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Some cases in the social sciences have been attributed a greater capacity to generate transferrable insights than others. This is evident in the phenomenon now widely diagnosed as Eurocentrism but is not limited to it. When some cases are privileged by convention, others come into view as occasions primarily for 'application' of insights derived from other cases or of insights canonized in conversations organized around the label of 'theory'. This paper seeks to identify opportunities for higher forms of theorizing based on these observations about patterns in existing knowledge-production, focusing particularly on the opportunities that arise for theorizing from a focus on 'neglected cases'. Cases that have been neglected vis-à-vis specific categories help us to examine and challenge assumptions associated with existing concepts; they help us to reveal the range of properties bundled by existing concepts and allow us to develop a more precise vocabulary for the universe of social phenomena, which is the basis for description, explanation and critique. Based on the distinction between 'privileged' cases on the one hand and 'neglected' cases on the other hand, the paper also discusses strategies for the reflective use of privileged cases for theorizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This methodological review starts one step before Small's classic account of how many cases a scholar needs. We ask, "Which cases do I need?" We argue that a core feature of most qualitative research is case construction, which we define as the delineation of a social category of inquiry. We outline how qualitative researchers construct cases and observations and discuss how these choices impact data collection, analysis, and argumentation. In particular, we examine how case construction and the subsequent logic of crafting observations within cases have consequences for conceptual generalizability, as distinct from empirical generalizability. Drawing from the practice of qualitative work, we outline seven questions qualitative researchers often answer to construct cases and observations. Better understanding and articulating the logic of constructing cases and observations is useful for both qualitative scholars embarking on research and those who read and evaluate their work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rising number of individuals are exploring alternatives to traditional orthodontic appliances as the demand for aesthetically pleasing treatments continues to grow. Over the past decade, clear aligners have emerged as a popular and attractive option for orthodontic correction, offering both effectiveness and discretion. This paper provides an indepth analysis of the Mysmartalign system, a widely adopted clear aligner technology, to highlight the critical role of accurate case selection in achieving optimal outcomes. The Mysmartalign system utilizes advanced 3D imaging and digital modeling to create custom aligners that address a range of orthodontic issues, from minor spacing and crowding to more complex alignment challenges. The paper will explore the technological innovations behind Mysmartalign, including its predictive software and personalized treatment planning. Furthermore, it will discuss common case types suitable for clear aligner treatment and the factors that influence successful results, such as patient compliance, aligner fit, and treatment duration. By emphasizing the significance of appropriate case selection and management, this article aims to provide valuable insights for orthodontists and dental professionals in optimizing clear aligner therapy with the Mysmartalign system. The discussion will also cover best practices for patient assessment and the integration of clear aligners into broader orthodontic treatment plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past 20 years, Political Science research has increasingly focused on urban and local politics. We systematically review this literature and find that smaller cities are disproportionally underrepresented, particularly outside the United States. Smaller cities exhibit economic, social, and political patterns that differ from those in large metropolitan areas. Using administrative data and existing research, we show how cities of different sizes vary in their demographic characteristics; citizens' preferences; resources and capacity; intergovernmental relationships; and electoral politics. These patterns indicate the potential to update existing theories in Political Science, including those about gender and political participation, second-order elections, and intergovernmental relationships. We suggest that scholars consider how smaller cities might differ from larger cities and include smaller municipalities in their case study research. We also highlight political issues unique to small cities as new areas of inquiry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarship on multimethod case selection in the social sciences has developed rapidly in recent years, but many possibilities remain unexplored. This essay introduces an attractive and advantageous new alternative, involving the selection of extreme cases on the treatment variable, net of the statistical influence of the set of known control variables. Cases that are extreme in this way are those in which the value of the main causal variable is as surprising as possible, and thus, this approach can be referred to as seeking "surprising causes." There are practical advantages to selecting on surprising causes, and there are also advantages in terms of statistical efficiency in facilitating case-study