bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Characteristics of Intraocular Lens Dislocation in Chinese Han Populations
Authors: Fan Qi , Han Xiaoyan , Zhu Xiangjia , Cai Lei , Qiu Xiaodi , Lu Yi , Yang Jin
Published: April 2020

Purpose. To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with intraocular lens (IOL) dislocation after IOL implantation in Chinese Han populations. Methods. The medical records of patients with IOL dislocation were retrospectively reviewed from January 2007 to December 2017, and a total of 312 patients (male: 231, female: 97) (328 eyes) were included in this study. The axial length (AL), IOL power, and the time interval between cataract surgery and IOL dislocation as well as the ocular conditions associated with IOL dislocation were recorded. The IOL dislocation was classified and graded based on its relationship with the capsule and the position of the dislocated IOL. Results. The mean time between original cataract surgery and IOL dislocation was 5.63 ± 5.13 years; IOL dislocation occurred in up to 56.1% (184 eyes) of the eyes within 5 years. Trauma was found in 136 eyes (41.5%); pars plana vitrectomies were performed in 61 eyes (18.6%), and high myopia was detected in 108 eyes (32.9%). A total of 243 eyes (74.1%) had out-of-the-bag IOL dislocations, while 85 eyes (25.9%) had in-the-bag IOL dislocations. There was a statistically significant difference in the constituent ratio of trauma between in-the-bag dislocation and out-of-the-bag dislocation (Pearson’s chi2 = 33.3992, P<0.001); ocular blunt traumas were significantly higher in in-the-bag dislocations, while open-globe injuries were significantly higher in out-of-the-bag dislocations. A statistically significant difference was found for the ratio of patients with AL longer than 30 mm between in-the-bag dislocation and out-of-the-bag dislocation (Pearson’s chi2 = 9.7355, P<0.002). Conclusions. In Chinese Han populations, the most common IOL dislocation is out-of-the-bag dislocation; the most common risk factors were trauma, long axial length, and eyes undergoing pars plana vitrectomy; a minimum follow-up of 5 years is suggested for IOL dislocation-predisposed eyes undergoing cataract surgery.
High Expression of Both Resistin and Fascin‐1 Predicts a Poor Prognosis in Patients with Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Wang Chao-Qun , Wang Yan , Huang Bi-Fei , Tang Chih-Hsin , Du Zhang , Zeng Yue , Wang Qian , Shao Jun-Kang , Jin Lu-Lu
Published: April 2020

Emerging evidence indicates that resistin and fascin‐1 may possess a causal role in the development of several types of cancers. However, the clinical significance of resistin expression in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues is unclear, and there are no reports of any correlation between resistin and fascin‐1. Our analyses explored the expression of resistin in CRC tissue and analyzed the clinical and prognostic significance of the observed positive correlation between resistin and fascin‐1. The rate of strongly positive resistin expression (27.5%) was significantly higher in CRC tissues than in normal colorectal tissues (5.2%). Strongly positive resistin expression is related to multiple poor prognostic factors in CRC, including depth of tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, and tumor stage. In this study, survival was worse in CRC patients with high levels of both resistin and fascin‐1 expression than in those with high levels of only one protein or normal levels of both proteins. We suggest that a combined high level of resistin and fascin‐1 expression correlates reliably with survival in CRC, so it may serve as a potential therapeutic target.
Improving an Intelligent Detection System for Coronary Heart Disease Using a Two‐Tier Classifier Ensemble
Authors: Tama Bayu Adhi , Im Sun , Lee Seungchul
Published: April 2020

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the severe health issues and is one of the most common types of heart diseases. It is the most frequent cause of mortality across the globe due to the lack of a healthy lifestyle. Owing to the fact that a heart attack occurs without any apparent symptoms, an intelligent detection method is inescapable. In this article, a new CHD detection method based on a machine learning technique, e.g., classifier ensembles, is dealt with. A two‐tier ensemble is built, where some ensemble classifiers are exploited as base classifiers of another ensemble. A stacked architecture is designed to blend the class label prediction of three ensemble learners, i.e., random forest, gradient boosting machine, and extreme gradient boosting. The detection model is evaluated on multiple heart disease datasets, i.e., Z‐Alizadeh Sani, Statlog, Cleveland, and Hungarian, corroborating the generalisability of the proposed model. A particle swarm optimization‐based feature selection is carried out to choose the most significant feature set for each dataset. Finally, a two‐fold statistical test is adopted to justify the hypothesis, demonstrating that the performance differences of classifiers do not rely upon an assumption. Our proposed method outperforms any base classifiers in the ensemble with respect to 10‐fold cross validation. Our detection model has performed better than current existing models based on traditional classifier ensembles and individual classifiers in terms of accuracy, F1, and AUC. This study demonstrates that our proposed model adds a considerable contribution compared to the prior published studies in the current literature.
Overexpression of RUNX3 Represses RUNX1 to Drive Transformation of Myelodysplastic Syndrome
Authors: Yokomizo-Nakano Takako , Kubota Sho , Bai Jie , Hamashima Ai , Morii Mariko , Sun Yuqi , Katagiri Seiichiro , Iimori Mihoko , Kanai Akinori , Tanaka Daiki , Oshima Motohiko , Harada Yuka , Ohyashiki Kazuma , Iwama Atsushi , Harada Hironori , Osato Motomi , Sashida Goro
Published: April 2020

