Unique Manuscript Research Articles

Abstract: Breast Reconstruction Effects on Post Mastectomy Pain Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis

PURPOSE: Post Mastectomy Pain Syndrome (PMPS) is characterized by neuropathic pain from direct nerve injury during oncologic breast surgery that can result in chronic opioid dependence and long term disability.1 Reports on prevalence vary greatly, but the negative effects of PMPS on Quality of Life (QOL) and Patient reported outcomes (PROs) are well established.2 To our knowledge, this study represents the first meta-analysis that defines the incidence of PMPS in patients undergoing mastectomy, with and without subsequent breast reconstruction. METHODS: The Cochrane and PubMed databases were queried using specific key terms related to breast surgery and PMPS. A total of 166 citations from 1991 to 2017 were then reviewed to identify 21 unique manuscripts. Inclusion criteria included study size greater than 30, minimum 2-month follow-up after surgery, and explicit documentation of whether patients pursued post-mastectomy reconstruction. Studies which reported only arm or abdominal pain were excluded. Studied which did not distinguish between post-lumpectomy and post-mastectomy pain were excluded. Comprehensive Meta- Analysis Software and Microsoft Excel was used for statistical calculations. An unweighted single-factor ANOVA was performed to evaluate whether undergoing breast reconstruction significantly effects the incidence of PMPS. RESULTS: Sixteen manuscripts described the prevalence of post-mastectomy pain and 10 described the prevalence of post-reconstruction pain (5 had data for both). Of the 21 included studies, 16 were retrospective cohort/ cross-sectional studies and 5 were prospective studies. Study population size ranged from 32 to 1165 patients. All studies were of level 2 or level 3 evidence. Pain was assessed using either a variety of patient surveys or the need for a pain specialist referral. Prevalence of post-mastectomy pain ranged from 17% to 64%. The mean prevalence of pain after mastectomy alone using a random- effects model is 35.6% (30.3%-41.3%). Prevalence of post- mastectomy reconstruction pain varied from 19% to 49%. Mean prevalence of pain after mastectomy with reconstruction using the random- effects model is 38.8% (32.0% - 46.0%). Our ANOVA analysis of all included manuscripts showed no significant difference between mean prevalence of chronic pain after mastectomy alone versus mastectomy and reconstruction (p= 0.54). CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis establishes that post-mastectomy reconstruction does not significantly increase PMPS incidence. However, because this neuropathic pain often persists after reconstructive surgery, it is incumbent on the plastic surgeon to counsel patients on PMPS. Moving forward, prospective studies on the effects of reconstruction type are warranted. Additionally, adjunct procedures at the time of reconstruction, such as intercostal neurectomies and fat grafting, should be investigated for efficacy in treating PMPS and improving post- mastectomy reconstruction outcomes.

Walter Map and the Matter of Britain. Joshua Byron Smith. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2017. Pp. xii+254.

<i>Walter Map and the Matter of Britain</i>. Joshua Byron Smith. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2017. Pp. xii+254.

‘Tracce’? L’"Alexandre" di Alberico da Besançon e il "Sirventese lombardesco" nel loro contesto manoscritto

This paper studies the role that two important Romance texts – Alberic de Besancon’s Alexandre and the “Sirventese lombardesco” – play within their unique manuscript witnesses (respectively Firenze, Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Pluteo 64.35 and Modena, Biblioteca Estense e Universitaria, γ.N.8.4.11-13). This specific point of view allows to better understand the meaning and the cultural significance that ancient readers gave to those texts, and it is also useful to better understand the phenomenon of adventitious transcriptions of Romance texts into Latin or vernacular manuscripts (with particular reference to the category of ‘tracce’).

Social capital and HIV/AIDS in the United States: Knowledge, gaps, and future directions