discovery. We first argue for these advantages in general terms and then demonstrate them in an application regarding the dynamics of U.S. labor legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Pelican OReCO program, which aims to optimize outcomes for patients with rectal cancer through improved decision-making and surgical techniques. The program involves face-to-face workshops delivered to colorectal multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) across Great Britain and Ireland. The workshops focus on raising standards in rectal cancer management and promoting effective and cost-effective treatment. The article emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach and the role of the surgeon in coordinating care and making informed decisions. The program is a collaboration between the Pelican Cancer Foundation and the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI). [Extracted from the article]

Heard or Ignored: African States' Priorities and the Independent Expert Review of the ICC Nine independent experts were appointed to commence an independent review into troubling reports of inefficiency and internal problems at the International Criminal Court in 2020. Though comprehensive, the review was focused on institutional matters concerning the day-to-day functioning of the Court, but did not address broader geopolitical issues such as the ICC's role in the international landscape, complementarity, the role of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the interplay of peace and justice which were of great significance to African states. Despite the key role played by African states in establishing the ICC, the relationship between the Court and its largest regional bloc began to sour after judges issued warrants against African heads of states and the Prosecutor appeared to disproportionately focus on indicting African defendants. Years before the review was conceptualised, some African States had proposed important reforms to the ICC Statute, among which was a review of the role of the UNSC vis-à-vis the ICC and for regional mechanisms to be recognised by the Court's complementarity regime. The IER was an opportune moment for these and other African concerns to be addressed but turned out to be a missed opportunity. This article assesses whether the concerns of African states were in fact ignored or dismissed by the IER process at the ICC, or whether the separation of the review process into 'technical' and 'non-technical' categories for review by the independent experts and working groups of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) caused critical issues to be sidelined. The article also questions whether African states engaged enough with the review process or whether priorities shifted once the cases against the heads of states collapsed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Direito e Práxis is the property of Editora da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (EdUERJ) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Teledermatology consultation (TC) is an effective, safe, and fast medium to reach one who is difficult to reach. The scope of TC is triage, diagnosis, counseling, and follow-up care. Feasibility studies for diagnosis and follow-up care by TC are analyzed. Teledermatology has been extensively evaluated in terms of diagnostic accuracy with respect to teledermatology tools, clinical outcomes, patient and provider satisfaction, and costs. Follow-up care by TC in cutaneous, esthetic surgeries and lasers is documented and widely used. We review and analyze the commonalities and differences between diagnosis and follow-up care using TC. There is a need to define case selection for TC. A dermatologist has to select an appropriate case and define the purpose for TC. A case with characteristic morphology and distribution of diagnosis is performed by TC. Follow-up care is provided by TC for cases with longer duration with remission and exacerbation. Interpretation of multiple patch test readings is performed by TC. Initial in-person examination is followed by TC to provide follow-up care. Various clinical situations and technical factors TC should not be offered are analyzed. A dermatologist should be aware of these clinical situations and technical factors and offer TC. Store-and-forward teledermatology and mobile messenger apps (e.g., WhatsApp) are commonly used to perform capture, transfer, and store clinical images. A dermatologist should realize providing follow-up care is one of the most important scopes of TC. Patient and physician satisfaction is best achieved for follow-up care. Further studies are needed in this area.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the use of the exemplar methodology (ExM) as a method for selecting exemplars in education research. ExM is a systematic approach to selecting outliers that can be used to education researchers who investigate outliers to better understand phenomena among students, teachers, schools, and communities. While ExM is prevalent in development psychology and its use is growing in other social science fields, it is not yet frequently used in education. Selecting outliers while maintaining validity requires a methodological approach. When there are not established standards for exemplarity, ExM provides a step-by-step approach to choosing exemplars to study. While there are great opportunities in using ExM, investigating outliers comes with inherent challenges; this paper examines those challenges and describes how education researchers using ExM can mitigate them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes an optimisation approach to improve multiple-criteria