bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protective Effects of Rosmarinic Acid on Doxorubicin-Induced Testicular Damage
Authors: Uyeturk Ummugul , Uyeturk Ugur , Firat Tulin , Cetinkaya Ayhan , Kin Tekce Buket , Cakir Serkan
Published: October 2014

Background: We investigated the protective effects of rosmarinic acid (RA) on testicular damage induced by doxorubicin (DXR) in rats. Methods: In total, 21 rats were divided into 3 groups: the control group that received no treatment, the DXR group that received intraperitoneal (i.p.) DXR on day 7 and the DXR + RA group that received intragastric RA for 10 days with i.p. DXR on day 7. The rats were sacrificed on day 11 for histological and biochemical analyses. To assess oxidative damage, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured. Results: The median modified Johnsen score of the DXR + RA group was higher than that of the DXR group (p = 0.002). The rats with the narrowest seminiferous tubules were in the DXR group (0.17 ± 0.03), and the difference between the DXR + RA and DXR groups was statistically significant (p = 0.002). The number of apoptotic cells in the DXR group was significantly higher than that in the control group, and there were significantly fewer apoptotic cells in the DXR + RA group than in the DXR group (p = 0.002). The MDA level was lowest in the control group and highest in the DXR group, and the level observed in the DXR + RA group significantly lower than that in the DXR group (p = 0.002). The GPx level was highest in the control group, with the level observed in the DXR + RA group significantly higher than that in the DXR group (p = 0.002). The testosterone level was lowest in the DXR group and highest in the control group, and that observed in the DXR + RA group was significantly higher than that in the DXR group (p = 0.018). Conclusions: RA can correct DXR-induced testicular damage through its antioxidant properties. However, the mechanism underlying the effects of RA requires further investigation, and long-term and comparative human studies are also needed.
Plasma CX3CL1 Levels and Long Term Outcomes of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: The West Birmingham Atrial Fibrillation Project
Authors: Guo Yutao , Apostalakis Stavros , Blann Andrew D. , Lip Gregory Y.H.
Published: October 2014

Background: There is growing evidence that chemokines are potentially important mediators of the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic disease. Major atherothrombotic complications, such as stroke and myocardial infarction, are common among atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. This increase in risk of adverse events may be predicted by a score based on the presence of certain clinical features of chronic heart failure, hypertension, age 75 years or greater, diabetes and stroke (the CHADS2 score). Our objective was to assess the prognostic value of plasma chemokines CCL2, CXCL4 and CX3CL1, and their relationship with the CHADS2 score, in AF patients. Methods: Plasma CCL2, CXCL4 and CX3CL1 were measured in 441 patients (59% male, mean age 75 years, 12% paroxysmal, 99% on warfarin) with AF. Baseline clinical and demographic factors were used to define each subject's CHADS2 score. Patients were followed up for a mean 2.1 years, and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were sought, being the combination of cardiovascular death, acute coronary events, stroke and systemic embolism. Results: Fifty-five of the AF patients suffered a MACCE (6% per year). Those in the lowest CX3CL1 quartile (≤0.24 ng/ml) had fewest MACCE (p = 0.02). In the Cox regression analysis, CX3CL1 levels >0.24 ng/ml (Hazard ratio 2.8, 95% CI 1.02-8.2, p = 0.045) and age (p = 0.042) were independently linked with adverse outcomes. The CX3CL1 levels rose directly with the CHADS2 risk score (p = 0.009). The addition of CX3CL1 did not significantly increased the discriminatory ability of the CHADS2 clinical factor-based risk stratification (c-index 0.60 for CHADS2 alone versus 0.67 for CHADS2 plus CX3CL1 >0.24 ng/ml, p = 0.1). Aspirin use was associated with lower levels of CX3CL1 (p = 0.0002) and diabetes with higher levels (p = 0.031). There was no association between CXCL4 and CCL2 plasma levels and outcomes. Conclusion: There is an independent association between low plasma CX3CL1 levels and low risk of major cardiovascular events in AF patients, as well as a linear association between CX3CL1 plasma levels and CHADS2-defined cardiovascular risk. The potential for CX3CL1 in refining risk stratification in AF patients merits consideration.
Diffusion-Weighted Intensity Magnetic Resonance in the Preoperative Diagnosis of Cholesteatoma
Authors: Cavaliere Michele , Di Lullo Antonella Miriam , Caruso Antonia , Caliendo Giandomenico , Elefante Andrea , Brunetti Arturo , Iengo Maurizio
Published: October 2014

