Election Day Research Articles

Topical antibiotics in the prevention of port-site infection after elective day care laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Wound-related infections and complications are rare after day care laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). They can have a significant adverse impact on the postoperative course after an uneventful elective LC. The use of topical antibiotics over the port site may prevent such complications. This trial was conducted from January 2018 to June 2019. Two hundred and fifty patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the study. They were randomized into the topical antibiotic group (Group A, n = 125) and control group (Group B, n = 125). All patients underwent four-port LC. Mupirocin 2% topical antibiotic ointment was applied to all four-port sites in Group A, whereas no topical antibiotic was used in Group B. One dose of prophylactic systemic antibiotics was given to all patients in both groups. The mean age was 43.22 ± 12.7 years in Group A and 43.44 ± 12.5 years in Group B. The comorbidities and the other variables were comparable between the two groups. The port-site infection (PSI) was observed in one patient in Group A and three patients in Group B, which was statistically nonsignificant (P = 0.622). The mean time of detection of infection was 4.75 ± 1.7 days. All the infections were superficial surgical site infections. Microbiological swabs culture of the infected wounds yielded no growth of bacteria. The PSI after LC is very less. The use of topical antibiotics to prevent PSIs after LC could not be established.

UNCOVERING USA PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE GENRE

Presidential debate (PD) draws the most attention compared to other political discourses as the candidates present their profile and proposals using rhetorical communicative strategy to convince voter candidates and defeat their adversaries. However, the generic structure of PD is seldomly being the perspective of linguistics studies. The paper aims at scrutinizing the genre of USA Presidential debate using the genre analysis framework proposed by Swales and Bhatia. Thus, the study employs two parts of genre analysis: move, and strategies analysis. The present study finds that there are six moves of USA PD namely greetings-informing the debate format, introducing the topic, thesis, argumentation, and closure. The communicative purpose of the moves is persuading the American voters in the election day. The finding implies pivotal stages of PD to construct political discourse. This study is expected to contribute to EFL teaching and learning especially in teaching genre exposition integrated in four English skills.

Negative campaign statements, coalition heterogeneity, and the support for government parties

European party systems have become increasingly complex in recent years, resulting in ideologically more heterogeneous coalition governments with far-reaching policy compromises. Consequently, an important goal of the parties' electoral campaign strategies is to present the voters a distinct policy profile on which the electorate can evaluate the competing parties. We argue that voters reward those coalition parties that attack their government partners in the election campaign and try to clarify their programmatic positions with the help of a more aggressive campaign strategy. Based on data from the CSES, the Comparative Manifesto Project database and a novel data base on party campaign statements in seven European countries from 2007 to 2018, we find that voters’ support for coalition parties increases if the latter attack their partners in the last four weeks before election day. Yet, this relationship is only observable in contexts when the ideological diversity of the incumbent coalition government is rather low.

Electronic voting as an element of electronic democracy: the experience of EU countries

The rapid development of information technologies and digital transformation affects various spheres of social relations. Democratic processes in the country, particularly voting, are no exception in this direction. Note that voting and elections are the main components of modern societies, as elections impact citizens' lives and well-being. There is a widespread tendency to reduce participation due to the inconvenience of face-to-face voting. One of the methods of increasing the number of voters is the introduction of electronic voting. The author notes that electronic voting covers several types of electronic means in elections for direct voting and counting votes.
 The work also considers the peculiarities of the Internet or online voting. The positive aspects of electronic voting are analyzed, in particular, such as the automation and simplification of the election process, the increase in participation, and the depreciation of the time required to announce the results. At the same time, the author points out the risks that arise when using electronic voting: falsification of elections, violation of the secrecy of the election, technical failure, etc.
 The paper analyzes the peculiarities of the use of electronic voting machines in Germany and other EU countries. In particular, it indicated that Estonia has a positive experience implementing Internet voting. It had determined that such a vote is unique because it becomes available online only before Election Day during the early voting period, which usually lasts one week.
 It emphasized that Estonia remains the only country in the world that has been using a digital voting alternative since 2005, involving young people inside the country and Estonians living abroad in the electoral and political process. The author notes that such success is due to several factors: people's trust in the authorities, a developed data security system, and the availability of a technological foundation built long before the first attempt at e-voting.
 It had determined that other countries are trying to adopt Estonia's experience, offering an alternative voting method. The author notes that this is limited to installing special voting machines. The work summarizes that electronic voting involves implementing the latest information technologies for the election process. However, the introduction of electronic voting technology itself needs to be clarified.

