bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cuckoo Search-Based Least Squares Support Vector Machine Models for Optimum Tuning of Tuned Mass Dampers
Authors: Etedali Sadegh , Mollayi Nader
Published: June 2017

Tuned mass dampers (TMDs) have been widely used to suppress or absorb vibration. Optimum tuning of the TMD parameters using metaheuristic algorithms demands numerous numerical analyses which is a tedious and time-consuming task. Recent advances in data processing systems have attracted great attention towards the creation of intelligent systems to evolve models in engineering applications. The present paper implements the least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) to build up models which predict the optimum TMD parameters. The performance of the proposed models is largely dependent on the quantity and the accuracy of databases used for training the models. Therefore, a wide-range numerical tuning of the TMD system, attached to a single-degree-of freedom (SDOF) main system, is done using a novel metaheuristic algorithm, called the cuckoo search (CS), to obtain the tuning frequency and damping ratio of the TMD system for a main system subjected to three types of excitations: external white-noise force, harmonic base acceleration and white-noise base acceleration. The superior performance of the LS-SVM models in prediction of optimum TMD parameters is proved in comparison to other studies in the literature. Furthermore, it is found that the optimum TMD parameters are not influenced by the predominant frequency of the filtered white-noise excitation.
Supporting the Management of Ecosystem Services in Protected Areas: Trade-Offs Between Effort and Accuracy in Evaluation
Authors: Schirpke Uta , Scolozzi Rocco , Concetti Benedetta , Comini Bruna , Tappeiner Ulrike
Published: June 2017

Integrating ecosystem services (ES) into the management of protected areas, such as European Natura 2000 sites, can improve biodiversity conservation and human well-being; yet, the assessment and application of ES remains challenging. In this study, we propose a roadmap to guide managers in the assessment of ES at multiple levels, including a non-monetary valuation in qualitative and quantitative terms, as well as a monetary valuation, and suggesting the appropriate applications related to ES mapping, communication and planning. The roadmap proceeds through four steps and along a gradient of accuracy and effort required in the assessment methods, with different levels of spatial scale, to effectively support managers. Together with the description of the roadmap, this paper provides insights from its application to terrestrial Natura 2000 sites in Italy.
Heterogeneous Task Allocation and Sequencing via Decentralized Large Neighborhood Search
Authors: Sadeghi Armin , Smith Stephen L.
Published: June 2017

This paper focuses on decentralized task allocation and sequencing for multiple heterogeneous robots. Each task is defined as visiting a point in a subset of the robot configuration space — this definition captures a variety of tasks including inspection and servicing. The robots are heterogeneous in that they may be subject to different differential motion constraints. Our approach is to transform the problem into a multi-vehicle generalized traveling salesman problem (GTSP). To solve the GTSP, we propose a novel decentralized implementation of large-neighborhood search (LNS). Our solution approach leverages the GTSP insertion methods proposed in Fischetti et al. [A branch-and-cut algorithm for the symmetric generalized traveling salesman problem, Oper. Res. 45(3) (1997) 378–394]. to repeatedly remove and reinsert tasks from each robot path. Decentralization is achieved using combinatorial-auctions between the robots on tasks removed from robot’s path. We provide bounds on the length of the dynamically feasible robot paths produced by the insertion methods. We also show that the number of bids in each combinatorial auction, a crucial factor in the runtime, scales linearly with the number of tasks. Finally, we present extensive benchmarking results to characterize both solution quality and runtime, which show improvements over existing decentralized task allocation methods.
Effect of petrographic characteristics on abrasive properties of granitic building stones
Authors: Cheshomi A. , Moradhaseli S.
Published: June 2017

The abrasive properties of stone that wear away and destroy the cutting blades and drill heads of boring machines increase the cost of construction and mining projects. This study investigated the effects of petrographic characteristics on the abrasiveness of granitic building stone. The composition and abundance of minerals forming each sample were evaluated by preparing microscopic sections of 18 samples, which were then classified as granite, gabbro or hornfels, that are introduced in the building industry as granite building stone. The effect of the abundance of specific minerals was evaluated by calculating the equivalent quartz content for each sample. Cerchar and Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chausées (LCPC) testing determined the Cerchar abrasivity index (CAI), LCPC abrasivity coefficient (LAC) and LCPC breakability coefficient (LBC) for samples. Linear and direct relationships having a correlation coefficient of greater than 0.82 were determined for LAC–EQC (equivalent quartz content), CAI–EQC and CAI–LAC. No relationship was found having an acceptable value for
R
for LBC–EQC in the whole samples; however, grouping them produced an experimental relationship at
R 
> 0.88 for LBC–EQC. It was concluded that the experimental relationships for LAC–EQC, CAI–LAC and LBC–EQC increased for groups having the same mineralogical composition. Comparison of the relations in the present study with those proposed by other researchers shows a similar trend of change in the parameters.
Deciding First-Order Properties of Nowhere Dense Graphs
Authors: Grohe Martin , Kreutzer Stephan , Siebertz Sebastian
Published: June 2017

Nowhere dense graph classes, introduced by Nešetřil and Ossona de Mendez [2010, 2011], form a large variety of classes of “sparse graphs” including the class of planar graphs, actually all classes with excluded minors, and also bounded degree graphs and graph classes of bounded expansion.

