bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Serum Tumor Markers for Predicting Ocular Metastasis in Lung Adenocarcinoma: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Shi Wen-Qing , Liu Wen-Feng , Li Biao , Lin Qi , Li Qing-Hai , Zhang Yu-Qing , Yuan Qing , Liang Rong-Bin , Ge Qian-Min , Shao Yi
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to detect clinical variations between lung adenocarcinoma patients with and without ocular metastasis (OM) to identify risk factors for OM and assess the diagnostic values. We included 1153 patients with lung adenocarcinoma in this study. Independent t-tests and chi-square tests were used to compare patients’ clinical characteristics. Statistically significant parameters were analyzed by binary logistic regression to detect risk factors of OM. The results showed that the OM group had increased alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cytokeratin fragment 19 (CYFRA 21-1), carbohydrate antigen- (CA-) 125, CA-153, and total prostate-specific antigen (TPSA) compared with the NOM group. CYFRA21-1 is the most useful biomarker for detecting OM in this population.
An Optimization Model for Assembly Line Balancing Problem with Uncertain Cycle Time
Authors: Cao Yong , Li Yuan , Liu Qinghua , Zhang Jie
Published: June 2020

With the drastic change in the market, the assembly line is susceptible to some uncertainties. This study introduces the uncertain cycle time to the assembly line balancing problem (ALBP) and explores its impact. Firstly, we improve the traditional precedence graph to express the precedence, spatial, and incompatible constraints between assembly tasks, which makes ALBP more realistic. Secondly, we establish the assembly line balancing model under an uncertain cycle time, which is defined as an interval whose size can be adjusted according to the level of uncertainty. The objective of the model was to minimize the number of stations and the cycle time. Thirdly, we integrate the operator’s skill level into the model, and a multipopulation genetic algorithm is used to solve it. The method proposed in this study is verified by several test problems of different sizes. The results show that when the cycle time is uncertain, the proposed method can be used to obtain more reasonable results.
The Optimal Pricing of Dual-Channel Supply Chain with the Third Party Product Recovery and Sales Effort
Authors: Wang Limin , Song Qiankun , Zhao Zhenjiang
Published: June 2020

The optimal pricing of dual-channel supply chain with the third party product recovery and sales effort is considered in this paper. The optimal selling pricing of direct channel and retail channel in the forward supply chain and the optimal collection pricing of retail channel and the third party in the backward supply chain are given for the general case under the centralized and decentralized model. Then, the effect of sales effort of the retailer and the optimal pricing strategy with sales effort under the centralized and decentralized model are provided and analyzed. Finally, the comparative analysis of four situations is carried out by numerical results.
The Influence of Reactive Oxygen Species in the Immune System and Pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Tavassolifar Mohammad javad , Vodjgani Mohammad , Salehi Zahra , Izad Maryam
Published: June 2020

Multiple roles have been indicated for reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the immune system in recent years. ROS have been extensively studied due to their ability to damage DNA and other subcellular structures. Noticeably, they have been identified as a pivotal second messenger for T-cell receptor signaling and T-cell activation and participate in antigen cross-presentation and chemotaxis. As an agent with direct toxic effects on cells, ROS lead to the initiation of the autoimmune response. Moreover, ROS levels are regulated by antioxidant systems, which include enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants. Enzymatic antioxidants include superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase. Nonenzymatic antioxidants contain vitamins C, A, and E, glutathione, and thioredoxin. Particularly, cellular antioxidant systems have important functions in maintaining the redox system homeostasis. This review will discuss the significant roles of ROS generation and antioxidant systems under normal conditions, in the immune system, and pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.
On Dynamics of Iterative Techniques for Nonlinear Equation with Applications in Engineering
Authors: Shams Mudassir , Ahmad Mir Nazir , Rafiq Naila , Almatroud A. Othman , Akram Saima
Published: June 2020

In this article, we construct an optimal family of iterative methods for finding the single root and then extend this family for determining all the distinct as well as multiple roots of single-variable nonlinear equations simultaneously. Convergence analysis is presented for both the cases to show that the optimal order of convergence is 4 in the case of single root finding methods and 6 for simultaneous determination of all distinct as well as multiple roots of a nonlinear equation. The computational cost, basins of attraction, efficiency, log of residual, and numerical test examples show that the newly constructed methods are more efficient as compared to the existing methods in the literature.
Field Measurements of Vibration on the Car Body-Suspended Equipment for High-Speed Rail Vehicles
Authors: Guo Jinying , Shi Huailong , Li Fansong , Wu Pingbo
Published: June 2020

