bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dual-Signal Colorimetric and Electrochemical Sensor of Dopamine Based on Nanocomposite of Cobalt Oxyhydroxide/Carbon Black
Authors: Zou Xun , Deng Zilong , Chen Huiting , Zheng Zhiyuan , Ji Limin , Chen Yuying , Sun Mingyan , Ouyang Sixue , Yuan Zhiying , Zhao Peng , Tao Jia
Published: January 2023

In this report, a novel electrochemical and colorimetric dual-mode sensing system was developed for the sensitive and selective detection of DA. The large surface area of CoOOH and the excellent conductivity of CB endow the electrochemical sensing system with high sensitivity. CoOOH with oxidase-like activity will convert the colorless TMB into the blue oxidation product OXTMB, appearing an absorption peak at 652 nm correspondingly. And the addition of DA will inhibit the activity of oxidase followed by a reducing in the absorption. Our device provided a wider detection range for DA from 1 to 30 μM and 1 to 950 μM through colorimetric and electrochemical methods, respectively. Furthermore, this biosensor with good biocompatibility has been successfully used for in-vitro tracking of DA efflux from live PC12 cell after being stimulated, which has important scientific and practical value for clinical diagnosis and monitoring.
Fibroblast growth factor 21 as a potential master regulator in metabolic disorders
Authors: Velingkar Aayushi , Vuree Sugunakar , Prabhakar Pranav Kumar , Kalashikam Rajender Rao , Banerjee Aparna , Kondeti Suresh
Published: January 2023

FGF21 is an endocrine hormone that controls key metabolic processes and induces the synthesis of glucose transporters, resulting in increased glucose absorption levels in fat cells. It is expressed in multiple metabolically active organs and tissues. FGF21 is also a powerful regulator of glucose homeostasis as a direct downregulating gene of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ( PPAR), which plays a role in regulating the activity of glucose and lipids. Attempts were made to understand various aspects related to FGF21, including properties like receptor binding and genomic linkage map, along with the information about the genes that function in the upregulation of FGF21 and how it, directly and indirectly, downregulates the genes that are vital in various metabolic pathways. Furthermore, various gene regulatory analyses on the specific gene concerning unique micro RNAs and long non-coding RNAs that target FGF21 and alter its functioning along with single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were observed, that are the common cause of cell dysregulation, leading to different metabolic diseases and pathogenesis of cancer. Unique protein-protein interaction and cross talk between FGF21 and PPARγ shed light on their combined role in metabolic disorder-related regulatory activities. Its potential and unique role as an effective biomarker for various cardiovascular and metabolic disorders have also been highlighted. This study attempts to highlight the pleiotropic role of FGF21 activity following its overexpression and inhibition of cascades that results in the induction of obesity from diet and simultaneously signals adipocytes to absorb glucose and decrease triglyceride and blood sugar levels in diabetic models (after administration), rendering it a promising treatment for several metabolic and cardiovascular disorders.
Impact of Quartz/Argillaceous Sandstone and Siliceous/Kaolinitic Claystone Contamination of Drilling Fluid and Filter Cake Properties
Authors: Bageri Badr , Benaafi Mohammed , Al Jaberi Jaber , Alfaraj Mashaer A. , Al-Otaibi Bandar
Published: January 2023

The drilling fluid must be designed through a comprehensive process to select the right additives, and then must passed through different API standard evaluation processes to ensure the quality. However, the contamination of the drilling fluid with the drilled cuttings caused a significant alteration in the drilling fluid and sealing properties of the drilling fluid. Therefore, many studies have been conducted to identify the effect of different cuttings on the drilling fluid properties. The current work emphasized on the impact of four different cuttings (quartz sandstone, Argillaceous sandstone, Siliceous claystone, and Kaolinitic claystone). The utilized cuttings in this work were selected carefully from different sandstone types to have varied clay content ranged from 0 to 70%. The selected cuttings were prepared and then characterized in term of their mineral composition and particle size distribution. In order to accomplish the objective of this work, the base mud contains zero cutting concentration, after that, an additional four drilling fluid samples were prepared by adding the prepared cuttings in two different concentrations include 5 wt.% and 10 wt.%. Several indispensable tests were conducted to investigate the impact of the added cutting on the rheological properties, filtration performance, filter cake properties, and other primary properties such as the drilling fluid density and pH. The results exhibited that the fluctuation of fluid properties was governed by two factors, one was the cutting concertation and the other was the clay content. Filter cake thickness showed high sensitivity at the low cutting concentration while the other properties were mostly in the acceptable range. On the other hand, at higher concentration, the results fall down into two clusters: cuttings with clay content ranging from 0 to 50% (quartz sandstone cuttings, Argillaceous sandstone, and Siliceous claystone) and cuttings with clay content higher than 50% (Kaolinitic claystone) as shown in details in the result section of this work. This works highlight the important of considering the cutting impact on the drilling fluid properties which ultimately impact the whole drilling operations.
Reevaluation of the Systematic Status of Branchinotogluma (Annelida, Polynoidae), with the Establishment of Two New Species
Authors: Wu Xuwen , Zhen Wenquan , Kou Qi , Xu Kuidong
Published: January 2023