RUNX3, a RUNX family transcription factor, regulates normal hematopoiesis and functions as a tumor suppressor in various tumors in humans and mice. However, emerging studies have documented increased expression of RUNX3 in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) of a subset of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) showing a worse outcome, suggesting an oncogenic function for RUNX3 in the pathogenesis of hematologic malignancies. To elucidate the oncogenic function of RUNX3 in the pathogenesis of MDS in vivo, we generated a RUNX3-expressing, Tet2-deficient mouse model with the pancytopenia and dysplastic blood cells characteristic of MDS in patients. RUNX3-expressing cells markedly suppressed the expression levels of Runx1, a critical regulator of hemaotpoiesis in normal and malignant cells, as well as its target genes, which included crucial tumor suppressors such as Cebpa and Csf1r. RUNX3 bound these genes and remodeled their Runx1-binding regions in Tet2-deficient cells. Overexpression of RUNX3 inhibited the transcriptional function of Runx1 and compromised hematopoiesis to facilitate the development of MDS in the absence of Tet2, indicating that RUNX3 is an oncogene. Furthermore, overexpression of RUNX3 activated the transcription of Myc target genes and rendered cells sensitive to inhibition of Myc-Max heterodimerization. Collectively, these results reveal the mechanism by which RUNX3 overexpression exerts oncogenic effects on the cellular function of and transcriptional program in Tet2-deficient stem cells to drive the transformation of MDS.

Significance:

This study defines the oncogenic effects of transcription factor RUNX3 in driving the transformation of myelodysplastic syndrome, highlighting RUNX3 as a potential target for therapeutic intervention.
Identification of a Small-Molecule Inhibitor That Disrupts the SIX1/EYA2 Complex, EMT, and Metastasis
Authors: Zhou Hengbo , Blevins Melanie A. , Hsu Jessica Y. , Kong Deguang , Galbraith Matthew D. , Goodspeed Andrew , Culp-Hill Rachel , Oliphant Michael U.J. , Ramirez Dominique , Zhang Lingdi , Trinidad-Pineiro Jennyvette , Mathews Griner Lesley , King Rebecca , Barnaeva Elena , Hu Xin , Southall Noel T. , Ferrer Marc , Gustafson Daniel L. , Regan Daniel P. , D'Alessandro Angelo , Costello James C. , Patnaik Samarjit , Marugan Juan , Zhao Rui , Ford Heide L.
Published: April 2020

Metastasis is the major cause of mortality for patients with cancer, and dysregulation of developmental signaling pathways can significantly contribute to the metastatic process. The Sine oculis homeobox homolog 1 (SIX1)/eyes absent (EYA) transcriptional complex plays a critical role in the development of multiple organs and is typically downregulated after development is complete. In breast cancer, aberrant expression of SIX1 has been demonstrated to stimulate metastasis through activation of TGFβ signaling and subsequent induction of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). In addition, SIX1 can induce metastasis via non-cell autonomous means, including activation of GLI-signaling in neighboring tumor cells and activation of VEGFC–induced lymphangiogenesis. Thus, targeting SIX1 would be expected to inhibit metastasis while conferring limited side effects. However, transcription factors are notoriously difficult to target, and thus novel approaches to inhibit their action must be taken. Here we identified a novel small molecule compound, NCGC00378430 (abbreviated as 8430), that reduces the SIX1/EYA2 interaction. 8430 partially reversed transcriptional and metabolic profiles mediated by SIX1 overexpression and reversed SIX1-induced TGFβ signaling and EMT. 8430 was well tolerated when delivered to mice and significantly suppressed breast cancer–associated metastasis in vivo without significantly altering primary tumor growth. Thus, we have demonstrated for the first time that pharmacologic inhibition of the SIX1/EYA2 complex and associated phenotypes is sufficient to suppress breast cancer metastasis.

Significance:

These findings identify and characterize a novel inhibitor of the SIX1/EYA2 complex that reverses EMT phenotypes suppressing breast cancer metastasis.
Tumor Microenvironment Remodeling Enables Bypass of Oncogenic KRAS Dependency in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Hou Pingping , Kapoor Avnish , Zhang Qiang , Li Jiexi , Wu Chang-Jiun , Li Jun , Lan Zhengdao , Tang Ming , Ma Xingdi , Ackroyd Jeffrey J. , Kalluri Raghu , Zhang Jianhua , Jiang Shan , Spring Denise J. , Wang Y. Alan , DePinho Ronald A.
Published: April 2020