The vibrations in the flexible car bodies of the high-speed electric multiple units (EMUs) and their coupling effects with the bogies and other types of equipment vibrating have lead issues for railway operators and gained interest for researchers. Other than a numerical investigation, field measurements on the vibrating characteristics of the car body (CB) and its suspended equipment (CBSE) for a high-speed railway vehicle were performed to elaborate the vibrating characteristics on the CB and its CBSE. In this long-term tracking test, the running stability of vehicle and wheel-rail interaction were also examined with the increase of operation distance (OD), a total of 2,400,000 km. The test configuration and arrangements are introduced first, followed by the data analysis in time and frequency domains. It is seen that the wheelset conicity increases 0.008 per 10,000 km, which increases approximately linearly with the OD from 0.10 to 0.40. Two types of wheel treads, S1002CN and LMB10, have different ranges in conicity and reprofiling cycles. The lateral accelerations on CB in a downward-running case (0.5 g) are much greater than that in upward-running case (0.2 g) corresponding to the vehicle stability differences. The 15 Hz low-pass filtered acceleration on CB experiences a maximum of 0.10 g and an averaged amplitude around 0.05 g, whereas the frequency spectrum has peaks of 0.01 g on CB and 0.1 g on CBSE. It states that an elastic suspension between the CBSE and the CB prevents the high-frequency vibration from the CB.
A New Framework to Evaluate Sustainable Higher Education: An Analysis of China
Authors: Geng Yuqing , Zhu Hongwei , Zhao Nan , Zhai Qinghua
Published: June 2020

The 7E framework to evaluate sustainable higher education proposed in this article is a new and comprehensive one and enjoys the simplicity to remember and spread. This article selects regions of China and compares the development status and coupling coordination level of sustainable higher education both temporally and spatially from the aspects of expenditure, existence, efficiency, effectiveness, economy, equity, and equality based on the 7E framework with the combined method of information entropy weight analysis and technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution and coupling coordination degree model. Applicable, generalizable, and constructive countermeasures of sustainable higher education for different regions are also proposed according to the analysis results, which are also references to other places with similar conditions in the world. The framework and the methods are proved effective and useful in evaluating sustainable higher education.
Decreased Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin Indicated Worse Biometric, Lipid, Liver, and Renal Function Parameters in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Luo Xi , Yang Xin-Ming , Cai Wang-Yu , Chang Hui , Ma Hong-Li , Peng Yan , Wu Xiao-Ke
Published: June 2020

Objective. To investigate the relationships between sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and comprehensive metabolic parameters including biometric, glycemic, lipid, liver, and renal functions of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Study Design and Methods. A total of 1000 women diagnosed as PCOS by modified Rotterdam criteria were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. SHBG and comprehensive metabolic parameters were measured at the baseline visit. Metabolic parameters included biometric parameters, glucose and lipid panels, and liver and renal function parameters. An independent t-test and linear regression were performed to investigate the associations between SHBG and metabolic parameters. Logistic regression was used to detect the relationship between SHBG and the presence of metabolic syndrome. Results. In comparative analyses, PCOS women with lower SHBG levels had higher body mass index, waist circumference, insulin, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B (APOB), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), aspartate transferase (AST), alanine transferase (ALT), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), but lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1). In linear regression, SHBG was inversely associated with waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, triglyceride, LDL, APOB, ALT, AST, and BUN but positively associated with HDL and APOA1 after adjusting the BMI. In logistic regression, SHBG is a protective predictor for metabolic syndrome (odds ratio = 0.96; 95% confidence interval: 0.95–0.97). The area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve is 0.732 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.695–0.770. SHBG <26.75 mmol/L is the cutoff point with the best Youden index, which has a sensitivity of 0.656 and specificity of 0.698. Conclusions. Lower SHBG was associated with worsening biometric, lipid, liver, and renal functions but not glycemic parameters among women with PCOS. SHBG can be used as a tool to screen metabolic syndrome. This trial is registered with NCT01573858 and ChiCTR-TRC-12002081.
Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. Extract Stimulates Melanogenesis by Induction of COX2 Expression through the Activation of p38 MAPK in B16F10 Mouse Melanoma Cells
Authors: Kim Donghee , Kim Hyo-Jin , Jun Hee-Sook
Published: June 2020

Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (PM) root extracts have been used for treating graying hair in Oriental medicine; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying the melanogenic effects of PM root have not been fully understood. In the present study, we investigated the melanogenic effects of an ethanolic extract of PM root (PME) and the mechanisms involved. We examined the effects of PME on cell viability, cellular melanin content, and tyrosinase activity in B16F10 cells. The melanogenic mechanism of PME was explored using signaling inhibitors and examining the expression of melanogenic genes and signaling molecules by western blot and RT‐qPCR analyses. PME did not exhibit any cytotoxicity in B16F10 cells compared to that in control cells. PME treatment significantly increased melanin production and tyrosinase activity. In addition, PME induced the expression of cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX2) as well as that of melanogenic genes, such as microphthalmia‐associated transcription factor (MiTF), tyrosinase‐related protein (Trp) 1, Trp2, and tyrosinase, in B16F10 cells. PME treatment increased the level of phosphorylated p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK), and pretreatment with SB 203580, a p38 MAPK inhibitor, significantly suppressed this PME‐induced increase in the expression of COX2 and melanogenic genes. These results indicate that PME induced the expression of melanogenic genes by inducing COX2 expression via the activation of the p38 MAPK pathway, thereby contributing to the enhancement of melanogenesis.
Experimental Study on Bond-Slip Behavior between H-Shaped Steel and Gypsum Cover in SGFCG
Authors: Sun Tao , Ma Kejian , Chen Zhihua , Chen Jin , Zhu Yuhao
Published: June 2020