aspiration-level public transportation performance by combining public transport criteria matrix analytic hierarchy process (PTCM-AHP) models and multi-aspiration-level goal programming. The approach uses the PTCM-AHP to calculate the system weights. Based on the weight values, the approach combines the multi-aspiration goal-level selection process in three different ways. The proposed approach was used to optimise public transportation networks in Bayswater, Cockburn, and Stonnington, Australia, to demonstrate the public transportation network performance optimisation process. By controlling the criteria goal value interval, this new approach combines decision-making plans and strategies to optimise various scenarios. The optimisation outcomes can be applied to provide guidelines for improving the performance of public transportation networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National party breakthrough has often been attributed to new or previously minor parties seizing favorable political opportunities. The role of their strategic choices in response to political opportunities, however, has been underexplored because less attention has been paid to relevant negative cases, that is instances when parties encounter favorable conditions without breaking through. This article argues for a historical perspective when selecting these cases and investigates an often overlooked case from Germany's early postwar democracy: Gustav Heinemann's All-German People's Party (GVP). Relying on archival data and historical research, this article reconstructs the conflicts between Catholics and Protestants that provided Heinemann with initially favorable conditions for party breakthrough. Strategic decisions on coalition building, the timing of party formation, and organization building explain the GVP's failure to seize the opportunity. These findings highlight the importance of case selection as a part of the "historical turn" in political science and of new parties' agency when explaining (the lack of) party breakthrough. The implications of these findings for the literature on new parties, case selection, and party system development are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most social scientists agree that case studies are useful for "theory building," but ethnographic methods papers often look to survey research for case selection strategies. This is due to a common but untenable distinction between theoretical and empirical generalization, which obscures how theoretically inclined ethnographers make implicit external validity claims. I analyze several exemplary ethnographies to show that (a) the distinction between theoretically and empirically oriented ethnography revolves around competing conventions for making claims that others accept as provisionally externally valid, (b) comparative-historical sociology provides a framework for evaluating how theoretically oriented ethnographies make such claims, and (c) each approach to making validity claims is optimized by different kinds of cases. Empirically oriented ethnographies make inductive claims via "pointy" cases wherein a phenomenon is pronounced or bifurcated. Theoretically oriented ethnographers are like post–Millian historical sociologist who triangulate past studies with resolutive or negative cases to make constitutive arguments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dental bleaching is a method of treatment for tooth discoloration that uses hydrogen peroxide in various concentrations. For this dental maneuver to be successful, the etiological diagnosis of dental dyschromia and the treatment plan must be rigorously established. In this article we present the criteria underlying the selection of patients who can benefit from dental bleaching, grouped in a questionnaire. Adequate case selection suitable for teeth whitening, as well as the appropriate choice of the specific bleaching method are essential in obtaining satisfactory esthetic result for the patient, immediately after completing the treatment, but also in the long term.

Copyright of Revista de Sociologia e Política is the property of Revista de Sociologia e Politica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Recent studies suggest that cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is significantly underdiagnosed. For rare diseases like CA, the optimal selection of cases and controls for artificial intelligence model training is unknown and can significantly impact model performance., Objectives: This study evaluates the performance of electrocardiogram (ECG) waveform-based artificial intelligence models for CA screening and assesses impact of different criteria for defining cases and controls., Methods: Using a primary cohort of ∼1.3 million ECGs from 341,989 patients, models were trained using different case and control definitions. Case definitions included ECGs from patients with an amyloidosis diagnosis by International Classification of Diseases-9/10 code, patients with CA, and patients seen in CA clinic. Models were then tested on test cohorts with identical selection criteria as well as a Cedars-Sinai general patient population cohort., Results: In matched held-out test data sets, different model AUCs ranged from 0.660 (95% CI: 0.642-0.736) to 0.898 (95% CI: 0.868-0.924). However, algorithms exhibited variable generalizability when tested on a Cedars-Sinai general patient population cohort, with AUCs dropping to 0.467 (95% CI: 0.443-0.491) to 0.898 (95% CI: 0.870-0.923). Models trained on more well-curated patient cases resulted in higher AUCs on similarly constructed test cohorts. However, all models performed similarly in the overall