Manufacturing Innovation

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-USASCII text omitted.) The annual Global Innovation Index released in September 2021 ranked China twelfth, surpassing developed economies such as Japan, Israel, and Canada and raising fears in the United States amidst sluggish growth in North America and strong growth in the Asia Pacific region.1 Interestingly, the United States government responded by boycotting the Beijing Olympic Games, citing human rights abuses as the main reason.2 A tech war between China and the United States brewed beneath the diplomatic rancor over the attendance at the Olympic Games. Part I documents how the United States has assisted China's tech and intellectual property domination through President Nixon's historic visit to China, giving China Most Favorite Nation (MFN) status and ascending China to the World Trade Organization (WTO). [...]under Deng Xiaoping's leadership during the reform period, China rapidly developed its special economic zones (SEZs), laying the foundation for subsequent tech innovation and production. [...]broadcasting, telecommunications, office machines, computers, integrated circuits, and cell phones are among China's notable exports to the world.9 China dominates in commodities and raw materials, exporting refined petroleum, cotton, plywood, and tea.10 For agricultural products, China occupies the perch as the world's largest producer. Shenzhen rose as the largest among the four.18 Shenzhen, a small fishing locale in the southern part of China's southern province, Guangdong, served as the pioneer of Deng Xiaoping's embrace of economic reforms.19 A market-oriented economy took root in Shenzhen, allowing foreign companies and entities from Hong Kong and Macau to operate and allowing Chinese talents the freedom to leave their hometowns and move into the SEZs.20 Cheap labor proved to be another significant factor facilitating China's rise as a global manufacturer.21 In the 1980s, multinational corporations from Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, as well as domestic Chinese companies, opened their factories in the SEZs and other cities in China to take advantage of the cheap and plentiful labor force.22 Indeed, when Deng Xiaoping began his pilot SEZs, China's young workers who wished to lift themselves out of poverty descended into the economic zones in search of better opportunities.23 Shenzhen grew from a population of 59,000 in 1980 to a population of 12,357,000 in 2020.24 The new migrants became the workers, participants, and stakeholders in the global manufacturing frontier.25 Because of the abundance of cheap labor, manufacturers in China have no difficulty keeping production prices low and pleasing consumers and businesses worldwide.26 China's currency manipulation is another factor propelling China to its domination in global manufacturing.27 The United States Congress attempted numerous times to introduce legislation to combat China's currency manipulation.28 China artificially devalued its currency through government control of the exchange rate and refused to let the Chinese Renminbi (RMB) float.29 Despite strong criticisms from the United States, China refuses to allow its currency to freely float.30 China's currency manipulations, according to critics, caused the widening of trade deficits between the United States and China.31 China's currency manipulation allows products to be manufactured at lower prices, hampering competitors and thereafter replacing them.32 In order to cope with China's currency practices, United States manufacturers facing their own existential crises must decide to either outsource jobs overseas or face large risks, including financial ruin.33 The United States lost millions of manufacturing jobs due to massive job outsourcing as the trade deficits between the United States and China continued to persist.34 Geopolitically, in shaping post-Cold-War powers, the United States decided to assist China in its transformation from a poverty-stricken country to a global manufacturer.

CRISPR­based diagnostic approaches: Implications for rapid management of future pandemics (Review).

