Translanguaging Practices and Ideologies: Lao Students’ Identity Construction on WeChat and Facebook

In the shifting paradigm of the world economy, China has become one of the popular destinations for international students crossing the border and receiving high education. To reinforce the regional cooperation between China and its neighbouring countries, China’s border provinces have been discursively constructed as the platform for intiating international communication. Given the transformed positioning of China’s Southwest provinces, Yunnan has turned itself into an educational hub receiving international students from Southeast and South Asia. Based on a longitudinal ethnography with five Lao students receiving China’s higher education between September 2019 and July 2021, this study examines the ideological meanings of their translanguaing practices on WeChat and Facebook. The multiple types of data were collected through participant observation online and offline, WeChat and Facebook screenshots and semi-structured interviews. The study finds that translanguaging practices are often deployed by Lao students during their stay in China and in Laos. Their translanguaging practices contain different language forms and patterns, and display various types of social meanings including the intertextuality of the local voice, the identity construction of language learners and global citizens, and the sociocultural inbetweenness. This study indicates that Lao students tend to perform their transnational identities online and their translanguaging practices intersects with social, cultural, political and economic factors

Comparison of the Clinical Outcomes between All‐inside and Standard Technique in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with 6‐strand Hamstring Tendon Autograft

Objective All‐inside and standard techniques with 4‐strand hamstrings graft have been widely used in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. However, the graft diameter of less than 8 mm will significantly increase the rate of surgical failure, and the 6‐strand graft can solve this problem. The purpose of this study is to compare all‐inside ACL reconstruction using suspensory cortical button fixation on both tibia and femur with standard ACL reconstruction using suspensory femoral fixation and a bioabsorbable tibial interference screw with a 6‐strand hamstring tendon autograft in postoperative clinical outcomes. Methods From January 2020 to December 2020, 48 patients performed ACL reconstruction were divided into the all‐side group and the standard group according to the different surgical techniques. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and subjective function scores was used to assess clinical outcomes at least 24 months following ACL reconstruction. MRI was used to measure the value of bone tunnel widening in articular and middle portions. Subjective function scores included the Lysholm knee score, the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, the Knee Society Score (KSS) for pain and function, and KT‐1000. The t‐test was used assuming the distribution of the patients which follows the normal distribution and we used non‐parametric tests if these two conditions were not satisfied. Results At the final follow‐up, there were 22 patients in the all‐inside group and 24 patients in the standard group. No significant differences were found with respect to femoral tunnel widening and subjective function scores. However, a significant increase in tibial tunnel widening was found in the middle portion of the standard group (2.25 ± 0.74) compared to the all‐inside group (0.76 ± 0.24) (p < 0.01) and also in the articular portion of the standard group (2.07 ± 0.77) compared to the all‐inside group (1.52 ± 0.54) (p = 0.02). In addition, the value of the KT‐1000 was 1.81 ± 0.45 for the all‐inside group and 2.12 ± 0.44 in the standard group (p = 0.016). Conclusion The objective stability of the knee was relatively better in the all‐inside group than in the standard group. And tunnel widening after ACL reconstruction was significantly greater in the standard technique when compared to the all‐inside technique on the tibia side

Residual varus alignment after posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty limits medial soft tissue remodeling

Abstract Background Proper lower limb alignment and soft tissue balance are significant indicators to measure the success of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Previous studies have confirmed that soft tissue relaxation around the knee after TKA will change over time; however, the relationship between lower limb alignment and soft tissue balance after TKA remains unclear. We studied (1) whether the change of soft tissue balance around the knee with time after posterior-stabilized (PS) TKA would affect the alignment of the lower limbs; (2) Whether the accuracy of lower limb alignment during PS TKA affects postoperative soft tissue remodeling. Methods In this study, 100 patients were recruited after PS TKA. Among them, 50 patients with a hip knee ankle (HKA) angle of ≤  ± 3° were set as the neutral group, and 50 patients with an HKA angle of >  ± 3° were set as the deviation group. The imaging results measured the HKA angle before the operation as well as the HKA, varus, and valgus angles at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after TKA. Clinical assessment included range of motion (ROM), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and Knee Society Score (KSS). Results Eight people were excluded from the study. After the exclusion, the study enrolled 47 patients in the neutral group and 45 patients in the deviant group and were followed for up to 2 years. There was no statistical significance in mean varus angles as well as HKA angle changes during the follow-up phase of each groups (P > 0.05). The mean valgus angles of the patients in the neutral group group were 2.47°, 3.45°, 3.63°, 3.60° and 3.63°, and in the deviation group were 2.45° (P = 0.841), 2.88° (P < 0.001), 3.07° (P < 0.001), 3.06° (P < 0.001), and 3.10° (P < 0.001). ROM, WOMAC and KSS of the two groups were significantly improved after operation, with no difference between the two groups. Conclusion This study shows that whether the alignment is accurate or not in the early stage after TKA, the relaxation of the medial and lateral soft tissues of the knee joint change; however, this change will not significantly affect the alignment of the lower limbs. Postoperative residual varus deformity limits medial soft tissue remodeling. Level of evidence III

Dysregulated Bile Acid Synthesis, Metabolism and Excretion in a High Fat-Cholesterol Diet-Induced Fibrotic Steatohepatitis in Rats

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Cholesterol over-intake is involved in the onset of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and hepatocellular bile acid (BA) accumulation correlates with liver injuries. However, how dietary cholesterol influences cholesterol and BA kinetics in NASH liver remains ambiguous and needs to be clarified. METHODS: Molecular markers involved in cholesterol and BA kinetics were investigated at protein and mRNA levels in an already-established stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive 5/Dmcr rat model with fibrotic steatohepatitis, by feeding a high fat-cholesterol (HFC) diet. RESULTS: Unlike the control diet, the HFC diet deposited cholesterol greatly in rat livers, where 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor and LDL receptor-related protein-1 were expectedly downregulated, especially at 8 and 14 weeks, suggesting that cholesterol synthesis and uptake in response to cholesterol accumulation may not be disorganized. The HFC diet did not upregulate liver X receptor-α, conversely, it enhanced classic BA synthesis by upregulating cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase but downregulating sterol 12α-hydroxylase, and influenced alternative synthesis by downregulating sterol 27-hydroxylase but upregulating oxysterol 7α-hydroxylase, mainly at 8 and 14 weeks, indicating that there were different productions of primary BA species. Unexpectedly, no feedback inhibition of BA synthesis by farnesoid X receptor occurred. Additionally, the HFC diet impaired BA detoxification by UDP-glucuronosyltransferase and sulfotransferase 2A1, and decreased excretion by bile salt export pump at 8 and 14 weeks, although it induced compensatory export by multidrug resistance-associated protein-3. The disturbed BA detoxification may correlate with suppressed pregnane X receptor and constitutive androstane receptor. CONCLUSIONS: The HFC diet may accumulate BA in rat livers, which influences fibrotic steatohepatitis progression. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10620-013-2747-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users