bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Control of excitatory hierarchical circuits by parvalbumin-FS basket cells in layer 5 of the frontal cortex: insights for cortical oscillations
Authors: Kawaguchi Yasuo , Otsuka Takeshi , Morishima Mieko , Ushimaru Mika , Kubota Yoshiyuki
Published: April 2019

The cortex contains multiple neuron types with specific connectivity and functions. Recent progress has provided a better understanding of the interactions of these neuron types as well as their output organization particularly for the frontal cortex, with implications for the circuit mechanisms underlying cortical oscillations that have cognitive functions. Layer 5 pyramidal cells (PCs) in the frontal cortex comprise two major subtypes: crossed-corticostriatal (CCS) and corticopontine (CPn) cells. Functionally, CCS and CPn cells exhibit similar phase-dependent firing during gamma waves but participate in two distinct subnetworks that are linked unidirectionally from CCS to CPn cells. GABAergic parvalbumin-expressing fast-spiking (PV-FS) cells, necessary for gamma oscillation, innervate PCs, with stronger and global inhibition to somata and weaker and localized inhibitions to dendritic shafts/spines. While PV-FS cells form reciprocal connections with both CCS and CPn cells, the excitation from CPn to PV-FS cells exhibits short-term synaptic dynamics conducive for oscillation induction. The electrical coupling between PV-FS cells facilitates spike synchronization among PV-FS cells receiving common excitatory inputs from local PCs and inhibits other PV-FS cells via electrically communicated spike afterhyperpolarizations. These connectivity characteristics can promote synchronous firing in the local networks of CPn cells and firing of some CCS cells by anode-break excitation. Thus subsets of L5 CCS and CPn cells within different levels of connection hierarchy exhibit coordinated activity via their common connections with PV-FS cells, and the resulting PC output drives diverse neuronal targets in cortical layer 1 and the striatum with specific temporal precision, expanding the computational power of the cortical network.
miR-181c-5p Exacerbates Hypoxia/Reoxygenation-Induced Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis via Targeting PTPN4
Authors: Ge Liang , Cai Yin , Ying Fan , Liu Hao , Zhang Dengwen , He Yanjing , Pang Lei , Yan Dan , Xu Aimin , Ma Haichun , Xia Zhengyuan
Published: April 2019

Background. Activation of cell apoptosis is a major form of cell death during myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/RI). Therefore, examining ways to control cell apoptosis has important clinical significance for improving postischemic recovery. Clinical evidence demonstrated that miR-181c-5p was significantly upregulated in the early phase of myocardial infarction. However, whether or not miR-181c-5p mediates cardiac I/RI through cell apoptosis pathway is unknown. Thus, the present study is aimed at investigating the role and the possible mechanism of miR-181c-5p in apoptosis during I/R injury by using H9C2 cardiomyocytes. Methods and Results. The rat origin H9C2 cardiomyocytes were subjected to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R, 6 hours hypoxia followed by 6 hours reoxygenation) to induce cell injury. The results showed that H/R significantly increased the expression of miR-181c-5p but not miR-181c-3p in H9C2 cells. In line with this, in an in vivo rat cardiac I/RI model, miR-181c-5p expression was also significantly increased. The overexpression of miR-181c-5p by its agomir transfection significantly aggravated H/R-induced cell injury (increased lactate dehydrogenase level and reduced cell viability) and exacerbated H/R-induced cell apoptosis (greater cleaved caspases 3 expression, Bax/Bcl-2 and more TUNEL-positive cells). In contrast, inhibition of miR-181c-5p in vitro had the opposite effect. By using computational prediction algorithms, protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 4 (PTPN4) was predicted as a potential target gene of miR-181c-5p and was verified by the luciferase reporter assay. The overexpression of miR-181c-5p significantly attenuated the mRNA and protein expression of PTPN4 in H9C2 cardiomyocytes. Moreover, knockdown of PTPN4 significantly aggravated H/R-induced enhancement of LDH level, cleaved caspase 3 expression, and apoptotic cell death, which mimicked the proapoptotic effects of miR-181c-5p in H9C2 cardiomyocytes. Conclusions. These findings suggested that miR-181c-5p exacerbates H/R-induced cardiomyocyte injury and apoptosis via targeting PTPN4 and that miR-181c-5p/PTPN4 signaling may yield novel strategies to combat myocardial I/R injury.
Bloating Mechanism of Lightweight Aggregates due to Ramping Rate
Authors: Lee Kang Hoon , Lee Jae Hoon , Wie Young Min , Lee Ki Gang
Published: April 2019

The purpose of this study was to improve the recycling rate of industrial wastes by investigating the bloating mechanism of artificial lightweight aggregate depending on the ramping rate and time, which is a dynamic parameter in the production of artificial lightweight aggregate. In this study, coal bottom ash and dredged soil at a weight ratio of 1 : 1 from a domestic power plant were used as raw materials. The artificial lightweight aggregates were formed by using an extruder and pelletizer (φ = 10 mm) and sintered by rapid sintering, 2-step firing, and normal sintering method. The physical properties of the aggregates such as bulk density, water absorption ratio, and microstructure of cross section are investigated with the sintering time and temperature. As the result of bloating and trapping mechanism, black core could be inhibited as the firing time increased at the temperature before surface formation. As a result of firing schedule graphs using least square method, it was possible to manufacture artificial lightweight aggregate with micropores, specific gravity of 1.1, and absorption rate of 3% at a heating rate of 27°c/min or less.
The cAMP Pathway Amplifies Early MyD88-Dependent and Type I Interferon-Independent LPS-Induced Interleukin-10 Expression in Mouse Macrophages
Authors: Ernst Orna , Glucksam-Galnoy Yifat , Athamna Muhammad , Ben-Dror Iris , Ben-Arosh Hadar , Levy-Rimler Galit , Fraser Iain D. C. , Zor Tsaffrir
Published: April 2019