Branchinotogluma is one of the most diverse genera among the polynoids inhabiting deep-sea chemosynthetic environments. A total of 14 species have been described from the hydrothermal vents and cold seeps worldwide. Our phylogenetic analyses based on four genes (COI, 16S, 18S, and 28S rRNA) recovered the current Branchinotogluma as paraphyletic, with seven clades scattered in two main clades. The monophyly of the main clade composed of Branchinotogluma (except Branchinotogluma segonzaci), Branchipolynoe, and Peinaleopolynoe is supported by the presence of 20–21 segments with 9–10 pairs of elytra, ventral papillae starting from segment 12 in males, and arborescent branchiae. The monophyly of another main clade composed of B. segonzaci, Bathykurila, Lepidonotopodium, Levensteiniella, and Thermopolynoe is supported by the presence of usually 22–30 segments with 11 pairs of elytra and the lack of ventral papillae in females. In addition, our study recognized two new species, Branchinotogluma nanhaiensis sp. nov. and B. robusta sp. nov., based on specimens collected from the deep-sea cold seeps in the South China Sea. Both the morphology and molecular phylogenetic analyses support the validity of the two new species and the sister relationships between B. nanhaiensis and B. japonicus and between B. robusta and B. pettiboneae as well.
The Importance of Fatty Acid Precision Nutrition: Effects of Dietary Fatty Acid Composition on Growth, Hepatic Metabolite, and Intestinal Microbiota in Marine Teleost Trachinotus ovatus
Authors: Zhang Guanrong , Ning Lijun , Jiang Kunsheng , Zheng Jun , Guan Junfeng , Li Hengji , Ma Yongcai , Wu Kun , Xu Chao , Xie Dizhi , Chen Fang , Wang Shuqi , Li Yuanyou
Published: January 2023

Our recent study demonstrated that diet with blend oil (named BO1) as lipid, which is designed on the base of essential fatty acid requirement of Trachinotus ovatus, achieved good performance. Here, to confirm its effect and investigate the mechanism, three isonitrogenous (45%) and isolipidic (13%) diets (D1-D3) only differing in dietary lipids, which were, respectively, fish oil (FO), BO1, and blend oil 2 (BO2) consisting of FO and soybean oil at 2 : 3, were formulated and used to feed the T. ovatus juveniles (average initial weight: 7.65 g) for 9 weeks. The results showed that the weight gain rate of fish fed D2 was higher than that of fish fed D3 (

P
<
0.05

) and had no significant difference from that of fish fed D1 (

P
>
0.05

). Correspondingly, compared with the D3 group, fish of the D2 group exhibited better oxidative stress parameters such as lower serum malondialdehyde content and inflammatory indexes in the liver such as the lower expression level of genes encoding four interleukin proteins and tumor necrosis factor α, as well as higher hepatic immune-related metabolites such as valine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid, tyramine, l-targinine, p-synephrine, and butyric acid (

P
<
0.05

). Furthermore, the intestinal probiotic (Bacillus) proportion was significantly higher, while the pathogenic bacteria (Mycoplasma) proportion was significantly lower in the D2 group than that in the D3 group (

P
<
0.05

). The main differential fatty acids of diet D2 were close to those of D1, while the levels of linoleic acid and n-6 PUFA, as well as the ratio of DHA/EPA of D3, were higher than those of D1 and D2. These results indicated that the better performance of D2 such as enhancing growth, reducing oxidative stress, and improving immune responses and intestinal microbial communities in T. ovatus may be mainly due to the good fatty acid composition of BO1, which indicated the importance of fatty acid precision nutrition.
Gestational Weight Gain and Small for Gestational Age in Obese Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Chen Wen , Li Beiyi , Gan Kexin , Liu Jing , Yang Yajing , Lv Xiuqin , Ma Huijuan
Published: January 2023

Objective. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the relationship between gestational weight gain and the risk of small for gestational age in obese pregnant women. Methods. Studies were identified by searching the Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed databases up to June 30th, 2022. The meta-analysis was carried out to determine the risk of small for gestational age with gestational weight gain (GWG) below the 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines compared with within the guidelines in obese women. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used to assess the methodological quality. The chi-squared test, Q test, and I2 test were used to evaluate statistical heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses were conducted, and publication bias was assessed by funnel plots and Egger’s test. Sensitivity analyses were performed for three groups of obese people (I: BMI 30–34.9 kg/m2, II: BMI 35–39.9 kg/m2, and III: BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2) to examine the association of obesity and SGA. Results. A total of 788 references were screened, and 29 studies (n = 1242420 obese women) were included in the systematic review. Obese women who gained weight below the IOM guideline had a higher risk of SGA than those who gained weight within the guideline (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.16–1.38, Z = 5.36). Both weight loss (<0 kg) and inadequate weight (0–4.9 kg) during pregnancy in obese women are associated with an increased risk of SGA (OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.37–1.64, Z = 8.82) (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.14–1.23, Z = 8.06). The same conclusions were also confirmed for the three obesity classes (I: OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.29–1.47; II: OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.30–1.49; and III: OR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.16–1.37). Subgroup analysis by country showed that GWG below guidelines in obese women of the USA and Europe was associated with risk for SGA (USA (OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.15–1.46), Europe (OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.11–1.40)) and not in Asia (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 0.91–1.50). Conclusion. Our findings indicated that obese pregnant women who had weight loss or inadequate weight (0–4.9 kg) according to the IOM guideline had increased risks for SGA. Moreover, we also evaluated that gestational weight loss (<0 kg) in these pregnancies was associated with an increased risk for SGA compared with inadequate weight (0–4.9 kg) in these pregnancies. Therefore, the clinical focus should assist obese women to achieve GWG within the IOM guidelines to decrease the risk for SGA.
Traffic-Responsive Signal Control at Intersections Using Real-Time Data of Vehicles Connected via V2X Communication
Authors: Park Hyung Geun , Kim Sunghoon , Kim Taehyung
Published: January 2023

