bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interleukin-15 Enhances Anti-GD2 Antibody-Mediated Cytotoxicity in an Orthotopic PDX Model of Neuroblastoma
Authors: Nguyen Rosa , Moustaki Ardiana , Norrie Jacqueline L. , Brown Shantel , Akers Walter J. , Shirinifard Abbas , Dyer Michael A.
Published: August 2019

Purpose:

Immunotherapy with IL2, GM-CSF, and an anti-disialoganglioside (GD2) antibody significantly increases event-free survival in children with high-risk neuroblastoma. However, therapy failure in one third of these patients and IL2-related toxicities pose a major challenge. We compared the immunoadjuvant effects of IL15 with those of IL2 for enhancing antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) in neuroblastoma.

Experimental Design:

We tested ADCC against neuroblastoma patient-derived xenografts (PDX) in vitro and in vivo and examined the functional and migratory properties of NK cells activated with IL2 and IL15.

Results:

In cell culture, IL15-activated NK cells induced higher ADCC against two GD+ neuroblastoma PDXs than did IL2-activated NK cells (P < 0.001). This effect was dose-dependent (P < 0.001) and was maintained across several effector-to-tumor ratios. As compared with IL2, IL15 also improved chemotaxis of NK cells, leading to higher numbers of tumorsphere-infiltrating NK cells in vitro (P = 0.002). In an orthotopic PDX model, animals receiving chemoimmunotherapy with an anti-GD2 antibody, GM-CSF, and a soluble IL15/IL15Rα complex had greater tumor regression than did those receiving chemotherapy alone (P = 0.012) or combined with anti-GD2 antibody and GM-CSF with (P = 0.016) or without IL2 (P = 0.035). This was most likely due to lower numbers of immature tumor-infiltrating NK cells (DX5+CD27+) after IL15/IL15Rα administration (P = 0.029) and transcriptional upregulation of Gzmd.

Conclusions:

The substitution of IL15 for IL2 leads to significant tumor regression in vitro and in vivo and supports clinical testing of IL15 for immunotherapy in pediatric neuroblastoma.
Analysis of Tumor Genomic Pathway Alterations Using Broad-Panel Next-Generation Sequencing in Surgically Resected Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhou Jian , Sanchez-Vega Francisco , Caso Raul , Tan Kay See , Brandt Whitney S. , Jones Gregory D. , Yan Shi , Adusumilli Prasad S. , Bott Matthew , Huang James , Isbell James M. , Sihag Smita , Molena Daniela , Rusch Valerie W. , Chatila Walid K. , Rekhtman Natasha , Yang Fan , Ladanyi Marc , Solit David B. , Berger Michael F. , Schultz Nikolaus , Jones David R.
Published: August 2019

Purpose:

The majority of broad-panel tumor genomic profiling has used a gene-centric approach, although much of that data is unused in clinical decision making. We hypothesized that a pathway-centric approach using next-generation sequencing (NGS), combined with conventional clinicopathologic features, may better predict disease-free survival (DFS) in early stage lung adenocarcinoma.

Experimental Design:

Utilizing our prospectively maintained database, we analyzed 492 patients with primary, untreated, completely surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma. Ten canonical pathways were analyzed using broad-panel NGS. The correlations of DFS and number (and type) of pathway (NPA) were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test. Associations between altered pathways and clinicopathologic variables, as well as identification of actionable therapeutic strategies were explored.

Results:

Median NPA for the cohort was two (range, 0–5). Smoking status, solid morphologic appearance on preoperative CT, maximal standardized uptake value, pathologic tumor size, aggressive histologic subtype, lymphovascular invasion, visceral pleural invasion, and positive lymph nodes were significantly associated with NPA (P < 0.05). Of 543 actionable genetic alterations identified, 455 (84%) were within the RTK/RAS pathway. A total of 86 tumors had actionable therapeutic genomic alterations in >1 pathway. On multivariable analysis, higher NPA was significantly associated with worse DFS (HR, 1.31; P = 0.014).

Conclusions:

NPA and specific pathway alterations are associated with clinicopathologic features in patients with surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma. Cell cycle, Hippo, TGFβ, and p53 pathway alterations are associated with poor DFS. Finally, NPA is an independent risk factor for poor DFS in our cohort.

See related commentary by Blakely, p. 7269
Targeting Glioblastoma Stem Cells through Disruption of the Circadian Clock
Authors: Dong Zhen , Zhang Guoxin , Qu Meng , Gimple Ryan C. , Wu Qiulian , Qiu Zhixin , Prager Briana C. , Wang Xiuxing , Kim Leo J.Y. , Morton Andrew R. , Dixit Deobrat , Zhou Wenchao , Huang Haidong , Li Bin , Zhu Zhe , Bao Shideng , Mack Stephen C. , Chavez Lukas , Kay Steve A. , Rich Jeremy N.
Published: August 2019

Glioblastomas are highly lethal cancers, containing self-renewing glioblastoma stem cells (GSC). Here, we show that GSCs, differentiated glioblastoma cells (DGC), and nonmalignant brain cultures all displayed robust circadian rhythms, yet GSCs alone displayed exquisite dependence on core clock transcription factors, BMAL1 and CLOCK, for optimal cell growth. Downregulation of BMAL1 or CLOCK in GSCs induced cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that BMAL1 preferentially bound metabolic genes and was associated with active chromatin regions in GSCs compared with neural stem cells. Targeting BMAL1 or CLOCK attenuated mitochondrial metabolic function and reduced expression of tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes. Small-molecule agonists of two independent BMAL1–CLOCK negative regulators, the cryptochromes and REV-ERBs, downregulated stem cell factors and reduced GSC growth. Combination of cryptochrome and REV-ERB agonists induced synergistic antitumor efficacy. Collectively, these findings show that GSCs co-opt circadian regulators beyond canonical circadian circuitry to promote stemness maintenance and metabolism, offering novel therapeutic paradigms.

