bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Combined VEGFR1-3, PDGFα/β, and FGFR1-3 Blockade Using Nintedanib for Esophagogastric Cancer
Authors: Won Elizabeth , Basunia Azfar , Chatila Walid K. , Hechtman Jaclyn F. , Chou Joanne F. , Ku Geoffrey Y. , Chalasani Sree B. , Boyar Michelle S. , Goldberg Zoe , Desai Avni M. , Tuvy Yaelle , Berger Michael F. , Tang Laura , Kelsen David P. , Schattner Mark , Ilson David H. , Capanu Marinela , Solit David B. , Schultz Nikolaus , Janjigian Yelena Y.
Published: April 2019

Purpose:

VEGFR2-directed therapy is commonly used to treat metastatic esophagogastric cancer, but disease progresses in most patients within months. Therapeutic resistance is likely mediated in part by co-occurring amplifications of the genes for multiple oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK). We therefore tested the efficacy of combined inhibition of VEGFR1-3, PDGFα/β, and FGFR1-3 using nintedanib.

Patients and Methods:

Patients with metastatic esophagogastric adenocarcinoma and disease progression on first-line chemotherapy were treated with nintedanib 200 mg twice daily. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) at 6 months; secondary endpoints included tumor response and safety. Tumor biopsies were profiled by targeted capture next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify molecular predictors of drug response.

Results:

The study achieved its primary endpoint; 6 of 32 patients (19%) were progression-free at 6 months. With a median follow-up of 14.5 months among survivors, median overall survival (OS) was 14.2 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 10.8 months–NR]. Nintedanib was well tolerated; grade ≥ 3 toxicities were uncommon and included grade 3 hypertension (15%) and liver enzyme elevation (4%). FGFR2 alterations were identified in 18% of patients but were not predictive of clinical outcome on nintedanib therapy. Alterations in cell-cycle pathway genes were associated with worse median PFS (1.61 months for patients with cell-cycle pathway alterations vs. 2.66 months for patients without, P = 0.019).

Conclusions:

Nintedanib treatment resulted in modest disease stabilization in patients with metastatic esophagogastric cancer. Alterations in cell-cycle pathway genes and increased global copy-number alteration (CNA) burden warrant further study as prognostic or predictive biomarkers.
A Novel Autocrine CXCL14/ACKR2 Axis: The Achilles' Heel of Cancer Metastasis?
Authors: Zhang Qian , Zhou Nianxin , Wang Wei , Zhou Shengtao
Published: April 2019

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) are essential for cancer hallmarks. While CAFs are molecularly heterogeneous, a CXCL14-expressing subset has been a critical player in the cancer context. In breast cancer, an autocrine fibroblast CXCL14/ACKR2 axis mediates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and endows metastatic traits, which offers novel therapeutic potential in the clinical setting.

See related article by Sjöberg et al., p. 3702
Tissue-Specific Oncogenic Activity of KRASA146T
Authors: Poulin Emily J. , Bera Asim K. , Lu Jia , Lin Yi-Jang , Strasser Samantha Dale , Paulo Joao A. , Huang Tannie Q. , Morales Carolina , Yan Wei , Cook Joshua , Nowak Jonathan A. , Brubaker Douglas K. , Joughin Brian A. , Johnson Christian W. , DeStefanis Rebecca A. , Ghazi Phaedra C. , Gondi Sudershan , Wales Thomas E. , Iacob Roxana E. , Bogdanova Lana , Gierut Jessica J. , Li Yina , Engen John R. , Perez-Mancera Pedro A. , Braun Benjamin S. , Gygi Steven P. , Lauffenburger Douglas A. , Westover Kenneth D. , Haigis Kevin M.
Published: April 2019

KRAS is the most frequently mutated oncogene. The incidence of specific KRAS alleles varies between cancers from different sites, but it is unclear whether allelic selection results from biological selection for specific mutant KRAS proteins. We used a cross-disciplinary approach to compare KRASG12D, a common mutant form, and KRASA146T, a mutant that occurs only in selected cancers. Biochemical and structural studies demonstrated that KRASA146T exhibits a marked extension of switch 1 away from the protein body and nucleotide binding site, which activates KRAS by promoting a high rate of intrinsic and guanine nucleotide exchange factor–induced nucleotide exchange. Using mice genetically engineered to express either allele, we found that KRASG12D and KRASA146T exhibit distinct tissue-specific effects on homeostasis that mirror mutational frequencies in human cancers. These tissue-specific phenotypes result from allele-specific signaling properties, demonstrating that context-dependent variations in signaling downstream of different KRAS mutants drive the KRAS mutational pattern seen in cancer.

Significance:

Although epidemiologic and clinical studies have suggested allele-specific behaviors for KRAS, experimental evidence for allele-specific biological properties is limited. We combined structural biology, mass spectrometry, and mouse modeling to demonstrate that the selection for specific KRAS mutants in human cancers from different tissues is due to their distinct signaling properties.

