bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Delphinidin-Rich Maqui Berry Extract (Delphinol®) Lowers Fasting and Postprandial Glycemia and Insulinemia in Prediabetic Individuals during Oral Glucose Tolerance Tests
Authors: Alvarado Jorge L. , Leschot Andrés , Olivera-Nappa Álvaro , Salgado Ana-María , Rioseco Hernán , Lyon Carolina , Vigil Pilar
Published: November 2016

Delphinidin anthocyanins have previously been associated with the inhibition of glucose absorption. Blood glucose lowering effects have been ascribed to maqui berry (Aristotelia chilensis) extracts in humans after boiled rice consumption. In this study, we aimed to explore whether a standardized delphinidin-rich extract from maqui berry (Delphinol) affects glucose metabolism in prediabetic humans based on glycemia and insulinemia curves obtained from an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) after a challenge with pure glucose. Volunteers underwent four consecutive OGTTs with at least one week washout period, in which different doses of Delphinol were administered one hour before glucose intake. Delphinol significantly and dose-dependently lowered basal glycemia and insulinemia. Lower doses delayed postprandial glycemic and insulinemic peaks, while higher doses reversed this tendency. Glycemia peaks were dose-dependently lowered, while insulinemia peaks were higher for the lowest dose and lower for other doses. The total glucose available in blood was unaffected by treatments, while the total insulin availability was increased by low doses and decreased by the highest dose. Taken together, these open exploratory results suggest that Delphinol could be acting through three possible mechanisms: by inhibition of intestinal glucose transporters, by an incretin-mediated effect, or by improving insulin sensitivity.
Increasing Channel Profit in the Sale of Durable Goods
Authors: Guo Nian , Xiong Zhongkai
Published: November 2016

Both time inconsistency and double marginalization are important issues in the sale of durable goods. In particular, when a durable goods manufacturer sells her product through a conventional retail store, the intrinsic double marginalization would alleviate time inconsistency to some extent. However, current research pays no attention on the interaction between both issues under multiple-retailer and manufacturer encroachment scenarios. To fill this gap, in this paper, we study these two channel structures in the sale of durable goods. Our analysis reveals that channel profit in the multiple-retailer structure is always greater than that under integration. On the other hand, the manufacturer encroachment structure can eliminate both bad effects without commitment under some circumstances and the whole channel is well coordinated.
Interval 2-Tuple Linguistic Distance Operators and Their Applications to Supplier Evaluation and Selection
Authors: Shan Meng-Meng , Li Ping , Liu Hu-Chen
Published: November 2016

With respect to multicriteria supplier selection problems with interval 2-tuple linguistic information, a new decision making approach that uses distance measures is proposed. Motivated by the ordered weighted distance (OWD) measures, in this paper, we develop some interval 2-tuple linguistic distance operators such as the interval 2-tuple weighted distance (ITWD), the interval 2-tuple ordered weighted distance (ITOWD), and the interval 2-tuple hybrid weighted distance (ITHWD) operators. These aggregation operators are very useful for the treatment of input data in the form of interval 2-tuple linguistic variables. We study some desirable properties of the ITOWD operator and further generalize it by using the generalized and the quasi-arithmetic means. Finally, the new approach is utilized to complete a supplier selection study for an actual hospital from the healthcare industry.
Mesothelial Cells Create a Novel Tissue Niche That Facilitates Gastric Cancer Invasion
Authors: Tanaka Masamitsu , Kuriyama Sei , Itoh Go , Maeda Daichi , Goto Akiteru , Tamiya Yutaro , Yanagihara Kazuyoshi , Yashiro Masakazu , Aiba Namiko
Published: November 2016

Peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMC) cover organ surfaces in the abdominal cavity. In this study, lineage tracing revealed that the PMCs guide cancer cell invasion in the gastric wall and in peritoneal metastatic lesions. Serosal PMCs covering the stomach surface entered the gastric wall to create a novel niche that favored gastric cancer cell invasion. PMC infiltration was induced by incorporation of cancer cell–derived, Wnt3a-containing extracellular vesicles. Infiltrated PMCs in turn promoted subserosal invasion of cancer cells. Mutual attraction between cancer cells and PMCs accelerated tumor invasion in the gastric wall, and PMC-led cancer cell invasion in disseminated tumors within the abdominal wall and diaphragm. Addition of the carboxyl terminus of Dickkopf-1 attenuated directional invasion of PMCs toward cancer cells both in vitro and in the gastric wall in vivo. PMCs were sensitive to the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) inhibitor disulfiram (DSF), as ALDH activity is elevated in PMCs. Wnt3a upregulated ALDH, and addition of DSF inhibited the invasive properties of PMCs, whereas DSF pretreatment suppressed gastric infiltration of PMCs and subserosal invasion by cancer cells. Our results suggest that stabilization of PMCs may become an effective therapy for the prevention of local invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer. Cancer Res; 77(3); 684–95. ©2016 AACR.
National Evidence in Israel Supporting Reevaluation of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prophylactic Guidelines
Authors: Gross Itai , Siedner-Weintraub Yael , Abu Ahmad Wiessam , Bar-Oz Benjamin , Eventov-Friedman Smadar
Published: November 2016

