bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First record of Fergusonina (Diptera: Fergusoninidae) and associated Fergusobia (Tylenchida: Neotylenchidae) forming galls on Leptospermum (Myrtaceae) in Australia, with descriptions of new species
Authors: Davies Kerrie A. , Taylor Gary S. , Ye Weimin , Makinson Jeffrey R. , Adair Robin J.
Published: August 2017

A new species of fly, Fergusonina madidum Taylor sp.n. (Diptera: Fergusoninidae) from Leptospermum madidum A.R. Bean in far north Queensland and a new species of nematode, Fergusobia leptospermum Davies sp.n. (Tylenchida: Neotylenchidae) from L. laevigatum (Gaertn.) F. Muell. in southern Victoria, Australia are described. These represent the first species of the Fergusonina fly/Fergusobia nematode mutualism to be described from the genus Leptospermum (Myrtaceae). Fergusonina madidum
sp.n. forms lateral and terminal multilocular shoot bud galls enclosed in subterminal leaflets. It can be distinguished from all other species of Fergusonina by the lack of dorsal setae on abdominal segment 7 of the female. Unlike most described species of Fergusonina it also lacks the posterior cross vein m-cu in the wing. It shares this character with F. giblindavisi Taylor and F. thomasi Taylor from flower bud galls on Corymbia, but both these species are large and abdominal segment 7 of females is densely setose. Its larva is unknown but from the morphology of puparia the dorsal shield comprises 3 broad transverse bands comprising lateral rows of raised ridge-like sclerotised spicules. Its associated species of nematode is not known. Fergusobia leptospermum
sp.n. is associated with cryptic lateral and terminal usually unilocular shoot bud galls. It is characterised by the combination of an open to tight C-shaped parthenogenetic female having a small ‘a’ ratio, with a short but sturdy stylet, flat anterior end; huge dorsal pharyngeal gland, reproductive system with a relatively long uterus, and a sub-conoid tail with a broadly rounded tip; a C-shaped infective female with an almost hemispherical tail tip which may or may not be ventrally hooked; and an open C-shaped male with angular spicules and peloderan bursa arising near the anterior end, and a relatively long (c’ = 2.2–3.2) sub-conoid tail with a bluntly to broadly rounded tip. Its status as a distinct species is confirmed by molecular analyses. Its associated species of fly is known only from several larvae and a puparium, and remains undescribed. The dorsal shield of this Fergusonina species comprises 7 broad bands, the first six having heavily sclerotised raised ridges and the seventh with a medial field of weak spicules. The widely separated collection localities, together with the large number of species in Leptospermum suggest that the mutualism is likely to be speciose and occupy a broad geographic range on this host.
The genus Phillipsia from China and Thailand
Authors: EKANAYAKA ANUSHA H. , BHAT D. J. , HYDE KEVIN D. , JONES E. B. GARETH , ZHAO QI
Published: August 2017

The genus Phillipsia (Sarcoscyphaceae) is characterized by large, bright-coloured, sub-stipitate apothecia, sub-operculate asci and asymmetrical ascospores with longitudinal striations. Morphological and phylogenetic studies were carried out on new collections of Phillipsia from China and Thailand. Phillipsia subpurpurea are recorded from China and Phillipsia gelatinosa from Thailand is introduced as a new species to science. Our new collections are confirmed to be divergent from other species of Phillipsia based on morphological examination and molecular phylogenetic analyses of ITS and LSU sequence data. Descriptions and figures are provided for the taxa which are also compared with allied taxa.
A new species of Zingiber (Sect. Dymczewiczia: Zingiberaceae) from northwestern Myanmar
Authors: TANAKA NOBUYUKI , AUNG MU MU
Published: August 2017

In the course of study on Zingiber (Zingiberaceae) in Myanmar revealed two species assignable to section Dymczewiczia by its terminal inflorescence. Based on the herbarium studies, Z. capitatum is newly recorded from Myanmar and the other species is easily distinguished from any other taxa in the section by yellow to orange inflorescence bracts, very small inconspicuous lateral staminodes, and pale yellow labellum with pale yellow streaks, purple-red to dark maroon tinge and numerous pale yellow blotches. It is described as new to science, namely as Z. flavofusifome. The photographic data for new species and key to species in section Dymczewiczia occurring in Myanmar are also provided.
A re-evaluation of the phylogenetic relationships of the Cyrtodactylus condorensis group (Squamata; Gekkonidae) and a suggested protocol for the characterization of rock-dwelling ecomorphology in Cyrtodactylus
Authors: GRISMER L. LEE , GRISMER JESSE L.
Published: August 2017