See related commentary by Hobbs and Der, p. 696.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 681
Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Myocardial Infarction in the Transgender Population
Authors: Alzahrani Talal , Nguyen Tran , Ryan Angela , Dwairy Ahmad , McCaffrey James , Yunus Raza , Forgione Joseph , Krepp Joseph , Nagy Christian , Mazhari Ramesh , Reiner Jonathan
Published: April 2019

Background:

As of 2016, ≈1.4 million people in the United States identify as transgender. Despite their growing number and increasing specific medical needs, there has been a lack of research on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD risk factors in this population. Recent studies have reported that the transgender population had a significantly higher rate of CVD risk factors without a significant increase in overall CVD morbidity and mortality. These studies are limited by their small sample sizes and their predominant focus on younger transgender populations. With a larger sample size and inclusion of broader age range, our study aims to provide insight into the association between being transgender and cardiovascular risk factors, as well as myocardial infarction.

Methods and Results:

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 2014 to 2017 were used to evaluate the cross-sectional association between being transgender and the reported history of myocardial infarction and CVD risk factors. A logistic regression model was constructed to study the association between being transgender and myocardial infarction after adjusting for CVD risk factors including age, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, chronic kidney disease, smoking, and exercise. Multivariable analysis revealed that transgender men had a >2-fold and 4-fold increase in the rate of myocardial infarction compared with cisgender men (odds ratio, 2.53; 95% CI, 1.14–5.63;
P
=0.02) and cisgender women (odds ratio, 4.90; 95% CI, 2.21–10.90;
P
<0.01), respectively. Conversely, transgender women had >2-fold increase in the rate of myocardial infarction compared with cisgender women (odds ratio, 2.56; 95% CI, 1.78–3.68;
P
<0.01) but did not have a significant increase in the rate of myocardial infarction compared with cisgender men.

Conclusions:

The transgender population had a higher reported history of myocardial infarction in comparison to the cisgender population, except for transgender women compared with cisgender men, even after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors.
Loss of Super-Enhancer-Regulated circRNA Nfix Induces Cardiac Regeneration After Myocardial Infarction in Adult Mice
Authors: Huang Senlin , Li Xinzhong , Zheng Hao , Si Xiaoyun , Li Bing , Wei Guoquan , Li Chuling , Chen Yijin , Chen Yanmei , Liao Wangjun , Liao Yulin , Bin Jianping
Published: April 2019

Background:

circRNAs (circular RNAs) are emerging as powerful regulators of cardiac development and disease, but their roles in cardiac regeneration are still unknown. This study used superenhancers to distinguish key circRNAs in the regulation of cardiac regeneration and explored the mechanisms underlying circRNA functions.

Methods:

We used integrated bioinformatics analysis of RNA sequencing data and superenhancer catalogs to identify superenhancer-associated circRNAs. Quantitative polymerase chain reactions and in situ hybridization were performed to determine the circRNA expression patterns in hearts. Gain- and loss-of-function assays were conducted to detect the role of circRNAs in cardiomyocyte proliferation and cardiac repair after myocardial infarction. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and electrophoretic mobility shift assays were used to determine the binding of Meis1 (Meis homeobox 1) on circNfix-associated superenhancers. RNA pulldown and luciferase reporter assays were used to study circRNA interactions with proteins and miRNAs (micro RNAs).

Results:

We identified a circRNA, Nfix circRNA (circNfix), that was regulated by a superenhancer and overexpressed in the adult heart in humans, rats, and mice. The transcription factor Meis1 bound to the superenhancer at the circNfix locus, and increased its expression. In vitro and in vivo, cardiomyocyte proliferation was increased by knockdown of circNfix, whereas it was inhibited by circNfix overexpression. Moreover, circNfix downregulation promoted cardiomyocyte proliferation and angiogenesis and inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis after myocardial infarction, attenuating cardiac dysfunction and improving the prognosis. Mechanistically, circNfix reinforced the interaction of Ybx1 (Y-box binding protein 1) with Nedd4l (an E3 ubiquitin ligase), and induced Ybx1 degradation through ubiquitination, repressing cyclin A2 and cyclin B1 expression. In addition, circNfix acted as a sponge for miR-214 to promote Gsk3β (glycogen synthase kinase 3 β) expression and repress β-catenin activity.

Conclusions:

Loss of superenhancer-regulated circNfix promotes cardiac regenerative repair and functional recovery after myocardial infarction by suppressing Ybx1 ubiquitin-dependent degradation and increasing miR-214 activity and thus may be a promising strategy for improving the prognosis after MI.
Association of Statin Use and Mortality After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
Authors: Peri‐Okonny Poghni A. , Liu Yangbo , Malaisrie S. Chris , Huded Chetan P. , Kapadia Samir , Thourani Vinod H. , Kodali Susheel K. , Webb John , McAndrew Thomas C. , Leon Martin B. , Cohen David J. , Arnold Suzanne V.
Published: April 2019

Background

Statins may reduce mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) through prevention of atherosclerotic events or pleiotropic effects. However, the competing mortality risks in TAVR patients may dilute any positive effect of statins. We sought to understand the association of statin use with post‐TAVR mortality.