The positive effect of traffic-responsive signal control can be assured when real-time traffic data is reliable, but data reliability may be an issue that depends on the number of probe vehicles equipped with navigation devices or smartphones. However, there is a high chance of improving reliability with the recent deployment of connected vehicles (CVs) that use the vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication data. Therefore, this paper proposes a traffic signal control strategy that utilizes V2X communication data obtained from CV operations, which is called the capacity waste reduction (CWR) strategy. In this strategy, vehicle queues on each road lane as an intersection approaches are initially estimated using V2X data. Then, the signal control algorithm determines the duration of the green signal for the currently applied phase based on the estimated vehicle queues. Furthermore, the strategy includes an algorithm for active priority signal control for the vehicles of bus rapid transit systems. The efficiency of the provided control strategy is tested with the VISSIM microsimulation program at different levels of the market penetration rate (MPR) of CVs. Based on the results of the experiment, the proposed strategy shows positive effects in both decreasing travel delay and increasing traffic flow even at the low levels of MPR of CVs. The results of the proposed strategy can be used as the base data for the development of smart intersection operations.
Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap for Immediate Breast Reconstruction following Mastectomy in Breast Cancer Patients: An Initial Experience in Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Xuan Hau , Pham Thi Viet Dung , Nguyen Xuan Hien , Vu Thi Dung , Nguyen Hop Nhan , Pham Quang Dao , Ngo Van Ty
Published: January 2023

Background. Breast reconstruction in breast cancer patients is an optional surgery that improves the quality of life while preserving the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap is a new but reliable and safe technique for autologous breast reconstruction. After mastectomy, immediate reconstruction is the preferred method because of its aesthetic result and convenience. This study is aimed at summarizing our experience in DIEP flap for immediate breast reconstruction. Methods. A prospective study was performed on 30 breast cancer patients who underwent intermediate breast reconstruction for DIEP flap after mastectomy from June 2019 to June 2021 in Hanoi Medical University Hospital. Clinicopathology characteristics, tumor stage, treatment, and complications were evaluated. Result. The mean age of patients was 44.9 (range: 29-73 years). 86.7% of patients were in stages I and II. Five patients (16.7%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. 20 patients (66.7%) underwent nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) procedures. The mean operating time was 341 minutes. The mean time to receive chemotherapy was 34.68 days. The mean number of perforators was 1.30. The overall flap success rate was 90%. Twelve patients (40%) experienced complications. Four patients (13.3%) returned to the operating room due to venous congestions. Two patients (6.67%) had complete flap loss. Other complication: fat necrosis (6.7%), seroma (13.3%), partial flap loss (3.3%), abdominal wound dehiscence (6.7%), pneumonia (3.3%), and pulmonary embolism (6.7%). After one-month postoperation, 88.9% of patients were satisfied with their breasts, and 74.07% were satisfied with the operation. Conclusion. DIEP flap is a new but reliable and safe technique for autologous breast reconstruction. Though patients opting for breast reconstruction still have a low risk of complication and reconstruction failure, this procedure should be used more frequently in appropriate patients to improve their quality of life.
Interest Rate Liberalization and Firm Leverage in China: Effects and Channels
Authors: Chen Caiyun , Peng Xuefei , Yu Liufang
Published: January 2023

