bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Engineering Knowledge
Authors: Houkes Wybo , Meijers Anthonie
Published: January 2021

This chapter seeks to advance our understanding of engineering knowledge. The authors distinguish existing views of engineering knowledge as subordinating, contrasting, or assimilating it to (natural-)scientific knowledge. After identifying shortcomings and useful elements of each view, the authors offer ingredients for an alternative analysis, focusing on knowledge produced in the design of high-tech systems. This analysis builds on elements of existing views of engineering knowledge, as well as recent work in the philosophy of science. The authors argue that such design involves sets of epistemic activities, resulting in a variety of rules, where both activities and rules are governed by a distinctive set of epistemic and non-epistemic values. To illustrate this analysis, the authors use the development of the nuclear-fusion test reactor ITER as a running example.
Humanism and Gender
Authors: Miller Monica R.
Published: January 2021

Framed in terms of the problems associated with traditional thinking on gender within humanism, this chapter sets about the task of carving out an approach to humanism that would enable flexible, fluid, and malleable understandings of social difference, such as gender, by calling for a re-orientation of humanism that can account for human variability over time, space, and place. Essentially, the chapter argues that humanism’s reliance on fixed categories of reason and human nature has reinforced a White, male logic of domination. First, it suggests a rethinking of humanism as a constructed concept, rather than an idea that somehow metaphysically emanates from some universal core of “human nature.” The chapter suggests a charting of humanism that moves beyond essences insomuch that free-floating “essences” (e.g., gender) collapse the construction (of humanism) back onto, and within, the domain of metaphysics. Next, it looks at origins, attempting to disrupt the science-based situativity in Enlightenment notions of (white, male, objective) “rationality” that were constructed over and against “irrational” categories of difference, such as gender.
Writing (About) Ancient Lives
Authors: De Temmerman Koen
Published: January 2021

This introductory chapter explores the scholarship on ancient biography. It has become a topos in that scholarship to note that biography is one of the most widespread literary genres worldwide. At the same time, it is another topos to point out that scholarly attention has been slow to follow the genre’s increasing popularity. This chapter surveys a number of explanations for the lack of holistic focus in scholarship, pays attention both to how scholars have defined the notoriously diverse genre of (ancient) biography and to how they have conceptualized its origins, and it positions the book within these debates. Finally, attention is paid to a number of other conceptual parameters that impact the rationale behind the book as a whole (ranging from intellectual approaches to its coverage of material across media, historical eras and cultures) and explain its structure.
Lives of Homer
Authors: Saïd Suzanne
Published: January 2021

This chapter focuses on Lives of Homer, the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. According to the early Christian writer Tatian, the interest in Homer’s biography began in the sixth century with Theagenes of Rhegium, followed in the late fifth century by Stesimbrotus of Thasos, Antimachus of Colophon, and Herodotus. However, the so-called Lives of Homer, whose origin can be traced back to oral traditions transmitted by the rhapsodes, are all several centuries later. The Homer of the Lives is a construction from the Odyssey. However, his portrait is also a major document concerning the reception of his poems. Their panhellenic status, combined with the local pride of Greek cities, accounts for the number of his birthplaces. Later on, when Hellenism was appropriated by the Roman Empire, he was claimed by Rome, Egypt, and Syria, which were part of it. His portrait was also influenced by the rhapsodes, who performed his poems, and his primary role in Greek and Graeco-Roman paideia.
Plutarch’s Parallel Lives
Authors: Georgiadou Aristoula , Lucchesi Michele A.
Published: January 2021

This chapter addresses Plutarch’s Parallel Lives. By the time Plutarch launched into the composition of this text, biographical material was already displaying a wide diversity. Plutarch’s biographical corpus—one of the biggest in the ancient world—displays this variety, as it comprises three different types of biography: individual Lives, the Lives of the Caesars, and the Parallel Lives. (On the first two, see Chapter 14.) Parallel Lives is a collection of biographies structured according to the organizing principles of parallelism and ‘sameness’: each pair of Greek and Roman Lives forms a volume (a book unit), while together the pairs constitute a series. The process of comparison and parallelism is relevant to each pair of Lives in various ways. In the prologues, Plutarch states both the purpose and the method of his work, names the two protagonists, and offers an outline of the similarities between the characters of the two protagonists. In the formal syncrisis (comparison), he sums up the points of contact and, especially, the differences between the two protagonists.
The Alexander Romance
Authors: Jouanno Corinne
Published: January 2021

The present paper focusses on the oldest version of the Alexander Romance (the so-called alpha recension). It is a composite work, made of heterogeneous elements whose combination generates tensions in the portrayal of the protagonist, Alexander. His presentation is multifocal: making use of letters, speeches, and dialogues, and multiplying the points of view, the narrator constructs a kaleidoscopic image of Alexander which is that of an actant rather than a character. Nevertheless, the emphasis put on Alexander’s singularity and exceptional destiny gives the Romance its consistency. The prevalence of an entertaining prospect implies a redirection of biographical tools for the benefit of fictitiousness.
Lucian
Authors: Anderson Graham
Published: January 2021