Methods and Results

We included high– or intermediate–surgical risk patients who underwent TAVR as a part of the PARTNER (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves) II and Sapien 3 trials and registries. Outcomes included 2‐year all‐cause, cardiovascular, and noncardiovascular mortality. We used propensity score matching to generate matched pairs between those discharged on a statin and those not on a statin after TAVR. Bias was explored with falsification end points (urinary infection, hip fracture). Among 3956 patients who underwent TAVR, we matched 626 patients on a statin with 626 patients not on a statin at discharge. Among matched patients, statin use was associated with lower risk of all‐cause (hazard ratio [HR] 0.65, 95% CI 0.49‐0.87,
P
=0.001), cardiovascular (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.46‐0.96,
P
=0.030), and noncardiovascular mortality (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.44‐0.99,
P
=0.045) compared with no statin use. The survival curves diverged within 3 months and continued to separate over a median follow‐up of 2.1 years. The falsification end points were similar among groups (urinary infection,
P
=0.66; hip fracture,
P
=0.64).

Conclusions

In an observational, propensity‐matched analysis of TAVR patients, statin use was associated with lower rates of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular mortality compared with no statin use. Given the early emergence of the apparent protective effect of statins, this result may be driven either by pleiotropic effects or by residual confounding despite propensity‐matching methodology.
Nahum 2:14 Text-Critical Notes
Authors: Hartog Pieter B.
Published: April 2019

Abstract

Two reading traditions are reflected in the ancient witnesses to Nahum 2:14, which can be referred to as ‘masculine’ (4Q169) and ‘feminine’ (MT, TJon, P), depending on the implied referent of the suffixes in this verse. It is argued in this contribution that the textual history of Nahum 2:14 and the origins of these two reading traditions can be explained from the relationship between the Hebrew words רכב and רב, which presumably go back to a common source *רכבכה. This can be taken as evidence that the masculine reading of Nahum 2:14 is the more original one, whereas the feminine reading is the outcome of textual corruption.
Phylogenetic analysis of exotic invasive species of the brine shrimp Artemia Leach, 1819 (Branchiopoda, Anostraca) in Al Wathba Wetland Reserve (U.A.E.; Abu Dhabi)
Authors: Saji Anitha , Eimanifar Amin , Soorae Pritpal S. , Al Dhaheri Shaikha , Li Weidong , Wang Pei-Zheng , Asem Alireza
Published: April 2019

The taxonomic identity of an unknown Artemia population inhabiting the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., was determined using phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial marker Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit 1 (COI). The results showed that the examined population belongs to an exotic invasive species, Artemia franciscana. Based on the distribution pattern of haplotypes, the studied population could possibly have originated from that inhabiting the Great Salt Lake (Utah, U.S.A.).
Homing and home range of the European spiny lobster, Palinurus elephas (Decapoda, Palinuridae) acoustically tracked
Authors: Giacalone Vincenzo M. , Zenone Arturo , Badalamenti Fabio , Ciancio Javier , Buffa Gaspare , Gristina Michele , Pipitone Carlo , D’Anna Giovanni
Published: April 2019

A specific study has been carried out for the first time to investigate the homing capability and daily home range of the spiny lobster Palinurus elephas by means of ultrasonic telemetry.

Nine lobsters collected in the Capo Gallo — Isola delle Femmine marine protected area (northwestern Sicily, central Mediterranean) were tagged with miniaturized transmitters and released at a single site inside the protected area. The lobsters were monitored with the purpose of calculating their horizontal and vertical positions, analysing their movement patterns to assess their homing capability, and calculating their daily home range. Five lobsters moved back close to the capture sites within the first 20 hours after release (‘homed’). The remaining four lobsters ‘relocated’ to a different refuge. Homed lobsters had a larger home range than relocated lobsters. This study provides the first description of a homing pattern with high spatial resolution in the wild European spiny lobster as inferred by ultrasonic telemetry.
Bergson and the Development of Sartre’s Thought
Authors: Somers-Hall Henry
Published: April 2019

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of Henri Bergson to the philosophical development of Jean-Paul Sartre’s thought. Despite Sartre’s early enthusiasm for Bergson’s description of consciousness, and the frequent references to Bergson in Sartre’s early work, there has been virtually no analysis of the influence of Bergson’s thought on Sartre’s development. This paper addresses this deficit. The first part of the paper explores Sartre’s analysis of the function of the imagination in his two early works on the subject, The Imagination, and The Imaginary. I argue that many of Sartre’s central criticisms of what he calls “the illusion of immanence” can be traced back to Bergson, and that, despite Sartre’s rejection of Bergson’s account of consciousness, Sartre’s account of the imagination is still heavily indebted to Bergson’s logic of multiplicities. The second part argues that Sartre’s analysis of the imagination leads, in Being and Nothingness, to an account of freedom that still bears traces of his early Bergsonism, even if it reverses the direction of Bergson’s own analysis of freedom.
Depopulation: On the Logic of Heidegger’s Volk
Authors: Knudsen Nicolai Krejberg
Published: April 2019

