bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ATF3 Regulates Osteogenic Function by Mediating Osteoblast Ferroptosis in Type 2 Diabetic Osteoporosis
Authors: Zhao Yantao , Du Yunxia , Gao Yijie , Xu Zhijie , Zhao Dexiang , Yang Maowei
Published: October 2022

Purpose. Osteoporosis is a complication of type 2 diabetes, and it is characterized by reduced bone mass, augmented bone fragility, and increased risk of fracture, thus reducing patient quality of life, especially in the elderly. Ferroptosis has been implicated in the pathological process of type 2 diabetic osteoporosis (T2DOP), but the specific underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. This study clarified the role of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) in T2DOP and explored its specific regulatory mechanism, providing a new treatment target for T2DOP. Methods. We cultured hFob1.19 cells in high glucose (HG, 35 mM) and knocked down ATF3 using short hairpin RNA (shRNA). We then measured cell viability, assessed morphology, quantified the expression of ATF3 and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), detected the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxides, and determined the osteogenic function of osteoblasts. Cystine/glutamate antiporter (system Xc-) activity was evaluated by determining the expression of SLC7A11 and the levels of glutathione (GSH) and extracellular glutamate. We constructed a T2DOP rat model and observed the effect of ATF3 on ferroptosis and T2DOP by knocking down ATF3 using small interfering RNA (siRNA). Then, we evaluated the levels of iron metabolism, lipid peroxidation, and bone turnover in serum, detected the expression of ATF3, SLC7A11, and GPX4 in bone tissues, and assessed bone microstructure using microcomputed tomography. Results. ATF3 expression was increased in osteoblasts under HG condition and in T2DOP rats. Inhibiting the function of ATF3 increased GPX4 levels and reduced the accumulation of ROS and lipid peroxides. These changes inhibited the ferroptosis of osteoblasts and improved osteogenic function. In addition, HG induced ATF3 upregulation, resulting in decreased SLC7A11 expression and lower levels of intracellular GSH and extracellular glutamate. Conclusion. Osteoblast ferroptosis under HG conditions is induced by ATF3-mediated inhibition of system Xc- activity, and these events contribute to T2DOP pathogenesis.
Reach‐Avoid Games with a Time Limit and Detection Range: A Geometric Approach
Authors: Chen Xi , Yu Jianqiao , Niu Kang , Yang Di , Li Jiaxun
Published: October 2022

The reach‐avoid game theory is an ideal tool to handle the conflicts among intelligent agents and has been previously studied assuming full state information and no time limits on the players in the past decades. In this article, we extend the problem by requiring the defender to detect the attacker and adding maximum operation time constraints to the attacker. The attacker aims to reach the target region without being captured or reaching its time limit. The defender can employ strategies to intercept the attacker only when the attacker is detected. A geometric method is proposed to solve this game qualitatively. By analyzing the geometric property of the Apollonian circle and the detection range, we give the barrier under the condition that the attacker is initially detected and the attacker’s shortest route which guarantees its arrival at the target region when it is initially outside the detection range. Then, a barrier that separates the game space into two respective winning regions of the players is constructed based on the shortest route and the time limit of the attacker. The main contributions of this work are that this paper provides the first attempt to introduce the abovementioned two concepts simultaneously, which makes the game more practical, and we provide the complete solution of the game in all possible situations.
Assessment of Tear Osmolarity in Smokers Using TearLab and I-Pen Systems
Authors: Alanazi Mana A. , El-Hiti Gamal A. , Alturki Osamah A. , Alanazi Muteb , Fagehi Raied , Masmali Ali M.
Published: October 2022

Purpose. Smoking has a negative effect on health and ocular tear film. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the correlation between the TearLab and I-Pen osmolarity scores in smokers and compare them with those of non-smoking healthy males. Methods. Thirty male smokers (25.3 ± 2.2 years) participated in the study. An age-matched (22.9 ± 2.0 years) control group of non-smoking healthy males (N = 30) was also recruited for comparison purposes. The ocular surface disease index (OSDI) was completed first, followed by the TearLab and I-Pen osmolarity measurements. Results. The median TearLab osmolarity score was lower (P < 0.001) than that obtained using the I-Pen in both the study and the control groups. The OSDI scores and osmolality measurements were higher (P < 0.001) in smokers than in the control subjects. In the smoker group, there were moderate correlations between the OSDI scores and the measurements obtained using the TearLab (Spearman’s correlation coefficient, r = 0.463; P = 0.010) and I-Pen (r = 0.449; P = 0.013) systems. In addition, there was a strong correlation between the osmolarity scores obtained from the TearLab and I-Pen systems in smokers (r = 0.911; P < 0.001). Conclusion. The I-Pen scores in smokers were significantly higher than those obtained using TearLab. The TearLab scores showed small variations compared with those obtained using I-Pen. A strong correlation was found between the TearLab and I-Pen scores in smokers. The osmolarity TearLab and I-Pen scores were significantly higher in smokers compared with normal eye subjects.
Overlapping Interstitial Deletions of the Region 9q22.33 to 9q33.3 of Three Patients Allow Pinpointing Candidate Genes for Epilepsy and Cleft Lip and Palate
Authors: Szalai Renata , Till Agnes , Szabo Andras , Melegh Bela , Hadzsiev Kinga , Czako Marta
Published: October 2022

