bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Viability Assessment ofGenipa americanaL. (Rubiaceae) Embryonic Axes after Cryopreservation UsingIn VitroCulture
Authors: Santos Izulmé Rita Imaculada , Salomão Antonieta Nassif
Published: April 2016

Embryonic axes excised from seeds ofGenipa americanaL. desiccated to different water contents were successfully cryopreserved by rapidly plunging seed samples directly into liquid nitrogen. Control and cryopreserved embryonic axes were excised and grown in WPM culture medium for viability assessment. All control embryonic axes (−LN2) excised from fully hydrated seeds (43.89% moisture content) germinated after 21 days of culturein vitro. These high germination percentages persisted even after the water content of the seeds was as low as 6.79%. After freezing in liquid nitrogen high germination percentages, 93%, 96%, and 93%, were observed for embryonic axes excised from seeds dehydrated to 13.26%, 9.57%, and 6.79 moisture content, respectively. The cryopreservation technique described here is recommended for long term conservation ofG. americanagermplasm.
Botulinum Toxin A for the Treatment of a Child with SUNCT Syndrome
Authors: Zhang Yi , Zhang Haifeng , Lian Ya-Jun , Ma Yun-Qing , Xie Nan-Chang , Cheng Xuan , Zhang Lu
Published: April 2016

Background.Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT) syndrome is an unusual cause of headache, mainly described in older adults, and is rare in children. Pain attacks may be severe, frequent, and prolonged. The therapeutic benefits of many drugs are disappointing.Patient and Methods.A 12-year-old boy suffered severe headache and toothache for 20 days. As treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anticonvulsants, and steroids proved ineffective, he was treated with ipsilateral multisite subcutaneous injections of botulinum toxin A 70 U around the orbit, the temporal area, and the upper gum.Results.The pain had reduced in frequency and severity by the fourth day after treatment and had completely disappeared after 7 days. There were no side effects or recurrence during a subsequent 17-month follow-up period.Conclusion.Botulinum toxin A can be used to treat the first episode of SUNCT in children over the age of 12 years.
Interleukin-2/Anti-Interleukin-2 Immune Complex Attenuates Cardiac Remodeling after Myocardial Infarction through Expansion of Regulatory T Cells
Authors: Zeng Zhipeng , Yu Kunwu , Chen Long , Li Weihua , Xiao Hong , Huang Zhengrong
Published: April 2016

CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg cells) have protective effects in wound healing and adverse ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI). We hypothesize that the interleukin- (IL-) 2 complex comprising the recombinant mouse IL-2/anti-IL-2 mAb (JES6-1) attenuates cardiac remodeling after MI through the expansion of Treg. Mice were subjected to surgical left anterior descending coronary artery ligation and treated with either PBS or IL-2 complex. The IL-2 complex significantly attenuates ventricular remodeling, as demonstrated by reduced infarct size, improved left ventricular (LV) function, and attenuated cardiomyocyte apoptosis. The IL-2 complex increased the percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cells, which may be recruited to the infarcted heart, and decreased the frequencies of IFN-γ- and IL-17-producing CD4+ T helper (Th) cells among the CD4+Foxp3− T cells in the spleen. Furthermore, the IL-2 complex inhibited the gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines as well as macrophage infiltrates in the infarcted myocardium and induced the differentiation of macrophages from M1 to M2 phenotype in border zone of infarcted myocardium. Our studies indicate that the IL-2 complex may serve as a promising therapeutic approach to attenuate adverse remodeling after MI through expanding Treg cells specifically.
An Extraordinary Cause of the Sucking Difficulty: Ecthyma Gangrenosum
Authors: Ceylan Nesrin , Demir Nihat , Kocaman Selami , Peker Erdal , Tuncer Oğuz
Published: April 2016

Ecthyma gangrenosum is a cutaneous lesion often associated with pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia, even though it may develop without bacteremia and may originate from other bacterial and fungal organisms. Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia or sepsis, which mainly affects immunocompromised patients, frequently occurs in hospitals. This lesion typically occurs on the extremities and gluteal and perineal regions. In this report we present a case of ecthyma gangrenosum in a premature newborn occurring secondary to pseudomonas sepsis causing sucking dysfunction due to tissue loss in the lip, soft palate, and tongue.
Immunoregulatory Protein B7-H3 Reprograms Glucose Metabolism in Cancer Cells by ROS-Mediated Stabilization of HIF1α
Authors: Lim Sangbin , Liu Hao , da Silva Luciana Madeira , Arora Ritu , Liu Zixing , Phillips Joshua B. , Schmitt David C. , Vu Tung , McClellan Steven , Lin Yifeng , Lin Wensheng , Piazza Gary A. , Fodstad Oystein , Tan Ming
Published: April 2016

B7-H3 is a member of B7 family of immunoregulatory transmembrane glycoproteins expressed by T cells. While B7-H3 overexpression is associated with poor outcomes in multiple cancers, it also has immune-independent roles outside T cells and its precise mechanistic contributions to cancer are unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of B7-H3 in metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. We found that B7-H3 promoted the Warburg effect, evidenced by increased glucose uptake and lactate production in B7-H3–expressing cells. B7-H3 also increased the protein levels of HIF1α and its downstream targets, LDHA and PDK1, key enzymes in the glycolytic pathway. Furthermore, B7-H3 promoted reactive oxygen species–dependent stabilization of HIF1α by suppressing the activity of the stress-activated transcription factor Nrf2 and its target genes, including the antioxidants SOD1, SOD2, and PRX3. Metabolic imaging of human breast cancer xenografts in mice confirmed that B7-H3 enhanced tumor glucose uptake and tumor growth. Together, our results illuminate the critical immune-independent contributions of B7-H3 to cancer metabolism, presenting a radically new perspective on B7 family immunoregulatory proteins in malignant progression. Cancer Res; 76(8); 2231–42. ©2016 AACR.
Combined Inhibition of DNMT and HDAC Blocks the Tumorigenicity of Cancer Stem-like Cells and Attenuates Mammary Tumor Growth
Authors: Pathania Rajneesh , Ramachandran Sabarish , Mariappan Gurusamy , Thakur Priyanka , Shi Huidong , Choi Jeong-Hyeon , Manicassamy Santhakumar , Kolhe Ravindra , Prasad Puttur D. , Sharma Suash , Lokeshwar Bal L. , Ganapathy Vadivel , Thangaraju Muthusamy
Published: April 2016