Nine push-out specimens of H-shaped steel with gypsum cover (HSG) are designed to study the bond-slip behavior between steel and gypsum in steel grid frame filling with cast-in-situ gypsum (SGFCG). Three main factors including gypsum compression strength (fcu), gypsum cover thickness (Cs), and steel-gypsum connected length (la) are considered. It is shown by the test results that the ultimate average bond strength is within [0.333–0.456] MPa, and the residual strength is about 90–98% of the ultimate strength. Both gypsum cover thickness and steel-gypsum connected length have evident influence on the bond strength, while the effect of gypsum compression strength is not obvious. Based on the test data, the formulas of average bond strength characteristics (τs¯, τu¯, and τr¯) and slip characteristics (Su and Sr) are established by statistical fitting. Furthermore, the bond-slip constitutive relationship (τ¯−S) is recommended.
Experimental Investigation of the Mechanical Behavior of NC Linings in consideration of Voids and Lining Thinning
Authors: Ding Zude , Wen Jincheng , Ji Xiafei , Ren Zhihua , Zhang Sen
Published: June 2020

The presence of voids or lining thinning directly affects the mechanical behavior of linings, and these defects threaten the safety of tunnel operation. In this study, a series of 1/5‐scale model tests was used to investigate the mechanical behavior of normal concrete (NC) linings in consideration of voids and combined defects. Test results showed that the void and combined defects substantially reduced the load‐bearing capacity and deformation properties of the linings. The inelastic mechanical behavior of the linings was also significantly affected by the defects. The effects of lining defects located at the spandrel were slightly weaker than those of lining defects located at the crown. As the void size or degree of combined defects increased, the tensile strain at the location of the lining defects also increased. Therefore, the defect position of the linings was easily damaged. The defects considerably reduced the overall deformation of the linings but increased the local deformation. The distribution of lining cracks was concentrated at the defect position. In addition, different failure characteristics of the lining were observed due to the differences in defects.
Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of the Essential Oil of Moroccan Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Masters
Authors: Rabib Halima , Elagdi Chaimaa , Hsaine Mohammed , Fougrach Hassan , Koussa Tayeb , Badri Wadi
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of essential oil isolated from Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) leaves, Masters originating in Morocco (Benslimane Region, Atlantic-influenced plain). The analysis of the major compounds of essential oil was performed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, and this oil is dominated by bornyl acetate (35.05%), camphor (11.17%), and α-pinene (10.84%). The antioxidant properties were evaluated by the test of the radical trap 2,2-diphényl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and the antimicrobial activity of T. articulata essential oil was tested against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli which have been inhibited from the 25 μg/mL.
A Pygopus 2-Histone Interaction Is Critical for Cancer Cell Dedifferentiation and Progression in Malignant Breast Cancer
Authors: Saxena Meera , Kalathur Ravi K.R. , Rubinstein Natalia , Vettiger Andrea , Sugiyama Nami , Neutzner Melanie , Coto-Llerena Mairene , Kancherla Venkatesh , Ercan Caner , Piscuoglio Salvatore , Fischer Jonas , Fagiani Ernesta , Cantù Claudio , Basler Konrad , Christofori Gerhard
Published: June 2020

Pygopus 2 (Pygo2) is a coactivator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling that can bind bi- or trimethylated lysine 4 of histone-3 (H3K4me2/3) and participate in chromatin reading and writing. It remains unknown whether the Pygo2–H3K4me2/3 association has a functional relevance in breast cancer progression in vivo. To investigate the functional relevance of histone-binding activity of Pygo2 in malignant progression of breast cancer, we generated a knock-in mouse model where binding of Pygo2 to H3K4me2/3 was rendered ineffective. Loss of Pygo2–histone interaction resulted in smaller, differentiated, and less metastatic tumors, due, in part, to decreased canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling. RNA- and ATAC-sequencing analyses of tumor-derived cell lines revealed downregulation of TGFβ signaling and upregulation of differentiation pathways such as PDGFR signaling. Increased differentiation correlated with a luminal cell fate that could be reversed by inhibition of PDGFR activity. Mechanistically, the Pygo2–histone interaction potentiated Wnt/β-catenin signaling, in part, by repressing the expression of Wnt signaling antagonists. Furthermore, Pygo2 and β-catenin regulated the expression of miR-29 family members, which, in turn, repressed PDGFR expression to promote dedifferentiation of wild-type Pygo2 mammary epithelial tumor cells. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the histone binding function of Pygo2 is important for driving dedifferentiation and malignancy of breast tumors, and loss of this binding activates various differentiation pathways that attenuate primary tumor growth and metastasis formation. Interfering with the Pygo2–H3K4me2/3 interaction may therefore serve as an attractive therapeutic target for metastatic breast cancer.

