bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Importance of EGFR/ERCC1 Interaction Following Radiation-Induced DNA Damage
Authors: Liccardi Gianmaria , Hartley John A. , Hochhauser Daniel
Published: April 2014

Purpose: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays an important role in cellular response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy through modulation of DNA repair. EGFR activates DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) stimulating repair of DNA strand breaks (SB) and interstrand crosslinks (ICL). We investigated the role of EGFR in repair of ionizing radiation (IR)-induced SB independently of DNA-PK.

Experimental Design: The EGFR interactome was investigated via mass spectrometry. IR-induced EGFR–ERCC1 binding was validated biochemically and via proximity ligation assay in different cell lines including the M059K and M059J glioma cell lines, proficient and deficient for the expression of DNAPKcs, respectively. EGFR–ERCC1 functional significance following IR-induced SB was investigated in knockdown experiments with the Comet and γH2AX foci assays. The effect of this interaction was tested with EGFR–ERCC1 knockdown in combination with gefitinib and NU7026 using the MTT and apoptosis assays.

Results: This study demonstrates that EGFR inhibition further impairs IR-induced DNA repair in cells lacking expression of DNAPKcs or in combination with the DNAPK inhibitor NU7026. Our data suggest a role for EGFR in DNA repair independent of DNAPKcs but dependent on ERCC1. Alkaline comet and γH2AX foci assays in cells depleted of EGFR, ERCC1, or EGFR–ERCC1 expression demonstrated involvement of this interaction in DNA repair. Cellular survival and apoptosis data correlate with levels of residual DNA damage underlying the importance of this complex following SB.

Conclusion: These data emphasize the importance of understanding the various mechanisms by which EGFR modulates DNA repair to optimize targeted therapy for patients with cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 20(13); 3496–506. ©2014 AACR.
Efficacy of Azithromycin for Treatment of Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Fibrosing Interstitial Pneumonia: A Prospective, Open-Label Study with Historical Controls
Authors: Kawamura Kodai , Ichikado Kazuya , Suga Moritaka , Yoshioka Masakazu
Published: April 2014

Background: Acute exacerbation of chronic fibrosing interstitial pneumonia (AE-CFIP) is an often fatal condition with no established treatment. Recently, macrolides were found to be beneficial in cases of acute lung injury. Objectives: To examine the clinical effectiveness and safety of intravenous azithromycin in patients hospitalized for AE-CFIP. Methods: A prospective, open-label study with historical controls was conducted. Twenty consecutive patients with AE-CFIP received azithromycin. They were compared with a historical cohort treated with fluoroquinolone (n = 56). All patients received high-dose steroid pulse therapy. The primary end point was mortality at 60 days. The secondary end point was safety of intravenous azithromycin in patients with AE-CFIP. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) using the propensity score was performed to investigate the relationship between azithromycin use and survival time. Results: Mortality was significantly lower in the patients treated with azithromycin than in those treated with fluoroquinolone (mortality rate at 60 days: 20 vs. 69.6%, p < 0.001; median survival time: not reached vs. 29.5 days, p < 0.001). The IPTW adjusted hazard of mortality at 60 days in patients receiving azithromycin was 0.17 (95% CI 0.05-0.61). No serious adverse events were observed. Conclusions: Azithromycin was associated with improved outcomes in patients with AE-CFIP. Further studies are needed to verify this finding (Clinical trial JMA-IIA00095).
Maternal Plasma and Amniotic Fluid Cytokines in Monochorionic, Diamniotic Twin Pregnancies Complicated by Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome
Authors: Fox Caroline E. , Lash Gendie E. , Pretlove Samantha J. , Chan Ben C. , Holder Roger , Kilby Mark D.
Published: April 2014

Introduction: Cytokine imbalance has been implicated in placental-related pathologies, i.e. recurrent miscarriage and pre-eclampsia. Such conditions are more prevalent in multiple pregnancies. Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is associated with asymmetric placental blood flow and intra-cardiac pressures. We hypothesised that cytokine expression may be aberrant in this condition and that fetoscopic laser ablation (FLA) may cause local cytokine release. Material and Methods: A prospective cohort of monochorionic, diamniotic twins with TTTS (n = 23) was studied. Circulating T helper cell type 1 (TH1)/TH2 maternal cytokines and cytokine-related and angiogenic factors were measured in plasma and amniotic fluid before and after FLA by human FASTQuant or ELISA. Basal comparisons were made with uncomplicated monochorionic and dichorionic (DC) twins. Results: Median maternal plasma platelet-derived growth factor-BB was highest in uncomplicated DC twins (p = 0.049), whereas tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1 was highest in TTTS twins (p = 0.003). In TTTS amniotic fluid, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, tumour necrosis factor-α, IL-10, IL-4, IL-8, interferon-γ, TIMP-1 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 were significantly higher than maternal plasma concentrations. There were no significant differences in plasma or amniotic fluid cytokines after FLA, with the exception of amniotic fluid keratinocyte growth factor, which was significantly reduced. Discussion: TTTS is associated with minimal changes in cytokine levels when compared to uncomplicated twins, although the majority of cytokine levels were higher in amniotic fluid than maternal blood. It does not appear that FLA evokes a significant change in cytokines.
Identification of Responders to Sorafenib in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Is Tumor Volume Measurement the Way Forward?
Authors: Bargellini Irene , Scionti Alessandra , Mismas Valeria , Masi Gianluca , Vivaldi Caterina , Bartolozzi Carlo , Sacco Rodolfo
Published: April 2014

