bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is There a Role for DAT-SPECT Imaging in a Specialty Movement Disorders Practice?
Authors: Bega Danny , Gonzalez-Latapi Paulina , Zadikoff Cindy , Spies William , Simuni Tanya
Published: January 2015

Objective: Analyze indications for ordering DAT-SPECT scans and the clinical impact of scan results on patients evaluated in a movement disorders practice. Background: DAT-SPECT is FDA approved to evaluate cases of suspected presynaptic dopaminergic deficiency. Little data is available on clinical use and impact of these scans among movement disorders neurologists. Methods: DAT-SPECT scans ordered at the Northwestern University Parkinson's disease (PD) and movement disorders center from 2011-2013 were reviewed. Clinic notes were reviewed for information regarding the indication for ordering each scan, and to assess for any changes in clinical impression or management choices that followed the scan. Results: 83 scans were ordered by four specialists. Scans were commonly ordered to differentiate PD from Essential Tremor (21.7%, n = 18) or from drug-induced parkinsonism (21.7%, n = 18). In 59% (n = 49) of cases, a change in clinical diagnosis or medication regimen occurred within one visit after the scan. The strongest impact was seen for the indication of ET vs. PD in which 72.2% (n = 13) had a change in diagnosis, management, or both. Conclusions: Diagnostic uncertainty in cases of parkinsonism exists even in a tertiary referral center. DAT-SPECT has significant impact on clinical diagnosis and management even in the hands of movement disorders specialists.
Antinociceptive Synergism of Gabapentin and Nortriptyline in Mice with Partial Sciatic Nerve Ligation
Authors: Miranda Hugo F. , Noriega Viviana , Zepeda Ramiro , Zanetta Pilar , Prieto-Rayo Josefina , Prieto Juan Carlos , Sierralta Fernando
Published: January 2015

Background and Methods: Neuropathic pain results from nerve injury, and gabapentin, an antiepileptic drug, has been approved for the treatment of several types of neuropathic pain. On the other hand, nortriptyline, an antidepressant drug, has been suggested as an alternative treatment. In partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL) mice, the interaction of gabapentin with nortriptyline was evaluated by the hot plate assay using isobolographic analysis. Results: Gabapentin (3-100 mg/kg, i.p.) or nortriptyline (1-30 mg/kg, i.p.) induced dose-dependent antinociception, with an ED50 of 11.60 ± 0.54 mg/kg for gabapentin and of 5.16 ± 0.21 mg/kg for nortriptyline. The potency of gabapentin and nortriptyline in PSNL mice at 7 and 14 days after ligation was significantly increased (p < 0.05). Coadministration of gabapentin with nortriptyline, at a 1:1 ratio of their ED50, had a synergistic effect, with an interaction index of 0.311 and 0.348 for these mice at 7 and 14 days, respectively. Conclusion: The data showed a synergy in antinociception at a gabapentin-to-nortriptyline ratio of 1:1 in PSNL mice. This finding suggests that this combination could provide a therapeutic alternative that can be used for neuropathic pain management.
Discrepancies in Assessment of Adherence to Antiplatelet Treatment after Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Kubica Aldona , Kasprzak Michał , Obońska Karolina , Fabiszak Tomasz , Laskowska Ewa , Navarese Eliano Pio , Koziński Marek , Sztuba Beata , Świątkiewicz Iwona , Grześk Grzegorz , Kubica Jacek
Published: January 2015

The poor response to clopidogrel is multifactorial and includes, amongst others, low patient adherence to medication. The aim of this study was to assess the reported patient adherence to treatment with clopidogrel and confront it with adherence assessed by drug availability. We evaluated determinants of adherence and its impact on platelet aggregation and clinical outcome. The study population comprised 184 patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction. Follow-up visits were scheduled at 3, 6 and 9 months after discharge. Patient adherence to clopidogrel was defined according to self-reported drug intake and verified based on data from the National Health Fund regarding the purchase of prescribed drugs. The patients were judged as adherent when the proportion of drug availability exceeded 80%. According to drug availability, 100 (54.3%) patients were adherent and 84 (45.7%) were nonadherent. The analysis identified the following factors as predictors of low adherence (<80%): adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation (ADP-PA) during hospitalization ≤45 U, male gender and occurrence of ST-elevation myocardial infarction [(STEMI) vs. non-STEMI (NSTEMI)], while three-vessel disease was predictive of high adherence to medication. Compared with drug availability-based assessment, self-reported drug intake was significantly different: 172 (94.5%) patients reported regular and 10 (5.5%) patients reported irregular intake of clopidogrel. Clinical follow-up suggested that the self-reported nonregular clopidogrel intake may discriminate patients with a high risk of cardiovascular events. We demonstrated a huge discrepancy between the two most widely used methods for the evaluation of adherence to clopidogrel in secondary prevention treatment in patients after STEMI and NSTEMI. ADP-PA during hospitalization ≤45 U, male gender and STEMI (vs. NSTEMI) were independent predictors of nonadherence while three-vessel disease was independently predictive of adherence to treatment with clopidogrel in the investigated population.
Regulation of monocyte/macrophage polarisation by extracellular RNA
Authors: Cabrera-Fuentes Hector , Lopez Mercedes , McCurdy Sara , Fischer Silvia , Meiler Svenja , Baumer Yvonne , Galuska Sebastian , Preissner Klaus , Boisvert William
Published: January 2015

