bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular and Cellular Dynamics of Aortic Aneurysms Revealed by Single-Cell Transcriptomics
Authors: Li Yanming , LeMaire Scott A. , Shen Ying H.
Published: October 2021

The aorta is highly heterogeneous, containing many different types of cells that perform sophisticated functions to maintain aortic homeostasis. Recently, single-cell RNA sequencing studies have provided substantial new insight into the heterogeneity of vascular cell types, the comprehensive molecular features of each cell type, and the phenotypic interrelationship between these cell populations. This new information has significantly improved our understanding of aortic biology and aneurysms at the molecular and cellular level. Here, we summarize these findings, with a focus on what single-cell RNA sequencing analysis has revealed about cellular heterogeneity, cellular transitions, communications among cell populations, and critical transcription factors in the vascular wall. We also review the information learned from single-cell RNA sequencing that has contributed to our understanding of the pathogenesis of vascular disease, such as the identification of cell types in which aneurysm-related genes and genetic variants function. Finally, we discuss the challenges and future directions of single-cell RNA sequencing applications in studies of aortic biology and diseases.

Graphic Abstract:

A graphic abstract is available for this article.
ANKRD36 Is Involved in Hypertension by Altering Expression of ENaC Genes
Authors: Yan Yupeng , Wang Jin’e , Yu Liang , Cui Bing , Wang Hongrui , Xiao Xiao , Zhang Yu , Zheng Jun , Wang Jingjun , Hui Rutai , Wang Yibo
Published: October 2021

Rationale:

Hypertension is the most important risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Getting deep insight into the pathogenesis of hypertension is necessary.

Objective:

To investigate the role of ANK (ankyrin) repeat domain 36 (
ANKRD36
) in hypertension.

Methods and Results:

We first recruited an essential hypertension cohort and then performed genome-wide transcriptome analysis with peripheral blood mRNA.
ANKRD36
was found to be significantly lower expressed in hypertension. The anchorin repeat domain mediates a variety of protein-protein interactions. The ENaC (epithelial sodium channel) genes expression was found upregulated in human umbilical vein endothelial cells with
ANKRD36
knockdown by using Affymetrix expression profile chip. In human embryonic kidney epithelial cells and HEK293T (human embryonic kidney cells),
ANKRD36
overexpression significantly downregulated expression of ENaC genes, and
ANKRD36
knockdown upregulated their expression. The chromosome immunoprecipitation assay and yin yang 1 (
YY1
) knockdown showed the expression of ENaC was regulated by ANKRD36 via YY1, a dual-function transcription factor ubiquitously expressed in human tissues. Immunocoprecipitation and fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay confirmed the interaction between ANKRD36 and YY1. The nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio of YY1 decreased when ANKRD36 was overexpressed and also increased when ANKRD36 was knocked down. ANK2 domain of ANKRD36 was critical to its interaction with YY1.
Ankrd36
knockout mice showed higher blood pressure levels and Na
+
reabsorption, especially when fed with high-salt diet. Higher expression of ENaC genes was observed in renal tubular epithelial cells from the knockout mice, and
Yy1
knockdown mitigated the alteration.
Ankrd36
knockout mice also showed more sensitive response to ENaC inhibitor amiloride treatment.

Conclusions:

We identified that ANKRD36 was involved in blood pressure regulation by interacting with YY1 and then altering expression of ENaC genes. Lower expressed ANKRD36 in hypertension might be a potential therapeutic target, and the application of ENaC inhibitors on hypertension treatment might be extended when serum K
+
levels are closely monitored.
Medication Adherence and Blood Pressure Control: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
Authors: Choudhry Niteesh K. , Kronish Ian M. , Vongpatanasin Wanpen , Ferdinand Keith C. , Pavlik Valory N. , Egan Brent M. , Schoenthaler Antoinette , Houston Miller Nancy , Hyman David J. ,   on behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Hypertension; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; and Council on Clinical Cardiology
Published: October 2021

The widespread treatment of hypertension and resultant improvement in blood pressure have been major contributors to the dramatic age-specific decline in heart disease and stroke. Despite this progress, a persistent gap remains between stated public health targets and achieved blood pressure control rates. Many factors may be important contributors to the gap between population hypertension control goals and currently observed control levels. Among them is the extent to which patients adhere to prescribed treatment. The goal of this scientific statement is to summarize the current state of knowledge of the contribution of medication nonadherence to the national prevalence of poor blood pressure control, methods for measuring medication adherence and their associated challenges, risk factors for antihypertensive medication nonadherence, and strategies for improving adherence to antihypertensive medications at both the individual and health system levels.
Effects of local infiltration of analgesia and tranexamic acid in total knee replacements: safety and efficacy in reducing blood loss and comparability to intra-articular tranexamic acid
Authors: Sivasubramanian Harish , Tan Cheryl Marise Peilin , Wang Lushun
Published: October 2021

Introduction:

The use of periarticular (PA) tranexamic acid (TXA) and its efficacy in comparison with intra-articular (IA) TXA have not been well explored in the literature. This retrospective cohort study aimed to compare the effects of IA and PA TXA with analgesic components in reducing blood loss and improving immediate postoperative pain relief and functional outcomes in patients after unilateral primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods:

A total of 63 patients underwent TKA, and they were divided into the IA TXA delivery group (n= 42) and PA TXA delivery group (n = 21). All patients were administered 1 g of TXA. They also received pericapsular infiltration consisting of 0.5 mL of adrenaline, 0.4 mL of morphine, 1 g of vancomycin, 1 mL of ketorolac and 15 mL of ropivacaine. Outcomes for blood loss and surrogate markers for immediate functional recovery were measured.

