bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
State Making Theories and the Survival of States
Authors: Lemke Douglas 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
In this chapter, I develop hypotheses about state death from state making theory. These hypotheses concern conflict experiences and birth legacies. I also consider counterarguments about different state making processes in Africa and in regions with low population density. I test all these hypotheses in a variety of duration models and illustrate the stronger findings with real-world examples. I find that states participating in conflicts are less likely to die, states losing conflicts are more likely to die, but states winning conflicts are no more or less likely to die. I also find no support for expectations that states with bad birth legacies are more likely to die. The results are remarkably consistent across all statistical analyses, even when I separate cases by state type and/or by death type. The conclusion is that state making theory does help us anticipate how states die, but imperfectly.
Saying What One Thinks
Authors: Salje Léa 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Saying what one thinks can be difficult; sometimes one knows that a thought is there, but it takes time and effort to find its proper articulation. This book is about articulatory self-knowledge, or the sort of knowledge about one’s own mind that results from successful attempts to articulate evasive thoughts of this kind. Rather than account for this phenomenon as a mere verbal blockage, this book argues that the obstacle to articulation in these cases has to do with the representational metaphysics of the thought. When it first occurs, the thought has the wrong representational format to serve as the content of a sentence—work must be done on it before it can be uttered aloud. What results is a picture of a little-explored form of psychological self-knowledge that reveals hidden parts of one’s mind to oneself even as one goes about creating the thought in its new, articulated form. The final parts of the book explore the role of conversation in drawing out articulations of this kind, and the possible expression of thoughts in art. By the end of the book, articulatory self-knowledge no longer looks like a mere quirk of our psychology, but emerges as a central feature of distinctively human cognition.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Authors: Gutner Tamar 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
In 2016 the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) opened its doors as China’s first major foray in creating and leading an international organization with global membership. The AIIB is a paradox as a liberal institution created by an illiberal regime. Today the AIIB is a medium-sized multilateral development bank (MDB) with a global membership second to the World Bank’s. This book offers a comprehensive explanation of the factors behind the birth and the design of the AIIB and examines the AIIB in a larger context of Chinese development finance strategies. The bank designed by a group of state and multilateral development bank (MDB) experts, and designed to be deeply networked with other MDBs. While it is largely cut from the same cloth as other major MDBs, it also faces similar criticism. The analysis is a reminder that more nuanced approaches are necessary to understand why and how China’s institutional strategies show great variation, and that at a more macro level, China is neither solely a status quo power nor a revisionist power intent on subverting institutions and norms of the global order.
Why Create Another Development Bank?
Authors: Gutner Tamar 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
This chapter examines the factors leading up to China’s decision to create the AIIB. It argues that three interconnected, strategic factors—political, economic, and institutional—created a window of opportunity to create a new MDB. The first was Chinese president Xi Jinping’s desire to turn China into a more outward-looking, actively rising global power. This was translated into China’s strategy of taking a greater leadership role in the region and beyond, reflecting a new confidence in its role in regional and global politics. The second was the huge demand for infrastructure financing in the region allowed institutional space for a new MDB where other MDBs were already working. Third, China was frustrated by the fact that its voice in major international organizations like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund did not reflect its status as one of the world’s top economies.
AIIB in a Broader Multilateral Development Finance Context
Authors: Gutner Tamar 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
This chapter places the AIIB in the broader landscape of China’s parallel strategies in multilateral and bilateral development finance. It examines China’s strategies in MDBs and argues these deeply engage with the norms, rules, and practices of the MDB model. However, there is one major caveat on this supportive multilateralist role: evidence of China taking action inside MDBs that can harm the banks’ and China’s legitimacy can easily tip the balance and is a reminder that the Chinese state’s cooperative role it not binary, static, or homogenous. Second, the chapter examines Chinese creditors’ actions in infrastructure lending under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as those have not generally adhered to development banking norms, rules, and practices. Together these parallel strategies offer evidence of variation in China’s institutional approaches to global economic governance.
Laugh It Off: Moral Admiration and Humorous Humility
Authors: Arcila-Valenzuela Migdalia 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
First, this chapter argues that praise, as an expression of moral admiration, disrupts moral equality, in terms of equal relationships of accountability, that underpins the practices of moral communities. The disruption created by elevating the admired person to a position of moral superiority is called the pedestal problem. Second, this chapter contends that deflecting praise, rather than accepting or rejecting praise, is the most effective way to counteract the moral inequality introduced by moral admiration. Finally, this chapter introduces the phenomenon of humorous humility and explores how it serves as an effective strategy for deflecting praise and avoiding the pedestal problem.
Comparing the efficacy and safety of thromboprophylaxis with enoxaparin versus normal saline after liver transplantation: randomized clinical trial
Authors: Xie Kunlin , Yang Hongzhao , Wang Shouping , Xiao Chenghan , Lan Tian , Jiang Hanyu , Li Sheyu , Tu Huakang , Yang Jian , Lyv Tao , Qiu Jianguo , Zhou Jing , Zhang Zhongwei , Du Chengyou , Wu Xifeng , Huang Jiwei , Elgendi Ahmed M , Kow Alfred W C , Yang Jiayin , Zeng Yong , Wu Hong 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Background
Venous thrombosis represents a significant complication after deceased-donor liver transplantation, yet there are currently no established protocols for thromboprophylaxis after deceased-donor liver transplantation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of prophylactic anticoagulation in patients undergoing deceased-donor liver transplantation.