Sudden viral outbreaks have increased in the early part of the 21st century, such as those of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS­CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome corona virus, and SARS­CoV­2, owing to increased human access to wildlife habitats. Therefore, the likelihood of zoonotic transmission of human­associated viruses has increased. The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in China and its spread worldwide within months have highlighted the need to be ready with advanced diagnostic and antiviral approaches to treat newly emerging diseases with minimal harm to human health. The gold­standard molecular diagnostic approaches currently used are time­consuming, require trained personnel and sophisticated equipment, and therefore cannot be used as point­of­care devices for widespread monitoring and surveillance. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)­associated (Cas) systems are widespread and have been reported in bacteria, archaea and bacteriophages. CRISPR­Cas systems are organized into CRISPR arrays and adjacent Cas proteins. The detection and in­depth biochemical characterization of class 2 type V and VI CRISPR­Cas systems and orthologous proteins such as Cas12 and Cas13 have led to the development of CRISPR­based diagnostic approaches, which have been used to detect viral diseases and distinguish between serotypes and subtypes. CRISPR­based diagnostic approaches detect human single nucleotide polymorphisms in samples from patients with cancer and are used as antiviral agents to detect and destroy viruses that contain RNA as a genome. CRISPR­based diagnostic approaches are likely to improve disease detection methods in the 21st century owing to their ease of development, low cost, reduced turnaround time, multiplexing and ease of deployment. The present review discusses the biochemical properties of Cas12 and Cas13 orthologs in viral disease detection and other applications. The present review expands the scope of CRISPR­based diagnostic approaches to detect diseases and fight viruses as antivirals.

Study of the Quality of Work Life and the Collateral Effects of Covid-19 in the Workers of Universities of the State of Sonora, Mexico

The objective of this research work is to know the level of quality of working life and the collateral effects of COVID-19 in workers at universities in the state of Sonora, with a mixed methodological design, analyzing three dimensions within the instrument;quality of working life, organizational management and organizational performance, with the support of 419 workers who participated from the different universities, obtaining as results the assessment of the dimensions, which determine that the quality of life variable is 3.71, which is favorable, while the level of collateral affectation by the pandemic is 3.5 which is not favorable, due to the fact that in the new remote modality spaces are not promoted to interact with the staff in activities other than those of daily work, It has the necessary resources, equipment, material tools to carry out the activities properly, given the situation that arises, the collaborators have been forced to adapt to new ways of working with the challenges that these entail.

Shifting the paradigm: ankylosis arthroplasty for the proximal interphalangeal joint with a novel collateral ligament reconstruction.

Silicone arthroplasty for proximal interphalangeal joint ankylosis is rarely performed, partly due to the potential for lateral joint instability. We present our experience performing proximal interphalangeal joint arthroplasty for joint ankylosis, using a novel reinforcement/reconstruction technique for the proper collateral ligament. Cases were prospectively followed-up (median 13.5 months, range 9-24) and collected data included range of motion, intraoperative collateral ligament status and postoperative clinical joint stability; a seven-item Likert scale (1-5) patient-reported outcomes questionnaire was also completed. Twenty-one ankylosed proximal interphalangeal joints were treated with silicone arthroplasty, and 42 collateral ligament reinforcements undertaken in 12 patients. There was improvement in range of motion from 0° in all joints to a mean of 73° (SD 12.3); lateral joint stability was achieved in 40 out of 42 of collateral ligaments. High median patient satisfaction scores (5/5) suggest that silicone arthroplasty with collateral ligament reinforcement/reconstruction should be considered as a treatment option in selected patients with proximal interphalangeal joint ankylosis.Level of evidence: IV.

Bibliometric Analysis of High-Performance Athletes During Covid-19 Pandemic: From Citation Mapping to Research Agenda

The literature on high-performance athletes has developed in a not-so-considerable way in the last two years, in the same way, few productions of a systematic review of the literature are evidenced, as well as no study has been examined under the use of the technique of citation mapping called: bibliometrics. Therefore, it is the first time that this study is performed by means of scientific mapping and bibliometric analysis having a total of 130 documents published in different databases such as Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science;the cut of years that were considered for this research was 2019-2022 since the period where the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread worldwide, causing several collateral effects in athletes with high performance around the world. For the analysis of the obtained data and mapping preparation, the VoS Viewer software, the lens.org bibliometric platform is implemented. The results of the scientific mapping, bibliometric clustering and co-occurrence networks have allowed the identification of possible fields of research that can be developed in the future. The results show that the literature on the high performance of athletes during the Covid-19 pandemic has advanced over these 4 years, as well as the most influential parts of the literature in terms of authors, scientific production, most cited topics, and keywords are related and from which lines of research can be innovated. Finally, there is no review of the literature regarding the collateral effects produced by Covid-19, which is why a line of research focused on biomechanical studies and collateral effects should be focused on. © 2023 IEEE.