Oncogenic KRAS (KRAS*) is a key tumor maintenance gene in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), motivating pharmacologic targeting of KRAS* and its effectors. Here, we explored mechanisms involving the tumor microenvironment (TME) as a potential basis for resistance to targeting KRAS*. Using the inducible KrasG12D;Trp53−/− PDAC mouse model, gain-of-function screens of epigenetic regulators identified HDAC5 as the top hit enabling KRAS* independent tumor growth. HDAC5-driven escaper tumors showed a prominent neutrophil-to-macrophage switch relative to KRAS*-driven tumors. Mechanistically, HDAC5 represses Socs3, a negative regulator of chemokine CCL2, resulting in increased CCL2, which recruits CCR2+ macrophages. Correspondingly, enforced Ccl2 promotes macrophage recruitment into the TME and enables tumor recurrence following KRAS* extinction. These tumor-associated macrophages in turn provide cancer cells with trophic support including TGFβ to enable KRAS* bypass in a SMAD4-dependent manner. Our work uncovers a KRAS* resistance mechanism involving immune cell remodeling of the PDAC TME.

Significance:

Although KRAS* is required for PDAC tumor maintenance, tumors can recur following KRAS* extinction. The capacity of PDAC cancer cells to alter the TME myeloid cell composition to support KRAS*-independent tumor growth illuminates novel therapeutic targets that may enhance the effectiveness of therapies targeting KRAS* and its pathway components.

See related commentary by Carr and Fernandez-Zapico, p. 910.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 890
Exceptional Response to Everolimus in a Patient with Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer Harboring a PTEN Inactivating Mutation
Authors: Kmak Jamie A. , Agarwal Nikita , He Yuting , Heilmann Andreas M. , Miller Vincent A. , Ross Jeffrey S. , Pal Sumanta Kumar , Ali Siraj M. , Kilari Deepak
Published: April 2020

Prostate cancer is among the most common types of cancer in men. Early detection and proper medical intervention is crucial to ensuring successful treatment. Here we describe a patient clinically presenting with castrate-resistant prostate carcinoma. Comprehensive genomic profiling identified a PTEN inactivating mutation in the patient’s tumor. After being heavily pretreated, the patient showed stable disease on everolimus, a PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway inhibitor.
“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”: The Scientific Debate on Hypnosis and Its Legal Implications between the 19th and the 20th Century
Authors: Sacchi Daniel , Belingheri Michael , Mazzagatti Roberto , Zampetti Paolo , Riva Michele Augusto
Published: April 2020

Movies could provide unexpected information on the state of medical knowledge in different historical periods. The first centenary of the German silent horror movie Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) by Robert Wiene (1873–1938) could be a timely occasion to reflect on the scientific debate of hypnosis and its legal implications between the 19th and the 20th century. In particular, this article describes the positions of the School of Salpêtrière (Charcot) and the School of Nancy (Bernheim) on the possibility of crimes committed by subjects under hypnosis and the influence of these theories on medical community and public opinion of Germany in the interwar period.
Early Leukapheresis Depletion in an Ex-Premature with Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Due to Bordetella Pertussis and Coronavirus Infection
Authors: Rossetti Emanuele , Appierto Linda , Meschini Antonella , Leone Giovanna , Lazzaro Stefania , Del Principe Giovanna , Bianchi Roberto , Picardo Sergio
Published: April 2020

We describe a 2 weeks corrected gestational age infant admitted in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) associated to Bordetella pertussis and Coronavirus infection. He developed leukocytosis as soon as ARDS required intubation and aggressive mechanical ventilation: hence he underwent 3 early therapeutic leukapheresis treatments in order to avoid the worsening of related cardiopulmonary complications, according to recent literature on pertussis infection in infants. The infant was discharged from PICU healthy.
Como elaborar um passado traumático?
Authors: Berdet Marc
Published: April 2020

O Parque por la Paz Villa Grimaldi foi aberto ao público em Santiago, no Chile, em 1997, em um lugar onde, na época da ditadura militar daquele país (1973-1989), a polícia política de Pinochet torturava até a morte. O parque, um dos primeiros casos de transformação de um lugar de barbárie em um lugar de cultura e memória, mostra, no entanto, que a oposição entre “memória” e “recalque” não é suficiente para resumir a situação atual de confrontação entre uma amnésia organizada pelos (ex-)militares através das leis de (auto)anistia impostas à sociedade no momento da transição democrática e uma luta pelo reconhecimento conduzida pelos familiares das vítimas, seja no Chile, na Argentina, no Brasil ou em qualquer outra parte do mundo. Este caso ilustra que uma memória voluntarista que tenta estruturar uma memória pública pressupõe também um recorte que não impede o lugar escolhido de fazer ressurgir uma memória imprevista.
A militarização dos presídios brasileiros
Authors: Schabbach Leticia Maria
Published: April 2020

Este trabalho analisa a presença de policiais militares nos presídios brasileiros, a sua distribuição nas unidades federativas e as principais características dos estabelecimentos onde eles atuam. Além de revisão bibliográfica, a metodologia abrangeu estatística descritiva e análise de regressão, com base em informações do Levantamento Nacional de Informações Penitenciárias. Constatou-se que os policiais militares atuam em 23% dos presídios e em dezoito estados brasileiros. Entre as características das prisões onde esses profissionais estão presentes destacam-se: têm um quadro mais diversificado de servidores, não apresentam superlotação e registram menor número de visitas aos presos.
India’s Liberalisation Project and the Future of Trade Unions
Authors: Ambedkar Pindiga , Prashad Vijay
Published: April 2020