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a key anti-inflammatory cytokine, secreted by macrophages and other immune cells to attenuate inflammation. Autocrine type I interferons (IFNs) largely mediate the delayed expression of IL-10 by LPS-stimulated macrophages. We have previously shown that IL-10 is synergistically expressed in macrophages following a costimulus of a TLR agonist and cAMP. We now show that the cAMP pathway directly upregulates IL-10 transcription and plays an important permissive and synergistic role in early, but not late, LPS-stimulated IL-10 mRNA and protein expression in mouse macrophages and in a mouse septic shock model. Our results suggest that the loss of synergism is not due to desensitization of the cAMP inducing signal, and it is not mediated by a positive crosstalk between the cAMP and type I IFN pathways. First, cAMP elevation in LPS-treated cells decreased the secretion of type I IFN. Second, autocrine/paracrine type I IFNs induce IL-10 promoter reporter activity only additively, but not synergistically, with the cAMP pathway. IL-10 promoter reporter activity was synergistically induced by cAMP elevation in macrophages stimulated by an agonist of either TLR4, TLR2/6, or TLR7, receptors which signal via MyD88, but not by an agonist of TLR3 which signals independently of MyD88. Moreover, MyD88 knockout largely reduced the synergistic IL-10 expression, indicating that MyD88 is required for the synergism displayed by LPS with cAMP. This report delineates the temporal regulation of early cAMP-accelerated vs. late type I IFN-dependent IL-10 transcription in LPS-stimulated murine macrophages that can limit inflammation at its onset.
FGF21 Mediates Mesenchymal Stem Cell Senescence via Regulation of Mitochondrial Dynamics
Authors: Li Xin , Hong Yimei , He Haiwei , Jiang Guojun , You Wei , Liang Xiaoting , Fu Qingling , Han Shuo , Lian Qizhou , Zhang Yuelin
Published: April 2019

Mesenchymal stem cell- (MSC-) based therapy is a novel strategy in regenerative medicine. The functional and regenerative capacities of MSCs decline with senescence. Nonetheless, the potential mechanisms that underlie their senescence are not fully understood. This study was aimed at exploring the potential mechanisms of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in the regulation of MSC senescence. The senescence of MSCs was determined by senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining. The morphology and the level of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) of MSCs were assessed by MitoTracker and Mito-Sox staining, respectively. The expression of FGF21 and mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins was detected by Western blotting. As MSCs were expanded in vitro, the expression of FGF21 decreased. Depletion of FGF21 enhanced production of mitochondrial reactive oxidative species (ROS) and increased the senescence of early-passage MSCs whereas inhibition of ROS abolished these effects. The senescent MSCs exhibited increased mitochondrial fusion and decreased mitochondrial fission. Treatment of early-passage MSCs with FGF21 siRNA enhanced mitochondrial fusion and reduced mitochondrial fission. Moreover, treatment of mitofusin2- (Mfn2-) siRNA inhibited depletion of FGF21-induced MSC senescence. Furthermore, we demonstrated that depletion of FGF21-induced mitochondrial fusion was regulated by the AMPK signaling pathway. Treatment with an AMPK activator, AICAR, abrogated the depletion of FGF21-induced senescence of MSCs by inhibiting mitochondrial fusion. Compared with MSCs isolated from young donors, those derived from aged donors showed a lower level of FGF21 and a higher level of senescent activity. Furthermore, overexpression of FGF21 in aged MSCs inhibited senescence. Our study shows that FGF21, via the AMPK signaling pathway, regulates the senescence of MSCs by mediating mitochondrial dynamics. Targeting FGF21 might represent a novel strategy to improve the quality and quantity of MSCs.
Hybrid Dynamic Route Planning Model for Pedestrian Microscopic Simulation at Subway Station
Authors: Gao Yongxin , Chen Feng , Wang Zijia
Published: April 2019

To make agents’ route decision-making behaviours as real as possible, this paper proposes a layered navigation algorithm, emphasizing the coordinating of the global route planning at strategic level and the local route planning at tactical level. Specifically, by an improved visibility graph method, the global route is firstly generated based on static environment map. Then, a new local route planning (LRP) based on dynamic local environment is activated for multipath selection to allow pedestrian to respond changes at a real-time sense. In particular, the LRP model is developed on the basis of a passenger’s psychological motivation. The pedestrians’ individual preferences and the uncertainties existing in the process of evaluation and choice are fully considered. The suitable local path can be generated according to an estimated passing time. The LRP model is applied to the choice of ticket gates at a subway station, and the behaviours of gate choosing and rechoosing are investigated. By utilizing C++, the layered navigation algorithm is implemented. The simulation results exhibit agents’ tendency to avoid congestion, which is often observed in real crowds.
Disturbance Attenuation and Rejection for a Class of Switched Nonlinear Systems Subject to Input and Sensor Saturations
Authors: Wei Yunliang , Sun Liping , Jia Shengsen , Liu Kunming , Meng Fanwei
Published: April 2019