Introduction: Patients carrying interstitial deletions of the long arm of chromosome 9 show similar features. These phenotypes are often characterized by developmental delay, intellectual disability, short stature, and dysmorphism. Previously reported deletions differ in size and location spanning from 9q21 to 9q34 and were mostly detected by conventional cytogenetic techniques. Methods: Based on clinical features suggesting primarily chromosomal diseases, aCGH analysis was indicated. We report on de novo overlapping interstitial 9q deletions in 3 unrelated individuals presenting neurodevelopmental disorder and multiple congenital anomalies. Results: An 8.03-Mb (90 genes), a 15.71-Mb (193 genes), and a 15.81-Mb (203 genes) deletion were identified in 9q affecting 9q22.33q33.3. The overlapping region was 1.50 Mb, including 2 dosage-sensitive genes, namely EPB41L4B (OMIM #610340) and SVEP1 (OMIM #611691). These genes are thought to be involved in cellular adhesion, migration, and motility. The non-overlapping regions contain 24 dosage-sensitive genes. Conclusion: Besides the frequently described symptoms (developmental delay, intellectual disability, skeletal abnormalities, short stature, and dysmorphic facial features) shared by the patients with interstitial deletions of chromosome 9q reported thus far, two of our patients showed distinct forms of epilepsy, which were successfully treated, and one had a bilateral cleft lip and palate. Possible candidate genes for epilepsy and cleft lip and palate are discussed.
Costs of Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Interventions in Interstitial Lung Disease Management in Germany
Authors: Maqhuzu Phillen Nozibuyiso , Schwarzkopf Larissa , Markart Philipp , Behr Juergen , Holle Rolf , Leidl Reiner , Kreuter Michael
Published: October 2022

Introduction: Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are associated with a high economic burden, yet prospective data of the German healthcare system are sparse. Objective: We assessed average ILD-related costs of pharmacological and non-pharmacological (hospitalizations, outpatient, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and medical aids) interventions in ILD. Methods: We used data from the multicenter, observational, prospective Exploring Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of Interstitial Lung Diseases registry to evaluate adjusted per capita costs and cost drivers for ILD-related healthcare costs over 4 years, using generalized estimating equation regression models. Results: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) had the highest annual pharmacological costs >EUR 21,000, followed by connective tissue disease-associated ILD (CTD-ILD) averaging EUR 6,000. Other idiopathic interstitial pneumonias and hypersensitivity pneumonitis averaged below EUR 2,400 and sarcoidosis below EUR 400. There were no significant differences in pharmacological costs over time. Trends in non-pharmacological costs were statistically significant. At year 1, CTD-ILD had the highest costs (EUR 7,700), while sarcoidosis had the lowest (EUR 2,547). By year 4, these declined to EUR 3,218 and EUR 232, respectively. Regarding cost drivers, the ILD subtype had the greatest impact with 75 times higher pharmacological costs in IPF and 4 times higher non-pharmacological costs in CTD-ILD, compared to the reference. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) triggered higher pharmacological costs, and higher values of forced vital capacity % predicted were associated with lower pharmacological and non-pharmacological costs. Conclusion: Stabilizing lung function and reducing the impact of PH and GERD are crucial in reducing the economic burden of ILD. There is an urgent need for effective treatment options, especially in CTD-ILD.
Crossover Patient Outcomes for Targeted Lung Denervation in Moderate to Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: AIRFLOW-2
Authors: Conway Francesca , Tonkin James , Valipour Arschang , Pison Christophe , Schumann Christian , Bonta Peter I. , Kessler Romain , Gesierich Wolfgang , Darwiche Kaid , Lamprecht Bernd , Skowasch Dirk , Johnson Philip J. , Slebos Dirk-Jan , Shah Pallav L. ,   on behalf of the AIRFLOW-2 Trial Study Group
Published: October 2022

Background: Targeted Lung Denervation (TLD) is a potential new therapy for COPD. Radiofrequency energy is bronchoscopically delivered to the airways to disrupt pulmonary parasympathetic nerves, to reduce bronchoconstriction, mucus hypersecretion, and bronchial hyperreactivity. Objectives: This work assesses the effect of TLD on COPD exacerbations (AECOPD) in crossover subjects in the AIRFLOW-2 trial. Method: The AIRFLOW-2 trial is a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled crossover trial of TLD in COPD. Patients with symptomatic COPD on optimal medical therapy with an FEV1 of 30–60% predicted received either TLD or sham bronchoscopy in a 1:1 randomization. Those in the sham arm had the opportunity to cross into the treatment arm after 12 months. The primary end point was rate of respiratory adverse events. Secondary end points included adverse events, changes in lung function and health-related quality of life and symptom scores. Results: Twenty patients were treated with TLD in the crossover phase and were subsequently followed up for 12 months (50% female, mean age 64.1 ± 6.9 years). After TLD, there was a trend towards a reduction in time to first AECOPD (hazard ratio 0.65, p = 0.28, not statistically significant) in comparison to sham follow-up period. There was also a reduction in time to first severe AECOPD in the crossover period (hazard ratio 0.38, p = 0.227, not statistically significant). Symptom scores and lung function showed stability. Conclusions: AIRFLOW-2 crossover data support that of the randomization phase, showing trends towards reduction in COPD exacerbations with TLD.
Gobernando la crianza en familias pobres: ONG y gestión durante la pandemia
Authors: Ovalle-Parra Amalia Alexandra , Amador-Baquiro Juan Carlos
Published: October 2022