Monocytes/macrophages respond to external stimuli with rapid changes in the expression of numerous inflammation-related genes to undergo polarisation towards the M1 (pro-inflammatory) or M2 (antiinflammatory) phenotype. We have previously shown that, independently of Toll-like receptor activation, extracellular RNA (eRNA) could exert prothrombotic and pro-inflammatory properties in the cardiovascular system to provoke cytokine mobilisation. Here, mouse bone marrow-derived-macrophages (BMDM) differentiated with mouse macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) were found to be skewed towards the M1 phenotype when exposed to eRNA. This resulted in up-regulated expression of inflammatory markers such as Tnf-α and Il-6, together with Il-12 and iNOS, whereas anti-inflammatory genes such as chitinase-like proteins (Ym1/2) and macrophage mannose receptor-2 (Cd206) were significantly down-regulated. Human peripheral blood monocytes were treated with eRNA and analysed by micro-array analysis of the whole human genome, revealing an up-regulation of 79 genes by at least four-fold; 27 of which are related to signal transduction and 15 genes associated with inflammatory response. In accordance with the proposed actions of eRNA as a pro-inflammatory “alarm signal”, these data shed light on the role of eRNA in the context of chronic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis.
Cofactor-independent antiphospholipid antibodies activate the NLRP3-inflammasome via endosomal NADPH-oxidase: implications for the antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: Müller-Calleja Nadine , Köhler Antonia , Siebald Benjamin , Canisius Antje , Orning Carolin , Radsak Markus , Stein Pamela , Mönnikes René , Lackner Karl J.
Published: January 2015

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease characterised by thromboembolic events and/or pregnancy morbidity in the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Here we show that three cofactor independent human monoclonal aPL can induce transcription of NLRP3 and caspase-1 resulting in inflammasome activation specific for NLRP3. This depends fully on activation of endosomal NADPH-oxidase-2 (NOX2) by aPL. Activation of NOX2 and subsequent inflammasome activation by aPL are independent from TLR2 or TLR4. While endosomal superoxide production induces caspase-1 and NLRP3 transcription, it does not affect prae-IL-1β transcription. Therefore, release of IL-1β occurs only after activation of additional pathways like TLR7/8 or TLR2. All effects exerted by the monoclonal aPL can be reproduced with IgG fractions of APS patients proving that the monoclonal aPL are representative for the APS. IgG fractions of healthy controls or patients suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus have no effect. In a mouse model of the APS we can show inflammasome activation in vivo. Furthermore, mononuclear cells isolated from patients with the APS show an increased expression of caspase-1 and NLRP3 which is accompanied by a three-fold increased serum concentration of IL-1β suggesting chronic inflammasome activation in APS patients. In summary, we provide further evidence that endosomal NOX2 can be activated by cofactor independent aPL. This leads to induction of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Our data indicate that cofactor independent aPL might contribute significantly to the pathogenesis of the APS.
Inflammatory and Immune Responses in the Arterial Media
Authors: Tellides George , Pober Jordan S.
Published: January 2015

Inflammatory arterial diseases differentially affect the compartments of the vessel wall. The intima and adventitia are commonly involved by the disease process, with luminal and microvascular endothelial cells playing a critical role in the recruitment and activation of leukocytes. In contrast, the avascular media is often spared by immune-mediated disorders. Surprisingly, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), the predominant and often exclusive cell type of the media, are capable of robust proinflammatory responses to diverse stressors. The multiple cytokines and chemokines produced within the media can profoundly affect macrophage and T cell function, thus amplifying and shaping innate and adaptive immune responses. On the other hand, VSMCs and the extracellular matrix that they produce also display significant anti-inflammatory properties. The balance between the pro- and anti-inflammatory effects of VSMCs and their extracellular matrix versus the strength of the inciting immunologic events determines the pattern of medial pathology. Limitations on the extent of medial infiltration and injury, defined as medial immunoprivilege, are typically seen in arteriosclerotic diseases, such as atherosclerosis and transplant vasculopathy. Conversely, breakdown of medial immunoprivilege that manifests as more intense leukocytic infiltrates, loss of VSMCs, and destruction of the extracellular matrix architecture is a general feature of certain aneurysmal diseases and vasculitides. In this review, we consider the inflammatory and immune functions of VSMCs and how they may lead to medial immunoprivilege or medial inflammation in arterial diseases.
Molecular Regulation of Cardiomyocyte Differentiation
Authors: Paige Sharon L. , Plonowska Karolina , Xu Adele , Wu Sean M.
Published: January 2015

