bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synergistic Induction of Erlotinib-Mediated Apoptosis by Resveratrol in Human Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cells by Down-Regulating Survivin and Up-Regulating PUMA
Authors: Nie Peipei , Hu Weicheng , Zhang Tao , Yang Yiju , Hou Benxin , Zou Zhengzhi
Published: April 2015

Background/Aim: Treatment of human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) often involves uses of multiple therapeutic strategies with different mechanisms of action. Here we found that resveratrol (RV) enhanced the anti-tumor effects of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor erlotinib in NSCLC cells. Methods: Cell viability was measured by MTT assay and clonogenicity assay. Western blot was applied to assess the protein expression levels of target genes. Cell apoptosis was monitored by AnnexinV-FITC assay and sub-G1 population assay. Intracellular ROS were measured by flow cytometric analysis. Cell caspase activities were carried out by fluorometric assays. Results: Exposure of H460, A549, PC-9 and H1975 cells to minimal or non-toxic concentrations of RV and erlotinib synergistically reduced cell viability, colony formation and induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, RV synergistically enhanced erlotinib-induced apoptosis was involved in ROS production. Additionally, co-treatment with RV and erlotinib repressed the expressions of anti-apoptosis proteins, such as survivin and Mcl-1, whereas promoted p53 and PUMA expression and caspase 3 activity. Moreover, the combination was also more effective at inhibiting the AKT/mTOR/S6 kinase pathway. Subsequently, small interfering RNA (siRNA) depletion of PUMA and overexpression of survivin significantly attenuated NSCLC cells apoptosis induced by the combination of the two drugs. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that RV synergistically enhanced the anti-tumor effects of erlotinib in NSCLC cells were involved in decrease of survivin expression and induction of PUMA expression. In conclusion, based on the observations from our study, we indicated that the combined administration of these two drugs might be considered as a novel therapeutic regimen for treating NSCLC.
Overexpression of Long Non-Coding RNA ZXF2 Promotes Lung Adenocarcinoma Progression Through c-Myc Pathway
Authors: Yang Ze-Tian , Li Zhihong , Wang Xian-Guo , Tan Tao , Yi Frank , Zhu Hua , Zhao Jin-Ping , Zhou Xue-Feng
Published: April 2015

Objective: To investigate the expression of long non-coding RNA ZXF2 in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and its effect on cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Methods: Forty pairs of cancerous and adjacent non-cancerous lung adenocarcinoma specimens were collected for the studies. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to analyze the expression of ZXF2 in tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues. The expression of ZXF2 was correlated with patients' clinico-pathological data. Molecular pathway controlled by ZXF2 was explored by using small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology. CCK-8 cell proliferation assay, flow cytometry analysis and transwell assays were used to evaluate cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Results: The expression of ZXF2 was 2 fold or higher in 27 out of 40 (67.5%) cases of lung adenocarcinoma specimens than that in non-cancerous tissues (P<0.05). The relative expression level of ZXF2 was positively correlated with tumor lymph node metastasis (χ2=8.485, P<0.05) and poor prognosis of the patients (p=0.0217). In order to explore the molecular mechanisms of ZXF2 mediated tumor progression, ZXF2 expression was inhibited by siRNA in A549 cells, a highly aggressive and metastatic lung adenocarcinoma cell line. We found that siRNA-ZXF2 treatment inhibited cell proliferation (P<0.01) leading to cell cycle arrest (P<0.01). The cell migration and invasion were suppressed by siRNA-ZXF2 treatment (P<0.01). Further biochemical studies revealed that the knockdown of ZXF2 led to down regulation of c-Myc signaling. Conclusion: ZXF2 was overexpressed in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and the high expression of ZXF was closely related to tumor progression through c-Myc related pathway. Given the fact that both ZXF2 and c-Myc are located in the same chromosome 8q24.2 loci, the potential interaction between ZXF2 and c-Myc might be a novel target for treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.
Potential Antifibrotic and Angiostatic Impact of Idebenone, Carnosine and Vitamin E in Nano-Sized Titanium Dioxide-Induced Liver Injury
Authors: Abdelazim Samy A. , Darwish Hebatallah A. , Ali Sanaa A. , Rizk Maha Z. , Kadry Mai O.
Published: April 2015

Background/Aim: The present study investigated the in vitro and in vivo effects of individual and combined doses of idebenone, carnosine and vitamin E on ameliorating some of the biochemical indices of nano-sized titanium dioxide (n-TiO2) in mice liver. Methods: The in vitro cytotoxic effect of nano-sized anatase TiO2 (21 nm) on hepatic cell lines (HepG 2) was investigated. Additionally, n-TiO2 was orally administered (150 mg/kg/day) for 2 weeks, followed by a daily intragastric gavage of the aforementioned antioxidants for 1 month. Results: n-TiO2 induced significant cytotoxicity in hepatic cell lines and elevated the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), hepatic total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and nitrite/nitrate (NOx) levels. Meanwhile, glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity was significantly reduced. Moreover, RT-PCR and western blot analysis showed that n-TiO2 significantly altered the mRNA and protein expressions of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β1) and Smad-2, as well as vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF). Histopathological examination of hepatic tissue reinforced these results.Conclusion: Idebenone, carnosine and vitamin E ameliorated the deviated parameters with the combination regimen demonstrating the most pronounced effect. Oxidative stress, liver fibrosis and angiogenesis may be implicated in n-TiO2-induced liver toxicity.
Quercetin Inhibits Pacemaker Potentials via Nitric Oxide/cGMP-Dependent Activation and TRPM7/ANO1 Channels in Cultured Interstitial Cells of Cajal from Mouse Small Intestine
Authors: Gim Huijin , Nam Joo Hyun , Lee Soojin , Shim Ji Hwan , Kim Hyun Jung , Ha Ki-Tae , Kim Byung Joo
Published: April 2015