Significance:

Pygo2 represents a potential therapeutic target in metastatic breast cancer, as its histone-binding capability promotes β-catenin–mediated Wnt signaling and transcriptional control in breast cancer cell dedifferentiation, EMT, and metastasis.
Platelet-Specific PDGFB Ablation Impairs Tumor Vessel Integrity and Promotes Metastasis
Authors: Zhang Yanyu , Cedervall Jessica , Hamidi Anahita , Herre Melanie , Viitaniemi Kati , D'Amico Gabriela , Miao Zuoxiu , Unnithan Ragaseema Valsala Madhavan , Vaccaro Alessandra , van Hooren Luuk , Georganaki Maria , Thulin Åsa , Qiao Qi , Andrae Johanna , Siegbahn Agneta , Heldin Carl-Henrik , Alitalo Kari , Betsholtz Christer , Dimberg Anna , Olsson Anna-Karin
Published: June 2020

Platelet-derived growth factor B (PDGFB) plays a crucial role in recruitment of PDGF receptor β–positive pericytes to blood vessels. The endothelium is an essential source of PDGFB in this process. Platelets constitute a major reservoir of PDGFB and are continuously activated in the tumor microenvironment, exposing tumors to the plethora of growth factors contained in platelet granules. Here, we show that tumor vascular function, as well as pericyte coverage is significantly impaired in mice with conditional knockout of PDGFB in platelets. A lack of PDGFB in platelets led to enhanced hypoxia and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in the primary tumors, elevated levels of circulating tumor cells, and increased spontaneous metastasis to the liver or lungs in two mouse models. These findings establish a previously unknown role for platelet-derived PDGFB, whereby it promotes and maintains vascular integrity in the tumor microenvironment by contributing to the recruitment of pericytes.

Significance:

Conditional knockout of PDGFB in platelets demonstrates its previously unknown role in the maintenance of tumor vascular integrity and host protection against metastasis.
NRASStatus Determines Sensitivity to SHP2 Inhibitor Combination Therapies Targeting the RAS–MAPK Pathway in Neuroblastoma
Authors: Valencia-Sama Ivette , Ladumor Yagnesh , Kee Lynn , Adderley Teresa , Christopher Gabriella , Robinson Claire M. , Kano Yoshihito , Ohh Michael , Irwin Meredith S.
Published: June 2020

Survival for high-risk neuroblastoma remains poor and treatment for relapsed disease rarely leads to long-term cures. Large sequencing studies of neuroblastoma tumors from diagnosis have not identified common targetable driver mutations other than the 10% of tumors that harbor mutations in the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene. However, at neuroblastoma recurrence, more frequent mutations in genes in the RAS–MAPK pathway have been detected. The PTPN11-encoded tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 is an activator of the RAS pathway, and we and others have shown that pharmacologic inhibition of SHP2 suppresses the growth of various tumor types harboring KRAS mutations such as pancreatic and lung cancers. Here we report inhibition of growth and downstream RAS–MAPK signaling in neuroblastoma cells in response to treatment with the SHP2 inhibitors SHP099, II-B08, and RMC-4550. However, neuroblastoma cell lines harboring endogenous NRASQ61K mutation (which is commonly detected at relapse) or isogenic neuroblastoma cells engineered to overexpress NRASQ61K were distinctly resistant to SHP2 inhibitors. Combinations of SHP2 inhibitors with other RAS pathway inhibitors such as trametinib, vemurafenib, and ulixertinib were synergistic and reversed resistance to SHP2 inhibition in neuroblastoma in vitro and in vivo. These results suggest for the first time that combination therapies targeting SHP2 and other components of the RAS–MAPK pathway may be effective against conventional therapy-resistant relapsed neuroblastoma, including those that have acquired NRAS mutations.

Significance:

These findings suggest that conventional therapy–resistant, relapsed neuroblastoma may be effectively treated via combined inhibition of SHP2 and MEK or ERK of the RAS–MAPK pathway.
Characteristics of Patients Who Achieve Serum Phosphorus Control on Sucroferric Oxyhydroxide or Sevelamer Carbonate: A post hoc Analysis of a Phase 3 Study
Authors: Covic Adrian C. , Sprague Stuart M. , Rastogi Anjay , Ketteler Markus , Walpen Sebastian , Perrin Amandine , Floege Jürgen
Published: June 2020

Introduction: Control of hyperphosphatemia in patients on dialysis remains a major challenge. Objective: This study evaluated predictors of serum phosphorus (sP) control among dialysis patients treated with noncalcium, oral phosphate binder therapy in a phase 3 clinical trial. Methods: Post hoc analyses were performed using data for patients with hyperphosphatemia who received 52 weeks of treatment with sucroferric oxyhydroxide (SFOH) or sevelamer carbonate (sevelamer). Patients were categorized into those who achieved sP control (n = 302; defined as sP ≤ 5.5 mg/dL at week 52), and those with uncontrolled sP (n = 195; sP >5.5 mg/dL at week 52). Because SFOH and sevelamer have previously demonstrated similar effects on chronic kidney disease-mineral-bone disorder parameters in this study, the treatment groups were pooled. Results: Average age at baseline was higher among sP-controlled versus sP-uncontrolled patients (56.9 vs. 53.4 years; p = 0.005). Baseline sP levels were significantly lower among sP-controlled versus sP-uncontrolled patients (7.30 vs. 7.85 mg/dL; p < 0.001), and sP reductions from baseline were significantly greater in the sP-controlled group (−2.89 vs. −0.99 mg/dL at week 52; p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis identified higher baseline sP levels (odds ratio [OR] = 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.765–0.960), no concomitant active vitamin D therapy use (OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.328–0.804), and higher body mass index at baseline (OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.937–0.992) as significant predictors of uncontrolled sP. Conclusion: This analysis indicates that sP control may be more challenging in younger patients with high sP levels. Closer monitoring and management of serum phosphorus levels may be required in this population.
“Extraction Dermoscopy”: Expanding the Utility of Epiluminescence Microscopy
Authors: Daruwalla Sanober Burzin , Dhurat Rachita S. , Agrawal Sandip , Mahobia Shraddha , Naidu Kona Sradda
Published: June 2020