Objectives: Early assessment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) response during sorafenib (SO) treatment is challenging, since tumor necrosis, extension and radiological appearance can be inhomogeneous. We evaluated the predictive value of different imaging criteria - such as Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1, European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), modified RECIST (mRECIST), tumor density and volume variations - in the early follow-up of SO treatment. Methods: The study included 22 patients. CT images from baseline and 2 months were reviewed to assess response according to RECIST 1.1, mRECIST, EASL, Choi's criteria (decreased tumor density by ≥15%) and arterial-enhancing tumor volume ratio; α-fetoprotein (AFP) variations were expressed as AFP ratio. Results: The response criteria and volume measurements were reproducible (k > 0.80). The overall disease control rate was 40.9% by EASL and mRECIST, and 27.3% by RECIST 1.1; a ≥15% decrease in tumor density was observed in 9 patients (40.9%). The mean volume ratio was 1.73 ± 2.12, the mean AFP ratio 14 ± 37. The 1-year survival rate was 65.9%. Volume ratio was the only predictive factor for survival, with 1-year cumulative survival rates of 90% for volume ratios ≤1.1 and of 45.4% for volume ratios >1.1 (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Tumor volume measurements are reproducible and might provide an early predictive marker of response in HCC patients treated with SO.
Skin Lesions and Inoculation Eschars at the Tick Bite Site in Spotted Fever Group Rickettsioses: Experience from a Patient Series in Eastern Crete, Greece
Authors: Germanakis Antonis , Chochlakis Dimosthenis , Angelakis Emmanouil , Tselentis Yannis , Psaroulaki Anna
Published: April 2014

The main clinical signs and symptoms caused by a rickettsial infection typically begin 6-10 days after the bite and are accompanied by nonspecific findings such as fever, headache and muscle pain. The diagnosis is mainly based on serological tests, however antibody presentation may be delayed, at least at the early stages of the disease, while seroconversion is usually detected 10-15 days after disease onset. Culture is difficult, requires optimized facilities and often proves negative. Under this scope, the presence of a characteristic inoculation eschar at the bite site may prove a useful clinical tool towards the early suspicion and diagnosis/differential diagnosis of tick-borne rickettsioses, even before the onset of rash and fever or serological confirmation. We describe herein the presence of skin lesions and/or an inoculation eschar at the tick bite site in 17 patients diagnosed, by molecular means, as suffering from spotted fever group rickettsioses. The detection of the pathogen's DNA in biopsy samples proved to be a useful means for early rickettsiae detection and identification. Moreover, the presence of an infiltrated erythema always seemed to precede the appearance of an eschar by 2-5 days and the initiation of fever by 1-10 days; these two signs might also prove useful in the context of the final diagnosis.
Management of Insomnia in Traditional Persian Medicine
Authors: Petramfar Peyman , Zarshenas Mohammad M. , Moein Mahmoodreza , Mohagheghzadeh Abdolali
Published: April 2014

Insomnia is a sleep disorder which affects 10-48% of general population. Different measures, such as pharmacotherapy and behavioral management, are applied for insomnia and associated complaints. In traditional medical systems, herbal medicines are considered beneficial. Therefore, the present paper compiles pharmacological and medical insights into the management of insomnia according to Traditional Persian Medicine. Herein, preserved medical and pharmaceutical manuscripts of Persian medicine from 10th to 18th century A.D. were investigated for information about concepts of insomnia treatment and herbal remedies. Additionally, for all herbal remedies, an extensive search of scientific databases, such as MEDLINE and Scopus, has been performed to find related works concerning hypnotic, sedative, and anxiolytic as well as narcoleptic effects. Insomnia (generally called Sahar in Persian manuscripts) is a well-known disorder. Herbal medical intervention was the major treatment prescribed by Iranian physicians. Totally, 36 medicinal herbs related to 25 plant families are derived from the searched literature. These remedies were applied orally, topically, and nasally. Based on scientific data, 50% of reported herbs have relevant pharmacological effects. Besides historical elucidation, this paper presents medical and pharmacological approaches that had been applied by Persian practitioners in order to deal with sleep complications. Considering the fruitful results of these findings, this essay should encourage researchers to conduct more investigations in this field in order to understand the mechanisms and effects of traditionally applied herbs still unknown to modern medicine.
Bazex Syndrome Revealing a Gastric Cancer
Authors: Robert Maxime , Gilabert Marine , Rahal Soraya , Ries Pauline , Raoul Jean-Luc
Published: April 2014

We herein report the case of a 73-year-old woman who developed skin and nail disorders 2 months before her digestive symptoms started, which lead to the diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma. The lesions were diagnosed as Bazex syndrome, usually seen in squamous cell carcinoma. Under systemic chemotherapy, the cutaneous signs improved for some months before worsening when the disease progressed.
Perivascular Adipose Tissue and Coronary Vascular Disease
Authors: Owen Meredith Kohr , Noblet Jillian N. , Sassoon Daniel J. , Conteh Abass M. , Goodwill Adam G. , Tune Johnathan D.
Published: May 2014

