bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Muscle miRNAome shows suppression of chronic inflammatory miRNAs with both prednisone and vamorolone
Authors: Fiorillo Alyson A. , Tully Christopher B. , Damsker Jesse M. , Nagaraju Kanneboyina , Hoffman Eric P. , Heier Christopher R.
Published: June 2018

Corticosteroids are highly prescribed and effective anti-inflammatory drugs but the burden of side effects with chronic use significantly detracts from patient quality of life, particularly in children. Developing safer steroids amenable to long-term use is an important goal for treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). We have developed vamorolone (VBP15), a first-in-class dissociative glucocorticoid receptor (GR) ligand that shows the anti-inflammatory efficacy of corticosteroids without key steroid side effects in animal models. miRNAs are increasingly recognized as key regulators of inflammatory responses. To define effects of prednisolone and vamorolone on the muscle miRNAome, we performed a preclinical discovery study in the mdx mouse model of DMD. miRNAs associated with inflammation were highly elevated in mdx muscle. Both vamorolone and prednisolone returned these toward wild-type levels (miR-142-5p, miR-142-3p, miR-146a, miR-301a, miR-324-3p, miR-455-5p, miR-455-3p, miR-497, miR-652). Effects of vamorolone were largely limited to reduction of proinflammatory miRNAs. In contrast, prednisolone activated a separate group of miRNAs associated with steroid side effects and a noncoding RNA cluster homologous to human chromosome 14q32. Effects were validated for inflammatory miRNAs in a second, independent preclinical study. For the anti-inflammatory miRNA signature, bioinformatic analyses showed all of these miRNAs are directly regulated by, or in turn activate, the inflammatory transcription factor NF-κB. Moving forward miR-146a and miR-142 are of particular interest as biomarkers or novel drug targets. These data validate NF-κB signaling as a target of dissociative GR-ligand efficacy in vivo and provide new insight into miRNA signaling in chronic inflammation.
Is Mastectomy Oncologically Safer than Breast-Conserving Treatment in Early Breast Cancer
Authors: Riedel Fabian , Hennigs André , Hug Sarah , Schaefgen Benedikt , Sohn Christof , Schuetz Florian , Golatta Michael , Heil Jörg
Published: June 2018

Aim: To describe and discuss the evidence for oncological safety of different procedures in oncological breast surgery, i.e. breast-conserving treatment versus mastectomy. Methods: Literature review and discussion. Results: Oncological safety in breast cancer surgery has many dimensions. Breast-conserving treatment has been established as the standard surgical procedure for primary breast cancer and fits to the preferences of most breast cancer patients concerning oncological safety and aesthetic outcome. Conclusions: Breast-conserving treatment is safe. Nonetheless, the preferences of the individual patients in their consideration of breast conservation versus mastectomy should be integrated into routine treatment decisions.
Early-Life Stress: From Neuroendocrine Mechanisms to Stress-Related Disorders
Authors: Pervanidou Panagiota , Chrousos George P.
Published: June 2018

Stress exposure is highly prevalent in the general population; however, the experience of stress during vulnerable periods of development has substantial and permanent effects on brain structure and function and physical health in adulthood. Stress, the state of threatened homeostasis, is generally associated with a time-limited activation of the stress system, i.e., the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the arousal/sympathetic nervous system, tailored to the stressful stimulus also known as the stressor. On the other hand, chronic stress may be associated with lingering hyper- or hyposecretion of mediators of the stress system. This chronic condition is called dyshomeostasis, allostasis, or cacostasis and is associated with increased mental and physical morbidity in the long term. Stressful or traumatic experiences during fetal life, early childhood, and adolescence have been related to persistent neuroendocrine and epigenetic changes. Further, brain structures involved in the stress response, such as those of the stress system, the hippocampus, and the amygdala, may be programmed early on for a life of adversity.
Distinct Clinical Features and Outcomes in Motor Neuron Disease Associated with Behavioural Variant Frontotemporal Dementia
Authors: Cortés-Vicente Elena , Turon-Sans Janina , Gelpi Ellen , Clarimón Jordi , Borrego-Écija Sergi , Dols-Icardo Oriol , Illán-Gala Ignacio , Lleó Alberto , Illa Isabel , Blesa Rafael , Al-Chalabi Ammar , Rojas-García Ricard
Published: June 2018

Aim: To determine the motor phenotype and outcome in a clinically ascertained group of patients with motor neuron disease (MND) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Methods: This is an observational retrospective clinical study of patients fulfilling the clinical criteria for MND-FTD. A contemporary series of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) without dementia were included for comparison. Demographic, clinical, genetic, and neuropathological data were collected. A descriptive and comparative data analysis was performed. Results: We identified 22 patients with MND-FTD. Selective distal upper limb muscle weakness and atrophy with non-significant lower limb weakness during follow-up was the most frequent motor pattern, present in 18 patients – in 15 of them associated with severe dysphagia. Aspiration pneumonia was the most common cause of death (12/19; 63%) despite gastrostomy. One-third of the patients did not develop upper motor neuron dysfunction. When compared to classic ALS without dementia (n = 162), these features were significantly different. A neuro­pathological examination was performed on 7 patients, and it confirmed the presence of MND with TDP43 protein aggregates in all patients. Conclusions: The MND-FTD patients frequently displayed a distinctive motor pattern characterized by weakness and atrophy in distal upper limb muscles and dysphagia, with no or little spreading to other regions. These features may help to define specific subgroups of patients, which is important with regard to clinical management, outcome, and research.
Assessing Genetic Literacy Awareness and Knowledge Gaps in the US Population: Results from the Health Information National Trends Survey
Authors: Krakow Melinda , Ratcliff Chelsea L. , Hesse Bradford W. , Greenberg-Worisek Alexandra J.
Published: June 2018

