bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Blood-Based Analyses of Cancer: Circulating Tumor Cells and Circulating Tumor DNA
Authors: Haber Daniel A. , Velculescu Victor E.
Published: May 2014

The ability to study nonhematologic cancers through noninvasive sampling of blood is one of the most exciting and rapidly advancing fields in cancer diagnostics. This has been driven both by major technologic advances, including the isolation of intact cancer cells and the analysis of cancer cell–derived DNA from blood samples, and by the increasing application of molecularly driven therapeutics, which rely on such accurate and timely measurements of critical biomarkers. Moreover, the dramatic efficacy of these potent cancer therapies drives the selection for additional genetic changes as tumors acquire drug resistance, necessitating repeated sampling of cancer cells to adjust therapy in response to tumor evolution. Together, these advanced noninvasive diagnostic capabilities and their applications in guiding precision cancer therapies are poised to change the ways in which we select and monitor cancer treatments.

Significance: Recent advances in technologies to analyze circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA are setting the stage for real-time, noninvasive monitoring of cancer and providing novel insights into cancer evolution, invasion, and metastasis. Cancer Discov; 4(6); 650–61. ©2014 AACR.
Whole-Body Irradiation Increases the Magnitude and Persistence of Adoptively Transferred T Cells Associated with Tumor Regression in a Mouse Model of Prostate Cancer
Authors: Ward-Kavanagh Lindsay K. , Zhu Junjia , Cooper Timothy K. , Schell Todd D.
Published: May 2014

Adoptive immunotherapy has demonstrated efficacy in a subset of clinical and preclinical studies, but the T cells used for therapy often are rendered rapidly nonfunctional in tumor-bearing hosts. Recent evidence indicates that prostate cancer can be susceptible to immunotherapy, but most studies using autochthonous tumor models demonstrate only short-lived T-cell responses in the tolerogenic prostate microenvironment. Here, we assessed the efficacy of sublethal whole-body irradiation (WBI) to enhance the magnitude and duration of adoptively transferred CD8+ T cells in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) model. We demonstrate that WBI promoted high-level accumulation of granzyme B (GzB, Gzmb)–expressing donor T cells both in lymphoid organs and in the prostate of TRAMP mice. Donor T cells remained responsive to vaccination in irradiated recipients, but a single round of WBI-enhanced adoptive immunotherapy failed to affect significantly the existing disease. Addition of a second round of immunotherapy promoted regression of established disease in half of the treated mice, with no progression observed. Regression was associated with long-term persistence of effector/memory phenotype CD8+ donor cells. Administration of the second round of adoptive immunotherapy led to reacquisition of GzB expression by persistent T cells from the first transfer. These results indicate that WBI conditioning amplifies tumor-specific T cells in the TRAMP prostate and lymphoid tissue, and suggest that the initial treatment alters the tolerogenic microenvironment to increase antitumor activity by a second wave of donor cells. Cancer Immunol Res; 2(8); 777–88. ©2014 AACR.
Therapeutic In Situ Autovaccination against Solid Cancers with Intratumoral Poly-ICLC: Case Report, Hypothesis, and Clinical Trial
Authors: Salazar Andres M. , Erlich Rodrigo B. , Mark Alexander , Bhardwaj Nina , Herberman Ronald B.
Published: May 2014

Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP) are stand-alone innate and adaptive immunomodulators and critical vaccine components. We present a strategy of sequential intratumoral (i.t.) and intramuscular (i.m.) injections of the stabilized dsRNA viral mimic and PAMP, polyinosinic–polycytidylic acid-polylysine-carboxymethylcellulose (poly-ICLC, Hiltonol; Oncovir). We report the first treated patient, a young man with an exceptionally advanced facial embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma with extension to the brain. After treatment, the patient showed tumor inflammation consistent with immunotherapy, followed by gradual, marked tumor regression, with extended survival. Sequential i.t. and i.m. poly-ICLC injections mimicking a viral infection can induce an effective, in situ, personalized systemic therapeutic “autovaccination” against tumor antigens of a patient. We postulate a three-step immunomodulatory process: (i) innate-immune local tumor killing induced by i.t. poly-ICLC; (ii) activation of dendritic cells with Th1 cell– and CTL–weighted priming against the released tumor antigens; and (iii) i.m. poly-ICLC maintenance of the systemic antitumor immune response via chemokine induction, facilitation of CTL killing through the induction of costimulators such as OX40, inflammasome activation, and increase in the T-effector/Treg ratio. These results support the use of certain simple and inexpensive i.t. PAMPs to favorably stimulate effective immunity against solid cancers. A phase II clinical trial testing the hypothesis presented has begun accrual (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01984892). Cancer Immunol Res; 2(8); 720–4. ©2014 AACR.
Persistent Periventricular Echogenicities in Preterms Are Not Related to Smaller Brains at Term-Equivalent Age
Authors: Graça André M. , Cardoso Katia , Costa João , Cowan Frances
Published: May 2014