Significance:

Cancer stem cells are highly malignant tumor-cell populations. We demonstrate that GSCs selectively depend on circadian regulators, with increased binding of the regulators in active chromatin regions promoting tumor metabolism. Supporting clinical relevance, pharmacologic targeting of circadian networks specifically disrupted cancer stem cell growth and self-renewal.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1469
Nail Involvement during Pemphigus
Authors: Baghad Bouchra , Chiheb Soumiya
Published: August 2019

Background: Pemphigus is an autoimmune bullous disease affecting the skin and mucous membranes. Associated nail involvement is underestimated and is characterized by a variety of clinical manifestations. Our aim was to describe the clinical aspects of nail involvement during pemphigus. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of patients with pemphigus over a period of 12 years. The diagnosis of pemphigus was based on clinical and immunopathological data. Clinical data were collected from patient records prior to initiation of treatment. Results: Overall,141 cases of pemphigus were collected. Of these, 60 patients had nail involvement. After eliminating fungal origin, we selected 37 patients in our study. The main clinical forms were paronychia and dystrophy. Two cases of destruction of the nail apparatus were found in patients with pemphigus vegetans. The disease was bilateral in 11 cases (29.7%). The presence of ungual involvement was correlated with severity of pemphigus, particularly severe oral disease (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Nail lesions were polymorphic in our patients. These signs show accumulated inflammation of the nail after a long evolution of the disease. Nail involvement may precede, be concomitant, or follow the mucocutaneous lesions of pemphigus and be a sign of severity or relapse of the disease.
Point-of-Care Echocardiography Unveils Misclassification of Acute Kidney Injury as Hepatorenal Syndrome
Authors: Velez Juan Carlos Q. , Petkovich Bradley , Karakala Nithin , Huggins J. Terrill
Published: August 2019

Introduction: Fulfillment of the diagnostic criteria for ­hepatorenal syndrome type 1 (HRS-1) requires prior failure of 2 days of intravenous volume expansion and/or diuretic withdrawal. However, no parameter of volume status is used to guide the need for volume expansion in patients with suspected HRS-1. We hypothesized that point-of-care echocardiography (POCE) may better characterize the volume status in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) and cirrhosis to ascertain or disprove the diagnosis of HRS-1. Methods: A pilot observational study was conducted to determine the clinical utility of POCE-based examination of inferior vena cava diameter (IVCD) and collapsibility index (IVCCI) to assess intravascular volume status in patients with cirrhosis and AKI who had been deemed adequately volume-repleted and thereby assigned a clinical diagnosis of HRS-1. Early improvement in kidney function was defined as ≥20% decrease in serum creatinine (sCr) at 48–72 h. Results: A total of 53 patients were included. The mean sCr at the time of volume assessment was 3.2 ± 1.5 mg/dL, and the mean Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score was 29 ± 8. Fifteen (23%) patients had an IVCD <1.3 cm and IVCCI >40% and were reclassified as fluid-depleted, 11 (21%) had an IVCD >2 cm and IVCCI <40% and were reclassified as fluid-expanded, and 8 (15%) had and IVCD <1.3 cm and IVCCI <40% and were reclassified as having intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH). Twelve (23%) patients exhibited early improvement in kidney function following a POCE-guided therapeutic maneuver, that is, volume expansion, diuresis, or paracentesis for those deemed fluid-depleted, fluid-expanded or having IAH, respectively. Conclusion: POCE-based assessment of volume status in cirrhotic individuals with AKI reveals marked heterogeneity. Unguided volume expansion in these patients may lead to premature or delayed diagnosis of HRS-1.
MicroRNA-124 Enhances Dopamine Receptor Expression and Neuronal Proliferation in Mouse Models of Parkinson’s Disease via the Hedgehog Signaling Pathway by Targeting EDN2
Authors: Wang Jianfeng , Wang Wan , Zhai Haiyan
Published: August 2019

Recent studies have elaborated on the concept that a number of microRNAs (miRNAs) have a potential effect on the pathogenesis and development of Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD is recognized as a common progressive bradykinetic disorder that results from the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. The purpose of this study was to explore whether microRNA-124 (miR-124) affected dopamine receptor (DAR) expression and neuronal proliferation and apoptosis in the 1-methyl-4-pheny-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced mouse models of PD. The targeting relationship of miR-124 and EDN2 was confirmed through bioinformatic predictions and dual-luciferase reporter assay. The expression of miR-124 and EDN2 was altered to assess their effect on the expression of DAR in the substantia nigra and isolated neurons, as well as the neuronal proliferation and apoptosis rate. The obtained results implied that the treatments of miR-124 mimic and si-EDN2 resulted in elevated expressions of Glil, SHH, PTCH1, DAT, DRD1, and DRD2. However, these treatments facilitated neuronal proliferation and suppressed neuronal apoptosis, corresponding to reduced expression of caspase-3 and Bax, as well as increased levels of Bcl-2 expression. These results were discovered to be achieved through the activation of the Hedgehog signaling pathway. With this taken into account, our study demonstrated that miR-124 overexpression promoted DAR expression and neuronal proliferation and suppressed neuronal apoptosis by downregulating EDN2 via activating the Hedgehog signaling pathway.
Antiphospholipid Antibodies in Patients with Membranous Nephropathy
Authors: Zhang Qiankun , Wang Yaomin , Xu Ying , Lan Lan , Chen Jianghua , Han Fei
Published: August 2019