Methods
A dual-centre RCT of patients assigned to receive either enoxaparin or normal saline after liver transplantation was conducted. The primary efficacy outcome was the incidence of venous thrombosis (portal vein thrombosis and deep vein thrombosis) and the primary safety outcome was the incidence of major bleeding.

Results
A total of 462 patients were recruited. In the intention-to-treat analysis, 89 patients (19.3%) experienced venous thrombosis and 141 patients (30.5%) experienced major bleeding within 90 days after transplantation. No significant differences were observed in the incidence of venous thrombosis, portal vein thrombosis, or deep vein thrombosis between the two groups in the intention-to-treat cohort. The anticoagulant group demonstrated a markedly elevated incidence of major bleeding (35.5% versus 25.5%, P = 0.020). Subgroup analysis revealed that anticoagulation was associated with a lower risk of deep vein thrombosis in hepatocellular carcinoma patients (HR 0.44 (95% c.i. 0.23 to 0.86), P = 0.016), without a significantly higher risk of major bleeding.

Conclusion
Use of prophylactic anticoagulation with enoxaparin is associated with a significantly higher incidence of major bleeding in patients undergoing deceased-donor liver transplantation, rather than a lower likelihood of venous thrombosis.

Registration number
ChiCTR2000032441 (www.chictr.org.cn).
13 Catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) in patients undergoing abdominal surgery: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Toutouzas Konstantinos , Frountzas Maximos , Vouros Dimitrios , Mexi Anna , Matthaiou Georgia , Toutouza Orsalia , Theodorou Dimitrios 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Aim
Postoperative fever is a complex clinical problem which results in prolonged hospital stay interval and increased cost worldwide. The aim of the present study was to investigate the incidence of postoperative fever which is caused by catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) in patients undergoing abdominal surgery.

Methods
Patients who underwent abdominal surgery at the 1st Propaedeutic Department of Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Hippocration General Hospital, and presented postoperative fever were prospectively enrolled from 2018 until 2023. The postoperative fever management included removal of the central catheter and tip culture, blood cultures, urine cultures and chest x-ray. In addition, the day of postoperative fever, blood cultures, urine cultures and central catheter cultures, as well as the reason of postoperative fever were reported.

