bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leprosy Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (LPEP) programme: study protocol for evaluating the feasibility and impact on case detection rates of contact tracing and single dose rifampicin
Authors: Barth-Jaeggi Tanja , Steinmann Peter , Mieras Liesbeth , van Brakel Wim , Richardus Jan Hendrik , Tiwari Anuj , Bratschi Martin , Cavaliero Arielle , Vander Plaetse Bart , Mirza Fareed , Aerts Ann
Published: November 2016

Introduction

The reported number of new leprosy patients has barely changed in recent years. Thus, additional approaches or modifications to the current standard of passive case detection are needed to interrupt leprosy transmission. Large-scale clinical trials with single dose rifampicin (SDR) given as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to contacts of newly diagnosed patients with leprosy have shown a 50–60% reduction of the risk of developing leprosy over the following 2 years. To accelerate the uptake of this evidence and introduction of PEP into national leprosy programmes, data on the effectiveness, impact and feasibility of contact tracing and PEP for leprosy are required. The leprosy post-exposure prophylaxis (LPEP) programme was designed to obtain those data.

Methods and analysis

The LPEP programme evaluates feasibility, effectiveness and impact of PEP with SDR in pilot areas situated in several leprosy endemic countries: India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Complementary sites are located in Brazil and Cambodia. From 2015 to 2018, contact persons of patients with leprosy are traced, screened for symptoms and assessed for eligibility to receive SDR. The intervention is implemented by the national leprosy programmes, tailored to local conditions and capacities, and relying on available human and material resources. It is coordinated on the ground with the help of the in-country partners of the International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Associations (ILEP). A robust data collection and reporting system is established in the pilot areas with regular monitoring and quality control, contributing to the strengthening of the national surveillance systems to become more action-oriented.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval has been obtained from the relevant ethics committees in the countries. Results and lessons learnt from the LPEP programme will be published in peer-reviewed journals and should provide important evidence and guidance for national and global policymakers to strengthen current leprosy elimination strategies.
EXCELLENCE REPORTING (GREATIX): CREATING A DIFFERENT PARADIGM IN IMPROVING SAFETY AND QUALITY
Authors: Sinton D , Lewis G , Roland D
Published: November 2016

Objectives & Background

The NHS safety culture predominantly focuses on negative events with staff being encouraged to report incidents via online tools such as IR1 or Datix. Obligations in relation to a formal duty of candour further perpetuate a culture based around reporting negative outcomes. While it is vital to learn from errors in healthcare having this as the sole focus results in unintended consequences that positive performance is not recognised and transfer of good practice is delayed.

Methods

In February 2016 after becoming aware of the Birmingham Children's Hospital's “Learning from Excellence” initiative we set up an online GREATix reporting tool at Leicester Royal Infirmary. Any staff member can submit an online nomination if they observe excellent practice from another member of staff or team. The nomination is then reviewed and direct feedback sent to the individual. In addition GREATix themes or valuable learning examples are discussed at our monthly Critically Careful Forum (a multidisciplinary education and governance meeting.) We describe the results and learning from this initiative between 10th February and 30th June 2016.

Results

Initially commenced as a pilot for the Paediatric Emergency Department with minimal publicity we observed a ‘ripple’ effect as nominations spread throughout the wider hospital, and even further afield.

Cascading of interventions that improve patient care, such as use of a hip spica in undisplaced femoral fractures, is an example of the clinical impact the initiative is having. Staff members of all professional backgrounds and multiple specialities have commented on its positive effects and several other centres have contacted us keen to develop a similar system of their own. The ripple effect of GREATix nominations and themes reported are displayed.

Conclusion

A positive reporting system may produce benefits in patient safety without creating a potentially toxic reporting system. While GREATix is not a substitute for incident reporting it adds value in a system that is frequently under-resourced. The real benefits on moral and culture still have yet to be realised but it shows real promise as an improvement tool.

Figure 1
HOW STIGMA FROM THE PUBLIC AND SIGNIFICANT OTHERS AFFECTS SELF-PERCEPTION IN PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS IN HONG KONG: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Authors: MANN STEPHEN KA FAI , CHONG BONNIE BO WAH
Published: November 2016

This study aims to explore the interrelationship between different types of stigma experienced by people with mental illness. A multiple case studies approach was adopted, and semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with ten Chinese with mental illness in Hong Kong. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that the respondents were stigmatized by the public, their significant others, and themselves. Results suggested that stigma from the public and significant others might have remarkable association with self-stigma among the respondents. Moreover, self-stigma might reinforce the sense of powerlessness and the adoption of negative coping strategies. A self-disruptive vicious cycle of stigma of people with mental illness is proposed and discussed.
NEPALESE LIVING IN HONG KONG: SOCIAL EXCLUSION AND HIGHER EDUCATION ENHANCEMENT
Authors: VALENZUELA-SILVA PILAR , CHEUNG MONIT
Published: November 2016