Background/Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and significance of antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with membranous nephropathy (MN). Methods: Patients hospitalized with MN during June 2015 to June 2017 were selected and patients with minimal change disease (MCD) or focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in the same period were selected as controls. Results: Overall, 267 patients with MN and 131 patients with MCD/FSGS (n = 101 MCD and n = 30 FSGS) were analyzed. There was a significant difference in the detection rate of anti-β2-glycoprotein I (anti-β2-GPI) antibodies (11.9% in MN vs. 4.5% in MCD/FSGS, p = 0.018) and IgG-anti-β2-GPI antibodies (3.7% in MN vs. 0% in MCD/FSGS, p = 0.034) between the 2 groups. Anti-β2-GPI antibody-positive MN patients (n = 32) had a lower serum C4 level than anti-β2-GPI antibody-negative MN patients (n = 235; 21.6 ± 7.6 vs. 24.6 ± 7.1 mg/dL, p = 0.030). Anti-β2-GPI antibody-positive MN patients had significant improvement of serum creatinine compared to anti-β2-GPI antibody-negative patients after 24 weeks of treatment (p = 0.006). Conclusions: Anti-β2-GPI antibody may play a role in the progression of MN, and this process might involve classic complement activation.
Comparison of Different Methods of Urinary Protein Excretion Measurement: Is the King Really Dead?
Authors: Rydzewska-Rosołowska Alicja , Kakareko Katarzyna , Naumnik Beata , Hryszko Tomasz
Published: August 2019

Introduction: Assessing proteinuria is of uttermost importance for a nephrologist. It is often indispensable to accurately quantify the amount of protein lost, hence complicated and time-consuming urine collections (the gold standard or “king” of methods – 24-h protein excretion rate [PER]) are often replaced by spot urinary protein to creatinine ratio (PCR). The aim of the study was to determine whether the latter can reliably compare to the gold standard and whether “timing” of a spot urine sample is essential. Methods: We performed a prospective, single-center study of 143 consecutive adult patients with glomerular proteinuria (a total of 187 cases). Protein and creatinine concentration was measured in 3 consecutive urine samples (starting with the first morning void) and a simultaneous 24-h urine collection. Agreement between 24-h PER and PCR was evaluated with Bland-Altman plots. Results: Compared to PER 3 consecutive PCRs were 0.86, 0.66, and 0.50 higher with wide limits of agreement respectively. The bias between 2 methods was influenced by sex, CKD stage, albumin concentration and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker treatment. In 24 participants, in whom at least 2 measurements at different time points were available, only 88% of differences were lower than the calculated repeatability coefficient. Conclusions: Unfortunately although random PCR correlates with 24-h protein excretion, the scatter of differences increases as 24-h proteinuria rises (without any significant effect of the sampling time). The observed lack of agreement makes PCR an unsuitable parameter to correctly quantify proteinuria; it is also not useful for monitoring the amount of daily proteinuria in the same patient. Therefore, while searching for new markers, nephrologists can only say: “long live the king!”
Left Ventricular Assist Device and the Kidney: Getting to the Heart of the Matter
Authors: Kamboj Mayanka , Kazory Amir
Published: August 2019

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are increasingly used for the management of patients with advanced heart failure (AHF) due to their established salutary impact on hemodynamic status and survival benefit. Impairment in kidney function is common in the setting of AHF and is associated with adverse impact on the outcomes. Cardiorenal interactions represent a complex pattern in these patients rendering their care a challenge that needs to be addressed by multidisciplinary approaches. Following LVAD implantation, AHF patients have the potential to achieve marked improvement in kidney function due to increased cardiac output and kidney perfusion as well as reduction in renal venous congestion. However, a subset of these patients is also at risk for acute kidney injury and resurgence of kidney dysfunction on continued mechanical circulatory support. Herein, we provide an overview of various aspects of changes in kidney function pre- and post-LVAD implantation, review potential underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms, and the impact on the outcomes. Moreover, the currently available data on renal replacement therapy of LVAD-treated patients, whether in the acute setting or as a maintenance therapy, are discussed in detail along with areas of high clinical relevance where a clear gap in knowledge exists.
Pensando o design gráfico de literatura para infância no Brasil
Authors: Almeida Simone Cavalcante de , Campos Gisela Belluzzo de
Published: August 2019

Este artigo faz uma incursão pelo design gráfico de literatura para infância no Brasil em diálogo com os estudos visuais e a aprendizagem, a partir das obras: O alvo, de Ilan Brenman e Renato Moriconi; O livro inclinado (The slant book), de Peter Newell; Este livro comeu o meu cão! (This book just ate my dog!), de Richard Byrne; e O menino, o cachorro, de Simone Bibian e Mariana Massarani. Esse caminho exploratório utiliza como referências fontes do design relacionadas ao pensamento de Buck-Morss sobre a multiplicidade da imagem enquanto experiência sensorial, assim como de Kats acerca dos quatro níveis básicos de aprendizagem. O propósito é apresentar três propostas para se pensar o design gráfico fora de modelos convencionais de visualidade: 1. como das formas se enraízam sentidos; 2. quando os artifícios são metalinguagem do visual; e 3. pensando novos modos de acessar o visual.
Por um modelo de emissora Educativa
Authors: Kneipp Valquíria Aparecida Passos
Published: August 2019