Background: Quercetin regulates gastrointestinal (GI) motor activity but the molecular mechanism involved has not been determined. The authors investigated the effects of quercetin, a flavonoid present in various foods, on the pacemaker activities of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) in murine small intestine in vitro and on GI motility in vivo. Materials and Methods: Enzymatic digestion was used to dissociate ICCs from mouse small intestines. The whole-cell patch-clamp configuration was used to record pacemaker potentials in cultured ICCs in the absence or presence of quercetin and to record membrane currents of transient receptor potential melastatin (TRPM) 7 or transmembrane protein 16A (Tmem16A, anoctamin1 (ANO1)) overexpressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells. The in vivo effects of quercetin on GI motility were investigated by measuring the intestinal transit rates (ITRs) of Evans blue in normal mice. Results: Quercetin (100-200 μM) decreased the amplitudes and frequencies of pacemaker activity in a concentration-dependent manner in current clamp mode, but this action was blocked by naloxone (a pan-opioid receptor antagonist) and by GDPβS (a GTP-binding protein inhibitor). However, potassium channels were not involved in these inhibitory effects of quercetin. To study the quercetin signaling pathway, we examined the effects of 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase, and of RP-8-CPT-cGMPS, an inhibitor of protein kinase G (PKG). These inhibitors blocked the inhibitory effects of quercetin on pacemaker activities. Also, L-NAME (100 μM), a non-selective NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor, blocked the effects of quercetin on pacemaker activity and quercetin stimulated cGMP production. Furthermore, quercetin inhibited both Ca2+-activated Cl- channels (TMEM16A, ANO1) and TRPM7 channels. In vivo, quercetin (10-100 mg/kg, p.o.) decreased ITRs in normal mice in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions: Quercetin inhibited ICC pacemaker activities by inhibiting TRPM7 and ANO1 via opioid receptor signaling pathways in cultured murine ICCs. The study shows quercetin attenuates GI tract motility, and suggests quercetin be considered the basis for the development of novel spasmolytic agents for the prevention or alleviation of GI motility dysfunctions.
Angiotensin-(1-7) Attenuates Angiotensin II-Induced ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and MCP-1 Expression via the MAS Receptor Through Suppression of P38 and NF-κB Pathways in HUVECs
Authors: Liang Bin , Wang Xin , Zhang Nana , Yang Huiyu , Bai Rui , Liu Ming , Bian Yunfei , Xiao Chuanshi , Yang Zhiming
Published: April 2015

Background/Aims: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease. Intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) play important roles in inflammatory processes. P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling regulate ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and MCP-1 expression. Angiotensin (Ang) II upregulates ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and MCP-1 expression through the P38 MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Ang-(1-7) may oppose the actions of Ang II. We investigated whether Ang-(1-7) prevents Ang II-induced ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and MCP-1 expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Methods: ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and MCP-1 expression was estimated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); P38, NF-κB, and p-IκB-a expression was estimated by western blotting. Results: Ang-(1-7) inhibited Ang II-induced ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and MCP-1 expression and secretion in HUVECs. Ang II sharply increased P38 MAPK phosphorylation, which was inhibited by pretreatment with Ang-(1-7). Moreover, Ang-(1-7) significantly inhibited Ang II-induced IκB-a phosphorylation and NF-κB P65 nuclear translocation. The MAS receptor antagonist A-779 abolished the suppressive effects of Ang-(1-7). Conclusion: Ang-(1-7) attenuates Ang II-induced ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and MCP-1 expression via the MAs receptor by suppressing the P38 and NF-κB pathways in HUVECs. Ang-(1-7) might delay the progression of inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis.
Hearing Aid or Tinnitus Masker: Which One Is the Best Treatment for Blast-Induced Tinnitus? The Results of a Long-Term Study on 974 Patients
Authors: Jalilvand Hamid , Pourbakht Akram , Haghani Hamid
Published: April 2015

The aim of this longitudinal study was to explore whether a hearing aid or noise generator would be an effective audiological treatment for blast-induced chronic tinnitus. The amount of satisfaction from different hearing devices (hearing aid, noise generator, or both) during different time periods (1, 6, 12 and 24 months after fitting) was assessed. The 974 subjects enrolled in this study were Iran-Iraq war veterans, suffering from tinnitus for at least 2 years. About 84% of the subjects preferred just a hearing aid. Only 2.7% chose the noise generator, and the others preferred to use both devices. There were no significant differences between the hearing thresholds of the 3 groups. The satisfaction score for the hearing aid and combined devices increased by time but decreased for the noise generator. There was no correlation between the satisfaction score and parameters such as hearing thresholds, audiogram configuration and tinnitus pitch. We concluded that, compared with a noise generator, the most long-lasting treatment for blast-induced tinnitus is a hearing aid. The possible cause for such a performance is probably the recovery of the auditory function and neuroplasticity through the hearing aid.
Platelet CD40L Modulates Thrombus Growth Via Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase β, and Not Via CD40 and IκB Kinase α
Authors: Kuijpers Marijke J.E. , Mattheij Nadine J.A. , Cipolla Lina , van Geffen Johanna P. , Lawrence Toby , Donners Marjo M.P.C. , Boon Louis , Lievens Dirk , Torti Mauro , Noels Heidi , Gerdes Norbert , Cosemans Judith M.E.M. , Lutgens Esther , Heemskerk Johan W.M.
Published: April 2015

Objective—

To investigate the roles and signaling pathways of CD40L and CD40 in platelet–platelet interactions and thrombus formation under conditions relevant for atherothrombosis.