Background/Aims: Public understanding of the role of genetics in disease risk is key to appropriate disease prevention and detection. This study assessed the current extent of awareness and use of genetic testing in the US population. Additionally, the study identified characteristics of subgroups more likely to be at risk for low genetic literacy. Methods: The study used data from the National Cancer Institute’s 2017 Health Information National Trends Survey, including measures of genetic testing awareness, genetic testing applications and genetic testing usage. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated associations between sociodemographics, genetic testing awareness, and genetic testing use. Results: Fifty-seven percent of respondents were aware of genetic tests. Testing awareness differed by age, household income, and race/ethnicity. Most participants had heard of using tests to determine personal disease risk (82.58%) or inherited disease risk in children (81.41%), but less were familiar with determining treatment (38.29%) or drug efficacy (40.76%). Among those with genetic testing awareness, actual testing uptake was low. Conclusions: A large portion of the general public lacks genetic testing awareness and may benefit from educational campaigns. As precision medicine expands, increasing public awareness about genetic testing applications for disease prevention and treatment will be important to support population health.
Survival Benefit of Tolvaptan for Refractory Ascites in Patients with Advanced Cirrhosis
Authors: Tajiri Kazuto , Tokimitsu Yoshiharu , Ito Hiroyuki , Atarashi Yoshinari , Kawai Kengo , Minemura Masami , Yasumura Satoshi , Takahara Terumi , Shimizu Yukihiro , Sugiyama Toshiro
Published: June 2018

Aims: The study aimed to evaluate the effects of tolvaptan treatment on survival of patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis with refractory ascites. Methods: This multicenter, retrospective, observational study included patients with cirrhosis who were treated with tolvaptan for hepatic ascites refractory to conventional diuretics. Patients who could and could not decrease accompanying diuretics within 1 month after tolvaptan administration were defined as the “Decreased” and “Not-decreased” groups, respectively. Results: Median body weight change 1 week after tolvaptan treatment was –1.95 kg, with the 50% of patients experiencing a 2 kg/week reduction. Spot urinary sodium was found to be a better predictor of tolvaptan response than liver function and liver fibrosis markers. Median survival was significantly longer (not reached versus 116 days, p = 0.005) and serum creatinine concentrations 12 weeks after tolvaptan administration significantly lower (0.99 vs. 1.55 mg/dL, p < 0.05) in the Decreased than in the Not-decreased group. Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of viable hepatocellular carcinoma (hazards ratio [HR] 2.14, p = 0.02) and a decrease in diuretics were independently prognostic of survival (HR 0.36, p < 0.01). Conclusions: The maintenance of renal function is essential in enhancing survival of patients with cirrhosis. Doses of diuretics should be adjusted appropriately during tolvaptan treatment.
Tumoral Venous Invasion after Distal Pancreatectomy: A Risk Factor for Recurrence
Authors: Joliat Gaëtan-Romain , Petermann David , Demartines Nicolas , Halkic Nermin , Schäfer Markus
Published: June 2018

Background: Few data exist on postoperative outcomes of patients with pancreatic body-tail malignancies and tumoral venous invasion (VI). This study aimed at comparing survival and recurrence rate (RR) after distal pancreatectomy for adenocarcinoma in patients with and without tumoral VI. Methods: All consecutive distal pancreatectomies (2000–2015) were collected. Demographics and peri- and postoperative data were recorded. Survivals were calculated using Kaplan-Meier curves. Results: A total of 45 patients underwent distal pancreatectomies for malignancies, of which 33 patients had ductal adenocarcinomas and 2 had cystadenocarcinomas. Among these 35 adenocarcinomas, histological VI was found in 28 patients (80%). Characteristics and intraoperative data of patients with and without VI were similar. Complication rates were 15 of 28 (54%) in the VI group and 3 of 7 (43%) in the group without VI (p = 0.612). Five-year survival for the group with and without VI were 19 and 39% (p = 0.232), respectively. RR was 16 of 28 (57%) for the VI group and 1 of 7 (14%) for the group without VI (p = 0.042). Conclusion: VI did not have an effect on postoperative ­complications. Survivals were similar in case of VI or not. On the contrary, RR was higher in the VI group.
A Case of Two Sisters Suffering from 46,XY Gonadal Dysgenesis and Carrying a Mutation of a Novel Candidate Sex-Determining Gene STARD8 on the X Chromosome
Authors: Ilaslan Erkut , Calvel Pierre , Nowak Dominika , Szarras-Czapnik Maria , Slowikowska-Hilczer Jolanta , Spik Anna , Sararols Pauline , Nef Serge , Jaruzelska Jadwiga , Kusz-Zamelczyk Kamila
Published: June 2018