India’s ruling class, since the liberalisation period that began in 1991, has attempted to fragment and weaken India’s trade union movement. The main instrument for this weakening is to be the imf-drive ‘labour market reform’ agenda. However, the Indian working class has struggled against the structural process of being integrated into the global value chain, a process that has put pressure on the trade union movement even as trade union laws remain in place. Drawing upon a survey we have conducted amongst garment workers in the Delhi region, we describe the nature of the class struggle faced by Indian workers, and we introduce the reader to the character of the resistance offered by the workers and the unions.
O sindicalismo brasileiro frente à ofensiva neoliberal restauradora
Authors: Marcelino Paula , Galvão Andréia
Published: April 2020

Este artigo tem com objetivo discutir a situação e a atuação do sindicalismo brasileiro no contexto da crise internacional de 2008 e, sobretudo, diante da crise econômica e política deflagrada no segundo mandato de Dilma Rousseff. Para isso, examinaremos alguns temas que afetam mais diretamente os direitos dos trabalhadores sindicalmente representados no Brasil.
Apresentação
Authors: Marcelino Paula , Carrera Nicolás Iñigo
Published: April 2020

Apresentação ao dossiê Sindicalismo e neoliberalismo
Healthy Strut Coverage After Coronary Stent Implantation
Authors: Jinnouchi Hiroyuki , Otsuka Fumiyuki , Sato Yu , Bhoite Rahul R. , Sakamoto Atsushi , Torii Sho , Yahagi Kazuyuki , Cornelissen Anne , Mori Masayuki , Kawakami Rika , Kolodgie Frank D. , Virmani Renu , Finn Aloke V.
Published: April 2020

Background:

Struts have been considered as covered when tissue overlying the struts is >0 μm by optical coherence tomography (OCT). However, there is no confirmatory study to validate this definition by histology which is the gold standard. The aim of the present study was to assess the appropriate cutoff value of neointimal thickness of stent strut coverage by OCT with histology confirmation.

Methods:

We performed ex vivo OCT imaging of human coronary arteries with stents at autopsy. A total of 46 stents in 39 vessels from 25 patients were examined in this study, and a total of 165 cross-sectional images were co-registered with histology to determine the optimal cutoff value for strut coverage by OCT which was defined as luminal endothelial cells with 2 abluminal layers of smooth muscles cells and matrix. Considering the resolution of OCT is 10 to 20 μm, the cutoff values were assessed at ≥20, ≥40, and ≥60 μm.

Results:

A total of 2235 struts were reviewed by histology, 1216 were considered as well-matched struts which were analyzed in this study. By histology, 160 struts were identified as uncovered, while 1056 struts were covered. The OCT assessment without consideration of neointimal thickness yielded a poor specificity of 37.5% and sensitivity 100%. Of 3 cutoff values, the cutoff value of ≥40 μm yielded the best sensitivity (99.3%), specificity (91.0%), positive predictive value (98.6%), and negative predictive value (95.6%) as compared with ≥20 and ≥60 μm.

Conclusions:

Neointimal thickness ≥40 μm by OCT yielded the most accurate cutoff value to identify stent strut coverage validated by histology.
Regulatory T Cells License Macrophage Pro-Resolving Functions During Atherosclerosis Regression
Authors: Sharma Monika , Schlegel Martin P. , Afonso Milessa S. , Brown Emily J. , Rahman Karishma , Weinstock Ada , Sansbury Brian E. , Corr Emma M. , van Solingen Coen , Koelwyn Graeme J. , Shanley Lianne C. , Beckett Lauren , Peled Daniel , Lafaille Juan J. , Spite Matthew , Loke P’ng , Fisher Edward A. , Moore Kathryn J.
Published: April 2020

Rationale:

Regression of atherosclerosis is an important clinical goal; however, the pathways that mediate the resolution of atherosclerotic inflammation and reversal of plaques are poorly understood. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been shown to be atheroprotective, yet the numbers of these immunosuppressive cells decrease with disease progression, and whether they contribute to atherosclerosis regression is not known.

Objective:

We investigated the roles of Tregs in the resolution of atherosclerotic inflammation, tissue remodeling, and plaque contraction during atherosclerosis regression.

Methods and Results:

Using multiple independent mouse models of atherosclerosis regression, we demonstrate that an increase in plaque Tregs is a common signature of regressing plaques. Single-cell RNA-sequencing of plaque immune cells revealed that unlike Tregs from progressing plaques that expressed markers of natural Tregs derived from the thymus, Tregs in regressing plaques lacked
Nrp1
expression, suggesting that they are induced in the periphery during lipid-lowering therapy. To test whether Tregs are required for resolution of atherosclerotic inflammation and plaque regression, Tregs were depleted using CD25 monoclonal antibody in atherosclerotic mice during apolipoprotein B antisense oligonucleotide-mediated lipid lowering. Morphometric analyses revealed that Treg depletion blocked plaque remodeling and contraction, and impaired hallmarks of inflammation resolution, including dampening of the T helper 1 response, alternative activation of macrophages, efferocytosis, and upregulation of specialized proresolving lipid mediators.