Collateral Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Health Services in Argentina

The objective of the work was to characterize the collateral effect that the pandemic has had on health systems in Argentina. Changes in supply and demand in services especially affected and related to non-COVID situations were analyzed. The impact caused by COVID-19 in infectious and non-infectious disease care was evaluated, staff were surveyed regarding resulting problems in adjacent problems, and the vaccination campaigns carried out in the country were addressed. The purpose of this analysis was to alert health services about the collateral effects derived from the COVID-19 pandemic. © TheEditor(s) (ifapplicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021, 2022.

Scientific Connotation and Clinical Value of Traditional Chinese Medicine Lianhua Qingke Improving Ventilation Function Through "Reducing Phlegm".

[] Airway mucus is an important part of the defense barrier function of the airway. Abnormal secretion of airway mucus is closely related to recurrent attacks,delay or aggravation of respiratory infectious or infectious diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),community-acquired pneumonia, and coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19). Lianhua Qingke tablets,an innovative traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)developed under the guidance of the theory of collateral disease of TCM,has the function of reducing phlegm and relieving cough,which can reduce the generation and viscosity of sputum and promote sputum excretion. Clinical studies have shown that it can significantly improve the symptoms of expectoration and cough in patients with acute bronchitis or COVID-19,confirming its scientific connotation and clinical value of reducing phlegm and relieving cough to improve ventilation and exchanging function.Copyright © 2021, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Institute of Chinese Materia Medica. All rights reserved.

Shadow Banks and the Collateral Multiplier.

With an emphasis on contributing to macroeconomic pedagogy, we examine the collateral multiplier by comparing it to the traditional money multiplier in a simplified framework of traditional banking and shadow banking in which government bonds are the core assets. While the money multiplier is a measure of the ability of the banking system to intermediate sovereign debt by creating deposits, the collateral multiplier is a measure of the shadow banking system's ability to intermediate sovereign debt by creating shadow money. It also measures the degree of reuse of sovereign debt as collateral. In this setup, the collateral multiplier is defined as the ratio between dealer banks' matched book repo activity relative to their trading book. Using the New York Fed's Primary Dealer Statistics data, we empirically estimate the collateral multiplier for US Treasury repo collateral. Our model and empirical results shed light on the transmission mechanisms of monetary policy channeled through shadow banks and on the US Treasuries market turmoil induced by COVID-19 in March 2020.

Reexamine the Role of the Financial Institution Management During Card Debt Crisis or the COVID-19

Due to the increasing popularity of financial technology and the lifting of financial regulations, various financial institutions have become increasingly competitive and actively expand their consumer finance business. Changes in generational consumption behavior have led to excessive credit expansion, excessive debt or bad credit records. All of these result in the emergence of adverse selection and moral hazard problems of information asymmetry, and finally cause the card debt crisis in 2005. This article focuses on variables such as the number of cards in circulation, retail sales volume, revolving balance, and overdue ratios of credit cards in public and private banks, and examine whether the information asymmetry in the credit card market has been improved ,with the financial institution management. Furthermore, due to the COVID-19 exploring whether the information asymmetry has been worsened or improved deserves the attention of the financial authority again. The results reveal that continuous financial institution management is very important and effective during the card debt period or the pandemic.

Scientific Connotation and Clinical Value of Traditional Chinese Medicine Lianhua Qingke Improving Ventilation Function Through "Reducing Phlegm".