We examine whether and how interest rate liberalization affects firm leverage in China. We find that interest rate liberalization exerts a negative effect on the leverage of firms. Specifically, firms experience a reduction in total leverage during the liberalization period, and firms’ short-term leverage declines more relative to long-term leverage. Mechanism analysis shows that firms with high information asymmetry enjoy more decline in leverage relative to firms with low information asymmetry, and further, liberalization policy enables the reduction in credit transaction costs, which indicates that the behavior of banks actively collecting corporate information is an important channel that interest rate liberalization impacts firm leverage. Finally, in additional tests, we find that the impact is more salient when firms are non-state-owned, and loss making. Compare to operating liabilities, firms experience more reduction in financial liability.
CYP3A5 Expressor Genotype of the Transplanted Kidney Increases the Risk of Preterm Graft Loss and Acute Rejection
Authors: Warzyszyńska Karola , Zawistowski Michał , Karpeta Edyta , Jałbrzykowska Agnieszka , Kosieradzki Maciej
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Tacrolimus is metabolized mainly in the liver by the CYP3A enzyme family, with a particularly well-documented role of CYP3A5. CYP3A5 is also expressed in the renal tissue and is present in the transplanted kidney. To date, the association between donor CYP3A5 polymorphisms and transplant outcome remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of donor CYP3A5 expression on early and long-term transplant outcomes. Methods: A retrospective cohort study including 207 patients who received kidney grafts from 110 deceased donors was conducted at a single Central European Center. Tissue samples from all donors were studied for CYP3A5 single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs776746). Death-censored graft loss within 5-year follow-up, acute rejection occurrence, and kidney function, measured using serum creatinine and MDRD eGFR, were compared between groups of patients with allografts from rs776746 carriers (CYP3A5 expressors) and noncarriers (CYP3A5 nonexpressors). Results: Recipients who received kidneys from CYP3A5 expressors (n = 24) were at significantly higher risk of death-censored graft loss within 5-year follow-up (adjusted HR, 95% CI: 6.82, 2.01–23.12; p = 0.002) and acute rejection within the 1st posttransplant year (adjusted OR, 95% CI: 4.62, 1.67–12.77; p = 0.003) than those who did not (n = 183). The median time to loss of function was 1.93 [IQR; 0.77–3.19] years. Conclusions: Donor CYP3A5 expressor status is associated with worse renal graft survival and a higher risk of acute rejection. Determination of donor CYP3A5 genotype is a potentially useful tool that may improve kidney transplant outcomes.
Estática das estruturas: material de apoio e complementar: conceitos básicos
Authors:   Universidade de São Paulo. Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Paccola Rodrigo Ribeiro , Carrazedo Rogério ,   Universidade de São Paulo. Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos
Published: January 2023

Essa é a primeira publicação dos autores, de uma série de três textos, que apresenta uma revisão de conceitos fundamentais ao desenvolvimento da estática das estruturas. São tópicos abordados em disciplinas como mecânica geral, mecânica dos sólidos e resistência dos materiais, que são aqui revisitados e discutidos para o pleno entendimento e aplicação dos conceitos que serão abordados nas duas publicações seguintes. Trata-se de um texto que expressa as relações mais importantes para a compreensão dos conceitos empregados, sem necessariamente se aprofundar em deduções minuciosas. O texto traduz a visão dos autores sobre os temas que são base para a aplicação dos conceitos da estática, compilando as experiências adquiridas ao longo dos últimos anos ministrando disciplinas na área de análise de estruturas.
The Mercosur fiction: politics and literature in Gabriela Aguerre’s O quarto branco
Authors: Lucena Sarah C.
Published: January 2023

This paper discusses the viability of speaking of a Southern Cone identity as a Mercosur’s project by analyzing Gabriela Aguerre’s O quarto branco (2019). Departing from the official Mercosur’s discourse about its project of regional cultural integration and in connection with Diego Olstein’s (2017) concept of American Divergence, I argue that the lack of success of Mercosur in creating the notion of a common identity for the Southern Cone is linked to the historical foundation in which lies the creation of the bloc. By reading Aguerre’s novel in view of such divergent framework, I propose that the regional integration that Mercosur longs for can be achieved via literature – specifically through Benedict Anderson’s (2016) concept of print-capitalism, for which novel in print functions as the seed and fabric from which large groups of anonymous peoples can commune and identify. When representing the dualities at play when moving across the Southern Cone borders, Aguerre’s novel both contests and accepts such duality while suggesting that the Mercosur’s common identity is still not a reality, yet achievable in the realm of fiction and communal imagination.
O consumo também é em série: a figura do Serial Killer como produto midiático
Authors: Aragone Gabriella de Almeida
Published: January 2023

Este estudo busca compreender a transformação da figura do serial killer em produto midiático, levando em consideração conteúdos e bens de consumo inspirados nos seguintes criminosos: Ed Kemper, Jack, o Estripador, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy e Ted Bundy. Foi analisada a Indústria Cultural e a influência da Cultura Pop ao longo das Eras Midiáticas apontadas por Lucia Santaella, a fim de entender a evolução dos formatos midiáticos. Por meio disso, será possível definir como o serial killer se transformou em um produto mercadológico, observando sua inserção e forma de consumo. Para atingir esses objetivos, foram utilizados dois procedimentos metodológicos: o estudo  bibliográfico, com os principais autores que norteiam os temas analisados, e a pesquisa empírica, utilizando a análise de conteúdo e seu método de categorização.
Do clássico ao moderno: Cidadão Kane e a modernização da linguagem cinematográfica
Authors: Cordeiro Igor Cerqueira
Published: January 2023

Este trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar um breve estudo sobre a modernização da linguagem cinematográfica a partir do filme Cidadão Kane (1941), realizado pelo diretor Orson Welles. Busca-se analisar a forma como ele conjuga os elementos de expressão fílmica para promover profundas modificações em relação às convenções dramatúrgicas e estéticas do cinema clássico hollywoodiano, desta forma, lançando as bases para o surgimento do cinema moderno.
Beyond media imperialism: The challenges of theorizing global TV flows
Authors: Straubhaar Joseph
Published: January 2023

