bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcriptome Profiling across Five Tissues of Giant Panda
Authors: Li Feng , Wang Chengdong , Xu Zhongxian , Li Mingzhou , Deng Linhua , Wei Ming , Zhang Hemin , Wu Kai , Ning Ruihong , Li Diyan , Yang Mingyao , Zhang Mingwang , Ni Qingyong , Zeng Bo , Li Desheng , Li Ying
Published: August 2020

Gene differential expression studies can serve to explore and understand the laws and characteristics of animal life activities, and the difference in gene expression between different animal tissues has been well demonstrated and studied. However, for the world‐famous rare and protected species giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), only the transcriptome of the blood and spleen has been reported separately. Here, in order to explore the transcriptome differences between the different tissues of the giant panda, transcriptome profiles of the heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney from five captive giant pandas were constructed with Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform. The comparative analysis of the intertissue gene expression patterns was carried out based on the generated RNA sequencing datasets. Analyses of Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment, and protein‐protein interaction (PPI) network were performed according to the identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We generated 194.52 GB clean base data from twenty‐five sequencing libraries and identified 18,701 genes, including 3492 novel genes. With corrected p value <0.05 and |log2FoldChange| >2, we finally obtained 921, 553, 574, 457, and 638 tissue‐specific DEGs in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney, respectively. In addition, we identified TTN, CAV3, LDB3, TRDN, and ACTN2 in the heart; FGA, AHSG, and SERPINC1 in the liver; CD19, CD79B, and IL21R in the spleen; NKX2‐4 and SFTPB in the lung; GC and HRG in the kidney as hub genes in the PPI network. The results of the analyses showed a similar gene expression pattern between the spleen and lung. This study provided for the first time the heart, liver, lung, and kidney’s transcriptome resources of the giant panda, and it provided a valuable resource for further genetic research or other potential research.
Elevated Level of Serum C‐reactive Protein Predicts Postoperative Delirium among Patients Receiving Cervical or Lumbar Surgery
Authors: Ren Quan , Wen Ya-zhou , Wang Jin , Yuan Jing , Chen Xu-hui , Thapa Yubaraj , Qiang Meng-shuang , Xu Fei
Published: August 2020

Objective. To explore the relationship between elevated serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) level and postoperative delirium (POD). Methods. 206 patients scheduled to receive cervical or lumbar vertebra surgery under general anesthesia for more than 2 hours in a single medical center were observed and analyzed. Patients’ serum CRP, delirious status (using the confusion assessment method (CAM)), and delirious score (using the memorial delirium assessment scale (MDAS)) were examined before surgery and 1‐2 days after surgery. The association of a serum CRP elevation value from before to after surgery (D‐CRP) with delirium occurrence within 2 days after surgery was assessed with a binary logistic regression model, while the association of D‐CRP with the postoperative delirious score was assessed with a linear regression model. The effect of D‐CRP on predicting delirium occurrence was evaluated with the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). Results. D‐CRP was significantly positively associated with postoperative delirium occurrence (OR = 1.047, 95%CI = 1.013, 1.082), and D‐CRP was also significantly linearly associated with the postoperative delirious score (β = 0.014, 95%CI = 0.006, 0.023). AUC of ROC was 0.711 (P = 0.014), suggesting that D‐CRP had moderate efficacy on predicting postoperative delirium occurrence (P < 0.05). Conclusions. Elevated serum CRP after surgery may be a risk factor for and a predictor of postoperative delirium.
3D In Vitro Human Organ Mimicry Devices for Drug Discovery, Development, and Assessment
Authors: Rodriguez-Garcia Aida , Oliva-Ramirez Jacqueline , Bautista-Flores Claudia , Hosseini Samira
Published: August 2020

The past few decades have shown significant advancement as complex in vitro humanized systems have substituted animal trials and 2D in vitro studies. 3D humanized platforms mimic the organs of interest with their stimulations (physical, electrical, chemical, and mechanical). Organ-on-chip devices, including in vitro modelling of 3D organoids, 3D microfabrication, and 3D bioprinted platforms, play an essential role in drug discovery, testing, and assessment. In this article, a thorough review is provided of the latest advancements in the area of organ-on-chip devices targeting liver, kidney, lung, gut, heart, skin, and brain mimicry devices for drug discovery, development, and/or assessment. The current strategies, fabrication methods, and the specific application of each device, as well as the advantages and disadvantages, are presented for each reported platform. This comprehensive review also provides some insights on the challenges and future perspectives for the further advancement of each organ-on-chip device.
Trusted and Efficient Cross-Domain Access Control System Based on Blockchain
Authors: Sun Shuang , Chen Shudong , Du Rong
Published: August 2020