Identification of novel genes involved in sexual development is crucial for understanding disorders of sex development (DSD). Here, we propose a member of the START domain family, the X chromosome STARD8, as a DSD candidate gene. We have identified a missense mutation of this gene in 2 sisters with 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis, inherited from their heterozygous mother. Gonadal tissue of one of the sisters contained Leydig cells overloaded with cholesterol droplets, i.e., structures previously identified in 46,XY DSD patients carrying mutations in the STAR gene encoding another START domain family member, which is crucial for steroidogenesis. Based on the phenotypes of our patients, we propose a dual role of STARD8 in sexual development, namely in testes determination and testosterone synthesis. However, further studies are needed to confirm the involvement of STARD8 in sexual development.
Necroptosis in Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Anders Hans-Joachim
Published: June 2018

Background/Aims: Regulated necrosis is an expanding research field with important implications for acute kidney injury (AKI). A focused review of the evolving evidence for necroptosis in AKI, one of several forms of regulated necrosis defines the known and unknown. Methods: A literature search was performed in PUBMED and ScienceDirect between January 1957 and April 2018 using the following keywords: “acute kidney injury,” “necrosis,” “necroptosis,” “necroinflammation.” Results: The necroptosis signaling cascade involves a number of proteins including receptor-interacting protein-1 (RIPK1), RIPK3, and mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL) as well as the MLKL regulator RGMb. The existing experimental evidence in AKI based on mice with genetic deletions of these proteins, more or less specific inhibitory compounds, and diverse experimental AKI models is reviewed. Conclusion: There is broad consistency suggesting a role for necroptosis in AKI, but some studies report divergent evidence potentially relating to the specific model used and the time point of analysis. Mlkl-deficient mice are currently the most specific and reliable experimental tool to study necroptosis in vivo (in kidney disease). The clinical potential of necroptosis inhibition in AKI is to be evaluated, but conceptual problems in AKI definitions and in complex clinical scenarios remain a concern.
Risk Prediction Models for Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill Patients: Opus in Progressu
Authors: Neyra Javier A. , Leaf David E.
Published: June 2018

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complex systemic syndrome associated with high morbidity and mortality. Among critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs), the incidence of AKI is as high as 50% and is associated with dismal outcomes. Thus, the development and validation of clinical risk prediction tools that accurately identify patients at high risk for AKI in the ICU is of paramount importance. We provide a comprehensive review of 3 clinical risk prediction tools that have been developed for incident AKI occurring in the first few hours or days following admission to the ICU. We found substantial heterogeneity among the clinical variables that were examined and included as significant predictors of AKI in the final models. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves was ∼0.8 for all 3 models, indicating satisfactory model performance, though positive predictive values ranged from only 23 to 38%. Hence, further research is needed to develop more accurate and reproducible clinical risk prediction tools. Strategies for improved assessment of AKI susceptibility in the ICU include the incorporation of dynamic (time-varying) clinical parameters, as well as biomarker, functional, imaging, and genomic data.
Albumin Loss and Citrate Load in Pre-Dilution High Cut-Off-CVVHDF with Regional Citrate (18 mmol/L) and High Cut-Off CVVHD with Systemic Heparin: An in vitro Study
Authors: Villa Gianluca , Neri Mauro , De Rosa Silvia , Samoni Sara , Chelazzi Cosimo , Romagnoli Stefano , Lorenzin Anna , de Cal Massimo , Ronco Claudio , De Gaudio Angelo Raffaele
Published: June 2018

Background: Convective therapies with high cut-off membranes (HCO) are usually not recommended because of theoretical excessive albumin loss. The aim of this in vitro study is to demonstrate the noninferior safety of pre-dilution hemodiafiltration with HCO (HCO-CVVHDF) with isotonic citrate anticoagulation (18 mmol/L) with respect to heparin anticoagulated hemodialysis with HCO (HCO-CVVHD) in terms of albumin removal and citrate load. Method: ­Albumin removal was compared in vitro between 3 pre-­dilution-HCO-CVVHDF with citrate anticoagulation and 3 ­HCO-CVVHD with heparin anticoagulation during 30-min single-pass and 180-min recirculation phases. Results: Considering concentrations and flows in the extracorporeal circuit, the transmembrane albumin removal was 2.06 (1.51; 2.09) g and 2.09 (1.9; 2.8) g respectively for HCO-CVVHDF and HCO-CVVHD, during the single-pass phase; 2.8 (2.67; 4.59) g and 2.54 (2.35; 4.67) g, respectively, for HCO-CVVHDF and HCO-CVVHD during the recirculation phase. Based on the citrate saturation coefficients, a citrate metabolic load of 8.86 mmol/h has been calculated for HCO-CVVHDF. Conclusion: HCO-CVVHDF performed with regional anticoagulation with 18 mmol/L citrate solution does not induce higher ­albumin transmembrane removal compared to HCO-CVVHD.
The class: living and learning in the digital era
Authors: Livingstone Sonia
Published: June 2018