Background: Periventricular white matter (PWM) is particularly vulnerable in very preterm infants. Non-cystic white matter injury, known as non-cystic periventricular leukomalacia (ncPVL), is the commonest ‘lesion' affecting the preterm brain. There is no consensus about whether ncPVL can be reliably identified from cerebral ultrasound (cUS) or whether there is any reliable correlate of ncPVL on cUS at term-equivalent age (TEA). Objective: To compare brain volumes and linear measures at TEA in infants with and without a diagnosis of ncPVL. Methods: Preterm infants of ≤32 weeks' gestation without major lesions were serially assessed using cUS. ncPVL was defined as PWM echogenicity comparable to the choroid plexus on two scans at least 2 weeks apart after the first postnatal week. At TEA, infants were scanned for the estimation of brain volume and ventricular and tissue dimensions. Head circumference was measured. The data were compared between those with/without ncPVL. Observer agreement was assessed using kappa statistic. Results: Of 63 eligible infants 29% had ncPVL. Significant differences were found between those with/without ncPVL for 5 min Apgar score, CRIB score, invasive ventilation rates and chronic lung disease but not for other relevant clinical data. No significant differences were found for estimated brain volume, ventricular size, corpus callosum length/thickness or central grey matter width. Intra-observer reliability was moderate (kappa = 0.51-0.56); inter-observer reliability was poor (kappa = 0.20-0.32). Conclusions: This study indicates that an ultrasound diagnosis of ncPVL should not be used as a sole predictor of lower brain growth detectable at TEA.
FTO Gene: Association to Weight Regain after Lifestyle Intervention in Overweight Children
Authors: Reinehr Thomas , Wolters Barbara , Roth Christian L. , Hinney Anke
Published: May 2014

Objective: Polymorphisms in intron 1 of the ‘fat mass and obesity-associated' (FTO) gene are associated with weight status. We hypothesized that the risk allele at a polymorphism in intron 1 of FTO is associated with weight regain after end of lifestyle intervention. Methods: We longitudinally analyzed the changes of weight status as BMI-SDS in 346 unrelated overweight children (mean age 10.6 ± 2.6 years, 45% male, mean BMI-SDS 2.39 ± 0.49) both at the end of a 1-year lifestyle intervention and 1 year after the end of this intervention. We genotyped the obesity risk SNP rs9939609 at FTO by ARMS-PCR. Results: The children reduced their BMI-SDS (-0.29 ± 0.33; p < 0.001) during intervention and increased their BMI-SDS between the end of intervention and 1 year later (+0.10 ± 0.41; p < 0.001). The obesity risk allele at FTO SNP rs9939609 was not associated with BMI-SDS reduction during the lifestyle intervention (p = 0.622), but with weight regain 1 year after end of the intervention in multiple linear regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, pubertal stage, and baseline BMI-SDS (Bonferroni corrected p = 0.002). Conclusions: The obesity risk allele at a polymorphism in intron 1 of FTO was associated with weight regain 1 year after a 1-year lifestyle intervention.
Intestinal Fatty Acid-Binding Protein in Neonates with Imminent Necrotizing Enterocolitis
Authors: Schurink Maarten , Scholten Iemcke G.H. , Kooi Elisabeth M.W. , Hulzebos Christian V. , Kox Rozemarijn G. , Groen Henk , Heineman Erik , Bos Arend F. , Hulscher Jan B.F.
Published: May 2014

Background: Intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) is a promising marker for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). It can be measured in plasma (I-FABPp) and urine (I-FABPu). Data on the best way to measure I-FABP (in plasma or urine) and the necessity of simultaneous measurement of the urinary creatinine concentration to correct for physiological variations in urine concentration are not available. This holds also true for the reciprocal relation between I-FABPp, I-FABPu and other more conventional laboratory parameters. Objectives: To evaluate the above-mentioned correlations of I-FABP measurements in neonates with suspected NEC. Methods: All neonates with suspected NEC were prospectively included. I-FABPp and I-FABPu were analyzed at regular intervals during the first 24 h after onset of symptoms. Correlation and agreement were assessed between these and other parameters (i.e. IL-6, WBC, platelet count, CRP, pH and lactate). Results: Included were 24 boys, 13 girls [median (range) GA 28 weeks (24-36), median birth weight 1,190 g (570-2,400)]. I-FABPu correlated strongly with I-FABPp (r 0.80, p < 0.001) with an adequate agreement. A very strong correlation between I-FABPu and I-FABPu/urine creatinine ratio (r 0.98, p < 0.001) existed. Correlations between I-FABPp/u and conventional parameters were moderate to strong until 8 h after onset of symptoms. Conclusion: In neonates with suspected NEC, I-FABPu correlates strongly with I-FABPp, offering an opportunity to choose the most appropriate way of measuring I-FABP. Calculating urinary IFABP/creatinine ratio seems redundant. Moderately strong correlations between I-FABPu and IL-6, WBC and lactate were found.
A New Method for Performing Continuous Manometry during Pleural Effusion Drainage
Authors: Salamonsen Matthew , Ware Robert , Fielding David
Published: May 2014

