Early Eighties Research Articles

Atypical presentation of pulmonary embolism masquerading as abdominal pain

This case report highlights a rare presentation of Pulmonary Embolism (PE) with atypical abdominal pain, emphasizing the challenges in timely diagnosis. A female patient in her early eighties presented with left abdomen pain, initially treated for Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), and later accurately diagnosed with PE through Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography (CTPA). The mechanisms of abdominal pain encompass many hypotheses such as right-sided heart failure-induced hepatic congestion, diaphragmatic irritation from the pulmonary lobe infraction, increased blood viscosity, and pulmonary hypertension-associated abdominal lymphedema. PE is a prominent cause of unexpected deaths in hospitalized patients, with misdiagnosis occurring in up to 70% of cases, often only discovered postmortem. The condition manifests through various symptoms, with dyspnoea and chest pain being the most common. Abdominal pain, though less frequent, has been documented with an incidence of 6.7% in previous studies.

Atypical Presentation of Pulmonary Embolism Masquerading as Abdominal Pain

This case report presents a rare manifestation of pulmonary embolism (PE) with atypical abdominal pain, highlighting the diagnostic challenges encountered. A female patient in her early eighties initially presented with left upper abdominal pain, initially treated for Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), and later accurately diagnosed with PE through Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography (CTPA). Various mechanisms of abdominal pain in PE are discussed, including right-sided heart failure-induced hepatic congestion and diaphragmatic irritation from pulmonary lobe infarction. Despite dyspnea and chest pain being more common, abdominal pain is documented in 6.7% of cases. This case underscores the importance of considering PE in the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain, particularly in the elderly population, to prevent potentially fatal consequences.

A Rediscovered Codex of the Old Church Slavonic Translation of the Books of the Kingdoms

This article opens up hitherto unexplored avenues of research into the textual transmission of the Old Church Slavonic version of the Books of the Kingdoms (1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings in the Hebrew Bible), undertaken from the Septuagint by an anonymous Bulgarian translator no later than the late 9th – early 10th centuries. The focus is on a mid-15th century South Slavic manuscript, which until the early eighties of the XX century was kept in the Croatian Historical Museum in Zagreb under the call number R-38. Its subsequent place of preservation remained unknown for a few decades until in 2021 the author succeeded in tracking it down in the town of Pakrac, in Western Slavonia, Croatia. The codex, which is today in the possession of the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Slavonia, stands out not only for being the only surviving testimony of the translation written in Resava orthography, but also for its unique linguistic and textual features, making it a precious witness for investigating the translation’s oldest textual layer. Specifically, it differs from any other existing source because of its textual arrangement. Furthermore, it appears to be very conservative from a linguistic standpoint given it comprises lexical, grammatical and syntactical archaisms. The analysis of its textual readings proves it not to be a direct copy either of one of the surviving Middle Bulgarian or of the existing East Slavic testimonies; rather it unexpectedly represents an additional third, hitherto completely unexplored branch of transmission. Consequently, this recently rediscovered codex is a source of exceptional significance, particularly since it enriches our understanding of the textual history of the Old Church Slavonic translation of the Books of the Kingdoms.

Mahdist Movement Political Dimensions in Sudan: Islamic State Creation Religious Mentality during the Nineteenth Century (1884 -1881).

This article examines the religious mentality in the nineteenth century Middle with reference to Mahdi movement political dimensions in Sudan during the early eighties. The study is organized into four sections which cover, historical background of the 19th Century Sudan, the emergence of the Mahdism in 1881 in Sudan, the political aspects of the Mahdist movement in Sudan, and local opposition against the Mahdist movement. The study key findings showed that the Sudanese Mahdi, Mohammed Ahmad, had been affected by number of factors shaping his religious mentality embodied in the idea of Mahdism. It was concluded that such mentality was evident in the political aspects the movement and local opposition. It was also revealed that those factors played such a vital role in the movement's prosperity that ordinary Sudanese people regarded Mohammed Ahmed, in sharp contrast to Mahdi-opposition loyal scholars (Ulama), as a savior capable of liberating Sudan from foreign rule.