This article seeks to understand how, in a highly mediated society, a “digital thread” is established through the personal and social life and in the learning process of young people. For this purpose, an ethnography was carried out with students aged between 13 to 14 years, during a year. The interlinked forms of digital media that young people have used to find spaces of autonomy and personal action have been revealed, while their parents and teachers try to establish digital media in a normative way, shaping young people’s current achievements and future perspectives. This is related to the subtle stimulation of connections and disconnections, often motivating or problematic, present inside their homes and between home and school. The result is that digital media – although it does not necessarily determine the lives of young people – has become an important source of anxiety and conﬂict between generations.
Hábitos midiáticos e ressignificações de estudantes da rede pública
Authors: Baccega Maria Aparecida , Rocha Camilla Rodrigues Netto da Costa
Published: June 2018

Neste artigo temos por objetivo investigar o lugar do campo da comunicação/educação na conformação da realidade social buscando compreender, por um lado, o espaço ocupado pelos meios de comunicação no cotidiano dos estudantes e, por outro, as ressignificações desses estudantes frente à temática da família homoafetiva, pautada pela telenovela. Para tanto, adotamos como itinerário metodológico a abordagem quantitativa para investigar os hábitos midiáticos dos estudantes de duas escolas públicas do Ensino Médio e, posteriormente, a abordagem qualitativa, buscando entender, por meio da análise de discurso de linha francesa (ADF), seus usos e apropriações quanto à telenovela.
CAABL-AF (California Study of Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation)
Authors: Srivatsa Uma N. , Danielsen Beate , Amsterdam Ezra A. , Pezeshkian Nayereh , Yang Yingbo , Nordsieck Eric , Fan Dali , Chiamvimonvat Nipavan , White Richard H.
Published: June 2018

Background:

Ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) is superior to medical therapy for rhythm control. We compared stroke and mortality among patients undergoing ablation for AF to matched controls in a large multiethnic population.

Methods:

Using discharge and surgical records from California nonfederal hospitals, we identified patients who had ablation and principal diagnosis of AF with at least 1 prior hospitalization for AF. We excluded cases with valve disease, open maze, other arrhythmias, or implantable devices. Matched controls were selected based on years of AF diagnosis, age, sex, and being alive the same number of days from the initial AF encounter to the ablation date. Clinical outcomes, including mortality, ischemic stroke, or hemorrhagic stroke, were assessed using a weighted proportional hazard model, adjusting for demographics, prior admissions with AF before the ablation, calendar year, and presence of chronic comorbidities.

Results:

There were 4169 ablation cases and 4169 weighted-matched controls; 39% percent of the ablation group was >65 years, 72% men, 84% white; mean follow-up was up to 3.6±0.9 years. In adjusted models, ablation was associated with significantly lower mortality (per patient-years) 0.9% versus 1.9%, hazard ratio=0.59 (
P
<0.0001; confidence interval: 0.45–0.77); ischemic stroke (>30 days post-ablation ≤5 years), 0.37% versus 0.59%, hazard ratio=0.68 (
P
=0.04; confidence interval: 0.47–0.97); hemorrhagic stroke 0.11% versus 0.35%, hazard ratio=0.36 (
P
=0.001; confidence interval: 0.20–0.64) compared with controls.

Conclusions:

In this large population-based study of hospitalized patients with nonvalvular AF, ablation was associated with lower mortality, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke compared with controls.
Interaction of Localized Drivers and Disorganized Activation in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Kowalewski Christopher A.B. , Shenasa Fatemah , Rodrigo Miguel , Clopton Paul , Meckler Gabriela , Alhusseini Mahmood I. , Swerdlow Mark A. , Joshi Vijay , Hossainy Samir , Zaman Junaid A.B. , Baykaner Tina , Rogers Albert J. , Brachmann Johannes , Miller John M. , Krummen David E. , Sauer William H. , Peters Nicholas S. , Wang Paul J. , Narayan Sanjiv M.
Published: June 2018

Background:

Mechanisms for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) are unclear. We hypothesized that putative AF drivers and disorganized zones may interact dynamically over short time scales. We studied this interaction over prolonged durations, focusing on regions where ablation terminates persistent AF using 2 mapping methods.

Methods:

We recruited 55 patients with persistent AF in whom ablation terminated AF prior to pulmonary vein isolation from a multicenter registry. AF was mapped globally using electrograms for 360±45 cycles using (1) a published phase method and (2) a commercial activation/phase method.

RESULTS:

Patients were 62.2±9.7 years, 76% male. Sites of AF termination showed rotational/focal patterns by methods 1 and 2 (51/55 vs 55/55;
P
=0.13) in spatially conserved regions, yet fluctuated over time. Time points with no AF driver showed competing drivers elsewhere or disordered waves. Organized regions were detected for 61.6±23.9% and 70.6±20.6% of 1 minute per method (
P
=nonsignificant), confirmed by automatic phase tracking (
P
<0.05). To detect AF drivers with >90% sensitivity, 8 to 32 s of AF recordings were required depending on driver definition.

Conclusions:

Sites at which persistent AF terminated by ablation show organized activation that fluctuate over time, because of collision from concurrent organized zones or fibrillatory waves, yet recur in conserved spatial regions. Results were similar by 2 mapping methods. This network of competing mechanisms should be reconciled with existing disorganized or driver mechanisms for AF, to improve clinical mapping and ablation of persistent AF.

