bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Phase I/II Trial of Carfilzomib, Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin, and Dexamethasone for the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Schroeder Mark A. , Fiala Mark A. , Huselton Eric , Cardone Michael H. , Jaeger Savina , Jean Sae Rin , Shea Kathryn , Ghobadi Armin , Wildes Tanya , Stockerl-Goldstein Keith E. , Vij Ravi
Published: April 2019

Purpose:

Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) combined with bortezomib is an effective salvage regimen for relapsed refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Carfilzomib, a second-generation proteasome inhibitor, has clinical efficacy even among bortezomib-refractory patients.

Patients and Methods:

We performed a phase I/II trial of carfilzomib, PLD, and dexamethasone (KDD) with the primary endpoints being safety and efficacy (NCT01246063). Twenty-three patients were enrolled in the phase I portion and the MTD of carfilzomib was determined to be 56 mg/m2 (days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and 16) when combined with PLD (30 mg/m2 on day 8) and dexamethasone (20 mg on days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, and 16). Seventeen additional patients were enrolled in the phase II portion.

Results:

KDD was determined to be well tolerated with the only common grade 3/4 nonhematologic adverse events of infection. Grade 3/4 hematologic toxicity included lymphopenia (63%), thrombocytopenia (40%), anemia (40%), and neutropenia (28%). In the cohort of patients treated at the MTD, where median prior therapies were 2% and 42% were refractory to bortezomib, the overall response rate was 83% (20/24) with 54% (13/24) having a very good partial response or better. The median progression-free survival was 13.7 months (95% CI, 5.0–21.7).

Conclusions:

This trial is the first to report outcomes using a triplet regimen of high-dose carfilzomib. KDD was well tolerated and appears efficacious in RRMM. Additional study is needed to more precisely determine patient outcomes with this regimen and its utility compared with other carfilzomib containing salvage regimens.
Clinical and Genome-wide Analysis of Cisplatin-induced Tinnitus Implicates Novel Ototoxic Mechanisms
Authors: El Charif Omar , Mapes Brandon , Trendowski Matthew R. , Wheeler Heather E. , Wing Claudia , Dinh Paul C. , Frisina Robert D. , Feldman Darren R. , Hamilton Robert J. , Vaughn David J. , Fung Chunkit , Kollmannsberger Christian , Mushiroda Taisei , Kubo Michiaki , Gamazon Eric R. , Cox Nancy J. , Huddart Robert , Ardeshir-Rouhani-Fard Shirin , Monahan Patrick , Fossa Sophie D. , Einhorn Lawrence H. , Travis Lois B. , Dolan M. Eileen
Published: April 2019

Purpose:

Cisplatin, a commonly used chemotherapeutic, results in tinnitus, the phantom perception of sound. Our purpose was to identify the clinical and genetic determinants of tinnitus among testicular cancer survivors (TCS) following cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

Experimental Design:

TCS (n = 762) were dichotomized to cases (moderate/severe tinnitus; n = 154) and controls (none; n = 608). Logistic regression was used to evaluate associations with comorbidities and SNP dosages in genome-wide association study (GWAS) following quality control and imputation (covariates: age, noise exposure, cisplatin dose, genetic principal components). Pathway over-representation tests and functional studies in mouse auditory cells were performed.

Results:

Cisplatin-induced tinnitus (CisIT) significantly associated with age at diagnosis (P = 0.007) and cumulative cisplatin dose (P = 0.007). CisIT prevalence was not significantly greater in 400 mg/m2-treated TCS compared with 300 (P = 0.41), but doses >400 mg/m2 (median 580, range 402–828) increased risk by 2.61-fold (P < 0.0001). CisIT cases had worse hearing at each frequency (0.25–12 kHz, P < 0.0001), and reported more vertigo (OR = 6.47; P < 0.0001) and problems hearing in a crowd (OR = 8.22; P < 0.0001) than controls. Cases reported poorer health (P < 0.0001) and greater psychotropic medication use (OR = 2.4; P = 0.003). GWAS suggested a variant near OTOS (rs7606353, P = 2 × 10−6) and OTOS eQTLs were significantly enriched independently of that SNP (P = 0.018). OTOS overexpression in HEI-OC1, a mouse auditory cell line, resulted in resistance to cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity. Pathway analysis implicated potassium ion transport (q = 0.007).

Conclusions:

CisIT associated with several neuro-otological symptoms, increased use of psychotropic medication, and poorer health. OTOS, expressed in the cochlear lateral wall, was implicated as protective. Future studies should investigate otoprotective targets in supporting cochlear cells.
Molecular Characterization of Neuroendocrine-like Bladder Cancer
Authors: Batista da Costa José , Gibb Ewan A. , Bivalacqua Trinity J. , Liu Yang , Oo Htoo Zarni , Miyamoto David T. , Alshalalfa Mohammed , Davicioni Elai , Wright Jonathan , Dall’Era Marc A. , Douglas James , Boormans Joost L. , Van der Heijden Michiel S. , Wu Chin-Lee , van Rhijn Bas W.G. , Gupta Shilpa , Grivas Petros , Mouw Kent W. , Murugan Paari , Fazli Ladan , Ra Seong , Konety Badrinath R. , Seiler Roland , Daneshmand Siamak , Mian Omar Y. , Efstathiou Jason A. , Lotan Yair , Black Peter C.
Published: April 2019

Purpose:

Neuroendocrine (NE) bladder carcinoma is a rare and aggressive variant. Molecular subtyping studies have found that 5% to 15% of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) have transcriptomic patterns consistent with NE bladder cancer in the absence of NE histology. The clinical implications of this NE-like subtype have not been explored in depth.

