bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Can Pay-for Performance Incentive Levels be Determined Using a Cost-Effectiveness Framework?
Authors: Pandya Ankur , Soeteman Djøra I. , Gupta Ajay , Kamel Hooman , Mushlin Alvin I. , Rosenthal Meredith B. 
Published: July 2020

Background:
Healthcare payers in the United States are increasingly tying provider payments to quality and value using pay-for-performance policies. Cost-effectiveness analysis quantifies value in healthcare but is not currently used to design or prioritize pay-for-performance strategies or metrics. Acute ischemic stroke care provides a useful application to demonstrate how simulation modeling can be used to determine cost-effective levels of financial incentives used in pay-for-performance policies and associated challenges with this approach.

Methods and Results:
Our framework requires a simulation model that can estimate quality-adjusted life years and costs resulting from improvements in a quality metric. A monetary level of incentives can then be back-calculated using the lifetime discounted quality-adjusted life year (which includes effectiveness of quality improvement) and cost (which includes incentive payments and cost offsets from quality improvements) outputs from the model. We applied this framework to an acute ischemic stroke microsimulation model to calculate the difference in population-level net monetary benefit (willingness-to-pay of $50 000 to $150 000/quality-adjusted life year) accrued under current Medicare policy (stroke payment not adjusted for performance) compared with various hypothetical pay-for-performance policies. Performance measurement was based on time-to-thrombolytic treatment with tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator). Compared with current payment, equivalent population-level net monetary benefit was achieved in pay-for-performance policies with 10-minute door-to-needle time reductions (5057 more acute ischemic stroke cases/y in the 0–3-hour window) incentivized by increasing tPA payment by as much as 18% to 44% depending on willingness-to-pay for health.

Conclusions:
Cost-effectiveness modeling can be used to determine the upper bound of financial incentives used in pay-for-performance policies, although currently, this approach is limited due to data requirements and modeling assumptions. For tPA payments in acute ischemic stroke, our model-based results suggest financial incentives leading to a 10-minute decrease in door-to-needle time should be implemented but not exceed 18% to 44% of current tPA payment. In general, the optimal level of financial incentives will depend on willingness-to-pay for health and other modeling assumptions around parameter uncertainty and the relationship between quality improvements and long-run quality-adjusted life expectancy and costs.
The effect of food preference, landmarks, and maze shift on maze-solving time in desert ants
Authors: Saar Maya , Hershkovitz Dar , Amano Orin , Bega Darar , Subach Aziz , Scharf Inon 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
We studied how food type and available landmarks affect spatial learning in the ant Cataglyphis niger while searching for food in a maze. We expected the ants to solve the maze faster with consecutive runs, when the preferred food type is offered, and in the presence of landmarks. Ants should also solve the maze more slowly following a mirror-route switch in the maze. As expected, maze-solving improved when searching for a preferred food type than a less preferred one, as determined in a separate food preference experiment. In contrast, adding landmarks to the maze had only little effect on maze-solving and the number of searching workers. Switching the route to a mirror-imaged route in the maze delayed maze-solving and required more workers to search for food. Our findings extend the knowledge on the ants’ learning abilities and demonstrate how foragers detect food faster when offered a high-ranking food item.
The Poetic Transformation of Christian Cabbala
Authors: Wilkinson Robert J. 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
This article follows the development of a genre of eighteenth-century texts, explicitly self-designated as ‘cabbalistic’, initially intended for fortune telling by use of a number-alphabet. Such texts were found in Latin and German and eventually emerged from clandestinity into print, though initially they were often anonymous and with false places of printing. As these texts attracted the attention of those interested in promoting the German vernacular and demonstrating the poetic capacity of that language, they were increasingly identified as ‘paragrams’, lost much of their mantic purpose and increasingly became an inventive technique for the stimulation of the composition of honorific verse.
Bemba and the Individualisation of War: Reconciling Command Responsibility under Article 28 Rome Statute with Individual Criminal Responsibility
Authors: Galand Alexandre Skander 
Published: July 2020

Never has the doctrine of command responsibility been shaken as when the Appeal Chamber of the International Criminal Court issued the Bemba Appeal Judgment. The latter solely addresses whether the defendant – Jean-Pierre Bemba, former Commander-in-chief of the Mouvement de libération du Congo – took reasonable and necessary measures to prevent or punish his subordinates’ crimes perpetrated in the Central African Republic. Yet, the various dissenting, separate and concurring opinions advocate opposing positions on the scope, elements and nature of this notorious doctrine. This paper relocates the ‘sharp disagreements’ that surfaced during the Bemba Appeal Judgment within the broader phenomena of the individualisation of war. Through an in-depth examination of the interpretation offered by the appellate judges, it designs a model of command responsibility that properly individualises Article 28 Rome Statute, and, by the same token, respect the fundamental rights of military commanders.
Grotius’s Contract Theory in the Works of His German Commentators: First Explorations
Authors: Astorri Paolo 
Published: July 2020

