bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Responding to Environmental Uncertainties in Critical Supply Acquisition: An Examination of Contracting for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the Aftermath of COVID-19
Authors: Boyer Eric J 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
While prior research has long identified the centrality of critical supply acquisition to the government’s response to a crisis, there is less understanding of how to secure critical supplies that depend on global supply chains. The acquisition of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the immediate aftermath of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak (COVID-19) proved challenging not only due to threats of contractor deception but also due to disruptions in contractor supply chains. This research analyzes primary interview data with contracting officials involved in purchasing PPE in the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis. The results indicate the ways that contractor relationships were perceived useful in anticipating risks surrounding a contractor’s behavior (behavioral uncertainties), but insufficient in anticipating disruptions that can result from a contractor’s supply chains (environmental uncertainties). Contractor relations were perceived to help in predicting industry disruptions, but such relations were likely to be formed alongside transactional and short-term contract designs—and likely to require comparison with other data sources. The results indicate that improving the reliability of critical supply acquisition for future crises is likely to depend on developing expertise in supply chain analysis, especially as the U.S. government increasingly relies on global supply chains in critical supply acquisition.
After Authoritarianism: A Review Article
Authors: Esberg Jane 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
How does transitional justice impact democracy? In After Authoritarianism: Transitional Justice & Democratic Stability, Monika Nalepa convincingly challenges the “Spanish model” of transition, which argues that doing nothing in response to past human rights abuses is the best way to ensure a stable democracy. Focusing on the fates of authoritarian collaborators, Nalepa finds that transparency mechanisms—lustrations and truth commissions—tend to improve democratic representation by reducing political figures’ risk of blackmail; purges have more mixed effects, due to a loyalty-competency trade-off. Nalepa makes her case with a truly mixed-method approach, employing formal models, case studies, and statistical analysis of her own transitional justice data set. The book addresses essential questions for transitional justice, including what to do about authoritarian collaborators and institutions with bloody legacies. Given recent concerns about backsliding in even long-time democracies, the book is essential reading not only for those interested in transitions and human rights but also for those interested in understanding how best to strengthen democracy more generally.
Can Information Persuade Rather Than Polarize? A Review of Alex Coppock's Persuasion in Parallel
Authors: Levendusky Matthew 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
In Matthew Levendusky’s review of Alex Coppock's Persuasion in Parallel, he praises, overall, the book's clear focus, rich data, and striking results, arguing that it makes an important contribution to the literature. He takes issue, however, with Coppock's treatment of theories of motivated reasoning, and he explores ways in which the literature might profitably move forward to better understand how citizens process political information.
Turning academics into researchers: The development of National Researcher Categorization Systems in Latin America
Authors: Vasen Federico , Sarthou Nerina F , Romano Silvina A , Gutiérrez Brenda D , Pintos Manuel 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
Evaluation procedures play a crucial role in science and technology systems, particularly within academic career structures. This article focuses on an approach to evaluation that has gained prominence in Latin America over the past four decades. This scheme assesses the individual performance of academics based on their academic activities and outputs and assigns them a ‘researcher category’, which carries prestige and, in many cases, additional monthly rewards. Initially implemented in higher education contexts with limited research focus, these systems aimed to bolster knowledge production by involving more academics in research. In this study, we define National Researcher Categorization Systems (NRCSs) and distinguish them from other evaluation systems. Subsequently, we present a comparative analysis of NRCSs in seven countries, identifying common trends. Additionally, we discuss categorization systems within the broader context of strategies employed to incentivize academic research, and we explore the potential structural effects that arise when NRCSs assume a central role in a science system. Through our research, we have identified a family of systems in five countries (Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Panama) that share a common history and structure. Furthermore, we emphasize that NRCSs may reinforce a traditional model of the academic researcher, potentially impeding the development of professional profiles aligned with research directed toward social objectives. In summary, our study sheds light on NRCSs, providing insights into their nature, comparative analysis across countries, and implications within the broader academic research landscape.
Efficacy of Different Approaches of Quadratus Lumborum Block for Postoperative Analgesia after Cesarean Delivery
Authors: Singh Narinder P. , Makkar Jeetinder K. , Koduri Samanyu , Singh Preet Mohinder 
Published: July 2023

Objectives:
Various approaches to quadratus lumborum block (QLB) have been found to be an effective analgesic modality after cesarean delivery (CD). However, the evidence for the superiority of any individual approach still needs to be discovered. Therefore, we conducted this network meta-analysis to compare and rank the different injection sites for QLB for pain-related outcomes after CD.

