bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of High Mobility Group Box 1 Protein in Interleukin-18-Induced Myofibroblastic Transition of Valvular Interstitial Cells
Authors: Wang Bo , Wei Guangxia , Liu Baoqing , Zhou Xianming , Xiao Hua , Dong Nianguo , Li Fei
Published: July 2016

Background: Increased levels of interleukin-18 (IL-18) and high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) have been reported in patients with calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD). However, the role of IL-18 and HMGB1 in the modulation of the valvular interstitial cell (VIC) phenotype remains unclear. We hypothesized that HMGB1 mediates IL-18-induced myofibroblastic transition of VICs. Methods: The expression of IL-18, HMGB1 and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in human aortic valves was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining, real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting. Plasma concentrations of IL-18 and HMGB1 were measured using the ELISA kit. Cultured human aortic VICs were used as an in vitro model. Results: Immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting revealed increased levels of IL-18, HMGB1 and α-SMA in calcific valves. Circulating IL-18 and HMGB1 levels were also higher in CAVD patients. In vitro, IL-18 induced upregulation of HMGB1 and α-SMA in VICs. Moreover, IL-18 induced secretion of HMGB1 to the extracellular space and activation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB). Blockade of NF-κB abrogated the upregulation and release of HMGB1 induced by IL-18. Whereas HMGB1 inhibition attenuated the IL-18-induced expression of α-SMA, HMGB1 enhanced the effect of IL-18. Conclusions: We demonstrated for the first time that both tissue and plasma levels of IL-18 and HMGB1 were increased in patients with CAVD. Mechanically, HMGB1 mediated IL-18-induced VIC myofibroblastic transition.
Hyperbilirubinemia without Transaminitis during Combined Therapy with Daclatasvir and Asunaprevir
Authors: Baba Hayato , Tajiri Kazuto , Nagata Kohei , Kawai Kengo , Minemura Masami , Sugiyama Toshiro
Published: July 2016

Daclatasvir (DCV) and asunaprevir (ASV) are direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Combined therapy with DCV and ASV shows high efficacy and safety even in patients with cirrhosis. We encountered a patient exhibiting severe hyperbilirubinemia during combined therapy, which is an unreported side effect of DCV and ASV. A 78-year-old woman with cirrhosis developed hyperbilirubinemia >10 mg/dl without transaminitis 3 weeks after starting combined therapy. We suspected DAAs-induced liver disorder and discontinued treatment, which resulted in the improvement of hyperbilirubinemia. Caution is required in the use of DAAs for patients with advanced cirrhosis.
Linguagem e ideologia no jornalismo de revistas: Os discursos de Veja sobre as crises de 1999 e 2015
Authors: Assmar Correia Maia Lobato Mayara Luma
Published: July 2016

Este artigo propõe uma análise dos discursos construídos pela revista Veja sobre as crises econômicas enfrentadas pelo Brasil. Para isso, foram selecionadas duas edições, de janeiro de 1999, início do segundo mandato de Fernando Henrique Cardoso, e de março de 2015, primeiro ano da presidente Dilma Rousseff, também reeleita. Como aporte teórico, são utilizados autores vinculados aos estudos da linguagem, como Charaudeau, Bakhtin, Baccega, Lippmann e Lonardoni. Ao final, constatou-se que as estratégias discursivas adotadas descortinam os matizes ideológicos da publicação, estabelecidos por meio de um complexo contrato de comunicação com o leitor.
Um Aspecto da Tropicália: a Intermidialidade como Resposta ao Exílio
Authors: Paiva Samuel
Published: July 2016

Na transição das décadas de 1960 e 1970, artistas brasileiros relacionados ao Tropicalismo em campos midiáticos diversos foram obrigados a sair do Brasil por conta da ditadura militar. Em resposta à crise então instaurada na sociedade brasileira, os exilados, sobretudo os que se estabeleceram em Londres, na Inglaterra, estabeleceram entre si uma interação que envolvia suas produções artísticas, como uma forma de resistência simultaneamente estética e política. Assim, com foco de interesse voltado a tal produção, este artigo tem por objetivo um mapeamento inicial de obras artísticas brasileiras produzidas na condição desse exílio, procurando contribuir para a construção de um método historiográfico pautado pela perspectiva da intermidialidade
Conjunto residencial Santa Cruz. Da origem até os dias atuais
Authors: Imbronito Maria Isabel
Published: July 2016

O Conjunto Residencial Santa Cruz foi projetado pelo engenheiro-arquiteto Marcial Fleury de Oliveira e construído pelo IAPB em São Paulo a partir de 1947. Neste trabalho, pretende-se reconstituir a trajetória do Conjunto até os dias atuais e, a partir do estudo desse caso específico, verificar as alterações de uso, domínio e gestão do espaço do Conjunto. Justifica-se este estudo por considerar exemplar este, entre os demais conjuntos implementados pelos Institutos de Aposentadoria e Pensão, no que tange a sua concepção, que segue a política habitacional adotada pelos Institutos, e também pelo desmantelamento do órgão gestor, indicando as contradições e implicações para o Conjunto que decorreram do desmonte da estrutura organizacional dos IAPs. No texto, caracterizam-se os espaços do Conjunto e se descreve sua implantação peculiar, cuja qualidade ambiental é tributária do tratamento da gleba única dado ao Conjunto e às diversas possibilidades de circulação interna que se apresentam aos pedestres. Apontam-se ainda problemas relativos à manutenção do espaço livre e à necessidade da criação de instrumentos específicos para lidar com um fragmento de exceção dentro da estrutura fundiária da cidade de São Paulo.
Dois projetos: os anos de formação de Manfredo Tafuri
Authors: Frajndlich Rafael Urano
Published: July 2016