In a distributed system, cross-domain access control is an important mechanism to realize secure data sharing among multiple domains. Most of the existing cross-domain access control mechanisms are generally based on a single-server architecture, which has limitations in terms of security and reliability (the access decision may be incorrect) and completeness and confidentiality (the access records can be modified). Blockchain technology with decentralization, verifiability, and immutability properties can solve these problems. Motivated by these facts, in this article, we construct a trusted and efficient cross-domain access control system based on blockchain. Consequently, we integrate blockchain and role mapping technology to provide reliable and verifiable cross-domain access process. We use blockchain to record user roles, role mapping rules, access policies, and audit records, realizing user self-validation, and access nonreputation. Considering the low throughput of the blockchain, we design an efficient smart contract to make the access decision based on the access history of users. Finally, a performance evaluation of the system is presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed system.
Cardiovascular Determinants of Mortality in Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Lankinen Roosa , Hakamäki Markus , Metsärinne Kaj , Koivuviita Niina S. , Pärkkä Jussi P. , Hellman Tapio , Kartiosuo Noora , Raitakari Olli T. , Järvisalo Mikko J.
Published: August 2020

Background: Patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD stage 4-5) have an increased risk of death. To study the determinants of all-cause mortality, we recruited 210 consecutive CKD stage 4-5 patients not on dialysis to the prospective Chronic Arterial Disease, quality of life and mortality in chronic KIDney injury (CADKID) study. Methods: One hundred seventy-four patients underwent maximal bicycle ergometry stress testing and lateral lumbar radiography to study abdominal aortic calcification score and echocardiography. Carotid and femoral artery intima-media thickness and elasticity and brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation were measured in 156 patients. Results: The duration of follow-up was 42 ± 17 months (range 134–2,217 days). The mean age was 61 ± 14 years, and the estimated glomerular filtration rate was 12 (11–15) mL/min/1.73 m2. Thirty-six (21%) patients died during follow-up (time to death 835 ± 372 days). Seventy-five and 21 patients had diabetes and coronary artery disease, respectively, and all but one had hypertension. In the respective multivariate proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, and coronary artery disease, the significant determinants of mortality were troponin T, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, maximal ergometry performance, abdominal aortic calcification score, E/e′ ratio, and albumin. Conclusion: Stress ergometry performance, abdominal aortic calcification score, E/e′ of echocardiography, and plasma cardiac biomarkers and albumin predict mortality in advanced CKD.
Disinhibition and Detachment in Adolescence: A Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective on the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders
Authors: Allen Timothy A. , Hallquist Michael N.
Published: August 2020

Personality pathology often emerges during adolescence, but attempts to understand its neurocognitive basis have traditionally been undermined by problems associated with the categorical classification of personality disorders. In contrast, dimensional models of personality pathology, such as the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) in DSM-5, may provide a stronger foundation for neurobiological investigations of maladaptive individual differences in personality. As an example, we review studies of the adolescent development of reward processing and cognitive control and connect these systems to the normal personality hierarchy and to two dimensions included in the AMPD – Detachment and Disinhibition. We argue that by linking developmental changes in these systems to the AMPD, researchers will be better positioned to understand the relationship between neurocognitive development and the expression of personality pathology in adolescence and early adulthood.
Network communication models improve the behavioral and functional predictive utility of the human structural connectome
Authors: Seguin Caio , Tian Ye , Zalesky Andrew
Published: August 2020

The connectome provides the structural substrate facilitating communication between brain regions. We aimed to establish whether accounting for polysynaptic communication in structural connectomes would improve prediction of interindividual variation in behavior as well as increase structure-function coupling strength. Connectomes were mapped for 889 healthy adults participating in the Human Connectome Project. To account for polysynaptic signaling, connectomes were transformed into communication matrices for each of 15 different network communication models. Communication matrices were (a) used to perform predictions of five data-driven behavioral dimensions and (b) correlated to resting-state functional connectivity (FC). While FC was the most accurate predictor of behavior, communication models, in particular communicability and navigation, improved the performance of structural connectomes. Communication also strengthened structure-function coupling, with the navigation and shortest paths models leading to 35–65% increases in association strength with FC. We combined behavioral and functional results into a single ranking that provides insight into which communication models may more faithfully recapitulate underlying neural signaling patterns. Comparing results across multiple connectome mapping pipelines suggested that modeling polysynaptic communication is particularly beneficial in sparse high-resolution connectomes. We conclude that network communication models can augment the functional and behavioral predictive utility of the human structural connectome.
Exploratory factor analysis with structured residuals for brain network data
Authors: van Kesteren Erik-Jan , Kievit Rogier A.
Published: August 2020

Dimension reduction is widely used and often necessary to make network analyses and their interpretation tractable by reducing high-dimensional data to a small number of underlying variables. Techniques such as exploratory factor analysis (EFA) are used by neuroscientists to reduce measurements from a large number of brain regions to a tractable number of factors. However, dimension reduction often ignores relevant a priori knowledge about the structure of the data. For example, it is well established that the brain is highly symmetric. In this paper, we (a) show the adverse consequences of ignoring a priori structure in factor analysis, (b) propose a technique to accommodate structure in EFA by using structured residuals (EFAST), and (c) apply this technique to three large and varied brain-imaging network datasets, demonstrating the superior fit and interpretability of our approach. We provide an R software package to enable researchers to apply EFAST to other suitable datasets.
Author name disambiguation of bibliometric data: A comparison of several unsupervised approaches
Authors: Tekles Alexander , Bornmann Lutz
Published: August 2020

