Failed Attempt Research Articles

FAST technique: fast atrial sheath traction technique for device closure of atrial septal defects.

Transcatheter closure of atrial septal defects (ASDs) is well-established. However, this procedure can be challenging, requiring multiple attempts and advanced implantation maneuvers. From July 2019 to July 2022, patients to whom the fast atrial sheath traction (FAST) technique was applied for ASD device closure were prospectively followed up. The device was rapidly unsheathed in the middle of the left atrium (LA) to let it clamp the ASD from both sides simultaneously. This novel technique was directly applied in patients with absent aortic rims and/or ASD size-to-body weight ratio higher than 0.9 or after failed attempts of standard implantation. Seventeen patients (64.7% males) were involved with a median age of 9.8 years [interquartile range (IQR), 7.6-15.1] and a median weight of 34 kg (IQR, 22-44). The median ASD size on ultrasound was 19 mm (IQR, 16-22). Five (29.4%) patients had absent aortic rims, and three (17.6%) patients had an ASD size-to-body weight ratio higher than 0.9. The median device size was 22 mm (IQR, 17-24). The median difference between device size and ASD two-dimensional static diameter was 3 mm (IQR, 1-3). All interventions were straightforward without any complications using three different occluder devices. One device was removed before release and upsized to the next size. The median fluoroscopy time was 4.1 min (IQR, 3.6-4.6). All patients were discharged the next postoperative day. On a median follow-up of 13 months (IQR, 8-13), no complications were detected. All patients achieved full clinical recovery with complete shunt closure. We present a new implantation technique to efficiently close simple and complex ASDs. The FAST technique can be of benefit in overcoming left disc malalignment to the septum in defects with absent aortic rims and in avoiding complex implantation maneuvers and the risks of injuring the pulmonary veins.

"It's called life, James": Deconstructing Inclusivity in <em>Skyfall</em> and <em>No Time to Die</em>

This article explores two of Daniel Craig’s Bond films, Skyfall (2012) and No Time to Die (2021), and the ways in which they seem to offer progressive inclusivity while ultimately reinforcing the exploitative history of the franchise. This study focuses on the changes made to longstanding characters (M, Moneypenny, Felix Leiter, Bond villains, and even the titular 007) in a failed attempt at modernisation and diversity. Despite the changes made to the supporting cast - such as casting Judi Dench as M, casting Black actors as Moneypenny and Felix Leiter, or dropping lines about Q’s sexuality - these two films promote Bond’s way of life as the correct way, a way of life cemented by his death. Both films are tied together by their narrative similarities as well as their mistreatment of minorities, which, though less explicit than in earlier films, is still present in the franchise’s continued desire for white patriarchal dominance. Despite more recent changes to Bond’s allies and villains, which would appear to be a grab for LGBTQ+ inclusion, BIPOC inclusion, and sex/gender equality, the conclusions of both Skyfall and No Time to Die maintain Bond’s white, heteronormative, and masculine control as an agent and representative of the British Empire.

Efficacy, feasibility and safety of TIPS in the treatment of recurrent portal hypertension with variceal bleeding after open splenectomy and esophagogastric devascularization.

To investigate the efficacy, feasibility, and safety of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) as a treatment for patients with recurrent portal hypertension with variceal bleeding (RPHVB) who have previously undergone open splenectomy and esophagogastric devascularization (OSED). The data were retrospectively retrieved from 39 cirrhotic RPHVB patients who had undergone OSED from August 2015 to December 2020. All patients were treated with TIPS using the Viabahn stent. Out of the 39 patients included in the study, TIPS was successfully performed in 38 patients with a success rate of 97.44%. One patient had a failed attempt due to cavernous transformation of the portal vein (CTPV). Among the 38 patients who underwent TIPS, 33 patients also underwent varicose vein embolization, while the remaining 5 patients only underwent TIPS procedure. A total of 39 Viabahn stents were implanted, with 5 patients receiving stents expanded to their nominal diameter of 8mm and the remaining 33 patients having their shunt maintained at a diameter of 6mm. The postoperative hemostasis rate was 97.37% (37/38). The portal vein pressure (PVP) and portal pressure gradient (PPG) decreased significantly from (31.28 ± 6.24) and (20.61 ± 5.14) mmHg to (19.58 ± 4.69) and (9.24 ± 3.07) mmHg, respectively (P < 0.001). During the follow-up period, the rebleeding rate was 6.09% (2/29), while the incidence of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and shunt dysfunction was 13.79% (4/29) for each. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt is an effective, feasible and safe treatment for RPHVB patients who have previously undergone OSED. A satisfactory clinical outcome could be achieved with a 6mm-diameter shunt in most patients.