Introduction: Many dermatological conditions require extraction of material from the lesion followed by visualization under a microscope. However, visualization of the extracted material can be done using a dermoscope instead. We propose “extraction dermoscopy” as an addition to the already existing treasury that dermoscopy holds. Methods: After approval from the institutional ethics committee, a cross-sectional study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital. Polarized and non-polarized versions of in vivo dermoscopy, as well as extraction dermoscopy, were performed on a total of 77 lesions, including 5 eruptive vellus hair cysts, 2 cilia incarnata externum, 10 trichostasis spinulosa, 20 keratosis pilaris, 20 molluscum contagiosum, and 20 lesions of milia. Heine Delta 20T and Dino-Lite Premier AM4113T were employed for dermoscopic examination. Results: A total of 77 lesions were selected, including 5 eruptive vellus hair cysts, 2 cilia incarnata externum, 10 trichostasis spinulosa, 20 keratosis pilaris, 20 molluscum contagiosum, and 20 lesions of milia. Extraction dermoscopy of the eruptive vellus cysts revealed skin color to brownish colored cysts with a bunch of pigmented hair. Similarly, findings of all other lesions were described and recorded post-extraction. Conclusion: Extraction dermoscopy helps confirm the diagnosis without visualization under a microscope. Its application in recent times makes the explanation of the nature of many disorders to patients easier, and demonstration of extracted lesions may further improve doctor-patient communication.
Adults at high-risk of severe coronavirus disease-2019 (Covid-19) in Brazil
Authors: Rezende Leandro F. M. , Thome Beatriz , Schveitzer Mariana Cabral , Souza-Júnior Paulo Roberto Borges de , Szwarcwald Célia Landmann
Published: June 2020

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the proportion and total number of the general adult population who may be at higher risk of severe Covid-19 in Brazil. METHODS: We included 51,770 participants from a nationally representative, household-based health survey (PNS) conducted in Brazil. We estimated the proportion and number of adults (≥ 18 years) at risk of severe Covid-19 by sex, educational level, race/ethnicity, and state based on the presence of one or more of the following risk factors: age ≥ 65 years or medical diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, chronic respiratory disease, cancer, stroke, chronic kidney disease and moderate to severe asthma, smoking status, and obesity. RESULTS: Adults at risk of severe Covid-19 in Brazil varied from 34.0% (53 million) to 54.5% (86 million) nationwide. Less-educated adults present a 2-fold higher prevalence of risk factors compared to university graduated. We found no differences by sex and race/ethnicity. São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Rio Grande do Sul were the most vulnerable states in absolute and relative terms of adults at risk. CONCLUSIONS: Proportion and total number of adults at risk of severe Covid-19 are high in Brazil, with wide variation across states and adult subgroups. These findings should be considered while designing and implementing prevention measures in Brazil. We argue that these results support broad social isolation measures, particularly when testing capacity for SARS-CoV-2 is limited.
Familial Clustering of Aortic Size, Aneurysms, and Dissections in the Community
Authors: Raunsø Jakob , Song Rebecca J. , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Bourdillon Maximillian T. , Nørager Betina , Torp-Pedersen Christian , Gislason Gunnar H. , Xanthakis Vanessa , Andersson Charlotte
Published: June 2020

Background:

Ruptured aortic aneurysm and aortic dissections are potentially preventable disorders associated with high mortality. Screening of individuals at risk may translate into elective surgical interventions and lowered mortality. It is uncertain if the risk of aortic dilation of varying degrees aggregates within families.

Methods:

We investigated the risk of having thoracic and abdominal aortic sizes in the highest quartile (measured by computed tomography scans and indexed for body size) if at least 1 parent did so in the Framingham Heart Study cohorts, and estimated the incidence rates and hazard ratios of developing aortic aneurysm or dissection among first-degree relatives of those with aortic aneurysm or dissection, in comparison with age- and sex-matched controls (1:10 for aortic aneurysm and 1:100 for aortic dissection) using the Danish nationwide administrative registries.

Results:

In the Framingham Heart Study, offspring (n=235) whose parent(s) had a sex- and age-standardized aortic size in the upper quartile had a multivariable-adjusted ≈3-fold increased odds ratio of belonging to the upper quartile themselves. In Denmark, a total of 68 939 individuals (mean age, 42 years) had a first-degree relative with aortic aneurysm and 7209 persons (mean age, 39 years) had a first-degree relative with aortic dissection. During an average follow-up of 7 years, first-degree relatives of patients with aortic aneurysm and dissection had a hazard ratio of 6.70 (95% CI, 5.96–7.52) for developing aortic aneurysm and a hazard ratio of 9.24 (95% CI, 5.53–15.44) for dissection in comparison with matched controls. These estimates remained unchanged on adjusting for several comorbidities, including prevalent hypertension, bicuspid aortic valve, and the Marfan syndrome. For both aortic aneurysm and dissections, the absolute event rates approached 1 per 1000 person-years for first-degree relatives versus 11 to 13 (aortic aneurysm) and 2 to 3 (aortic dissections) per 100 000 person-years among controls.