We show that deciding properties of graphs definable in first-order logic is fixed-parameter tractable on nowhere dense graph classes (parameterized by the length of the input formula). At least for graph classes closed under taking subgraphs, this result is optimal: it was known before that for all classes
C
of graphs closed under taking subgraphs, if deciding first-order properties of graphs in
C
is fixed-parameter tractable, then
C
must be nowhere dense (under a reasonable complexity theoretic assumption).

As a by-product, we give an algorithmic construction of sparse neighborhood covers for nowhere dense graphs. This extends and improves previous constructions of neighborhood covers for graph classes with excluded minors. At the same time, our construction is considerably simpler than those.

Our proofs are based on a new game-theoretic characterization of nowhere dense graphs that allows for a recursive version of locality-based algorithms on these classes. On the logical side, we prove a “rank-preserving” version of Gaifman’s locality theorem.
Discovering Design Principles for Health Behavioral Change Support Systems
Authors: Al-Ramahi Mohammad A. , Liu Jun , El-Gayar Omar F.
Published: June 2017

Behavioral Change Support Systems (BCSSs) aim to change users’ behavior and lifestyle. These systems have been gaining popularity with the proliferation of wearable devices and recent advances in mobile technologies. In this article, we extend the existing literature by discovering design principles for health BCSSs based on a systematic analysis of users’ feedback. Using mobile diabetes applications as an example of Health BCSSs, we use topic modeling to discover design principles from online user reviews. We demonstrate the importance of the design principles through analyzing their existence in users’ complaints. Overall, the results highlight the necessity of going beyond the techno-centric approach used in current practice and incorporating the social and organizational features into persuasive systems design, as well as integrating with medical devices and other systems in their usage context.
On Learning and Testing Dynamic Environments
Authors: Goldreich Oded , Ron Dana
Published: June 2017

We initiate a study of learning and testing dynamic environments, focusing on environments that evolve according to a fixed local rule. The (proper) learning task consists of obtaining the initial configuration of the environment, whereas for nonproper learning it suffices to predict its future values. The testing task consists of checking whether the environment has indeed evolved from some initial configuration according to the known evolution rule. We focus on the temporal aspect of these computational problems, which is reflected in two requirements: (1) it is not possible to “go back to the past” and make a query concerning the environment at time
t
after having made a query concerning time
t
′ >
t
, and (2) only a small portion of the environment is inspected in each time unit.

We present several general results, extensive studies of two special cases, and a host of open problems. The general results illustrate the significance of the temporal aspect of the current model (i.e., the difference between the current model and the standard model) as well as the preservation of some relations that hold in the standard model. The two special cases that we study are linear rules of evolution and rules of evolution that represent simple movement of objects. Specifically, we show that evolution according to any linear rule can be tested within a total number of queries that is sublinear in the size of the environment, and that evolution according to a simple one-dimensional movement rule can be tested within a total number of queries that is independent of the size of the environment.
Measuring the Bioeconomy: Economics and Policies
Authors: Wesseler Justus , von Braun Joachim
Published: June 2017

The emerging concept of bioeconomy offers several opportunities to address societal challenges. The bioeconomy is mainly driven by advances in microbiology, which can be applied to various processes that use biological resources by shifting consumer preferences and by yielding new insights into resource constraints related to such issues as climate and land. Although expectations are high, less is known about the economic importance of the bioeconomy. This article reviews the methodological challenges of measuring the bioeconomy, the approaches used, and the outcomes reported. The results show that measuring the bioeconomy is still in its infancy and faces a number of methodological challenges. Bioeconomy cuts across sectors and therefore cannot be treated as a traditional sector in economics. Economics must catch up with bioeconomy realities. For a comprehensive economic assessment, information about bioeconomy resources, compounds, and product flows is required. We outline innovations in data storage and analytical methods that would realize bioeconomy opportunities and help guide policy.
Increased vascular and uteroplacental matrix metalloproteinase-1 and -7 levels and collagen type I deposition in hypertension in pregnancy: role of TNF-α
Authors: Li Wei , Cui Ning , Mazzuca Marc Q. , Mata Karina M. , Khalil Raouf A.
Published: June 2017