Coronary perivascular adipose tissue is a naturally occurring adipose tissue depot that normally surrounds the major coronary arteries on the surface of the heart. Although originally thought to promote vascular health and integrity, there is a growing body of evidence to support that coronary perivascular adipose tissue displays a distinct phenotype relative to other adipose depots and is capable of producing local factors with the potential to augment coronary vascular tone, inflammation, and the initiation and progression of coronary artery disease. The purpose of the present review is to outline previous findings about the cardiovascular effects of coronary perivascular adipose tissue and the potential mechanisms by which adipose-derived factors may influence coronary vascular function and the progression of atherogenesis.
Increased Benefit of Interleukin-1 Inhibition on Vascular Function, Myocardial Deformation, and Twisting in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease and Coexisting Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Ikonomidis Ignatios , Tzortzis Stavros , Andreadou Ioanna , Paraskevaidis Ioannis , Katseli Chrysoula , Katsimbri Pelagia , Pavlidis George , Parissis John , Kremastinos Dimitrios , Anastasiou-Nana Maria , Lekakis John
Published: April 2014

Background—

We investigated the effects of anakinra, an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, on coronary and left ventricular function in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods and Results—

In a double-blind crossover trial, 80 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (60 with CAD and 20 without) were randomized to a single injection of anakinra or placebo and after 48 hours to the alternative treatment. At baseline and 3 hours after treatment, we assessed (1) flow-mediated dilation of brachial artery; (2) coronary flow reserve, ejection fraction, systemic arterial compliance, and resistance by echocardiography; (3) left ventricular global longitudinal and circumferential strain, peak twisting, untwisting velocity by speckle tracking; and (4) interleukin-1β, nitrotyrosine, malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl, and Fas/Fas ligand levels. At baseline, patients with CAD had 3-fold higher interleukin-1β, protein carbonyl, higher nitrotyrosine, malondialdehyde, and Fas/Fas ligand than non-CAD (
P
<0.05). After anakinra, there was a greater improvement of flow-mediated dilation (57±4% versus 47±5%), coronary flow reserve (37±4% versus 29±2%), arterial compliance (20±18% versus 2±17%), resistance (−11±19% versus 9±21%), longitudinal strain (33±5% versus 18±2%), circumferential strain (22±5% versus 13±5%), peak twisting (30±5% versus 12±5%), untwisting velocity (23±5% versus 13±5%), ejection fraction (12±5% versus 0.5±5%), apoptotic and oxidative markers, and, in particular, of protein carbonyl (35±20% versus 14±9%) in CAD than in non-CAD patients (
P
<0.01). No changes in the examined markers were observed after placebo.

Conclusions—

Interleukin-1 inhibition causes a greater improvement in endothelial, coronary aortic function in addition to left ventricular myocardial deformation and twisting in rheumatoid arthritis patients with CAD than in those without.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01566201.
Inhibiting Mitochondrial Na
+
/Ca
2+
Exchange Prevents Sudden Death in a Guinea Pig Model of Heart Failure
Authors: Liu Ting , Takimoto Eiki , Dimaano Veronica L. , DeMazumder Deeptankar , Kettlewell Sarah , Smith Godfrey , Sidor Agnieszka , Abraham Theodore P. , O’Rourke Brian
Published: April 2014

Rationale
:

In cardiomyocytes from failing hearts, insufficient mitochondrial Ca
2+
accumulation secondary to cytoplasmic Na
+
overload decreases NAD(P)H/NAD(P)
+
redox potential and increases oxidative stress when workload increases. These effects are abolished by enhancing mitochondrial Ca
2+
with acute treatment with CGP-37157 (CGP), an inhibitor of the mitochondrial Na
+
/Ca
2+
exchanger.

Objective
:

Our aim was to determine whether chronic CGP treatment mitigates contractile dysfunction and arrhythmias in an animal model of heart failure (HF) and sudden cardiac death (SCD).

Methods and Results
:

Here, we describe a novel guinea pig HF/SCD model using aortic constriction combined with daily β-adrenergic receptor stimulation (ACi) and show that chronic CGP treatment (ACi plus CGP) attenuates cardiac hypertrophic remodeling, pulmonary edema, and interstitial fibrosis and prevents cardiac dysfunction and SCD. In the ACi group 4 weeks after pressure overload, fractional shortening and the rate of left ventricular pressure development decreased by 36% and 32%, respectively, compared with sham-operated controls; in contrast, cardiac function was completely preserved in the ACi plus CGP group. CGP treatment also significantly reduced the incidence of premature ventricular beats and prevented fatal episodes of ventricular fibrillation, but did not prevent QT prolongation. Without CGP treatment, mortality was 61% in the ACi group <4 weeks of aortic constriction, whereas the death rate in the ACi plus CGP group was not different from sham-operated animals.

