Future Cases Research Articles

Fourteen Deaths from Suspected Heparin Overdose in an Italian Primary-Level Hospital.

Healthcare-related homicidal cases are not novel within the medical-legal landscape, but investigations are often made difficult with the scarcity of material evidence related to the crime. For this reason, it is necessary to carefully analyze the clinical documentation and employ ancillary forensic resources such as radiology, histopathology, and toxicology. In the presented scenario, the observation of 14 deaths from abnormal bleeding in a First-Level Italian Hospital revealed the administration of massive doses of heparin by a nurse. On behalf of the Judicial Authority, a multidisciplinary medical team investigated the case through the following steps: a thorough review of the clinical documentation, exhumation of the bodies belonging to the deceased patients, performing PMCT and autopsy, and collecting tissue samples for histopathological, immunohistochemical, and toxicological investigations. All the analyzed cases have been characterized by the observation of fatal hemorrhagic episodes not explained with the clinical conditions of the patients, confirmed using autopsy observations and the histological demonstration of the vitality of the lesions. However, due to the limited availability of biological material for the toxicological analysis, the indirect evidence from hematological analyses in hospitalized patients was crucial in demonstrating heparin overdose and its link to the recorded deaths. The present scenario demonstrates the fundamental importance of a multidisciplinary approach to cases of judicial interest related to the healthcare context. Therefore, the illustrated methodologies can be interpreted as an operational framework for similar future cases.

Web Scraping for Migration, Mobility, and Migrant Integration Studies: Introduction, Application, and Potential Use Cases

Web scraping, a technique for extracting data from web pages, has been in use for decades, yet its utilization in the field of migration, mobility, and migrant integration studies has been limited. The field faces notorious limitations regarding data access and availability, particularly in low-income settings. Web scraping has the potential to provide new datasets for further qualitative and quantitative analysis. Web scraping requires no financial resources, is agnostic to epistemic divides in the field, reduces researcher bias, and increases transparency and replicability of data collection. As large providers of digital data such as Facebook or Twitter increasingly restrict access to their data for researchers, web scraping will become more important in the future and deserves its place in the toolbox of migration and mobility scholars. This short and nontechnical methods note introduces the fundamental concepts of web scraping, provides guidance on how to learn the technique, showcases practical applications of web scraping in the study of migrant populations, and discusses potential future use cases.

Re-positioning of educational technology in the VUCA world: Global and local cases from the perspective of Turkey

This paper introduces and discusses an extensive case of VUCA in Turkey resulting from global and local calamities in terms of the facts and their reflections to Educational Technology. Turkey has experienced a successive events of misfortune starting with Covid-19 pandemic and followed by massive earthquakes that took place on February 2023, each of which has deepened VUCA and both resulted in failure in coping with VUCA, especially in Educational Technology. This paper thus, intends to draw attention to the mistakes made during these atmospheres by representing the facts and reactions of principles, which, we believe, may guide the rest in similar future cases. In this report, we firstly introduce the outlines of VUCA and the facts about February Earthquakes. Secondly, we discuss VUCA cases within the context of Educational Technology. Lastly, based on what we learned from these cases, suggestions for shareholders are presented to relieve Educational Technology. Keywords: VUCA, Educational Technology, Covid-19, February 6 earthquakes

Korean Judicial Decision

Abstract This is a judgment of the Seoul Central District Court on compensation for damages related to the Vietnam War. The case was brought by a group of Vietnamese plaintiffs who claimed that they had suffered harm as a result of the actions of the South Korean military during the war. The plaintiffs argued that the South Korean military had committed various war crimes, including the massacre of civilians and the use of chemical weapons. The court’s judgment was a significant victory for the plaintiffs, as it ordered the Korean government to pay compensation. The judgment sets an important precedent for future cases involving claims of harm caused by military actions. The case highlights the need for greater accountability and transparency in military actions, and raises important questions about the relationship between international law and national sovereignty. The judgment is a significant development in the ongoing debate about the role of law in regulating military actions and protecting the rights of civilians in times of war.