Background: Pleural manometry can predict the presence of trapped lung and guide large-volume thoracentesis. The current technique for pleural manometry transduces pressure from the needle or intercostal catheter, necessitating intermittent cessation of fluid drainage at the time of pressure recordings. Objectives: To develop and validate a technique for performing continuous pleural manometry, where pressure is transduced from an epidural catheter that is passed through the drainage tube to sit within the pleural space. Methods: Pleural manometry was performed on 10 patients undergoing thoracentesis of at least 500 ml, using the traditional intermittent and new continuous technique simultaneously, and pleural pressures were recorded after each drainage of 100 ml. The pleural elastance (PEL) curves and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs), derived using measurements from each technique, were compared using the analysis of covariance and Student's paired t test, respectively. Results: There was no significant difference in PEL calculated using each method (p > 0.1); however, there was a trend towards the CI for the PEL derived from the continuous method being narrower (p = 0.08). Fully automated measurement of drainage volume and pleural pressure, with real-time calculation and display of PEL, was achieved by connecting the system to a urodynamics machine. Conclusions: Pleural manometry can be transduced from an epidural catheter passed through the drainage tube into the pleural space, which gives continuous recording of the pleural pressure throughout the procedure. This allows for automated calculation and display of the pleural pressure and PEL in real time, if the system is connected to a computer with appropriate software.
Symptoms, Prevalence and Impact of Multiple Sclerosis in Younger Patients: A Multinational Survey
Authors: Patti Francesco , Vila Carlos
Published: May 2014

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) has a marked negative impact on patients' well-being and quality of life through a range of symptoms. Materials and Methods: This on-line survey was designed to determine younger MS patients' (≤35 years) assessment of their disease and the prevalence of MS symptoms in four European countries (Germany, Italy, Norway and Spain). Results: Prior to diagnosis, 62% of 200 interviewed subjects were unaware of the likely impact of MS. Fatigue (61%) was the most common single symptom reported by these younger MS patients, followed by six other symptoms with a prevalence >50% (visual disturbances, impaired mobility, dizziness, pain, spasticity and sleep disorders); related impairments were also often reported. Eighty-six percent of respondents indicated that their ability to work or study was negatively affected (39% could no longer participate in these activities), and 85% were unable to maintain their previous level of social interactions (one third frequently or never attended social activities). Conclusions: MS is a highly symptomatic disease, even in younger persons (aged ≤35 years) with a short disease history, and its management to improve activities associated with daily living and quality of life remains a challenge. There is an unmet need for more effective MS symptom treatment options.
The Effect of a Slower than Standard Dose Escalation Scheme for Dipyridamole on Headaches in Secondary Prevention Therapy of Strokes: A Randomized, Open-Label Trial (DOSE)
Authors: de Vos-Koppelaar N.C. Martine , Kerkhoff Henk , de Vogel Ed M. , Zock Elles , Dieleman Hetty G.
Published: May 2014

Background: Combination therapy with acetylsalicylic acid and dipyridamole is first-line treatment in secondary prevention of strokes. Approximately 40% of patients report headache as a side effect of dipyridamole. Dose escalation of dipyridamole reduces this side effect. In practice, different dose escalation schemes are used. In theory, slower dose escalation than a standard scheme reduces headaches even more. This study aimed to find the best dose escalation scheme for prevention of headaches as a side effect of dipyridamole in the secondary prevention of strokes. Methods: In this randomized, open-label, 4-week trial, 114 patients who had an ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack were randomized to receive either a standard or slow dose escalation scheme of dipyridamole. Participants were asked to report the four most common side effects of dipyridamole in a study diary on study days 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21 and 28. They were asked to score headache intensity on a visual analog scale (VAS). Participants were unaware that the trial was focused on headaches. Primary end point was to determine if a slow dose escalation scheme reduces the percentage of patients with headaches. Secondary objective was to determine the number of patients who discontinued treatment with dipyridamole because of headaches. Results: Overall 37 patients (38%) of the final population reported headache, 19 (39%) in the standard dose escalation group and 18 (37%) in the slow dose escalation group (p = 1.0). In the standard dose escalation group patients scored headaches (VAS >4) on an average of 3.3 days and patients in the slow dose escalation group on 3.6 days (p = 0.82). Mean VAS scores on study days 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 21 ranged from 1.4 to 3.7 in both groups. These scores did not differ significantly. However, on day 28 patients scored a significantly lower mean VAS score in the standard dose escalation group than in the slow dose escalation group (2.5 vs. 4.8; p = 0.05). In the standard dose escalation group 6 patients (11%) discontinued treatment because of side effects of dipyridamole and 3 patients (6%) in the slow dose escalation group (p = 0.49, Fisher's exact test). Conclusion: We showed that slower than standard dose escalation of dipyridamole in combination therapy with acetylsalicylic acid does not reduce headaches as a side effect. The use of such schemes should be discontinued in clinical practice. Slow dose escalation might, however, reduce the number of patients who discontinue treatment, but further research is needed to confirm this.
Multilocus Sequence Types of Invasive and Colonizing Neonatal Group B Streptococci in Poland
Authors: Brzychczy-Wloch Monika , Gosiewski Tomasz , Bulanda Malgorzata
Published: May 2014

