bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcriptome and Molecular Endocrinology Aspects of Epicardial Adipose Tissue in Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
Authors: Maghbooli Zhila , Hossein-nezhad Arash
Published: November 2015

The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of published literature on differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in human epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) to identify molecules associated with CVDs. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, SCOPUS, and ISI Web of Science literature databases for papers published before October 2014 that addressed EAT genes and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). We included original papers that had performed gene expressions in EAT of patients undergoing open-heart surgery. The Reporting Recommendations for Tumor Marker Prognostic Studies (PRIMARK) assessment tool was also used for methodological quality assessment. From the 180 papers identified by our initial search strategy, 40 studies met the inclusion criteria and presented DEGs in EAT samples from patients with and without CVDs. The included studies reported 42 DEGs identified through comparison of EAT-specific gene expression in patients with and without CVDs. Among the 42 DEGs, genes involved in regulating apoptosis had higher enrichment scores. Notably, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor protein p53 (TP53) were the main hub genes in the network. The results suggest that regulation of apoptosis in EAT is critical for CVD development. Moreover, IL-6 and TP53 as hub genes could serve as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for CVDs.
Procalcitonin, MR-Proadrenomedullin, and Cytokines Measurement in Sepsis Diagnosis: Advantages from Test Combination
Authors: Angeletti Silvia , Dicuonzo Giordano , Fioravanti Marta , De Cesaris Marina , Fogolari Marta , Lo Presti Alessandra , Ciccozzi Massimo , De Florio Lucia
Published: November 2015

Background. Elevated cytokines levels correlate with sepsis severity and mortality but their role in the diagnosis is controversial, whereas Procalcitonin (PCT) has been largely used. Recently, the mid-regional proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM) has been combined with PCT for diagnosis optimization. In this study the combined measurement of PCT, MR-proADM, and cytokines in patients with sepsis was evaluated.Methods. One hundred and four septic patients and 101 controls were enrolled. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and multiple logistic regression were used to evaluate applicant markers for sepsis diagnosis. Markers with best Odds Ratio (OR) were combined, and the posttest probability and a composite score were computed.Results. Based upon ROC curves analysis, PCT, MR-proADM, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and MCP-1 were considered applicant for sepsis diagnosis. Among these PCT, MR-proADM , IL-6, and TNF-αshowed the best OR. A better posttest probability was found with the combination of PCT with MR-proADM and PCT with IL-6 or TNF-αcompared to the single marker. A composite score of PCT, MR-proADM, and TNF-αshowed the best ROC curve in the early diagnosis of sepsis.Conclusion. The combination of PCT with other markers should expedite diagnosis and treatment of sepsis optimizing clinical management.
Primordial Germ Cells: Current Knowledge and Perspectives
Authors: Nikolic Aleksandar , Volarevic Vladislav , Armstrong Lyle , Lako Majlinda , Stojkovic Miodrag
Published: November 2015

Infertility is a condition that occurs very frequently and understanding what defines normal fertility is crucial to helping patients. Causes of infertility are numerous and the treatment often does not lead to desired pregnancy especially when there is a lack of functional gametes. In humans, the primordial germ cell (PGC) is the primary undifferentiated stem cell type that will differentiate towards gametes: spermatozoa or oocytes. With the development of stem cell biology and differentiation protocols, PGC can be obtained from pluripotent stem cells providing a new therapeutic possibility to treat infertile couples. Recent studies demonstrated that viable mouse pups could be obtained from in vitro differentiated stem cells suggesting that translation of these results to human is closer. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize current knowledge about PGC indicating the perspective of their use in both research and medical application for the treatment of infertility.
Long‐Term Oocyte‐Like Cell Development in Cultures Derived from Neonatal Marmoset Monkey Ovary
Authors: Fereydouni Bentolhoda , Salinas-Riester Gabriela , Heistermann Michael , Dressel Ralf , Lewerich Lucia , Drummer Charis , Behr Rüdiger
Published: November 2015

We use the common marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus) as a preclinical nonhuman primate model to study reproductive and stem cell biology. The neonatal marmoset monkey ovary contains numerous primitive premeiotic germ cells (oogonia) expressing pluripotent stem cell markers including OCT4A (POU5F1). This is a peculiarity compared to neonatal human and rodent ovaries. Here, we aimed at culturing marmoset oogonia from neonatal ovaries. We established a culture system being stable for more than 20 passages and 5 months. Importantly, comparative transcriptome analysis of the cultured cells with neonatal ovary, embryonic stem cells, and fibroblasts revealed a lack of germ cell and pluripotency genes indicating the complete loss of oogonia upon initiation of the culture. From passage 4 onwards, however, the cultured cells produced large spherical, free‐floating cells resembling oocyte‐like cells (OLCs). OLCs strongly expressed several germ cell genes and may derive from the ovarian surface epithelium. In summary, our novel primate ovarian cell culture initially lacked detectable germ cells but then produced OLCs over a long period of time. This culture system may allow a deeper analysis of early phases of female primate germ cell development and—after significant refinement—possibly also the production of monkey oocytes.
Higher Urinary Levels of 8‐Hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine Are Associated with a Worse RANKL/OPG Ratio in Postmenopausal Women with Osteopenia
Authors: Cervellati Carlo , Romani Arianna , Cremonini Eleonora , Bergamini Carlo M. , Fila Enrica , Squerzanti Monica , Greco Pantaleo , Massari Leo , Bonaccorsi Gloria
Published: November 2015

Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PO) is a major public health issue which affects a large fraction of elderly women. Emerging in vitro evidence suggests a central role of oxidative stress (OxS) in postmenopausal osteoporosis (PO) development. Contrariwise, the human studies on this topic are still scarce and inconclusive. In the attempt to address this issue, we sought to determine if OxS, as assessed by 8‐hydroxy‐2‐deoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG), may influence the level of receptor activator of nuclear factor‐κb ligand (RANKL)/osteoprotegerin (OPG) ratio (a central regulator of bone metabolism) in a sample (n = 124), including postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, osteopenia and normal bone mass density (BMD). The most striking result that emerged in our study was the independent and positive (beta = 0.449, p = 0.004, and R2 = 0.185) association between the OxS marker and RANKL/OPG ratio which was found in osteopenic but not in the other 2 sample groups. If confirmed by longitudinal studies, our findings would suggest that OxS is implicated in the derangement of bone homeostasis which precedes PO development. In line with these considerations, antioxidant treatment of postmenopausal women with moderately low BMD might contribute to preventing PO and related complications.
Development of Diagnostic Biomarkers for Detecting Diabetic Retinopathy at Early Stages Using Quantitative Proteomics
Authors: Jin Jonghwa , Min Hophil , Kim Sang Jin , Oh Sohee , Kim Kyunggon , Yu Hyeong Gon , Park Taesung , Kim Youngsoo
Published: November 2015

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common microvascular complication caused by diabetes mellitus (DM) and is a leading cause of vision impairment and loss among adults. Here, we performed a comprehensive proteomic analysis to discover biomarkers for DR. First, to identify biomarker candidates that are specifically expressed in human vitreous, we performed data-mining on both previously published DR-related studies and our experimental data; 96 proteins were then selected. To confirm and validate the selected biomarker candidates, candidates were selected, confirmed, and validated using plasma from diabetic patients without DR (No DR) and diabetics with mild or moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (Mi or Mo NPDR) using semiquantitative multiple reaction monitoring (SQ-MRM) and stable-isotope dilution multiple reaction monitoring (SID-MRM). Additionally, we performed a multiplex assay using 15 biomarker candidates identified in the SID-MRM analysis, which resulted in merged AUC values of 0.99 (No DR versus Mo NPDR) and 0.93 (No DR versus Mi and Mo NPDR). Although further validation with a larger sample size is needed, the 4-protein marker panel (APO4, C7, CLU, and ITIH2) could represent a useful multibiomarker model for detecting the early stages of DR.
Vasorelaxant Effect of a New Hydrogen Sulfide‐Nitric Oxide Conjugated Donor in Isolated Rat Aortic Rings through cGMP Pathway
Authors: Wu Dan , Hu Qingxun , Ma Fenfen , Zhu Yi Zhun
Published: November 2015

Endothelium‐dependent vasorelaxant injury leads to a lot of cardiovascular diseases. Both hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and nitric oxide (NO) are gasotransmitters, which play a critical role in regulating vascular tone. However, the interaction between H2S and NO in vasorelaxation is still unclear. ZYZ‐803 was a novel H2S and NO conjugated donor developed by H2S‐releasing moiety (S‐propyl‐L‐cysteine (SPRC)) and NO‐releasing moiety (furoxan). ZYZ‐803 could time‐ and dose‐dependently relax the sustained contraction induced by PE in rat aortic rings, with potencies of 1.5‐ to 100‐fold greater than that of furoxan and SPRC. Inhibition of the generations of H2S and NO with respective inhibitors abolished the vasorelaxant effect of ZYZ‐803. ZYZ‐803 increased cGMP level and the activity of vasodilator stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) in aortic rings, and those effects could be suppressed by the inhibitory generation of H2S and NO. Both the inhibitor of protein kinase G (KT5823) and the inhibitor of KATP channel (glibenclamide) suppressed the vasorelaxant effect of ZYZ‐803. Our results demonstrated that H2S and NO generation from ZYZ‐803 cooperatively regulated vascular tone through cGMP pathway, which indicated that ZYZ‐803 had therapeutic potential in cardiovascular diseases.
Correlation between Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen and Severity of Atherosclerosis
Authors: Dorighello Gabriel G. , Paim Bruno A. , Kiihl Samara F. , Ferreira Mônica S. , Catharino Rodrigo R. , Vercesi Anibal E. , Oliveira Helena C. F.
Published: November 2015