This paper investigates the problem of disturbance attenuation and rejection for a class of switched nonlinear systems subject to input and sensor saturations, in which exosystem generated disturbances and H2‐norm bounded disturbances are considered. The full‐order and reduced‐order observers are designed according to whether the system states are available or not. Based on the estimating values of the system states and exosystem generated disturbances, the design schemes for the composite controllers are put forward based on the full‐order and reduced‐order observers, respectively. For a switched system, the input and sensor saturations would influence the effective synthesis of observer and controller. By sector nonlinearity technology, the stability of the augmented closed‐loop systems under the proposed composite controllers are analyzed, and the conditions of synthesis of the observers and controllers are further presented to ensure the augmented systems to be robustly asymptotically stable with a weighted H∞ performance level. An example is given to guarantee the effectiveness of the proposed control schemes.
Overexpression of miR-27b-3p Targeting Wnt3a Regulates the Signaling Pathway of Wnt/β-Catenin and Attenuates Atrial Fibrosis in Rats with Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Lv Xiangwei , Li Jinyi , Hu Yisen , Wang Shirong , Yang Chengye , Li Chengxuan , Zhong Guoqiang
Published: April 2019

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are regarded as a potential method for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) although its molecular mechanism remains unknown. We found in our previous study that the level of peripheral blood miR-27b-3p and the expression of atrial tissue CX43 were both significantly downregulated in AF patients. In the present study, we propose and test this hypothesis that overexpression of miR-27b-3p attenuates atrial fibrosis, increases CX43 expression, and regulates the signaling pathway of Wnt/β-Catenin by targeting Wnt3a. miR-27b-3p overexpression was induced by rat tail vein injection of adeno-associated virus. Two weeks after transfection of adeno-associated virus, the rat AF model was established by tail vein injection of acetylcholine- (ACh-) CaCl2 for 7 days, and 1 ml/kg was injected daily. The incidence and duration of AF were recorded with an electrocardiogram. Cardiac function was monitored by cardiac ultrasound. Serum cardiac enzyme was detected by ELISA. The expression of atrial miR-27b-3 and Wnt3a was assayed by quantitative RT-PCR. Atrial fibrosis was determined by Masson’s trichrome staining. Expression of atrial Collagen-I and Collagen-III was tested by the immunohistochemical method. Expression of CX43 was measured by immunofluorescence. The expression of Collagen-I, a-SMA, Collagen-III, TGF-β1, CX43, Wnt3a, β-Catenin, and p-β-Catenin was assayed by western blot. Our results showed that miR-27b-3p overexpression could reduce the incidence and duration of AF, alleviate atrial fibrosis, increase atrial CX43 expression, and decrease the expression of Collagen-I, a-SMA, Collagen-III, TGF-β1, Wnt3a, and p-β-Catenin. In addition, the results of luciferase activity assay showed that Wnt3a is a validated miR-27b-3p target in HEK 293T cells. Our results provide a new evidence that miR-27b-3p regulates the signaling pathway of Wnt/β-Catenin by targeting Wnt3a, which may play an important role in the development of atrial fibrosis and AF.
Effects of Microvesicles on Cell Apoptosis under Hypoxia
Authors: Guo Ying , Tan Jin , Miao Yuyang , Sun Zuoming , Zhang Qiang
Published: April 2019

Hypoxia, as one of the severe cellular stresses, can cause cellular injury and even cell death. Apoptosis is the main mechanism of regulating cell death and is closely related to the cell death caused by hypoxia. However, hypoxia-induced apoptosis is not entirely the result of direct hypoxic stimulus of cells. In recent years, it has been found that cells injured by hypoxia can shed a kind of membranous vesicles, which are called microvesicles (MVs). MVs can carry bioactive molecules from injured mother cells and appear in blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and other body fluids. MVs can induce normal cell apoptosis by transferring bioactive molecules into adjacent cells and amplifying the hypoxic injury in an organism. This review summarizes the characteristic changes of MVs derived from hypoxic cells and the mechanism of normal cell apoptosis mediated by hypoxic cell-derived MVs. Finally, we introduce the significance of this apoptosis-apoptosis cascade reaction in hypoxic diseases.
Application of Cerebrospinal Fluid Host Protein Biosignatures in the Diagnosis of Tuberculous Meningitis in Children from a High Burden Setting
Authors: Manyelo Charles M. , Solomons Regan S. , Snyders Candice I. , Manngo Portia M. , Mutavhatsindi Hygon , Kriel Belinda , Stanley Kim , Walzl Gerhard , Chegou Novel N.
Published: April 2019