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the molecular characterization of Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus; GBS) strains isolated from newborns with invasive neonatal infections and healthy newborns in Poland. Materials and Methods: Forty-two GBS isolates were characterized by combining different typing methods, i.e. multilocus sequence typing (MLST), molecular serotyping and protein gene profiling. Results: Using MLST, a total of 16 sequence types (STs) were identified, and among these, 11 were clustered into the following 5 clonal complexes (CCs): CC23 (20; 49%), CC19 (7; 17%), CC17 (4; 10%), CC10 (4; 10%) and CC1 (1; 2%). A statistically significant relationship between ST-17 and invasive isolates (p = 0.0398) and ST-23 and colonizing strains (p = 0.0034) was detected. Moreover, 2 novel STs were detected (ST-637 and ST-638). Molecular serotyping showed that in the invasive isolates serotype III was predominant (11; 50%), followed by serotypes II (6; 27%), V (3; 14%) and Ia (2; 9%). In healthy newborns, serotype III was also dominant (12; 60%), followed by serotypes Ia (4; 20%), II (2; 10%), V (1; 5%) and Ib (1; 5%). Protein gene profiling indicated that the rib gene was predominant in the invasive strains (11; 59%), followed by bca (5; 22%), alp2 (2; 9%), alp3 (1; 5%) and epsilon (1; 5%), while in colonizing strains the alp2 gene was most common (10; 50%), followed by epsilon (5; 25%), rib (2; 10%), bca (2; 10%) and alp3 (1; 5%). A statistically significant relationship was noted between the rib gene and invasive GBS (p = 0.0329), whereas alp2 was related to the colonizing strains (p = 0.0495). Conclusions: The investigated GBS isolates originating from infections in newborns and healthy neonates represented serotype III in more than half of the cases and differed from one another in terms of resistance to macrolides, ST type affiliation and the presence of genes encoding surface proteins from the Alp family. Further comparative genetic research on a larger number of strains is necessary for epidemiological investigation and vaccine development.
Functional Status and Patient-Reported Outcome 10 Years After Stroke
Authors: Jönsson Ann-Cathrin , Delavaran Hossein , Iwarsson Susanne , Ståhl Agneta , Norrving Bo , Lindgren Arne
Published: May 2014

Background and Purpose—

Long-term studies of outcome after stroke are scarce. Our aim was to study functional status and patient-reported outcome 10 years after a first-ever stroke.

Methods—

Ten-year follow-up was conducted among the survivors from a population-based group of 416 patients included in the Lund Stroke Register, Sweden, between March 1, 2001, and February 28, 2002. The Barthel index was used to assess the functional status and the modified Rankin Scale to assess the degree of disability. The EQ-5D scale was used for survivors’ self-reports about health outcome and the specific Short-Form 36 (SF-36) question for rating their overall health. The patients also reported their frequency of physical activity.

Results—

Among 145 survivors 10 years after stroke (median age, 78 years), 59% were men, 90% lived in their ordinary housing, 73% were assessed as independent, and 71% had no or slight disability. The need of assistance with mobility and self-care was reported by 14% and with usual activities by 22%. Moderate pain was reported by 39%, and 4% had a high degree of pain. Moderate anxiety/depression was reported by 28% and high degree only by 1%. Overall health status was reported in positive terms by more than two thirds of the survivors. Almost half the cohort reported the same frequency of physical activity (≥4× weekly) as before stroke onset.

Conclusions—

This study indicates that 10-year stroke survivors in Sweden are mostly independent in daily activities and report good overall health and frequent physical activity, although half of them are ≥78 years.
Population genetic structure of the freshwater anomuran Aegla uruguayana Schmitt, 1942 (Decapoda, Aeglidae) in the central region of Argentina
Authors: Giri Federico , Ojeda Guillermo , Rueda Eva , Amavet Patricia , Williner Veronica , Collins Pablo
Published: May 2014

Aeglidae is the only freshwater family in the infraorder Anomura.Aegla uruguayanaSchmitt, 1942 is one of the most widely distributed species in southern South America and is found in different environments, which makes it an interesting object for population genetic studies. The main objective of this work was to analyse the genetic population structure ofA. uruguayanaalong a sea distance gradient for four populations that were studied in the La Plata Basin with an 1100-km range in relation to an east-west transect. The populations studied were the Río Tercero Reservoir, the Setúbal Lagoon, the Doll Stream and the Urquiza Stream. Aeglid DNA was extracted using a commercial kit that was amplified with ISSR markers. Of the 10 primers tested, we selected four that showed the best resolution and reproducible results. Our studies revealed a of 0.3479 ± 0.1383 (mean ± SD) and a global of 0.3583 (), demonstrating genetic differentiation among populations with low gene flow. The Urquiza Stream population showed a genetic structure clearly different from that of the other populations. However, the Río Tercero, Setúbal and Doll populations were well grouped with one effective connection among them. The geomorphologic history of the basin provides evidence for the isolation hypothesis. These data demonstrate the importance of geoclimatic history in the study region and the importance of using complete population distribution data where the species live. These data permit us to interpret that different populations have independent histories that are delineated by the geomorphological events that occurred on earth.
Asymmetrical morphology and growth of the hermit crab Pagurus filholi (Decapoda, Anomura, Paguridae) reared in non-dextral shell conditions
Authors: Imafuku Michio , Ikeda Hisakazu
Published: May 2014