Atherosclerosis has been associated with mitochondria dysfunction and damage. Our group demonstrated previously that hypercholesterolemic mice present increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen (mtROS) generation in several tissues and low NADPH/NADP+ ratio. Here, we investigated whether spontaneous atherosclerosis in these mice could be modulated by treatments that replenish or spare mitochondrial NADPH, named citrate supplementation, cholesterol synthesis inhibition, or both treatments simultaneously. Robust statistical analyses in pooled group data were performed in order to explain the variation of atherosclerosis lesion areas as related to the classic atherosclerosis risk factors such as plasma lipids, obesity, and oxidative stress, including liver mtROS. Using three distinct statistical tools (univariate correlation, adjusted correlation, and multiple regression) with increasing levels of stringency, we identified a novel significant association and a model that reliably predicts the extent of atherosclerosis due to variations in mtROS. Thus, results show that atherosclerosis lesion area is positively and independently correlated with liver mtROS production rates. Based on these findings, we propose that modulation of mitochondrial redox state influences the atherosclerosis extent.
Islet Brain 1 Protects Insulin Producing Cells against Lipotoxicity
Authors: Brajkovic Saška , Ferdaoussi Mourad , Pawlowski Valérie , Ezanno Hélène , Plaisance Valérie , Zmuda Erik , Hai Tsonwin , Annicotte Jean-Sébastien , Waeber Gérard , Abderrahmani Amar
Published: November 2015

Chronic intake of saturated free fatty acids is associated with diabetes and may contribute to the impairment of functional beta cell mass. Mitogen activated protein kinase 8 interacting protein 1 also called islet brain 1 (IB1) is a candidate gene for diabetes that is required for beta cell survival and glucose-induced insulin secretion (GSIS). In this study we investigated whether IB1 expression is required for preserving beta cell survival and function in response to palmitate. Chronic exposure of MIN6 and isolated rat islets cells to palmitate led to reduction of the IB1 mRNA and protein content. Diminution of IB1 mRNA and protein level relied on the inducible cAMP early repressor activity and proteasome-mediated degradation, respectively. Suppression of IB1 level mimicked the harmful effects of palmitate on the beta cell survival and GSIS. Conversely, ectopic expression of IB1 counteracted the deleterious effects of palmitate on the beta cell survival and insulin secretion. These findings highlight the importance in preserving the IB1 content for protecting beta cell against lipotoxicity in diabetes.
Molecular Pathology of Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma
Authors: Ohshima Koichi
Published: November 2015

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a peripheral T-cell neoplasm of highly pleomorphic lymphoid cells. ATLL is usually widely disseminated, and it is caused by human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1). It is a disease with a long latency, and affected individuals are usually exposed to the virus very early in life. The cumulative incidence of ATLL is estimated to be 2.5% among HTLV-1 carriers. ATLL cells express CD2, CD3, CD5, CD4, and CD25, as well as CCR4 and FoxP3 of the regulatory T-cell marker. HTLV-1 is causally linked to ATLL, but infection alone is not sufficient to result in neoplastic transformation. A significant finding in this connection is that the Tax viral protein leads to transcriptional activation of many genes, while the HTLV-1 basic leucine zipper factor is thought to be important for T-cell proliferation and oncogenesis. Half of ATLL cases retain the ability to express HTLV-1 Tax, which is a target of HTLV-1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). An increase in HTLV-1-specific CTL responses is observed in some asymptomatic HTLV-1 carriers. Although HTLV-1-specific CTL are also present in the peripheral blood of ATLL patients, they do not expand sufficiently. We investigated the clinicopathological features and analyzed the staining of Tax-specific CTL and FoxP3. Tax-specific CTL correlated inversely with FoxP3, an increase in the ratio of CD163+ tumor-associated macrophages was associated with worse clinical prognosis, and ATLL cell lines proliferated significantly following direct co-culture with M2 macrophages. Several clinical variants of ATLL have been identified: acute, lymphomatous, chronic, and smoldering. Oligo-array comparative genomic hybridization revealed that genomic loss of 9p21.3 was a significant characteristic of acute-type, but not of chronic-type ATLL. Furthermore, we found that genomic alteration of CD58, which is implicated in immune escape, is more frequently observed in acute than in chronic ATLL. Interestingly, the chronic cases with cell cycle deregulation and disruption of immunosurveillance mechanism were associated with faster progression to acute ATLL. Immune evasion, microenvironment, and genetic alteration are therefore important in the multi-step progression of ATLL lymphomagenesis.
What Dyadic Reparation Is Meant to Do: An Association with Infant Cortisol Reactivity
Authors: Müller Mitho , Zietlow Anna-Lena , Tronick Ed , Reck Corinna
Published: November 2015