We have analyzed the preoperative diagnosis of cholesteatoma through the use of diffusion-weighted intensity magnetic resonance (DWI-MR) in 16 consecutive patients suffering from chronic otitis media with clinical and radiological (by computed tomography) suspicion of cholesteatoma. In particular, we compared the radiological data with intraoperative ones, verifying the correspondence (in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy) between what is reported by DWI-MR and what is actually detectable at the time of surgery. Furthermore, we identified the most reliable DWI-MR sequence [single-shot (SSh) echo planar imaging (EPI) vs. multi-shot turbo spin-echo not-EPI] to detect cholesteatoma and reduce the time for examination. The obtained data on computed tomography scans revealed low diagnostic accuracy (56%); DWI-MR, instead, showed higher values, especially using not-EPI sequences (93.75 vs. 68.75% obtained by SSh-EPI sequences).
Physical Activity and Better Medication Compliance Improve Mini-Mental State Examination Scores in the Elderly
Authors: Guimarães Fabiana Costa , Amorim Paulo Roberto dos Santos , dos Reis Fernando Fonseca , Bonoto Robson Teixeira , de Oliveira Wederson Candido , Moura Tiago Augusto da Silva , de Assis Cláudia Loures , Palotás András , Lima Luciana Moreira
Published: October 2014

In addition to hypertension, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, and diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle plays a pivotal role in cerebro- and cardiovascular disease and progressive cognitive decline, including vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The present study investigated whether controlling the key risks and participating in physical activity have a beneficial impact on these disorders. Elderly volunteers were enrolled in a 3-month program that consisted of structured exercise three times per week. The daily routine, medical treatment, and vital parameters were evaluated and correlated with the subjects' neuropsychiatric status. High blood pressure was found in 40% of the participants, with no significant differences between the sexes. A higher proportion of females (55%) than males (18%) forgot to take their medication during the observation period. Significant negative correlations were found between Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and age, lack of a caregiver, and increased pulse rate before or after exercise. These results suggest that the presence of home assistance and subsequent improvement in medication compliance, vital parameter optimization, and regular physical activity may yield better MMSE results and a lower risk for cerebro- and cardiovascular disease. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
Interaction Between Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index and Decoy Receptor 3 Predicts Mortality in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Tsai Ming-Tsun , Hu Fen-Hsiang , Lien Tse-Jen , Chen Ping-Jen , Huang Tung-Po , Tarng Der-Cherng
Published: October 2014

Background: Protein-energy wasting (PEW) is common and associated with poor outcome in hemodialysis patients. In hemodialysis patients, geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) and decoy receptor 3 (DcR3) have been shown as the nutritional and inflammatory markers, respectively. The present study aimed to assess the predictive ability of GNRI and DcR3 for PEW status and long-term outcomes in chronic hemodialysis patients. Methods: A prospective cohort of 318 hemodialysis patients was conducted with a median follow-up of 54 months. Malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS) was used as the reference standard for the presence of PEW. Endpoints were cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Results: Baseline GNRI had a strong negative correlation with DcR3 and MIS score. For patients with age < or ≥60, high DcR3 and low GNRI were independent predictors for the presence of PEW at baseline. At the end of the study, 81 patients died (27 cardiovascular deaths). The adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of low GNRI and high DcR3 were 1.93 (1.1-4.8) and 2.53 (1.2-5.5) for cardiovascular mortality and 1.85 (1.1-3.2) and 2.37 (1.5-3.7) for all-cause mortality, respectively. While integrated into a model of conventional risk factors, GNRI together with DcR3 further significantly improved the predictability for overall mortality (c statistic, 0.823). Conclusions: Low GNRI and high DcR3 were the alternatives for identifying hemodialysis patients at risk of PEW and overall mortality. Further studies are needed to verify whether timely recognition of hemodialysis patients with a high malnutrition-inflammation risk could reduce their mortality by appropriate interventional strategies.
Therapy of Liver Abscesses
Authors: Lübbert Christoph , Wiegand Johannes , Karlas Thomas
Published: October 2014

Background: Liver abscess (LA) is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening disease with significant morbidity and mortality. Methods: This review comprehensively describes epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of LA, with a strong focus on antimicrobial treatment choices and the impact of multidrug-resistant pathogens. Results: In industrialized areas, pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) accounts for over 80% of the cases, whereas Entamoeba histolytica is responsible for up to 10% of the cases, with a higher incidence in tropical areas. Highly virulent strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae have emerged as a predominant cause of PLA in Asian countries and tend to spread to the USA, Australia, and European countries, therefore requiring special alertness. Most common symptoms of LA are fever, chills, and right upper quadrant abdominal pain, although a broad spectrum of non-specific symptoms may also occur. Conclusion: Imaging studies (ultrasound, computed tomography scan) and microbiological findings play a crucial role in the diagnosis of LA. The treatment of choice for PLA is a multimodal approach combining broad-spectrum antibiotics and aspiration or drainage of larger abscess cavities. Amebic LA can be cured by metronidazole therapy without drainage.
Finding of Biliary Fascioliasis by Endoscopic Ultrasonography in a Patient with Eosinophilic Liver Abscess
Authors: Behzad Catherine , Lahmi Farhad , Iranshahi Majid , Mohammad Alizadeh Amir Houshang
Published: October 2014