Este estudo buscou investigar a trajetória da TV USP, uma central de produção televisiva que funcionou durante dezoito anos nas dependências da Universidade de São Paulo e exibiu a sua produção por meio do Canal Universitário de São Paulo em consórcio com outras oito universidades da cidade. Buscou-se entender como a TV USP concebeu e incorporou a questão da qualidade na TV, com base nas propostas de Mulgan. A metodologia contou com entrevistas, pesquisa bibliográfica e análise de programas. Mesmo não se configurando como uma concessão de TV, a emissora desenvolveu uma produção de qualidade, com uma proposta diferente da televisão comercial, podendo se configurar como uma emissora educativa.
As obras do artista Hélio Oiticica no espelho da fenomenologia da percepção
Authors: Pelaes Maria Lúcia Wochler , Masini Elcie Aparecida Fortes Salzano
Published: August 2019

Esta pesquisa propõe um estudo fundado na investigação dos processos de leitura e da fruição estética das obras do artista Hélio Oiticica (1937-1980), expostas no Instituto Inhotim, a partir da perspectiva da Fenomenologia da Percepção de Merleau-Ponty, afirmando que podem ser complementares, permitindo a construção de um diálogo entre a produção do artista Oiticica e a Fenomenologia da Percepção, na perspectiva desse filósofo. Questões como o sujeito fenomenal, a filosofia, a relação corpo-espaço- -tempo, a estesia do corpo, entre outros estudos, podem produzir investigações quanto à arte e sua capacidade de produzir uma diferenciação estética no interior do mundo indiviso, permitindo revelar intersecções de sentido entre a percepção e a fruição na arte, a partir das obras de Oiticica e como se inserem no cenário museológico do Instituto Inhotim, museu que apresenta grande potencial nesse sentido.
A terra Xavante (mais uma vez) no caminho da mineração
Authors: Oliveira Renan Andreosi Salles de
Published: August 2019

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar as principais consequências da instalação de atividades econômicas de infraestrutura em Terras Indígenas (TI) ou em áreas próximas, convencionadas como Áreas de Influência Direta (AID). A proposta se concentra sobre as atividades de mineração planejadas pela iniciativa público-privada ou apenas privada para a sub-bacia do rio das Mortes, inserida na bacia do Araguaia, nordeste do estado do Mato Grosso, Brasil. A análise procura apresentar as latentes pressões que o povo Xavante pode sofrer com o aumento brusco da presença de não índios nas áreas próximas à Reserva e verificar quais as possíveis consequências dessa rápida mudança em seu hábitat. Noutras palavras, objetiva-se mostrar que a intensificação dessas pressões sobre a TI e sobre os avante não apenas implica o agravamento do quadro de desagregação sociocultural, como também pode desencadear conflitos fundiários fora dos limites da Reserva que, fatalmente, venham a se encerrar nas aldeias.
Os Guarani do litoral norte de Santa Catarina: tensões entre o uso da terra e a propriedade privada capitalista
Authors: Faria Camila Salles de , Malina Léa Lameirinhas
Published: August 2019

Trata-se de uma leitura geográfica da ocupação do litoral norte do estado de Santa Catarina, que ocorre permeada pelo conflito entre a lógica indígena Guarani (uso e apropriação) e a capitalista (mercadoria, lucro e acumulação das riquezas, esta última fundamentada na propriedade privada), que coexistem e disputam esses espaços. Nesse contexto, revelam-se como momentos importantes da análise os processos de expropriação e resistência do povo Guarani em relação ao uso de suas terras tradicionais, assim como a constituição da propriedade privada capitalista da terra nesta região catarinense, marcada pelo absenteísmo, pela apropriação privada de terras públicas e pelo rentismo, característicos da formação social brasileira.
Territórios autônomos zapatistas: esboços de uma geografia alternativa
Authors: Alkmin Fábio Márcio , Jesus Graziela Menezes de
Published: August 2019

Observa-se nas últimas três décadas a emergência política de diversas organizações indígenas nos países latino-americanos. Um divisor de águas desse fenômeno foi o levante armado do Exército Zapatista de Libertação Nacional (EZLN), em 1994, no estado de Chiapas (México). Entre as demandas já “tradicionais” dos povos indígenas, como a questão da permanência à terra, o movimento zapatista incluiu em sua pauta política a reivindicação por autonomia, entendida, nesse contexto, como um distinto regime jurídico-territorial que permita aos povos indígenas mexicanos o exercício concreto da autodeterminação. Após o fracasso na aprovação de uma lei que definisse os marcos legais desse regime autonômico os zapatistas decidem consolidar unilateralmente a autonomia que já vinha desenvolvendo em suas comunidades, desde o final de 1994. A partir dessa “autonomia em resistência” suprimiram qualquer tipo de relação com o Estado. As mudanças dessas relações de poder se projetaram no espaço, onde, a partir da conformação de comunidades, municípios e zonas autônomas, criaram-se governos paralelos zapatistas, operantes até a presente data. Um panorama dessa estrutura político-territorial é o objeto do presente artigo.
Direitos e erros na demarcação de terras indígenas
Authors: Britto Gladstone Avelino
Published: August 2019