Cedars-Sinai general patient population cohort. A model trained with International Classification of Diseases 9/10 cases and population controls matched for age and sex resulted in the best screening performance., Conclusions: Models performed similarly in population screening, regardless of stringency of cases used during training, showing that institutions without dedicated amyloid clinics can train meaningful models on less curated CA cases. Additionally, AUC or other metrics alone are insufficient in evaluating deep learning algorithm performance. Instead, evaluation in the most clinically meaningful population is key., Competing Interests: At the time of this work, Dr Vrudhula was a research fellow supported by the Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Fellowship. Drs Ricchiuto and Daluwatte are employees of Alexion Pharmaceuticals. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Copyright of BMS: Bulletin de Methodologie Sociologique (Sage Publications Ltd.) is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: Cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) benefits a subset of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), however proper patient selection remains complex and controversial. We aim to characterize urologists' reasons for not undertaking a CN at a quaternary cancer center. Methods: Consecutive patients with mRCC referred to MSKCC urologists for consideration of CN between 2009 and 2019 were included. Baseline clinicopathologic characteristics were used to compare patients selected or rejected for CN. The reasons cited for not operating and the alternative management strategies recommended were extrapolated. Using an iterative thematic analysis, a framework of reasons for rejecting CN was designed. Kaplan–Meier estimates tested for associations between the reasons for not undertaking a CN and overall survival (OS). Results: Of 297 patients with biopsy-proven mRCC, 217 (73%) underwent CN and 80 (27%) did not. Median follow-up of patients alive at data cut-off was 27.3 months. Non-operative patients were older (p = 0.014), had more sites of metastases (p = 0.008), harbored non-clear cell histology (p = 0.014) and reduced performance status (p < 0.001). The framework comprised seven distinct themes for recommending non-operative management: two patient-fitness considerations and five oncological considerations. These considerations were associated with OS; four of the oncological factors conferred a median OS of less than 12 months (p < 0.001). Conclusion: We developed a framework of criteria by which patients were deemed unsuitable candidates for CN. These new insights provide a novel perspective on surgical selection, could potentially be applicable to other malignancies and possibly have prognostic implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes an optimisation approach to improve multiple-criteria aspiration-level public transportation performance by combining public transport criteria matrix analytic hierarchy process (PTCM-AHP) models and multi-aspiration-level goal programming. The approach uses the PTCM-AHP to calculate the system weights. Based on the weight values, the approach combines the multi-aspiration goal-level selection process in three different ways. The proposed approach was used to optimise public transportation networks in Bayswater, Cockburn, and Stonnington, Australia, to demonstrate the public transportation network performance optimisation process. By controlling the criteria goal value interval, this new approach combines decision-making plans and strategies to optimise various scenarios. The optimisation outcomes can be applied to provide guidelines for improving the performance of public transportation networks.

ObjectiveTo explore the suitable cases for vaginal cuff brachytherapy (VCB) combined with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) in the postoperative treatment of cervical cancer.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 214 postoperative cervical cancer patients who received radiotherapy from January 2008 to December 2015. Among them, 146 patients received postoperative EBRT, 68 received EBRT plus VCB. There was no statistical difference in clinical and pathological characteristics between these two groups. Those who with negative vaginal cuff underwent supplemented 12–18 Gy/2–3 Fx VCB. Survival analyses were performed using Kaplan–Meier method, and Cox model was used to analyze prognostic factors.ResultsThe median follow-up was 52 months (9–136 months), and 4-year RFS (recurrence-free survival) was 77%. Among them, 58 patients (27.10%) had local or distant recurrences, 29 (13.55%) in pelvis, six (2.80%) with metastases to para-aortic, 19 (8.88%) with distant metastases (including inguinal lymph nodes) and four (1.87%) with both local and distant recurrences. The postoperative brachytherapy boost did not improve RFS or OS (overall survival) among the investigated subjects, P = 0.77, P = 0.99, respectively. Neither it decreased the local relapse in the pelvis or vaginal cuff, P = 0.56, P = 0.59. Subgroup analyses showed that brachytherapy boost improved RFS in patients who had bulky mass (>4 cm) as well as 1) with deep stromal invasion (>50% stromal invasion), P = 0.012 or 2) received low EBRT dose (≤45 Gy), P = 0.033, and in patients with deep stromal invasion as well as received low EBRT dose (P = 0.018).ConclusionsWe first proposed the case selection model for postoperative EBRT plus VCB. Brachytherapy boost were considered in the setting of postoperative radiotherapy if the patients had at least two out of these following factors: bulky mass, deep stromal invasion and low EBRT dose.