Politicizing the “unknown”: Territorial narratives, shared spatial imaginaries, and Bermuda’s oceans

Marine conservation advocates have promoted the designation of large-scale marine protected areas (LSMPAs) in the EEZs of small island states and territories. These offshore spaces, early proponents argued, are too remote for people to use and are thus “politically less risky” than nearshore areas to promote conservation. This paper counters this assertion through an empirical examination of how the mistaken assumption that offshore spaces are unpeopled contributed to a failed LSMPA designation attempt in Bermuda. Drawing on policy documents, speech transcripts, media, and 104 semi-structured interviews, it presents an analysis of the territorial narratives used to discursively (re)produce Bermuda’s EEZ during LSMPA negotiations. Three major findings emerge. First, rather than a blank slate on which conservation values could be easily inscribed, these narratives showed Bermuda’s EEZ to be a space entangled with diverse values, identities, and goals. Second, the narratives that actors used revealed broadly overlapping values related to Bermuda’s EEZ, even among people promoting opposing governance outcomes, demonstrating that opportunities for broad agreement on the EEZ’s purpose and governance did, and may still, exist. Third, by using an imaginary of Bermuda’s EEZ as “unknown” to legitimize its decision to delay negotiations, the Bermuda government effectively reinstated the “blank slate,” aligning itself with popular values while avoiding a definitive stance on the contentious national debate. This decision and the broader negotiations demonstrate how the use of territorial narratives and spatial imaginaries can alter offshore spaces, even when no regulatory changes occur, with implications for future ocean governance options.

Fingerprint and GSM Based Door Lock System

In this study, we used GSM and fingerprint technology to investigate the door locking and unlocking system. To keep your information, money, space and personal property from intruders. This paper provides fingerprint and GSM base door lock systems for SMS-based door lock control. ARDUINO microcontroller, GSM module, fingerprint module, keypad, display LCD, servo motor and buzzer are the components of this security system. The entire driver unit is under the control of an Arduino microcontroller. It serves as a means of communication. The GSM method for mobile alarm messages in case of failed password attempts. The password required for authentication is entered using a keypad module. If the password is entered incorrectly, an error message appears on the screen LCD. A message is sent to the registered user via the GSM module, and if there are people or security personnel nearby, the associated buzzer sounds to alert them.

Conquering the Pacific: An Unknown Mariner and the Final Great Voyage of the Age of Discovery

Conquering the Pacific: An Unknown Mariner and the Final Great Voyage of the Age of Discovery

HELLENISTIC WAR-ELEPHANTS AND THE USE OF ALCOHOL BEFORE BATTLE

AbstractThis article assesses whether Hellenistic war-elephants were given alcohol before battle. First recorded in 1 Maccabees’ account of the battle of Beth-Zechariah (162 b.c.e.), this unusual detail is supported by the later comments of Aelian and Philes of Ephesus. The idea also recalls a failed Ptolemaic attempt to punish the Jews in 3 Maccabees and in Josephus, and resonates with a longstanding association of elephants and alcohol in popular thought. Unfortunately, despite the recent rise in scholarly interest on war-elephants, this issue remains overlooked. This article reassesses the complexities of our sources and the practicalities of Hellenistic battles. Adopting a comparative approach to contemporary Indian material for this practice, it considers the prevalence of elephants in musth in the Indian epics, alongside the etymological link between this condition and Sanskrit concepts of drunkenness. It argues that this connection may have prompted the idea of giving elephants alcohol before battle, despite its unlikeliness as a standard feature of elephant warfare.