This chapter examines Lucian’s biographical experiments. The second-century ad satirist and belletrist Lucian is not primarily associated with biography as a genre, but he has nonetheless left two substantial satirical pamphlets which include many biographical claims about their victims, the religious activists Peregrinus of Parium and Alexander of Abonotichus. He has also produced a collection of satirical quips which he attributes to his own teacher Demonax, as the central section of an appreciation of his master. There has been long-running debate among scholars on the balance of literary versus historical presences across the whole spectrum of Lucian’s own work, and the biographical pieces are part of that debate. There has been a tendency for literary scholars to doubt the historicity of many details, and for prosopographers and epigraphers to emphasize the proportion of details that can be confirmed by standard historical and archaeological tools. The biographical pieces in some of their details can be used to support both sides: they often contain elements of invention, sometimes admitted by the mischievous narrator Lucian as he goes along; but at the same time, they can support a sense of authenticity in the background of the eastern Roman Empire in which Lucian’s villainous enemies can be seen to flourish.
What are bioi/vitae?
Authors: Adams Sean A.
Published: January 2021

This chapter highlights how the ancients approached and discussed genres, with a focus on the role of biography within the larger genre system. The ancients not only had a robust concept of genre, but they distinguished each genre by the inclusion, exclusion, and arrangement of specific formal features. Although these features are typically used to distinguish one genre from another, certain genres have elements in common. This ‘genre overlap’ of formal features strengthens genre relationships and influences the development of genre hierarchies. In particular, the chapter focuses on the relationship between biography and history. Biography was a recognized genre form and ancient biographers, particularly those in the later empire, actively sought to situate themselves within this tradition. Originally, biography was defined by its authors in light of discussions of history; however, as time progressed, biographers showed a growing awareness and promotion of the ongoing tradition of this literary genre. This genre awareness allowed ancient biographers to define their task in light of representative authors who had preceded them and to cease defining themselves in contrast to another genre.
A Bishop’s Biography
Authors: Corke-Webster James
Published: January 2021

Eusebius’ Life of Constantine is one of the oddest works of biography to survive from Antiquity. As such, its authenticity and genre have been much studied. But its literary qualities remain undervalued. This chapter reads it not as a stand-alone work, but as the climax of its author’s long history of biographical experimentation. It focuses in particular on the ‘episcopal equivalencies’—the two passages where Constantine is described as being bishop-like. These passages can only be properly understood when read against the backdrop of Eusebius’ construction of bishops in his earlier biographical writings.
Individual and Collected Lives in Antiquity
Authors: Beneker Jeffrey
Published: January 2021

This chapter examines the implications of writing about individuals in the context of collections. A biography is, by definition, the written account of a person’s life, and therefore every biography is focused fundamentally on an individual. Nonetheless, the major biographers of Greece and Rome whose writings are extant—Cornelius Nepos, Plutarch, and Suetonius—all wrote Lives as parts of collections, and these collections influenced the form and function of their writings. All three authors, moreover, make use of the juxtapositions of Lives inherent in their collections to encourage comparative readings, and, in the case of Nepos and Plutarch, they expect readers to reflect on their own lives and societies as they read about statesmen, generals, and kings from the past. The chapter also studies early traces of the collection and comparison of Lives, taking Herodotus as a primary example to show that the ‘life-writing’ found in ancient political biography has been a part of the historiographical tradition from the beginning.
Syriac Biography
Authors: Debié Muriel
Published: January 2021

This chapter studies Syriac biographical writing. Biography is a Greek word and concept for which there is no Syriac equivalent. Yet authors wrote Lives in Syriac as in any other Christian tradition and were aware of the specific features of the genre. The chapter assesses if that makes a difference to the matter of understanding and construing biographical literature, that is, if there is a Syriac specificity in writing Lives compared to other Christian literature. Syriac, moreover, is a language in which Lives were both translated and composed, and circulated widely from one language to another, crossing cultural and ecclesiastical boundaries. Indeed, life-writing is an exceptionally rich field of Syriac literature, attested in an extraordinarily broad geographical scope, well beyond the frontiers of the Roman Empire. Beyond translations, the issue is one of adaptation and reception of these texts in different cultural and religious milieus.
Ancient Biography in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
Authors: Zanin Enrica
Published: January 2021

This chapter examines presences of ancient biography in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The popularity of biography in seventeenth-century Europe was mainly due to the numerous translations of Plutarch’s Parallel Lives. Conversely, Suetonius, whose Lives of the Caesars were extremely influential in the early modern period, was less read in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Meanwhile, Diogenes Laertius’ Lives of Eminent Philosophers contributed to the rise of literary and philosophical biography. However, the more life-writing is considered as a literary practice, the less its historical reliability is valued. If, in the seventeenth century, Lives were generally regarded as a historical genre, eighteenth-century philosophers criticized the historical interest of biography, at a time in which history began to be studied as a science more than as a pedagogical device.
After-Lives
Authors: Goldschmidt Nora
Published: January 2021