Diante de sua ampla contribuição como historiador, é fácil esquecer que Manfredo Tafuri (1935-1994) teve uma breve atividade como arquiteto no primeiro quinquênio dos anos 60. Durante o período, o então jovem intelectual conciliou teoria e prática, algo impensável posteriormente, até que uma sucessão de conflitos políticos o levou à renúncia, não só do projeto, mas de um primeiro arcabouço histórico. Longe de ter sido uma atividade auxiliar em seus estudos, a prática projetual foi para o jovem Tafuri uma frente política de transformação, câmara de decantação de seus estudos de história e filosofia, no qual testavam-se diversas hipóteses de suas premissas historiográficas ainda em constituição. Parte-se de suas primeiras publicações como estudante em Roma, em 1960, até o livro Teorias e História da Arquitetura, de 1968, em que o autor rompe definitivamente com a noção de arquiteto historiador. Objetiva-se com este artigo captar a transformação teórica pela qual passa a obra do autor nos anos 60, procurando revelar um movimento entre dois projetos políticos e duas interpretações dos usos da história na arquitetura, revisitando os desenhos e pesquisas iniciais da carreira de Tafuri, e como eles ecoaram em sua trajetória posterior.
Técnica, arte e questões fundamentais da existência. Considerações sobre o discurso de Paulo Mendes da Rocha
Authors: Villac Maria Isabel
Published: July 2016

O enfoque deste documento tem como escopo discutir a relevância da técnica e da arte no discurso na arquitetura de Paulo Mendes da Rocha. Examina os textos do arquiteto comprometido com a práxis e discute “técnica” à luz da importância que assume na configuração da arquitetura e de sua dependência a um programa de vida inerente à humanidade. A dimensão da “arte”, por sua vez, integrada à vida, é observada como a que garante a condição sempre inaugural da obra e o prolongamento de características inerentes aos processos ordinários do cotidiano. A argumentação do texto se faz a partir das palavras do arquiteto – considerados as memórias de projeto, as aulas ministradas, os depoimentos e as entrevistas publicadas. Defende a posição que as especulações e o sentido ético que revela o discurso são integrantes de um “corpo de conhecimentos” inerente ao “modus operandi” do Projeto. Para os que conhecem ou se aproximam da obra, o acolhimento das palavras do arquiteto explicita que o saber da arquitetura está na discussão de um horizonte que implica o sujeito, o gênero humano e o mundo que constrói. Este arco intencional, que se revela no traço individual da obra, se ampara na racionalidade e ensina que a espacialidade é uma condição e um valor da vida, um discurso e uma ação histórica interdependentes à sensibilidade artística da natureza humana. Na arquitetura de Paulo Mendes da Rocha, que aspira ser a expressão da objetividade como designação “radical” da técnica, é no retroceder aos textos do arquiteto comprometido com a práxis e envolvido diretamente com a produção dos sentidos da arquitetura, que o discurso revela que: na “naturalidade inclusiva” da dimensão estética se instaura a mediação entre desejo e experiência e que são os impulsos e sentidos do ser humano que organizam o fundamento de racionalidade e conhecimento.
Endothelial Dysfunction, and A Prothrombotic, Proinflammatory Phenotype Is Caused by Loss of Mitochondrial Thioredoxin Reductase in Endothelium
Authors: Kirsch Julian , Schneider Holger , Pagel Judith-Irina , Rehberg Markus , Singer Miriam , Hellfritsch Juliane , Chillo Omary , Schubert Kai Michael , Qiu Jiehua , Pogoda Kristin , Kameritsch Petra , Uhl Bernd , Pircher Joachim , Deindl Elisabeth , Müller Susanna , Kirchner Thomas , Pohl Ulrich , Conrad Marcus , Beck Heike
Published: July 2016

Objective—

Although the investigation on the importance of mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) in endothelial function has been gaining momentum, little is known on the precise role of the individual components involved in the maintenance of a delicate ROS balance. Here we studied the impact of an ongoing dysregulated redox homeostasis by examining the effects of endothelial cell–specific deletion of murine thioredoxin reductase 2 (Txnrd2), a key enzyme of mitochondrial redox control.

Approach and Results—

We analyzed the impact of an inducible, endothelial cell–specific deletion of Txnrd2 on vascular remodeling in the adult mouse after femoral artery ligation. Laser Doppler analysis and histology revealed impaired angiogenesis and arteriogenesis. In addition, endothelial loss of Txnrd2 resulted in a prothrombotic, proinflammatory vascular phenotype, manifested as intravascular cellular deposits, as well as microthrombi. This phenotype was confirmed by an increased leukocyte response toward interleukin-1 in the mouse cremaster model. In vitro, we could confirm the attenuated angiogenesis measured in vivo, which was accompanied by increased ROS and an impaired mitochondrial membrane potential. Ex vivo analysis of femoral arteries revealed reduced flow-dependent vasodilation in endothelial cell Txnrd2-deficient mice. This endothelial dysfunction could be, at least partly, ascribed to inadequate nitric oxide signaling.