Adequately disambiguating author names in bibliometric databases is a precondition for conducting reliable analyses at the author level. In the case of bibliometric studies that include many researchers, it is not possible to disambiguate each single researcher manually. Several approaches have been proposed for author name disambiguation, but there has not yet been a comparison of them under controlled conditions. In this study, we compare a set of unsupervised disambiguation approaches. Unsupervised approaches specify a model to assess the similarity of author mentions a priori instead of training a model with labeled data. To evaluate the approaches, we applied them to a set of author mentions annotated with a ResearcherID, this being an author identifier maintained by the researchers themselves. Apart from comparing the overall performance, we take a more detailed look at the role of the parametrization of the approaches and analyze the dependence of the results on the complexity of the disambiguation task. Furthermore, we examine which effects the differences in the set of metadata considered by the different approaches have on the disambiguation results. In the context of this study, the approach proposed by Caron and van Eck (2014) produced the best results.
The Employment Effects of Lump-Sum and Contingent Job Insurance Policies: Evidence from Brazil
Authors: Britto Diogo G. C.
Published: August 2020

Lump-sum job displacement policies (e.g., severance pay) are often presented as a better alternative to contingent policies (e.g., unemployment insurance) in the context of developing countries, under the rationale that the former are less harmful to formal employment as they do not incentivize substitution from formal to informal jobs. First, this paper provides original evidence on the employment effects of lump-sum income in the context of a developing country with high labor informality. A regression discontinuity (RD) design, using Brazilian data, shows that a transfer equivalent to fifteen days of earnings (a) increases the duration out of a formal job by 1.9 weeks, (b) reduces monthly earnings in the next job by 1.6%, and (c) reduces total earnings in the formal labor market by 3.6% over a three-year period. Second, the paper studies the impact of a one-month extension in unemployment insurance (UI) on a comparable sample of displaced workers. UI is shown to have a stronger impact on the duration out of a formal job compared with a lump-sum transfer. In addition, a novel exercise matching administrative and survey data shows that 57% of the decrease in formal employment caused by UI is compensated by an increase in the incidence of informal employment. However, workers receiving the UI extension partially recover the initial employment loss over time in such a way that the adverse impact on employment over a three-year period is similar compared with the lump-sum transfer. Moreover, UI is found to be less harmful to reemployment wages, possibly because it improves workers' bargaining power as it offers insurance against the duration of joblessness. Overall, the UI extension is less detrimental to total earnings in the formal labor market over a three-year period. Hence, although these findings indicate that contingent job insurance policies have a stronger impact on the initial duration out of a formal job and indeed incentivize informal employment, they do not support the notion that lump-sum policies are less harmful to formal employment and earnings in the medium term.
Growth Expectations, Undue Optimism, and Short-Run Fluctuations
Authors: Enders Zeno , Kleemann Michael , Müller Gernot J.
Published: August 2020

This paper proposes a two-step procedure in order to identify belief shocks—shocks to expectations about the current state of the economy. First, we use the Survey of Professional Forecasters to measure nowcast errors about contemporaneous output growth. Second, we extract belief shocks from nowcast errors, once by regressing them on existing measures of structural shocks and once by imposing sign restrictions on a VAR model. Using both approaches, we find that belief shocks trigger similar adjustment dynamics and a high degree of co-movement across macroeconomic variables. Belief shocks account for about onethird of short-run output fluctuations.
Product Mix and Firm Productivity Responses to Trade Competition
Authors: Mayer Thierry , Melitz Marc J. , Ottaviano Gianmarco I. P.
Published: August 2020

We document how demand shocks in export markets lead French multiproduct exporters to reallocate the mix of products sold in those destinations. In response to positive demand shocks, French firms skew their export sales toward their best-performing products. We develop a theoretical model of multiproduct firms and derive the specific demand conditions (with endogenous price elasticities) needed to generate these product-mix reallocations. Under those demand conditions, the increased competition from demand shocks in export markets also induces productivity changes within the firm. We empirically test for this connection between demand shocks and the productivity of multiproduct firms. We find that this connection is economically substantial.
Can Electronic Monitoring Reduce Reoffending?
Authors: Williams Jenny , Weatherburn Don
Published: August 2020