(analytical)This article analyzes the parenting practices of poor families located in the city of Ibagué (Colombia), which emerged in the families' relationships with an NGO that provided them with support during the COVID-19 pandemic. An ethnographic methodology was used, complemented with dialogic and participatory strategies. Two types of parenting practices were identified: food-based care and educational support. While the first was based upon receiving donations and was subject to market dynamics, the second was based on the allocation of educational roles to parents and caregivers so that they could teach their children based on the State's guidelines. The authors conclude that these interventions support families to self-manage thei precarious situation in the framework of the legitimation of a neoliberal social order.
Keywords: Family; child rearing; poverty; social policy and welfare.
Dysregulated Genes, MicroRNAs, Biological Pathways, and Gastrocnemius Muscle Fiber Types Associated With Progression of Peripheral Artery Disease: A Preliminary Analysis
Authors: Saini Sunil K. , Pérez‐Cremades Daniel , Cheng Henry S. , Kosmac Kate , Peterson Charlotte A , Li Lingyu , Tian Lu , Dong Gengfu , Wu Kevin K. , Bouverat Brian , Wohlgemuth Stephanie E. , Ryan Terence , Sufit Robert L. , Ferrucci Luigi , McDermott Mary M. , Leeuwenburgh Christiaan , Feinberg Mark W.
Published: October 2022

Background

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is associated with gastrocnemius muscle abnormalities. However, the biological pathways associated with gastrocnemius muscle dysfunction and their associations with progression of PAD are largely unknown. This study characterized differential gene and microRNA (miRNA) expression in gastrocnemius biopsies from people without PAD compared with those with PAD. Participants with PAD included those with and without PAD progression.

Methods and Results

mRNA and miRNA sequencing were performed to identify differentially expressed genes, differentially expressed miRNAs, mRNA‐miRNA interactions, and associated biological pathways for 3 sets of comparisons: (1) PAD progression (n=7) versus non‐PAD (n=7); (2) PAD no progression (n=6) versus non‐PAD; and (3) PAD progression versus PAD no progression. Immunohistochemistry was performed to determine gastrocnemius muscle fiber types and muscle fiber size. Differentially expressed genes and differentially expressed miRNAs were more abundant in the comparison of PAD progression versus non‐PAD compared with PAD with versus without progression. Among the top significant cellular pathways in subjects with PAD progression were muscle contraction or development, transforming growth factor‐beta, growth/differentiation factor, and activin signaling, inflammation, cellular senescence, and notch signaling. Subjects with PAD progression had increased frequency of smaller Type 2a gastrocnemius muscle fibers in exploratory analyses.

Conclusions

Humans with PAD progression exhibited greater differences in the number of gene and miRNA expression, biological pathways, and Type 2a muscle fiber size compared with those without PAD. Fewer differences were observed between people with PAD without progression and control patients without PAD. Further study is needed to confirm whether the identified transcripts may serve as potential biomarkers for diagnosis and progression of PAD.
Central Nervous System Actions of Leptin Improve Cardiac Function After Ischemia–Reperfusion: Roles of Sympathetic Innervation and Sex Differences
Authors: Omoto Ana C. M. , do Carmo Jussara M. , Nelson Benjamin , Aitken Nikaela , Dai Xuemei , Moak Sydney , Flynn Elizabeth , Wang Zhen , Mouton Alan J. , Li Xuan , Hall John E. , da Silva Alexandre A.
Published: October 2022

Background

Therapeutic strategies for preventing paradoxical reperfusion injury after myocardial ischemia are limited. We tested whether central nervous system actions of leptin induce important protective effects on cardiac function and metabolism after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, the role of cardiac sympathetic innervation in mediating these effects, and whether there are major sex differences in the cardioprotective effects of chronic central nervous system leptin infusion.

Methods and Results

Myocardial I/R was induced by temporary ligation of the left descending coronary artery in male and female Wistar rats instrumented with intracerebroventricular cannula in the lateral ventricle. Vehicle or leptin (0.62 μg/h) infusion was started immediately after reperfusion and continued for 28 days using osmotic minipumps connected to the intracerebroventricular cannula. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography, ventricular pressures, and exercise performance. Intracerebroventricular leptin treatment markedly attenuated cardiac dysfunction post‐I/R as evidenced by improved ejection fraction (56.7±1.9 versus 22.6%±1.1%), maximal rate of left ventricle rise (11 680±2122 versus 5022±441 mm Hg) and exercise performance (−4.2±7.9 versus −68.2±3.8 Δ%) compared with vehicle‐treated rats. Intracerebroventricular leptin infusion reduced infarct size in females, but not males, when compared with ad‐lib fed or pair‐fed saline‐treated rats. Intracerebroventricular leptin treatment also increased cardiac NAD
+
/NADH content (≈10‐fold) and improved mitochondrial function when compared with vehicle treatment. Cervical ganglia denervation did not attenuate the cardiac protective effects of leptin after I/R injury.