Visual aspects of online political communication in Belarus during the political crisis of 2020

An empirical study of the visual political communication via Telegram channels during the political crisis in Belarus in 2020 is introduced. The method of qualitative and quantitative content analysis was applied to 625 images and videos retrieved from competing Belarusian Telegram channels during two weeks before and after the election day of August 9, 2020. The results revealed both the general characteristics of the visual political communication in Belarusian Telegram sector and the way opposing political forces used visual content in the period under analysis. The pro-government channels maintained a value-oriented approach, engaging visuals to broadcast Belarusian values and state power symbols. Their visual content involved prominent public and political figures. The opposition channels applied visuals to denounce the authorities and their supporters, as well as to mobilize the opposition-minded Telegram users. They employed a greater variety of visual forms, relying mostly on user-generated content, e.g., live reports from protest sites. Visuals with protesting crowds, casualties, and opposition symbols were aimed at evoking a sense of involvement: they were meant to become triggers for transiting from online activism to actual offline protests.

Effect of Using Virtual Reality Headset on Children Perioperative Anxiety: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Perioperative anxiety can affect up to 75% of children, which is more harmful than it is for adults. One of the appealing methods for diverting children's attention from difficult situations is virtual reality technology. The purpose of this study is to determine how well a virtual reality headset reduces preoperative anxiety and other undesirable postoperative behaviors in children. Materials And Methods: Eighty children aged five to twelve, who were scheduled for elective day surgery were randomly divided into two groups, each with 40 children. The virtual reality group (VRG) and the non-virtual reality control group, but with parental presence (NVRG). The Visual Facial Analogue Scale (VFAS) was used to measure preoperative anxiety in the holding area and in the operation room during anesthesia induction. Emergency delirium, unfavorable behavioral development, and the parents’ satisfaction were also evaluated postoperatively. Results: The demographic and social parameters of children in both groups were comparable. Most children in VRG showed lower rates of moderate anxiety than NVRG (8% vs. 44%) at the holding area (P˂0.05). At the time of anesthesia induction, the NVRG developed the highest level of anxiety than VRG (8% vs. 0%). However, there were no significant intergroup differences in postoperative emergency delirium or the onset of new negative behavior (P=0.32). Conclusion: Children's participation during the induction of general anesthesia can be improved by using virtual reality distraction technology as a simple, non-invasive, and enjoyable alternative to parental presence.

The Effect of Child Preference for Parental Selection on Pediatric Anxiety During Induction in Children Undergoing Elective Day Case Surgery

PurposeThe aim of the study was to determine if children were given the right to prefer one parent to accompany them during the perioperative period would impact their anxiety levels. DesignProspective observational cohort study. MethodsThe study included 80 children of both genders, aged 4 to 12 years, who underwent day-case surgeries in the Ear Nose and Throat Clinic of Karaman Training and Research Hospital. The patients were separated randomly into two groups of 40. In Group 1, children were asked which of their parents would accompany them during general anesthesia induction, and in Group 2, the child’ preference was not asked, and "accompanying parent" was randomly selected by the physician. The anxiety level of the children was evaluated with the modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (mYPAS) both in the preoperative waiting area and during the anesthesia induction. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to determine the anxiety level of their parents. FindingsThe mean mYPAS score during the induction of anesthesia of Group 1 was significantly lower than that of Group 2 (38.1 vs 45.2; P = .034). There was no difference between the two groups in the mean mYPAS scores evaluated in the preoperative waiting area (38.0 vs 39.1; P = .761). The mean anxiety scores of the parents evaluated using the STAI were similar in both groups, with higher scores between mothers compared to fathers at all measurement times. No difference was determined between the two groups regarding the mean mYPAS scores according to the gender of the child during the perioperative period (P > .05). There was a significant decrease in the mean STAI scores in the preoperative waiting area with an increase in parent’s education level (P = .011), but the educational level had no effect on the scores during the induction of anesthesia. ConclusionsSignificantly lower anxiety scores were recorded during the induction of anesthesia for the children who had a chance to select their accompanying parent before surgery. Thus, the overall interaction between the child and the parent before the perioperative period may be accepted as an important factor for the reduction of anxiety during anesthesia induction.

