bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a Low Cost Assistive Listening System for Hearing‐Impaired Student Classroom
Authors: Pan-ngum Setha , Soonrach Tharapong , Seesutas Sangvorn , Noymai Anukool , Israsena Pasin
Published: May 2013

This paper describes the design, development, and tests of a low cost ALS. It was designed for hearing‐impaired student classrooms. It utilised digital wireless technology and was aimed to be an alternative to a popular FM ALS. Key specifications include transmitting in 2.4 GHz ISM band with eight selectable transmission channels, battery operated and chargeable, pocket size, and ranged up to thirty metres. Audio characteristics and user tests show that it is comparable to a commercial system, currently employed in our partner school. The results also show that wearing an ALS clearly improves hearing of hearing‐impaired students. Long‐term usage by school children will be monitored to evaluate the system robustness and durability.
Context-Aware AAL Services through a 3D Sensor-Based Platform
Authors: Leone Alessandro , Diraco Giovanni , Siciliano Pietro
Published: May 2013

The main goal of Ambient Assisted Living solutions is to provide assistive technologies and services in smart environments allowing elderly people to have high quality of life. Since 3D sensing technologies are increasingly investigated as monitoring solution able to outperform traditional approaches, in this work a noninvasive monitoring platform based on 3D sensors is presented providing a wide-range solution suitable in several assisted living scenarios. Detector nodes are managed by low-power embedded PCs in order to process 3D streams and extract postural features related to person’s activities. The feature level of details is tuned in accordance with the current context in order to save bandwidth and computational resources. The platform architecture is conceived as a modular system suitable to be integrated into third-party middleware to provide monitoring functionalities in several scenarios. The event detection capabilities were validated by using both synthetic and real datasets collected in controlled and real-home environments. Results show the soundness of the presented solution to adapt to different application requirements, by correctly detecting events related to four relevant AAL services.
Gelatin-Thrombin Matrix: A New and Simple Way to Manage Recurrent Epistaxis in Hematology Units
Authors: Buiret G. , Pavic M. , Pignat J. C. , Pasquet F.
Published: May 2013

Introduction. In case of thrombopenia and/or thrombopathy, epistaxes are very difficult to manage.Case Series. Two patients, one with a thrombocytopenia, the other with a thrombopathy, were hospitalized because of repeated active epistaxes after failure of packing. Both patients were successfully treated with an application of Surgiflo without side effects and left the hospital without recurrence of epistaxis.Discussion. Being a subject of many studies dealing with epistaxis, Surgiflo is a simple treatment that seems to be very effective and without side effects to treat acute epistaxis in fragile patients with coagulation disorders. Prospective studies of tolerance and efficiency in such situations should be performed.
ScMT2-1-3, a Metallothionein Gene of Sugarcane, Plays an Important Role in the Regulation of Heavy Metal Tolerance/Accumulation
Authors: Guo Jinlong , Xu Liping , Su Yachun , Wang Hengbo , Gao Shiwu , Xu Jingsheng , Que Youxiong
Published: May 2013

Plant metallothioneins (MTs), which are cysteine-rich, low-molecular-weight, and metal-binding proteins, play important roles in detoxification, metal ion homeostasis, and metal transport adjustment. In this study, a novel metallothionein gene, designated asScMT2-1-3(GenBank Accession number JQ627644), was identified from sugarcane.ScMT2-1-3was 700 bp long, including a 240 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 79 amino acid residues. A His-tagged ScMT2-1-3 protein was successfully expressed inEscherichia colisystem which had increased the host cell’s tolerance to Cd2+, Cu2+, PEG, and NaCl. The expression ofScMT2-1-3was upregulated under Cu2+stress but downregulated under Cd2+stress. Real-time qPCR demonstrated that the expression levels ofScMT2-1-3in bud and root were over 14 times higher than those in stem and leaf, respectively. Thus, both theE. coliassay and sugarcane plantlets assay suggested thatScMT2-1-3is significantly involved in the copper detoxification and storage in the cell, but its functional mechanism in cadmium detoxification and storage in sugarcane cells needs more testification though its expressed protein could obviously increase the hostE. colicell’s tolerance to Cd2+.ScMT2-1-3constitutes thus a new interesting candidate for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of MTs-implied plant heavy metal tolerance/accumulation and for developing sugarcane phytoremediator varieties.
Quantifying Effects of Spatial Heterogeneity of Farmlands on Bird Species Richness by Means of Similarity Index Pairwise
Authors: Morelli Federico
Published: May 2013