The heart is the first organ to form during embryonic development. Given the complex nature of cardiac differentiation and morphogenesis, it is not surprising that some form of congenital heart disease is present in ≈1 percent of newborns. The molecular determinants of heart development have received much attention over the past several decades. This has been driven in large part by an interest in understanding the causes of congenital heart disease coupled with the potential of using knowledge from developmental biology to generate functional cells and tissues that could be used for regenerative medicine purposes. In this review, we highlight the critical signaling pathways and transcription factor networks that regulate cardiomyocyte lineage specification in both in vivo and in vitro models. Special focus will be given to epigenetic regulators that drive the commitment of cardiomyogenic cells from nascent mesoderm and their differentiation into chamber-specific myocytes, as well as regulation of myocardial trabeculation.
Fcγ Receptors and Ligands and Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Tanigaki Keiji , Sundgren Nathan , Khera Amit , Vongpatanasin Wanpen , Mineo Chieko , Shaul Philip W.
Published: January 2015

Fcγ receptors (FcγRs) classically modulate intracellular signaling on binding of the Fc region of IgG in immune response cells. How FcγR and their ligands affect cardiovascular health and disease has been interrogated recently in both preclinical and clinical studies. The stimulation of activating FcγR in endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and monocytes/macrophages causes a variety of cellular responses that may contribute to vascular disease pathogenesis. Stimulation of the lone inhibitory FγcR, FcγRIIB, also has adverse consequences in endothelial cells, antagonizing NO production and reparative mechanisms. In preclinical disease models, activating FcγRs promote atherosclerosis, whereas FcγRIIB is protective, and activating FcγRs also enhance thrombotic and nonthrombotic vascular occlusion. The FcγR ligand C-reactive protein (CRP) has undergone intense study. Although in rodents CRP does not affect atherosclerosis, it causes hypertension and insulin resistance and worsens myocardial infarction. Massive data have accumulated indicating an association between increases in circulating CRP and coronary heart disease in humans. However, Mendelian randomization studies reveal that CRP is not likely a disease mediator. CRP genetics and hypertension warrant further investigation. To date, studies of genetic variants of activating FcγRs are insufficient to implicate the receptors in coronary heart disease pathogenesis in humans. However, a link between FcγRIIB and human hypertension may be emerging. Further knowledge of the vascular biology of FcγR and their ligands will potentially enhance our understanding of cardiovascular disorders, particularly in patients whose greater predisposition for disease is not explained by traditional risk factors, such as individuals with autoimmune disorders.
Role of Lymphocytes in Myocardial Injury, Healing, and Remodeling After Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Hofmann Ulrich , Frantz Stefan
Published: January 2015

A large body of evidence produced during decades of research indicates that myocardial injury activates innate immunity. On the one hand, innate immunity both aggravates ischemic injury and impedes remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI). On the other hand, innate immunity activation contributes to myocardial healing, as exemplified by monocytes’ central role in the formation of a stable scar and protection against intraventricular thrombi after acute infarction. Although innate leukocytes can recognize a wide array of self-antigens via pattern recognition receptors, adaptive immunity activation requires highly specific cooperation between antigen-presenting cells and distinct antigen-specific receptors on lymphocytes. We have only recently begun to examine lymphocyte activation’s relationship to adaptive immunity and significance in the context of ischemic myocardial injury. There is some experimental evidence that CD4
+
T-cells contribute to ischemia–reperfusion injury. Several studies have shown that CD4
+
T-cells, especially CD4
+
T-regulatory cells, improve wound healing after MI, whereas depleting B-cells is beneficial post MI. That T-cell activation after MI is induced by T-cell receptor signaling implicates autoantigens that have not yet been identified in this context. Also, the significance of lymphocytes in humans post MI remains unclear, primarily as a result of methodology. This review summarizes current experimental evidence of lymphocytes’ activation, functional role, and crosstalk with innate leukocytes in myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury, wound healing, and remodeling after myocardial infarction.
Abnormal Stress‐Related Measures of Arterial Stiffness in Middle‐Aged and Elderly Men and Women With Impaired Fasting Glucose at Risk for a First Episode of Symptomatic Heart Failure
Authors: Vasu Sujethra , Morgan Timothy M. , Kitzman Dalane W. , Bertoni Alain , Stacey Richard B. , Hamilton Craig , Chiles Caroline , Thohan Vinay , Hundley W. Gregory
Published: January 2015

Background

Abnormal resting arterial stiffness is present in middle‐aged and elderly persons with abnormalities of fasting glucose (diabetes or impaired fasting glucose) and is associated with exercise intolerance. We sought to determine whether these same persons exhibited stress‐related abnormalities of arterial stiffness.

Methods and Results

We analyzed dobutamine magnetic resonance stress imaging results from 373 consecutively recruited persons aged 55 to 85 years with normal fasting glucose, impaired fasting glucose, or diabetes who were at risk for but without symptomatic heart failure. Personnel blinded to participant identifiers measured arterial stiffness (brachial pulse pressure/left ventricular stroke volume indexed to body surface area, the aortic elastance index [brachial end‐systolic pressure/left ventricular stroke volume indexed to body surface area], and thoracic aortic distensibility) at 80% of the maximum predicted heart rate response for age. Participants averaged 69±8 years of age; 79% were white, 92% were hypertensive, and 66% were women. After accounting for hypertension, sex, coronary artery disease, smoking, medications, hypercholesterolemia, and visceral fat, we observed an effect of glycemic status for stress measures of arterial stiffness in those with diabetes and impaired fasting glucose relative to those with normal fasting glucose (
P
=0.002,
P
=0.02, and
P
=0.003, respectively).