Effects of laryngeal mask ventilation on postoperative atelectasis in children undergoing day surgery: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundTo compare the effects of laryngeal mask mechanical ventilation and preserved spontaneous breathing on postoperative atelectasis in children undergoing day surgery.MethodsChildren aged 3–7 who underwent elective day surgery were randomly divided into a spontaneous breathing group (n = 23) and a mechanical ventilation group (n = 23). All children enrolled in this trial used the same anesthesia induction protocol, the incidence and severity of atelectasis before induction and after operation were collected. In addition, the baseline data, intraoperative vital signs, ventilator parameters and whether there were complications such as reflux and aspiration were also collected. SPSS was used to calculate whether there was a statistical difference between these indicators.ResultsThe incidence of atelectasis in the spontaneous breathing group was 91.30%, and 39.13% in the mechanical ventilation group, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in carbon dioxide (P < 0.05), and the severity of postoperative atelectasis in the mechanical ventilation group was lower than that in the spontaneous breathing group (P < 0.05). In addition, there were no significant differences in the vital signs and baseline data of the patients (P > 0.05).ConclusionLaryngeal mask mechanical ventilation can reduce the incidence and severity of postoperative atelectasis in children undergoing day surgery, and we didn’t encounter any complications such as reflux and aspiration in children during the perioperative period, so mechanical ventilation was recommended to be used for airway management.Trial registrationThe clinical trial was registered retrospectively at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. (https://www.chictr.org.cn. Registration number ChiCTR2300071396, Weiwei Cai, 15 May 2023).

Sick-leave duration after elective day case surgery in ENT: Is it affected by the type of employment?

BackgroundMany ENT day-case procedures are performed on otherwise healthy individuals in employment. We hypothesised patients’ type of employment may affect the amount of time taken off work following such procedures. We aimed to disprove the hypothesis that there is no difference in time taken off between employees and self-employed individuals. Materials and methodsWe prospectively collected data on working adult patients undertaking elective day-case procedures at our department. Collected information included basic patient demographics and type of employment. A telephone call was made to collect data on actual period of time taken off work, 5–6 weeks later. Results23% of patients were self-employed, the rest were employees. 92% of self-employed patients received no pay during their time off. This compared with 10% of employed patients receiving no pay. 77% of employed patients received full pay. Although mean time taken off work was less if the patient was self-employed (9.5 days vs 10.63), this was not found to be statistically significant. Discussion and conclusionOur study demonstrates time off work following day-case ENT procedures places a higher financial burden on self-employed patients. This should inform patient counselling prior to operations. We demonstrated no statistically significant difference in time off work post-surgery between the 2 groups. There was a possible trend towards less time off in self-employed individuals and we speculate that further research with more patients may demonstrate a statistically significant difference in time off work. Perhaps most importantly is for doctors to consider how long an individual needs off after a given procedure, after taking account of their individual patient needs, rather than defaulting to a standard 2-weeks.