Results
In total, 189 patients were included in the present study, 110 of whom were males and 79 females. The cut-off point for postoperative fever associated to CRBSI was 7 days. This point presented 57% sensitivity, 63% specificity, 33% positive predictive value and 82% negative predictive value. Univariable analysis indicated significantly higher rate of CRBSI when postoperative fever was presented after 7th postoperative day (P = 0.02). Moreover, CRBSI was significantly higher in emergent operations (P = 0.003), in patients with more than one pathogens in their blood cultures (P = 0.001) and in patients with positive urine cultures (P = 0.003). Multivariable analysis confirmed the aforementioned correlations except for CRBSI increase in patients with fever after 7 postoperative days.

Conclusions
Postoperative fever presented before the 7th day after abdominal surgery did not seem to be associated to CRBSI. Therefore, alternative reasons for postoperative fever should be investigated.
30 Prophylaxis of incisional surgical site infection with antibiotic lavage of the surgical wound. A prospective double-blind randomised multicentre study
Authors: Candela Laura Vasquez , Amillo Mireia , Amador Sara , Casal Miquel , Sarasa Nuria , Ojeda Felipe , Badia Josep M 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Objective
Surgical site infection (SSI) is the most common complication of surgery. Prevention of incisional SSI (I-SSI) by topical prophylaxis is controversial. Human studies on topical antibiotic wound lavage are old and inconclusive. Current meta-analyses and WHO recommendations do not recommend it. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of wound irrigation with an antibiotic solution on the rate of I-SSI.

Methods
Prospective, multicentric, randomised, double-blind clinical trial to compare irrigation of surgical incisions with amoxicillin-clavulanate solution (ATB-Group) with saline lavage (Saline-Group). The study was conducted in three types of surgery according to their risk of SSI: clean surgery (abdominal hernia repair), and clean-contaminated (caesarean sections and colorectal surgery). The primary endpoint was the incidence of I-SSI within 30 days of surgery according to CDC criteria. Secondary endpoints were: length of stay (LOS), 30-day reoperation rate, 30-day wound complication rate (other than SSI), 30-day mortality rate, microbiology of infections, 30-day adverse event or complication rate. Surgical complications were categorised according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. The severity of wound infection was assessed according to the ASEPSIS score.

Results
The trial included 685 patients (200 hernia repairs, 218 caesarean sections and 272 elective colorectal procedures), 351 in the ATB-Group and 334 in the Saline-Group. Both groups were comparable in age, sex, BMI, comorbidities, ASA score, and operative time. The overall rate of SSI for the entire cohort was 5.9%, being 2.5% in the Saline-group and 3.4% in the ATB-group, P = 0.51. No differences were detected when SSI was subdivided by surgical site level. There were also no differences in secondary outcomes such as: time to onset of SSI, postoperative complications, other infectious complications or microbiology of the infecting flora. LOS was 3.8 days in both groups. Mortality was 0.4% in the ATB-Group and 0.3% in the Saline-Group. Analysis of primary or secondary endpoints by subgroups of type of surgery also showed no differences between the two study groups.

Conclusions
Wound irrigation with antibiotic solution was not superior to saline lavage for I-SSI prophylaxis in clean and clean-contaminated surgery. Probably, the low rate of SSI obtained in the two arms of this study did not allow to find differences between the two study groups. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04476212), was authorised by the Spanish Medicine Agency (EUDRA CT:2017-002669-23), and received grant PI19/01294 for Health Research Projects from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain.
15 Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in the management of complicated surgical infections
Authors: Frountzas Maximos , Theodorou Panagiotis , Mexi Anna , Chamzin Alexandros , Theodoropoulos George , Theodorou Dimitrios , Toutouzas Konstantinos 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Aim
Complicated surgical infections have been associated to high mortality rates and prolonged hospital stay interval worldwide. The aim of the present study was to investigate the safety and effectiveness of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in the management of complicated surgical infections.