Conclusions—

We conclude that the maintenance of mitochondrial ROS via Txnrd2 in endothelial cells is necessary for an intact vascular homeostasis and remodeling and that Txnrd2 plays a vitally important role in balancing mitochondrial ROS production in the endothelium.
New Functional Tools for Antithrombogenic Activity Assessment of Live Surface Glycocalyx
Authors: Dimitrievska Sashka , Gui Liqiong , Weyers Amanda , Lin Tylee , Cai Chao , Wu Wei , Tuggle Charles T. , Sundaram Sumati , Balestrini Jenna L. , Slattery David , Tchouta Lise , Kyriakides Themis R. , Tarbell John M. , Linhardt Robert J. , Niklason Laura E.
Published: July 2016

Objective—

It is widely accepted that the presence of a glycosaminoglycan-rich glycocalyx is essential for endothelialized vasculature health; in fact, a damaged or impaired glycocalyx has been demonstrated in many vascular diseases. Currently, there are no methods that characterize glycocalyx functionality, thus limiting investigators’ ability to assess the role of the glycocalyx in vascular health.

Approach and Results—

We have developed novel, easy-to-use, in vitro assays that directly quantify live endothelialized surface’s functional heparin weights and their anticoagulant capacity to inactivate Factor Xa and thrombin. Using our assays, we characterized 2 commonly used vascular models: native rat aorta and cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayer. We determined heparin contents to be ≈10 000 ng/cm
2
on the native aorta and ≈10-fold lower on cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Interestingly, human umbilical vein endothelial cells demonstrated a 5-fold lower anticoagulation capacity in inactivating both Factor Xa and thrombin relative to native aortas. We verified the validity and accuracy of the novel assays developed in this work using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis.

Conclusions—

Our assays are of high relevance in the vascular community because they can be used to establish the antithrombogenic capacity of many different types of surfaces such as vascular grafts and transplants. This work will also advance the capacity for glycocalyx-targeting therapeutics development to treat damaged vasculatures.
Nonischemic Left Ventricular Scar as a Substrate of Life-Threatening Ventricular Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Death in Competitive Athletes
Authors: Zorzi Alessandro , Perazzolo Marra Martina , Rigato Ilaria , De Lazzari Manuel , Susana Angela , Niero Alice , Pilichou Kalliopi , Migliore Federico , Rizzo Stefania , Giorgi Benedetta , De Conti Giorgio , Sarto Patrizio , Serratosa Luis , Patrizi Giampiero , De Maria Elia , Pelliccia Antonio , Basso Cristina , Schiavon Maurizio , Bauce Barbara , Iliceto Sabino , Thiene Gaetano , Corrado Domenico
Published: July 2016

Background—

The clinical profile and arrhythmic outcome of competitive athletes with isolated nonischemic left ventricular (LV) scar as evidenced by contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance remain to be elucidated.

Methods and Results—

We compared 35 athletes (80% men, age: 14–48 years) with ventricular arrhythmias and isolated LV subepicardial/midmyocardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance (group A) with 38 athletes with ventricular arrhythmias and no LGE (group B) and 40 healthy control athletes (group C). A stria LGE pattern with subepicardial/midmyocardial distribution, mostly involving the lateral LV wall, was found in 27 (77%) of group A versus 0 controls (group C;
P
<0.001), whereas a spotty pattern of LGE localized at the junction of the right ventricle to the septum was respectively observed in 11 (31%) versus 10 (25%;
P
=0.52). All athletes with stria pattern showed ventricular arrhythmias with a predominant right bundle branch block morphology, 13 of 27 (48%) showed ECG repolarization abnormalities, and 5 of 27 (19%) showed echocardiographic hypokinesis of the lateral LV wall. The majority of athletes with no or spotty LGE pattern had ventricular arrhythmias with a predominant left bundle branch block morphology and no ECG or echocardiographic abnormalities. During a follow-up of 38±25 months, 6 of 27 (22%) athletes with stria pattern experienced malignant arrhythmic events such as appropriate implantable cardiac defibrillator shock (n=4), sustained ventricular tachycardia (n=1), or sudden death (n=1), compared with none of athletes with no or LGE spotty pattern and controls.

Conclusions—

Isolated nonischemic LV LGE with a stria pattern may be associated with life-threatening arrhythmias and sudden death in the athlete. Because of its subepicardial/midmyocardial location, LV scar is often not detected by echocardiography.
Active Inference and Learning in the Cerebellum
Authors: Friston Karl , Herreros Ivan
Published: July 2016

This letter offers a computational account of Pavlovian conditioning in the cerebellum based on active inference and predictive coding. Using eyeblink conditioning as a canonical paradigm, we formulate a minimal generative model that can account for spontaneous blinking, startle responses, and (delay or trace) conditioning. We then establish the face validity of the model using simulated responses to unconditioned and conditioned stimuli to reproduce the sorts of behavior that are observed empirically. The scheme’s anatomical validity is then addressed by associating variables in the predictive coding scheme with nuclei and neuronal populations to match the (extrinsic and intrinsic) connectivity of the cerebellar (eyeblink conditioning) system. Finally, we try to establish predictive validity by reproducing selective failures of delay conditioning, trace conditioning, and extinction using (simulated and reversible) focal lesions. Although rather metaphorical, the ensuing scheme can account for a remarkable range of anatomical and neurophysiological aspects of cerebellar circuitry—and the specificity of lesion-deficit mappings that have been established experimentally. From a computational perspective, this work shows how conditioning or learning can be formulated in terms of minimizing variational free energy (or maximizing Bayesian model evidence) using exactly the same principles that underlie predictive coding in perception.
A Mathematical Framework for Statistical Decision Confidence
Authors: Hangya Balázs , Sanders Joshua I. , Kepecs Adam
Published: July 2016