Due to its enormous importance, Grotius’s contract doctrine has been extensively investigated by legal historians. This paper seeks to enhance scholarly understanding of this topic by looking at commentaries on De jure belli ac pacis written by German theologians and jurists in the second half of the seventeenth century. The paper focuses on comments concerning promises: the criteria for promises that are binding under natural law; the foundations of the obligation to keep promises; error and duress; and immoral promises. Grotius’s contract doctrine rested on a mélange of sources, both theological and juridical, which were not always consistent. Commentators sought to harmonise them by looking at them from different perspectives: some comments were mainly based on interpretations of ius commune texts, whereas others reflected a moral theological approach. The results drew distinctions (directly or indirectly) between law and moral theology that contributed to the fragmentation of Grotius’s synthesis.
The Suez Canal and Its Role in Formation of New International Political and Economic Relations in The XX Century
Authors: Turekulova Zhuldyz , Baitureyeva Klara 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
The construction and commissioning of the Suez Canal demonstrated that waterway — is not only a source of water for irrigated agriculture, what was for thousands of years the Nile, but also an important geopolitical and commercial resource which can be used in internal and foreign policy. Consideration of Suez Canal’s history, in the context of inter-state and inter-regional relations involves, first of all, the study of the events that are directly related to its functioning and development as a communication hub (node) of global significance. The demand of historical and political analysis of the evolution of geo-strategic position of Egypt in the context of the implementation of the project of the Suez Canal due to the need to clarify the role and place of Egypt in the global changes that have occurred all over the world due to the geopolitical space of fundamental change of transport ways.
Their Most Valuable and Most Vulnerable Asset
Authors: Voss Karsten , Weber Klaus 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
From 1698, colonial officers and investors from France forged a conglomerate of companies for transforming Saint-Domingue into a sugar colony, thus augmenting incomes of tax farmers and of the crown. Capital was also captured from enemy colonies and generated through trade with Spanish possessions. The most important capital were slaves, both as laborers and mortgageable property—crucial during the War of Spanish Succession, which brought price volatility and speculation in land and sugar. In order to secure the colony’s development, authorities restricted rights of owners over their slaves, preventing their sale or abuse. Only around 1715 was such protection of slaves suppressed.
The Preservation of Galata’s St. George Explored through Ottoman Documents
Authors: de Obaldía Vanessa R. 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
In the predominantly Christian district of Galata, churches were vulnerable to the frequent conflagrations which spread through the wooden buildings that predominated the urban landscape. The Latin Catholic Church of St. George was a victim to three fires during the seventeenth century and one in the early eighteenth century. This study aims to explore this history of the church, the preservation of its properties and of its historical claim to the land in the light of Ottoman documents. The status of the church building and land according to Ottoman law in addition to the processes for the acquisition and preservation of its properties carried out within the Ottoman legal framework will be analysed. The different types of Ottoman documents used in the process for the repair or reconstruction of church properties damaged in the fires from the initial petition presented at the Sublime Porte to the post-construction survey will be touched upon.
Some Reflections on the Ancient Metallurgy of Sumhuram (Sultanate of Oman)
Authors: Degli Esposti Michele , Pavan Alexia 
Published: July 2020

Abstract
Multidisciplinary research on the metallurgy-related items and features from the ancient South Arabian harbour of Sumhuram, in southern Oman, have shed light on ancient copper and iron production and use at the site, pointing out what appears to be a definitely unusual practice in particular for what concerns copper alloying. In this paper, the archaeometallurgical data are summarised and discussed with the aim of showing that the existence of a copper working tradition specific to South Arabian centres can be tentatively postulated and that at least two different networks of metal production and exchange probably existed, centred on the opposite sides of the southern Arabian Peninsula.
Prevalence and predictors of suicidal thoughts and behaviours among Australian police and emergency services employees
Authors: Kyron Michael J , Rikkers Wavne , Page Andrew C , O’Brien Patrice , Bartlett Jennifer , LaMontagne Anthony , Lawrence David 
Published: July 2020