[] Airway mucus is an important part of the defense barrier function of the airway. Abnormal secretion of airway mucus is closely related to recurrent attacks,delay or aggravation of respiratory infectious or infectious diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),community-acquired pneumonia, and coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19). Lianhua Qingke tablets,an innovative traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)developed under the guidance of the theory of collateral disease of TCM,has the function of reducing phlegm and relieving cough,which can reduce the generation and viscosity of sputum and promote sputum excretion. Clinical studies have shown that it can significantly improve the symptoms of expectoration and cough in patients with acute bronchitis or COVID-19,confirming its scientific connotation and clinical value of reducing phlegm and relieving cough to improve ventilation and exchanging function.Copyright © 2021, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Institute of Chinese Materia Medica. All rights reserved.

Collateral consequences of COVID-19 for people on probation and parole.

BACKGROUND: While the severe detrimental impact of COVID-19 on incarcerated people is well known, little is known about the experience of COVID-19 on those on community supervision. Our objective was to better understand the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic and its collateral consequences for those on community supervision (e.g., probation, parole). Beginning in December 2020, we conducted 185 phone surveys about COVID-19 with participants in The Southern Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Study across its three sites - Florida, Kentucky, and North Carolina. We conducted rapid assessment interviews with both closed- and open-ended questions. We calculated descriptive statistics for close-ended questions and conducted a content analysis for open-ended questions. RESULTS: The COVID-19 pandemic affected those on community supervision through their experiences in the community and while incarcerated with over one-quarter of participants being reincarcerated during this time. In addition to many (128/185) experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, about half (85/185) of participants reported a diagnosis in their network with 16 of those participants losing loved ones to the pandemic. Participants experienced disruptions to their social network, healthcare, and livelihoods. Though many maintained their support systems, others felt isolated and depressed. Experiences during COVID-19 exacerbated difficulties already faced by those with criminal involvement. CONCLUSIONS: The public health community must recognize those experiencing probation and parole, not only those housed in carceral facilities, as disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We must tailor programs and services to meet their needs.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute coronary syndromes in Germany during the first wave: the COVID-19 collateral damage study.

BACKGROUND: Reports about the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of hospital admissions and in-hospital mortality during the first wave between March and May 2020 showed conflicting results and are limited by single-center or limited regional multicenter datasets. Aim of this analysis covering all German federal states was the comprehensive description of hospital admissions and in-hospital mortality during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted an observational study on hospital routine data (§21 KHEntgG) and included patients with the main diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (ICD 21 and ICD 22). A total of 159 hospitals included 36,329 patients in the database, with 12,497 patients admitted with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and 23,832 admitted with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). There was a significant reduction in the number of patients admitted with STEMI (3748 in 2020, 4263 in 2019 and 4486 in 2018; p < 0.01) and NSTEMI (6957 in 2020, 8437 in 2019 and 8438 in 2020; p < 0.01). These reductions were different between the Federal states of Germany. Percutaneous coronary intervention was performed more often in 2020 than in 2019 (odds ratio 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.21) and 2018 (odds ratio 1.20, 95% CI 1.12-1.29) in NSTEMI and more often than in 2018 (odds ratio 1.26, 95% CI 1.10-1.43) in STEMI. The in-hospital mortality did not differ between the years for STEMI and NSTEMI, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this large representative sample size of hospitals in Germany, we observed significantly fewer admissions for NSTEMI and STEMI during the first COVID-19 wave, while quality of in-hospital care and in-hospital mortality were not affected. Admissions for STEMI and NSTEMI during the months March to May over 3 years and corresponding in-hospital mortality for patients with STEMI and NSTEMI in 159 German hospitals. (p-value for admissions 2020 versus 2019 and 2018: < 0.01; p-value for mortality: n.s.).