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-related disorder manifested as maternal hypertension in pregnancy (HTN-Preg) and fetal growth restriction. Placental ischemia could be an initiating event that leads to abnormal vascular and uteroplacental remodeling in HTN-Preg; however, the molecular targets and intermediary mechanisms involved are unclear. We tested the hypothesis that placental ischemia could target vascular and uteroplacental matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) through an inflammatory cytokine-mediated mechanism. MMP levels and distribution were measured in the aorta, uterus, and placenta of normal pregnant (Preg) rats and pregnant rats with reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP). Maternal blood pressure was higher and the litter size and pup weight were lower in RUPP compared with Preg rats. Gelatin zymography showed prominent uterine MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity that was dependent on the amount of loaded protein. At saturating protein loading, both gelatin and casein zymography revealed two additional bands corresponding to MMP-1 and MMP-7 that were greater in the aorta, uterus, and placenta of RUPP compared with Preg rats. Western blots and immunohistochemistry confirmed increased MMP-1 and MMP-7 in the aorta, uterus, and placenta of RUPP versus Preg rats. The levels of MMP-1 and MMP-7 substrate collagen type I were greater in tissues of RUPP compared with Preg rats. In organ culture, TNF-α increased MMP-1 and MMP-7 in the aorta, uterus, and placenta of Preg rats, and a TNF-α antagonist prevented the increases in MMPs in tissues of RUPP rats. Thus, placental ischemia, possibly through TNF-α, increases vascular and uteroplacental MMP-1 and MMP-7, which, in turn, alter collagen deposition and cause inadequate tissue remodeling in HTN-Preg. Cytokine antagonists may reverse the increase in MMP-1 and MMP-7 expression/activity and, in turn, restore proper vascular and uteroplacental remodeling in HTN-Preg and preeclampsia.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The molecular mechanisms of preeclampsia are unclear, making it difficult to predict, prevent, or manage the pregnancy-associated disorder. This study showed that placental ischemia, possibly through the release of TNF-α, causes increases in the levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 and MMP-7, which could alter collagen deposition and cause inadequate uteroplacental and vascular remodeling in hypertension in pregnancy. The data suggest that targeting MMP-1 and MMP-7 and their upstream modulators, such as TNF-α, could provide a new approach in the management of hypertension in pregnancy and preeclampsia.
The Association of Telomere Length in Peripheral Blood Cells with Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prospective Studies
Authors: Zhang Xia , Zhao Qian , Zhu Wei , Liu Tao , Xie Shao-Hua , Zhong Li-Xin , Cai Yuan-Yuan , Li Xiao-Na , Liang Mei , Chen Wen , Hu Qian-Sheng , Zhang Bo
Published: June 2017

The association between telomere length (TL) in peripheral blood cells and cancer risk remains inconclusive. We carried out a meta-analysis on prospective studies. The study-specific RR estimates were first transformed to a common comparable scale and then were pooled by a random-effects model. The dataset was composed of 13,894 cases and 71,672 controls from 28 studies in 25 articles. In the comparison of the longest versus shortest third of TL, we observed a marginally positive association between longer TL and higher risk of total cancers [OR = 1.086; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.952–1.238]. Subgroup analyses showed that the association was stronger in lung cancer (n = 3; OR = 1.690; 95% CI, 1.253–2.280), in men (n = 6; OR = 1.302; 95% CI, 1.120–1.514) and in studies with more precise methods for DNA extraction (phenol–chloroform, salting-out or magnetic bead, n = 6, OR = 1.618; 95% CI, 1.320–1.985) and TL measurement (multiplex Q-PCR, n = 8; OR = 1.439; 95% CI, 1.118–1.852). Our meta-analysis suggested longer TL in peripheral blood cells is a likely risk factor for lung cancer or cancers in men. Accurate DNA extraction and TL measurement methods make it more liable to find significant associations between TL and cancer risk and thus should be taken into consideration in future epidemiologic studies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(9); 1381–90. ©2017 AACR.
MicroRNA-1185 Promotes Arterial Stiffness though Modulating VCAM-1 and E-Selectin Expression
Authors: Deng Haoyuan , Song Zhenfeng , Xu Huan , Deng Xinrui , Zhang Qiao , Chen Hongyu , Wang Yanjiao , Qin Ying , Li Ying
Published: June 2017

Background/Aims: Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of cardiovascular ischaemic events; arterial stiffness is a characteristic of the atherosclerotic process. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been revealed as crucial modulators of atherosclerosis. However, the role of arterial stiffness-related miRNAs in the atherosclerotic process is still unclear. Methods: Four hundred six participants from Northern China were enrolled in this study. Circulating miR-1185 and adhesion molecule levels were measured. Multiple linear regression models were used to evaluate the association of miR-1185 levels with brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and adhesion molecule levels. A mediation analysis was also performed to examine the mediating effect. Cell adhesion molecule levels were measured in primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (pHUVECs) and human umbilical vein smooth cells (HUVSMCs) transfected with miR-1185 or co-transfected with a miR-1185 inhibitor. Results: miR-1185 was independently correlated with arterial stiffness. A positive relationship between miR-1185 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and E-selectin levels was observed. VCAM- 1 and E-selectin partially mediated the correlation between miR-1185 and arterial stiffness. miR-1185 induced a significant increase in the VCAM-1 and E-selectin levels in pHUVECs and HUVSMCs in vitro. According to our mechanistic analysis, VCAM-1 and E-selectin mediated miR-1185-induced arterial stiffening. Conclusions: miR-1185 modulated the expression of VCAM-1 and E-selectin to promote arterial stiffening, suggesting that miR-1185 plays a crucial role in the development of atherosclerosis and may serve as a novel therapeutic target for atherosclerosis.
The Nuclear Proteome of White and Gray Matter from Schizophrenia Postmortem Brains
Authors: Saia-Cereda Verônica M. , Santana Aline G. , Schmitt Andrea , Falkai Peter , Martins-de-Souza Daniel
Published: June 2017