Clinical Trial Registration:

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT02997254.
Data-Efficient Design Exploration through Surrogate-Assisted Illumination
Authors: Gaier Adam , Asteroth Alexander , Mouret Jean-Baptiste
Published: June 2018

Design optimization techniques are often used at the beginning of the design process to explore the space of possible designs. In these domains illumination algorithms, such as MAP-Elites, are promising alternatives to classic optimization algorithms because they produce diverse, high-quality solutions in a single run, instead of only a single near-optimal solution. Unfortunately, these algorithms currently require a large number of function evaluations, limiting their applicability. In this article, we introduce a new illumination algorithm, Surrogate-Assisted Illumination (SAIL), that leverages surrogate modeling techniques to create a map of the design space according to user-defined features while minimizing the number of fitness evaluations. On a two-dimensional airfoil optimization problem, SAIL produces hundreds of diverse but high-performing designs with several orders of magnitude fewer evaluations than MAP-Elites or CMA-ES. We demonstrate that SAIL is also capable of producing maps of high-performing designs in realistic three-dimensional aerodynamic tasks with an accurate flow simulation. Data-efficient design exploration with SAIL can help designers understand what is possible, beyond what is optimal, by considering more than pure objective-based optimization.
Charismatic Cultures
Authors: Åkerlund Truls , Tangen Karl Inge
Published: June 2018

While confirming Heuser and Klaus’s twenty-year-old warning about the shadow side of charismatic leadership in pentecostal organizations, the article points out the leader-centric bias in this and similar works and seeks to advance the discussion by addressing charismatic leadership from a structure/agency perspective. Drawing on Margaret Archer’s critical realist framework, the authors go beyond the focus on the sole charismatic leader to suggest that all partners in the leadership relation bear responsibility for avoiding destructive charismatic cultures and promoting ethical agency. The study proposes that it is possible to have forms of charismatic leadership that reflect pentecostal characteristics without being destructive if organizations promote reflexivity, ethical policies and moral accountability, and active followership.
Pentecostal Epistemology, the Problem of Incommensurability, and Creational Hermeneutic
Authors: Shin Yoon
Published: June 2018

This article expounds James K.A. Smith’s pentecostal epistemology, analyzing its characteristics as affective, pretheoretical knowledge and its ambiguous relationship to cognitive, theoretical knowledge, and then correlating this relationship to Smith’s exposition of the problem of incommensurability between pretheoretical transcendence and theoretical immanence. I argue that Smith’s epistemology is partly rooted in Heidegger’s notion of Dasein as being-in-the-world in order to clarify the relationship between the affects and cognition. I then address the problem of incommensurability and argue that Smith’s creational hermeneutic eliminates the problem altogether, healing the ambiguous relationship between affective, pretheoretical knowledge and cognitive, theoretical knowledge that affects his pentecostal epistemology.
Spirit Baptism as a Moral Source in a Secular Age
Authors: Redick Caroline
Published: June 2018

Charles Taylor notes that moderns aspire to high moral standards, such as universal justice and benevolence, but lack the moral resources necessary to fulfill these standards. Instead, the weak motivations of egoism, guilt, and obligation result in hypocrisy or the projection of blame on others when we fail to meet these ideals. Taylor’s work seeks to uncover deep moral sources, such as agape, that make it possible to fulfill these standards. This article will complement Taylor’s excavation of powerful moral resources by arguing that Spirit baptism, understood as intense participation in divine love, is a retrieval of agape as an empowering moral source as well as a way to contact this source through spiritual articulation. It is a particular kind of retrieval that resonates with the modern sense of the self through a language of personal resonance and an elevation of the ordinary person into the extraordinary life.
Morphological characteristics for sexing living adults of Chaetoptelius vestitus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae)
Authors: Ghrissi Ibtihel , Braham Mohamed , Said Imen , LaBonte James R. , Shahan Thomas
Published: June 2018

The pistachio bark beetle, Chaetoptelius vestitus (Mulsant & Rey, 1861) is a serious pest of pistachio trees. Despite its phytosanitary importance, some aspects of its biology are still unclear. For example, determining the sex of this beetle is usually complicated by the lack of a discrete, externally visible gender-specific character. Here, the morphological characteristics of C. vestitus were studied in order to detect discriminative features for sexing living beetles. The shape of the seventh visible tergite effectively enabled the separation of the sexes. This method can be quickly learned, is non-destructive and permits sex determination of living C. vestitus adults with 100% accuracy and without damaging the insects. Sex determination using external morphology was confirmed by dissection under a stereomicroscope and by rearing experiments. These morphological criteria were further successfully verified on insects collected on seven other sites in Tunisia.
The Soul of Historiography
Authors: Fairbrother Daniel
Published: June 2018