O processo de demarcação de terras indígenas tem fundamento na Constituição de 1988, cabendo à Funai a realização dos trabalhos, dentro de sua competência de dar cumprimento à política indigenista no Brasil. Este artigo busca decifrar os mecanismos internos na demarcação de terras e avaliar a importância da qualidade técnica do Relatório Circunstanciado de Delimitação e Identificação (RCID), principal componente  de um processo administrativo conduzido por um antropólogo de qualificação reconhecida. A boa técnica na elaboração do RCID contribui para agilizar o processo de reconhecimento dos direitos dos povos indígenas à terra. Examinaram-se os procedimentos administrativos do Decreto nº 1775/1996 e da Portaria MJ nº 14/1996 e sua aplicação em processos de elaboração do RCID. A não observância de critérios legais na elaboração do RCID e o cerceamento ao direito constitucional ao contraditório no processo administrativo estão na raiz da insegurança jurídica nos processos de reconhecimento dos direitos indígenas sobre as terras que tradicionalmente ocupam.
First record of two rare brachyuran crabs: Drachiella morum Alcock, 1896 and Quadrella maculosa Alcock, 1898 along the Tamil Nadu coast, India
Authors: Viswanathan Chinnathambi , Goutham Sampath , Deepak Samuel Vijayakumar , Krishnan Pandian , Purvaja Ramachandran , Ramesh Ramachandran
Published: August 2019

The present report describes the first record of two brachyuran crabs, Drachiella morum Alcock, 1896 and Quadrella maculosa Alcock, 1898 along the coast of Tamil Nadu, India.  The morphological characters of the specimens are described and discussed.  Among the two crabs, Q. maculosa was previously recorded only in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Pollination in an endemic and threatened monoecious herb Begonia satrapis C.B. Clarke (Begoniaceae) in the eastern Himalaya, India
Authors: Gurung Subhankar , Pradhan Aditya , Chettri Arun
Published: August 2019

Begonia satrapis was studied for its pollination aspects at Sumbuk, Sikkim, India.  The floral details and the foraging behaviour of insects visiting the flowers were examined to define the pollination syndrome and its functionality for the success of sexual reproduction in this species.  The flowers do not produce nectar and offer only pollen as floral reward to foraging insects.  Therefore, male flowers were foraged more for its pollen than the female flowers.  There was a significant difference in the visit to male and female flowers by both Apis florea and Bombus breviceps, respectively.  The bees spent more time on male flowers than on female flowers.  The bees appear to rely on visual stimuli to visit male and female flowers.  The plant produces abundant fruit and seed set in both hand and open-pollinations indicating that it is facultatively xenogamous. The female flowers lacking any reward resemble male flowers and in effect are pollinated by deceit.
Avitourism opportunities as a contribution to conservation and rural livelihoods in the Hindu Kush Himalaya - a field perspective
Authors: Gupta Nishikant , Everard Mark , Kochhar Ishaan , Belwal Vinod K
Published: August 2019

The Hindu Kush Himalaya is a biodiversity hotspot subject to multiple anthropogenic stressors, including hydropower plants, pollution, deforestation and wildlife poaching, in addition to changing climate.  Bird photography tourism, as a locally important element of avitourism, has the potential to integrate sustainable development and wildlife conservation.  We conducted field surveys around the reaches of four Indian Himalayan rivers—the Kosi, western Ramganga, Khoh, and Song—outside of protected national parks (the Corbett and Rajaji tiger reserves) to ascertain the distribution of bird species along river corridors that could be sites of avitourism. Species richness along the surveyed reaches were: Kosi (79), western Ramganga (91), Khoh (52), and Song (79). This study contributes critical data to the existing baseline information on the avifaunal species of Uttarakhand.  It further discusses the possibility of developing avitourism for knowledge generation on species distribution and innovative livelihood options for local communities in Uttarakhand, reinforcing local vested interest in bird conservation.  The findings have generic applicability worldwide.
Women, Violence, and the Bible: The Story of Jael and Sisera as a Case Study
Authors: Mandolfo Carleen
Published: August 2019

Biblical scholars need to pay more attention to violent women as feminist subjects, and violence as a means of enabling women, rather than the disabling that has occurred through a politically and conceptually strategic commitment to their victimization. This paper explores the feminist erasure of Jael’s violence in Judges 4, and asks whether this violence might be appreciated as a vehicle of feminist empowerment. This erasure does biblical women a disservice by not taking their violence seriously as a signifier of their identity as women. How might violent biblical women model a kind of radical agency that feminists have typically shied away from? Dismissing these female characters as patriarchal patsies robs them of what might be their last recourse to self-expression. Rather than requiring justification, their violence might better be heralded as a fundamental qualifier of their femininity.
Decorated Women: A Sociological Approach to the Function of Cosmetics in the Books of Esther and Ruth
Authors: Quick Laura
Published: August 2019

The use of cosmetic oils by the heroines of the books of Esther and Ruth is frequently interpreted as a means to enhance their beauty and allurement. Cosmetic use in the Hebrew Bible is routinely condemned, and yet Esther and Ruth receive no censure for their actions. By utilising a sociological approach to the function of cosmetics and body adornment alongside archaeological and textual evidence from ancient Palestine, in this article I consider the use of cosmetics akin to a speech act, able to communicate the social status and sexual intentions of the wearer to those around them. This perspective provides a new access to understanding the characterisation of Esther and Ruth, showing that their intentions in utilising cosmetic oils fundamentally differs in the two books. This has implications for understanding some of the narrative elements within the tales, as well as their reception at the hands of later interpreters.
The Cited Documents of Ezra-Nehemiah: Does Their Authenticity Matter?
Authors: Carlson Hasler Laura
Published: August 2019

