Historical Case Research Articles

Evolvable case-based design: An artificial intelligence system for urban form generation with specific indicators

This research proposes a design system that combines a case-based learning algorithm with a rule-based optimization algorithm to automatically generate and revise urban form prototypes based on historical cases and user requirements. The system aims to address the challenges of existing generative methods for urban forms, such as the lack of flexibility and organicity of rule-based methods and the insufficient manipulability and interpretability of the newest GAN-integrated case-based methods. It can help designers generate multiple solutions with specific indicators in the conceptual stage and has the potential to facilitate citizen participation in urban planning and design. This research demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of the system through a case study in Shenzhen. The research further extends the discussion about the application of the proposed system and the alternative evolution approach for the next generation of automatic design methods.

Organizing long duration interdependence in Lloyd’s of London: Persistence in a part-whole paradox of organizing

A critical challenge for interorganizational groups is to organize themselves in a way that balances the interests of the group as a whole and those of individual participants. How interorganizational groups manage these ‘paradoxes of organizing’ to ensure long-term survival remains, however, unclear. We investigate this phenomenon through a historical case study of Lloyd’s of London, arguably the most prominent and long-standing interorganizational group in the global insurance industry. Our historical analysis shows that the interdependence between the group as a whole and its participants deepened progressively over more than two centuries as collective organizing solutions were adopted and were managed by a central collective actor. We develop a process model of dynamic management of part-whole interdependence which explains how the cumulative development of an infrastructure of interdependence, incorporating increasing responsibilities of the central actor, enables management of the paradox of organizing throughout its persistent historical manifestations and inherent tensions.

Modeling the Creative Milieu of Cosmopolitan Cities: Shanghai, 1912–1948

This research paper gleans insights from significant historical cases to unravel the essence of a ‘creative milieu.’ Our study scrutinizes the factors that shaped artists’ settlement patterns in Shanghai during the Republican era (1912–1948) by constructing both global and local spatial regression models across three pivotal years, thus unveiling seven distinct variable categories. We argue that paramount among these attributes are individual art intermediaries, art schools, and art organizations. Furthermore, our inquiry acknowledges the diverse and idiosyncratic characteristics inherent to artistic communities and delineates between attributes of particular relevance to the Chinese context and those adaptable within a Western paradigm.

Intelligent acquisition of single-valued neutrosophic numbers based on emotional tendency analysis and its application in emergency decision making

With the rising incidences of emergencies, it is both challenging and meaningful to study how to make decisions quickly and take appropriate measures to control the spread and evolution of the situation. However, most current emergency decision-making focuses on mathematical model construction, whereas fuzzy decision-making is biased towards subjective assumptions, which are both insufficient for practicability. We studied the intelligent acquisition of single-valued neutrosophic numbers based on emotional tendency analysis and applied them to emergency decision-making. First, Python programming technology was used to crawl, preprocess, and statistically analyse the network comment data of emergencies, and a quantised single-value neutrosophic number was obtained. Second, the attribute values, represented as neutrosophic numbers, were uniformly converted into cloud droplets, and the weight of the attribute values was objectively determined according to the digital feature entropy in the cloud droplets. Subsequently, a case-based reasoning approach was used to calculate the combined weighted similarity between the alternatives and ideal solution (target case) to obtain a ranking of the alternatives and historical cases in the case base that best matches the target case. Finally, a typhoon disaster assessment was considered as an example to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method, and the advantages of the proposed method were emphasised through multi-aspect and multi-angle comparative analyses. The relevant research can be used for public opinion monitoring during emergencies and emergency handling.

