bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Blood Chromogranin A Is Not Effective as a Biomarker for Diagnosis or Management of Bronchopulmonary Neuroendocrine Tumors/Neoplasms
Authors: Matar Somer , Malczewska Anna , Oberg Kjell , Bodei Lisa , Aslanian Harry , Lewczuk-Myślicka Anna , Filosso Pier Luigi , Suarez Alejandro L. , Kolasińska-Ćwikła Agnieszka , Roffinella Matteo , Kos-Kudła Beata , Ćwikła Jarosław B. , Drozdov Ignat A. , Kidd Mark  , Modlin Irvin M.
Published: June 2019

Background: Identification of circulating tumor markers for clinical management in bronchopulmonary (BP) neuroendocrine tumors/neoplasms (NET/NEN) is of considerable clinical interest. Chromogranin A (CgA), a “universal” NET biomarker, is considered controversial as a circulating biomarker of BPNEN. Aim: Assess utility of CgA in the diagnosis and management of BPNEN in a multicentric study. Material and Methods: CgA diagnostic metrics were assessed in lung NET/NENs (n = 200) and controls (n = 140), randomly assigned to a Training and Test set (100 BPC and 70 controls in each). Assay specificity was evaluated in neoplastic lung disease (n = 137) and nonneoplastic lung disease (n = 77). CgA efficacy in predicting clinical status was evaluated in the combined set of 200 NET/NENs. CgA levels in bronchopulmonary neuroendocrine tumor (BPNET) subtypes (atypical [AC] vs. typical [TC]) and grade was examined. The clinical utility of an alteration of CgA levels (±25%) was evaluated in a subset of 49 BPNET over 12 months. CgA measurement was by NEOLISATM kit (EuroDiagnostica). Results: Sensitivity and specificity in the training set were 41/98%, respectively. Test set data were 42/87%. Training set area under receiver operator characteristic analysis differentiated BPC from control area under the curve (AUC) 0.61 ± 0.05 p = 0.015. Test set the data were AUC 0.58 ± 0.05, p = 0.076. In the combined set (n = 200), 67% BPNET/NEN (n = 134) had normal CgA levels. CgA levels did not distinguish histological subtypes (TC vs. AC, AUC 0.56 ± 0.04, p = 0.21), grade (p = 0.45–0.72), or progressive from stable disease (AUC 0.53 ± 0.05 p = 0.47). There was no correlation of CgA with Ki-67 index (Pearson r = 0.143, p = 0.14). For nonneoplastic diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis), CgA was elevated in 26–37%. For neoplastic disease (NSCLC, squamous cell carcinoma), CgA was elevated in 11–16%. The neuroendocrine SCLC also exhibited elevated CgA (50%). Elevated CgA was not useful for differentiating BPNET/NEN from these other pathologies. Monitoring BPNET/NEN over a 12-month period identified neither CgA levels per se nor changes in CgA were reflective of somatostatin analog treatment outcome/efficacy or the natural history of the disease (progression). Conclusions: Blood CgA levels are not clinically useful as a biomarker for lung BPNET/NEN. The low specificity and elevations in both nonneoplastic as well as other common neoplastic lung diseases identified limited clinical utility for this biomarker.
Depression Screening from Voice Samples of Patients Affected by Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Ozkanca Yasin , Göksu Öztürk Miraç , Ekmekci Merve Nur , Atkins David C. , Demiroglu Cenk , Hosseini Ghomi Reza
Published: June 2019

Depression is a common mental health problem leading to significant disability worldwide. It is not only common but also commonly co-occurs with other mental and neurological illnesses. Parkinson’s disease (PD) gives rise to symptoms directly impairing a person’s ability to function. Early diagnosis and detection of depression can aid in treatment, but diagnosis typically requires an interview with a health provider or a structured diagnostic questionnaire. Thus, unobtrusive measures to monitor depression symptoms in daily life could have great utility in screening depression for clinical treatment. Vocal biomarkers of depression are a potentially effective method of assessing depression symptoms in daily life, which is the focus of the current research. We have a database of 921 unique PD patients and their self-assessment of whether they felt depressed or not. Voice recordings from these patients were used to extract paralinguistic features, which served as inputs to machine learning and deep learning techniques to predict depression. The results are presented here, and the limitations are discussed given the nature of the recordings which lack language content. Our models achieved accuracies as high as 0.77 in classifying depressed and nondepressed subjects accurately using their voice features and PD severity. We found depression and severity of PD had a correlation coefficient of 0.3936, providing a valuable feature when predicting depression from voice. Our results indicate a clear correlation between feeling depressed and PD severity. Voice may be an effective digital biomarker to screen for depression among PD patients.
Motivational Stage Analysis of Patients with Behavioral Dysphonia
Authors: Zencke da Silva Kariny , Bello Jade Zaccarias , Cassol Mauriceia
Published: June 2019