Background: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently narrowed the indications for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prophylaxis, while in Israel the guidelines have not changed. Objective: To compare the prevalence and severity of RSV infection among preterm infants born earlier than 340/7 weeks of gestation (PI), late preterm infants born at 340/7-366/7 weeks (LPTI), and term infants born after 370/7 weeks of gestation (TI) and to determine whether the results support a change in local policy. Methods: Data of all children aged 0-14 years hospitalized with PCR-positive RSV in a single tertiary center from 2010 to 2014 were collected. A total of 793 children were included and divided into 3 groups: 637 were TI, 105 were LPTI, and 50 were PI. These groups were compared regarding incidence of hospitalization due to RSV infection, intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization, and length of hospitalization. Results: The hospitalization rate due to RSV infection was 5.2, 3.5, and 1.3% among PI, LPTI, and TI, respectively (p < 0.01). The hospitalization rate in the ICU was 24, 7.6, and 3% among PI, LPTI, and TI, respectively (p < 0.001). The length (days) of hospitalization was significantly longer among PI compared with LPTI and TI (p < 0.001). Overall, the hospitalization rate and disease severity were significantly higher for infants born earlier than 35 weeks of gestation compared with more maturely born infants. Conclusion: RSV infection remains a major cause of morbidity among children born prematurely even after RSV prophylaxis and would probably be greater were prophylaxis curtailed. Our results do not support applying the current AAP guidelines in Israel. Further local studies are needed to optimize prophylaxis for both PI and LPTI.
N-Acetyl Cysteine Attenuated the Deleterious Effects of Advanced Glycation End-Products on the Kidney of Non-Diabetic Rats
Authors: Thieme Karina , Da Silva Karolline S. , Fabre Nelly T. , Catanozi Sergio , Monteiro Maria Beatriz , Santos-Bezerra Daniele Pereira , Costa-Pessoa Juliana Martins , Oliveira-Souza Maria , Machado Ubiratan F. , Passarelli Marisa , Correa-Giannella Maria Lucia
Published: November 2016

Aim: To assess the renal effects of chronic exposure to advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in the absence of diabetes and the potential impact of concomitant treatment with the antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). Methods: Wistar rats received intraperitoneally 20 mg/kg/day of albumin modified (AlbAGE) or not (AlbC) by advanced glycation for 12 weeks and oral NAC (600mg/L; AlbAGE+NAC and AlbC+NAC, respectively). Biochemical, urinary and renal morphological analyses; carboxymethyl-lysine (CML, an AGE), CD68 (macrophage infiltration), and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE, marker of oxidative stress) immunostaining; intrarenal mRNA expression of genes belonging to pathways related to AGEs (Ager, Ddost, Nfkb1), renin-angiotensin system (Agt, Ren, Ace), fibrosis (Tgfb1, Col4a1), oxidative stress (Nox4, Txnip), and apoptosis (Bax, Bcl2); and reactive oxidative species (ROS) content were performed. Results: AlbAGE significantly increased urine protein-to-creatinine ratio; glomerular area; renal CML content and macrophage infiltration; expression of Ager, Nfkb1, Agt, Ren, Tgfb1, Col4a1, Txnip, Bax/Bcl2 ratio; and 4-HNE and ROS contents. Some of these effects were attenuated by NAC concomitant treatment. Conclusion: Because AGEs are highly consumed in modern diets and implicated in the progression of different kidney diseases, NAC could be a therapeutic intervention to decrease renal damage, considering that long-term restriction of dietary AGEs is difficult to achieve in practice.
Long Non-Coding RNA BANCR Promotes Endometrial Cancer Cell Proliferation and Invasion by Regulating MMP2 and MMP1 via ERK/MAPK Signaling Pathway
Authors: Wang Danni , Wang Danbo , Wang Ning , Long Zaiqiu , Ren Xuemei
Published: November 2016

Background/Aims: Microarray screening had found BRAF-activated non-coding RNA (BANCR) was significantly upregulated in type 1 endometrial cancer (EC). This study aimed to assess the potential role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) BANCR in the pathogenesis and progression of type 1 EC. Methods: Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to confirm the expression of BANCR in type 1 EC tissue, and analyze its clinical significance. In vitro, RNA interference (siRNA) was used to investigate the biological role of BANCR in type 1 EC. Results: qRT-PCR revealed that the expression of lncRNA BANCR was higher in type 1 EC (P<0.01). BANCR expression was significantly correlated with FIGO stage, pathological grade, myometrial invasion, and lymph node metastasis. The expression of BANCR was significantly correlated with that of MMP2/MMP1. In vitro, knockdown of BANCR significantly suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion of Ishikawa and HEC-1A cells, and significantly inhibited the ERK/MAPK signaling pathway that decreased MMP2 and MMP1 expression. Conclusion: BANCR is highly expressed in type 1 EC tissue and promotes EC-cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by activating ERK/MAPK signaling pathway that regulates MMP2/MMP1 expression. BANCR is expected to become a prognostic marker and therapeutic target in type 1 EC.
Stimulation of Erythrocyte Cell Membrane Scrambling by Quinine
Authors: Mischitelli Morena , Jemaà Mohamed , Almasry Mustafa , Faggio Caterina , Lang Florian
Published: November 2016