Many studies have shown how intensification of farming is the main cause of loss biodiversity in these environments. During the last decades, agroecosystems in Europe have changed drastically, mainly due to mechanization of agriculture. In this work, species richness in bird communities was examined on a gradient of spatial heterogeneity of farmlands, in order to quantify its effects. Four categories of farmland spatial heterogeneity were defined, based on landscape and landuse parameters. The impact of features increasing the spatial heterogeneity was quantified comparing the similarity indexes between bird communities in several farmlands of Central Italy. The effects of environmental variables on bird richness were analyzed using GLM. The results highlighted that landscape features surrogates of high nature values (HNVs) of farmlands can increase more than 50% the bird species richness. The features more related to bird richness were hedgerows, scattered shrubs, uncultivated patches, and powerlines. The results confirm that the approach based on HNV for evaluating the farmlands is also suitable in order to study birds’ diversity. However, some species are more sensitive to heterogeneity, while other species occupy mainly homogeneous farmlands. As a consequence, different conservation methods must be considered for each farmland bird species.
Childhood Asthma and Allergies in Urban, Semiurban, and Rural Residential Sectors in Chile
Authors: Kausel Leonie , Boneberger Anja , Calvo Mario , Radon Katja
Published: May 2013

While rural living protects from asthma and allergies in many countries, results are conflicting in Latin America. We studied the prevalence of asthma and asthma symptoms in children from urban, semiurban, and rural sectors in south Chile. A cross‐sectional questionnaire study was conducted in semiurban and rural sectors in the province of Valdivia (n = 559) using the ISAAC (International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood) questionnaire. Results were compared to prevalence in urban Valdivia (n = 3105) by using data from ISAAC III study. Odds ratios (+95% confidence intervals) were calculated. No statistical significant differences were found for asthma ever and eczema symptoms stratified by residential sector, but a gradient could be shown for current asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms with urban living having highest and rural living having lowest prevalence. Rural living was inversely associated in a statistical significant way with current asthma (OR: 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2–0.9) and rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms (OR: 0.3; 95% CI: 0.2–0.7) in logistic regression analyses. Rural living seems to protect from asthma and respiratory allergies also in Chile, a South American country facing epidemiological transition. These data would be improved by clinical studies of allergic symptoms observed in studied sectors.
Experimental Study of Damping and Energy Regeneration Characteristics of a Hydraulic Electromagnetic Shock Absorber
Authors: Fang Zhigang , Guo Xuexun , Xu Lin , Zhang Han
Published: May 2013

This paper presents a new kind of shock absorber, hydraulic electromagnetic shock absorber (HESA), which can not only isolate vibration but also recover energy from vibration of vehicles. The energy recovery scheme is put forward, and the HESA prototype as well as the bench is trial manufactured. The damping characteristic of the HESA prototype is tested, and its performance is good under low cracking pressure and small excitation amplitude without taking the requirement that damping force in compression stroke is greater than that in extension stroke into account. The energy-regenerative characteristic of the HESA prototype is investigated, and it can recover energy about 200 watts in 10 Hz-3 mm excitation. However, the energy recovery efficiency is only 16.6%, and the rectifying efficiency of the hydraulic rectifier decreases with the excitation frequency increase, which eventually leads to a reduction in energy recovery efficiency. The linear loss of oil is analyzed theoretically, and the wasted power of pipeline is found to account for 1/3 of the total power. It can be seen from the mathematical model of linear loss that this energy loss can be decreased effectively by increasing the inner diameter of pipeline.
TheConyza trilobaExtracts with High Chlorophyll Content and Free Radical Scavenging Activity Had Anticancer Activity in Cell Lines
Authors: El-Sayed Wael M. , Hussin Warda A. , Mahmoud Ahmed A. , AlFredan Mohamed A.
Published: May 2013