Approach and Results—

Platelets from mice prone to atherosclerosis lacking CD40L (
Cd40lg
−/−
Apoe
−/−
) showed diminished α
IIb
β
3
activation and α-granule secretion in response to glycoprotein VI stimulation, whereas these responses of CD40-deficient platelets (
Cd40
−/−
Apoe
−/−
) were not decreased. Using blood from
Cd40lg
−/−
Apoe
−/−
and
Cd40
−/−
Apoe
−/−
mice, the glycoprotein VI-dependent formation of dense thrombi was impaired on atherosclerotic plaque material or on collagen, in comparison with
Apoe
−/−
blood. In all genotypes, addition of CD40L to the blood enhanced the growth of dense thrombi on plaques and collagen. Similarly, CD40L enhanced glycoprotein VI–induced platelet aggregation, even with platelets deficient in CD40. This potentiation was antagonized in
Pik3cb
R/R
platelets or by inhibiting phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase β (PI3Kβ). Addition of CD40L also enhanced collagen-induced Akt phosphorylation, which was again antagonized by absence or inhibition of PI3Kβ. Finally, platelets from
Chuk1
A/A
Apoe
−/−
mice deficient in IκB kinase α (IKKα), implicated in CD40 signaling to nuclear factor (NF) κB, showed unchanged responses to CD40L in aggregation or thrombus formation.

Conclusions—

Under atherogenic conditions, CD40L enhances collagen-induced platelet–platelet interactions by supporting integrin α
IIb
β
3
activation, secretion and thrombus growth via PI3Kβ, but not via CD40 and IKKα/NFκB. This role of CD40L exceeds the no more than modest role of CD40 in thrombus formation.
2013 Scientific Sessions Sol Sherry Distinguished Lecture in Thrombosis
Authors: Smith Stephanie A. , Morrissey James H.
Published: April 2015

Polyphosphate is a highly anionic, linear polymer of inorganic phosphates that is found throughout biology, including in many infectious microorganisms. Recently, polyphosphate was discovered to be stored in a subset of the secretory granules of human platelets and mast cells, and to be secreted on activation of these cells. Work from our laboratory and others has now shown that polyphosphate is a novel, potent modulator of the blood clotting and complement systems that likely plays roles in hemostasis, thrombosis, inflammation, and host responses to pathogens. Therapeutics targeting polyphosphate may have the potential to limit thrombosis with fewer hemorrhagic complications than conventional anticoagulant drugs that target essential proteases of the blood clotting cascade.
GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Exenatide Increases Capillary Perfusion Independent of Nitric Oxide in Healthy Overweight Men
Authors: Smits Mark M. , Muskiet Marcel H.A. , Tonneijck Lennart , Kramer Mark H.H. , Diamant Michaela , van Raalte Daniël H. , Serné Erik H.
Published: April 2015

Objective—

The insulinotropic gut–derived hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) increases capillary perfusion via a nitric oxide–dependent mechanism in rodents. This improves skeletal muscle glucose use and cardiac function. In humans, the effect of clinically used GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) on capillary density is unknown. We aimed to assess the effects of the GLP-1RA exenatide on capillary density as well as the involvement of nitric oxide in humans.

Approach and Results—

We included 10 healthy overweight men (age, 20–27 years; body mass index, 26–31 kg/m
2
). Measurements were performed during intravenous infusion of placebo (saline 0.9%), exenatide, and a combination of exenatide and the nonselective nitric oxide–synthase inhibitor
l
-
N
G
-monomethyl arginine. Capillary videomicroscopy was performed, and baseline and postocclusive (peak) capillary densities were counted. Compared with placebo, exenatide increased baseline and peak capillary density by 20.1% and 8.3%, respectively (both
P
=0.016). Concomitant
l
-
N
G
-monomethyl arginine infusion did not alter the effects of exenatide. Vasomotion was assessed using laser Doppler fluxmetry. Exenatide nonsignificantly reduced the neurogenic domain of vasomotion measurements (
R
=−5.6%;
P
=0.092), which was strongly and inversely associated with capillary perfusion (
R
=−0.928;
P
=0.036). Glucose levels were reduced during exenatide infusion, whereas levels of insulin were unchanged.

Conclusions—

Acute exenatide infusion increases capillary perfusion via nitric oxide–independent pathways in healthy overweight men, suggesting direct actions of this GLP-1RA on microvascular perfusion or interaction with vasoactive factors.
Comparison of Intracoronary Versus Intravenous Administration of Adenosine for Measurement of Coronary Fractional Flow Reserve
Authors: Schlundt Christian , Bietau Christian , Klinghammer Lutz , Wiedemann Ricarda , Rittger Harald , Ludwig Josef , Achenbach Stephan
Published: April 2015

Background—

Measurement of fractional flow reserve (FFR) constitutes the current gold standard to evaluate the hemodynamic significance of coronary stenoses. Limited data validate the intracoronary application of adenosine against standard intravenous infusion. We systematically compared FFR measurements during intracoronary and intravenous application of adenosine about agreement and reproducibility.