Supplementation With Carotenoids, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Vitamin E Has a Positive Effect on the Symptoms and Progression of Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Preliminary work by our center has reported behavior and functional benefits in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) following targeted micronutritional supplementation. OBJECTIVE: To build on the existing exploratory research and investigate the impact of these micronutrients on the natural progression of AD in a randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Patients with mild-moderate AD consumed daily 1 g fish oil (of which 500 mg DHA, 150 mg EPA), 22 mg carotenoids (10 mg lutein, 10 mg meso-zeaxanthin, 2 mg zeaxanthin), and 15 mg vitamin E or placebo for 12 months in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. Carotenoids, ω-3FAs, and vitamin E were quantified in blood. Carotenoids were also measured in skin. AD severity was measured using the mini-mental state examination and dementia severity rating scale tools. Behavior, mood, and memory were measured using an informant-based questionnaire. RESULTS: Following 12 months of supplementation, the active group (n = 50) compared to the placebo group (n = 27), demonstrated statistically significant improvements in skin carotenoid measurements, blood carotenoids, ω-3FAs, and vitamin E concentrations (p < 0.05, for all). The active group also performed better in objective measures of AD severity (i.e., memory and mood), with a statistically significant difference reported in the clinical collateral for memory (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Exponential increases in the prevalence of AD and its relentless progressive nature is driving the need for interventions that help to ameliorate symptoms and improve quality of life in AD patients. Given the positive outcomes demonstrated in this trial, this combined micronutrient dietary supplement should be considered in the overall management of AD.

Trends in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) Bacteremia during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is among the most common pathogens associated with healthcare-acquired infections, and is often antibiotic resistant, causing significant morbidity and mortality in cases of P. aeruginosa bacteremia. It remains unclear how the incidence of P. aeruginosa bacteremia changed during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with studies showing almost contradictory conclusions despite enhanced infection control practices during the pandemic. This systematic review sought to examine published reports with incidence rates for P. aeruginosa bacteremia during (defined as from March 2020 onwards) and prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic literature search was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and performed in Cochrane, Embase, and Medline with combinations of the key words (pseudomonas aeruginosa OR PAE) AND (incidence OR surveillance), from database inception until 1 December 2022. Based on the pre-defined inclusion criteria, a total of eight studies were eligible for review. Prior to the pandemic, the prevalence of P. aeruginosa was on an uptrend. Several international reports found a slight increase in the incidence of P. aeruginosa bacteremia during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings collectively highlight the continued importance of good infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship during both pandemic and non-pandemic periods. It is important to implement effective infection prevention and control measures, including ensuring hand hygiene, stepping up environmental cleaning and disinfection efforts, and developing timely guidelines on the appropriate prescription of antibiotics.

Collateral damage in education: implications for the time of COVID-19

The Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has impacted the world immensely in terms of both global health and economy. It has exacerbated the gap between the economically advantaged and disadvantaged groups in terms of access to various resources and opportunities across the world. This situation has been described as ‘collateral damage', which represents unexpected and unintended negative impacts that deprive the poor of certain opportunities and rights. Interestingly, the differences in capability to respond to the issues caused by COVID-19 are observed in developed and developing countries alike. This paper aims to discuss the potential risk factors that encourage students to drop out as collateral damage due to COVID-19, based on the literature on developing South East Asian countries. This commentary argues that collateral damage caused by COVID-19 has revealed a serious limitation in the nature of formal schooling in South East Asia. Although more socio-economically vulnerable groups can participate in formal schooling, there is still not a sufficiently communal climate in these schools that would prevent them from dropping out.

Determination of the Factors Influencing Proper Face Recognition in Faces Protected by Face Masks, an Analysis of Their Algorithms and the Factors Affecting Recognition Success

One of the many collateral effects that the entire planet has suffered with the appearance of covid-19 and the declaration of this as a pandemic, has been evidenced in the treatment of facial recognition algorithms and the variety of applications, both commercial and for exclusive use in research for this same purpose. For the time being, there are already reports of effectiveness with respect to the analysis of these algorithms and that are paving the way to understand the degree of affectation that the use of face masks can have on facial recognition processes. In this context, it is important to determine how it is possible that throughout these almost two years of confinement and use of face shields and masks, the human being, regardless of his age, has been able to maintain its advantage over artificial intelligence systems when recognizing the face of a relative, friend or simply an acquaintance;that is why, the present study aims to evaluate some face recognition systems in order to determine the main problems faced by these algorithms when recognizing a face protected with a mask. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Cerebro-/Cardiovascular Collateral Damage During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Fact or Fiction?