Mapping cholera risk in Nairobi County, Kenya: a comprehensive analysis of environmental, socio-economic, and WASH factors

Background : Cholera, a globally prevalent waterborne disease, is closely monitored in Kenya as part of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response strategy. Understanding regional variations in cholera risk factors and trends is crucial, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to construct a risk map for cholera outbreaks in Nairobi County, based on the spatial-temporal dynamics of environmental and socio-cultural factors, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) conditions, and historical cases reported between 2009 and 2019.
 Methodology : We retrospectively analyzed historical cholera cases in Nairobi, employing spatial analysis to map the spatiotemporal variations in factors associated with cholera outbreaks. A cross-sectional descriptive research design was adopted to investigate the relationship between WASH conditions and cholera outbreaks. Stratified random sampling selected 399 respondents from all 85 wards in Nairobi County. We employed descriptive statistics (percentages and frequencies) and inferential statistics (Chi-square) to assess variable relationships.
 Results : Cholera cases are concentrated in densely populated, especially informal, settlements. Population size significantly correlated with cholera cases (p-value=0.03). Dumping sites in Nairobi emerged as potential cholera sources within residential areas, with the vicinity showing a slight association with reported cases. Rainfall patterns and humidity levels across Nairobi County also influenced cholera risk.
 Conclusions : Areas within 400 meters of rivers and sewage lines faced elevated cholera risk. Most cases occurred in slum or regular residential areas. Proximity to dumping sites increased the risk of cholera outbreaks. These findings offer valuable insights for cholera prevention and control strategies in Nairobi County.

Portrait of disc as a "fluid mediator" of political cultures

This article summarizes my research on propaganda discs produced in France in the 20th century. I introduce the new notion of “fluid mediator” to describe the capacity of these discs, bearers of sound political cultures, to be heard in social spaces hostile to these cultures. Using historical cases, I analyze this capacity through the prisms of the imaginary and the temporalities of the disc and the sound recorded.

(De)coloniality of “Tethered Mobilities” in Freetown, Sierra Leone and Nyarugusu Refugee Camp, Tanzania

Drawing from historical case studies from Sierra Leone and Tanzania, this article fundamentally asks, what constitutes decoloniality? Before answering, we analyze the enduring coloniality of national borders, internal boundaries and identities, and manipulation and coercive imposition of (im)mobility. These colonial logics create “tethered mobilities” moving internal and external migrants in and out of approved spaces to facilitate extraction and racialized categorizations. We explore the impact of these aspects of coloniality on rural-urban migration and law in Sierra Leone and forced migration and containment of citizens and refugees in Tanzania. Conversing with critical migration and abolition literatures, we argue that despite no explicit revolutionary intent, migrants create their own tethered mobilities through everyday life-making in prohibited spaces as “rehearsal” for decolonial futures and mobility justice.

Use of external control arms in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: a systematic review

ObjectivesExternal control arms (ECAs) provide useful comparisons in clinical trials when randomised control arms are limited or not feasible. We conducted a systematic review to summarise applications of ECAs in...

Practical Solutions for Building Envelope Retrofitting of Historic Buildings in Cold Climates

Improving the energy efficiency of buildings is one of the main strategies to reach the European target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As most of the future building stock is already built, retrofitting existing buildings will play a significant role in reaching this goal. In Norway, buildings that undergo full retrofitting must fulfil the same energy efficiency requirements as new buildings. This is challenging, especially in the case of historic buildings. Improvements should not damage or change the existing structure. As it is often challenging to retrofit historic buildings, this paper aims to provide practical guidelines for building envelope retrofitting as well as identify key points that need to be taken into consideration in the design phase. First, retrofitting measures recommended in historic case study buildings in Norway are analyzed. Second, an overview of typical challenges for retrofitting historic buildings is given. These are identified from literature review and from experiences during the design phase. Interviews with public building owners, contractors, consultants and architects were conducted to discuss challenges from different perspectives. Finally, findings from the literature, interviews and case studies are discussed to identify similarities.

Logic of martyrdom

Bonhoeffer’s legacy has been marked by a certain plasticity; he can be made, and is in fact made, to champion and stand for a variety of causes. Is this plasticity a consequence of something innate in Bonhoeffer’s thinking, or could another metric be at work? This essay suggests that Bonhoeffer – as well as Oscar Romero and Martin Luther King Jr. – has been subjected to a something called the Logic of Martyrdom, a process by means of which the church commodifies, then spends, the image of the martyr. This “spending,” in turn, has the potential to operate in the service of a variety of aims, many of which may not align with the original convictions of the martyred figure. This article defines the Logic of Martyrdom (in five stages), illustrating it through three historical test cases, concluding with some suggestions for how to spend a martyr’s image well.

