bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneous computing
Authors: Rubin Norm
Published: December 2014

The current trend in computer architecture is to increase the number of cores, to create specialized types of cores within a single machine, and to network such machines together in very fluid web/cloud computing arrangements. Compilers have traditionally focused on optimizations to code that improve performance, but is that the right target to speed up real applications? Consider loading a web page (like starting GMAIL) the page is transferred to the client, any JavaScript is compiled, the JavaScript executes, and the page gets displayed. The classic compiler model (which was first developed in the late 50's) was a great fit for single core machines but has fallen behind architecture, and language. For example how do you compile a single program for a machine that has both a CPU and a graphics coprocessor (a GPU) with a very different programming and memory model? Together with the changes in architecture there have been changes in programming languages. Dynamic languages are used more, static languages are used less. How does this effect compiler research? In this talk, I'll review a number of traditional compiler research challenges that have (or will) become burning issues and will describe some new problems areas that were not considered in the past. For example language specifica-tions are large complex technical documents that are difficult for non-experts to follow. Application programmers are often not willing to read these documents; can a compiler bridge the gap?
Ada 83 to Ada 2012
Authors: Barnes John , Taft S. Tucker
Published: December 2014

This presentation will comprise a discussion between two language designers, John Barnes and Tucker Taft, who have been intimately involved with the design of Ada over the past 30 years. During the discussion they will review the successful and less than completely successful features of the various versions of Ada, going from the original Ada 83, through the latest Ada 2012 version, and will attempt to identify some lessons to be learned about programming language design and evolution.
AADL and model-based engineering
Authors: Feiler Peter H.
Published: December 2014

Mission and safety critical software-reliant systems, aka. Cyber-physical systems, face the increasing challenges of exponential increase in verification related software rework cost. Industry studies show that 70% of defects are introduced in requirements and architecture design, while 80% are discovered post-unit test. The Architecture Analysis & Design Language (AADL) standard was targeted to address these issues through virtual system integration to analytically discover these system level issues regarding operational system properties early in the life cycle.

After a summary of the challenges, the presentation highlights the expressive, analytical, and auto-generation capabilities of the AADL core language as well as several of its standardized extensions. The presentation then illustrates the importance of the analytical virtual system integration capabilities on several realistic industrial examples. In this context we discuss the benefit of well-defined semantics of nominal and fault behavior, timing, semantics of the model in AADL over other MBD notations.

The presentation concludes by outlining a four part improvement strategy: architecture-led requirement specification to improve the quality of requirements, architecture refinement and incremental virtual system integration to discover issues early, compositional verification through static analysis to address scalability, and incremental verification and testing throughout the life cycle as assurance evidence.
Hybrid annex
Authors: Ahmad Ehsan , Larson Brian R. , Barrett Stephen C. , Zhan Naijun , Dong Yunwei
Published: December 2014

Correct design, and system-level dependability prediction of highly-integrated systems demand the collocation of requirements and architectural artifacts within an integrated development environment. Hybrid systems, having dependencies and extensive interactions between their control portion and their environment, further intensify this need.

AADL is a model-based engineering language for the architectural design and analysis of embedded control systems. Core AADL has been extended with a mechanism for discrete behavioral modeling and analysis of control systems, but not for the continuous behavior of the physical environment. In this paper, we introduce a lightweight language extension to AADL called the Hybrid Annex for continuous-time modeling, fulfilling the need for integrated modeling of the computing system along with its physical environment in their respective domains. The Isolette system described in the FAA Requirement Engineering Management Handbook is used to illustrate continuous behavior modeling with the proposed Hybrid Annex.
Leveraging Ada 2012 and SPARK 2014 for assessing generated code from AADL models
Authors: Hugues Jérôme , Garion Christophe
Published: December 2014

Modeling of Distributed Real-time Embedded systems using Architecture Description Language provides the foundations for various levels of analysis: scheduling, reliability, consistency, etc.; but also allows for automatic code generation. A challenge is to demonstrate that generated code matches quality required for safety-critical systems. In the scope of the AADL, the Ocarina toolchain proposes code generation towards the Ada Ravenscar profile with restrictions for High-Integrity. It has been extensively used in the space domain as part of the TASTE project within the European Space Agency.

In this paper, we illustrate how the combined use of Ada 2012 and SPARK 2014 significantly increases code quality and exhibits absence of run-time errors at both run-time and generated code levels.
Safe parallel programming in ada with language extensions
Authors: Taft S. Tucker , Moore Brad , Pinho Luís Miguel , Michell Stephen
Published: December 2014

The increased presence of parallel computing platforms brings concerns to the general purpose domain that were previously prevalent only in the specific niche of high-performance computing. As parallel programming technologies become more prevalent in the form of new emerging programming languages and extensions of existing languages, additional safety concerns arise as part of the paradigm shift from sequential to parallel behaviour.

In this paper, we propose various syntax extensions to the Ada language, which provide mechanisms whereby the compiler is given the necessary semantic information to enable the implicit and explicit parallelization of code. The model is based on earlier work, which separates parallelism specification from concurrency implementation, but proposes an updated syntax with additional mechanisms to facilitate the development of safer parallel programs.
UML with meaning
Authors: Seidewitz Ed
Published: December 2014

To most in the software community, "modeling" is drawing pictures, something much different than "coding". While programming languages must be specified precisely enough to be executable, this has not necessarily been the case for modeling languages. Indeed, the well-known Unified Modeling Language (UML) has for years had a specification that is far from precise.