Decision confidence is a forecast about the probability that a decision will be correct. From a statistical perspective, decision confidence can be defined as the Bayesian posterior probability that the chosen option is correct based on the evidence contributing to it. Here, we used this formal definition as a starting point to develop a normative statistical framework for decision confidence. Our goal was to make general predictions that do not depend on the structure of the noise or a specific algorithm for estimating confidence. We analytically proved several interrelations between statistical decision confidence and observable decision measures, such as evidence discriminability, choice, and accuracy. These interrelationships specify necessary signatures of decision confidence in terms of externally quantifiable variables that can be empirically tested. Our results lay the foundations for a mathematically rigorous treatment of decision confidence that can lead to a common framework for understanding confidence across different research domains, from human and animal behavior to neural representations.
The Enhanced Rise and Delayed Fall of Memory in a Model of Synaptic Integration: Extension to Discrete State Synapses
Authors: Elliott Terry
Published: July 2016

Integrate-and-express models of synaptic plasticity propose that synapses may act as low-pass filters, integrating synaptic plasticity induction signals in order to discern trends before expressing synaptic plasticity. We have previously shown that synaptic filtering strongly controls destabilizing fluctuations in developmental models. When applied to palimpsest memory systems that learn new memories by forgetting old ones, we have also shown that with binary-strength synapses, integrative synapses lead to an initial memory signal rise before its fall back to equilibrium. Such an initial rise is in dramatic contrast to nonintegrative synapses, in which the memory signal falls monotonically. We now extend our earlier analysis of palimpsest memories with synaptic filters to consider the more general case of discrete state, multilevel synapses. We derive exact results for the memory signal dynamics and then consider various simplifying approximations. We show that multilevel synapses enhance the initial rise in the memory signal and then delay its subsequent fall by inducing a plateau-like region in the memory signal. Such dynamics significantly increase memory lifetimes, defined by a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). We derive expressions for optimal choices of synaptic parameters (filter size, number of strength states, number of synapses) that maximize SNR memory lifetimes. However, we find that with memory lifetimes defined via mean-first-passage times, such optimality conditions do not exist, suggesting that optimality may be an artifact of SNRs.
Dimensionality-Dependent Generalization Bounds for k-Dimensional Coding Schemes
Authors: Liu Tongliang , Tao Dacheng , Xu Dong
Published: July 2016

The k-dimensional coding schemes refer to a collection of methods that attempt to represent data using a set of representative k-dimensional vectors and include nonnegative matrix factorization, dictionary learning, sparse coding, k-means clustering, and vector quantization as special cases. Previous generalization bounds for the reconstruction error of the k-dimensional coding schemes are mainly dimensionality-independent. A major advantage of these bounds is that they can be used to analyze the generalization error when data are mapped into an infinite- or high-dimensional feature space. However, many applications use finite-dimensional data features. Can we obtain dimensionality-dependent generalization bounds for k-dimensional coding schemes that are tighter than dimensionality-independent bounds when data are in a finite-dimensional feature space? Yes. In this letter, we address this problem and derive a dimensionality-dependent generalization bound for k-dimensional coding schemes by bounding the covering number of the loss function class induced by the reconstruction error. The bound is of order [Formula: see text], where m is the dimension of features, k is the number of the columns in the linear implementation of coding schemes, and n is the size of sample, [Formula: see text] when n is finite and [Formula: see text] when n is infinite. We show that our bound can be tighter than previous results because it avoids inducing the worst-case upper bound on k of the loss function. The proposed generalization bound is also applied to some specific coding schemes to demonstrate that the dimensionality-dependent bound is an indispensable complement to the dimensionality-independent generalization bounds.
Learning Minimal Latent Directed Information Polytrees
Authors: Etesami Jalal , Kiyavash Negar , Coleman Todd
Published: July 2016

We propose an approach for learning latent directed polytrees as long as there exists an appropriately defined discrepancy measure between the observed nodes. Specifically, we use our approach for learning directed information polytrees where samples are available from only a subset of processes. Directed information trees are a new type of probabilistic graphical models that represent the causal dynamics among a set of random processes in a stochastic system. We prove that the approach is consistent for learning minimal latent directed trees. We analyze the sample complexity of the learning task when the empirical estimator of mutual information is used as the discrepancy measure.
Escape behaviour in the leopard lizard (Gambelia wislizenii): effects of starting distance and sex
Authors: Jacobson Faelan , Garrison Grace , Penner Jacob , Gebin João Zecchini , Eifler Maria , Eifler Douglas
Published: July 2016

Predation risk influences decision making, escape behaviour, and resource use. Risk assessment and behavioural responses to predation can depend on demographic and environmental factors. We studied the escape behaviour of the long-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia wislizenii) when approached by a human predator (= “simulated predator”), analysing flight initiation distance (FID) and flight distance (FD) relative to demographic and environmental variables. Starting distance (SD) of the simulated predator and orientation of prey lizards relative to the simulated predator influenced FID, but body size of the prey lizard did not. Sex interacted with SD to affect FID. Females lengthened their FIDs as SD increased, while male FID was unrelated to SD. Flight distance increased with increasing SD.Gambelia wislizenii’s ecological role as an ambush predator may explain their escape behaviour; reproductive status potentially affected the interaction between sex and SD.
Morphological and molecular characterisation of new Acanthopharynx and Desmodora species (Nematoda: Desmodorinae) from intertidal sediments of New Zealand
Authors: Leduc Daniel , Zhao Zeng Qi
Published: July 2016