A re-evaluation of the phylogenetic relationships of the four species of the monophyletic Cyrtodactylus conodorensis group using the mitochondrial gene ND2 with Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood analyses provides strong statistical support for the recovery the cave-adapted ecomorphs C. eisenmanae and C. grismeri as the sister lineage to the scansorial forest-adapted ecomorphs C. condorensis and C. leegrismeri. This phylogeny provides the context in which these ecomorphs are morphologically characterized. The majority of newly described species within Cyrtodactylus have come from karst habitats and granite boulder cave-like microhabitats. Although some authors have commented on subtle to notable differences in the morphology and color pattern associated with species from these habitats, none have explicitly presented data necessary to characterize this putative departure from a more generalized, scansorial morphology. To this end, the closely related species of the condorensis group are used to provide a suggested protocol to recover and delimit characters adaptive to a restrictive lifestyle of climbing on flat, rocky substrates in low levels of illumination. Understanding the phylogenetic context in which a morphological shift from a general scansorial species to a rock-adapted species relative to the historical evolution of its environment has conservation and management implications. This is particularly important given that a number of the newly described karst-adapted species from throughout Southeast Asia are threatened with extension because of the ongoing quarrying activities of their habitat.
A new species of the genus Leptolalax (Anura: Megophryidae) from Guangxi, China
Authors: YUAN ZHIYONG , SUN RUIDA , CHEN JINMIN , ROWLEY JODI J. L. , WU ZHENGJUN , HOU SHAOBING , CHE JING
Published: August 2017

We describe a new species of megophryid frog from Maoershan Nature Reserve in southern China. Leptolalax maoershanensis sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters: medium size (SVL 25.2–30.4 mm in eight adult males and 29.1 mm in one adult female); head longer than wide; externally distinct tympanum; distinct black supratympanic line present; dorsal skin shagreened with small tubercles and longitudinal folds; distinct dark spots on the flank; creamy-white chest and belly with irregular black spots; grey-pinkish to dark brownish-violet ventral skin of limbs with numerous whitish speckles; distinct ventrolateral glands forming a white line; finger webbing and fringes absent; toe webbing rudimentary and lateral fringes narrow; longitudinal ridges indistinct under toes and not interrupted at the articulations; and a bicolored iris. The new species differs from all known congeners by an uncorrected p-distance of >6.6% at the 16S rRNA gene fragment examined, and phylogenetic analysis clusters the new species with L. laui and L. liui. At present, the new species is known from montane small bamboo forest in Maoershan Nature Reserve at about 1550 m elevation.
Comparative morphology of the anterior end of selected taxa of Merliniidae Siddiqi, 1971 (Nematoda: Tylenchoidea), with morphological characterisation of two species and taxonomic keys to several genera
Authors: GHADERI REZA , KAREGAR AKBAR , MIRAEIZ ESMAEIL , HASHEMI KOBRA
Published: August 2017

Comparative morphology of the anterior end is used to characterise certain genera and species of the family Merliniidae, based on populations of 18 species collected from different localities in Iran. We discuss the importance of anterior end morphology in separating Pratylenchoides from Amplimerlinius, and Paramerlinius from Merlinius and Nagelus, as well as for identifying species in the genera Amplimerlinius, Merlinius and Geocenamus. Furthermore, descriptions, morphometric data, line drawings and photomicrographs are provided for Pratylenchoides leiocauda and Telotylenchus paaloofi as new records for the Iranian nematode fauna. Finally, updated species identification keys for the genera Macrotylenchus, Merlinius, Nagelus and Paramerlinius are given.
First record of the genus Bunops Birge, 1893 (Cladocera: Macrothricidae) in the Neotropical highlands of Mexico with a detailed study of morphology and DNA barcodes
Authors: MARTÍNEZ-CABALLERO ANA L. , MORALES-GUTIÉRREZ SELENE , ELÍAS-GUTIÉRREZ MANUEL
Published: August 2017

For the first time, the genus Bunops Birge, 1893 (Crustacea: Cladocera) has been found in the Neotropics of Mexico. It was found in only one pond in the Central Mexican Plateau, characterized by its high altitude, more than 2500 m above sea level. The specimens, corresponding to Bunops cf. serricaudata, are described here, including parthenogenetic and ephippial females, and males, using both morphological and molecular methods (DNA barcoding). The new micro-structural characters added here are: a detailed description of the internal part of valves in parthenogenetic females, the fine structure of all limbs, peculiarities of the ephippial female and males including new microcharacters of the first antenna and the hook on the first limb. We also include sequences of the COI mitochondrial gene (known as DNA barcode) and compare them with other macrotricids. With this new information, we hope to understand further this enigmatic and elusive genus and facilitate future research and comparisons at the global level.
Cultural Meanings and the Aggregation of Actions: The Case of Sex and Schooling in Malawi
Authors: Frye Margaret
Published: August 2017

How can cultural understandings simultaneously diverge from and contribute to aggregate patterns of action? On one hand, shared cognitive associations guide people’s everyday actions, and these actions comprise the behavioral trends that sociologists seek to measure and understand. On the other hand, these shared understandings often contradict behavioral trends. I address this theoretical puzzle by considering the empirical case of sexual relationships and school dropout in Malawi. Moving recursively between longitudinal survey data and in-depth interviews, I compare statistical patterns and cultural beliefs about the relationship between sexual relationships and school dropout. Interviewees emphasized ways that relationships render girls incapable of continuing in school, whereas survey data provide limited support for these posited causal processes. However, these shared beliefs about the detrimental effects of relationships for school performance have real effects: teachers, parents, and students act as if these narratives were true, and these behavioral responses sustain the broader antinomy between sex and schooling. This analysis reveals new insights into how cultural understandings—and the various ways people respond to and enforce them—contribute to the demographic patterns we observe using survey data.
Exploring Practitioners’ Meaning of “Ethics,” “Compliance,” and “Corporate Social Responsibility” Practices: A Communities of Practice Perspective
Authors: Weller Angeli
Published: August 2017