With a focus on research conducted after Hong Kong reunited with China in 1997, this paper documents how the Nepalese immigrants living in Hong Kong processed their decision to either stay in Hong Kong or return to their home country. A review of 40 studies targeting Nepalese immigrants who chose to stay in Hong Kong found that these families were primarily influenced by: 1) their immigration history, including their roles as Gurkhas in the Hong Kong military and their contributions to the local labor force, and 2) their quality of living in Hong Kong versus Nepal. Among these 40 studies, only seven offered statistics with direct input from Nepalese research participants. Their responses show that the three different generations of Nepalese living in Hong Kong, while contributing to the cultural richness in Hong Kong, have experienced profound social exclusion. This article seeks to compile research findings to define issues facing Nepalese in Hong Kong and offers suggested solutions to the question: How can social workers help Nepalese in Hong Kong obtain economic and educational opportunities to enhance their quality of life? Implications for further research and social service interventions are explored with attention to social inclusion and promoting higher education opportunities.
EPS社工介入模式
Authors: 甘 炳光
Published: November 2016

本文主要介紹筆者始創的一個名為EPS的社工介入模式。這個介入模式主要是運用充權(Empowerment)、參與(Participation)和強項角度(Strengths Perspective)三個概念去推行社工的介入方法。本文首先介紹這個模式的三個基本信念，包括：(一) 社會工作的重要目標是去幫助服務對象達致充權；(二) 透過參與才能讓服務對象獲得充權；及(三) 極度相信服務對象有能力及有強項。本文分別闡述充權的概念和作用，分析為何要促進服務對象的參與，剖析達致有意義及高度參與的方法，以及檢視強項角度的信念和重要性。EPS模式認為，社工實踐中一定要將這三個概念 (E、P、S) 緊扣在一起，才能達到社工的理想目標。無論在哪個服務範疇，社工都應該以強項角度去看事物，鼓勵服務對象的參與，從而令他們得到充權。充權是要達到的目標，參與是一個方法，而強項是一個重要的基礎。目標，方法，基礎三樣缺一不可。這個模式指出社工介入的核心元素是採用強項角度去運用參與以達致充權作用。本文最後探討若忽略這三個重要概念或其中一個，社工的介入會出現甚麼問題，並剖析三個概念的互動如何促進社工介入的成效，以及介紹EPS模式在不同領域的應用。

This article introduces a social work intervention model which is called EPS Model and is newly developed by the author. The EPS Model is to apply the following three concepts in social work practice, including Empowerment (E), Participation (P) and Strengths Perspective (S).The article firstly presents the three basic beliefs of the model: (1) the main goal of social work practice is not just to provide services and help people solve problems, but to help people empower themselves; (2) the empowerment goal can be actualized through promoting service user participation and (3) we have to strongly believe that people have strengths and abilities. The article then introduces the concept of empowerment and its functions, discusses why service user participation should be promoted and the effective means of promoting meaningful and greater participation, and examines the faith and importance in strengths perspective. The main characteristics of the EPS Model is to affirm that these three concepts (E, P and S) are inter-related and need to be closely inter-linked. Empowerment should be regarded as the aim of social work practice. Participation is the effective means to achieve empowerment. Strengths perspective is thus regarded as the important basis for social work intervention. The aim, the means and the basis are equally important and neither one can be excluded. This model suggests that social work practice should be based on the strengths perspective and should make use of participation to achieve service users' empowerment. The article finally examines the problems arising from the neglect of any one of the three important concepts, the impact of the interplay of the three concepts on the effect of social work practice and the application of the EPS Model in different service settings.
Understanding Document Semantics from Summaries
Authors: Krishnamurthi Karthik , Panuganti Vijayapal Reddy , Bulusu Vishnu Vardhan
Published: November 2016

Summary of a document contains words that actually contribute to the semantics of the document. Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) is a mathematical model that is used to understand document semantics by deriving a semantic structure based on patterns of word correlations in the document. When using LSA to capture semantics from summaries, it is observed that LSA performs quite well despite being completely independent of any external sources of semantics. However, LSA can be remodeled to enhance its capability to analyze correlations within texts. By taking advantage of the model being language independent, this article presents two stages of LSA remodeling to understand document semantics in the Indian context, specifically from Hindi text summaries. One stage of remodeling is done by providing supplementary information, such as document category and domain information. The second stage of remodeling is done by using a supervised term weighting measure in the process. The remodeled LSA’s performance is empirically evaluated in a document classification application by comparing the accuracies of classification to plain LSA. An improvement in the performance of LSA in the range of 4.7% to 6.2% is achieved from the remodel when compared to the plain model. The results suggest that summaries of documents efficiently capture the semantic structure of documents and is an alternative to full-length documents for understanding document semantics.
Exploring Auditory Graphing Software in the Classroom
Authors: Tomlinson Brianna J. , Batterman Jared , Chew Yee Chieh , Henry Ashley , Walker Bruce N.
Published: November 2016