Lung cancer cases attributable to PM2.5 in northeastern Italy

Abstract Background According to the International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC), outdoor pollution is a well established cause of lung cancer, with a prominent carcinogenic role attributed to particulate matter (PM) pollution. 2001 WHO guidelines on outdoor pollution includes a recommendation to reach a PM2.5 annual average of 5ug/m3. The WHO recommendation is in sharp contrast with EU limits: thus, in the present study we estimated the number of incident lung cancer cases due to PM2.5 according to three different scenarios. Methods The number of newly incident lung cancer cases diagnosed in northeastern Italy from 2015 to 2020 was from the population-based cancer registry of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. We considered three scenarios of average annual concentration of PM2.5: 25ug/m3 according to EU legislation; 10ug/m3 or 5ug/m3 according to 2005 and 2021 WHO guidelines. An 8% increase in the risk of lung cancer for every 10ug/m3 increase in PM2.5 was assumed. Data from outdoor average annual concentration of PM2.5 in northeastern Italy were from local air monitoring systems. Results 5131 lung cancer cases were registered in 2015-2020 in Friuli Venezia Giulia, (i.e., 855 cases/year). In the same period, an average annual concentration of PM2.5 of 18ug/m3 was documented. According to EU legislation, there will not be an excess of future lung cancer cases attributable to PM2.5. Conversely, the projection of the excess cases ranged from 6.4%/year (WHO 2005) or 10.4% (WHO 2021). In absolute terms, we estimated that there will be an excess of future yearly lung cancer cases ranging from 55 cases to 89 cases due to PM2.5.air pollution exceeding WHO recommendations. Conclusions According to WHO recommendations, PM2.5 air pollution will cause an excess of up to 89 yearly cases of lung cancer in Friuli Venezia Giulia, northeastern Italy, a projection in sharp contrast with EU limits. Key messages • An excess of up to 89 yearly cases of lung cancer are projected for the future years due to PM2.5 concentration exceeding WHO guidelines. • EU limits of PM2.5 average yearly concentration underestimate the risk of lung cancer in humans.

The View from the Top: Visual Intrusion as Nuisance in Fearn v Tate Gallery

In Fearn v Board of Trustees of the Tate Gallery the UK Supreme Court unanimously held that visual intrusions are in principle actionable under the tort of private nuisance. On the facts, a narrow 3:2 majority found that the Tate Modern was liable for the operation of its viewing gallery where the public could see into the claimants’ flats. This note argues that the court's landmark determination on the scope of nuisance is a welcome one insofar as it decentres physical interference and aligns the operation of the tort with its normative underpinnings. More dubious is the majority's emphasis on the ‘common and ordinary use’ of land, an uncertain concept which is likely to generate difficulties in future cases. Finally, the note considers some of the broader implications of Fearn, reflecting on the public reaction to the decision and considering what the case means for privacy protection in particular.

How Can Transformer Models Shape Future Healthcare: A Qualitative Study.

Transformer models have been successfully applied to various natural language processing and machine translation tasks in recent years, e.g. automatic language understanding. With the advent of more efficient and reliable models (e.g. GPT-3), there is a growing potential for automating time-consuming tasks that could be of particular benefit in healthcare to improve clinical outcomes. This paper aims at summarizing potential use cases of transformer models for future healthcare applications. Precisely, we conducted a survey asking experts on their ideas and reflections for future use cases. We received 28 responses, analyzed using an adapted thematic analysis. Overall, 8 use case categories were identified including documentation and clinical coding, workflow and healthcare services, decision support, knowledge management, interaction support, patient education, health management, and public health monitoring. Future research should consider developing and testing the application of transformer models for such use cases.

A case of mistaken identity

Images that demonstrate large and obvious abnormalities sometimes distract the provider from the careful review necessary to make the correct diagnosis. In situations in which the differential diagnosis has a leading diagnosis that is correct almost all time, it is easy to be misled by more obvious possibilities, failing to spend enough time to see the important details, and pursuing therapy that might not result in a good patient outcome. The purpose of this case report is to help readers from making analogous errors in future cases similar to this one.
 
 Key words: pleural effusion, endobronchial obstruction, lung cancer, complications, chest tube

Adapting Hospital Interior Architecture Process to Technological Advancement in the Management of Pandemic Cases in Jordan

The COVID-19 outbreak pandemic is currently one of the largest challenges facing the world. The pandemic has had an impact on how hospitals are built, how technology is developed, and how information systems are used. Researchers and practitioners in the field of information systems and technology can aid in the analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic by choosing the most optimal building design to impede and stop virus transmission. This study aims to revise the current COVID-19 Hospital Design process in the Management of Pandemic Cases and suggest a process for the hospital management of pandemic cases that will alleviate current and future pandemics. This study used a mixed approach through personal observations, questionnaire surveys, descriptive statistics, correlations, and regression models. The findings were analyzed and revealed the dimensions that need to be considered and that will need to be up to the standard of leading health organizations. People’s perceptions about the state of some selected healthcare centers in Jordan were taken and analyzed. Proposals of new hospital building designs and processes of health facilities were undertaken, which can further strengthen the clinical state in Jordan and handle future cases of a pandemic outbreak, with much emphasis on the current COVID-19 outbreak. Lastly, it is highly recommended that this paper be used as a guideline required to fight against any pandemics or endemics both now and in the future, as it lists comprehensive process guidelines to combat any deadly virus, which are shown in detailed photos and process diagrams.