This article reviews the intellectual journey that led me to study the development of television in Brazil. It discusses how I came to study how media were developing in countries of the global South as part of a Ph.D. in International Relations. It led me to get particularly interested in Brazil, particularly when I discovered that the US State Department was willing to train me in Portuguese and send me there for three years. It discusses the great intellectual support I received for my research on Brazilian television, TV Globo and cultural dependency, from Prof. José Marques de Melo and others at ECA/USP, in which others like Carlos Eduardo Lins da Silva and Ana Maria Fadul were beginning to look at some of the same issues. It goes on to discuss how interesting and helpful the INTERCOM and ALAIC network of researchers was in learning about the great upswell in Brazilian and Latin American research that was taking place.
Uma epistemologia comunitarista da comunicação
Authors: Paiva Raquel
Published: January 2023

O texto discorre sobre a perspectiva de reinterpretação do conceito de comunidade proposto pela autora, desde os seus estudos iniciais com o desdobramento de conceitos que a qualificam para o entendimento da estrutura na atualidade, como comunidade gerativa e minorias flutuantes. A autora realiza um entrecruzamento da atividade de pesquisa com sua existência individual, social e profissional, contexto em que emergem os colegas da Universidade de São Paulo, com os quais, ao longo dos anos, estabeleceu relações e considera referências, como o decano José Marques de Melo. Trata-se de uma reflexão revisionista e autobiográfica, por isso realizada na primeira pessoa, uma vez que se entrecruzam de maneira intensa produção intelectual e vida pessoal.
Desafios de uma universidade de pesquisa e sua relação com a ciência brasileira
Authors: Krieger José Eduardo
Published: January 2023

A universidade de pesquisa integra e está no topo de um sistema de ensino superior e científico hierarquizado, com missão específica para o desenvolvimento de estoques de conhecimento e a formação de recursos humanos altamente especializados. A sua sustentabilidade se ampara em instituições de ensino básico e superior que proveem formação educacional de qualidade para a maior parte da população com igualdade de oportunidades. Os seus valores são globais e a tímida integração do país ao comércio internacional freia o pleno desenvolvimento das suas instituições, em particular das universidades de pesquisa e da indústria local, renunciando a qualquer possibilidade de protagonismo na sociedade do conhecimento, que caracteriza o mundo atual, e na construção de uma sociedade mais equânime.
Distrofia muscular de Duchenne e as demandas de reabilitação na pandemia da COVID-19 – telemonitoramento
Authors: Petian-Alonso Danila Cristina , Cruz Karoliny Lisandra Teixeira , Martins Emanuela Juvenal , Mattiello-Sverzut Ana Claudia
Published: January 2023

A Distrofia Muscular de Duchenne (DMD) é uma doença congênita hereditária, ligada ao cromossomo X, lócus Px21, responsável por codificar a proteína distrofina.
Angiotensin II Type 1A Receptor Expressed in Smooth Muscle Cells is Required for Hypertensive Vascular Remodeling in Mice Infused With Angiotensin II
Authors: Okuno Keisuke , Torimoto Keiichi , Cicalese Stephanie M. , Preston Kyle , Rizzo Victor , Hashimoto Tomoki , Coffman Thomas M. , Sparks Matthew A. , Eguchi Satoru
Published: January 2023

Background:

Ang II (angiotensin II) type 1 (AT
1
) receptors play a critical role in cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension. Rodents have 2 types of AT
1
receptor (AT
1A
and AT
1B
) of which knock-in
Tagln
-mediated smooth muscle AT
1A
silencing attenuated Ang II–induced hypertension. Although vascular remodeling, a significant contributor to organ damage, occurs concurrently with hypertension in Ang II–infused mice, the contribution of smooth muscle AT
1A
in this process remains unexplored. Accordingly, it is hypothesized that smooth muscle AT
1A
receptors exclusively contribute to both medial thickening and adventitial fibrosis regardless of the presence of hypertension.

Methods:

About 1 µg/kg per minute Ang II was infused for 2 weeks in 2 distinct AT
1A
receptor silenced mice, knock-in
Tagln
-mediated constitutive smooth muscle AT
1A
receptor silenced mice, and
Myh11
-mediated inducible smooth muscle AT
1A
together with global AT
1B
silenced mice for evaluation of hypertensive cardiovascular remodeling.

Results:

Medial thickness, adventitial collagen deposition, and immune cell infiltration in aorta were increased in control mice but not in both smooth muscle AT
1A
receptor silenced mice. Coronary arterial perivascular fibrosis in response to Ang II infusion was also attenuated in both AT
1A
receptor silenced mice. Ang II–induced cardiac hypertrophy was attenuated in constitutive smooth muscle AT
1A
receptor silenced mice. However, Ang II–induced cardiac hypertrophy and hypertension were not altered in inducible smooth muscle AT
1A
receptor silenced mice.