This chapter explores biographical receptions of Greek and Roman poets in the twentieth century. Classical scholarship has now begun to recognize ancient biography as a creative mode of reception in Antiquity. In the twentieth century and into the twenty-first, reading the texts of Greek and Roman poetry for the lives of their authors has been an especially rich and multifaceted mode of reception, providing for many readers a means of grappling with the ancient texts within the changing cultural landscape of modernity. Yet, unlike the medieval and early modern traditions of literary biography, in the twentieth century, academic and creative Lives have tended to part company. When it comes to Greek and Roman poets, though a few full-length literary biographies that still attempt to claim factual status have been produced, conventional narrative biographies that aim to set out the ‘facts’ are generally only found in isagogic contexts such as introductions to texts and translations, or textbooks of literary history. Moreover, partly because modern authors are acutely aware that there are few ‘facts’ beyond the poets’ works themselves on which to base their material, and partly as a broader consequence of modern preoccupations with fragmentation and the limits of knowledge, creative life-writing about the ancient poets in this period is found more frequently in ludic snapshots rather than full-blown narrative biographies.
Eighteenth-Century Catholic Reception of Aquinas
Authors: Lynch Reginald M.
Published: January 2021

The eighteenth century was a time of intellectual innovation, political change, and social upheaval. After the close of the second scholastic period and the age of the great Thomistic commentaries, philosophers and theologians were confronted with the challenge of interpreting Aquinas in light of the many new intellectual paradigms that had become so powerful during the European Enlightenment. Although textual commentary continued in some places, in many ways the reception of Aquinas in this century was defined by the need to navigate pressing questions in dogmatic and moral theology. Rationalism posed new challenges for Catholic systematic and dogmatic theology, either as a foil or as an aid, and moral theologians continued to confront the tension between rigorism and laxism that had divided Catholic approaches to graced human action since the late sixteenth century.
The Reception of Aquinas in Early Twentieth-century Catholic Neo-Scholastic and Historical Theologians
Authors: Nutt Roger W.
Published: January 2021

This chapter introduces the reception of Thomas Aquinas by a number of theologians of the early twentieth century. While each of these students of Aquinas could be labelled as ‘neo-scholastic’ theologians, the authors represented here also embody a wide range of approaches (historical, pastoral) to the theological teaching of Thomas Aquinas. This chapter introduces each of these neo-scholastic Thomist theologians in relation to their reception of Aquinas on key topics related to the principal ecclesial crises of the period, especially the nature of theology, Christian faith, and dogma. Furthermore, the reception of Aquinas’ doctrine of grace and pneumatology as a source for the moral and spiritual renewal of the Church by key neo-scholastic authors is also presented.
The Reception of Aquinas in Twentieth-Century Transcendental Thomism
Authors: Fields Stephen M.
Published: January 2021

Principally a Jesuit movement, transcendental Thomism owes its origin to Pierre Rousselot, who recovered in Aquinas the distinctive role of the intellectus, the mind’s synthetic power. His disciple Joseph Maréchal used the renewed intellect to buttress metaphysics against Kant’s eroding critique. By focusing on the intellect’s faculty of judgement, Maréchal recast the analogy of being, a central Thomist doctrine. Its recasting enabled Karl Rahner to extend the movement into theology, especially its fundamental and systematic branches. Bernard Lonergan, conducting his own distinctive study of intellectus in Aquinas, incorporated into realist metaphysics an expansive phenomenology of understanding.
Karl Barth’s Reception of Thomas Aquinas
Authors: Oakes Kenneth
Published: January 2021

Four different pictures of Thomas Aquinas can be found in the works of Karl Barth: Thomas as representative of Roman Catholic theology; Thomas as forerunner to positions later adopted by the Reformers and the Reformed scholastics; Thomas as an ally in countering aspects of Roman Catholic theology that Barth deems problematic; and Thomas as a common doctor of the Church. Additionally, Barth agrees with Thomas on many issues regarding the Trinity, the doctrine of God, the relationship between God and the world, providence, and predestination, while he disagrees on with Thomas on issues related to the natural knowledge of God, the relationship between nature and grace, and the analogy of being. Barth’s interpretation of Thomas Aquinas’ theology was influenced by Erik Peterson and Erich Przywara, and his main sources for understanding Thomas were the Summa contra gentiles and the Summa theologiae.
The Contemporary Reception of Aquinas on the Natural Knowledge of God
Authors: VanDrunen David
Published: January 2021