Fascioliasis is an endemic zoonotic disease in Iran. It occurs mainly in sheep-rearing areas of temperate climates, but sporadic cases have been reported from many other parts of the world. The usual definitive host is the sheep. Humans are accidental hosts in the life cycle of Fasciola. Typical symptoms may be associated with fascioliasis, but in some cases diagnosis and treatment may be preceded by a long period of abdominal pain and vague gastrointestinal symptoms. We report a case with epigastric and upper quadrant abdominal pain for the last 6 months, with imaging suggesting liver abscess and normal biliary ducts. The patient had no eosinophilia with negative stool examinations, so she was initially treated with antibiotics for liver abscess. Her clinical condition as well as follow-up imagings showed appropriate response after antibiotic therapy. Finally, endoscopic ultrasonography revealed Fasciola hepatica, which was then extracted with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.
A Simplified Technique of Pancreas Transplantation in a Porcine Model
Authors: Fonouni Hamidreza , Tahmasbi Rad Morva , Esmaeilzadeh Majid , Golriz Mohammad , Majlesara Ali , Mehrabi Arianeb
Published: October 2014

Background: The incidence of diabetes has been steadily increasing. The only curative option for diabetes is pancreas transplantation (PTx). Porcine models are valuable because of their anatomical and physiological similarities to human beings. Our aim is to introduce a simplified technique of PTx in a porcine model. Methods: In Landrace pigs (n = 32), after median laparotomy, the pancreas was mobilized, and the portal and splenic veins were divided. The proper hepatic and splenic arteries and the bile duct were also prepared, and the duodenal bulb was prepared and stapled. The third portion of the duodenum was freed up to the ligament of Treitz and stapled, and the renal arteries were ligated. After systemic heparinization, the pancreas was perfused through the abdominal aorta with histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate solution. The portal and splenic veins were cut for evaluating the sufficiency of perfusion. Whole pancreaticoduodenal graft was procured along with an aortic jump graft containing mesenteric and celiac trunks. In recipients, after total pancreatectomy, the suprarenal inferior vena cava and infrarenal aorta were prepared for vascular anastomosis in an end-to-side manner. After pancreas reperfusion, duodenoduodenostomy was performed in an end-to-side manner. Results: Median cold and warm ischemia times were 10 h (range, 9-14 h) and 50 min (range, 35-80 min), respectively. The hemodynamic status was stable throughout the operation. The median follow-up period was 7 days (range, 4-10). There were no major intra- and postoperative complications. Conclusion: By using an aortic jump graft, there was no need to perform additional arterial reconstruction resulting in a short warm ischemic and operation time. End-to-side portocaval and duodenoduodenal anastomoses make this model of PTx a very feasible method for experimental evaluations.
Evaluation of Endometrial Cytology: Cytohistological Correlations in 1,441 Cancer Patients
Authors: Fujiwara Hiroyuki , Takahashi Yoshifumi , Takano Masashi , Miyamoto Morikazu , Nakamura Kazuto , Kaneta Yoshibumi , Hanaoka Tatsuya , Ohwada Michitaka , Sakamoto Takanori , Hirakawa Takashi , Fujiwara Keiichi , Suzuki Mitsuaki
Published: October 2014

Background: Endometrial cytology by direct intrauterine sampling is the most common test for an initial evaluation of the endometrium in Japan. However, its diagnostic value for endometrial cancer remains unknown. Here, we assess the correlation between cytopathology and histopathology to evaluate the diagnostic value of cytology for endometrial cancer. Methods: Patients with histologically confirmed endometrial cancer and controls with a normal endometrium confirmed by hysterectomy had all undergone preoperative endometrial cytology between 2001 and 2010 at our eight institutions and were retrospectively analyzed. The cytological results were compared by clinical stage, histological type, differentiation, and sampling instrument. Results: We analyzed 1,441 endometrial cancer and 1,361 control cases. Endometrial cytology detected cancer in 1,279 (916 positive and 363 suspicious) cases with a sensitivity (positive plus suspicious cases) of 88.8% and a specificity of 98.5%. The positive rate was high in advanced-stage, nonendometrioid, and undifferentiated cases, but there was no significant difference in sensitivity between these clinical conditions. Conclusion: Endometrial cytology shows a relatively high sensitivity and specificity for endometrial cancer, and neither statistical measure is significantly affected by clinical stage, histological type, differentiation, sample numbers, or sampling instrument. These findings form a superior dataset for evaluating the efficacy of endometrial cytology. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
MicroRNA-21 Attenuates Renal Ischemia Reperfusion Injury via Targeting Caspase Signaling in Mice
Authors: Hu Honglin , Jiang Wei , Xi Xiaoqing , Zou Cong , Ye Zhenfeng
Published: October 2014

