bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IGFBP7 Deletion Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Akiel Maaged , Guo Chunqing , Li Xia , Rajasekaran Devaraja , Mendoza Rachel G. , Robertson Chadia L. , Jariwala Nidhi , Yuan Fang , Subler Mark A. , Windle Jolene , Garcia Dawn K. , Lai Zhao , Chen Hung-I Harry , Chen Yidong , Giashuddin Shah , Fisher Paul B. , Wang Xiang-Yang , Sarkar Devanand
Published: June 2017

Activation of IGF signaling is a major oncogenic event in diverse cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this setting, the insulin-like growth factor binding protein IGFBP7 inhibits IGF signaling by binding the IGF1 receptor (IGF1R), functioning as a candidate tumor suppressor. IGFBP7 abrogates tumors by inhibiting angiogenesis and inducing cancer-specific senescence and apoptosis. Here, we report that Igfbp7-deficient mice exhibit constitutively active IGF signaling, presenting with proinflammatory and immunosuppressive microenvironments and spontaneous liver and lung tumors occurring with increased incidence in carcinogen-treated subjects. Igfbp7 deletion increased proliferation and decreased senescence of hepatocytes and mouse embryonic fibroblasts, effects that were blocked by treatment with IGF1 receptor inhibitor. Significant inhibition of genes regulating immune surveillance was observed in Igfbp7−/− murine livers, which was associated with a marked inhibition in antigen cross-presentation by Igfbp7−/− dendritic cells. Conversely, IGFBP7 overexpression inhibited growth of HCC cells in syngeneic immunocompetent mice. Depletion of CD4+ or CD8+ T lymphocytes abolished this growth inhibition, identifying it as an immune-mediated response. Our findings define an immune component of the pleiotropic mechanisms through which IGFBP7 suppresses HCC. Furthermore, they offer a genetically based preclinical proof of concept for IGFBP7 as a therapeutic target for immune management of HCC. Cancer Res; 77(15); 4014–25. ©2017 AACR.
Stool DNA Test of Methylated Syndecan-2 for the Early Detection of Colorectal Neoplasia
Authors: Niu Feng , Wen Jialing , Fu Xinhui , Li Chujun , Zhao Rongsong , Wu Shan , Yu Hao , Liu Xianglin , Zhao Xia , Liu Side , Wang Xinying , Wang Jianping , Zou Hongzhi
Published: June 2017

Background: Although the incidence of colorectal cancer is steadily increasing, screening for colorectal cancer with conventional approaches is not routinely performed in China. Noninvasive screening methods are attractive options to resolve this issue. Syndecan-2 (SDC2) is frequently methylated in colorectal cancer. However, the value of a stool test of methylated SDC2 for the detection of colorectal cancer is unknown.

Methods: Methylation status of SDC2 was tested in cell lines and 398 colorectal tissue samples and further evaluated with 497 stool samples, including 196 from colorectal cancer patients, 122 from adenoma patients, and 179 from normal individuals, using real-time methylation-specific PCR. The impacts of one quantitative partial stool sampling device and 17 potentially interfering substances on the performance of fecal methylated SDC2 were also analyzed. SDC2 expression was also measured.

Results: SDC2 methylation level was higher in 96.8% (120/124) of colorectal cancer tissues compared with paired adjacent normal epithelia. Stool test of methylated SDC2 detected 81.1% (159/196) of colorectal cancer and 58.2% (71/122) of adenomas at a specificity of 93.3% (167/179). No significant difference was found between partial and whole stool collection on colorectal cancer detection (P > 0.05, R2 = 0.80). Among 17 interfering substances, only berberine at high concentrations inhibited fecal detection of methylated SDC2. SDC2 was overexpressed in colorectal cancer tissues compared with normal epithelia.

Conclusions: Fecal methylated SDC2 is a valuable biomarker for the noninvasive detection of colorectal neoplasms.

Impact: Stool DNA test of methylated SDC2 would serve as an alternative method for screening colorectal neoplasms. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(9); 1411–9. ©2017 AACR.
Differential and Joint Effects of Metformin and Statins on Overall Survival of Elderly Patients with Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Large Population-Based Study
Authors: E Jian-Yu , Lu Shou-En , Lin Yong , Graber Judith M. , Rotter David , Zhang Lanjing , Petersen Gloria M. , Demissie Kitaw , Lu-Yao Grace , Tan Xiang-Lin
Published: June 2017

Background: Published evidence indicates that individual use of metformin and statin is associated with reduced cancer mortality. However, their differential and joint effects on pancreatic cancer survival are inconclusive.

Methods: We identified a large population-based cohort of 12,572 patients ages 65 years or older with primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) diagnosed between 2008 and 2011 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare-linked database. Exposure to metformin and statins was ascertained from Medicare Prescription Drug Event files. Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying covariates adjusted for propensity scores were used to assess the association while controlling for potential confounders.

Results: Of 12,572 PDAC patients, 950 (7.56%) had used metformin alone, 4,506 (35.84%) had used statin alone, and 2,445 (19.45%) were dual users. Statin use was significantly associated with improved overall survival [HR, 0.94; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.90–0.98], and survival was more pronounced in postdiagnosis statin users (HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.56–0.86). Metformin use was not significantly associated with overall survival (HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.94–1.09). No beneficial effect was observed for dual users (HR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.95–1.05).