Methods and Results—

We included 114 patients with an intermediate degree of stenosis in coronary angiography. Two FFR measurements were performed during intracoronary bolus injection (40 μg for the right and 80 μg for the left coronary artery, FFR
ic
), and 2 FFR measurements during continuous intravenous infusion of adenosine (140 μg/kg per minute, FFR
iv
). FFR value, the time to reach FFR and patient discomfort (on a subjective scale from 0 for no symptoms to 5 for maximal discomfort) were recorded for each measurement. Mean time to FFR was 100±27 s for continuous intravenous infusion versus 23±14 s for intracoronary bolus administration of adenosine (
P
<0.001). Reported discomfort after intracoronary application was significantly lower compared with intravenous adenosine (subjective scale >0 in 35.1% versus 87.7% of the patients;
P
<0.001). Correlation between FFR
iv
and FFR
ic
was extremely close (
r
=0.99;
P
<0.001) with no systematic bias in Bland–Altman analysis (bias 0.002 [confidence interval, −0.001 to 0.005]) and low intermethod variability (1.56%). Intramethod variability was not different between intravenous and intracoronary administration (1.47% versus 1.33%;
P
=0.5).

Conclusions—

Intracoronary bolus injection of adenosine (40 μg for the right and 80 μg for the left coronary artery) yields identical FFR results compared with intravenous infusion (140 μg/kg per minute), while requiring less time and offering superior patient comfort.
Years of Able Life in Older Persons—The Role of Cardiovascular Imaging and Biomarkers: The Cardiovascular Health Study
Authors: Alshawabkeh Laith I. , Yee Laura M. , Gardin Julius M. , Gottdiener John S. , Odden Michelle C. , Bartz Traci M. , Arnold Alice M. , Mukamal Kenneth J. , Wallace Robert B.
Published: April 2015

Background

As the
U.S.
population grows older, there is greater need to examine physical independence. Previous studies have assessed risk factors in relation to either disability or mortality, but an outcome that combines both is still needed.

Methods and Results

The Cardiovascular Health Study is a population‐based, prospective study where participants underwent baseline echocardiogram, measurement of carotid intima‐media thickness (
IMT
), and various biomarkers, then followed for up to 18 years. Years of able life (
YAL
) constituted the number of years the participant was able to perform all activities of daily living. Linear regression was used to model the relationship between selected measures and outcomes, adjusted for confounding variables. Among 4902 participants, mean age was 72.6±5.4 years, median
YAL
for males was 8.8 (interquartile range [IQR], 4.3 to 13.8) and 10.3 (IQR, 5.8 to 15.8) for females. Reductions in
YAL
in the fully adjusted model for females and males, respectively, were: −1.34 (95% confidence interval [CI], −2.18, −0.49) and −1.41 (95% CI, −2.03, −0.8) for abnormal left ventricular (
LV
) ejection fraction, −0.5 (95% CI, −0.78, −0.22) and −0.62 (95% CI, −0.87, −0.36) per SD increase in
LV
mass, −0.5 (95% CI, −0.7, −0.29) and −0.79 (95% CI, −0.99, −0.58) for
IMT
, −0.5 (95% CI, −0.64, −0.37) and −0.79 (95% CI, −0.94, −0.65) for N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide, −1.08 (95% CI, −1.34, −0.83) and −0.73 (95% CI, −0.97, −0.5) for high‐sensitivity troponin‐T, and −0.26 (95% CI, −0.42, −0.09) and −0.23 (95% CI, −0.41, −0.05) for procollagen‐
III
N‐terminal propeptide. Most tested variables remained significant even after adjusting for incident cardiovascular (CV) disease.

Conclusions

In this population‐based cohort, variables obtained by CV imaging and biomarkers of inflammation, coagulation, atherosclerosis, myocardial injury and stress, and cardiac collagen turnover were associated with
YAL
, an important outcome that integrates physical ability and longevity in older persons.
Resveratrol Preconditioning Protects Against Cerebral Ischemic Injury via Nuclear Erythroid 2–Related Factor 2
Authors: Narayanan Srinivasan V. , Dave Kunjan R. , Saul Isa , Perez-Pinzon Miguel A.
Published: April 2015

Background and Purpose—

Nuclear erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) is an astrocyte-enriched transcription factor that has previously been shown to upregulate cellular antioxidant systems in response to ischemia. Although resveratrol preconditioning (RPC) has emerged as a potential neuroprotective therapy, the involvement of Nrf2 in RPC-induced neuroprotection and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production after cerebral ischemia remains unclear. The goal of our study was to study the contribution of Nrf2 to RPC and its effects on mitochondrial function.

Methods—

We used rodent astrocyte cultures and an in vivo stroke model with RPC. An Nrf2 DNA binding ELISA and protein analysis via Western blotting of downstream Nrf2 targets were performed to determine RPC-induced activation of Nrf2 in rat and mouse astrocytes. After RPC, mitochondrial function was determined by measuring reactive oxygen species production and mitochondrial respiration in both wild-type and Nrf2
−/−
mice. Infarct volume was measured to determine neuroprotection, whereas protein levels were measured by immunoblotting.