Methods
Patients who presented complicated surgical infections (enteroatmospheric fistulas, dehiscence in wounds with previous synthetic mesh placement, soft tissue necrotic infections) at the 1st Propaedeutic Department of Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Hippocration General Hospital, and presented postoperative fever were prospectively enrolled from 2021 until 2023. Patients’ demographics, perioperative parameters and indications for NPWT utilization were reported.

Results
In total, 16 patients were included in the present study and their age range was 42–82 years old. The range of hospital stay interval was 5–23 days and the range of NPWT utilization was 9–84 days. Seven patients presented enteroatmospheric fistula, 6 patients had dehiscence in wounds with previous synthetic mesh placement and 3 patients presented soft tissue necrotic infections that were managed using NPWT. In 4 of 16 patients, an extraperitoneal synthetic mesh had been placed. Two patients died due to multiorgan failure which was not associated to the local management of complicated surgical infection.

Conclusions
NPWT seemed to be a safe and effective option in the management of complicated surgical infections achieving local wound control and successful wound healing with synthetic mesh preservation.
44 Gram stain and intraabdominal infection: narrative revision
Authors: Vázquez Alba Manuel , Pérez Inés Rubio , Badía Pérez Josep María , Sánchez Carmen González , Garriga Xavier Guirao 
Published: February 2025

Abstract

Aim
Our aim is to determine whether Gram staining can confirm the presence of pathogens in an intra-abdominal infection (IAI), identify filamentous forms or provide information for the initiation of antibiotic treatment and/or drainage of a collection. It also intended to assess whether the Gram stain result may support the diagnosis of primary or secondary peritonitis.

Methods
A narrative literature review was conducted. Articles published in English or Spanish since 1990 were included. Experimental studies, peritoneal dialysis and liver cirrhosis were excluded. SINTAXIS: ‘Intraabdominal Infections’ (diverticulitis, colonic; Appendicitis; cholecystitis, acute; Peptic Ulcer Perforation; Intestinal Perforation; secondary peritonitis; Abdominal Abscess; Postoperative complications) AND (‘Gentian Violet’ OR ‘Gram's stain).

Results
Forty papers were found and eight were selected for review (7 retrospective and 1 prospective observational studies). The usefulness of Gram staining was discussed in acute cholecystitis, liver abscess, secondary peritonitis, blood stream infections and soft tissue infections, but no uniform criteria were found in the patients included. According to studies, we cannot conclude that Gram stain is useful in IAI. It does not seem to predict the outcome of cultures or influence the duration and selection of antimicrobial therapy, whereas it may be slightly more useful for fungi due to its higher negative predictive value. Gram stain positivity seems to mean an increased risk of SSI in certain pathologies and closer outpatient monitoring could be applied in these cases. Microbiological characterization of the Gram stain in certain pathologies (soft tissue infection, blood stream infection) may point to an intra-abdominal origin of the primary infection.