Conclusions: Our findings suggest potential benefits of statins on improving survival among elderly PDAC patients; further prospective studies are warranted to corroborate the putative benefit of statin therapy in pancreatic cancer.

Impact: Although more studies are needed to confirm our findings, our data add to the body of evidence on potential anticancer effects of statins. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(8); 1225–32. ©2017 AACR.
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-targeted Photoimmunotherapy (PIT) for the Treatment of EGFR-expressing Bladder Cancer
Authors: Railkar Reema , Krane L. Spencer , Li Q. Quentin , Sanford Thomas , Siddiqui Mohammad Rashid , Haines Diana , Vourganti Srinivas , Brancato Sam J. , Choyke Peter L. , Kobayashi Hisataka , Agarwal Piyush K.
Published: June 2017

The use of light as a means of therapy for bladder cancer has a long history but has been hampered by a lack of tumor specificity and therefore, damage to the normal bladder mucosa. Here, we describe a targeted form of phototherapy called photoimmunotherapy (PIT), which targets EGFR-expressing bladder cancer. Anti-EGFR antibody panitumumab was labeled with the photoabsorber (PA), IRDye 700Dx (IR700), to create a panitumumab-IR700 antibody–PA conjugate that is activated by near-infrared radiation (NIR). Bladder cancer tissue microarray (TMA) and bladder cancer cell lines were analyzed for expression of EGFR. Mechanism of PIT-induced cell death was studied using proliferation assays, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and production of reactive oxygen species. Finally, the in vivo effect was studied in xenografts. EGFR staining of TMAs showed that while most bladder cancers have expression of EGFR to a varying degree, squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) have the highest expression of EGFR. Panitumumab-IR700 activated by NIR light rapidly killed UMUC-5 cells, a bladder SCC line. Panitumumab alone, panitumumab-IR700 without NIR, or NIR alone had no effect on cells. TEM demonstrated that cell death is due to necrosis. Singlet oxygen species contributed toward cell death. NIR-PIT with panitumumab-IR700 reduced growth compared with only panitumumab-IR700–treated UMUC-5 xenograft tumors. PIT is a new targeted treatment for bladder cancer. Panitumumab-IR700–induced PIT selectively kills EGFR-expressing bladder cancer cells in vitro and in vivo and therefore warrants further therapeutic studies in orthotopic xenografts of bladder cancer and ultimately in patients. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(10); 2201–14. ©2017 AACR.
FBW7-Dependent Mcl-1 Degradation Mediates the Anticancer Effect of Hsp90 Inhibitors
Authors: Tong Jingshan , Tan Shuai , Nikolovska-Coleska Zaneta , Yu Jian , Zou Fangdong , Zhang Lin
Published: June 2017

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is widely overexpressed in cancer cells and necessary for maintenance of malignant phenotypes. Hsp90 inhibition induces tumor cell death through degradation of its client oncoproteins and has shown promises in preclinical studies. However, the mechanism by which Hsp90 inhibitors kill tumor cells is not well-understood. Biomarkers associated with differential sensitivity and resistance to Hsp90 inhibitors remain to be identified. In this study, we found that colorectal cancer cells containing inactivating mutations of FBW7, a tumor suppressor and E3 ubiquitin ligase, are intrinsically insensitive to Hsp90 inhibitors. The insensitive colorectal cancer cells lack degradation of Mcl-1, a prosurvival Bcl-2 family protein. Hsp90 inhibition promotes GSK3β-dependent phosphorylation of Mcl-1, which subsequently binds to FBW7 and undergoes ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Specifically blocking Mcl-1 phosphorylation by genetic knock-in abrogates its degradation and renders in vitro and in vivo resistance to Hsp90 inhibitors, which can be overcame by Mcl-1–selective small-molecule inhibitors. Collectively, our findings demonstrate a key role of GSK3β/FBW7-dependent Mcl-1 degradation in killing of colorectal cancer cells by Hsp90 inhibitors and suggest FBW7 mutational status as a biomarker for Hsp90-targeted therapy. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(9); 1979–88. ©2017 AACR.
Exploring the Clinical Practice of Speech and Language Therapists with Adults with Dementia: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Portugal
Authors: Nóbrega Jossie , Lousada Marisa , Figueiredo Daniela
Published: June 2017

Background/Aims: Adults with acquired communication and swallowing disorders secondary to dementia can benefit from speech and language therapy services. However, there is limited information on the role of speech and language therapists (SLTs) in the treatment of individuals with dementia. The aim of this study was to explore the clinical practice of SLTs with adults with dementia. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of SLTs was conducted in Portugal using a web-based questionnaire designed specifically for the purpose of this study. Results: A total of 230 SLTs responded to the survey. Among the respondents, 52.2% had limited clinical practice with individuals with dementia, with only 14.3% having worked with more than 10 cases. Conclusion: In Portugal, the clinical practice of SLTs in dementia is limited and mostly centred on the assessment of language, communication, and swallowing. The current findings highlight the need to address training in dementia within graduate and post-graduate programmes for SLTs.
A MicroRNA-124 Polymorphism is Associated with Fracture Healing via Modulating BMP6 Expression
Authors: Zou Lin , Zhang Guichun , Liu Lifeng , Chen Chen , Cao Xuecheng , Cai Jinfang
Published: June 2017