Conclusions
:

The findings demonstrate the critical role played by altered mitochondrial Ca
2+
dynamics in the development of HF and HF-associated SCD; moreover, they reveal a novel strategy for treating SCD and cardiac decompensation in HF.
Predisposing Factors Associated With Development of Persistent Compared With Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Sandhu Roopinder K. , Conen David , Tedrow Usha B. , Fitzgerald Kathryn C. , Pradhan Aruna D. , Ridker Paul M , Glynn Robert J. , Albert Christine M.
Published: May 2014

Background

Once atrial fibrillation (
AF
) progresses to sustained forms, adverse outcomes increase and treatment success rates decrease. Therefore, identification of risk factors predisposing to persistence of
AF
may have a significant impact on
AF
morbidity.

Methods and Results

We prospectively examined the differential associations between traditional, lifestyle, and biomarker
AF
risk factors and development of paroxysmal versus nonparoxysmal
AF
(persistent/permanent) among 34 720 women enrolled in the Women's Health Study who were free of cardiovascular disease and
AF
at baseline.
AF
patterns were defined based on current guidelines and classified according to the most sustained form of
AF
within 2 years of diagnosis. During a median follow‐up of 16.4 years, 690 women developed paroxysmal
AF
and 349 women developed nonparoxysmal
AF
. In multivariable time‐varying competing risk models, increasing age (hazard ratio [
HR
] 1.11, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.13, versus
HR
1.08, 1.07 to 1.09, per year), body mass index (
HR
1.07, 1.05 to 1.09, versus
HR
1.03, 1.02 to 1.05, per kg/m
2
), and weight (
HR
1.30, 1.22 to 1.39, versus
HR
1.14, 1.08 to 1.20, per 10 kg) were more strongly associated with the development of nonparoxysmal
AF
compared with paroxysmal
AF
. Hemoglobin A1c levels at baseline were directly related to the development of nonparoxysmal
AF
but inversely associated with paroxysmal
AF
in multivariable competing risk models (
P
for nonequal association=0.01).

Conclusions

In women without
AF
or
CVD
at baseline, increasing age, adiposity, and higher hemoglobin A1c levels were preferentially associated with the early development of nonparoxysmal
AF
. These data raise the hypothesis that efforts aimed at weight reduction or glycemic control may affect the proportion of the population with sustained
AF
.
Long-Term Outcome of 106 Consecutive Pediatric Ruptured Brain Arteriovenous Malformations After Combined Treatment
Authors: Blauwblomme Thomas , Bourgeois Marie , Meyer Philippe , Puget Stéphanie , Di Rocco Federico , Boddaert Nathalie , Zerah Michel , Brunelle Francis , Rose Christian Sainte , Naggara Olivier
Published: May 2014

Background and Purpose—

Childhood intracerebral hemorrhage is mainly attributable to underlying brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVMs). Multimodal treatment options for bAVMs include microsurgery and embolization, allowing an immediate cure, and radiosurgery, entailing longer obliteration times. Follow-up data on pediatric ruptured bAVMs are scarce, making it difficult to assess the risk of subsequent intracerebral hemorrhage. Our aim was to assess the clinical and angiographic outcome and to analyze risk factors for rebleeding during and after combined treatment of pediatric bAVMs.

Methods—

A prospectively maintained database of children referred to our institution between January 1997 and October 2012 for bAVMs was retrospectively queried to identify all consecutive ruptured bAVMs treated by surgery, embolization, and radiosurgery. The impact of baseline clinical and bAVM characteristics on clinical outcome, rebleeding rate, annual bleeding rate, and bAVM obliteration was studied using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis.

Results—

One hundred six children with ruptured bAVMs were followed up for a total of 480.5 patient-years (mean, 4.5 years). Thirteen rebleeding events occurred, corresponding to an annual bleeding rate of 2.71±1.32%, significantly higher in the first year (3.88±1.39%) than thereafter (2.22±1.38%;
P
<0.001) and in the case of associated aneurysms (relative risk, 2.68;
P
=0.004) or any deep venous drainage (relative risk, 2.97;
P
=0.002), in univariate and multivariate analysis. Partial embolization was associated with a higher annual bleeding rate, whereas initial surgery for intracerebral hemorrhage evacuation was associated with a lower risk of rebleeding.

Conclusions—

Associated aneurysms and any deep venous drainage are independent risk factors for rebleeding in pediatric ruptured bAVMs. Immediate surgery or total embolization might be advantageous for children harboring such characteristics, whereas radiosurgery might be targeted at patients without such characteristics.
Intravenous Thrombolysis of Basilar Artery Occlusion
Authors: Strbian Daniel , Sairanen Tiina , Silvennoinen Heli , Salonen Oili , Lindsberg Perttu J.
Published: April 2014

Background and Purpose—

In middle cerebral artery occlusion, probability of recanalization after intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator thrombolysis (IVT) was reported to drop <1% for thrombi exceeding 8 mm. We aimed to evaluate the effect of thrombus length and location on success of recanalization after IVT in basilar artery occlusion.

Methods—

We evaluated 164 consecutive patients with angiography-proven basilar artery occlusion and available thrombus length. We excluded 24 patients who underwent endovascular treatment. All included patients (n=140) received IVT. Thrombolysis in myocardial infarction 2 to 3 was considered as successful recanalization.