Background. The diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) especially in children is challenging. New tests are urgently needed for the diagnosis of the disease, especially in resource-limited settings.Methods. We collected cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from children presenting with symptoms requiring investigation for meningitis at a tertiary hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Children were later classified as TBM or no TBM using published case definitions. Using a multiplex platform, we investigated the concentrations of biomarkers comprising a previously established 3-marker biosignature (VEGF, IL-13, and LL-37) and other potentially useful host biomarkers as diagnostic candidates for TBM.Findings. Out of 47 children, age, 3 months to 13 years, 23 were diagnosed with TBM and six (16%) were HIV-infected. We validated the previously identified CSF biosignature (sensitivity of 95.7% (95% CI, 79.0-99.2%) and specificity of 37.5% (95% CI, 21.2-57.3%)). However, substitution of IL-13 and LL-37 with IFN-γand MPO, respectively, resulted in improved accuracy (area under the ROC curveAUC=0.97, 95% CI, 0.92-1.00, up to 91.3% (21/23) sensitivity and up to 100% (24/24) specificity). An alternative four-marker biosignature (sICAM-1, MPO, CXCL8, and IFN-γ) also showed potential, with an AUC of 0.97.Conclusion. We validated a previously identified CSF biosignature and showed that refinement of this biosignature by incorporation of other biomarkers diagnosed TBM with high accuracy. Incorporation of these biomarkers into a point-of-care or bedside diagnostic test platform may result in the improved management of TBM in children.
What Do Primary Healthcare Providers and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practitioners in Palestine Need to Know about Exercise for Cancer Patients and Survivors: A Consensual Study Using the Delphi Technique
Authors: Shawahna Ramzi , Al-Atrash Mahmoud
Published: April 2019

Background. Exercise has physiologic and psychological benefits for cancer patients and survivors. Today, various exercises are recommended as adjunct to therapies for cancer patients and survivors. This study was conducted to develop a consensual core list of important knowledge items that primary healthcare providers and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners need to know on the role of exercises and physical activities in stimulating anticancer immunity. Methods. Knowledge items were collected following interviews with key contact experts (4 oncologists, 3 exercise and medicine specialists, 2 researchers, 2 cancer patients, and 3 survivors) and extensive literature review. The collected knowledge items were rated by 9 researchers who conducted research on exercise and cancer. A modified two-iterative Delphi technique was employed among a panel (n = 65) of healthcare providers and CAM practitioners to develop the consensual core list of knowledge items. Results. Of the 49 knowledge items, consensus was achieved on 45 (91.8%) items in 6 categories. Of those, 9 (20.0%) were general items on recommending moderate to vigorous habitual exercises and physical activities. The rest of items were related to the effects of habitual exercises and physical activities on the functions of immune system and exposure to carcinogens 16 (35.6%), anticancer therapies 12 (26.7%), metastasis of cancer 3 (6.7%), metabolism within tumors 3 (6.7%), and myokines release 2 (4.4%). Conclusion. Formal consensus was achieved for the first time on a core list of knowledge items on how exercises and physical activities might stimulate anticancer immunity. This core list might be considered at the time of developing training/educational interventions and/or continuing education for primary healthcare providers and CAM practitioners. Future studies are still needed to investigate if such consensual lists might improve congruence in cancer care continuum and improve survival rates and wellbeing of cancer patients and survivors.
Potential Role of Caveolin-1 in Regulating the Function of Endothelial Progenitor Cells from Experimental MODS Model
Authors: Luo Tianhang , Shu Jixin , Lu Zhengmao , Han Ting , Fang Guoen , Xue Xuchao
Published: April 2019

Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) remains a great challenge in critical care because of its common occurrence, high cost of care, and high mortality. Vascular endothelial injury is the initiation step in the development of MODS, and EPCs are essential for the process of organ repair. It is unclear whether and how caveolin-1 (Cav-1) in EPCs contributes to the pathogenesis of MODS. The present study is aimed at investigating the potential role of Cav-1 in EPCs during MODS. We established a MODS model in pigs, isolated and characterized EPCs from the MODS model, and tracked Cav-1 expression and various in vitro behaviors of EPCs from the MODS model. Then, we knockdown Cav-1 expression with siRNA or induce Cav-1 expression with proinflammatory factors to evaluate potential effects on EPCs. Our results suggest that Cav-1 expression correlated with EPC functions during MODS and Cav-1 regulates the function of endothelial progenitor cells via PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling during MODS. Thus, Cav-1 in EPCs could be an attractive target for the treatment of MODS.
Measuring Quality of Life in the Speaker with Dysarthria: Reliability and Validity of the European Portuguese Version of the QoL-DyS
Authors: Nogueira Dalia , Reis Elizabeth , Ferreira Pedro , Schindler Antonio
Published: April 2019

Background: The impact of acquired dysarthria on the person’s life and social participation is well recognized and is the key to the process of rehabilitation. Evaluation of the effectiveness of an intervention that addresses this impact is a challenge for clinicians and researchers. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the European Portuguese version of the Quality of Life in the Speaker with Dysarthria (QoL-DyS). Methods: This research was conducted in three phases: (i) cultural and linguistic adaptation; (ii) feasibility and reliability; and (iii) validity. The sample was composed of 105 subjects with dysarthria and 103 healthy subjects. The QAD (Quick Assessment for Dysarthria), PEAT10 (Portuguese Eating Assessment Tool), and EQ-5D (EuroQol five-dimension scale) were used for validity and reliability. Results and Conclusion: The QoL-DyS correlated positively with the QAD, PEAT-10, and EQ5D. Cronbach’s α was 0.973, and it remained excellent when any item was deleted. The QoL-DyS score mean difference between the non-dysarthric cohort and the dysarthric cohort was also significant. Confirmatory factor analysis did not validate the original 40-item scale but a 33-item scale maintaining the four domains of the original version. A significantly higher perception of QoL was found in the non-dysarthric group. The results indicate that the European Portuguese version of the QoL-DyS is a reliable and valid tool to assess QoL in patients with dysarthria and may be used for screening in clinical practice and in research.
A Different Kind of Relapse: Ethanol as an Additive in Chemotherapy Formulations
Authors: Fries Hansjakob , Hitzschke Marcus , Lordick Florian
Published: April 2019