Conclusions:

Our data establish essential roles for Tregs in resolving atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and provide mechanistic insight into the pathways governing plaque remodeling and regression of disease.
Evaluation and Management of Premature Ventricular Complexes
Authors: Marcus Gregory M.
Published: April 2020

Premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) are extremely common, found in the majority of individuals undergoing long-term ambulatory monitoring. Increasing age, a taller height, a higher blood pressure, a history of heart disease, performance of less physical activity, and smoking each predict a greater PVC frequency. Although the fundamental causes of PVCs remain largely unknown, potential mechanisms for any given PVC include triggered activity, automaticity, and reentry. PVCs are commonly asymptomatic but can also result in palpitations, dyspnea, presyncope, and fatigue. The history, physical examination, and 12-lead ECG are each critical to the diagnosis and evaluation of a PVC. An echocardiogram is indicated in the presence of symptoms or particularly frequent PVCs, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is helpful when the evaluation suggests the presence of associated structural heart disease. Ambulatory monitoring is required to assess PVC frequency. The prognosis of those with PVCs is variable, with ongoing uncertainty regarding the most informative predictors of adverse outcomes. An increased PVC frequency may be a risk factor for heart failure and death, and the resolution of systolic dysfunction after successful catheter ablation of PVCs demonstrates that a causal relationship can be present. Patients with no or mild symptoms, a low PVC burden, and normal ventricular function may be best served with simple reassurance. Either medical treatment or catheter ablation are considered first-line therapies in most patients with PVCs associated with symptoms or a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, and patient preference plays a role in determining which to try first. If medical treatment is selected, either β-blockers or nondihydropyridine calcium channel blockers are reasonable drugs in patients with normal ventricular systolic function. Other antiarrhythmic drugs should be considered if those initial drugs fail and ablation has been declined, has been unsuccessful, or has been deemed inappropriate. Catheter ablation is the most efficacious approach to eradicate PVCs but may confer increased upfront risks. Original research remains necessary to identify individuals at risk for PVC-induced cardiomyopathy and to identify preventative and therapeutic approaches targeting the root causes of PVCs to maximize effectiveness while minimizing risk.
Pulmonary Hypertension Due to Left Heart Disease
Authors: Al-Omary Mohammed S. , Sugito Stuart , Boyle Andrew J. , Sverdlov Aaron L. , Collins Nicholas J.
Published: April 2020

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to left heart disease (LHD) is the most common type of PH and is defined as mean pulmonary artery systolic pressure of >20 mm Hg and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure >15 mm Hg during right heart catheterization. LHD may lead to elevated left atrial pressure alone, which in the absence of intrinsic pulmonary vascular disease will result in PH without changes in pulmonary vascular resistance. Persistent elevation in left atrial pressure may, however, also be associated with subsequent pulmonary vascular remodeling, vasoconstriction, and an increase in pulmonary vascular resistance. Hence, there are 2 subgroups of PH due to LHD, isolated postcapillary PH and combined post- and precapillary PH, with these groups have differing clinical implications. Differentiation of pulmonary arterial hypertension and PH due to LHD is critical to guide management planning; however, this may be challenging. Older patients, patients with metabolic syndrome, and patients with imaging and clinical features consistent with left ventricular dysfunction are suggestive of LHD etiology rather than pulmonary arterial hypertension. Hemodynamic measures such as diastolic pressure gradient, transpulmonary gradient, and pulmonary vascular resistance may assist to differentiate pre- from postcapillary PH and offer prognostic insights. However, these are influenced by fluid status and heart failure treatment. Pulmonary arterial hypertension therapies have been trialed in the treatment with concerning results reflecting disease heterogeneity, variation in inclusion criteria, and mixed end point criteria. The aim of this review is to provide an updated definition, discuss possible pathophysiology, clinical aspects, and the available treatment options for PH due to LHD.
Metabolites and Hypertension: Insights into Hypertension as a Metabolic Disorder
Authors: Chakraborty Saroj , Mandal Juthika , Yang Tao , Cheng Xi , Yeo Ji-Youn , McCarthy Cameron G. , Wenceslau Camilla F. , Koch Lauren G. , Hill Jennifer W. , Vijay-Kumar Matam , Joe Bina
Published: April 2020

For over 100 years, essential hypertension has been researched from different perspectives ranging from genetics, physiology, and immunology to more recent ones encompassing microbiology (microbiota) as a previously underappreciated field of study contributing to the cause of hypertension. Each field of study in isolation has uniquely contributed to a variety of underlying mechanisms of blood pressure regulation. Even so, clinical management of essential hypertension has remained somewhat static. We, therefore, asked if there are any converging lines of evidence from these individual fields that could be amenable for a better clinical prognosis. Accordingly, here we present converging evidence which support the view that metabolic dysfunction underlies essential hypertension.
Machine Learning–Driven Language Assessment
Authors: Settles Burr , T. LaFlair Geoffrey , Hagiwara Masato
Published: April 2020