Background: miR-124-3p has been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of many diseases by modulating a variety of signaling pathways. In this study, we aimed to understand the impact of miR-124-3p expression level on the fracture healing in the patients of metaphyseal fracture of distal tibia, who received minimal invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis. Methods: We firstly collected 195 patients of metaphyseal fracture of distal tibia, and the genotype of rs531564 was determined: GG (n=124) and GC+CC (n=71). We collected information of the participants including age, gender, total in-hospital time, smoking and alcohol consumption. Subsequently, we searched the miRNA database online to identify the possible binding sequence of miR-124-3p located within the 3’-UTR of the target gene. We did correlation analysis and luciferase to understand the regulatory relationship between miR-124-3p and BMP6. Meanwhile, we also conducted real time PCR and western blotting analysis to study the mRNA and protein expression level of BMP6 in different genotype groups. We then treated the cells with scramble control, miR-124-3p mimics, BMP6 siRNA and miR-124-3p inhibitors to investigate the influence of miR-124-3p on the expression of BMP6, viability and apoptosis of cells. Results: Total in-hospital time was significantly longer in GC+CC group than GG group. MiR-124-3p was up-regulated in GG group than GC and CC groups. BMP6 was virtual target of miR-124-3p. There existed negative regulatory relationship betweenmiR-124-3p and BMP6. The mRNA and protein expression level of BMP6 decreased in GG group. MiR-124-3p decreased the expression of BMP6. MiR-124-3p negatively interfered with the viability of cells and BMP6 positively interfered with the viability of cells. MiR-124-3p reduced apoptosis and BMP6 promoted apoptosis. Conclusion: These data proved the expression of miR-124-3p was associated with the healing of metaphyseal fracture of distal tibia, and could be recognized as a biomarker to predict the healing of metaphyseal fracture of distal tibia.
Peripheral Retinal Neovascularization with Vitreous Hemorrhage in HIV Retinopathy
Authors: Jiramongkolchai Kim , Liu Tin Yan Alvin , Arevalo J. Fernando
Published: June 2017

We report a case of peripheral retinal neovascularization and vitreous hemorrhage in the setting of HIV retinopathy that can serve to extend the clinical spectrum of this condition. A 53-year-old African-American woman with AIDS was referred for decreased vision in the left eye and was found to have peripheral retinal neovascularization and vitreous hemorrhage. She had a workup that was negative for etiologies of retinal ischemia. Peripheral laser photocoagulation was used to treat areas of nonperfusion. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of peripheral retinal neovascularization and vitreous hemorrhage in the setting of HIV retinopathy, and it can serve to extend the clinical spectrum of this condition.
Intraoperative Real-Time Assessment of Liver Function with Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging
Authors: Narasaki Hajime , Noji Takehiro , Wada Hideyuki , Ebihara Yuma , Tsuchikawa Takahiro , Okamura Keisuke , Tanaka Eiichi , Shichinohe Toshiaki , Hirano Satoshi
Published: June 2017

Background: Postoperative liver failure is a serious complication after major hepatectomy, and perioperative prediction of its incidence using current technology is still very difficult. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging allows quantitative assessment of the fluorescent signal from indocyanine green (ICG) in regions of interest on the liver surface. This method might offer a new promising modality for evaluating regional liver reserve. However, data are lacking regarding the relationship between liver function and fluorescent signals on the liver surface after intravenous ICG injection. This study was conducted to obtain the data necessary to apply NIR fluorescence imaging as a modality for measuring liver function. Materials and Methods: This study included 16 patients who underwent open hepatopancreatobiliary surgery between March 2011 and March 2012. After laparotomy, ICG was injected intravenously at 2.5 mg/L of liver volume, then the fluorescence intensity (FI) and signal-to-background ratio (SBR) in the lateral segment of the liver were assessed for 15 min. Intraoperative blood samples were also obtained to measure the plasma clearance rate of ICG (ICGK). Correlations between ICGK, liver volume, and SBR, as well as between ICGK, liver volume, and rate of change of FI were analyzed. Results: The experimental procedure was performed in all 16 patients. The FI of the liver increased rapidly after ICG injection, then became more gradual, reaching a near-plateau after 15 min. A significant correlation was seen between ICGK and the rate of change of FI up to 15 min (|rS| = 0.5725, p < 0.05). Conclusion: This is the first report to show a relationship between liver function and fluorescent signals on the liver surface after intravenous ICG injection. Intraoperative NIR fluorescence imaging with ICG may be useful as a new method for assessing liver function.
On the Social Life and Motivational Changes of Aging Monkeys
Authors: Fischer Julia
Published: June 2017

Although nonhuman primates have been used in biomedical research to develop a better understanding of physiological aging processes, their value as models for studying age-related differences in motivation, cognition, and decision-making has only recently been appreciated. This paper reviews the state of the art, with a focus on a recent study on Barbary macaques. A number of studies reported that with increasing age, Old World monkeys spend more time resting, have fewer social partners, and/or spend less time in social interactions, though other studies found no such effects. Less was known about changes in cognitive performance and shifts in interest in the physical and social environment across age. A recent comprehensive study of motivational changes in a large age-heterogeneous population of Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) living at “La Forêt des Singes” in Rocamadour explicitly tested predictions from social selectivity theory, which posits that in light of a shrinking future time perspective, humans become increasingly selective in terms of their social interactions. Given that nonhuman primates most likely have no conception of their limited lifetime, this allowed disentangling the effects of cognitive insights and basal physiological processes that contribute to changes in the valuation of different activities. The Barbary macaques under study revealed marked and differential motivational shifts with age: while they interacted with fewer social partners, they continued to attend to social information. In contrast, they revealed a marked loss of interest in novel objects in early adulthood, unless these were baited with a food reward. Some of the motivational changes observed during human aging may thus be shared with our closest living relatives. The awareness of a limited future time perspective in humans may enhance the effects of these ancestral processes, but it does not appear to be the only explanation. Future studies should employ a broader array of different cognitive tests to delineate the trajectories of different cognitive processes such as attention, memory, and behavioral flexibility more clearly. Taken together, an evolutionary developmental psychology perspective that combines life span psychology with evolutionary biology appears to be a promising avenue for investigations of age-related changes in motivation and cognition.
An Elevated High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Level Is Associated with Unfavorable Functional Outcomes of Small-Artery Occlusion in Patients without Diabetes
Authors: Gao Yuan , Liu Ji , Wang Wanjun , Gao Chunlin , Yu Changshen , Liu Shoufeng , Wu Jialing
Published: June 2017