Some chemotherapy formulations contain ethanol as a solvent which can become relevant for medical and nonmedical reasons. Only a few studies have tried to quantify the effects of ethanol in chemotherapy preparations. Furthermore, the alcohol amount highly depends on the specific formulation, with some variation among different manufacturers. Although the actual increase in blood alcohol levels after ethanol-based chemotherapies seems to be limited, the FDA recently released a warning that docetaxel may cause symptoms of alcohol intoxication. Here, we report on a patient with breast cancer who experienced a relapse of alcohol abuse after a single docetaxel infusion. We hypothesize a causal relationship with the ethanol-containing docetaxel infusion. Today, no guidelines exist for the use of ethanol-based chemotherapy, and patient consent forms do not address this matter. We conclude that physicians prescribing chemotherapy and patients should be aware of the potential risks of ethanol-containing infusions and nonethanol-based alternatives should be discussed when needed or desired by the patient. This could be facilitated by revised patient consent forms.
Neurosurgeons’ Armamentarium for the Management of Refractory Postherpetic Neuralgia: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Texakalidis Pavlos , Tora Muhibullah S. , Boulis Nicholas M.
Published: April 2019

Background/Aims: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) can be refractory to both medical and minimally invasive treatments. Its complex pathophysiology explains the numerous neurosurgical procedures that have been implemented through the years. Our objective was to summarize all available neurosurgical strategies for the management of resistant PHN and evaluate their respective safety and efficacy outcomes. Methods: A comprehensive systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: A total of 38 studies comprising 811 patients with refractory PHN were included. The safety and efficacy of the following procedures were investigated: spinal cord stimulation (SCS), dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) lesioning, intrathecal drug delivery, caudalis DREZ lesioning, dorsal root ganglion (DRG) radiofrequency lesioning, peripheral nerve stimulation, gamma knife surgery, deep brain stimulation, cordotomy, percutaneous radiofrequency rhizotomy and Gasserian ganglion stimulation. Conclusions: There are several available neurosurgical approaches for recalcitrant PHN including neuromodulatory and ablative procedures. It is suggested that patients with resistant PHN undergo minimally invasive procedures first, including SCS, peripheral nerve stimulation or DRG radiofrequency lesioning. More invasive procedures should be reserved for refractory cases. Comparative studies are needed in order to construct a PHN neurosurgical management algorithm.
Prognosis of Primary Osteosarcoma in Elderly Patients: A Comparison between Young and Elderly Patients
Authors: Tsuchie Hiroyuki , Emori Makoto , Nagasawa Hiroyuki , Miyakoshi Naohisa , Murahashi Yasutaka , Shimizu Junya , Mizushima Emi , Yamashita Toshihiko , Shimada Yoichi
Published: April 2019

Objectives: Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor in childhood. Although a poorer prognosis has been described in older patients, few reports have focused solely on primary osteosarcoma. We evaluated the clinical features of elderly patients with primary osteosarcoma. Materials and Methods: Ninety-four patients were included in this retrospective study, and we divided them into 2 groups (older patients and younger patients) based on a cut-off age of 40 years. The patients’ information, including age, tumor type, location, presence of metastasis, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, treatment-related factors, local and distant relapse, and outcome, was collected. We compared the clinical courses between the 2 groups in all and only deceased patients. Results: In all patients, the frequency of chemotherapy in the older group was significantly lower than in the younger group (p < 0.001), and tumors were more frequent in axial bone in the older patients (p = 0.041). Only in patients with surgical treatment, histological effectiveness after chemotherapy in the older group was lower than in the younger group (p = 0.041). The older patients showed a poorer prognosis (p = 0.031). However, the 5-year overall survival rate in the older patients was more favorable than that in the younger patients only among deceased patients (p =0.032). Only the existence of metastasis affected the prognosis in older patients (p = 0.012). Conclusion: Primary osteosarcoma in elderly patients showed a high incidence of axial bone involvement, a low rate of chemotherapy, and resistance to chemotherapy. Although the final life prognosis is poor, survival may be relatively prolonged.
Identifying the Catalysts for Systematic Deprivation of Hindu Women’s Right to Property: An Appraisal from the Political Contours of Bangladesh
Authors: Al-Ifran Hossain Mollah
Published: April 2019

Hindu women’s limited right to inheritance in Bangladesh is a story of state-sponsored deprivation; a frustrating legacy of the political authority’s systematic indifference and failure in protecting minority women’s right to property for nearly half a century. Bangladesh, from its early decades, has experienced the resurgence of religion as one of the driving factors behind gender and minority-sensitive policy formulation and implementation. Under the veil of constitutional secularism, religion has become one of the most pervasive tools in the hands of the political authorities for methodical marginalisation of religious minority groups especially of Hindu community. Consequently, Bangladesh has failed to move forward with appropriate legislative measures for improving the present status of Hindu women’s right to property. This article argues that the underlying reasons behind such failure is intrinsically intertwined with power-centric electoral politics rather than normative socio-religious practices.
The effect of macrophytic cover on survival of Palaemonetes pugio and P. vulgaris (grass shrimp) in the presence of predatory Fundulus heteroclitus (killifish)
Authors: Merchant Henry C. , Khan Ritindra N. , Knowlton Robert E.
Published: April 2019

Effects of three different macrophytic covers and the presence of alternative prey on survival of grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio and P. vulgaris) subjected to predation by killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) were studied in the laboratory. Overall, survival of P. vulgaris was significantly greater (82%) than that of P. pugio (70%). This difference in survival was attributed to the greater tendency of P. pugio to swim outside the covers, making it more vulnerable to predation. Both prey species responded similarly to the different cover conditions. Survival without cover (gravel substrate) was 48%. In cover provided by a plastic plant made to resemble Ambulia, 75% of the starting population survived. In cover furnished by field-collected specimens of the flat chlorophyte, Ulva, survival was 71%, compared to 98% survival in the branched green alga, Codium. Predation pressure on neither species was significantly enhanced or diminished by the presence of a second prey species.