Objective: To analyze the applicability of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA)-VOICE scale before and after a therapeutic program for functional balance in voice production. Patients and Methods: The sample comprised 26 adult participants (18 female) from the ­Brazilian Public Healthcare System. The URICA-VOICE scale was applied prior to the intervention and after 10 sessions of a therapeutic program. Results: The motivational stage values were significantly increased after the intervention compared with the first application of the scale. Precontemplation and action were the stages most commonly reported by the participants. Significant differences were found in 6 statements of the URICA-VOICE scale after voice therapy. Conclusions: The motivational stage of the participants improved after voice therapy. Being motivated is important for adherence to behavioral changes regarding the voice, and this study shows that using the URICA-VOICE scale in clinical practice is essential to measure patient performance in the voice therapy process, as well as to determine the ideal moment of discharge.
Generic Cost-Effectiveness Models: A Proof of Concept of a Tool for Informed Decision-Making for Public Health Precision Medicine
Authors: Snyder Susan R. , Hao Jing , Cavallari Larisa H. , Geng Zhi , Elsey Amanda , Johnson Julie A. , Mohamed Zahurin , Chaiyakunapruk Nathorn , Chong Huey Yi , Dahlui Maznah , Shabaruddin Fatiha H. , Patrinos George P. , Mitropoulou Christina , Williams Marc S.
Published: June 2019

Background/Aims: Economic evaluation is integral to informed public health decision-making in the rapidly growing field of precision and personalized medicine (PM); however, this research requires specialized expertise and significant resources. Generic models are a novel innovation to efficiently address a critical PM evidence shortage and implementation barrier by enabling use of population-specific input values. This is a generic PM economic evaluation model proof-of-concept study for a pharmacogenomic use case. Methods: An 8-step generic economic model development process was applied to the use case of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B*15:02genotyping for prediction of carbamazepine-induced cutaneous reactions, with a user-friendly decision-making tool relying on user-provided input values. This generic model was transparently documented and validated, including cross-validation comparing cost-effectiveness results with 3 country-specific models. Results: A generic pharmacogenomic use case cost-effectiveness model with decision-making tool was successfully developed and cross-validated using input values for 6 populations which produced consistent results for HLA-B*15:02 screening at country-specific cost-effectiveness threshold values. Differences between the generic and country-specific model results were largely due to differences in model structure and assumptions. Conclusion: This proof on concept demonstrates the feasibility of generic models to provide useful PM economic evidence, supporting their use as a pragmatic and timely approach to address a growing need.
Perception and Attitudes of Dental Students towards Their Role in the Delivery of a Brief Smoking Cessation Intervention
Authors: Khalaf Mai E. , Curtin Sharon , O'Reilly Trace Anna
Published: June 2019

Objectives: An assessment of dental students’ attitudes and perceptions towards smoking, and their role in smoking cessation, needs to be understood to develop an effective training program in smoking cessation counseling. The aim of the study was to understand attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge of students towards their role in smoking cessation, to understand students’ self-reported requirements in relation to skills and knowledge prior to training, and to understand students’ self-reported learning from training. Materials and Methods: Dental students (n = 46) in clinical training at the Kuwait University’s Faculty of Dentistry participated in this study. Prior to the training on smoking cessation, an evaluation of the students’ attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge was conducted. The students also completed a pre- and post-classroom assessment technique (CAT). Descriptive analysis of the students’ attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge towards smoking and their role in smoking cessation was evaluated. A qualitative content analysis of the students’ responses to a CAT was conducted. Results: Ninety-eight percent of the students showed willingness to perform a brief smoking cessation intervention; 62% of the students perceived their role in smoking cessation as difficult; and 95% agreed that leaders in the profession expected them to engage in a smoking cessation intervention. Four categories from the pre-CAT responses were generated: how to influence; effective communication skills; bolster knowledge and understanding; and intrapersonal skills. Analysis of the post-CAT responses identified the following three categories: patient-centered communication; gaining self confidence in skills set; and support frameworks. Conclusions: Students need more client-centered skills and knowledge to bolster their confidence in cessation counseling.
Association of Physician Specialty With Long-Term Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Complication and Reoperations Rates
Authors: Chui Philip W. , Wang Yongfei , Ranasinghe Isuru , Mitiku Teferi Y. , Seto Arnold H. , Rosman Lindsey , Lampert Rachel , Minges Karl E. , Enriquez Alan D. , Curtis Jeptha P.
Published: June 2019

Background:

Patients undergoing implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantations have high rates of long-term device-related complications and reoperations. Whether physician specialty training is associated with differences in long-term outcomes following ICD implantation is unclear.

Methods and Results:

We linked data from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry ICD Registry with Medicare fee-for-service claims to identify physicians who performed ≥10 index ICDs from 2006 to 2009. We used data from the American Board of Medical Specialties to group the specialty of the implanting physician into mutually exclusive categories: electrophysiologists, interventional cardiologists, general cardiologists, thoracic surgeons, and other specialties. Primary outcomes were long-term device-related complications requiring reoperations or hospitalizations and reoperations for reasons other than complications. We compared the cumulative incidence rates and case-mix adjusted rates of long-term outcomes of index ICD implantations across physician specialties. Our analysis had a median follow-up of 47 months and included 107 966 index ICD implantations. Electrophysiologists had the lowest rates of incident long-term device-related complications (14.1%; interventional cardiologists, 15.3%; general cardiologists, 15.4%; thoracic surgeons, 16.4%; other specialists, 15.2%;
P
<0.001) and reoperations for reasons other than complications (electrophysiologists, 16.7%; interventional cardiologists, 17.0%; general cardiologists, 18.0%; thoracic surgeons, 18.4%; other specialists, 18.0%;
P
<0.001). Compared with patients whose ICDs were implanted by electrophysiologists, patients with implantations performed by nonelectrophysiologists were at higher risk of having long-term device-related complications (relative risk for interventional cardiologists: 1.16 [95% CI, 1.08–1.25]; general cardiologists: 1.13 [1.08–1.18]; thoracic surgeons: 1.20 [1.06–1.37]; all
P
<0.001, but not other specialists: 1.08 [0.99–1.17];
P
=0.07). Compared to patients with implantations performed by electrophysiologists, patients with implantations performed by general cardiologists and thoracic surgeons were at higher risk of reoperation for noncomplication causes (relative risk for general cardiologists: 1.10 [1.05–1.15]; thoracic surgeons: 1.16 [1.00–1.33]; both
P
<0.05).