Experimental Design:

Transcriptome-wide expression profiles were generated for MIBC collected from 7 institutions and clinical-use of Decipher Bladder. Using unsupervised clustering, we generated a clustering solution on a prospective training cohort (PTC; n = 175), developed single-sample classifiers to predict NE tumors, and evaluated the resultant models on a testing radical cystectomy (RC) cohort (n = 225). A random forest model was finalized and applied to 5 validation cohorts (n = 1302). Uni- and multivariable survival analyses were used to characterize clinical outcomes.

Results:

In the training cohort (PTC), hierarchical clustering using an 84-gene panel showed a cluster of 8 patients (4.6%) with highly heterogeneous expression of NE markers in the absence of basal or luminal marker expression. NE-like tumors were identified in 1% to 6.6% of cases in validation cohorts. Patients with NE-like tumors had significantly worse 1-year progression-free survival (65% NE-like vs. 82% overall; P = 0.046) and, after adjusting for clinical and pathologic factors, had a 6.4-fold increased risk of all-cause mortality (P = 0.001). IHC confirmed the neuronal character of these tumors.

Conclusions:

A single-patient classifier was developed that identifies patients with histologic urothelial cancer harboring a NE transcriptomic profile. These tumors represent a high-risk subgroup of MIBC, which may require different treatment.
Therapeutic Targeting of Non-oncogene Dependencies in High-risk Neuroblastoma
Authors: Huang Chen-Tsung , Hsieh Chiao-Hui , Lee Wen-Chi , Liu Yen-Lin , Yang Tsai-Shan , Hsu Wen-Ming , Oyang Yen-Jen , Huang Hsuan-Cheng , Juan Hsueh-Fen
Published: April 2019

Purpose:

Neuroblastoma is a pediatric malignancy of the sympathetic nervous system with diverse clinical behaviors. Genomic amplification of MYCN oncogene has been shown to drive neuroblastoma pathogenesis and correlate with aggressive disease, but the survival rates for those high-risk tumors carrying no MYCN amplification remain equally dismal. The paucity of mutations and molecular heterogeneity has hindered the development of targeted therapies for most advanced neuroblastomas. We use an alternative method to identify potential drugs that target nononcogene dependencies in high-risk neuroblastoma.

Experimental Design:

By using a gene expression–based integrative approach, we identified prognostic signatures and potentially effective single agents and drug combinations for high-risk neuroblastoma.

Results:

Among these predictions, we validated in vitro efficacies of some investigational and marketed drugs, of which niclosamide, an anthelmintic drug approved by the FDA, was further investigated in vivo. We also quantified the proteomic changes during niclosamide treatment to pinpoint nucleoside diphosphate kinase 3 (NME3) downregulation as a potential mechanism for its antitumor activity.

Conclusions:

Our results establish a gene expression–based strategy to interrogate cancer biology and inform drug discovery and repositioning for high-risk neuroblastoma.
About Face: Molecular Aberrations in Head and Neck Mucosal Melanomas
Authors: Shoushtari Alexander N.
Published: April 2019

Detailed molecular characterization of a large cohort of mucosal melanomas, most arising from head and neck primaries, suggests that chromosomal translocations and other complex rearrangements have prognostic importance. CDK4 amplification is a frequent event in these rare tumors, and CDK4/6 inhibition may represent a rational clinical trial strategy.

See related article by Zhou et al., p. 3548
Speech Recognition of Cochlear Implant Users Inside a Noisy Helicopter Environment
Authors: Caldeira Juliana Maria Araujo , Goffi-Gomez Maria Valéria Schmidt , Imamura Rui , Bento Ricardo Ferreira
Published: April 2019

In this study, we tested whether the speech recognition, through radio communications, of cochlear implant (CI) users inside a noisy helicopter cockpit is adequate for safe flight. Method: Speech recognition tests (sentences, numbers and disyllables) through a very-high-frequency radio were administered to 12 CI users in a soundproof booth, inside a helicopter with the engine turned off and turned on. Results: In quiet environments, radio communications were impacted only for disyllable intelligibility, but in noisy situations, all tests were affected. Conclusions: CI subjects did not achieve the auditory levels recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Heterochely and laterality in Kingsleya castrensis Pedraza, Martinelli-Filho & Magalhães, 2015 (Decapoda, Pseudothelphusidae)
Authors: Martinelli Filho José E. , Dos Santos Thuareag M. Trindade , Petracco Marcelo , De Lima-Gomes Renata C. , Magalhães Célio U.
Published: April 2019