Companies seeking to effectively manage the ethical dimensions of their business have created formal and informal practices, including those with the labels “ethics and compliance” and “corporate social responsibility” (CSR). However, there is little research describing how practitioners who create and implement these practices understand their meaning and relationship. Leveraging a communities of practice theoretical perspective, this qualitative study proposes that these practices can be studied as artifacts of managerial learning. Thematic analysis of interviews with senior managers suggests that practices have diverse meaning, with only informal relationships between them in most cases. Theoretically, this research offers a new lens through which to view compliance and CSR practices as socially negotiated, contextual, and dynamic. Practically, it suggests that there may be new opportunities for learning if managers create practices through an intentional exploration of shared meaning.
Cross-Cohort Evidence of Disparities in Service Receipt for Speech or Language Impairments
Authors: Morgan Paul L. , Farkas George , Hillemeier Marianne M. , Li Hui , Pun Wik Hung , Cook Michael
Published: August 2017

We examined the extent to which disparities in the receipt of special education services for speech or language impairments (SLIs) on the basis of race, ethnicity, or language use by kindergarten—when the delivery of these services might be expected to be most effective—have changed over a 12-year period in the United States. Logistic regression modeling of 2 nationally representative cohorts ( N = 16,800 and 12,080) indicated that children who are Black (covariate-adjusted odds ratios = 0.39 and 0.54) or from non-English-speaking households (covariate-adjusted odds ratios = 0.57 and 0.50) continue to be less likely to receive services for SLIs. Hispanic children are now less likely to receive these services (covariate adjusted odds ratio = 0.54) than otherwise similar non-Hispanic White children. Disparities in special education service receipt for SLIs attributable to race, ethnicity, and language presently occur in the United States and are not explained by many potential confounds.
Democracies in Conflict
Authors: Gelpi Christopher
Published: August 2017

The vast literature on the impact of democratic political institutions on foreign policy behavior has yielded some of the most important developments in our understanding of violence and war over the past thirty years. The Journal of Conflict Resolution has played a prominent role in this growth and development. Critics of the democratic peace have dismissed this literature as a correlation in search of an explanation. However, I argue that the democratic peace literature and its various descendants represent a surprisingly productive example of an empirically focused and puzzle-oriented research program that has produced cumulative scientific knowledge regarding our understanding of international politics. This sustained investigation of democracy and foreign policy has yielded an increasingly robust and sophisticated model of democratic constraint that is the consequence of a progressive research program that compares favorably to earlier research programs that emphasized clashing paradigms of international politics.
How Social Media Is Changing Conflict
Authors: Zeitzoff Thomas
Published: August 2017

Social media increasingly plays a role in conflict and contentious politics. Politicians, leaders, insurgents, and protestors all have used it as a tool for communication. At the same time, scholars have turned to social media as a source of new data on conflict. I provide a framework for understanding social media’s influence on conflict through four interrelated points: (1) social media reduces the costs of communication, (2) it increases the speed and dissemination of information, (3) scholars should focus on the strategic interaction and competitive adaption of actors in response to communication technology changes, and (4) the new data that social media provides are not only an important resource, but also fundamentally change the information available to conflict actors, thereby shaping the conflict itself. In sum, social media’s influence on conflict defies simplistic explanations that argue that it privileges incumbents or challengers.
Collective action and globalization: Building and mobilizing labour power
Authors: Schulze-Cleven Tobias
Published: August 2017

Growing transnational economic competition has severely tested workers’ organizational vehicles for voice, from unions to social democratic parties. Workers have responded by experimenting with new strategies for collective action. Social scientists are currently grappling with how best to gain traction in analysing these changes. This review essay probes opportunities for industrial relations scholars – who are at the forefront in the study of labour – to better understand innovation in workers’ collective action and track organized labour’s evolving influence on the governance of work. It argues that industrial relations research could learn from two neighbouring scholarly communities: global labour studies and historical institutionalist research on comparative political economy. Research in these two fields, the article contends, offers models for distinguishing between the respective roles of ideas, interests and institutions in workers’ attempts to build and mobilize labour power. Structuring research on innovation in collective action around these conceptual focal points could facilitate the accumulation of knowledge about organized labour’s ongoing global reorientation.
Evolution of nanopore structure in lacustrine organic-rich shales during thermal maturation from hydrous pyrolysis, Minhe Basin, Northwest China
Authors: Yang Shuang , Chen Guojun , Lv Chengfu , Li Chao , Yin Na , Yang Fei , Xue Lianhua
Published: August 2017