Results—

We report that Nrf2 is activated by RPC in rodent astrocyte cultures, and that loss of Nrf2 reduced RPC-mediated neuroprotection in a mouse model of focal cerebral ischemia. In addition, we observed that wild-type and Nrf2
−/−
cortical mitochondria exhibited increased uncoupling and reactive oxygen species production after RPC treatments. Finally, Nrf2
−/−
astrocytes exhibited decreased mitochondrial antioxidant expression and were unable to upregulate cellular antioxidants after RPC treatment.

Conclusions—

Nrf2 contributes to RPC-induced neuroprotection through maintaining mitochondrial coupling and antioxidant protein expression.
Deceptive morphological variation in Hirschmanniella mucronata (Nematoda: Pratylenchidae) and a polytomous key to the genus
Authors: Khun Kimkhuy , Decraemer Wilfrida , Couvreur Marjolein , Karssen Gerrit , Steel Hanne , Bert Wim
Published: April 2015

Hirschmanniella mucronatapopulations isolated from two Cambodian provinces were characterised using morphological, morphometric and molecular criteria. Examination of 1024 specimens from 60 different paddy fields revealed high intraspecific variation in morphology and morphometrics, especially in tail terminus shape and stylet length. Sequence results confirmed that morphologically divergent individuals represent a single species, suggesting that neglecting morphological variation has led to an overestimation ofHirschmannielladiversity in former studies. Phylogenetic analysis of the SSU, D2-D3, LSU and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 regions revealed three concordant clades,H. mucronatahaving a sister relationship withH. kwazunaandH. loofi. Plotting the diagnostic features, including tail terminus shape, stylet length and lip region morphology on the phylogenetic framework, revealed that none of them supported the clades and represented convergent features. All three molecular markers were able to discriminate allHirschmanniellaspecies, but the D2-D3 region was the easiest, fastest and most successful region to be amplified. Species delimitation and the diagnostic features ofHirschmanniellawere re-evaluated.Hirschmanniella abnormalis and H. exactaare considered to be junior synonyms ofH. oryzaeandH. mannaiaspecies inquirenda. Finally, a list of valid species with indication of synonyms and a polytomous key are provided.
Suppressive effects of palisade grass (Brachiaria brizantha) on Pratylenchus coffeae
Authors: Uesugi Kenta , Iwahori Hideaki , Tateishi Yasushi
Published: April 2015

The suppressive effects of palisade grass (Brachiaria brizantha) cv. MG5 on Pratylenchus coffeae were tested in pot and seedling tray experiments and under field conditions. In pot tests, four isolates of P. coffeae were tested by inoculating 500 mixed life stages of each isolate on 5- or 7-week-old palisade grass plants. The nematode number in palisade grass was significantly lower than in susceptible cucumber in all isolates and below 20% of the inoculated level 69-86 days after inoculation. In seedling tray tests, the number of eggs and adults + juveniles in palisade grass roots was examined 5-25 days after inoculation (dai) of 200 mixed life stages of an isolate of P. coffeae to a 3-week-old seedling. The number of adults + juveniles in palisade grass roots was not statistically different from sorghum and black oat 5 and 10 dai, while the number of eggs and adults + juveniles was significantly lower than these two plants 20 and 25 dai. In field plot tests, palisade grass was cultivated for approximately 4 months in 2011 and 2012. The P. coffeae density after palisade grass cultivation was significantly lower than that after bare fallow in 2011, whereas the nematode density was not significantly different between these two treatments in 2012. Rates of lesions on sweet potatoes cultivated after growing palisade grass were significantly lower than those after growing sorghum or guinea grass, but not significantly different from that after fallow. These results indicated that the cultivation of palisade grass cv. MG5 has a nematode suppressive effect that is comparable to fallow treatments.
Characterisation of populations of Longidorus orientalis Loof, 1982 (Nematoda: Dorylaimida) from date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in the USA and other countries and incongruence of phylogenies inferred from ITS1 rRNA and coxI genes
Authors: Subbotin Sergei A. , Stanley Jason D. , Ploeg Antoon T. , Tanha Maafi Zahra , Tzortzakakis Emmanuel A. , Chitambar John J. , Palomares-Rius Juan E. , Castillo Pablo , Inserra Renato N.
Published: April 2015

Needle nematode populations ofLongidorus orientalisassociated with date palm,Phoenix dactylifera, and detected during nematode surveys conducted in Arizona, California and Florida, USA, were characterised morphologically and molecularly. The nematode species most likely arrived in California a century ago with propagative date palms from the Middle East and eventually spread to Florida on ornamental date palms that were shipped from Arizona and California. This is the first validated continental record of this needle nematode species in the USA and the Americas. The USA populations ofL. orientaliscontained a small number of males that were not reported in the original description and are herein described.Longidorus orientaliswas able to survive for at least 4 years at very low numbers in the warm and humid environment of Florida on date palms imported from California and Arizona. Association ofL. orientaliswithL. africanuswas observed in all of the surveyed sites, indicating that date palm is a host of both nematodes. Phylogenetic relationships ofL. orientaliswith closely relatedLongidorusspecies, in addition to relationships between populations ofL. orientalisfrom the USA, Greece, Iran and Spain, were inferred from the analyses of D2-D3 of 28S rRNA, ITS1 rRNA and partialcoxIgene sequences. The PCR-D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S rDNA-RFLP diagnostic profile is provided.Longidorus orientalispopulations display a high level of intraspecific variation (up to 15.5%) incoxImtDNA sequences. Analysis of phylogenetic relationships of nematode populations revealed incongruence of the ITS1 rRNA andcoxImtDNA gene trees, which might be the result of selective introgression of mtDNA through gene flow between previously isolated populations introduced simultaneously into new geographical regions.
Rhabditidoides humicolus n. sp. associated with arthropods from rotting palm tissue in Florida, USA
Authors: Kanzaki Natsumi , Giblin-Davis Robin M.
Published: April 2015