We describe a method for rapidly creating language proficiency assessments, and provide experimental evidence that such tests can be valid, reliable, and secure. Our approach is the first to use machine learning and natural language processing to induce proficiency scales based on a given standard, and then use linguistic models to estimate item difficulty directly for computer-adaptive testing. This alleviates the need for expensive pilot testing with human subjects. We used these methods to develop an online proficiency exam called the Duolingo English Test, and demonstrate that its scores align significantly with other high-stakes English assessments. Furthermore, our approach produces test scores that are highly reliable, while generating item banks large enough to satisfy security requirements.
Firm Wage Premia, Industrial Relations, and Rent Sharing in Germany
Authors: Hirsch Boris , Mueller Steffen
Published: April 2020

The authors use three distinct methods to investigate the influence of industrial relations on firm wage premia in Germany. First, ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions for the firm effects from a two-way fixed-effects decomposition of workers’ wages reveal that average premia are larger in firms bound by collective agreements and in firms with a works council, holding constant firm performance. Next, recentered influence function (RIF) regressions show that premia are less dispersed among covered firms but more dispersed among firms with a works council. Finally, in an Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition, the authors find that decreasing bargaining coverage is the only factor they consider that contributes to the marked rise in premia dispersion over time.
Cement composites with expanded graphite as resistance heating elements
Authors: Frąc Maksymilian , Pichór Waldemar , Szołdra Paulina
Published: April 2020

The following paper presents the results of research on cement composites with expanded graphite as resistance heating elements. Samples of cement mortar were prepared with expanded graphite obtained from intercalated graphite by means of rapid heating at 1000℃. Monotonic and cyclic self-heating tests of cement composites with differing contents of expanded graphite were conducted. In the monotonic self-heating test, the electrical current and the surface temperature of the cement composites with expanded graphite were measured at temperatures 23℃ and –10℃ in order to evaluate their capacity to generate heat. The maximum temperature of composites, the time required to raise the temperature by 10℃, and the power density were determined. Five cycles were applied in the cyclic self-heating test to investigate heat-dependent mechanical properties. The results of the research revealed that cement composites with expanded graphite exhibited promising properties for application as resistance heating elements.
Hirohitler on the Rhine: Transnational Protest Against the Japanese Emperor’s 1971 West German State Visit
Authors: Macartney Alex F.
Published: April 2020

This article explores transnational connections between anti-imperialist groups in West Germany and Japan through an examination of the protest around the Japanese Emperor’s state visit to Bonn in 1971. Although anti-imperialist movements in Japan and West Germany had many similarities and moments of contact, there are few treatments of these groups in transnational perspective. The event offers a unique moment of entanglement between New Left groups in the global 1960s and a rare moment of mutual discussion of the Japanese and German wartime past. The Showa Emperor (better known as Hirohito) traveled to Europe as a way to promote a new, peaceful, Japan; however, his role as a wartime leader complicated this image. Hirohito’s presence in West Germany presented major issues of wartime crimes that were filtered through German’s own memory of perpetration and victimhood. Radical students in and West Germany responded to the Emperor’s visit by cooperating with Japanese exchange students to analyze and protest the history of Japanese militarism and fascism – and also its postwar attempts to regain an empire, especially in Southeast Asia and Vietnam. These concepts were seen, therefore, on another level: the US war in Vietnam, and Japanese and West German complicity in this conflict.
Brutalization and the Civilizing Process: An Ongoing Debate Between Mosse and Elias
Authors: Benadusi Lorenzo
Published: April 2020

The objective of this article is to compare the concept of brutalization, analyzed by George Mosse, with the civilizing process, described by Norbert Elias. The intellectual life of these German-Jewish scholars will be reconstructed through the study of their relationships and their similar life experience. In this way, I’ll try to demonstrate that the apparent contrast between their different points of view is much more nuanced. Civilization and brutalization were not opposed processes that excluded one another. Therefore, a clearer understanding of the Great War can be best achieved through a combined reading of these two interconnected processes; and it is only by examining their interaction that we can understand the postwar period and the rise of Fascism and Nazism more fully.
Civilian Disarmament: Public Order and the Restoration of State Authority in Italy’s Postwar Transition, 1944–6
Authors: Maria Aterrano Marco
Published: April 2020