This chapter considers key themes from Thomas Aquinas’ view of the natural knowledge of God, or natural theology, from the opening of his Summa theologiae. It is written from the perspective of Reformed theology, which has traditionally supported natural theology of a certain kind, despite its recent reputation as an opponent of natural theology. According to Thomas, natural theology is insufficient for salvation and is inevitably laden with errors apart from the help of supernatural revelation. But human reason, operating properly, can demonstrate the existence and certain attributes of God from the natural order, and this natural knowledge constitutes preambles to the articles of the Christian faith. The chapter thus engages in a critically sympathetic analysis of these themes and suggests how a contemporary reception of Thomas might appropriate them effectively.
ThePharus latifoliusgenome bridges the gap of early grass evolution
Authors: Ma Peng-Fei , Liu Yun-Long , Jin Gui-Hua , Liu Jing-Xia , Wu Hong , He Jun , Guo Zhen-Hua , Li De-Zhu
Published: January 2021

The grass family (Poaceae) includes all commercial cereal crops and is a major contributor to biomass in various terrestrial ecosystems. The ancestry of all grass genomes includes a shared whole-genome duplication (WGD), named rho (ρ) WGD, but the evolutionary significance of ρ-WGD remains elusive. We sequenced the genome of Pharus latifolius, a grass species (producing a true spikelet) in the subfamily Pharoideae, a sister lineage to the core Poaceae including the (Panicoideae, Arundinoideae, Chloridoideae, Micrairoideae, Aristidoideae, and Danthonioideae (PACMAD) and Bambusoideae, Oryzoideae, and Pooideae (BOP) clades. Our results indicate that the P. latifolius genome has evolved slowly relative to cereal grass genomes, as reflected by moderate rates of molecular evolution, limited chromosome rearrangements and a low rate of gene loss for duplicated genes. We show that the ρ-WGD event occurred approximately 98.2 million years ago (Ma) in a common ancestor of the Pharoideae and the PACMAD and BOP grasses. This was followed by contrasting patterns of diploidization in the Pharus and core Poaceae lineages. The presence of two FRIZZY PANICLE-like genes in P. latifolius, and duplicated MADS-box genes, support the hypothesis that the ρ-WGD may have played a role in the origin and functional diversification of the spikelet, an adaptation in grasses related directly to cereal yields. The P. latifolius genome sheds light on the origin and early evolution of grasses underpinning the biology and breeding of cereals.
The Paradox of Pain
Authors: Bradley Adam
Published: January 2021

Bodily pain strikes many philosophers as deeply paradoxical. The issue is that pains seem to bear both physical characteristics, such as a location in the body, and mental characteristics, such being mind-dependent. In this paper I clarify and address this alleged paradox of pain. I begin by showing how a further assumption, Objectivism, the thesis that what one feels in one’s body when one is in pain is something mind-independent, is necessary for the generation of the paradox. Consequently, the paradox can be avoided if one rejects this idea. However, doing so raises its own difficulties, for it is not obvious how anything can possess all of the features we typically associate with bodily pain. To address this puzzle and finally put the paradox of pain to rest, I develop the Embodied View, a novel metaphysical account on which pains are constitutively mind-dependent features of parts of a subject’s body.
Is Ankle Plantar Flexor Strength Associated With Balance and Walking Speed in Healthy People? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Tavakkoli Oskouei Sanam , Malliaras Peter , Jansons Paul , Hill Keith , Soh Sze-Ee , Jaberzadeh Shapour , Perraton Luke
Published: January 2021

Objective

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between ankle plantar flexor muscle (PF) strength and balance and walking speed in healthy adults.

Methods

Four databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, and SPORTDiscus) were searched from inception to December 2019. Studies with any design were included if the association between PF strength and balance and walking speed was investigated among healthy adults. Articles were screened for eligibility independently by 2 reviewers. Study characteristics and Pearson r values derived from the association between PF strength and balance and walking speed were extracted. Thirty-four studies were eligible. The main group of interest in the studies was older adults. Pearson r values were transformed to rz values using Fisher z-transformation. Meta-analysis of rz values was conducted and then back-transformed to r.

Results

In older adults, PF maximal isometric strength had a positive weak association with static balance (r = 0.20; 95% CI = 0.08–0.32), a positive moderate association with dynamic reactive balance (r = 0.42; 95% CI = 0.32–0.57) and proactive balance (r = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.18–1.06), and a positive weak association with preferred walking speed (r = 0.29; 95% CI = 0.19–0.41) and maximum walking speed (r = 0.34; 95% CI = 0.06–0.63). In younger adults, there was a moderate association between early-phase PF rate of torque development and reactive balance (0.42 < r < 0.52).

Conclusions

PF strength appears to be moderately associated with dynamic reactive and proactive balance and weakly associated with static balance and walking speed. This finding highlights the potential role of PF strength in dynamic reactive and proactive balance.