Conclusions

These data indicate that leptin, via its central nervous system actions, markedly improves overall heart function and mitochondrial metabolism after I/R injury regardless of sex, effects that are largely independent of cardiac sympathetic innervation.
The Person of the State: The Anthropomorphic Subject of the Law of Nations
Authors: Strobeyko Adam
Published: October 2022

The analogy between the natural individual and the ‘person’ of the State has played an important role in the development of the law of nations. The early modern theorists of the law of nations have employed various anthropomorphic vocabularies in order to describe the State and to explain the functioning of international legal obligations. This article traces the role of anthropomorphic assumptions about the State in the writings of Hobbes, Pufendorf, Wolff and Vattel. It compares different conceptualizations of personhood of the State and traces the transition towards the view of the State as an autonomous subject of a distinct set of rights and duties under the law of nations. Finally, the article invites the audience in international law to re-examine our disciplinary conceptualizations of the person of the State as the subject of international legal obligations.
Justice and Negotiation: Themes and Directions
Authors: Druckman Daniel , Wagner Lynn
Published: October 2022

This article examines how justice concerns arise during various stages of negotiation with attention paid to contending principles of procedural, distributive, and transitional justice. We review key themes raised by contributors to this special issue. The themes reveal that justice has many facets and surfaces in many contexts. The facets include the role played by voice, the utility of universal definitions of justice, the use of morality arguments, the salience of the equality principle, and the challenges of complex negotiating forums. The contexts vary from single to multiple case analyses. Looking forward, we suggest a number of issues for further research. These include the voice versus exit debate, culturally-sensitive definitions of justice, different forms taken by equality, and how best to develop the skills needed for implementing justice principles. These are a sampling of the issues that pave the way for future scholarship on the role of justice in negotiation.
In Search of a Future
Authors: Akung Jonas Egbudu
Published: October 2022

The contemporary Nigerian novel is much about the accentuation of the theme of despair, drawing on issues of unemployment, harsh economic realities, political crises, insurgency and corruption. It also explores this despondence and the search for a better life. The choice of Chika Unigwe’s On Black Sisters’ Street and Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s I Do Not Come to You by Chance illustrates this point. The paper explores the despair that the youths encounter in the face of changing times and the struggle to scale through the despair. The critical textual analysis undertaken in this article reveals that lack of gainful employment has caused the youths in On Black Sister’s Street to flee the country in search of greener pastures where they are forced to work as prostitutes. The protagonists of the two novels are caught in one web of despair, but have the hope of leading a better life. The novels illuminate how despite the characters’ predicament, they are ready as well as willing to press on in order to change their precarious situations. This tenacity of hope serves as the novelistic vision of the authors.
Basic Education for All
Authors: Riekkinen Mariya , Riekkinen Pekka
Published: October 2022

We study how the principle of equal opportunity is reflected in national laws on implementing the right to free and compulsory basic education in Finland and Russia (those being the 1998 Basic Education Act in Finland and the 2012 Federal Law “On Education in the Russian Federation” in Russia). We pursue to find answers to the following question: which elements comprising the principle of equality of educational opportunity are manifested in two laws under review, notwithstanding the significant differences in legal traditions and the respective approaches to equality in two states under consideration. The accuracy of our analysis is based on the existing universal “four A’s scale” of education for all, set forth by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, i.e., availability, acceptability, accessibility, and adaptability.
Animacy-Based Verbal Agreement in Israeli Haredi Yiddish
Authors: Assouline Dalit
Published: October 2022

The article presents the first evidence of the emergence of a new animacy-based verbal agreement pattern in Israeli Haredi Yiddish. A study of recordings from the years 2017–2020 reveals that plural verbal agreement is always maintained with animate plural nominal subjects, but it is usually lost with inanimate plural nominal subjects. It is suggested that this linguistic change may be supported by the sociolinguistic setting of Israeli Haredi Yiddish speakers.
‘Two Homelands and None’: Belonging, Alienation, and Everyday Citizenship with the Expatriated Greeks of Turkey
Authors: Halstead Huw
Published: October 2022

For the expatriated Greeks of Istanbul and Imbros – some of whom have Greek citizenship, some Turkish – citizenship is neither an irrelevance nor a panacea. Turkish citizenship provided limited protection for ethnic Greeks in Turkey, and Greek citizenship could only go so far to ease the burdens of their ultimate emigration to Greece. Moreover, their expressions of self and identity are altogether more complicated and malleable than the apparent fixity and dichotomousness of statism. Nevertheless, citizenship looms large in their experiences, in both pragmatic and affective dimensions. The acquisition, loss and performance of citizenship – even the very materiality of identity documents – are intimately connected to expatriate efforts to navigate the everyday experience of migration and belonging. Whilst the significance of citizenship thus goes far beyond mere words on an official document, these formal aspects of citizenship are nevertheless a part of, not something apart from, the lived experience of citizenship.
Does Citizenship Matter? The Case of the Aleut Relocation During the Second World War in Alaska
Authors: Madden Ryan
Published: October 2022