Background: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is associated with a risk of causing diabetes mellitus and ischemic stroke. However, the association between hs-CRP levels and functional outcome after small-artery occlusion (SAO) is unknown. Methods: Data for 836 patients diagnosed with SAO were collected from the Department of Neurorehabilitation of Huanhu Hospital. Hs-CRP values were classiﬁed according to quartiles (<0.67, 0.67 to <1.46, 1.46 to <3.46, and ≥3.46 mg/L). We examined the relationship between hs-CRP levels on admission and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores using univariate and multivariate analyses. We further performed subgroup analyses of patients with and without diabetes. Results: Patients in the highest hs-CRP quartile had a significantly higher risk of an unfavorable outcome. In the non-diabetes subgroup, the elevated hs-CRP quartiles were associated with higher mRS scores. In the diabetes subgroup, no statistically significant association was observed between hs-CRP levels and mRS. Conclusions: Elevated hs-CRP level on admission was associated with a poor functional outcome 3 months after SAO, especially among nondiabetes patients. However, no significant associations were observed in patients with diabetes.
Prediction of Adult Dyslipidemia Using Genetic and Childhood Clinical Risk Factors
Authors: Nuotio Joel , Pitkänen Niina , Magnussen Costan G. , Buscot Marie-Jeanne , Venäläinen Mikko S. , Elo Laura L. , Jokinen Eero , Laitinen Tomi , Taittonen Leena , Hutri-Kähönen Nina , Lyytikäinen Leo-Pekka , Lehtimäki Terho , Viikari Jorma S. , Juonala Markus , Raitakari Olli T.
Published: June 2017

Background—

Dyslipidemia is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. We examined whether the addition of novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms for blood lipid levels enhances the prediction of adult dyslipidemia in comparison to childhood lipid measures.

Methods and Results—

Two thousand four hundred and twenty-two participants of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study who had participated in 2 surveys held during childhood (in 1980 when aged 3–18 years and in 1986) and at least once in a follow-up study in adulthood (2001, 2007, and 2011) were included. We examined whether inclusion of a lipid-specific weighted genetic risk score based on 58 single-nucleotide polymorphisms for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 71 single-nucleotide polymorphisms for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and 40 single-nucleotide polymorphisms for triglycerides improved the prediction of adult dyslipidemia compared with clinical childhood risk factors. Adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, physical activity, and smoking in childhood, childhood lipid levels, and weighted genetic risk scores were associated with an increased risk of adult dyslipidemia for all lipids. Risk assessment based on 2 childhood lipid measures and the lipid-specific weighted genetic risk scores improved the accuracy of predicting adult dyslipidemia compared with the approach using only childhood lipid measures for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve 0.806 versus 0.811;
P
=0.01) and triglycerides (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve 0.740 versus area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve 0.758;
P
<0.01). The overall net reclassification improvement and integrated discrimination improvement were significant for all outcomes.

Conclusions—

The inclusion of weighted genetic risk scores to lipid-screening programs in childhood could modestly improve the identification of those at highest risk of dyslipidemia in adulthood.
Long-Term Improvements After Multimodal Rehabilitation in Late Phase After Stroke
Authors: Bunketorp-Käll Lina , Lundgren-Nilsson Åsa , Samuelsson Hans , Pekny Tulen , Blomvé Karin , Pekna Marcela , Pekny Milos , Blomstrand Christian , Nilsson Michael
Published: June 2017

Background and Purpose—

Treatments that improve function in late phase after stroke are urgently needed. We assessed whether multimodal interventions based on rhythm-and-music therapy or horse-riding therapy could lead to increased perceived recovery and functional improvement in a mixed population of individuals in late phase after stroke.

Methods—

Participants were assigned to rhythm-and-music therapy, horse-riding therapy, or control using concealed randomization, stratified with respect to sex and stroke laterality. Therapy was given twice a week for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was change in participants’ perception of stroke recovery as assessed by the Stroke Impact Scale with an intention-to-treat analysis. Secondary objective outcome measures were changes in balance, gait, grip strength, and cognition. Blinded assessments were performed at baseline, postintervention, and at 3- and 6-month follow-up.