OBESITY AND ANTICIPATED DIFFICULT AIRWAY- A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH WITH VIDEOLARYNGOSCOPY, RAMP POSITION, SEVOFLURANE AND OPIOID FREE ANAESTHESIA

Background: Anaesthetic management of obese patient can be challenging because of altered anatomy and physiology. Safe apnea period is extremely short and videolaryngoscope is believed to reduce the number of failed intubation attempts. Slow emergence with fat-soluble volatile agents may be due to delayed release from adipose stores. Use of opioids in the presence of obesity increases the occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea, hypoxia and upper airway obstruction. The aim is to provide safe airway management in obesity by reducing the number of intubation attempts and the time taken for intubation with reduced post-operative respiratory depression. Methods: 25 patients with the BMI of &gt;30kg/m2 were selected. Standard technique for induction of anaesthesia using Inj. Dexmedetomidine 1mcg/kg 10 mins before intubation with patient in RAMP position was done. HugeMed videolaryngoscope with appropriate sized blade was used and maintainance of anaesthesia with Sevoflurane and Inj. Dexmedetomidine 0.5mcg/kg/hr. Assessment consisted of number of intubation attempts, time required for intubation, visualisation of glottis, hemodynamic stress response to laryngoscopy and intubation and post-operative respiratory depression. Results: Among 25 patients, 18 patients had intubation at the first attempt, the maximum attempts taken were three in 2 patients. In majority of the patients i.e, 10, time taken for intubation was 13-15 secs. The maximum time to intubate was 18-20 secs in 2 patients. The visualisation if glottic structures assessed by Percentage Of Glottic Opening (POGO) score was 80-100% in majority of 20 patients. Most of the patients had a saturation of 96-100% post-operatively. There was a significant fall in the above hemodynamic parameters from baseline to intubation and 5mins later. The mean reduction in HR was 28.42%, SBP- 28.72%, DBP- 38.85% and MAP- 34.69%. Conclusion: This study emphasises on the use of advanced airway tools, standard intubation techniques and careful drug selection in order to prevent and minimise the risk of airway complication in obesity.

우두 접종의 보편화 과정과 그 영향

In this paper, we investigated what kind of efforts were made to expand vaccination amid a smallpox epidemic in Shanghai in 1938-39, as well as the significance of such efforts.&#x0D; In Shanghai, various strategies were employed to achieve universal vaccination. When it was first introduced, theories of Chinese medicine were borrowed to help people’s understanding, and various media outlets were used to promote the effect and safety of vaccination. Health institutions in the foreign concession and the Chinese elites helped to expand free vaccination. At the time, vaccination was not mandatory, and people voluntarily visited a clinic for innoculation. Between 1932 and 1937, the number of fatality from smallpox fluctuated and did not reach a threatening level due to the vaccination effort.&#x0D; However, upon the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War, the number of smallpox patients and the subsequent death toll surged. Some of the refugees who fled to the foreign concession to avoid the war had smallpox, and the disease spread from there. The Japanese military force that occupied Shanghai began mandatory vaccination in a bid to protect the health of Japanese people and soldiers as well as the safety of Japan.&#x0D; Setting aside justifications for war and pillage of the colony, the Japanese occupation helped to expand universal vaccination to an extent. Statistical data indicate that the number of vaccination applied by Japan’s health institutions is significant, and the military institution enabled forced vaccination. Various institutions including the Japanese military force, health institutions, hospitals, clinics, charity organizations in the foreign concession joined hands for the shared goal of fighting against smallpox. Due to the nature of an epidemic that does not distinguish between friends and foes or across races, an odd cooperative relationship was formed in Shanghai.&#x0D; The significance of an increase in vaccination can be observed in that its infrastructure and method were replicated to fight cholera. Specifically, the two approaches―active and forced innoculation by the authorities and free innoculation in the form of traditional charity work―were first made to increase vaccination and then fully applied to expanding cholera inoculation. Vaccination also paved the way for universalization of inoculation. At the time, the Chinese people were not familiar with the method of cholera inoculation, and its effect was dubious. They suspected that the Japanese injected poison and shunned cholera inoculation. When a rule was implemented that banned people without a certificate of cholera inoculation from traveling to other regions, people forged certificates. In comparison, over a century had passed since vaccination was introduced in China, and people knew its effect well. For this reason, the public probably did not strongly oppose forced vaccination by the Japanese.&#x0D; However, this is merely in comparison with cholera inoculation, and the goal of universal vaccination was not attained. Smallpox continued to break out after 1939, and many people remained reluctant to receive vaccination. For peaceful ruling, the People’s Republic of China had to endeavor for vaccination from the beginning of its foundation as did the authority of the foreign concession and the Japanese military force. Reasons for a failed attempt to achieve universal vaccination despite tenacious efforts need to be investigated from various angles including political, social and cultural aspects.