Results—

Of the 140 included patients, 37 (26.4%) lacked post-treatment angiography, mostly because of early death. Of the remaining 103 patients, those with recanalization had shorter thrombi (median, 5.5 mm and mean, 9.7 mm) when compared with those with nonrecanalized (median, 15.0 mm and mean, 16.6 mm;
P
<0.001). Thrombi shorter than 10 mm had 70% to 80% probability of recanalization, whereas 10 to 20 mm, 20 to 30 mm, and >30 mm long thrombi had probabilities of 50% to 70%, 30% to 50%, and 20% to 30%, respectively. Patients with thrombi <10 mm (n=52) and recanalization had more frequently top-of-the basilar (92.5%) and less frequently caudal or midbasilar (7.5%) clot location (
P
=0.01). In multivariable analysis, thrombus length was independently associated with recanalization (
P
=0.001). Their relationship remained linear across all lengths.

Conclusions—

Although recanalization of basilar artery occlusion with IVT depends on thrombus length, its probability even in patients with thrombi >30 mm (20%–30%) was substantially higher than minimal recanalization of middle cerebral artery thrombi exceeding 8 mm. There was no threshold length, beyond which basilar artery occlusion recanalization with IVT could ad hoc be deemed hopeless.
Balance-Unbalance: Art and Environmental Crisis
Authors: Dal Farra Ricardo
Published: April 2014

Balance-Unbalance aims to use art as a catalyst to explore intersections between nature, science, technology and society with the intent of engendering a deeper awareness and creating lasting intellectual working partnerships in solving our global environmental crisis.
Art as a Catalyst
Authors: Czegledy Nina
Published: April 2014

The investigation of the role of Art as a Catalyst at the intersection of science and technology has become a global focal point over the last decade. The Balance-Unbalance 2013 international conference explored this issue in depth. “Artists as Catalysts” was the main topic of the 2013 Ars Electronica Festival - strong evidence of significant interdisciplinary progress. Nevertheless the question remains: How is art, science and technology changing in the process? Does cross-disciplinary artist-initiated collaboration function as a catalyst in this setting? This paper briefly examines these issues based on personal participatory experience.
Red Cross / Red Crescent Climate Centre and Balance-Unbalance: The art! ⋈ climate Project
Authors: Dal Farra Ricardo , Suarez Pablo
Published: April 2014

The art! ⋈ climate contest used art as a catalyst in helping to build bridges between sound artists and specific humanitarian actions related to climate change, with the intent of engendering a deeper awareness and creating lasting working partnerships in addressing our global environmental crisis. Both the process and the outcomes of this initiative highlight the value of integrating creative approaches into humanitarian work for complex risk management issues.
Participatory Video and Games for a New Climate
Authors: Arrighi Julie , Walker Grady
Published: April 2014

In a world of changing climate risks, the humanitarian sector is facing an unprecedented future of changing hazard profiles and increasingly complex decision-making scenarios. Individuals, communities and disaster managers need to re-examine their way of analyzing information and learn how to make decisions founded on uncertainty rather than historical trends. As a result of this increasingly dynamic future, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre decided to re-examine its own strategies for communicating complex climate risk management concepts by engaging with the arts through the use of games and participatory video.
Contemporary Climate Change Art as the Abstract Machine: Ethico-Aesthetics and Futures Orientation
Authors: Taplin Roslyn
Published: April 2014

The fusion of visual art and climate science to produce something new to mediate the urgency of the climate change issue is explored in relation to Simon O’Sullivan’s conception of contemporary art invoking Deleuze and Guattari’s ethico-aesthetics and futures orientation. The question considered is: Can and does climate change art crystallize a different subjectivity within viewers? Conclusions are that the visual art considered in this article does have the prospect of connecting viewers with some realization of future climate change implications.
The Changing Boundaries of Knowledge Between Māori Awareness and Western Science
Authors: Clothier Ian
Published: April 2014

Conventionally, indigenous knowledge such as that held by Māori (the indigenous culture of Aotearoa New Zealand) is seen as in total contrast to Western scientific knowledge. In this paper the author puts forward instances where ideology is held in common across cultural borders. A general awareness of facets of shared ideology has been refined, extended and given substance through three curatorial projects involving Dr. Te Huirangi Waikerepuru, a highly respected kaumatua (elder). These took place in Istanbul, Albuquerque and Aotearoa New Zealand. Ethically, acceptance of these commonalities leads to considering the shifting boundary of knowledge in contemporary life.
The Main Challenges for the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
Authors: Mijatović Dunja
Published: May 2014

This article focuses on the interdependence between security and human rights. The author advocates that freedom of expression and free media – two basic human rights – play increasingly important roles in fostering a meaningful debate on security issues and that they can help us to effectively address new challenges, not least in the new digital era. The article addresses major challenges within media freedom such as Internet freedom and journalists’ safety and the importance these challenges play with regard to the link between security and human rights.
Building Bridges for Everyone: Switzerland’s Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2014
Authors: Nünlist Christian
Published: May 2014