Conclusions:

Patients with ICD implantations performed by electrophysiologists had the lowest risks of having long-term device-related complications and reoperations for noncomplication causes. Consideration of physician specialty before ICD implantation may represent an opportunity to minimize long-term adverse outcomes.
Genetic Tracing Identifies Early Segregation of the Cardiomyocyte and Nonmyocyte Lineages
Authors: Li Yan , Lv Zan , He Lingjuan , Huang Xiuzhen , Zhang Shaohua , Zhao Huan , Pu Wenjuan , Li Yi , Yu Wei , Zhang Libo , Liu Xiuxiu , Liu Kuo , Tang Juan , Tian Xueying , Wang Qing-Dong , Lui Kathy O. , Zhou Bin
Published: June 2019

Rationale:

The developing heart is composed of cardiomyocytes and noncardiomyocytes since the early stage. It is generally believed that noncardiomyocytes including the cardiac progenitors contribute to new cardiomyocytes of the looping heart. However, it remains unclear what the cellular dynamics of nonmyocyte to cardiomyocyte conversion are and when the lineage segregation occurs during development. It also remains unknown whether nonmyocyte to cardiomyocyte conversion contributes to neonatal heart regeneration.

Objective:

We quantify the lineage conversion of noncardiomyocytes to cardiomyocytes in the embryonic and neonatal hearts and determine when the 2 cell lineages segregate during heart development. Moreover, we directly test if nonmyocyte to cardiomyocyte conversion contributes to neonatal heart regeneration.

Methods and Results:

We generated a dual genetic lineage tracing strategy in which cardiomyocytes and noncardiomyocytes of the developing heart could be simultaneously labeled by 2 orthogonal recombination systems. Genetic fate mapping showed that nonmyocyte to cardiomyocyte conversion peaks at E8.0 (embryonic day) to E8.5 and gradually declines at E9.5 and E10.5. Noncardiomyocytes do not generate any cardiomyocyte at and beyond E11.5 to E12.5. In the neonatal heart, noncardiomyocytes also do not contribute to any new cardiomyocyte in homeostasis or after injury.

Conclusions:

Noncardiomyocytes contribute to new cardiomyocytes of the developing heart at early embryonic stage before E11.5. The noncardiomyocyte and cardiomyocyte lineage segregation occurs between E10.5 and E11.5, which is maintained afterward even during neonatal heart regeneration.
Loss of Protein Phosphatase 1 Regulatory Subunit PPP1R3A Promotes Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Alsina Katherina M. , Hulsurkar Mohit , Brandenburg Sören , Kownatzki-Danger Daniel , Lenz Christof , Urlaub Henning , Abu-Taha Issam , Kamler Markus , Chiang David Y. , Lahiri Satadru K. , Reynolds Julia O. , Quick Ann P. , Scott Larry , Word Tarah A. , Gelves Maria D. , Heck Albert J.R. , Li Na , Dobrev Dobromir , Lehnart Stephan E. , Wehrens Xander H.T.
Published: June 2019

Background:

Abnormal calcium (Ca
2+
) release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) contributes to the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). Increased phosphorylation of 2 proteins essential for normal SR-Ca
2+
cycling, the type-2 ryanodine receptor (RyR2) and phospholamban (PLN), enhances the susceptibility to AF, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) limits steady-state phosphorylation of both RyR2 and PLN. Proteomic analysis uncovered a novel PP1-regulatory subunit (PPP1R3A [PP1 regulatory subunit type 3A]) in the RyR2 macromolecular channel complex that has been previously shown to mediate PP1 targeting to PLN. We tested the hypothesis that reduced PPP1R3A levels contribute to AF pathogenesis by reducing PP1 binding to both RyR2 and PLN.

Methods:

Immunoprecipitation, mass spectrometry, and complexome profiling were performed from the atrial tissue of patients with AF and from cardiac lysates of wild-type and
Pln
-knockout mice.
Ppp1r3a
-knockout mice were generated by CRISPR-mediated deletion of exons 2 to 3.
Ppp1r3a
-knockout mice and wild-type littermates were subjected to in vivo programmed electrical stimulation to determine AF susceptibility. Isolated atrial cardiomyocytes were used for Stimulated Emission Depletion superresolution microscopy and confocal Ca
2+
imaging.

Results:

Proteomics identified the PP1-regulatory subunit PPP1R3A as a novel RyR2-binding partner, and coimmunoprecipitation confirmed PPP1R3A binding to RyR2 and PLN. Complexome profiling and Stimulated Emission Depletion imaging revealed that PLN is present in the PPP1R3A-RyR2 interaction, suggesting the existence of a previously unknown SR nanodomain composed of both RyR2 and PLN/sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase-2a macromolecular complexes. This novel RyR2/PLN/sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase-2a complex was also identified in human atria. Genetic ablation of
Ppp1r3a
in mice impaired binding of PP1 to both RyR2 and PLN. Reduced PP1 targeting was associated with increased phosphorylation of RyR2 and PLN, aberrant SR-Ca
2+
release in atrial cardiomyocytes, and enhanced susceptibility to pacing-induced AF. Finally, PPP1R3A was progressively downregulated in the atria of patients with paroxysmal and persistent (chronic) AF.