Impact

This meta-analysis showed that ankle PF strength might be important for challenging dynamic balance tasks.
Measurement Precision and Efficiency of Computerized Adaptive Testing for the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale in People With Stroke
Authors: Seamon Bryant A , Kautz Steven A , Velozo Craig A
Published: January 2021

Objective

Administrative burden often prevents clinical assessment of balance confidence in people with stroke. A computerized adaptive test (CAT) version of the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC CAT) can dramatically reduce this burden. The objective of this study was to test balance confidence measurement precision and efficiency in people with stroke with an ABC CAT.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional, simulation study with data from 406 adults approximately 2 months post-stroke in the Locomotor-Experience Applied Post-Stroke trial. Item parameters for CAT calibration were estimated with the Rasch model using a random sample of participants (n = 203). Computer simulation was used with response data from the remaining 203 participants to evaluate the ABC CAT algorithm under varying stopping criteria. We compared estimated levels of balance confidence from each simulation to actual levels predicted from the Rasch model (Pearson correlations and mean standard error [SE]).

Results

Results from simulations with number of items as a stopping criterion strongly correlated with actual ABC scores (full item, r = 1, 12-item, r = 0.994; 8-item, r = 0.98; 4-item, r = 0.929). Mean SE increased with decreasing number of items administered (full item, SE = 0.31; 12 item, SE = 0.33; 8 item, SE = 0.38; 4 item, SE = 0.49). A precision-based stopping rule (mean SE = 0.5) also strongly correlated with actual ABC scores (r = 0.941) and optimized the relationship between number of items administrated with precision (mean number of items 4.37, range [4–9]).

Conclusion

An ABC CAT can determine accurate and precise measures of balance confidence in people with stroke with as few as 4 items. Individuals with lower balance confidence may require a greater number of items (up to 9) which could be attributed to the Locomotor-Experience Applied Post-Stroke trial excluding more functionally impaired persons.

Impact

Computerized adaptive testing can drastically reduce the ABC test’s administration time while maintaining accuracy and precision. This should greatly enhance clinical utility, facilitating adoption of clinical practice guidelines in stroke rehabilitation.

Lay Summary

If you have had a stroke, your physical therapist will likely test your balance confidence. A CAT version of the ABC scale can accurately identify balance with as few as 4 questions, which takes much less time.
Reliability and Concurrent Validity of Shoulder Tissue Irritability Classification
Authors: Kareha Stephen M , McClure Philip W , Fernandez-Fernandez Alicia
Published: January 2021

Objective

Rating tissue irritability has been recommended to aid decision making in several recent clinical practice guidelines. An explicit method for rating tissue irritability was proposed as part of the Staged Algorithm for Rehabilitation Classification: Shoulder Disorders (STAR-Shoulder), but the reliability and validity of this classification are unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and concurrent validity of shoulder tissue irritability ratings as part of a system designed to guide appropriate treatment strategy and intensity.

Methods

A clinical measurement, prospective repeated-measures cross-sectional design was used. The 101 consecutive participants with primary complaints of shoulder pain were assessed by pairs of blinded raters (24 raters in total) and rated for tissue irritability. Patients completed 3 patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures reflecting both pain and disability, and these scores were compared with ratings of tissue irritability. Paired ratings of irritability were analyzed for reliability with prevalence-adjusted, bias-adjusted Kappa for ordinal scales. Analysis of variance was used to compare PRO measures across different levels of irritability. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was utilized to derive cut-off scores for 3 PRO instruments.

Results

Interrater reliability was 0.69 (95% CI = 0.59–0.78), with 67% agreement. All PRO measures were significantly different among 3 levels of tissue irritability.

Conclusion

There appears to be acceptable reliability and a strong relationship between PRO measures and therapist-rated tissue irritability, supporting the use of the STAR-Shoulder irritability rating system.

Impact

Several clinical practice guidelines have recommended that clinicians rate tissue irritability as part of their examination. This study provides important new information supporting the reliability and validity of the STAR-Shoulder tissue irritability rating system.
The effects of long- or short-term increased feed allowance prior to first service on litter size in gilts
Authors: Bruun Thomas S , Bache Julie K , Amdi Charlotte
Published: January 2021