The discovery of anticancer agents paradigm has been shifted to natural resources to overcome the toxicity of many synthetic agents at early clinical stages. In the present study, the antimutagenic, anticancer, phytochemistry, and free radical scavenging activities of five extracts ofConyza trilobawere investigated. Extracts II (water : methanol), III (methylene chloride), and IV (methylene chloride : methanol) had the highest chlorophyll content and the highest superoxide scavenging, and metal chelating activities comparable to that of trolox. They also showed DPPH•scavenging activities better than that ofα-tocopherol. Virtually all extracts exerted a strong (>40% reduction) antimutagenic activity against sodium azide and benzopyrene. Extracts II, III, and IV showed a remarkable growth inhibition profile with GI50of 0.07–0.87 μg for Hepa1c1c7 and H4IIE1, A549, HT29, and PC3 cell lines and totally abated the growth of all cell lines, except for the breast cells, at 0.3–7.0 μg. The present study found a strong correlation between the chlorophyll content ofConyzaextracts and their DDPH scavenging, metal chelating, and in vitro cytotoxic and cytostatic activities most probably through triggering apoptosis. This study could offer a platform for future studies and help selecting the vital features that identify the extract with potential anticancer activities.
Hybrid Support Vector Regression and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Models Improved by Particle Swarm Optimization for Property Crime Rates Forecasting with Economic Indicators
Authors: Alwee Razana , Hj Shamsuddin Siti Mariyam , Sallehuddin Roselina
Published: May 2013

Crimes forecasting is an important area in the field of criminology. Linear models, such as regression and econometric models, are commonly applied in crime forecasting. However, in real crimes data, it is common that the data consists of both linear and nonlinear components. A single model may not be sufficient to identify all the characteristics of the data. The purpose of this study is to introduce a hybrid model that combines support vector regression (SVR) and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) to be applied in crime rates forecasting. SVR is very robust with small training data and high‐dimensional problem. Meanwhile, ARIMA has the ability to model several types of time series. However, the accuracy of the SVR model depends on values of its parameters, while ARIMA is not robust to be applied to small data sets. Therefore, to overcome this problem, particle swarm optimization is used to estimate the parameters of the SVR and ARIMA models. The proposed hybrid model is used to forecast the property crime rates of the United State based on economic indicators. The experimental results show that the proposed hybrid model is able to produce more accurate forecasting results as compared to the individual models.
Restricted Isometry Property of Principal Component Pursuit with Reduced Linear Measurements
Authors: You Qingshan , Wan Qun , Xu Haiwen
Published: May 2013

The principal component prsuit with reduced linear measurements (PCP_RLM) has gained great attention in applications, such as machine learning, video, and aligning multiple images. The recent research shows that strongly convex optimization for compressive principal component pursuit can guarantee the exact low-rank matrix recovery and sparse matrix recovery as well. In this paper, we prove that the operator of PCP_RLM satisfies restricted isometry property (RIP) with high probability. In addition, we derive the bound of parameters depending only on observed quantities based on RIP property, which will guide us how to choose suitable parameters in strongly convex programming.
Cysticerci Drive Dendritic Cells to PromoteIn VitroandIn VivoTregs Differentiation
Authors: Adalid-Peralta Laura , Arce-Sillas Asiel , Fragoso Gladis , Cárdenas Graciela , Rosetti Marcos , Casanova-Hernández Didier , Rangel-Escareño Claudia , Uribe-Figueroa Laura , Fleury Agnes , Sciutto Edda
Published: May 2013

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a crucial role in immune homeostasis. Treg induction is a strategy that parasites have evolved to modulate the host’s inflammatory environment, facilitating their establishment and permanence. In humanTaenia soliumneurocysticercosis (NC), the concurrence of increased peripheral and central Treg levels and their capacity to inhibit T cell activation and proliferation support their role in controlling neuroinflammation. This study is aimed at identifing possible mechanisms of Treg induction in human NC. Monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DC) from healthy human donors, cocultivated with autologous CD4+naïve cells either in the presence or absence of cysticerci, promoted CD25highFoxp3+ Treg differentiation. An increased Treg induction was observed when cysticerci were present. Moreover, an augmentation of suppressive-related molecules (SLAMF1, B7-H1, and CD205) was found in parasite-induced DC differentiation. Increased Tregs and a higherin vivoDC expression of the regulatory molecules SLAMF1 and CD205 in NC patients were also found. SLAMF1 gene was downregulated in NC patients with extraparenchymal cysticerci, exhibiting higher inflammation levels than patients with parenchymal parasites. Our findings suggest that cysticerci may modulate DC to favor a suppressive environment, which may help parasite establishment, minimizing the excessive inflammation, which may lead to tissue damage.
Low-Fat Diet and Skin Cancer Risk: The Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Dietary Modification Trial
Authors: Gamba Christina S. , Stefanick Marcia L. , Shikany James M. , Larson Joseph , Linos Eleni , Sims Stacy T. , Marshall James , Van Horn Linda , Zeitouni Nathalie , Tang Jean Y.
Published: May 2013

Background: Large cohort studies have reported no relationship between dietary fat and nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), although a low-fat diet intervention reduced NMSC risk in a small clinical trial. In animal studies, skin tumor development has been reduced by low-fat diet. We evaluated the effect of a low-fat dietary pattern on NMSC and melanoma in the Women's Health Initiative Dietary Modification trial.