We evaluate electronic monitoring as an alternative to prison for nonviolent offenses. Leveraging plausibly exogenous variation in sentencing outcomes generated by quasi-random assignment of judges, we find electronic monitoring reduces reoffending at both extensive and intensive margins. Compared with prison, electronic monitoring is estimated to reduce the probability of reoffending by 22 percentage points five years after sentencing and by 11 percentage points ten years after sentencing, with the cumulative number of offenses reduced by 40% ten years after sentencing. These results demonstrate that electronic monitoring has sustained crime-reducing effects.
Violence While in Utero: The Impact of Assaults during Pregnancy on Birth Outcomes
Authors: Currie Janet , Mueller-Smith Michael , Rossin-Slater Maya
Published: August 2020

We study the effects of prenatal exposure to violent crime on infant health, using New York City crime records linked to mothers' addresses in birth records data. We address endogeneity of assault exposure with three strategies and find that in utero assault exposure significantly increases the incidence of adverse birth outcomes. We calculate that the annual social cost of assault during pregnancy in the United States is more than $3.8 billion. Since infant health predicts long-term wellbeing and disadvantaged women are disproportionately likely to be domestic abuse victims, violence in utero may be an important channel for intergenerational transmission of inequality.
An annotated checklist of the endemic Apiaceae of Uzbekistan

Authors: TOJIBAEV KOMILJON SH. , BESHKO NATALYA YU. , TURGINOV ORZIMAT T. , LYSKOV DMITRY F. , UKRAINSKAJA ULIANA A. , KLJUYKOV EUGENE V.
Published: August 2020

An annotated checklist of the endemic Apiaceae of Uzbekistan includes synonyms, references, information about geographic range, habitats and conservation status for each species. Distribution maps are provided. The number of endemic Apiaceae species in Uzbekistan was reduced from 38 to 18 as a result of new records in neighboring countries or because of their placement into synonymy. The new combination Galagania involucrata is published. Three new synonyms are established: Galagania neglecta under G. involucrata, Vvedenskya pinnatifolia under Conioselinum tataricum, and Elaeosticta seravschanica under E. paniculata. Five new species are recorded from the neighboring countries: Elaeosticta paniculata (Tajikistan), E. vvedenskyi (Kazakhstan), Eryngium octophyllum (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan), Ferula dshizakensis (Tajikistan) and Komarovia anisosperma (Tajikistan).
Cucurbitinus gen. nov. (Halosphaeriaceae, Microascales), a new genus to accommodate Cucurbitinus constrictus comb. nov. and Cucurbitinus ibericus comb. nov.

Authors: LIU LING-LING , LIU NINGGUO , YANG JING , CHEN YAYA , LIU ZUOYI
Published: August 2020

Two strains, representing trichocladium-like species, were collected from a freshwater lake in Guizhou Province, China. Based on the morphological characters, they were well identified as Trichocladium constrictum who lacked molecular data. In the phylogenetic analyses of combined LSU, ITS and SSU sequence data, the collections cluster together with Cirrenalia iberica within Halosphaeriaceae but formed a distinct clade to the type of Cirrenalia (Halosphaeriaceae) and Trichocladium (Chaetomiaceae). The significant long conidiophores of Trichocladium constrictum differ from those of other Trichocladium species. The straight conidia of Cirrenalia iberica is distinguished from curved conidia of other Cirrenalia species. In line with the morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses, Cucurbitinus gen. nov. is proposed to accommodate Trichocladium constrictum and Cirrenalia iberica as Cucurbitinus constrictus comb. nov. and Cucurbitinus ibericus comb. nov. Descriptions and illustrations of the new taxa are provided with discussion of the reclassification.
Taxonomy of the fern genus Hypodematium (Pteridophyta: Hypodematiaceae) from Japan

Authors: FAN XUE-PING , GAO XIN-FEN , ZHANG LI-BING
Published: August 2020

A taxonomic study of Hypodematium (Hypodematiaceae) from Japan is presented. Three species are recognized including H. faurei, H. glanduloso-pilosum, and H. ryukyuense (sp. nov.).
Rhodophana guandishanense (Entolomataceae, Agaricales), a new species from China

Authors: YANG CHENG , FAN LI
Published: August 2020

Rhodophana guandishanense sp. nov. is described and illustrated, from North China. Morphologically, the new species is distinguished from other Rhodophana species by the combination of a glabrous orange pileus with a central depression, an absence of hymenial cystidia, and basidiospores ellipsoid to oblong, strongly undulate-pustulate, with 9–14 rounded angles or facets in polar view. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on RPB2, ATP6 and TEF1 sequences are provided, which supports the position of the new species and its genus.
An overview of the extant genera and subgenera of the order Scolopendromorpha (Chilopoda): a new identification key and updated diagnoses
Authors: SCHILEYKO ARKADY A. , VAHTERA VARPU , EDGECOMBE GREGORY D.
Published: August 2020