The nanometer-scaled pore systems of gas shale reservoirs have a prominent contribution for gas storage. To obtain information about the characteristics of the nanopore structure within lacustrine organic-rich shales during their thermal evolution, artificial shale samples with different thermal maturities were obtained from a hydrous pyrolysis experiment. Nitrogen adsorption, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and porosity tests were used to investigate the characteristic pore structures of lacustrine shales with different thermal maturities from the Minhe Basin. The results show that the total organic carbon content decreased from 41.89% (unheated) to 27.7% (370℃) and that organic pores, intragranular pores of pyrite, and intergranular pores of clay minerals began to form with an increase in the simulated temperature and pressure. The porosity increased from 3.57% (unheated) to 26.09% (350℃) and then decreased to 20% (370℃) on the whole. The pore sizes were distributed from 1.7 to 500 nm, and the average pore diameter first showed a decreasing trend and then an increasing trend. The cumulative pore volume and cumulative specific surface area both presented a slowly increasing trend from an unheated status to 325℃, exhibited a rapid increase at 350℃, and then showed a slow increase at 370℃. This study could provide a reference for the exploration of shale gas in lacustrine shales with different thermal maturities.
First description of enhanced expression of glia maturation factor-beta in experimental toxoplasmic encephalitis
Authors: DINCEL Gungor Cagdas
Published: August 2017

Objective

We previously showed that Toxoplasma gondii infection induces severe neuropathology in the form of oxidative stress, high nitric oxide production, glial activation, and apoptosis. This study examined the association between glia maturation factor-beta (GMF-β) expression, activated astrocytes/microglia, and neuropathology in toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE).

Methods

Mouse brain GMF expression was examined by immunohistochemistry on days 10 and 30 post- T. gondii infection.

Results

Neuropathology of infected mice was associated with increased GMF expression in reactive glial cells and neurons compared with healthy controls. Specific up-regulation of GMF-β expression in glial cells was associated with increased gliosis in TE.

Conclusions

GMF up-regulation in glial cells causes neuronal destruction, suggesting a TE pathological pathway involving GMF-mediated brain cell cytotoxicity. GMF-β may therefore be a good biomarker for disease risk assessment and to estimate host neuropathy after exposure to T. gondii, as well as providing a new therapeutic target. This is the first study to demonstrate the expression of GMF-β in reactive glial cells and its association with neuropathology in TE.
Sampling, characterisation and processing of solid recovered fuel production from municipal solid waste: An Italian plant case study
Authors: Ranieri Ezio , Ionescu Gabriela , Fedele Arcangela , Palmieri Eleonora , Ranieri Ada Cristina , Campanaro Vincenzo
Published: August 2017

This article presents the classification of solid recovered fuel from the Massafra municipal solid waste treatment plant in Southern Italy in compliancy with the EN 15359 standard. In order to ensure the reproducibility of this study, the characterisation methods of waste input and output flow, the mechanical biological treatment line scheme and its main parameters for each stage of the processing chain are presented in details, together with the research results in terms of mass balance and derived fuel properties. Under this study, only 31% of refused municipal solid waste input stream from mechanical biological line was recovered as solid recovered fuel with a net heating value (NC=HV) average of 15.77 MJ kg−1; chlorine content average of 0.06% on a dry basis; median of mercury <0.0064 mg MJ−1 and 80th percentile <0.0068 mg MJ−1. The solid recovered fuel produced meets the European Union standard requirements and can be classified with the class code: Net heating value (3); chlorine (1); mercury (1).
Sizing of fuel-based energy systems for electric aircraft
Authors: Geiß Ingmar , Voit-Nitschmann Rudolf
Published: August 2017

Optimized electric motors are lighter and smaller than conventional piston engines. As a result, new airplane configurations are feasible as motors can be placed in unconventional positions. Through careful aircraft design higher aerodynamic efficiencies of airframe, propeller, and propeller integration can be achieved. The energy density of current batteries, however, still limits strongly the range of purely battery powered aircraft. But if the energy is stored in liquid fuel and converted by a generator into electric energy, then the advantages of electric propelled airplanes and conventional combustion engines can be combined. But which combustion engine is optimal for such a serial-hybrid electric aircraft? In this new propulsion chain, other boundary conditions apply to the combustion engine than in conventional aircraft designs. These boundary conditions interact with the characteristics of combustion engines. An example for an engine characteristic is that different kinds of piston engines exist. It can be observed that technologies, which result in lighter piston engines, are associated with lower efficiencies and vice versa. In this paper it will be shown through considerations on aircraft level, that the optimal combustion engine for an electric-hybrid airplane should be heavier and more efficient than the optimal combustion engine for a conventional aircraft.
The synergistic effect between compound lean and aspiration on aerodynamic performance in compressor cascades
Authors: Ding Jun , Chen Shaowen , Cai Le , Wang Songtao , Wang Zhongqi , Shen Jiaqi
Published: August 2017