The body of a hermit crab shows asymmetrical morphology, which may be related to utilization of the dextral shell. To examine the effect of the shell, we rearedPagurus filholi(De Man, 1887) from the glaucothoe stage to full-sized adults, in a sinistral shell, in a straight tusk shell, without a shell, and in a normal dextral shell as a control. Body parts that show the most conspicuous asymmetry, uropods, pleopods and chelipeds, were checked at the time of the shedding of exuviae during rearing. No inversion of laterality on these characters was observed. However, in crabs subjected to conditions other than a dextral shell, the otherwise rather short right uropod became somewhat extended, and in those reared in sinistral shells, the right major cheliped was more enlarged.
A collection of Callianassidea Dana, 1852 (Decapoda, Pleocyemata) from the Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast with a check-list of all ghost shrimps (Thalassinidea and Callianassidea) known from the area
Authors: Sakai Katsushi , Al-Aidaroos Ali M. , Brösing Andreas , Spiridonov Vassily , Werding Bernd , Türkay Michael
Published: May 2014

During a survey of the coastal biodiversity of the Saudi Arabian Red Sea, four species of callianassid ghost shrimps were collected:Gilvossius bouvieri(Nobili, 1904),Neocallichirus mucronatus(Strahl, 1862a),Podocallichirus madagassus(Lenz & Richters, 1880), andCallianidea typaH. Milne Edwards, 1837. Of these,N. mucronatusis recorded from the Red Sea for the first time. With this new record, 29 species of the group are now known in the Red Sea fauna. The distribution of the species within the Red Sea is discussed in detail.
Relationships of the branchial parasite Bopyrinella thorii (Isopoda, Bopyridae) and its host Thor floridanus (Decapoda, Hippolytidae)
Authors: Romero-Rodríguez J. , Román-Contreras R.
Published: May 2014

Morphometric data are presented for developmental stages ofBopyrinellathorii(Richardson, 1904), obtained from 380 individuals ofThorfloridanusKingsley, 1878 infested by this parasite and collected by trawl net in Bahía de la Ascensión, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The close relationships between the sizes of host and parasite () and between sizes of the two sexes of the parasite () suggest the simultaneous growth of host and parasite and the permanence of the pairing of a male and female parasite throughout their lives. Cryptoniscus larvae ofB. thoriiwere sometimes attached intramuscularly to other body parts than the host’s gill chambers. Mature females unpaired with a male had ovarian activity visible through their exoskeleton, which reveals thatB. thoriicould produce oocytes even in the absence of a male. Bilateral double infestation, present in 4.2% of theT. floridanusspecimens analysed, was more frequent in smaller size classes of the host.
A new species of the genus Tropodiaptomus (Copepoda, Diaptomidae, Diaptominae) from Nepal
Authors: Ambedkar Dara , Elia Bandari
Published: May 2014

A new species, Tropodiaptomus defayeae n. sp. from Nepal, is herein proposed for inclusion in the genus Tropodiaptomus. This is the first record of the genus from Nepal. The new species is described and illustrated based on two males and two females collected from a permanent freshwater pond in the village Ankidha near Khatmandu, Nepal. A critical comparison of the new species with its known congeners has revealed close similarity with Tropodiaptomus ruttneri (Brehm, 1923). However, it is distinguishable by characters of the male P5 such as: (1) a thick basipod in the right P5, which is as long as wide, and has an unusually large thumb-like hyaline lobe close to the inner margin on its posterior face; (2) a small spine and a narrow hyaline lamella on the inner margin; and (3) the basipod of the left P5 has a large hyaline lamella on the inner distal margin. Besides the description of T. defayeae, brief notes on the ecology and zoogeography of the genus are also given. A key for the identification of the Indian species of Tropodiaptomus, including also the new species, is provided at the end of this paper.
The Spiritual Illusion
Authors: Herman Jonathan R.
Published: May 2014

Abstract

This article takes constructive steps toward redescribing an emic folk category that enjoys widespread use in contemporary Western discourse, but has proven problematic for the academic study of religion. On close examination, the term “spirituality” is demonstrated to be vague, essentialist, and narcissistic, though consistent enough in its usage to reveal a cluster of specific associations, assumptions, and normative judgments. Moreover, the purported dichotomy between “spirituality” and “religion” can be rendered more intelligible through an ironic and imaginative juxtaposition with the contrast between male and female reproduction organs, with regard to physical appearance and location, social dynamics, and ethical implications.
‘Saddling’ the New African Regional Human Rights Court with International Criminal Jurisdiction: Innovative, Obstructive, Expedient?
Authors: Nmehielle Vincent O.
Published: May 2014

Abstract

This article examines the recent initiative of the African Union (au) to amend the Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights that initially merged the African Court of Human Peoples’ Rights with the African Court of Justice of the African Union and to now create a new and holistic regional court – the African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples’ Rights – and endow it with jurisdiction for international crimes. The article principally interrogates three issues: (1) the legality and novelty of the au initiative, (2) the question whether the plan is in any way obstructive or a distraction, and (3) whether the initiative is actually necessary when considered against the wider scheme of effective functioning of the au and its human rights protection regimes. The article finds that while the au’s desire to establish an international crimes chamber within its human rights court may have largely been influenced by the politicisation of the international criminal justice system and its concerns about the icc’s nearly exclusive focus on Africa, there is nothing in international law that prevents the au from embarking on such initiative. However, it is essential for the au to conduct a necessity test, taking a number of issues into account such as adequate resources, credible legal and political commitment, and the opportunity available to member states in the complementarity principle of the Rome Statute of the icc. It is submitted that since Africa, as a regional block, has accepted the Rome Statute regime in large numbers, the au needs to engage with that system in ways that give African states parties credible ownership of justice, as addressing atrocity crimes would largely be achieved within the domestic systems of member states.
The African Union’s Response to the Libyan Crisis: A Plea for Objectivity
Authors: Abass Ademola
Published: May 2014