Recently, impressive technical advancements have been made in the isolation and validation of mammary stem cells and cancer stem cells (CSC), but the signaling pathways that regulate stem cell self-renewal are largely unknown. Furthermore, CSCs are believed to contribute to chemo- and radioresistance. In this study, we used the MMTV-Neu-Tg mouse mammary tumor model to identify potential new strategies for eliminating CSCs. We found that both luminal progenitor and basal stem cells are susceptible to genetic and epigenetic modifications, which facilitate oncogenic transformation and tumorigenic potential. A combination of the DNMT inhibitor 5-azacytidine and the HDAC inhibitor butyrate markedly reduced CSC abundance and increased the overall survival in this mouse model. RNA-seq analysis of CSCs treated with 5-azacytidine plus butyrate provided evidence that inhibition of chromatin modifiers blocks growth-promoting signaling molecules such as RAD51AP1 and SPC25, which play key roles in DNA damage repair and kinetochore assembly. Moreover, RAD51AP1 and SPC25 were significantly overexpressed in human breast tumor tissues and were associated with reduced overall patient survival. In conclusion, our studies suggest that breast CSCs are intrinsically sensitive to genetic and epigenetic modifications and can therefore be significantly affected by epigenetic-based therapies, warranting further investigation of combined DNMT and HDAC inhibition in refractory or drug-resistant breast cancer. Cancer Res; 76(11); 3224–35. ©2016 AACR.
Ribosomal Protein Rpl22 Controls the Dissemination of T-cell Lymphoma
Authors: Rao Shuyun , Cai Kathy Q. , Stadanlick Jason E. , Greenberg-Kushnir Noa , Solanki-Patel Nehal , Lee Sang-Yun , Fahl Shawn P. , Testa Joseph R. , Wiest David L.
Published: April 2016

Mutations in ribosomal proteins cause bone marrow failure syndromes associated with increased cancer risk, but the basis by which they do so remains unclear. We reported previously that the ribosomal protein Rpl22 is a tumor suppressor in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (T-ALL), and that loss of just one Rpl22 allele accelerates T-cell lymphomagenesis by activating NF-κB and inducing the stem cell factor Lin28B. Here, we show that, paradoxically, loss of both alleles of Rpl22 restricts lymphoma progression through a distinct effect on migration of malignant cells out of the thymus. Lymphoma-prone AKT2-transgenic or PTEN-deficient mice on an Rpl22−/− background developed significantly larger and markedly more vascularized thymic tumors than those observed in Rpl22+/+ control mice. But, unlike Rpl22+/+ or Rpl22+/− tumors, Rpl22−/− lymphomas did not disseminate to the periphery and were retained in the thymus. We traced the defect in the Rpl22−/− lymphoma migratory capacity to downregulation of the KLF2 transcription factor and its targets, including the key migratory factor sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1). Indeed, reexpression of S1PR1 in Rpl22-deficient tumor cells restores their migratory capacity in vitro. The regulation of KLF2 and S1PR1 by Rpl22 appears to be proximal as Rpl22 reexpression in Rpl22-deficient lymphoma cells restores expression of KLF2 and S1P1R, while Rpl22 knockdown in Rpl22-sufficient lymphomas attenuates their expression. Collectively, these data reveal that, while loss of one copy of Rpl22 promotes lymphomagenesis and disseminated disease, loss of both copies impairs responsiveness to migratory cues and restricts malignant cells to the thymus. Cancer Res; 76(11); 3387–96. ©2016 AACR.
A Novel Plant Sesquiterpene Lactone Derivative, DETD-35, Suppresses BRAFV600E Mutant Melanoma Growth and Overcomes Acquired Vemurafenib Resistance in Mice
Authors: Feng Jia-Hua , Nakagawa-Goto Kyoko , Lee Kuo-Hsiung , Shyur Lie-Fen
Published: April 2016

