Case Assignment Research Articles

Probability assessment method for intrapelvic anastomoses of superior gluteal artery in humans

Aim. To develop mathematical models for determining the probability of intrapelvic anastomoses of the superior gluteal artery (SGA) in males and females. Materials and methods. Numerical data for discriminant analysis were obtained as a result of studies on 132 unidentified male (aged 40 to 60 years) and 60 female (aged 35 to 74 years) corpses. The following methods were used: preparation, morphometry, injection of blood vessels, somatotyping, mathematical modeling. Results. The length and diameter of SGA in men and women were found to be statistically significant predictor variables for the linear discriminant function. When assessing the probability of intrapelvic anastomoses of SGA using the proposed mathematical model, its accuracy was found to be 93.8 and 91.7% for men and women, respectively. The assignment of each new case to a group of males with a high or low probability of having intrapelvic anastomoses can be calculated using the following formulas: y0 = -11.174 + 1.465x1 + 5.139x2 and y1 = -31.459 + 4.101x1 + 6.436x2, in groups of females – y0 = -99.896 + 1.821x1 + 2.964x2 and y1 = -103.737 + 3.685x1 + 3.493x2. Here, x1 is the SGA diameter for each new case and x2 is the SGA length for each new case. If y0 > y1, then the man or woman belongs to the group with a low probability of having intrapelvic anastomoses of the SGA. If y0 < y1, then the people belong to a group with a high probability of having similar intrapelvic collaterals. Conclusion. The developed mathematical models can be used to predict the presence or absence of intrapelvic anastomoses of SGA in males and females with sufficiently high accuracy.

How Does Judges’ Personal Exposure to Financial Fraud Affect White‐Collar Sentencing?

ABSTRACTWe study whether federal judges’ personal exposure to financial fraud affects their professional behavior, in the form of sentencing outcomes in white‐collar cases. Following the methodology outlined in our registered report, we construct a novel measure of financial fraud exposure based on judges’ direct shareholdings in firms that commit financial fraud. Using this measure, we exploit the random assignment of cases to judges to examine whether judges exposed to fraud in one firm are (1) less likely to rule in favor of defendants in white‐collar cases involving other firms and (2) less likely to grant favorable pretrial motions to defendants. We find minimal evidence in support of either (1) or (2), concluding that for all but the most serious frauds, judges are unlikely to let their personal victimhood experience affect their professional sentencing behavior with respect to related cases. Our study broadens our understanding of the spillover effects of financial fraud enforcement and contributes to the literature on how judges’ personal experiences can shape judicial decision‐making.

Bridging the gap between molecular and genomic epidemiology in tuberculosis: inferring MIRU-VNTR patterns from genomic data.

The transition from molecular epidemiology in tuberculosis (TB), based on the analysis of repetitive regions (VNTR-based genotyping), to genomic epidemiology transforms in the precision with which we track transmission. However, short-read sequencing, the most common method for performing genomic analysis, is poor at analyzing repetitive regions. This means that we face a gap between the new genomic data and the large amount of information stored in historical databases, which is also an obstacle to cross-national surveillance involving settings where only molecular data are available. Long-read sequencing could help bridge this knowledge gap by allowing analysis of repetitive regions. Our study demonstrates that MIRU-VNTR patterns can be successfully inferred from long-read sequences, allowing the correct assignment of new cases as clustered/orphan by linking new data extracted from genomic analysis to historical MIRU-VNTR databases. Our data may provide a starting point for bridging the knowledge gap between the molecular and genomic eras in tuberculosis epidemiology.

Zooming in and out of semantics: proximal-distal construal levels and prominence hierarchies.

We argue that the "Prominence Hierarchy" within linguistics can be subsumed under the "Construal Level Theory" within psychology and that a wide spectrum of grammatical phenomena, ranging from case assignment to number, definiteness, verbal agreement, voice, direct/inverse morphology, and syntactic word-order respond to Prominence Hierarchies (PH), or semantic scales. In fact, the field of prominence hierarchies, as expressed through the languages of the world, continues to be riddled with riddles. We identify a set of conundrums: (A) vantage point and animacy, (B) individuation and narrow reference phenomena, (C) fronting mechanisms, (D) abstraction, and (E) cultural variance and flexibility. We here propose an account for the existence of these hierarchies and their pervasive effects on grammar by relying on psychological Construal Level Theory (CLT). We suggest that both PH and CLT structure the external world according to proximity or distance from the "Me, Here and Now" (MHN) perspective. In language, MHN has the effect of structuring grammars; in cognition, it structures our lives, our preferences, and choices.