Despite its impact on the breakdown of public order and on the rise of armed violence, the role of civilian disarmament in post-Second World War transitions is yet to be properly investigated. This article argues that the disarmament of the population was a key passage in two critical aspects of the normalization of postwar Italy: the reaffirmation of State authority and the reconstruction of control structures in response to the delegitimization of established authorities that followed their collapse in September 1943. Specifically, the article focuses on the intersection between the proliferation of war weapons, public order policing, and the recovery of Italian sovereignty in the aftermath of the Second World War. This article will demonstrate that disarmament was instrumental in reshaping Italian institutions according to the imperative of regaining control over the national territory in a context marked by foreign occupation, conflicting claims of legitimacy and the inversion of the monopoly on legitimate violence. The urgency to disarm incentivized both Italian and Allied authorities to rebuild the State control system in accordance to the pre-existing model of a centralized, authoritative administration. This led toward the preservation - in the sphere of public security - of agencies and individuals strongly compromised with the Fascist regime.
The New Ju-Ju: Ijo Masquerades and the Office of War Information in Second World War Nigeria
Authors: Angle Caroline
Published: April 2020

In May and June 1943, a photographer with the American Office of War Information (OWI) photographed West African men who he identified as ‘witch doctors’ engaging in masquerade dances dedicated to water spirits. However, rather than the typical aquatic-themed headgear, these ‘witch doctors’ wore model planes – reproductions of British, French, and American aircraft. The photographs and their captions constructed a narrative of a ‘new ju-ju’, in which an indigenous community incorporated model aircraft into their traditional masquerades in order to reflect upon and support the power of Allied armies, which had supplanted their previous notions of spiritual power. However, despite their absurd and over-contrived captions, these photos were never published, demonstrating that the narrative of ‘new ju-ju’ was too complex to fit within the standard propagandistic narrative of widespread Allied support. This fascinating story provides insight into how indigenous communities in Nigeria coped with massive societal changes throughout the Second World War period, reveals the constructed narratives of American wartime propaganda, and, overall, demonstrates the uncontrollable nature of photographs as sources that insist upon revealing distinctive forms of agency and telling their own stories.
The Faces of Success: Beauty and Ugliness Premiums in e-Commerce Platforms
Authors: Peng Ling , Cui Geng , Chung Yuho , Zheng Wanyi
Published: April 2020

Given the positive bias toward attractive people in society, online sellers are justifiably apprehensive about perceptions of their profile pictures. Although the existing literature emphasizes the “beauty premium” and the “ugliness penalty,” the current studies of seller profile pictures on customer-to-customer e-commerce platforms find a U-shaped relationship between facial attractiveness and product sales (i.e., both beauty and ugliness premiums and, thus, a “plainness penalty”). By analyzing two large data sets, the authors find that both attractive and unattractive people sell significantly more than plain-looking people. Two online experiments reveal that attractive sellers enjoy greater source credibility due to perceived sociability and competence, whereas unattractive sellers are considered more believable on the basis of their perceived competence. While a beauty premium is apparent for appearance-relevant products, an ugliness premium is more pronounced for expertise-relevant products and for female consumers evaluating male sellers. These findings highlight the influence of facial appearance as a key vehicle for impression formation in online platforms and its complex effects in e-commerce and marketing.
Hiding Gifts Behind the Veil of Vouchers: On the Effect of Gift Vouchers Versus Direct Gifts in Conditional Promotions
Authors: Ding Yu , Zhang Yan
Published: April 2020

To boost sales, marketers often conduct promotions that offer gifts conditional on the purchase of a focal product. Such promotions can present gifts in different formats: customers could be informed that they will receive a gift directly or that they will receive a voucher entitling them to a gift. Normatively speaking, the two formats are equivalent, as a voucher’s value is identical to that of the gift it represents. Yet this article suggests that promotion format (voucher vs. direct gift) influences consumers’ intention to purchase the focal product. Five lab experiments and one field experiment reveal that, compared with presenting a gift directly, introducing a voucher attenuates the influence of gift value on purchase decisions, decreasing purchase intentions for promotions offering high-value gifts but increasing purchase intentions for promotions offering low-value gifts. This effect occurs because vouchers break the direct association between the focal product and the gift, reducing people’s tendency to compare the gift’s value with the focal product’s value. The effect observed can be attenuated by increasing the salience of gift value.
Joyful learning at scale: Immersing students in the arts
Authors: Nathan Linda F.
Published: April 2020

In their recent book In Search of Deeper Learning (Harvard University Press, 2019), scholars Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine argue that if high schools are to help adolescents flourish as individuals and members of a community, they must do more than teach them academic skills and content — they must also give them meaningful opportunities to study material that truly matters to them, to explore their own creativity, and to experience a growing sense of accomplishment. For examples, Mehta and Fine point to extracurricular activities such as theatrical productions and debate clubs. But, argues Linda Nathan, many arts-immersed high schools have a long track record of bringing such powerful experiences to the center of the curriculum, balancing the arts and academics in ways that engage young people every day in rigorous, joyful learning.
School makerspaces: Beyond the hype
Authors: Salisbury Kurt , Nichols T. Philip
Published: April 2020

Recently, makerspaces have captured the imaginations of educators as resources for transforming school-based learning. Aligning informal making practices with the formal aims of the school curriculum, however, can present challenges. In this article, Philip Nichols and Kurt Salisbury show how educators in two very different contexts — a suburban middle school math class and an urban secondary humanities class — empowered student learning by integrating making into their content-area instruction. They also highlight three takeaways for educators interested in bringing making into their own classrooms.
First Person: Mrs. Swanson: A teacher with vision
Authors: Kurth Lita
Published: April 2020