Acquired resistance to vemurafenib develops through reactivation of RAF/MEK/ERK signaling or bypass mechanisms. Recent combination therapies such as a MEK inhibitor combined with vemurafenib show improvement in major clinical end points, but the percentage of patients with adverse toxic events is higher than with vemurafenib monotherapy and most patients ultimately relapse. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new antimelanoma drugs and/or adjuvant agents for vemurafenib therapy. In this study, we created a novel semiorganically modified derivative, DETD-35, from deoxyelephantopin (DET), a plant sesquiterpene lactone demonstrated as an anti-inflammatory and anti–mammary tumor agent. Our results show that DETD-35 inhibited proliferation of a panel of melanoma cell lines, including acquired vemurafenib resistance A375 cells (A375-R) established in this study, with superior activities to DET and no cytotoxicity to normal melanocytes. DETD-35 suppressed tumor growth and reduced tumor mass as effectively as vemurafenib in A375 xenograft study. Furthermore, DETD-35 also reduced tumor growth in both acquired (A375-R) and intrinsic (A2058) vemurafenib resistance xenograft models, where vemurafenib showed no antitumor activity. Notably, the combination of DETD-35 and vemurafenib exhibited the most significant effects in both in vitro and in vivo xenograft studies due to synergism of the compound and the drug. Mechanistic studies suggested that DETD-35 overcame acquired vemurafenib resistance at least in part through deregulating MEK-ERK, Akt, and STAT3 signaling pathways and promoting apoptosis of cancer cells. Overall, our results suggest that DETD-35 may be useful as a therapeutic or adjuvant agent against BRAFV600E mutant and acquired vemurafenib resistance melanoma. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(6); 1163–76. ©2016 AACR.
Burden of Systolic and Diastolic Left Ventricular Dysfunction Among Hispanics in the United States
Authors: Mehta Hardik , Armstrong Anderson , Swett Katrina , Shah Sanjiv J. , Allison Matthew A. , Hurwitz Barry , Bangdiwala Shrikant , Dadhania Rupal , Kitzman Dalane W. , Arguelles William , Lima Joao , Youngblood Marston , Schneiderman Neil , Daviglus Martha L. , Spevack Daniel , Talavera Greg A. , Raisinghani Ajit , Kaplan Robert , Rodriguez Carlos J.
Published: April 2016

Background—

Population-based estimates of cardiac dysfunction and clinical heart failure (HF) remain undefined among Hispanics/Latino adults.

Methods and Results—

Participants of Hispanic/Latino origin across the United States aged 45 to 74 years were enrolled into the Echocardiographic Study of Latinos (ECHO-SOL) and underwent a comprehensive echocardiography examination to define left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD). Clinical HF was defined according to self-report, and those with cardiac dysfunction but without clinical HF were characterized as having subclinical or unrecognized cardiac dysfunction. Of 1818 ECHO-SOL participants (mean age 56.4 years; 42.6% male), 49.7% had LVSD or LVDD or both. LVSD prevalence was 3.6%, whereas LVDD was detected in 50.3%. Participants with LVSD were more likely to be males and current smokers (all
P
<0.05). Female sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, higher body mass index, and renal dysfunction were more common among those with LVDD (all
P
<0.05). In age–sex adjusted models, individuals of Central American and Cuban backgrounds were almost 2-fold more likely to have LVDD compared with those of Mexican backgrounds. Prevalence of clinical HF with LVSD (HF with reduced EF) was 7.3%; prevalence of clinical HF with LVDD (HF with preserved EF) was 3.6%. 96.1% of the cardiac dysfunction seen was subclinical or unrecognized. Compared with those with clinical cardiac dysfunction, prevalent coronary heart disease was the only factor independently associated with subclinical or unrecognized cardiac dysfunction (odds ratio: 0.1; 95% confidence interval: 0.1–0.4).

Conclusions—

Among Hispanics/Latinos, most cardiac dysfunction is subclinical or unrecognized, with a high prevalence of diastolic dysfunction. This identifies a high-risk population for the development of clinical HF.
Outcomes After Vena Cava Filter Use in Noncancer Patients With Acute Venous Thromboembolism
Authors: White Richard H. , Brunson Ann , Romano Patrick S. , Li Zhongmin , Wun Ted
Published: April 2016

Background—

Evidence that vena cava filters (VCFs) are beneficial is limited.

Methods and Results—

We retrospectively analyzed all noncancer patients admitted to nonfederal California hospitals for acute venous thromboembolism from 2005 to 2010. Analysis was stratified by the presence/absence of a contraindication to anticoagulation (active bleeding, major surgery). Outcomes were death within 30 or 90 days of admission and the 1-year incidence of recurrent venous thromboembolism manifested as pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis. Propensity score methods were used to account for observed systematic differences in baseline characteristics between patients treated and those not treated with a VCF. Among 80 697 patients with no contraindication to anticoagulation, VCF use (n=7762, 9.6%) did not significantly reduce the 30-day risk of death (hazard ratio [HR], 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98–1.28). Among 3017 patients with active bleeding, VCF use (n=1095, 36.3%) reduced the 30-day risk of death by 32% (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.52–0.88) and the 90-day risk by 27% (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.59–0.90). VCF use (n=489, 33.8%) did not reduce mortality among 1445 patients who underwent major surgery (HR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.71–1.77). In all subgroups, filter use did not reduce the risk of subsequent pulmonary embolism. However, the risk of subsequent deep vein thrombosis increased by 50% among VCF patients with no contraindication (HR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.34–1.74) and by 135% among VCF patients with active bleeding (HR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.56–3.52).

Conclusions—

VCF use significantly reduced the short-term risk of death only among patients with acute venous thromboembolism who had a contraindication to anticoagulation because of active bleeding. These results support the findings of a randomized clinical trial and current guidelines that recommend VCF use only in patients who cannot receive anticoagulation treatment.
Rnd3 as a Novel Target to Ameliorate Microvascular Leakage
Authors: Breslin Jerome W. , Daines Dayle A. , Doggett Travis M. , Kurtz Kristine H. , Souza‐Smith Flavia M. , Zhang Xun E. , Wu Mack H. , Yuan Sarah Y.
Published: April 2016

Background

Microvascular leakage of plasma proteins is a hallmark of inflammation that leads to tissue dysfunction. There are no current therapeutic strategies to reduce microvascular permeability. The purpose of this study was to identify the role of Rnd3, an atypical Rho family
GTP
ase, in the control of endothelial barrier integrity. The potential therapeutic benefit of Rnd3 protein delivery to ameliorate microvascular leakage was also investigated.