However, precise models are quite common in other engineering disciplines, and there has been a minority even in software engineering that have created models that are precise enough to be, themselves, executable. Over the last decade, the UML community has more generally come to realize the benefits of having at least a subset of UML specified with precise execution semantics. While not all models need to be executable, executable models can support early testing and analysis of the design of critical software systems, as well as supporting simulation for communities using UML for modeling beyond just software (such as SysML for systems engineering).

As a result, there has been a great deal of work in recent years toward the standardization of precise, executable semantics for UML models - the "meaning" behind the pictures: Foundational UML (fUML), the Action Language for fUML (Alf) and the recently completed Precise Semantics for UML Composite Structures. These new specifications provide the promise of widespread support for executable modeling across the many UML tools now on the market.
Correctness via compilation to logic
Authors: Ball Thomas
Published: December 2014

Advances in automated theorem provers over the last decade have led to a renaissance in software tools that compile problems of correctness to problems over logic formula. In this talk, I will review progress in automated theorem provers, such as Z3 from Microsoft Research, and consider a variety of program correctness tools that build upon Z3, such as automated test generators, automated safety/termination checkers, as well as interactive functional verifiers. I'll then describe a number of new projects that make use of the "correctness via compilation to logic" approach, including the design of new programming languages, ensuring the security of data centers, and safely programming gesture recognizers such as Kinect.
Panel summary: finding safety in numbers
Authors: Bocchino Robert , Matsakis Nicholas , Taft S. Tucker , Larson Brian , Seidewitz Ed
Published: December 2014

This panel brings together designers of both traditional programming languages, and designers of behavioral specification languages for modeling systems, in each case with a concern for the challenges of multicore programming. Furthermore, several of these efforts have attempted to provide data-race-free programming models, so that multicore programmers need not be faced with the added burden of trying to debug race conditions on top of the existing challenges of building reliable systems.
Cytomictic Anomalous Male Meiosis and 2nPollen Grain Formation inMertensia echioidesBenth. (Boraginaceae) from Kashmir Himalaya
Authors: Malik Reyaz Ahmad , Gupta Raghbir Chand , Kumari Santosh , Malik Akhtar Hussain
Published: December 2014

PresentlyMertensia echioidesBenth. (Boraginaceae) collected from Kashmir Himalaya, India, is cytologically analyzed for the first time revealing2n=2x=24(diploid). Interestingly we found 4.3–6.2% syncytic meiocytes/PMCs with2n=4x=48(tetraploid) in addition to normal meiocytes (2n=24) during male meiosis. These comparatively larger PMCs (pollen mother cells) lead to the formation of fertile giant2npollen grains. A frequency of 6.4–13.3% PMCs shows transfer of chromatin material at prophase-I and, therefore, results in aneuploid meiocytes. Whole chromatin transfer by the process of cytomixis could also have led to the formation of tetraploid cells. Translocation heterozygosity is also evident in the form of multivalents in 12–17% diploid (2x) meiocytes at diakinesis and metaphase-I and is reported for the first time in this species. The syncytes formed depict open chain hexavalent and quadrivalent formation in the three populations with different frequencies. Moreover chromatin stickiness at metaphase-I is observed in 45% of PMCs in population-1 (P-1). Syncyte or unreduced PMC formation leading to unreduced fertile gametes is here speculated to act as a possible way out for infraspecific polyploidization in the species.
A Rare Case of Splenic Marginal Zone B-Cell Lymphoma Mimicking Relapsing Polychondritis of the Ear
Authors: Huang Gary J. , Mendes Bryan , Sheykholeslami Kianoush
Published: December 2014

Relapsing polychondritis (RPC) is a poorly understood phenomenon associated with cartilaginous inflammation of the ear, nose, tracheobronchial tree, and peripheral joints. Many cases of RPC respond to anti-inflammatories and resolve with no further complications. However, RPC has also been linked to more insidious conditions such as malignancies, autoimmune disorders, vasculitis, or underlying infections. Given the spectrum of associated disorders, patients with RPC may need to be monitored for more insidious underlying conditions. In this case, we report a unique case of bilateral auricular inflammation and nasal inflammation mimicking RPC as the only presenting symptom of splenic marginal zone B-cell lymphoma and we survey related cases in the literature.
Case Report of Optic Disc Drusen with Simultaneous Peripapillary Subretinal Hemorrhage and Central Retinal Vein Occlusion
Authors: Law David Zhiwei , Yang Francine Pei Lin , Teoh Stephen Charn Beng
Published: December 2014