Entrepreneurship in religious organizations: How the Church of England developed an entrepreneurial orientation

Prior research established that religion shapes country-level entrepreneurial activity as well as individual-level entrepreneurial decisions. The organizational level has received less research attention. It is particularly unclear how the combination of entrepreneurship and religion is forged in established religious organizations. Through a historical case study of the Church of England’s efforts toward developing an entrepreneurial orientation (EO), my paper sheds light on that issue. The findings indicate that, in religious settings, an entrepreneurial orientation materializes through a lengthy, contested process. Two mutually reinforcing mechanisms – polysemy dynamics and idea sedimentation – play an important role in this process. I theorize that these mechanisms, despite delaying EO development, address resistance and thereby drive progress toward a comprehensive entrepreneurial orientation.

831. Majocchi’s Granuloma – A Single Institution Retrospective Review

Abstract Background Majocchi’s granuloma (MG) is an uncommon deep fungal folliculitis predominantly caused by dermatophytes. Available data regarding predisposing comorbidities/risk factors, clinical characteristics, offending microbiologic pathogens, diagnostics, pathologic findings, and treatment approaches has been inferred from historical cases. Given these limitations in the existing literature of MG, we sought to conduct a detailed review of our institutional experience with biopsy-confirmed cases of MG. Methods Following IRB approval, we retrospectively identified and analyzed a multicenter cohort of adult patients diagnosed with MG between September 1992 and September 2022 at Mayo Clinic campuses (Figure 1). Data extracted included demographics, comorbid conditions, presenting clinical characteristics, diagnostic, microbiologic, and biopsy characteristics, treatment details, and outcomes. Figure 1 Flow Diagram show exclusion of patients from the final cohort. Results A total of 147 patients with MG with the accompanying baseline characteristics met study criteria (Table 1). One-hundred and five patients were male with a median age of 55.6 years. Immunosuppressant and topical corticosteroid use were common prior to development of MG (Table 1). Dermatologic lesions and their sites of involvement did not differ based on the immune status of patients (Table 2). Trichophyton rubrum was the most common causative pathogen of MG, in addition to other dermatophytes and fungal organisms (Table 3a). Treatment duration for all prescribed agents was median 31.5 days. Oral terbinafine was the most frequently utilized agent and clinical resolution was achieved in 96.6% of cases (Table 3b). Baseline Characteristics of 147 Patients with Majocchi’s Granuloma Diagnostic, Microbiologic, and Biopsy Characteristics, Treatment Characteristics and Outcomes Conclusion While rare and clinically variable in presentation, the diagnosis of MG requires careful clinical examination and history-taking, histopathologic confirmation, and frequently fungal culture. Most cases of MG in our study responded well to a course of oral terbinafine at a median of 31.5 days of treatment. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Conflicts With Novelty: Intelligibility Crisis and the Case of the Yugoslav Narrative

"This paper deals with the notion of intelligibility crisis in terms of conflict and harmony. Namely, we will analyze the notion of intelligibility from MacIntyre’s philosophical opus and apply it to the historical case. Intelligibility, according to MacIntyre, is the notion which provides us with contextual meaning and embeds our actions with sense within the specific tradition. Intelligibility crisis is the term that is coined to provide a descriptive account of the phenomenon when we cannot connect ourselves with a new social context in which we find ourselves in. To further elaborate on this and apply it onto an example, we shall use the historical case of the Yugoslavian nation. We will provide analysis between three different contextual narratives – pre-Yugoslav narrative, Yugoslav narrative, and post-Yugoslav narrative. After applying the notion of intelligibility crisis onto this historical case study, we will notice how people of one social narrative lose intelligibility by going into another social narrative. Furthermore, we shall consider the notions of conflicts and harmony as those that are connected to intelligibility. The main argument from the descriptive state of things which was offered would be the following – conflicting sentiments arise when we are not in harmony with the narrative within which we have attained intelligibility. Keywords: intelligibility crisis, Yugoslavia, social narratives, meaning, conflicts, harmony"

