pregnancy Outcomes After Laparoscopic Radiofrequency Ablation of Uterine Leiomyomas Compared With Myomectomy
Authors: Allen Antoinette , Schembri Michael , Parvataneni Ram , Waetjen L. Elaine , Varon Shira , Salamat-Saberi Naghmeh , Tassone Shawn , Williams Nicole , Kho Kimberly A. , Jacoby Vanessa L.
Published: February 2024

OBJECTIVE:

To compare pregnancy outcomes after laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation and myomectomy.

METHODS:

The ULTRA (Uterine Leiomyoma Treatment With Radiofrequency Ablation) study is an ongoing multicenter prospective cohort study with longitudinal follow-up up to 5 years comparing outcomes of radiofrequency ablation with myomectomy in premenopausal women older than age 21 years with symptomatic uterine leiomyomas. Participants were queried every 6 months after surgery to assess the incidence of pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes.

RESULTS:

Among 539 women enrolled in ULTRA, a total of 37 participants (mean age at first pregnancy 35.0±4.7 years) conceived 43 times as of March 2023 (22 radiofrequency ablation, 21 myomectomy). The average length of follow-up time after all procedures was 2.5±1.0 years. The baseline miscarriage rate in the study population was 33.3%. In participants who underwent radiofrequency ablation, 9 of 22 pregnancies (40.9%, 95% CI, 20.3–61.5%) ended in first-trimester miscarriage, 11 resulted in live births (50.0%, 95% CI, 29.1–70.9%), one resulted fetal death at 30 weeks of gestation, and one resulted in uterine rupture during miscarriage treatment with misoprostol 10 weeks after radiofrequency ablation. Among the live births in the radiofrequency ablation group, 45.5% were by vaginal delivery. In the myomectomy group, 9 of 21 pregnancies (42.9%, 95% CI, 21.7–64.0%) ended in first-trimester miscarriage and 12 resulted in live births (57.1%, 95% CI, 36.0–78.3%). There were no significant differences in the likelihood of live birth or miscarriage between the study groups.

CONCLUSION:

Full-term pregnancy and vaginal delivery are achievable after radiofrequency ablation of leiomyomas. However, in this interim analysis, the miscarriage rate in both radiofrequency ablation and myomectomy groups was higher than expected for women in this age group. Long-term data collection in the ongoing ULTRA study aims to further understand pregnancy outcomes after radiofrequency ablation compared with myomectomy.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION:

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT0210094.
Anatomical Observation and Clinical Significance of the Medial Branch of the Lumbar Dorsal Rami
Authors: Liu Zexian , Chen Junjie , Fang Duopei , Xu Yejie , Zhou Xinying , Zheng Zhiyang , Zhang Zhenfeng , Fan Chaohui , Luo Shiwen , Liu Zezheng , Li Qingchu , Zhao Qinghao
Published: February 2024

Study Design.

Anatomical study.

Objective.

This study aimed to elaborate on the anatomical characteristics of the medial branch of the lumbar dorsal rami and to discuss its possible clinical significance.

Summary of Background Data.

Radiofrequency ablation targeting the medial branch of the lumbar dorsal rami has been increasingly used in the clinical management of facetogenic low back pain (FLBP). Nonetheless, attention is also being given to complications such as atrophy of the lumbar soft tissues and muscles. Therefore, a more detailed understanding of the innervation pattern on the facet joint may improve the precision of nerve ablation therapy for FLBP.

Methods.

An anatomical study of eight human specimens was carried out. The anatomic characteristics of the medial branch were observed and recorded.

Results.

The medial branch originates from the lumbar dorsal rami, running close to the root of the posterolateral side of the superior articular process of the inferior cone. When passed through the mamillo-accessory ligament, it turns direction to the medial and caudal side, running in the multifidus muscle. In our study, each medial branch sent out two to five branches along the way. All the medial branches in L1-L4 gave off one to two small branches when crossing the facet joint and innervated the joint of the lower segment. Nineteen medial branches (23.75%) gave off recurrent branches to innervate the joint at the upper segment.

Conclusion.

The anatomical features of the medial branch remain similar in each lumbar segment. There are two types of joint branches, including the articular fibers that emanate from the medial branch as it runs along the medial border of the facet joint and the recurrent branch from the medial branch that innervates the upper facet joint. Moreover, an anastomotic branch was found in the medial branches between different segments.
Neoadjuvant therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors in combination with chemotherapy vs. chemotherapy alone in HER2(–) locally advanced gastric cancer: A propensity score-matched cohort study
Authors: Xu Gehan , Liu Tianjiao , Shen Jingyi , Guan Quanlin
Published: February 2024

Background:

This study aims to compare the efficacy between neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) plus chemotherapy vs. chemotherapy, and neoadjuvant triplet vs. doublet chemotherapeutic regimens in locally advanced gastric/esophagogastric junction cancer (LAGC).