Objective: This study presents rates of suicide thoughts and behaviours of police and emergency services personnel around Australia. In addition, it examines personal (i.e. mental health, substance use) and working environment risk and protective factors. Method: A stratified random sample of personnel from 33 Australian emergency services organisations were invited to participate in a mental health and wellbeing survey. In total, 14,868 Australian ambulance, fire and rescue, police and state emergency services employees participated and self-reported any suicidal thoughts, plans and/or attempts in the 12 months prior to the survey or at any stage in their life. Logistic regressions assessed factors associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviours. Results: Employees reported notably higher rates of suicidal thoughts and plans than the general Australian adult population, but not attempts. Male, single/divorced, non-heterosexual or longer-serving employees reported higher rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviours across each sector. Perceptions of stigma regarding mental health conditions from others in the workplace, negative impact of work on one’s private life and low meaning of work were associated with suicidal thoughts, while bullying significantly differentiated who planned and attempted suicide from those who reported suicidal thoughts only. Higher resilience and social support were associated with lower suicidal thoughts, while intermittent explosive anger and illegal drug use were associated with higher rates of suicidal thoughts. Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms significantly differentiated who planned suicide, while misuse of prescription drugs and psychological distress differentiated who attempted suicide from those who only reported suicidal thoughts. Conclusion: Amid inherently stressful occupations, it is important that workplaces function in a way that supports their personnel. Access to mental health services should be promoted and readily available to personnel.
An ‘Exceedingly Delicate Undertaking’: Sino-American Science Diplomacy, 1966–78
Authors: Millwood Pete 
Published: July 2020

In the early twentieth century, Chinese science flourished, buoyed by the country’s active connections to the global scientific community. No country developed deeper ties to Chinese scientists than the United States (US) – until cooperation ceased after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. This article examines efforts by American scientists to rebuild a relationship with their Chinese colleagues and to reintegrate China into global science. It traces how a transnational American organization – the Committee on Scholarly Communication with the PRC (CSCPRC) – initially failed but ultimately succeeded in extending the frontier of their epistemic community by reopening China to American scientists. Drawing on records from this non-governmental organization, interpolated with Chinese and US government sources, this article argues that the CSCPRC’s failures and successes depended on how effectively they adapted their scholarly initiative to changing US-China diplomatic ties. Scientists were not beholden to politics, however; indeed, they made a critical contribution to the development of Sino-American diplomacy, helping reestablish official relations in 1978. This article further reveals the transnational origins of China’s opening to the world and subsequent meteoric economic development, as well as the nexus between science and America’s historic ‘Open Door’ policy.
The Diagnostic Yield of CT Urography in the Workup of Hematuria With Negative Cystoscopy
Authors: Common Jessica , Ramonas Milita , Alabousi Abdullah 
Published: July 2020

Purpose: To determine the diagnostic yield of computed tomography urography (CTU) in patients evaluated for hematuria with negative cystoscopy and to assess the added value of CTU when compared with ultrasound (US) in this patient population. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of patients who underwent CTU within 12 months of negative cystoscopy for workup of hematuria at our institution from January 2016 to December 2017. Computed tomography urography findings were recorded and compared to clinical diagnoses to determine diagnostic yield. Computed tomography urography and US findings were compared in patients who underwent both examinations. Patient characteristics (age, sex, smoking history, and hematuria subtype) were reported. Results: A total of 657 patients met the inclusion criteria, including 108 patients aged 50 years and younger. No cause for hematuria was identified in 41% of patients overall and 58% of patients aged 50 years and younger. The most common diagnoses were benign prostatic hyperplasia and urolithiasis, accounting for 25% and 21% of patients, respectively; 0.6% of patients were diagnosed with an upper urinary tract malignancy, all older than 50 years. Although US was superior or equal to CTU for diagnosis in 83% of patients who underwent both examinations, US had a 0% sensitivity for detection of upper urinary tract malignancy. Conclusion: The low diagnostic yield of CTU and low prevalence of upper urinary tract malignancy in patients evaluated for hematuria with negative cystoscopy, particularly those aged 50 years and younger, call into question the appropriateness of multiphasic CTU as a first-line imaging modality in this population.
RSNA Expert Consensus Statement on Reporting Chest CT Findings Related to COVID-19: Interobserver Agreement Between Chest Radiologists
Authors: Byrne Danielle , Neill Siobhan B. O’ , Müller Nestor L. , Müller C. Isabela Silva , Walsh John P. , Jalal Sabeena , Parker William , Bilawich Ana-Maria , Nicolaou Savvas 
Published: July 2020