In this article I argue that despite the rhetoric and activism of Aleuts, and others, the limits of citizenship during and after the relocation led to an utter failure to properly protect them. However, they were exposed to Alaska Native political action during their time away from the Islands which would give them ammunition to seek better treatment and ultimately redress and an apology from the American government. The article first explains why the relocation occurred, followed by an explanation of the Russian impacts on the Aleut and the eventual path to American citizenship, an analysis of the Aleut reactions to the conditions they encountered, and finally how Aleuts protested their plight with the sounding board of citizenship. An important component of the article are the words of Aleuts themselves which serve as a corrective history to government accounts.
The Media and Global Imagination: Mediagraphy as a Multimodal Learning Activity in Higher Education
Authors: Schofield Daniel , Carvajal Paulina
Published: October 2022

This article explores how higher education students express their worldviews and sense of belonging based on a study on mediagraphy as a learning activity. Empirical data are drawn from a study conducted in 2020 with master’s students (n=25, aged 20–30 years) in a Norwegian university. The students collected data from family members and produced short digital stories about their own daily lives juxtaposed against the daily lives of three earlier generations. The mediagraphies were analyzed by narrative analysis in a process of reflexive interpretation. A key finding is how the stories involve global imagination, a mode of thought that entails envisioning the world, placing oneself in it, and relating to other people on a global level. To give a coherent insight into the mediagraphy project, a clip accompanies the article, presenting one student’s mediagraphy. The findings show that, as a learning activity, mediagraphy can potentially be a bridge between everyday experiences and academic discussions related to media influence, ethics, and literacy.
Croton nagaoi, a new species of Euphorbiaceae from southern Laos
Authors: TAGANE SHUICHIRO , SOUVANNAKHOUMMANE KEOOUDONE , SOULDETH PHETLASY
Published: October 2022

Croton nagaoi (Euphorbiaceae) is described based on a specimen collected from the basin of the Bolaven Plateau, southern Laos. It is most similar to Croton thorelii Gagnep. of Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam in size and shape of lamina, short petioles less than 1 cm long, and basal glands lateral on the abaxial midrib base, but different in having densely stellate hairy lower leaf surface (vs. very sparsely pubescent and glabrescent in C. thorelii), smaller sepals and petals of staminate flowers (sepals and petals ca. 2.2 mm long vs. 3 mm long and 2.5 mm long, respectively), and the presence of petals in pistillate flowers (vs. absent). Morphological descriptions, photographs, vernacular name, and preliminary conservation status are provided for C. nagaoi.
Magnolia (Magnoliaceae) in Honduras: a synopsis with six new taxa
Authors: VÁZQUEZ-GARCÍA J. ANTONIO , KELLY DANIEL L. , MEJÍA-VALDIVIESO DARÍO A. , MORALES WILSON , DAHUA-MACHOA ALEX , VEGA-RODRÍGUEZ HERMES , ORTEGA PEÑA ALONDRA SALOMÉ , PADILLA-LEPE JESÚS , MUÑIZ-CASTRO MIGUEL Á.
Published: October 2022

We present a taxonomic synopsis for the ten species of Magnoliaceae from Honduras with a key and distribution map for the recognised species. Five new species and one new subspecies of Magnolia sect. Magnolia are described and illustrated: M. celaquensis, M. cusucoensis, M. darioi, M. pastorcortesii, M. picopijolensis, and M. sororum subsp. oligocarpa. The rediscovery of M. atlantida is confirmed after more than eight decades since its discovery in Atlántida, Honduras. The conservation status of each species is evaluated: one is considered least concern (LC), one vulnerable (VU), two endangered (EN) and six critically endangered (CR).
Phylogeny, distribution and time divergence of Fuscoporia (Hymenochaetaceae, Basidiomycota) with the description of a new species from Dhofar region, southern part of Oman
Authors: HUSSAIN SHAH , AL-KHAROUSI MOZA , AL-MUHARABI MARWA A. , AL-MAQBALI DUA’A , AL-SHABIBI ZAHRA , AL-BALUSHI ABDULLAH H. , AL-YAHYA’EI MOHAMED N. , AL SAADY NADIYA , VELAZHAHAN RETHINASAMY , AL-SADI ABDULLAH M.
Published: October 2022

Fuscoporia is a large genus with approximately 80 known species, distributed in various climates from subtropical to temperate, across the all continents except Antarctica. Divergence times of Fuscoporia was estimated for the first time, using BEAST v. 1.8.4, with three internal calibration points. Using three DNA regions: internal transcribed spacers (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 = ITS), D1/D2 domain of large subunit of nuclear ribosomal DNA (28S) and translation elongation factor 1 alpha gene (TEF1α), the ancestral age of the genus was estimated around 77 Myr (million years). Molecular clock analyses also indicate the presence of six major clades, and the stem ages of each were estimated below 50 Myr. These six clades could be used for infrageneric classification of Fuscoporia. Further, we also discussed the distribution of Fuscoporia species in various climates. We hypothesized that the ancestral species of the genus evolved during late Cretaceous period with resupinate fruiting body in subtropics of Southern Asia. Furthermore, we also described a new species in the genus, Fuscoporia dhofarensis from Dhofar region, located in the southern part of Oman. Species description is based on morphological characteristics of fruiting body and phylogenetic analyses of ITS, 28S and TEF1α regions. The new species is characterized by a pileate fruiting body, with dimitic hyphal system, broadly ellipsoid basidiospores.
Rediscovery and an additional record of Terminalia kangeanensis (Combretaceae), a long lost threatened species from Indonesia
Authors: METUSALA DESTARIO , AL FARISHY DEE DEE
Published: October 2022