Conclusions:

Increased aortic size, a precursor of aortic aneurysm and a risk factor for dissection, clusters in families. The incidence rates of aortic aneurysm and dissections approach the incidence rates of other common cardiovascular conditions in first-degree relatives, supporting the use of systematic screening for these conditions.
On Impossibility: Finding Vietnam in a Jordanian-Soviet Film Archive
Authors: Hatton Brynn
Published: June 2020

In 2014, an abandoned collection of over 900 16mm and 35mm film canisters was uncovered in a storage locker in Amman, Jordan. Initial findings show that the films were likely exported from Russia to Jordan between the late 1960s and early 1990s as part of a Soviet cultural exchange program, and among them are are a number of propaganda films made to highlight relations between Vietnam, Russia, and concurrent political struggles in the Arab Middle East. Work on the archive continues despite recent restrictions on researcher access levied by state custodians. This essay positions the entire archive as an aggregate object of transnational film history, rather than as a collection of individual works, in order to illuminate its function in the late 1960s as a cohesive geopolitical idea; a method that is both structurally mandated by present conditions of limited accessibility, and theoretically supported by historical context and affiliated projects initiated by artists and scholars working in Amman since 2014. I argue that the archive was conceptually formed in the political shadow of the Vietnam-American War and its local relationship to Palestinian liberation. As an ‘idea,’ the archive was shaped principally by Vietnam, its imaginative hold on concurrent Third World solidarity movements, and its centrality in the conceptual geography of the transnational 1960s-70s.
Marta Minujín's Destructive Intervention
Authors: de Lacaze Mohrmann Michaëla
Published: June 2020

On June 6, 1963, after living in Paris for several months, Argentine artist Marta Minujín performed her first happening, The Destruction, at the Impasse Ronsin, the now legendary abode of many modern and neo-avant-garde artists. This article examines how The Destruction responded to the mediatization of Nouveau Réalisme's performances, especially Niki de Saint Phalle's Tirs, by entering a Duchampian discourse through its destabilization of authorship, originality, and authenticity—concepts central to Modernism and the anchoring of art's market value. In addition, The Destruction used Brechtian strategies and routinized actions to undercut the ritualism, immediacy, and collaboration fundamental to the emancipatory promise of both French and US happenings as developed by Jean-Jacques Lebel and Allan Kaprow, respectively. In its self-conscious consideration of the intertwinement between performative art forms and spectacle culture, Minujín's first happening thus opened a path of inquiry that later Argentine avant-garde artists of the sixties would continue to explore.
Agitated Together Again: The Laboratoire Agit'art at Dak'art's 13th Biennale
Authors: Powers Sophia
Published: June 2020

One of the most remarkable exhibitions in the 13th Dak'art Biennale, “The Bell of the Ants,” was not part of the official program, but rather an independent show mounted by the long-time Dakar-based collective “Laboratoire Agit'Art.” This essay offers a historically-grounded analysis of the relationship between the exhibition and the biennial at large, exploring tensions between the global and local aspirations and modern and contemporary formulations it embodies.
Polish Jurisprudence in the 20th Century: A General Overview
Authors: Bekrycht Tomasz , Mańko Rafał
Published: June 2020

The present paper provides a general overview of the sources of inspiration and main currents in Polish jurisprudence in the 20th century, especially in the post-War and contemporary period. The paper notes that the main sources of inspiration in the early 20th century included Leon Petrażycki, Bronisław Wróblewski, Czesław Znamie-rowski and Jerzy Lande, who exerted a great influence on the first generation of Polish post-War legal theorists. The Lvov-Warsaw school of analytical philosophy also had a huge impact on Polish jurisprudence, as the school to a large extent determined the research questions posed by Polish legal theorists. Indeed, analytical legal theory can be said to have dominated Polish jurisprudence from the 1950s up to the end of the 1980s. After 1989, a broad current of new philosophical approaches to jurisprudence emerged, including legal hermeneutics and philosophies of interpretation, legal ethics, postmodern and critical legal theory, the phenomenology of law as well as an original Polish achievement – the legal theory of ‘juriscentrism’.
Jerzy Wróblewski’s Legal Theory and His Influence on Humanist Legal Thought
Authors: Zirk-Sadowski Marek
Published: June 2020

This paper presents Jerzy Wróblewski’s (1926–1990) theory of law. He was an eminent Polish legal philosopher. His philosophical minimalism, anticognitivism, relativism and moderate reconstructivism constitute the basis for analytical theory of law in Poland. He was developing his theory of law over the span of several dozens of years but the assumptions were formulated already in his first work on legal interpretation published in 1959. His paradigm of legal theory includes several areas: the theory of the legal norm, theory of legal interpretation, theory of the legal system, theory of application of law, theory of law-making and the methodology of legal sciences.
Zygmunt Ziembiński and his Analytical Theory of Law: Formalization of Law as an Instrument to Protect its Minimal Moral Content
Authors: Kordela Marzena
Published: June 2020