Crabs of the family Pseudothelphusidae are restricted to the Neotropical region and new species are described every year. They are threatened by habitat loss and knowledge of this family is almost limited to taxonomy and faunal surveys. Here, we investigate the presence of heterochely and laterality in Kingsleya castrensis, as a tool to infer ecological and behavioural aspects. Since most Pseudothelphusidae were described from a few individuals only, some aspects of morphological variation, sexual dimorphism, heterochely and laterality are confirmed herein for the first time for a species of Kingsleya. The sizes of dactylus and propodus of males, as well as the allometric growth of both sides of the chelipeds, were significantly larger and higher, respectively, when compared to females. The right side was significantly longer than the left and both sexes displayed right-handedness. These results are similar to those from other freshwater crab families, and provide a clue to a possible aggressive, display, and territorial behaviour in K. castrensis.
Who is Heidegger’s Hölderlin?
Authors: Bambach Charles
Published: April 2019

The question of Hölderlin’s influence on Heidegger’s thinking has long preoccupied philosophers. In this essay I attempt to situate the Hölderlin-reception in Germany during the 1930s and show how (despite all the strong political currents running through Heidegger’s Hölderlin lectures) he comes to offer his own reflections on poetic dwelling that open an ethical relation within his work. There are deeply ethical moments that emerge in Heidegger’s reading of Hölderlin, moments marked by polarities between an assertion of the German Volk’s exceptionalist singularity and an awareness of the need to authentically encounter the “other,” the “alien,” the “foreign,” and the “stranger.” The Hölderlin lectures take place in this space of contention, strife, and upheaval. In and through his conversation with Hölderlin, Heidegger begins to think an originary ethics of dwelling attuned to the poietic power of beyng. It is in this ethos of poetic dwelling, one that comes to language in Hölderlin’s late hymns, that Heidegger rethinks Dasein as Aufenthalt, abode, and ἦθος.
Scripture as Literature: The Bible, the Qurʾān, and Aḥmad Fāris al-Shidyāq
Authors: Issa Rana
Published: April 2019

This article explores Aḥmad Fāris al-Shidyāq’s treatment of Christian and Islamic dogma in his linguistic and literary works, al-Sāq ʿalā al-sāq fī mā huwa al-Fāryāq and Mumāḥakāt al-taʾwīl fī munāqaḍāt al-injīl, among others. A convert to Islam, al-Shidyāq is a notorious critic of Christian doctrine and scripture. I draw parallels with his Bible critique to show how he thwarts the Qurʾān’s stronghold on the Arabic language. Borrowing from Muʿtazilah doctrines, al-Shidyāq proposes that language is a human creation—and meaning a human relation—and blames Arabic philologists for conflating language with submission to the divine. Through the technique of iqtibās, al-Shidyāq perforates the scriptural authority of the Bible and the Qurʾān by treating them as literary texts. Al-Shidyāq underscores the scriptures as products of the human, and not the divine, mind. His parodic play with iqtibās underscores literary rigor against authoritative discourse. Al-Shidyāq provides us with exquisite examples of how radicalness may be diffused, asserted, curtailed and covered up through word choice as well as conditions of book production, to affect a critique of authority that would long outlast his time.
Caskets of Silver and Ivory from Diverse Parts of the World: Strategic Collecting for an Iberian Treasury
Authors: Martin Therese
Published: April 2019

By focusing on San Isidoro de León in the central Middle Ages, this study investigates the multiple meanings behind the presence of objects from other cultures in a royal-monastic treasury, suggesting a reconsideration of the paths by which such pieces arrived. The development of the Isidoran collection is reexamined through a close analysis of a charter recording the 1063 donation together with early thirteenth-century writings by Lucas of Tuy. Documentary evidence is further weighed against visual analysis and technical studies of several key pieces from the medieval collection. In particular, the Beatitudes Casket (now at the Museo Arqueológico Nacional, Madrid) is singled out to demonstrate how art historical, epigraphic, and historical research come together with carbon-14 testing, revealing that this object was assembled in a very different moment from those traditionally assumed.
Between León and the Levant: The Infanta Sancha’s Altar as Material Evidence for Medieval History
Authors: Jasperse Jitske
Published: April 2019

In the Museo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro in León, Spain, an intriguing portable altar is on display. Its multicolored stone and long inscription detailing the material objects enshrined within invite an analysis of the artwork in terms of materiality and mobility. This article addresses the multiple questions raised by the altar, shifting away from a straightforward interpretation of patronage by Sancha of León-Castilla (ca. 1095–1159), whose name is inscribed on its face. Conceptualizing the altar as a multilayered object that can be placed within Sancha’s network of connections facilitates our understanding of this exotic artifact between León and the Levant.
An Ancient People Struggling to Find a Modern Voice – Experiences of Australia’s Indigenous People with Advisory Bodies
Authors: De Villiers Bertus
Published: April 2019

The Aboriginal People of Australia are arguably the oldest uninterrupted community of indigenous peoples in the world, but they have not yet been heard in the corridors of power. Recently, a proposal arose from Aboriginal People to give them a ‘voice’ that would be elected to give advice to the federal government and promote their rights and interests. Several attempts have been made in the past to create an advisory body for Aboriginal People, but they have all failed. The question considered in this article is what lessons can be learnt from previous failed attempts, and what can be done to ensure the success of the proposed Voice.
The Addis Ababa Integrated Master Plan and the Oromo Claims to Finfinnee in Ethiopia
Authors: Abate Abebe Gizachew
Published: April 2019

