Digital Commons Network^™

Risk Factors And Clinical Significance Of Urologic Injury In Cesarean Hysterectomy For Placenta Accreta Spectrum, J Connor Mulhall, Kayla E Ireland, John J Byrne, Patrick S Ramsey, Georgia A Mccann, Jessian L Munoz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background/Objectives: Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is an obstetric condition with placental adherence to the underling myometrium characterized by significant surgical morbidity at time of delivery. PAS delivery is most commonly performed by cesarean hysterectomy. The most common morbidities associated with PAS cesarean hysterectomy are blood transfusion, intensive care unit admission and urinary tract injuries. This requires interdisciplinary team management including obstetricians and urologists. Our objective was to identify pre- and intra-operative risk factors for urologic injury in this high-risk condition.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed at a single tertiary center with the Center for the Management …

Characterization Of Suspicious Prostate Lesions At Multiparametric Mri With Dynamic 68 Ga-Gozetotide Pet/Ct, Daniel Parrott, Qing Yuan, Daniella Pinho, Yin Xi, Daniel N Costa, Alberto Diaz De Leon, Marianna Dakanali, Xiankai Sun, Orhan K Oz, Spencer Bowen, Neil M Rofsky, Dana Mathews, Ivan Pedrosa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) will affect approximately 12% of US men in their lifetime and remains the 2nd most common cause of cancer-specific death. However, there is a broad spectrum of severity of PCa; some require aggressive treatment and others can "watch-and-wait". Distinction of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) from indolent PCA with current imaging methods remains challenging.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate dynamic prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET/CT) in the characterization of suspicious prostate lesions identified on multiparametric MRI (mpMRI).

Methods: Prospective study of biopsy-naïve patients with at least one Prostate Imaging and Reporting …

A Safety-Ii Approach To Learn From Practice Variation In The Diagnostic Process In The Emergency Department: An Action Research Study, Rick Roos, Laura Zwaan, Myrthe Maranus, Iwan A Meynaar, Vanessa J Valk, Cees Van Nieuwkoop, Gert-Jan Kamps, Hardeep Singh, Maarten O Van Aken

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: The focus on improving patient safety has mainly been by learning from errors and near misses (Safety-I). We applied a novel Safety-II approach to identify and learn from practice variations in the diagnostic process in the emergency department (ED), and subsequently design and implement practice changes.

Methods: In this single-center study, we used action research (cycles of micro-experiments to study and improve processes with active stakeholder involvement) in the diagnostic process. We used three subsequent observation cycles of the following six steps: observations, gathering of follow-up data, analyses, a co-creation session with involved stakeholders, sharing of best practices, and …

Numerical Modelling Of The 1 July 2022 Flooding Event, Southwest Huvadhoo Atoll, Maldives: Implications For The Future, Gerd Masselink, Tim Poate, Timothy Scott, Floortje Roelvink, Robert Mccall

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Low-lying atoll islands are among the world's most vulnerable coastal environments to sea-level rise (SLR). Global application of coastal flooding models suggests that centennial flood events may become annual events by 2050 in tropical regions. This article addresses this claim by modelling an island flooding event that occurred in the Maldives on 1 July 2022 as a result of a distant-swell event coinciding with an extra high spring tide. Hydrodynamic data collected after the event on one of the affected islands were used to calibrate and validate a one-dimensional non-hydrostatic XBeach model. The model overpredicted wave setup and underpredicted the …

Inhibition Of Osteosarcoma Lung Metastases By Β-Glucan And Cd40 Agonist Is Mediated By Activation Of Macrophages And Nk Cells, Pradeep Shrestha, Rejeena Shrestha, Eugenie S Kleinerman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) lung metastases remain a significant therapeutic challenge. Innate immune activation is a promising therapeutic approach. Innate immune agonists can modulate the tumor immune microenvironment and improve therapeutic response.

Methods: Using an experimental syngeneic OS lung metastasis BALB/c mouse model with K7M3-luc OS cells, we evaluated the antitumor effects of yeast-derived particulate β-glucan in prevention and therapeutic settings. We then assessed whether the CD40 agonist (CD40a) in combination with β-glucan increased therapeutic response in two different immune-competent mouse models of OS lung tumor burden.

Results: In the pretreatment settings, mice treated with β-glucan prior to OS cell infusion …

Managing Chickens From Chicks To Peak Egg Production, Joseph Okoh, Essence Perry

All Current Publications

Chickens were first domesticated for cultural purposes, but selective breeding has focused on egg production. Choosing the right breeds and good management practices are essential for farmers to maximize egg yield, quality, and safety. This fact sheet covers poultry history, top egg-laying breeds, egg anatomy, nutrition, and practical tips to help farmers improve productivity and run successful egg production ventures.