Lita Kurth shares her recollections of Mrs. Swanson, her 3rd-grade teacher in rural Wisconsin. Mrs. Swanson helped her students learn about the world outside their small community by exposing them to things that many students did not have at home. Students without phones got to practice telephone skills, and students without books had access to a collection of classic novels to read. Lita was herself a curious student who snuck books out of the classroom to read at home, and Mrs. Swanson took an interest in her development, both by pushing her to find her own voice and giving her a boost when her self-esteem was lagging.
On Leadership: Responding to COVID-19: Short- and long-term challenges
Authors: Starr Joshua P.
Published: April 2020

In the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, school district leaders’ most immediate priority was to ensure that students have access to regular meals. However, efforts to provide a range of other social services must follow close behind. As a start, superintendents can look to their data systems to help them identify those students and families that are most likely to need social services to make it through this phase and beyond. But even while racing to ensure students’ health and safety, they cannot afford to ignore the longer-term challenges that their districts will face, given not just the need to move instruction online but also given that COVID-19 is all but guaranteed to do serious damage to state and local economies.
Under the Law: Disciplinary policies for students with special needs
Authors: Underwood Julie
Published: April 2020

Schools must have rules and procedures in place for disciplining all students, but for students with special needs, there are special considerations. Students with disabilities receive special protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. When determining whether and how to discipline students, schools must consider whether the behavior is caused by the disability. If students are eligible for services under IDEA, schools must also consider whether the consequences, such as suspension, could constitute a change in the student’s special education placement. In this Under the Law column, Julie Underwood describes the current laws related to disciplining students with disabilities and shares some example cases.
Backtalk: Ensuring school safety drills meet ethical standards
Authors: Perrodin David P.
Published: April 2020

Schools have adopted a wide variety of procedures for their safety drills, some of them potentially traumatizing without being effective. David P. Perrodin urges school leaders to look to the world of human research for a model of how to ensure their safety drills are helpful and not harmful. An institutional review board made up of educators, emergency managers, parents, students, and other stakeholders could review any proposed safety drill procedures to ensure they are likely to achieve their purpose without inflicting unnecessary trauma.
Explaining the Constitutional Integration and Resurgence of Traditional Political Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Holzinger Katharina , Kern Florian G , Kromrey Daniela
Published: April 2020

Social scientists have recently observed a ‘resurgence’ of traditional political institutions on the constitutional level in Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, the scope and causes of the resurgence remain unclear. We base our analysis on original data on the degree of constitutional integration of traditional institutions and on their constitutional resurgence since 1990 in 45 countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. We test six theoretical explanations for constitutionalization: former colonial rule, democratization, state capacity, economic development, foreign aid and settlement patterns. First, we verify the broad resurgence of traditional political institutions on a constitutional level. Second, our analysis suggests that, particularly in former British colonies, traditional leaders were able to translate the arrangements of British colonial rule as well as the advantages of a country’s deconcentrated settlement pattern into greater constitutional status. Third, settlement patterns proved important for traditional leaders to gain or increase constitutional status – leading to a constitutional resurgence of traditional institutions.
Aligning the times: Exploring the convergence of researchers, policy makers and research evidence in higher education policy making
Authors: Smith Karen , Fernie Scott , Pilcher Nick
Published: April 2020

The complexity of contemporary higher education policy making and the multitude of evidences and actors in policy networks mean that relationships between higher education researchers, policy makers and research evidence are not straightforward. In this article, we use a theoretical lens of time, Adams’ Timescapes, to explore this relationship and better understand why the research and policy worlds are frequently described as divided. Drawing on in-depth interviews with higher education researchers, policy makers and research funders, we show how research and policy have different interpretations of time. We discuss the Timeframes, or lengths, of work and career, the Temporality, or complexity, of ‘evidence’, of networks and relationships, and the importance of elements such as Timing, or synchronisation, and Tempo, or pace. We conclude that policy makers and higher education researchers may be better able to make sense of the problematic nature of aligning their concerns, interests and actions through understanding different Timescapes.
Godly husbands and housework: A global examination of the association between religion and men’s housework participation
Authors: Gull Bethany , Geist Claudia
Published: April 2020

In studies seeking to understand cultural and institutional influences on the division of domestic labor, religion has often been left out of the picture in favor of economic, gender and welfare state context. By examining men from 34 countries using 2012 International Social Survey (ISSP) data this study explores the ways in which religion is associated with men’s household labor participation. We utilize individual measures of religiosity as well as cultural zones based on religious and cultural similarity to analyze the effect of predominant religion and religious participation on men’s housework. Differences emerge between men by religious tradition, level of religious attendance, and across cultural zones. Contrary to expectations, we find increased religious participation at the individual and cultural zone levels associated with greater participation in some housework tasks and time spent on housework, though the findings show great variation by task and religious tradition. Our findings indicate two potential paths leading to men’s increased housework participation: a nonreligious, egalitarian one, and a religious, family-centered one.