Conclusions:

PPP1R3A is a novel PP1-regulatory subunit within the RyR2 channel complex. Reduced PPP1R3A levels impair PP1 targeting and increase phosphorylation of both RyR2 and PLN. PPP1R3A deficiency promotes abnormal SR-Ca
2+
release and increases AF susceptibility in mice. Given that PPP1R3A is downregulated in patients with AF, this regulatory subunit may represent a new target for AF therapeutic strategies.
Oral Aspects: A Performative Approach to 1QM
Authors: Haigh Rebekah
Published: June 2019

As the product of a textual community imbedded in an oral culture, the War Scroll can be rewardingly approached as a composition intended for a community of hearers. Indeed, this article demonstrates that 1QM retained an orally fluid textuality and preserves a variety of textual indicators of performativity: hints of oral engagement, accumulation of imitable practices, and reliance on rhetorical techniques suited to the ear. In examining the performative potentials in the War Scroll’s prescriptive (cols. 1–9), prayer (cols. 10–14), and dramatic (cols. 15–19) material, I argue that 1QM can be understood as a spoken text, one which lends itself to performance and embodiment.
Beyond Anachronism: Histories of International Law and Global Legal Politics
Authors: Benton Lauren
Published: June 2019

This article presents a critique of recent writings, mainly by Anne Orford, of historical methodologies in international law as supposedly focused on rooting out anachronism and separating history from the politics of the present. First, the article shows that this (mis)characterization of historical methods is based on a misreading of the work of Quentin Skinner and the Cambridge School. Second, it argues that Orford errs in assuming that the Cambridge School is representative of historical approaches. The article exposes this error by tracing key strands of socio-legal study of global legal history. That literature has generated new insights about such topics as vernacular discourses of international law and the influence of patterns of colonial politics on global ordering. This new global legal history takes ‘legal politics’ as its object of analysis while merging the study of praxis and theory in the history of international law.
Freebooters and Free Traders: English Colonial Prize Jurisdiction in the West Indies 1655–1670
Authors: Kari Ville
Published: June 2019

Colonial prize courts provided two significant contributions to the English imperial efforts in the West Indies. First, they played a key role in the enforcement of the new colonial power’s own trade monopoly against foreign interlopers and smugglers. Secondly, they helped the newcomer empire to rein in the buccaneers and capers who had populated the Caribbean for decades and to re-deploy them as commissioned privateers.

This paper explores in detail the emergence of the British colonial prize jurisdiction after the English conquest of Jamaica in 1655. It shows how colonial prize courts emerged organically from the English expansion in the West Indies, with powers and duties assigned incrementally to colonial administrators to address the practical needs of the growing empire in breaking the Spanish trade monopoly and establishing its own.
Global Democracy in Decline?
Authors: Heldt Eugenia C. , Schmidtke Henning
Published: June 2019

Over the past decade, rising authoritarian regimes have begun to challenge the liberal international order. This challenge is particularly pronounced in the field of multilateral development finance, where China and its coalition partners from Brazil, Russia, India, and South Africa have created two new multilateral development banks. This article argues that China and its partners have used the New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to increase their power and to restrict democratic control mechanisms. By comparing formal mechanisms of democratic control in both organizations to the World Bank, this article shows that civil society access, transparency, and accountability are lower at the AIIB and NDB than they are at the World Bank.
Power in Global Nutrition Governance
Authors: Lie Ann Louise
Published: June 2019

Global public-private partnerships for health and nutrition have proliferated since the 1990s—a trend raising important questions about authority and legitimacy in global governance. Yet within the fields of international relations and public health, there has been only limited empirical research into the global politics and power dynamics behind such partnerships. This article explores how and why the Scaling Up Nutrition partnership was established. Drawing on interviews, observations, and document analysis, it demonstrates how public and private actors exercise combinations of instrumental, structural, and discursive power to normalize and institutionalize their interests and values at the global level. The study highlights as such the complexities behind the increased privatization of global nutrition governance and the importance of power analysis to uncover the normative contestations and asymmetries of power behind global partnership creation.
Eulejeunea crenulata Schiffn., a new synonym of Lejeunea umbilicata (Lejeuneaceae, Marchantiophyta)
Authors: WEI YU-MEI , HO BOON-CHUAN , TANG QI-MING
Published: June 2019

Stephani (1915) proposed the transfer of Eulejeunea crenulata Schiffner (1890: 33) to Lejeunea Libert (1820: 373). However, as the combination already existed and thus not available for use, Lejeunea crenulata (Schiffn.) Stephani (1915: 784) is a later homonym of Lejeunea crenulata Mitten (1871: 415). Nonetheless, Eulejeunea crenulata remains a validly published name (Söderström et al. 2015). According to the recent compilation of species binomials in Lejeuneaceae published between 1884 and 1893 (Söderström et al. 2015), Eulejeunea crenulata is listed as a heterotypic synonym of Lejeunea patersonii (Stephani 1896: 92) Stephani (1915: 784) following Hürlimann (1993). However, this is an error as Hürlimann (1993) cited Lejeunea crenulata Mitten as a synonym of Lejeunea patersonii, following Grolle (1980), and not Eulejeunea crenulata Schiffn. (Lejeunea crenulata (Schiffn.) Steph.). This has prompted us to revisit the true identity of Eulejeunea crenulata.
Two new species of Notosacantha Chevrolat, 1834 from India (Coleoptera: Cassidinae: Notosacanthini)
Authors: SEKERKA LUKÁ
Published: June 2019