Background: MicroRNAs (miR) have come into focus as powerful regulators of gene expression and potential diagnostic tools during renal ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI). The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular regulation and function of miR-21, and to analyze the relationship between caspases and miR-21 expression levels in an experimental model of renal IRI. Methods: IRI was induced by bilateral renal ischemia for 45 min followed by reperfusion. The male BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to the following groups: pre-miR-21 + IRI group, antagomiR-21 + IRI group, PBS + IRI group, pre-miR-21 + sham operation group, antagomiR-21 + sham operation group, PBS + sham operation group. The pre-miR-21 or antagomiR-21 was administered intraperitoneally (200 ng/kg weight) 24 and 6 h before induction of ischemia. Renal function, histological damage, renal cell apoptosis proteins were evaluated at 24 h after reperfusion. Results: Mice upregulated miR-21 had lower plasma levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine, lower histopathological scores and a decrease in programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) mRNA and active caspase-3, caspase-8 proteins expressions. Conclusions: miR-21 is endowed with anti-apoptotic properties by suppressing the expression of PDCD4 gene and active caspase 3/8 fragments in the condition of renal IRI. miR-21 exerts significant functional protection in our renal murine model of IRI.
Roadway Proximity and Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death in Women
Authors: Hart Jaime E. , Chiuve Stephanie E. , Laden Francine , Albert Christine M.
Published: October 2014

Background—

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a major source of mortality and is the first manifestation of heart disease for the majority of cases. Thus, there is a definite need to identify risk factors for SCD that can be modified at the population level. Exposure to traffic, measured by residential roadway proximity, has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Our objective was to determine whether roadway proximity was associated with an increased risk of SCD and to compare that risk with the risk of other coronary heart disease outcomes.

Methods and Results—

A total of 523 cases of SCD were identified over 26 years of follow-up among 107 130 members of the prospective Nurses’ Health Study. We calculated residential distance to roadways at all residential addresses from 1986 to 2012. In age- and race-adjusted models, women living within 50 m of a major roadway had an elevated risk of SCD (hazard ratio=1.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.18–2.05). The association was attenuated but still statistically significant after controlling for potential confounders and mediators (hazard ratio=1.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.04–1.82). The equivalent adjusted hazard ratios for nonfatal myocardial infarction and fatal coronary heart disease were 1.08 (95% confidence interval, 0.96–1.23) and 1.24 (95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.50), respectively.

Conclusions—

Among this sample of middle-aged and older women, roadway proximity was associated with elevated and statistically significant risks of SCD and fatal coronary heart disease, even after controlling for other cardiovascular risk factors.
Gαi
2
-Protein–Mediated Signal Transduction
Authors: Wainford Richard D. , Carmichael Casey Y. , Pascale Crissey L. , Kuwabara Jill T.
Published: October 2014

Excess dietary salt intake is an established cause of hypertension. At present, our understanding of the neuropathophysiology of salt-sensitive hypertension is limited by a lack of identification of the central nervous system mechanisms that modulate sympathetic outflow and blood pressure in response to dietary salt intake. We hypothesized that impairment of brain Gαi
2
-protein–gated signal transduction pathways would result in increased sympathetically mediated renal sodium retention, thus promoting the development of salt-sensitive hypertension. To test this hypothesis, naive or renal denervated Dahl salt-resistant and Dahl salt-sensitive (DSS) rats were assigned to receive a continuous intracerebroventricular control scrambled or a targeted Gαi
2
-oligodeoxynucleotide infusion, and naive Brown Norway and 8-congenic DSS rats were fed a 21-day normal or high-salt diet. High salt intake did not alter blood pressure, suppressed plasma norepinephrine, and evoked a site-specific increase in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus Gαi
2
-protein levels in naive Brown Norway, Dahl salt-resistant, and scrambled oligodeoxynucleotide-infused Dahl salt-resistant but not DSS rats. In Dahl salt-resistant rats, Gαi
2
downregulation evoked rapid renal nerve-dependent hypertension, sodium retention, and sympathoexcitation. In DSS rats, Gαi
2
downregulation exacerbated salt-sensitive hypertension via a renal nerve-dependent mechanism. Congenic-8 DSS rats exhibited sodium-evoked paraventricular nucleus-specific Gαi
2
-protein upregulation and attenuated hypertension, sodium retention, and global sympathoexcitation compared with DSS rats. These data demonstrate that paraventricular nucleus Gαi
2
-protein–gated pathways represent a conserved central molecular pathway mediating sympathoinhibitory renal nerve-dependent responses evoked to maintain sodium homeostasis and a salt-resistant phenotype. Impairment of this mechanism contributes to the development of salt-sensitive hypertension.
Whither a “Resurgent Japan”: The Nixon Doctrine and Japan’s Defense Build-up, 1969–1976
Authors: Komine Yukinori
Published: October 2014

This article analyzes a broad range of U.S. and Japanese perspectives on Japan’s defense buildup in the 1970s, a buildup that simultaneously showed assertiveness and caution. President Richard M. Nixon announced what soon became known as the Nixon Doctrine, under which the United States began pressuring Japan to take on greater defense and regional responsibilities. U.S. officials assessed the extent to which Japan’s security role might affect U.S.-Japan burden sharing within the quadrilateral interactions in East Asia involving the United States, the Soviet Union, China, and Japan. Japanese leaders considered whether Japan should develop an autonomous defense posture (including the controversial question of Japan’s nuclear weapons program) or should seek qualitative improvements of its conventional self-defense force capabilities (within the context of its domestic institutional and normative restraints). The article concludes by assessing the political-security implications of the institutionalization of U.S.-Japan defense cooperation.
Levels of Processing in Working Memory: Differential Involvement of Frontotemporal Networks
Authors: Rose Nathan S. , Craik Fergus I. M. , Buchsbaum Bradley R.
Published: October 2014