A Farmer's Guide To Egg Quality, Safety, And Flock Health, Joseph Okoh, Essence Perry

All Current Publications

Eggs are a valuable source of nutrition and income for many backyard and smallholder farmers. To ensure a steady supply of high-quality eggs, it's essential to understand the key factors that influence hens’ health and productivity. From proper nutrition to effective lighting and disease prevention, each decision you make affects your flock’s performance. This guide offers practical advice to help you raise resilient, high-laying hens and build a successful small-scale egg production system, no matter your level of experience.

Integrated Single-Cell Multiomic Profiling Of Caudate Nucleus Suggests Key Mechanisms In Alcohol Use Disorder, Nicholas C Green, Arpana Agrawal, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) induces complex transcriptional and regulatory changes across multiple brain regions including the caudate nucleus, which remains understudied. Using paired single-nucleus RNA-seq and ATAC-seq on caudate samples from 143 human postmortem brains, including 74 with AUD, we identified 17 distinct cell types. A significant portion of the alcohol-related differences in gene expression were accompanied by a corresponding difference in chromatin accessibility within the gene. We observed transcriptional differences in medium spiny neurons that impact RNA metabolism and immune response pathways. A small cluster of D1/D2 hybrid neurons showed AUD-induced differences distinct from the D1 and D2 types, …

Between Sound And Theology: Timbral Performativity In Brazilian Religious Musicking, Marcell Silva Steuernagel

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

This article explores the performativity of timbre, summarizing key perspectives from the English-language scholarship on the topic and setting them in conversation with Latin American perspectives on timbre. In addition, it examines a performance of “500 Graus” (500 degrees), a song performed by Brazilian Pentecostal artists Cassiane and Shirley Carvalhaes, to demonstrate how the performativity of timbre unfolds within a particular expression of Latin American religious musicking. In doing so, it investigates the phenomenon of timbre between music and sound studies, and theology and church music studies, providing insights relevant to the study of timbre and the study of religious …

Timbre — A Transcendent Paradox?, Eugenia Siegel Conte

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

Timbre, as ethnomusicologist Cornelia Fales writes, is “paradoxical” precisely because it is one of the most exacting processes in which the human body may sense and comprehend the source of a sound even as that comprehended sound is impossible to describe outside of metaphor or comparison. As one of the more recognizable qualities of sound but the most difficult to describe, timbre allows us to consider physical/emotional (affective) experiences of sound as a key aspect of faith and meditation. In this article, I examine physical-affective intersections of faith and meditation that often are key to praxes of worship, and show …

Singing A Wide Heart: Timbre And Sung Prayer In Senegal’S Layène Community, Margaret L. Rowley

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

Layène sung prayer (called sikkar) is embedded within the religious practices of the Layène community, a minority Sufi order in Dakar, Senegal. This article explores the functions of Layène sung prayer, focusing especially on its loud, vibrational timbre. Both men and women vocalists in call-and-response sing loudly, using wide vibrato and electronic amplification to ensure that the sikkar reaches the inhabitants—both human and non-human—in the surrounding community. This article demonstrates that the distinctive timbre of Layène sung prayer serves the spiritual functions of binding the community together in spiritual and social cohesion, increasing individual and collective generosity, and demarcating …

Live Wires: The Angelus Temple And The Timbre Of Power, Catherine Provenzano

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

This article is a media history and contemporary case study of The Angelus Temple in Los Angeles, founded by Aimee Semple McPherson in 1923. My analysis of the Angelus insists upon the centrality of a hyperaudible paradigm of worship that uses media to maximize the legibility of a Christian message, and, more than this, imagines that media itself as a living soul in need of redemption. Many contemporary megachurches employ savvy applications of sound and sound transmission as instruments of belonging as well as action, and these rely on high-budget investments in church infrastructure, software and personnel. I argue that …

Performing "Manly" Worship Music: Gender And Timbre At Mars Hill Church, Maren Haynes Marchesini

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

Ten years ago, Mars Hill boasted fifteen campuses and 15,000 members. Amid mounting allegations of abuse and mismanagement leveled against founding pastor Mark Driscoll, the church famously collapsed, closing its doors at the end of 2014. Driscoll had built Mars Hill’s core brand around his opposition to the perceived feminization of the Christian mainstream, and appointing himself the “leader of a heterosexual male backlash” in the church and broader culture. While Driscoll’s muscular Christianity stands in a wide historical stream, Mars Hill long led the charge in establishing a youth-oriented, hipster brand of hypermasculine Calvinism. And while rhetoric and theology …