Replacing stock is costly in any pig production. In addition, it takes time for young animals to reach the same level of productivity as more mature animals. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of long- or short-term increased feed allowance (covering the luteal and follicular phases) prior to service in the second estrus on first parity performance. In order to achieve this, altrenogest was used to synchronize the gilts cycle to allow a precise feeding strategy, and only gilts inseminated 0–10 d after altrenogest withdrawal were included in the study. Altrenogest was given at days 0–18 to control the luteal phase and, therefore, treatments covered different feeding strategies in either or both the luteal phase (days 0–18) and follicular phase (days 18–25). High feed allowance (H) was induced using 0.97 kg more feed per day compared to the low feed allowance (L) given 2.33 kg/d. Four feeding strategies, low–low (LL), high–high (HH), high–low (HL), and low–high (LH), were included. Once gilts had been inseminated, feed allowance was reduced to 2.23 kg/d to prevent the loss of embryos in early gestation. A tendency was observed between feeding strategy and backfat thickness before altrenogest treatment, showing that total born piglets were positively correlated to backfat in the LL and LH (no increased feed allowance or short-term increased feed allowance), treatments (P = 0.076), compared to when gilts had longer periods with high feed allowance (HH and HL). High feed allowance in the follicular phase (LH) tended to increase the number of total born piglets compared to the other groups (P = 0.069) when applied in the follicular phase of the second standing estrus after the gilts were given altrenogest. This would be equivalent to the last 5–7 d of a 21-d cycle in gilts. The three other feeding strategies, comprising either the luteal and follicular phases (HH) or the luteal phase (HL) or none (LL), did not increase litter size. The weight of the gilt when entering the insemination section also had an effect on total born piglets (P < 0.001) with an increase in litter size with increased weight of the sow, but no differences between treatments. In conclusion, the weight of the gilt had an influence on the total litter size and gilts with low backfat tended to respond more positively to a longer period with high feed allowance than fatter gilts.
Avoiding the Virtual Pitfall: Identifying and Mitigating Biases in Graduate Medical Education Videoconference Interviews
Authors: Marbin Jyothi , Hutchinson Y-Vonne , Schaeffer Sarah
Published: January 2021

Public health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic are leading many residency and fellowship programs to transition from in-person to videoconference interviews (VCIs). The magnitude and speed of the shift to VCIs, the lack of existing research around bias and VCIs, and the underlying stress on all involved related to the pandemic put programs at risk of implementing virtual interviews without fully exploring their implications for diversity and equity. VCIs can promote diversity efforts by reducing the need for travel, making interviews more convenient and cost effective for applicants. However, VCIs may also introduce new biases and amplify existing biases in recruitment. VCIs introduce a dependence on technology to conduct the interview process, which may amplify systemic inequities in access to broadband internet and high-quality hardware. Communication delays due to technology challenges may negatively affect interview scores. Additionally, users experience increased cognitive load when participating in videoconferences, which can activate implicit biases. Exposure to cues in the interviewee’s personal living situation previously unavailable to interviewers may lead to unconscious assumptions by interviewers, which may also influence scoring. Graduate medical education programs committed to maintaining equitable recruitment processes must be able to recognize potential biases in VCIs and implement strategies to mitigate them. This article identifies some of the biases VCIs can introduce to the recruitment process and offers strategies for programs to mitigate them. These include making interviewers aware of potential technology-based inequities, encouraging interviewers to minimize multitasking, and offering guidance on use of standardized backgrounds. The authors also recognize the limitations of offering behavioral strategies to mitigate systemic inequities and suggest that structural changes are needed to ensure equitable access to technology.
Critical survey and panel review of sustained acoustic medicine in the treatment of sports-related musculoskeletal injuries by professional sports athletic trainers
Authors: Draper David O. , Best Thomas
Published: January 2021

Background:

The purpose of our study was two-fold. First, it was to discover American professional sports athletic trainers’ (PSAT) use and opinions regarding the treatment with a small, portable ultrasound Sustained Acoustic Medicine (SAM) device on their athletes. Second, it was to discover the effectiveness of SAM treatment in their professional sports players (PSP).

Methods:

There were two ways of collecting data from the PSATs. The first was by written survey. Questions included qualitative and quantitative feedback on SAM device use, clinical applications, and acceptance among PSP. The second part involved a panel discussion of four PSATs, who shared their personal experiences with SAM. Questions focused on the use of the technology, confidence level, manner of application, and communication with PSPs regarding the application of the SAM and recommended treatment protocols.

Results:

The survey found that SAM is wearable, easy to use, comfortable, and that it can be used as a “go-to” device outside of the athletic training facility. PSATs reported an 87% satisfaction and increased confidence in the ability of SAM to accelerate the healing process. Thus, SAM was considered a recommended treatment for professional athletes to use as an adjunct therapy. PSATs agreed that SAM is one of the recommended choices as an adjunct therapy in multiple musculoskeletal injuries.

Conclusions:

The survey and panel discussion concluded that SAM treatment is easy to use with no adverse effects and can be used at multiple stages of the healing process.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV.
Relationship between the time from injury to surgery and the degree of fracture reduction by ligamentotaxis in a posterior instrumentation without fusion for thoracolumbar unstable burst fracture: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Ko Sangbong , Choi Wonkee , Lee Jaejun , Song Sukkyoon , Nam Junho
Published: January 2021

Background:

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the time from injury to surgery and the degree of fracture reduction in patients with unstable thoracolumbar burst fractures who had ligamentotaxis in a surgery in which the internal fixator was removed after obtaining union of the fractures. The surgery included posterior instrumentation with pedicle screws without an intervertebral fusion.