How does the brain maintain to-be-remembered information in working memory (WM), particularly when the focus of attention is drawn to processing other information? Cognitive models of WM propose that when items are displaced from focal attention recall involves retrieval from long-term memory (LTM). In this fMRI study, we tried to clarify the role of LTM in performance on a WM task and the type of representation that is used to maintain an item in WM during rehearsal-filled versus distractor-filled delays. Participants made a deep or shallow levels-of-processing (LOP) decision about a single word at encoding and tried to recall the word after a delay filled with either rehearsal of the word or a distracting math task. Recalling one word after 10 sec of distraction demonstrated behavioral and neural indices of retrieval from LTM (i.e., LOP effects and medial-temporal lobe activity). In contrast, recall after rehearsal activated cortical areas that reflected reporting the word from focal attention. In addition, areas that showed an LOP effect at encoding (e.g., left ventrolateral VLPFC and the anterior temporal lobes [ATLs]) were reactivated at recall, especially when recall followed distraction. Moreover, activity in left VLPFC during encoding, left ATL during the delay, and left hippocampus during retrieval predicted recall success after distraction. Whereas shallow LOP and rehearsal-related areas supported active maintenance of one item in focal attention, the behavioral processes and neural substrates that support LTM supported recall of one item after it was displaced from focal attention.
Subject Islands, Reconstruction, and the Flow of the Computation
Authors: Bianchi Valentina , Chesi Cristiano
Published: October 2014

Recent research has highlighted a remarkable variability in subject island effects. Focusing on intransitive verbs and adjectives, we argue that islandhood is determined at the syntax-semantics interface: subjects qualify as islands when they are interpreted outside the predicative nucleus of the clause, in a categorical LF structure ( Ladusaw 1994 ); they are transparent for extraction when they undergo total reconstruction into the predicative nucleus, giving rise to a thetic structure. The thetic/categorical interpretation depends on various factors (most notably the stage-level versus individual-level nature of the predicate), whose interaction accounts for the observed variability of island effects, as shown by our experimental evidence. The relevance of subject reconstruction need not be stipulated; rather, it follows from a top-down-oriented computation, in which movement dependencies are implemented by a storage-and-retrieval mechanism.
The Rich Agreement Hypothesis Rehabilitated
Authors: Koeneman Olaf , Zeijlstra Hedde
Published: October 2014

The generalization that V-to-I movement is conditioned by rich subject agreement on the finite verb (the Rich Agreement Hypothesis) has long been taken to indicate a tight connection between syntax and morphology. Recently, the hypothesis has been questioned on both empirical and theoretical grounds. Here, we demonstrate that the empirical arguments against this hypothesis are incorrect and that it therefore must be rehabilitated in its strongest form. Theoretically, we argue that the correlation between syntax and morphology is not direct (morphology does not drive syntax) but follows from principles of language acquisition: only if language learners are confronted with particular morphological contrasts do they postulate the presence of corresponding formal features that in turn drive syntactic operations.
A Gendered Reading for the Character of Psyche in Apuleius’ Metamorphoses
Authors: Haskins Susan L.
Published: October 2014

Abstract

In analyses of the Cupid and Psyche story from Apuleius’ Metamorphoses, scholars have been faced with the issue of explaining the presence of a prominent female character. The usual response has been to interpret Psyche symbolically, either as a mirror of the male character Lucius and his journey, or as an allegory for the Soul’s journey or for the myth of Isis. However, this approach of turning Psyche into an abstract symbol negates the very substance of the issue, namely her femaleness. By foregrounding Psyche’s gender and making a reading of the text specifically for aspects of her femaleness, her nature and character in relation to marriage and family is revealed as a dominant theme, and a key motivating factor for much of the action of the narrative. Fully understanding and acknowledging this allows not only for new and more integrated interpretations of Psyche, but also opens avenues of exploration for the interpretation of other characters in the novel.
Life history trait differences between a lake and a stream-dwelling population of the Pyrenean brook newt (Calotriton asper)
Authors: Oromi Neus , Amat Fèlix , Sanuy Delfi , Carranza Salvador
Published: October 2014