For both grass shrimp species, increased survival in Codium in the presence of the predator was attributed to the physically more complex nature of this macrophytic cover.
An interesting case of homonymy: Notopus de Haan, 1841 (Crustacea, Raninidae; Recent) and Notopus Leonardi, 1983 (ichnofossil; Devonian)
Authors: van Bake Barry W.M. , Jag John W.M. , Fraaije René H.B.
Published: April 2019

Upper Cretaceous strata in the type area of the Maastrichtian Stage (SE Netherlands, NE Belgium) have yielded comparatively abundant and diverse raninid assemblages (Collins et al., 1995; Fraaye & van Bakel, 1998). To date, seven species are known: Eumorphocorystes sculptus, Pseudoraninella muelleri, Lyreidina pyriformis, Raninoides? quadrispinosus,Raniliformis chevrona, Raniliformis prebaltica and Raniliformis occlusal. These occur mainly from the upper portion of the Maastricht Formation[Emael, Nekum and Meerssen members, Belemnitella Junior and Belemnella (Neobelemnella) kazimiroviensis biozones].
Decapod crustaceans from the Kimmeridgian of Bure (Meuse, France)
Authors: Breton Gérard , Carpentier Cédric , Huault Vincent , Lathuilière Bernard
Published: April 2019

Wells being dug at Bure, France, in strata of Kimmeridgian age have uncovered a diverse fauna of reptant decapods.
Individual, local and subspecific variation in female Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni) reproductive characters
Authors: Longepierre S. , Grenot C. , Hailey A.
Published: April 2019

We studied reproductive characters of a population of the tortoise Testudo h. hermanni in the Plaine des Maures (Var), and compared these to another population in southern France and to T.h. boettgeri in Greece. Clutch characters, which are measures of total reproductive investment, showed no differences between subspecies or sites after body size correction by ANCOVA. Egg characters, which measure the division of this investment among offspring, did vary significantly among both subspecies and sites after correcting for body mass. The presence of such local variation should discourage relocation of the threatened T.h. hermanni even between populations of the same subspecies.
The Global Political Economy of Fractured Regions
Authors: Ohanyan Anna
Published: April 2019

Despite ebbs and flows in comparative regional studies over the past few decades, the regional dimension of world politics is gaining sustained attention from scholarly and policymaking communities. Thus far much of the focus has been on regional integration, which is traditionally viewed as a necessary condition for economic development and security provision. This article describes the problem of regional fracture in conflict regions; it delineates the political and economic dimensions of regional fracture; and examines the security implications of each. It examines the problem of fractured regions in Russia’s post-Soviet neighborhoods, the Balkans, and sub-Saharan Africa. The article concludes with implications for security policy as exercised by the West in the post-American world.
From Norm Contestation to Norm Implementation: Recursivity and the Responsibility to Protect
Authors: Jacob Cecilia
Published: April 2019

This article contributes to the burgeoning norms literature in international relations that conceptualizes the norm life cycle as a nonlinear dynamic process that is open to contestation and change of “meanings in use.” There are limitations to this second generation of norms theory, however, most crucially in the identification of agency and process through which dialogue occurs and change is enacted. This article claims that to conceptualize the move from norm contestation as dialogic process to norm implementation as a process that weaves norms into the fabric of institutions in their day-to-day politics and routine practices, there is a need to bring IR norms theory into a fruitful engagement with sociological theory on lawmaking. Sociolegal approaches account for institutional processes that move toward the firming up of norms even if hard law status is not the formal objective. This article applies a sociolegal framework of the recursivity of lawmaking to better understand the current diversification of responsibility to protect implementation efforts across the UN and at the national level.
La frontière politique intérieure: le sens de l’esclavage dans les Lois et dans le Politique de Platon
Authors: Helmer Étienne
Published: April 2019

The presence of slavery in Plato’s political and ethical thought is marked by two contrary tendencies: one signals the conventional character of statutory slavery and tends to reduce the moral boundary between free people and servile people; the other one, going in the opposite direction, strongly reaffirms the functional frontier between these two categories, and makes it impassable. What does this double gesture of integration and exclusion of slavery mean with respect to Plato’s political thought? My claim, based on the analysis of a passage in Book vi of the Laws and some excerpts from the Statesman, is the following: for Plato, the statutory slavery fulfills the function of drawing the inner civic boundary on which the political field must be built if it is to have a true conceptual autonomy, by contrast with what contributes to its construction but without being fully political.
Xenocrates on Plato, Pythagoras and the Poets
Authors: Dillon John
Published: April 2019

This paper concerns three chief aspects of Xenocrates’ exegetical activity as head of the Platonic Academy, his interpretation of certain key passages of Plato, his appropriation of Pythagoras and the Pythagorean tradition, and his exegesis of the poets, notably Homer, Hesiod and the Orphic poems, thus setting the stage for later developments in Platonism.
Il filosofo peripatetico Cratippo di Pergamo
Authors: Dorandi Tiziano , Verde Francesco
Published: April 2019