This article provides a detailed analysis of the function of the notion of Volk in Martin Heidegger’s philosophy. At first glance, this term is an appeal to the revolutionary masses of the National Socialist revolution in a way that demarcates a distinction between the rootedness of the German People (capital “P”) and the rootlessness of the modern rabble (or people). But this distinction is not a sufficient explanation of Heidegger’s position, because Heidegger simultaneously seems to hold that even the Germans are characterized by a lack of identity. What is required is a further appropriation of the proper. My suggestion is that this logic of the Volk is not only useful for understanding Heidegger’s thought during the war, but also an indication of what happened after he lost faith in the National Socialist movement and thus had to make the lack of the People the basis of his thought.
Towards a Non-Eurocentric Analysis of the World Crisis: Reconsidering Patočka’s Approach
Authors: Ritter Martin
Published: April 2019

The paper tackles Patočka’s ideas on the world crisis and on the possibility that it may be overcome. The key flaw in Patočka’s approach, one which also underpins his Eurocentrism, is identified as his drawing a firm line between a free, truly historical way of life, and unfree, earthbound living. In order to sketch a usable conception, the paper reinterprets Patočka’s notion of the three movements of existence, thereby connecting his historical and political reflections with his ontological thought and also with Arendt’s concept of action. The dichotomy between earthiness and freedom, corresponding to the contrast between the first two movements and the third, is refuted by emphasizing not only the inseparability of all the movements of existence but also the historicity of each of them. On the basis of such a reinterpretation, Patočka’s concept can provide a phenomenological framework not only for a non-Eurocentric analysis of human being in the world but also of the world crisis.
Heidegger’s Black Notebooks and the Logic of a History of Being
Authors: Keiling Tobias
Published: April 2019

Interpretations of the so-called Black Notebooks have emphasized the interaction between Heidegger’s philosophy, particularly his notion of a “history of being” (Seinsgeschichte), on the one hand, and his affiliation with National Socialism and his anti-Semitic views on the other. The paper proposes to understand this interaction as in part determined by the inherent logic of Heidegger’s ontological reasoning: Heidegger takes power (Macht), violence (Gewalt) and brutality (Brutalität) as the key for understanding his present day and turns to these phenomena as confirmation of the ontology he envisages at the time. But the notes published so far, ranging from 1931 to 1948 (Gesamtausgabe vols. 94–97), document Heidegger’s incapacity to assign to the events of these years a plausible position in his ontology. This failure deepens a trauma both personal and philosophical. Rather than reject the notion of a history of being altogether, I propose an alternative understanding of its logic motivated by Heidegger’s failure to bring his ontological project to the anticipated completion.
Narrating the Treasury: What Medieval Iberian Chronicles Choose to Recount about Luxury Objects
Authors: Rodríguez Ana
Published: April 2019

Chronicles written in the Kingdoms of Castile and León between the reigns of Alfonso VI and Fernando III, the period of greatest expansion against al-Andalus, assert the importance of the spoils of battle and the circulation of objects between Christian and Muslim lands, and between rival Christian institutions. The chronicles’ accounts of the looting of churches by monarchs and nobles in the context of repeated internecine conflict give few details about pillaged objects. Rather, they define these pieces by materials without making note of individual characteristics; although certain objects did spark their interest, in most cases, the tales respond to the need to identify a given piece in order to construct a narrative. Their value comes not only from precious materials or the specialized work of their manufacture, but also from their ability to exemplify personal and collective virtues or defects, along with individual and family identities.
Introduction
Authors: Hofmann Gregor P. , Zimmermann Lisbeth
Published: April 2019

Contestation is currently one major field of research on international norms: does contestation strengthen or weaken a norm? What role does international law play in this regard? How do norm proponents and norm challengers change their strategies in norm contestation processes? Drawing on constructivist perspectives as well as on international law, the articles in this Special Issue explore the effects of norm contestation and its dynamics by analysing the Responsibility to Protect (
R2P
) and the responsibility to prosecute from different theoretical perspectives.
Sovereignty as Normative Decoy in the R2P Challenge to the Charter of the United Nations
Authors: Scott Shirley V. , Andrade Roberta C.
Published: April 2019

The Responsibility to Protect (R2P), touted in 2009 as ‘the most dramatic normative development of our time’, is highly contentious, having generated a scholarly literature far greater than its real-world impact would seem to warrant. This may well be because of its potential to challenge and displace core existing norms, the most widely cited of which is sovereignty. This paper draws on the theory of Cognitive Structures of Cooperation (csc Theory) to identify the relationship of R2P to existing normative structures, including the Charter of the United Nations, with a view to assessing the depth of the challenge posed and the potential consequences if the emergent norm were to be fully embraced. The analysis concludes that, rather than representing the object and potential victim of the R2P assault, sovereignty is better understood as having represented a decoy in this process of normative contestation.
Contributions to Zoology, the Journal - diversity in research topics and changes over the last 27 years
Authors: Vonk Ronald , Nijman Vincent
Published: April 2019

We provide a brief overview of the history of the journal Contributions to Zoology and analyse the papers published in the last 27 years by topic. Founded in 1848 as ‘Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde’, 160 years and 76 volumes later it is one of the oldest zoological journals that is still regularly printed. Over the last decades most papers dealt with invertebrates (60%), followed by vertebrates (23%), insects (10%) and non-taxonomic papers. Contributions to Zoology has seen a change from a largely alpha taxonomic journal to one that is truly general in scope. Systematic Biology and Comparative Morphology of both extant and extinct taxa nowadays make up about half of the papers published. Ethology as a research subject has been gradually phased out, and judged by the number of papers published, Conservation Biology has seen its coming of age of as a mainstream biological science. With contributors from 36 countries, of which 40% from outside Europe, Contributions to Zoology is a truly international journal, for research and researchers from various parts of the world.
ExcaliBAR: a simple and fast software utility to calculate intra- and interspecific distances from DNA barcodes
Authors: Aliabadian Mansour , Nijman Vincent , Mahmoudi Ahmad , Naderi Mehdi , Vonk Ronald , Vences Miguel
Published: April 2019