This paper argues for a new version of holism about historiography. The argument starts with an analogy with Aristotle’s conceptions of soul and character. The aim is to overcome the central problem critics have identified in Ankersmit’s holism about historical representations: it is not clear how a posited holistic entity can make a difference to a work of history. The solution offered in this paper is that there are two – modally distinct – dimensions of content in works of history. One comprises its explicit content as given in its statements. This corresponds to actuality, action, and narrative in Aristotle. The other is where we find a holistic entity: a work of history’s representation of a historical situation. This is analysed here as a unified range of possibilities for action generated by the interrelated complex of factors introduced by the work’s explicit contents. This corresponds to potentiality, soul, and character in Aristotle. The theory is further developed in relation to two examples, one idealized, the other an example of real historiography. By distinguishing between actuality and possibility as dimensions of a historical representation, the holistic entity is enabled to be implicit while having real importance in relation to the content of historiography.
An Aretaic Jurisprudence Approach to the Character of the Secretary-General of the United Nations as a Norm Entrepreneur to Save the Earth from the Adverse Impact of Climate Change
Authors: Juwita Ratna
Published: June 2018

In 2015, the Paris Agreement was adopted to strengthen the legal continuum to combat climate change. The Secretary-General as the chief administrative, world premier diplomat and norm entrepreneur of the UN has to diplomatically persuade all member States to ratify the international legal instruments. This research suggests that the Secretary-General must possess virtuous character in order to carry on the mandate of the UN Charter, especially as a norm entrepreneur to address the issue of climate change. Aretaic jurisprudence approach is used to interpret further the character that has to be possessed by the Secretary-General. Based on the Aristotelian virtues as the core philosophy of aretaic jurisprudence, the Secretary-General has to possess the virtues of courage and temperance. In the fight against climate change, a virtuous Secretary-General will play the pivotal role as a norm entrepreneur in inviting and persuading all member States to cooperate in unity.
The South China Sea Arbitral Award amidst Shifting Philippine Foreign Policy
Authors: Bautista Lowell
Published: June 2018

The South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal award was an overwhelming legal and moral victory for the Philippines. The arbitral tribunal categorically declared that China’s nine-dash line claim is incompatible with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. However, China’s defiance of the ruling and refusal to honor and implement the award pose a serious challenge to Manila’s victory. In addition, the astonishing shift in Philippine foreign policy direction, alongside the change in government, flouts the arbitral award and undermines previous State policies assertive of Philippine maritime and territorial claims in the South China Sea. The current direction of Philippine-China relations under Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has demonstrated positive signs of improvement compared with acrimonious bilateral relations pursued by the previous Aquino administration. The arbitral award has largely been set aside in the government’s effort to restore amicable economic and diplomatic relations with China. This paper examines the South China Sea arbitral award amidst shifting Philippine foreign policy under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Prevention of Flower Abortion and Leaf Damages in Anemone coronaria by Ca Supplements
Authors: Bernstein Nirit , Sacks Mollie , Snir Piny , Rosenberg Rivka
Published: June 2018

Ca deficiencies induce a range of physiological disorders in plants. The disorders typically appear in young growing tissues that are characterized by high demand for Ca and restricted Ca supply due to low transpiration. In this study, we examined the effect of supplementing Ca by foliar spray and through the irrigation solution to Anemone coronaria plants, in order to evaluate if flower abortions and leaf damages that appear in the production fields are related to Ca deficiencies. With the goal to develop a preventive nutritional regime, four Ca treatments were evaluated. The supplemented Ca was applied with the fertigation solution in the concentrations of 60 or 110 ppm Ca; with the 60 ppm application an additional application of Ca by foliar application was tested in concentrations of 3 g/l Ca or 6 g/l Ca, as Ca(NO3)2. The plants were cultivated in a net-house, in soilless culture (Tuff) beds. Application of 110 ppm Ca compared to 60 ppm with the fertilizing solution increased the concentration of Ca in the leaf tissue, resulting in an increase in the quantity and quality of the flowers. Calcium supply by foliar spray, at both 3 g/l or 6 g/l Ca(NO3)2 caused leaf necrosis and did not improve yield production. Application of 110 ppm Ca reduced the concentrations of Mn, Cl and Na in the leaves. Application of Ca in the irrigation solution, or by foliar spray, did not reduce the percentage of non-marketable flowers. The identified lower concentrations of Ca in damaged compared to non-damaged leaves on the flower stem suggests that the damages to the flowers and the leaves is related to local deficiencies of Ca.
Comprehensive taxonomic, faunistic, biological, and geographic inventory and analysis of the Sciomyzidae (Diptera: Acalyptratae) of the Delmarva region and nearby states in eastern North America
Authors: MURPHY WILLIAM L. , MATHIS WAYNE N. , KNUTSON LLOYD V.
Published: June 2018

Genera and species of Sciomyzidae known from the Delmarva region (Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia) and nearby states are reviewed taxonomically, faunistically, biologically, and geographically. Although restricted to the taxa in that area, this work amounts to a revision of the sciomyzid fauna of that portion of the Nearctic region. Treated are 91 species in 19 genera, i.e. 46% of the 199 species and all but four of the 23 genera of Sciomyzidae known from the Nearctic Region. Included are 67 species in 16 genera from Delmarva and 24 other species in 10 genera from nearby states. Euthycera flavescens (Loew) is resurrected; Renocera cressoni Mathis and Knutson sp. nov. is described from eastern North America; R. amanda Cresson is given new status as a junior synonym of R. longipes (Loew); and Chaetomacera brevis Cresson, R. cyathiformis Melander, R. pacifica Curran, and R. bergi Steyskal are given new status as junior synonyms of R. striata (Meigen). Newly diagnosed are taxonomic categories ranging from family to species level, including the first diagnoses of abdomens of females of many species, where known. Provided for each genus and species are annotated taxonomic/nomenclatorial catalogs of all North American references to all species, with generic combinations noted, with previously unrecorded synonymies as well as North American literature references, illustrations, and information on natural history and morphology of immature stages. Results of cross-mating studies of Dictya are reported and discussed. Provided are label data from examined specimens, lists of Canadian provinces and U.S. states from which reviewed species have been recorded, and detailed maps of geographical distribution of species in Delmarva, with references to previously published maps.
Tettigoniinae (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) from Turkey with key to genera and descriptions of six new species
Authors: ÜNAL MUSTAFA
Published: June 2018