Zygmunt Ziembiński defined law as a system of norms of conduct distinguishable from other social norms by determined formal features. By qualifying norms as linguistic expressions he predetermined the analytical character of his entire theory of law. However, by assuming that the creator of legal norms – the rational legislator – among its methodological characteristics also includes the assumption of axiological rationality, he gave a moral dimension to his concept of law.
The Return of Forgotten Critique: Some Remarks on the Intellectual Sources of the Polish Populist Revolution
Authors: Sulikowski Adam
Published: June 2020

The Law and Justice party (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość, or PiS), which has been ruling in Poland since 2015, has developed a specific narrative about the law and judiciary, which constitutes the ideological background of its stance in the conflict concerning the rule of law in the country. The main tenets of the legal ideology of Law and Justice include the views that judicial decisions are not determined by legal texts (the indeterminacy thesis), and that judges are part of an elite who are detached from society at large and are attempting to impose the liberal world-view upon a conservative society. The aim of the paper is to deconstruct those ideological constructs in a search for their possible sources in certain critical currents in the legal theory of the Polish People’s Republic, represented by Stanisław Ehrlich, Leszek Nowak and Jarosław Ładosz. The paper notes interesting parallels between the legal ideas developed by those three legal theorists and the current narrative put forward by Law and Justice. Whilst stopping short of claiming a direct and conscious inspiration, the paper nonetheless hypothesises possible avenues of influence, including the academic mentorship of Ehrlich over Jarosław Kaczyński in the early 1970s and Nowak’s involvement in the ‘Solidarity’ movement in the 1980s following his anti-Marxist intellectual and political turn. The paper concludes that legal critique in Poland, after a period of being repressed in the 1990s, is now returning; however, whilst its first appearance (in the socialist period) was a ‘tragedy’ (due to its inability to subject socialist law to any form of critique), its current return is a ‘farce’, since critical tools are used not for their original purpose (emancipation), but in order to further a populist-conservative project.
Fluctuations in Iran-Russia Relations During the Past Four Decades
Authors: Koolaee Elaheh , Mousavi Hamed , Abedi Afifeh
Published: June 2020

Iran-Russia relations are highly affected by the shared interest of the two countries in confronting the influence of the United States in the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caucasus. However, the development of the relationship between the two countries has been hampered by the ongoing legacy of historical antagonism between them, casting doubt and pessimism upon the prospect of more constructive bilateral relations. Two groups of internal and external factors are the main obstacles to the expansion of cooperation between Iran and Russia. First, the lack of economic overlap or affiliation between Iran’s dependent economy and Russia's energy exports, and the state-based nature of both economies, as well as their cultural and social differences. Second, despite the Nuclear Deal, the difficulties in relations between the West, Russia and Iran remain a barrier to the expansion of Iran-Russia cooperation.
Un-Protestant and Un-English: Anglicanism and the 1920 Lambeth Conference ‘Appeal to All Christian People’
Authors: Chapman Mark D.
Published: June 2020

This paper explores the ways in which the 1920 Lambeth Conference ‘Appeal to All Christian People’ affected the development of Anglicanism. It sees the inclusive catholicity of the Appeal as the culmination of a long process of the ‘un-Protestantizing’ and ‘un-Englishing’ of Anglicanism. After describing the main thrust of the Appeal in its historical context, it goes on to outline ‘Lambeth Anglicanism’ as a form of catholicity before comparing it to the Lambeth Quadrilateral of 1888. It surveys a number of important milestones in the process, firstly, of un-Protestantizing Anglicanism, using the example of the concept of the via media with case studies of the Irish High Churchmen, Alexander Knox and John Jebb, as well as the Tractarians. Secondly, it describes the process of un-Englishing Anglicanism, using the example of William Reed Huntington’s ‘American Catholicity’, as well the forms of national catholicism that developed after the First Vatican Council of 1870. It concludes by suggesting that Anglicanism developed as a form of Christian life in response to revolutions and wars, taking on a quite different form from the state Protestantism that emerged from the English Reformation. The after-effects of the redefinition of Anglicanism continue to affect the Anglican Communion to this day.
Structures of Charity: What is Left of the 1920 Lambeth Conference ‘Appeal to All Christian People’?
Authors: Radner Ephraim
Published: June 2020

The 1920 Lambeth Conference viewed the Anglican Communion’s confederated structure among autonomous churches as a model for the future organic reunion that its famous Appeal proposed. This article examines the Conference’s discussion of this model, as well as an influential early critique of the model, written by Yves Congar in 1937. More recent conflicts within the Anglican Communion, as well as analyses of these conflicts, have confirmed some of the practical aspects of Congar’s critique, even while Roman Catholic self-reflection has moved beyond his own early alternatives. In conjunction with Roman Catholic rethinking of the nature of oversight, the Appeal’s challenge, after 100 years, now appears to lie in the direction of a more radical restructuring of Anglican ecclesial life than its authors originally anticipated.
The Ecclesiology of Visible Unity at Lambeth 1920: Lost beyond Recovery?
Authors: Worthen Jeremy
Published: June 2020