Background: The latency to reparation of interactive mismatches (interactive repair) is argued to regulate infant distress on a psychobiological level, and maternal anxiety disorders might impair infant regulation. Sampling and Methods: A total of 46 dyads (19 mothers with an anxiety disorder, 27 controls) were analyzed for associations between interactive repair and infant cortisol reactivity during the Face-to-Face-Still-Face paradigm 3-4 months postpartum. Missing cortisol values (n = 16) were imputed. Analyses were conducted on both the original and the pooled imputed data. Results: Interactive repair during the reunion episode was associated with infant cortisol reactivity (original data: p < 0.01; pooled data: p < 0.01) but not maternal anxiety disorder (p > 0.23). Additional stepwise regression analyses found that latency to repair during play (p < 0.01), an interaction between distress during the first trimester of pregnancy and latency to repair during reunion (p < 0.01) and infant self-comforting behaviors during the reunion episode (p = 0.04) made independent contributions to cortisol reactivity in the final regression model. Conclusions: This is the first study demonstrating that interactive repair is related to infant psychobiological stress reactivity. The lack of a relation to maternal anxiety disorder may be due to the small sample size. However, this result emphasizes that infants respond to what they experience and not to the maternal diagnostic category.
Higher Frequency and Complexity of Sleep Disturbances in Dementia with Lewy Bodies as Compared to Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Chwiszczuk Luiza , Breitve Monica , Hynninen Minna , Gjerstad Michaela D. , Aarsland Dag , Rongve Arvid
Published: November 2015

Background: Sleep disturbances (SDs) are common in patients with all forms of dementia. However, most studies focus on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and less is known about the prevalence and characteristics of SD in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Objective: The aims of this cross-sectional study were: (1) to examine the frequency of SD in DLB versus AD; (2) to compare patients with and without SD with regard to relevant clinical variables, and (3) to investigate the associations between SD and medication use. Methods: Patients with a first-time diagnosis of probable or possible DLB or AD were selected from the Dementia Study of Western Norway and recruited from clinics for old age psychiatry from 2010 until the end of 2013. Results: In all, 123 (55.7%) subjects with dementia suffered from at least one SD. Insomnia was present in 77 (34.8%), and 34 (20.7%) patients had probable REM-sleep behaviour disorder (RBD). All SDs were also significantly more frequent in patients with DLB than in AD, and DLB patients also more often had several co-occurring SDs. The presence of any SD was associated with more neuropsychiatric symptoms, higher morbidity, more parkinsonian symptoms and excessive daytime sleepiness. Antiparkinsonian medication was used more often in RBD, restless leg syndrome (RLS) and periodic limb movements, and benzodiazepines were also common in RLS. Conclusions: Sleep problems are more common in DLB patients compared to AD, and are associated with more clinical impairment. DLB patients frequently have several sleep problems occurring simultaneously, which suggests a need for screening and accurate assessment of sleep in DLB.
Pyruvate to Lactate Metabolic Changes during Neurodevelopment Measured Dynamically Using Hyperpolarized 13C Imaging in Juvenile Murine Brain
Authors: Chen Yiran , Kim Hosung , Bok Robert , Sukumar Subramaniam , Mu Xin , Sheldon R. Ann , Barkovich A. James , Ferriero Donna M. , Xu Duan
Published: November 2015

Hyperpolarized 13C magnetic resonance imaging has recently been used to dynamically image metabolism in vivo. This technique provides the capability to investigate metabolic changes in mouse brain development over multiple time points. In this study, we used 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging and hyperpolarized 13C-1-labeled pyruvate to analyze its conversion into lactate. We also applied T2-weighted anatomical imaging to examine brain volume changes starting from postnatal day 18 (P18). We combined these results with body weight measurements for a comprehensive interpretation of mouse brain maturation. Both the produced lactate level and pyruvate to lactate conversion rate decreased with increasing age in a linear manner. Total brain volume remained the same after P18, even though body weight continued to grow exponentially. Our results have shown that the rate of metabolism of 13C-1 pyruvate to lactate in brain is high in the young mouse and decreases with age. The brain at P18 is still relatively immature and continues to develop even as the total brain volume remains the same.
Defining the Genetic Architecture of Alzheimer's Disease: Where Next?
Authors: Sims Rebecca , Williams Julie
Published: November 2015