Conclusion

Middle‐ and older‐aged individuals with diabetes or impaired fasting glucose have higher stress measures of arterial stiffness than those with normal fasting glucose. These data emphasize the need for future studies with larger sample sizes to determine whether stress‐related elevations in arterial stiffness are related to exercise intolerance and future episodes of heart failure experienced by those with abnormalities of fasting glucose.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/
. Unique identifier: NCT00542503.
Comparison of Heritability of Cystatin C‐ and Creatinine‐Based Estimates of Kidney Function and Their Relation to Heritability of Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Arpegård Johannes , Viktorin Alexander , Chang Zheng , de Faire Ulf , Magnusson Patrik K. E. , Svensson Per
Published: January 2015

Background

Decreased renal function is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease (
CVD
). Causal mechanisms between estimates of renal function and
CVD
are intricate and investigation of the relative importance of genetic and environmental factors for the variability of these phenotypes could provide new knowledge.

Methods and Results

Cystatin C and creatinine levels in 12 313 twins were analyzed. Uni‐ and bivariate heritability for these traits and
CVD
was estimated through structured equation modelling and genome‐wide complex trait analysis (
GCTA
) in order to independently confirm additive genetic effects. Twin model‐estimated heritability of Cystatin C was 0.55 (95% confidence interval [
CI
], 0.49 to 0.60) in men, 0.63 (0.59 to 0.66) in women, and 0.60 (0.56 to 0.63) in both sexes combined. For creatinine, heritability estimates were in the same range. Heritability of
CVD
was 0.39 (0.02 to 0.67) in men and 0.20 (0.00 to 0.61) in women. The phenotypic correlation between Cystatin C and
CVD
correlation was 0.16 (0.12 to 0.20) in men and 0.17 (0.13 to 0.21) in women, whereas the genetic correlation in males was 0.41 (0.21 to 0.62) while it was non‐significant in females. Trough
GCTA
, the heritability of Cystatin C and creatinine in both sexes combined was estimated to 0.40 (
SE
0.07,
P
=8E
−9
) and 0.19 (
SE
0.07,
P
=0.003), respectively.

Conclusions

Twin model‐based heritability of Cystatin C was higher compared to previous studies. Co‐variation between Cystatin C and
CVD
in males was partly explained by additive genetic components, indicating that Cystatin C and
CVD
share genetic influences. The
GCTA
provided independent evidence for significant contribution of additive genetics to trait variance of Cystatin C.
Prescription Stimulants' Effects on Healthy Inhibitory Control, Working Memory, and Episodic Memory: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Ilieva Irena P. , Hook Cayce J. , Farah Martha J.
Published: January 2015

The use of prescription stimulants to enhance healthy cognition has significant social, ethical, and public health implications. The large number of enhancement users across various ages and occupations emphasizes the importance of examining these drugs' efficacy in a nonclinical sample. The present meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the magnitude of the effects of methylphenidate and amphetamine on cognitive functions central to academic and occupational functioning, including inhibitory control, working memory, short-term episodic memory, and delayed episodic memory. In addition, we examined the evidence for publication bias. Forty-eight studies (total of 1,409 participants) were included in the analyses. We found evidence for small but significant stimulant enhancement effects on inhibitory control and short-term episodic memory. Small effects on working memory reached significance, based on one of our two analytical approaches. Effects on delayed episodic memory were medium in size. However, because the effects on long-term and working memory were qualified by evidence for publication bias, we conclude that the effect of amphetamine and methylphenidate on the examined facets of healthy cognition is probably modest overall. In some situations, a small advantage may be valuable, although it is also possible that healthy users resort to stimulants to enhance their energy and motivation more than their cognition.
The alarm cue obstruction hypothesis: isopods respond to alarm cues, but do not respond to dietary chemical cues from predatory bluegill
Authors: Spivey Kari L. , Chapman Trevor L. , Schmitz Alexandra L. , Bast Derek E. , Smith Amelia L.B. , Gall Brian G.
Published: January 2015

Predator avoidance behaviours occur when prey detect a predator but the predator has not yet detected and identified prey. These defences are critical because they prevent predation at the earliest possible stages when prey have the best chance of escape. We tested for predator avoidance behaviours in an aquatic macroinvertebrate (Caecidotea intermedius; order Isopoda) in a series of three experiments. The first experiment attempted to determine if isopods possess alarm cues by exposing them to stimuli from macerated conspecifics. We then exposed isopods to kairomones from non-predatory tadpoles (Rana catesbiana) and predatory fish (Lepomis macrochirus) that had been fed a benign diet. Finally, we exposed isopods to kairomones of predatory fish that had been fed a diet exclusively of isopods. We found that isopods did not respond to any kairomone cues or dietary cues from any potential predator, but did reduce activity in response to alarm cues. These results suggest that isopods exhibit predator avoidance responses toward chemical cues in a limited setting (they do not respond unless the information suggests an attack has occurred in the immediate past) or that bluegill have the ability to modify or mask the alarm cues from their prey.
Female control of paternity by spawning site choice in a cooperatively polyandrous cichlid
Authors: Li Ning , Takeyama Tomohiro , Jordan Lyndon Alexander , Kohda Masanori
Published: January 2015