Methods: Postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 years (n = 48,835) were randomly assigned to the low-fat dietary pattern intervention (n = 19,541) or comparison group (n = 29,294). The intervention goals included decreasing fat intake to 20% or less of calories, increasing vegetable and fruit intake, and increasing grain intake. Self-reported incident NMSC (n = 4,907) and physician-adjudicated incident melanoma (n = 279) were ascertained every 6 months.

Results: Over 8.1 years of follow-up, the low-fat diet intervention did not affect overall incidence of NMSC [HR 0.98; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.92–1.04] or melanoma (HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.82–1.32). In subgroup analyses of melanoma risk, baseline fat intake interacted significantly with group assignment (Pinteraction = 0.006). Among women with higher baseline fat intake, the dietary intervention significantly increased risk (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.06–2.07), whereas, among women with lower baseline fat intake, the intervention tended to reduce melanoma risk (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.50–1.02).

Conclusions: In this large randomized trial, a low-fat dietary pattern did not affect overall incidence of NMSC or melanoma.

Impact: A low-fat diet does not reduce incidence of NMSC, but an interaction between baseline fat intake and dietary intervention on melanoma risk warrants further investigation. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(9); 1509–19. ©2013 AACR.
Discovery of New Small Molecules Targeting the Vitronectin-Binding Site of the Urokinase Receptor That Block Cancer Cell Invasion
Authors: Rea Vincenza Elena Anna , Lavecchia Antonio , Di Giovanni Carmen , Rossi Francesca Wanda , Gorrasi Anna , Pesapane Ada , de Paulis Amato , Ragno Pia , Montuori Nunzia
Published: May 2013

Besides focusing urokinase (uPA) proteolytic activity on the cell membrane, the uPA receptor (uPAR) is able to bind vitronectin, via a direct binding site. Furthermore, uPAR interacts with other cell surface receptors, such as integrins, receptor tyrosine kinases, and chemotaxis receptors, triggering cell-signaling pathways that promote tumor progression. The ability of uPAR to coordinate binding and degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) and cell signaling makes it an attractive therapeutic target in cancer. We used structure-based virtual screening (SB-VS) to search for small molecules targeting the uPAR-binding site for vitronectin. Forty-one compounds were identified and tested on uPAR-negative HEK-293 epithelial cells transfected with uPAR (uPAR-293 cells), using the parental cell line transfected with the empty vector (V-293 cells) as a control. Compounds 6 and 37 selectively inhibited uPAR-293 cell adhesion to vitronectin and the resulting changes in cell morphology and signal transduction, without exerting any effect on V-293 cells. Compounds 6 and 37 inhibited uPAR-293 cell binding to vitronectin with IC50 values of 3.6 and 1.2 μmol/L, respectively. Compounds 6 and 37 targeted S88 and R91, key residues for uPAR binding to vitronectin but also for uPAR interaction with the fMLF family of chemotaxis receptors (fMLF-Rs). As a consequence, compounds 6 and 37 impaired uPAR-293 cell migration toward fetal calf serum (FCS), uPA, and fMLF, likely by inhibiting the interaction between uPAR and FPR1, the high affinity fMLF-R. Both compounds blocked in vitro ECM invasion of several cancer cell types, thus representing new promising leads for pharmaceuticals in cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 12(8); 1402–16. ©2013 AACR.
TROY (TNFRSF19) Promotes Glioblastoma Survival Signaling and Therapeutic Resistance
Authors: Loftus Joseph C. , Dhruv Harshil , Tuncali Serdar , Kloss Jean , Yang Zhongbo , Schumacher Cassie A. , Cao Brian , Williams Bart O. , Eschbacher Jennifer M. , Ross Julianna T.D. , Tran Nhan L.
Published: May 2013