Students who are visually impaired make up a population with unique needs for learning. Some tools have been developed to support these needs in the classroom. One such tool, the Graph and Number line Input and Exploration software (GNIE), was developed by the Georgia Institute of Technology Sonification Lab. GNIE was deployed for use in a middle school math classroom at the Georgia Academy for the Blind (GAB) for 2 years starting in fall 2012. We interviewed the middle school math teacher throughout the deployment to learn about the challenges faced when teaching: lesson planning, execution, and review. We also observed how these changed when using GNIE compared to traditional teaching materials. During these 2 years, we conducted interviews and focus groups with students to learn about their attitudes toward tactile graphs compared to auditory graphs. With these in mind, we present lessons learned from the use of GNIE in a real-world classroom and implications for design of software to aid graphical learning for students with vision impairments.
Determinants of Organotropic Metastasis
Authors: Smith Heath A. , Kang Yibin
Published: November 2016

The spread of cancer from a primary tumor to distant organ sites is the most devastating aspect of malignancy. Dissemination to specific organs depends upon blood flow patterns and characteristics of the distant organ environment, such as the vascular architecture, stromal cell content, and the biochemical milieu of growth factors, signaling molecules, and metabolic substrates, which can be permissive or antagonistic to metastatic colonization. Metastatic tumor cells possess intrinsic cellular properties selected for adaptation to specific organ environments, where they co-opt growth and survival signals, undergo metabolic reprogramming, and subvert resident stromal cell activities to promote extravasation, immune evasion, angiogenesis, and overt metastatic growth. Recent work and new experimental models of metastatic organotropism are uncovering crucial details of how malignant cells metastasize to specific tissues, revealing key mediators that prepare metastatic niches in specific organs and identifying new targets that offer attractive options for therapeutic intervention.
Social Life in Arid Environments: The Case Study of Cataglyphis Ants
Authors: Boulay Raphaël , Aron Serge , Cerdá Xim , Doums Claudie , Graham Paul , Hefetz Abraham , Monnin Thibaud
Published: November 2016

Unlike most desert-dwelling animals, Cataglyphis ants do not attempt to escape the heat; rather, they apply their impressive heat tolerance to avoid competitors and predators. This thermally defined niche has promoted a range of adaptations both at the individual and colony levels. We have also recently discovered that within the genus Cataglyphis there are incredibly diverse social systems, modes of reproduction, and dispersal, prompting the tantalizing question of whether social diversity may also be a consequence of the harsh environment within which we find these charismatic ants. Here we review recent advances regarding the physiological, behavioral, life-history, colony, and ecological characteristics of Cataglyphis and consider perspectives on future research that will build our understanding of organic adaptive responses to desertification.
Emerging Themes in Our Understanding of Species Displacements
Authors: Gao Yulin , Reitz Stuart R.
Published: November 2016

The displacement of a species from a habitat by actions of another is the most severe outcome of interspecific interactions. This review focuses on recent developments in the understanding of (a) ecological mechanisms that lead to displacements, (b) how outcomes of interspecific interactions are affected by the context of where and when they occur, and (c) impacts of displacements. Displacements are likely to escalate as their primary initiating factors—the spread of non-native species and environmental change—continue at unprecedented rates. Displacements typically result from interactions of multiple mechanisms, not all of which involve direct competition. Various biotic and abiotic factors mediate these mechanisms, so variable outcomes occur when the same species interact in different environments. Though replacement of one species by another has particular relevance to pest management and conservation biology, the cascading effects that displacements have in managed and natural systems are critical to understand.
Computational Learning of Morphology
Authors: Goldsmith John A. , Lee Jackson L. , Xanthos Aris
Published: November 2016

This article reviews research on the unsupervised learning of morphology, that is, the induction of morphological knowledge with no prior knowledge of the language beyond the training texts. This is an area of considerable activity over the period from the mid 1990s to the present. It is of particular interest to linguists because it provides a good example of a domain in which complex structures must be induced by the language learner, and successes in this area have all relied on quantitative models that in various ways focus on model complexity and on goodness of fit to the data.
p-Values: The Insight to Modern Statistical Inference
Authors: Fraser D.A.S.
Published: November 2016

I introduce a p-value function that derives from the continuity inherent in a wide range of regular statistical models. This provides confidence bounds and confidence sets, tests, and estimates that all reflect model continuity. The development starts with the scalar-variable scalar-parameter exponential model and extends to the vector-parameter model with scalar interest parameter, then to general regular models, and then references for testing vector interest parameters are available. The procedure does not use sufficiency but applies directly to general models, although it reproduces sufficiency-based results when sufficiency is present. The emphasis is on the coherence of the full procedure, and technical details are not emphasized.
Comparative Analysis of Gene Regulatory Network Components in the Auditory Hindbrain of Mice and Chicken
Authors: Pawlik Benjamin , Schlüter Tina , Hartwich Heiner , Breuel Saskia , Heepmann Lennart , Nothwang Hans Gerd
Published: November 2016