A Sunlit Ambience: How Reverb Pedals Influence The Contemporary Worship Music Imagination, Dylan Crosson

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

With the recent proliferation of scholarship on the musical elements of Contemporary Worship Music (CWM) in addition to ethnographies exploring the tradition’s inner machinations, readers now enjoy unprecedented levels of insight into the actions of human actors and their music. But what of CWM’s non-human actors? Could the instruments and musical equipment used by CWM practitioners, for example, impact evangelical piety? In this article, I entertain this question by arguing that the materiality of reverb pedals—devices used by guitarists to add artificial reverberation to their sound—influences how evangelicals conceptualize elements of their faith by introducing new imagery or enriching pre-existing …

From The Heaviest, Dirtiest Depths To The Washy Ambient Clouds: Guitar Timbre In/As Schismogenesis In North American Christianity, Joshua K. Busman, Nathan Myrick

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

This essay argues that within the socio-cultural context of North American Christianity, the timbral qualities of electric guitar, with its long lineage as a site of cultural values conflict and identity negotiation, serves a theological function in the emerging and cohering sonority of digital worship. Using as comparative case studies the timbral qualities of delay and ambience as promoted and sold by Worship Tutorials as representing normative sonic values for these Christians, on the one hand, and the dialectic and schismatic deployment of distortion by the band My Epic on the other, we suggest that these timbral qualities become important …

Sounds Like 'Saudade': Eschatological Echoes In Brazilian 'Gospel' Music, Fernando Berwig Silva

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

This paper analyzes the song “Saudade” by the Brazilian gospel singer Stella Laura. In the song, I argue that Stella Laura uses Brazilian timbral markers from the Sertanejo and Gospel Brazilian music genres to articulate a unique perspective on eschatology, one that is based on the affective structure of the Lusophone word ‘saudade.’ Furthermore, I contend that the song, rooted in the Brazilian nostalgic sertanejo music tradition, leans on stylistic and timbral tools to communicate the idea of saudade from heaven. Beyond lyrics that feature theological notions of origin, identity, and nostalgia, Stella Laura’s song employs timbral, poetic, …

Introduction: The Power Of Timbre In Religion, Bo Kyung Blenda Im, Nathan Myrick

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

How might attending to timbre shift the boundaries of the experiences and practices that come under the analytical purview of religion? What timbral qualities render prayer efficacious and invite divine encounter? What cosmological claims and social relations are forwarded through sounds invoked in religious rituals and gatherings? How do marginalized voices and instruments shape worshipping communities? On the other hand, how are dominant identities and attendant structures reified through religiously marked timbre? Such questions about the character of sounds and their implications for religion animate this issue of the Yale Journal of Music & Religion.

Urine Cmv Pcr Positivity And Wheezing In Children Under Two Years Old: Implications For Management And Public Health, Jing Wang, Zhaocheng Zeng, Dushuang Zuo, Xiaoyan Zhang, Zehong Su

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Objective: Wheezing in infants and toddlers poses a challenge to clinical management due to its multifaceted etiology, including viral infections. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has been implicated in respiratory conditions, mostly in immunocompromised individuals, but its potential role in wheezing in young children remains understudied. Methods: A total of 82 children under two years of age with wheezing were enrolled in this study, including 61 infants (<12 months) and 21 toddlers (12 to 24 months). Children were categorized into CMV-positive (n=49) and CMV-negative (n=33) groups based on urine PCR tests. Hematological profiles were examined on admission in all children. For CMV positive children, additional hematological evaluations were conducted at 2 weeks and 4 weeks following initiation of antiviral therapy. These children received a ganciclovir regimen (Induction: 5 mg/kg IV, q12h for 2 weeks; Maintenance: 5mg/kg IV q24h, 24 weeks). Results: On admission, CMV-positive children had significantly higher white blood cell (WBC) counts (12.16 vs. 8.39 ×109/L, P=0.004), leukocyte counts (6.92 vs. 4.49 ×109/L, P=0.010), and platelet counts (341.02 vs. 258.27 ×109/L, P=0.002) compared to CMV-negative children. During ganciclovir treatment, the elevated WBC, leukocyte, and platelet levels in CMV-positive children showed significant reductions by the second week, with further notable decreases by the fourth week (P<0.05). Notably, wheezing symptoms in CMV-positive children significantly improved after ganciclovir treatment, with subsequent negative CMV test results, indicating a favorable clinical response to antiviral therapy. Conclusion: Considering the multifaceted etiology of wheezing in children under two years of age, this study suggests that CMV infection may be one of the potential causes of wheezing symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of including CMV testing as part of the diagnostic evaluation for wheezing in this population to ensure more comprehensive management.