In the context of DNA Barcoding, sequences of standard marker genes for thousands and potentially millions of individuals and species are becoming available, requiring ever more efficient bioinformatic environments and software algorithms for analysis. We here present ExcaliBAR (Extraction, Calculation, Barcoding), a user-friendly software utility to facilitate one important initial step in DNA barcoding analyses, namely the determination of the barcoding gap between pairwise genetic distances among and within species, based on original distance matrices computed by MEGA software. In addition, the software is able to rename sequences downloaded via the standard user interfaces of public databases such as GenBank, without the need of developing and applying specific scripts for this purpose.
High amphibian diversity related to unexpected environmental values in a biogeographic transitional area in north-western Mexico
Authors: Serrano José M. , Berlanga-Robles César A. , Ruiz-Luna Arturo
Published: April 2019

Amphibian diversity and distribution patterns in Sinaloa state (north-western Mexico) were assessed from the Global Amphibian Assessment database (GAA-2010). A geographic information system (GIS) was used to evaluate diversity based on distribution maps of 41 species, associated with environmental data. The highest α and γ-diversities were identified in the south-eastern portion of the state, in mountain zones with a warm sub-humid climate, whereas the greatest β-diversity (multiplicative formulation) was aggregated in patches in the western portion of the state in mountains with temperate climates. A cluster analysis and Mantel test showed a strong association of Sorensen’s dissimilarity (additive formulation of β-diversity) with climate and soil moisture categories rather than physiographic categories. Additionally, the partition of Sorensen´s dissimilarity into its components (turnover and nestedness) showed a gradient of species turnover related to contrasting climate units and a marked pattern of nestedness between the middle mountains and the coastal plain. The results of the study suggest that the highest α and β-diversity values occur in the middle-humidity range as well in the transitional-climate categories. This pattern is unusual for amphibian distributions because the highest global and regional amphibian diversities are typically related to high humidity values and climate stability (warm and wet most of the year). This particular pattern, occurring in a transitional area, encourages further biological and ecological studies to clarify the status of amphibian populations and support conservation measures.
Atypical, ventro-ventral copulation position in aphids of the genus Stomaphis Walker, 1870 (Insecta, Hemiptera)
Authors: Depa Łukasz , Kanturski Mariusz , Taszakowski Artur , Wieczorek Karina
Published: April 2019

Firm matching of genitals during copulation is of critical importance to effective insemination and thus, gene flow. During the evolution of insects, an effective position during copulation promoted higher fecundity through control over the act of mating or elimination of competitors. Usually during insect copulation, either twisting or flexing of the male abdomen occurs, and genitals remain symmetrically or asymmetrically disposed following changes in the mating position. However, it is always the dorsal side of the male genitalia that makes contact with the ventral side of female abdomen. Here we present the unusual case of a ‘belly-to-belly’ copulation, with symmetrically positioned male genitals and no twisting of the abdomen. During the mating of two species in the Stomaphis genus of large, tree dwelling aphids, the dwarfish male is attached to the underside of the female, with the ventral part of its genitals contacting the ventral part of female abdomen, and the aedeagus effectively inserted into the female genital organs. Interestingly, congeneric species do not exhibit this sort of mating, but differences in the genital plates of females, between species, may play an important role. These observations raise many questions concerning the possible dominant role of the female during mating and later, during mate guarding by male, which can lead to monandry in this generally polyandrous group of insects. It is possible that this sort of mating is either an adaptation to the competitive behaviour of other males or a consequence of the obligatory mutualistic relationship with ants, and the adaptation to specialised ecological niches enforced by this relationship. If ants do influence the mating habits of Stomaphis then it is possible that speciation in this group of insects, and phytophagous insects generally, is partially driven by their relationship with ants.
Evolution of species-specific major seminal fluid proteins in placental mammals by gene death and positive selection
Authors: Meslin Camille , Laurin Michel , Callebaut Isabelle , Druart Xavier , Monget Philippe
Published: April 2019

The seminal fluid is a complex substance composed of a variety of secreted proteins and has been shown to play an important role in the fertilisation process in mammals and also in Drosophila. Several genes under positive selection have been documented in some rodents and primates. Our study documents this phenomenon in several other mammalian taxa. We study the evolution of genes that encode for 20 proteins that are quantitatively predominant in the seminal fluid of at least one out of seven domestic animal species. We analyse the amino acid composition of these proteins for positive selection and for the presence of pseudogenes. Genes that disappeared through pseudogenisation include KLK2 in cattle, horse and mice. Traces of positive selection are found in seven genes. The identified amino acids are located in regions exposed to the protein surface, suggesting a role in the interaction of gametes, with possible impact on the process of speciation. Moreover, we found no evidence that the predominance of proteins in seminal fluid and their mode of evolution are correlated, and the uncoupled patterns of change suggest that this result is not due solely to lack of statistical power.
The contribution of ancient and modern anthropogenic introductions to the colonization of Europe by the land snail Helix lucorum Linnaeus, 1758 (Helicidae)
Authors: Korábek Ondřej , Juřičková Lucie , Balashov Igor , Petrusek Adam
Published: April 2019