Results:

Of the 63 patients, 54% were female and 46% male. The mean drop in postoperative haemoglobin levels in the PA and IA groups was 2.0 g/dL and 1.6 g/dL, respectively, and this was not statistically significant (P = 0.10). The mean haematocrit drop in the PA and IA groups was 6.1% and 5.3%, respectively, and this was also not statistically significant (P = 0.58). The postoperative day (POD) 1 and discharge day flexion angles, POD 1 and POD 2 visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, gait distance on discharge and length of hospitalisation stay were largely similar in the two groups.

Conclusion:

Our study showed that both IA and PA TXA with analgesic components were equally efficient in reducing blood loss and improving immediate postoperative pain relief and functional outcomes.
Early mobilisation following fragility hip fracture surgery: current trends and association with discharge outcomes in a local tertiary hospital
Authors: Tan Shumei , Vasireddy Aswinkumar
Published: October 2021

Introduction:

Postoperative day 1 (POD 1) mobilisation is a key clinical indicator for the fragility hip fracture surgery population. This study aimed to evaluate the current trends of POD 1 mobilisation at our institution and to review the relationships between early mobilisation and outcomes of early functional recovery, length of stay (LOS) and discharge destination.

Methods:

In this preliminary observational study, data pertaining to demographics, premorbid function, health status, injury and surgical factors, POD 1 mobilisation status and clinical outcomes of interest were retrieved from eligible patients. Patients who attained POD 1 ambulation formed the early ambulation (EA) group, while the remaining patients formed the delayed ambulation (DA) group. Data were analysed for any significant difference between the groups.

Results:

One hundred and fifteen patients were included in the analysis. The rate of patients achieving at least sitting out of bed on POD 1 was 80.0% (n=92), which was comparable to the data available from international hip fracture audit databases. There were 55 (47.8%) patients in the EA group and 60 (52.5%) patients in the DA group. The EA group was approximately nine times more likely to achieve independence in ambulation at discharge compared to the DA group (adjusted odds ratio 9.20, 95% confidence interval 1.50–56.45; P = 0.016). There were observed trends of shorter LOS and more proportion of home discharge in the EA group compared to the DA group (P > 0.05).

Conclusion:

This is the first local study to offer benchmark of the POD 1 mobilisation status for this population. Patients who attained POD 1 ambulation had better early functional recovery.
Fisheries Co-management and Fishers’ Income in Inland Openwater Fisheries in Bangladesh
Authors: Shamsul Kabir G. M. , Mustafa Golam.
Published: October 2021

Community management of inland openwater fisheries in Bangladesh has introduced and practiced through the Community Based Fisheries Management (cbfm) approach with partnership arrangement of government and non-government organisations, fisher communities and other stakeholders. One of the principles behind community based fisheries management is to improve fishers’ income and reduce transaction costs efficiently. The implementation of the cbfm approach has experienced a significant contribution towards fishers’ income and transaction costs. cbfm arrangement introduced fisher led, community led and women led approach. Community based organisations (cbo s) as local institutions have been established through community participation under cbfm approach.

This paper presents and assesses the impact of cbfm approaches on fishers’ income and transaction costs in inland openwater fisheries in Bangladesh. This study might have policy implication to scale up cbfm approach to promote fishers’ income for better management of inland open water fisheries with a long term commitment.
The Paulo Freire System
Authors: Torres Carlos Alberto
Published: October 2021

This article discusses the origins and structure of what for the lack of a better term I will call the ‘Paulo Freire System’. Focusing on the historical experience of Angicos which catapulted Freire to world fame as an adult educator, a major claim of this article is that Freire’s work was a much more ambitious and revolutionary project than transforming adult education and literacy training becoming another landmark in the history of popular education in the region. The Angicos experience connecting public education with popular culture, the system that Freire and associates imagined in the sixties aimed for a profound and revolutionary transformation of public education in Brazil. With his exile in 1964, popular education becomes a model that could deeply affect public education worldwide. Represented theoretically in the pages of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, a pedagogical classic of the twenty first century, education is for Freire critical hermeneutics, addressing the dilemmas of citizenship building with a postcolonial ethics.
Planned Power Transition and Unexpected Crisis: Russian Responses to Belarusian Post-Election Protests
Authors: Fung Ricky Nam-Lau
Published: October 2021

This Policy Insight article aimed to review Russia’s policies toward Belarus since the outbreak of the post-election protests. Russia tries to minimise the impacts of the crisis in Belarus to prevent the possibilities of the redistribution of power when it faces the “2024 problem”.
Fossil wood of Syzygium from the Miocene of Guangxi, South China: the earliest fossil evidence of the genus in eastern Asia
Authors: Li Yifan , Huang Luliang , Quan Cheng , Jin Jianhua , Oskolski Alexei A.
Published: October 2021