Methods and Results

Using immunofluorescence microscopy, Rnd3 was observed primarily in cytoplasmic areas around the nuclei of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Permeability to fluorescein isothiocyanate–albumin and transendothelial electrical resistance of human umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayers served as indices of barrier function, and RhoA, Rac1, and Cdc42 activities were determined using G‐
LISA
assays. Overexpression of Rnd3 significantly reduced the magnitude of thrombin‐induced barrier dysfunction, and abolished thrombin‐induced Rac1 inactivation. Depleting Rnd3 expression with si
RNA
significantly extended the time course of thrombin‐induced barrier dysfunction and Rac1 inactivation. Time‐lapse microscopy of human umbilical vein endothelial cells expressing
GFP
‐actin showed that co‐expression of
mC
herry‐Rnd3 attenuated thrombin‐induced reductions in local lamellipodia that accompany endothelial barrier dysfunction. Lastly, a novel Rnd3 protein delivery method reduced microvascular leakage in a rat model of hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation, assessed by both intravital microscopic observation of extravasation of fluorescein isothiocyanate–albumin from the mesenteric microcirculation, and direct determination of solute permeability in intact isolated venules.

Conclusions

The data suggest that Rnd3 can shift the balance of RhoA and Rac1 signaling in endothelial cells. In addition, our findings suggest the therapeutic, anti‐inflammatory potential of delivering Rnd3 to promote endothelial barrier recovery during inflammatory challenge.
Features and Determinants of Lacune Shape
Authors: Gesierich Benno , Duchesnay Edouard , Jouvent Eric , Chabriat Hugues , Schmidt Reinhold , Mangin Jean-Francois , Duering Marco , Dichgans Martin
Published: April 2016

Background and Purpose—

Lacunes are a major manifestation of cerebral small vessel disease. Although still debated, the morphological features of lacunes may offer mechanistic insights. We systematically analyzed the shape of incident lacunes in cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy, a genetically defined small vessel disease.

Methods—

A total of 88 incident lacunes from 57 patients were segmented from 3-dimensional T1 magnetic resonance images and 3 dimensionally reconstructed. Anatomic location, diameter, volume, surface area, and compactness of lacunes were assessed. The shape was analyzed using a size, orientation, and position invariant spectral shape descriptor. We further investigated the relationship with perforating arteries and fiber tracts.

Results—

Lacunes were most abundant in the centrum semiovale and the basal ganglia. Diameter, volume, and surface area of lacunes in the basal ganglia and centrum semiovale were larger than in other brain regions. The spectral shape descriptor revealed a continuum of shapes with no evidence for distinct classes of lacunes. Shapes varied mostly in elongation and planarity. The main axis and plane of lacunes were found to align with the orientation of perforating arteries but not with fiber tracts.

Conclusions—

Elongation and planarity are the primary shape principles of lacunes. Their main axis and plane align with perforating arteries. Our findings add to current concepts on the mechanisms of lacunes.
Caregiver/Orangutan Relationships at Auckland Zoo
Authors: Palmer Alexandra , Malone Nicholas , Park Julie
Published: April 2016

Drawing on ethnographic, ethological, and historical data, we examined the relationships between orangutans and caregivers at Auckland Zoo. Caregivers displayed high levels of empathy and adjusted their husbandry routines to their interpretations of the orangutans’ moods. Caregivers experienced conflicts arising from their efforts to empathize. Although they agreed their husbandry approach improved welfare, they worried their interpretations of orangutan behavior were inaccurate anthropomorphic projections. However, caregivers’ interpretations aligned well with ethological observations and with current knowledge of orangutan behavior. Caregivers’ shared view of great apes as moral persons led to personal conflicts about the ethics of sacrificing individual orangutans’ freedom for the greater good of the species. By exploring caregivers’ personal conflicts, we aimed to inform debates about the politics of empathizing with animals, the role of zoos, and the ethics of keeping great apes in captivity. We argue the use of empathy is essential for engaging in intersubjective relationships.
SEEKING TO SEE HIM AT THE FESTIVAL OF PASCHA: GLORY-SOTERIOLOGY IN EARLY CHRISTIAN PASCHAL MATERIALS AND RABBINIC LITERATURE
Authors: Giulea Dragş-Andrei
Published: April 2016

Two of the oldest Christian Paschal homilies, one by Melito of Sardis and the other of unknown origin (preserved under the names of Hippolytus of Rome and John Chrysostom), testify to the expectation of the descent of the divine and salvific glory during the Paschal night. I would call the theological doctrine behind this liturgical practice glory-soteriology or kabod-soteriology. Rabbinic materials such as the targums Neofiti 1 and Pseudo-Jonathan attest to a similar expectation on the night of the festival of Pesach. The salvific power of this glory seems to constitute the first rationale for this expectation, and the Festival of Pascha the privileged time for the divine descent and manifestation. Since further investigation identifies similar elements in the writings of Philo of Alexandria, the present study proposes what might be called a «two-branched» theory: one might reasonably suppose that both the Christian and the Jewish-rabbinic expectations of the descent of the salvific glory of Pascha may constitute two different developments of a common matrix in the Second Temple festival of Passover. Major doctrinal and ritual shifts emerge in Christian worship where Jesus Christ took the place of Yahweh or of his Word.
DIONYSIUS AREOPAGITES IN THE WORKS OF SAINT GREGORY PALAMAS: ON THE QUESTION OF A «CHRISTOLOGICAL CORRECTIVE» AND RELATED MATTERS
Authors: Alexander Hieromonk
Published: April 2016