In this paper, the synergistic effect between compound lean and aspiration on the aerodynamic performance of compressor cascades is discussed. Preliminary experimental data verify the accuracy of the computational fluid dynamics method adopted, and a thorough study on reciprocal effect among lean angle, aspirated flow fraction and aspiration streamwise location is conducted. The calculations show that, due to the shorter streamwise length of the re-grown boundary layer against adverse pressure gradient, the aspiration location located farther downstream from the leading edge can minimize the loss of the blade passage flow. With the application of blade lean, which is similar to the flow control mechanism in the unaspirated cascades, an increase in pressure at the suction surface corner is used to migrate the low momentum fluid from the corners towards the midspan of the suction surface. Meanwhile, the reduced aspirated flow velocity and the improved favorable pressure gradient in the lean anterior plenum can reduce the entropy rise through the plenum. Simultaneously, the suction power required in the blade passage flow is reduced with blade lean, while the suction power for the aspirated flow through the plenum shows the opposite trend.
Thermodynamic analysis of a wall mounted gas boiler with an organic Rankine cycle and hydrogen production unit
Authors: Moharamian Anahita , Soltani Saeed , Ranjbar Faramarz , Yari Mortaza , Rosen Marc A
Published: August 2017

A novel cogeneration system based on a wall mounted gas boiler and an organic Rankine cycle with a hydrogen production unit is proposed and assessed based on energy and exergy analyses. The system is proposed in order to have cogenerational functionality and assessed for the first time. A theoretical research approach is used. The results indicate that the most appropriate organic working fluids for the organic Rankine cycle are HFE700 and isopentane. Utilizing these working fluids increases the energy efficiency of the integrated wall mounted gas boiler and organic Rankine cycle system by about 1% and the organic Rankine cycle net power output about 0.238 kW compared to when the systems are separate. Furthermore, increasing the turbine inlet pressure causes the net power output, the organic Rankine cycle energy and exergy efficiencies, and the cogeneration system exergy efficiency to rise. The organic Rankine cycle turbine inlet pressure has a negligible effect on the organic Rankine cycle mass flow rate. Increasing the pinch point temperature decreases the organic Rankine cycle turbine net output power. Finally, increasing the turbine inlet pressure causes the hydrogen production rate to increase; the highest and lowest hydrogen production rates are observed for the working fluids for HFE7000 and isobutane, respectively. Increasing the pinch point temperature decreases the hydrogen production rate. In the cogeneration system, the highest exergy destruction rate is exhibited by the wall mounted gas boiler, followed by the organic Rankine cycle evaporator, the organic Rankine cycle turbine, the organic Rankine cycle condenser, the proton exchange membrane electrolyzer, and the organic Rankine cycle pump, respectively.
Early-Life Socioeconomic Conditions, Height, and Functional Health Status in Later Life: Evidence From South Korea
Authors: Lee Yeonjin
Published: August 2017

The article contributes to the literature on health inequalities by examining the associations between early-life socioeconomic status (SES), height, and functional limitations in later life among Korean men and women. The findings were based on 1562 men and 1801 women aged 50 to 79 years who participated in the 2005 Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS). Among men, 17.8% reported having functional limitations, compared to 31.8% among women. The ordered logistic regression analyses showed that for Korean men, the relative contribution of early-life SES to functional health was less important than that of adult SES. For Korean women, childhood SES was a significant predictor of functional limitations after controlling for attained SES. Short stature was associated with poorer functional health only among men and the relationship was explained by adult characteristics. The results imply that long-term effect of childhood deprivation on health may be stronger among women in Korean society.
Digital food and foodways: How online food practices and narratives shape the Italian diaspora in London
Authors: Marino Sara
Published: August 2017

The article discusses the role of online food practices and narratives in the formation of transnational identities and communities. Data has been collected in the framework of a doctoral research project undertaken by the author between 2009 and 2012 with a follow-up in 2014. The working hypothesis of this article is that the way Italians talk about food online and offline, the importance they give to ‘authentic’ food, and the way they share their love for Italian food with other members of the same diaspora reveal original insights into migrants’ personal and collective identities, their sense of belonging to the transnational community and processes of adjustment to a new place. Findings suggest that online culinary narratives and practices shape the Italian diaspora in unique ways, through the development of forms of virtual commensality and online mealtime socialization on Skype and by affecting intra and out-group relationships, thus working as elements of cultural identification and differentiation.
Enchanted by the AK-47: Contingency of body and the weapon among Hezbollah militants
Authors: Saramifar Younes
Published: August 2017

The constant presence of various forms and makes of firearm has turned it into an everyday item among some Lebanese. For Hezbollah militants, the AK-47 is an object of humour and fun despite its lethal potential. The weapon is saturated with representative qualities – both material and semiotic, so the author explores its materiality as a crucial nodal point from which to sketch the difficult terrain of subject–object relationship in the life of Lebanese Shi’i Hezbollah militants. He seeks to identify the material culture of a weapon that consolidates myths, reifies identities, stages propaganda and advertises threats. With this in view, the author follows the AK-47 to explore its ‘enchanting’ qualities and speak of the relationship it forms with a militant’s body. He locates the body of militants between three questions: what does the AK-47 signify, how does it arrive at that signification, and finally, how have its materiality and dynamic physicality made it the weapon of choice?
Complementary Chinese Herbal Medicine Therapy Improves Survival of Patients With Pancreatic Cancer in Taiwan: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Kuo Yi-Ting , Liao Hou-Hsun , Chiang Jen-Huai , Wu Mei-Yao , Chen Bor-Chyuan , Chang Ching-Mao , Yeh Ming-Hsien , Chang Tung-Ti , Sun Mao-Feng , Yeh Chia-Chou , Yen Hung-Rong
Published: August 2017