In 2014, Switzerland is chairing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for the second time. The innovative concept of a two-year tandem presidency together with Serbia (2015) will give the OSCE more continuity. Switzerland will focus its activities on mediating in conflicts in the Western Balkans and Southern Caucasus, on modernizing conventional arms control in Europe, and tackling transnational threats such as kidnapping for ransom. For Switzerland, the 2014 Chairmanship of the OSCE offers the opportunity to break out of its self-imposed political isolation in Europe and to make its preventive peace policy and its established good offices more visible internationally.
The Crimean Tatars: A Quarter of a Century after Their Return
Authors: Wilson Andrew
Published: May 2014

The article looks at the position of the Crimean Tatars, seventy years after their mass Deportation from Crimea in 1944, and twenty-five years since they were able to begin to return to Crimea in 1989. It concentrates on the politics of their position since Viktor Yanukovych was elected President of Ukraine in 2010, looking at arguments within their ranks and at government attempts to play ‘divide and rule’.
Aristotle’s Two Cities: Reducing Diversity to Homogeneity
Authors: Güremen Refik
Published: April 2014

Abstract

It has often been argued, in scholarly debate, that Aristotle’s denial of citizenship to the working population of his ideal city in Book VII of the Politics constitutes a fundamental injustice. According to this view, although it is true that their way of life prevents them from living a morally virtuous life, it does not follow that the working people are naturally devoid of the human qualities required for such a life. So, rather than finding a just way to distribute citizenship among the diversity a city’s population would naturally exhibit (as he does, to a certain extent, in Book III), Aristotle would commit himself to oligarchic measures in Book VII. In this article, it is argued that the main concern of Book VII is less with a just determination of the extent of citizenship (unlike Book III) than with conceiving the most efficient way for a city to be happy: this consists in establishing a community composed of individuals who lay claim to happiness in the same way and to the same degree. In other words, it consists in reducing the diversity of Book III to a certain kind of homogeneity.
Les difficultés d’interprétation de l’argument du plus fort dans le discours de Calliclès sur la justice
Authors: Safty Essam
Published: April 2014

Résumé

L’examen de l’argument du plus fort tel qu’il fut soutenu par Calliclès dans le Gorgias de Platon permet de déceler trois difficultés majeures : l’invocation par le sophiste de l’exemple et de Darius et de Xerxès comme autant d’illustrations du droit du plus fort à dominer le plus faible, alors que les expéditions de ces rois perses contre les Scythes et les Grecs (en – 490 et en – 480 respectivement) furent d’illustres défaites ; la citation problématique d’un fragment interpolé de Pindare, où l’épisode du rapt par Héraclès des bœufs de Géryon paraît célébrer le droit du plus fort ; et, enfin, la subtile équation entre force, puissance et supériorité. Les critiques qui s’attachèrent à examiner ces contradictions conclurent souvent au caractère non probant voire dérisoire de la théorie callicléenne. À première vue, la démonstration callicléenne paraît effectivement irrationnelle, du fait notamment de l’incohérence dont sont constamment taxés ces arguments disant précisément le droit du plus fort. Or nous soutenons que, au-delà du voile de l’irrationnel, se dessine justement une linéarité et une vision conséquente qu’une intelligibilité partiale ou partielle du système moral et politique du sophiste reléguait souvent à l’ombre.
The logic of practicality: An inquiry into the nature of the EU's practice of international peace mediation
Authors: Cupać Jelena , Ružić Maja
Published: April 2014

In the paper, the authors use the practice approach to untangle the nature of the EU's practice of international peace mediation (IPM). Drawing on the recent practice turn in international relations scholarship, Bourdieu's well-known concept of habitus is employed in order to elicit the background knowledge and values that constitute and transform this practice. In this regard, the EU's practice of international peace mediation is examined through the lens of general peace mediation norms, as well as through the rules, norms, identity and culture that are specific to the European Union. Three cases are used for this endeavor: (1) the EU support for the Aceh peace process in Indonesia (2004-2008); (2) the EU engagement in the Russian Georgian war (2008-2012); and (3) the mediating role which the EU has undertaken in the recent dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia (2011-2013).
The implications of intelligence practice within and beyond the state: An analytical model
Authors: Gill Peter
Published: April 2014

The study of the democratisation of intelligence in former authoritarian regimes and, more broadly, the relationship between intelligence and democracy, has hitherto concentrated on state intelligence services. The article challenges the utility of this state-centric model and considers the significance of corporate and para-state sectors of intelligence including their multiple interactions with states. 'Securitism' is developed as a model of these interactions which can be used in the analysis of contemporary intelligence governance and the profound challenges posed to the possibility of democratic control and oversight.
Comparative seed morphology of the Antillean genus Calycogonium (Melastomataceae: Miconieae) as a source of characters to untangle its complex taxonomy
Authors: BÉCQUER ELDIS R. , MICHELANGELI FABIÁN A. , BORSCH THOMAS
Published: April 2014