Acanthopharynx dormitatasp. n. andDesmodora bilaciniasp. n. are described from intertidal sediments of Wellington, North Island of New Zealand.Acanthopharynx dormitatasp. n. is characterised by a cephalic capsule with a crown of 14 setae (four cephalic and ten subcephalic setae) and 24 additional subcephalic setae arranged in eight longitudinal rows, unispiral amphidial fovea, buccal cavity with crown of denticles, and males with nine precloacal and two postcloacal supplements.Desmodora bilaciniasp. n. is characterised by eight subcephalic setae on the cephalic capsule, unispiral amphidial fovea, males with two precloacal supplements consisting of thin, rounded cuticular extensions and two rows of thick subventral setae extending from precloacal supplements to near tail tip, and non-annulated tail tip with perforations covering anterior third to two-thirds. The present study brings the total number of validAcanthopharynxandDesmodoraspecies to 13 and 35, respectively, and provides the first record of the genusAcanthopharynxin the New Zealand region. Preliminary analyses of phylogenetic relationships within the Desmodorinae and closely related Spiriniinae using SSU and D2-D3 of LSU molecular sequences indicate that both subfamilies are paraphyletic. Our results provide limited support for the monophyly ofAcanthopharynxandDesmodora, for which two and six sequences, respectively, were included in the analyses.Acanthopharynxformed a basal clade to the Desmodorinae/Spiriniinae; however, in the SSU tree this basal clade also includedD. communisandZalonemasp. sequences. Further research is required to confirm the status and relationships of genera within the Desmodorinae and Spiriniinae.
Testing a new low-labour method for detecting the presence of Phasmarhabditis spp. in slugs in New Zealand
Authors: Wilson Michael J. , Wilson Derrick J. , Aalders Lee T. , Tourna Maria
Published: July 2016

Most studies on distribution ofPhasmarhabditisspp. in slugs use dissection of individual slugs, which is time-consuming. Here we use a technique modified from that used to collectPristionchusspp. nematodes from their beetle hosts. Slugs are decapitated and cadavers incubated for 1 week prior to examining for presence of adult nematodes. We compared the new technique with traditional dissection using field-collected untreated slugs, and slugs infected withPhasmarhabditis hermaphroditain the laboratory. There was no difference in the efficacy of the two techniques. We also used the new technique to study prevalence ofP. hermaphroditaat 22 New Zealand sites. We foundP. hermaphroditapresent at three sites andP. californicaat two other sites suggestingPhasmarhabditisspp. are relatively common in New Zealand.
Lenticellaria and Hillerella, new kraussinoid genera (Kraussinoidea, Brachiopoda) from Indo-Pacific and Red Sea waters: evolution in the subfamily Megerliinae
Authors: SIMON ERIC G , LOGAN ALAN , ZUSCHIN MARTIN , MAINGUY JEROME , MOTTEQUIN BERNARD
Published: July 2016

Two new kraussinid brachiopod genera, namely Lenticellaria gen. nov. and Hillerella gen. nov. are described from Pacific waters in the sub-equatorial zone in the Indonesian Archipelago, from Indian Ocean waters in Madagascar and from Red Sea waters in Egypt (Gulf of Aqaba) and Sudan. This fills the equatorial gap in the distribution of the superfamily Kraussinoidea, known from higher latitudes in both hemispheres. The micromorphic new material described is an excellent example of homeomorphy in brachiopods. It also provides new information on the distribution of the genus Megerlia sensu stricto and illustrates subtle variations in the evolutionary process of the reduced brachidium in Kraussinoidea.
Two new species of the genus Centromacronema Ulmer 1905 (Hydropsychidae: Macronematinae) from Brazil
Authors: DIAS EVERTON S. , CALOR ADOLFO R.
Published: July 2016

Centromacronema is an endemic genus from the Neotropics, with distribution ranging from Mexico to southern Brazil. The genus comprises 15 described species, but only two of them have been recorded in Brazil: Centromacronema               auripenne (Rambur 1842) and C. obscurum (Ulmer 1905). Two new species are herein described and illustrated from   Brazil, C. pioneira n. sp. from Serra da Jiboia, Bahia state, including the first description of a female for the genus, and C. poyanawa n. sp. from Serra do Divisor, Acre state.
A review of scuttle fly genera of Israel (Diptera: Phoridae), with new records and an identification key
Authors: MOSTOVSKI MIKE B.
Published: July 2016