Materials and Methods:
PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and the Cochrane Central Registers of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched for randomized controlled trials evaluating the role of any approach of QLB with placebo/no block for post-CD pain. The primary outcome was parenteral consumption of morphine milligram equivalents in 24 postoperative hours. The secondary endpoints were early pain scores (4-6 h), late pain scores (24 h), adverse effects, and block-related complications. We used surface under cumulative ranking (SUCRA) probabilities to order approaches. The analysis was performed using Bayesian statistics (random-effects model).

Results:
Thirteen trials enrolling 890 patients were included. The SUCRA probability for parenteral morphine equivalent consumption 24 hours was highest (87%) for the lateral approach, followed by the posterior and anterior approaches. The probability of reducing pain scores at all intervals was highest with the anterior approach. The anterior approach also ranked high for PONV reduction, the only consistent reported side effect.

Discussion:
The anterior approach QLB had a superior probability for most patient-centric outcomes for patients undergoing CD. The findings should be confirmed through large RCTs.
Anesthesia and Sedation Exposure and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Infants Undergoing Congenital Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Simpao Allan F. , Randazzo Isabel R. , Chittams Jesse L. , Burnham Nancy , Gerdes Marsha , Bernbaum Judith C. , Walker Tia , Imsdahl Solveig , DeWitt Aaron G. , Zackai Elaine H. , Gaynor J. William , Loepke Andreas W. 
Published: July 2023

Background
Children undergoing complex cardiac surgery are exposed to substantial cumulative doses of sedative medications and volatile anesthetics and are more frequently anesthetized with ketamine, compared with healthy children. This study hypothesized that greater exposure to sedation and anesthesia in this population is associated with lower neurodevelopmental scores at 18 months of age.

Methods
A secondary analysis was conducted of infants with congenital heart disease who participated in a prospective observational study of environmental exposures and neurodevelopmental outcomes to assess the impact of cumulative volatile anesthetic agents and sedative medications. Cumulative minimum alveolar concentration hours of exposure to volatile anesthetic agents and all operating room and intensive care unit exposures to sedative and anesthesia medications were collected before administration of Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition (Bayley III), at 18 months of age.

Results
The study cohort included 41 (37%) single-ventricle and 69 (63%) two-ventricle patients. Exposures to volatile anesthetic agents, opioids, benzodiazepines, and dexmedetomidine were not associated with abnormal Bayley III scores. At 18-month follow-up, after adjusting for confounders, each mg/kg increase in ketamine exposure was associated with a 0.34 (95% CI, −0.64 to −0.05) point decrease in Bayley III motor scores (P = 0.024).

Conclusions
Total cumulative exposures to volatile anesthetic agents were not associated with neurodevelopmental impairment in infants with congenital heart disease undergoing various imaging studies and procedures, whereas higher ketamine doses were associated with poorer motor performance.

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What We Already Know about This Topic

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Colorism attitudes and use of skin lightening agents in the United States
Authors: Daftary Karishma , Poondru Sneha , Patel Nina , Shramuk Maxwell , Muhammad Lutfiyya , Kundu Roopal V. 
Published: July 2023

Background:
Skin lightening (SL) is a practice involving the use of chemicals to lighten the skin that is more common among skin of color (SOC) individuals, particularly women, and can lead to adverse health consequences.

Objective:
In this study, we examine SL habits, including both general lightening and lightening for the treatment of a skin condition, among SOC individuals in the United States and the role of colorism in motivating these behaviors.