Citations of the Corpus Dionysiacum are exceedingly frequent in the works of Gregory Palamas. Much, indeed, of the latter's Triads in Defense of the Holy Hesychasts is devoted to interpretation of the Areopagite, most often in counter argument to the reading of Dionysius insisted on by Palamas' opponent through-out the Triads, Barlaam the Calabrian. In his seminal work on St. Gregory, the late Father John Meyendorff was clearly troubled by this Dionysian ubiquity in the Doctor of Hesychasm, particularly since Meyendorff accepted the prevailing scholarly view of Dionysius as, at best, a dubious Christian. In response to this «problem», Meyendorff insisted that Gregory supplied a «Christological corrective» to the Areopagite, i.e., diluted or even eliminated the latter's notion of hierarchy as mediated knowledge in favor of the assertion of Christ's immediate availability to the believer. Palamas thus re-interprets Dionysius, baptizes him, as it were. Throughout his studies, Meyendorff effectively equates the proper reading of the Dionysian corpus with Barlaam's interpretation. This article argues that, to the contrary, Gregory's was a much better reading of the Areopagite than that of either Barlaam or of more modern scholars, and that the key to his insight lies in the ascetical and mystical tradition of the Christian East common to both. Certain key passages from the Triads singled out recently by Professor Adolf Ritter as proving Meyenforff's thesis are taken up in the second section of the article. Read closely, and with an eye on both prior Christian ascetical literature and the latter's own roots in the ancient apocalypses, the passages in question, and the Dionsyian texts on which they are based, reveal a common understanding. The article then turns to a brief analysis of Dionysius himself, particularly to his notion of hierarchy and its relation to ascetical tradition as revealed especially in the eighth epistle of the corpus. The «Christological correctives» emerges in sum as a scholarly construct without serious relation to the texts in question.
DIONYSIUS AREOPAGITES: A CHRISTIAN MYSTICISM?
Authors: Alexander Hieromonk
Published: April 2016

The article takes the reader on a brief tour of the Dionysian corpus, beginning with tenth epistle, and then proceeding from the Celestial to the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, touching briefly on the Divine Names, and concluding with the Mystical Theology and the first five epistles.
«WITHOUT MEASURE AND WITHOUT ANALOGY»: THE TRADITION OF THE DIVINE BODY IN 2 (SLAVONIC) ENOCH
Authors: Orlov Andrei A.
Published: April 2016

The artice investigates the origins of the Shiccur Qomah tradition. This tradition depicts visionaries, Rabbi Ishmael and Rabbi Akiba, receiving from the supreme angel Metatron revelations of the «measurement of the body» (in Hebrew, Shiccur Qomah), an anthropomorphic description of the Deity together with the mystical names of its gigantic limbs. Although the majority of the evidence of the the Shiccur Qomah tradition survived in late Jewish writings, Gershom Scholem argued that the beginning of Shiccur Qomah speculations can be found in 2 (Slavonic) Enoch where one can find the description of the appearance of the Lord as a terrifying extent analogous to the human form. The article develops Scholem's hypothesis arguing that the traditions about the divine body in 2 Enoch were shaped by the early Adamic traditions. The portrayal of the prelapsarian Adam found in the longer recension of 2 Enoch reveals fascinating similarities to the later Shiccur Qomah descriptions.
THE FACE AS THE HEAVENLY COUNTERPART OF THE VISIONARY IN THE SLAVONIC LADDER OF JACOB
Authors: Orlov Andrei A.
Published: April 2016

The study investigates the imagery of the heavenly counterpart of the visionary found in the Slavonic Ladder of Jacob. The text describes Jacob's dream in which the patriarch sees the celestial «Face» as the fiery anthropomorphic extent, which serves as the embodiment of the Deity. This fiery extent, labeled in some biblical and intertestamental texts as the «Face», is related to the glorious celestial entity known in theophanic traditions as God's Kavod. It appears that in the Ladder of Jacob the fiery Face not only embodies God's Glory but also seems to represent the heavenly counterpart of Jacob. The bust of fire, labeled in the Ladder as the Face, can be associated with the heavenly «image» of Jacob engraved on the Throne of Glory. The traditions about the heavenly «image» of Jacob found in the Slavonic Ladder of Jacob demonstrate some similarities to the traditions found in several targumic texts which entertain the idea of the heavenly twin of Jacob.
TITLES OF ENOCH-METATRON IN 2 (SLAVONIC) ENOCH
Authors: Orlov Andrei A.
Published: April 2016

The article explores the imagery of the celestial roles and titles of Enoch-Metatron in 2 Enoch. The analysis of the celestial roles and titles shows that the transition from the figure of patriarch Enoch to the figure of angel Metatron occurred already in 2 (Slavonic) Enoch, a Jewish work traditionally dated to the first century CE.
SECRETS OF CREATION IN 2 (SLAVONIC) ENOCH
Authors: Orlov Andrei A.
Published: April 2016

The article explores the theme of the secrets of creation in 2 Enoch. The Slavonic pseudepigraphon appears to contain a systematic tendency of treating the story of creation as containing the most esoteric knowledge. Even though 2 Enoch deals with various meterological, astronomical, and cosmological re-velations, it specifically emphasizes the «secrecy» of the account of creation. 2 Enoch s emphasis on the «secrecy» of the creation story demonstrates an in-triguing parallel to the later rabbinic approach to as esoteric knowledge. 2 Enoch, therefore, can be seen as an important step in the shaping of the later rabbinic understanding of «secret things», which eventually led to the esoterism of the Account of Creation.
THE HEIRS OF THE ENOCHIC LORE: «MEN OF FAITH» IN 2 ENOCH 35:2 AND SEFER HEKHALOT 48D:10
Authors: Orlov Andrei A.
Published: April 2016