Determining the authenticity of Ezra-Nehemiah’s sources was a central question among scholars more than a century ago and remains so today. In this article, I explore why posing questions of authenticity about the source documents endures as a mainstay of Ezra-Nehemiah scholarship and argue that the implications of the authenticity question are frequently overstated. This overstatement reveals a prevailing scholarly instinct to separate “the real” from “the ideological,” a dichotomy traceable since C.C. Torrey’s Ezra Studies. Using Ezra 4 as an example, I argue that determining the authenticity of Ezra-Nehemiah’s source documents is not a worthy litmus test of historical-critical scholarship. Instead, considering how Ezra 4 resembles a space of collection rather than a linear story collapses methodological boundaries, calling into question the usefulness of categories like authenticity and fabrication in our understanding of Ezra-Nehemiah and beyond.
Echoes of Rachel’s Weeping: Intertextuality and Trauma in Jer. 31:15
Authors: Doane Sébastien , Mastnjak Nathan Robert
Published: August 2019

The image of Rachel’s inconsolable weeping for her lost children in Jer. 31:15 presents a specific kind of response to a cultural trauma. As this paper argues, understanding this response is enriched both by analyzing the extra-textual literary strategy of the passage itself and by engaging in an intertextual reading of the ancient text with a contemporary artistic response to trauma. By means of an allusion to Genesis 37, Jer. 31:15 makes a case both for the continued existence of the people of Israel and for the legitimacy of experiencing the exile as a metaphorical death. What Jer. 31:15 accomplishes textually for a sixth century BCE Judean audience, the Witness Blanket accomplishes in a visual medium for threatened Canadian native cultures. Both texts stage a protest against the threat to the continued existence of culture by asserting the persistent potency of its cultural symbols.
Courtship Rituals: Imprinting and Interspecies Sociality in the Domestic Breeding of Birds of Prey
Authors: Asu Schroer Sara
Published: August 2019

This article explores social relationships of birds and humans through the processes of imprinting and courtship rituals in the domestic breeding of birds of prey. The material presented is based on original ethnographic fieldwork among falconers, breeders, and birds, largely in the United Kingdom. The article focuses on the interspecies sociality and agency that emerges from the situated practices of bird breeding. It is argued, through ethnographic examples, that conventional determinist understandings of imprinting do not accurately capture the more porous and flexible ways in which living beings learn to relate to others and their environments.
Theological Echoes of Literary Controversies: Reading Abū Bakr al-Bāqillānī’s Iʿjāz al-Qurʾān in Light of the Debate over Badīʿ Style
Authors: Friedman Rachel
Published: August 2019

Islamic theology has normatively considered the Qurʾān to be the Islamic miracle par excellence. This article reads a formative treatise on the topic, Kitāb Iʿjāz al-Qurʾān by Abū Bakr al-Bāqillānī (d. 403/1013), in light of literary debates over badīʿ poetry in the early Abbasid era. It argues that al-Bāqillānī’s theorizing of the Qurʾān’s literary-rhetorical excellence is best understood in this context, demonstrating that his articulation of aesthetic priorities was shaped by the controversy over badīʿ poetry. In particular, the influence of Abbasid literary discourse is evident in the manner in which al-Bāqillānī champions the clear communication of meaning over ornamentation in texts, showing how contemporaneous literary trends and debates shaped Abbasid iʿjāz al-Qurʾān discourse.
Claiming Modernity in Mandate Palestine: A Journey Across the Mountains in the Strongholds of the Rebels
Authors: Macaluso Pasquale
Published: August 2019

Riḥlah bayna al-jibāl fi maʿāqil al-thāʾirīn was serialized in the Jaffa newspaper Al-Jāmiʿah al-Islāmiyyah towards the end of the 1936 Palestine revolt. Under the guise of a reportage by a Western journalist, the series successfully defied British censorship and published interviews with guerrilla commanders and rank-and-file rebels, and one of Fawzī al-Qāwuqjī’s communiqués. Following the main trend of literary reportage at that time, the author adopted a viewpoint focused on the rebels’ cause and emphasized the ability of the Arabs of Palestine to face the challenges of modernity. The narrator comments on the skills and virtues of rebel leaders and common people, rejecting the dehumanizing image that colonial officials and Western newspapers were making of them, and romantically depicting the nighttime Palestinian landscape. At the same time, the description of the insurgents’ organization projects the picture of an orderly society, equipped with the institutions and symbols that typically define modern states.
Chinese Atheism in the Mémoires de Trévoux: a Cultural Project against the Existence of a Perfect Atheism
Authors: Catto Michela
Published: August 2019

In the first decades of the eighteenth century, the Society of Jesus was busy changing its interpretation of the Chinese world and denying the possible existence of a society of atheists. To safeguard the Chinese mission, the Jesuit Antonio Provana claimed that European cultural models could not be used in order to interpret China, and that the voices and purported beliefs of the Chinese should be reported on their own terms. The same refusal to interpret Chinese culture through the interpretative schemes that European cultures had inherited (largely from the ancient Greeks or Romans) also filled the pages of the Jesuit journal Mémoires de Trévoux between 1701 and 1719, the period analyzed in this contribution. My article in this special issue argues that, due to the extreme rhetorical caution necessary to the Jesuits in France during the third phase (1700) of the Chinese rites controversy, the Mémoires de Trévoux pursued a cultural policy intended to deny the existence of any atheism whether in a single individual or in a whole nation. This departure from a Eurocentric perspective, as well as the denial of atheism in any form, became themes that forcefully reappeared during the Enlightenment.
Ex-Jesuit Librarian-Scholars Adam František Kollár and György Pray: Baroque Tradition, National Identity, and the Enlightenment among Jesuits in the Eastern Habsburg Lands
Authors: Shore Paul
Published: August 2019