Results—

One hundred twenty-three participants were assigned to rhythm-and-music therapy (n=41), horse-riding therapy (n=41), or control (n=41). Post-intervention, the perception of stroke recovery (mean change from baseline on a scale ranging from 1 to 100) was higher among rhythm-and-music therapy (5.2 [95% confidence interval, 0.79–9.61]) and horse-riding therapy participants (9.8 [95% confidence interval, 6.00–13.66]), compared with controls (−0.5 [−3.20 to 2.28]);
P
=0.001 (1-way ANOVA). The improvements were sustained in both intervention groups 6 months later, and corresponding gains were observed for the secondary outcomes.

Conclusions—

Multimodal interventions can improve long-term perception of recovery, as well as balance, gait, grip strength, and working memory in a mixed population of individuals in late phase after stroke.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL: http//www.ClinicalTrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01372059.
Estimation of apparent survival probability of the harvestman Paranemastoma sillii sillii (Herman, 1871) from two caves
Authors: Plăiaşu Rodica , Ozgul Arpat , Schmidt Benedikt R. , Băncilă Raluca I.
Published: June 2017

Reliable estimates of population parameters are lacking for most cave-dwelling species. This lack of knowledge may hinder the appropriate management of caves and populations of cave-dwelling species. Using monthly capture-recapture data and Cormack-Jolly-Seber models, we (i) estimated the apparent survival of individuals in two cave populations of the harvestman Paranemastoma sillii sillii (Herman, 1871) from the Mehedinti Mountains in south-western Romania; (ii) investigated temporal variation in apparent survival; (iii) tested if surface weather conditions affect apparent survival of cave-dwelling harvestmen through their influence upon cave environmental conditions and (iv) tested for sex differences in apparent survival. Our results show that the apparent monthly survival estimates were high for both studied cave populations and there was a significant sex effect on survival. Males had lower survival than females, and the survival difference between caves was larger in males than in females. Temporal (i.e., monthly) variation in apparent survival was low and the weather conditions at the surface had little influence on apparent survival as the environment inside the caves is well buffered against weather fluctuations outside the caves. Our results indicate that caves stabilize survival of facultative cave-dwelling species and may serve as microrefugia for epigean species. We suggest that caves should be considered for conservation because they may serve as a refuge for some epigean species during harsh weather conditions.
Alberico Gentili’s De iure belli: An Absolutist’s Attempt to Reconcile the jus gentium and the Reason of State Tradition
Authors: Vergerio Claire
Published: June 2017

Based on a detailed analysis of Gentili’s use of sources in De iure belli, this article argues that Gentili’s famous treatise on the laws of war is an incongruous attempt at reconciling an absolutist conception of sovereignty and a strong penchant for reason of state principles with an enduring commitment to the language of natural law and to its centrality in ordering relations between sovereigns.
The Legal Relationship between Terrorism and Transnational Crime
Authors: Saul Ben
Published: June 2017

This article examines the legal relationship between terrorism and other transnational crimes. It considers how terrorist groups instrumentally commit other transnational crimes in order to support their terrorist activities, as well as when terrorist acts can qualify as other transnational crimes. The overlap and differentiation between terrorism and transnational organised crime is explored by reference to the un Transnational Organised Crime Convention 2000 (untoc) and its three protocols on human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and firearms trafficking. In particular, the article examines the distinction between politically motivated terrorism and the financial or material benefit that is central to the definition under the untoc. Beyond the untoc, the article then investigates the relationship between terrorism and a cluster of more disparate transnational crimes, including drug trafficking, illicit trafficking in cultural property, illicit exploitation of natural resources and environmental crimes, and kidnapping for ransom. The article identifies gaps in existing legal regimes.
Collapsing Legitimacy: How the Crime of Aggression Could Affect the icc’s Legitimacy
Authors: Cowell Frederick , Magini Ana Leticia
Published: June 2017

The International Criminal Court (icc) will gain the capacity to prosecute the crime of aggression in 2017. The Amendments to the Rome Statute are the product of a political compromise and have a complex legal structure with a high definitional threshold for an act of aggression alongside a bespoke jurisdictional arrangement. This legal structure is likely to mean that very few acts of aggression are considered crimes. Even when acts of aggression pass the threshold set out in the amendments, it is highly likely that any such prosecution would not succeed. This article argues that this is likely to significantly impact the legitimacy of the icc as an organization. To understand this, it is necessary to look at the different meanings of legitimacy before examining how the way in which the law is configured could undermine the political legitimacy of the organization as a whole.
The Radical Application of the Islamist Concept of Takfir
Authors: Badar Mohamed , Nagata Masaki , Tueni Tiphanie
Published: June 2017

The ideology and actions of certain militant groups in the Middle East are often condemned as a perversion of Islamic precepts. In order to achieve a theologically ideal society, these groups espouse takfirism, a minority ideology that endorses violence, and in particular advocates the killing of other Muslims who are declared to be unbelievers. These groups justify their words and deeds with direct quotations from the Qur’an and the Sunna, which are the sources of Islamic law (Shari‘a), as well as by citing historical precedents such as the Khawarij movement and Ibn Taymiyya’s fatawa. This article aims to analyse how these groups (and in some cases state actors) defend their actions in legal terms and how mainstream Islamic scholars respond to what they consider to be doctrinal deviations.
In the Search of an Appropriate Legal Framework to Prevent Environmental Risks Caused by Navigation in the Black Sea
Authors: Oanta Gabriela A.
Published: June 2017