A new species, Syzygium guipingensis sp. nov. (Myrtaceae), is described based on mummified fossil wood from the Miocene Erzitang Formation of Guiping Basin, Guangxi, South China. This species represents the most ancient reliable fossil record of the genus Syzygium in eastern Asia, showing the greatest similarity to the extant species S. buxifolium Hook. et Arnott. Its occurrence in the Miocene is consistent with the diversification age of the Asian lineage within Syzygium as estimated by molecular dating (11.4 Ma). The fossil record of Syzygium suggests that this genus migrated from Australia to eastern Asia in the Miocene, coincidently with the formation of island chains between these continents.
Problems of Time
Authors: van Haeften Chris
Published: October 2021

Herman Dooyeweerd approached time in terms of order. By contrast, Dirk Vollenhoven saw time as continuous change and becoming. Hendrik Hart, in his (1973) article “Problems of Time: An Essay,” attempts to steer a middle course between Dooyeweerd and Vollenhoven. However, Hart did not sufficiently take into account that temporality is primarily continuous succession in duration and continuous duration in succession. Nor has he been able to come to terms with the root of cosmic time.
A Brief Description of the Anhui University Shi Jing Manuscript
Authors: Huang (黄德寬) Dekuan
Published: October 2021

In 2015, Anhui University acquired a valuable batch of bamboo manuscripts from the Warring States period. The Anda slips have received wide attention both abroad and in China, in particular the Shi jing manuscript contained therein. This article discusses the sequence, number, and variants of the songs, titles, wording, and phrasing in the Shi jing manuscript. The final section of this article introduces the philological value of this find.
On the Nature of the Tsinghua Bamboo-Slip Manuscript Chi jiu zhi ji Tang zhi wu
Authors: Sun (孫飛燕) Feiyan
Published: October 2021

The nature of the Tsinghua bamboo-slip manuscript Chi jiu zhi ji Tang zhi wu is different from that of the Yi Yin shuo, which is recorded in the ‘Zhuzi lüe’ of the Han shu ‘Yiwen zhi’. This manuscript is also not a story fabricated by people in the Warring States period. It is possible that what is presented in this manuscript was a legend passed from generation to generation within Yi Yin’s lineage. Unlike Yin zhi and Yin gao, this manuscript does not belong to the Shangshu category.
The Sui Chapter of the Zhoujiazhai Daybook
Authors: Fan (凡國棟) Guodong , Luo (羅運兵) Yunbing
Published: October 2021

The Sui 歲 chapter of the Zhoujiazhai 周家寨 Daybook (rishu 日書) is a type of divination text with a focus on “timing,” including the formation of heaven and earth, five elements 五行, five colors 五色, five sounds 五音, and their relationships. It develops the concepts of “five periods” 五時, “four seasons” 四時 and “the engagement (and disengagement) of four seasons” 四時結（解）, and tells of the seasonal ordinances and climate of the twelve months in sequence. This kind of literature first appeared in the Daybook from Kongjiapo 孔家坡, but the text was incomplete. The Sui chapter in the Daybook from Zhoujiazhai introduced in this paper was excavated from a site adjacent to the Kongjiapo tomb, and the two daybooks are akin in terms of dating and content. Through comparison and collation, this paper proposes a translation and annotation superior to that of the published brief report, and presents a preliminary study on some problems related to the text. The paper demonstrates that there was a rule of collocation among the twelve branches in the second part of the chapter. The paper further suggests that texts like Sui ought to be classified as “theories of day selection,” and that a daybook should be classified as a combination of the techniques and the theories of day selection.
A Preliminary Analysis of Rhymed Passages in the Daybook Manuscripts
Authors: Krijgsman (武致知) Rens
Published: October 2021

The daybook manuscripts are miscellanies in that they gather together a range of different forms of text onto a single manuscript carrier. This article focuses on passages of rhymed text, analyzing in particular the forms, patterns, and functions of the rhymes. On this basis, I provide a number of preliminary observations on the use and context of the daybook manuscripts. The article focuses on the use of rhyme in material from the Kongjiapo 孔家坡 and Shuihudi 睡虎地 daybook manuscripts in particular, while also paying attention to related hemerological, astrological, and divinatory material from Mawangdui 馬王堆, Fangmatan 放馬灘, and the Beida 北大 manuscripts among others. These materials have a penchant for using especially Yang-group 陽部 rhymes marking the (auspicious or otherwise) results of actions and divinations, in this regard they can be further compared to genres such as prayers and philosophical sayings for instance, raising the possibility of a shared discursive practice.
Notes in Brazilian Vernonieae (Asteraceae): two new combinations and a range expansion
Authors: SOARES GLEISON , LOEUILLE BENOÎT
Published: October 2021