Methods:

Ninety-five patients underwent posterior instrumentation that used pedicle screws without segmental fusion as well as a removal procedure for internal fixation after obtaining union of the fracture. Those patients who were followed up for at least 1 yr after removal surgery were retrospectively enrolled. At the time of the injury, vertebral body angle was measured and the difference in the two angles was termed the correction angle. Based on the duration from injury to surgery, the patients were divided into two groups: those who had surgery within 48 hr (group A) and those who had surgery after 48 hr (group B).

Results:

There was a significantly weak negative correlation between the correction angle and the length of time from injury to surgery when the correlation coefficient was r=−0.205. By correcting the age, correction angle, and gender as well as increasing the correction angle by 1 degree, the probability of a subject belonging to group A was increased by 1.137 times more than the probability of a subject belonging to group B (P=0.004).

Conclusions:

The time from the injury to surgery for unstable thoracolumbar burst fractures tends to be shorter with a younger age, and the shorter lead time will cause a weaker negative relationship with correction angle.

Level of Evidence:

Level III.
S100/CD34-Positive Spindle Cell Mesenchymal Neoplasm Harboring KIAA1549-BRAF Fusion
Authors: Paton David J. W. , Wong Daniel , Amanuel Benhur , Cheah Kim , Ardakani Nima M.
Published: January 2021

Mesenchymal neoplasms with oncogenic kinase activity due to genomic alterations in receptor tyrosine kinase genes are a morphologically heterogeneous group with a variable biologic potential. A subset of these neoplasms are characterized by immunophenotypic property of dual S100 protein/CD34 expression, histopathological resemblance to lipofibromatosis or peripheral nerve sheath tumors, and often alterations in neurotrophic tropomyosin-related kinase genes. In this article, we present a case of an S100 protein/CD34-positive spindle cell neoplasm harboring a rare BRAF gene rearrangement (KIAA1549-BRAF fusion) and discuss the clinical, histopathological, and molecular variations associated with such neoplasms.
The 5 main challenges faced in infertility care in Cameroon
Authors: Gwet-Bell Ernestine , Gwet Bea B. , Akoung Nicole , Fiadjoe Moïse K.
Published: January 2021

Cameroon is a country located in Central Africa is facing a high infertility rate and numerous big challenges in taking care of the infertile couples. The main infertility causes are tubal stenosis in women and oligoasthenospermia in men. This is the consequences of sexual infections mainly due to sexually transmitted diseases. These cases require the use of techniques such as laparoscopy and assisted reproductive technology which are costly for the population. Fertility care is facing numerous challenges. We have chosen to describe the top 5 of these challenges. They are: the high rate of infertility, the stigmatization of infertile women, poor medical staff, the virtual absence of fertility centers and the high health care cost in poor countries. We urge the country’s authorities to invest more in prevention, training, and implementing universal health insurance.
A Framework for Nursing Excellence
Authors: Cosme Sheri , DeGarmo Sean , Graebe Jennifer , Horahan Marianne , Lal M. Maureen , Pabico Christine G.
Published: January 2021

As the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) marks its 30th anniversary in 2021, the world's largest and most prestigious nurse credentialing organization has unveiled a new Credentialing Framework for Nursing Excellence. In this month's “Magnet Perspectives,” the directors of the ANCC's 6 credentialing programs introduce a new conceptual framework, outline the key concepts for exceptional nursing practice, and describe how ANCC's programs interconnect to invoke a powerful model that healthcare organizations can use to develop and sustain nursing excellence.
Tiered Model of Nurse Staffing for Critical Care and Emergency Departments in the Wake of a Pandemic
Authors: Wells Celia M. , Zhang Ziya , Spano-Szekely Lauraine , Siller Jennifer , Brannon Helen , Schulz Kathleen , Scott Christine , Dolphy Melody , Hughes Ellen , Kohli-Seth Roopa
Published: January 2021

AIM

To identify strategies that increase hospital bed capacity, material resources, and available nurse staffing during a national pandemic.

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 outbreak resulted in an influx of acutely ill patients requiring critical care. The volume and acuity of this patient population increased the demand for care and stretched hospitals beyond their capacity. While increasing hospital bed capacity and material resources are crucial, healthcare systems have noted one of the greatest limitations to rapid expansion has been the number of available medical personnel, particularly those trained in emergency and critical care nursing.

EVALUATION

Program evaluation occurred on a daily basis with hospital throughput, focusing on logistics including our ability to expand bed volume, resource utilization, and the ability to meet staffing needs.