PurposeSocial capital is a well-established predictor of several behavioral health outcomes. However, we know less about the relationship with prevention, transmission, and treatment of HIV/AIDS outcomes in the United States (US). MethodsIn 2017, we conducted a scoping review of empirical studies investigating the relationships between social capital and HIV/AIDS in the US by searching PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Sociological Abstracts with no restriction on publication date, for articles in English language. Sample search terms included: HIV infections OR HIV OR AIDS OR acquired immunodeficiency syndrome OR human immunodeficiency virus AND social capital OR social control, informal OR social participation OR social cohesion OR generalized trust OR social trust OR collective efficacy OR community mob* OR civic participation. ResultsWe identified 1581 unique manuscripts and reviewed 13 based on eligibility criteria. The earliest eligible study was published in 2003. More than half (n=7/13) focused on HIV or AIDS diagnosis, then prescribing ART and/or adherence (n=5/13), then linkage and or engagement in HIV care (n=4/13). Fifty eight percent (58%) documented a protective association between at least one social capital measure and an HIV/AIDS outcome. Seven studies used validated social capital scales, however there was substantial variation in conceptual/operational definitions and measures used. Most studies were based on samples from the Northeast. Three studies directly focused on or stratified analyses among subgroups or key populations. Studies were cross-sectional, so causal inference is unknown. ConclusionOur review suggests that social capital may be an important determinant of HIV/AIDS prevention, transmission, and treatment outcomes. We recommend future research assess these associations using qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, longitudinally, examine differences across subgroups and geographic region, include a wider range of social capital constructs, and examine indicators beyond HIV diagnosis, as well as how mechanisms like stigma link social capital to HIV/AIDS.

Kultūros, dialogo ir keliautojo apmąstymai tarptautinėse studentų dirbtuvėse Florencijoje

Kultūros, dialogo ir keliautojo apmąstymai tarptautinėse studentų dirbtuvėse Florencijoje

The Unique Manuscript on the Warfare of the Mamluks

The Unique Manuscript on the Warfare of the Mamluks

The proem of the rhetoric textbook by Manuil Kozacinski

The paper presents unstudied source for the 18th century Serbs? cultural history, written in Latin in 1735. It is the Proemium of the first Serbian rhetoric textbook by Manuil (Mihail) Kozacinski. The focus of this research is in the context of this unique manuscript testimony of the beginning of modern rhetoric teaching among the Serbs in the grammar school in Karlovci. The introduction of modern Western rhetoric was revolutionary step in the process of educational modernization of the Serbs in the Habsburg monarchy so that the first lines of Kozacinski?s introductory lesson underline the very fact of starting rhetoric teaching. This teaching was the central element of contemporary Western secondary education based on humanistic rediscovery of the value of the classical rhetoric. Kozacinski presented rhetoric in usual humanistic way, following Cicero?s and Quintilian?s views. On the other hand his words reflect the other side of rhetoric in early modern Western society: rhetoric was used as a mighty weapon in religious polemics in post-Reformation Europe. The Orthodox clergy in the Monarchy naturally saw the importance and potential of rhetoric education in preserving religious identity and considered it an imperative in the Church educational policy. The main reason why rhetoric became the basis of Serbian cultural transformation was not primarily the wish for educational development but the fear of the proselytism of the Catholic Church. Serbian clergy was not on the intellectual level necessary in such circumstances and above all it lacked the rhetorical knowledge and skill. Thus the emphasis of the opening words of Kozacinski?s rhetoric textbook is on its utilitas and consequently on the persuasio as its essence.

RAS Library conserves unique historical manuscript

RAS Library conserves unique historical manuscript

SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF FUNDS OF MANUSCRIPTS AND RARE BOOKS OF THE ACADEMIC LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LATVIA

The Academic Library of theUniversityofLatviacontains the largest collection of Latvian literature in the world – the Misins Library and unique rare books and manuscripts (dating back to XIII century). Visitors have access to newspapers, maps, posters, photography and pictures. In order to ensure the long-term accessibility and safety of the materials, that are important for Latvian cultural history, the digitization of the materials was started in 1996. Since 2006 the Academic Library participates in the project Latvian National Digital Library.

&lt;em&gt;Sirr al-jalīqa&lt;/em&gt; y su influencia en el mundo árabe y persa: el comentario de ‘Awn b. al-Munḏir y su desconocida traducción persa

En la época islámica, Apolonio de Tiana (15-100 d.C.) era conocido tanto como “Señor de los talismanes” (ṣāḥib al-ṭilasmāt), así como filósofo neopitagórico y hermético. En su Kitāb al-Aḥŷār, Ŷabir b. Ḥayyān habla de “los defensores musulmanes de Apolonio” (aṣḥāb Balīnās al-Islāmīyūn). La referencia muestra que el trabajo más prominente de Apolonio, Sirr al-jalīqa, ya era famoso en el mundo de habla árabe desde muy temprano. Este artículo proporciona una visión general de las citas de Apolonio en las fuentes islámicas de diferentes campos y de las obras, generalmente, atribuidas a él. Además, reviso en Sirr al-jalīqa, sus influencias en las obras ŷābirianas y su recepción en la tradición ismailí. Este artículo aborda además el comentario árabe de Sirr aljalīqa de ‘Awn b. al-Munḏir (IV/X), conservado en un manuscrito único, y cuya traducción persa era hasta ahora desconocida. Dicha traducción cubre fragmentos del trabajo de Ibn al-Munḏir, no disponibles en árabe, y, por lo tanto, es una fuente sustancial para la historia de la alquimia islámica. Una edición de la traducción persa se presenta como apéndice.