Multiple mating of females is widespread, and females often obtain direct and/or indirect benefits by mating with multiple males. However, female control of multiple paternity broods is usually only possible in internally fertilising animals with complex reproductive systems including cryptic female choice. Here we present direct evidence that a cooperative polyandrous cichlid fish with external fertilisation, Julidochromis transcriptus, uses environmental factors to manipulate male access to, and therefore paternity of, their egg clutches. Polyandrous females receive more paternal investment from both of large alpha males and small beta males than monogamous females. We used a ‘step nest’ design, in which large alpha males and small beta males were restricted to the wide and narrow nest areas respectively, and found that when kept in polyandrous trios, females laid their egg clutches exactly at the borderline between the two regions each male could access. In contrast, females in pairs laid their clutches in either the wide or narrow area depending on the size of their mating partner. Our results demonstrate that polyandrous females carefully choose egg deposition site, increasing the direct benefits they receive from mating partners by using environmental structures to manipulate paternity. In this way, externally fertilising J. transcriptus manipulate male behaviour in a manner similar to cryptic female choice in internally fertilising animals.
Origen’s Polemics in Princ 4.2.4: Scriptural Literalism as a Christo-Metaphysical Error
Authors: Wood Jordan Daniel
Published: January 2015

The relation between Books 1-3 and Book 4 of Origen’s Peri Archon has largely been left unspecified or denied. This is due to the apparent incongruence between the metaphysical discussions of the former section and the hermeneutical remarks of the latter. I argue that Origen’s threefold distinction of Scripture in Princ 4.2.4 draws upon key metaphysical conclusions of the earlier sections to depict the metaphysical structure of inspired Scripture as analogous to the Incarnation, and that this insight constitutes Origen’s fundamental polemic against scriptural literalism, the common error of the two primary adversaries of the work (the “simple” of the Church and the Marcionites). Peri Archon is thus unified around the polemical purpose of defending Origen’s allegorical exegesis.
Reading the Diatessaron with Ephrem: The Word and the Light, the Voice and the Star
Authors: Crawford Matthew R.
Published: January 2015

Through a consideration of the reception history of the so-called “Diatessaron,” Tatian’s second-century gospel compilation, we can learn much about the nature of this peculiar text. Of paramount importance here is the Syriac Commentary on the Gospel attributed to Ephrem of Nisibis. In this article I argue that the ordering of pericopae in the opening section of Tatian’s gospel, which interweaves Matthean and Lukan passages within a broadly Johannine incluisio, prompts the Syriac exegete to an unexpected interpretation of these narratives. By reading these pericopae as a single, continuous narrative, he creatively combines the divine “Word” and “Light” of the Johannine prologue with the Synoptic traditions about John the Baptist as the “voice” and about the star that shone to guide the magi, presenting the star and the voice as extensions of the Son’s own agency. This remarkably original interpretation of the nativity of Jesus illustrates the degree of artistry that went into the making of Tatian’s text and the novel interpretations it elicited from its readers.
The Copenhagen Process and the Copenhagen Process Principles and Guidelines on the Handling of Detainees in International Military Operations
Authors: Winkler Thomas
Published: January 2015

The article describes some of the key legal questions and challenges encountered and dealt with during the Copenhagen Process on Handling of Detainees in International Military Operations, including the relationship between international humanitarian law and international human rights law. It also addresses some of the criticism directed at the process, and looks at the way ahead for ensuring the best possible protection of individuals detained during international military operations. The article concludes that the Copenhagen Process Principles and Guidelines does constitute an important step forward in that regard, and that application of the Principles and Guidelines by the participants and the international community more broadly, including by the United Nations Security Council, is paramount in ensuring this common goal.
Institutional Approach between ihl and ihrl
Authors: Salmon Elizabeth
Published: January 2015

Recently, the interaction between international human rights law (ihrl) and international humanitarian law (ihl) has been significantly developed by the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (iacthr). This article analyzes this recent trend from the cases of the Santo Domingo Massacre and Afro communities displaced from the Cacarica River Basin (Operation Genesis) of this tribunal to assert its competence not only to use ihl to interpret the Inter-American human rights instruments but, at the same time, to approach a direct use of humanitarian standards, which creates a gray area between the interpretation and application of such area of law. In doing so, the Court resorts to the lex specialis, if the ihl norm is the most specialized for the case, and uses ihl to a limited extent, only to expand the content of human rights, but not to judge on possible violations of ihl, which results in a methodology of pick and choose of ihl provisions.
The us Humanitarian Assistance Facilitation Act
Authors: Galli Antonio
Published: January 2015