The extant genera and subgenera of the order Scolopendromorpha are critically reviewed and provided with updated diagnoses and a new identification key; the most recent revisions of scolopendromorph genera are concisely summarised. Rhoda Meinert, 1886 and Cryptops (Chromatanops) Verhoeff, 1906 are suggested to be a junior synonyms of Scolopendropsis Brandt, 1841 and Cryptops (Cryptops) Leach, 1814, respectively. The subgeneric status is formally fixed for Cryptops (Paracryptops) Pocock, 1891 and Cormocephalus (Campylostigmus) Ribaut, 1923; the taxonomic status of the former genus Kanparka Waldock & Edgecombe, 2012 is discussed. As a result of synonymies, the number of scolopendromorph genera and subgenera is currently 37. The formal status of the former tribes Scolopendrini Leach, 1814, Asanadini Verhoeff, 1907 and Arrhabdotini Attems, 1930 is briefly discussed; the presence of the sexual dimorphism among the taxa of generic level is overviewed.
Secondary Ice Production upon Freezing of Freely Falling Drizzle Droplets
Authors: Keinert Alice , Spannagel Dominik , Leisner Thomas , Kiselev Alexei
Published: August 2020

Ice multiplication processes are known to be responsible for the higher concentration of ice particles versus ice nucleating particles in clouds, but the exact secondary ice formation mechanisms remain to be quantified. Recent in-cloud observations and modeling studies have suggested the importance of secondary ice production upon shattering of freezing drizzle droplets. In one of our previous studies, four categories of secondary ice formation during freezing of supercooled droplets have been identified: breakup, cracking, jetting, and bubble bursts. In this work, we extend the study to include pure water and an aqueous solution of analog sea salt drizzle droplets moving at terminal velocity with respect to the surrounding cold humid air. We observe an enhancement in the droplet shattering probability as compared to the stagnant air conditions used in the previous study. Under free-fall conditions, bubble bursts are the most common secondary ice production mode in sea salt drizzle droplets, while droplet fragmentation controls the secondary ice production in pure water droplets.
Convection-Permitting Regional Climate Simulations in the Arabian Gulf Region Using WRF Driven by Bias-Corrected GCM Data
Authors: Jing Xiaoqin , Xue Lulin , Yin Yan , Yang Jing , Steinhoff Daniel F. , Monaghan Andrew , Yates David , Liu Changhai , Rasmussen Roy , Taraphdar Sourav , Pauluis Olivier
Published: August 2020

The regional climate of the Arabian Gulf region is modeled using a set of simulations based on the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model, including a 30-yr benchmark simulation driven by reanalysis data, and two bias-corrected Community Earth System Model (CESM)-driven (BCD) WRF simulations for retrospective and future periods that both include 10-yr convection-permitting nested simulations. The modeled precipitation is cross-validated using Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission data, rain gauge data, and the baseline dataset from the benchmark simulation. The changes in near-surface temperature, precipitation, and ambient conditions are investigated using the BCD WRF simulations. The results show that the BCD WRF simulation well captures the precipitation distribution, the precipitation variability, and the thermodynamic properties. In a warmer climate under the RCP8.5 scenario around the year 2070, the near-surface temperature warms by ~3°C. Precipitation increases over the Arabian Gulf, and decreases over most of the continental area, particularly over the Zagros Mountains. The wet index decreases while the maximum dry spell increases in most areas of the model domain. The future changes in precipitation are determined by both the thermodynamics and dynamics. The thermodynamic impact, which is controlled by the warming and moistening, results in more precipitation over the ocean but not over the land. The dynamic impact, which is controlled by changes in the large-scale circulation, results in decrease in precipitation over mountains. The simulations presented in this study provide a unique dataset to study the regional climate in the Arabian Gulf region for both retrospective and future climates.
Enhancing Autonomy for Climate Change Adaptation Using Participatory Modeling
Authors: Williams David Samuel
Published: August 2020

Participatory modeling is commonly applied in climate change adaptation research to integrate stakeholder knowledge, beliefs, values, and norms into modeling processes. However, participation is not neutral, and current climate change adaptation research is tailored toward those with sufficient resources to adapt, as opposed to those most in need of adaptation. These are commonly marginalized stakeholder groups who remain on the social, economic, and political periphery, driving their vulnerability to climate change impacts. This paper presents the concept of autonomy in the context of multilevel governance for climate change adaptation before examining past participatory modeling approaches, illustrating the lack of application as an emancipatory tool for increasing the autonomy of marginalized stakeholder groups. Therefore, a list of 10 necessary conditions is presented for conducting participatory modeling for increasing the autonomy of marginalized stakeholder groups, strengthening multilevel governance for climate change adaptation. These theoretical foundations are intended to guide public policy and increase the societal impact of participatory modeling.

Significance Statement

Responding to climate change impacts requires the strengthening of multilevel governance. An important aspect is that multilevel governance is dependent on local actors having sufficient autonomy to carry out climate change adaptation actions. Participatory climate change adaptation research can contribute to enhancing autonomy for climate change adaptation in applying participatory modeling. This paper explains why this is important, how participatory modelers need to design their research, and in what way this could contribute to strengthening multilevel governance and the wider societal response to climate change impacts.