Surplus and Indicator

This essay offers a perspective on journal impact factor (JIF) centrism in academic evaluation from the vantage point of academic publishing in an increasingly data-driven scholarly environment. The political implications and orientations to the JIF are thought through with respect both to commercial publishing industry consolidation and to the reliance of public-sector scholarly communities on (oligopolistic) commercial academic publishing houses. The author proposes that centrism to the JIF as a legitimizing indicator and incentivizing norm leads to two diametrically opposed forms of “surplus”: for academic communities, surplus emerges in the form of layers of scholarly knowledge effects/impact and labor, which, because they remain foreclosed to formal professional recognition, are inadvertently reconstructed as dispensable (waste); for private sector publishing companies––whose contribution to the publishing process consists foremost in providing scalable content management/distribution platforms and in transforming unique manuscript content into standardized digital objects that are amenable to indexing, aggregation, and comparative calculation––surplus emerges in the form of monetary surplus (profit). The essay describes the inner workings of these phenomena.

The debate between Hebe and Ganymede in light of its sources and manuscript context

This article examines the anonymous twelfth-century debate poem between Hebe and Ganymede preserved in a unique manuscript, Munich, BSB, lat. 17212. I focus on the sources used by the author, who brought together all poetic treatments of Ganymede in Latin hexameter up until the 12th century : their chronological and geographical aspects provide a terminus post quem of 1184, the date when Alan of Lille is said to have finished the Anticlaudianus. Many of the contemporary sources have a Northern French flavour (e. g. Walter of Châtillon, Alan of Lille, Peter of Riga), while adjacent material in the manuscript also points to Northern France as the author’s likely provenance. I propose that the poem, given its limited circulation, unfinished nature, and forced rhetorical flourishes, is an exercise in style. In the appendix I provide a new edition and a new English translation.

Libraries of Kostroma and Vladimir Provincial Scientific Archival Commissions in the late 19th — early 20th century

There are examined the underexplored libraries of the provincial scientific archival commissions at the example of Kostroma and Vladimir provinces. Appeared in the 1880-ies in the Upper Volga region, these research organizations — provincial scientific archival commissions (GUAC) — had significantly enriched the local book culture and contributed to the further development of librarianship in the region. The local intelligentsia, standing at the origins of the first scientific libraries in the Upper Volga Region, joined around these commissions. Thanks to the work of GUAC there had survived a great number of written historical sources. Such libraries had saved from destruction significant amount of literary monuments on the territory of the Upper Volga region, including unique manuscripts and early printed books, and had preserved historical and scientific publications. There is described the library and educational activities of Kostroma GUAC, started its work in 1885. There is revealed contribution of Vladimir GUAC, which operated since 1898, to the development of librarianship of the Upper Volga region. On the basis of the published works of commissions and archival materials there is shown the role of these libraries on preservation of the book monuments, valuable scientific editions and documents on the history of Kostroma and Vladimir land. Some of the materials from the libraries of Kostroma and Vladimir provincial scientific archival commissions nowadays are preserved in the collections of the State Archives of Kostroma and Vladimir regions.

HISTORY OF THE SECOND SEAL OR THE OTHER COPY OF THE "CODEX CUMANICUS"

The Codex Cumanicus is a unique manuscript of language of the Turkic people at the end of thirteenth and beginning of fourteenth century of our era, contains Latin-Persian-Cuman and German words, early Cuman riddles, collection of religious texts. The Codex may be divided into two distinct and independent parts: I) a practical handbook of the Cuman language with glossaries in Italo-Latin, Persian and Cuman II) a mixed collection of religious texts, linguistic data and folkloric materials ( the Cuman riddles), stemming from a number of hands, with translations into Latin and a dialect of Eastern Middle High German. The original copy of the Codex Cumanicus, which is presently, housed in the Library of St. Mark, in Venice, Cod. Mar. Lat. DXLIX, and the second copy of the manuscript placed in the Laurentian library in Florence, Cod. Ashburnham 1584. The aim of the work is to research the structure, content and peculiarities of the script of another copy of “Codex Cumanicus” created by an unknown scribe in November, 5 in 1824, which is kept at the National library of Medici in Florence. The article is also dedicated to specification of process connected with the given copy and as well as the history of appearance of the seals of the National libraries of France and Venice on the first and last pages of the original.