A study of school systems practising case management to address non-attendance and other issues in Japanese elementary and junior high schools

ABSTRACT This study examined a teacher-centred school system in Japan that promotes case management, alongside its influencing factors and improvement areas. A survey involving semi-structured interviews was conducted with 12 school counsellors, school social workers, and coordinator teachers with three or more years of experience in assisting children in public elementary and junior high schools. Results showed that information consolidation within each school, case assignment, monitoring, and evaluation differ between schools and that no school has a clearly defined system. Having a key person for case management in schools and identifying improvement areas for shaping the school system are necessary.

Teaching and Assessment of Clinical Reasoning Skills in a Case-Based Veterinary Cardiology Elective.

Clinical reasoning (CR) is an important clinical competency for effective veterinary practice. We hypothesized that implementing an explicit 7-week CR curriculum taught in a large-enrollment elective veterinary cardiology course would improve students' awareness of clinical reasoning principles, self-efficacy of CR skills, and application of CR principles in clinical case analyses. A secondary aim was to assess the impact of peer review as a means of providing feedback in a large classroom setting. A mixed method approach was used with veterinary students (N = 78) in a cardiology elective course meeting twice weekly for a half-semester (7 weeks). Course content included a 1-week introduction to CR led by the instructor and 6 weeks of instructor-facilitated, case-based learning. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected, including pre- and post-course surveys, weekly peer reviews for six clinical case assignments, and instructor-graded clinical cases for three case assignments. Students reported improved self-efficacy across all CR skill categories (p < .001) and significant improvement in applied CR skills was demonstrated in both peer- (p < .001) and instructor-graded assignments (p < .001). Peer reviews provided a means for students to reflect on and internalize CR skills, which may play a role in improved self-efficacy. In an elective cardiology course, implementing an explicit CR curriculum resulted in improved student awareness and self-efficacy of CR, as well as improved applied CR skills.

PetroSahand International Group: the dilemma of outsourcing for EPC activities

Learning outcomes After reading the case and answering the case assignments, students will be able to understand and explain the challenges and opportunities for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors and their subcontractors; understand and critically analyse the advantages and disadvantages of insourcing and outsourcing of engineering, procurement and construction in EPC projects; determine which situations merit insourcing or outsourcing within each of engineering, procurement and construction in EPC projects; understand and identify the competencies and qualifications that a subcontractor must possess if any EPC activity is outsourced to them; and develop a decision-making framework to determine which EPC activities must be kept in-house or outsourced in EPC projects. Case overview/synopsis In mid-March 2021, PetroSahand International Group, a leading EPC contractor specializing in the oil, gas and petrochemicals industries in Iran, encountered significant challenges with its subcontractors in engineering and construction. These issues resulted in widespread repercussions for the company, including project delays and mounting debts. At the peak of these crises, PetroSahand’s senior management embarked on a thorough examination of whether to insource or outsource various aspects of their operations, such as engineering, procurement and construction. Their objective was twofold: to prevent similar setbacks in future projects and to navigate existing projects with minimal disruption to the company’s reputation. To address this critical dilemma, PetroSahand enlisted the expertise of a consulting team from Sharif University of Technology. Comprising esteemed professors, graduates and students from one of Iran’s most respected institutions, this team undertook an exhaustive analysis of the insourcing versus outsourcing debate across EPC domains. Subsequently, they presented their comprehensive findings, thereby confronting PetroSahand’s senior management with a pivotal choice regarding the optimal approach for each activity. Complexity academic level The audience of this work is undergraduate and graduate students who are enrolled in project management courses, both fundamentals and advanced. In addition, this case helps senior managers of EPC contractors gain a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of insourcing or outsourcing different project activities. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 7: Management science.