A 52-year-old Chinese gentleman presented with right eye floaters and photopsia over one week. His visual acuities were 20/20 bilaterally. Posterior segment examination showed a right eye swollen optic disc and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) associated with an area of subretinal hemorrhage adjacent to the optic disc. Fundus fluorescein (FA) and indocyanine green angiographies (ICGA) of the right eye did not demonstrate choroidal neovascularization (CNV), polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), or retinal ischemia. Ultrasound B-scan revealed optic disc drusen (ODD). In view of good vision and absence of CNV, he was managed conservatively with spontaneous resolution after two months. Commonly, ODD may directly compress and mechanically rupture subretinal vessels at the optic disc, resulting in peripapillary subretinal hemorrhage, as was likely the case in our patient. Mechanical impairment of peripapillary circulation also results in retinal ischemia and may trigger the development of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and/or polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), leading to subretinal haemorrhage. Compromise in central venous outflow with increased retinal central venous pressure from the direct mechanical effects of enlarging ODD results in central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Patients with subretinal hemorrhage and CRVO from ODD should be monitored closely for the development of potentially sight-threatening complications.
What Lies behind the Ischemic Stroke: Aortic Dissection?
Authors: Deniz Turgut , Dag Ersel , Tulmac Murat , Azapoglu Burcu , Alp Caglar
Published: December 2014

Introduction. Some cases with aortic dissection (AD) could present with various complaints other than pain, especially neurological and cardiovascular manifestations. AD involving the carotid arteries could be associated with many clinical presentations, ranging from stroke to nonspecific headache.Case Report. A 71-year-old woman was admitted to emergency department with vertigo which started within the previous one hour and progressed with deterioration of consciousness following speech disorder. On arrival, she was disoriented and uncooperative. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain was consistent with acute ischemia in the cerebral hemisphere. Fibrinolytic treatment has been planned since symptoms started within two hours. Echocardiography has shown the dilatation of ascending aorta with a suspicion of flap. Computed tomography (CT) angiography has been applied and intimal flap has been detected which was consistent with aortic dissection, intramural hematoma of which was reaching from aortic arch to bilateral common carotid artery. Thereafter, treatment strategy has completely changed and surgical invention has been done.Conclusion. In patients who are admitted to the emergency department with the loss of consciousness and stroke, inadequacy of anamnesis and carotid artery involvement of aortic dissection should be kept in mind.
Interaction between Dark Matter and Dark Energy and the Cosmological Coincidence Problem
Authors: Nozari Kourosh , Behrouz Noushin , Rashidi Narges
Published: December 2014

We consider a quintessence model of dark energy inspired by scalar-tensor theories of gravity where the scalar field is nonminimally coupled to gravity and dark matter. By considering exponential potential as self-interaction potential, the stability and existence of the critical points are discussed in details. With nonminimally coupled dark sector with gravity, we obtain scaling solutions to address the coincidence problem by considering complex velocity for dark matter. The statefinder diagnostic shows that the equation of state reachesΛCDMmodel in the future.
Phenology of Migration and Decline in Colony Numbers and Crop Hosts of Giant Honeybee (Apis dorsataF.) in Semiarid Environment of Northwest India
Authors: Sihag Ram Chander
Published: December 2014

The colonies of the giant honeybee (Apis dorsata) immigrate in the semiarid environment of Northwest India in October-November with the onset of flowering on pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan)/toria (Brassica campestrisvar. toria), stay here during the rich pollen and nectar flow period from December to mid-May, and emigrate in late May/early June when floral dearth is witnessed. This honeybee was free from any conspicuous viral, bacterial, and fungal diseases and also did not have any serious predators and enemies. However, about 20 percent of the old colonies were infested withTropilaelaps clareaeand 100 percent of the old colonies withGalleria mellonella; none of the swarm colonies had these pests. While the migration schedule of this honeybee remained similar year after year, the number of colonies immigrating in this region declined markedly over the years; the number in 2012 was even less than half of that recorded in 1984. During its stay in this region, this honeybee acted as an important pollinator of more than 30 crop plants of this region. The causes of seasonal migration and decline in the number of colonies of this honeybee and its importance in crop pollination have been discussed.
A Quasiphysical and Dynamic Adjustment Approach for Packing the Orthogonal Unequal Rectangles in a Circle with a Mass Balance: Satellite Payload Packing
Authors: Li Ziqiang , Wang Xianfeng , Tan Jiyang , Wang Yishou
Published: December 2014

Packing orthogonal unequal rectangles in a circle with a mass balance (BCOURP) is a typical combinational optimization problem with the NP‐hard nature. This paper proposes an effective quasiphysical and dynamic adjustment approach (QPDAA). Two embedded degree functions between two orthogonal rectangles and between an orthogonal rectangle and the container are defined, respectively, and the extruded potential energy function and extruded resultant force formula are constructed based on them. By an elimination of the extruded resultant force, the dynamic rectangle adjustment, and an iteration of the translation, the potential energy and static imbalance of the system can be quickly decreased to minima. The continuity and monotony of two embedded degree functions are proved to ensure the compactness of the optimal solution. Numerical experiments show that the proposed QPDAA is superior to existing approaches in performance.
Final Gleason Score Prediction Using Discriminant Analysis and Support Vector Machine Based on Preoperative Multiparametric MR Imaging of Prostate Cancer at 3T
Authors: Citak-Er Fusun , Vural Metin , Acar Omer , Esen Tarik , Onay Aslihan , Ozturk-Isik Esin
Published: December 2014