Background: Late-onset Alzheimer's disease is a genetically complex disorder. For 17 years, APOE was the only known susceptibility gene for disease. Through mostly genome-wide association studies, 25 loci are now known to associate with late-onset Alzheimer's disease. These susceptibility loci are not randomly distributed with respect to their functions. In fact, pathway analysis implicates significant enrichment of immunity, endocytosis, cholesterol metabolism, and ubiquitination in disease. Summary: Twenty-five loci have now been reliably shown to associate with Alzheimer's disease. However, a significant proportion of genetic variation in disease pathology is yet to be detected. Rare variation is being investigated through exome chip and next-generation sequencing experiments, which have already identified new protective and risk variants. Using a polygenic risk score approach, it is now possible to identify population groups with the greatest and fewest biological susceptibilities to disease. This method has proved more effective in predicting disease status than individual, genome-wide significant variants of small/moderate effect. Future studies will establish the specific functional changes that contribute to disease by piloting novel cellular modelling techniques using reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cells from individuals with selected risk profiles. This will allow a variety of models to be produced to help understand disease mechanisms and test new drug therapies. Key Messages: Alzheimer's disease is a polygenic trait that has been linked to deficits in immunity, endocytosis, cholesterol metabolism and ubiquitination. Future work will focus on identifying rare disease susceptibility loci, unpicking the functional significance of the known risk loci and piloting novel cellular modelling techniques.
Tau Immunotherapy
Authors: Sigurdsson Einar M.
Published: November 2015

In recent years, tau immunotherapy has advanced from proof-of-concept studies [Sigurdsson EM, NIH R01AG020197, 2001; Asuni AA, et al: J Neurosci 2007;27:9115-9129], which have now been confirmed and extended by us and others. Phase I clinical trials on active and passive tau immunizations are being conducted, with several additional passive tau antibody trials likely to be initiated in the near future for Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Because tau pathology correlates better with the degree of dementia than amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology, greater clinical efficacy may be achieved by clearing tau than Aβ aggregates in the later stages of the disease, when cognitive impairments become evident. Substantial insight has now been obtained regarding which epitopes to target, mechanism of action and potential toxicity, but much remains to be clarified. All of these factors likely depend on the model/disease or stage of pathology and the immunogen/antibody. Interestingly, tau antibodies interact with the protein both extra- and intracellularly, but the importance of each site for tau clearance is not well defined. Some antibodies are readily taken up into neurons, whereas others are not. It can be argued that extracellular clearance may be safer but less efficacious than intraneuronal clearance and/or sequestration to prevent secretion and further spread of tau pathology. Development of therapeutic tau antibodies has led to antibody-derived imaging probes, which are more specific than the dye-based compounds that are already in clinical trials. Such specificity may give valuable information on the pathological tau epitope profile, which could then guide the selection of therapeutic antibodies for maximal efficacy and safety. Hopefully, tau immunotherapy will be effective in clinical trials, and further advanced by mechanistic clarification in experimental models with insights from biomarkers and postmortem analyses of clinical subjects.
Kicking Back Cognitive Ageing: Leg Power Predicts Cognitive Ageing after Ten Years in Older Female Twins
Authors: Steves Claire J. , Mehta Mitul M. , Jackson Stephen H.D. , Spector Tim D.
Published: November 2015

Background: Many observational studies have shown a protective effect of physical activity on cognitive ageing, but interventional studies have been less convincing. This may be due to short time scales of interventions, suboptimal interventional regimes or lack of lasting effect. Confounding through common genetic and developmental causes is also possible. Objectives: We aimed to test whether muscle fitness (measured by leg power) could predict cognitive change in a healthy older population over a 10-year time interval, how this performed alongside other predictors of cognitive ageing, and whether this effect was confounded by factors shared by twins. In addition, we investigated whether differences in leg power were predictive of differences in brain structure and function after 12 years of follow-up in identical twin pairs. Methods: A total of 324 healthy female twins (average age at baseline 55, range 43-73) performed the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) at two time points 10 years apart. Linear regression modelling was used to assess the relationships between baseline leg power, physical activity and subsequent cognitive change, adjusting comprehensively for baseline covariates (including heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, lipids, diet, body habitus, smoking and alcohol habits, reading IQ, socioeconomic status and birthweight). A discordant twin approach was used to adjust for factors shared by twins. A subset of monozygotic pairs then underwent magnetic resonance imaging. The relationship between muscle fitness and brain structure and function was assessed using linear regression modelling and paired t tests. Results: A striking protective relationship was found between muscle fitness (leg power) and both 10-year cognitive change [fully adjusted model standardised β-coefficient (Stdβ) = 0.174, p = 0.002] and subsequent total grey matter (Stdβ = 0.362, p = 0.005). These effects were robust in discordant twin analyses, where within-pair difference in physical fitness was also predictive of within-pair difference in lateral ventricle size. There was a weak independent effect of self-reported physical activity. Conclusion: Leg power predicts both cognitive ageing and global brain structure, despite controlling for common genetics and early life environment shared by twins. Interventions targeted to improve leg power in the long term may help reach a universal goal of healthy cognitive ageing.
Psychosocial Determinants of Cannabis Dependence: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Schlossarek Samantha , Kempkensteffen Jürgen , Reimer Jens , Verthein Uwe
Published: November 2015