Of the features that characterize glioblastoma, arguably none is more clinically relevant than the propensity of malignant glioma cells to aggressively invade into the surrounding normal brain tissue. These invasive cells render complete resection impossible, confer significant resistance to chemo- and radiation-therapy, and virtually assure tumor recurrence. Expression of TROY (TNFRSF19), a member of the TNF receptor superfamily, inversely correlates with patient survival and stimulates glioblastoma cell migration and invasion in vitro. In this study, we report that TROY is overexpressed in glioblastoma tumor specimens and TROY mRNA expression is increased in the invasive cell population in vivo. In addition, inappropriate expression of TROY in mouse astrocytes in vivo using glial-specific gene transfer in transgenic mice induces astrocyte migration within the brain, validating the importance of the TROY signaling cascade in glioblastoma cell migration and invasion. Knockdown of TROY expression in primary glioblastoma xenografts significantly prolonged survival in vivo. Moreover, TROY expression significantly increased resistance of glioblastoma cells to both IR- and TMZ-induced apoptosis via activation of Akt and NF-κB. Inhibition of either Akt or NF-κB activity suppressed the survival benefits of TROY signaling in response to TMZ treatment. These findings position aberrant expression and/or signaling by TROY as a contributor to the dispersion of glioblastoma cells and therapeutic resistance.

Implications: Targeting of TROY may increase tumor vulnerability and improve therapeutic response in glioblastoma. Mol Cancer Res; 11(8); 865–74. ©2013 AACR.
Discrimination of Three Basic Male Voice Types by Voice Range Profile-Derived Parameters
Authors: Lycke H. , Ivanova A. , Van Hulle M.M. , Decoster W. , de Jong F.I.C.R.S.
Published: May 2013

Aims: To assess whether individual voice range profile parameters or combinations of these are able to yield a clear cluster separation of male voices. Methods: The voice range profiles of 256 male conservatory singing students and professional singers were recorded, parameterized into more compact descriptions (‘features'), and subjected to a cluster analysis. Results: Based on all parameters the frequency dip of the register transition zone was shown to yield the best cluster separation for three basic male voice types. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that parameter combinations of the voice range profile exist that generate a clear separation of voice clusters. This was also the case with female voices as shown in a former study. The clusters may be attributed to the three classic basic male voice types, and in this way our results can provide a fresh angle on the issue of male voice classification.
Slack Length Reduces the Contractile Phenotype of the Swine Carotid Artery
Authors: Rembold Christopher M. , Garvey Sean M. , Tejani Ankit D.
Published: May 2013

Contraction is the primary function of adult arterial smooth muscle. However, in response to vessel injury or inflammation, arterial smooth muscle is able to phenotypically modulate from the contractile state to several ‘synthetic' states characterized by proliferation, migration and/or increased cytokine secretion. We examined the effect of tissue length (L) on the phenotype of intact, isometrically held, initially contractile swine carotid artery tissues. Tissues were studied (1) without prolonged incubation at the optimal length for force generation (1.0 Lo, control), (2) with prolonged incubation for 17 h at 1.0 Lo, or (3) with prolonged incubation at slack length (0.6 Lo) for 16 h and then restoration to 1.0 Lo for 1 h. Prolonged incubation at 1.0 Lo minimally reduced the contractile force without substantially altering the mediators of contraction (crossbridge phosphorylation, shortening velocity or stimulated actin polymerization). Prolonged incubation of tissues at slack length (0.6 Lo), despite return of length to 1.0 Lo, substantially reduced contractile force, reduced crossbridge phosphorylation, nearly abolished crossbridge cycling (shortening velocity) and abolished stimulated actin polymerization. These data suggest that (1) slack length treatment significantly alters the contractile phenotype of arterial tissue, and (2) slack length treatment is a model to study acute phenotypic modulation of intact arterial smooth muscle.
Vitamin D Status in Patients with Recurrent Kidney Stones
Authors: Pipili Chrysoula , Oreopoulos Dimitrios G.
Published: May 2013