A LONGITUDINAL EXAMINATION OF SEXUAL SATISFACTION ACROSS ADULTHOOD IN MIDUS

Abstract Sexuality is fundamental to the human experience and midlife is a transition period in adulthood where sexual changes often occur. Sexual satisfaction (SS) in midlife and older adulthood is still under studied. However, researchers have found a more pronounced decline in SS among women compared to men beginning in late midlife or early old age. The purpose of the present study was to examine how sexual satisfaction changes across adulthood (20-92 years) and at what ages women and men differ on their ratings of sexual satisfaction. Participants were from waves 1, 2, and 3 of MIDUS (n=2,348; Mage=54.34 years). SS was operationalized using “How would you rate the sexual aspect of your life these days,” with a scale from 0 to 10 where 0 means “the worst possible situation” and 10 means “the best possible situation”. Time-varying effect modeling (TVEM) revealed that there was an overall linear decline until the early 60s, then the decline steepened. Men and women did not differ from ages 20 to 44. However, around age 45, men (β=5.95; CI:5.83,6.07) began reporting significantly greater SS than women (β=5.62; CI:5.45,5.74), which lasted almost four decades. At age 84, women (β=3.36; CI:2.94,3.78) reported significantly greater satisfaction then men (β=3.32; CI:2.89,3.74). On average, SS declined with age. Women reported lower SS than men for almost four decades (ages 40-80); however, women reported higher satisfaction than men starting in their early eighties. No studies have examined SS across adulthood or gender differences in SS using TVEM.

GLOBAL WAVE CLIMATE TRENDS: WHAT DO THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE WAVE BUOYS TELL US?

Australia’s national wave data network presently consists of around 35 directional wave buoys distributed across the Australian coastline, with 11 of these buoys have been in operation since the mid-seventies. South Africa is home to 4 offshore wave buoys which have operating since the early eighties. New Zealand wave buoy network is relatively younger, with 3 wave buoys in operation since the early 2000s. All of these buoys have been providing invaluable longterm historical wave data which have allowed the offshore and coastal scientific community to better assess extreme wave climates and their impact on the coastline. Additionally, these data records of wave observations are key for model validation and to better understand the effects of climate change on the local and regional wave climate.

Versatility of the perforator radial artery flap in the reconstruction of the upper limbs and comparison of the outcomes with the “classic” radial flap, a retrospective study

IntroductionRadial forearm flap, first described in the early eighties in China, is a well-known and handy flap to cover soft tissue defects of the distal upper limb. It has, though, some inconveniences, such as the sacrifice of the radial artery and non-neglectable esthetic sequelae in the donor site. In the following years, a similar flap based on the perforators of the radial artery has been described as achieving similar results, allowing to spare a main vessel. The authors reviewed retrospectively the patients that underwent surgery with one of those two flaps in their center to compare outcomes. Materials and methodsPatients operated between January 2016 and January 2022 have been reviewed. Ten had a classic radial artery flap, and ten had a radial artery perforator flap. Twelve weeks after surgery, Vancouver Scar Scale was used to assess the results at the donor site and over the flap. Reintervention and failure rate within one year and patient satisfaction -using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 to ten-at 12 months were also assessed. ResultsAll classic radial artery flap group patients had “successful” surgery, and none needed secondary surgery. On the other side, three patients required a second surgery in the perforator flap group, and nine out of ten ended up with “successful” flaps. Mean Vancouver Scar Scale results regarding the flap are comparable, whereas those at the donor site are significantly better in the patients with the perforator flap. Patients’ satisfaction results are similar in both groups. ConclusionThe radial artery perforator flap is an important flap to be held in mind by all surgeons approaching reconstruction of the elbow, the forearm, and the hand, and should be preferred, when possible, to the classic radial forearm flap.