Background: Many studies have examined factors associated with the first onset of cannabis use and abuse. Currently, there is relatively little research regarding conditions under which cannabis dependence is more likely to emerge. Although previous studies have examined different potential determinants of cannabis dependence, to our knowledge, a systematic review is lacking. Aims: The study aims to identify recent findings regarding psychosocial determinants of cannabis dependence and to summarize them systematically. Methods: A literature search in 4 databases - Embase, Medline, PsycINFO and PSYNDEX - was conducted. Searches were limited to publications between 2000 and April 2014, English and German as languages and humans as study subjects. Results: Our search detected a total of 10,568 studies. Twenty-six studies finally met inclusion criteria. Consumption patterns such as a regular cannabis use independent of social context and an early onset of use (11-15 years) were correlates of cannabis dependence. Moreover, early reactions to cannabis use and coping-oriented use motives explained additional variance. Stress factors and critical life events such as parental separation and early parental death as well as mental and social conflicts have also been linked with development of cannabis dependence. Additionally, comorbid mental disorders correlated with cannabis dependence. Conclusion: Numerous factors were shown to have an impact on transition to cannabis dependence. In particular, a wide range of mental disorders has been linked to an elevated risk of becoming dependent. The development of a dependence syndrome seems to be associated with diverse processes, in which social, biological and intra-individual factors interact in a complex manner. Nevertheless, the link between cannabis dependence and predisposing factors could not be resolved convincingly by most studies due to methodological weaknesses regarding dependence criteria.
Sharing the Global Climate Finance Effort Fairly with Limited Coordination
Authors: Pickering Jonathan , Jotzo Frank , Wood Peter J.
Published: November 2015

Mobilizing climate finance for developing countries is crucial for achieving a fair and effective global climate regime. To date, developed countries retain wide discretion over their national contributions. We explore how different degrees of international coordination may influence the fairness of the global financing effort, and we present quantitative scenarios, for both the metrics used to distribute the collective effort among countries contributing funding, and the number of contributing countries. We find that an intermediate degree of coordination—combining nationally determined financing pledges with a robust international review mechanism—may reduce distortions in relative efforts as well as shortfalls in overall funding, while reflecting reasonable differences over what constitutes a fair share. A broader group of contributors may do little to improve adequacy or equity unless it can converge on credible measures of responsibility and capacity. Our analysis highlights the importance of building common understandings about effort sharing.
The Nuevo Polanco Urban Project in Mexico City
Authors: Aguayo Adriana
Published: November 2015

Since the late 1990s, several urban projects have been developed to preserve and renovate some areas in Mexico City, gentrifying and revaluing different key housing and historical areas. One of the most recent urban projects, Nuevo Polanco, has being developed through the urban conversion of an old industrial area, emptied through a decade-long process of displacement of industry to the periphery and becoming an area of multiple uses (for housing, commercial, and corporate buildings). The project is advertised as a new development hub, from which all traces of its industrial past were erased. Through the description and analysis of this case study, this paper aims to point out the complex dynamics of urban development in a context of multiple forms of construction and reconstruction of urban identity and local belonging. This dynamic involves a struggle between distinct social groups with different worldviews about the past and future of the metropolis.
The classification and phylogenetic status of Jekelius (Reitterius) punctulatus (Jekel, 1866) and Jekelius (Jekelius) brullei (Jekel, 1866) (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae) using molecular data
Authors: LOBO JORGE M. , JIMÉNEZ-RUIZ YOLANDA , CHEHLAROV EVGENI , GUÉORGUIEV BORISLAV , PETROVA YANA , KRÁL DAVID , ALONSO-ZARAZAGA MIGUEL ÁNGEL , VERDÚ JOSÉ R.
Published: November 2015

The phylogenetic placement of Jekelius brullei (Jekel, 1866) and J. punctulatus (Jekel, 1866) (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae) was assessed using mitochondrial and nuclear molecular data to discern contrasting nomenclatural views provided by López-Colón (1996) and the Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera (Löbl et al. 2006). Our results support both the monophyletic and classification status of the genus Jekelius López-Colón, 1989; and the splitting of the genus into the subgenera Jekelius López-Colón, 1989 and Reitterius López-Colón, 1996. The basal phylogenetic placement of these two species also suggests an oriental origin for Jekelius within the western Palaearctic region. Finally, we include a potential distributional map of Jekelius (Reitterius) punctulatus (Jekel, 1866) based on an exhaustive search of occurrence data.
Symbolic transformation of environmental governance: implementation of EU biodiversity policy in Bulgaria and Croatia between Europeanization and domestic politics
Authors: Sotirov Metodi , Lovric Marko , Winkel Georg
Published: November 2015