Dependent Case for Mongolian: Unifying accusative subjects

In Modern Mongolian, the subjects of many subordinate clauses, both complements and adjuncts, may be marked with the accusative case (von Heusinger, Klein &amp;amp; Guntsetseg 2011; Guntsetseg 2016). This study argues that the full empirical picture of these marked subjects necessitates an analysis based on Dependent Case Theory (Marantz 1991; Baker &amp;amp; Vinokurova 2010; Baker 2015), which additionally provides an account of case assignment more broadly in the language, including in differential object marking. Prior syntactic analyses (Bao et al. 2015; Fong 2019) rely on Agree-based case-licensing from v, resulting in ECM-like accounts. However, the appearance of accusative on subjects of adjoined clauses, as well as in clauses with no canonical accusative-assigning verbs (intransitives, passives) rules out v as the case assigner. Instead, following Baker &amp;amp; Vinokurova (2010), this account argues that accusative case is assigned configurationally. Once established that a configurational approach to case-assignment handles subjects, as well as direct objects, the approach is applied to Mongolian-specific issues including voice alternations and converbial adjuncts, showing that the theory predicts case-assignment patterns there. Finally, the study examines data from dative marking and scrambling in ditransitives to refine Baker &amp;amp; Vinokurova’s (2010) original theory, obviating the need for case-stacking by restricting the timing of application of the Dependent Case algorithm.

Caseload factors predictive of family abuse and neglect treatment outcomes

BackgroundIn child welfare, caseloads are frequently far higher than optimal. Not all cases are created equal; however, little is known about which combination and interaction of factors make caseloads more challenging and impact child and family outcomes. ObjectiveThis study aims to identify which case, provider, and organizational factors most strongly differentiate between families with favorable and less-than-positive treatment outcomes. Participants and settingParticipants were 25 family advocacy program providers and 17 supervisors at 11 Department of the Air Force installations. MethodsFollowing informed consent, participants completed demographic and caseload questionnaires, and we collected information about organizational factors. Providers were sent a weekly case update and burnout questionnaire for seven months. We used linear mixed-effects model tree (LMM tree) algorithms to determine the provider, client, and organizational characteristics that best distinguish between favorable vs. unfavorable outcomes. ResultsThe LMM tree predicting provider-rated treatment success yielded three significant partitioning variables: (a) commander involvement, (b) case complexity, and (c) % of clients in a high-risk field. The LMM predicting client-rated treatment progress yielded seven significant partitioning variables: (a) command involvement; (b) ease of reaching tenant unit command; (c) # of high-risk cases; (d) % of clients receiving Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment services; (e) ease of reaching command; (f) % of clients with legal involvement; (g) provider age. ConclusionsThis study is a first step toward developing a dynamic caseload management tool. An intelligent, algorithm-informed approach to case assignment could help child welfare agencies operate in their typically resource-scarce contexts in a manner that improves outcomes.

Convicting Corrupt Officials: Evidence from Randomly Assigned Cases

Abstract Can the judiciary help root out government corruption? This article exploits the random assignment of court cases to justices who exhibit varying degrees of strictness to examine how convicting corrupt officials affects local government outcomes in the Philippines. I document that convictions improve the management of local public finances and reduce associated corruption. An exploration of mechanisms suggests that legal deterrence effects contribute to these findings. The results further indicate that convictions are effective at stifling corruption among bureaucrats, but not politicians. Consistent with this heterogeneity, convictions reduce electoral competition and consequently weaken accountability for incumbent politicians.

Feedback and Learning: The Causal Effects of Reversals on Judicial Decision-Making

Abstract Do judges respond to reversals of their decisions? Using random assignment of cases across two stages of the criminal justice system in Norway and a novel dataset linking trial court decisions to reversals in appeals courts, we provide causal evidence on feedback effects in judicial decision-making. By exploiting differences in the tendencies of randomly assigned appeal panels to reverse trial court decisions, we show that trial court judges who receive a reversal of a sentence respond by updating the likelihood of imposing a prison sentence in the direction of the reversal in future cases. Consistent with a Bayesian learning model, we find that the responses are stronger for judges with weaker priors and for reversals corresponding to stronger signals. Our estimates, however, also indicate that judges overreact to reversals compared to Bayes’ rule.