This article addresses the legal framework pertaining to navigation in the Black Sea (including the Turkish Straits System) – which is currently one of the busiest trade routes globally – and its implications for the protection and preservation of the marine environment in this region. This framework is a comprehensive and complex system that is based, on the one hand, upon norms established by different global diplomatic conferences and international organizations that are therefore also applicable to the Black Sea and its coastal States; on the other hand, the regional cooperation fora for the Black Sea have also created specific standards for the region. In addition, the implications of the delimitation of maritime areas in the Black Sea and the international responsibility of States in the field of marine pollution caused by navigation will also be examined.
Safeguarding the Environment? The Effectiveness of Amicus Curiae Submissions in Investor-State Arbitration
Authors: Lin Wei-Chung
Published: June 2017

Although amicus curiae participation in investor-state arbitration is important in bringing different insights into the settlement of investment disputes, which often involve issues of public concern, little research has been conducted into the extent to which amicus curiae submissions have had the substantial impact on the outcome of the disputes. Using three cases which involved challenges to the host states’ environmental measures as examples, this paper identifies the approaches amici curiae have taken to advance their environmental arguments, and examines whether these arguments have been considered and addressed by arbitral tribunals.
Ḥalabi Arabic as a Contact Dialect in Jerusalem
Authors: Shachmon Ori
Published: June 2017

This essay presents the main characteristics of a variety of Jerusalem Arabic, which was spoken in Jerusalem in the first half of the 20th century by Jews of North-Syrian origin, and also by others who conformed to this way of speech. The description provided is based on new evidence collected in 2012–2013 through interviews with elderly Jews who grew up in Jerusalem in the 1930s and 1940s. Growing up in mandatory Jerusalem, they mixed and socialized freely with their Christian and Muslim neighbors. Many of them heard the Arabic dialect of Aleppo at home, yet their home-dialect went through processes of linguistic accommodation, resulting in a contact variety which evidently differs from standard Jerusalem Arabic. Throughout this article I discuss a series of distinctive phonological, morphological, and lexical features, and discuss them vis-à-vis the standard dialect of Jerusalem and also in comparison with Aleppo Arabic. While many differences follow from the retention of substrate features in the language of the immigrants, this Jewish variety is by no means identical to any Syrian dialect. Rather, it is a contact dialect which emerged after the immigration to Jerusalem and which differs from Syrian Arabic in several prominent aspects. The linguistic analysis of the materials demonstrates the spread of features of the local dialect at the expense of others, as well as the emergence of fudged linguistic forms, which are identical neither to those of the local standard nor to those of the input dialect.

The last section of this essay offers two full-length texts, demonstrating the Ḥalabi variety of Jerusalem Arabic (hereafter:ḥja) in its natural context.
Diglossia among French Sephardim as a Motivation for the Genesis of ‘Judeo-Gascon’
Authors: Nahon Peter
Published: June 2017

This article sheds new light on the linguistic identity of the so-called ‘Portuguese Jews’ of Gascony. According to the currently-accepted historical reconstruction, after being Spanish-speaking during the first centuries of their settlement in France, these communities all adopted standard French towards the end of the 18th century. However, their linguistic legacy has been misinterpreted: Spanish was a mere written tongue, used by learned members of the communities until the 18th century, whereas Gascon, the local vernacular, was spoken. This situation of diglossia, paralleling that of the local Christian inhabitants, who wrote in French yet spoke Gascon, resulted in differentiation of the common language of both communities, with the emergence of a distinctive Jewish variety. Now mostly obsolescent, this ‘Jewish’ language is being recovered through intensive study of textual evidence – samples of which are provided here along with some of our theories.
Lectotypification of the Linnaean name Amaryllis lutea (Amaryllidaceae)
Authors: FERRER-GALLEGO P. PABLO , LAGUNA EMILIO
Published: June 2017

The genus Sternbergia Waldstein & Kitaibel (1804: 172) (Amaryllidaceae J.St.-Hil.) consists of 8 species, most of them having yellow flowers and autumnal flowering (Mathew 1983, Kamari & Artelari 1990, Artelari & Kamari 1991). The genus is distributed from the Mediterranean to the Caucasus, North Persia and mountains of Central Asia (Webb 1980, Mathew 1983). Sternbergia lutea (Linnaeus 1753: 292) Ker-Gawl. ex Sprengel (1825: 57) is a bulbous perennial plant with leaves up to 15 mm wide, subentire to minutely crenulate, appearing before or during anthesis, scape 4–10 cm at anthesis, the upper part not concealed, hypanthial tube (2–)5–8 mm, obconical, perianth-segments 4–15 mm wide, linear to oblong-elliptical (Webb 1980, Morales & Castillo 2004, Gage & Wilkin 2008, Aedo & Morales 2013), it is distributed from S. Europe, North Africa to W. Asia (Webb 1980, Conti et al. 2005, Aedo & Morales 2013). This plant is cultivated since ancient times as ornamental, but its cultivation is not very common (Morales & Castillo 2004).
Rediscovery and sectional placement of Croton ichthygaster (Euphorbiaceae), a rare species from southern Brazil
Authors: PEREIRA AMANDA DA PAIXÃO NORONHA , RIINA RICARDA , CARUZO MARIA BEATRIZ ROSSI
Published: June 2017