Numerous observational studies have identified a decline in cerebro-/cardiovascular (CV) admissions during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent studies and meta-analyses indicated that the overall decrease was smaller than that found in initial studies during the first months of 2020. Two years later we still do not have clear evidence about the potential causes and impacts of the reduction of CV hospitalizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has becoming increasingly evident that collateral damage (i.e., incidental damage to the public and patients) from the COVID-19 outbreak is the main underlying cause that at least somewhat reflects the effects of imposed measures such as social distancing and self-isolation. However, a smaller true decline in CV events in the community due to a lack of triggers associated with such acute syndromes cannot be excluded. There is currently indirect epidemiological evidence about the immediate impact that the collateral damage had on excess mortality, but possible late consequences including a rebound increase in CV events are yet to be observed. In the present narrative review, we present the reporting milestones in the literature of the rates of CV admissions and collateral damage during the last 2 years, and discuss all possible factors contributing to the decline in CV hospitalizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare systems need to be prepared so that they can cope with the increased hospitalization rates for CV events in the near future.

Burdens and psychosocial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for Austrian children and adolescents.

Objectives: The negative psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are becoming increasingly apparent. Children and adolescents in particular, were affected and torn away from their daily life routines. The aim of our survey is to evaluate the psychosocial burden and impairments of children and adolescents in Austria during the COVID-19 pandemic by using cross-sectional analysis. Setting: An Austrian-wide online survey was conducted from 21 February to 19 April 2021 for children and adolescents. The questionnaire was distributed widely using the national press agency and public media. Participants: Using an online questionnaire, 5,483 children and adolescents between 6 and 18 years of age were sampled. Outcome measure: Quantitative responses to questions regarding the children's feelings, worries, and needs concerning the COVID-19 pandemic were measured. Furthermore, the children were sampled for subjective risk perception as well as their sleep quality. Results: Most children reported a high degree of fear due to the pandemic, especially female (48.1%) participants being under more emotional strain than their male (35.9%) counterparts. Associated with this, we found a strong overestimation of COVID-19-associated hospitalization likelihood (>100-fold) across all age groups. In addition, an alarming lack of positive perspective during the ongoing pandemic is evident across all age groups, including the youngest participants aged 6-10 years. Feelings of anger and annoyance (58.2%), loneliness (46%), and sadness (42.7%) are reported much more frequently than before the pandemic. On the other hand, only 15.6% reported feeling well (or even better; 2%) since the COVID-19 pandemic. Last but not least, our study shows an alarming 37% of children and adolescents who now report poorer sleep quality than before the pandemic. Conclusion: The results of this survey indicate the high burden and emotional strain for children and adolescents during the pandemic. Personal contact with friends and family is mentioned as the most protective factor for their mental health. The study results underscore the need for immediate action to limit the collateral damage that has already occurred on a psychosocial and developmental level among younger generations worldwide.

Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: Collateral Damage Due to Suspension of Vascular Access Services

This study was conducted at the Department of Vascular Surgery at Combined Military Hospital Lahore from December 2019 to June 2020. The mortality of patients on the waiting list for vascular access in our institution three months after implementing strict policies for elective surgeries (30th March 2020 to 29th June 2020) was compared with the preceding three months. The mortality of patients in the pre-COVID-19 periods on the waiting list for HD was 11 (7.9%) in the pre-COVID-19 period, while this increased to 5 (12.5%) in the post-COVID-19 period. COVID-19 related suspension of vascular access services negatively influences CKD patients waiting for permanent vascular access. © 2022, Army Medical College. All rights reserved.