2 Enoch 35 unveils a tradition according to which the Enochic writings will be eventually handled by the books' guardians to a group designated as the Men of Faith. The reference to the group as the last link in the chain of transmission of the Enochic scriptures recalls the terminology attested in the later «Enochic» material appended to some manuscripts of Sefer Hekhalot and known as Chapter 48D of 3 Enoch. In this account the revelation which is initially given by Enoch-Metatron to Moses passes through several transmissions into the hands of people named the Men of Faith. Scholars have previously suggested that this designation in the Hekhalot passage appears to function as a quasi-technical term for the mystics or their mythic ancestors. In this context the designation reflected in 2 Enoch may hold the key to the enigma of the Enochic group(s) standing behind the early Jewish mystical speculations.
NOAH'S YOUNGER BROTHER REVISITED: ANTI-NOACHIC POLEMICS AND THE DATE OF 2 (SLAVONIC) ENOCH
Authors: Orlov Andrei A.
Published: April 2016

The paper investigates the anti-Noachic tendencies in 2 Enoch. The analysis shows that anti-Noachic polemics in 2 Enoch are based on the «original» Noachic materials which demonstrate close parallels with the fragments of the Book of Noah found in 1 Enoch, Jubilees and the Genesis Apocryphon. The anti-Noachic debates involve a substantial rewriting of the «original» Noachic motifs and themes. The research shows that 2 Enoch contains a systematic tendency to diminish or refocus the priestly significance of the Noachic tradition. These anti-Noachic revisions take place in the midst of the sectarian debates about the sacrificial practice and the priestly succession.
THE FLOODED ARBORETUMS: THE GARDEN TRADITIONS IN THE SLAVONIC VERSION OF 3 BARUCH AND THE BOOK OF GIANTS
Authors: Orlov Andrei A.
Published: April 2016

The article investigates the the story about the planting and destruction of the heavenly garden found in the Slavonic version of 3 Baruch. The study shows a number of intriguing parallels between the theme of the garden in 3 Baruch and similar traditions found in the Enochic Book of Giants. In both accounts, the garden is depicted as the place of the primordial heavenly rebellion involving angelic beings. The study argues that the author of 3 Baruch is involved in anti-Enochic polemics, borrowing and rewriting Enochic motifs and themes from the Adamic perspective. The story of the planting and the destruction of the garden in 3 Baruch seems to represent the locus of intense debates involving substantial rewriting of the «original» Enochic motifs and themes.
Limonium cophanense (Plumbaginaceae), a new species from Sicily
Authors: BRULLO CRISTIAN , BRULLO SALVATORE , CAMBRIA SALVATORE , GALDO GIANPIETRO GIUSSO DEL , ILARDI VINCENZO
Published: April 2016

Limonium cophanense is described and illustrated as a new species from the rocky coast of northwestern Sicily. It is a very rare and localized chamaephyte occurring near the sea on calcarenitic substrate, where it grows together with other halophytes. Its morphology, ecology, conservation status and relationships with the species belonging to the L. bocconei group are also examined.
Lectotypification of the name Micromelum integerrimum (Rutaceae)
Authors: SINGH RAJEEV KUMAR
Published: April 2016

The genus Micromelum Blume (1825: 137) consists of about nine species worldwide (Mabberley 2008), with only one species found in India (Nair & Nayar 1997), Micromelum integerrimum (Roxb. ex DC.) Wight & Arn. ex Voigt, based on Bergera integerrima Roxb. ex DC. During systematic study of this species in India, I realized some confusion in the authorship and the need for lectotypification. After a thorough examination of literature and type specimens at different herbaria, the authorship is clarified here, and a lectotype is designated, following the guidelines of Art. 9.2 of the Melbourne Code (McNeill et al. 2012).
Caprellidae (Crustacea: Peracarida: Amphipoda) from the Red Sea and Suez Canal, with the redescription of Metaprotella africana and Paradeutella multispinosa
Authors: ZEINA AMR F. , GUERRA-GARCÍA JOSÉ M.
Published: April 2016

The Caprellidae from the Red Sea are reviewed based on the literature data and new collections from the Hurghada coasts. So far, only six valid species has been reported from the Red Sea and Suez Canal: Caprella equilibra Say, 1818, Hemiaegina minuta Mayer, 1890, Metaprotella africana Mayer, 1903, Paracaprella pusilla Mayer, 1890 and Paradeutella multispinosa Schellenberg, 1928 and Pseudocaprellina pambanensis Sundara Raj, 1927. The type material of M. africana (deposited in the Muséum nacional d’Histoire naturelle, Paris) and Paradeutella multispinosa (deposited in the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin) are redescribed and illustrated in detail. P. pambanensis and H. minuta were the most abundant species in the collections along the northern coast. Most of the sampling effort has been focused on algae from shallow waters; additional substrates such as sediments, hydroids and coral rubble, especially from areas deeper than 15 meters should be explored. The number of caprellid species in the Red Sea is low compared to adjacent waters, as the Mediterranean Sea. However, further research and more extensive caprellid collections should be conducted along the coasts of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan and Eritrea, which are still unexplored.
A new cave species of the genus Protaphorura Absolon, 1901 (Collembola, Onychiuridae) from the Western Carpathians (Slovakia) with critical comments to the Palaearctic representatives of the genus
Authors: PARIMUCHOVÁ ANDREA , KOVÁČ ĽUBOMÍR
Published: April 2016