Supply chain research overview from the early eighties to Covid era – Big data approach based on Latent Dirichlet Allocation

In recent years, supply chain research has grown at a tremendous pace. Many review papers use systematic literature reviews to describe longer-term trends and perspectives. However, many of these studies analyze a limited number of documents, which does not always guarantee representativeness of results. This paper presents a smart bibliometric literature review of supply chain research. The objectives are: (i) to identify supply chain research interest and research impact across subject areas; (ii) to capture trends of supply chain research in the last four decades; (iii) to identify research domains related to supply chain and development of these research domains over time; (iv) to explore the impact of COVID-19 on areas of supply chain research. Authors process 116,759 documents related to supply chain research, published between 1969 and 2021, retrieved from the Scopus database. After providing statistics regarding research interest and research impact, they use a corpus of abstracts to perform topic modeling. Using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) with Gibbs sampling, 13 research domains related to supply chain research are identified: Ecology; Food supply chain; IT support of supply chain; Retail-oriented supply chain; Risk and disruptive aspects of supply chain; Performance management; Value management and social aspect; Production; Sustainability & development; Models & optimization; Effective inventory management; Supply chain management systems; Supplier and logistic analytics. We also present the individual areas of supply chain research during COVID-19 pandemic.

A Review of The Microgenre: A Quick Look at Small Culture

A Review of <i>The Microgenre: A Quick Look at Small Culture</i>

Polarised neutron scattering from dynamic polarised nuclei 1972–2022

With the inauguration of the small-angle instrument D11 of the Institute Laue–Langevin (ILL) in September 1972 neutron scattering revolutionized methods of contrast variation. Very soon D11 was oversubscribed by proposals relying on isotopic substitution of hydrogen isotopes. At the same time in Oxford first experiments of polarised neutron diffraction from dynamic polarised protons in lanthanum magnesium nitrate crystals demonstrated the great utility of this approach. In the early eighties a new type of polarised target material led to a boom of contrast variation by nuclear polarisation. The new samples of frozen solutions of macromolecules lent themselves to small-angle scattering. Often in collaboration with research centres of High Energy Physics various groups in Europe and Japan started experiments of polarized neutron scattering from dynamic polarised protons. Techniques of NMR and EPR considerably enlarged the spectrum of nuclear contrast variation. This is shown with time-resolved polarised neutron scattering from dynamic polarized proton spins of a free radical and of tyrosyl doped catalase using D22 at the ILL.Graphical abstract

Growth Performance and Interrupted Time Series Approach to Estimate Immediate and Sustained Effects of Oilseeds Mission on Groundnut in India

Oilseeds are mostly grown in marginal lands with inadequate irrigation facilities (only 10% is irrigated) as a result yields tend to be low leading to a widening gap between domestic production of vegetable oil and demand. Production growth in the early eighties was slow due to insufficient technologies and the turning point was the year 1985-86. Since then, oilseeds production in the country has increased due to implementation of technology mission. The present study was attempted to examine the growth performance of groundnut in the major states of India and assess the immediate and sustained effects of oilseeds mission on groundnut production in order to identify the potentials for future expansion of area and scaling -up the yield of groundnut-based production system. Growth and quasi experimental time series analyses were employed to assess the growth performance and intervention’s effects (oilseeds mission) using time series data. Increase in groundnut production has been contributed mainly by increase in productivity. Though the maximum productivity growth was 6.24% per annum in India, overall growth rate in yield was 2.28 % per annum due to yearly aberrations indicating the high instability. Groundnut yield grew by 3.84, 3.06 and 2.16 % per annum respectively in Rajasthan, Madya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu for the overall period (1992-93 and 2020-21). However, these states witnessed production shortfalls and production fell by 0.94, 6.42 and 2.05 % per annum, respectively. Except Gujarat the other major states also exhibited negative growth in production and the rate of drop was higher in the Uttara Pradesh (7.91%) followed by Madhya Pradesh (6.42%), Maharashtra (4.94%), Andhra Pradesh (3.69%) and Karnataka (3.03%). Groundnut production in India also fell by 2.13 % per annum mainly due to fall in area and marginal growth in yield. The estimated yield increase was 450 kg/ha in India, which is higher by 48 % after the intervention. The estimated positive and significant coefficient of interrupted time series for India (50.36) reveal that the oilseeds mission has created sustained effects as a result there was a yield improvement. Sustained effects of intervention are noticed in most of the states. Sustaining the productivity in those states with high yield potential and improving the productivity in other major states by prioritizing and disseminating the seeds of suitable varieties and production technologies are vital as there is lackluster response from the farmers in adoption of varieties and technologies.