The former Jesuits Adam František Kollár and György Pray each devoted much of their careers to work in libraries; thereby contributing to the literary and scholarly culture of the eastern Habsburg lands during the second half of the eighteenth century. Kollár, who left the Jesuits early in his career, authored works defending the rights of the Hungarian crown, and chronicled the history of the Rusyn people, ultimately achieved an international reputation as a scholar, coining the term ethnologia. Pray is remembered for his discovery of the oldest written example of the Hungarian language, his extensive historical publications, and for his role, following the papal suppression of 1773, as “Historiographus Hungariae” (Hungary’s hagiographer). The impact of these scholarly efforts by these former Jesuits was a rich and enduring foundation upon which later Hungarian historiography and library science would be based.
The Middle Ordovician bathyurid trilobite Pseudoolenoides, with a revised trilobite biostratigraphy of the Dapingian and lower Darriwilian of western Laurentia
Authors: ADRAIN JONATHAN M. , McADAMS NEO E. B. , KARIM TALIA S.
Published: August 2019

The Middle Ordovician bathyurid trilobite Pseudoolenoides Hintze has been treated in only a small handful of papers andfew of its species have been adequately known. Here we revise all previously known species on the basis of new materialand illustrations, and describe four new species, three of which are formally named. The genus now comprises 10 species,nine of which are formally named. Five of these are Dapingian and five are early Darriwilian in age. Cladistic parsimonyanalysis of the nine named species results in a generally well supported hypothesis of relationship which is fully congruentwith stratigraphic order. A particularly well supported subclade (11 unreversed synapomorphies and 100% bootstrap sup-port in 10,000 pseudoreplicates) consists of six species, including the type, which are likely a product of neotenic paedo-morphosis. Three other species are resolved as successive sister taxa to this derived clade. A new trilobite zonationrecently proposed for the Tulean and Blackhillsian stages (Lower Ordovician) is extended through Middle Ordovician(Dapingian and lower Darriwilian) rocks in western Laurentia. New species are P. pogonipensis (Dapingian; Pseudoole-noides dilectus Zone) and P. fossilmountainensis (lower Darriwilian; P. fossilmountainensis Zone), both from the Kanosh Formation of western Utah, and P. oilcreekensis (lower Darriwilian) from the Oil Creek Formation of Oklahoma.
Climatological Features of the Weakly and Very Stably Stratified Nocturnal Boundary Layers. Part I: State Variables Containing Information about Regime Occupation
Authors: Abraham Carsten , Monahan Adam H.
Published: August 2019

The atmospheric nocturnal stable boundary layer (SBL) can be classified into two distinct regimes: the weakly SBL (wSBL) with sustained turbulence and the very SBL (vSBL) with weak and intermittent turbulence. A hidden Markov model (HMM) analysis of the three-dimensional state-variable space of Reynolds-averaged mean dry static stability, mean wind speed, and wind speed shear is used to classify the SBL into these two regimes at nine different tower sites, in order to study long-term regime occupation and transition statistics. Both Reynolds-averaged mean data and measures of turbulence intensity (eddy variances) are separated in a physically meaningful way. In particular, fluctuations of the vertical wind component are found to be much smaller in the vSBL than in the wSBL. HMM analyses of these data using more than two SBL regimes do not result in robust results across measurement locations. To identify which meteorological state variables carry the information about regime occupation, the HMM analyses are repeated using different state-variable subsets. Reynolds-averaged measures of turbulence intensity (such as turbulence kinetic energy) at any observed altitude hold almost the same information as the original set, without adding any additional information. In contrast, both stratification and shear depend on surface information to capture regime transitions accurately. Use of information only in the bottom 10 m of the atmosphere is sufficient for HMM analyses to capture important information about regime occupation and transition statistics. It follows that the commonly measured 10-m wind speed is potentially a good indicator of regime occupation.
An IVAP-Based Dealiasing Method for Radar Velocity Data Quality Control
Authors: Liang Xudong , Xie Yanxin , Yin Jinfang , Luo Yi , Yao Dan , Li Feng
Published: August 2019

Dealiasing is a common procedure in radar radial velocity quality control. Generally, there are two dealiasing steps: a continuity check and a reference check. In this paper, a modified version that uses azimuthal variance of radial velocity is introduced based on the integrating velocity–azimuth process (IVAP) method, referred to as the V-IVAP method. The new method can retrieve the averaged winds within a local area instead of averaged wind within a full range circle by the velocity–azimuth display (VAD) or the modified VAD method. The V-IVAP method is insensitive to the alias of the velocity, and provides a better way to produce reference velocities for a reference check. Instead of a continuity check, we use the IVAP method for a fine reference check because of its high-frequency filtering function. Then a dealiasing procedure with two steps of reference check is developed. The performance of the automatic dealiasing procedure is demonstrated by retrieving the wind field of a tornado. Using the dealiased radar velocities, the retrieved winds reveal a clear mesoscale vortex. A test based on radar network observations also has shown that the two-step dealiasing procedure based on V-IVAP and IVAP methods is reliable.
Swinging between centralisation and decentralisation: China Railway Express Service and its process of assets discovery and recovery
Authors: Tjia Linda Yin-nor
Published: August 2019