United States (us) counter-terrorism measures – including the us Code on material support, sanction regimes and donor restrictions – have the unintentional affect of constraining humanitarian action. Under current us law, incidental financial transactions with designated entities, even when necessary for the provision of purely humanitarian aid, are prohibited. Engagement to ensure the protection of civilians, gain access to vulnerable populations, ensure staff security or coordinate the implementation of humanitarian programmes that could be considered “training […] or expert advise” would similarly be subject to individual criminal liability under us jurisdiction. In contexts where designated entities are present, humanitarian actors are potentially faced with undermining their impartiality and neutrality by choosing beneficiaries on criteria other than needs alone, or compromising the principle of humanity by choosing not to provide assistance in certain areas despite potential greater needs there. Passage of the House Resolution 3526, otherwise known as the Humanitarian Assistance Facilitation Action, would decriminalize incidental financial transactions with designated entities, but it would do little to change the legal challenges to a range of other types of humanitarian engagement for the provision of assistance and protection to civilians. It would also not change us donor restrictions that often prevent any direct engagement with designated entities.
The Responsibility to Protect and the Plenitudinal Mindset of International Humanitarian Law
Authors: Rossi Christopher R.
Published: January 2015

The Responsibility to Protect is almost fifteen years old and yet opinions diverge widely about its utility as a tool of international humanitarian law. Scholars and diplomats continue to debate its most discussed feature – the secondary responsibility of the international community to aid suffering populations of internal disputes when the host State or United Nations Charter system fails to do the same. This paper argues that much of the current debate is out of focus and at cross purpose and is due to disconnected strands of a plenitudinal mindset in law, found elsewhere as well in humanitarian law, which tend to view humanitarian law either from structural or substantive perspectives, but not from both perspectives. A unified understanding of the plenitudinal mindset re-focuses the discussion around an important common denominator, the need to bridge legal gaps and avoid the appearance of non liquet in the development of international humanitarian law. Disconnected discussions on the Responsibility to Protect are not as disconnected as they appear because opposing views regard as equally odious the silences and gaps of the United Nations Charter system. Borrowing somewhat from social process theory, this paper highlights the need and ability of international humanitarian law to re-forge the broken chain that can strengthen the Responsibility to Protect.
The Luzula comosa complex (Luzula section Luzula, Juncaceae) in western North America
Authors: Zika Peter , Wilson Barbara , Kirschner Jan
Published: January 2015

Field and herbarium study of Luzula comosa and its allies revealed two taxa in western North America that were overlooked in recent years but are distinct and best treated as species. Luzula cascadensis, once considered a variety of Luzula campestris, is elevated to species rank. It inhabits montane wetlands from southern Washington to California, east to Idaho and Montana. It is distinguished from Luzula comosa by its elongate horizontal rhizomes, usually darker tepals, and wetter habitats. Luzula macrantha is raised to species rank and separated from Luzula subsessilis by differences in inflorescence architecture as well as the length of the tepals, styles, and anthers. Luzula macrantha is found in dry forest and openings from southern British Columbia to California. Lectotypes are designated for Luzula comosa var. laxa and Luzula comosa var. congesta. Descriptions, distribution maps, synonymy, a key, and illustrations are provided for members of the group.
Taxonomy and distribution of non-geniculate coralline red algae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) on rocky reefs from Ilha Grande Bay, Brazil
Authors: Tâmega Frederico Tapajós de Souza , Riosmena-Rodriguez Rafael , Spotorno-Oliveira Paula , Mariath Rodrigo , Khader Samir , Figueiredo Marcia Abreu de Oliveira
Published: January 2015

Non-geniculate coralline red algae are very common along the Brazilian coast occurring in a wide variety of ecosystems. Ecological surveys of Ilha Grande Bay have shown the importance of these algae in structuring benthic rocky reef environments and in their structural processes. The aim of this research was to identify the species of non-geniculate coralline red algae commonly present in the shallow rocky areas of Ilha Grande Bay, Brazil. Based on morphological and anatomical observations, three species of non-geniculate coralline algae are commonly present in the area: Lithophyllum corallinae, L. stictaeforme and Hydrolithon reinboldii. Here we provide descriptions of these species and provide a key to their identification. This study represents the first record of H. reinboldii from Brazil.
A new species of Hypericum (Hypericaceae) from Southern Brazil
Authors: Vogel Ely Cleusa , Boldrini Ilsi Iob , Bordignon Sérgio Augusto de Loreto
Published: January 2015

In this article we describe and illustrate Hypericum austrobrasiliense, a new species endemic to the grasslands of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome and restricted to Southern Brazil. This distinctive species is classified as Endangered based on IUCN Red List criteria.
The problem of the ‘guasto legnaggio’ in Leopardi’s ‘Sopra il monumento di Dante’
Authors: Collins Matthew
Published: January 2015