The neurons in the mammalian and avian auditory hindbrain nuclei share a number of significant morphological and physiological properties for fast, secure and precise neurotransmission, such as giant synapses, voltage-gated K+ channels and fast AMPA receptors. Based on the independent evolution of the middle ear in these two vertebrate lineages, on different embryonic origins of the nuclei and on marked differences on the circuit level, these similarities are assumed to reflect convergent evolution. Independent acquisition of similar phenotypes can be produced by divergent evolution of genetic mechanisms or by similar molecular mechanisms. The distinction between these two possibilities requires knowledge of the gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that orchestrate the development of auditory hindbrain structures. We therefore compared the expression pattern of GRN components, both transcription factors (TFs) and noncoding RNA, during terminal differentiation of the auditory hindbrain structures in mouse and chicken when neurons acquire their final morphological and electrophysiological properties. In general, we observed broad expression of these genes in the mouse auditory cochlear nucleus complex and the superior olivary complex at both postnatal day 4 (P4) and at P25, and for the chicken at the equivalent developmental stages, i.e. embryonic day 13 (E13) and at P14-P17. Our data are in agreement with a model based on similar molecular mechanisms underlying terminal differentiation and maintenance of neuronal cell identity in the auditory hindbrain of different vertebrate lineages. This conservation might reflect developmental constraints arising from the tagmatic organization of rhombomeres and the evolutionarily highly conserved GRNs operating in these structures.
Post-Stroke Fatigue May Be Associated with the Promoter Region of a Monoamine Oxidase A Gene Polymorphism
Authors: Choi-Kwon Smi , Ko Mihye , Jun Sang-Eun , Kim Juhan , Cho Kyung-Hee , Nah Hyun-Wook , Song Hasup , Kim Jong S.
Published: November 2016

Background: Post-stroke fatigue (PSF) is a common sequela of stroke. Despite reports of serotonergic involvement in the etiology of PSF, the potential contribution of serotonergic genes in the development of PSF needs to be investigated. Methods: A total of 373 patients, who experienced ischemic stroke for PSF, were evaluated 3 months after the stroke. PSF was assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale. The genomic DNA collected and stored in a -70°C freezer was genotyped for 6 polymorphisms in genes associated with serotonin synthesis (tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) A218C, TPH2 rs10879355, and TPH2 rs4641528), transport (the promoter region of the serotonin transporter protein), and catabolism (the 30-bp functional variable number tandem repeat) polymorphism in the promoter region of monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A). Results: Among the 373 patients, 164 (44%) had PSF. All patients were ethnic Koreans. Of the 6 polymorphisms examined, only one marker, that is, low-activity MAO-A was associated with PSF (p < 0.05) in female patients. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that post-stroke depression (PSD; 95% CI 1.561-14.323, p = 0.006) and low MAO-A activity (95% CI 0.166-0.722, p = 0.005) were factors associated with PSF in female patients, whereas only PSD (95% CI 5.511-65.269, p = 0.000) was associated with PSF in male patients. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that PSF may be associated with a genetic polymorphism involving MAO-A, at least in female stroke patients.
Synchronous and Metachronous Colon Cancers in Patients with Gastric Cancer: Report of 2 Cases
Authors: Suh Byoung Jo
Published: November 2016

Colorectal cancer is the most common synchronous or metachronous cancer in patients with gastric cancer. I report two cases of synchronous and metachronous colon cancer with gastric cancer. Case 1: A 70-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for the treatment of gastric cancer, which had been diagnosed during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) screening. The recommended preoperative testing was colonofiberscopy (CFS). The CFS revealed a 3-cm ulcerofungating mass, located 20 cm from the anal verge. The pathological report showed a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. Consequently, we performed radical total gastrectomy and low anterior resection simultaneously. There was no recurrence during the 40-month follow-up of this individual on an out-patient basis. Case 2: A 71-year-old man who was treated with laparoscopically assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) due to early gastric cancer underwent regular follow-up examination with EGD and abdominopelvic computed tomography. A CFS performed 5 years after the LADG revealed a polypoid mass in the sigmoid colon. The pathological report showed a villous adenoma with adenocarcinoma in situ. The patient underwent a colonofiberscopic mucosectomy. At 36 months after the endoscopic mucosectomy, the patient remained free of recurrence.
Some biological characteristics and features of the mitotic regime of basal-like breast cancer living in the south-east of Ukrainе
Authors: Pogorеlaya T. Yu. , Shchurov N. F.
Published: November 2016

Current treatment regimens for patients with breast cancer should consider molecular genetic type of tumor. To identify aggressive tumors in medical practice assess the proliferation marker Ki-67 and apoptosis marker p53, but there are no data about its prognostic value in patients BLBC living in the south-east ofUkraine. For low-grade tumors, which include BLBC, characterized by a high degree of mitotic activity. In patients with BLBC in more than 50 % cases there was detected infiltrating ductal carcinoma. The high degree of aggression BLBC in the south-east ofUkraineputs its study on a par with the major problems in oncoecology.
Reactivity changes in the rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes during chronic enterocolitis development
Authors: Lisnyanska N. V. , Marushchak M. I. , Denefil O. V.
Published: November 2016

The results of the integral indices in diagnosis of endogenous intoxication in rats with diabetes and chronic enterocolitis with diabetes are presented. Streptozotocin-induced diabetes and chronic enterocolitis together with diabetes in rats are involved a violation of immunological reactivity. The use of carrageenan on the background of streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats is accompanied by a left shift of leukocyte formula with the increasing of band neutrophils number and appearance of immature lymphocytic cells, the lowest segmented neutrophils and lymphocytosis.
The influence of light exposure on free radical processes in the lungs of rats with pleurisy
Authors: Larycheva O. M.
Published: November 2016