Objective.This study aimed at evaluating linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and support vector machine (SVM) classifiers for estimating final Gleason score preoperatively using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) and clinical parameters.Materials and Methods.Thirty-three patients who underwent mp-MRI on a 3T clinical MR scanner and radical prostatectomy were enrolled in this study. The input features for classifiers were age, the presence of a palpable prostate abnormality, prostate specific antigen (PSA) level, index lesion size, and Likert scales of T2 weighted MRI (T2w-MRI), diffusion weighted MRI (DW-MRI), and dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) estimated by an experienced radiologist. SVM based recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) was used for eliminating features. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied for data uncorrelation.Results.Using a standard PCA before final Gleason score classification resulted in mean sensitivities of 51.19% and 64.37% and mean specificities of 72.71% and 39.90% for LDA and SVM, respectively. Using a Gaussian kernel PCA resulted in mean sensitivities of 86.51% and 87.88% and mean specificities of 63.99% and 56.83% for LDA and SVM, respectively.Conclusion.SVM classifier resulted in a slightly higher sensitivity but a lower specificity than LDA method for final Gleason score prediction for prostate cancer for this limited patient population.
Specificity Study on Concentration of Monoamine Transmitters at Acupoint and Effect of Acupuncture on Its Distribution
Authors: Luo Ting , Guo Yi
Published: December 2014

To investigate the distribution of monoamine transmitters at acupoints and effect of acupuncture on it. Take this experiment by means of microdialysis. Twenty rabbits were randomly assigned to two groups (Group A: acupuncture Guanyuan (RN4), Group B: acupuncture nonacupoint which is besides Guanyuan (RN4) 1 cm). Before and after acupuncture was taken, tissue fluids both at Zhongwan (RN12) which is on the same meridian as Guanyuan and at a nonacupoint 1 cm away from Zhongwan were collected through microdialysis, respectively. The collected samples were analyzed to determine concentrations of monoamine transmitters. Epinephrine and 5‐HT were detected. An unknown substance was found. Its concentration at acupoint was significantly higher than that at nonacupoint and decreased after acupuncture. Its significant specificity at acupoints suggests that it may play an important role in meridian’s activity.
The Use of Lactic Acid Bacteria Starter Culture in the Production ofNunu, a Spontaneously Fermented Milk Product in Ghana
Authors: Akabanda Fortune , Owusu-Kwarteng James , Tano-Debrah Kwaku , Parkouda Charles , Jespersen Lene
Published: December 2014

Nunu, a spontaneously fermented yoghurt-like product, is produced and consumed in parts of West Africa. A total of 373 predominant lactic acid bacteria (LAB) previously isolated and identified fromNunuproduct were assessedin vitrofor their technological properties (acidification, exopolysaccharides production, lipolysis, proteolysis and antimicrobial activities). Following the determination of technological properties,Lactobacillus fermentum22-16,Lactobacillus plantarum8-2,Lactobacillus helveticus22-7, andLeuconostoc mesenteroides14-11 were used as single and combined starter cultures forNunufermentation. Starter culture fermentedNunusamples were assessed for amino acids profile and rate of acidification and were subsequently evaluated for consumer acceptability. For acidification properties, 82%, 59%, 34%, and 20% of strains belonging toLactobacillus helveticus, L. plantarum, L. fermentum, andLeu. mesenteriodes, respectively, demonstrated fast acidification properties. High proteolytic activity (>100 to 150 μg/mL) was observed for 50%Leu. mesenteroides,40%L. fermentum,41%L. helveticus, 27%L. plantarum,and 10%Ent. faeciumspecies. In starter culture fermentedNunusamples, all amino acids determined were detected inNunufermented with single starters ofL. plantarumandL. helveticusand combined starter ofL. fermntumandL. helveticus. Consumer sensory analysis showed varying degrees of acceptability forNunufermented with the different starter cultures.
Dietary Factors in Relation toHelicobacter pyloriInfection
Authors: Mard Seyyed Ali , Khadem Haghighian Hossein , Sebghatulahi Vahid , Ahmadi Bijan
Published: December 2014

Background and Aim. Helicobacter pylori(HP) and diet are both risk factors for gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate theHelicobacter pyloriinfection and dietary habits common in Khuzestan province.Methods.This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2011–2013 on 374 patients. Participants were interviewed using a food frequency questionnaire and tissue sample of the antrum was sent for pathology lab. The histopathological major variables were graded on a scale of 3 (mild, moderate, and severe) and data analyzed using nonparametric tests.Results.In this study, of 160 patients (43%) that were determined, 8.1 percent had severe contamination. Among dietary patterns, relationship between energy intake and carbohydrate withH. pyloriwas significant. A direct association was found between mean daily intakes of sausage(P=0.001)and burgers(P<0.05)with HP infection. Low intake of fresh vegetables and fruits was the most significant risk factors(P<0.05).Conclusion.There is a possibility that some dietary factors such as consumption of fast foods and low intake of fresh vegetables may increase the chance of HP and severity of this infection.
A New Flux Splitting Scheme Based on Toro-Vazquez and HLL Schemes for the Euler Equations
Authors: Tiam Kapen Pascalin , Ghislain Tchuen
Published: December 2014