Notosacantha cherrapunjiensis and N. dembickyi, new to science, are described and figured from Meghalaya state, NE India.
A new chigger mite (Acari: Prostigmata: Trombiculidae) from Central Europe
Authors: KALÚZ STANISLAV
Published: June 2019

A new chigger mite Kayella pannonica sp. n. (Acari: Prostigmata, Trombiculidae) is described from thermophilous oakhawthorn forest of SW Slovakia.
Description of the larva of Paraphlebia zoe Selys in Hagen, 1861(Odonata: Megapodagrionidae)
Authors: NOVELO-GUTIÉRREZ RODOLFO
Published: June 2019

The larva of Paraphlebia zoe is described, this being the first for the genus Paraphlebia. It is compared to all other known neotropical megapodagrionid larvae from which it can be distinguished by following combination of characters: antenna shorter than length of head; second antennomere the longest; prementum slightly wider than long; male gonapophyses absent; gills strongly inflated with a thick caudal filament. The larva inhabits seepages.
Synopsis of the Neotropical genus Lepturgantes Gilmour (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) with description of a new species
Authors: MONNÉ MIGUEL A. , MONNÉ MARCELA L.
Published: June 2019

Lepturgantes prolatus Monné & Monné sp. nov. is described from Brazil (Bahia, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, Mato Grosso, and Mato Grosso do Sul) and Bolivia (Santa Cruz). Lepturgantes candicans (Bates, 1863) and Lepturgantes dilectus (Bates, 1863) are redescribed. A key to the species is provided, and all the species are illustrated.
Redescription of three species of Hysterothylacium (Nematoda: Anisakidae) from marine fishes from the Yellow Sea, China, with the synonymy of Hysterothylacium muraenesoxin (Luo, 1999)
Authors: LI LIANG , XU ZHEN , ZHANG LUPING
Published: June 2019

Three species of Hysterothylacium Ward & Magath, 1917 from the Yellow Sea, China, are redescribed and illustrated by light and scanning electron microscopy. Hysterothylacium fabri (Rudolphi, 1819) collected from Chelidonichthys kumu (Cuvier), Trachurus japonicus (Temminck & Schlegel), Argyrosomus argentatus (Houttuyn), Astroconger myriaster (Brevoort) and Hysterothylacium tasmaniense (Johnston & Mawson, 1945) collected from Lophius litulon (Jordan) are reported for the first time in China. Hysterothylacium amoyense (Hsü, 1933) (originally registered as Contracaecum amoyensis from Amoy, Taiwan Strait, China) is redescribed and compared with Hysterothylacium muraenesoxin (Luo, 1999), concluding that the second species represents a junior synonymy of H. amoyense.
A new species of the genus Nemoura (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) from Xinjiang, China
Authors: WANG ZHI-JIE , DU YU-ZHOU
Published: June 2019

The genus Nemoura Latreille is distributed widely in the Holarctic and Oriental regions (Baumann 1975, Aubert 1967, Zwick & Sivec 1980). A total of 31 species from China have been described by Klapálek (1907, 1912), Okamoto (1922), Chu (1928), Uéno (1941), Wu (1938, 1949, 1962, 1973), Shimizu (1997), Sicec (1981), Zhu & Yang (2003), Wang & Du (2006), Li & Yang (2006, 2007), and Du et al. (2008). Currently, only one species of nemourid, Amphinemura tricintusidens, Wang & Zhu, 2007 is known from Xinjiang province, China (Wang et al. 2007). A second species from Xinjiang, Nemoura bidentata, is described as new to science in this paper. Types of the new species are placed in the Insect Collection of Yangzhou University and are stored in 75% ethanol. Morphological terminology is that of Baumann (1975).
First record of the leafhopper genus Plumosa Sohi (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae) from China, with description of a new species
Authors: SONG YUEHUA , LI ZIZHONG
Published: June 2019

The leafhopper genus Plumosa was erected by Sohi (1977). It belongs to the tribe Erythroneurini of Typhlocybinae with Plumosa emarginata Sohi, 1977 from India as its type species. Until now, there have been no further reports on this genus. Here the genus is reported for the first time from China and a new Chinese species is described and illustrated. The type specimens are deposited to the collection of the Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou (IEGU) and Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS).
The first Middle Jurassic Protobrachyceron Handlirsch fly (Diptera: Brachycera: Protobrachyceridae) from Inner Mongolia (China)
Authors: ZHANG KUIYAN , YANG DING , REN DONG
Published: June 2019

Protobrachyceridae, which is an archaic representative of the Brachycera with only one known genus and two species, Protobrachyceron liasinum Handlirsch, 1920 and P. zessini Krzeminski & Ansorge, 2000, has been described from the lower Toarcian of Germany. The family can be distinguished by the following characters: vein Sc ending at midwing, both vein R4 and cell d distinctly shorter than vein M1 in length, vein CuP well visible, mouth of cell r1 narrow, five posterior cells widely open, cells m3 and cup narrowly open.
A new species of flightless Hadromeropsis from the Colombian páramo (Coleoptera: Curculionidae; Entiminae; Tanymecini)
Authors: ANDERSON ROBERT S.
Published: June 2019