Emergence and History

Emergence and History

The Historical Film as a Field, a Mode of Thought (Historying) and a Pack of Tricks We Play Upon the Dead, History is . . . a pack of tricks which we play upon the dead” – Voltaire

Some forty years ago I wrote my first essay on historical (history) film. At the time, the field of history almost totally ignored the visual media. In the early eighties of the last century, the few historians who wrote about film did so as part of a traditional topic -- such as the history, or economics, or cultural impact of the motion picture industry. Historical journals did not review history films, and any historian who considered a dramatic feature as a possible way of understanding the past would have been considered not to be a serious member of the profession.

The Historical Film as a Field, a Mode of Thought (Historying) and a Pack of Tricks We Play Upon the Dead, History is . . . a pack of tricks which we play upon the dead” – Voltaire

Some forty years ago I wrote my first essay on historical (history) film. At the time, the field of history almost totally ignored the visual media. In the early eighties of the last century, the few historians who wrote about film did so as part of a traditional topic -- such as the history, or economics, or cultural impact of the motion picture industry. Historical journals did not review history films, and any historian who considered a dramatic feature as a possible way of understanding the past would have been considered not to be a serious member of the profession.

Review: Pleading the Blood: Bill Gunn’s “Ganja &amp; Hess,” by Christopher Sieving

Review: <i>Pleading the Blood: Bill Gunn’s “Ganja &amp; Hess,”</i> by Christopher Sieving

Something Beautiful and Powerful: Politics, Art, and Bread and Puppet Theater

Something Beautiful and Powerful: Politics, Art, and Bread and Puppet Theater

Military Helicopters in Czechoslovak Aeroclubs Between 1963–1974

In mid-fifties helicopters were already an indivisible part of military air forces all over the world. In terms of the Warsaw Pact the army of Soviet Union and subsequently its satellite states got the first helicopters. In 1956 Czechoslovak military air force also received the first Mil Mi-4 helicopters. Since 1959 Mi-1 light helicopters were used for pilots training, however, in early sixties there was a shortage of backup pilots within military units. The only Czechoslovak liaison helicopter regiment did not manage to train its own pilots, much less backup pilots. Therefore, unused military helicopters HC-102 were incorporated into Svazarm aero clubs (Svaz pro spolupráci s armádou - The Union for Cooperation with The Army). Flying with Mi-1 started in 1965. In course of eleven years a huge number of pilots were trained within aeroclubs, which cooperated with military air force, to join the army in case of need. In 1974 the conception of backup pilots training in aeroclubs was re-evaluated and finished. The numerous group of pilots then got occasional trainings at army till early eighties and many of the pilots were finally employed at the police, air force or in civil sector.

Formation in Leningrad of a System of Integrated Continuous Flow Management of Housing and Civil Construction: The Experience of the 70–80s of the Twentieth Century

The article deals with the problem of complex continuous flow management of the construction of a metropolis on the example of Leningrad of the late seventies and early eighties of the twentieth century and the proposed ways to solve it. Internal statistical data of the Leningrad City Executive Committee were used. The main problems in ensuring coordinated and systematic management of the construction complex in that historical period are analyzed. Conclusions are drawn about the relevance of this problem and methods of its solution in the conditions of a qualitatively new stage in the development of Russian society.

Sprouts for Life: Eco-Feminism and Performance

Sprouts for Life: Eco-Feminism and Performance

Methodological Analysis of Period Fertility in Saudi Arabia for 2018

The exact measurement and evaluation of indicators of period fertility in a multiracial society could help explain disparities. The aim of this paper is to develop a methodological and analytical attempt to systematically analyse period fertility and discuss differentials in its levels and patterns between domestic and expatriate women in Saudi Arabia as far as available data allow. The data used were obtained from official sources published by the General Authority for Statistics in the Household Health Survey 2018, and then the quantitative calculation was used to calculate fertility indicators. Estimated period fertility indicators started from the simplest rates to the more complex ones, with adequate illustration of the advantages and disadvantages of each of them. The purpose was to establish fertility differentials and historical patterns. The paper consistently shows that the fertility of expatriates in Saudi Arabia is lower than the fertility of Saudi domestic women; however, the reason for this disparity is not established, as the sufficient influence of contraceptive practices has not been confirmed. It is also revealed that the fertility transition that has been taking place since the early eighties will continue, but it will result in precautions in the future.