The Evolution of Monitoring: Evidence from Text Analysis of Election Monitoring Reports

Abstract After the Cold War, election monitoring activities increased significantly, and research on the topic has risen sharply in the last ten years. These are valuable contributions, but we believe one point requires further consideration: empirically clarifying how monitoring has changed over time. This is because fraudsters have begun to shift election manipulation from the day of the election to other times in order to adapt to election monitoring. If fraudsters have evolved over time, have monitors kept pace with this evolution? Employing an original dataset of election monitoring reports published by major monitoring organizations, this study performs large-scale text analysis of these reports to show that the criteria used by monitoring teams have indeed changed over time. Specifically, although election monitoring groups have been criticized for their bias in emphasizing manipulation on election day more than other factors, we demonstrate that such bias has declined over time.

What Can Voting Do for Democracy?

Abstract Empirical political scientists and normative political theorists alike have challenged the grip elections hold on our democratic imagination, albeit for very different reasons. Against both sets of critics, Emilee Booth Chapman’s remarkable and timely new book Election Day: How We Vote and What it Means for Democracy makes a compelling case for the ballot box’s unique place in democratic theory as a site of collective agency among political equals. Chapman offers an invaluable framework for navigating the shifting character of the American voting system and the innumerable proposals for improving it. But at the same time, this essay argues that in face of American democracy’s moral failures, Election Day reveals as much about the limits of well-ordered elections as it does their democratic promise.

Which candidates benefit from social media? An analysis of the 2021 German federal election

The 2021 German federal election was marked by the social restrictions to combat COVID-19, making social media an important component of constituency candidates’ communication strategy. This study examines which constituency candidates used Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in the 2021 federal election and tests whether this usage paid off on election day. Analyses of a unique dataset of all constituency candidates indicate that about half of the candidates used Facebook and Instagram, but only a third used Twitter. Moreover, candidates who used social media won more votes than those who did not. The results vary significantly between candidates from different parties and different social media platforms. The use of Instagram has been particularly beneficial for SPD candidates, while Green candidates have benefited from Twitter use. The results suggest that the potential of social media campaigning is far from being fully exploited by constituency candidates in Germany.

Free public transit and voter turnout

Transportation costs are an under-studied barrier to political participation. In many elections worldwide, subsidies to voter transportation are already provided or are under discussion. However, these types of incentives have not been rigorously evaluated. Here we examine possibly the world's largest-ever intervention to lower these costs, the adoption of a fare-free public transit policy in Brazil during the 2022 national election, when about half of Brazilian voters were granted the right to use public transit for free on election days. However, while some cities adopted the benefit for both rounds of the election, others adopted it only for the second round. Using an event study design, we exploit this difference in adoption timing to examine the policy's causal impact on voter turnout rates and human mobility levels. We find that fare-free transit increased ridership between 7.2% and 17.5% on election days, however, we estimate a precise and robust null effect of the policy on voter turnout (Coef. −0.03p.p. with standard error of 0.22p.p.). Our results illustrate that monetary transport costs may not always be a critical factor behind non-participation. Although reducing transportation costs improves access to polling places, we show that even a full transit subsidy may not be sufficient to increase voter turnout.