The Pyrenean brook newt (Calotriton asper) is a salamandrid that mostly lives in fast running and cold mountain-streams, although some populations are also found in lakes. In the present work, we report in detail on the occurrence of facultative paedomorphosis traits in a population from a Pyrenean high altitude lake. We compare its morphology, life history traits and mitochondrial DNA variation with a nearby lotic metamorphic population. Our results indicate that the lacustrine newts are smaller and present a less developed sexual dimorphism, smooth skin, and that 53% of the adults retain gills at different degrees of development, but not gill slits. Although both populations and sexes have the same age at sexual maturity (four years), the lacustrine population presents higher longevity (12 and 9 years for males and females, respectively) than the one living in the stream (8 and 9 years). The variation on the climatic conditions at altitudinal scale is probably the main cause of the differences in life history traits found between the two populations. The food availability, which could to be limiting in the lacustrine population, is another factor that can potentially affect body size. These results are congruent with the significant mitochondrial DNA genetic isolation between populations, probably a consequence of the lack of juvenile dispersal. We found low cytochrome b variability and significant genetic structuring in the lake population that is very remarkably considering the short distance to the nearby stream population and the whole species’ pattern. We suggest that a bottleneck effect and/or phenotypic plasticity may have resulted in the appearance of a paedomorphic morph in the lake.
Effects of urbanization on genetic diversity, gene flow, and population structure in the ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornata)
Authors: Cureton James C. , Janis Michael , Lutterschmidt William I. , Randle Christopher P. , Ruthven Donald C. , Deaton Raelynn
Published: October 2014

Large-scale declines in North American box turtle (Terrapene spp.) populations have been attributed to habitat fragmentation as a result of urbanization. We compared microsatellite markers and mitochondrial control region sequences of Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata) in two populations (a natural and an urban habitat) to test two hypotheses. We hypothesized that urban populations of T. ornata experience genetic bottlenecks due to road mortality and habitat fragmentation, and that roadways represent a barrier to gene flow among turtle populations, resulting in increased fragmentation of gene pools. Both populations shared similar allelic diversity and observed heterozygosity, with eight and seven of twelve microsatellite loci exhibiting heterozygote deficiency in the natural and urban populations, respectively. The number of mitochondrial control region haplotypes in the urban population was nearly four times that of the natural population, although only one haplotype occurred in appreciable frequency in both populations. We did not detect conclusive evidence of a recent genetic bottleneck in the urban population, thereby rejecting our first hypothesis. We detected weak differentiation among populations on opposing sides of a large highway, but did not detect any evidence of population structure, thereby rejecting our second hypothesis. This study indicates that a population of T. ornata with moderate road mortality currently has high genetic diversity, moderate inbreeding, and displays some evidence of genetic differentiation, but no conclusive evidence of recent genetic bottlenecks or unique genetic clustering. We suggest this is primarily due to the species long generation time and is a positive aspect of their life-history.
A social cognitive developmental perspective on moral judgment
Authors: Heiphetz Larisa , Young Liane
Published: October 2014

Moral judgment constitutes an important aspect of adults’ social interactions. How do adults’ moral judgments develop? We discuss work from cognitive and social psychology on adults’ moral judgment, and we review developmental research to illuminate its origins. Work in these fields shows that adults make nuanced moral judgments based on a number of factors, including harm aversion, and that the origins of such judgments lie early in development. We begin by reviewing evidence showing that distress signals can cue moral judgments but are not necessary for moral judgment to occur. Next, we discuss findings demonstrating that both children and adults distinguish moral violations from violations of social norms, and we highlight the influence of both moral rules and social norms on moral judgment. We also discuss the influence of actors’ intentions on moral judgment. Finally, we offer some closing thoughts on potential similarities between moral cognition and reasoning about other ideologies.
The neurobiological platform for moral values
Authors: Churchland Patricia S.
Published: October 2014

What we humans call ethics or morality depends on four interlocking brain processes: (1) caring (supported by the neuroendocrine system, and emerging in the young as a function of parental care); (2) learning local social practices and the ways of others — by positive and negative reinforcement, by imitation, by trial and error, by various kinds of conditioning, and by analogy; (3) recognition of others’ psychological states (goals, feelings etc.); (4) problem-solving in a social context. These four broad capacities are not unique to humans, but are probably uniquely developed in human brains by virtue of the expansion of the prefrontal cortex (this formulation is based on Chapter 1 of my book, Braintrust: What neuroscience tells us about morality).
Racial Articulation and Labor in the 19th Century Brazil
Authors: Dias Felipe
Published: October 2014

This article seeks to explain how economic and local political structures shaped the ways in which public officials articulated ideas of race and labor in the nineteenth century Brazil. Employing a comparative historical method, this work advances the literature in two ways. First, it suggests that what we have come to view as a positive valuation of blackness has roots in the economic development prior to the centralized nation-building processes. Second, the findings of this study point to the effects of intra-national factors, such as economic structures and patterns of labor incorporation, in shaping how regional public officials articulated notions of “race,” labor, and progress.
Institutional and Economic Support for Renewable Energy Companies in China and eu Member States: Conflicting or Cooperative Industrial Policies?
Authors: Xiaohua Li
Published: October 2014