The experiments on male rats demonstrated that under the conditions of pleurisy induced by carrageenan and short melatonin deficit, a significant increase in the level of reactive oxygen species and products of lipid peroxidation in the lungs takes place.
Phytochemical analysis of diuretic collection
Authors: Doroshenko O. H. , Marchyshyn S. M.
Published: November 2016

Chemical composition of diuretic collection was studied. The presence of phenolic substances namely flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acids and coumarines was proved. By HPLC method rutin, hiperoside, isoquercetin, luteolin, apigenin, coumarin, umbelliferon, scopoletin, chlorogenic, rosmarinic and ferulic acids were identified and their content was set.
Carbon nanotubes, their uses and health risks
Authors: Letniak N. Ya. , Korda M. M.
Published: November 2016

The study analyzes the published literature data on key properties of one of the most important nanomaterials,carbon nanotubes. This material has a wide range of applications for biological and medical use. Among them there are visualization of molecular, cellular and tissue structures; construction of biosensors and electrodes; targeted delivery of various substances; and the use in radiation and photothermal therapies. It was demonstrated that depending on the route of administration and the dose, body carbon nanotubes are can be harmful to human body. At the same time, increasing use of this material suggests that further research of its characteristics and their impact on human health is needed.
Review of the monograph "Fundamentals hlikobiolohiyi"
Authors: Korda M. M.
Published: November 2016

"Fundamentals hlikobiolohiyi" written in a professional manner, can be a basic textbook for students of hlikobiolohiyi biomedical specialties. First published in Ukraine, this book provides an impetus for researchers to expand the study glycoconjugates in Ukraine as well. It can be a practical guide to hlikobiolohiyi for researchers and students of scientific, medical, agricultural universities.
RELEER A SAMUEL RAMOS: MITO, MITOMANIA Y ANDROLATRIA
Authors: Cueva Marcos Agustin
Published: November 2016

Este texto parte de las reflexiones del filósofo mexicano Samuel Ramos para mostrar cómo, en la actualidad, en América Latina la religión se sirve del mito para crear el sentimiento de superioridad al que se refería ese autor en 1934, un sentimiento de superioridad que pretende incluso imponerse al europeo. El mito no es inocente y tiene todas las particularidades que lo vuelven apto para hacer pasar el poder del sentimiento de superioridad por algo “natural”. El mito sirve mediante imágenes al poder y un procedimiento que no desconocen los medios de comunicación de hoy, que recuperan este imaginario religioso.
RasGRF Couples Nox4-Dependent Endoplasmic Reticulum Signaling to Ras
Authors: Wu Ru Feng , Liao Chengxu , Hatoum Hadi , Fu Guosheng , Ochoa Cristhiaan D. , Terada Lance S.
Published: November 2016

Objectives—

In response to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, endothelial cells initiate corrective pathways such as the unfolded protein response. Recent studies suggest that reactive oxygen species produced on the ER may participate in homeostatic signaling through Ras in response to ER stress. We sought to identify mechanisms responsible for this focal signaling pathway.

Approach and Results—

In endothelial cells, we found that ER stress induced by tunicamycin activates the NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) oxidase Nox4 focally on the ER surface but not on the plasma membrane. Ras activation is also restricted to the ER, occurs downstream of Nox4, and is required for activation of the unfolded protein response. In contrast, treatment with the growth factor VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) results in Ras activation and reactive oxygen species production confined instead to the plasma membrane and not to the ER, demonstrating local coupling of reactive oxygen species and Ras signals. We further identify the calcium-responsive, ER-resident guanyl exchange factors RasGRF1 and RasGRF2 as novel upstream mediators linking Nox4 with Ras activation in response to ER stress. Oxidation of the sarcoendoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase and increases in cytosolic calcium caused by ER stress are blocked by Nox4 knockdown, and reduction in cytosolic free calcium prevents both Ras activation and the unfolded protein response.

Conclusions—

ER stress triggers a localized signaling module on the ER surface involving Nox4-dependent calcium mobilization, which directs local Ras activation through ER-associated, calcium-responsive RasGRF.
Carriers of the PCSK9 R46L Variant Are Characterized by an Antiatherogenic Lipoprotein Profile Assessed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy—Brief Report
Authors: Verbeek Rutger , Boyer Marjorie , Boekholdt S. Matthijs , Hovingh G. Kees , Kastelein John J.P. , Wareham Nicholas , Khaw Kay-Tee , Arsenault Benoit J.
Published: November 2016

Objective—

Carriers of the
PCSK9
(proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9) R46L genetic variant (rs11591147) are characterized by low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. We studied the impact of the R46L variant on lipoprotein size and composition.