Grid-scale demand-side flexibility services using commercial buildings lighting loads

Flexibility Services can be used to account for the high variability in electricity generation due to increasing renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy. As buildings become smarter with the adoption of new technologies for sensing and control, more integration between buildings and the electric grid is possible. Building loads such as air conditioning and lighting in commercial buildings have the potential to provide these Flexibility Services. In commercial buildings, lighting accounts for approximately 10–15 % of the load at time. Past studies have shown that lighting can be dimmed by 15–20 % without causing visual discomfort to the occupants. Overall, this study aims to estimate the instantaneous demand reduction that can be provided due to lighting loads using prototypical building models aggregated across electric grid nodes in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) region in the United States. Findings suggest, in a future case with 100 % LED fixtures and 30 % technology penetration for smart lighting controls, lighting loads can provide around 250 to 475 MW (0.21 to 0.39 % of MISO’s peak load) of Flexibility Services in the MISO region. The results can be used as inputs for grid levels models to predict future generation, transmission, and distribution investments for future high renewable energy scenarios.

Updated Surveillance Metrics and History of the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020-2023) in Europe: Longitudinal Trend Analysis.

In this study, we built upon our initial research published in 2020 by incorporating an additional 2 years of data for Europe. We assessed whether COVID-19 had shifted from the pandemic to endemic phase in the region when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the end of the public health emergency of international concern on May 5, 2023. We first aimed to measure whether there was an expansion or contraction in the pandemic in Europe at the time of the WHO declaration. Second, we used dynamic and genomic surveillance methods to describe the history of the pandemic in the region and situate the window of the WHO declaration within the broader history. Third, we provided the historical context for the course of the pandemic in Europe in terms of policy and disease burden at the country and region levels. In addition to the updates of traditional surveillance data and dynamic panel estimates from the original study, this study used data on sequenced SARS-CoV-2 variants from the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data to identify the appearance and duration of variants of concern. We used Nextclade nomenclature to collect clade designations from sequences and Pangolin nomenclature for lineage designations of SARS-CoV-2. Finally, we conducted a 1-tailed t test for whether regional weekly speed was greater than an outbreak threshold of 10. We ran the test iteratively with 6 months of data across the sample period. Speed for the region had remained below the outbreak threshold for 4 months by the time of the WHO declaration. Acceleration and jerk were also low and stable. While the 1-day and 7-day persistence coefficients remained statistically significant, the coefficients were moderate in magnitude (0.404 and 0.547, respectively; P<.001 for both). The shift parameters for the 2 weeks around the WHO declaration were small and insignificant, suggesting little change in the clustering effect of cases on future cases at the time. From December 2021 onward, Omicron was the predominant variant of concern in sequenced viral samples. The rolling t test of speed equal to 10 became insignificant for the first time in April 2023. While COVID-19 continues to circulate in Europe, the rate of transmission remained below the threshold of an outbreak for 4 months ahead of the WHO declaration. The region had previously been in a nearly continuous state of outbreak. The more recent trend suggested that COVID-19 was endemic in the region and no longer reached the threshold of the pandemic definition. However, several countries remained in a state of outbreak, and the conclusion that COVID-19 was no longer a pandemic in Europe at the time is unclear.

Multispecies blue justice and energy transition conflict: examining challenges and possibilities for synergy between low-carbon energy and justice for humans and nonhuman nature

This paper explores deep insights into sustainability transition tensions and pathways in terms of place-based conflict and potential for synergies between offshore wind energy (OWE) development and justice for humans and nonhuman nature. Specifically, we build a capability and recognition-based multispecies blue justice framework that at once centers ecological reflexivity (i.e., environmental awareness-raising, proxy representation of nature, and institutional recognition and protection of rights of nature and human-nature relationality), decenters anthropocentric frames of justice, and sheds light on injustices, human and nonhuman that climate and energy transitions may create or reinforce. This framework then informs analysis of a sustainability transition conflict, specifically a longstanding OWE conflict on Hiiumaa island, Estonia. This analysis unravels justice concerns, human and nonhuman, raised by proxy representatives of nature (i.e., grassroots actors and environmental stewards), the knowledge contestations involved, and the resolution measures undertaken thus far. Next, we discuss the possible transformative role of the OWE conflict, including how a Supreme Court ruling invalidating the OWE plan has fostered reflexive planning and may have set a legal precedent that may have human and nonhuman justice implications for the handling of future planning cases. We then highlight remaining challenges for socially and ecologically responsive OWE deployment. These include the judicial non-recognition of nature’s right as well as environmental values and sociocultural ties to nature as rights worth protecting, and the likely effects that formalization of European Union ambitions to speed-up and ramp-up renewable energy could have locally. These include prospects for environmental stewards and ocean defenders to steer nature-positive, people-centered energy transitions. Last, we propose conditions for enhanced multispecies justice, including how formal interventions (e.g., law) and informal practices (e.g., negotiation, awareness-raising) can be harnessed to unlock productive conflict and align energy transitions with the norms of justice, human and nonhuman.