In order to assess seed morphology 47 species of Miconieae (Melastomataceae) from the Antilles were studied. The majority of these species belong to Calycogonium, a complex genus that has been shown to be polyphyletic, but for which we lack for many species any recent and suitable material for molecular systematics studies. A better understanding of homoplastic versus synapomorphic seed characters may therefore be helpful to illuminate the affinities of such species. Some taxa from Clidemia, Miconia, Ossaea, Pachyanthus and Tetrazygia were also sampled due to their morphological similarities with some species of Calycogonium. Variable seed characters include overall shape and size, raphe shape and size, and testa sculpturing. Based on these characters we grouped the species in five seed types, and an additional three species were found to have distinctive seeds that were not grouped with any other species. Species with identical seed types often belong to more than one genus as currently classified. There are five groups of species within Calycogonium characterized by similar seed morphology but none of the respective seed types is exclusive to the genus. Some of these seed types correlate well with previously proposed subgeneric groups of Calycogonium based on flower morphology and presences and type of leaf domatia. While the occurrence of some seed characters and states matches species groups in Calycogonium also found with molecular phylogenetic analyses, seed morphology generally indicates relationships of Calycogonium and allied taxa of the Caribbean clade that are not completely reflected by the current generic classification. The study provides a matrix for seed characters of the included species that will serve further phylogenetic reconstruction and analyses of character evolution.
Notes on the genus Napialus Chu & Wang (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae), with description of a new species from China
Authors: LI WEICHUN , WEI HONGYI
Published: April 2014

Napialus spinosus Li & Wei, sp. nov. is described as new based on a male specimen collected in Jiangxi Province of China. Image of the adult, illustrations of the antenna, venation, and eighth abdomeninal segment as well as male genitalia are presented. A species checklist and key to the species of Napialus are provided and the known distribution of each species is mapped with respect to temperature gradients.
Transisthmian differentiation in the tree-climbing mangrove crab Aratus H. Milne Edwards, 1853 (Crustacea, Brachyura, Sesarmidae), with description of a new species from the tropical eastern Pacific
Authors: THIERCELIN N. , SCHUBART C. D.
Published: May 2014

The tree-climbing mangrove crab Aratus pisonii (H. Milne Edwards, 1837) (Brachyura, Sesarmidae) is considered to have a transisthmian distribution, due to its presence in mangroves of the Western Atlantic as well as the Eastern Pacific. We here present evidence, based on the morphologies of male gonopods and on genetic data, that populations from these two coastlines are morphologically and genetically distinct and require the description of a new species, Aratus pacificus n. sp., as the sister-species of Aratus pisonii. The corresponding speciation event can be regarded as the outcome of differentiation following the closure of the Isthmus of Panama. As these coastal brackish species were probably among the last ones to become separated, the speciation can thus be dated to a time frame of no more than 3.1 million years.
Response of Atmospheric Convection to Vertical Wind Shear: Cloud-System-Resolving Simulations with Parameterized Large-Scale Circulation. Part I: Specified Radiative Cooling
Authors: Anber Usama , Wang Shuguang , Sobel Adam
Published: April 2014

It is well known that vertical wind shear can organize deep convective systems and greatly extend their lifetimes. Much less is known about the influence of shear on the bulk properties of tropical convection in statistical equilibrium. To address the latter question, the authors present a series of cloud-resolving simulations on a doubly periodic domain with parameterized large-scale dynamics based on the weak temperature gradient (WTG) approximation. The horizontal-mean horizontal wind is relaxed strongly in these simulations toward a simple unidirectional linear vertical shear profile in the troposphere. The strength and depth of the shear layer are varied as control parameters. Surface enthalpy fluxes are prescribed.

The results fall in two distinct regimes. For weak wind shear, time-averaged rainfall decreases with shear and convection remains disorganized. For larger wind shear, rainfall increases with shear, as convection becomes organized into linear mesoscale systems. This nonmonotonic dependence of rainfall on shear is observed when the imposed surface fluxes are moderate. For larger surface fluxes, convection in the unsheared basic state is already strongly organized, but increasing wind shear still leads to increasing rainfall. In addition to surface rainfall, the impacts of shear on the parameterized large-scale vertical velocity, convective mass fluxes, cloud fraction, and momentum transport are also discussed.
A Comparison of Atmospheric Reanalysis Products for the Arctic Ocean and Implications for Uncertainties in Air–Sea Fluxes
Authors: Chaudhuri Ayan H. , Ponte Rui M. , Nguyen An T.
Published: April 2014

The uncertainties related to atmospheric fields in the Arctic Ocean from commonly used and recently available reanalysis products are investigated. Fields from the 1) ECMWF Interim Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim), 2) Common Ocean–Ice Reference Experiment version 2 (CORE2), 3) Japanese 25-yr Reanalysis Project (JRA-25), 4) NCEP–NCAR reanalysis, 5) NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR), and 6) Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) are evaluated against satellite-derived and in situ observations for zonal and meridional winds, precipitation, specific humidity, surface air temperature, and downwelling longwave and shortwave radiation fluxes. Comparison to reference observations shows that for variables such as air temperature and humidity, all reanalysis products have similar solutions. However, other variables such as winds, precipitation, and radiation show large spreads. The magnitude of uncertainties in all fields is large when compared to the signal. Biases in Arctic cloud parameterizations and predicted temperature and humidity profiles in reanalyses as discussed in other studies are likely common sources of error that affect surface downwelling radiation, air temperature, humidity, and precipitation.
Methodology to Correct Wind Speed during Average Wind Conditions: Application to the Caribbean Sea
Authors: Montoya R. D. , Osorio A. F.
Published: April 2014