Rhabditidoides humicolus n. sp. is described and illustrated from arthropods associated with decaying tissue from the crown shaft of a living spindle palm, Hyophorbe verschaffeltii, in southern Florida, USA. In addition to its generic character, i.e., the arrangement of male genital papillae, ⟨v1, v2, v3d, CO, v4, (ad, v5, ph, v6), (pd, v7)⟩, the new species is characterised by its small stomatal flaps, a secretory pore-like opening, a pair of deirids, two pairs of post-deirids and small subventral vulval papillae located just anterior to the vulva. Besides those newly found characters, there are only a few typological differences between R. humicolus n. sp. and several previously described species in the genus. However, based on the biological characters, e.g., gonochoristic reproduction, association as dauers with the crane fly, Limonia (Rhipidia) schwarzi (Diptera: Limoniidae), millipedes, an immature cockroach, and staphylinid beetle adults, and distribution in southern Florida, the new species was considered to be different from others in the genus.
Diplomacy from Below or Cross-Confessional Loyalty? The “Christians of Algiers” between the Lord of Kuko and the King of Spain in the Early 1600s
Authors: Planas Natividad
Published: April 2015

Usually seen as actors with limited political agency, captives and slaves are, in this essay, at the core of complex diplomatic negotiations between two political authorities in a cross-confessional context. The case study presents a group of enslaved Christians in Algiers at the beginning of the seventeenth century working to restore a disrupted communication system between Spain and a rebel Muslim lord at war with the Ottomans. This lord, called Amar ben Amar bel Cadi, ruled the tiny city of Kuko and its region in the Djurdjura range (in present-day Kabylia). The goal of the Spanish military collaboration with him was to take Algiers and weaken the Ottoman Empire in North Africa. The paper argues that the captives’ initiative must be understood both as diplomacy “from below” and as a cross-confessional model of loyalty. Furthermore, it compels us to re-think the agency of actors in imperial encounters and to reject the topos—often implicit in contemporary historical essays—that religious affiliation conditioned political loyalty.
Afterword: Intermediaries, Mediation, and Cross-Confessional Diplomacy in the Early Modern Mediterranean
Authors: Rothman E. Natalie
Published: April 2015

This essay thematizes the important contributions of the current volume to the study of non-ambassadorial diplomatic intermediaries in the early modern Mediterranean. It further suggests how attending to particular modalities of mediation, e.g. archiving and translation, might shed new light on processes of political, ethnolinguistic, and confessional boundary-making.
Validation of Ctenitis jinfoshanensis (Dryopteridaceae) and Lepisorus simulans (Polypodiaceae) for fern flora of China
Authors: DUAN YI-FAN , Zhang Libing
Published: April 2015

As the largest finished floristic project, the Flora of China documents 31,362 species of vascular plants, of which 2,129 species are ferns and lycophytes (Lin et al. 2013, Wu et al. 2013, Zhang & Gilbert 2015). While working on a revision of the fern genus Ctenitis C.Christensen (Dryopteridaceae; Smith et al. 2006, Liu et al. 2007, Zhang et al. 2013) in the Old World, we happened to find that two unrelated names published in a same article by Ching & Liu (1984), Ctenitis jinfoshanensis Ching & Z.Y. Liu and Lepisorus simulans Ching & Z.Y. Liu (Polypodiaceae), were not validly published, because two gatherings were designated as types for each name (Art. 40.2; McNeill et al. 2012). In fact, the type designations of each name were conducted twice in Latin and Chinese by the authors, respectively, and each time a different gathering was designated as type. Here we validate the two names by choosing one gathering as the type for each name.
The identity of Roscoea cauteoides var. pubescens (Z. Y. Zhu) T. L.Wu based on molecular and morphological evidences
Authors: Zhang Dequan , Yang Yongshou , Zhou Nong
Published: April 2015

Roscoea cautleoides Gagnepain is a small herb and mainly distributed in Sichuan and Yunnan province. According to the Flora of China, this species includes two varieties, namely R. cautleoides var. cautleoides and R. cautleoides var. pubescens (Z. Y. Zhu) T. L. Wu. The later had initially been proposed as a new species (R. pubescens Z. Y. Zhu), but it was then treated as one variety of R. cautleoides. In the present study, we found that R. cautleoides var. pubescens was obviously distinguishable from R. cautleoides var. cautleoides in the maximum parsimony (MP) tree. And this result was also supported by morphological characters of these two taxa. So we suggest that R. cautleoides Z. Y. Zhu should be recovered and regarded as valid name for the species.
A new species of Acroleptus Bourgeois (Coleoptera: Lycidae) from the Brazilian Amazonian rainforest, with a note on its homonymy with Acroleptus Cabanis (Aves)
Authors: FERREIRA VINICIUS S.
Published: April 2015

Acroleptus costae sp. nov. is described from the Brazilian Amazonian rainforest, raising the diversity of the formerly monotypic genus to two known species. The validity of Acroleptus Bourgeois, 1886 (Insecta) is maintained while Acroleptus Cabanis, 1861 (Aves) is considered to be an incorrect subsequent spelling.
Rivulus berovidesi, a new killifish species (Teleostei: Rivulidae) from western Cuba
Authors: SILVA RODET RODRIGUEZ
Published: April 2015