Croton ichthygaster is a rare shrubby species from the states of Paraná and Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. We collected new specimens from a recently found population in Santa Catarina. This allowed us to record previously unknown morphological characters for the species and infer its sectional placement in the current Croton classification, namely sect. Adenophylli. We provide an emended description of C. ichthygaster and a key to distinguish it from morphologically similar Croton species occurring in its geographic range.
Manihot macrocarpa (Euphorbiaceae), an unusual rain forest species from Brazil
Authors: MARTINS MÁRCIO LACERDA LOPES , CARVALHO PAULO CEZAR LEMOS DE , LEDO CARLOS ALBERTO DA SILVA , AMORIM ANDRÉ MÁRCIO
Published: June 2017

Manihot macrocarpa is described and illustrated. This species resembles M. compositifolia because of its lianescent habit and indehiscent fruits, but differs by its simple, unlobed leaves and orbicular fruits (vs. compound, [3–]5[–7]-foliolate leaves and ellipsoid fruits in M. compositifolia). Manihot macrocarpa occurs in areas of rain forest in southern Bahia State. It is considered endangered (EN B1) because it has an extent of occurrence smaller than 5,000 km2 and is known from no more than five locations. A key to Manihot species with indehiscent fruits and comments about the new species are provided.
A new species of Obba (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) from Thailand
Authors: REN GUANG-JUAN , THAWTHONG ANAN , HYDE KEVIN-DAVID , WU FANG
Published: June 2017

Obba thailandica sp. nov. is described and illustrated from northern Thailand based on evidence from morphological characteristics and molecular data. The species produces annual, resupinate, white and waxy fresh basidiocarps, which become bone hard when dry, and has a very thin subiculum (< 0.1 mm), tomentose tube openings, weakly dextrinoid hyphae, variably shaped cystidioles, thin-walled and subglobose to globose basidiospores (4.8–5.8 × 4–4.9 μm) mostly with a large guttule and grows on charred pine wood. The new taxon is rather similar to O. rivulosa in both morphology and ecology, but O. rivulosa has fragile tubes when dry, a thick subiculum (up to 1 mm wide), smooth tube openings, indextrinoid hyphae, rhomboidal to irregular rosettes crystals on the tramal hyphae and long basidia (16–27 × 6–9.5 µm). In the phylogeny inferred from an ITS dataset, the new species forms a distinct lineage in the Obba clade and is closely related to O. rivulosa.
A new species and a new range extension in Hieracium sect. Cernua (Asteraceae) from Romania
Authors: SZELĄG ZBIGNIEW
Published: June 2017

Hieracium joannei, a new, apomictic species in H. sect. Cernua is described from the Şureanu Mountains, Southern Carpathians, Romania, and illustrated with photos of the holotype and living plants in the locus classicus. Hieracium zanogae (= H. tubulare), previously considered to be endemic to the Retezat Mountains, has been found in the Parâng Mountains. This is the easternmost occurrence of the species, disjoined ca 50 km from the nearest localities in the Retezat Mountains. A key for the species of H. sect. Cernua in Romania is provided.
Deep-sea ascidians from Papua New Guinea
Authors: MONNIOT FRANÇOISE , LÓPEZ-LEGENTIL SUSANNA
Published: June 2017

Four deep-sea ascidian species collected during the KAVIENG 2014 expedition in Papua New Guinea are described, including additional characteristics not reported previously. Fimbrora calsubia is classified within the family Ascidiidae, Dicopia fimbriata and Octacnemus bythius within Octacnemidae, and Culeolus recumbens within Pyuridae. Anatomical observations confirmed previous descriptions for these four species collected elsewhere. Here, we describe additional morphological features for these species and provide the first barcode DNA sequences (based on a fragment of the mitochondrial gene Cytochrome Oxidase I) for D. fimbriata and C. recumbens.
Descriptions of four new sponge-inhabiting barnacles (Thoracica: Archaeobalanidae: Acastinae)
Authors: YU MENG-CHEN , KOLBASOV GREGORY A. , HOSIE ANDREW M. , LEE TSE-MIN , CHAN BENNY K.K.
Published: June 2017

Within the family Archaeobalanidae, the sponge-inhabiting barnacles include species from the subfamilies Acastinae and Bryozobiinae as well as from the genus Membranobalanus in the subfamily Archaeobalaninae. Members of these groups are obligatory symbionts of poriferans, but the Acastinae can also be found in association with alcyonaceans and antipatharians. Acasta sulcata Lamarck, 1818, is one of the most widely reported sponge-inhabiting barnacle species, with numerous records across the Indo-West Pacific region revealing significant morphological variation. A combined morphological and molecular approach has revealed high diversity in recent collections of sponge-inhabiting barnacles in Taiwan and Australia, and four new species, namely Acasta aspera sp. nov., Acasta huangi sp. nov., Acasta radenta sp. nov., and Acasta undulaterga sp. nov., have been described here. All four species are morphologically close to A. sulcata, and the morphological similarity between these proposed species has led to the proposal of a “sulcata species complex.”
Evaluation of the AMPS Boundary Layer Simulations on the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica, with Unmanned Aircraft Observations
Authors: Wille Jonathan D. , Bromwich David H. , Cassano John J. , Nigro Melissa A. , Mateling Marian E. , Lazzara Matthew A.
Published: June 2017