Helix lucorum is a large synanthropic land snail of substantial economic importance, which has been recently reported from a number of new sites in Western, Central, and Eastern Europe. It is an originally Anatolian and Caucasian species, but its presumed natural distribution also covers the south and east of the Balkans. Populations of unclear origin, known as Helix lucorum taurica, live in the south-western part of Crimea. The Balkan and Crimean populations differ in their appearance, were long treated as different species or subspecies, and the Crimean populations are protected by law as a presumably endemic taxon. Here we explore the origins of European populations using phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial markers. The results point to north-eastern Anatolia and the Lesser Caucasus as the centre of H. lucorum diversification. The Crimean conchological form, along with the associated mitochondrial lineage, is not endemic to that peninsula and was likely introduced there. Other European samples belong to a different lineage, which is associated with the nominotypical conchological form of H. lucorum. The conchological characteristics of the nominotypical form are unusual within the genus Helix, and we propose this reflects a change in habitat use and parallels the evolution of some other lineages of Helicidae. As a result, the typical European H. lucorum differs considerably from the Crimean populations, but the two lineages just represent opposite ends of a continuum in conchological characteristics. Their formal descriptions were based on probably introduced populations detached from the main range. Separated from the geographic pattern of the overall variation of H. lucorum they appeared distinctive, thus confounding the taxonomy of the species. Currently, the division of H. lucorum into subspecies appears unwarranted. Helix lucorum may not be a unique example of a large snail successfully expanding from Anatolia, as we argue that even the native origin of Balkan populations is uncertain. However, further sampling in north-western Turkey and analysis of archaeozoological findings from the south-eastern Balkans is needed to evaluate this hypothesis.
Monogenean parasites of sardines in Lake Tanganyika: diversity, origin and intraspecific variability
Authors: Kmentová Nikol , Van Steenberge Maarten , Raeymaekers Joost A.M. , Koblmüller Stephan , Hablützel Pascal I. , Bukinga Fidel Muterezi , N’sibula Théophile Mulimbwa , Mulungula Pascal Masilya , Nzigidahera Benoît , Ntakimazi Gaspard , Gelnar Milan , Vanhove Maarten P.M.
Published: April 2019

Whereas Lake Tanganyika’s littoral and benthic zones are famous for their diverse fish communities, its pelagic zone is dominated by few species, of which two representatives of Clupeidae (Limnothrissa miodon and Stolothrissa tanganicae) take a pivotal role. We investigated the monogenean fauna infecting these freshwater clupeids to explore the link between parasite morphology and host species identity, or seasonal and geographical origin, which may reveal host population structure. Furthermore, we conducted phylogenetic analyses to test whether these parasitic flatworms mirror their host species’ marine origin. Based on 406 parasite specimens infecting 385 host specimens, two monogenean species of Kapentagyrus Kmentová, Gelnar and Vanhove, gen. nov. were morphologically identified and placed in the phylogeny of Dactylogyridae using three molecular markers. One of the species, Kapentagyrus limnotrissae comb. nov., is host-specific to L. miodon while its congener, which is new to science and described as Kapentagyrus tanganicanus Kmentová, Gelnar and Vanhove, sp. nov., is infecting both clupeid species. Morphometrics of the parasites’ hard parts showed intra-specific variability, related to host species identity and seasonality in K. tanganicanus. Significant intra-specific differences in haptor morphometrics between the northern and southern end of Lake Tanganyika were found, and support the potential use of monogeneans as tags for host population structure. Based on phylogenetic inference, we suggest a freshwater origin of the currently known monogenean species infecting clupeids in Africa, with the two species from Lake Tanganyika representing a quite distinct lineage.
A new species of Potamonautes from São Tomé Island, Central Africa, with redescriptions of P. margaritarius (A. Milne-Edwards, 1869) from São Tomé, and P. principe Cumberlidge, Clark and Baillie, 2002, from Príncipe (Decapoda: Potamonautidae)
Authors: Cumberlidge Neil , Daniels Savel R.
Published: April 2019