The third part of a study series on the family Tettigoniidae from Turkey and the Middle East Region is presented, which includes only the subfamily Tettigoniinae of Turkey. A key to tribes, genera and subgenera found in Turkey is proposed. The synonymy of the tribe Platycleidini Brunner, 1893 (with Decticini Herman, 1874) is confirmed. Pezodrymadusa striolata ziyaretensis Koçak & Kemal, 2010 [with Pezodrymadusa affinis (I.Bolívar, 1899)], Anadolua rammei Karabağ, 1952 (with Anadolua burri Karabağ, 1952), Psorodonotus rize Kaya et Çıplak, 2014 (with Psorodonotus davisi Karabağ, 1956), Parapholidoptera intermixta Karabağ, 1961 [with Parapholidoptera indistincta (I.Bolívar, 1899)] are synonymized. Parapholidoptera indistincta (I.Bolívar, 1899) is reinstated as an independent species. Six new species, Pezodrymadusa dentata Ünal, sp. nov., Mixodusa retusa Ünal, sp. nov., Platycleis (Squamiana) supericola Ünal, sp. nov., Platycleis (Squamiana) goeksunica Ünal, sp. nov., Parapholidoptera yarpuzi Ünal, sp. nov. and Eupholidoptera singularis Ünal, sp. nov. are described. The invalidly described Schulmeisteri schulmeisteri Harz is discussed and its only specimen is included in the genus Pezodrymadusa as a new species. The genus Mixodusa Stolyarov and the subspecies, Pholidoptera aptera bulgarica Maran, 1953 are recorded from Turkey for the first time. An overlooked historical record of Psorodonotus venosus brunneri Stshelkanovtzev, 1914 from Turkey is determined. Discussions of many taxa and some records from new localities are presented. A full list of the Turkish Tettigoniinae is given. 357 figures are provided.
CMIP5 Projected Change in Northern Hemisphere Winter Cyclones with Associated Extreme Winds
Authors: Kar-Man Chang Edmund
Published: June 2018

In this study, 19 simulations from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) have been analyzed to examine how winter cyclones producing extreme near-surface winds are projected to change. Extreme wind thresholds correspond to a top 5 or top 1 cyclone per winter month in the entire Northern Hemisphere (NH). The results show that CMIP5 models project a significant decrease in the number of such cyclones, with a 19-model mean decrease of about 17% for the entire NH toward the end of the twenty-first century, under the high-emission RCP8.5 scenario. The projected decrease is larger in the Atlantic (about 21%). Over the Pacific, apart from an overall decrease (about 13%), there is a northeastward shift in the extreme cyclone activity. Less decrease is found in the frequency of cyclones producing extreme winds at 850 hPa (about 5% hemisphere-wide), with models mainly projecting a northeastward shift in the Pacific. These results suggest that 850-hPa wind changes may not be a good proxy for near-surface wind changes. These results contrast with those for the Southern Hemisphere, in which the frequency of cyclones with extreme winds are projected to significantly increase in all four seasons.
Toward an indigenized external supervision approach in China
Authors: Mo Kitty Yuen-han , Tsui Ming Sum
Published: June 2018

Today’s social work supervision is highly administration focused; however, the approach to supervision in Mainland China is unusual. According to a study conducted in Shenzhen, a special economic region in the Pearl River Delta, a dual supervision approach has been created. Consistent with recent empirical studies by international scholars, supervision can exist in many forms that best fit the needs of professional social workers. The findings in this study remind us to reattach importance to the educational functions of today’s social work supervision. The indigenized external supervision approach developed in Shenzhen can be used for reference in other cities in China.
Nanoclay enhancement of flexural properties and water uptake resistance of glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composites at different temperatures
Authors: Rafiq Ahmad , Merah Necar
Published: June 2018

In this study, glass fiber-reinforced epoxy-nanoclay composite plates, with I.30E clay contents ranging between 0 and 5 wt.%, were manufactured by hand layup with hot pressing. Flexural strength of unexposed fiber-reinforced epoxy-nanoclay reached an optimum improvement of 11% for 1.5 wt.%. Scanning electron microscope analysis showed that at this clay loading, better interfacial adhesion of clay with glass fibers was achieved. At higher clay loadings, clay agglomeration and presence micro-voids led to less strength improvement. The maximum water uptake was found to decrease with increasing clay loading and moisture diffusion at 80℃ was about 80% higher than that at room temperature. Post exposure flexural tests revealed a behavior similar to that of unexposed samples with nanoclay loading of 1.5 wt.% leading to optimal flexural properties. Exposure to moisture resulted in degradation of fiber-reinforced epoxy-nanoclay flexural properties with about 36% reduction in strength for 80℃ and 8% for room temperature.
Pas de minarets au paradis ! Le vote suisse du 29 novembre 2009 et la « question islamique » en Europe
Authors: Mayer Jean-François
Published: June 2018