Effectiveness of a Mobile App Intervention for Preparing Preschool Children and Parents for Day Surgery: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Day surgery allows families to return home quickly. Only a few approaches to preparing for day surgery have demonstrated how digital solutions can support families and children. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile app intervention on preschool children's fear and pain and parents' anxiety and stress in preparing children for day surgery. This study was conducted at the Pediatric Day Surgical Department of a university hospital in Finland between 2018 and 2020. Parents of children (aged 2-6 y) who were in a queue for elective day surgery were randomized into the intervention group (IG; n=36) and control group (CG; n=34). The CG received routine preparations, whereas the IG was prepared using a mobile app. Parents' and children's outcomes were measured using validated scales at 4 different points: at home (T1 and T4) and at the hospital (T2 and T3) before and after surgery. Group differences were analyzed using statistical methods suitable for the material. Before surgery, parents in both groups experienced mild anxiety, which decreased after surgery. Parental anxiety did not differ between groups preoperatively (P=.78) or postoperatively (P=.63). Both groups had less anxiety at home after surgery compared with before. The IG showed a significant decrease (P=.003); the CG also improved (P=.002). Preoperatively at home, most parents in both groups experienced no stress or mild stress (P=.61). Preoperatively at the hospital, parents in both groups experienced mild stress; however, parents in the IG experienced more stress during this phase (P=.02). Parents in the IG experienced significantly less stress postoperatively than those in the CG (P=.05). Both groups showed decreased stress levels from before to after surgery (IG: P=.003; CG: P=.004) within each group. There were no significant differences in children's pain levels between the groups and measurement points. This was observed before surgery at home (P=.25), before surgery at the hospital (P=.98), and after surgery at the hospital (P=.72). Children's fear decreased more in the IG (P=.006) than in the CG (P=.44) comparing the phases before and after surgery at home. Fear did not differ between the IG and CG preoperatively at home (P=.20) or at the hospital (P=.59) or postoperatively at the hospital (P=.62) or at home (P=.81). The mobile app intervention did not reduce anxiety or pain. However, it was observed that parents in the IG experienced substantially heightened stress levels before surgery at the hospital, which decreased significantly after surgery at home. In addition, fear levels in children in the IG decreased over time, whereas no significant change was observed in the CG. These results are important for developing health care service chains and providing families with innovative and customer-oriented preparation methods. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03774303; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03774303.

“Bulgaria on three seas!”: An example of regression as a defense mechanism experienced by a large‐group in a response to its national inferiority complex

Abstract“Bulgaria on three seas” is a commonly used phrase in Bulgaria. It is used on national celebration days, around government election days, in populist campaigns, on TV shows, on social media, at folkloric concerts and gatherings and in simple everyday conversations. The phrase signifies a specific golden century of Bulgarian history characterized by the fact that Bulgaria reaches the Black, White and Adriatic seas. Today, the phrase is regularly used by Bulgarians when they talk about their country. This glorious time is also used as part of the political and public rhetoric where ideology has nationalistic character. It is present during political public debates about the country's reactions to both its past and its future. The phrase “Bulgaria on three seas” lifts the national spirit during moments of struggle. And all that raises questions about why Bulgarians constantly refer to this part of their history and what this regressive behavior demonstrates. This article aims to provide a psychological explanation, combining the concepts of regression (going back to the past), denial of the present and national inferiority complex (perceived helplessness and weakness) in order to analyze how a nation could respond to its own feelings of national group inferiority. It explains how regression is a response to one's own feelings of inferiority and it contributes to the studies of large‐group psychology established by Vamik Volkan by offering an alternative explanation. The work demonstrates that regression is the Bulgarian way of dealing with its own inferiority complexes when in denial about what is happening in the present. This takes place when group identity (or an aspect of it) is questioned. The article also provides a pathway to further exploration of how other nations deal with similar experiences.

Forget about voting, we are going on vacation! Examining the effect of school holidays on turnout

Abstract Media and politicians widely debate the relationship between holidays and political participation, but research in the field is underdeveloped. To test the impact of holidays on election turnout, we use a natural experimental setting in general elections in Slovakia with respect to the presence of holidays near election day. More specifically, while a part of the country had no holidays, other regions either experienced holidays for the first time or had the holiday in a repeated manner. The results from difference--in-differences and OLS regressions employed in the analysis show that experiencing a holiday near election day decreases electoral turnout. However, this negative effect of holidays on turnout is found to be significant only in territories that experienced holidays for the first time, while it is absent in territories that had holidays near elections repeatedly. This finding points to a potential habituation of the electorate and the holidays’ influence in the long run. The paper thus contributes to our understanding of how different time aspects of holidays affect electoral turnout.

Three-candidate election strategy.

The probability of a given candidate winning a future election is worked out in closed form as a function of (i) the current support rates for each candidate, (ii) the relative positioning of the candidates within the political spectrum, (iii) the time left to the election, and (iv) the rate at which noisy information is revealed to the electorate from now to the election day, when there are three or more candidates. It is shown, in particular, that the optimal strategy for controlling information can be intricate and non-trivial, in contrast to a two-candidate race. A surprising finding is that for a candidate taking the centre ground in an electoral competition among a polarized electorate, certain strategies are fatal in that the resulting winning probability for that candidate vanishes identically.