Outcome of Urethroplasty in Management of Urethral Stricture: Experience at Institute of Kidney Diseases Hayatabad Peshawar

Objective: To determine the frequency of successful outcomes of urethroplasty in the management of urethral stricture Methods: It is a descriptive study, conducted in the department of Urology at the Institute of Kidney diseases Peshawar from April 2016 to December 2019. A total number of 85 patients for urethroplasty were included in the study by non-probability convenient sampling. The entire pre-operative, per-operative, and postoperative data were collected on structured proforma and analyzed on SPSS®, version 20.0. Results: The mean age of the patient in this study was 41 years. Regarding etiology, External trauma was the major cause in the form of road traffic accidents in 38.82% while straddle urethral injury in 29.41% of patients, other less frequent causes included iatrogenic urethral trauma and infective stricture. The bulbar urethral stricture was found in 55.29% of cases, with proximal penile and bulboperineal accounting for 23.52% and 21.17% respectively. Significant past surgical history found was suprapubic catheterization in 100%, a failed primary attempt of internal optical urethrotomy (IOU) in 29.41%, multiple recurrences in 48.23%, and re-do urethroplasty in 10.58% of cases. The most common procedure performed was end-to-end anastomotic urethroplasty in 81%, other procedures included penile flap urethroplasty, pull-through procedure, and 10.58% of cases required pubectomy. Urethroplasty was found highly successful in 94% of mean follow-ups 15 months. The cause of failure was wound infection in 1, UTI in 2, and necrosis of penile skin flap in 2 patients. Conclusion: Our initial results conclude that anastomotic urethroplasty is an effective and mainstay treatment modality in the management of urethral stricture disease. It bears less rate of recurrence of urethral stricture. Keywords: Urethroplasty, urethro stricture, Recurrence

Poe in Richmond: Celebrating the Poe Museum’s Centennial

Poe in Richmond: Celebrating the Poe Museum’s Centennial

‘Pornophobia’: Lord Porn and the fall of Britain’s domestic pornography trade

ABSTRACT This article reflects on the 50th anniversary of the Longford Report. Published at a time when other countries had legalized or were planning to liberalize laws regarding the publication and distribution of pornographic materials, the report is often viewed as a failed attempt at policymaking. Drawing on extensive ethnohistorical research conducted over a six-year period, which includes engagement with archival documents, media reportage and the published report, I show how the Longford Report inadvertently had a significant impact on Britain’s hardcore pornography trade and suggest that the activities of moral entrepreneurs like Longford can have a lasting effect on how pornography is controlled.

Some Notes on Sun Yatsen’s “Alliance with Russia” Policy

Alliances are one of the most effective ways for states to preserve and gain power. The study of alliance formation has long been a prominent issue in international politics. This article examines the factors that influenced the alliance between Sun Yatsen’s regime and the Soviet government through the lens of alliance theory, taking the “alliance with Russia” of the Guangdong government led by Sun Yatsen in the early 20th century as the subject of study. The scientific innovation lies in the analysis of historical events and their causes from the perspective of international relations. Due to the complexities of the Chinese situation, the southern regime under Sun Yatsen coexisted with the Beijing government, but was not recognized as the official government of China. As a result, Sun Yatsen needed to use an “alliance approach” to seek the backing of external forces in order to keep his own regime secure. After several failed attempts to enter into alliances with Britain, the United States and Germany, Sun Yatsen eventually elected to join forces with the Soviet Russia. According to the alliance’s conclusion, four major factors influenced Sun Yatsen’s “alliance with Russia” policy: balance of threat, diplomatic assistance, ideology, and political infiltration. Among them, balance of threat was the main motivation for Sun Yatsen’s alliance with Russia, and while ideology was not an important factor influencing the alliance, the ability to provide assistance to Sun Yatsen’s regime played an important role in the establishment of the alliance, considering the huge power gap between the two sides. The Soviet political penetration of Sun Yatsen’s regime helped the alliance’s establishment, but also led to its final dissolution.