In the burgeoning literature on land rights, relatively little attention is offered to urban land grabs and indigenous peoples’ territorial claims. Certainly, the current Addis Ababa master plan and the envisaged land grabs represent both continuity in and change from previous historical episodes of territorialisation. The new master plan is not only a niche where ‘civilization mission’ meets ‘wilderness’ or indigenous peoples are also arenas wherein hegemonies and sovereignties of the earlier period have been challenged by new authority and territorialisation. This article investigates the ethnography of indigenous people-state relations animated by notions of cultural and ethnic difference, legal tradition, power, and history. Framing indigenous peoples land rights in the context of a multidimensional understanding of rights, this analysis focuses on the necessity of protecting the territorial rights of indigenous peoples. From this perspective, this article contributes new knowledge of historical narratives, land claims and current debates around minority rights.
Behavioural responses of caddisfly larvae (Hydropsyche angustipennis) to hypoxia
Authors: van der Geest H.G.
Published: April 2019

The availability of aquatic oxygen can limit habitat suitability for benthic insects, and differences in hypoxia tolerance can therefore play a role in explaining distributions in the field. This study describes a behavioural test in which the trade off between different survival strategies after exposure to different oxygen concentrations is analyzed, using the caddisfly Hydropsyche angustipennis as a model organism. The impedance conversion technique was used to quantify patterns of behaviour for individual caddisflies at three levels of dissolved oxygen (100%, 50%, and 30% saturation) under controlled laboratory conditions. Exposure to hypoxia resulted in behavioural changes: under low-oxygen conditions, larvae increased their ventilation rate, which may increase oxygen uptake. However, they also increased the time spent on other activities, which may reflect avoidance behaviour.
The phylogeny of crested newts (Triturus cristatus superspecies): nuclear and mitochondrial genetic characters suggest a hard polytomy, in line with the paleogeography of the centre of origin
Authors: Arntzen J.W. , Espregueira Themudo G. , Wielstra B.
Published: April 2019

Newts of the genus Triturus (Amphibia, Caudata, Salamandridae) are distributed across Europe and adjacent Asia. In spite of its prominence as a model system for evolutionary research, the phylogeny of Triturus has remained incompletely solved. Our aim was to rectify this situation, to which we employed nuclear encoded proteins (40 loci) and mitochondrial DNA-sequence data (mtDNA, 642 bp of the ND4 gene). We sampled up to four populations per species covering large parts of their ranges. Allozyme and mtDNA data were analyzed separately with parsimony, distance, likelihood and Bayesian methods of phylogenetic inference. Existing knowledge on taxonomic relationships was confirmed, including the monophyly of the genus and the groups of crested newts (four species) and marbled newts (two species). The genetic coherence of species and subspecies was also confirmed, but not always with high statistical support (depending on taxon, characters under consideration, and method of inference). In spite of our efforts we did not obtain sufficient phylogenetic signal to prefer one out of twelve potential topologies representing crested newts relationships. We hypothesize that the lack of phylogenetic resolution reflects a hard polytomy and represents the (near)-simultaneous origin of crested newt species. Using a calibration point of 24 Ma (million years before present) for the most recent common ancestor of Triturus-species, the crested newt radiation event is dated at 7-6 Ma (scenario 1) or at 11-10 Ma (scenario 2), depending on the application of an allozyme versus mtDNA molecular clock. The first biogeographical scenario involves the spread of crested newts from the central Balkans into four compass directions. This scenario cannot be brought into line with potential vicariance events for south-eastern Europe. The second scenario involves the more or less simultaneous origin of four species of crested newts through large-scale vicariance events and is supported by the paleogeographical reconstruction for the region at the end of the Middle Miocene. The subspecies Triturus carnifex macedonicus carries in one large area the mtDNA that is typical for the neighbouring species T. karelinii, which is attributed to introgression and a recent range shift. It is nevertheless a long distinct evolutionary lineage and we propose to elevate its taxonomic status to that of a species, i.e., from Triturus c. macedonicus (Karaman, 1922) to Triturus macedonicus (Karaman, 1922).
Mitochondrial and morphological differentiation in a previously unrecognized radiation of the land snail genus Parachloritis Ehrmann, 1912 on Timor (Pulmonata: Camaenidae)
Authors: Köhler Frank , Kessner Vince
Published: April 2019

The present work revises the taxonomy of one group of camaenid gastropods from Timor-Leste based on the study of a large number of recently collected ethanol preserved samples as well as historic museum material, including types. By employing comparative analyses of the variation in morphological features (shell, penial anatomy) and the differentiation in mitochondrial DNA sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (COI) and the 16S rDNA (16S), altogether nineteen species are recognized from Timor-Leste and adjacent areas in the Lesser Sunda and Moluccas, such as West-Timor, Adonara, Leti and Sermata Islands (Indonesia). Four of these species were described previously and have mostly been placed within the genus Chloritis Beck, 1837 in the few historic treatments available. Fifteen species found to be new are formally described. In contrast to the previous taxonomic treatment, placement in the genus Parachloritis Ehrmann, 1912 is proposed on grounds of comparative shell morphology. Molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that all examined species form a monophyletic group, which encompasses diverse shell forms. While most species have shells of the general chloritid type, which are of little taxonomic utility, highly distinct shell morphs (trochoid shells, dwarf forms) have originated within this radiation in independent lineages. Morphological change has occurred in some taxonomic lineages while the bulk of Parachloritis species has maintained an ancestral shell phenotype. This phenotypic stasis is attributed to stabilizing selection in species, which have maintained associations with ancestral habitats, while distinct shell forms have evolved as result of habitat shifts. Consequently, purely shellbased taxonomies are prone to errors due to misjudging the significance of shell characters. While some Parachloritis species uncovered here were found to be narrowly endemic, others had wide distributions that include more than one island. Narrow range endemism was predominantly found in dwarf species and in species that live in high altitudes.
Reproductive system and spermatozoa ultrastructure support the phylogenetic proximity of Megadasys and Crasiella (Gastrotricha, Macrodasyida)
Authors: Guidi Loretta , Antonio Todaro M. , Ferraguti Marco , Balsamo Maria
Published: April 2019