Methods:
A cross-sectional survey was administered to SOC individuals through ResearchMatch, an online national health registry. Demographics, rates of SL, SL habits, and perceived colorism among SL users and nonusers were collected and analyzed with χ2
, Fisher’s exact, Analysis of variance (ANOVA), Spearman correlation, and t tests.

Results:
A total of 455 participants completed the survey. Ninety-seven participants (21.3%) reported using SL agents: 73.2% (71/97) used SL agents for the treatment of a skin condition and 26.8% (26/97) used the products for general SL. Only 22.6% (22/97) of SL users consulted a medical provider before using the products. Forty-four participants (45.4%) were unaware of their SL product ingredients, and 35.1% (34/97) reported using hydroquinone-based products. Composite colorism scores were significantly higher in SL users than nonusers (20.03 vs 18.20; P < .001).

Limitations:
This study used self-reported racial/ethnic groups to characterize those with SOC rather than assessing actual skin tones of participants, which could have led to variability.

Conclusion:
SL among SOC individuals is prevalent in the U.S. and poses a health risk, as many SL users are unaware of product ingredients, do not consult a medical provider before use, and have access to potentially unsafe formulations. Dermatologists should address skin tone and pigmentary concerns with their SOC patients.
The Role of Multilevel Intercostal Nerve Block in Local Anesthetic Thoracoscopy
Authors: Ajmal Syed , Johnstone Sarah , Tufail Muhammad , Panchal Rakesh K 
Published: July 2023

Background:
Intercostal nerve block (ICNB) has long been used in thoracic surgery. Local anesthetic thoracoscopy (LAT) is performed under conscious sedation with local anesthesia at the port insertion site. This alone, however, does not anesthetize the parietal pleura from where biopsies are taken and patients can experience pain.

Objectives:
To compare LAT with multilevel ICNB versus standard care to determine whether it reduces pain during and post-LAT, its effect on analgesia use, the hospital length of stay (LOS), and related complications.

Methods:
Prospective analysis of patients undergoing LAT between January and June 2021. In the ICNB group, levobupivacaine/xylocaine is administered at the angle of the rib immediately before LAT (up to 5 rib spaces). Visual Analog Score for pain (0 to 100 mm) was measured at 1 and 2 hours post-LAT and daily including analgesia use.

Results:
Twenty patients (10 ICNB vs. 10 standard care group). The mean age is 68 years with 70% males. Visual Analog Score for pain in the ICNB group reduced by 55 mm at 1 and 2 hours post-LAT and 45 mm at day 1 (P<0.05) (minimal clinically important difference >16 mm]. Median LOS was reduced by 50% in the ICNB group (P<0.05). Paracetamol use reduced by 56% (P<0.05).

Conclusion:
ICNB not only significantly reduces postprocedure pain but also reduces LOS.
Considerations and clinical management of infections in sarcoidosis
Authors: Chen Edward S. , Patterson Karen C. 
Published: July 2023

Purpose of reviewTo summarize data from recent reports about risks and outcomes of the infections most often reported in patients with sarcoidosis.Recent findingsRates of fungal infections and other severe infections are higher in patients with sarcoidosis compared to controls. Immunosuppression further increases the risk for an infection requiring hospitalization. In contrast, outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are not worse unless lung impairment or other comorbidities are present.SummaryTuberculosis, fungal infections, and other severe infections requiring hospital admission are, fortunately, relatively rare in patients with sarcoidosis who live in nonendemic regions. However, ongoing vigilance is required when the course of sarcoidosis is atypical or inexplicably progressive, as costs are high when these infections are missed. In contrast, COVID-19 and other respiratory viral illnesses are common, including among patients with sarcoidosis. When organ impairment is minimal, an underlying diagnosis of sarcoidosis does not appear to increase the risk of severe COVID-19, but patients may have higher risks due to comorbidities, which are important factors to address in routine sarcoidosis care. The burden from respiratory viral events, including impacts on quality of life and life functionality including work capacity, is unknown and is important to measure.
Was Unstable Medicaid Coverage Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries Associated With Worse Clinical Outcomes? Evidence From the Delivery of Breast Cancer Care
Authors: Qin Xuanzi , Huckfeldt Peter , Abraham Jean , Yee Douglas , Virnig Beth A. 
Published: July 2023