If you’re a scholar who studies the social impacts of climate change and you aren’t somehow an activist what are you really?—Professor Kian Goh, University of California, Los Angeles
Is tougher sentencing and bail policy the cause of rising imprisonment rates? A NSW case study
Authors: Weatherburn Don
Published: August 2020

Between 2000 and 2019, the number of inmates in Australian prisons grew from 21,714 in 2000 to 43,028 in 2019, an increase of 98%, or in per capita terms, 48%. Much of this increase occurred between 2012 and 2019. In New South Wales (NSW), for example, the prison population rose by 17% in the 11 years between 2000 and 2011, but then grew a further 39% in the eight years between 2012 and 2019. A similar acceleration in inmate numbers occurred in other States and Territories after 2011. In this article, we examine the contribution of sentencing, bail, policing policy and crime to the rapid rise in NSW imprisonment rates. We cite evidence showing that the likelihood of bail refusal has changed very little over the period when imprisonment rates rose, we find no evidence of a significant change in the length of sentences and no evidence of an increase in the likelihood of a prison sentence once changes in sentence-relevant factors are taken into account. Most of the increase in imprisonment rates appears to be due to changes in policing policy and (to a lesser extent) certain types of crime.
A critical commentary on ‘rapid-onset gender dysphoria’
Authors: Ashley Florence
Published: August 2020

The term ‘rapid-onset gender dysphoria’ (ROGD) was coined in 2016 to describe an alleged epidemic of youth coming out as trans ‘out of the blue’ due to social contagion and mental illness. The term reflects a deliberate attempt to weaponise scientific-sounding language to dismiss mounting empirical evidence of the benefits of transition. This article offers an introduction to the theory of ROGD and its history, presents a detailed critique of the empirical and theoretical claims associated with the theory, and highlights structural concerns with the ROGD discourse. The article argues that claims associated with ROGD, including assertions of declining mental health and degrading familial relationships following coming out, are best explained by the leading ROGD study’s recruitment of parents from transantagonistic websites against a background of growing visibility and social acceptance of trans people. ROGD theory is best understood as an attempt to circumvent existing research demonstrating the importance of gender affirmation, relying on scientific-sounding language to achieve respectability.
Sex work abolitionism and hegemonic feminisms: Implications for gender-diverse sex workers and migrants from Brazil
Authors: Stabile Lua da Mota
Published: August 2020

This article investigates and analyses the main characteristics and issues involving Western hegemonic feminisms, especially so-called ‘radical feminism’, on the topic of sex work and trafficking in persons/migration, to understand how these discussions have influenced the main conventions, regulations and legislation on this global subject. In particular, it enables understanding of how these regulations invisibilize and, sometimes, criminalize trans* and gender-diverse people in migratory contexts. The contributions to decolonial feminism and transfeminism made by decolonial trans writers are essential to analyse and critique some of the conceptions espoused by Western hegemonic and especially trans-exclusionary feminisms that have influenced the international anti-trafficking and anti-prostitution discourse today. These discourses often affect the voluntary migration of trans* and gender-diverse sex workers, mainly from the Global South, such as in the Brazilian case.
Examining Teacher Dispositions for Evidence of (Transformative) Social and Emotional Competencies with Black Boys: The Case of Three Urban High School Teachers
Authors: Warren Chezare A. , Presberry Cierra , Louis Lawrence
Published: August 2020

Drawing from a larger study of teacher empathy, this article offers a critical race analysis of three teachers’ dispositions to discern (a) their social and emotional competencies (SEC) and (b) evidence of transformative social and emotional learning (SEL). Data sources include one-on-one teacher interviews, focus groups, document analyses, and more than 1,500 minutes of video-recorded classroom observations. Findings illustrate the influence of race, identity, and one’s conceptions of power for determining transformative expressions of teacher participants’ SEC. Implications for creating the conditions to effectively design and facilitate transformative SEL programming in urban school settings are discussed.
An Overlooked Cost of Contracting Out: Evidence From Employee Turnover Intention in U.S. Federal Agencies
Authors: Lee Gyeo Reh , Fernandez Sergio , Lee Shinwoo
Published: August 2020

Contracting out has long been used in all levels of government in the United States, with federal contract spending increasing 8% to 9% annually since 2015. The literature on contracting out has examined the impact of this practice on the work-related attitudes and motivation of public employees who have transitioned to work for private contractors. However, we understand very little about the effects of contracting out on the overwhelming number of public employees who are not displaced. Given the importance of work-related attitudes and turnover for organizations, this study explores the potential consequences of contracting out for employee turnover intention over a period of several years. The results of panel data analyses suggest that an increase in contracting activity in federal agencies increases the employee turnover intention rate. Contracting out also impacts employee turnover intention indirectly through its influence on job satisfaction.
Open vs. endovascular thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair: tale of the tape
Authors: Çekmecelioglu Davut , Orozco-Sevilla Vicente , Coselli Joseph S
Published: August 2020