The reproductive system and the spermatozoon of Megadasys sterreri from Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain) were studied at structural and ultrastructural levels. The species is a simultaneous hermaphrodite with cross-fertilization and shows paired gonads, the male anterior and the female posterior, and both gametes mature in a caudo-cephalic direction. Sperm ducts converge on the midline and open into a ventral common pore. Two sexual accessory organs are present in the caudal trunk. A pipe-like frontal organ lies between the ovaries and the caudal organ, and is composed of a long, thin region connected to a large zone containing mature and degenerating spermatozoa. The cigar-like caudal organ is elongate, bulky and is made of an anterior glandulo-muscular region and a posterior muscular one. Spermatozoa are long, filiform cells formed by an acrosome, a nucleus-mitochondrial complex, and a flagellum. The long acrosome is composed of an apical twisted region and a basal straight region. The nucleo-mitochondrial complex is formed by a spring-shaped nucleus surrounding basally the mitochondrion and apically a granular material. The flagellum has a 9x2+2 axoneme, characterized by a dense and prominent central sheath surrounding the central tubules. Megadasys sterreri (Cephalodasyidae) shows the same reproductive layout as Crasiella (Planodasyidae): paired gonads, caudo-cephalic maturation of gametes, sperm ducts converging into a common ventral pore, and two sexual accessory organs. Also the spermatozoa ultrastructure shows two similarities in the two genera: a peculiar prominent central sheath in the axoneme and a similar structure of the basal region of the acrosome. Considering the likely polyphyletic nature of the family Cephalodasyidae, and the sister- taxon relationship of Megadasys and Crasiella that emerged from a recent molecular phylogenetic study, a close relationship between the two taxa appears to be very likely; consequently, we propose to remove Megadasys from the family Cephalodasyidae and affiliate it to the family Planodasyidae.
Anatomical and morphometric analysis of a new species of Leitoscoloplos (Annelida: Orbiniidae) with numerous stomach papillae, from the Gulf of California, Eastern Pacific
Authors: Hernández-Alcántara Pablo , Solís-Weiss Vivianne
Published: April 2019

The morphological and morphometric analyses of 88 orbiniids from the continental shelf of the Gulf of California lacking thoracic neuropodial hooks confirmed that a new species, Leitoscoloplos multipapillatus, described herein, is present along with Leitoscoloplos panamensis (Monro. 1933), already recorded there. The new species is closely related to L. panamensis, but can be clearly separated from this, and all other species of Leitoscoloplos, by the unique presence of up to 14 stomach papillae per chaetiger. A third taxon was identified, Leitoscoloplos sp., which is morphologically indistinguishable from L. panamensis, except for the presence of 1-2 stomach papillae on 1-2 segments, a feature that although important was not considered significant enough to erect a new species. Morphometric analyses between the closely related species, L. panamensis (including its type material) and L. multipapillatus sp. nov., in addition to Leitoscoloplos sp., were used to verify the new species. The generic diagnosis is emended to include species with numerous stomach papillae. Anatomical examination of these species was carried out with SEM to illustrate their characteristic features and corroborate the presence of capillary chaetae only along the thorax of the analysed specimens, as well as the unusual occurrence of stomach papillae.
Defensive enrolment in mantis shrimp larvae (Malacostraca: Stomatopoda)
Authors: Haug Carolin , Haug Joachim T.
Published: April 2019

We describe a possible new defensive behaviour of larval stages of mantis shrimps (Stomatopoda). Mantis shrimp larvae are rarely observed in nature, thus the study is based on postures of museum material and functional morphological aspects. Specimens described here are tightly enrolled, their pleon is bent forward, and the telson is locked into the frontal margin of the shield. This margin has two lobes into which the two posterolateral spines of the telson fit. The shield shows further adaptions to enrolment; e.g., the ventral gape of the shield perfectly matches the width of the pleon and leaves no major gaps when the pleon is bent forward. Based on these observations, we briefly discuss the possibilities to infer behavioural aspects from functional morphological aspects. Enrolment in modern day organisms is primarily known from terrestrial arthropods, e.g., pill bugs and pill millipedes, but in the Palaeozoic it was mainly performed by marine organisms such as trilobites, agnostines and their relatives. Stomatopod larvae that appear to be able to perform enrolling in a marine environment are therefore a potential functional equivalent for better understanding the functional aspects of enrolment in extinct marine arthropods.
When forms meet genes: revision of the scleractinian genera Micromussa and Homophyllia (Lobophylliidae) with a description of two new species and one new genus
Authors: Arrigoni Roberto , Benzoni Francesca , Huang Danwei , Fukami Hironobu , Chen Chaolun Allen , Berumen Michael L. , Hoogenboom Mia , Thomson Damian P. , Hoeksema Bert W. , Budd Ann F. , Zayasu Yuna , Terraneo Tullia I. , Kitano Yuko F. , Baird Andrew H.
Published: April 2019