Surveys of the freshwater crabs of two islands in the Gulf of Guinea, Central Africa, allowed a revision of the taxonomy of two little-known island endemic species, based for the first time on adult males: Potamonautes margaritarius (A. Milne-Edwards, 1869) from São Tomé, and of P. principe Cumberlidge, Clark and Baillie, 2002, from Príncipe (Brachyura; Potamonautidae). A new species of Potamonautes from southern São Tomé (Potamonautes saotome sp. nov.) is also described that is genetically distinct and has a clearly separate geographic distribution from P. margaritarius from northern São Tomé. The new species from southern São Tomé can be recognized by a suite of characters of the carapace, thoracic sternum, and gonopods. The taxonomy of P. margaritarius (A. Milne-Edwards, 1869) is stabilized by selecting a neotype from northern São Tomé. Potamonautes principe from Príncipe is the most distinct of the three taxa, with a more swollen carapace that has smooth anterolateral margins, and a shorter, straighter male first gonopod. All three taxa are morphologically distinct species that have also been clearly distinguished as evolutionarily separate lineages by mtDNA analysis and haplotyping in an earlier study. Previous phylogenetic evidence supports two separate island colonization events at different times in the past from different ancestral populations, one to São Tomé and another to Príncipe that resulted in the establishment of the endemic freshwater crab faunas of these two islands.
Cross-Sensory Stimuli Modulate Reactions to Aversive Sounds
Authors: Samermit Patrawat , Saal Jeremy , Davidenko Nicolas
Published: April 2019

We propose that cross-sensory stimuli presenting a positive attributable source of an aversive sound can modulate negative reactions to the sound. In Experiment 1, participants rated original video sources (OVS) of eight aversive sounds (e.g., nails scratching a chalkboard) as more aversive than eight positive attributable video sources (PAVS) of those same sounds (e.g., someone playing a flute) when these videos were presented silently. In Experiment 2, new participants were presented with those eight aversive sounds in three blocks. In Blocks 1 and 3, the sounds were presented alone; in Block 2, four of the sounds were randomly presented concurrently with their corresponding OVS videos, and the other four with their corresponding PAVS videos. Participants rated each sound, presented with or without video, on three scales: discomfort, unpleasantness, and bodily sensations. We found the concurrent presentation of videos robustly modulates participants’ reactions to the sounds: compared to the sounds alone (Block 1), concurrent presentation of PAVS videos significantly reduced negative reactions to the sounds, and the concurrent presentation of OVS videos significantly increased negative reactions, across all three scales. These effects, however, did not linger into Block 3 when the sounds were presented alone again. Our results provide novel evidence that negative reactions to aversive sounds can be modulated through cross-sensory temporal syncing with a positive attributable video source. Although this research was conducted with a neurotypical population, we argue that our findings have implications for the treatment of misophonia.
The differentiation and speciation of Scapania javanica and S. undulata complexes in the Eastern Sino-Himalayas and perimeters for Scapania Sect. Stephania (Scapaniaceae, Hepaticae)
Authors: BAKALIN VADIM , VILNET ANNA , MA WEN ZHANG , KLIMOVA KSENIA
Published: April 2019

Three taxa of Scapania with Sino-Himalayan and meta-Himalayan distribution are described as new to science: S. pseudojavanica from the southern portion of the eastern spur of the Tibetan Plateau in southern China and North Vietnam, S. metahimalayana with a disjunct distribution that ranges from Nepal (where its distribution is questionable) to North Vietnam, and S. sichuanica from high elevation in Sichuan in SW China. Each species is morphologically similar to taxa distributed in the more humid and warmer climates of East and South-East amphi-oceanic Asia. The differentiation is presumably the result of recent speciation in the Sino-Himalayas and adjacent lands and the observed differentiation and distribution patterns are in support of the geographic approach in splitting hepatic species. The initial differentiation of these Scapania in sect. Stephania was the specialization into two groups: with brown and colorless gemmae, both being predominantly unicellular.
Review of Marine Fishes of the Arctic Region (Mecklenburg et al. 2018)
Authors: HILTON ERIC J.
Published: April 2019

In looking through the shelves of my library, it strikes me that there are two styles of faunal guide books within ichthyology: those that attempt to be authoritative and comprehensive (both taxonomically and biologically) and those that are more utilitarian, with a rare few that are able to pull off both formats. Both approaches have their strengths, and the results of both approaches display a wide degree of variation. The commonalities of successful examples for each approach include accessibility of information for the expert on a particular group of fishes, as well as the informed novice, the presentation of key points in clear and unambiguous fashion, and its usefulness as a contribution to future studies on the fauna, as no work will be the final word.
Description of a new Hemigrammus Gill (Characiformes: Characidae) from the río Madeira basin in Peru and Bolivia
Authors: OTA RAFAELA P. , LIMA FLÁVIO C. T. , HIDALGO MAX H.
Published: April 2019

We described herein a new Hemigrammus from the río Madre de Dios and rio Mamoré basins in southeastern Peru and Bolivia. The new species possess a color pattern similar to those belonging to the Hemigrammus lunatus species-group, i.e., a broad longitudinal dark stripe across the eye and a conspicuous, narrow dark stripe along the anal-fin basis. It can be easily diagnosed from the species belonging to this group by presenting the combination of the following characters: an oval, horizontally elongated humeral blotch, 6-7 upper branch and 10-12 lower branch gill-rakers, up to five cusps on broader maxillary teeth, and by lacking a midlateral dark stripe. Comments on its putative relationships are provided. Additionally, we updated the geographical distribution of Hemigrammus lunatus and H. machadoi based on an exhaustive survey of material deposited in collections. [Species Zoobank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A2ED5D61-8434-4A0F-BC5B-B496FB3DC191]
Revision of the South African genus Neopimus (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae)
Authors: JANÁK JIŘÍ
Published: April 2019