Terminalia kangeanensis (Combretaceae) is an endemic and threatened species (IUCN Redlist - Vulnerable) known only from several small islands of Kangean archipelago, Indonesia. The latest collections were made in 1919 and the first description was formally published in 1924. Since then, there was no additional information that indicates their existence. This paper has reported the rediscovery and a new record for its natural distribution for more than 100 years since its last known collections. This paper provides additional description, ecological information, insight on its conservation challenges, and also the first photos of living T. kangeanensis ever published.
Clarification of the taxonomic and nomenclatural confusion about Arnica japonica L. f. and A. japonica Thunb. (Asteraceae: Senecioneae)
Authors: LI CHENG-SHENG , WU HAI-SONG , FEI WEN-QUN , REN CHEN
Published: October 2022

Arnica japonica L. f. and A. japonica Thunb. have long been controversial about their identities and nomenclature, largely due to the mysterious type material of Arnica japonica L. f. We locate the original material of Arnica japonica L. f., viz., LINN-HS 1322.1, and clarify the misleading description about its leaf form. Arnica japonica L. f. is revealed to be conspecific with A. japonica Thunb. Taxonomic and nomenclatural changes are made accordingly for these two names, and for Gynura japonica and Syneilesis palmata, another two names also involved in this issue. A second-step lectotype of Arnica japonica Thunb. is designated because of the taxonomically mixed material of the original lectotype.
Validation of the name Gynura villosa (Asteraceae-Senecioneae)
Authors: LI CHENG-SHENG , WU HAI-SONG , FEI WEN-QUN , REN CHEN
Published: October 2022

N/A
Two new species of the genus Dichillus Jacquelin du Val, 1861 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Stenosini) from Thailand
Authors: SCHAWALLER WOLFGANG , BELLERSHEIM ARON
Published: October 2022

Two species of Dichillus Jacquelin du Val, 1861 (Tenebrionidae, subfamily Pimeliinae, tribe Stenosini) new to science from the lowlands of central Thailand are described: Dichillus grimmi sp. n. and Dichillus siamicus sp. n. An identification key for the four known species of Dichillus from Thailand is provided. A checklist of Stenosini from Thailand is added.
Fast and spurious: How executives capture governance structures to prevent cooperativization
Authors: Bourlier-Bargues Emilie , Gond Jean-Pascal , Valiorgue Bertrand
Published: October 2022

Although workers’ cooperatives are regarded as credible alternatives to private companies to reform capitalism, scholars have only started to document the struggles inherent to cooperativization – the process by which private companies transition to cooperative forms. This article analyses how executives prevent actual cooperativization in practice by shaping and capturing governance structures. Relying on 35 interviews, observations, and focus groups of two private firms having adopted cooperative forms, we document a set of governance practices used by executives to prevent cooperativization: general assembly disempowerment, board neutralization, and executive committee entrenchment. We then explain how these practices interact to form a spiral of democratic governance prevention that generate spurious workers cooperatives. These results contribute to cooperative studies by explaining the role of executives and governance in preventing cooperativization. Our study enlarges the repertoire of worker cooperatives pathologies and offers political and organizational levers to limit the phenomena of cooperativization prevention and executives’ capture of governance structures.
The Time Is Ripe for Entrepreneurship in Vocational Rehabilitation: A Four-Pronged Approach
Authors: Frain Michael , Bishop Malachy , Frain Julianne , Rohack Devin , Shirley Ghari , Sánchez Jennifer
Published: October 2022

The field of rehabilitation has laid a great foundation for the monumental entrepreneurial changes that have occurred to the worldwide economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of self-employment as an outcome has fallen below 1% of Vocational Rehabilitation closures but can rise as the field takes a four-pronged approach to helping individuals become entrepreneurs. The idea of entrepreneurship fits rehabilitation philosophy, and through training, legislation, and new vision many persons with disabilities can find successful careers as entrepreneurs.
Tackling Human Trafficking in Governments Supply Chains: Legal Certainty and Effectiveness Issues Under the Australian Commonwealth Procurement Rules Model
Authors: Amanze Miriam , Cahill Dermot , Evans Ceri
Published: October 2022

International organisations emphasise how Governments around the world must use the public procurement process to aid a global drive to eliminate human trafficking in their supply chains. In this significant and original contribution, the authors examine a leading procurement model, the Australian Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPR), for the purpose of examining whether the CPR model satisfies the necessary standards of Legal Certainty and Effectiveness for addressing the risk of trafficking occurring in public sector supply chains. The research generates new insights for countries seeking to tackle trafficking via public procurement systems and identifies pitfalls for countries to avoid if seeking to emulate the Australia CPR model, making appropriate reference to US and UK models where appropriate. The authors demonstrate how key elements of the CPR model fail to provide for the required degree of Legal Certainty and Effectiveness to tackle trafficking. System failure is demonstrated by analysis of the CPR, showing either how key CPR provisions fail to satisfy these 2 key tests, or because there is a complete absence of appropriate provisions to comprehensively deal with the risk of trafficking in public sector supply chains. This article should serve not only as a guide to countries yet to address human rights considerations in their public procurement supply chains, but also as a blueprint for countries around the world seeking to re-evaluate whether existingprovisions in their domestic procurement frameworks are fit to tackle the global scourge of trafficking in public supply chains.
False Generosity: A Freirean Reflection on Food Aid and Lima’s Comedores Populares
Authors: Renkert Sarah Rachelle
Published: October 2022