Background/Aims: The analkaloid drug quinine is utilized mainly for the chemoprophylaxis of malaria. The multiple side effects of quinine include hemolytic anemia and hemolytic uremic syndrome, disorders involving suicidal erythrocyte death or eryptosis, which is characterized by cell shrinkage and cell membrane scrambling with phosphatidylserine translocation to the erythrocyte surface. Signaling contributing to stimulation of eryptosis include increase of cytosolic Ca2+ activity ([Ca2+]i), oxidative stress, ceramide and D4476 sensitive casein kinase. The present study explored the putative effect of quinine on eryptosis and elucidated cellular mechanisms involved. Methods: Phosphatidylserine exposure at the cell surface was estimated from annexin-V-binding, cell volume from forward scatter, [Ca2+]i from Fluo3-fluorescence, ROS formation from DCF dependent fluorescence, and ceramide abundance utilizing specific antibodies. Results: A 48 hours exposure of human erythrocytes to quinine (≥ 50 µM) significantly increased the percentage of annexin-V-binding cells without significantly affecting forward scatter. Quinine significantly increased Fluo3-fluorescence, DCF fluorescence and ceramide abundance. The effect of quinine on annexin-V-binding was significantly blunted by removal of extracellular Ca2+ and by addition of D4476 (10 µM). Conclusions: Quinine triggers phospholipid scrambling of the erythrocyte cell membrane, an effect at least in part due to Ca2+ entry, oxidative stress, ceramide and D4476 sensitive casein kinase.
Radioprotective Effects of Heat-Killed Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in Cultured Cells and Radiosensitive Tissues
Authors: Chen Yuanyuan , Xu Yang , Du Jicong , Guo Jiaming , Lei Xiao , Cui Jianguo , Liu Cong , Cheng Ying , Li Bailong , Gao Fu , Ju Jintao , Cai Jianming , Yang Yanyong
Published: November 2016

Background: Exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) often causes severe damage to radiosensitive tissues, which limits the use of radiotherapy in cancer patients. Novel safe and effective radioprotectant is urgently required. It has been reported toll like receptor 2 (TLR2) plays a critical role in radioresistance. In this study, we demonstrated the protective effects of Heat-Killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis (HKMT), a potent TLR2 agonist, against IR. Methods: Cell survival and apoptosis were determined by CCK-8 assay and Annexin V assay, respectively. An immunofluorescence staining assay was used to detect the translocation of nuclear faktor-kappa beta (NF-kB) p65. Tissue damage was evaluated by Haematoxilin-Eosin (HE) staining assay. We also used a flow cytometry assay to measure the number of nucleated cells and CD34+ hemopoietic stem cells in bone marrow. A western blot assay was used to detect the changes of proteins involving TLR signaling pathway. Results: We found that HKMT increased cell viability and inhibited cell apoptosis after irradiation. HKMT induced NF-kB translocation and activated Erk1/2, p38 signaling pathway. HKMT also protected bone marrow and testis from destruction. Radiation-induced decreases of nucleated cells and CD34+ hemopoietic stem cells in bone marrow were also inhibited by HKMT treatment. We found that radiation caused increase of inflammatory cytokines was also suppressed by HKMT. Conclusion: Our data showed that HKMT exhibited radioprotective effects in vivo and in vitro through activating NF-kB and MAPK signaling pathway, suggesting a potential of HKMT as novel radioprotector.
Outcomes after a 1-Year Treatment with Ranibizumab for Diabetic Macular Edema in a Clinical Setting
Authors: Hrarat Linda , Fajnkuchen Franck , Boubaya Marouane , Lévy Vincent , Sarda Valérie , Grenet Typhaine , Nghiem-Buffet Sylvia , Chaine Gilles , Giocanti-Auregan Audrey
Published: November 2016

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of ranibizumab in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME). Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with vision loss due to DME who were treated with ranibizumab. All patients received a loading dose of 3 monthly injections followed by re-treatments on an as-needed basis. The primary endpoint was the change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at 12 months. Secondary endpoints were the change in central retinal thickness (CRT) and the number of intravitreal injections (IVI) at 12 months. Results: One hundred and six eyes of 78 patients were included. BCVA changed from 48.3 (20/100) letters at baseline to 59.0 letters (20/63) at 12 months (p < 0.0001; mean gain: +10.7 letters), and 38% of the patients had a final BCVA >70 letters. CRT decreased from 519 µm at baseline to 355 µm at 12 months (p < 0.0001). The threshold of the first quartile of the baseline VA was 40 letters. Patients with a baseline VA >40 letters had a higher final VA of 66 ± 14 letters (20/50) versus 43 ± 18 letters (20/125) for patients with a baseline VA ≤40 letters (p < 0.0001). A mean number of 5.4 (3-10) IVI were administered. Conclusion: This study conducted in a clinical setting confirms the results of previous randomized trials. The final BCVA was mainly influenced by the baseline BCVA, which supports the utility of early DME treatment before patients experience a severe vision loss.
Impact of Alcohol Consumption on the Outcome of Catheter Ablation in Patients With Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Takigawa Masateru , Takahashi Atsushi , Kuwahara Taishi , Takahashi Yoshihide , Okubo Kenji , Nakashima Emiko , Watari Yuji , Nakajima Jun , Yamao Kazuya , Osaka Yuki , Tanaka Yasuaki , Kimura Shigeki , Takagi Katsumasa , Hikita Hiroyuki , Hirao Kenzo , Isobe Mitsuaki
Published: November 2016

Background

Although several studies have reported an association between atrial fibrillation (
AF
) and alcohol, the impact of alcohol consumption on the outcome after catheter ablation (
CA
) for
AF
has not been discussed. We aimed to elucidate the effect of alcohol consumption on the outcome of
CA
for paroxysmal
AF
.