Objective: To explore the suitable cases for vaginal cuff brachytherapy (VCB) combined with external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) in the postoperative treatment of cervical cancer. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 214 postoperative cervical cancer patients who received radiotherapy from January 2008 to December 2015. Among them, 146 patients received postoperative EBRT, 68 received EBRT plus VCB. There was no statistical difference in clinical and pathological characteristics between these two groups. Those who with negative vaginal cuff underwent supplemented 12–18 Gy/2–3 Fx VCB. Survival analyses were performed using Kaplan–Meier method, and Cox model was used to analyze prognostic factors. Results: The median follow-up was 52 months (9–136 months), and 4-year RFS (recurrence-free survival) was 77%. Among them, 58 patients (27.10%) had local or distant recurrences, 29 (13.55%) in pelvis, six (2.80%) with metastases to para-aortic, 19 (8.88%) with distant metastases (including inguinal lymph nodes) and four (1.87%) with both local and distant recurrences. The postoperative brachytherapy boost did not improve RFS or OS (overall survival) among the investigated subjects, P = 0.77, P = 0.99, respectively. Neither it decreased the local relapse in the pelvis or vaginal cuff, P = 0.56, P = 0.59. Subgroup analyses showed that brachytherapy boost improved RFS in patients who had bulky mass (>4 cm) as well as 1) with deep stromal invasion (>50% stromal invasion), P = 0.012 or 2) received low EBRT dose (≤45 Gy), P = 0.033, and in patients with deep stromal invasion as well as received low EBRT dose (P = 0.018). Conclusions: We first proposed the case selection model for postoperative EBRT plus VCB. Brachytherapy boost were considered in the setting of postoperative radiotherapy if the patients had at least two out of these following factors: bulky mass, deep stromal invasion and low EBRT dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Strategic planning application is frequent in urban practices. In order to understand this type of planning in a better way, urban researches use and take over good examples of practices from other countries. Selecting examples is most often made without considering their context and the specifics of the urban planning process. In practice, it results in the strategies which are not implemented and the plans which are not realized. The aim of the conducted research is to simplify the urban planners and researchers' choice of compatible good practice cases from different types of environment. This is achieved by creation of an evaluation model, whose role is to help select examples from different environments compatible with the environment where the research is conducted.

This article offers a critique of the self-observation of the social sciences practiced in the philosophy of the social sciences and the critique of epistemological orientations. This kind of reflection involves the curious construction of wholes under labels, which are the result of a process of "distillation" or "abstraction" of a "position" somewhat removed from actual research practices and from the concrete claims and findings that researchers produce, share, and debate. In this context, I call for more sociological forms of reflexivity, informed by empirical research on practices in the natural sciences and by sociomaterial approaches in science and technology studies and cultural sociology. I illustrate the use of sociological self-observation for improving sociological research with two examples: I discuss patterns in how comparisons are used in relation to how comparisons could be used, and I discuss how cases are selected in relation to how they could be selected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subnational research in comparative politics has been growing steadily in the last two decades. However, methodological advances have been rather limited. This article builds upon Snyder's (Stud Comp Int Dev 36(1):93–110, 2001) subnational comparative method and extends its logic to the comparison of subnational units from different countries. It proposes a novel typology of multilevel research designs that focuses particularly on cross-national small-N analysis (CSNA). This research design offers three different logics of qualitative case selection to achieve a sound trade-off between internal and external validity. This article analyzes the advantages and limitations of the underlying logics of CSNA and illustrates their use with recent empirical research from Latin American countries. It concludes by highlighting its versatility and offers a series of best practices in order to produce more generalizable findings than the majority of single-country subnational comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advice on case selection in small- N research emphasizes controlling for confounding variables to facilitate inferential tests of a cross-case pattern. Yet many researchers embrace the "mechanismic worldview" and aim to construct explanations. Explanations differ from inferences because one explains an outcome at the individual case level. Hence, explanatory case studies are not simultaneously inferential tests, rendering prevailing case selection guidance ill fitting. This article provides an alternative outlook on case studies and case selection. It conceives of case studies as things that engage an analytical ideal type. Researchers can construct case-specific explanations by coupling the general claims of an ideal type with contextual analysis. In terms of case selection, if a case has contextual features that make it relatable to an ideal type, one can viably study that case in relation to the ideal type, regardless of the case's other characteristics. This criterion diverges sharply from the conventional wisdom on case selection and can embolden unconventional comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Russian