A brief review of Israeli scuttle flies is given. The following genera are new records for the country: Arabiphora, Billotia, Chonocephalus, Menozziola, Phalacrotophora, Pseudacteon, Psyllomyia, and Puliciphora. Eighteen species—Arabiphora tenuifemorata, Chonocephalus depressus, Conicera floricola, Conicera similis, Gymnophora integralis, Gymnophora perpropinqua, Megaselia scalaris, Megaselia stigmatica, Menozziola schmitzi, Metopina formicomendicula, Phalacrotophora beuki, Phalacrotophora fasciata, Phora limpida, Phora tincta, Psyllomyia braunsi, Puliciphora rufipes, Spiniphora bergenstammi, and Tubicera lichtwardi—are added to the list of 56 phorid species previously known from Israel. Two species, Conicera similis and Megaselia scalaris, are recorded in association with the summer truffle Tuber aestivum commercially grown in northern Israel. The status of the Afrotropical Phora congolensis Beyer, 1965 is designated as nomen dubium. A lapsius calami, which led to an erroneous generic attribution of Metopina braueri in the paper on Israeli Metopina (Mostovski, 2016), is noted here. An identification key to the Israeli genera of scuttle flies, as well as notes on recognition and/or biology of individual species, are provided.
A new species of the genus Melita (Amphipoda, Hadzioidea, Melitidae) from anchialine pool on the Cozumel Island, NE Caribbean Sea
Authors: ORTIZ MANUEL , WINFIELD IGNACIO
Published: July 2016

A new species of genus Melita collected from anchialine pool (Cenote Aerolito) on Cozumel Island is described.  Distinctive characters of male of the new species include an accessory flagellum 4–articulate; palm of gnathopod 2 with long setae; urosomite 2 with two robust setae on right side, and one on left. Female of the new species differs by coxa 6 without lateral ridge at base of hook, and anteroventral angle without stridulating ridges on anteroventral process; gnathopods 1–2 covered with long setae on articles 5–6. The main morphological differences between males of Melita species recorded previously for the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea and the new species are also given.
A first record of Cretaceous aphids (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Aphidomorpha) in Australia, from the Lower Cretaceous Koonwarra Fossil Bed, Victoria
Authors: MARTIN SARAH K. , SKIDMORE LUKE I. , STILWELL JEFFREY D.
Published: July 2016

This paper describes the first species of aphid from the Lower Cretaceous Koonwarra Fossil Bed of the Gippsland Basin, southeastern Victoria, Australia. This aphid, herein named Koonwarraphis rotundafrons gen. & sp. nov., is assigned to the cosmopolitan Cretaceous superfamily Tajmyraphidoidea, which has been previously described from the Lebanese, Taimyrian, Canadian, Myanmar (Burmese), and Spanish ambers. Koonwarraphis rotundafrons is the first aphid recorded from the eastern Gondwanan landmass during the Cretaceous, and represents the only tajmyraphidoid preserved as a compression fossil, rather than as an amber inclusion. Due to the nature of the fossil’s preservation, Koonwarraphis cannot be firmly placed in any of the described tajmyraphidoid families; however, all observable morphological features suggest that the genus is broadly typical of the superfamily and Cretaceous aphids in general. Koonwarraphis’ shortened rostrum, a feature also seen in other tajmyraphidoids, suggests an association with the more herbaceous aspects of the Early Cretaceous Victorian flora. Considering the modern aphid preference for angiosperm plants, it is possible that this aphid was living upon the herbaceous early angiosperms recorded previously from the Koonwarra macrofloral assemblage.
The Neotropical species of Atractodes (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae), I: the A. propodeator and A. altoandinus species-groups
Authors: BORDERA SANTIAGO , MAZÓN MARINA , SÄÄKSJÄRVI ILARI E.
Published: July 2016

The Neotropical species of the cryptine genus Atractodes are studied, and four species-groups are proposed. In this paper, A. altoandinus and A. propodeator species-groups are diagnosed. The former species-group occurs from southern Mexico to Brazil and includes some of the largest Atractodes species ever found, all possessing a strongly sloped propodeum; the latter species-group is only known from the Chilean Andes and includes one of the smallest species of Atractodes, characterised by a very short and curved tergite I and short first flagellomere. Four species, A. altoandinus, A. propodeator, A. reijoi and A. verapacensis are described as new. An illustrated identification key to all species-groups and to species of the A. propodeator species-group is provided.
Timeless standards for species delimitation
Authors: AMORIM DALTON S. , SANTOS CHARLES MORPHY D. , KRELL FRANK-THORSTEN , DUBOIS ALAIN , NIHEI SILVIO S. , OLIVEIRA OTTO M.P. , PONT ADRIAN , SONG HOJUN , VERDADE VANESSA K. , FACHIN DIEGO A. , KLASSA BRUNA , LAMAS CARLOS JOSÉ E. , OLIVEIRA SARAH S. , CARVALHO CLAUDIO J. B. DE , MELLO-PATIU CÁTIA A. , HAJDU EDUARDO , COURI MÁRCIA S. , SILVA VERA C. , CAPELLARI RENATO S. , FALASCHI RAFAELA L. , FEITOSA RODRIGO M. , PRENDINI LORENZO , POMBAL JOSÉ P.  JR. , FERNÁNDEZ FERNANDO , ROCHA ROSANA M. , LATTKE JOHN E. , CARAMASCHI ULISSES , DUARTE MARCELO , MARQUES ANTONIO CARLOS , REIS ROBERTO E. , KURINA OLAVI , TAKIYA DANIELA M. , TAVARES MARCOS , FERNANDES DANIEL SILVA , FRANCO FRANCISCO LUÍS , CUEZZO FABIANA , PAULSON DENNIS , GUÉNARD BENOIT , SCHLICK-STEINER BIRGIT C. , ARTHOFER WOLFGANG , STEINER FLORIAN M. , FISHER BRIAN L. , JOHNSON ROBERT A. , DELSINNE THIBAUT DOMINIQUE , DONOSO DAVID A. , MULIERI PABLO RICARDO , PATITUCCI LUCIANO DAMIÁN , CARPENTER JAMES M. , HERMAN LEE , GRIMALDI DAVID
Published: July 2016