Methods and Results

We examined 1361 consecutive patients with paroxysmal AF (mean age, 61±11 years, 334 women) who underwent
CA
, including 623 (45.8%) patients who consumed alcohol. The clinical characteristics and outcomes of
CA
were compared between patients who did and did not consume alcohol. No significant differences were seen in the left atrial size, duration of
AF
history, and incidence of nonpulmonary vein foci between 2 groups (
P
=
NS
). Although the
AF
recurrence‐free rate after the initial
CA
was higher in patients who did not consume alcohol (261/623 [41.9%] versus 252/738 [34.1%]; mean follow‐up, 44.4±30.7 months;
P
=0.003), the outcome after the final
CA
was similar between 2 groups (patients who consumed alcohol: 111/628 [17.7%] versus patients who did not consume alcohol: 138/738 [18.7%]; mean follow‐up, 53.1±25.8 months;
P
=0.67). The frequency (hazard ratio 1.07 per 1 day/week increase,
CI
1.00–1.15,
P
=0.04) of alcohol consumption was significantly associated with
AF
recurrence after
CA
.

Conclusions

The frequency of alcohol consumption may be associated with
AF
recurrence after the initial
CA
for paroxysmal AF, but it may not affect the outcome after the final
CA
.
Mediofrontal Negativity Signals Unexpected Timing of Salient Outcomes
Authors: Garofalo Sara , Timmermann Christopher , Battaglia Simone , Maier Martin E. , di Pellegrino Giuseppe
Published: November 2016

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and ACC have been consistently implicated in learning predictions of future outcomes and signaling prediction errors (i.e., unexpected deviations from such predictions). A computational model of ACC/mPFC posits that these prediction errors should be modulated by outcomes occurring at unexpected times, even if the outcomes themselves are predicted. However, unexpectedness per se is not the only variable that modulates ACC/mPFC activity, as studies reported its sensitivity to the salience of outcomes. In this study, mediofrontal negativity, a component of the event-related brain potential generated in ACC/mPFC and coding for prediction errors, was measured in 48 participants performing a Pavlovian aversive conditioning task, during which aversive (thus salient) and neutral outcomes were unexpectedly shifted (i.e., anticipated or delayed) in time. Mediofrontal ERP signals of prediction error were observed for outcomes occurring at unexpected times but were specific for salient (shock-associated), as compared with neutral, outcomes. These findings have important implications for the theoretical accounts of ACC/mPFC and suggest a critical role of timing and salience information in prediction error signaling.
Boosting Cognition: Effects of Multiple-Session Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Working Memory
Authors: Talsma Lotte J. , Kroese Henryk A. , Slagter Heleen A.
Published: November 2016

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising tool for neurocognitive enhancement. Several studies have shown that just a single session of tDCS over the left dorsolateral pFC (lDLPFC) can improve the core cognitive function of working memory (WM) in healthy adults. Yet, recent studies combining multiple sessions of anodal tDCS over lDLPFC with verbal WM training did not observe additional benefits of tDCS in subsequent stimulation sessions nor transfer of benefits to novel WM tasks posttraining. Using an enhanced stimulation protocol as well as a design that included a baseline measure each day, the current study aimed to further investigate the effects of multiple sessions of tDCS on WM. Specifically, we investigated the effects of three subsequent days of stimulation with anodal (20 min, 1 mA) versus sham tDCS (1 min, 1 mA) over lDLPFC (with a right supraorbital reference) paired with a challenging verbal WM task. WM performance was measured with a verbal WM updating task (the letter n-back) in the stimulation sessions and several WM transfer tasks (different letter set n-back, spatial n-back, operation span) before and 2 days after stimulation. Anodal tDCS over lDLPFC enhanced WM performance in the first stimulation session, an effect that remained visible 24 hr later. However, no further gains of anodal tDCS were observed in the second and third stimulation sessions, nor did benefits transfer to other WM tasks at the group level. Yet, interestingly, post hoc individual difference analyses revealed that in the anodal stimulation group the extent of change in WM performance on the first day of stimulation predicted pre to post changes on both the verbal and the spatial transfer task. Notably, this relationship was not observed in the sham group. Performance of two individuals worsened during anodal stimulation and on the transfer tasks. Together, these findings suggest that repeated anodal tDCS over lDLPFC combined with a challenging WM task may be an effective method to enhance domain-independent WM functioning in some individuals, but not others, or can even impair WM. They thus call for a thorough investigation into individual differences in tDCS respondence as well as further research into the design of multisession tDCS protocols that may be optimal for boosting cognition across a wide range of individuals.
A Tale of Two Temporal Coding Strategies: Common and Dissociable Brain Regions Involved in Recency versus Associative Temporal Order Retrieval Strategies
Authors: Lieberman Jennifer S. , Kyle Colin T. , Schedlbauer Amber , Stokes Jared , Ekstrom Arne D.
Published: November 2016