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a serious neuropsychiatric disorder that manifests through several symptoms from early adulthood. Numerous studies over the last decades have led to significant advances in increasing our understanding of the factors involved in SCZ. For example, mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis has provided important insights by uncovering protein dysfunctions inherent to SCZ. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the nuclear proteome of postmortem brain tissues from corpus callosum (CC) and anterior temporal lobe (ATL). We show an overview of the role of deregulated nuclear proteins in these two main regions of the brain: the first, mostly composed of glial cells and axons of neurons, and the second, represented mainly by neuronal cell bodies. These samples were collected from SCZ patients in an attempt to characterize the role of the nucleus in the disease process. With the ATL nucleus enrichment, we found 224 proteins present at different levels, and 76 of these were nuclear proteins. In the CC analysis, we identified 119 present at different levels, and 24 of these were nuclear proteins. The differentially expressed nuclear proteins of ATL are mainly associated with the spliceosome, whereas those of the CC region are associated with calcium/calmodulin signaling.
Qualitative Assessment of Verbal Fluency Performance in Frontotemporal Dementia
Authors: van den Berg Esther , Jiskoot Lize C. , Grosveld Mariëlle J.H. , van Swieten John C. , Papma Janne M.
Published: June 2017

Background/Aims: Verbal fluency is impaired in patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and primary progressive aphasia (PPA). This study explored qualitative differences in verbal fluency (clustering of words, switching between strategies) between FTD and PPA variants. Methods: Twenty-nine patients with behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD) and 50 with PPA (13 nonfluent/agrammatic, 14 semantic, and 23 logopenic) performed a semantic and letter fluency task. Clustering (number of multiword strings) and switching (number of transitions between clustered and nonclustered words) were recorded by two independent raters. Between-group differences, associations with memory, language, and executive functioning, and longitudinal change (subsample) in clustering and switching were examined. Results: Interrater reliability was high (median 0.98). PPA patients generated (a) smaller (number of) clusters on semantic and letter fluency than bvFTD patients (p < 0.05). Semantic variant patients used more switches than nonfluent/agrammatic or logopenic variant patients (p < 0.05). Clustering in semantic fluency was significantly associated with memory and language (range standardized regression coefficients 0.24-0.38). Switching in letter fluency was associated with executive functioning (0.32-0.35). Conclusion: Clustering and switching in verbal fluency differed between patients with subtypes of FTD and PPA. Qualitative aspects of verbal fluency provide additional information on verbal ability and executive control which can be used for clinically diagnostic purposes.
Contribution of Established Stroke Risk Factors to the Burden of Stroke in Young Adults
Authors: Aigner Annette , Grittner Ulrike , Rolfs Arndt , Norrving Bo , Siegerink Bob , Busch Markus A.
Published: June 2017

Background and Purpose—

As stroke in young adults is assumed to have different etiologies and risk factors than in older populations, the aim of this study was to examine the contribution of established potentially modifiable cardiovascular risk factors to the burden of stroke in young adults.

Methods—

A German nationwide case–control study based on patients enrolled in the SIFAP1 study (Stroke In Young Fabry Patients) 2007 to 2010 and controls from the population-based GEDA study (German Health Update) 2009 to 2010 was performed. Cases were 2125 consecutive patients aged 18 to 55 years with acute first-ever stroke from 26 clinical stroke centers; controls (age- and sex-matched, n=8500, without previous stroke) were from a nationwide community sample. Adjusted population-attributable risks of 8 risk factors (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, smoking, heavy episodic alcohol consumption, low physical activity, and obesity) and their combinations for all stroke, ischemic stroke, and primary intracerebral hemorrhage were calculated.

Results—

Low physical activity and hypertension were the most important risk factors, accounting for 59.7% (95% confidence interval, 56.3–63.2) and 27.1% (95% confidence interval, 23.6–30.6) of all strokes, respectively. All 8 risk factors combined explained 78.9% (95% confidence interval, 76.3–81.4) of all strokes. Population-attributable risks of all risk factors were similar for all ischemic stroke subtypes. Population-attributable risks of most risk factors were higher in older age groups and in men.

Conclusions—

Modifiable risk factors previously established in older populations also account for a large part of stroke in younger adults, with 4 risk factors explaining almost 80% of stroke risk.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00414583.
Morphological and molecular characterisation of Paralongidorus francolambertii sp. n. (Nematoda: Longidoridae) from Serbia
Authors: Barsi László , De Luca Francesca
Published: June 2017

Paralongidorus francolambertii sp. n., a bisexual species found in the rhizosphere of silver lime (Tilia tomentosa) and common juniper (Juniperus communis), is described. The species is characterised by its medium to large size (L = 5.86-8.29 mm) and slender body (a = 143-197), a lip region flattened with rounded profile, clearly offset from the body by a deep constriction, a narrow neck between the head and body, a shoulder-like body posterior to the neck, a stirrup-shaped amphidial fovea, with conspicuous slit-like aperture, lying on the lateral cuticular collar, a moderately long odontostyle ca 140 μm long, a guide ring located at ca 28 μm from anterior end, a tail terminus with thickened outer cuticular layer in both sexes, and males with spicules ca 52 μm long. The D2-D3 expansion domains of the 28S rRNA gene and the ITS-containing region of P. francolambertii sp. n. were amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses by using the Maximum Likelihood method showed that P. francolambertii sp. n. had a sister relationship with P. rex and that all Paralongidorus species formed a well-supported group.
The Caliphate State in Theory and Practice
Authors: Bammarny Bawar
Published: June 2017