Background: Pancreatic cancer is a difficult-to-treat cancer with a late presentation and poor prognosis. Some patients seek traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) consultation. We aimed to investigate the benefits of complementary Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) among patients with pancreatic cancer in Taiwan. Methods: We included all patients with pancreatic cancer who were registered in the Taiwanese Registry for Catastrophic Illness Patients Database between 1997 and 2010. We used 1:1 frequency matching by age, sex, the initial diagnostic year of pancreatic cancer, and index year to enroll 386 CHM users and 386 non-CHM users. A Cox regression model was used to compare the hazard ratios (HRs) of the risk of mortality. The Kaplan-Meier curve was used to compare the difference in survival time. Results: According to the Cox hazard ratio model mutually adjusted for CHM use, age, sex, urbanization level, comorbidity, and treatments, we found that CHM users had a lower hazard ratio of mortality risk (adjusted HR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.56-0.79). Those who received CHM therapy for more than 90 days had significantly lower hazard ratios of mortality risk than non-CHM users (90- to 180-day group: adjusted HR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.42-0.75; >180-day group: HR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.24-0.45). The survival probability was higher for patients in the CHM group. Bai-hua-she-she-cao (Herba Oldenlandiae; Hedyotis diffusa Spreng) and Xiang-sha-liu-jun-zi-tang (Costus and Chinese Amomum Combination) were the most commonly used single herb and Chinese herbal formula, respectively. Conclusions: Complementary Chinese herbal therapy might be associated with reduced mortality among patients with pancreatic cancer. Further prospective clinical trial is warranted.
Follow-up and management of recurrent pregnancy losses due to massive perivillous fibrinoid deposition
Authors: He Mai , Migliori Alison , Maari Nisreen S , Mehta Niharika D
Published: August 2017

Massive perivillous fibrinoid deposition is a rare placental pathology associated with significant adverse pregnancy outcome and can recur. We provide a detailed case review of a woman through 10 of her pregnancies, including 8 consecutive pregnancy losses and 2 live births. We also conducted a retrospective chart review of all massive perivillous fibrinoid deposition placenta specimens at our institution over an eight-year period. A total of 42 cases of massive perivillous fibrinoid deposition were identified from 2007 to 2015, yielding an incidence of 0.16%. Recurrence was seen in subsequent pregnancy in eight out of nine (88.9%) cases with more than one specimen. The clinical characteristics, perinatal outcomes and α-feto protein level of the 42 cases are presented. Also, presented is a review of the literature discussing placental pathology, pathogenetic mechanisms and management of this condition.
Alemtuzumab in the long-term treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: an update on the clinical trial evidence and data from the real world
Authors: Ziemssen Tjalf , Thomas Katja
Published: August 2017

Alemtuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), given as two annual courses on five consecutive days at baseline and on three consecutive days 12 months later. Here we provide an update on the long-term efficacy and safety of alemtuzumab in RRMS, including real-world experience, and advances in our understanding of its mechanism of action. Recent data from the phase II/III extension study have demonstrated that alemtuzumab reduces relapse rates, disability worsening, and the rate of brain volume loss over the long term, with many patients achieving no evidence of disease activity. In high proportions of patients, preexisting disability remained stable or improved. Alemtuzumab is associated with a consistent safety profile over the long term, with no new safety signals emerging and the overall annual incidence of reported adverse events decreasing after the first year on treatment. Acyclovir prophylaxis reduces herpetic infections, and monitoring has been shown to mitigate the risk of autoimmune adverse events, allowing early detection and overall effective management. Data from clinical practice and ongoing observational studies are providing additional information on the real-world use of alemtuzumab. Recent evidence on the mechanism of action of alemtuzumab indicates that in addition to its previously known effects of inducing depletion and repopulation of T and B lymphocytes, it also results in a relative increase of cells with memory and regulatory phenotypes and a decrease in cells with a proinflammatory signature, and may further promote an immunoregulatory environment through an impact on other innate immune cells (e.g. dendritic cells) that play a role in MS. These effects may allow preservation of innate immunity and immunosurveillance. Together, these lines of evidence help explain the durable clinical efficacy of alemtuzumab, in the absence of continuous treatment, in patients with RRMS.
Latex Safe at School: A Student-Centered Approach
Authors: Beierwaltes Patricia , Schoessler Sally
Published: August 2017

Providing a safe environment for students at risk for anaphylaxis from a latex allergy requires care coordination and collaboration of all members of the school community. Strategies for allergy management include educating the school community, identifying potential exposure to latex, preparing to respond in an emergency, and creating a plan for the future. With the student at the center of sound planning, the school can provide a secure and healthy environment.
Rigid projectile penetration into a concrete medium: A new model
Authors: Yankelevsky DZ , Feldgun VR , Karinski YS
Published: August 2017