Abstract

The African Union (au)’s role in the Libyan crisis drew opprobrium from many observers. To some, the Union’s response to the Libyan debacle – which was no response in terms of military engagement – came as no surprise. Gaddafi was one of the biggest funders of the continental organization. For others, the au’s poor showing is confirmatory that African regional organizations may have the legal competence to take enforcement action against erring Member States but they have neither the resources nor the political will required to effectuate such measures. While these factors count in any reckoning of the au’s handling of the Libyan crisis, this author argues that most analysts fail to account for the bewildering legal complexities the Union found itself in Libya. A closer look at the majority of existing analyses of the au’s response to the Libyan crisis reveals a widely unbalanced picture painted mostly by the legal analysts’ account of the organization performance and by the au’s evaluation of its own performance. The consequence of either approach is often too lopsided to inform a prudent outcome.
Emerging Powers and the Operationalisation of R2P in Africa: The Role of South Africa in the UNSC
Authors: Iyi John-Mark
Published: May 2014

Abstract

There is anxiety over the future of the emerging norm of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). This anxiety stems from the controversial nature of the first test case of operationalisation of the ‘responsibility to react’ component of R2P carried out by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Libya in 2011. The article argues that the Libyan crisis reinforced the claims of states who argue that R2P is susceptible to abuse and this has made it difficult to act in Syria. As a way forward, the paper contends that regional organisations in Africa, led by regional hegemons such as South Africa, should take the lead in the implementation of R2P on the Continent. Drawing illustrations from Libya, the author maintains that South Africa should leverage its membership of brics and other multilateral frameworks to advance the African Agenda at the United Nations Security Council particularly with reference to the operationalisation of R2P in Africa. In order to be able to do this, the paper suggests a reappraisal and recalibration of the R2P implementation framework to give emphasis to regional organisations.
بسجل الدخول بالمتحف المصري بالقاهرة 43649 ملاحظات على لوحة پا-سر رقم (Observations on Paser Stela no. 43649 in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo)
Authors: عبد السلام إبراهيم عبد الواحد
Published: May 2014

The stela of Paser, which the Cairo Museum possesses (JdE 43649), is one of the most important religious documents ever found in Egypt. It was unearthed in Abydos, but the exact provenance is unknown. The stela is a limestone of very mediocre quality, and measures 54×35 cm. It was purchased in Balliana, the market town of the Abydos region. The inscriptions and representations are somewhat carelessly incised. It is the single document which provides the greatest information on the cult of King Nebhepetre Ahmose I at Abydos. A good photograph is reproduced of G. Legrain “Un miracle d‘Ahmes Ier a Abydos sous le regne de Ramses II.”, in ASAE 16, 1916. It describes a land dispute put before the barque oracle of the deified Nebpehtyre Ahmose I, in the Year fourteen of the King Ramses II of the Nineteenth Dynasty, some two-hundred-and-thirty- five years following the death of Nebpehtyre Ahmose I. The names and titles of the priests and priestesses serving the cult of King Nebpehtyre Ahmose I are found on a variety of objects from Abydos, spanning the period from the early Eighteenth Dynasty into the reign of King Ramses II of the Nineteenth Dynasty. The activity of an oracle cult of the deified King during the Ramesside Period implies that significant transformations to the nature and practice of Ahmose‘s worship had taken place over time at Abydos. Perhaps the oracles are the best illustrations of the interest which the deity was believed to take in human affairs. The oracles also show how the Egyptians almost forced their gods to abandon a passive attitude towards men and to reveal their will, advice or knowledge. This was through the intermediary of the statue of the god which was asked questions, though more than one case is related where the initiative was from the god himself. Strangely enough, the practice of approaching the god and consulting him appears relatively late in Egypt, the first known instances dating from the New Kingdom. It is not necessary to conclude from this, as has sometimes been done, that the practice was originally unknown to Egypt, and was introduced from abroad. On the contrary, consultation with the god is the natural outcome of man‘s reasoning, and the rather original technique which the Egyptians devised for this purpose suggests that oracles in Egypt were of native origin. The first reference to the divine being manifested is probably that made by King Tuthmosis III, who relates how, when he was still a boy, the god Amun, in the course of a procession of his statue round the temple, noticed him and halted.

(Please note that this article is in Arabic)
"دراسة أثرية فنية تحليلية" (ق 6-8هـ/12-14م) نقوش شاهدية غير منشورة من نجران (Unpublished Grave Inscriptions from Najran (6-8 AH/12-14 BCE) ‘Archaeological, Artistic and Analytical Study’)
Authors: إسماعيل عبد السلام ياسر , منسي العمري عبد العزيز
Published: May 2014

This paper deals with the study of thirteen unpublished grave inscriptions from Najran in the Museum of Najran of Antiquities and Heritage, which mostly date from the sixth century AH to the eighth century AH (twelfth century CE to fourteenth century CE). The authors will analyze types, decorative elements, and linguistic formulas. Finally, the authors will compare the undated inscriptions with those of Najran and of other regions of Hijaz, particularly from Mecca.