Numerous studies indicate the importance of the hippocampus to temporal order retrieval. However, behavioral studies suggest that there are different ways to retrieve temporal order information from encoded sequences, one involving an associative strategy (retrieving associations using neighboring items in a list) and another involving a recency strategy (determining which of two items came first). It remains unresolved, however, whether both strategies recruit the hippocampus or only associative strategies, consistent with the hippocampus's role in relational processing. To address this, we developed a paradigm in which we dissociated associative versus recency-based retrieval, involving the same stimulus presentation during retrieval. Associative retrieval involved an increase in RT (and decrease in performance) with greater distances between intervals, consistent with the need to retrieve intervening associations. Recency-based retrieval involved an increase in RT (and decrease in performance) with shorter distances between intervals, suggesting the use of a strength-based coding mechanism to retrieve information. We employed fMRI to determine the neural basis of the different strategies. Both strategies showed significant levels of hippocampal activation and connectivity that did not differ between tasks. In contrast, both univariate and connectivity pattern analyses revealed differences in extrahippocampal areas such as parietal and frontal cortices. A covariate analysis suggested that differences could not be explained by task difficulty alone. Together, these findings suggest that the hippocampus plays a role in both forms of temporal order retrieval, with neocortical networks mediating the different cognitive demands for associative versus recency-based temporal order retrieval.
The Ottomanism of the Non-Turkish Groups: The Arabs and the Kurds after 1908
Authors: Bozarslan Hamit
Published: November 2016

After 1909, the leaders of the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) abandoned the Ottomanist ideals that had earlier characterised the group, adopting instead a purely Turkish nationalist ideology. They were not necessarily hostile to Arab and Kurdish communities, but considered that the latter had no say in the definition of the Empire, let alone in its future. In contrast, many Arab and Kurdish intellectuals continued to define themselves as Ottomanists. These intellectuals, including Sāṭiʿ al-Ḥuṣrī and Şerif Pasha, were defenders of the fraternity of the Islamic umma and, before the ‘nationalist-turn’ they took after World War I, were opposed to any kind of nationalism within Islam. They could not, however, easily justify the fusion of Islam and an Ottoman entity defined as Turkish. Integration into the Ottoman Empire for them did not imply the dissolution of the Arab and the Kurdish component within its Islamic imperial fabric.
Social and Intellectual Origins of Neo-Ottomanism: Searching for a Post-National Vision
Authors: Yavuz M. Hakan
Published: November 2016

This article will unpack the intellectual and sociopolitical conditions under which the idea of neo-Ottomanism was formulated, by focusing on the following questions: What is neo-Ottomanism, who constructed the term, and for what purpose? What aspects of the Ottoman legacy have been incorporated in the ‘self’ definition of a new Turkey? Is this shift temporary or rooted in a more far-reaching transformation of Turkish society that will shape future sociopolitical choices? The article examines the intellectual origins of the term ‘neo-Ottomanism’ by examining the role of cultural entrepreneurs, such as Yahya Kemal and Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, along with the interactions among social factors, in the search for a new ‘old’ identity of Ottomanism by reimagining the Ottoman past. It seeks to provide a historical and sociological perspective of the process of reconfiguring the past, and especially its implications in domestic and foreign policy. Due to the oppressive nation-building project of the Kemalist regime, literature, art, music, and poetry became alternative sites for preserving, updating, and reconstructing the Ottoman memory. After explaining the formation of neo-Ottoman discourse in the 1990s, the article will address the debate about the politics of identity under the Justice and Development Party (JDP).
Turkey’s Middle Eastern Endeavors: Discourses and Practices of Neo-Ottomanism under the AKP
Authors: Özel Volfová Gabriela
Published: November 2016

The aim of this research paper is to explain the concept of neo-Ottomanism as a Turkish foreign policy doctrine, as it was formulated by the ruling Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, AKP). The paper follows two distinct yet interrelated themes. First, it explains how the neo-Ottoman discourse used by AKP today differs from the civic proto-nationalist discourse of Ottomanism developed by political reformers around 1839–1908, in order to construct an overarching identity formula for the multi-confessional and multi-ethnic Empire which sensed its demise. Second, it discusses the current understanding of neo-Ottomanism in relation to economic, political and cultural interests that the AKP pursues in the Middle East. The argument is that today’s AKP’s interpretation of the Ottoman past as a justification for its growing political, economic and cultural presence in the region is very selective and makes a radical departure from the original 19th century concept. Besides these key analytical concerns, the paper also addresses major changes in Turkish foreign policy, between 2002 and 2013, as well as relevant political transformations in the region. The empirical material consists of documents in both Turkish and English in the form of press releases and public statements of key AKP representatives available online from newspapers, think-tanks, the Republic of Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey and AKP websites.
Ottomanism and Neo-Ottomanism in the Travails of the ‘Serbian National Corpus’: Turkey as the Recurrent Focus of Serbian Academia
Authors: Dević Ana
Published: November 2016