Rivulus berovidesi, a new killifish species, is described from a small stream in Sierra de Cajalbana, northwestern Cuba. It is readily distinguished from Rivulus cylindraceus Poey by the combination of an exclusive color pattern and meristic characters such as a d-type frontal scalation pattern (versus e-type pattern in Rivulus cylindraceus). The current diagnosis of Rivulus berovidesi based on chromatic, morphological and meristic characters is consistent with a recent molecular analysis of this genus in Cuba.
CloudSat Observes a Labrador Sea Polar Low
Authors: Forsythe John M. , Haynes John M.
Published: April 2015

Polar lows generate hazardous weather conditions in the Arctic, and satellites have played a key role in understanding their genesis and dynamics. For the first time, an overpass of the CloudSat 94-GHz cloud radar over a polar low has been recorded. The case occurred in November 2013 in the Labrador Sea between Canada and Greenland, and had a striking convective appearance with an eyelike feature. A deep cloud band was observed by the radar, with radar reflectivity up to 5-km in altitude in a 50-km-wide band. It is likely that more such matchups exist in the CloudSat mission data.
Prevalence of Perceived Dysphonia and Its Correlation With the Prevalence of Clinically Diagnosed Laryngeal Disorders
Authors: Byeon Haewon
Published: April 2015

Objective:

This study investigated the prevalence of perceived dysphonia and its correlation with the prevalence of clinically diagnosed laryngeal disorders.

Methods:

Subjects were 8713 non-institutionalized civilian adults over the age of 19 (3810 men and 4912 women) who completed the laryngeal examination of the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A Poisson regression was used to examine the association between perceived dysphonia and laryngeal disorders.

Results:

Adjusting for covariates (age, sex, education level, income, occupation, alcohol drinking, and self-reported health status), those with perceived voice problems were 4.8 times (OR = 4.75, 95% CI, 3.77-5.99) more likely to have laryngeal disorders than those without voice problems. In particular, the vocal fold pathology correlated with perceived dysphonia was: vocal fold nodules (OR = 5.32, 95% CI, 3.43-8.26), vocal polyps (OR = 3.73, 95% CI, 1.57-8.86), vocal cysts (OR = 11.97, 95% CI, 1.97-72.72), Reinke’s edema (OR = 9.27, 95% CI, 4.77-18.00), laryngeal paralysis (OR = 3.58, 95% CI, 1.56-8.26), laryngeal granulomas (OR = 4.31, 95% CI, 1.01-18.80), epiglottic cyst (OR = 2.94, 95% CI, 1.21-7.13), and laryngitis (OR = 4.07, 95% CI, 2.91-5.69).

Conclusion:

People with self-perceived dysphonia had a high risk of laryngeal disorders.
A Trans-Pacific Partnership
Authors: Velk Thomas , Gong Olivia , Zuckerbrot Ariel S. N.
Published: April 2015

This article argues for an improved economic partnership between China and the United States based on nonpolitical, profit-seeking, market, and rule of law–based agreements. We begin by describing the major domestic economic issues that each country is facing, specifically the diverse threats of inflation in China and U.S. government debt. We argue that these substantial obstacles can be best overcome through partnership. As well, we argue that such an arrangement will have the incidental effects of reducing China’s vast income disparity and improving its shaky rule of law. We then describe the current strained relationship between the two nations and argue that these attitudes will be improved through the actions of “agents of change”—young professionals on both sides of the Pacific who study in North America and return to China, building cultural and economic bridges between East and West. We then outline a strategy for partnership, arguing that the United States should allow freer trade with China and should facilitate Chinese direct investment in American assets. We conclude by describing Canada’s potential role in this partnership both as a mediator between the two superpowers and as a source for investment in natural resources.
Developing a roadmap for the translation of e-mental health services for depression
Authors: Batterham Philip J , Sunderland Matthew , Calear Alison L , Davey Christopher G , Christensen Helen , Teesson Maree , Kay-Lambkin Frances , Andrews Gavin , Mitchell Philip B , Herrman Helen , Butow Phyllis N , Krouskos Demos
Published: April 2015

Objective:

e-Mental health services have been shown to be effective and cost-effective for the treatment of depression. However, to have optimal impact in reducing the burden of depression, strategies for wider reach and uptake are needed.

Method:

A review was conducted to assess the evidence supporting use of e-mental health programmes for treating depression. From the review, models of dissemination and gaps in translation were identified, with a specific focus on characterising barriers and facilitators to uptake within the Australian healthcare context. Finally, recommendations for promoting the translation of e-mental health services in Australia were developed.

Results:

There are a number of effective and cost-effective e-health applications available for treating depression in community and clinical settings. Four primary models of dissemination were identified: unguided, health service–supported, private ownership and clinically guided. Barriers to translation include clinician reluctance, consumer awareness, structural barriers such as funding and gaps in the translational evidence base.