The history of Islām shows clearly how the question of the Caliphate is of central, enduring and great ongoing importance. While Christianity was split into different religious denominations, in particular during the 5th century due to theological questions about the divine and human nature of Christ, the biggest split in Islām was due to questions about the Caliphate. This article offers an introduction to the divergent approaches to government in Islām and a discussion of recent efforts to restore an Islāmic Caliphate.
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services or the Framing of Scientific Knowledge within the Law of Sustainable Development
Authors: Duvic-Paoli Leslie-Anne
Published: June 2017

The article analyses the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (ipbes) through the spectrum of international environmental law. It unpacks the epistemic logics within which ipbes operates and emphasises the normative constructions underlying the mechanism, arguing that ipbes is best understood in light of the rationale and principles of the law of sustainable development. On that basis, the article provides an in-depth discussion of ipbes, and in particular of i) its mandate analysed in light of the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, ii) its scope that combines a temporal and spatial perspective to scientific knowledge and iii) its outreach activities seeking to co-operate with a variety of partners, interpreted as an embodiment of the ‘global partnership’ that the Rio Declaration calls for.
Lectotypification of the name Genista michelii (Fabaceae)
Authors: WAGENSOMMER ROBERT P.
Published: June 2017

As part of an ongoing study on the names of vascular plants described from Puglia (south-eastern Italy) (e.g., Wagensommer & Galasso 2016, Wagensommer et al. 2016), a nomenclatural investigation on the name Genista michelii Spach (1844: 259), which appears to be yet untypified, is presented here. This study is carried out within the initiative “Italian Loci Classici Census” (Domina et al. 2012, Passalacqua et al. 2014, Peruzzi et al. 2015), aimed at providing data on the original material of plants described from Italy and neighbouring areas.
Polystichum hastipinnum (subg. Haplopolystichum; Dryopteridaceae), a new cave fern from Guangdong, China
Authors: TANG GUANG-DA , HUANG LIN , LI JIA-YU , HE ZENG-LI , ZHANG LI-BING
Published: June 2017

A new species of Polystichum (subg. Haplopolystichum; Dryopteridaceae), P. hastipinnum, is described from a limestone cave in northern Guangdong, China. Polystichum hastipinnum is most similar to P. kwangtungense in having oblong pinnae, but the former has stipe and rachis scales denser, basalmost pair of pinnae hastate and with bases somewhat cordate, while the latter has stipe and rachis scales much sparser, basalmost pair of pinnae oblong and with bases cuneate.
Nomenclatural and taxonomic notes on Sesleria sect. Argenteae (Poaceae)
Authors: DI PIETRO ROMEO , KUZMANOVIĆ NEVENA , IAMONICO DUILIO , LAKUŠIĆ DMITAR
Published: June 2017

In this paper we typify and discuss 14 species and infraspecies names belonging to Sesleria sect. Argenteae (Poaceae). Lectotypes are designated for the names S. alba, S. anatolica, S. anatolica var. rossica, S. anatolica var. voronovii, S. doerfleri, S. gigantea, S. latifolia, S. latifolia var. serpentinica, S. pontica, S. robusta, S. sillingeri, S. vaginalis and S. wettsteinii. A neotype is designated for the name S. nitida. Previous typifications and holotypes for other names in S. sect. Argenteae are summarized.
Excluding Ophiorrhiza mungos (Rubiaceae) from Flora of China
Authors: WU LEI , HAREESH VADAKKOOT-SANKARAN , DENG YUN-FEI
Published: June 2017

Ophiorrhiza mungos was reported from China by several authors. Examining the relevant specimens reveals that it is a misidentification of O. rosea. Here we also lectotypify the name O. rosea.
A new species of Trigynaea (Annonaceae) endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil
Authors: LOBÃO ADRIANA QUINTELLA
Published: June 2017

The Atlantic Forest is one of two biodiversity hotspots in Brazil (Mittermeier et al. 1997, Myers et al. 2000). It is the second most diverse (Forzza et al. 2010) and threatened biome because only ca. 11.7% of the Atlantic Forest remains (Ribeiro et al. 2009). Annonaceae are well represented in the Atlantic forest with 92 species, of which 71 are endemic (Maas et al. 2015). In the State of Espírito Santo, there are 12 genera and 44 species (Maas et al. 2015). The majority of genera in Annonaceae that occur in Brazil are represented in Espírito Santo, but previously there were no records of Trigynaea Schlechtendal (1834: 328) for the State.
Saxifraga kegangii (Saxifragaceae), a new species from Hunan province of central China
Authors: ZHANG MENG-HUA , ZHANG XIAO-SHUANG , NIE ZE-LONG , ZHANG DAI-GUI , MENG YING
Published: June 2017

Saxifraga kegangii, a new species of Saxifraga sect. Irregulares (Saxifragaceae) from Hunan province of central China, is described and illustrated. This new species can be easily distinguished from related taxa by its leaf shape and disc semiannular around the side of the ovary. Placement of this species within Saxifraga sect. Irregulares is assessed based on molecular phylogenetic analysis of the nuclear ribosomal ITS and two chloroplast regions (trnL-F and psbA-trnH) sequences together with morphological comparisons.
DNA barcode for identification of immature stages of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) collected from natural breeding sites
Authors: VIVERO RAFAEL JOSÉ , BEJARANO EDUAR ELÍAS , ESTRADA LUIS GREGORIO , FLÓREZ FERNANDO , ORTEGA-GÓMEZ EDGAR , APARICIO YAMILETH , TORRES-GUTIÉRREZ CAROLINA , URIBE-SOTO SANDRA , MUSKUS-LÓPEZ CARLOS
Published: June 2017