(Please note that this article is in Arabic)
إضافات جديدة إلى النقوش الكتابية الإسلامية المكتشفة في مصر (A New Addition to Islamic Inscriptions Recently Discovered in Egypt)
Authors: عبد الجواد علوان مجدي
Published: May 2014

Ancient Arabic inscriptions, is a leading position among material sources for the study of Islamic monuments in terms of form and content, and distinction for its role in highlighting building context, applied arts and various types of plastic arts. The theme of this research study is two inscriptions in Egypt to be published scientifically for the first time, through two stelea not registered among the Islamic monuments, and found in Lower Egypt, in two villages belonging to the town of Abyar, one of the large villages in Kafr El Zayat, Gharbia Governorate. The first inscription is a tombstone dated to year 313 AH / 925 CE, and the second is a text of an extinct mosque of the Mamluk era Marine during the reign of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Kalaoun, and attributed to one of his princes dating Year 730 AH / 1329 CE. This research is a study of these two inscriptions, in terms of form and content, through examing the styles of calligraphy, and what they contain concerning religious texts, advertisements and titles, with a comparative analysis of other inscriptions. The research includes five panels and three tablets.

(Please note that this article is in Arabic)
وقفية أبي الحسن المريني بتلمسان (Endowment Marinis Sultan Abu al-Hassan, al-Obbad Mosque, Tlemcen, Algeria)
Authors: بن حمو محمد
Published: May 2014

The endowments of public interest building varied in Islamic history. This study is concerned with an endowment dating back to the era of Abu Hassan Ali Almareni (692-1292 AH / 752-1330 CE). It was inscribed on the stone found inside al-Obbad Mosque or Sidi Boumediene Mosque, Tlemcen city, Algeria.

(Please note that this article is in Arabic)
قراءة رموز المايا (Reading the Maya Glyphs)
Authors: عزت (Ezzat) عزة (Azza)
Published: May 2014

(Please note that this article is in Arabic)
Two new species of Hygronemobius Hebard, 1913 (Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Nemobiinae) from Brazilian Amazon
Authors: MARTINS LUCIANO DE P. , PEREIRA MARCELO R. , HENRIQUES AUGUSTO L. , ZEFA EDISON
Published: May 2014

Two new Neotropical species of Hygronemobius Hebard were described from Brazilian Amazon: Hygronemobius duckensis sp. nov. and Hygronemobius dialeucus sp. nov. Photographs of habitus, morphological characteristics and male genitalia were provided. Calling songs and spectrograms of the new species were characterized.
Peer Review of Datasets: When, Why, and How
Authors: Mayernik Matthew S. , Callaghan Sarah , Leigh Roland , Tedds Jonathan , Worley Steven
Published: May 2014

Peer review holds a central place within the scientific communication system. Traditionally, research quality has been assessed by peer review of journal articles, conference proceedings, and books. There is strong support for the peer review process within the academic community, with scholars contributing peer reviews with little formal reward. Reviewing is seen as a contribution to the community as well as an opportunity to polish and refine understanding of the cutting edge of research. This paper discusses the applicability of the peer review process for assessing and ensuring the quality of datasets. Establishing the quality of datasets is a multifaceted task that encompasses many automated and manual processes. Adding research data into the publication and peer review queues will increase the stress on the scientific publishing system, but if done with forethought will also increase the trustworthiness and value of individual datasets, strengthen the findings based on cited datasets, and increase the transparency and traceability of data and publications.

This paper discusses issues related to data peer review—in particular, the peer review processes, needs, and challenges related to the following scenarios: 1) data analyzed in traditional scientific articles, 2) data articles published in traditional scientific journals, 3) data submitted to open access data repositories, and 4) datasets published via articles in data journals.
MCMC-Based Assessment of the Error Characteristics of a Surface-Based Combined Radar–Passive Microwave Cloud Property Retrieval
Authors: Posselt Derek J. , Mace Gerald G.
Published: May 2014

Collocated active and passive remote sensing measurements collected at U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program sites enable simultaneous retrieval of cloud and precipitation properties and air motion. Previous studies indicate the parameters of a bimodal cloud particle size distribution can be effectively constrained using a combination of passive microwave radiometer and radar observations; however, aspects of the particle size distribution and particle shape are typically assumed to be known. In addition, many retrievals assume the observation and retrieval error statistics have Gaussian distributions and use least squares minimization techniques to find a solution. In truth, the retrieval error characteristics are largely unknown. Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods can be used to produce a robust estimate of the probability distribution of a retrieved quantity that is nonlinearly related to the measurements and that has non-Gaussian error statistics. In this work, an MCMC algorithm is used to explore the error characteristics of cloud property retrievals from surface-based W-band radar and low-frequency microwave radiometer observations for a case of orographic snowfall. In this particular case, it is found that a combination of passive microwave radiometer measurements with radar reflectivity and Doppler velocity is sufficient to constrain the liquid and ice particle size distributions, but only if the width parameter of the assumed gamma particle size distribution and mass–dimensional relationships are specified. If the width parameter and mass–dimensional relationships are allowed to vary realistically, a unique retrieval of the liquid and ice particle size distribution for this orographic snowfall case is rendered far more problematic.
The Partial Reflection of Tsunami-Generated Gravity Waves
Authors: Broutman Dave , Eckermann Stephen D. , Drob Douglas P.
Published: May 2014