This paper presents a new flux splitting scheme for the Euler equations. The proposed scheme termed TV-HLL is obtained by following the Toro-Vazquez splitting (Toro and Vázquez-Cendón, 2012) and using the HLL algorithm with modified wave speeds for the pressure system. Here, the intercell velocity for the advection system is taken as the arithmetic mean. The resulting scheme is more accurate when compared to the Toro-Vazquez schemes and also enjoys the property of recognition of contact discontinuities and shear waves. Accuracy, efficiency, and other essential features of the proposed scheme are evaluated by analyzing shock propagation behaviours for both the steady and unsteady compressible flows. The accuracy of the scheme is shown in 1D test cases designed by Toro.
Modelling of QUENCH-03 and QUENCH-06 Experiments Using RELAP/SCDAPSIM and ASTEC Codes
Authors: Kaliatka Tadas , Kaliatka Algirdas , Vileiniškis Virginijus , Ušpuras Eugenijus
Published: December 2014

To prevent total meltdown of the uncovered and overheated core, the reflooding with water is a necessary accident management measure. Because these actions lead to the generation of hydrogen, which can cause further problems, the related phenomena are investigated performing experiments and computer simulations. In this paper, for the experiments of loss of coolant accidents, performed in Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, QUENCH-03 and QUENCH-06 are modelled using RELAP5/SCDAPSIM and ASTEC codes. The performed benchmark allowed analysing different modelling features. The recommendations for the model development are presented.
Effects of Acupuncture Knife on Inflammatory Factors and Pain in Third Lumbar Vertebrae Transverse Process Syndrome Model Rats
Authors: Yu Jia Ni , Guo Chang Qing , Hu Bo , Liu Nai Gang , Sun Hong Mei , Xu Hong , Wu Hai Xia , Guo Yan , Liang Chu Xi , Chen Zhan Xia , Li Xiao Hong
Published: December 2014

The aim of this paper was to explore the long‐term effects and pain relief mechanism of acupuncture knife on third lumbar vertebrae (L3) transverse process syndrome. Forty SD rats were randomized into control, model, electroacupuncture (EA), and acupuncture knife (AK) group. Except control rats, other rats were subjected to an operation to emulate L3 transverse process syndrome. Fourteen days after the operation, EA and AK rats were given electroacupuncture and acupuncture knife treatments, respectively. Fifty‐six days after the operation, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure substance P (SP), 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT), interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), interleukin‐10 (IL‐10), tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), and transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) in peripheral blood. The tail flick test was used to observe pain threshold. We found that rats with the simulation operation had significantly higher levels of SP, 5‐HT, IL‐1, IL‐10, TNF‐α, and TGF‐β, while the AK rats had lower levels. In addition, the pain threshold of AK rats was similar to that of control rats. AK pretreatment could alleviate pain through modulating inflammatory response.
Prognostic Value and Clinical Implication of Serum Ferritin Levels following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Authors: Nakamae Mika , Nakamae Hirohisa , Koh Shiro , Koh Hideo , Nishimoto Mitsutaka , Nakashima Yasuhiro , Nakane Takahiko , Hirose Asao , Hino Masayuki
Published: December 2014

Little research has been done on changes in serum ferritin (s-ferritin) levels and clinical implications following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). We retrospectively evaluated the correlation of s-ferritin levels after HCT with survival in 203 patients. The s-ferritin level was significantly elevated, with 75% of the patients showing peak levels 90 days after HCT. The level was >10,000 ng/ml in a total of 43% of the patients, a finding that was associated with febrile neutropenia or infection. The s-ferritin level at day 30 and at 1 year after HCT was significantly associated with prognosis. However, this statistically significant relationship was lost after adjusting for acute-phase reactants. We conclude that hyperferritinemia is very common and the degree of influence of a red blood cell transfusion will vary depending on the phase after HCT. A prospective study is needed to determine if iron load in and of itself contributes to a worse prognosis after HCT. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
Long-Term Survival in a Case of Pleomorphic Carcinoma with a Brain Metastasis
Authors: Yamanashi Keiji , Marumo Satoshi , Miura Koki , Kawashima Masahiro
Published: December 2014

Pleomorphic carcinoma (PC) is a rare malignant lung tumor with a poorer prognosis compared to other histological types of non-small cell lung cancer. However, several recent immunohistochemical studies revealed that a low MIB-1 index is a good prognostic marker in patients with PC. We report the case of a patient with PC and a single brain metastasis that achieved long-term recurrence-free survival following treatment with combined modality therapy. In this case, the MIB-1 index was reduced by gemcitabine-based chemotherapy, which may have led to long-term disease-free survival. The MIB-1 index may be a useful biomarker for the response to chemotherapy.
Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Is Required for Systemic Vasodilation But Not Positive Inotropy Induced by Nitroxyl in the Mouse
Authors: Zhu Guangshuo , Groneberg Dieter , Sikka Gautam , Hori Daijiro , Ranek Mark J. , Nakamura Taishi , Takimoto Eiki , Paolocci Nazareno , Berkowitz Dan E. , Friebe Andreas , Kass David A.
Published: December 2014