Data regarding the prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) insufficiency in patients with nephrolithiasis, and the effects of vitamin D supplementation on parathyroid hormone (PTH) are few and conflicting. In this article, we examined the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in 236 recurrent kidney stone formers and the correlation of vitamin D levels with other parameters of stone formation. The prevalent stone composition was calcium oxalate (80.4%) and uric acid (16.45%). One third of stone formers had vitamin D insufficiency and a quarter of them high PTH levels (PTH >7.5 pmol/l) with normal serum (total and ionized) calcium values. Predictor of high PTH was low 25(OH)D level (r = 0.989, r2 = 0.977, p < 0.001). Stone formers with hypercalciuria had higher 25(OH)D values (72.26 ± 4.21 vs. 59.29 ± 1.76, p = 0.0013) compared to stone formers with urine calcium within normal ranges. Further studies are needed in order to better define the consequences of vitamin D insufficiency and to evaluate the impact of the therapeutic interventions in this cohort.
“Is Not This a Paradox?” Public Morality and the Unitarian Defense of State-Supported Religion in Massachusetts, 1806–1833
Authors: Rives Nathan S.
Published: May 2013

The outcome of the legal and constitutional controversy leading to the fall of the state-supported religious establishment in Massachusetts followed a schism in the Congregationalist churches. In that controversy, Unitarians defended religious taxation as an expedient means to advance their desired ends of a public morality rooted in theological liberalism.
Status Disputes and Disparate Dicta
Authors: Bednarz Teresa
Published: May 2013

This paper explores the Demetrian-like humor rhetoric in the barbed commentary and the disparate dicta found in Luke 16:14-18. In an effort to understand the rhetorical thrust of these peculiarly placed dicta, especially the puzzling inclusion of the divorce dictum, it is important to situate the dicta within their broader Luke-Acts rhetorical context and within the concentric composition of Luke 16:1-31. Essential to the Lukan context is Jesus’ dual status, in particular his status as prophet and divine messianic king. Through the lens of humor rhetoric, we will explore how Luke uses a collection of disparate dicta in order to produce prophetic barbs and Demetrian-like punches.
Das “Ewige Kunstwerk”: Friedrich Nietzsche’s Apollonian-Dionysian Opposition in Richard Strauss’s Daphne
Authors: Satorius Margarethe
Published: May 2013

Abstract

In his 1938 short opera Daphne, composer Richard Strauss presents an eloquent metaphor for both the process of artistic creation and the origin of tragedy itself. He positions his title character at the convergence of two oppositional, yet mutually dependent forces: the Apollonian and the Dionysian, as described by Friedrich Nietzsche in his seminal 1872 work, Die Geburt der Tragödie aus dem Geiste der Musik (The Birth of Tragedy Out of the Spirit of Music). As reason and enlightenment collide with revelry and ecstasy onstage, a momentous physical and emotional transformation occurs; Daphne encounters the divine, and her resulting catharsis is shared both musically and emotionally with the audience. In this moment of our communal transcendent ekstasis, Strauss leaves us with a symbol of artistic transcendence itself, born from the conflicted inner forces within the individual: “das ewige Kunstwerk,” the “eternal work of art.”
Liquid culture of Panagrolaimus sp. for use as food for marine aquaculture shrimp and fish species
Authors: Honnens Hilke , Ehlers Ralf-Udo
Published: May 2013

Free-living nematodes have potential to be used as live food for early life stages of several species in marine aquaculture. Panagrolaimus sp. displays several favourable characteristics for this application. The present study proved the feasibility of propagation in monoxenic liquid culture on Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The development of yeast cell density, nematode numbers and size distribution was assessed daily for 15 days. After a lag phase of 4 days the inoculated first-stage juveniles started development to adults. Yields in terms of nematode number as well as biomass were highly variable. The maximum number of nematodes varied from 45 000 to 238 000 ml−1 and maximum biomass from 49 to 143 g l−1. Information on size, dry and wet weight of the nematodes is provided. The size spectrum of Panagrolaimus sp. individuals ranged from 176 × 8 μm to 1377 × 61 μm and 8.15 to 3202.39 ng wet weight. Water content of the nematodes was 71.7 ± 2.5%, so dry weight per individual was 2.31-905.95 ng. Differentiation of juvenile stages by body length was not possible. Based on comparison of dry weight per individual the Panagrolaimus sp. might be used as a substitute for rotifers, a commonly used live food organism.
Desiccation tolerance of dauers of entomopathogenic nematodes of the genus Steinernema
Authors: Nimkingrat Prakaijan , Uhlmann Felix , Strauch Olaf , Ehlers Ralf-Udo
Published: May 2013