The News in Album Studies (Two Case Reviews)

The author reviews two publications in album studies. The stimulus to write this review was primarily the personal impression induced by the scope of scientific and cultural information combined with professional one, and equally attractive way of its presentation. The two books in question address different readership and apply different methods, yet they deal with the same cultural phenomenon and in a certain way continue and supplement each other. The first subject of the review is the beautiful, amply illustrated publication of the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, entitled The Garden of Remembrances (2016) and consisting of two separate parts. Reda Griškaitė, the author of the first part called „Essays in Album Studies“, gradually reveals the stages of shaping the album canon, the reasons and ways of its change, the meaning that individual inscriptions or drawings had to the albums’ owners and their contemporaries. She discusses the close connections existing between the contents of these “books of friends” and the forms of the cultural life, the structure of the social relations, and the historical situation of the past epochs. The essay presents concise yet very informative cultural study, incorporating special knowledge from various disciplines, including literature studies, history, art, music, botany etc. Each fragment of this essay deals with separate feature of the album contents and aesthetics. To introduce the history and development of the album genre, the author of the essay analyses fifty albums stored at the Wroblewski Library (the first inscription in them dating as early as 1609, while the last coming from 1973). The author also discusses at least thirty unique manuscripts, preserved at other libraries both in Lithuania and abroad, or in private keeping. The second part of the book presents the catalogue of the albums stored at the Wroblewski Library, compiled by the book researcher Rima Cicėnienė following the international practice in this field. This catalogue is the first register of album amicorum accumulated in a single institution of the Lithuanian cultural heritage.Unlike the previously reviewed publication, focusing mostly on the old, classic albums, the second book discussed in this review deals with the late kind of albums that thrived in the 20th century. This is the monograph The Tradition of Autograph Albums in the Culture of Latvian Schoolchildren (2013) by the Latvian folklorist Baiba Krogzeme-Mosgorda. Using the contextual method of analysis, this author focuses on the social environment of the albums, which she highlights by discussing the influences that institutions (like school), family, community, various subcultures and other social factors (including age groups, gender, and social status) had on this kind of written culture, its contents and expression. Among the schoolchildren, the albums played not only an important socializing role. The analysis of the textual repertoire and decorations used in them enables recognizing the schoolchildren’s albums of remembrances as an educational activity that also enhances creativity

A Glimpse of Sufism from the Circle of Ibn Taymiyya

This article provides yet another testament to the reality that some form of Sufism existed amidst the circle of students and followers of Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328). Based on a unique manuscript from Damascus, presented here for the first time is an Arabic edition and English translation of Risālat al-sulūk (Epistle on the Spiritual Way) by al-Baʿlabakkī (d. 734/1333), a Ḥanbalite student of Ibn Taymiyya who was also trained in the Sufi way. This is preceded by a study that sheds light on al-Baʿlabakkī’s intellectual context, which is primarily concerned with the place of Sufism in Ibn Taymiyya’s circle. The article then proceeds with a biography of al-Baʿlabakkī, followed by some relevant notes on the manuscript of Risālat al-sulūk and its edition and translation.