Italian diplomacy and the Ukrainian crisis: the challenges (and cost) of continuity

ABSTRACT This article seeks to analyse the Italian diplomatic response to the Ukrainian crisis. To this end, the article relies on role theory to understand how Italy’s diplomatic posture during the war was influenced by the expectations deriving from its EU and NATO membership, but also by the different role conceptions emerging in the public debate. Though Italy under its Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, not only responded to but effectively led European strategy towards Ukraine during the crisis – including supporting Ukraine’s membership bid – on the internal front the country was polarized, unwilling to push for further punishment of Russia in view of its economic reverberations, but also questioning military involvement in the war in Ukraine. After a failed attempt to reconcile external expectations and domestic preferences, centred around Italy’s sponsorship of a ‘peace plan’ for Ukraine, the tension between the two sets of influences intensified to the point of precipitating the end of the Draghi government in July 2022, with Italy’s response to the Ukrainian crisis invoked as one of the main causes of the government’s fall. Although the right-wing alliance of political parties that won the ensuing general elections campaigned on a populist and nationalist, ‘Italy first’, platform, the country’s posture towards the war in Ukraine has not really changed – under its current Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, Italy has continued to align with the multilateral expectations set by the EU and the US. The differences in foreign policy outlook within the current governing coalition, however, are not insignificant, and public opinion continues to be divided. This suggests that the tension underlying Italy’s foreign policy in the Ukraine crisis has not been resolved – in fact, it could still potentially undermine the country’s diplomatic posture, as well as the government’s own stability, in the months to come.

Do it right the first time: Vehicle routing with home delivery attempt predictors

Up to 20% of all business‐to‐consumer deliveries fail on the first attempt. Failed deliveries not only carry cost implications but also incur damage to retailers’ brand reputation. Despite its economic significance, research has paid little attention to delivery attempt as an operational outcome or seldom accounted for its effects in routing models. This is partly due to the many factors that can influence delivery outcomes. We address this knowledge gap by first demonstrating that failed delivery attempts can be reasonably predicted using common routing, demand, environmental, and market attributes at both the individual package and route levels. For model‐building, we use transaction data from an e‐commerce retailer in South America. We then explore the value of accounting for failed delivery attempts in routing models. We propose a two‐stage greedy algorithm for solving large problem instances. Our analysis indicates that not accounting for the probability of failed attempts in routing models may create a significant downward bias in the total cost of delivery. The analysis also suggests that manipulating the sequence in which packages in a route are delivered can be a cost‐efficient lever that firms can employ at almost zero cost to profoundly affect delivery outcomes. We replicate the prediction model to a new sample from a delivery company in Singapore and calibrate it for a randomized field experiment to validate our algorithm's performance. Packages and drivers are randomly assigned to either our algorithm or the focal company's existing algorithm. Results suggest that our algorithm, on average, reduces the share of failed delivery attempts by 10% and the total cost of delivery by $13 per route. We further propose drivers’ discretionary work effort and the goal‐gradient hypothesis as a mechanism for the efficacy of our algorithm. Controlling for time of day and other fixed effects, we empirically find that packages assigned to slots later in the route tend to have a lower failure rate because drivers display a higher degree of discretionary work effort toward the end of a route. Our approach can be applied to other firms’ last‐mile delivery operations to improve their delivery execution.

PD12-01 THE ROLE OF NON-OPERATIVE MANAGEMENT IN SEVERE RENAL INJURIES: DO ALL GRADE V INJURIES NECESSITATE INTERVENTION?