Arabic Compound Numerals: New Insights on Case, Agreement, and Quantification

This paper examines the syntax of additive compound numerals in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), uncovering their unique properties related to number morphology, definiteness, and Case assignment within numeral–noun constructions. These properties necessitate a constituency analysis which reveals that compound numerals have the structure of copulative compounds in MSA, and they are phrases, not functional heads. Drawing on the distinction between inherent, lexical, and structural Cases, this paper posits that the accusative Case on the numerals is an inherent Case, inaccessible to syntactic transformations. Furthermore, the analysis of numeral–noun constructions as numerically quantified phrases (NQPs) explains the assignment of a structural accusative Case or the inherent genitive Case on the quantified noun, based on the overtness of NQ0. Finally, the paper addresses the intriguing question of how NQPs in MSA, despite lacking a nominative Case, can assume the subject position and govern agreement in both verbal and verbless sentences.

Proteomic Characterization of Undifferentiated Small Round Cell Sarcomas With EWSR1 and CIC::DUX4 Translocations Reveals Diverging Tumor Biology and Distinct Diagnostic Markers

Undifferentiated small round cell sarcomas (USRS) of bone and soft tissue are a group of tumors with heterogenic genomic alterations sharing similar morphology. In the present study, we performed a comparative large-scale proteomic analysis of USRS (n = 42) with diverse genomic translocations including classic Ewing sarcomas with EWSR1::FLI1 fusions (n = 24) or EWSR1::ERG fusions (n = 4), sarcomas with an EWSR1 rearrangement (n = 2), CIC::DUX4 fusion (n = 8), as well as tumors classified as USRS with no genetic data available (n = 4). Proteins extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded pretherapeutic biopsies were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using shotgun mass spectrometry (MS). More than 8000 protein groups could be quantified using data-independent acquisition. Unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis based on proteomic data allowed stratification of the 42 cases into distinct groups reflecting the different molecular genotypes. Protein signatures that significantly correlated with the respective genomic translocations were identified and used to generate a heatmap of all 42 sarcomas with assignment of cases with unknown molecular genetic data to either the EWSR1- or CIC-rearranged groups. MS-based prediction of sarcoma subtypes was molecularly confirmed in 2 cases where next-generation sequencing was technically feasible. MS also detected proteins routinely used in the immunohistochemical approach for the differential diagnosis of USRS. BCL11B highly expressed in Ewing sarcomas, and BACH2 as well as ETS-1 highly expressed in CIC::DUX4-associated sarcomas, were among proteins identified by the present proteomic study, and were chosen for immunohistochemical confirmation of MS data in our study cohort. Differential expressions of these 3 markers in the 2 genetic groups were further validated in an independent cohort of n = 34 USRS. Finally, our proteomic results point toward diverging signaling pathways in the different USRS subgroups.

Reconstructing the decoupling of case and agreement in Old Hungarian

Abstract The interdependence of accusative case and object agreement has changed dramatically during the history of Ugric languages. While Proto-Ugric exhibited full interdependence (mediated by topicality), this connection has loosened in the extant Ob-Ugric languages (Mansi and Khanty), and it is severed completely in Late to Modern Hungarian. In this paper, I introduce new, hitherto unreported empirical evidence from nicknames and family names that preserve archaic syntactic features for an intermediate stage of Early Old Hungarian (which predates our earliest written records) where case assignment was still a function of topicality but object agreement was already a function of definiteness. In addition to providing insight into an unrecorded stage of Hungarian, my findings also contribute to a more thorough understanding of the connection between case, agreement and information structure in Ugric and beyond.