The new species Protaphorura borinensis sp. nov. from a cave of the Western Carpathians, Central Europe, is described. It belongs to congeners with ~40 vesicles in PAO and three pseudocelli at the base of antennae and the hind margin of head. P. borinensis sp. nov. has coarse granulation of cuticle on head, and specific distribution of "s" chaetae on abdominal terga and chaetotaxy of ventral tube. Critical comments to the Palaearctic representatives of the genus Protaphorura and an identification key to 85 species are provided.
Shallow-water reef ophiuroids (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) of Réunion (Mascarene Islands), with biogeographic considerations
Authors: BOISSIN EMILIE , HOAREAU THIERRY B. , PAULAY GUSTAV , BRUGGEMANN J. HENRICH
Published: April 2016

Despite their importance in marine biodiversity, invertebrates are far less studied than vertebrates. Given the current global biodiversity crisis and insufficient taxonomic resources, sustained efforts need to be undertaken to assess species diversity, especially in the highly threatened ‘biodiversity hotspots’. Réunion is a young volcanic island lying in the Mascarene Islands (south-western Indian Ocean, SWIO), a marine biodiversity hotspot. A substantial sampling effort was conducted around Réunion Island to document shallow water reef-associated ophiuroid (brittle-stars) diversity, a class recognised as the most diverse among echinoderms. A total of 33 species were documented, increasing the known species richness of the island by 56%. Findings include 15 new records for Réunion, 11 for the Mascarene Islands and 8 for the Indian Ocean. The most diverse family was Ophiocomidae, a family of large, abundant and conspicuous tropical species. Even in this well studied family, a new species was revealed by this survey. Morphological variants together with DNA sequence variations within several species revealed cryptic species. We compared our results with the known fauna of other Mascarene Islands and discuss biogeographic implications for the region.
Redescription of Paraleptophlebia falcula Traver 1934 with notes on status and composition of Paraleptophlebia Lestage 1917 and Neoleptophlebia Kluge 1997 (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae)
Authors: TIUNOVA TATIANA M. , KLUGE NIKITA
Published: April 2016

The taxon Paraleptophlebia Lestage 1917 is accepted here in generic rank, so rank of Neoleptophlebia Kluge 1997 is also raised from subgenus to genus, and the following new combinations are proposed: Neoleptophlebia adoptiva (McDunnough 1929) comb. n., N. assimilis (Banks 1914) comb. n., N. erratica (Kang & Yang 1994) comb. n., N. heteronea (McDunnough 1924) comb. n., N. japonica (Matsumura 1931) comb. n. (= Paraleptophlebia chocolata Imanishi 1937), N. mollis (Eaton 1871) comb. n., N. memorialis (Eaton 1884) comb. n., N. spina (Kang & Yang 1994) comb. n., N. swannanoa (Traver 1932) comb. n., N. temporalis (McDunnough 1926) comb. n., N. vladivostokica (Kluge 1982) comb. n. Larvae, male and female imagoes and eggs of Paraleptophlebia falcula Traver 1934 are described based on reared specimens from Siberia and Russian Far East; larvae and eggs are described for the first time. Characters of this species agree with diagnosis of Paraleptophlebia in the restricted sense; comparison of larva of P. falcula with other known larvae of Paraleptophlebia is given. Formerly this species was known as imagoes from limited area in Western Nearctic. According to the new data, it is widely distributed in northern part of Amphipacific Sector of Holarctic, and its area includes Polar Urals (Komi Republic), Siberia (Transbaikal Kray, Sakha Yakutia and Amurskaya Oblast' of Russia) and west of North America (Oregon, Idaho and Washington states of USA).
Utility of Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) Reforecast for Medium-Range Drought Prediction in India
Authors: Shah Reepal D. , Mishra Vimal
Published: April 2016

Medium-range (~7 days) forecasts of agricultural and hydrologic droughts can help in decision-making in agriculture and water resources management. India has witnessed severe losses due to extreme weather events during recent years and medium-range forecasts of precipitation, air temperatures (maximum and minimum), and hydrologic variables (root-zone soil moisture and runoff) can be valuable. Here, the skill of the Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) reforecast of precipitation and air temperatures is evaluated using retrospective data for the period of 1985–2010. It is found that the GEFS forecast shows better skill in the nonmonsoon season than in the monsoon season in India. Moreover, skill in temperature forecast is higher than that of precipitation in both the monsoon and nonmonsoon seasons. The lower skill in forecasting precipitation during the monsoon season can be attributed to representation of intraseasonal variability in precipitation from the GEFS. Among the selected regions, the northern, northeastern, and core monsoon region showed relatively lower skill in the GEFS forecast. Temperature and precipitation forecasts were corrected from the GEFS using quantile–quantile (Q–Q) mapping and linear scaling, respectively. Bias-corrected forecasts for precipitation and air temperatures were improved over the raw forecasts. The influence of corrected and raw forcings on medium-range soil moisture, drought, and runoff forecasts was evaluated. The results showed that because of high persistence, medium-range soil moisture forecasts are largely determined by the initial hydrologic conditions. Bias correction of precipitation and temperature forecasts does not lead to significant improvement in the medium-range hydrologic forecasting of soil moisture and drought. However, bias correcting raw GEFS forecasts can provide better predictions of the forecasts of precipitation and temperature anomalies over India.
Observation-Dependent Posterior Inflation for the Ensemble Kalman Filter
Authors: Hodyss Daniel , Campbell William F. , Whitaker Jeffrey S.
Published: April 2016