Open surgical repair persists as the gold-standard operation for thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm; however, endovascular repair has become commonplace. Technical considerations in thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm treatment are particularly complex, insofar as it involves critical branching arteries feeding the visceral organs. Newer, low-profile devices make total endovascular thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair more feasible and, thus, appealing. For younger and low-risk patients, the choice between open and endovascular therapy remains controversial. Despite the advantages of a minimally invasive procedure, data suggest that endovascular aortic repair incurs a greater risk of spinal cord deficit, and the durability of endovascular aortic repair remains unclear. It is difficult to compare outcomes between endovascular and open thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair, primarily because of the current investigational status of endovascular devices, the variety of approaches to endovascular repair, differing patient populations, lack of prospective randomized studies, and minimal medium- and long-tern follow-up data on endovascular repair. When deciding between open and endovascular approaches, one should consider which is more suitable for each patient. Older patients generally benefit from a less invasive approach. Open repair should be considered for young patients and those with heritable thoracic aortic disease. Infection and fistulae are best treated by open repair, although endovascular intervention as a lifesaving bridge to definitive repair has evolved to become a critical component of initial treatment. It is crucial to have technical expertise in both open and endovascular procedures to provide the best aortic repair for the patient. This may require dedicated aortic programs at tertiary institutions.
Intraocular lipopolysaccharide examination for early diagnosis of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia endophthalmitis: a case report
Authors: Chen Li , Xu Zhuo Zai , Tao Yong
Published: August 2020

This report describes the presence of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia endophthalmitis after phacoemulsification in a 66-year-old woman. The patient presented with ocular redness and pain, as well as hypopyon in the anterior chamber and reduction of visual acuity to hand motion. Intraocular fluid examination revealed a lipopolysaccharide level of >2.5, which suggested bacterial endophthalmitis. The patient was promptly treated with intravitreal ceftazidime 2 mg and vancomycin 1 mg, as well as intravenous infusion of cefuroxime 750 mg, all administered simultaneously at 12-hour intervals. She also received topical levofloxacin eyedrops, once per hour. Subsequently, pathology culture confirmed the presence of the Gram-negative bacillus, S. maltophilia. The presence of lipopolysaccharide in intraocular fluid is an important early indicator of bacterial endophthalmitis, which can provide guidance for clinical treatment.
Paradoxical carbon dioxide embolism during laparoscopic surgery without intracardiac right-to-left shunt: two case reports and a brief review of the literature
Authors: Hou Wenting , Zhong Jing , Pan Bo , Huang Jiapeng , Wang Biyu , Sun Zhirong , Miao Changhong
Published: August 2020

We herein report two cases of paradoxical carbon dioxide (CO2) embolism during laparoscopic nephrectomy and hepatic left lateral lobectomy without evidence of a right-to-left shunt or obvious rupture of blood vessels. Transesophageal echocardiography detected paradoxical CO2 embolism before the end-tidal CO2 partial pressure (PETCO2) dropped from baseline. The pneumoperitoneum was reduced or stopped immediately after detection of the embolism. One patient developed a postoperative epileptiform seizure. In the other patient, many gas bubbles were drawn out from the central venous line. We speculate that rapid introduction of pneumoperitoneum pushed a large amount of CO2 into the abdominal blood vessels, exceeding the gas exchange capacity of the lung and causing CO2 bubble formation in the left-side cardiac system. These two cases indicate that intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography can reduce the influence of CO2 embolism during laparoscopic tumor surgery by early diagnosis of the embolism and provide helpful information to establish a list of differential diagnoses of postoperative complications.
Influence of vitamin D supplementation on lipid levels in polycystic ovary syndrome patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Jin Bihui , Qian Lingbo , Fu Xiaohua , Zhu Jing , Shu Jing
Published: August 2020

Objective

Observational studies have shown that circulating vitamin D (VitD) deficiency is associated with atherogenic lipid patterns among polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. However, interventional studies have shown inconsistent results. The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate how VitD supplementation influences lipid indices in PCOS patients.

Methods

The authors searched four electronic databases through August 2019 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the effect of VitD intervention on serum lipids among PCOS patients. Mean differences were generated for statistical evaluation.

Results

We included eight studies and performed nine comparisons across 467 participants. VitD supplementation reduced serum triglyceride levels (−11.88 mg/dL; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −17.03 to −6.73), total cholesterol (−9.09 mg/dL; 95% CI: −14.90 to −3.29), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (−5.22 mg/dL; 95% CI: −10.32 to −0.13), and very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (−2.43 mg/dL; 95% CI: −3.69 to −1.17) compared with no VitD supplementation. However, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels showed no differences with or without VitD supplementation (−0.39 mg/dL; 95% CI: −1.39 to 0.61).