For transport of entomopathogenic nematodes to the user, developmentally arrested dauer juveniles (DJ) are mixed with inert carriers at high density. If quiescence is not induced, DJ will quickly lose energy reserves and die. To induce quiescence DJ can be moderately desiccated. This study investigated the desiccation tolerance by measurement of water activity (-value) tolerated by 50% of populations (WA50) of different Steinernema species and strains. DJ were tested with or without prior adaptation to desiccation stress. Stress conditions were produced by exposure to various concentrations of poly(ethylene glycol) 600. Significant differences in desiccation tolerance were recorded between strains and species, but, except for Steinernema abbasi, not within strains of one species. Without adaptation to stress conditions, the most tolerant species was S. carpocapsae (WA50 = 0.836) followed by S. abbasi (0.86). Adaption to stress by exposure to an -value of 0.95 for 48 h increased tolerance to 0.68 and 0.66, respectively. The least tolerant species were S. kraussei, S. glaseri and S. ethiopiense. Tolerance recorded would allow storage at a water activity that would inhibit growth of bacteria but not of fungi. Analysis of water activity tolerated by only 10% of the population indicated potential for genetic improvement by selective breeding for S. carpocapsae, S. abbasi and S. arenarium to reach water activity levels that would also inhibit fungal growth.
Effect of root nitrogen supply forms on attraction and repulsion of second-stage juveniles of Meloidogyne graminicola
Authors: Patil Jagadeesh , Powers Stephen J. , Davies Keith G. , Gaur Hari S. , Miller Anthony J.
Published: May 2013

Three experiments were conducted to compare the attraction and repulsion of second-stage juveniles (J2) of the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne graminicola, to rice plants supplied with different forms of nitrogen. The rice plants were hydroponically grown in a full nutrient solution containing different concentrations (0.1 or 10.0 mM) of nitrate (NO3−) or forms of nitrogen supply (2.85 mM calcium nitrate (Ca(NO3)2), ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) or ammonium chloride (NH4Cl)) for 2 weeks. Five rice plants were placed with their roots in one corner of a Perspex X or Y-chamber partly filled with agar and J2 were inoculated onto the chambers. The data show that J2 of M. graminicola were significantly attracted towards the roots of rice plants grown in hydroponics containing 0.1 mM NO3− and 2.85 mM Ca(NO3)2, but repelled by 10.0 mM NO3−, 2.85 mM NH4NO3 and NH4Cl. The results suggest that the application of ammonia-based nitrogen fertiliser to the rice nursery bed may interfere with nematode attraction and thus reduce invasion, and the application of chemical nitrification inhibitors to rice nursery beds may decrease nematode invasion.
Development of specific primers to Hirschmanniella spp. causing damage to lotus and their economic threshold level in Tokushima prefecture in Japan
Authors: Koyama Yuki , Thar So Pyay , Kizaki Chihiro , Toyota Koki , Sawada Eiji , Abe Naruhito
Published: May 2013

Nematode diseases caused by Hirschmanniella spp. are becoming a major threat to lotus production in Tokushima Prefecture, a primary production area in Japan. The objectives of this study were: i) to design specific primers to Hirschmanniella spp. causing damage to lotus; ii) to evaluate the relationship between pre-plant density of Hirschmanniella spp. in soil and damage index of lotus; and iii) to establish an economic threshold level. Since two species, Hirschmanniella imamuri and H. diversa, are known as nematode pests on lotus, three real-time PCR primers were designed based on the ITS regions specific to H. imamuri (designated as imaF and imaR), H. diversa (divF and divR), and both species (HdiF and HdiR). The primers imaF and imaR did not react to DNA of nematodes extracted from lotus fields in Tokushima but the primers divF and divR did, suggesting that the damage seen in Tokushima is mainly caused by H. diversa. A calibration curve was made to evaluate the relationship between the number of Hirschmanniella spp. inoculated to soil and the threshold cycle values. The quantification of Hirschmanniella spp. in soil was conducted by real-time PCR method with the primers HdiF and HdiR as well as the Baermann method. The economic threshold level was estimated as ten individuals of Hirschmanniella spp. (100 g fresh soil)−1 with the Baermann method and 50 individuals (100 g oven-dried soil)−1 with real-time PCR.
Description of Ektaphelenchus ibericus n. sp. (Nematoda: Ektaphelenchinae) found in packaging wood from Spain
Authors: Gu Jianfeng , Wang Jiangling , Chen Xianfeng , Wang Xuan
Published: May 2013