In this paper, we explore how European and domestic factors have shaped environmental governance in the case of European Union biodiversity policy implementation in Bulgaria and Croatia. We argue that a ‘symbolic transformation’ of environmental governance in Bulgaria and Croatia has occurred, as the interplay between Europeanization and domestic politics has led to differential empowerment of state and non-state actors resulting in ineffective environmental governance. While proenvironment non-state groups (environmental non-governmental organizations, scientists) and European Union institutions were empowered in the phase of formal compliance, economic interest groups have held sway over the phase of practical (non-)compliance. At the same time, state actors have responded rationally to retain their power by adapting to opposing forces from above and below. We conclude by discussing the ‘symbolic transformation’ of environmental governance shifting between ‘command-and-control’ and ‘non-hierarchical’ coordination with regards to the transformative power of Europe in light of Europeanization research in old and new European Union member states.
The wealth of regions: quality of government and SMEs in 172 European regions
Authors: Nistotskaya Marina , Charron Nicholas , Lapuente Victor
Published: November 2015

With this paper we put forward a novel theoretical argument that the individual’s subjective evaluations of the quality of government (QoG) in terms of its impartiality influences his or her complex assessments of the opportunity and feasibility of a business venture, and calculations on expected long-term utility from business venturing. This in turn affects his or her decision to engage in legal business venturing or not. We hypothesize that high QoG is linked with higher rates of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a polity and a more even pattern of their territorial dispersion. Using original survey data on QoG from 172 regions in eighteen European Union countries, we find that regions where governments are perceived by their citizens as impartial and free from corruption have on average significantly more SMEs. We also find that in less corrupt countries the spatial distribution of SMEs is more even than in more corrupt countries.
Gathering the Threads
Authors: Martinez Chloe
Published: November 2015

This article investigates autobiography as an improvisatory mode of religious speech in pre-colonial South Asia, arguing (i) that autobiographical writing in early South Asia is marked by great spontaneity and invention of form in the absence of a proper literary genre; (ii) that we can discern distinctly South Asian ways of speaking autobiographically, ways that predate and differ from modern European understandings of autobiography and (iii) that autobiographical speech is used as a powerful technique for religious polemic in South Asia and appears in particular at moments of heightened religio-political competition and contestation. Along with a number of examples, two texts will be explored in greater detail: autobiographies by a seventeenth-century Jain merchant and religious reformer Banarasidas and a nineteenth-century Christian priest and convert from Islam, ‘Imad ud-din.
Mir Taqi Mir’s Ẕikr-i Mīr
Authors: Sabri Zahra
Published: November 2015

Although the famous Mughal poet Mir Taqi Mir’s Persian text Z-ikr-i Mīr has come to enjoy considerable renown as the first autobiography penned by an Urdu poet, scholars of Mir have continued to be puzzled by the text’s contents. Its diverse sections comprise a mishmash of hagiography, historical chronicle and popular bon mots, and yield little in the way of informing us about Mir the man or Mir the poet. Even more problematical is the inclusion in the text of numerous ‘facts’ that are quite easily disprovable. Should we then consider much of Z-ikr-i Mīr to be false and fabricated? Or should we take Mir’s intention in composing the text to be something other than autobiographical? This article argues for the latter, proposing that much of what is confusing about the text is only really so because of our misplaced generic expectations from it—many of its ‘inconsistencies’ may be accounted for by freeing it from its autobiographical straitjacket and viewing it instead through the prism of a variety of alternative Persianate genres forming part of a wider, cosmopolitan, classical literary tradition. Through the focal example of Mir’s text as well as examples from a variety of Mughal, Ottoman and Arabic writings, the article underlines the importance of distinguishing between ‘autobiography’ and ‘autobiographical’, and contests notions of the existence of a distinct, recognisable and recognised genre of autobiography in the pre-modern Islamicate context.
Persons, the ‘Autobiographical Person’ and Cultural Concepts of the Person
Authors: Jancke Gabriele
Published: November 2015

Autobiographical texts have long been seen, from a micro-level perspective, as evidence of the ‘individuality’ of the writer, and, from a macro-level perspective, as evidence of the long-term historical development of European or Western individual-oriented society. However, recent research has undertaken to deconstruct this notion, suggesting that ‘Western’ texts are as deeply embedded in a social world and in social-oriented perspectives as those from other world regions. The individualised person is now recognised as just one among many concepts of the person. This article summarises the research that has been conducted during the past two decades on early modern autobiographical writings, primarily from German-speaking areas of the world. It closely examines the interplay between individual and society in one particular autobiography, that of the Zurich professor of Old Testament Studies Konrad Pellikan (1478–1556). Using the concept of the ‘autobiographical person’, it shows his work to be typical of the autobiographies written by one social group—early modern scholars. By comparing this Christian male scholar with his Jewish and Muslim colleagues, the article aims to attain a transcultural, gendered perspective on autobiography. In an attempt to reach some methodological and theoretical conclusions, a set of analytical tools is proposed to distinguish between the perspectives of authors and of later scholars, and also between (a) real persons and their personhood, (b) ‘autobiographical persons’ and (c) cultural concepts of ‘person’. In this way, the ‘person’ is taken into account by scholars as an analytical category, as well as being a set of real-life practices and conceptual notions used by actors in various social, cultural and historical settings.
Medieval Chinese Autobiographical Writing
Authors: Wang Ying
Published: November 2015