This research examines the photovoltaic (pv) industry, which is the fastest growing source of renewable energy, as an example in order to illustrate the development history, the status of cooperation and conflict between eu and China, and to explain the reasons behind the phenomenon. The photovoltaic industry both in China and eu experienced a period of rapid growth before the international financial crisis, driven by the explosion of the pv installation capacity and pushed by supporting policies for solar energy in eu member states and other developed countries. After the international financial crisis and Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis, because of the cut off of subsidies for solar energy in eu member states, the supply and demand relationship in the pv market was reversed. There was a serious excess capacity throughout the world and a subsequent trade war between eu and China in 2012. China and the eu have different comparative advantages. The eu is good at pv technology, producing the equipment used in pv factories and has management experience relating to the running of pv electricity systems, while China is good at manufacturing pv modules at low cost due to its innovative manufacturing in the global value chain. If the China and the eu combine these benefits, they can achieve a win-win game: China could produce renewable products more efficiently and with low environmental pollution and it could improve its management of pv electricity systems; at the same time, the eu could get low prices and high quality pv modules and reach its renewable energy targets more easily.
International Organizations: the Untouchables?
Authors: Blokker Niels
Published: October 2014

Immunity rules belong to the traditional standard rules of international organizations. It has long been accepted that international organizations and their staff need to enjoy immunity from the jurisdiction of national courts. This understanding is generally founded on the principle of functional necessity: international organizations need immunity in order to be able to perform their functions. However, the principle of the immunity of international organizations is increasingly criticized: if national courts cannot exercise jurisdiction over international organizations, who can? After outlining the intentions behind convening this Forum, this paper will discuss the origin of the immunity rules of international organizations. Next, it will give a brief overview of the codification of such rules, both in the 1940s and in recent years. Finally, it will present some observations on the question of whether there is a need to ‘update’ or revise the current immunity rules of international organizations.
Do International Organizations Enjoy Immunity Under Customary International Law?
Authors: Wood Michael
Published: October 2014

The present article considers whether there is “a general practice accepted as law” establishing rules of customary international law on the immunity of international organizations from the jurisdiction of domestic courts. Apart from treaties, there does not appear to be a great deal of practice or opinio juris on the immunity of international organizations. And while there are many treaties dealing with the matter, their significance for the generation of a rule of customary international law seems questionable. This article sketches the historical development of the immunity of international organizations since the nineteenth century, describes various approaches that have been suggested to this question, and sets out such practice as there is and academic consideration of that practice. It then considers whether practice has to date generated any rules of customary international law regarding immunities, and finally suggests some conclusions.
Should the 2004 un State Immunity Convention serve as a model/starting point for a future un Convention on the Immunity of International Organizations?
Authors: Webb Philippa
Published: October 2014

This paper argues that the 2004 United Nations Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and their Property should not serve as a model for a new convention with regard to international organizations. It has been suggested that there would be some advantages in preparing a draft convention on the jurisdictional immunity of international organizations: it would make the law governing the immunities of international organizations more ‘easily ascertainable’; a convention would progressively develop the law; and it would make a useful counterpart and parallel convention to the 2004 convention. However, this paper contends that each of these reasons — while appealing from the perspective of harmonization and a notion of an accessible and predictable international ‘rule of law’ — does not overcome the problems of principle, practice and precedent. However, the immunities afforded to State officials may have greater value as a model for the immunities of officials of international organizations.
Immunities of the European Union
Authors: Wessel Ramses A.
Published: October 2014

The question of the immunities of the European Union (‘eu’) is clearly under-researched. However, with the new global ambitions of the eu, which are even more prominent in the current — post-Lisbon Treaty — legal regime, the classic institutional law theme of the immunities of international organizations deserves to be addressed in the context of the eu as well. This contribution first of all looks into the legal position of the eu under international law. This is followed by an analysis of the legal provisions on the eu’s immunities in the treaties and other relevant documents. The paper also addresses actual and potential situations in which eu immunities are or can be invoked. It is concluded that, although the eu’s legal regime in this area follows the rules of international diplomatic law, it is special because of the extensive, yet complex, international competences of the eu as well as of the role of the organization’s own Court of Justice.
Austrian Courts and the Immunity of International Organizations
Authors: Schmalenbach Kirsten
Published: October 2014

Austria is host state to several international organizations, and as a result the immunity of international organizations and their officials is a constant concern to the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and from time to time this issue is considered by Austrian Courts. But who in Austria authoritatively decides on the presence of jurisdictional immunities: the judiciary or the government? What kind of acts or omissions count as a waiver of immunity, and who has the power to do just that? What is the scope of the organization’s immunity ratione materiae, especially when compared to the immunity of states? What is the scope of the jurisdictional immunity of officials? And, finally, do Austrian courts balance the jurisdictional immunity of international organizations with the human right of access to courts? This paper outlines the international laws and domestic rules applicable to questions of immunity, and then analyzes eleven final judgments from Austrian courts that deal with the immunity of international organizations and their officials. It concludes with a brief evaluation of the scope of the immunity of international organizations and their officials in light of the Austrian legal order.
The Jurisdictional Immunity of International Organizations in the Netherlands and the View from Strasbourg
Authors: Henquet Thomas
Published: October 2014