During a visit to the New Zealand Arthropod Collection in Auckland, New Zealand, in February 2007 I examined a series of specimens of a large flightless species of Entiminae from high elevation in the páramo of Colombia. To my surprise, they proved to represent an undescribed species of Tanymecini. This species is here described as Hadromeropsis annae Anderson, in recognition of the 80th birthday (19 July 2007) of Anne T. Howden, of Ottawa, Canada. The genus Hadromeropsis was last revised by Anne Howden in 1982. Description of this species in her honor is a fitting testament to her excellent work on Tanymecini.
The family Epicriidae in Slovakia: annotated faunal synopsis and description of a new species of Epicrius (Acari, Mesostigmata, Epicriidae)
Authors: MAŠÁN PETER
Published: June 2019

Eight species of the family Epicriidae, all in the genus Epicrius Canestrini & Fanzago, 1877, are documented from Slovakia: E. bureschi Balogh, 1958, E. mollis (Kramer, 1876), E. monticola Bregetova, 1977, E. resinae Karg, 1971, E. schusteri Błaszak & Alberti, 1989, E. simoni sp. nov., E. sophiae Bregetova, 1977, and E. tauricus Bregetova, 1977. A new species is here described (E. simoni sp. nov.), and one other species is redescribed and illustrated for the first time (E. sophiae). Epicrius kargi Solomon, 1978 is synonymised with E. tauricus. Two of the species are recorded from Slovakia for the first time (E. schusteri and E. sophiae), and one has been wrongly recorded from Slovakia (E. stellatus Balogh, 1958). Information on ecology and regional distribution is provided for the most common and abundant species, E. monticola, E. resinae, E. schusteri, and E. tauricus. A key to the Slovakian species of Epicrius is also provided.
A new species of the pandalid shrimp genus Pandalus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea) from the Sea of Okhotsk off eastern Sakhalin, Russian Far East
Authors: KOMAI TOMOYUKI , ELETSKAYA MARIA
Published: June 2019

A new species of the pandalid shrimp genus Pandalus Leach, 1814, Pandalus ivanovi n. sp., is described on the basis of material from the Sea of Okhotsk off eastern Sakhalin, at depths of 150–200 m. It is morphologically closest to Pandalus hypsinotus Brandt, 1851, a commercially important species widely distributed in the northern North Pacific. Because of the strong similarities between the new species and P. hypsinotus, we have examined syntypes of the latter species in order to confirm the specific identity. The new species can be distinguished from P. hypsinotus by the more strongly upturned rostrum, the relatively low postrostral ridge on the carapace, fewer carpal articles of the left second pereopod and the small body size. The coloration in life is also different between the two. There is an indication of protandry in the new species, like other congeneric species.
A taxonomic revision of frogs of the genus Cryptobatrachus (Anura: Hemiphractidae)
Authors: LYNCH JOHN D.
Published: June 2019

Hemiphractid frogs of the genus Cryptobatrachus are nearly exclusive to Colombia and are distributed over an altitudinal range between 360 and 2400 meters on the three cordilleras and the massif of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. To the three species currently recognized, three additional species are named (C. conditus, C. pedroruizi, and C. ruthveni). The genus is monophyletic and all but the cis-Andean C. nicefori form a clade (defined by the presence of adhesive pads on some subarticular tubercles of the hand and foot). All but C. fuhrmanni and C. nicefori form an additional clade in northern Colombia. Two (or three) species are found on the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and two other species are found on the Serranía de Perijá. The most widely distributed species (C. fuhrmanni) occurs on all three Andean cordilleras without apparent geographic variation.
Foam-generating behaviour in tadpoles of Leptodactylus latinasus (Amphibia, Leptodactylidae): significance in systematics
Authors: PONSSA MARÍA LAURA , BARRIONUEVO J. SEBASTIÁN
Published: June 2019

This work reports the capability of Leptodactylus latinasus tadpoles to generate foam. During numerous visits to El Ceibal, Tucumán, Argentina, we noticed that adults of L. latinasus were calling in choruses on humid and cleared ground. Five subterranean chambers with foam nests were excavated and transferred to the laboratory. In three nests, aquatic coleopteran larvae were found inside the foam after predating on the eggs. Tadpoles from the two other nests were placed in an artificial incubation chamber. Twenty hours later, a substantial amount of foam was observed. This character was analyzed in a phylogenetic analysis that showed that tadpole foam-making behaviour is a feature that corroborates a close phylogenetic relationship between Leptodactylus of the subgenus Lithodytes and of the fuscus and pentadactylus groups.
A new species of Branchinecta (Crustacea: Branchiopoda: Anostraca) from the Argentinian Tierra del Fuego
Authors: COHEN ROSA GRACIELA
Published: June 2019

Branchinecta fueguina, a new species of fairy shrimp, was found together with B. granulosa in a temporary pond beside Laguna de los Cisnes, 53°47'12''S, 67°46'55''W, Tierra del Fuego, Antártida e Islas del Atlántico Sur Province (Argentina). The male second antennal basal article has a proximal, anteriomedial auriculate welt, covered with sensory setae and a hanging posteriomedial ornamented apophysis bending abruptly anteriorly with a rounded apex. Distally, the basal article has a longitudinal medial crest, proximally produced into a blunt posteriomedially directed point. The distal article is strongly rotated, articulating almost perpendicular to the basal article. The anterior surface of the article is triangular, from its proximal joint to the broadly explanate apex. Distally, the broadened article bends anteriorly forming a complex three-lobed apex. The peculiar joint with the basal article and the distal article shape are unique in the genus.
A revision of the comatulid genus Stephanometra AH Clark with a rediagnosis of the genus Lamprometra AH Clark (Echinodermata: Crinoidea)
Authors: RANKIN DANA L. , MESSING CHARLES G.
Published: June 2019