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023PD12-01 THE ROLE OF NON-OPERATIVE MANAGEMENT IN SEVERE RENAL INJURIES: DO ALL GRADE V INJURIES NECESSITATE INTERVENTION? Nizar Hakam, Sorena Keihani, Nathan Shaw, Douglas Rogers, Sherry Wang, Joel Gross, Ryan Joyce, Patrick Selph, Judith Hagedorn, Rachel Moses, Ian Schwartz, Shubham Gupta, Christopher Dodgion, Nima Baradaran, Bradley Erickson, Frank Burks, Richard Santucci, Joshua Broghammer, Jeremy Myers, and Benjamin Breyer Nizar HakamNizar Hakam More articles by this author , Sorena KeihaniSorena Keihani More articles by this author , Nathan ShawNathan Shaw More articles by this author , Douglas RogersDouglas Rogers More articles by this author , Sherry WangSherry Wang More articles by this author , Joel GrossJoel Gross More articles by this author , Ryan JoyceRyan Joyce More articles by this author , Patrick SelphPatrick Selph More articles by this author , Judith HagedornJudith Hagedorn More articles by this author , Rachel MosesRachel Moses More articles by this author , Ian SchwartzIan Schwartz More articles by this author , Shubham GuptaShubham Gupta More articles by this author , Christopher DodgionChristopher Dodgion More articles by this author , Nima BaradaranNima Baradaran More articles by this author , Bradley EricksonBradley Erickson More articles by this author , Frank BurksFrank Burks More articles by this author , Richard SantucciRichard Santucci More articles by this author , Joshua BroghammerJoshua Broghammer More articles by this author , Jeremy MyersJeremy Myers More articles by this author , and Benjamin BreyerBenjamin Breyer More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003259.01AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Non-operative management has become standard for most renal trauma. Little data exists regarding conservative management of American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) grade V injuries. We aim to evaluate management of grade V renal trauma, focusing on feasibility and safety of non-operative management. METHODS: Grade V renal trauma cases submitted with available imaging from 21 Level-1 trauma centers through the Multi-institutional Genito-Urinary Trauma Study (MiGUTS). We report management patterns categorized as expectant (observation with no interventions), conservative (performing kidney angioembolization, or stent / nephrostomy tube / perirenal drain placement), or operative (performing kidney related surgical interventions). RESULTS: 21 cases were independently radiologically verified as grade V cases by the 2018 AAST classification and were included in analysis. Most were males (15; 71%) with blunt trauma (20; 95%) and median age was 34 years (IQR 25-29). Most common management approach was operative (8, 38%), followed by conservative (7, 33%) and expectant (6, 29%). All those operatively management had nephrectomy, with 2 having a failed angioembolization attempt before nephrectomy. 4 out of 7 patients in the conservative group had angioembolization and the other 3 had a stent or drainage tube. Transfusion requirements were progressively higher with groups requiring more aggressive treatment, and injury characteristics differed significantly across management groups in terms of hematoma size, laceration size and proportion of cases with >50% and >95% devascularization (Table 1). Vascular contrast extravasation tended to be higher in operatively managed patients, but was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant role for non-operative management for grade V renal trauma, particularly in those with blunt trauma and are stable enough to undergo imaging. Source of Funding: None © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e400 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Nizar Hakam More articles by this author Sorena Keihani More articles by this author Nathan Shaw More articles by this author Douglas Rogers More articles by this author Sherry Wang More articles by this author Joel Gross More articles by this author Ryan Joyce More articles by this author Patrick Selph More articles by this author Judith Hagedorn More articles by this author Rachel Moses More articles by this author Ian Schwartz More articles by this author Shubham Gupta More articles by this author Christopher Dodgion More articles by this author Nima Baradaran More articles by this author Bradley Erickson More articles by this author Frank Burks More articles by this author Richard Santucci More articles by this author Joshua Broghammer More articles by this author Jeremy Myers More articles by this author Benjamin Breyer More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Early spontaneous closure of large arterial ducts in two term neonates with Ebstein anomaly after failed attempts of transcatheter closure.

In neonatal Ebstein's anomaly of the tricuspid valve, prolonged ductal patency in patients without anatomic pulmonary valve atresia can be deleterious. Circular shunts may develop in patients with different degrees of pulmonary and tricuspid insufficiency. Closure of the arterial duct may result in haemodynamic improvement in particular scenarios. The transcatheter approach is a valuable closure alternative despite some technical difficulties in large-sized arterial ducts and low birth weight neonates. Herein, we report on two consecutive term newborns with Ebstein's anomaly and large arterial ducts in whom mechanical stimulus of the arterial duct during failed attempts of transcatheter closure led after two days to definitive closure followed by good clinical outcomes.

The Rush to Personalize: Power Concentration after Failed Coups in Dictatorships

AbstractHow do failed coups influence power personalization in dictatorships? While scholars have studied the mechanisms of personalism in dictatorships in detail, little attention has been paid to the timing and determinants of surges in personalism levels. In this article, we propose that personalism can evolve non-linearly, and show that large, quite rapid increases in personalization by dictators occur after a failed coup attempt. The logic is that failed coups are information-revealing events that provide the dictator with strong motives and ample opportunities to accumulate power. The leader uses this window of opportunity to rapidly consolidate his power at the expense of the ruling coalition. We test the theory using time-series, cross-sectional data on dictatorships in 114 countries in the period between 1946 and 2010. Two placebo tests indicate that disruptive events by regime outsiders – failed assassination attempts and civil war onsets – do not promote the rush to personalize.