The spatial and temporal variability of ocean wind waves plays an important role in many engineering and environmental problems. Although research in this area has been improved in recent decades thanks to the emergence of satellite data, in many cases this information does not have the appropriate resolution for more detailed and local research. In view of this, reanalysis data developed by several meteorological agencies have appeared as a good alternative to force the most popular ocean wind-wave models. Thus, to achieve more accuracy in the data, the 60-yr Global Atmospheric Reanalysis 1 carried out by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP–NCAR) has been corrected, employing the vector correlation and triple collocation theories combined with information from different accurate sources. The comparison of wind speed with satellite and in situ buoy data before correction reveals an important underestimation for areas near the Colombian coast. The wind speed root-mean-square error (RMSE) between corrected data and satellite measurements at locations near the Colombian Caribbean coast without calibration is 3.8 m s−1, while for corrected data it is 2.0 m s−1, showing a decrease in the RMSE of almost 47%. For significant wave height for buoy 41194 (Barranquilla, Colombia), the RMSE between the modeled data and measurements without correction is 0.99 m, while for the corrected data it is 0.40 m, showing a decrease in the RMSE of almost 55%. The results obtained clearly show an increase in the accuracy of the calibrated wind speed.
Italia linguistica and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
Authors: Cravens Thomas D
Published: April 2014

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages requires member states that have ratified and signed to support the survival and use of longstanding minority languages within their borders. While the Charter offers some guidance in the selection of qualified languages, its definitions are far from rigorous and leave considerable room for arbitrary selection. Moreover, the selections are left entirely to government entities of each state. The result in the case of Italy is that a very small collection of the nation’s plethora of languages has been deemed worthy of support. This article urges reconsideration of the decision-making process in light of the plurilinguistic reality of Italy and the Charter’s purpose of guaranteeing linguistic minorities the integrity of their voice.
The Squeeze on Real Wages – and what it Might take to End it
Authors: Gregg Paul , Machin Stephen , Fernández-Salgado Mariña
Published: April 2014

UK workers have been experiencing unprecedented falls in real wages and living standards. Taking a balanced view of the available data suggests that since 2008 real weekly wages have fallen by around 8 per cent, which amounts to a fall in annual earnings of about £2000 for the typical (median) worker. Three factors are important drivers of these unprecedented real wage falls. First, unemployment has been exerting a larger downward pressure on wages than in previous recessions. Second, low wages and low business investment have created the conditions for an extremely poor productivity record through both the recession and recovery, though this has been good news for jobs. Third, and pre-dating the recession, due to rising inequality the wages of typical British workers are no longer keeping up with productivity gains made in the economy. If sustained increases in real wages are to occur, this requires a return to strong productivity growth and a re-coupling of median wages to productivity.
The Financial Crisis, Bank Lending and UK Productivity: Sectoral and Firm-Level Evidence
Authors: Riley Rebecca , Rosazza-Bondibene Chiara , Young Garry
Published: April 2014

This paper assesses the evidence and investigates some of the mechanisms by which the most recent banking sector crisis might have affected the supply side of the UK economy. We find clear evidence that the banking sector crisis affected credit supply to businesses and caused bank lending to decline. But we do not find much evidence of the heterogeneity in performance between different industrial sectors that would have been expected if banking sector impairment had been the key factor holding back productivity growth. Consistent with this we do not find strong evidence that a lack of reallocation of resources across businesses has been a substantial drag on productivity growth.
Labour Markets in the Global Financial Crisis: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Authors: Daly Mary C. , Fernald John G. , Jordà Òscar , Nechio Fernanda
Published: April 2014

This note examines labour market performance across countries through the lens of Okun's Law. We find that after the 1970s but prior to the global financial crisis of the 2000s, the Okun's Law relationship between output and unemployment became more homogenous across countries. These changes presumably reflected institutional and technological changes. But, at least in the short term, the global financial crisis undid much of this convergence, in part because the affected countries adopted different labour market policies in response to the global demand shock.
Outcomes of Introduction to the Psychology Major
Authors: Roscoe Lauren J. , McMahan Ethan A.
Published: April 2014

University career courses have become a more standard offering at many colleges and universities over the past few decades. Similarly, there has been an increase in the number of psychology departments offering a careers course for psychology majors or an introduction to the psychology major course. This study examines the outcomes of a course that provides students with information regarding both the psychology major and career opportunities. The findings indicate that by the end of the course, students were more knowledgeable of psychology major and minor requirements, felt more prepared for and capable of working in a psychology-related field, and felt they had more knowledge about subdisciplines within psychology. Furthermore, students had more knowledge about occupational opportunities and how to access information.
The Influence of Teacher Immediacy Behaviors on Student Performance in an Online Course (and the Problem of Method Variance)
Authors: Campbell David E.
Published: April 2014

Social presence (represented by salience of instructor and fellow students) in an online teaching environment has been shown to influence perceptions of course activity and self-estimates of learning. An experiment is described here in which teacher presence is manipulated via personalized messages from the teaching assistant throughout the course. High presence was not associated with activity in class discussion, homework performance, or tests over the assigned readings. It is suggested that these results have clear implications for the interpretation of research using perceived as opposed to objectively measured course outcomes to evaluate social presence and teacher immediacy concepts.