Approach and Results—

Lipoprotein size and composition were measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 2373 participants of the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition)-Norfolk study. After adjusting for age, sex, and cardiovascular disease status, carriers of the R46L variant (n=77) were characterized by lower concentrations of very low–density lipoprotein particles (85.8±26.2 versus 99.0±33.3 nmol/L;
P
<0.001), low-density lipoprotein particles (1479.7±396.8 versus 1662.9±458.3 nmol/L;
P
<0.001), and lipoprotein(a) (11.1 [7.2–28.6] versus 12.4 [6.7–29.1] mg/dL;
P
<0.001) compared with noncarriers. Total high-density lipoprotein particle and very low–density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein particle sizes were comparable in carriers and noncarriers. Carriers were characterized by lower secretory phospholipase A2 (4.2±0.9 versus 4.6±1.3 nmol/mL/min;
P
=0.004) and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity (47.5±14.1 versus 52.4±16.2 nmol/mL/min;
P
=0.02) compared with noncarriers.

Conclusions—

Results of this study suggest that carriers of the
PCSK9
R46L genetic variant have lower very low–density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein particle concentrations, lower lipoprotein(a) levels, and lower secretory phospholipase A2 and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity compared with noncarriers.
Taxing Citizens: Socio-legal Constructions of Late Antique Muslim Identity
Authors: Salaymeh Lena
Published: November 2016

The regulations pertaining to Islamic charity taxation illuminate underappreciated dimensions of how Muslims defined identity boundaries in late antiquity. To demarcate the contours of a historical process of Muslim identity construction, I analyze Islamic jurisprudential debates about who is and who is not obligated to pay the charity tax. Most late antique and medieval jurists made the charity tax incumbent on minors or others lacking full legal capacity, even though these groups were exempt from “for-thedivine” practices. I suggest Muslim citizenship as a framework for understanding late antique Muslim identity. Because charity tax liability had socio-political and economic implications, it functioned simultaneously as a gate into and out of a Muslim community. This article contributes to the discourse on Islamic beginnings by exploring the intricacies of Muslim self-conceptions in late antiquity.
Shīʿī Marriage Law in the Pre-Modern Period: Who Decides for Women?
Authors: Badareen Nayel A.
Published: November 2016

This article addresses the differences between jurists of the three Shīʿī sects – Zaydīs, Ismāʿīlīs, and Twelver Shīʿīs – concerning the marriage contract. In general, Zaydī, Ismāʿīlī, and Twelver jurists agree on three elements of the marriage contract of a woman who is an adult, single, and a virgin (bikr). However, they disagree over certain elements of the contract, the dower, the role of the marriage guardian (walī), the minimum legal age for women to marry, and the role of the adult single woman in concluding her own marriage contract. I examine the varying degrees of agency each Shīʿī sect granted women in contracting their marriages in the period between 900 and 1600 ce I argue that Shīʿī substantive law (fiqh) is as restrictive as Sunnī fiqh regarding a woman’s role in contracting her marriage.
“The Ignorant Do Not Belong to Any Particular Sect”: Legal Practice and Social Identities in Colonial Zanzibar
Authors: Stockreiter Elke E.
Published: November 2016

Omani and British reforms of Zanzibar’s judiciary date back to the 1820s, when the abolition of the slave trade justified Western control of the sultanate’s political economy. The sultan enacted the abolition of slavery as a legal status in 1897, seven years after Zanzibar had become a British protectorate. Through the lens of a 1948 inheritance case, I analyze how colonial judicial reforms shaped the negotiation of grievances and the judges’ interpretations of social equality. As members of the colonial elite, both Muslim and British judges were embedded in a racialized social hierarchy. Their reasoning not only exposes the continuous marginalization of former slaves but also attests to ex-slaves’ ability to assert material power. While a Muslim and a British judge used different hermeneutics, both validated the marriage of a Hadrami water carrier to a former slave, thereby affirming his entitlement to a share of his wife’s estate.
First record of the genus Nitocrella Chappuis, 1923 (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Ameiridae) from India, with a new phreatic species
Authors: Ranga Reddy Y. , Totakura V. R.
Published: November 2016

Nitocrella galassiaen. sp. is described from phreatic waters in Andhra Pradesh state located in southeastern peninsular India. This is the first representative of the genusNitocrellaChappuis, 1923, described from the Indian subcontinent. Following Petkovski’s (1976) revision of the genusNitocrellas. str., the new species is assigned to thechappuisi-group of species. It differs from all other members of this group by a unique combination of the following characters: the male leg 1 basis has a short claw-like inner spine; the second exopodal segment of legs 1-4 has an inner seta; the apical endopodal segment of legs 2 and 4 has a single seta; leg 5 exopod in both sexes has three setae, and the baseoendopodal lobe has three setae in the female and two setae in the male; the male fifth antennular segment has a large aesthetasc; and the caudal ramus is 1.5 times as long as its greatest width and about 0.7 times as long as the anal somite. Among the hitherto known species of thechappuisi-group, the new species shows an allegedly close relationship with the IranianN. petkovskiiPesce, 1980. A brief note on the ecology of the new species is also added.
A new species of the hermit crab genus Pagurus Fabricius, 1775 (Decapoda, Anomura, Paguridae) from the South China Sea
Authors: Han Yuan-Yuan , An Jian-Mei , Sha Zhong-Li
Published: November 2016