The scleractinian family Lobophylliidae is undergoing a major taxonomic revision thanks to the combination of molecular and morphological data. In this study, we investigate the evolutionary relationships and the macro- and micromorphology of six nominal coral species belonging to two of the nine molecular clades of the Lobophylliidae, clades A and B, and of Symphyllia wilsoni, a lobophylliid species analyzed from a molecular point of view for the first time. Sequence data from mitochondrial DNA (COI and the intergenic spacer between COI and l-rRNA), and nuclear DNA (histone H3 and ITS region) are used to generate robust molecular phylogenies and a median-joining haplotype network. Molecular results are strongly in agreement with detailed observations of gross- and fine-scale morphology of skeletons, leading to the formal revision of the genera Micromussa and Homophyllia and the description of two newly discovered zooxanthellate shallow-water species, Micromussa pacifica sp. nov. Benzoni & Arrigoni and Micromussa indiana sp. nov. Benzoni & Arrigoni, and a new genus, Australophyllia gen. nov. Benzoni & Arrigoni. In particular, Acanthastrea lordhowensis and Montastraea multipunctata are moved into Micromussa, A. hillae is synonymized with A. bowerbanki and is transferred to Homophyllia, and a revised diagnosis for both genera is provided. Micromussa pacifica sp. nov. is described from the Gambier Islands with its distribution spanning New Caledonia and eastern Australia. Despite a superficial resemblance with Homophyllia australis, it has distinctive macroand micromorphological septal features. Micromussa indiana sp. nov., previously identified as M. amakusensis, is here described from the Gulf of Aden and the southern Red Sea as a distinct species that is genetically separated from M. amakusensis and is morphologically distinct from the latter due to its smaller corallite size and lower number of septa. Finally, molecular trees show that S. wilsoni is closely related, but molecularly separated from clades A and B, and, also based on a unique combination of corallite and sub-corallite characters, the species is moved into Australophyllia gen. nov. These findings confirm the need for using both genetic and morphological datasets for the ongoing taxonomic revision of
scleractinian corals.
Spatial and temporal divergence of the torquatus species group of the subterranean rodent Ctenomys
Authors: Caraballo D. A. , Rossi M. S.
Published: April 2019

Subterranean rodents of the genus Ctenomys have experienced an explosive radiation and rapidly colonized the southern cone of South America. The torquatus group, one of the main groups of the genus, comprises several species and species complexes which inhabit the eastern part of the distribution of Ctenomys including southern Brazil, northern and central Uruguay and north-eastern Argentina. This group has undergone a high chromosomal diversification with diploid numbers varying from 41 to 70. The aim of this study was to investigate the origins of the torquatus group as well as its diversification patterns in relation to geography and cladogenesis. Based on mitochondrial cytochrome b nucleotide sequences we conducted a Bayesian multi-calibrated relaxed clock analysis to estimate the ages of the torquatus group and its main lineages. Using the estimated evolutionary rate we performed a continuous phylogeographic analysis, using a relaxed random walk model to reconstruct the geographic diffusion of the torquatus group in a temporal frame. The torquatus group originated during the early Pleistocene between 1.25 and 2.32 million years from the present in a region that includes the northwest of Uruguay and the southeast of the Brazilian state of Río Grande do Sul. Most lineages have dispersed early towards their present distribution areas going through subsequent range expansions in the last 800,000 – 700,000 years. Ctenomys torquatus went through a rapid range expansion for the last 200,000 years, becoming the most widespread species of the group. The colonization of the Corrientes and Entre Ríos Argentinean provinces supposes at least two crossing events across the Uruguay River between 1.0 and 0.5 million years before the present, in the context of a cold and dry paleoenvironment. The resulting temporal and geographic frame enables the comprehension of the incidence of both, the amplitude of distribution areas and divergence times into the patterns of chromosomal diversification found in the group.
Impact of errors on cladistic inference: simulation-based comparison between parsimony and three-taxon analysis
Authors: Rineau Valentin , i Bagils René Zaragüeta , Laurin Michel
Published: April 2019

Simulation-based and experimental studies are crucial to produce factual arguments to solve theoretical and methodological debates in phylogenetics. However, despite the large number of works that tested the relative efficiency of phylogenetic methods with various evolutionary models, the capacity of methods to manage various sources of error and homoplasy has almost never been studied. By applying ordered and unordered methods to datasets with iterative addition of errors in the ordering scheme, we show that unordered coding in parsimony is not a more cautious option. A second debate concerns how to handle reversals, especially when they are regarded as possible synapomorphies. By comparing analyses of reversible and irreversible characters, we show empirically that three-taxon analysis (3ta) manages reversals better than parsimony. For Brownian motion data, we highlight that 3ta is also more efficient than parsimony in managing random errors, which might result from taphonomic problems or any homoplasy generating events that do not follow the dichotomy reversal/ convergence, such as lateral gene transfer. We show parsimony to be more efficient with numerous character states (more than four), and 3ta to be more efficient with binary characters, both methods being equally efficient with four states per character. We finally compare methods using two empirical cases of known evolution.
Molecular and anatomical analyses reveal that Peronia verruculata (Gastropoda: Onchidiidae) is a cryptic species complex
Authors: Chang Jia Jin Marc , Tay Ywee Chieh , Ang Hui Ping , Tun Karenne Phyu Phyu , Chou Loke Ming , Meier Rudolf , Huang Danwei
Published: April 2019