Two new combinations in Brazilian Vernonieae are proposed: Critoniopsis bradeana and Vernonanthura glanduloso-dentata. Additionally, the name Vernonia glanduloso-dentata Hieronymus is lectotypified and the geographical distribution of Mesanthophora rojasii is expanded to the Caatinga phytogeographic domain. Descriptions and taxonomic comments are provided for each species.
Description of the second species of Synhalcurias Carlgren, 1914, Synhalcurias kahakui sp. nov. (Actiniaria: Actinernidae) with redescription of S. elegans (Wassilieff, 1908)
Authors: IZUMI TAKATO , YANAGI KENSUKE
Published: October 2021

We describe a new sea anemone species, Synhalcurias kahakui sp. nov., from specimens collected off Otouto-jima and Amami-oshima islands in July 2016 and May 2019. respectively. These sea anemones were identified as belonging to family Actinernidae due to their many endocoelic perfect mesenteries and identified as belonging to the genus Synhalcurias Carlgren, 1914 because they have an oral disc without any developed lobes. Though this genus presently accommodates only one species, Synhalcurias elegans (Wassilieff, 1908), our specimens are smaller than the aforementioned species, have fewer mesenteries, lack nematocyst batteries on the column, and have two types of microbasic p-mastigophores on the mesenterial filaments. These specimens are described as Synhalcurias kahakui sp. nov. In view of the new species, the diagnosis of genus Synhalcurias is revised. In addition, we redescribe S. elegans based on newly specimens collected from Japan.
Large internal variability dominates over global warming signal in observed lower stratospheric QBO amplitude
Authors: Match Aaron , Fueglistaler Stephan
Published: October 2021

Global warming projections of dynamics are less robust than projections of thermodynamics. However, robust aspects of the thermodynamics can be used to constrain some dynamical aspects. This paper argues that tropospheric expansion under global warming (a thermodynamical process) explains changes in the amplitude of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) in the lower and middle stratosphere (a dynamical process). A theoretical scaling for tropospheric expansion of approximately 6 hPa K−1 is derived, which agrees well with global climate model (GCM) experiments. Using this theoretical scaling, the response of QBO amplitude to global warming is predicted by shifting the climatological QBO amplitude profile upwards by 6 hPa per Kelvin of global warming. In global warming simulations, QBO amplitude in the lower- to mid-stratosphere shifts upwards as predicted by tropospheric expansion. Applied to observations, the tropospheric expansion framework suggests a historical weakening of QBO amplitude at 70 hPa of 3% decade−1 from 1953-2020. This expected weakening trend is half of the 6% decade−1 from 1953-2012 detected and attributed to global warming in a recent study. The previously reported trend was reinforced by record low QBO amplitudes during the mid-2000s, from which the QBO has since recovered. Given the modest weakening expected on physical grounds, past decadal modulations of QBO amplitude are reinterpreted as a hitherto unrecognized source of internal variability. This large internal variability dominates over the global warming signal, such that despite 65 years of observations, there is not yet a statistically significant weakening trend.
Incidental Diagnosis of Metastatic Prostate Cancer Post-Inguinal Hernia Repair
Authors: Gill-Wiehl Genevieve F. , Veenstra Benjamin
Published: October 2021

This report discusses the case of an 83-year-old male who was incidentally found to have a diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer on pathology from elective inguinal hernia repair. The medical record, radiology, operative reports, and pathology of the patient were reviewed and a literature search was subsequently performed. A new cancer diagnosis is a very rare finding during routine hernia surgery. Moreover, the decision of whether to send a hernia sac for routine pathology is often dependent on individual surgeon practices and institutional guidelines. However, this case demonstrates the potential for an unexpected finding on routine pathology to significantly alter the clinical course of a patient’s care as the patient subsequently underwent both medical and palliative surgical treatment for prostate cancer.
Resolution of Paraneoplastic Lumbosacral Plexopathy in a Patient With Stage III Rectal Cancer after Curative Resection
Authors: Bengart Joseph J. , Chouliaras Konstantinos , Nurkin Steven
Published: October 2021

Paraneoplastic syndromes are rare but possible manifestations of colorectal cancer. We present THE CASE of a 51-year-old female diagnosed with cT3N2 rectal adenocarcinoma who developed back pain and progressive muscle weakness during preoperative treatment. She had a rapid worsening in mobility and was ultimately ambulating with a wheelchair, despite physical therapy and conservative treatments. Extensive laboratory workup including onconeural antibodies was negative and her lower extremity electromyogram was suggestive of a subacute demyelinating lumbosacral plexopathy. After multidisciplinary discussion, the decision was made to proceed with curative resection. She had significant improvement in her weakness following resection, suggesting a paraneoplastic etiology. One year after resection, she remains free of disease and is ambulating comfortably. Onconeural antibodies can be a helpful diagnostic tool, but their absence does not rule out paraneoplastic disease. A high index of suspicion is necessary when assessing patients with atypical symptoms, particularly with the rise of colorectal cancer in young adults.
The Impact of Vaping on Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax Outcomes
Authors: Shah Mohsin , Bryant Mary K. , Mody Gita N. , Maine Rebecca G. , Williams Judson B. , Upham Trevor C.
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Cigarette smoking is associated with primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). Electronic cigarettes (E-cigarettes) are touted as a healthier alternative to cigarettes; however, the impact E-cigarette use has on PSP management is not known. The goal of this study was to determine if E-cigarette use is associated with inferior outcomes after PSP, compared to never smokers and cigarette smokers.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients in a large tertiary care hospital system in an urban area who presented with PSP from September 2015 through February 2019. Primary spontaneous pneumothorax patients were identified from the institutional Society of Thoracic Surgeon (STS) database. Patients with pneumothoraces from traumatic, iatrogenic, and secondary etiologies were excluded. Baseline clinical and demographic data and outcomes including intervention(s) required, length of stay, and recurrence were evaluated.