Impact Analysis of a new, Cross-sector Service Provision of Gastroenterologic Endoscopic Services in Accordance with 115f SGB V (Hybrid-DRG): Allocation Matrix and Cost Analysis

With the introduction of §115f SGB V, the prerequisites for "sector-equal remuneration" ('Hybrid DRG') have been created. In an impact analysis, we assigned inpatient gastroenterological endoscopic (GAEN) cases in a matrix of future hybrid DRG versus outpatient surgery (AOP) or inpatient treatment. In selected DRGs (G47B, G67A, G67B, G67C, G71Z, H41D, H41E) an allocation matrix of GAEN cases was created on medical grounds. For this purpose, service groups from the DGVS service catalog ('Leistungskatalog') were assigned to the groups: 'Hybrid-DRG', 'AOP' and 'Inpatient' by a group of experts based on the DGVS position paper. Cost data from the DGVS-DRG project for the 2022 data year from 36 InEK calculation hospitals with a total of 232,476 GAEN cases were evaluated. 26 service groups from the DGVS service catalog were assigned to a "Hybrid-DRG", 24 to the "inpatient" group, and 12 to the "AOP" group. 7 performance groups were splitted "depending on the OPS code" and classified at this level. Cases with additional fees were excluded from a hybrid DRG because these cannot be agreed there.The cost analysis shows that services that are already in the AOP have a similar cost level to services that have been classified as 'Hybrid-DRG'. With the cost calculation, a cost level could be presented for the hybrid DRGs formed. Based on clearly defined structural, procedural and personnel requirements, services from suitable DRGs can be transferred to a hybrid DRG. Assigning services without the involvement of clinical experts seems extremely difficult. Case assignment based on arbitrary contextual factors increases complexity without demonstrably increasing the quality of the assignment and needs to be further developed. A cost analysis can be derived from the known inpatient costs and must serve as the basis for the 2025 Hybrid DRG catalog.

Therapist-Level Moderators of Patient-Therapist Match Effectiveness in Community Psychotherapy

Based on patient-reported outcomes data analyzed at the provider level, there is evidence that psychotherapists can possess effectiveness strengths and weaknesses when treating patients with different presenting concerns. These within-therapist differences hold promise for personalizing care by prospectively matching patients to therapists’ historical effectiveness strengths. In a double-masked randomized controlled trial (RCT; NCT02990000), such matching outperformed pragmatically determined usual case assignment—which leaves personalized, measurement-based matching to chance—in naturalistic outpatient psychotherapy (Constantino et al., JAMA Psychiatry 78:960–969, 2021). Demonstrating that personalization can be even more precise, some research has demonstrated that the strength of this positive match effect was moderated by certain patient characteristics. Notably, though, it could also be that matching is especially important for some therapists to achieve more effective outcomes. Examining this novel question, the present study drew on the Constantino et al. (JAMA Psychiatry 78:960–969, 2021) trial data to explore three therapist-level moderators of matching: (a) effectiveness “spread” (i.e., greater performance variability across patients’ presenting problem domains), (b) overestimation of their measurement-based and problem-specific effectiveness, and (c) the frequency with which they use patient-reported routine outcomes monitoring in their practice. Patients were 206 adults, randomized to the match or control condition, treated by 40 therapists who were crossed over conditions. The therapist variables were assessed at the trial’s baseline and patients’ symptomatic/functional impairment and global distress were assessed regularly up to 16 weeks of treatment. Hierarchical linear models revealed that only therapist effectiveness spread significantly moderated the match effect for the global distress outcome; for therapists with more spread, the match effect was more pronounced, whereas the match effect was minimal for therapists with less effectiveness spread. Notably, two therapist-level covariates unexpectedly emerged as significant moderators for the symptomatic/functional impairment outcome; for clinicians who consistently treated patients with higher versus lower average severity levels and who relatedly treated a higher proportion of patients with primary presenting problems of substance misuse or violence, the beneficial match effect was even stronger. Thus, measurement-based matching may be especially potent for therapists with more variable effectiveness across problem domains, and who consistently treat patients with more severe presenting concerns or with particular primary problems, which provides further precision in conceptualizing personalized care.