Conclusion:

Key strategies for increasing use of e-mental health programmes include endorsement of e-mental health services by government entities, education for clinicians and consumers, adequate funding of e-mental health services, development of an accreditation system, development of translation-focused activities and support for further translational research. The impact of these implementation strategies is likely to include economic gains, reductions in disease burden and greater availability of more interventions for prevention and treatment of mental ill-health complementary to existing health and efficient evidence-based mental health services.
Chinese students and higher education destinations: Findings from a choice experiment
Authors: Gong Xue , Huybers Twan
Published: April 2015

This paper presents a novel application of a discrete choice experiment that seeks to contribute to a more accurate understanding of international education flows. The discrete choice experiment method is employed to identify the key factors underlying students’ international education choices. The specific focus in the study is on China as the largest origin country of international students in the growing global education market. Data are collected from a sample of prospective Chinese outbound students. The findings suggest that university ranking and destination safety are key decision drivers for Chinese students. The results have policy implications for Australia, as one of the key higher education destination countries, for instance, in relation to recently changed student visa systems and the potential effects of planned government budget cuts to higher education on educational quality and reputation.
China’s Information Disclosure Initiative
Authors: Rana Renu
Published: April 2015

This article examines the initiatives taken by the government of the People’s Republic of China towards ensuring government information transparency. The Open Government Information Regulations (OGI) which was adopted in 2007 is a landmark in the transparency reforms process in China. The analysis of this initiative and further reforms becomes vital as China has witnessed newly emerged emphasis on anti-corruption campaign and rule of law. Though these regulations were adopted in 2007 at national level, many reforms have been introduced in these regulations in terms of annual guidelines from time to time. This article analyses the origin and development of OGI; the scope of these regulations; the legal, political and structural problems obstructing the successful implementation of these regulations; and further reforms towards making China more open and transparent. This work also provides a comparative analysis of information disclosure initiatives in China and India.
Affective, Social, and Cognitive Outcomes During a 1-Year Wintering in Concordia
Authors: Nicolas Michel , Suedfeld Peter , Weiss Karine , Gaudino Marvin
Published: April 2015

This study investigated time patterns and the relationships between perceived stress, recovery, control, attention lapses, and defense mechanisms (DM) during a 12-month wintering in Concordia polar station with an international crew of 14 volunteers. This ICE (Isolated, Confined, Extreme) environment induced some stress, mainly in the social dimension and showed relationships (a) between DM and both stress and recovery and (b) between recovery and perceived control, highlighting the roles of DM and control in psychological adaptation. These results offer additional insights into the affective, social, and cognitive processes involved in adaptation. The findings suggest that preventive psychological countermeasures should be developed for crew members to counteract detrimental psychological outcomes and to improve adaptation to long-duration ICE situations such as planned human interplanetary space missions.
In-store music in Italy
Authors: D’Amato Francesco
Published: April 2015

The ever-increasing presence of music within the spaces of daily life has been flanked by a renewed interest for its capacity for structuring experience and action ( DeNora, 2000 ). Public places for shopping and consumption have represented a privileged setting for these studies due to their increasingly common and targeted use of music. Several studies have highlighted the relevance of music in configuring shopping and consumption experiences, while subjects, interests, practices, and criteria accounting for both the selection of music and its specific use have been less investigated. This article combines the “production of culture” and “culture of production” perspectives (du Gay, 1997; Peterson and Anand, 2004) in order to address such issues in the Italian context, where in-store music playing relies more and more on in-store radio companies providing ad hoc services for brands and retailers. Through reference to interviews with managers and music supervisors, the article shows how music selections depend not only on marketing strategies by the brands but also on the business interest of in-store radio services as well as on employee feedback, sometimes resulting in contradictory choices for different functions. As a result, Italian music tends to be strongly penalized by the selection criteria generally applied.
Imagining Freedom in a Post-Emancipation “Pigmentocracy”
Authors: Popple Naomi
Published: April 2015

This article focuses on the above mentioned artists’ endeavors to imagine, advocate, and/or articulate freedom in a “pigmentocra[tic],” 20th-century America. As any definition of freedom is reciprocally determined—to imagine freedom is to imagine freedom from something—I will specify what that something is (or somethings are) and assess the relative successes and failures of the variously presented strategies of resistance, destruction, and/or escape. For example, Pecola in The Bluest Eye imagines that emancipation from the quotidian familial violence she is a victim of pivots on a change in her appearance or her absolute disappearance. By contrast, in the same novel, Claudia exhibits a precocious capacity to recognize the potentially harmful power of grand narratives. I have chosen “imagining” in the title as it acknowledges freedom’s conceptual dynamism and subjectivity, that it is being explored (mainly) through fiction, and crucially, that freedom–for some African Americans– remains a fiction.
The effects of curvature and internal pressure on the compression-after-impact strength of composite laminates
Authors: Martins Renato Dedding , Donadon Mauricio Vicente , de Almeida Sérgio Frascino Muller
Published: April 2015

This work presents an experimental characterization of the curvature effects on the compression-after-impact strength of laminated composite shells. Curved panels impacted on the outer (convex) face and with normal pressure on the inner (concave) face with three different curvatures at three different impact energy levels were tested. A compression-after-impact testing setup was designed and implemented to evaluate the impact-induced damage tolerance of the composite shells. An analytical modeling methodology for compression-after-impact strength predictions based on the Mar-Lin and Whitney-Nuismer failure criteria is also proposed. The approach proposed herein consists of replacing the damaged area of the impacted coupon by an equivalent hole. The analytical compression-after-impact predictions obtained using the Mar-Lin and Whitney-Nuismer failure criteria were compared with experimental results. A good agreement between analytical predictions and experimental results was found. The experimental results also indicate that the compressive residual strength of the composite shells is significantly affected by the shell curvature and internal pressure effects.