Amid shallower reactions to the cenotaph to Dante in Florence, Giacomo Leopardi’s ‘Sopra il monumento di Dante’ presents a symptomatic reading of how the empty tomb is emblematic of the weakened cultural state of Italy in the early 19th century. The central issue of the poem is the past's discontinuation; a lack of respect for ‘fathers’ and ‘ancestors,’ and therefore, failed ‘sons.’ In this light, a pair of key indicators of a broken cultural genealogy which were brought up by Leopardi himself in the poem are discussed: Dante had been principally forgotten in the 17th century, and more recently Italy had been subjected to Napoleonic rule. These, along with this lack of a Florentine monument to Dante, pointed toward Italy’s discontinuous relationship with its own cultural history during this time. Unlike most of the celebrations surrounding the moment when Dante’s cenotaph was erected – including Melchiorre Missirini’s essay in which he misuses this very poem – Leopardi’s analysis is truly an intrinsic one. As for how he suggests Italy might mend this problem, however, especially as indicated in particular works of prose written around the same time as this poem, it may be that the young Leopardi, at this early stage of his intellectual development, was still somewhat wanting in a broader realization of what cultural genealogies can and should be.
Effect of zirconia and aluminium titanate on the mechanical properties of transformation-induced plasticity-matrix composite materials
Authors: Weigelt C , Aneziris CG , Ehinger D , Eckner R , Krüger L , Ullrich C , Rafaja D
Published: January 2015

Metal-matrix composite materials composed of an austenitic stainless steel with different ceramic particle reinforcements were investigated in this study. The test specimens were prepared via a powder metallurgical processing route with extrusion at room temperature. As reinforcement phase, either magnesia partially stabilized zirconia or aluminium titanate with a volume content of 5% or 10% was used. The mechanical properties were determined by quasi-static compressive and tensile loading tests at ambient temperature. The microstructure characteristics and failure mechanisms during deformation contributing to significant changes in strength and ductility were characterized by scanning electron microscopy including energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron back-scatter diffraction, and by X-ray diffraction. The composite materials showed higher stress over a wide range of strain. Essentially, the deformation-induced formation of α′-martensite in the steel matrices is responsible for the pronounced strain hardening. At higher degrees of deformation, the material behavior of the composites was controlled by arising damage evolution initiated by particle/matrix interface debonding and particle fracture. The particle reinforcement effects of zirconia and aluminium titanate were mainly controlled by their influences on martensitic phase transformations and the metal/ceramic interfacial reactions, respectively. Thereby, the intergranular bonding strength and the toughness of the steel/ceramic interfaces were apparently higher in composite variants with aluminium titanate than in composites with magnesia partially stabilized zirconia particles.
Cure and strain monitoring of novel unsaturated polyester/phenolic resin blends in the vacuum infusion process using fibre Bragg gratings
Authors: Aktas A , Boyd SW , Shenoi RA
Published: January 2015

In recent years, a few research studies have been published on the blending of unsaturated polyester and phenolic resins for the purpose of improving the fire properties of unsaturated polyester resins. However, there has been no published study on the cure and strain monitoring of unsaturated polyester/phenolic blends during composite manufacturing. In this study, non-crimp triaxial glass fabric preforms were infused with the unsaturated polyester/phenolic blends, and the strain developments inside the composites were monitored using fibre Bragg grating sensors, as the long and complex curing stages were progressing at different temperatures. Strain-free fibre Bragg grating sensors and also thermocouples were utilised for temperature monitoring and compensation in order to obtain true strain developments and residual strains. The results were associated with a study presenting the cure analyses of unsaturated polyester/phenolic blends. The unsaturated polyester and the phenolics were found to be incompatible and exhibited different curing mechanisms in the blends, which were also observable in the strain development results. This paper has been the first attempt to (i) process these novel resin systems in the vacuum infusion process and (ii) monitor the long, complex and high-temperature cure cycles and the strain developments in the vacuum infusion process using fibre Bragg gratings.
‘We are not barbarians’: Gender politics and Turkey’s quest for the West
Authors: Bilgic Ali
Published: January 2015

Turkey’s policy-makers have historically aimed to position Turkey within the West by convincing the latter that Turkey meets the ‘standards’ of the West, that they ‘are not barbarians’. This article aims to offer a gender analysis of Turkey’s relations with the West by showing how ‘devalorization’ as feminization and hypermasculinization of the non-West becomes a source of insecurity for non-Western policy-makers. This gendered ontological insecurity is intensified when they face a military threat from a third party. The argument is that Turkey’s policy-makers try to benefit from military crises in order to represent Turkey as a state meeting Western ‘standards’ of masculinity, and therefore to address its gendered ‘devalorization’. The analysis aims to contribute to the literatures of postcolonial feminism and non-Western insecurities.
Aestheticization of politics and ambivalence of self-sacrifice in Charlie Brooker’s The National Anthem
Authors: Ungureanu Camil
Published: January 2015

This paper is focused on the meaning of the artist’s ‘theatre of violence’ and self-sacrifice in Charlie Brooker’s The National Anthem (2011), a parable of power and resistance in the age of technology. To interpret ‘the first great artwork of the 21th century’ (as this resistance is called in the film), I critically draw on Jean Baudrillard’s post-Maussian theory of spectacular terror and on Walter Benjamin’s reflection on technology and the aestheticization of violence. Technology and mass media carve out a ‘domain of the sensible’ where hegemonic power and reactive violence are, as in The National Anthem, theatrically staged with contrasting effects, carnivalesque and dramatic, funny and abject. In Brooker’s film, the aestheticization of dominant power and subversive violence obliterate, and at the same time unveil, a moral problematic. By manoeuvring the logic of the spectacle of hegemonic power, the artist short-circuits it, and clings to the aspiration to an alternative or a political ‘heteroglossia’ (Bakhtin) the staging of a global carnival is a moral protest meant to free people from the delusions of political and mass media power.
Developing Multidimensional Likert Scales Using Item Factor Analysis
Authors: Asún Rodrigo A. , Rdz-Navarro Karina , Alvarado Jesús M.
Published: January 2015