Background:
Medicare and Medicaid dually eligible beneficiaries (duals) could experience Medicaid coverage changes without losing Medicaid. It is unknown whether health care use and clinical outcomes among elderly duals with coverage changes would be like those among duals without coverage changes or duals ever lost Medicaid and whether various types of unstable coverage due to income/asset changes are associated with worse clinical outcomes.

Objectives:
Examine the associations of unstable Medicaid coverage with clinical outcomes among older Medicare beneficiaries.

Research Design:
Population-based cohort study.

Subjects:
A total of 131,202 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer at 65 years and older between 2007 and 2015 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked database.

Measures:
We examined 2 types of unstable Medicaid coverage: (1) those who had changes in the types of Medicaid support they received and (2) those who ever lost Medicaid. We examined outcomes that predict better cancer survival and involve the use of inpatient and outpatient services and prescription drugs: early diagnosis, receiving surgery, receiving radiation, hormonal therapy adherence, and discontinuation. We used logistic regressions to estimate the predicted probabilities of outcomes for dual groups.

Results:
Duals had poorer outcomes than those who were “never dual.” Women with the 2 types of unstable Medicaid coverage had similarly worse outcomes than those with stable coverage. Those with stable coverage had similar outcomes regardless of the generosity of Medicaid support.

Conclusions:
These patterns are concerning and, in the context of well-defined clinical guidelines for beneficial treatments that extend survival, point to the importance of stable insurance coverage and income.
Extrathyroidal extension or tumor size of primary lesion influences thyroid cancer outcomes
Authors: Shi Wanying , Wang Miao , Dong Liyan , Li Fuxin , He Xianghui , Li Xue , Sun Danyang , Zheng Xiangqian , Jia Qiang , Tan Jian , Zheng Wei , Li Ning , Xu Ke , Meng Zhaowei 
Published: July 2023

Aims
Extrathyroidal extension (ETE) is a determined factor of T3 and T4 stage of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) in American Joint Committee on Cancer. We aimed to compare clinical outcomes between different extent of ETE according to tumor size.

Methods
Patients diagnosed with DTC were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 2004 to 2015. They were categorized into two groups by presence of lymph node metastases (LNM) or distant metastases (DM): group A: no presence of LNM and DM, and group B: presence of LNM or DM. Each group was further divided into four groups according to tumor size: <1 cm, 1–2 cm, 2–4 cm, >4 cm. ETE was divided into three groups by the extent: no ETE, microscopic ETE, and macroscopic ETE. Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test were used to analyze cancer-specific survival (CSS).

Results
91,975 patients were included. In groups A and B, for tumor size 1 cm, there was no significant difference in CSS between no ETE and microscopic ETE, while a significant difference was observed between no ETE and macroscopic ETE. For tumor size >1 cm, there were significant differences in CSS (both no ETE vs. micro ETE and no ETE vs. macro ETE).

Conclusion
We suggests that when tumor size is more than 1 cm, micro ETE is significantly associated with poorer outcome. T3 and T4 stages may take account into tumor size rather than merely based on the presence and extent of ETE. It may be prudent to revisit the omission of micro ETE in TNM staging.
Phosphine Gas Poisoning
Authors: Moirangthem Sangita , Vidua Raghvendra , Jahan Afsar , Patnaik Mrinal , Chaurasia Jai 
Published: July 2023