From the 2nd century BC, the view emerged in China that the intent of the author is crucial to a poem’s composition and understanding. Writing was seen as the manifestation of the author’s inner spiritual nature and identity. Thus all writing was to some extent autobiographical; writing about oneself had to be indirect, rather than overt or blatant. There were a number of obstacles to the development of autobiography as a genre in China. A high value was placed on humility, and writers hesitated to focus on themselves, only rarely writing in the first person. They used different names for themselves, and unlikely literary forms, such as prefaces to works, or biographies of other people, or speaking through fictional characters. There was also resistance to autobiography, because it was thought that a life or career could only be assessed when it was over. There was still a substantial amount of autobiographical writing in ancient and medieval China. This article focuses primarily on the Tang and Song periods, and on the development of the literary form of the self-written epitaph; the earlier development of the genre and its later influence are also discussed.
In and Out, Then and Now
Authors: Arlinghaus Franz-Josef
Published: November 2015

This article explores how the relationship of a single person and society is depicted in the twelfth century and the fifteenth/sixteenth centuries in French and German autobiographical writings. Shifting away from looking at the ‘group–single person’ relationship, which is so prominent in the debate on medieval individuality, and turning to ‘society’, the article suggests that this wider scope can offer new ways of identifying parallels and differences between modern and pre-modern concepts of the self. Drawing on sociological theory (Simmel, Luhmann) on conceptualising the self, the article argues that, with respect to self-esteem, self-consciousness and (if at all) ‘autonomy’ there are more similarities than differences between medieval and modern ways of being ‘individual’. Besides the similarities, the fundamental differences can be found in the overall perspectives and the general frameworks against which concepts of the self are developed. On the one hand, people conceptualise themselves as being part of, or rather, exponents of society. On the other hand, they describe themselves as being counterparts of, or rather, external to society. Whether this approach helps to yield a different view of how pre-modern autobiographical texts can be read, with side glances to the merchant Lucas Rem and the professor Johan vam Hirtze (both fifteenth century), the study concentrates on Guibert of Nogent, a twelfth-century abbot, and Katharina Schütz-Zell, a sixteenth-century widow of a Protestant priest.
Governance and Management of Common Property Resources
Authors: Kumar K. Naveen
Published: November 2015

Millions of people across rural India depend on and share the ‘common’ (community) natural resources like forest, wasteland, grazing land, water resources, etc., for their livelihoods, whereas developing such ‘common resources’ through collective action for the sustainable village development is a challenging task for the rural community. The study analyses the community participation of Hiware Bazar village of Maharashtra in governance and management of common property resources for sustainable village development. This study adopts both descriptive and analytical research methodologies to understand various developmental initiatives and its overall impact of the watershed-plus and other attenuating measures on the social and economic lives of the people in Hiware Bazar. The study uses both qualitative and quantitative data that are collected through primary and secondary sources. The study finds that community-driven common resources management had impacted on rural households through increased employment and income. The social and economic integration of the people in Hiware Bazar led to social, economic and environmental transformations for sustainable development of the village.
Rural Farm and Non-farm Linkages in Uttar Pradesh
Authors: Pandey Aviral
Published: November 2015

In the light of the growing importance of growth linkages, ‘Farm and non-farm linkages’ seem to be a viable solution for the growth of the rural non-farm sector in a state like Uttar Pradesh. Using rural Uttar Pradesh as a case study this work explores the existing pattern of production and consumption linkages between the rural farm and non-farm sectors and its roles in the development of the rural non-farm sector (RNFS) in Uttar Pradesh using correlation analysis and working lesser model. The analysis finds a substantial role of farm and non-farm production linkages via backward production linkages in the growth of the rural non-farm sector in Uttar Pradesh. However, consumption linkages have a significant bearing on the development of rural non-farm sector in Uttar Pradesh. The findings of a primary survey explore other possibilities in the growth of RNFS through forward production linkages and rural–urban linkages. Finally, the promotion of small scale rural industries, the development of institutional links between agriculture and rural non-farm sector and policies to support rural entrepreneurs are the key to promote rural non-farm sector in Uttar Pradesh.
Sustainability of Land Reclamation
Authors: Nayak Sanatan
Published: November 2015

Using primary level data, this article describes economic, environmental, social and institutional sustainability, which affects the livelihood of people depending on sodic agricultural lands in Uttar Pradesh. Though some of positive impacts such as increase in productivity of various crops, consumption of both food and non-food items was observed in reclaimed areas, yet reversal of sodic reclamation with high pH, poor Organic Carbon Percentage (OCP), unsustainability in increase in productivity over years, substantial poverty among marginal and small landholders and inequality in income, poor knowledge on reclamation and maintenance of the sodic soil are some of the major observations. Therefore, sustainability of livelihood of the people living in the sodic affected regions has become a great challenge for the future.