Constitutional Court (RCC) has over time developed a practice of adopting so-called "Positive inadmissibility decisions" (Pozitivnoe Opredelenie) which complements (but also undermines) the existent formal procedure of only delivering decisions on merits with Judgments (Postanovlenie). The paper explores the uses of this peculiar practice. I show that the Positive inadmissibility doctrine is used by the Court to overcome the rigidity of the formal procedure where this is necessary for reasons of inter- or intra-organizational expediency. To do that I construct and analyze quantitatively a unique comprehensive dataset of all decisions handed down by the RCC in 1995–2015. I show that "Positive inadmissibility decisions" are handed whenever a subpar case is deemed too important to be simply dismissed: in particular, if it is submitted by a powerful petitioner, or when the case is assigned to a longer serving member of the Court for judicial report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To summarize the multi-specialty strategy and initial guidelines of a Case Review Committee in triaging oncologic surgery procedures in a large Comprehensive Cancer Center and to outline current steps moving forward after the initial wave. Summary of Background Data: The impetus for strategic rescheduling of operations is multifactorial and includes our societal responsibility to minimize COVID-19 exposure risk and propagation among patients, the healthcare workforce, and our community at large. Strategic rescheduling is also driven by the need to preserve limited resources. As many states have already or are considering to re-open and relax stay-at-home orders, there remains a continued need for careful surgical scheduling because we must face the reality that we will need to co-exist with COVID-19 for months, if not years. Methods: The quality officers, chairs, and leadership of the 9 surgical departments in our Division of Surgery provide specialty-specific approaches to appropriately triage patients. Results: We present the strategic approach for surgical rescheduling during and immediately after the COVID-19 first wave for the 9 departments in the Division of Surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Conclusions: Cancer surgeons should continue to use their oncologic knowledge to determine the window of opportunity for each surgical procedure, based on tumor biology, preoperative treatment sequencing, and response to systemic therapy, to safely guide patients through this cautious recovery phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper argues that the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are neither too unique nor too similar for conducting comparative migration research. However, the systematic review of three leading journals in the field of migration studies illustrates that comparative studies addressing migration in the region remain scarce. Relying on a review of the literature and interviews with scholars conducting comparative migration research in the MENA region, this paper contends that an examination of the countries located in MENA, which are subject to the same forced mass migration situation during the same time period, is advantageous for comparative analysis. Despite these advantages, however, making comparisons within regions is a very challenging scholarly endeavor due to intraregional variations, the rapidly changing security, political and policy environment in the regional countries, and the lack of adequate research institutions and funding supporting large-scale research. In addition to identifying advantages and challenges, this paper discusses how scholars make decisions about what to compare and how to compare in studying migration in, from and through MENA. The article also provides concrete empirical examples that address policy patterns, changes over time and drivers of refugee governance by comparing the cases of Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Derecho del Estado is the property of Universidad Externado de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To evaluate the consistency of case preferences among students across all 3 clinical years. Data was retrieved retrospectively through forms filled by the student prior every clinical session of Comprehensive Care Clinic in September, October and November 2017. Forms were filled only by Year 3, Year 4 and Year 5 students. Demographic data of students as well as the case they did were retrieved. Data was analyzed using SSPS version 20, Two-way ANOVA, pairwise comparison with Bonferroni correction were applied to determine the association, p value set to be <0.05. 196 forms were retrieved with a total of 1994 cases. There was a significant association found between gender and periodontal case (p=0.020) and between the year of study with Endodontics, Prosthodontics, Periodontics, Orthodontics, Oral Surgery (OS), Operative Dentistry (ODE) and Examination and Diagnosis (E&D). No association was found between the year of study and Preventive Dentistry (DHE) case. Preferences of cases treated by students in Comprehensive Care Clinic was influenced by disciplines except for Periodontic and Endodontic cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dental bleaching is a method of treatment for tooth discoloration that uses hydrogen peroxide in various concentrations. For this dental maneuver to be successful, the etiological diagnosis of dental dyschromia and the treatment plan must be rigorously established. In this article we present the criteria underlying the selection of patients who can benefit from dental bleaching, grouped in a questionnaire. Adequate case selection suitable for teeth whitening, as well as the appropriate choice of the specific bleaching method are essential in obtaining satisfactory aesthetic result for the patient, immediately after completing the treatment, but also in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]