This contribution provides a new collection of the textual extant remains (reliquiae) of the Peripatetic philosopher Cratippus of Pergamon (I c. bc), and a full and detailed overview of the biographical and doctrinal features of this thinker.
Erratum: KIRSTEN E. NICHOLSON, BRIAN I. CROTHER, CRAIG GUYER & JAY M. SAVAGE (2012) It is time for a new classification of anoles (Squamata: Dactyloidae). Zootaxa, 3477, 1–108.
Authors: NICHOLSON KIRSTEN E. , CROTHER BRIAN I. , GUYER CRAIG , SAVAGE JAY M.
Published: April 2019

(Erratum)
About Macrophya parvula and larvae of several Central European Macrophya (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae)
Authors: MACEK JAN
Published: April 2019

The adults of both sexes of Macrophya parvula (Konow, 1884) are described and illustrated, the male for the first time. The larvae of Macrophya blanda (Fabricius, 1775), M. rufipes (Linné, 1758), M. diversipes (Schrank, 1782), M. parvula, M. recognata Zombori, 1979 and M. erythrocnema Costa, 1859 are described and illustrated for the first time. The larvae of M. annulata (Geoffroy, 1785), M. militaris (Klug, 1817) and M. montana (Scopoli, 1763), which have been described previously, are diagnosed. New data on the biology of all these species, including host plants, are provided.
Revision of Neotropical species of Empididae (Diptera) described by Mario Bezzi. XI. The species described in Empis Linnaeus
Authors: RAFAEL J. A. , CÂMARA J. T.
Published: April 2019

Bezzi described 11 Neotropical species in Empis Linnaeus, 1758. Eight of them are re-described and illustrated from type and non-type specimens. Currently all re-described species remain in Empis: E. angustipennis Bezzi, 1909, E. chiragra Bezzi, 1909, E. induta Bezzi, 1909, E. leucostigma Bezzi, 1909, E. liodes Bezzi, 1909, E. lucidilabris Bezzi, 1905, E. penniventris Bezzi, 1909 and E. spinifera Bezzi, 1909. The primary or secondary type specimens of these species were examined, (except for E. lucidilabris), and lectotype specimens are here designated for E. angustipennis, E. chiragra and E. spinifera. The type specimens of the remaining three species of Empis described by Bezzi were destroyed.
A curious new genus of Keroplatini (Diptera: Keroplatidae) from Guatemala
Authors: FITZGERALD SCOTT J.
Published: April 2019

Amerikeroplatus dimorphicus n. gen. et n. sp. is described from Guatemala and compared with the similar Keroplatini genera Pseudochetoneura Ševčík and Asiokeroplatus Ševčík. The new genus is distinctive because it lacks the typical fusion of M and R (radiomedial fusion, RS+M) which is found in all but a few species-poor, and apparently unrelated, genera of keroplatids. Also unusual is the absence of vein R2+3 and the strong sexual dimorphism in the thorax; males are dark brown and females bright orange.
New and newly recorded species of the genus Halone Walker, 1854 (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini) from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam
Authors: BAE YANG˗SEOP , BAYARSAIKHAN ULZIIJARGAL
Published: April 2019

Halone Walker (1854) is one of the small genera within the tribe Lithosiini of subfamily Arctiinae (Erebidae). It was established for its type species, Halone sobria Walker, 1854, from Australia. The genus Halone is distributed in Southeast Asia (total 14 spp.: 3 spp. from India; 1 sp. from Thailand; 9 spp. from Malay Peninsula; 1 sp. from Papua New Guinea) to Australia (total 14 spp.), with 28 species described by several authors in various genera: Halone sobria Walker (1854), Setina sinuata Wallengren (1860), Pitane sejuncta Felder & Rogenhofer (1875), Mosoda consolatrix Rosenstock (1885), Mosoda servilis and M. ophiodes Meyrick (1886), Sorocostia interspersa Lucas (1890), Halone coryphoea and H. ebaea Hampson (1914), Eurypepla pteridaula Turner (1922), Halone epiopsis and H. prosenes Turner (1940), Psapharacis camptopleura and Scaphidriotis xylogramma Turner (1899) from Australia; Halone furcifascia Hampson (1914) from Papua New Guinea; Halone ariadna, H. bifornica, H. dissimulata, H. oblimarea, H. pillea, H. iuguma, H. marketae, H. solitus and H. viktorai Bucsek (2012; 2014) from Malay Peninsula; Halone straturata Černý (2009) from Thailand; Aemene diffusifascia Swinhoe (1896), Aemene flavescens Hampson (1898), and Halone flavinigra Hampson (1907) from India. The genus is cataloged in Poole (1989) and Edwards (1996).
Taxonomic study of the genus Meganola (Lepidoptera, Nolidae, Nolinae), with three new species and a new record from China
Authors: HU YAN-QING , YU YONG , WANG MIN
Published: April 2019

The paper describes three new species of Meganola (M. subseima sp. n., M. rongjiangensis sp. n. and M. wulongensis sp. n.) from China. Meganola mediofascia (Inoue, 1958) is reported for the first time from China. Adults and genitalia are illustrated.
Tanycarpa broadi sp. nov., a new Neotropical species of the genus Tanycarpa Foerster, 1863 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Alysiinae), with a key to the New World taxa
Authors: PERIS-FELIPO FRANCISCO JAVIER , BELOKOBYLSKIJ SERGEY A.
Published: April 2019