Conclusions:

Smooth muscle AT
1A
receptors mediate Ang II–induced vascular remodeling including medial hypertrophy and inflammatory perivascular fibrosis regardless of the presence of hypertension. Our data suggest an independent etiology of blood pressure elevation and hypertensive vascular remodeling in response to Ang II.
“Idźcież już precz!” [Come on, get out already!]: The Origins and Development of the Earliest Anti-Jesuit Literature in the Commonwealth of Poland–Lithuania, 1577–1614
Authors: Maryks Robert Aleksander
Published: January 2023

This article is the first account in English of the origins and development of the earliest anti-Jesuit literature in the Commonwealth of Poland–Lithuania from the publication in 1577 of the first anti-Jesuit work, Jakub Niemojewski’s (c.1532–84) Diatribe abo kolacyja przyjacielska z ks. Jezuitami poznańskimi o przedniejsze różnice wiary krzescijańskiej (Diatribe or a friendly supper with Poznań Jesuit fathers about the main differences of the Christian faith), until the publication in 1614 of the most famous and most influential anti-Jesuit work not only in Poland but also in other parts of Europe, the Monita privata [secreta] (Private [hidden] instructions) ascribed to the Polish (ex-)Jesuit, Hieronim Zahorowski (c.1582–1634). The essay places the Polish anti-Jesuit literature, written mostly in Latin but also in Polish, within its broader context of such literature in western Europe, of which it was an integral part, for the texts from both younger and older Europe influenced each other and borrowed from each other. (Younger Europe refers here to the Scandinavian–Baltic–Slavic–Hungarian–Balkan part of the continent that was Christianized some centuries after Older Europe). Such a presentation aims at showing the indisputable importance of anti-Jesuit literature for the culture and politics not only of the early modern and but also of the modern history of Europe, including Poland, whose contours were shaped by the Jesuits, for better or worse, to a degree exceeding that of all other Catholic religious organizations. Several topoi examined here fed into anti-Jesuit conspiracy theories, which constitute one of the core themes of this special issue of the jjs. These conspiracy theories gave legitimacy to the aim of expelling the Jesuits, who were portrayed as forming a secretive society that had invaded Poland–Lithuania to fulfill the agenda of foreign powers through deception and assassination.
The Deceivers Deceived: How a Seventeenth-Century Venetian Anti-Jesuit Circle Duped a Jesuit Rector
Authors: Pavone Sabina
Published: January 2023

In 1608, Antonio Barisone (1557/8–1623), rector of the Jesuit college at Ferrara, became ensnared in an elaborate deception designed to expose the unscrupulous methods by which Jesuits exploited vulnerable wealthy widows and enlarged the material wealth of their Society. Entering into a correspondence with a Venetian noblewoman who lamented the loss of her Jesuit confessor following the expulsion of the Society of Jesus from Venice (1606), it took several months before Barisone realized that the letters he was receiving actually had their origins in the anti-Jesuit circles linked to Paolo Sarpi (1552–1623). In addition to throwing light on Venice as a hotbed of espionage, political rumors, and conspiratorial activity in the early sixteenth century, this episode foregrounds several themes and leitmotifs that would go on to dominate anti-Jesuit polemic over the subsequent centuries.
Conspiracy Theory as a Vehicle for a Jesuit-Free Portugal under the Pombaline Government (1750–77)
Authors: Franco José Eduardo , Carreira Paula
Published: January 2023

During the reign of José I (1714–77), his prime minister, the marquis of Pombal paired an expansive program of Enlightenment reform with a dramatic anti-Jesuit policy whose impact extended far beyond Portugal. The Pombaline anti-Jesuit measures, accompanied by intensive international propaganda, were the end result of negative evaluations of the role played by the Jesuits in Portugal. A diabolical causality made the Society of Jesus responsible for the degeneration of the church, the corruption of politics, the backwardness of education, and the laxity in morals. This essay focuses on two aspects of Pombal’s campaign: first, the use of the church structures against a part of the church (the Society of Jesus); secondly, the identification of a philosophical authority, namely Aristotle, as supplying the intellectual underpinnings of the Jesuit order and symbolizing the allegedly outmoded forms of instruction associated with Jesuit pedagogy
“A picture is worth a thousand words”: Visual Media and the Anti-Jesuit Conspiracy Theory in the Age of Enlightenment
Authors: Vogel Christine
Published: January 2023

In the context of news reporting about anti-Jesuit government actions and within the media landscape of eighteenth-century Europe, anti-Jesuitism began to posit a comprehensive superconspiracy and, in doing so, interweave religious and political aspects. Visual media played a decisive role in this process. Due to their high degree of intermediality and frequent recourse to allegory, printed news images were able to bundle ongoing debates and condense complex arguments. The allegorical pictorial language of these images was a specifically baroque form of non-linear “hypertextuality” that went far beyond the linear patterns of causality normally associated with the verbal and textual cultures of the Enlightenment. The visual dimension of news reporting was a means of cross-referencing and connecting that, by defying linear logic, promoted the idea that “nothing is as it seems” and that “everything is connected.”
“A sinister creature is on the loose”: Anti-Jesuit Conspiracy Allegations as Political and Poetological Strategies in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century in Tyrol
Authors: Oberhauser Claus
Published: January 2023

The restoration of the Jesuits in Tyrol in 1838/39 shocked the region’s liberals and this shock found expression in the medium of poetry as exemplified by the polemical “Jesuitenlieder” (Jesuit songs) that circulated throughout Tyrol and southern Germany. A few years later a debate developed in German newspapers about the influence of the Jesuits in Tyrol. While older, but also more recent studies often only focused on the literary quality and the liberal elements of the debate, the affinity of this discourse for the tropes of the conspiracy theory has been overlooked until now. Ultimately, the appeal of invoking such tropes was the possibility it afforded of branding the so-called “Jesuitism” and, in doing so, covertly criticizing the government.
The Provincial Chinese and the Progress of Iloilo Textile in Nineteenth-Century Philippines
Authors: Madrid Randy M.
Published: January 2023