Results

Identified were 71 patients with PSP. Seventeen (24%) had unverifiable smoking history. Of the remaining, 7 (13%) currently vaped, 27(50%) currently smoked cigarettes, and 20(37%) were never smokers. Mean age was 33 years; 80% male. All vapers required tube thoracostomy vs 74% of current smokers and 75% of never smokers. Vaping was associated with increased odds of recurrence compared to never smokers (OR 2.00, 95% CI 0.35,11.44). Vapers had the shortest median time to recurrence after initial hospitalization (10 d[4,18] v 20 d[5,13] cigarette smokers v 27 d[13 275] never smokers, P < .001).

Conclusion

Vaping may complicate PSP outcomes. As vaping use increases, especially among adolescents, it is imperative that the manner of tobacco use is documented and considered when caring for patients, especially those with pulmonary problems.
Cruel optimism as organizing strategy in USA Gymnastics: The threat of high-stakes organizations in precarious times
Authors: Way Amy K
Published: October 2021

In January of 2018, after decades of sexual abuse of hundreds of athletes under his medical care, USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar faced 156 of the women he victimized when they testified at his sentencing hearing and detailed the abuse. In the wake of the Nassar verdict, gymnastics and other youth sports organizations have come under fire for abusive practices that victimize young athletes. Scholars have recently argued for an approach to understanding sexual violence as an organizational, rather than individual, phenomenon. The power organizations possess to inflict violence on their members requires an understanding of the increased role of organizations in our decision-making and shaping our values and desires. Through an analysis of testimonies submitted by women who were victimized by Nassar as children, I argue that violence was intentionally deployed as an organizing strategy by USA Gymnastics. Abusive organizational practices traumatized girls, leading them to recalibrate their expectations for what was normal and acceptable, ultimately facilitating their abuse. I propose “high-stakes organizations” as contexts particularly vulnerable to violent organizational practices. I argue, in these high-stakes organizations, trauma is likely to be deployed as a strategy for organizational commitment, further fostering precarity in modern organizations.
Informal settlements, Covid-19 and sex workers in Kenya
Authors: Hassan Rahma , Sanders Teela , Gichuna Susan , Campbell Rosie , Mutonyi Mercy , Mwangi Peninah
Published: October 2021

This paper highlights the challenges faced by female sex workers living and working in the urban informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya, during the Covid-19 outbreak and the aftermath of the pandemic. Using data collected through phone interviews during the immediate crisis, we document the experiences of urban poor sex workers, illustrating the acute problems they faced, including precarious housing with the reality of eviction and demolition. The paper highlights the ramifications of the Covid-19 crisis for the sex industry and predominantly women working within this informal, illegal economy. Through our empirical data we illustrate how the nature of selling sex has changed for sex workers in this context, increasing risks of violence including police abuses. We argue that examining the Covid-19 crisis through the lens of one the most marginalised populations graphically highlights how the pandemic has and will continue to deepen pre-existing structural urban inequalities and worsen public health outcomes among the urban poor. Sex worker communities are often located at the intersections of structural inequalities of gender, class, race and nation and the socio-spatial fragmentations of how they live make them some of the most vulnerable in society. We close with comments in relation to sexual citizenship, exclusionary state practices and the feminisation of urban poverty.
Checkpoint urbanism: Violent infrastructures and border stigmas in the Juárez border region
Authors: Martén Ricardo , Boano Camillo
Published: October 2021

As Popitz (2017) argues, violence is one component of the great economy of world history, an option permanently open to human activity. In Ciudad Juárez, right at the border between the United States and Mexico, this notion explains the fundamental incongruity that characterises the region: a booming industrial productive model operating in parallel with an international crime and violence hotspot that is also a coveted criminal passageway. This paper will argue that official and criminal checkpoints designed for border-crossing, have had a transformative spatial role when considered across the dimensions of infrastructure and stigma, triggering a material/symbolic tension. We argue that their location and accessibility determine the exposure of nearby communities to economic growth but also violent entrepreneurship – the illegal crossing of goods and people still remains a constant characteristic of the region, not only as part of a criminal enterprise but as a viable livelihood. The ways in which the region of Juárez develops and grows also determines how trafficking and illegal practices are established; rules and regulations that provide territorial parameters for what is open and transparent are equally referential to what is clandestine and devious. The tensions brought by the border’s geopolitical value have amplified the value of infrastructure and its practical ownership. The international border operates as a line that is barrier, social divider, landmark, policy-bridge, filtering mechanism and trafficking obstacle. Under this permanent state of tension, the checkpoints provide a physical structure to the transit flows and a sovereign interruption. Across this urbanism, the checkpoint surroundings acquire a magnetic significance, due to the resulting transit dynamics and the surveillance deterrents at the core of their function. Furthermore, their dual nature – official and criminal – has branded the region as a criminal outpost, stigmatising the people inhabiting it, and perpetuating the idea that Juárez is defined by its violent infrastructures.
Keep it Oakland: e-commerce meets social justice
Authors: Kneese Tamara
Published: October 2021