Ensemble-based Kalman filter (EBKF) algorithms are known to produce posterior ensembles whose variance is incorrect for a variety of reasons (e.g., nonlinearity and sampling error). It is shown here that the presence of sampling error implies that the true posterior error variance is a function of the latest observation, as opposed to the standard EBKF, whose posterior variance is independent of observations. In addition, it is shown that the traditional ensemble validation tool known as the “binned spread-skill” diagram does not correctly identify this issue in the ensemble generation step of the EBKF, leading to an overly optimistic impression of the relationship between posterior variance and squared error. An updated ensemble validation tool is described that reveals the incorrect relationship between mean squared error (MSE) and ensemble variance, and gives an unbiased evaluation of the posterior variances from EBKF algorithms. Last, a new inflation method is derived that accounts for sampling error and correctly yields posterior error variances that depend on the latest observation. The new method has very little computational overhead, does not require access to the observations, and is simple to use in any serial or global EBKF.
Ordoliberalism and Balancing Competition Goals in the Development of the European Union
Authors: Talbot Conor
Published: April 2016

This paper examines the aims behind the incorporation of competition rules into the European project and studies how the development of the doctrine has been molded to the specific circumstances and outlooks encountered in postwar Europe. It argues that the objectives of competition law in the EU go beyond economic or legal standards that are applied in individual cases; rather, competition law and policy have been calibrated to contribute to allowing the EU project to harness the benefits of an open capitalist economy within the context of a democratic European society. The analysis aims to demonstrate that while Ordoliberal thinking played a role in the development of European competition law and policy, there were several other social, political, and macroeconomic influences at play as well. As such, the strain that competition policy has come under is a result of attempts to use competition policy to balance several public policy objectives.
Sartori’s Challenge
Authors: Lane Ruth
Published: April 2016

Sartori’s strictures on conceptual stretching may have distracted the comparative discipline’s attention from a deeper second theme in his work, the shift from top-down, variable-centered analysis to bottom-up ( ab imis) political analysis based on individual persons’ decision making and their concrete interactions, a kind of model that has only recently become practical with computer assistance, and which is peculiarly appropriate for a comparative research that seeks to combine case studies and scientific inference. A classic ethnography by Clifford Geertz, based on thick description, is respectfully re-evaluated to show that a bottom-up ontology can provide insights into enduring questions of political science that may elude conventional variable-centered methods. Bottom-up models may add an important dimension to comparative research, bridging old divisions between ethnography, case studies, processes, and mechanisms on one hand, and formalized scientific models on the other.
Rome, the dystopian city: Entropic aesthetics in Fellini’s Toby Dammit and Roma and Pasolini’s Petrolio
Authors: Trentin Filippo
Published: April 2016

This article focuses on the emergence of a dystopian imagery of Rome in Fellini’s Toby Dammit and Roma and in Pasolini’s Petrolio. In these films and novel, the cohabitation of vernacular and modern elements that had characterized Fellini’s and Pasolini’s works in the 1960s ( Ragazzi di vita and Accattone, Le notti di Cabiria and La dolce vita) suddenly fades away. What surfaces instead is a dissociated and chaotic cityscape that tends toward a state of maximum disorder and to the incorporation of diversity into sameness. I propose an interpretation of this paradigm shift of Rome’s imagery through the concept of ‘entropy,’ which in thermodynamics and information theory refers to a process of gradual decline of a self-enclosed system. I will first discuss the material mutations of Rome’s 1960s map through an examination of urban analyses by Benevolo, Cederna, and Insolera, before moving to a close reading of Rome’s image in Toby Dammit, Roma, and Petrolio. What I argue is that the process of dissociation and fragmentation of Rome’s map theorized in urban studies is replicated at the aesthetic level by the sense of entropic confusion and the loss of spatial coordinates that mark Fellini’s and Pasolini’s 1970s engagements with Rome.
Managing to mitigate abuse: Bureaucracy, democracy, and human rights, 1984 to 2010
Authors: Cole Wade M
Published: April 2016

Hundreds of millions of people live in weak states that are functionally incapable of protecting their citizens, yet few studies consider the implications of state weakness for human rights practices. Using data for 134 countries between 1984 and 2010, I construct a factor-analytic score of bureaucratic capacity and use it to analyze two categories of human rights: bodily integrity and civil liberties. Results from multivariate regression analyses show that bodily integrity outcomes improve as the quality and strength of a state’s institutions increase, independently of democracy and other key determinants. Bureaucratic capacity also promotes respect for civil liberties, but only in conjunction with executive constraints or competitive elections. When democratic mechanisms are absent, enhanced state capacity results in worse civil liberties practices. Supplementary analyses using instrumental variables rule out the possibility of reverse causality between bureaucratic capacity and human rights.
Immigrant workers’ responses to stigmatized work: Constructing dignity through moral reasoning
Authors: Yu Kyoung-Hee
Published: April 2016

In the past few decades, scholarship on immigrant workers has produced two contrasting images that remain theoretically unresolved. In the 1970s and 1980s, low-wage immigrant workers were viewed as target earners whose attachment to jobs in the US was seen as temporary. By contrast, recent scholarship has depicted immigrant workers as a potent social force whose quest for dignity and full societal membership is seen as having galvanized a moribund labour movement. This study draws from the lived experience of low-wage immigrant workers to examine how they relate to their socio-economic circumstances, and what, if anything, motivates their resistance to the status quo. Analysing interview data from immigrant workers in janitorial and nursing assistant occupations in the US, I delineate how workers construct dignity by reframing the meaning of work, transferring aspirations for social mobility to their children, and resisting stereotypes of immigrant workers to generate dignified collective identities. I conclude with a discussion that aims to shed light on the contrasting and contentious views of immigrant workers and their position in the American labour movement.