According to the ecumenical ecclesiology of the 1920 Lambeth Conference ‘Appeal to All Christian People’, Christians are called to make known to the whole world the fellowship of human persons that is God’s will. They are to do so by means of the visible unity of Christ’s church in faith, sacraments and ministry, which requires the union of churches in each place and the communion of churches in every place, for which universal acceptance of the historic episcopate is pivotal. While this ecumenical ecclesiology faced significant challenges during the following five decades within international Anglican ecumenism, it continued to be widely influential until hopes for the union of churches in each place went into eclipse from the 1970s onwards, with work towards the communion of churches in every place becoming unhinged from it. A re-imagining of the interdependence of local union and universal communion in the contemporary context is needed for the renewal of an ecumenical ecclesiology that holds together unity and mission in a relationship that is not narrowly instrumental but demonstrates the profound inseparability between the communication of Christ and communion in Christ.
Duration of Investor-State Dispute Settlement Proceedings
Authors: Álvarez Zárate José Manuel , Baltag Crina , Behn Daniel , Bonnitcha Jonathan , De Luca Anna , Hestermeyer Holger , Langford Malcolm , Mistelis Loukas , López Rodríguez Clara , Shaffer Gregory , Weber Simon
Published: June 2020

Speed is often touted as an advantage of arbitration. In recent years, however, some have worried that investment arbitration risks losing this advantage. Concerns about the length of investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) proceedings have also been raised in the discussion about ISDS reform. This article analyses the duration of ISDS proceedings applying a data-centric approach and evaluates the impact of proposed ISDS reforms on the duration of proceedings. After some terminological clarifications on when proceedings are ‘excessively’ long, the article sets out the evidence on the length of proceedings using several data-sets. As a comparator, we present data on the length of World Trade Organization (WTO) proceedings, even though we urge caution as to the usefulness of such a comparator. The article then discusses the impact of various reform proposals on the duration of proceedings, namely improving ISDS, adding an appellate mechanism, establishing a multilateral investment court and abolishing ISDS.
Middle and Later Stone Age Symbolism
Authors: Bushozi Pastory Magayane
Published: June 2020

The archaeological remains found in the Mumba rock-shelter in northern Tanzania – where continuous deposits span from the Middle Stone Age (MSA) to the historical period – provide a unique opportunity to study trends in technology and behavioural change of early humans. Developments in symbolic thought may be evident in the production and use of ochre pigments, beads and rock art. At this site, beads and other symbolic artefacts are represented in varying quantities through the late MSA, the Later Stone Age (LSA), Neolithic, and post Stone Age cultures. Such beaded ornaments were made from various raw materials including ostrich eggshells, stone pebbles, and arthropod shells. Ancient beading technologies, discovered at Mumba and other MSA sites across the East African region, contribute to clarifying the origin and development of representational cognition in the distant past. These artefacts also reveal components of personal identity and creative expression, whose recorded remains are patchy and infrequently discussed in Sub-Saharan Africa. From a Darwinian perspective, these archaeological finds demonstrate the empirical issue of environmentally selected human responses to local stimuli. They are remnants of the synergistic adaptation that led more generally to the broader technological innovations and behavioural changes occurring through the late Middle Stone Age and later flourishing universally during the Late Stone Age culture.
Artistic Expression through (Re)Creation: Children’s Play Songs in Ghana
Authors: Yitah Helen
Published: June 2020

This paper examines rural Ghanaian children’s creative performance of play songs in the context of recent scholarship on children’s rights in children’s literature. This scholarship, which has focused mainly on written literature in western contexts, seeks to give serious literary attention to children’s creative expression and thereby uphold their rights to contribute to the artistic life and culture of their societies. Kasena children of northern Ghana exhibit creative agency in adapting traditional play songs to new situations, as they re-create and reinterpret communal idioms, imagery and symbols, thus generating new forms, new concepts and new meanings. I illustrate the aesthetic qualities and transgressive features of this phenomenon by drawing on relevant indigenous Kasem concepts about art and creative resistance. If taken seriously, this dynamic heritage of children’s poetry can help us see emerging play genres as an affirmation of children’s creativity, and prompt a redefinition of ideas about childhood.
Taxonomic notes on Artemisia waltonii (Asteraceae, Anthemideae), with reduction of A. kangmarensis and A. conaensis to the synonymy of its type variety

Authors: GUO XIN-QIANG , WANG LONG , YANG QIN-ER
Published: June 2020

Based on observations on both herbarium specimens (including type material) and living wild plants, we demonstrate that Artemisia waltonii var. waltonii (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) is readily distinguishable from A. waltonii var. yushuensis by having abaxially tomentose (vs. glabrescent, rarely sparsely pubescent) leaves. The type variety is distributed only in central and southern Xizang (Tibet) in China whereas the latter one occurs widely in southern Qinghai, western Sichuan and eastern Xizang in the country. Moreover, we determine that A. conaensis and A. kangmarensis, both described from Xizang, are identical with A. waltonii var. waltonii and thus should be synonymized. Lectotypification is proposed for A. waltonii.