Stumbling around the Bases: The American League’s Mismanagement in the Expansion Era by Andy McCue

Reviewed by: Stumbling around the Bases: The American League’s Mismanagement in the Expansion Era by Andy McCue David M. Pegram Andy McCue. Stumbling around the Bases: The American League’s Mismanagement in the Expansion Era. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2022. 296 pp. Cloth, $29.95. Andy McCue knows the business of baseball—the economics, the politics, and all the back- door wheeling and dealing. He showed as much in his previous book, Mover and Shaker: Walter O’Malley, the Dodgers, & Baseball’s Westward Expansion, which won SABR’s Seymour Medal in 2015. McCue’s latest, Stumbling around the Bases: The American League’s Mismanagement in the Expansion Era, focuses on some of the themes and issues that came up in that previous outing— namely, baseball’s westward expansion and relocation. But here, McCue’s attention turns to the various American League owners and their collective failure in leadership, resulting in their league’s twenty- year period of dysfunction, from 1961 to 1981. McCue doesn’t hesitate to remind his readers of what this dysfunction looked like, at its peak, in 1971. By then, McCue notes, “a quarter of the league’s teams had relocated” (xi). Indeed, the Athletics had moved from Kansas City to Oakland, the Seattle Pilots expansion team picked up for Milwaukee after just one season, and now the “new” Washington Senators were heading to Dallas (as the Texas Rangers). Was all this just indicative of the American League’s changing economics and demographics? After all, a decade earlier, Calvin Griffith moved the original Washington Senators to Minneapolis to increase his franchise’s value. Alas, no. McCue argues that there was much more at work with the American League’s expansion and relocation woes. League president Joe Cronin, along with a mix of owners who came and went during the ’60s, mishandled the league’s expansion—not once but twice. They didn’t properly vet new ownership groups, nor did they properly research the viability of new markets. Put simply, the results were a mess. McCue lays out this mess in a tight, well-crafted retrospective of the American League’s missteps. Specifically, he chronicles the rushed expansion in 1961, which led to a bungled draft for the Angels and Senators, the Angels’ initial season in a stadium (Wrigley Field) that was not ready for Major League Baseball, a failed attempt by new owners to promote the game during the mid- ’60s, Charles Finley’s disastrous dealings with Kansas City and his relocation to Oakland and a bay area market that struggled to support two teams, and an approved sale of the Senators to Bob Short, who lacked proper financial backing and soon relocated the team to the Dallas metro area. But it’s in his description of the Seattle Pilots “debacle” (97) that McCue is at his best. McCue notes that American League owners had relied on a [End Page 135] ten- year-old study by the Stanford Research Institute that gave Seattle a thumbs- up as a viable major league city. As it turned out, Seattle didn’t have any of the three criteria necessary: a stadium that could seat at least twenty- five thousand, support of the local community, and a strong financial backing. McCue lays out a pathetic situation in Seattle, in which the Pilots played in run-down Sicks Stadium, for an ownership group that filed for bankruptcy less than a year later. Just days before the 1970 season was set to begin the team suddenly (and embarrassingly) uprooted to Milwaukee, under the new ownership of Edmund Fitzgerald and Bud Selig. The book describes little of the play on the field: it is not about the players or the game’s spectacular moments that contributed to its cultural importance. Instead, McCue looks at deliberations, meetings, and business decisions. And he infuses the narrative with well- researched backgrounds on each of the owners, most of whom came to the fore during and between the league’s expansions in 1961 and 1969, including Gene Autry, William Daley, Arthur Allyn (the more prominent of the Allyn brothers who owned the White Sox), Jerold Hoffberger, Vernon Stauffer, John Fetzer, Ewing Kauffman, and of course...

Memory Politics in Bahrain: The Invocation of the Early Modern Past in the Aftermath of the February 14, 2011 Uprising

Abstract: On February 14, 2011, protests broke out in Bahrain led by the mostly Shi'i opposition against the Sunni Al Khalifa ruling family. After a failed attempt to appease the protestors, the Al Khalifa government blamed Iran for the unrest and invited Saudi and Emirati troops to enter Bahrain and crush the uprising. This article explores how and why the events of an earlier crisis, which began with a Shi'i uprising in 1922 and widened to include Iranian nationals in 1923, was remembered and communicated by states and social groups in the aftermath of the 2011 protests, both in scholarly articles and in the digital media. These contested narratives of Bahrain's past are located within the politically charged context of the 2011 uprising to shed light on the relationship between memory and politics in Bahrain.