This paper examines the role of provincial Chinese in the progress of Iloilo textile in nineteenth century Philippines. It argues that the provincial Chinese played a pivotal role in Iloilo’s urban morphogenesis, which is contrary to the prevailing view that Iloilo’s progress has been spurred only by Western global enterprise, especially with the emergence of the sugar trade primarily operated by the British. The facets of Iloilo’s pre-colonial and colonial trade, specifically the textile business run by the Chinese, served as tour de force that brought about internal transformations in the local economy prior to European trade expansions in the overseas colonies in the second half of the nineteenth century. This study falls under the domain of urban history but with special emphasis on the interplay of material culture with that of the political economy of port cities in Asia during the nineteenth century. Its research framework has been drawn from advocates of microhistory. The framework employs privileging first-hand accounts and primary sources to explore historical experiences of a particular sector of the society (provincial Chinese), tracking clues through multiple sources to unearth hidden connections (provincial Chinese and urban progress), reconstructing webs of social networks (provincial Chinese with Ilonggos, Spaniards and other Europeans), and scaling analysis to highlight specific historical contexts or perspectives provincial Chinese and the textile trade). Many of the information in the study has been gathered through extensive library and archival research, especially nineteenth century records and documents of Iloilo Chinese found in the National Archives of the Philippines (nap) and other libraries and archives in the country. Data analysis has been undertaken through clustered themes and sub-themes that revolved around textile trade and the participation of provincial Chinese on it.
A Cultural Minority’s Disaster Survival Experience: The August 1968 Luzon Earthquake, the Ruby Tower Tragedy, and the Chinese in Manila
Authors: Alvarez Kerby C.
Published: January 2023

This paper narrates a history of the August 2, 1968 Luzon earthquake that severely hit the capital city of Manila in the Philippines. The central site of this earthquake disaster was the collapse of a premiere, high-rise residential building in downtown Manila, the Ruby Tower Apartments. This tragedy reflects the projection of nationalism in terms of collective disaster response, and the Philippines’ complicated dealings with a specific segment of the population. The Ruby Tower tragedy was an emblematic representation of the country’s disaster response capacities and Filipino society’s perception and treatment of the Chinese and Filipino Chinese residents in Manila. Using newspapers, magazine articles, and scientific reports about the earthquake, this study aims to present a microhistory of a cultural minority in Manila, specifically on how the sordid story of earthquake disaster survival projects a poignant picture of ethnic dynamics and disaster politics in the country in the 1960s.
The Drinking Game in The Dream of the Red Chamber: Divination, Prophecy, and Imitation
Authors: Wang Jiayao
Published: January 2023

In this paper, I examine the drinking game of lot-drawing as a prophetic device in the novel The Dream of the Red Chamber (Honglou meng 紅樓夢) and a pastiche of it called Shanghai dust (Haishang chentian ying 海上塵天影). In both works, the outcome of the drinking game proves to be prophetic signs that reveal the personalities and foretell the future fates of the participating players. Unlike the other portents featuring in the novels, which tend to elude the characters’ understanding, the result of the game immediately evokes strong ominous feelings in the protagonists, leading us to ponder on the deep significance of the drinking game in the structure of the whole story.

In my analysis, I show that the drinking game evokes a sense of the supernatural in the players for a reason: the drinking game resembles the qian 簽 divination (done with oracle sticks) that remains ubiquitous in Chinese communities today. While games and divination are recognized as separate and completely different cultural practices, the easy transition from game to oracle, from silliness to seriousness achieves a high degree of artistic complexity in Honglou meng.
Selatosomus luhuaensis sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Elateridae: Dendrometrinae) from Sichuan Province, China, with an annotated checklist of the Chinese species of Selatosomus
Authors: QIU LU
Published: January 2023

Selatosomus luhuaensis sp. nov., collected from Heishui County, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China, is diagnosed, described and illustrated. An updated checklist of Chinese Selatosomus species with revisal notes on the locality names is provided.
Personality and engagement with music: Results from network modeling in three adolescent samples
Authors: Ruth Nicolas , Tsigeman Elina , Likhanov Maxim , Kovas Yulia , Müllensiefen Daniel
Published: January 2023