International organizations are regularly sued before the Dutch courts. This should come as no surprise, since the Netherlands hosts no fewer than 33 of such organizations. While major cases date back to the landmark judgment in the Spaans v. Iran-United States Claims Tribunal case, the recent case of Stichting Mothers of Srebrenica et al. v. United Nations brought to the fore important unresolved issues which relate to the perceived conflicting obligations of states. On the one hand, States must accord immunity to international organizations; on the other, they must provide claimants with access to justice. Complicating circumstances in the Srebrenica case were the operation of the priority rule under Article 103 of the United Nations Charter, and the lack of alternative remedies against the United Nations. This paper highlights these unresolved issues, and considers how the courts interpret and apply the ‘functional immunity’ test. It then examines how to resolve the perceived tension between the obligations of states to accord immunity and to grant access to justice.
Freedom of Expression and Promoting Tolerance: Learning Experiences from Early Childhood
Authors: Minette Sophie
Published: October 2014

Starting from the important question ‘Is it really impossible or dangerous to speak about religion?’ in the first part this article highlights the importance of dialogue in education. It demonstrates how implementation of dialogical education can be beneficial for children and young people who learn to take up and face the challenge posed by multiculturalism and multi-religiosity in our modern societies. In the second part, this article provides a brief discussion of research in educational psychology about religious education and the ‘Philosophy for Children’ method, or ‘community of enquiry’. This specific area of research emphasizes the necessary integration of this method in religious education since it would be beneficial in terms of social cohesion, among other things.
Litter bugs exposed: phylogenetic relationships of Dipsocoromorpha (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) based on molecular data
Authors: Weirauch Christiane , Štys Pavel
Published: October 2014

Species in the heteropteran infraorder Dipsocoromorpha, or litter bugs, are small, cryptic, stunningly diverse and understudied. In addition to the vast amount of species discovery and morphological exploration that remain to be done in this group, phylogenetic relationships within the litter bugs are poorly understood. A phylogenetic framework will make Dipsocoromorpha more accessible for systematic studies at all levels and is therefore a first step towards a comprehensive treatment of the group. Using a molecular dataset (87 taxa of Hemiptera including 35 Dipsocoromorpha; two genes) and maximum likelihood and parsimony methods, we here aim to test, for the first time using cladistic methods and a comprehensive dataset, relationships within Dipsocoromorpha. We investigate if Dipsocoromorpha are monophyletic, shed light on the relationships among the three families included in this analysis, and study relationships within the largest family of Dipsocoromorpha, the Schizopteridae. Based on this dataset, we find that the monophyly of Dipsocoromorpha is strongly supported in all analyses and that Ceratocombidae and Dipsocoridae together are recovered as the sister group of Schizopteridae. Within Schizopteridae, Hypselosomatinae are treated as the sister group to a clade formed by the monophyletic Ogeriinae and monophyletic Schizopterinae. Within Schizopterinae, there is evidence for the monophyly of the Corixidea genus group, and we present additional infra-generic and genus-level hypotheses. We discuss these hypotheses in the light of current classifications and hypotheses on relationships and as the first contribution towards revealing the phylogenetic relationships of a remarkable and neglected clade of true bugs.
The Global Spirit of Philanthropy and Altruism: Meanings, Experiences, and Some Biological Roots
Authors: Smith David Horton
Published: October 2014

ngos and the voluntary nonprofit sector are ultimately based on altruism and philanthropy in humans. Altruism may be defined as unselfish concern for the welfare and satisfactions of others. Research in the past 30 years has demonstrated that 30-50% of a person’s tendency to feel and practice altruism is based on our genes anddna. Because philanthropy is a broad, more universal form of altruism, such research indicates that philanthropy in humans also has evolutionary roots in ourdna. Such research supports the conclusion that there is a Global Spirit of Altruism, hardwired into the human species as a feeling, attitude, and behavior tendency. Similarly, there has been a Global Spirit of Philanthropy emerging in humans over the past two millennia, and especially in the past two centuries.
‘Revolutionary Defensism’ as the Ideology of General L.G. Kornilov’s Circle, April – August 1917
Authors: Seleznev Fedor Aleksandrovich
Published: October 2014

This article analyzes the political background and attitudes of people in General L.G. Kornilov’s circle in 1917. It poses the question of whether there actually existed an ‘organization of rightists,’ headed by V.S. Zavoiko and the journalist E.P. Semenov, an organization that purportedly put Kornilov forward as leader of the country’s counterrevolutionaries. The article concludes that neither Zavoiko nor Semenov was a counterrevolutionary; instead, they should be understood as representatives of ‘revolutionary defensism.’
The Baltic Question and Its Historiography in St. Petersburg (from the Eighteenth Century to the Present)
Authors: Baryshnikov Vladimir Nikolaevich
Published: October 2014

The article identifies the basic stages of, and key scholarly agendas in, the historiography of the Baltic question from the eighteenth century to the present. It focuses especially on the contributions of historians from St. Petersburg, showing how, even before the beginning of the twentieth century, the city became Russia's premier research center for the history of Northern Europe and the Baltic question. The article analyzes the collapse of the old scholarly traditions after 1917, their gradual re-establishment, and the role of Leningrad/Petersburg Scandinavianists during the recovery period.