A new species of pagurid hermit crab,Pagurus liuisp. nov., is described from the South China Sea. It is most closely similar toPagurus imaii(Yokoya, 1939), but the endopod of the maxillule recurved and the absence of spines on the ventral surface of the propodus of the pereopods can easily distinguish the new species fromP. imaii. The new species is placed in the “capillatus” group ofPagurus.
Wallametopa (Amphipoda, Stenothoidae) from South Africa, with description of a new species
Authors: Zettler Michael L. , Glück Franziska U.
Published: November 2016

A new species of the family Stenothoidae,Wallametopa cylindricasp. nov., is described from samples collected in 2015 in the Knysna Estuary, Western Cape, South Africa. This is the first record of the genusWallametopain South Africa, a genus now being represented by two species found in Africa, Madagascar and Australia.Wallametopa cylindricais closely related to the Australian and MadagascanW. cabonBarnard, 1974, from which it differs by having a distinct cylindrical elongation of the merus of gnathopod 1 in both sexes but more striking in males. Both the basis and the merus of gnathopod 2 are also acutely produced postero-distally. The palmar margin of the propodus of gnathopod 2 in males is strongly, irregularly incised and with a deep, broad excavation (larger male). The dactylus reaches the whole length of the propodus and is densely setose on the inner margin.
“I Will Pour Out My Spirit”: Didymus against Eunomius in Light of John 16:14’s History of Reception
Authors: Plaxco Kellen
Published: November 2016

This article provides an account of Didymus the Blind’s subtle attention to theological nuance and invites readers to reconsider his importance for the theological debates of the late fourth century. The polemical shape of Didymus’s theology of the trinity is underdetermined. This article argues that Didymus responded to Eunomius’s first Apology. The argument takes the shape of a short history of the reception of John 16:14. This verse was used in anti-monarchian tradition to distinguish the Holy Spirit from the Son, but it also led to low pneumatologies that in some cases implied angelomorphic pneumatology. Eunomius’s pneumatology in Apology 25 is a radicalization of this anti-monarchian reading of John 16:14, which Didymus opposed with careful attention to Scripture’s usage of terms for “pouring out.”
Sonus triplex: von Varros Triaden zur Trinität
Authors: Hübner Wolfgang
Published: November 2016

Since his early days Augustine was acquainted with the Varronian triplicity of sound (vocalis, semivocalis—mutus). He employed it even in his Enarrationes in psalmos when explaining the musical instruments mentioned in the Psalter. After having explored the allegorical meaning of the instruments mentioned in particular biblical passages—including the human voice—he interprets their symphony in the final Psalm 150, relating the Varronian triad uoce—spiritu—pulsu to the anthropological triplicity mens—spiritus—corpus as well as to the theological Trinity.
Pachôme et les gnostiques : Sur l’occurrence du terme gréco-copte ⲅⲛⲱⲥϯⲕⲟⲥ dans le corpus pachômien et l’utilisation de l’épithète « gnostique » dans la littérature chrétienne ancienne
Authors: Crégheur Eric
Published: November 2016

This paper examines the apparently unnoticed presence of the Greco-Coptic term “gnostikos” in a text of the Pachomian corpus, one of the only occurrences of the term in the entire indigenous Coptic corpus. After a careful contextualization of the term and its use by Pachomius, we will look at the way it was understood by the ancient authors, from the “invention” of the term by Plato, to its appropriation by Christian writers, notably Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Evagrius of Pontus. We will then see where Pachomius stands regarding his usage of the term “gnostikos” and if this attestation can shed new light on the development and use of the term by the first Christians.
The Disputed Life of the Saintly Ethiopian Kings ʾAbrǝhā and ʾAṣbǝḥa
Authors: Hummel Susanne
Published: November 2016

The discovery of an Amharic document written by a church scholar from the monastery of Dimā Giyorgis in Eastern Goǧǧām (Ethiopia) throws fresh light on the circumstances and disputes behind the composition of the Life of the Ethiopian twin brother kings ʾAbrǝhā and ʾAṣbǝḥa, as well as on the Dǝrsāna ʿUrāʾel (‘Homily of Uriel’). The legendary characters of the Life and the events it narrates, along with its manuscript tradition, are analysed in detail. The Amharic ‘Dimā Document’ together with a royal letter concerning the Dǝrsāna ʿUrāʾel is edited with an annotated English translation.
The Newly Discovered Treatise on Patriarch Nikon in the Cultural and Historical Context of Its Epoch
Authors: Sevastyanova Svetlana K.
Published: November 2016

The newly discovered anonymous treatise on the deposed Patriarch Nikon (1652–1656, † 1681) belongs to the short-lived Russian seventeenth-century theological and political tradition inaugurated by Nikon himself, where the place of the Patriarch was considered as incomparably superior to that of any secular ruler including the tsar of the Muscovite Rus’. The written monuments of this tradition are rare and mostly include (rather little-known, too) works by Nikon. In the present treatise, the tsar is accused that he is the main culprit of all contemporary evils fallen on the Russian Church, whereas the so-called “schismatics” (the Old Believers – those who stood against Nikon’s Church reforms) are only a secondary target of anonymous author’s criticisms. The copying of such a dissident work would have become dangerous in the late 17th century under the first Russian Emperor Peter the Great. Therefore, its copy, the uniquely preserved one, was deliberately “concealed” within a manuscript collection of Nikon’s works.
Identity in Difference: Substance and Nature in Leontius of Byzantium’s Writings
Authors:   Shchukin
Published: November 2016