Nitroxyl (HNO), the reduced and protonated form of nitric oxide (NO·), confers unique physiological effects including vasorelaxation and enhanced cardiac contractility. These features have spawned current pharmaceutical development of HNO donors as heart failure therapeutics. HNO interacts with selective redox sensitive cysteines to effect signaling but is also proposed to activate soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) in vitro to induce vasodilation and potentially enhance contractility. Here, we tested whether sGC stimulation is required for these HNO effects in vivo and if HNO also modifies a redox-sensitive cysteine (C42) in protein kinase G-1α to control vasorelaxation. Intact mice and isolated arteries lacking the sGC-β subunit (sGCKO, results in full sGC deficiency) or expressing solely a redox-dead C42S mutant protein kinase G-1α were exposed to the pure HNO donor, CXL-1020. CXL-1020 induced dose-dependent systemic vasodilation while increasing contractility in controls; however, vasodilator effects were absent in sGCKO mice whereas contractility response remained. The CXL-1020 dose reversing 50% of preconstricted force in aortic rings was ≈400-fold greater in sGCKO than controls. Cyclic-GMP and cAMP levels were unaltered in myocardium exposed to CXL-1020, despite its inotropic-vasodilator activity. In protein kinase G-1α
C42S
mice, CXL-1020 induced identical vasorelaxation in vivo and in isolated aortic and mesenteric vessels as in littermate controls. In both groups, dilation was near fully blocked by pharmacologically inhibiting sGC. Thus, sGC and cGMP-dependent signaling are necessary and sufficient for HNO-induced vasodilation in vivo but are not required for positive inotropic action. Redox modulation of protein kinase G-1α is not a mechanism for HNO-mediated vasodilation.
‘Buy 20 Years’
Authors: Xiao-Planes Xiaohong
Published: December 2014

In 1956 the Chinese authorities accomplished the socialisation of private industry and commerce and handicrafts through the implementation of peaceful redemption and through taking charge of the original private management personnel. In January 1957, Shanghai industrialist Li Kangnian criticised the form of the redemption. He suggested extending the payment term of the fixed rate of interest (dingxi) from 7 years to 20 and changing the mode of payment to bank deposit receipts. In spring 1957 his proposal provoked a lively debate in commercial and industrial circles, whose members hoped to establish their relationship with the state on a contractual basis; they rejected the pressure exerted on them in the name of class conflict and asked for equal citizenship. However, these legitimate demands were severely suppressed during the anti-rightist campaign. The ccp’s propensity to instrumentalise policies made it impossible to achieve the original intention of using precious human resources, while it led to discrimination based on class and shaped a hierarchical society. In fact, the controversy over Li Kangnian’s proposals demonstrated a real confrontation between the patriarchal authoritarian culture of the Chinese Communist Party and the modern contractual culture of industrialists and merchants.
Between Class Struggle and Family Loyalty
Authors: Feng Xiaocai
Published: December 2014

During the political campaigns launched by the Chinese Communist Party in the Maoist period, full mobilisation of the masses became the norm. Yet it was not just the authorities and their myriads of units and personnel who became involved. In order to achieve maximum impact, the CCP targeted and mobilised the families of the actors concerned. This paper examines the strategy and measures implemented by the CCP during the Five Antis Movement to manipulate the wives and children of businessmen and merchants and to use them as leverage in pressing businessmen and merchants to ‘confess’ and reveal their alleged wrongdoings in business deals with the state. Although most chose to resist and to side with their husband or father, political pressure was strong enough to force family members to become the instruments of power within the family. While the actual overall cost is impossible to evaluate, enlisting family members into political struggle left a legacy of distrust and uncertainty, which in turn dealt a serious blow to family ethics.
Nothing New under the Sun: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders in the Ancient World
Authors: Abdul-Hamid Walid Khalid , Hughes Jamie Hacker
Published: December 2014

Herodotus’ account of the Athenian spear carrier Epizelus’ psychogenic mutism following the Marathon Wars is usually cited as the first documented account of post-traumatic stress disorders in historical literature. This paper describes much earlier accounts of post combat disorders that were recorded as occurring in Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) during the Assyrian dynasty (1300–609 bc). The descriptions in this paper include many symptoms of what we would now identify in current diagnostic classification systems as post-traumatic stress disorders, including flashbacks, sleep disturbance and low mood. The Mesopotamians explain the disorder in terms of spirit affliction; the spirit of those enemies whom the patient had killed during battle causing the symptoms.
The Ebb and Flow of “The Ocean inside a Jug”: The Structure of Book One of Rūmī’s Mathnawī Reconsidered
Authors: Mojaddedi Jawid
Published: December 2014

Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī’s Mathnawī has long been considered to be a poem without an organizational plan as if produced extemporaneously, despite the fact that its approximately 26,000 verses are divided fairly evenly into six books that follow the same general format. Recent studies (Safavi and Weightman, 2009; Karamustafa, 2010; Williams, 2013) have re-examined the question of the structure of the poem. This article contributes to this discourse by focusing on Rūmī’s own comments about his idiosyncratically frequent departures from his narratives, as well as on a significant passage of the first book of the Mathnawī which both corresponds to Rūmī’s expressed intentions and raises questions about the theory of Safavi and Weightman. It is argued here that Rūmī deliberately prevented the reader from becoming distracted from his immediate message to them, whether through the anticipation of the endings of stories or through any attempt to situate verses within an overall plan. It is proposed that Rūmī would not have wished an organizational plan to be prominent, and this, rather than an esoteric explanation, can better explain the lack of any obvious plan for the poem.
The Ladies of Rūm: A Hagiographic View of Women in Thirteenth- and Fourteenth-Century Anatolia
Authors: De Nicola Bruno
Published: December 2014