Analysis of the Outbreak of the Cold War and Its Impact on Armed Conflict

The Cold War has always been a historical stage that has attracted much attention. This historical stage has profoundly affected todays international situation and peoples perception of great power competition. The Cold War lasted for nearly forty-four years. During this nearly half a century, the US and the Soviet Union used almost all means of confrontation except direct armed conflict to achieve the effect of suppressing each other. By analyzing past historical events and cases for example, this paper mainly discusses the causes of the Cold War and how it prevent armed conflict from becoming two topics of widespread concern, and it concludes that the outbreak of the Cold War was related to the anarchy among the great powers, and also related to the differences in economic systems between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The Cold War prevented nuclear war but intensified conventional war to some extent. This paper aims to tell people that the Cold War is not an ideal state of the international community, all countries should learn lessons from the Cold War to avoid the recurrence of this unhealthy international pattern.

Longitudinal monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 viral load in self-collected saliva from health care workers during breakthrough infections to spare working days.

Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) on nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) has been used as the standard method for detecting and monitoring SARS-CoV-2 infection during the pandemic. However, NPS collection often causes discomfort and poses a higher risk of transmission to health care workers (HCW). Furthermore, RT-qPCR only provides relative quantification and does not allow distinguishing those samples with residual, no longer active infection, whereas droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) allows for precise quantification of viral load, offering greater sensitivity and reproducibility. This study highlights the effectiveness of using self-collected saliva as a convenient and reliable sampling method. By utilizing ddPCR to measure the SARS-CoV-2 viral load in saliva samples, individuals with low or undetectable viral loads can be quickly identified. This approach is particularly advantageous for surveillance programs targeting HCW, as it enables the early identification and release of uninfected personnel, minimizing lost workdays. Additionally, analyzing viral load in saliva samples by ddPCR is valuable in determining virus shedding duration across different SARS-CoV-2 variants, informing transmission and disease control. Finally, testing saliva could overcome the detection of historic cases due to prolonged RNA swabbing past-infection and the unnecessary exclusion of those individuals from the workplace.

Gender Inequality in the Digital Field and Potential Remedial Measures

This paper examines the phenomenon of gender inequality in digital spaces and explores potential remedial measures. Through an analysis of historical cases of online discrimination, gendered experiences on the internet, and current landscape of discriminatory behavior, it is clear that women are frequently exposed to cyber bullying and other forms of abuse. Strategies for promoting gender equity in digital spaces include self-regulation, education and awareness, state legislation, and industry practices. Surveillance capitalisms impact on gender equity is also discussed, as data collected through this practice can be used to profile individuals based on their gender identity or sexuality. The paper concludes by stating that research into the efficacy of self-regulation, education and awareness approaches as well as state legislation in shielding women from online discrimination is necessary. Additionally, industry practices targeting those who battle discrimination should be further investigated. By utilizing such methods, one can move towards an equitable digital space where all individuals are respected regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

A Retrospective Analysis Investigating Whether Case Volume Experience of the Anesthesiologist Correlates with Intraoperative Efficiency for Joint Arthroplasty

The objective of this retrospective study was to determine if there was an association between anesthesiology experience (e.g. historic case volume) and operating room (OR) efficiency times for lower extremity joint arthroplasty cases. The primary outcome was time from patient in the OR to anesthesia ready (i.e. after spinal or general anesthesia induction was complete). The secondary outcomes included time from anesthesia ready to surgical incision, and time from incision to closing completed. Mixed effects linear regression was performed, in which the random effect was the anesthesiology attending provider. There were 4,575 patients undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty included. There were 82 unique anesthesiology providers, in which the median [quartile] frequency of cases performed was 79 [45, 165]. On multivariable mixed effects linear regression – in which the primary independent variable (anesthesiologist case volume history for joint arthroplasty anesthesia) was log-transformed – the estimate for log-transformed case volume was − 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI] -1.62, -0.20, P = 0.01). When modeling time from incision to closure complete, the estimate for log-transformed case volume was − 2.07 (95% -3.54, -0.06, P = 0.01). Thus, when comparing anesthesiologists with median case volume (79 cases) versus those with the lowest case volume (10 cases), the predicted difference in times added up to only approximately 6 min. If the purpose of faster anesthesia workflows was to open up more OR time to increase surgical volume in a given day, this study does not support the supposition that anesthesiologists with higher joint arthroplasty case volume would improve throughput.