Dirk Krausmüller believes that Leontius of Byzantium in the first book of his early treatise Contra Nestorianos et Eutychianos supposes the singularity to include three elements: (1) unqualified substrate, (2) set of substantial idioms, and (3) set of hypostatic idioms. In my opinion, this structure looks a little different: (1) substance, which represents the universal without substantial and para-substantial features, (2) nature, which contemplated only with these features and (3) hypostasis. The different usage of the terms “substance” and “nature,” as well as the expressions like “communication by nature” and “junction by substance,” which have a completely distinct meaning, serves as a proof of this basically thesis. Nevertheless, the descriptive model of Contra Nes­torianos et Eutychianos has been somewhat modified in a later treatise Solutio. Leontius of Byzantium suggests that the singularity should include (1) nature or substance in the meaning of species, (2) individual nature, which, besides the natural qualities, includes also the hypostatic ones, (3) hypostasis itself rendering being to the whole described construction. This transformation has been done due to different polemical purposes (?). Leontius of Byzantium tries to justify not the common character of nature, but the way the common nature takes being in the singularity.
The Cosmology of John Damascene and Its Antique Context
Authors: Biriukov Dmitry
Published: November 2016

This article is devoted to the cosmology of John Damascene. The relevant ideas from antique geocentric teachings in cosmology and natural philosophy are summarized and the proximity of Damascene’s views to these teachings is assessed. My conclusion is that the cosmology presented in Damascene is the result of combining elements of Platonic, Aristotelian and Stoic teachings, with the Aristotelian elements tending to prevail. The idea of that Ptolemaic cosmology has an influence on the cosmology of John Damascene is rejected.
The Most Ancient Greek Manuscripts of the Ladder of John Climacus
Authors: Popova Tatiana G.
Published: November 2016

The Byzantine hand-written tradition of the Ladder of Divine Ascent has poorly been studied. The first step in this direction should be the systematic description of all surviving Greek manuscripts of this book. According to the counting of the author, not less than 511 Greek manuscripts from the eighth to the nineteenth century with text of the Ladder were kept. This article is dedicated to the 35 most ancient books, dated from 8th to 10th century. The most ancient Greek manuscripts of the Ladder are available in the libraries of not less than 8 countries (Italy, Greece, Egypt, Russia, England, Germany, France and Israel (Jerusalem).
Thomas Paine’s Republicanism and the French Revolution
Authors: Lounissi Carine
Published: November 2016

This article addresses Paine’s participation in the French Revolution, which has been largely either overlooked or caricatured by most scholars. It examines why the speeches he delivered and the writings he published in France during the various stages of the shift from monarchy to republic are significant and why they should not be merely considered as “a nice footnote to the politics of the Gironde” as Michael Walzer stated. My contention is that Paine’s contribution to the debates on republican institutions and on republican questions at key moments of the French Revolution after 1792 needs to be reappraised and is not marginal even if it has been marginalized. Paine’s viewpoint was seen as important by major agents of the Revolution either because it confirmed their own positions or because it contradicted them, which meant they had to defend these positions, as was the case in 1795 during the debate on the post-Thermidorian Constitution. Paine’s authority was used and exploited by his French political allies as well as by his French opponents. Paine’s republicanism is part of the history of the French Revolution and should be part of its historiography.
Ten new species of Oreophryne (Anura, Microhylidae) from Papua New Guinea
Authors: KRAUS FRED
Published: November 2016

Oreophryne presently represents the second-most-diverse genus of microhylid frogs, with 57 named species, most occurring on New Guinea and its satellite islands. Nonetheless, a diversity of species remains to be described. Using morphological, color-pattern, and advertisement-call data, I describe ten new species of Oreophryne from the Papuan Peninsula of New Guinea and adjacent islands, which together form the East Papuan Composite Terrane. All but two of these species can be placed into two species groups based on call type. I refer to these species groups as the O. anser group and the O. equus group, both being based on species described herein. Members of the O. anser group produce calls reminiscent of a goose honk, whereas members of the O. equus group produce calls reminiscent of a horse’s whinny. Description of three new species in the O. anser group requires me to first rediagnose O. loriae, which has previously been interpreted as including the frogs named herein as O. anser sp. nov. The honk call type has not previously been reported within Oreophryne, and the whinny call may be novel as well, although it is possibly derived from other New Guinean species having calls consisting of a slower series of peeps. Based on their unique call types, I hypothesize that both species groups are monophyletic. If true, each would appear endemic to the East Papuan Composite Terrane. Only five additional species of Oreophryne are known from this region that do not belong to one or the other of these two species groups; hence, these newly identified species groups represent the majority of diversity in Oreophryne from the Papuan Peninsula and its satellite islands.