Methods:

We included LAGC patients from 47 hospitals in China’s National Cancer Information Database (NCID) from January 2019 to December 2022. Using propensity score matching (PSM), we retrospectively analyzed the efficacy between neoadjuvant ICIs plus chemotherapy vs. chemotherapy alone, and neoadjuvant triplet vs. doublet chemotherapeutic regimens. The primary study result was the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate. The secondary study results were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results:

A total of 1205 LAGC patients were included. After PSM, the ICIs plus chemotherapy and the chemotherapy cohorts had 184 patients each, while the doublet and triplet chemotherapy cohorts had 246 patients each. The pCR rate (14.13% vs. 7.61%, χ
2 = 4.039, P = 0.044), and the 2-year (77.60% vs. 61.02%, HR = 0.67, 95% con­fidence interval [CI] 0.43–0.98, P = 0.048) and 3-year (70.55% vs. 61.02%, HR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.32–0.93, P = 0.048) DFS rates in the ICIs plus chemotherapy cohort were improved compared to those in the chemotherapy cohort. No significant increase was observed in the OS rates at both 1 year and 2 years. The pCR rates, DFS rates at 1–3 years, and OS rates at 1–2 years did not differ significantly between the doublet and triplet cohorts, respectively. No differences were observed in postoperative complications between any of the group comparisons.

Conclusions:

Neoadjuvant ICIs plus chemotherapy improved the pCR rate and 2–3 years DFS rates of LAGC compared to chemotherapy alone, but whether short-term benefit could translate into long-term efficacy is unclear. The triplet regimen was not superior to the doublet regimen in terms of efficacy. The safety after surgery was similar between either ICIs plus chemotherapy and chemotherapy or the triplet and the doublet regimen.
Flap Reconstruction Results in Longer Overall Treatment Time in Patients Treated with Surgery and Adjuvant Radiotherapy for Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity and Larynx
Authors: Drescher Nicolette R. , Latortue Tayna , Brisson Ryan J. , Cassidy Vincent D. , Amdur Robert J. , Mendenhall William M. , Hitchcock Kathryn E.
Published: February 2024

Objective:

There is an inverse relationship between cancer cure and overall treatment time (OTT) in patients treated with surgical resection and radiotherapy (RT).

Methods:

OTT was evaluated based on the reconstruction procedure in 420 patients with oral cavity and larynx cancers treated with surgery and RT between 1991 and 2020.

Results:

With OTT >85 days, the difference between no versus yes flap reconstruction was ~20 percentage points and significant for all comparisons: primary closure (+/− skin graft), 49%, vs. rotation or free flap, 71% (P<0.0001); primary closure (+/− skin graft), 49%, versus free flap without bone, 66% (P=0.0358); and primary closure (+/− skin graft), 49%, versus free flap with bone, 82% (P<0.0001).

Conclusions:

The use of flap reconstructions results in substantial increases in OTT. Findings suggest a need to reevaluate current policies regarding the choice of reconstruction and starting RT sooner after surgery.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Pouch Disorders in Children: A Systematic Review
Authors: Nallapaneni Padmini , Picoraro Joseph A
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND:

Restorative proctocolectomy and ileal pouch anal anastomosis has become the surgical procedure of choice in pediatric patients with medically-refractory ulcerative colitis or familial adenomatous polyposis. This systematic review aims to assess the diagnosis and treatment of pouch disorders in pediatric patients who undergo ileal pouch anal anastomosis.

METHODS:

A literature search was performed on MEDLINE, Google Scholar and EMBASE for all publications describing outcomes of pediatric ileal pouch anal anastomosis. Studies between January 1, 2000 and September 7, 2022 published in English were included. Studies were excluded based on title, abstract and full-length review.

RESULTS:

Thirty-three studies were included in this review, all of which were retrospective in nature. The outcomes of 2643 pediatric patients were included in the 33 studies. Pouch disorders described include anastomotic leaks, pouch strictures, pouch failure, pouchitis, cuffitis and de novo Crohn’s disease of the pouch.