Added value of combined endobronchial and oesophageal endosonography for mediastinal nodal staging in lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Guidelines recommend endosonography with fine-needle aspiration for mediastinal nodal staging in non-small-cell lung cancer, but most do not specify whether this should be through endobronchial endoscopy (EBUS), oesophageal endoscopy (EUS), or both. We assessed the added value and diagnostic accuracy of the combined use of EBUS and EUS. For this systematic review and random effects meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, BIOSIS Previews, and Web of Science, without language restrictions, for studies published between Jan 1, 2000, and Feb 25, 2016. We included studies that assessed the accuracy of the combined use of EBUS and EUS in detecting mediastinal nodal metastases (N2/N3 disease) in patients with lung cancer. For each included study, we extracted data on the age and sex of participants, inclusion criteria regarding tumour stage on imaging, details of the endoscopic testing protocol, duration of each endoscopic procedure, number of lymph nodes sampled, serious adverse events occurring during the endoscopic procedures, the reference standard, and 2 × 2 tables for EBUS, EUS, and the combined approach. We evaluated the added value (absolute increase in sensitivity and in detection rate) of the combined use of EBUS and EUS in detecting mediastinal nodal metastases over either test alone, and the diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity and negative predictive value) of the combined approach. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42015019249. We identified 2567 unique manuscripts by database search, of which 13 studies (including 2395 patients) were included in the analysis. Median prevalence of N2/N3 disease was 34% (range 23-71). On average, addition of EUS to EBUS increased sensitivity by 0·12 (95% CI 0·08-0·18) and addition of EBUS to EUS increased sensitivity by 0·22 (0·16-0·29). Mean sensitivity of the combined approach was 0·86 (0·81-0·90), and the mean negative predictive value was 0·92 (0·89-0·93). The mean negative predictive value was significantly higher in studies with a prevalence of 34% or less (0·93 [95% CI 0·91-0·95]) compared with studies with a prevalence of more than 34% (0·89 [0·85-0·91]; p=0·013). We found no significant differences in mean sensitivity and negative predictive value between studies that did EBUS first or EUS first, or between studies that used an EBUS-scope or a regular echoendoscope to do EUS. The combined use of EBUS and EUS significantly improves sensitivity in detecting mediastinal nodal metastases, reducing the need for surgical staging procedures. No external funding.

Les rubriques du remaniement de “Lion de Bourges” (ms BnF fr. 351)

The old “chanson de geste” of Lion de Bourges (mid-fourteenth century) was recast at the end of the fifteenth or at the first sixteenth century. Preserved in a unique manuscript (Paris, BnF fr. 351), this version is composed principally in octosyllables, often irregular, but furthermore includes “laisses” of alexandrines, more or less faithful to the earlier version of the poem, and a section of decasyllabic lines. The text is organised into 62 chapters of varied length introduced, the first one excepted, by rubrics in prose. The paper analyses the main stylistic and diegetic characteristics of these rubrics and provides an edition.

Effect of Essential Oils on the Mechanical Properties of Lignocellulosic Materials

Biodeterioration of lignocellulosic materials is a worldwide problem and it causes a great damage especially to unique manuscripts and books stored in libraries. These materials are permanently subject to suffering from physical, chemical, and/or biological changes. Biological deterioration by microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) causes undesirable changes on material properties. Paper made by vegetal fibers, functional additives (glue, optical polishers, consolidating nts), and inks with organic bindings are used as sources of nutrients. Using of EOs (essential oils) for protection against microorganisms appears to be an option, because antimicrobial effects of the main compounds of EOs were proven. This work analyzes the antimicrobial stability of 2 essential oils (citral and linalyl acetate), as well as their stability of mechanical properties, in selected lignocellulosic materials (soft wood and hard wood kraft pulp, softwood sulphite pulp). Some parts of samples were subjected only to the condition of the EOs, other samples were firstly treated by accelerated ageing. Last samples were exposed to the accelerated ageing and afterwards treated by EOs. From the mechanical properties measuring of samples it is possible to state that in some SAJ samples the influence of EOs vapour is positive. This was monitored even when the samples were treated by accelerated ageing.

A systematic review of published literature describing factors associated with tuberculosis recurrence in people living with HIV in Africa

A summary of factors associated with recurrent tuberculosis (TB) in the African HIV-infected population is lacking. We performed a systematic review to address this. We performed a literature search within PubMed and The WHO Global Library with specific inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify manuscripts emanating from the African continent which potentially described factors associated with recurrent TB in persons living with HIV. The literature search yielded 52 unique manuscripts, of which only 4 manuscripts were included in the final systematic review following application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Baseline CD4 count, baseline HIV viral load, a positive tuberculin skin test, prior active TB disease, cutaneous hypersensitivity reaction to treatment, having < 3 lung zones affected by prior TB disease, and anaemia were associated with recurrent TB in HIV-infected individuals, whilst age and antiretroviral status were not. The lack of studies describing recurrent TB in Africa which stratify results by HIV-status is a hindrance to understanding risk factors for recurrent TB in this population. This might be overcome by implementing guidelines related to the publishing of data from observational studies in peer-reviewed medical journals reporting recurrent TB in populations with a high-burden of HIV infection.