When do voters perceive intra-party conflict? A democratic life cycle perspective

AbstractPolitical parties commonly experience internal disagreements. Recently, evidence is accumulating that outright internal discord makes a party much less attractive to voters. However, we do not understand well when citizens perceive a party to be internally conflicted in the first place. We here explain citizens’ perceptions from a democratic life cycle perspective: Factors related to the periodic conduct of elections induce higher levels of intra-party conflict and make it more visible to citizens. To test this argument, we combine survey data on citizens’ perceptions of political parties in Germany spanning 16 years with indicators moderating (the visibility of) intra-party conflict. The analysis shows that citizens perceive more internal conflict when parties are heterogenous, when they are governing, when election day is distant, and when electoral losses accumulate. This demonstrates the recurring patterns in citizens’ perceptions of political parties and suggests self-reinforcing dynamics between citizen assessments and election outcomes.

ThTP6.1 Unplanned Admissions following Elective Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Day Cases

Abstract Background Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LC) represents a significant proportion of surgical caseload in the United Kingdom with over 50,000 operations per year (1). LC is recommended for patients with symptomatic gallstone disease (2). For appropriately selected patients, day case LC is recommended. British Association of Day Surgery (BADS) suggests a benchmark rate of 75% LC to be performed as day cases (3). Aim Retrospective audit of patient outcomes following elective day case LC, compared with national standards, to identify areas of improvements. Method Retrospective analysis of 100 elective planned day case LC at a District General Hospital between May 2021 - May 2022. Results 29 out of 100 patients had unplanned admissions. The most common reason for unplanned admission was intraoperative drain insertion (20/29, 69%), with 85% of these drains removed day 1 or 2 post op. Higher ASA grade patients were more likely to have unplanned admissions; 12.5% of ASA 1 patients vs 32.2% of ASA 2 patients vs 41.2% of ASA 3 patients. Patients with unplanned admissions had higher rates of subsequent re-admission (4/29; 13.8%), compared with day cases (3/71; 4.2%). Conclusion Our audit found the majority of ‘failed day cases’ were a result of intraoperative drain insertion. Drain insertion did not instigate further interventions, but did lengthen patients' stay. BADS recommend avoiding routine use of drains in LC and state that they can also be removed on the day of surgery (3). Our audit also highlights that high ASA cases should be performed earlier in the operative list, allowing for more time for observation to aid same-day discharge.

600 Longer than expected stay in elective general surgical patients - understanding the dynamics

Abstract Aims To find the number of patients listed as elective day case or elective inpatient in general surgical department. To understand the dynamics of the day case surgeries and the predictors of lengthy stay. Methods Retrospective analysis of all the elective patients listed in general surgery from December 2021 to May 2022. The age, sex, list number of the patient in the theatre list, surgical time, anaesthetic time and ASA grade were compared against the length of stay. A total of 181 patient studied. Type of surgery listed and reason for longer stay collected from the evolve notes of the patients. Elective surgical patients were included and emergencies excluded. Statistical analysis done on StatsDirect 3. Results A total of 181 patients studied and 163 (90 %) were listed as day case (DC) and 18 (10%) as inpatient (IP). Median post-op day (POD) discharge for IP was 1 and DC was 0. Median age for IP was 57.5 years and DC was 49 years. Median surgical time was 85.5 minutes for IP and 72 minutes for DC. Median anaesthetic time was 34.5 minutes for IP and 31 minutes for DC. Discussions Overnight observation is the most common reason for the patients to stay in longer seen in 71.4 % patients. Late presentation to ward is the second most common reason, seen in 25 % patients. Median POD discharge for patients with overnight observation and drain is 2. Patients with documented overnight observation + drain + weekend results in POD 4 discharge. Drain – median POD 2 (min 1 max 12). NG – median POD 5 (min 2 max 6).