Although phlebotomine sand flies breeding sites have been identified and recorded by several studies, the microhabitats exploited by these insects remain little-known and hard to find. In this context, the difficulty of finding immature stages, and the limited number of taxonomic studies to identify immature stages of phlebotomine sand flies, are considered the major obstacles when attempting a complete inventory of Lutzomyia species. The objective of this study is to validate Cytochrome Oxidase I (Barcode region) as a marker for the identification of immature stages of Lutzomyia species recovered from natural breeding sites in Colombia. Among 142 collected sand flies, 18 immature individuals that did not complete their life cycle were identified to species level through sequencing of the COI gene. Values of K2P genetic distance between 0.002–0.031 allowed the identification of larvae at species level. The bootstrap support values (96%) in the Neighbor-Joining dendrogram were consistent for the majority of the established MOTUS of Lutzomyia atroclavata, Lutzomyia micropyga, Lutzomyia serrana, Lutzomyia cayennensis, Lutzomyia rangeliana, Lutzomyia shannoni and some species of the genus Brumptomyia. The COI gene is validated as a marker for the identification of immature stages of the genus Lutzomyia.
Molecular analysis reveals a new cryptic species in a limpet Lottia kogamogai (Patellogastropoda: Lottiidae) from Japan
Authors: NAKAYAMA RYO , SASAKI TAKENORI , NAKANO TOMOYUKI
Published: June 2017

A group of small lottiid species in Japan, the Lottia kogamogai complex, was phylogenetically analyzed based on the mitochondrial COI gene. As a result, L. kogamogai is subdivided into two geographic clades. Lottia kogamogai s.s. is limited to southern temperate Japan. The northern population formerly considered an intraspecific variation of the species is shown to be a distinct new species, here described as Lottia goshimai n. sp. The new species is distinguishable from L. kogamogai not only genetically, but in radular morphology and shell sculpture.
Lacrimacandona n. gen. (Crustacea: Ostracoda: Candonidae) from the Edwards Aquifer, Texas (USA)
Authors: KÜLKÖYLÜOĞLU OKAN , YAVUZATMACA MEHMET , AKDEMİR DERYA , SCHWARTZ BENJAMIN F. , HUTCHINS BENJAMIN T.
Published: June 2017

Lacrimacandona n. gen. with its type species Lacrimacandona wisei n. sp. from the San Marcos artesian well on the Texas State University campus (Hays County, Texas, USA) is proposed as a new genus of the subfamily Candoninae. The new species is sexually dimorphic, and so far no congeneric species have been found. The new genus has the following distinguishing characters: subtriangular carapace tapering posteriorly, uropod with a claw-like anterior seta and two short claws, one long “a” setae on male maxilliped, very large asymmetric clasping organs in males, unique shape and size of hemipenis, and unique occurrence of setae on segments.
A Moving Updated Statistical Prediction Model for Summer Rainfall in the Middle-Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River Valley
Authors: Guo Yan , Li Jianping , Zhu Jiangshan
Published: June 2017

Because summer rainfall in the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtze River valley has remarkable interannual and decadal variability and because the precursors that modulate the interannual rainfall change with the decadal variation of the background state, a new model that employs a novel statistical idea is needed to yield an accurate prediction. In this study, the interannual rainfall model (IAM) and the decadal rainfall model (DM) were constructed. Moving updating of the IAM with the latest data within an optimal length of training period (20 yr) can partially offset the effect of decadal change of precursors in IAM. To predict the interannual rainfall of 2001–13 for validation, 13 regression models were fitted with precursors that change every 4–5 yr, from the preceding winter North Atlantic Ocean sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) dipole to the Mascarene high, followed by the East Asia sea level pressure anomaly (SLPA) dipole and the preceding autumn North Pacific SSTA dipole. The moving updated model demonstrated high skill in predicting interannual rainfall, with a correlation coefficient of 0.76 and a hit rate of 76.9%. The DM was linked to the April SLPA in the central tropical Pacific Ocean, and it maintained good performance in the testing period, with a correlation coefficient of 0.77 and a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 7.7%. The statistical model exhibited superior capability even when compared with the best forecast by the Climate Forecast System, version 2 (CFSv2), initiated in early June, as indicated by increased correlation coefficient from 0.62 to 0.75 and reduced RMSE from 12.3% to 10.7%.
Reply to “Comment on ‘Rethinking the Lower Bound on Aerosol Radiative Forcing’”
Authors: Stevens Bjorn , Fiedler Stephanie
Published: June 2017