The unexpected result of the 2009 referendum, which added a ban on the construction of minarets to the Swiss federal constitution, is an expression of debates about Islam in Western countries. The result shows that, even if activist groups frame these themes, they have a much larger resonance. Although the migration of Muslims to Europe and the resultant demographic changes are clearly behind the rise of concerns, they ultimately justify them with reference to Islamic doctrine, which is perceived as a political and ideological threat.
Zones grises. Diversité religieuse et pouvoir en institution
Authors: Becci Irene
Published: June 2018

This article proposes an interpretational strategy allowing us to study religious plurality in a variety of institutions based on the case of penal institutions. The matrix is a synthesis of various recommendations shared by many researchers working on religion in public institutions. To get beyond an approach limiting itself to an institutional, or even organisational, definition of the religious and its representatives and to take the importance of the power issues permeating it in this context into account, the author looks at three aspects: focusing on the religion of various people present in the institution; paying attention to the material and spatial arrangements; taking the ‘symbolic’ dimension of the institution studied into account; from a methodological point of view, making room for an ethnographic approach. Such an approach allows us to grasp the religious in the institution’s ‘grey areas’. This concept is defined and illustrated by the Swiss case.
De l’émotion dans la conversion. Interactions émotionnelles et apprentissage au sein du bouddhisme dzogchen occidentalisé
Authors: Bianchi Maria Alessandra
Published: June 2018

This article presents an analysis of the role of emotions during the conversion process to a specific Tibetan Buddhism teaching – the dzogchen. It is based on qualitative data gathered from field research in France and in Italy amongst two organisations. I draw on Arlie Russel Hochschild’s interactionist approach to demonstrate that the aspiring convert carries out an emotional work on him/herself as a means of learning certain feeling rules proposed by the dzogchen organisations. This dynamic contributes significantly in the conversion process, which takes place during intersubjective interactions. Firstly, the ‘conversion agents’ use tools such as ‘training devices’, symbols, and a system that helps decide between the emotions to show and to avoid. This system stimulates the collective learning process of the dzogchen feeling rules by the social actor. Secondly, the dzogchen practitioners, by interacting with each other, learn to adjust their emotional behaviour.
Revisiting Television in India: Mapping the Portrayal of Women in Soap Operas
Authors: Sahu Sudhansubala
Published: June 2018

This article attempts to map the portrayal of women in popular soap operas on television in India. It begins with the discourses around portrayal of women on Doordarshan in the pre-liberalisation era and goes on to analyse a few soap operas in the past one decade. With substantive review of visual texts, it aims to disprove the claim that there is a paradigm shift especially with respect to the portrayal of women in the contemporary and so-called progressive soap operas. It concludes by comparing all the phases of development of television in India with respect to construction of women and stating how very little and inconsequential change has occurred in this regard in spite of all the efforts from the state and the intellectual community.
Cruise Line Customers’ Responses to Risk and Crisis Communication Messages: An Application of the Risk Perception Attitude Framework
Authors: Liu-Lastres Bingjie , Schroeder Ashley , Pennington-Gray Lori
Published: June 2018

The main purpose of this study was to test cruise line customers’ responses to risk and crisis communication messages addressing health-related incidents on cruise ships. This study used norovirus infections as the context and the Risk Perception Attitude framework as the conceptual foundation. An experiment was conducted to test how communication messages affected cruise line customers’ information search behavior, safety perceptions, and cruise travel intentions. A total of 240 responses were included and analyzed. The results revealed group differences on the three outcome variables. The results also showed that safety perceptions mediated the relationship between participants’ RPAs and cruise travel intentions. Based on the findings, this study provided practical implications on how to develop effective risk and crisis communication messages. This study also highlighted the need for more empirical and theory-driven research in the area of tourism crisis communication.
“Science in action”: The politics of hands-on display at the New York Museum of Science and Industry
Authors: Sastre-Juan Jaume
Published: June 2018

This article analyzes the changing politics of hands-on display at the New York Museum of Science and Industry by following its urban deambulation within Midtown Manhattan, which went hand in hand with sharp shifts in promoters, narrative, and exhibition techniques. The museum was inaugurated in 1927 as the Museum of the Peaceful Arts on the 7th and 8th floors of the Scientific American Building. It changed its name in 1930 to the New York Museum of Science and Industry while on the 4th floor of the Daily News Building, and it was close to being renamed the Science Center when it finally moved in 1936 to the ground floor of the Rockefeller Center. The analysis of how the political agenda of the different promoters of the New York Museum of Science and Industry was spatially and performatively inscribed in each of its sites suggests that the 1930s boom of visitor-operated exhibits had nothing to do with an Exploratorium-like rhetoric of democratic empowerment. The social paternalistic ideology of the vocational education movement, the ideas on innovation of the early sociology of invention, and the corporate behavioral approach to mass communications are more suitable contexts in which to understand the changing politics of hands-on display in interwar American museums of science and industry.