Paulo Freire is known for his liberatory approach to education. Less discussed are his reflections on charitable giving, aid, and welfare programs, which he criticizes for their “false generosity.” He argues that superficially generous acts of giving are often false in that they serve to uphold uneven power dynamics and the economic status quo, maintaining the oppressed in a position of manipulability and dependency. The distribution of aid by populist state actors is often rife with paternalistic false generosity, allowing politicians to use their positions of power to reap benefits from recipients. Peru’s state-sponsored comedores populares (communal kitchens that distribute state-subsidized food aid) have employed false generosity to build political loyalty in seeking to control an unpaid labor force that maintains a seemingly benevolent image of the generous state.

Paulo Freire es conocido por su liberador enfoque en torno a la educación. Menos discutidas son sus reflexiones sobre las donaciones caritativas, la ayuda y los programas de bienestar, asuntos que criticó como basados en una “falsa generosidad”. Según él, los actos caritativos superficialmente generosos a menudo resultan falsos en tanto permiten conservar una dinámica de poder desigual y el status quo económico, manteniendo a los oprimidos en una posición de manipulabilidad y dependencia. La distribución de la ayuda por parte de actores estatales populistas a menudo está plagada de una falsa generosidad paternalista, asunto que permite a los políticos usar su posición de poder para obtener beneficios de quienes la reciben. Los comedores populares patrocinados por el Estado en Perú (cocinas comunales que distribuyen ayuda alimentaria subsidiada por el gobierno) han empleado dicha falsa generosidad para construir lealtad política en un intento por controlar una fuerza laboral no remunerada y mantener, a la vez, una imagen aparentemente benevolente de un Estado generoso.
Retinal capillary microvessel morphology changes are associated with vascular damage and dysfunction in cerebral small vessel disease
Authors: Wiseman Stewart J , Zhang Jun-Fang , Gray Calum , Hamid Charlene , Valdés Hernández Maria del C , Ballerini Lucia , Thrippleton Michael J , Manning Cameron , Stringer Michael , Sleight Emilie , Muñoz Maniega Susana , Morgan Alasdair , Cheng Yajun , Arteaga Carmen , Jaime Garcia Dany , Clancy Una , Doubal Fergus N , Dhillon Baljean , MacGillivray Tom , Wu Yun-Cheng , Wardlaw Joanna M
Published: October 2022

Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is a cause of stroke and dementia. Retinal capillary microvessels revealed by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) are developmentally related to brain microvessels. We quantified retinal vessel density (VD) and branching complexity, investigating relationships with SVD lesions, white matter integrity on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) to CO2 in patients with minor stroke. We enrolled 123 patients (mean age 68.1 ± SD 9.9 years), 115 contributed retinal data. Right (R) and left (L) eyes are reported. After adjusting for age, eye disease, diabetes, blood pressure and image quality, lower VD remained associated with higher mean diffusivity (MD) (standardized β; R −0.16 [95%CI −0.32 to −0.01]) and lower CVR (L 0.17 [0.03 to 0.31] and R 0.19 [0.02 to 0.36]) in normal appearing white matter (NAWM). Sparser branching remained associated with sub-visible white matter damage shown by higher MD (R −0.24 [−0.08 to −0.40]), lower fractional anisotropy (FA) (L 0.17 [0.01 to 0.33]), and lower CVR (R 0.20 [0.02 to 0.38]) in NAWM. OCTA-derived metrics provide evidence of microvessel abnormalities that may underpin SVD lesions in the brain.
Erroneous High Occupancy Vehicle Lane Data: Detecting Misconfigured Traffic Sensors With Machine Learning
Authors: Fournier Nicholas , Farid Yashar Zeinali , Patire Anthony
Published: October 2022

Quality data are vital to the planning and operation of traffic systems. High occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, for instance, must comply with federal performance standards. If an agency fails to meet the standards, the facility is considered to be “degraded” and the agency is required to undertake actions that would return the facility to satisfactory operation. This could include removing exempted vehicles (e.g., low-emission vehicles) or increasing toll prices and passenger occupancy limits. Such policy changes may be costly, and may affect related policy goals, such as promoting clean air vehicles. Owing to constant changes in the system (e.g., roadwork, system upgrades), some of the thousands of HOV sensors in California’s transportation system are misconfigured, such as being labeled as general-purpose lanes. In this situation, HOV lane data may be mistakenly aggregated with general-purpose lane data and vice versa, causing a HOV facility to be erroneously reported as degraded and requiring unnecessary policy action. Detecting these misconfigurations is challenging and labor-intensive to accomplish manually. The purpose of this research was to utilize machine learning techniques to detect sensor misconfigurations and to understand the extent to which they affect performance reporting of HOV lanes. The results for Caltrans District 7 (Los Angeles and Ventura counties) showed that about 5% to 8% of Performance Measurement System HOV sensors are misconfigured. Therefore approximately 27 to 44 mi of HOV lanes are erroneously measured, with approximately 10 to 16 mi (38%) of those reporting an erroneously high degradation rating.
Vaccination Trends and Family-Level Characteristics Associated With Incomplete or Delayed Childhood Immunizations: The Healthy Start Study
Authors: Zell-Baran Lauren M , Starling Anne P , Glueck Deborah H , Bekelman Traci A , Norris Jill M , Adgate John L , Brown Jared M , Dabelea Dana
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Assess family-level factors associated with childhood immunization schedule adherence.