Kretzschmar et al., in a comment in 2017, use the spread in the output of aerosol–climate models to argue that the models refute the hypothesis (presented in a paper by Stevens in 2015) that for the mid-twentieth-century warming to be consistent with observations, then the present-day aerosol forcing, [Formula: see text] must be less negative than −1 W m−2. The main point of contention is the nature of the relationship between global SO2emissions and [Formula: see text] In contrast to the concave (log-linear) relationship used by Stevens and in earlier studies, whereby [Formula: see text] becomes progressively less sensitive to SO2emissions, some models suggest a convex relationship, which would imply a less negative lower bound. The model that best exemplifies this difference, and that is most clearly in conflict with the hypothesis of Stevens, does so because of an implausible aerosol response to the initial rise in anthropogenic aerosol precursor emissions in East and South Asia—already in 1975 this model’s clear-sky reflectance from anthropogenic aerosol over the North Pacific exceeds present-day estimates of the clear-sky reflectance by the total aerosol. The authors perform experiments using a new (observationally constrained) climatology of anthropogenic aerosols to further show that the effects of changing patterns of aerosol and aerosol precursor emissions during the late twentieth century have, for the same global emissions, relatively little effect on [Formula: see text] These findings suggest that the behavior Kretzschmar et al. identify as being in conflict with the lower bound in Stevens arises from an implausible relationship between SO2emissions and [Formula: see text] and thus provides little basis for revising this lower bound.
Embodying culture: Body pedagogics, situated encounters and empirical research
Authors: Shilling Chris
Published: June 2017

Contemporary research into the field of body pedagogics has produced a growing number of studies concerned with the embodied character of cultural transmission, experience, reproduction and change. This article advances this sociological development by reinterpreting recent writings on situated epistemic relations (SER) and practical epistemological analysis (PEA) as complementary, methodological, techniques that can enhance these investigations. After outlining existing explorations into the body pedagogics of occupational, sporting, religious, educational and other cultures, the author demonstrates how the interlinked approaches to learning made possible by systematizing SER and PEA can be developed into a new approach that increases the effectiveness with which the theoretical and empirical concerns of studies into embodied acculturation are harnessed.
Tourism and Natural World Heritage: A Complicated Relationship
Authors: Buckley Ralf
Published: June 2017

There are legal, political, economic, social, and environmental links between tourism and World Heritage Areas, some straightforward but others controversial. These are examined here as aspects of a long-term, stable, but complicated, relationship. Management of small-scale mobile tourism operations is well established. It includes activities, equipment, timing, numbers, group size, marketing, fees, and permit latency. Management of large-scale fixed-site tourism infrastructure and accommodation involving private equity or operational control is more controversial. It includes legal structure of partnership arrangements, and allocation of revenues, costs, and risks. The relationship framework shows the importance of picking partners carefully and establishing mechanisms for external counseling. Research opportunities include: the marketing value of World Heritage Area (WHA) controversies; the tourism effects of In Danger declarations; funding models; and impact assessment, stakeholder roles, and co-management mechanisms, in different jurisdictions. Quantifying these effects needs large-scale compilation and comparison of case studies.
Triblock copolymers–modified SBR/EPDM rubber blends
Authors: Eissa MM , Botros SH , Moustafa AF
Published: June 2017

Butadiene–styrene/ethylene–propylene–diene monomer rubber blends were prepared with different blend ratios and modified with styrene–isoprene–styrene (SIS) and styrene–isobutylene–styrene (SiBS) triblock copolymers as compatibilizers. Influence of the triblock copolymers on the blend compatibility was examined utilizing scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetric analysis. Thermal stability of the prepared rubber blend vulcanizates, with and without incorporation of SIS and SiBS copolymers, was assessed by determining their physico-mechanical properties after exposure to thermal aging accelerated. Furthermore, the swelling behavior of the rubber blend vulcanizates under investigation was evaluated in organic solvent, oil, and in brake fluid.
In the Name of the Father: Revenge and Unsacramental Death in Hamlet
Authors: Zysk Jay
Published: June 2017

This essay argues that in Hamlet, Shakespeare extends the conventional logic of Senecan revenge—the revenger’s quest to redress crimes against kin through a course of retributive blood justice—to the matter of Old Hamlet’s unsacramental death, which leaves him without the last rites of communion, penance, and unction. Shakespeare scripts revenge in such a way that these denied sacraments feature symbolically in Hamlet’s revenge on Claudius. This unique form of retributive justice and the soteriological anxieties it produces are made more poignant in a play set in Catholic Denmark and performed in Reformation England.
Dickens and Eucharist: Sacramental Medievalism in Bleak House
Authors: Curran Timothy
Published: June 2017

This essay excavates a subterranean medieval presence in Dickens that squares the uncanny presence-in-absence of the Middle Ages in the nineteenth-century mind with the absent-present sacramental logic that animated the medieval mind. Medievalism properly understood, then, is an exercise more subtle and pervasive than a modern artist’s biased appropriation of a particular medieval topos: I contend that medievalism as a practice is sacramental. I argue that Dickens’s mobilization of medieval sacramentality reveals his participation in a radical form of medievalism concerned with activating and inhabiting traditional symbolic categories, and his interest in making these categories live again according to the very conceptual formulas in which they were originally imagined.
“You’ll lose it if you talk about it”: Brett as Relic, Pedro Romero as Peter of Rome, and the Bullfight as Carnivalesque Mass in The Sun Also Rises
Authors: Watson James
Published: June 2017