Accurately predicting moisture and stability in the Antarctic planetary boundary layer (PBL) is essential for low-cloud forecasts, especially when Antarctic forecasters often use relative humidity as a proxy for cloud cover. These forecasters typically rely on the Antarctic Mesoscale Prediction System (AMPS) Polar Weather Research and Forecasting (Polar WRF) Model for high-resolution forecasts. To complement the PBL observations from the 30-m Alexander Tall Tower! (ATT) on the Ross Ice Shelf as discussed in a recent paper by Wille and coworkers, a field campaign was conducted at the ATT site from 13 to 26 January 2014 using Small Unmanned Meteorological Observer (SUMO) aerial systems to collect PBL data. The 3-km-resolution AMPS forecast output is combined with the global European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts interim reanalysis (ERAI), SUMO flights, and ATT data to describe atmospheric conditions on the Ross Ice Shelf. The SUMO comparison showed that AMPS had an average 2–3 m s−1 high wind speed bias from the near surface to 600 m, which led to excessive mechanical mixing and reduced stability in the PBL. As discussed in previous Polar WRF studies, the Mellor–Yamada–Janjić PBL scheme is likely responsible for the high wind speed bias. The SUMO comparison also showed a near-surface 10–15-percentage-point dry relative humidity bias in AMPS that increased to a 25–30-percentage-point deficit from 200 to 400 m above the surface. A large dry bias at these critical heights for aircraft operations implies poor AMPS low-cloud forecasts. The ERAI showed that the katabatic flow from the Transantarctic Mountains is unrealistically dry in AMPS.
The Sensitivity of Urban Meteorology to Soil Moisture Boundary Conditions: A Case Study in Melbourne, Australia
Authors: Jacobs Stephanie J. , Gallant Ailie J. E. , Tapper Nigel J.
Published: June 2017

The sensitivity of near-surface urban meteorological conditions to three different soil moisture initialization experiments under heat-wave conditions is investigated for the city of Melbourne, Australia. The Weather Research and Forecasting Model is used to simulate a domain over Melbourne and its surrounding rural areas. The experiments employ three suites of simulations. Two suites initialize the model with soil moisture from the top layer of the ERA-Interim soil moisture data with a 3-month and 24-h coupled spinup period, respectively. The third suite initializes the model with the arguably more realistic soil moistures from the Australian Water Availability Project (AWAP), which are an order of magnitude drier than the ERA-Interim data, again using a 24-h spinup period. The simulations employing the AWAP data are found to have smaller errors when compared with observations, with biases in urban maximum temperature reduced by 4.1°C and biases in the skin temperature reduced by 3.0°C relative to the biases of the 3-month-spinup experiment. Despite urban areas only having a small proportion of soil-covered surfaces, the results show that urban soils have a greater influence on urban near-surface temperatures at night, whereas rural soils have a greater influence on urban near-surface temperatures during the daytime.
Asymmetric Response of the Equatorial Pacific SST to Climate Warming and Cooling
Authors: Liu Fukai , Luo Yiyong , Lu Jian , Garuba Oluwayemi , Wan Xiuquan
Published: June 2017

The response of the equatorial Pacific Ocean to heat fluxes of equal amplitude but opposite sign is investigated using the Community Earth System Model (CESM). Results show a strong asymmetry in SST changes. In the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP), the warming responding to the positive forcing exceeds the cooling response to the negative forcing, whereas in the western equatorial Pacific (WEP) it is the other way around and the cooling surpasses the warming. This leads to a zonal dipole asymmetric structure, with positive values in the east and negative values in the west. A surface heat budget analysis suggests that the SST asymmetry mainly results from the oceanic horizontal advection and vertical entrainment, with both of their linear and nonlinear components playing a role. For the linear component, its change appears to be more significant over the EEP (WEP) in the positive (negative) forcing scenario, favoring the seesaw pattern of the SST asymmetry. For the nonlinear component, its change acts to warm (cool) the EEP (WEP) in both scenarios, also favorable for the development of the SST asymmetry. Additional experiments with a slab ocean confirm the dominant role of ocean dynamical processes for this SST asymmetry. The net surface heat flux, in contrast, works to reduce the SST asymmetry through its shortwave radiation and latent heat flux components, with the former being related to the nonlinear relationship between SST and convection, and the latter being attributable to Newtonian damping and air–sea stability effects. The suppressing effect of shortwave radiation on SST asymmetry is further verified by partially coupled overriding experiments.
Cinema e televisione, da conflitto a sinergia: La mafia uccide solo d’estate di Pier Francesco Diliberto
Authors: Paparcone Anna
Published: June 2017

Il rapporto della televisione con il cinema è stato spesso considerato in termini di opposizione. Questo saggio analizza La mafia uccide solo d’estate (2013), opera prima di Pier Francesco Diliberto, con un occhio a entrambi i mezzi e senza gerarchie di valore precostituito, e si prefigge di illustrare come il film punti a un superamento della dicotomia cinema–TV. Esso infatti si presenta come un prodotto artistico originale, creato a partire da una contaminazione di generi e forme che coniuga un formato cinematografico più convenzionale impiegato in film sulla mafia con delle tecniche di ripresa e montaggio televisivo tipiche de Il Testimone, il celebre programma di Diliberto su MTV. Il film è un pastiche di modi e forme ma non nel senso postmoderno del termine poiché La mafia uccide solo d’estate, attraverso referenti specifici (targhe sui muri, fotografie, immagini di repertorio, spazio urbano) trascende il gioco postmoderno e non si limita a una circolazione arbitraria dei segni (in particolare il segno “mafia”). È chiaro che se da un lato il film mette in discussione la scarsa referenzialità della TV, dall’altro utilizza in maniera cosciente il mezzo televisivo con alcune delle sue tecniche più consolidate, mettendolo in gioco con dei segni definiti.