Section 4 - Future scenario and case studies related to rural water management

Section 4 - Future scenario and case studies related to rural water management

West Nile virus in the Iberian Peninsula: using equine cases to identify high-risk areas for humans.

BackgroundWest Nile virus (WNV) is a flavivirus with an enzootic cycle between birds and mosquitoes; humans and horses are incidental dead-end hosts. In 2020, the largest outbreak of West Nile virus infection in the Iberian Peninsula occurred, with 141 clusters in horses and 77 human cases.AimWe analysed which drivers influence spillover from the cycle to humans and equines and identified areas at risk for WNV transmission.MethodsBased on data on WNV cases in horses and humans in 2020 in Portugal and Spain, we developed logistic regression models using environmental and anthropic variables to highlight risk areas. Models were adapted to a high-resolution risk map.ResultsCases of WNV in horses could be used as indicators of viral activity and thus predict cases in humans. The risk map of horses was able to define high-risk areas for previous cases in humans and equines in Portugal and Spain, as well as predict human and horse cases in the transmission seasons of 2021 and 2022. We found that the spatial patterns of the favourable areas for outbreaks correspond to the main hydrographic basins of the Iberian Peninsula, jointly affecting Portugal and Spain.ConclusionA risk map highlighting the risk areas for potential future cases could be cost-effective as a means of promoting preventive measures to decrease incidence of WNV infection in Europe, based on a One Health surveillance approach.

Mitigating loose rock fall and cavity formation in Adit-2 tunnel of Rammam III hydroelectric project in Himalayas, India: Challenges and Solutions.

The turbulent geological history of “The Himalayas” arguably poses the most challenging ground conditions than anywhere in the world for underground excavations works. Cavity formation, loose fall, rock busting, high ingress of water and squeezing ground conditions are common phenomenon that encountered along tunnel profile in Himalayas. The Rammam III Hydroelectric Project, situated in Sikkim Himalayan belt lies in Main Crystalline Thrust zone (MCT) and is facing its fair share of Geological challenges during the underground excavation process.The primary objective of the Rammam Stage-III Hydro Electric Project is to generate 120 MW power through 8.2 km of HRT (Head Race Tunnel).Excavation of the Adit-2 to HRT has been challenging because of its proximity to the Jhepi Khola, a fault-incised stream. The tunnel’s progress was impeded by various obstructions of small and large magnitude caused by several sympathetic shears along joints and other geological complexities.This paper will focus on the challenges faced in mitigating loose rock falls, cavity formation in Adit-2 from RD 312.0m to 320.0 m. To address the issue, an effective excavation philosophy known as DRESS (Drainage-Reinforcement-Excavation-Support-Solution) was adopted. The solution proposed is highly effective in addressing water-bearing issues in the Himalayas.The treatment method adopted not only achieved the desired level of safety and smooth construction progress, but also provides a valuable reference for future similar cases of loose fall and cavity formations.

PanDa Game: Optimized Privacy-Preserving Publishing of Individual-Level Pandemic Data Based on a Game Theoretic Model.

Sharing individual-level pandemic data is essential for accelerating the understanding of a disease. For example, COVID-19 data have been widely collected to support public health surveillance and research. In the United States, these data are typically de-identified before publication to protect the privacy of the corresponding individuals. However, current data publishing approaches for this type of data, such as those adopted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have not flexed over time to account for the dynamic nature of infection rates. Thus, the policies generated by these strategies have the potential to both raise privacy risks or overprotect the data and impair the data utility (or usability). To optimize the tradeoff between privacy risk and data utility, we introduce a game theoretic model that adaptively generates policies for the publication of individual-level COVID-19 data according to infection dynamics. We model the data publishing process as a two-player Stackelberg game between a data publisher and a data recipient and then search for the best strategy for the publisher. In this game, we consider 1) average performance of predicting future case counts; and 2) mutual information between the original data and the released data. We use COVID-19 case data from Vanderbilt University Medical Center from March 2020 to December 2021 to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new model. The results indicate that the game theoretic model outperforms all state-of-the-art baseline approaches, including those adopted by CDC, while maintaining low privacy risk. We further perform an extensive sensitivity analyses to show that our findings are robust to order-of-magnitude parameter fluctuations.