A revision of the south African genus Neopimus Özdikmen, Demir & Türkeş, 2008 is presented. Based on revision of the type and additional material, three species are recognised. The genus Neopimus is redescribed and all species are described or redescribed and illustrated, two of them for the first time: Neopimus capensis Janák, sp. nov., from Eastern Cape Province, South Africa and N. zulu Janák, sp. nov., from KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The distribution of the genus is mapped and a key of species is presented.
Further records of the opossum shrimp Neognathophausia ingens (Dorhn, 1870) (Peracarida: Lophogastrida: Gnathophausiidae) from Brazil
Authors: HUBER AUGUSTO FREDERICO , RIBEIRO FELIPE BEZERRA , DE ARAUJO PAULA BEATRIZ
Published: April 2019

Neognathophausia ingens (Dohrn, 1870) is a bathypelagic crustacean distributed worldwide. In the western Atlantic it has been recorded off the La Plata region, Argentina, and off the coast of Brazil, from the state of Bahia to Rio de Janeiro. We provide new records of N. ingens from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, about 1188 km south of its previous distribution limit off Brazil, filling the gap between the central West Atlantic and Argentina. Five specimens were analyzed and drawings for all body regions and appendages are presented. Mandible, thoracopods 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 and pleopods are illustrated and described for the first time. An updated synonym list and a distribution map for this species in Brazil are provided.
A 142-Year Climatology of Northern California Landslides and Atmospheric Rivers
Authors: Cordeira Jason M. , Stock Jonathan , Dettinger Michael D. , Young Allison M. , Kalansky Julie F. , Ralph F. Martin
Published: April 2019

We compare a novel dataset of San Francisco Bay Area landslides from 1871 to 2012 to corresponding atmospheric conditions commonly associated with Pacific winter storms and landfalling atmospheric rivers (ARs). Landslides in the San Francisco Bay Area occur primarily during winter months, coinciding with enhanced integrated water vapor transport (IVT) magnitudes ≥250 kg m–1s–1at the coast 76% of the time and with landfalling ARs over the near-offshore northeast Pacific 82% of the time. Results illustrate that days, or the first in a series of days, with a landslide (i.e., landslide onset days) typically occur in association with NOAA Twentieth Century Reanalysis–derived IVT magnitudes ≥250 kg m–1s–1that persist for ∼20 h and temporal maxima in precipitation rates. Composite analyses of sea level pressure, integrated water vapor, and IVT during 3-month periods during September–May on landslide onset days further illustrate that these events coincide with regions of low pressure to the northwest of California and high pressure to the south, synoptic-scale flow conditions associated with strong onshore flow, and water vapor transports in the form of landfalling ARs.
Modification of Potential Vorticity near the Tropopause by Nonconservative Processes in the ECMWF Model
Authors: Spreitzer Elisa , Attinger Roman , Boettcher Maxi , Forbes Richard , Wernli Heini , Joos Hanna
Published: April 2019

The upper-level potential vorticity (PV) structure plays a key role in the evolution of extratropical weather systems. PV is modified by nonconservative processes, such as cloud latent heating, radiative transfer, and turbulence. Using a Lagrangian method, material PV modification near the tropopause is attributed to specific parameterized processes in the global model of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). In a case study, several flow features identified in a vertical section across an extratropical cyclone experienced strong PV modification. In particular clear-air turbulence at the jet stream is found to be a relevant process (i) for the PV structure of an upper-level front–jet system, corroborating previous observation-based findings of turbulent PV generation; (ii) for the purely turbulent decay of a tropopause fold, identified as an effective process of stratosphere–troposphere exchange; and (iii) in the ridge, where the Lagrangian accumulated turbulent PV modification exhibits a distinct vertical pattern, potentially impacting the strength of the tropopause inversion layer. In contrast, cloud processes affect the near-tropopause PV structure above a warm conveyor belt outflow in the ridge and above cold-sector convection. In agreement with previous studies, radiative PV production dominates in regions with an anomalously low tropopause, where both radiation and convection act to increase the vertical PV gradient across the tropopause. The particular strengths of the Lagrangian diagnostic are that it connects prominent tropopause structures with nonconservative PV modification along the flow and that it quantifies the relative importance of turbulence, radiation, and cloud processes for these modifications.
Models in sociocybernetics: A 20 year review at the ISA-RC51 on Sociocybernetics
Authors: Gallón Luciano
Published: April 2019

What is a model? A frequently asked question by an observer when sharing the record of their work describing reality when communicating findings. However, there are other related questions: Has the model been validated? Is the model valid? Is the model useful? This article gives possible answers to these questions from the sociocybernetics paradigm. The second order, the observation of the observer, is an integral approach to the study of the model concept, but, above all, to the action involved: making a model. The text draws on systems theory and offers a reflection on the possibilities, alternatives, barriers and potentials of making models-based sociocybernetics and, also, sociocybernetics-based models. The reader will find a review of the approach to reality through models, the scales of observables and observers, an account of main works related to model theory and practice, and a review of tools available for making and simulating models and discussion on model value. The article concludes with a review of the last 20 years of the International Sociological Association (ISA) Research Committee 51 (RC51) on Sociocybernetics activity related to models and modelling.