CONCLUSION

This article describes how a quaternary care hospital in New York City prepared for the COVID-19 surge in patients by maximizing and shifting nursing resources to its most impacted services, the emergency department (ED) and the intensive care units (ICUs). A tier-based staffing model and rapid training were operationalized to address nurse-staffing shortages in the ICU and ED, identifying key factors for swift deployment.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGERS

Frequent communication between staff and leaders improves teamwork and builds trust and buy-in during normal operations and particularly in times of crisis.
Unusual Case of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy in a Patient With Sjögren Syndrome
Authors: Onwubiko Ifeoma Ndidi , Taneja Kanika , Gupta Nilesh , Mukherjee Abir
Published: January 2021

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare demyelinating disease caused by reactivation of John Cunningham virus affecting typically subcortical and periventricular white matter of immunocompromised hosts (human immunodeficiency virus infection, hematologic malignancies). Cerebral hemispheric white matter is most commonly affected by lytic infections, leading to progressive damage to oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system. Neuroimaging usually highlights scattered foci of white matter hypodensity not attributable to contrast enhancement or mass effect. In contrast, we present an unusual case of PML predominantly affecting cervical spinal cord and brainstem in an immunocompetent host. This is a rare subset of PML case that can occur in association with connective tissue disorders (Sjögren Syndrome in this case), systemic lupus erythematosus being the most common. Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of spinal cord or brainstem lesions, particularly in the patients with connective tissue disorders.
An Individualized Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Program for Bilateral Hand Transplantations
Authors: Tombak Kadriye , Özkan Özlenen , Uysal Hilmi , Özkan Ömer
Published: January 2021

The objective of hand transplantation is to achieve levels of daily life activities, as well as sensory and cosmetic gains that exceed mere vital functions. We report the long-term rehabilitation process results and subsequent course of 2 cases after bilateral hand transplantations.

Methods

This article describes a rehabilitation program and the long-term results after its application in 2 double-hand transplantation patients after 9- and 4-year follow-up periods. A personal rehabilitation program was planned to commence as early as possible after postoperative patient stabilization. Splinting, edema, positioning, passive and active joint movements, daily life activity modification and education, and occupational therapy were also emphasized.

Results

Positioning, edema, and passive joint movements were started in the acute phase. Strengthening and exercises were continued for 8 weeks and later for functional gains and adaptation to daily living activities. Subjective and overall results were quite satisfactory. The Hand Transplantation Score System, Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand, Semmes Weinstein Monofilaments, sensory tests, and modified Kapandji index improvements were all within good acceptable ranges. Although rapid recovery and functional development were observed in the first 4 years, these are still continuing at the time of writing.

Discussion

The most important determining factors in the success of rehabilitation are to return to daily life and the ability to acquire functional skills. Long-term follow-up of the patients in this study showed that they were able to return to their independent daily lives and that external assistance decreased to a minimum.
Surgical Management of Frontal Bone Fractures
Authors: Kambalimath Deepashri H. , Sridhar K. R. , Achutha Snehitha
Published: January 2021

Introduction:

Frontal bone fractures show a low frequency of occurrence of about 5% to 15% of all maxillofacial fractures occurring due to high-velocity injuries such as in the case of road traffic accidents, sporting events, assaults. Successful surgical management revolves around the concept of minimizing cosmetic deformity, maintaining normal sinus function, avoidance of short and long-term complications. In this article, the authors report a case series of 24 cases of frontal bone fracture treated with various treatment modalities.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 24 cases of frontal bone fracture admitted to our facility were treated accordingly and the subsequent follow up data were collected and compiled to be included in this study.

Results:

In our study, 83.33% cases showed isolated anterior table fractures, 8.3% cases with combined anterior and posterior table fractures. 40% cases managed conservatively, 41.6% with titanium mini plates, 12.5% cases with titanium mesh and 4% with cranialisation with fat obliteration.

Conclusion:

Our treatment decisions were based upon the extent and severity of the injuries which aided in tailoring the treatment modality. Thereby, curbing the long-term complications which could be foreseen and hence, a better functional outcome was achieved.
Evaluation of Facial Soft Tissue in Patients With Cleft Lip and Palate Corrected Using Maxillary Protraction Appliances
Authors: Uehara Sayuri , Honda Aya , Kawase-Koga Yoko , Chikazu Daichi
Published: January 2021

Noncontact optical surface scanners have been used to evaluate facial soft tissues. Appropriate evaluation of patients with cleft lip and palate requires comprehensible assessment of the changes in their pre- and post-orthodontic soft tissue and facial growth during chairside assistance. The authors developed a new scanning system that required a shorter measurement time than conventional modalities. The system was implemented on a mannequin and a 6-year-old patient. Seven midfacial landmarks were identified on their faces. The authors measured these landmarks 5 times daily. An experienced orthodontist evaluated and recorded the scores. The scores obtained from the mannequin had a variation of within 0.2 mm, while those obtained from the patient varied within 0.8 mm, except that of the inferior limit of the lips. The study findings suggest that the new laser scanning system can accurately measure facial soft tissue. Further studies should fix patients’ head at a definite position for more accurate measurements. An appropriately angled laser sensor would eliminate distortions, thereby increasing the measurement validity.