Recent years have seen an increase in the number of studies that use DNA sequence information in addition to morphological methods, as the latter alone can be inadequate for morphologically similar, cryptic species. Marine onchidiid slugs (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Onchidiidae), which commonly inhabit intertidal environments and have a near-global distribution, comprise 11 genera and 86 described species. Singapore has 19 recorded species of onchidiids with Peronia verruculata (Cuvier, 1830) being the most abundant. Here we present mitochondrial DNA sequence data from 63 P. verruculata-like specimens to show that they constitute two closely-related clades with distinct sequence signatures and a clear barcode gap. Intraclade distances are 0–1.8% while interclade distances range from 4.7 to 6.0%. Scanning electron microscopy of internal copulation organs reveals that the two clades have distinct penial and accessory gland spine structures, which also differ in size. Using an integrative taxonomic approach, we propose that what was initially thought to be P. verruculata in Singapore, actually are two different species of Peronia.
Morphological and molecular characters to describe a marbled newt hybrid zone in the Iberian peninsula
Authors: Arntzen Jan W.
Published: April 2019

I document the contiguous distribution of the marbled newt species Triturus marmoratus and T. pygmaeus over the western part of the Iberian peninsula with a suite of morphological and molecular genetic data from altogether 141 populations. Morphological characters that identify the species are body size and the colour pattern character ‘Links’. Links is the number of transversal connections following the green surface at the lateral sides of the newts’ body. Large adults with few Links are T. marmoratus and small adults with many Links are T. pygmaeus. However, no morphological identification criterion is entirely adequate. Eight molecular genetic markers show markedly bimodal character state distributions that give rise to sharp species range descriptions, with T. marmoratus in the north of the Iberian peninsula and T. pygmaeus in the south and along most of the Atlantic coast of Portugal. I encountered ten genetically admixed populations that are all located at the T. marmoratus - T. pygmaeus species range interface, suggesting widespread but limited interspecific hybridization. A latitudinal transect across Portugal confirmed the narrow and steep transition from one to the other species for morphological and molecular characters alike. In central Portugal the position of the hybrid zone coincides with the river Tejo. However, the cline for mitochondrial DNA is relatively wide and shallow and its centre is positioned south of the river. In view of published data that reconstruct the northward advance of T. pygmaeus along the Portuguese coast at the expense of T. marmoratus, I propose that T. marmoratus had a wider range in central Portugal too, where it was eventually superseded by T. pygmaeus. I hypothesize that ‘marmoratus’ mtDNA haplotypes found south of the Tejo constitute a ‘genetic footprint’ left behind in T. pygmaeus by the receding species T. marmoratus.
Molecular phylogeny of Parabathynellidae (Crustacea, Bathynellacea), and three new species from Thai caves
Authors: Camacho Ana I. , Mas-Peinado Paloma , Watiroyram Santi , Brancelj Anton , Bandari Elia , Dorda Beatriz A. , Casado Adrián , Rey Isabel
Published: April 2019

A preliminary molecular phylogenetic framework for 12 genera (23 species) of the family Parabathynellidae from Europe, Australia, North Africa and India is presented based on mitochondrial and nuclear markers (Cox1 and 18S). The generated hypothesis places the Southeast Asia genus Paraeobathynella closer to European genera (Iberobathynella, Paraiberobathynella and Parabathynella) than to the Australian (Brevisomabathynella, Atopobathynella, Billibathynella, Octobathynella, Arkaroolabathynella and Lockyerenella) or Indian genera (Habrobathynella), or to the cosmopolitan genus Hexabathynella (Spain and Australia). Three new species of the genus Paraeobathynella from Thailand, P. ratensis n. sp., P. siamensis n. sp. and P. hanjavanitiana n. sp., are described based on morphological and molecular features. This is the first record of the genus from Thailand and extends its range of distribution within Asia, where it was previously known only from Vietnam. The new species are clearly separated as independent units at least since the Middle Miocene.
Insularity induces changes on body and mandible morphology in a Mediterranean population of the greater white-toothed shrew Crocidura russula (Hermann, 1780)
Authors: Sánchez-Chardi Alejandro , García-Pando Marian , Pujol-Buxó Eudald , Sans-Fuentes Maria A. , López-Fuster María José , Muñoz-Muñoz Francesc
Published: April 2019