Several genera in the comatulid crinoid family Mariametridae are currently ambiguously distinguished on the basis of variations in length and robustness of oral pinnules. Previous descriptions have suggested that at least the genera Stephanometra and Lamprometra, both common and widespread on Indo-western Pacific reefs, are imperfectly distinguishable. A detailed morphological re-examination supports distinct Stephanometra and Lamprometra. The five currently recognized species of Stephanometra are reduced to two: S. echinus under S. tenuipinna, and S. spicata (including S. oxyacantha) and S. spinipinna under S. indica. Of specimens examined in the indica-spicata-oxyacantha series, 20% are intermediates that cannot be satisfactorily assigned to species based on current diagnoses. In Lamprometra, L. klunzingeri and L. palmata gyges are formally reduced to infrasubspecific variants of L. palmata.
A taxonomic revision of the Neotropical myrmicine ant genus Lachnomyrmex Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Authors: FEITOSA RODRIGO M. , BRANDÃO CARLOS ROBERTO F.
Published: June 2019

The Neotropical ant genus Lachnomyrmex Wheeler, 1910 is revised for the first time. A revised generic description is provided for workers and gynes; males remain unknown. Morphological patterns combined with geographical data led to the recognition of 16 species, of which 10 are here described as new: L. amazonicus sp. n., L. fernandezi sp. n., L. grandis Fernández & Baena, L. haskinsi Smith, L. lattkei sp. n., L. longinodus Fernández & Baena, L. longinoi sp. n., L. mackayi sp. n., L. nordestinus sp. n., L. pilosus Weber, L. laticeps sp. n., L. platynodus sp. n., L. plaumanni Borgmeier, L. regularis sp. n., L. scrobiculatus Wheeler, and L. victori sp. n. The gynes of L. grandis, L. haskinsi, and L. pilosus are described for the first time. Illustrated identification keys for workers, distribution maps, and high resolution illustrations are supplied for all species. Some Lachnomyrmex species are relatively common in the leaf-litter of submontane wet forests in Central and South America; others remain known by very few individuals. The relatively small and apparently monogynic Lachnomyrmex colonies inhabit small nests in the ground, among rotten leaves and inside fallen logs. Workers generally forage alone on the ground or within the leaf litter, but have been recorded also on tree trunks, and apparently do not recruit nestmates.
The "Mihi itch"a brief history
Authors: EVENHUIS NEAL L.
Published: June 2019

The origin and history of the phrases mihi itch and its predecessor Mihisucht are reviewed.
The genus Blepharella Macquart (Diptera: Tachinidae) in Japan, with notes on the Oriental species B. lateralis Macquart
Authors: SHIMA HIROSHI , TACHI TAKUJI
Published: June 2019

The genus Blepharella Macquart belongs to the tribe Goniini of the Tachinidae (Diptera). Three new species of this genus are described from Japan (B. bomolocha sp. nov., B. grisescens sp. nov., and B. yaeyamana sp. nov.) and B. nigra Mesnil is redescribed. Blepharella tenuparafacialis Chao & Shi is synonymized with the type species B. lateralis Macquart, syn. nov. and the male and female terminalia of B. lateralis are described and illustrated. The microtype eggs of B. bomolocha, B. nigra and B. lateralis are illustrated for the first time.
4. Manuscripts with Prints
Authors: Rudy Kathryn M.
Published: June 2019

Chapter 4 departs from the beghards to consider many other manuscripts and the prints they formerly held, and assesses the extent of this practice of pasting prints in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, as the archives have destroyed most of the examples and given us a diminished sense of the importance of this development in book history.
Is Summer African Dust Arriving Earlier to Barbados? The Updated Long-Term In Situ Dust Mass Concentration Time Series from Ragged Point, Barbados, and Miami, Florida
Authors: Zuidema Paquita , Alvarez Claudia , Kramer Samantha J. , Custals Lillian , Izaguirre Miguel , Sealy Peter , Prospero Joseph M. , Blades Edmund
Published: June 2019

Surface dust mass concentrations, extracted from filters collected at Miami, Florida, and Ragged Point, Barbados, since 1974 and 1973, respectively, provide a rare, unusual, and important metric of the intercontinental transport of North African dust. The daily-resolved time series, updated through December 2018 for Miami and through December 2015 along with May–September 2016 and January–March and June–August 2017 for Barbados, indicate summer-mean dust mass concentrations have mostly decreased this decade at Miami, but not at Barbados, where instead the events containing the highest dust mass concentration events may be shifting to earlier in the year.
Investigating the Transition from Elevated Multicellular Convection to Surface-Based Supercells during the Tornado Outbreak of 24 August 2016 Using a WRF Model Simulation
Authors: Gray Kevin , Frame Jeffrey
Published: June 2019