CONCLUSIONS:

The reported incidence of disorders of the pouch in children varies widely and is likely attributable to differences in definitions and follow-up periods across studies. Pouchitis was the most frequently described outcome. The overall rate of pouch failure in children is relatively low with de novo Crohn’s disease of the pouch the most significant risk factor. Management is largely informed by clinical practices in adult patients with scant data on treatment efficacy in children. Multicenter, prospective studies are needed in the pediatric population in order to accurately identify risk factors, standardize the assessment of pouch complications, and determine effective treatment strategies. See 20-minute symposium video.
Can researchers trust ICD-10 coding of medical comorbidities in orthopaedic trauma patients?
Authors: Arthur Rodney , Mayberry R. Miles , Odum Susan , Kempton Laurence B. ,   Evidence-Based Musculoskeletal Injury and Trauma Collaborative (EMIT)
Published: February 2024

Objectives:

The 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) coding system may prove useful to orthopaedic trauma researchers to identify and document populations based on comorbidities. However, its use for research first necessitates determination of its reliability. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of electronic medical record (EMR) ICD-10 coding of nonorthopaedic diagnoses in orthopaedic trauma patients relative to the gold standard of prospective data collection.

Design:

Nonexperimental cross-sectional study.

Setting:

Level 1 Trauma Center.

Patients/Participants:

Two hundred sixty-three orthopaedic trauma patients from 2 prior prospective studies from September 2018 to April 2022.

Intervention:

Prospectively collected data were compared with EMR ICD-10 code abstraction for components of the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), obesity, alcohol abuse, and tobacco use (retrospective data).

Main Outcome Measurements:

Percent agreement and Cohen's kappa reliability.

Results:

Percent agreement ranged from 86.7% to 96.9% for all CCI diagnoses and was as low as 72.6% for the diagnosis “overweight.” Only 2 diagnoses, diabetes without end-organ damage (kappa = 0.794) and AIDS (kappa = 0.798) demonstrated Cohen's kappa values to indicate substantial agreement.

Conclusion:

EMR diagnostic coding for medical comorbidities in orthopaedic trauma patients demonstrated variable reliability. Researchers may be able to rely on EMR coding to identify patients with diabetes without complications or AIDS. Chart review may still be necessary to confirm diagnoses. Low prevalence of most comorbidities led to high percentage agreement with low reliability.

Level of Evidence:

Level 1 diagnostic.
Comparative outcomes after treatment of peri-implant, periprosthetic, and interprosthetic femur fractures: which factors increase mortality risk?
Authors: Shah Jay K. , Abwini Laith Z. , Tang Alex , Yang Jason I. , Keller David M. , Menken Luke G. , Liporace Frank A. , Yoon Richard S.
Published: February 2024

Objectives:

To compare mortality rates between patients treated surgically for periprosthetic fractures (PPF) after total hip arthroplasty (THA), total knee arthroplasty (TKA), peri-implant (PI), and interprosthetic (IP) fractures while identifying risk factors associated with mortality following PPF.

Design:

Retrospective.

Setting:

Single, Level II Trauma Center.

Patients/Participants:

A retrospective review was conducted of 129 consecutive patients treated surgically for fractures around a pre-existing prosthesis or implant from 2013 to 2020. Patients were separated into 4 comparison groups: THA, TKA, PI, and IP fractures.

Intervention:

Revision implant or arthroplasty, open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), intramedullary nailing (IMN), percutaneous screws, or a combination of techniques.

Main Outcome Measurements:

Primary outcome measures include mortality rates of different types of PPF, PI, and IP fractures at 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year postoperative. We analyzed risk factors associated with mortality aimed to determine whether treatment type affects mortality.

Results:

One hundred twenty-nine patients were included for final analysis. Average follow-up was similar between all groups. The overall 1-year mortality rate was 1 month (5%), 3 months (12%), 6 months (13%), 1 year (15%), and 2 years (22%). There were no differences in mortality rates between each group at 30 days, 90 days, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years (P-value = 0.86). A Kaplan–Meier survival curve demonstrated no difference in survivorship up to 2 years. Older than 65 years, history of hypothyroidism and dementia, and discharge to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) led to increased mortality. There was no survival benefit in treating patients with PPFs with either revision, ORIF, IMN, or a combination of techniques.

Conclusion:

The overall mortality rates observed were 1 month (5%), 3 months (12%), 6 months (13%), 1 year (15%), and 2 years (22%), and no differences were found between each group at all follow-up time points. Patients aged 65 and older with a history of hypothyroidism and/or dementia discharged to an SNF are at increased risk for mortality. From a mortality perspective, surgeons should not hesitate to choose the surgical treatment they feel most comfortable performing.

Level of Evidence:

Level III.