Recently a new species of bombyliid fly, Marleyimyia xylocopae, was described by Marshall & Evenhuis (2015) based on two photographs taken during fieldwork in the Republic of South Africa. This species has no preserved holotype. The paper generated some buzz, especially among dipterists, because in most cases photographs taken in the field provide insufficient information for properly diagnosing and documenting species of Diptera.
Environmental Stigma
Authors: Zhuang Jie , Cox Jeff , Cruz Shannon , Dearing James W. , Hamm Joseph A. , Upham Brad
Published: July 2016

This article examined the extent to which residents living in the Midland–Saginaw–Bay City area in Eastern Michigan felt stigmatized due to industrial contamination. Seventy in-depth interviews were conducted with local residents, focusing on the extent to which they experienced three aspects of stigma—affective, cognitive, and behavioral. Results indicated that although some participants were not concerned with living in a contaminated community, local residents largely perceived dioxin as a risk to individual health and the local environment. Concern, shock, and irritation were typical affective responses at the time participants learned of the contamination. Several participants indicated a feeling of embarrassment and fear of being rejected by others because of the stigma associated with industrial contamination. Instead of actively seeking information about dioxin contamination and remediation, participants often relied on information provided to them by government officials. Behaviorally, participants avoided eating locally caught fish and prepared fish more carefully in order to avoid exposure to contaminants. As a whole, this study provided insight to understand affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses to environmental stigma.
Cilostazol Enhances Mobilization of Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells and Improves Endothelium-Dependent Function in Patients at High Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Chao Ting-Hsing , Chen I-Chih , Lee Cheng-Han , Chen Ju-Yi , Tsai Wei-Chuan , Li Yi-Heng , Tseng Shih-Ya , Tsai Liang-Miin , Tseng Wei-Kung
Published: July 2016

This is the first study to investigate the vasculoangiogenic effects of cilostazol on endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 71 patients (37 received 200 mg/d cilostazol and 34 received placebo for 12 weeks). Use of cilostazol, but not placebo, significantly increased circulating EPC (kinase insert domain receptor+CD34+) counts (percentage changes: 149.0% [67.9%-497.8%] vs 71.9% [−31.8% to 236.5%], P = .024) and improved triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels ( P = .002 and P = .003, respectively). Plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A165 and FMD significantly increased (72.5% [32.9%-120.4%] vs −5.8% [−46.0% to 57.6%], P = .001; 232.8% ± 83.1% vs −46.9% ± 21.5%, P = .003, respectively) in cilostazol-treated patients. Changes in the plasma triglyceride levels significantly inversely correlated with the changes in the VEGF-A165 levels and FMD. Cilostazol significantly enhanced the mobilization of EPCs and improved endothelium-dependent function by modifying some metabolic and angiogenic markers in patients at high risk of CVD.
Wealth, Work and the Holy Poor: Early Christian Monasticism between Syria and Egypt
Authors: Brown Peter
Published: July 2016

This article examines the attitudes to labour that were crystallized among the monks of two different regions of the Christian world in the late third and fourth centuries. The monks of Syria opted against work. Along with the Manichaean Elect, they expected to be supported by the alms of the faithful. Work for them was inconsistent with the ‘angel-like’ life of the ascetic. This view was hotly contested by the monks of Egypt, who regarded labour as part of the duty of the monk and as the monk’s link to a common, non-angelic humanity. Having sketched out the social and ideological background of both options, the article considers the implications, in Western Christianity, of the victory of the commitment to labour associated with the monks of Egypt.
Relating the Theologies of Hans Urs von Balthasar and Bernard Lonergan on Divine Action in the World
Authors: Drilling Peter
Published: July 2016

Hans Urs von Balthasar and Bernard Lonergan can seem to be quite at odds in their approach to trinitarian theology. However, there have been recent efforts to relate the two theologians favourably. The present author suggests such an effort on the basis of the First Vatican Council’s teaching on human understanding and divine mystery. Balthasar’s and Lonergan’s approaches to achieve some beneficial understanding of the Trinity can be related as complementary: Lonergan’s psychological analogy and Balthasar’s connection of the economic and immanent Trinity. Besides that, the two authors can be viewed as comparable even in areas that seem opposed, for example, the anthropological method of openness to the transcendent. Perhaps Balthasar might even be open to Lonergan’s later development of the psychological analogy. On the other hand, from the perspective of Bernard Lonergan’s theology, some nuances to Balthasar’s theology can be offered: (1) to the meaning of divine kenosis, (2) regarding the Father’s attitude toward his Son who descends into hell, and (3) in the matter of change, even suffering, in God.
The Party-State in the Land Occupations of Zimbabwe: The Case of Shamva District
Authors: Bhatasara Sandra , Helliker Kirk
Published: July 2016