This article examines the labor involved with the upkeep of social media accounts for Oakland-based brick-and-mortar boutiques and their digital storefronts, particularly as businesses move their wares online during shelter-in-place amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Focusing on independent shops in Oakland, California, particularly those which are part of Oakland’s Indie Alliance – a coalition of independent small business owners – this article explores the role of shop workers in producing the authentic aesthetics of themselves and store accounts as a replacement for brick-and-mortar shops. How do small-scale shop owners and clerks make platforms, which were not designed with their needs in mind, work for them? How does sellers’ performance of the local interface with a global digital marketplace and platform infrastructures? In what ways do existing racial hierarchies and structural inequalities affect shop personnel’s experiences of platforms and apps meant to facilitate business transactions? I focus on the Oakland Indie Alliance’s Covid Recovery and Repair funds, which employ social media and crowdfunding platforms or payment apps to provide assistance to local businesses, particularly those which are BIPOC and/or immigrant owned, connecting commercial and social justice oriented goals.
The Effectiveness of a Formal Financial Education Program at Primary Schools and the Role of Informal Financial Education
Authors: Coda Moscarola Flavia , Kalwij Adriaan
Published: October 2021

Objectives: This study examines the effectiveness of a formal financial education program for improving the financial literacy of primary school children and how this effectiveness is influenced by informal financial education provided by parents, such as giving pocket money and discussing money matters. Method: A quasi field experiment was carried out at the Museum of Saving in Turin where children participated in a financial education program (the treatment). The first two out of three classes that arrived at the museum were assigned to the treatment group and the third one to the comparison group. Difference-in-differences models are estimated using financial literacy data from a pretest taken about 1 week before the visit to the museum and a posttest taken on the day of the visit; just before starting with the program at the museum for the comparison group and just after program completion for the treatment group. Results: In line with previous studies, we find that our formal financial education program had a positive effect on the financial literacy of primary school children. The empirical findings provide weak evidence that this effect of formal financial education is stronger for children who received informal financial education from their parents. Conclusions: Our study contributes to the previous literature by presenting further evidence that a short extra-curricular course can be effective in increasing economic and financial literacy among students. Furthermore, we present suggestive evidence—worth of further research—that informal financial education can reinforce the effect of formal financial education.

JEL Codes: A29, C93, G40.
Blocking vicious cycle of cardiac dysfunction by external cardiopulmonary resuscitation is the key to rescue acute aluminium phosphide poisoning
Authors: Shen Yan , Jiang Daishan , Wang Ting , Li Mengqiu , Wang Yayun , Li Jingjing , Yan Haixia , Yuan Mingjun , Ji Yunlan , Shen Yanbo , Yuan Dingshan , Huang Zhongwei
Published: October 2021

Aluminium phosphide (ALP) and aluminium zinc phosphide (ZnP), the two main ingredients of fumigation drugs, are commonly used to kill insects or rodents in grain. When exposed to water, highly toxic phosphine gas is released and absorbed through the respiratory or digestive tract. Phosphine gas could non-selectively block cytochrome oxidase, inhibit electron transfer and suppress oxidative phosphorylation, leading to cellular hypoxia and organ dysfunction. The characteristic clinical manifestations are refractory shock and metabolic acidosis with high mortality. However, patients with ALP poisoning have a chance to be cured. Here, we report a case of oral ALP poisoning that was successfully treated by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) combined with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) during frequent ventricular fibrillation and cardiac dysfunction.
Clinical evaluation of AI software for rib fracture detection and its impact on junior radiologist performance
Authors: Liu Xiang , Wu Dijia , Xie Huihui , Xu Yufeng , Liu Lin , Tao Xiaofeng , Wang Xiaoying
Published: October 2021

Background

The detection of rib fractures (RFs) on computed tomography (CT) images is time-consuming and susceptible to missed diagnosis. An automated artificial intelligence (AI) detection system may be helpful to improve the diagnostic efficiency for junior radiologists.

Purpose

To compare the diagnostic performance of junior radiologists with and without AI software for RF detection on chest CT images.

Materials and methods

Six junior radiologists from three institutions interpreted 393 CT images of patients with acute chest trauma, with and without AI software. The CT images were randomly split into two sets at each institution, with each set assigned to a different radiologist First, the detection of all fractures (AFs), including displaced fractures (DFs), non-displaced fractures and buckle fractures, was analyzed. Next, the DFs were selected for analysis. The sensitivity and specificity of the radiologist-only and radiologist-AI groups at the patient level were set as primary endpoints, and secondary endpoints were at the rib and lesion level.