Abstract
In agrarian countries, several pesticides are used on a large scale to preserve grains. However, oftentimes, the very people using it are not aware of their harmful effects. Some pesticides produce toxic gases, which can cause poisoning by inhalation. With no specific antidotes and limited data on the benefit of therapeutic interventions, such poisonings can lead to fatalities. This case report discusses the death of an apparently healthy, 6-year-old boy who presented with multiple episodes of vomiting and loose stools and was declared dead on arrival to the hospital. His other siblings and the parents also experienced similar symptoms but survived. Further investigation revealed that the family lived in a closed, poorly ventilated room adjacent to a granary where their landlord stored grains with pesticides for the purpose of preservation. However, during rainy season, moisture came into contact with the grains and toxic gases were released. The family was exposed to these gases through a small window in the living room, proving fatal to one member of the family. This article suggests that phosphine gas was liberated from an aluminum phosphide pesticide and emphasizes the need for improved knowledge, recognition, prevention, and management in such scenario.
Systematic Review of Procedural Skill Simulation in Health Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Authors: Pollok Franziska , Lund Sarah B. , Traynor Michael D. , Alva-Ruiz Roberto , MacArthur Taleen A. , Watkins Ryan D. , Mahony Cillian R. , Woerster Malin , Yeh Vicky J-H , Matovu Alphonsus , Clarke Damian L. , Laack Torrey A. , Rivera Mariela 
Published: July 2023

Summary Statement
Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have adopted procedural skill simulation, with researchers increasingly investigating simulation efforts in resource-strained settings. We aim to summarize the current state of procedural skill simulation research in LMICs focusing on methodology, clinical area, types of outcomes and cost, cost-effectiveness, and overall sustainability. We performed a comprehensive literature review of original articles that assessed procedural skill simulation from database inception until April 2022.
From 5371 screened articles, 262 were included in this review. All included studies were in English. Most studies were observational cohort studies (72.9%) and focused on obstetrics and neonatal medicine (32.4%). Most measured outcome was the process of task performance (56.5%). Several studies mentioned cost (38.9%) or sustainability (29.8%). However, few articles included actual monetary cost information (11.1%); only 1 article assessed cost-effectiveness. Based on our review, future research of procedural skill simulation in LMICS should focus on more rigorous research, cost assessments, and on less studied areas.
Two Affordable, High-Fidelity Central Venous Models for Ultrasound-Guided Interventional Training
Authors: Mason Matthew M. , Richardson Kenneth D. , Carino Mason Marisa R. , Swonger Ronald M. , Emami Shaheen , Anantha Sadhana , Thornton Lindsay M. 
Published: July 2023

Introduction
Ultrasound-guided vascular access is an increasingly popular technique due to its reduced complication and higher success rates. Commercially bought training phantoms allow providers to develop tactile skills in a low-risk setting, but are also expensive and poorly accessible. This study analyzes the efficacy of homemade, low-cost, gelatin-based central line vascular models to teach vascular anatomy and intravascular access techniques in training physicians.

Methods
A gelatin mold was created using a mixture of unflavored gelatin, hot water, psyllium husk powder, and rubbing alcohol. Latex tubing, balloons, precooked hot dog, and tofu were inserted to simulate arteries, veins, nerves, and the sternocleidomastoid muscle, respectively. Medical students from a single institution participated in a 90-minute workshop led by interventional radiology residents. Participants completed presurveys and postsurveys that assessed knowledge acquisition and confidence levels related to acquiring central access. All images were obtained using a USB-C Butterfly iQ probe.

Results
Twenty medical students were analyzed after the workshop. There was a statistically significant increase in self-reported confidence in basic ultrasound use (adjusting gain, depth, probe manipulation), localizing major anatomical structures, using ultrasound for vessel access, and reported ease in identifying muscle, nerves, and major blood vessels under ultrasound. There was also a significant increase in correctly identified anatomical landmarks after the workshop, including the sternocleidomastoid muscle, internal jugular vein, carotid artery, femoral nerve, femoral artery, and femoral vein.

Conclusions
Our findings suggest that our homemade, low-cost, gelatin-based models were effective in teaching vascular anatomy and ultrasound-guided vascular access techniques to training physicians.