There has been significant debate about the land occupations which occurred from the year 2000 in Zimbabwe, with a key controversy concerning the role of the state and ruling party (or party-state) in the occupations. This controversy, deriving from two grand narratives about the occupations, remains unresolved. A burgeoning literature exists on the Zimbabwean state’s fast-track land reform programme, which arose in the context of the occupations, but this literature is concerned mainly with post-occupation developments on fast-track farms. This article seeks to contribute to resolving the controversy surrounding the party-state and the land occupations by examining the occupations in the Shamva District of Mashonaland Central Province. The fieldwork for our Shamva study focused exclusively on the land occupations (and not on the fast-track farms) and was undertaken in May 2015. We conclude from our Shamva study that involvement by the party-state did not take on an institutionalised form but was of a personalised character entailing interventions by specific party and state actors.
A Comparative Perspective on Mothers’ Ethnic Homophily Among Minority Groups in Germany and Israel
Authors: Titzmann Peter F. , Serwata Olivia J. , Silbereisen Rainer K. , Davidov Eldad
Published: July 2016

Despite beneficial effects of minority members’ contact with majority members, studies have repeatedly shown minorities’ tendency of having predominantly intraethnic social contacts, a phenomenon called ethnic homophily. This study aimed at examining ethnic homophily among mothers belonging to minority groups in Germany and Israel. Mothers from four minority groups participated. Groups were defined by level of societal segregation (higher vs. lower residential and cultural segregation of minority groups within a given society) and cultural distance to the majority society (close vs. distant in terms of religion and value similarity with majority population). We expected group differences, with ethnic homophily being highest among minority mothers living in more segregated societies with a large cultural distance to the majority population and vice versa. We also expected within-group variation, with higher levels of homophily being reported by women who use the majority language less frequently, have lower orientations toward natives, have higher orientations toward their own minority, and perceive higher levels of discrimination. The total sample included 1,223 mothers (ethnic German diaspora repatriates and Turks in Germany, Russian Jewish diaspora migrants, and Arabs in Israel). We assessed homophily in strong and weak social network ties. Results revealed the highest homophily (for weak and strong ties) among Israeli Arab mothers and lowest among ethnic German diaspora repatriate mothers with the two other groups located in between the two. Use of majority language emerged as rather universal predictor related to both outcomes in all minority groups, whereas minority and majority orientations were outcome or group specific, respectively.
Comparative study on the effects of superheated water and high temperature alkaline hydrolysis on wool keratin
Authors: Bhavsar Parag , Zoccola Marina , Patrucco Alessia , Montarsolo Alessio , Rovero Giorgio , Tonin Claudio
Published: July 2016

The purpose of this work is to understand the impact of superheated water hydrolysis treatment on the chemical properties of wool, and compare it with a conventional method of alkaline hydrolysis. The effects of hydrolysis temperature and concentration of alkali on the properties of wool were investigated. Superheated water hydrolysis was carried out at the temperatures of 140℃ and 170℃, with a material to liquor ratio of 1:3 for 1 hour. In conventional alkaline hydrolysis, the experiments were carried out in the same conditions using potassium hydroxide (KOH) and calcium oxide (CaO) with a concentration in the range of 5%–15% on the fiber weight (o.w.f.). The effects of hydrolysis temperature and alkali concentrations on wool properties were checked using optical and scanning electron microscopy. It was observed that the hydrolyzates obtained in both cases contained low molecular weight proteins and amino acids. Both the hydrolysis processes resulted in degradation of the wool fibers. However, superheated steam hydrolysis is an environmentally friendly and less expensive process, as it is performed using water as a solvent. The wool hydrolyzates produced using superheated water hydrolysis could find a potential application in agriculture, such as fertilization, soil improvement and suchlike.
White Teachers, Racial Privilege, and the Sociological Imagination
Authors: Crowley Ryan
Published: July 2016

The author draws from critical Whiteness studies and the sociological imagination to show how three White preservice teachers in an urban education program used personal experiences with racial privilege to understand structural racism. These stories depart from portrayals of race-evasive White teachers who struggle to engage with critical perspectives on race and racism. The participants’ stories—which openly critique meritocracy and color blindness—not only demonstrate possibility, but they also raise concerns about the use of personal experience by dominant groups and note how considerations of White privilege do not necessarily lead to an understanding of how one is complicit in the reproduction of White supremacy.
Making My Future Work: Evaluation of a New College and Career Readiness Curriculum
Authors: Perry Justin C. , Wallace Eric W. , McCormick Meghan P.
Published: July 2016

The college and career readiness movement figures prominently in the nation’s educational reform and policies, including strategies to increase graduation rates among disadvantaged students in urban schools. As part of a multi-pronged approach to help youth transition to post-secondary education and the workforce, the present study evaluated a new career intervention, Making My Future Work, designed to serve as a comprehensive, flexible career curriculum. Based on a quasi-experimental design among a sample of urban youth ( N = 429), multilevel modeling revealed promising evidence for its impact across a range of outcomes, including grade point average, school engagement, career preparation, self-determination, and self-awareness. The implications of the findings, limitations, and future directions for research are discussed.
Discerning broken rotor bar failure from low-frequency load torque oscillation in DTC induction motor drives
Authors: Goktas Taner , Arkan Müslüm
Published: July 2016

This paper proposes a method for separation of broken rotor bar failures from low-frequency load torque oscillation in direct torque control (DTC) induction motor drives by using vq voltage and iq current components’ spectra. The effect of load torque oscillation should be considered in induction motor drives for reliable broken bar fault detection. Induction machine drivers are run in DTC mode to control its torque and speed. In practice, the presence of load torque fluctuation may sometimes cause false positive alarms on stator current spectrum. However, discerning of broken rotor bar failure from low-frequency load variation for DTC drives remains unexplored. Experimental results show that by using the proposed method broken rotor bar failure can be reliably detected in the presence of low-frequency load torque oscillation in DTC induction motor drives.