Island populations of terrestrial mammals often undergo extensive behavioural and morphological changes when separated from mainland populations. Within small mammals these changes have been mainly reported in rodents but were poorly assessed in soricomorphs. In this study we compared mandible morphology and body condition between mainland and island populations of the greater white-toothed shrew, Crocidura russula. The results indicated that island specimens were bigger and heavier than the mainland counterpart, and they showed changes in mandible shape that were associated with higher mechanical potentials. We suggest that these changes might be the result of the interaction of two main factors taking place in the island population: ecological release (i.e. the decrease of predation and interspecific competition), and consequently the increase of intraspecific competition. While the increase in size and body condition in island shrews could be a direct result from reduced predation and interspecific competition, the changes in mandible shape and the increase of both mechanical potential and sexual dimorphism could have arisen indirectly as a response to stronger intraspecific competition.
The stoloniferous octocoral, Hanabira yukibana, gen. nov., sp. nov., of the southern Ryukyus has morphological and symbiont variation
Authors: Lau Yee Wah , Stokvis Frank R. , Imahara Yukimitsu , Reimer James D.
Published: April 2019

Stoloniferan octocorals (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Octocorallia: Alcyonacea) are a relatively unexplored fauna in the Ryukyus (southern Japan), known to be a tropical marine region of high biodiversity and endemism of species. Specimens of stoloniferous octocorals were collected during fieldwork along the coasts of two islands (Okinawa and Iriomote) in the Okinawa Prefecture. Despite their phenotypic polyp variation, this study shows their morphological and molecular uniqueness, leading to the description of a new genus with a single species: Hanabira yukibana, gen. nov., sp. nov. They are placed within the Clavulariidae and form a sister clade basally to the genus Knopia
Alderslade & McFadden, 2007 and species of Clavularia Blainville, 1830. The polyps of this new species show morphological variation in both shape and sclerite density, but there is conformity in the typical overall petal shaped tentacles, which have fused pinnules (pseudopinnules). Depending on the densities of their sclerites and their photosynthetic endosymbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) of the family Symbiodiniaceae, there is a characteristic sheen present in the tentacles. Moreover, the zooxanthellae hosted by our specimens form a clear, small-scale biogeographic pattern; all H. yukibana specimens from Okinawa Island contained zooxanthellae of the genus Cladocopium Lajeunesse & H.J. Jeong, 2018 (= former Symbiodinium ‘Clade C’) and all specimens from Iriomote Island hosted zooxanthellae of the genus Durusdinium LaJeunesse, 2018 (= former Symbiodinium ‘Clade D’). These results show the potential for variation among the Symbiodiniaceae floras within octocorals, something that has not yet been investigated for the large majority of zooxanthellate octocoral species.
Economic Policy in Post-Soviet Russia in Historical Context
Authors: Lukin Alexander , Lukin Pavel
Published: April 2019

The article analyzes post-Soviet economic policy in the light of the previous periods of the Russian economic history. The authors find a striking similarity between the measures proposed by modern Russian economic liberals – as well as their consequences – and the actions taken by the Russian authorities during much earlier periods. They explain these similarities with the fact that “Western” terms can mean something very different in the context of a non-Western culture, phenomena and institutions with the same names in different types of societies can differ fundamentally and perform different functions. Furthermore, “Westernization” can be a purely superficial process intended more for show than for substance.

By applying the methodology of substantivism which stresses the fundamental differences between economies based on gifts (reciprocity), redistribution, and exchange (market), they argue that Russia’s economy differs significantly from that of the countries of Western Europe and, in the typological sense, is closer to such European countries as Bulgaria, Albania, Romania, and Serbia. For this reason, similar measures of economic policy applied in Western Europe and Russia bring different results.
The Policy of Russifying in Late Imperial Russia and its Failure
Authors: Mironov Boris N.
Published: April 2019

After the Great Reforms of the 1860s – 1870s the Russian government embarked on the construction of a modern nation-state and was faced with the need to unify all parts of the empire administratively, culturally, legally, and socially. The new ethno-confessional policy in Russian historiography is often called Russification because the order established after the Great Reforms in the Great Russian provinces served as a model for the transformation of all parts of the empire. The Russification policy included many aspects, including Russifying [obrusenie] - the introduction of the Russian language as obligatory in the record keeping of public institutions, in court and administration, in education and everyday life. While the policy of Russifying has found ample reflection in the historiography, its results have been insufficiently studied. The purpose of this article is to fill this gap and to try to assess the process of Russifying ethnic minorities at the imperial level, drawing upon the first general census of the Russian Empire in 1897. The analysis has led to the conclusion that the policy of Russifying did not provide the expected results.
How Social are New and Social Media for National Minorities? Perspectives from the FCNM
Authors: Kostić Bojana , McGonagle Tarlach
Published: April 2019

Understanding the transformation of digital communication gives important insights into how new media, including social media, affect the ability of persons belonging to national minorities to exercise their rights to freedom of expression and participation in society. Thus, the new media ecosystem calls for greater attention for minority-related issues. The Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (ACFC) has already observed that the media ecosystem is increasingly used for the expression of intolerance and hostility towards minorities, but that it also provides them with valuable expressive opportunities. This article starts with an analysis of how the advent and growing dominance of social media are causing farreaching changes in how we communicate in the new media ecosystem. The potential and drawbacks of new and social media for national minorities is the next focus. The article then analyses the ACFC’s monitoring work regarding new and social media. The article’s conclusions are supplemented by a set of recommendations that may guide the ACFC’s future monitoring work on relevant issues.