Design

Prospective cohort; Setting; The Healthy Start study enrolled 1,410 pregnant women in Denver, Colorado 2009-2014

Subjects

Children with available vaccination data in medical records (0-6 years old)

Measures

Vaccine schedule completion and compliance

Analysis

Logistic regression comparing family-level factors that differ based on vaccine schedule adherence

Results

Most immunizations required in Colorado for school entry were below national completion goals with 61.8% of participants (n = 532/861) completing the full vaccination series. Most participants received the first dose of individual vaccines on time (73.5% - 90.7%), but fewer received all doses on time (21.0% - 39.5%). Factors associated with not completing the vaccination series (OR [95% CI]) included: in-utero exposure to cigarette smoke (1.97 [1.41, 2.75]), single parent household (1.70 [1.21, 2.38]), children identified as non-White (Hispanic 1.40 [1.01, 1.94]; Black 1.88 [1.24, 2.85]; Other 2.17 [1.34, 3.49]), mothers not working outside the home (1.98 [1.46, 2.67]), and household income <$70,000 per year (<$40,000 1.93 [1.35, 2.75]; $40,000-$70,000 1.64 [1.09, 2.46]). Conversely, families with more educated mothers (0.47 [0.29, 0.76]) and older parents (0.97 [0.94, 0.99]) were significantly more likely to complete the series.

Conclusions

These findings may help identify groups at risk of immunization schedule non-adherence and may be used to target education/advocacy campaigns to reduce hesitancy and increase access in these populations.
Heat and mass transfer on unsteady MHD Casson fluid flow past an infinite vertical porous plate with chemical reaction
Authors: Hari Babu B.
Published: October 2022

The most excellent applications on the practice and status of research in environmental science and technology, both natural and human made, with respect to the concepts of chemical reaction are heat absorption and Newtonian heating. For this purpose, in this paper, the numerical investigation of Newtonian heating effect on unsteady magnetohydrodynamic free convective flow of radiating and chemically reacting Casson fluid past an infinite oscillating vertical porous plate embedded in a porous medium is conducted by considering the effects of heat sink and viscous dissipation. The fluid motion is persuaded due to the periodic oscillations of the plate along its length. This phenomenon is represented as non-linear partial differential equations with initial and boundary conditions. By introducing suitable non-dimensional variable and parameters, the leading equation with initial and boundary conditions are converted into dimensionless form, which are then solved numerically using a finite difference method. The effects of several relevant parameters on the velocity, temperature and concentration are displayed graphically whilst the effects of these parameters on the skin friction, Nusselt and Sherwood numbers are exhibited in tabular format and then discussed in detail.
The Economic Plans of the Great Powers in Central Asia: Implications for Iran
Authors: Nejad Ghodratollah Behboudi
Published: October 2022

This article charts Iran’s relations with Central Asia following the break-up of the Soviet Union. This event gave Iran a new set of neighbors to the north, and this came at a time when Iran was undergoing changes in the direction of its foreign policy from radical idealistic goals, such as the export of the Islamic Revolution, to more pragmatic aims, including giving priority to its national interests and pursuing good neighborly relations. Since 1991, Iran has attempted to develop relations with the Central Asian states, both bilateral and through various regional fora. This article examines the economic plans of the great powers in Central Asia and its threats and opportunities for Iran and designs a favorable model for dealing with threats.
The European Union's responses to the COVID-19 crisis: How to fight a pandemic with the internal market
Authors: Tuominen Tomi , Salminen Mirva , Halonen Kirsi-Maria
Published: October 2022

In a liberalized market economy, states tend to purchase supplies required for producing publicly funded services, such as healthcare, from the markets instead of producing them themselves. The availability of critical supplies thus becomes a question of supply-side availability and supply chain management, and therefore their availability is conceptualized in terms of security of supply. The European Union's security of supply policy has focused on energy and security and defence. Security has primarily been sought from the markets, while the purpose of EU law has been to establish these markets and to guarantee their functioning. During the COVID-19 pandemic the European Union has sought to secure the availability of medical supplies by relying on a variety of internal market measures: free movement law, State aid law, competition law and public procurement law have all been used in this effort. Collectively these measures have aimed at securing the functioning of the markets and thus the availability of necessary supplies. Following the crisis, the European Union is now adopting a broader policy perspective to security of supply. However, this is still carried out mainly through internal market competences and by relying on the markets as the source of security.