Conclusions
Considering the heterogeneity of the studies reviewed, no clear conclusions can be drawn about the usefulness of Gram staining in IAI.
36 Retro-hepatic abscess as a complication following laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Authors: Kucera Adam , Gergel Michal , Lancz-Klikáčová Anita , Brychta Ivan 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a common, safe and effective procedure as a surgical solution of gallbladder stones. Throughout multiple studies, it has proven as a procedure with a generally low frequency of associated complications, varying from 0,5% to 6%, from which 13% of the complications were intraoperative, spilling of the gallbladder stones represented only an approximate 2% of intraoperative complications. The authors report a rare case of a 41-year-old female patient with fever and elevated inflammatory markers, leading to a diagnosis of retro-hepatic abscess of the right hepatic lobe. The patient was suffering from fever, fatigue and chronic abdominal pain in right hypochondrium. She was treated by a general practitioner by empiric oral antibiotics, however septic signs remained. Due to her recent travel history, she was examined by a infectious disease specialist. She underwent a series of diagnostics, including an ultrasound, which has shown an abscess-like formation with calcifications, sized approximately 9 × 8 × 7 cm, suspected as a right lobe liver abscess. CT scan showed an atypical abscess like collection in segment 6 of the liver, with presence of calcified dense areas, assuming echinococcosis. However, immunology and serology showed no signs of parasite infection. At this point. information on previous (2 years) laparoscopic cholecystectomy was obtained. Considering location of the abscess, gallstones like finding on CT and previous cholecystectomy, abscess around spilled gallstones was suspected and surgery recommended. The method of mini-invasive extraperitoneal video assisted approach was agreed upon. With ultrasound guidance, punction and subsequent miniincision was performed, in the 10th right intercostal space. Pus was evacuated and the cavity was investigated with standard laparoscope, locating 4 gallstones and extracting them with laparoscopic grasper. Lavage and insertion of two drains followed. Drains were regularly flushed with normal saline and left in place for 7 days. Further course was uneventful. Standard therapy of liver and subhepatic abscesses is percutaneous drainage, however retained gallstones as a permanent bacterial nidus need to be removed in order to heal the abscess completely. Miniinvasive extraperitoneal approach is an effective option. Spilled gallstones should be taken into consideration in cases of atypical intraabdominal abscesses ant information on previous gallbladder surgery.
State-of-the-Art Review: Data and Trust to Improve Care for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Patients
Authors: Van Sickels Nicholas , Wong Jennifer W H , Villacorta-Cari Evelyn , Lee Steph E , Fallin-Bennett Keisa 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
Healthcare for transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) patients is evolving. With 1.6 million people in the United States identifying as transgender, clinicians have significant opportunity to learn, build trust, and offer thoughtful preventive and therapeutic care. Gender-affirming care starts by using chosen names and pronouns and creating welcoming environments. Medical and surgical care for TGD persons is endorsed by multiple medical societies and is associated with reduced symptoms of dysphoria and improved quality of life. Barriers accessing this care include a lack of provider knowledge and availability, socioeconomic factors, discrimination, ongoing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, and mistreatment from the medical system. Complications of gender-affirming surgical procedures are uncommon when performed by qualified and well-trained surgeons, though often patients must travel significant distances to attain surgical care, limiting postoperative follow-up. Complications of non-medical-grade procedures, such as fillers, are common and can present many years after the initial procedure. With respect to sexual wellness, social and biomedical interventions addressing disproportionate effects of human immunodeficiency virus and sexually transmitted infections on TGD people show promise in clinical trials. Further education for providers and patients, advocacy for affirming spaces and policies promoting evidence-based care, and building trust are crucial for holistic care of TGD patients.
FlashFox: a secret-sharing approach to securing data deletion for Flash-based SSD
Authors: Cheng Wen , Tu Shengxia , Liu Yi , Zeng Lingfang , Wang Yang , Brinkmann André 
Published: February 2025

Abstract
The ‘out-of-place’ update nature of Solid State Drives (SSDs) introduces a security risk. Scrubbing, a secure deletion method, mitigates this issue but negatively affects SSD endurance and requires redundant data for recovery due to page errors. Previously, the RAID-5 based scheme was used to manage redundant data. While effective for reading, it causes significant write latency due to the channel blocking issue. In response, we propose FlashFox, which integrates secret sharing and Reed-Solomon coding into SSDs, enabling the application of scrubbing within an encrypted storage environment. This innovation ensures secure deletion by cleaning up sensitive data, thereby reducing wear on SSD endurance. Furthermore, we have developed a RAID-4-based scheme for implementing FlashFox on SSDs. This scheme, by assigning specific channels to manage redundant data, successfully avoids the channel blocking issue prevalent in RAID-5. Experimental results show FlashFox reduces endurance wear by at least 15% compared to traditional scrubbing methods and writing response delay by at least 8$\times $ compared to RAID-5 based scheme.