In the medieval Middle East, the Sufi experience was not only a male enterprise. Women also participated in the development of this mystical representation of Islam in different ways. Despite the existence of scholarly studies on Sufism in medieval Anatolia, the role played by women in this period has generally been overlooked. Only recently have studies started to highlight the relevance that some of these Sufi ladies had in spreading Sufism in the Middle East. Accounts of women’s deeds are especially abundant in hagiographic literature produced in the seventh/thirteenth and eighth/fourteenth centuries. However, it has been generally downgraded as historically unreliable for consisting of biased ‘inside accounts’ of the lives of Sufi shaykhs and their followers. This article has a twofold goal: first, to investigate what information hagiographies provide about the role of women in medieval Anatolia; and second, to try to vindicate the option of using hagiographic literature as a relevant source of information in researching aspects of cultural history that cannot be found in other source materials.
The Contested State of Sufism in Islamic Modernism: The Case of the Muhammadiyah Movement in Twentieth-Century Indonesia
Authors: Beck Herman L.
Published: December 2014

The Muhammadiyah in Indonesia is commonly known not to be very sympathetic towards mysticism in terms of its manifestations in mystical religious fraternities and pantheistic identity mysticism. Although its stance versus these religious phenomena seems to be very clear, many of its members are struggling to determine their attitude towards the issue. The continuing uncertainty about its legitimacy is evident from the questions Muhammadiyah members send to the Suara Muhammadiyah regarding this topic. In this article i focus on the Muhammadiyah’s ‘official’ vision through its first hundred years of existence. My thesis is that its rigidness in rejecting ‘mystical and spiritual’ manifestations is not only caused by its fear of unbelief and heresy, but also closely related to the political and social circumstances in which it is confronted with these ‘mystical and spiritual’ manifestations in the first place.
A new species and a new combination in the South American genus Lessingianthus (Vernonieae, Asteraceae)
Authors: Angulo Maria Betiana , Dematteis Massimiliano
Published: December 2014

A detailed analysis of the type material of Vernonia oxyodonta clearly indicates that it is morphologically identical to Lessingianthus glabratus because it has glabrous leaves, pedunculate heads at the end of the inflorescence, outer phyllaries with acute apex and inner phyllaries with obtuse and mucronulate apex, and 30–40 florets per head. Consequently, all the specimens identified as V. oxyodonta are placed to a new species, L. pubescens. Also, V. pseudoincana is transferred to the genus Lessingianthus. This species belongs to the L. rubricaulis complex but can be distinguished from the remaining taxa of the group by its lanceolate leaves, grayish phyllaries, and habitat.
Nomenclatural and taxonomic novelties in the tribe Melastomeae (Melastomataceae)
Authors: Oliveira da Silva Marcus Felippe , Fernandes Guimarães Paulo José , Michelangeli Fabián Armando
Published: December 2014

The synonymization of Itatiaia and Purpurella pro parte under Pleroma based on morphological and geographical data and molecular evidence is made and the new combination Pleroma cleistoflora with its synonyms is provided. For Purpurella cleistoflora one of the isotypes from HBG is designed as lectotype. Illustrations, descriptions and commentaries on geographic distribution, conservation and morphological features are given.
Gerbera sylvicola (Asteraceae: Mutisieae), a new forest species from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Authors: Johnson Isabel Marion , CROUCH NEIL R. , EDWARDS TREVOR J.
Published: December 2014

A new South African endemic species, Gerbera sylvicola is described and illustrated, with data provided on its morphology, ecology and distribution. The species appears to be closely related to G. kraussii and whilst it shares felted and prominently veined abaxial leaf surfaces, several ecological, reproductive and vegetative features clearly distinguish it. Its affinities are discussed.
Revision of Phaenocora Ehrenberg, 1836 (Rhabditophora, Typhloplanidae, Phaenocorinae) with the description of two new species
Authors: Houben Albrecht M. , Steenkiste Niels Van , Artois Tom J.
Published: December 2014

A morphological and taxonomical account of the taxon Phaenocora is provided. An effort was made to locate and study all available material and, where possible, species are briefly re-described. We also describe two new species: Phaenocora gilberti sp. nov. from Cootes Paradise, Ontario, Canada and Phaenocora aglobulata sp. nov. from Prairie Grove, Alabama, USA. Species recognition is based on a combination of both male and female morphology. A comparison of and discussion on all species is given, resulting in a total of 28 valid species, three species inquirendae, five species dubiae, and one nomen nudum. An identification key is provided.
A new species of Allobates (Anura: Aromobatidae) from the Tapajós River basin, Pará State, Brazil
Authors: LIMA ALBERTINA P. , SIMÕES PEDRO IVO , KAEFER IGOR LUIS
Published: December 2014