On 24 August 2016, a tornado outbreak impacted Indiana, Ohio, and Ontario with 26 confirmed tornadoes. Elevated multicellular convection developed into surface-based supercells that produced several tornadoes, particularly near a differential heating boundary. This convective mode transition is of particular interest owing to its relatively rare occurrence. A WRF Model simulation accurately captures the environment and storm evolution during this outbreak. Trajectory analyses indicate that the multicellular updrafts were initially elevated. Since nearly all of the vertical wind shear was confined to the lowest 1 km, significant rotation did not develop via tilting of horizontal vorticity until the storms began ingesting near-surface air. Near-surface vertical wind shear decreased outside of cloud cover owing to vertical mixing, while it was preserved under the anvil, allowing for large values of 0–1-km storm-relative helicity to persist north of a differential heating boundary. Analysis of the perturbation pressure field from the WRF Model output indicates that the development of relatively large nonlinear vertical perturbation pressure gradients coincided with when near-surface air began to enter the updrafts, resulting in upward accelerations in the lowest 2 km, below the level of maximum rotation. In strengthening updrafts, upward-directed buoyancy perturbation pressure accelerations may have offset the downward-directed nonlinear perturbation pressure accelerations above the level of maximum rotation, allowing the updrafts to intensify further.
Tolerance and Liberalism: Studying Government and Governance
Authors: Rai Dhananjay
Published: June 2019

The article problematises ipso facto existence of tolerance in liberalism and liberal democracy. The liberalism creates two sets of values. The first set of values encompasses democracy and unity. Tolerance, inter alia, becomes a part of second set of values. The article exhibits the outcome of conflict between the first set of values and the second set of values of liberalism. Besides, tolerance and inequality are not discussed conjointly due to insufficient attention given to the latter. The article discusses inequality question in the backdrop of governance discourse for discerning tolerance. The article suggests that the liberal problematic concerning tolerance can be overcome only by way of democratised polity.
Flexural properties of notched carbon–aramid hybrid composite laminates
Authors: Sebaey TA , Wagih Ahmed
Published: June 2019

Hybrid composite laminates are currently receiving researchers’ attention due to their specific advantages in designing laminates with improved specific strength and stiffness. One of the main disadvantages of polymeric laminated composites is their high sensitivity to notches, which cannot be avoided in design. This paper presents a comparison between two common hybridization techniques, namely sandwich and intra-ply hybridization. The study adopts experimental observations to investigate the influence of hybridization method on the flexural properties of notched carbon–aramid hybrid laminates. After four-point bending tests, the results show that the damage nature in both laminates is different. A catastrophic damage is observed for intra-ply hybrid laminates, while sandwich laminates show progressive damage. In terms of the strength, sandwich specimens show 1.3 times higher specific strength, compared to intra-ply specimens. Moreover, the bottom layers of the laminate manufactured in the sandwich fashion show minimal damage due to the high capability of the aramid/epoxy core to absorb the energy in deformation and concentrate the damage at the top layers (the compression side).
Police Administration and Ineffective Civilian Oversight: A Grounded Theory
Authors: Castle Brad J. , Broomé Rodger E. , Russell Eric J.
Published: June 2019

This qualitative grounded theory study uses the voices of current and former law enforcement officers to consider the problems that can arise with police administration when there exists ineffective civilian oversight. The n = 10 participants in this study serve or served as professional uniformed and sworn police officers from different municipalities throughout the United States. The findings of this study seemingly spotlight the notion that ineffective civilian oversight promotes a culture of corruption in the police subculture and fuels the distrust of the communities they are sworn to protect and serve. The implication of this study is forming a foundation for law enforcement agencies to grow on in order to improve community policing so as to benefit the officers and the civilians they serve.
High-Impact Civic Engagement: Outcomes of Community-Based Research in Technical Writing Courses
Authors: Brizee Allen , Pascual-Ferrá Paola , Caranante Giuliana
Published: June 2019

This article reports on the first stage of a mixed-methods community-based research project involving residents of a socioeconomically challenged neighborhood in Baltimore City, Richnor Springs, and service-learning students in technical and professional communication courses at Loyola University Maryland (Loyola). To measure outcomes, we analyzed student surveys from 80 respondents and critical reflections from two students. We also analyzed interviews from two students and two community members. Findings indicate that there were no statistical mean differences in the educational experiences between service-learning and nonservice-learning students; however, there were significant mean differences in transformational experiences. Findings also indicate that community members responded positively and that stakeholders valued the personal relationships that developed.
Toward Higher Quality Conversion Studies: Refining the Numbers Game
Authors: Ballman Gary , Burke Jim , Blank Uel , Korte Dick
Published: June 2019

This article focuses on the question of accurately determining the costs and returns of tourism advertising campaigns, examining the traditional procedures for conducting conversion studies, and suggesting guidelines for more accurate methodology and improved interpretation.
Epidemiological features of tularaemia in Central Anatolia, Turkey
Authors: Borlu Arda , Benli Ali Ramazan , Doganay Mehmet
Published: June 2019

Tularaemia has become a public health threat in Turkey. Our aim was to examine the epidemiological characteristics of 154 tularaemia cases reported from Kayseri, Central Anatolia, between 2010 and 2017. Clinical diagnosis was confirmed by micro-agglutination test (≥1/160 titres). Most patients (56.5%) were residing in rural areas. The year with the highest case load was 2011 (40% of all cases). Tularaemia was reported in all seasons, but mostly in February (26.1%). Morbidity rates were higher in women and people aged ≥65 years. The tularaemia incidence in Kayseri was higher than in the whole country between 2011 and 2016, though after the initial outbreak between 2010 and 2012, it seems to have become less frequent.