Resident perspectives on the role of gender in operative experience during general surgery residency training: A mixed-methods study

BackgroundIt remains unclear why female general surgery residents perform fewer cases than male peers. This exploratory study investigated possible contributors to gender-based disparities and solutions for improving equity in operative experience. MethodsSurveys, including Likert scale and free-text questions, were distributed to 21 accredited general surgery residency programs. ResultsThere were 96 respondents, of whom 69% were female. 22% of females personally experienced barriers to operative experience versus 13% of males (p ​= ​0.41), while 52% of female residents believed operative training was affected by gender (p ​= ​0.004). Inductive analysis revealed the most common barrier to operating room participation was floor work/clinical tasks. The most common barrier for female residents was perceived sexism/gender bias, with subthemes of “misidentification,” “feeling unwelcome,” and “poor trust/autonomy.” To improve parity, residents proposed structured program-level review, feedback, and transparent expectations about case assignments. ConclusionFemale general surgery residents believe gender bias impacts training. Further mixed-methods research is crucial to determine the cause of gender-based disparities in operative experience.

The morphosyntax of Gothic preverb compounds: incorporation and applicativisation

Gothic preverb compounds illustrate several interesting characteristics, including multiple preverb stacking, idiomatisation, tmesis (i.e., separation by clitics), and P-copying (i.e., multiple pronunciation of the preverb). This paper is a close examination of the morphosyntax of these compounds, highlighting novel empirical generalisations about the Gothic language with key theoretical implications for our understanding of Germanic complex verbs and the alternations they participate in. In particular, this paper proposes a structural distinction between preverb compounds which are obligatorily semantically transparent and those which are optionally idiomatic. In arguing that transparent compounds involve the mechanism of preposition incorporation and m-merger, paralleling recent accounts of clitic doubling, while idiomatic compounds involve a thematic high applicative projection, this paper captures nuanced differences in these compounds’ case assignment and argument licensing behaviour. These structural differences will be shown to derive these two compound types’ constrained interaction with the aforementioned phenomena of stacking, tmesis, and copying. In addition, this paper compares Gothic complex verbs to their cross-linguistic correlates within and beyond Germanic, whilst also providing a diachronic pathway for the development of (multiple) preverb compounds.

Development of the multivariate administrative data cystectomy model and its impact on misclassification bias

BackgroundMisclassification bias (MB) is the deviation of measured from true values due to incorrect case assignment. This study compared MB when cystectomy status was determined using administrative database codes vs. predicted cystectomy probability.MethodsWe identified every primary cystectomy-diversion type at a single hospital 2009–2019. We linked to claims data to measure true association of cystectomy with 30 patient and hospitalization factors. Associations were also measured when cystectomy status was assigned using billing codes and by cystectomy probability from multivariate logistic regression model with covariates from administrative data. MB was the difference between measured and true associations.Results500 people underwent cystectomy (0.12% of 428 677 hospitalizations). Sensitivity and positive predictive values for cystectomy codes were 97.1% and 58.6% for incontinent diversions and 100.0% and 48.4% for continent diversions, respectively. The model accurately predicted cystectomy-incontinent diversion (c-statistic [C] 0.999, Integrated Calibration Index [ICI] 0.000) and cystectomy-continent diversion (C:1.000, ICI 0.000) probabilities. MB was significantly lower when model-based predictions was used to impute cystectomy-diversion type status using for both incontinent cystectomy (F = 12.75; p < .0001) and continent cystectomy (F = 11.25; p < .0001).ConclusionsA model using administrative data accurately returned the probability that cystectomy by diversion type occurred during a hospitalization. Using this model to impute cystectomy status minimized MB. Accuracy of administrative database research can be increased by using probabilistic imputation to determine case status instead of individual codes.

Nominal licensing via dependent case: The view from pseudo noun incorporation in Wolof

AbstractBare nominals in Wolof can occur in the object position and they must be adjacent to the verb that subcategorizes for them. This is a property usually attributed to pseudo noun incorporation (PNI). However, there are two circumstances under which this adjacency requirement is obviated: a DP is introduced between the subject and the PNI‐ed object, or the latter is ‐moved. While these are disparate phenomena, a dependent case analysis of nominal licensing can account for PNI in Wolof. I assume that all nominals must be licensed with case, with case assignment being calculated in terms of dependent case. If this is not possible, a last resort strategy arises, namely surface adjacency with the verb. This analysis provides a unified analysis of PNI in Wolof.