Risk Factors For The Development Of Bronchiolitis Obliterans Following Adenovirus Infection In Children And Its Association With The Covid-19 Pandemic: Five Years Of Data From A Single Center, Fatih Ercan, Sevgi Pekcan, Nefise B. Ercan, Abdullah Akkuş, Hanife T. Çağlar, Ahmet Çağlar, Gökçen Ünal, Aslı İ. Yılmaz, Suat Savaş, Fatma N. Ayman, Özge M. Akcan, Mehmet Özdemir, Mustafa Genceli, Bahar E. Tokdemir, Ahsen N. Saylık, Sinan Saylık

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Objective: Post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans (PIBO) is a common form of bronchiolitis obliterans in children. It can arise from various respiratory tract infections, including adenovirus. This study aimed to identify risk factors for the development of PIBO in pediatric patients following confirmed adenovirus infection. In addition, to review if the COVID-19 pandemic altered the frequency this occurred. Methods: This retrospective study included 516 pediatric patients (age 0-17 years) with confirmed adenovirus infection, who subsequently developed PIBO. For each patient demographic data, clinical characteristics (including oxygen supplementation, mechanical ventilation, ICU admission, duration of hospitalization), laboratory parameters (complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, …

Clinical Characteristics And Antimicrobial Resistance Trends In Neonatal Urinary Tract Infections: A Four-Year Retrospective Analysis And Clinical Implications, Bo Jiang, Xiuyi Gao

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics, pathogen distribution, and antibiotic resistance trends of neonatal urinary tract infections (UTIs), providing a basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 82 neonates diagnosed with UTI in the NICU, including clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and pathogen distribution. Results: Among 82 neonates with UTI, 59 were male and 23 were female, yielding a male-to-female ratio of 2.57:1. Of these, 9 were early neonatal infections and 73 were late neonatal infections; 65 were full-term and 17 were preterm. The main clinical manifestations included fever (52 cases), …

The Effects Of Non-Pharmacological Interventions During The Covid-19 Pandemic On Viral Respiratory Infections In Neonates During And Just After The Pandemic Era, Sevde N. Menemen, Ümit A. Tandırcıoğlu, Ayşegül Tuna, Serdar Alan

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Objective: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, these globally implemented nonpharmacological interventions (NPIs) have altered the circulation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as well as other respiratory viruses in the community. To evaluate the impact of NPIs on the incidence and severity of viral respiratory tract infection (RTI) in newborns during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study was performed as a retrospective design between 2020-2023. Newborns with signs of upper or lower RTI who had undergone real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing were included. The study was divided into 3 periods by considering the …

Entecavir Long-Term Treatment In Nucleoside/Nucleotide-Naïve Young Children With Perinatally-Acquired Hbeag-Positive Chronic Hepatitis: A Single Center Study, Hanan Fouad, Magda Sabry, Hany Abd Elaziz, Mohamed Rabea, Shaimaa El Abrak

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Objective: We aimed to estimate Entecavir's long-term on-treatment safety and efficacy in young children with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis, who acquired perinatally Methods: This is an observational study of 14 nucleoside/nucleotide-naïve children with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis who were candidates for Entecavir. Treatment eligibility included persistent elevation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) for at least 6 months, high HBV viremia, and moderate to severe hepatic inflammation and/or fibrosis. Results: Participants received Entecavir for up to 5 years (2-5). Their ages at baseline were 5.1 ± 1.6 years (range, 3-8), and they had an equal gender distribution. None had coinfection with hepatitis C or …

Shortened Treatment Regimens In Paediatric Tuberculosis: Results From The First Uk Survey Of Clinical Practice, Ezgi Seager, Carrie Gillespie, Steven Welch, Jonathan Cohen, Anna Turkova, Laura F. Antolin

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

N/A

Empirical Methods For Support System Design In Deep Serpentinite Excavations: A Critical Evaluation, Anas Driouch, Redouane Oubah, Abdelaziz Lahmili, Latifa Ouadif