We describe a new species of Allobates from the south of eastern Amazonia, Brazil. This species inhabits fluvial springs and the banks of small streams in terra-firme forests along the Tapajós River basin. Average snout-to-vent length is 17.78 mm (range 16.09–19.59 mm) among males and 19.50 mm (range 17.97–20.84 mm) among females. Surface of dorsum is marked by a distinct dark color pattern, with three convex areas, triangle and diamond-shaped. The species has a diffuse pale dorsolateral line (absent in some specimens), while the oblique lateral bar is defined. Dark-brown transversal stripes are present on femoral and tibial dorsal surfaces, which align with each other in live specimens when at rest. Tadpoles have short papillae on anterior (8–10 papillae on each side) and posterior labium (>30 papillae). Posterior labium is projected to the front, hiding posterior tooth rows. Eggs are deposited in nests on rolled or cranked dead leaves on the forest floor. Egg membranes and jelly-nests are transparent. Advertisement calls are mainly characterized by the continuous emission of single notes that might shift sporadically to note-pairs, emitted during short periods. Notes are split by regular silent intervals, with peak frequency ranging between 4273–4867 Hz.
A review of the orientalis group of the Otostigmus subgenus Otostigmus Porat, 1876 (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae)
Authors: LEWIS JOHN G. E.
Published: December 2014

The Otostigmus subgenus Otostigmus, which currently comprises 58 species, was subdivided by Lewis (2010a) into nine species groups based on Attems’ (1930a) monograph. The orientalis group comprising 19 species and two subspecies is the subject of this paper. In most cases, the type material is redescribed and variation discussed.The following species are valid: O. ateles Chamberlin, 1920, O. australianus Attems, 1930, O. brevidentatus Verhoeff, 1937, O. foveolatus Verhoeff, 1937, O. kashmiranus Lewis, 1992, O. metallicus Haase, 1887, O. multidens multidens Haase, 1887, O. oatesi Kraepelin, 1903, O. orientalis Porat, 1876, O. ruficeps Pocock, 1890, and O. striolatus Verhoeff, 1937. O. seychellarum Attems, 1900, is reinstated as a valid species and O. niasensis Silvestri, 1895, and O. sucki Kraepelin, 1903 which may be O. metallicus are regarded as valid pro tem.         O. greggi Chamberlin, 1944, is a junior subjective synonym of O. astenus (Kohlrausch, 1881), and O. loriae Silvestri, 1895, and O. multidens carens Attems, 1938, junior subjective synonyms of O. multidens. O. loriae nordicus Schileyko, 1995, becomes O. multidens nordicus comb. nov. O. nemorensis Silvestri, 1895, O. poonamae Khanna & Tripathi, 1986, and O. telus Chamberlin, 1939, are nomina dubia.          A key to the species is provided.
A review of the Hexactinellida (Porifera) of Chile, with the first record of Caulophacus Schulze, 1885 (Lyssacinosida: Rossellidae) from the Southeastern Pacific Ocean
Authors: REISWIG HENRY M. , ARAYA JUAN FRANCISCO
Published: December 2014

All records of the 15 hexactinellid sponge species known to occur off Chile are reviewed, including the first record in the Southeastern Pacific of the genus Caulophacus Schulze, 1885, with the new species Caulophacus chilense sp. n. collected as bycatch in the deep water fisheries of the Patagonian toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides Smitt, 1898 off Caldera (27ºS), Region of Atacama, northern Chile. All Chilean hexactinellid species occur in bathyal to abyssal depths (from 256 up to 4142 m); nine of them are reported for the Sala y Gomez and Nazca Ridges, with one species each in the Juan Fernandez Archipelago and Easter Island. The Chilean hexactinellid fauna is still largely unknown, consisting of only 2.5 % of the known hexactinellid extant species. Further studies and deep water sampling are essential to assess their ecology and distribution, particularly in northern Chile.
First record of the family Pseudochiridiidae (Arachnida, Pseudoscorpiones) from continental South America—a Pseudochiridium from a Brazilian cave
Authors: SCHIMONSKY DIEGO MONTEIRO VON , BICHUETTE MARIA ELINA , MAHNERT VOLKER
Published: December 2014

The small pseudoscorpion family Pseudochiridiidae Chamberlin, 1923 comprises two genera and 12 extant species recorded from Asia (Burma, Christmas Island, Indonesia, India, Nepal, Malaysia, New Guinea, Philippines, Nicobars and Sumba), eastern, central and southern Africa (Chad, D.R. Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania), Madagascar, Seychelles (Aldabra), North America (Florida) and the Caribbean Islands of Dominican Republic and Cuba (Harvey 2013, Barba & Barroso 2013); one unidentified species is mentioned for the fauna of Mexico (Ceballos 2004). A fossil species has been described from Dominican amber by Judson (2007), who predicted the presence of this family in South America.
Description of two new cases of gynandromorphism in Paratrigona Schwarz and Augochlora Smith (Hymenoptera: Apidae and Halictidae)
Authors: ALVAREZ LEOPOLDO J. , LUCIA MARIANO , RAMELLO PABLO J. , ABRAHAMOVICH ALBERTO H.
Published: December 2014

Two new records of gynandromorphism in bees are described and illustrated for Paratrigona glabella and Augochlora amphitrite. The specimens show a mixture of male and female features, complete in Augochlora and on head and mesosoma in Paratrigona. Including the specimen described herein, gynandromorphs are now known for a total of three species in Meliponini bees and three species in Augochlorini bees.