A vertical eigenfunction equation is solved to examine the partial reflection and partial transmission of tsunami-generated gravity waves propagating through a height-dependent background atmosphere from the ocean surface into the lower thermosphere. There are multiple turning points for each vertical eigenfunction (at least eight in one example), yet the wave transmission into the thermosphere is significant. Examples are given for gravity wave propagation through an idealized wind jet centered near the mesopause and through a realistic vertical profile of wind and temperature relevant to the tsunami generated by the Sumatra earthquake on 26 December 2004.
Genesis of Hurricane Julia (2010) within an African Easterly Wave: Sensitivity Analyses of WRF-LETKF Ensemble Forecasts
Authors: Cecelski Stefan F. , Zhang Da-Lin
Published: May 2014

In this study, the predictability of tropical cyclogenesis (TCG) is explored by conducting ensemble sensitivity analyses on the TCG of Hurricane Julia (2010). Using empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs), the dominant patterns of ensemble disagreements are revealed for various meteorological parameters such as mean sea level pressure (MSLP) and upper-tropospheric temperature. Using the principal components of the EOF patterns, ensemble sensitivities are generated to elucidate which mechanisms drive the parametric ensemble differences.

The dominant pattern of MSLP ensemble spread is associated with the intensity of the pre–tropical depression (pre-TD), explaining nearly half of the total variance at each respective time. Similar modes of variance are found for the low-level absolute vorticity, though the patterns explain substantially less variance. Additionally, the largest modes of variability associated with upper-level temperature anomalies closely resemble the patterns of MSLP variance, suggesting interconnectedness between the two parameters. Sensitivity analyses at both the pre-TD and TCG stages reveal that the MSLP disturbance is strongly correlated to upper-tropospheric temperature and, to a lesser degree, surface latent heat flux anomalies. Further sensitivity analyses uncover a statistically significant correlation between upper-tropospheric temperature and convective anomalies, consistent with the notion that deep convection is important for augmenting the upper-tropospheric warmth during TCG. Overall, the ensemble forecast differences for the TCG of Julia are strongly related to the processes responsible for MSLP falls and low-level cyclonic vorticity growth, including the growth of upper-tropospheric warming and persistent deep convection.
Contrasting Climate Responses to the Scattering and Absorbing Features of Anthropogenic Aerosol Forcings
Authors: Ocko Ilissa B. , Ramaswamy V. , Ming Yi
Published: May 2014

Anthropogenic aerosols comprise optically scattering and absorbing particles, with the principal concentrations being in the Northern Hemisphere, yielding negative and positive global mean radiative forcings, respectively. Aerosols also influence cloud albedo, yielding additional negative radiative forcings. Climate responses to a comprehensive set of isolated aerosol forcing simulations are investigated in a coupled atmosphere–ocean framework, forced by preindustrial to present-day aerosol-induced radiative perturbations. Atmospheric and oceanic climate responses (including precipitation, atmospheric circulation, atmospheric and oceanic heat transport, sea surface temperature, and salinity) to negative and positive particulate forcings are consistently anticorrelated. The striking effects include distinct patterns of changes north and south of the equator that are governed by the sign of the aerosol forcing and its initiation of an interhemispheric forcing asymmetry. The presence of opposing signs of the forcings between the aerosol scatterers and absorbers, and the resulting contrast in climate responses, thus dilutes the individual effects of aerosol types on influencing global and regional climate conditions. The aerosol-induced changes in the variables also have a distinct fingerprint when compared to the responses of the more globally uniform and interhemispherically symmetric well-mixed greenhouse gas forcing. The significance of employing a full ocean model is demonstrated in this study by the ability to partition how individual aerosols influence atmospheric and oceanic conditions separately.
U.K. HiGEM: Impacts of Desert Dust Radiative Forcing in a High-Resolution Atmospheric GCM
Authors: Woodage M. J. , Woodward S.
Published: May 2014

This work investigates the impacts of mineral dust aerosol on climate using the atmospheric component of the U.K. High-Resolution Global Environmental Model (HiGEM) with an interactive embedded mineral dust scheme. It extends earlier work by Woodage et al. in which direct radiative forcing due to dust was calculated and in which it was reported that the global total dust burden was increased when this was included in the model. Here this result is analyzed further and the regional and global impacts are investigated. It is found that particle size distribution is critically important: In regions where large, more absorbent dust particles are present, burdens are increased because of the enhanced heating aloft, which strengthens convection, whereas, in areas where smaller, more scattering particles dominate, the surface layers are stabilized and dust emissions are decreased. The consequent changes in dust load and particle size distribution when radiative effects are included make the annual mean global forcing more positive at the top of the atmosphere (0.33 versus 0.05 W m−2). Impacts on the West African monsoon are also considered, where Saharan dust brings about a northward shift in the summertime intertropical convergence zone with increased precipitation on its northern side. This contrasts with results from some other studies, but the authors’ findings are supported by recent observational data. They argue that the impacts depend crucially on the size distribution and radiative properties of the dust particles, which are poorly known on a global scale and differ here from those used in other models.