Results

Regarding AFs, the sensitivity difference between the radiologist-AI group and the radiologist-only group were significant at different levels (patient-level: 26.20%; rib-level: 22.18%; lesion-level: 23.74%; P < 0.001). Regarding DFs, the sensitivity difference was 16.67%, 14.19%, and 16.16% at the patient, rib, and lesion levels, respectively ( P < 0.001). No significant difference was found in the specificity between the two groups for AFs and DFs at the patient and rib levels ( P > 0.05).

Conclusion

AI software improved the sensitivity of RF detection on CT images for junior radiologists and reduced the reading time by approximately 1 min per patient without decreasing the specificity.
Role of hypermethylated-lncRNAs in the prognosis of bladder cancer patients
Authors: Luo Junhua , Xu Jinming , Ou Longhua , Zhou Yingchen , Yun Haichao , Yang Yu , Wu Xionghui , Wang Yan
Published: October 2021

Objective

To explore the hypermethylated long non-coding (lnc)RNAs involved in bladder carcinogenesis and prognosis.

Methods

Reduced representation bisulfite sequencing and RNA sequencing were performed on five paired tumor and adjacent normal tissue samples from bladder cancer patients. The differentially methylated regions around transcription start sites and differentially expressed genes, including lncRNAs, were analyzed. Correlations between DNA methylation modifications and the expression of lncRNAs were examined. Survival analysis was surveyed on the GEPIA web server.

Results

We identified 19,560 hypomethylated and 68,781 hypermethylated differentially methylated regions around transcription start sites in bladder cancer tissues. In total, 2321 differentially expressed genes were found in bladder tumors, among which, 367 were upregulated and 1954 were downregulated. There were 141 downregulated genes involving eight lncRNAs that were consistently hypermethylated, while 24 upregulated genes were consistently hypomethylated. Survival analysis demonstrated that hypermethylation of lncRNAs LINC00683 and MSC-AS1 were associated with poor overall survival in bladder cancer patients.

Conclusion

Some lncRNAs are controlled by DNA methylation in bladder cancer and they might be important factors in bladder carcinogenesis. Hypermethylated lncRNAs including LINC00683 and MSC-AS1 have the potential to be prognostic biomarkers for bladder cancer.
Graphene nanoplatelets/epoxy nanocomposites: A review on functionalization, characterization techniques, properties, and applications
Authors: Bilisik Kadir , Akter Mahmuda
Published: October 2021

Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) have received immense attention from the global scientific research community in the 21st century due to their two-dimensional planar structure, high surface area, functionalization abilities, and notable thermal-mechanical-electrical properties. When appropriately integrated into polymer matrices, graphene nanosheets improve the mechanical performance of polymer under static and high-strain rate loading. On the other hand, surface modification of GNPs through functionalization enhances dispersibility and interfacial strength of GNPs/polymer composites. Computational methods for GNPs-based nanocomposites considering micromechanical and multiscale modeling were also developed to predict their thermo-mechanical and electrical properties. These nanocomposite materials have been identified as having a wide range of applications in aerospace, automotive, construction, biomedical, energy storage, sensor, and textiles. In this review paper, recent advances of GNPs/epoxy nanocomposites, including their functionalization processes, characterization techniques, production methods, properties, and potential applications, have been comprehensively explained. Furthermore, it attempts to provide a complete framework for researchers by summarizing and evaluating the extensive literature on these nanocomposite materials.
Symbolic Power for Beginners: The Very First Social Efforts to Control Others’ Actions and Perceptions
Authors: Lignier Wilfried
Published: October 2021

Becoming a social agent requires the ability to gain some power over others’ actions and perceptions. For that purpose, symbolic practices and language matter, especially when physical means of control are unavailable, ineffective, or illegitimate. Based on an in-depth ethnographic study, I analyze such a process of symbolic empowerment from the viewpoint of very young practitioners: children age 2 to 3 years. I explore the symbolic means through which toddlers seek control over adults, from simple signals, naming, and politeness to basic fictionalization. Children’s social backgrounds, not just age and development, inform their tendency to affect adults through words. The content of symbolic practices is determined by preexisting social hierarchies between persons, groups, and institutions. In fact, the crucial challenge for young children is to take advantage of these hierarchies by publicly putting them in line with their own emerging interests.
Atrial Strain by Feature-Tracking Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. Features, Feasibility, and Reproducibility
Authors: Cau Riccardo , Bassareo Pierpaolo , Caredda Gloria , Suri Jasjit S. , Esposito Antonio , Saba Luca
Published: October 2021

Objectives:

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there may be a bi-atrial dysfunction in Takotsubo syndrome (TS) during the transient course of the disease, using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging feature tracking (CMR-FT) in analyzing bi-atrial strain.

Method:

Eighteen TS patients and 13 healthy controls were studied. Reservoir, conduit, and booster bi-atrial functions were analyzed by CMR-FT. The correlation between LA and RA strain parameters was assessed. Intra- and inter-observer reproducibility was evaluated for all strain and strain rate (SR) parameters using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman analysis.