Two Cases of Gastric Varices with Left-sided Portal Hypertension due to Essential Thrombocythemia Treated with Gastric Devascularization or Partial Splenic Embolization.

Left-sided portal hypertension (LSPH) is a condition of extrahepatic portal hypertension that often results in bleeding from isolated gastric varices (GVs). LSPH is sometimes caused by myeloproliferative diseases, such as essential thrombocythemia (ET). We herein report two cases of GVs with LSPH due to ET that were successfully controlled by gastric devascularization (GDS) or partial splenic embolization (PSE). Since each patient with LSPH due to ET has a different pathology, optimal treatment should be performed depending on the patient's condition, such as platelet counts, hemodynamics, or the prognosis. We believe that these cases will serve as a reference for future cases.

Determining critical success factors for residential reconstruction in the urban city from the perspective of developers

Urban renewal involves various stakeholders holding different expectations during transformation and development. Residents usually envision improved living conditions, whereas developers devote their efforts to land use integration in anticipation of receiving a fair share of profits. In this study, to investigate factors affecting the success of urban renewal projects, we analyzed both complete and ongoing development projects on the basis of theoretical foundations established in the relevant literature. Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and importance–performance analysis (IPA) were used to explore the relationship among the occurrence frequencies, weights of factors, and cumulative construction cost ratios. The results indicate that the land integration process is crucial to the success of urban renewal projects. Developers must be aware of the importance of (1) resident approval rates of >90 %, (2) the complexity of ownership (integrating both private and public ownership), (3) environmental friendliness, (4) high bulk rewards, (5) the duration of case reviews, and (6) employing their professional skills to provide residents with a vision of their community after renewal; attention to these factors can increase resident approval rates. Nevertheless, urban renewal relies on the assistance of government agencies and can succeed only when the government, developers, and landowners cooperate. Herein, we discuss critical success factors (CSFs) for urban renewal from the developers’ perspective. When developers successfully assist residents in maximizing the benefits they can receive from residential redevelopment, they can gain valuable experience and skills to apply in future cases, continuing to further the goal of urban renewal.

INTELLIGENT MUSIC APPLICATIONS: INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR MUSICIANS AND LISTENERS

The incorporation of artificial intelligence and machine learning into intelligent music applications presents fresh avenues for musical expression. These applications allow the production of emotionally responsive pieces by analysing and interpreting the emotions conveyed within music. Furthermore, they aid collaborative music-making by connecting musicians in diverse locations and enabling real-time collaboration via cloud-based platforms. The objective of this research is to present information regarding the production, distribution, and consumption of music, which has a close association with technology. Through document analysis, the prospective advantages of incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning into the music industry are assessed from diverse vantage points, analysing potential models and areas of application. It also proposes further research to enhance artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, guaranteeing their responsible and ethical use, and unlocking new avenues for musical innovation.

Publication status and reporting quality of case reports on acupuncture-related adverse events: A systematic reviews of case studies

IntroductionCase reports on acupuncture-related adverse events (AEs) have been consistently published in the literature. This review aims to assess the current publication status of case reports on acupuncture-related AEs and evaluate their reporting quality in order to identify areas for improvement. MethodsThis study is a systematic review (SR) of case reports. Studies describing cases for acupuncture-related AEs between 2010 and 2023 (until July) were searched in PubMed, Embase, and local databases (China and Korea), as well as by hand-searching references included in published relevant SRs. A bibliometric analysis was conducted to examine the publication trends of the included literature. The appropriateness of the acupuncture described in the cases, the causality assessment between AEs and acupuncture treatment, and the presence of necessary items from the CAse REport guidelines (CARE) checklist were narratively analyzed. ResultsA total of 169 case reports were included in this review. Over the past decade, an average of 12 case reports on acupuncture-related AEs were published annually. However, only 38.2% of the articles provided sufficient information to determine the appropriateness of the acupuncture treatment used in the reported cases, and considerable numbers of the included case reports did not suggest enough information for the assessment of a causal relationship. The majority of cases did not report the timeline (n = 164), patient perspectives (n = 157), and informed consent (n = 121) items from the CARE checklist. DiscussionAcupuncture-related AEs persist in being frequently reported in the literature. Nonetheless, the information concerning acupuncture and causality assessment within these publications is still found to be insufficient. The development of reporting guidelines for future case reports on acupuncture-related AEs is anticipated to promote an academic environment conducive to more comprehensive reporting.