By tracing the often hidden presence of the Roman Catholic sacraments throughout Hemingway’s first novel, a pattern of action in priority to words emerges. Jake likes the silent, “dim” Spanish churches; so too Hemingway likes his newfound religion—one whose theology affirms that the nearest approach to God comes not by way of propositional language or spiritual meditation, but by the eating of His body in the Eucharist. This bypassing of referentiality in favor of direct and physical union puts Hemingway’s nascent “Iceberg theory” in prescient conversation with Derrida’s monumental critique of signs as vehicles of presence.
The Sacramental Text Reconsidered
Authors: Beckwith Sarah
Published: June 2017

As an Afterword to the Special Issue on “The Sacramental Text Reconsidered,” this essay consolidates approaches to sacramentality in literary studies in four dimensions, and these dimensions are symptomatic of the wider sub-field and the larger context of literary studies at present. Those four ways are: the sacrament as a historical trajectory; the sacrament as concept, and also the vehicle of conceptual amnesia; the sacrament as language; the sacrament as literature.
Human Milk Fortifiers Do Not Meet the Current Recommendation for Nutrients in Very Low Birth Weight Infants
Authors: Koo Winston , Tice Hilary
Published: June 2017

Background: Use of multinutrient fortifiers is standard of care for small preterm infants fed exclusively human milk. However, adequacy of human milk fortifiers (HMFs) to meet the recommended intake for macronutrients and micronutrients is now known. Materials and Methods: Nutrient content of human milk fortified according to manufacturer’s recommendations was compared at isocaloric levels for 1 human milk–based (HMF‐A), 2 bovine milk protein–based (HMF‐B, HMF‐C), and 2 preterm infant formulas (PTF‐B, PTF‐C). In addition, 4 multivitamin supplements were compared. Results: At 130 kcal/kg, intake of macronutrients was similar to the recommendation, although deficient and excess intake of micronutrient occurred with all fortifiers. Four to 9 micronutrients were absent in HMF or PTF (biotin, choline, inositol, carnitine, taurine, molybdenum, iodine, selenium, or chromium). For the remainder, HMF resulted in deficient intake for 1–13 micronutrients, occurring most frequently with HMF‐A. Excess micronutrients (3–15 at <50% and 1–3 at 109%–437%) occurred with all HMF and most frequently with HMF‐B and HMF‐C. At 150 kcal/kg, deficient intake improved but generally remained below recommendation, while excess intake became exaggerated. PTF and multivitamin formulations do not fully compensate for the deficiencies and can result in extremely high micronutrient intake. Conclusions: At the recommended energy intake for very low birth weight infants, many micronutrients are absent or are present in grossly inadequate amounts, and several micronutrients are in excess. Reformulation of HMF is urgently needed since PTF or multivitamin supplement only partially corrects some deficiencies while providing some nutrients in excess.
Impact Evaluation of Investments in the Appalachian Region
Authors: Sayago-Gomez Juan-Tomás , Piras Gianfranco , Jackson Randall , Lacombe Donald
Published: June 2017

We evaluate the impact of a half century of nontransportation Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) investments on its constituent counties using quasi-experimental methods. We apply a set of propensity score methods and select the most appropriate matching algorithm for use in identifying the effects of policy implementation. The results of the analyses indicate that counties that received ARC funding grew faster than the control counties. The long-run per capita income growth rate in ARC investment counties was an average of 5.5 percent higher than in the control counties. Employment also grew significantly faster in these ARC counties than in the control counties for most of the study period. The average difference in the long-run employment growth rates between the counties that received ARC investments and those counties that did not was approximately 4.2 percent.
A Black Cohosh Extract Causes Hematologic and Biochemical Changes Consistent with a Functional Cobalamin Deficiency in Female B6C3F1/N Mice
Authors: Cora Michelle C. , Gwinn William , Wilson Ralph , King Debra , Waidyanatha Suramya , Kissling Grace E. , Brar Sukhdev S. , Olivera Dorian , Blystone Chad , Travlos Greg
Published: June 2017

Black cohosh rhizome, available as a dietary supplement, is most commonly marketed as a remedy for dysmenorrhea and menopausal symptoms. A previous subchronic toxicity study of black cohosh dried ethanolic extract (BCE) in female mice revealed a dose-dependent ineffective erythropoiesis with a macrocytosis consistent with the condition known as megaloblastic anemia. The purpose of this study was to investigate potential mechanisms by which BCE induces these particular hematological changes. B6C3F1/N female mice (32/group) were exposed by gavage to vehicle or 1,000 mg/kg BCE for 92 days. Blood samples were analyzed for hematology, renal and hepatic clinical chemistry, serum folate and cobalamin, red blood cell (RBC) folate, and plasma homocysteine and methylmalonic acid (MMA). Folate levels were measured in liver and kidney. Hematological changes included decreased RBC count; increased mean corpuscular volume; and decreased reticulocyte, white blood cell, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts. Blood smear evaluation revealed increased Howell–Jolly bodies and occasional basophilic stippling in treated animals. Plasma homocysteine and MMA concentrations were increased in treated animals. Under the conditions of our study, BCE administration caused hematological and clinical chemistry changes consistent with a functional cobalamin, and possibly folate, deficiency. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanism by which BCE causes increases in homocysteine and MMA.