A new simplified model to analyze the penetration of a rigid projectile into a concrete thick medium is presented. The concrete medium is modeled by a set of discs, responding in the radial direction under plain strain conditions. A convenient mathematical formulation is derived based on some simplifying assumptions. A major new feature of the present model is that it hybridizes two different analytical and numerical approaches that have been developed by the authors. In the present model, the Riemann problem exact solution is applied to the interaction of the projectile nose tip with the target. It is assumed that when the nose tip meets a new undisturbed disc, loading occurs during its interaction with the concrete, and therefore the unloading branch of the equation of state is not required in the Riemann problem. The other discs that maintain contact with the projectile nose and had been loaded in earlier time steps undergo unloading, and a special approach has been developed to compute their contact stresses. This entirely new formulation has not been proposed earlier. The present model enables calculations of the projectile motion time history (i.e. deceleration, velocity, and depth). Comparison of the present model results with experimental data shows very good agreement. Contrary to many other simplified models, the present approach does not require any empirical constants or any preliminary assumptions concerning the contact pressures acting on the penetrating projectile nose, as other models do. Computer time of less than 1 min is needed for a complete analysis.
A Case of Pulmonary Vein Thrombosis Associated With Treatment of Omalizumab
Authors: Narukonda Sandhya , Vinod Nagadarshini Ramagiri , Joshi Medha
Published: August 2017

Pulmonary vein thrombosis (PVT) is a challenging diagnosis and has been described in association with or as a complication of pulmonary tumors, lung surgeries, atrial myxoma, and after radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation. There are not many reported cases of PVT associated with medication use. We present a case of a 53-year-old male with a history of severe persistent asthma on omalizumab, who presented with shortness of breath and was found to have PVT on computed tomography scan of the chest. The hypercoagulable workup was normal, and the patient did not have a history of malignancy or pulmonary surgeries. Currently, available data suggest an association between omalizumab use and increased risk of arterial thrombotic events. However, on a literature search, we could not find any reported cases of PVT with omalizumab treatment.
Media Use in Virtual Teams of Varying Levels of Coordination
Authors: Aritz Jolanta , Walker Robyn , Cardon Peter W.
Published: August 2017

This study was undertaken to provide a more complete understanding of how the selection of various media in virtual team settings affects student team coordination. A total of 75 teams of 304 undergraduate participants took part in the study. Participants were asked to complete surveys before and after the project. Findings suggest that well-coordinated teams appeared to have anticipated the usefulness of social networking and richer communication channels earlier in the project than less well-coordinated teams. After engaging in virtual teamwork, team members identified rich and social channels as more effective while finding less rich channels to be less effective.
Hippocampal–diencephalic–cingulate networks for memory and emotion: An anatomical guide
Authors: Bubb Emma J. , Kinnavane Lisa , Aggleton John P.
Published: August 2017

This review brings together current knowledge from tract tracing studies to update and reconsider those limbic connections initially highlighted by Papez for their presumed role in emotion. These connections link hippocampal and parahippocampal regions with the mammillary bodies, the anterior thalamic nuclei, and the cingulate gyrus, all structures now strongly implicated in memory functions. An additional goal of this review is to describe the routes taken by the various connections within this network. The original descriptions of these limbic connections saw their interconnecting pathways forming a serial circuit that began and finished in the hippocampal formation. It is now clear that with the exception of the mammillary bodies, these various sites are multiply interconnected with each other, including many reciprocal connections. In addition, these same connections are topographically organised, creating further subsystems. This complex pattern of connectivity helps explain the difficulty of interpreting the functional outcome of damage to any individual site within the network. For these same reasons, Papez’s initial concept of a loop beginning and ending in the hippocampal formation needs to be seen as a much more complex system of hippocampal–diencephalic–cingulate connections. The functions of these multiple interactions might be better viewed as principally providing efferent information from the posterior medial temporal lobe. Both a subcortical diencephalic route (via the fornix) and a cortical cingulate route (via retrosplenial cortex) can be distinguished. These routes provide indirect pathways for hippocampal interactions with prefrontal cortex, with the preponderance of both sets of connections arising from the more posterior hippocampal regions. These multi-stage connections complement the direct hippocampal projections to prefrontal cortex, which principally arise from the anterior hippocampus, thereby creating longitudinal functional differences along the anterior–posterior plane of the hippocampus.
Alwilkinsite-(Y), a new rare-earth uranyl sulfate mineral from
the Blue Lizard mine, San Juan County, Utah, USA
Authors: Kampf Anthony R. , Plášil Jakub , Čejka Jiří , Marty Joe , Škoda Radek , Lapčák Ladislav
Published: August 2017