This study addresses the revival of ‘Ottomanism’, defined as a threat of ‘return’ to the cultural and political norms of the Ottoman Empire, operationalized via the links between Turkey and the local Muslim population, among the academic elites in Serbia since the late 1980s. The making of Ottomanism a relevant segment of the nation-building process in post-Yugoslav Serbia has served two goals: (1) forgetting the history of the Yugoslav Federation; and (2) affirming the ‘irreconcilable differences’ between the Yugoslav Muslims and Christians, and subsequently legitimating the violent redrawing of state boundaries. The neo-Ottomanist ‘dangers’ are presented as stemming from: (1) the apparent continuity between the expansionism of the Ottoman Empire and the current policies of Turkey in the Balkans, (2) the failure of the modernization reforms of ‘Atatürkism’, which is attributed to the fact that they were alien to the cultural-religious ‘essence’ of Turkish mentality; and (3) the link between the modernization failure and the resurgence of ‘Islamization’, which is perceived as either not been recognized by Turkey’s Western allies, or as being used by U.S. policymakers as leverage against other Middle Eastern states.
From an Arab Queen to a Yiddische Mama: The Travels of Marital Advice around the Medieval Mediterranean
Authors: Zinger Oded , Torollo David
Published: November 2016

This study explores the travels of a literary anecdote about ten pieces of advice that a mother gave her daughter on the eve of the latter’s marriage. Tracing the various incarnations of the anecdote from its first attestation in ninth-century Arabic works to later versions in Hebrew, Judeo-Arabic, Italian, Catalan, and Yiddish demonstrates the connectivity of the medieval Mediterranean and the porous nature of political, religious, and linguistic borders when it comes to popular ethical literary texts. Studying the changes introduced in each new incarnation allows us to explore the process of translation and adaptation involved in cultural transmission between different linguistic and religious communities. The travels of the anecdote also highlight the commonalities and differences in normative gender roles in different societies across the medieval Mediterranean.
Agreement in Conflict: Peter Alfonsi’s Dialogi contra Iudaeos and the Idea of Recognition
Authors: Palmén Ritva
Published: November 2016

In the last few decades, modern theological and philosophical research has witnessed the emergence of theories of recognition. In this article, I will show that current notions from recognition theory can be used as conceptual instruments for reading and interpreting Petrus Alfonsi’s multifaceted dialogue, Dialogi contra Iudaeos from around 1110. In the analysis of recognition between the actors of the Dialogi, it will be asked what the common basis for accepting arguments in the text is and how the author employs reason or authorities in the disputation, with the search for shared premises for discussion and common judging principles being important elements. The article also takes into account the rhetorical aspects of the treatise, analysing the various ways of positing the interlocutors and addressing arguments. It will be shown that the dialogic process itself, positive rhetorical praxis, and the commonly accepted diversity in argumentative paradigms are necessary for the elementary level of mutual recognition, which, however, still remains asymmetrical in character in Peter Alfonsi’s Dialogi.
C.S. Lewis as a Public Theologian
Authors: Cartledge Mark J.
Published: November 2016

C.S. Lewis’s books are as popular as ever. Within Christianity this popularity is, in part, fueled by the American Evangelical admiration for him and the interest in maintaining his role in shaping the minds of the next generation of university students. Academically, Lewis studies have never been healthier and now philosophers and theologians are among those studying Lewis for their own benefit alongside historians and literary scholars. In this context, the paucity of pentecostal engagement with Lewis is noticeable. This article aims to explore the ways in which pentecostal theologians have engaged with C.S. Lewis, and it does so by placing the discussion in the context of public theology. It asks the question as to whether it is appropriate to consider Lewis as a public theologian and, if so, what that means in terms of a pentecostal appraisal of his legacy.
Water Baptism and Spirit Baptism in Luke-Acts
Authors: Wilson Sarah Hinlicky
Published: November 2016

Despite their disagreement on the interpretation of Acts regarding reception of the Spirit, both Evangelicals and Pentecostals operate from the assumption that the purpose of Acts is to provide a normative template of experience to be repeated in later Christians. Here it is argued that the purpose of Luke-Acts in reporting on the reception of the Spirit is not to provide an experiential norm at all, but rather to highlight the contrast between John’s water baptism without the Spirit and Christian water baptism with the Spirit. A careful reading of Luke-Acts reveals a consistent and at times strident distinction between John and Jesus, suggesting a long-forgotten struggle in the early church to ascertain where the otherwise identical practice of water baptism by John and by Jesus’s followers diverges. This interpretation is supported by consideration of the missional focus of Acts and the issue of the forgiveness of sins.
From Revolution to Tunisianité: Who is the Tunisian People?
Authors: Zemni Sami
Published: November 2016

Sami Zemni explains how, after Ben Ali’s escape, the discovery of a conflict-ridden society led to a polarized debate about the definition of the Tunisian people. The discourse on tunisianité served as a hegemonic discourse that was meant to help bridging the gap between opposing views on who or what constitutes the people. However, tunisianité and the call for the restoration of the state’s prestige (haybat addawla) also signaled the possibility of political closure; i.e. the rejection and de-legitimization of political subjectivities that do not subscribe to this view of national identity.
The Hegemonic Bourguibist Discourse on Modernity in Post-revolutionary Tunisia
Authors: Zederman Mathilde
Published: November 2016