Results:

Atrial strain were feasible in all patients and controls. Takotsubo patients showed an impaired LA Reservoir strain (∊s), LA Reservoir strain rate (SRs), LA and RA Conduit strain(∊e), LA and RA conduit strain rate (SRe) in comparison with controls (P < 0.001 for all of them), while no differences were found as to LA and RA booster deformation parameters (∊a and SRa). Analysis of correlation showed that LA ∊s, SRs, ∊e, and SRe were positively correlated with corresponding RA strain measurements (P < 0.001, r = 0.61 and P = 0,03, r = 0,54, respectively). Reproducibility was good to excellent for all atrial strain and strain rate parameters (ICCs ranging from 0,50 to 0,96).

Conclusion:

Atrial strain analysis using CMR-FT may be a useful tool to reveal new pathophysiological insights in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Additional studies, with a larger number of patients, are needed to confirm the possible role of these advanced CMR tools in characterizing TS patients.
The Quality of Local Institutions: The Case of Poland
Authors: Michalak Magdalena Maria , Nowakowska Aleksandra , Antczak Elżbieta
Published: October 2021

There is a growing consensus within both policy and academic circles, including various schools of political, legal, and economic thought, that institutions matter and that the quality of institutions and governments makes an important difference for economic development. However, while the institutional literature has extensively discussed different types of institutions and their importance, only a few quantitative measures of formal institutions and their quality are available. What is more, most analyses referring to the quality of public institutions concern the national or regional level and the issue at the local level is relatively understudied.

The purpose of the article is to fill this gap in two ways. The first one is to identify territorial differentiation of the quality of public institutions at the local level in Poland; the second one, to explain the reasons of the differentiation of institutional capacities in the context of historical, cultural, and social factors.

The research has shown that the quality of public institutions is highly related to historical circumstances. However, although their impact is strong, the historical conditions are definitely not the only factor influencing local institutional capital in Poland, as they appear to be deeply affected also by the level of urbanization and the degree of human capital.
Exploring university–firm collaboration in teaching: A case study of co-creation
Authors: de Fátima Cruz Maria , Franco Mário , Rodrigues Margarida
Published: October 2021

Recently, some authors have pointed out that the subject of university–firm collaboration (UFC) in the teaching context has been neglected. To fill this gap, and considering that educational provision is co-created with various stakeholders, this study aims to provide an exploratory characterization of the current state of UFC in the teaching context and to explore UFC as a mechanism for the co-creation of value. A qualitative approach was chosen, through a case study applied to one faculty at a Portuguese university. Data were obtained through documentary analysis and interviews with people in charge of this faculty. The results suggest that collaboration activities in this domain occur, albeit not systematically or in a planned way. The involvement of the current faculty direction in stimulating this collaboration is recognized, and the leaders see this phenomenon as a mechanism for co-creating value between firms and academia. As a practical contribution, the study proposes a set of recommendations to encourage such UFC. The scientific contribution arises from the presentation of a conceptual structure which explores the UFC phenomenon in the teaching context, bringing together the perspectives of collaboration and the co-creation of educational provision, as well as presenting a number of suggestions for future research.
Experimental investigation on the cross-tensile properties of tubular rivet-reinforced joints
Authors: Ren Xiaoqiang , Chen Chao , Peng Hao , Ran Xiangkun , Qin Denglin
Published: October 2021

To decrease the exterior protrusion height and improve the tensile strength of the clinched joint, a rivet-reinforcing method was implemented on the clinched joint in this study. Solid rivets and tubular rivets with the wall thickness of 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm, and 2.0 mm were employed to conduct the rivet-reinforcing experiments on the clinched joints. Mechanical interlock structure measurements and mechanical properties tests were performed on the above-mentioned reinforced joints. The results show that the rivet-reinforcing technology can significantly increase the tensile strength and improve the mechanical behavior of the clinched joint. Compared with the NRJ joint (the reinforced joint with no rivet), the static tensile strength of TRJ-1.0 (the rivet-reinforced joint with the tubular rivet of 1 mm wall thickness), TRJ-1.5 (the rivet-reinforced joint with the tubular rivet of 1.5 mm wall thickness), TRJ-2.0 (the rivet-reinforced joint with the tubular rivet of 2 mm wall thickness), and SRJ joint (the rivet-reinforced joint with the solid rivet) is separately increased by 30.05%, 24.59%, 16.28%, and 7.19%. The TRJ-1.0 joint has the highest tensile strength (1489.57 N) among the five types of reinforced joints in the cross-lap-tensile test. The energy absorption capacity of the rivet-reinforced joints decreases as the wall thickness of the tubular rivet increases. Therefore, the TRJ-1.0 joint has the highest energy absorption that is 5.890 J, while the energy absorption of the SRJ joint is the lowest, which is 2.868 J. The TRJ-1.0 joint has the most excellent strength performance in the lightweight evaluation, which with a lightweight evaluation value of [Formula: see text]. However, the TRJ-1.5 joint has the most outstanding energy absorption performance in the aspect of lightweight evaluation, with a lightweight evaluation value of [Formula: see text]. The experiment has proven that the clinched joints reinforced with 1 mm wall thickness tubular rivets have the best mechanical properties.