This study compares the performance of two approaches in analysing four-point Likert rating scales with a factorial model: the classical factor analysis (FA) and the item factor analysis (IFA). For FA, maximum likelihood and weighted least squares estimations using Pearson correlation matrices among items are compared. For IFA, diagonally weighted least squares and unweighted least squares estimations using items polychoric correlation matrices are compared. Two hundred and ten conditions were simulated in a Monte Carlo study considering: one to three factor structures (either, independent and correlated in two levels), medium or low quality of items, three different levels of item asymmetry and five sample sizes. Results showed that IFA procedures achieve equivalent and accurate parameter estimates; in contrast, FA procedures yielded biased parameter estimates. Therefore, we do not recommend classical FA under the conditions considered. Minimum requirements for achieving accurate results using IFA procedures are discussed.
Impulsive Facial-Threat Perceptions After Exposure to Stereotypic Crime News
Authors: Arendt Florian
Published: January 2015

Tests were performed to learn whether exposure to news about crimes committed by dark-skinned criminals increases impulsive facial-threat perceptions of meeting dark-skinned strangers in a subsequent situation (media-priming hypothesis), but only when the facial displays are ambiguous (ambiguity hypothesis). The assumption is that news stereotypes prime the “dark-skinned criminal” stereotype, which, in turn, influences subsequent face processing. An experiment with two groups was used to test this prediction. Participants allocated to the treatment group ( n = 53) read about crimes committed by dark-skinned criminals. In contrast, for the control group ( n = 52), cues indicating skin color were not mentioned at all. As predicted, the treatment increased the perceived facial threat of dark-skinned strangers, but only when the facial displays were ambiguous. Given the importance of the face in social interaction, I discuss important, real-world implications for recipients as well as for journalists and media organizations.
Language Style Matching as a Predictor of Perceived Social Support in Computer-Mediated Interaction Among Individuals Coping With Illness
Authors: Rains Stephen A.
Published: January 2015

Several forms of computer-mediated communication (e.g., online support groups, blogs, social network sites) have been shown to be important resources for social support among individuals coping with illness. The reported study attempts to better understand social support processes in these settings by examining the implications of language style matching—a form of interpersonal coordination involving the degree to which speakers match one another’s use of function words (e.g., articles, prepositions, pronouns). Language style matching among a sample of health bloggers and their readers over a 3-month period was tested as a predictor of bloggers’ perceptions of support available from their readers. The results show that language style matching contributed to bloggers’ perceptions that their readers are willing and able to serve as a resource for specific forms of social support.
Do the Contents of Foreign News on Television Match Viewers’ Interests? A 12-Nation Study of Topics and Countries of Interest
Authors: Lee Francis , De Swert Knut , Cohen Akiba A.
Published: January 2015

This article draws upon content analytic and survey data from a 12-nation comparative study to examine the question of content-interest correspondence (CIC) regarding foreign news on television. That is, to what extent do the contents of foreign news aired on television match the interests that viewers have regarding foreign news? Treating CIC as a variable, the data show that, among the nations studied, CIC concerning foreign countries covered in the news is generally stronger than CIC regarding news topics. At the same time, the analysis examines whether the level of CIC relates to several national, media system, and viewer characteristics. The analysis shows that larger nations exhibit higher levels of CIC regarding topics and lower levels of CIC regarding countries. Also, CIC regarding news topics is lower in countries where the ownership and revenue structure of the television system leans toward commercialism and where television news focuses more heavily on soft news. Implications of the findings and directions for further research are discussed.
Robust channel estimation in the Rician distributed flat fading multiple-input–multiple-output channel
Authors: Nooralizadeh Hamid
Published: January 2015

In this paper, the mean square error (MSE) of the new technique, the shifted scaled least squares (SSLS), and the minimum MSE (MMSE) estimator is analysed in the Rician distributed flat fading multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) channels. First, the closed form expressions are obtained for MSE of the estimators using the estimated and the actual mathematical expectation matrix of the channel and the matrix of channel covariances. It is analytically and numerically shown that the performance of the estimators is less sensitive to the erroneous estimation of the Rice factor at the receiver. On the other hand, it is shown that the performance of the MMSE estimator is quite sensitive to the erroneous estimation of the channel correlation coefficient. In order to estimate the channel Rice factor, two algorithms are also proposed in this paper. These algorithms work based on the optimal training signal and least squares (LS) technique. Finally, the estimated Rice factor is used in the SSLS and MMSE estimators. Simulation results confirm the efficiency of the algorithms and the robustness of the above-mentioned estimators to the erroneous estimation of Rice factor.