This article examines the continued resonance of Bourguibist discourses on modernity within Tunisia, how his political legacy continues to serve as a point of reference for diverse political movements, and therefore seeks to question how this conceptualization of modernity remains hegemonic. I posit that the national narrative of “modernity” conveyed by Bourguiba in the post-independence era should be understood as an arena of struggle over power and identity, and accordingly that both serve to shed light on how collective memory is mobilized as a political idiom to legitimise certain ideological agendas and views on what is deemed the “right” Tunisian national identity. With specific reference to Ennahda and Nidaa Tounes, I argue that understanding the prevailing political and social scene of post-revolutionary Tunisia necessitates examination of the social construction of Bourguiba, how he has come to be “mythologised” in order to generate support at a national level, and more importantly how this functions within broader discursive strategies towards power. In seeking to move beyond the current binarism that situates Islamists and so-called “secularists” (supposedly heirs of Bourguibism) in opposition, this study seeks to demonstrate the commonalities within their respective appropriations of the Bourguibist legacy in the post-revolutionary context, and thereby to elucidate how his normative heritage serves as a touchstone for seemingly contradictory ideological currents.
‘La Femme’ Before and After the Tunisian Uprising: (Dis)continuities in the Configuration of Women in the Truth Regime of ‘Tunisianité’
Authors: Debuysere Loes
Published: November 2016

The rights of Tunisian women have been safeguarded in the aftermath of Tunisia’s popular uprising, despite initial and widespread fears of the contrary following the democratic victory of the Islamist Ennahdha party. Article 46 of the new constitution not only reinforces ‘les droits acquis’ of Tunisian women, but also seeks to expand them. The post-uprising preservation of women’s rights can be explained by the persistent hegemony of the image of the professional, modern and emancipated ‘Femme Tunisienne’ – since independence presented as a role model for women to live up to – and its crucial role in the truth regime of Tunisian modernist identity (‘Tunisianité’). In order to understand the (dis)continuities of this imaginary after the overthrow of Ben Ali, the paper traces the origins of the hegemonic yet ambiguous ‘Femme’ and discusses the role of Tunisia’s women’s movements in its reconstruction since the uprising.
Becoming a Decision-maker in the Assembly of Post-revolutionary Tunisia
Authors: Perez Déborah
Published: November 2016

Deborah Perez offers a detailed analysis of the daily interactions among deputies of the Constituent National Assembly (2011–2014) in order to challenge micro-analyses that argue that the constitution was merely the outcome of a pact among party leaders. She emphasizes the importance of contingency and improvisation that granted deputies a margin of autonomy towards the party leaderships.
Can Political Connections Improve Foundation’s Acquisition of Resources?
Authors: Yan Kegao , Luo Oulin
Published: November 2016

By artificially sampling 305 Chinese foundations, the paper conducts an empirical study on how political connections influence foundations’ acquisition of resources. As it turns out, the influence of political connections on foundations’ policy resources is insignificant, and this does not change with the changes of the nature and sector of the foundation and the degree of marketization of the environment it is in. Political connections have significant influence upon donations, particularly those from domestic natural persons – this is particularly true with public-fundraising foundations, public-service foundations and areas where marketization is at a relatively low level. The influence of the extent and depth of political connections on the foundation’s acquisition of resources fails to pass the significance test. The conclusion the study arrives at implies that on the part of the government, policies should not focus on banning Party and government cadres from holding a concurrent post in a foundation, but on how to regulate their acts and prevent them from seeking private gains by taking advantage of its concurrent post of director; and that on the part of the foundation, in the current context, it can seek to establish political connections and increase its capacity of attracting donated resources.
Taxonomic revision and phylogeny of the ant genus Prenolepis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Authors: WILLIAMS JASON L. , LAPOLLA JOHN S.
Published: November 2016

The formicine ant genus Prenolepis is here revised for the first time. Thirteen extant species are recognized of which four are described as new. A key for the worker caste is provided, and the worker of each species is imaged, with males and queens imaged in species where they are known. Worker-based characters were used to construct a species-level phylogeny of Prenolepis. Both maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference methods were used for the phylogenetic analyses. A morphological diagnosis for the genus is provided, with a discussion of useful morphological characters for separating Prenolepis from other genera in the Prenolepis genus-group. Major taxonomic changes are proposed. The new species are: P. darlena, P. fustinoda, P. mediops, and P. shanialena. Prenolepis jerdoni subopaca is elevated to full species. Three species are excluded from Prenolepis and transferred to Nylanderia and Paratrechina as new combinations: N. emmae, N. flaviabdominis, and P. umbra. Two species are excluded from Paratrechina and transferred to Nylanderia and Paraparatrechina as new combinations: N. guanyin and P. kongming. One species, Z. darlingtoni, is excluded from Nylanderia and transferred to Zatania as a new combination. Several synonyms are proposed: Prenolepis sphingthoraxa = Nylanderia flaviabdominis; P. imparis arizonica, P. imparis colimana, P. imparis coloradensis, and P. imparis veracruzensis = P. imparis; P. melanogaster carinifrons and P. nigriflagella = P. melanogaster; P. longiventris and P. magnocula = P. naoroji; and P. septemdenta = Nylanderia opisopthalmia.
Barsine amaculata, a new species from Vietnam (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae)
Authors: VOLYNKIN ANTON V. , ČERNÝ KAREL
Published: November 2016