Conclusions

VitD supplementation improved serum lipid levels among PCOS patients, but serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were not changed. VitD intervention might benefit PCOS patients who are at high risk of an atherogenic lipid profile.
Tetrandrine partially reverses multidrug resistance of human laryngeal cancer cells
Authors: Li Yachun , Li Dongjie , Wang Ping , Zhu Wei , Yin Wanzhong
Published: August 2020

Objective

Studies have demonstrated that tetrandrine reverses multidrug resistance (MDR) in animal models or cell lines derived from multiple cancer types. We examined the potential MDR reversal activity of tetrandrine in a multidrug-resistant variant of a human laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cell line and explored potential mechanisms involved.

Methods

We developed the multidrug-resistant variant cell line (Hep-2/v) by exposing Hep-2 cells to stepwise increasing concentrations of vincristine (VCR). After Hep-2 or Hep-2/v cells were treated with tetrandrine (2.52 µg/mL), MDR was measured by MTT assay, rhodamine 123 retention was measured by flow cytometry, and mRNA and protein expression of multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1), regulator of G-protein signaling 10 (RGS10), high-temperature requirement protein A1 (HTRA1), and nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1) were detected by real-time reverse transcription-PCR and western blotting, respectively.

Results

Tetrandrine significantly lowered the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of VCR in Hep-2/v cells, resulting in a 2.22-fold reversal of MDR. Treatment with tetrandrine increased rhodamine 123 retention, downregulated the mRNA and protein expression of MDR1 and RGS10, and upregulated expression of HTRA1 in Hep-2/v cells.

Conclusion

We showed that tetrandrine exerts anti-MDR activity in Hep-2/v cells, possibly by inhibiting MDR1 overexpression-mediated drug efflux and by altering expression of HTRA1 and RGS10.
Understanding the Effectiveness of Bus Rapid Transit Systems in Small and Medium-Sized Cities in North America
Authors: Sidloski Michaela , Diab Ehab
Published: August 2020

In response to a lack of existing academic literature in relation to bus rapid transit (BRT) system success in small and medium-sized cities, this research examines the operational, demographic, and socioeconomic aspects of BRT at the route and system level in 16 small and medium-sized cities across North America. The results are compared with BRTs of large North American metropolitan areas to establish how the determinants of and requirements for BRT success differ. A wide array of factors collected from transit agencies, the Canadian and American 2016 censuses, and General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) data are analyzed alongside ridership, which represents the primary determinant of BRT system success. The findings suggest that BRT routes of larger cities generally enjoy higher ridership levels compared with smaller and medium-sized cities in North America. Operational variables including service frequency were considerably higher in larger cities, with shorter route lengths, compared to small and medium cities. Higher population density, local accessibility, and percentage of rented households can also be observed in larger cities’ BRT system catchment areas in comparison with smaller cities. However, some BRT routes of smaller and medium-sized cities in North America exhibit comparable ridership levels with those in large cities. These routes have similar levels in relation to rentership, route length, and headway, with good local accessibility, while falling behind in population density. This paper expands on previous research on BRT systems, helping transit planners and policymakers to better understand the relationship between the city size and BRT ridership levels.
IGF-1 loaded injectable microspheres for potential repair of the infarcted myocardium
Authors: Rosellini Elisabetta , Barbani Niccoletta , Frati Caterina , Madeddu Denise , Massai Diana , Morbiducci Umberto , Lazzeri Luigi , Falco Angela , Graiani Gallia , Lagrasta Costanza , Audenino Alberto , Cascone Maria Grazia , Quaini Federico
Published: August 2020

The use of injectable scaffolds to repair the infarcted heart is receiving great interest. Thermosensitive polymers, in situ polymerization, in situ cross-linking, and self-assembling peptides are the most investigated approaches to obtain injectability.

Aim of the present work was the preparation and characterization of a novel bioactive scaffold, in form of injectable microspheres, for cardiac repair. Gellan/gelatin microspheres were prepared by a water-in-oil emulsion and loaded by adsorption with Insulin-like growth factor 1 to promote tissue regeneration. Obtained microspheres underwent morphological, physicochemical and biological characterization, including cell culture tests in static and dynamic conditions and in vivo tests. Morphological analysis of the microspheres showed a spherical shape, a microporous surface and an average diameter of 66 ± 17µm (under dry conditions) and 123 ± 24 µm (under wet conditions). Chemical Imaging analysis pointed out a homogeneous distribution of gellan, gelatin and Insulin-like growth factor-1 within the microsphere matrix. In vitro cell culture tests showed that the microspheres promoted rat cardiac progenitor cells adhesion, and cluster formation. After dynamic suspension culture within an impeller-free bioreactor, cells still adhered to microspheres, spreading their cytoplasm over microsphere surface. Intramyocardial administration of microspheres in a cryoinjury rat model attenuated chamber dilatation, myocardial damage and fibrosis and improved cell homing.

Overall, the findings of this study confirm that the produced microspheres display morphological, physicochemical, functional and biological properties potentially adequate for future applications as injectable scaffold for cardiac tissue engineering.