People who engage in musical activities may, on average, share certain personality features. For example, performing music in front of audiences may require greater extraversion. In contrast, long and solitary practice sessions may require greater introversion and conscientiousness. Research has established some links between dimensions of personality and indicators of engagement with music, for example, specific personality profiles for musicians/non-musicians. For example, openness is usually linked to musical involvement. However, research in the area is scarce and it remains unclear which specific aspects of musical engagement are linked to personality; how these links establish in the course of development; and whether these links are affected by culture. This article reports data collected with several measures of personality (Big Five personality scales) and a comprehensive measure of engagement with music—the musical sophistication index (Gold-MSI) in three countries: Germany ( N = 1,114), Russia ( N = 346), and the United Kingdom ( N = 751). We applied a graphical network modeling approach to investigate the patterns of association among the measures. Our results found a number of consistent musical sophistication-personality associations across the three samples, with the strongest link being between the Gold-MSI emotions subscale and the personality trait openness, which was found in all three samples.
Post-Pandemic Futures: Balancing Technological Optimism with Sociocultural Fairness
Authors: Atik Deniz , Dholakia Nikhilesh , Ozgun Aras
Published: January 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the geopolitical and sociocultural global systems. Despite massive setbacks, technological advancement has been a driving socio-economic force during the pandemic. In this study, we examine the future prospects associated with politico-cultural, socio-communal and techno-economic trends through a review of both scholarly literature and news sources. We aim to contribute to the current debates by offering a conceptual analysis that identifies the techno-economic trends as moving in ameliorative directions while the socio-political-cultural trends are moving in harmful directions, in terms of social justice and equitable development. The positive effects of technology over the lives of workers and consumers have become tangible particularly in the fields of communications and biotechnology, yet technological developments also enable large scale dissemination of misinformation and generate isolation and inequity. Public policymakers and private entities must boost their efforts for accelerating the positive changes that technologies can bring forth, and curbing their negative effects, in order to alleviate poverty and reduce inequity-worsening tendencies unleashed by the pandemic.
Sharing Bad News: Communication Between Patients and Their Loved Ones in a Palliative Care Context
Authors: Öhrling Charlotta , Benkel Inger , Molander Ulla , Sernbo Elisabet , Olsson Annika , Nyblom Stina
Published: January 2023

Background: Although communication is strongly emphasized in palliative care, not much research has focused on communication between patients and their loved ones. The purpose was to increase understanding of communication around severe illness between patients with a life-threatening disease, receiving palliative care, and their loved ones. Secondary intention was to identify strategies making easier for patients to talk about their condition with loved ones. The article is based on in-depth interviews with 15 patients and 8 loved ones. Interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Communication about patient’s illness was often described as balancing between wanting to inform or know and wanting to protect. Both patients and loved ones deliberately talk in a way that reflects their relationship. They act, negotiate and communicate aiming at not wanting to create situations that are perceived as uncomfortable, either for themselves or for others. Patients also take everyday practicalities into account. In these interactions, some people become the patients’ inner circle – people with whom information is shared and co-owned. Other people find themselves outside the circle and patients may use them as test-subjects – speaking to them about things they might not dare reveal to their inner circle. These considerations are reflected in the themes: What is communicated, How communication is performed, and When it takes place. Our findings show that acting on the ideals of an “open and honest” form of communication is not always to be recommended. Professionals must instead strive to understand and respect the intentions of those involved.
Recent Advances in Analytical Techniques for Antidepressants Determination in Complex Biological Matrices: A Review
Authors: Kumar Sachil , Darshan Siddaraj , Baggi Tulsidas R.
Published: January 2023

Depression is one of the most prevalent but severe of mental disorders, affecting thousands of individuals across the globe. Depression, in its most extreme form, may result in self-harm and an increased likelihood of suicide. Antidepressant drugs are first-line medications to treat mental disorders. Unfortunately, these medications are also prescribed for other in- and off-label conditions, such as deficit/hyperactivity disorders, attention disorders, migraine, smoking cessation, eating disorders, fibromyalgia, pain, and insomnia. This results in an increase in the use of antidepressant medications, leading to clinical and forensic overdose cases that could be either accidental or deliberate. The findings revealed that people who used antidepressants had a 33% greater chance of dying sooner than expected, compared to those who did not take the medications. Analytical techniques for precisely identifying and detecting antidepressants and their metabolic products in a variety of biological matrices are greatly needed to be developed and made available. Hence, this study attempts to discuss various analytical techniques used to identify and determine antidepressants in various biological matrices, which include urine, blood, oral fluid (saliva), and tissues, which are commonly encountered in clinical and forensic science laboratories.
“I feel really special and proud that I am bilingual”: Exploring a second-generation Korean American bilingual adolescent’s emotions and sense of belonging through family language policy
Authors: Jo Ahyea (Alice) , Richardson Stephanie , de Jong Ester J.
Published: January 2023

Aims and objectives:

The purpose of this exploratory case study is to contribute to the set of studies that center children’s perspectives on their bilingual development, with a specific focus on their emotional connection within their linguistic family landscape.

Methodology:

This was a case study of a Korean transnational family in the United States and included both parents and their daughter.

Data and analysis:

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, semi-structured in-depth interviews and a language-mapping activity were conducted via ZOOM, recorded, and transcribed. DeDoose, a qualitative collaborative research tool, was used to conduct a thematic analysis.

Findings and conclusion:

Findings suggest that parents positioning bilingualism as a resource for communication and expression impacts a bilingual child’s positive linguistic and socioemotional well-being. A strong sense of belonging was shaped through strong relationships with parents and family, engagement in diverse and inclusive spaces that valued multilingualism and multiculturalism, and by being given agency in one’s own language choices.

Originality:

This study focuses on a Korean immigrant family and centers on the child’s experiences. It provides a counter-narrative to the negative emotions parents and their children often express in extant family language policy (FLP) research. The study calls for FLP research to include a “multilingualism as a resource” orientation.

Significance/implications:

This case study provides the lens of multilingualism as a resource through FLP that has a different impact on the emotional dimensions of heritage language learning and maintenance.