Barsine Walker, 1854 is a large genus of lichen-moths (family Erebidae, subfamily Arctiinae, tribe Lithosiini) including about a hundred of described species and widely distributed in Oriental tropics. A number of species is also known from the Russian Far East, Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan. The genus long time was treated as a synonym or a subgenus of Miltochrista Hübner, [1819] (Hampson 1900; Strand 1917; Reich 1937; Daniel 1951; 1952; 1955; Inoue 1980; Holloway 1982; Fang 1991; 2000; Černý 1995), and was revived by Holloway (2001). Many new species of the genus were described during last two decades (Fang 2000; Holloway 2001; Kaleka 2003; Černý & Pinratana 2009; Bucsek 2012; 2014; Dubatolov et al. 2012; Dubatolov & Bucsek 2013; Wu et al. 2013). The genus is under revision by authors of the present paper. During studies of Lithosiini materials collected in Vietnam, an undescribed Barsine species was found. The species is described below.
Description of a new species of Dascillus Latreille from Sichuan, China Coleoptera: Dascillidae)
Authors: JIN ZHENYU , XIE GUANGLIN , YANG QIXIN
Published: November 2016

Dascillidae are a small and rarely studied family that includes nine currently recognized genera (Lawrence 2005; Ivie & Barclay 2011; Jin et al. 2013) and about 80 described species divided into two poorly defined subfamilies—a free-living Dascillinae and variously morphologically modified Karumiinae, some of which are apparently associated with subterranean termites. Dascillinae inhabit mostly forested areas of the Northern Hemisphere and Australia (Lawrence 2005).
The tale of the headless turtle
Authors: ROMANO PEDRO S. R.
Published: November 2016

Pelomedusoides is the most diverse clade of side-necked turtles and there is an extensive fossil record (de Broin, 1988; Lapparent de Broin, 2000; Gaffney et al., 2006, 2011) that dates back at least to the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) (Romano et al., 2014). Its large fossil record evidences a greater diversity in the past, particularly at the end of the Mesozoic, and exhibits a good sampling of species that are represented by skull material (Gaffney et al., 2006, 2011). As a consequence, the most complete and recent phylogenetic hypotheses for this clade (e.g. Romano et al., 2014; Cadena, 2015) are based on matrices comprising a great amount of cranial characters derived largely from Gaffney et al. (2006, 2011). In addition, it is well established that shell characters show a lot of phenotypic plasticity, even in the fossil species (Romano, 2008; Gaffney et al., 2006, 2011). In most cases it consequently is not justified to rely on “diagnostic features” of poorly informative shell-only material for describing a new species. Because of that, most authors remark new morphotypes in the literature when such aberrant specimens are recovered, but do not make any nomenclatural act by proposing a new yet poorly supported species (e.g. Romano et al., 2013; Ferreira & Langer, 2013; Menegazzo et al., 2015). Unfortunately, such a supposedly new bothremydid turtle (Pleurodira: Bothremydidae) from the Early Paleocene of Brazil was recently described based on poorly diagnostic remains (Carvalho et al., 2016; hereafter CGB, for the authors initials) and a correction of this unfounded nomenclatural act is required. In addition I present some comments on shell only material from Brazil in order to guide splitter-taxonomists to stop describing poorly preserved fossil specimens as new species.
Germalus species of the Malagasy region (Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea: Geocoridae)
Authors: KÓBOR P. , KONDOROSY E.
Published: November 2016

Malagasy species of the genus Germalus Stål, 1862 were reviewed based on material of different European museums. Comments on the description of Germalus kinbergi (Stål, 1859) are given with new distribution data on Réunion. Two new species, Germalus banari sp. nov. and Germalus benyovszkyi sp. nov. are described.
Electric organ discharges of South African Marcusenius species (Teleostei: Mormyridae) and their effectiveness as indicators of local species diversity
Authors: KRAMER L. BERND , MAAKE PHOLOSHI A. , GON OFER
Published: November 2016

Recent morphological and genetic studies have revealed two new species of snoutfish in South Africa, Marcusenius caudisquamatus and M. krameri, which had been confused with M. pongolensis, the South African bulldog fish. All known mormyriform fish are nocturnal and emit electric organ discharges (EODs) for communication that are characteristic for their species. This paper examines whether or not the EODs of these three closely-related South African species can be differentiated from each other. An EOD pulse of a bulldog fish consists of a head-positive phase P, followed by a head-negative phase N of short duration. We measured and compared six variables of the EOD pulse waveform for South African samples for the three species from different locations using MANOVA, ANOVA and Discriminant Analysis, with M. devosi from Kenya as an outgroup. The EOD waveforms, normalized to the same P-phase amplitude, varied significantly from each other in four variables, most strongly in the amplitude of the N phase and the duration of the P phase. In two species, M. devosi and M. krameri, there was no evidence of difference between sexes, in contrast to M. pongolensis and M. caudisquamatus whose male pulses were of longer duration. M. devosi and M. krameri were statistically significantly independent of each other and of any other group studied. By contrast, the M. pongolensis specimens from different locations showed a high degree of variability amongst each other, including significant separation, and overlap with M. caudisquamatus.
The larva of Wormaldia asterusia Malicky 1972 (Trichoptera: Philopotamidae) with notes on its ecology and an update on the Wormaldia of Greece with a larval key for species of the genus
Authors: KARAOUZAS IOANNIS
Published: November 2016

The previously unknown larva of Wormaldia asterusia Malicky 1972 is described. The diagnostic features of the species are listed and illustrated and some information on its ecology is included. An update on the knowledge of the genus in Greece is given and a larval key of the known West Palearctic Wormaldia species is provided.