The new mineral alwilkinsite-(Y) (IMA2015-097),
Y(H2O)7[(UO2)3(SO4)2O(OH)3]·7H2O,
was found in the Blue Lizard mine, San Juan County, Utah, USA, where it
occurs as a secondary alteration phase.The mineral is slightly flexible
before brittle failure with splintery fracture and perfect cleavage parallel
to [010], has Mohs hardness of ∼2–2½, exhibits dull greenish-grey
fluorescence and has a calculated density of 3.371 g cm–3. Alwilkinsite-(Y)
occursas yellowish-green needles, elongate on [010], with domatic
terminations and exhibits the forms {102}, {301} and {124}. It is optically
biaxial (+) with α = 1.573(1), β = 1.581(1), γ = 1.601(1) (white light), the
measured 2V is 65.3(1)°, the dispersion is
r<v (weak), the optical orientation
is X = c, Y = a, Z = b
and there is no pleochroism. Electron microprobe analyses yielded the
empirical formula
(Y0.66Dy0.08Gd0.06Er0.05Nd0.03Yb0.03Sm0.02Ce0.01)∑0.94(H2O)7[(UO2)3(S1.01O4)2O(OH)3]·7H2O.The
eight strongest powder X-ray diffraction lines are [dobs Å(I)(hkl)]:
9.88(100)(101,002), 7.47(13)(102), 5.621(17)(103,201), 4.483(18)(104),
3.886(14)(130,222), 3.322(46)(multiple), 3.223(13)(multiple) and
3.145(16)(034). Alwilkinsite-(Y) is
orthorhombic,P212121,
a = 11.6194(5), b = 12.4250(6),
c = 19.4495(14) Å, V = 2807.9(3) Å3 and
Z = 4. The structure of alwilkinsite-(Y)
(R1 = 0.042 for 4244 Fo > 4σF)contains edge-sharing chains of
uranyl bipyramids with outlying sulfate tetrahedra that are similar to the
chain linkages within the uranyl sulfate sheets of the zippeite structure.
Short segments of the uranyl sulfate chains in the alwilkinsite-(Y)
structure have the same topology as portionsof the uranyl sulfate linkages
in uranopilite. Alwilkinsite-(Y) is named for Alan (Al) J. Wilkins, MD (born
1955), the discoverer of the mineral.
Chinleite-(Y), NaY(SO4)2·H2O, a
new rare-earth sulfate mineral structurally related to
bassanite
Authors: Kampf Anthony R. , Nash Barbara P. , Marty Joe
Published: August 2017

The new mineral chinleite-(Y) (IMA2016-017),
NaY(SO4)2·H2O, was found in the Blue
Lizard mine, San Juan County, Utah, USA, where it occurs as a secondary
alteration phase. Chinleite-(Y) crystals are thin hexagonal {100} prisms (up
to 0.3 mm long) with pyramidal terminations consisting of the forms {101}
and {011}. Prisms are typically intergrown in divergent sprays, bow-tie
aggregates or subparallel intergrowths. Crystals are colourless and
transparent with a vitreous lustre. The streak is white and the mineral is
nonfluorescent. The Mohs hardness is between 2½ and 3. Crystals are brittle
with at least one good cleavage parallel to [001], probably {100}, and have
splintery fracture. The mineral is slowly soluble in H2O at room
temperature. The calculated density is 3.385 g cm–3. The
mineralis optically uniaxial (+), with ω = 1.565(1) and ε = 1.603(1) (white
light). Electron microprobe analyses yielded the empirical formula
(Na0.507Ca0.285Y0.176)∑0.968(Y0.724Dy0.110Er0.053Gd0.037Ho0.021Yb0.013Nd0.014Eu0.005Sm0.008Ce0.010Pr0.003La0.002)∑1.000(SO4)2·H1.401O.The
eight strongest powder X-ray diffraction lines are [dobs Å(I)(hkl)]: 6.01(59)(100),
5.43(63)(011), 3.457(46)(110), 3.010(100)(200), 2.826(95)(014),
2.1365(39)(006,122), 1.8493(67)(214) and 1.6901(28)(125,034). Chinleite-(Y)
is trigonal, P3221,a =
6.890(2), c = 12.767(2) Å, V = 524.9(3)
Å3 and Z = 3. The structure of chinleite-(Y)
(R1 = 0.0444 for 303 Fo >
4σF), a three-dimensional framework, consisting of
SO4 groups, irregular NaO8 polyhedra and
YO9 distorted tricapped trigonal prisms, is similar to the
structure of bassanite.
The cell polarity determinant CDC42 controls division symmetry to block leukemia cell differentiation
Authors: Mizukawa Benjamin , O’Brien Eric , Moreira Daniel C. , Wunderlich Mark , Hochstetler Cindy L. , Duan Xin , Liu Wei , Orr Emily , Grimes H. Leighton , Mulloy James C. , Zheng Yi
Published: August 2017

Key Points

CDC42 regulates AML cell polarity and division symmetry. CDC42 suppression in AML cells promotes differentiation and blocks leukemia progression.
Outcomes in refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: results from the international SCHOLAR-1 study
Authors: Crump Michael , Neelapu Sattva S. , Farooq Umar , Van Den Neste Eric , Kuruvilla John , Westin Jason , Link Brian K. , Hay Annette , Cerhan James R. , Zhu Liting , Boussetta Sami , Feng Lei , Maurer Matthew J. , Navale Lynn , Wiezorek Jeff , Go William Y. , Gisselbrecht Christian
Published: August 2017

Key Points

SCHOLAR-1 is the first patient-level analysis of outcomes of refractory DLBCL from 2 large randomized trials and 2 academic databases. SCHOLAR-1 demonstrated poor outcomes in patients with refractory DLBCL, supporting a need for more effective therapies for these patients.