Selling the jewels: patient capital, state-business relations, and the privatization of strategic utilities in Italy and Spain

The privatization of public utilities marked a turning point in European capitalism, reshaping the relationship between the public and private spheres of the economy. However, the extent of state disinvestment varies greatly from country to country. While in some countries direct state ownership has disappeared, in others the state still acts as a reference shareholder in strategic companies. Despite their institutional similarities, Italy and Spain provide a puzzling example of this divergence. While Spain completed the privatization of all public utilities, the Italian state retains a controlling stake in many of them. Through historical case studies based on official documents, legal texts, archival research of newspaper articles, secondary sources and memoirs, this paper explains this divergence. Contributing to recent debates on patient capital and state-business interactions, it is argued that Spain completed the privatization process because the state was able to orchestrate the creation of shareholder alliances among private investors. Crucially, these investors were willing to ensure that management prioritizes long-term investment plans over the distribution of short-term financial profits. In the absence of domestic private providers of patient capital, the Italian state had to keep the role of anchor investor for itself after unsuccessfully experimenting with various privatization strategies.

Between Global History and Microhistory: Rethinking Histories of “Small Spaces” and Cities

AbstractHow can historians of “small spaces” and cities focus on local events and issues and at the same time carry on conversations with peers in a disciplinary mode marked by the spatial expansiveness of global history, on one hand, and a focus on objects and individuals of microhistory on the other? At stake here are key questions connected with the intellectual value of place-based knowledge and detailed single-site historical case studies. I argue that as long as we are caught between the positivist idea that causal regularity and time-place independence of explanatory mechanisms are the hallmark of theory, and the postmodernist resistance to generalizations, histories of cities and other small spaces will suffer from “defanged empiricism.” This problem is particularly debilitating for non-global histories of small spaces and cities of the global South, which often “do not travel well.” Is there a way out? I argue that a critical engagement with the stratified ontologies of critical realism— in particular, a version that I call “soft critical realism”—and Charles Tilly’s “deep order” can enable historians of small spaces and cities to re-situate their research at the heart and center of social theory, and simultaneously strike a better balance between attention to local details, the narrative form, and engagement with larger processes, concepts, and theories. Finally, I concretize the discussion by offering the example of how my own research on late colonial and early postcolonial Calcutta has benefitted from this approach.

A heterogeneous multi-attribute case retrieval method for generating emergency response alternatives based on interval evidential reasoning and gained and lost dominance score method: An application to the COVID-19 emergency situation

Heterogeneity exists in the case information of an emergency, and case retrieval plays a crucial role in generating an emergency response alternative. Despite advancements, fusing heterogeneous case information and considering decision maker preferences remain challenging issues to be solved. To address this, a novel heterogeneous multi-attribute case retrieval method is proposed and applied to COVID-19 emergency decision-making in this study. To overcome uncertainties and heterogeneities in case information, a new interval evidential reasoning (IER)-based case similarity measurement is developed to better protect data intergrity and improve case retrieval accuracy. Next, the best-worst method and information entropy are used to obtain subjective and objective weights of evaluated attributes, respectively, and subsequently these weights are integrated. Furthermore, a novel interval gained and lost dominance score (GLDS) method based on TODIM (Portuguese acronym for interactive multi-criteria decision-making) is developed to derive the comprehensive utilities of the similar historical case. This method simultaneously considers the fairness of the decision-making process and the psychological behavior of decision makers. Finally, a simulation example with large-scale data and two illustrated examples of generating emergency response altenatives are provided to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method. Sensitivity and comparative analysis are conducted to verify the validity of the method.