This paper analyses a process of decentralisation and re-centralisation in China’s railway system between 1978 and 2013 (i.e. Ministry of Railways reform and its end). The Chinese government first decentralised the railway sector, encouraged business diversifications, and incentivised local cadres to mobilise idle productive resources. Many entrepreneurial initiatives, such as the railway express delivery service, have proved successful in adding new profit stream. Born as an ad hoc solution to fix soft budgetary constraints, later it metamorphosed into market-oriented state capitalism. The government later re-centralised the railway express services as the China Railway Express, and the newly recovered entity became a centralised enterprise ( yanqqi 央企), venturing into an international competitive enterprise. The emergence of the China Railway Express suggests that decentralisation in China was not always an end to the property rights rearrangements, and that government was selective in converging to the parallel western privatisation model.
Turning the table: Luke’s inclusive invitation to Communion
Authors: Canoy Robert W.
Published: August 2019

Luke’s Gospel features an inclusive invitation to Communion at which the gospel of release is extended to saints and sinners alike. This Lukan message of inclusivity is demonstrated through examination of three texts: 4:16–30; 7:36–50; and 14:1–24. Following Luke’s Eucharistic perspective, contemporary practices of the Lord’s Supper will reorient the Supper to Jesus as Lord of the table, and in so doing overcome divisions, remove barriers, and abandon otherwise destructive cultural norms and practices often associated with the Eucharist.
Eating supper on a sinking ship: Acts 27:27–38
Authors: May David M.
Published: August 2019

The sea-journey adventure of Paul in Acts 27:27–38 serves as the focus of this sermon. The author of Luke–Acts illustrates that, during the storm crisis, prisoner Paul is the true leader of this ship, even above the captain and centurion. Paul’s leadership and faith are demonstrated in the celebration of a meal with all those on board. Using key language, such as “giving thanks,” “bread,” and “breaking,” the meal scene echoes the Lord’s Supper. Amid crises, participating in the Lord’s Supper provides a sense of hope, community, and encouragement.
Guests at our own tables: Privilege, paradox, and Southern hospitality
Authors: Ritter-Conn Beth
Published: August 2019

As is true of any region experiencing significant migration, the identity of the US South, and with it the identity of Nashville, Tennessee, is shifting. Both the city and the region have the opportunity to embrace this shift, wrestling collectively with the question of what kind of city we want to be. The lesson of the New Testament, particularly of Luke’s Gospel, is that transformation of individuals and communities often happens around the table. With new tables around which to gather and new community members to get to know, the possibility of expanding the meaning of “Southern hospitality” continually presents itself anew. Such an expansion requires both embracing the paradox of guest and host, and remembering our past rightly to learn from the mistakes and the triumphs of the ones who came before us.
Not Entitled to Talk: (Mis)recognition, Inequality and Social Activism of Young Muslims
Authors: Pilkington Hilary , Acik Necla
Published: August 2019

This article considers the relationship between (mis)recognition, inequality and social activism through the lens of young Muslims’ response to their positioning as ‘suspect communities’. It draws on qualitative empirical research to suggest that the institutionalisation of misrecognition, including through the preventative (‘Prevent’) arm of UK counter-terrorism strategy, may mobilise young Muslims to resist ‘suspect’ status and make claims to the right to equal esteem. This forms part of the motivation towards social activism that mitigates the harm inflicted by misrecognition. However, the particular historical and cultural form of the institutionalisation of misrecognition, which renders ‘preventing Prevent’ a priority for young Muslims, may compound their status subordination. Drawing on critiques of the politics of recognition, and contextualising findings in debates on racism, anti-Muslim attitudes and societal securitisation, the article concludes that fighting misrecognition with recognition politics mis-places the role of power in subject formation and constrains young Muslims’ political agency.
Effect of Smart Classroom on Student Achievement at Higher Education
Authors: Phoong Seuk Yen , Phoong Seuk Wai , Moghavvemi Sedigheh , Sulaiman Ainin
Published: August 2019

Smart classroom is a technology-based learning that is proposed as a solution to increase the capabilities of students. This mode of teaching and learning make the education system more attractive and interactive, in addition to help educators to develop an engaging session. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of smart classrooms among Mathematics undergraduates. The study involved 72 students, and the data were analyzed using t test. The results show a significant difference among the students’ academic performance in the conventional and smart classroom. In addition, the use of smart classroom has greatly improved students’ performance.
Skin Matters: An Interview with Marc Lafrance
Authors: Tamari Tomoko
Published: August 2019

Following the Body & Society special issue, Skin Matters: Thinking Through the Body’s Surfaces (vol. 24, 1–2), Tomoko Tamari conducted an interview with the special issue editor, Marc Lafrance. He argues for the skin as an interface, which both resists and reinforces binary oppositions. Lafrance is particularly interested in the relationship between the skin and subjectivity, focusing on those who are suffering from traumatic stigmatizing experiences. This theme is also elaborated in the debates around the issue of human-made skin in ‘regenerative medicine’. He argues that while the development of medical technology for human-made organic skin tends often to be welcomed, the actual experience of face-transfer patients following skin graft surgeries is one of physical and psychological hardship along with a complex sense of self-wholeness and ‘reflexive embodiment’. Reflexivity is also an important phenomenon encouraged by the media and social media, which constantly feature representations of the skin.