A new species of alysiine wasp from Brazil, Tanycarpa broadi sp. nov., is described and illustrated. A key for determination of all known Neotropical species of Tanycarpa is provided.
Chameleonfishes in Bangladesh: hipshot taxonomy, sibling species, elusive species, and limits of species delimitation (Teleostei: Badidae)
Authors: KULLANDER SVEN , NORÉN MICHAEL , RAHMAN MD. MIZANUR , MOLLAH ABDUR ROB
Published: April 2019

Five species of Badidae are reported from Bangladesh, with morphological diagnoses and mitochondrial DNA sequences (cytochrome b, cytb; and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, coi). Dario kajal is recorded from Bangladesh for the first time with a precise locality. Badis badis is reported from several localities in central Bangladesh. Badis chittagongis is redescribed on the basis of samples from the region of Cox′s Bazar, including Maheskhali Island. Badis pallidus, new species, is described from the Sangu and Karnafuli River drainages in Bangladesh. It is most similar to B. chittagongis, but differs slightly in colouration and meristics, and is separated by 3.8% uncorrected p-distance in coi from B. chittagongis. Badis chittagongis and B. pallidus are almost identical in morphology, colour pattern and meristics, but occupy different habitats and are reciprocally allopatric. Pronounced genetic difference but similar morphology in these two species may be due to strong stabilizing selection for cryptic colouration in Badis. Badis rhabdotus is a new species from northeastern Bangladesh and adjacent Meghalaya in India. It is distinguished from congeneric species by the colour pattern, including well-defined narrow vertical bars; posterior bars curved; and meristics. Species delimitation analysis of an alignment comprising all coi sequences available from GenBank longer than 600 bp and attributed to species of Badidae (21 June 2018) plus our coi sequences and outgroup sequences of Nandus nandus, using pairwise p-distance and the computer software GMYC, ABGD, and bPTP, produced similar results. Among 103 coi sequences of Badidae, unidentified or tagged with one of 18 valid species names, uncorrected p-distance suggests 27 OTUs at 2% difference threshold; ABGD found between 15 and 55 OTUs; GMYC with single evolutionary rate 33 OTUs, with multiple evolutionary rates 32 OTUs; PTP, mPTP and bPTP 27–28 OTUs. Phylogenetic analysis based on coi and cytb sequences support previous analyses and previously proposed species groups. Inadequate recent species descriptions and many misidentifications or provisional identifications of published DNA sequences hamper progress in species-level systematics in Badis. Based on published morphological data, Badis triocellus cannot be distinguished from B. singenensis; Badis dibruensis and B. pancharatnaensis cannot be distinguished from B. badis; Badis andrewraoi, B. autumnum, B. kyanos, and B. soraya are insufficiently well distinguished from each other.
Experiences with >50,000 Crowdsourced Hail Reports in Switzerland
Authors: Barras Hélène , Hering Alessandro , Martynov Andrey , Noti Pascal-Andreas , Germann Urs , Martius Olivia
Published: April 2019

Crowdsourcing is an observational method that has gained increasing popularity in recent years. In hail research, crowdsourced reports bridge the gap between heuristically defined radar hail algorithms, which are automatic and spatially and temporally widespread, and hail sensors, which provide precise hail measurements at fewer locations. We report on experiences with and first results from a hail size reporting function in the app of the Swiss National Weather Service. App users can report the presence and size of hail by choosing a predefined size category. Since May 2015, the app has gathered >50,000 hail reports from the Swiss population. This is an unprecedented wealth of data on the presence and approximate size of hail on the ground. The reports are filtered automatically for plausibility. The filters require a minimum radar reflectivity value in a neighborhood of a report, remove duplicate reports and obviously artificial patterns, and limit the time difference between the event and the report submission time. Except for the largest size category, the filters seem to be successful. After filtering, 48% of all reports remain, which we compare against two operationally used radar hail detection and size estimation algorithms, probability of hail (POH) and maximum expected severe hail size (MESHS). The comparison suggests that POH and MESHS are defined too restrictively and that some hail events are missed by the algorithms. Although there is significant variability between size categories, we found a positive correlation between the reported hail size and the radar-based size estimates.
Occupational closure and job quality: The case of occupational licensing in Britain
Authors: Williams Mark , Koumenta Maria
Published: April 2019

The notion of job quality has been at the forefront of academic and policy-debates, best crystallized in the pursuit to create more but also better jobs as a route to economic prosperity. Motivated by the need to better understand how occupational-level structures shape job quality, we derive predictions from the occupational closure literature to explore how occupational licensing – the strongest and fastest growing form of closure – shapes job quality in Britain. Using nationally-representative data over several decades, we find that the effects of licensing tend to be confined to jobs in the most stringently-licensed occupations, with such jobs having higher pay, lower job insecurity, greater opportunities for skill-use, and higher continuous learning requirements – relative to jobs in similarly-skilled unlicensed occupations. Of particular concern, however, is the finding that jobs in stringently-licensed occupations are also characterized by significantly lower task discretion and significantly higher job demands. Overall, our study adds a new dimension to job quality debates by highlighting the role of emergent occupational-level institutional structures in shaping job quality, and further, that despite the overall positive effects closure strategies have, they may come at a cost to certain critical intrinsic dimensions of job quality.