Purpose: To assess the interobserver variability between chest radiologists in the interpretation of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) expert consensus statement reporting guidelines in patients with suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia in a setting with limited reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction testing availability. Methods: Chest computed tomography (CT) studies in 303 consecutive patients with suspected COVID-19 were reviewed by 3 fellowship-trained chest radiologists. Cases were assigned an impression of typical, indeterminate, atypical, or negative for COVID-19 pneumonia according to the RSNA expert consensus statement reporting guidelines, and interobserver analysis was performed. Objective CT features associated with COVID-19 pneumonia and distribution of findings were recorded. Results: The Fleiss kappa for all observers was almost perfect for typical (0.815), atypical (0.806), and negative (0.962) COVID-19 appearances ( P < .0001) and substantial (0.636) for indeterminate COVID-19 appearance ( P < .0001). Using Cramer V analysis, there were very strong correlations between all radiologists’ interpretations, statistically significant for all (typical, indeterminate, atypical, and negative) COVID-19 appearances ( P < .001). Objective CT imaging findings were recorded in similar percentages of typical cases by all observers. Conclusion: The RSNA expert consensus statement on reporting chest CT findings related to COVID-19 demonstrates substantial to almost perfect interobserver agreement among chest radiologists in a relatively large cohort of patients with clinically suspected COVID-19. It therefore serves as a reliable reference framework for radiologists to accurately communicate their level of suspicion based on the presence of evidence-based objective findings.
Determination of methylmalonic acid, 2-methylcitric acid, and total homocysteine in dried blood spots by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry: A reliable follow-up method for propionylcarnitine-related disorders in newborn screening
Authors: Hu Zhenzhen , Yang Jianbin , Lin Yiming , Wang Junjuan , Hu Lingwei , Zhang Chao , Zhang Yu , Huang Xinwen 
Published: July 2020

Objectives Determination of methylmalonic acid, 2-methylcitric acid, and total homocysteine in dried blood spots by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry has usually been used as a second-tier test to improve performance of newborn screening for propionylcarnitine-related disorders. However, factors that potentially affect its detection results have not been investigated, and we aimed to evaluate these influencing factors and explore their potential utility in newborn screening and initial follow-up for propionylcarnitine-related disorders. Methods This study comprised a prospective group (1998 healthy infants, to establish cutoff values and investigate the influencing factors) and a retrospective group (804 suspected positive cases screened from 381, 399 newborns for propionylcarnitine-related disorders by tandem mass spectrometry, to evaluate the performance of newborn screening and initial follow-up). Results Cutoff values for methylmalonic acid, 2-methylcitric acid, and total homocysteine were 2.12, 0.70, and 10.05 µmol/l, respectively. Concentration of methylmalonic acid, 2-methylcitric acid, and total homocysteine in dried blood spots is not impacted by sex, age, birth weight, gestational age, or dried blood spot storage time. A total of 75 of 804 cases were screened positive by combined tandem mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, thus eliminating 90% of the false positives without compromising sensitivity. Eighteen propionylcarnitine-related disorders were successfully identified, including one CblX case missed in the initial follow-up by tandem mass spectrometry. Conclusions Methylmalonic acid, 2-methylcitric acid, and total homocysteine detected in dried blood spots by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry is a reliable, specific, and sensitive approach for identifying propionylcarnitine-related disorders. We recommend this assay should be performed rather than tandem mass spectrometry in follow-up for propionylcarnitine-related disorders besides second-tier tests in newborn screening.
Sociodemographic Factors That Influence the Choice to Pursue Nasoalveolar Molding: One Pediatric Hospital’s Experience
Authors: Kimia Rotem , Butler Paris D. , Guajardo Isabella , Magee Leanne , Lowe Kristen , Scott Michelle , Wes Ari , Jackson Oksana A. 
Published: July 2020

Objective: To identify demographic factors that influence choosing nasoalveolar molding (NAM) in the treatment of cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL±P), and NAM treatment compliance. Design: This work is a retrospective cohort study. Setting: Tertiary pediatric hospital. Patients, Participants: One hundred forty-nine patients with a diagnosis of unilateral complete CL±P receiving treatment when NAM was offered (January 1, 2008-July 26, 2016). Main Outcome Measure(s): Demographic variables collected included race, ethnicity, ZIP code, number of caregivers, caregiver employment status, and health insurance status. Medical variables collected included diagnosis, treatment pursued, compliance with NAM, completion of NAM, and the treating cleft surgeon and orthodontist. Data were analyzed via Fisher exact tests, χ2 tests, and multivariate logistic regression to identify factors that influence the decision to pursue NAM and treatment compliance. Results: Univariate analyses identified the following significant factors predicting the pursuit of NAM: race and insurance type (both P < .001), surgeon ( P = .005), income level ( P = .009), comorbidities ( P = .015), and syndromic diagnosis ( P = .033). Driving distance trended toward significance ( P = .078). Multivariate regression analyses indicated that Asian race ( P = .047), insurance type ( P = .046), driving distance ( P = .019), and surgeon ( P = .017) were significant predictors of pursuit of NAM. Conclusions: There are disparities in patient choice of NAM at our center for children with complete cleft lip. African American patient families were less likely to pursue this intervention. A stronger understanding of the barriers that lower income and minority patients face is needed in order to better characterize disparities in cleft care.