Journal of Sustainable Mining

Underground mining excavations in fragile serpentinite rock masses represent a significant challenge today. The complicated features of these rock formations, especially at great depths, make it difficult to classify them using commonly employed methods. This paper focuses on the application of empirical methods for the classification of serpentinite rock masses and the design of support systems in underground mining excavations. Specifically, it concerns an access tunnel excavated entirely in serpentinite at a depth of 460 m. Geomechanical classification systems indicate that the Tunnelling Quality Index (Q-system) and Rock Mass Rating (RMR) evaluate serpentinites as rock masses of exceptionally poor to …

Vinyl Noise, James Kelly

Staff Scholarship - Australia & Dubai

In this talk, audio engineer, composer, and record collector Dr. Kelly will explore the fascinating intersection of sound, technology and perception through the lens of vinyl records and their inherent noisiness. Vinyl noise, or surface noise, refers to the sounds on vinyl records that aren’t part of the music itself. Drawing from both production and listening perspectives, Dr. Kelly will offer insights into how records are made, the noisiness inherent to the medium, and how listeners engage with these unwanted sounds - whether by ignoring, finding them distracting, or embracing them as part of the medium’s texture.

Combatting Road Accidents And Fatalities : The Colonial State, Voluntary Organisations, And Road Safety In Northern Rhodesia, 1940s-1964, Mbozi Santebe

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) experienced an increase in the use of motor vehicles from the late 1920s. Consequently, there was a rapid increase in the occurrence of road accidents from the 1940s onwards. The rise in cases of accidents attracted attention of the colonial state and other stakeholders that embarked on measures to improve road safety. Using a corpus of archival sources, this article examines the measures that the colonial state and voluntary organisations undertook to improve road safety in Northern Rhodesia from the 1940s to 1964. It contributes to scholarly works on the use of motor vehicles in Africa …

Dynamics Of Infanticides Among The Ngoni Of Tanzania, 1850s-1916, Andrew S. Kasambala, Oswald J. Masebo

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

Infanticide is one of the key factors in explaining changes in human populations since the antiquity. This paper examines dynamics of infanticide practices among the Ngoni of Tanzania from the late pre- colonial to the end of German colonial rule in 1916. Relying on primary and secondary sources, it argues that while infanticide remained a critical problem in Songea from the 19th century to the end of German colonialism in 1916, the context in which it was practiced and the interventions devised to alleviate it changed over time. While it was primarily practiced in Songea by pre-Ngoni communal based clans …

Criteria For Rejecting Ideas In African Philosophy : A Historical And Epistemological Analysis, Eric C. Mgalula

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

The rejection of African ideas remains a pivotal debate in African philosophy, centring on tensions between universalist epistemologies and culturally specific criteria. This study synthesizes fragmented discussions into a cohesive framework, interrogating when and why African ideas may be deemed inadequate. It critiques contemporary African scholarship that rigidly adheres to indigenous traditions under decolonial and nationalist imperatives, advocating instead for a balanced approach that harmonizes intellectual rigor with cultural authenticity. Through a historical analysis of key thinkers—from Tempels and Hountondji to Wiredu and Oyewumí—this article historicizes the evolution of evaluative criteria in African philosophy, challenging colonial legacies and romanticized traditionalism. …

Mediation Partiality And The East African Community’S ‘Quiet Diplomacy’ In The Kenyan Post-Election Crisis Of 2007/2008, Rasul A. Minja

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

This article examines the role of East African Community (EAC) in mediating the 2007/2008 Kenyan post-election crisis, analysing its engagement in regional conflict resolution. Despite its mandate to promote peace, the EAC's response was constrained by institutional weaknesses, political dynamics, and reliance on quiet diplomacy. The African Union-backed Panel of Eminent African Personalities, led by Kofi Annan, ultimately led the mediation, sidelining the EAC. Through the analysis of primary and secondary sources, the article indicates that EAC lacked a binding conflict management framework and faced decision-making delays that hindered swift intervention. The partiality of key figures, particularly President Yoweri Museveni …

Jonathan M Jackson, Visions For An African Valley: Histories Of Development In Kilombero, Tanzania Since 1877., Emanuel L. Mchome

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

Research on the history of colonial development and future-making in Tanzania has focused on the racial and class politics that influenced development visions and practices. Studies of postcolonial development history have demonstrated how state leaders and their ideologies shaped nation-building trajectories. Notwithstanding of the temporal dynamics, scholars have analysed how the flow of finance and technical assistance reveals intertwined global forces such as nationalism and the Cold War, and how foreign development assistance shaped development in Tanzania. Visions for an African Valley moves beyond this conventional analysis. Instead of employing ideological lenses in analysis, it specifically examines how colonial and …