Ektaphelenchus ibericus n. sp. is described and figured. The new species was isolated from pine packaging wood from Spain that was inspected in Ningbo harbour, China, in 2011. Ektaphelenchus ibericus n. sp. is characterised by lip region without clear constriction, relatively short stylet (11-15 μm) lacking basal knobs, and four lateral lines. The female post-uterine sac is less than one body diam. long, rectum and anus are absent, and the tail is conoid with a sharply pointed terminus. Males are rare and have a conoid tail with a sharply pointed terminus, spicules mitten-shaped, 12.8 μm long (chord) and smoothly curved with a high and bluntly rounded condylus and bluntly pointed rostrum, distal end broadly rounded, and three pairs of ventral caudal papillae present. The separate species status is also supported by molecular phylogenetic analysis based on partial SSU, ITS1/2 and partial LSU sequences.
Olaudah Equiano’s Views of Europe and European Christianity
Authors: Frederiks Martha Th.
Published: May 2013

Abstract

This article investigates Olaudah Equiano’s representations of Europe and European Christianity. It argues that Equiano’s depictions of Europe are ambiguous, reflecting both his admiration for Europe’s grandeur and development as well as his rejection of Europe’s exploitative practices. His descriptions of Igboland mainly reflect European abolitionist and colonial discourses. Equiano’s religious representations are multi-facetted; they mirror his evangelical convictions, yet also express an appreciation for Islam and Igbo religiosity. The overall purpose of Equiano’s territorial as religious representations seems reinforcement of his abolitionist advocacy.
Cosmic Plots in Early Soviet Culture: Flights of Fancy to the Moon and Mars
Authors: Smith Michael G.
Published: May 2013

This article explores two classics of Soviet science fiction – Konstantin Tsiolkovskii’s Beyond the Earth (1918) and Aleksei Tolstoi’s Aelita (1923) – in their related historical contexts. Both had their origins in the popular nineteenth-century “cosmic romance,” owing to their staple characters, settings, and plots. These were extraordinary adventures into the heavens, modern signposts of how the fantastic was becoming real. Yet both novels also became leading texts in the genre of Stalinist Socialist Realism, stories that made “fairy tales come true.” Tsiolkovskii and Tolstoi both appealed to the Bolshevik Revolution as a radical break in time here on earth, much as they predicted that the rocket would become a radical new means to reach beyond into outer space. They centered their stories on real science and technology, articles of comprehension and anticipation. They created characters that revealed the utopian potential of human beings to create new regimes of equality and freedom. Part inheritance from abroad, part innovation at home, the cosmic romance in their hands became a successful medium to situate and justify the Soviet experience.
Phytotaxa 100: The rise of a major journal in systematic and taxonomic botany
Authors: ZHANG ZHI-QIANG , ESSER HANS-JOACHIM , CHRISTENHUSZ MAARTEN J.M.
Published: May 2013

Today, the 23rd of May, is the 305th birthday of Carl Linnaeus—father of plant taxonomy and founder of the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. To join international celebrations of his birthday, we publish Phytotaxa 100, at the same time marking an important milestone in the history of this journal of botanical taxonomy. It is timely that we review its development in the past, especially against the objectives that we set for Phytotaxa (Christenhusz et al. 2009, 2011a), and to assess its current position among journals of systematic botany.
Systematics of the weevil genus Mecinus Germar, 1821 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). II. Phylogenetic analysis based on adult morphological characters and host plant information
Authors: CALDARA ROBERTO , SASSI DAVIDE , MONTAGNA MATTEO
Published: May 2013

A phylogenetic analysis of all species belonging to the weevil genus Mecinus Germar, 1821 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae: Mecinini) was carried out. Mecinus are exclusively Palaearctic and feed on Plantaginaceae belonging to the tribes Plantagineae and Antirrhineae. Based on a cladistic analysis of six outgroup and 47 ingroup taxa, and 31 adult morphological and three ecological characters, the monophyly of Mecinus appears strongly supported. In this genus six species groups and one monobasic group were recognized. Many species are morphologically similar to one another and lack phylogenetically useable apomorphies; thus for practical convenience these species, which produce highly polytomic topologies, have been treated as the M. pascuorum and the M. elongatus complexes. However, a large assemblage of spe-cies, characterized by elongate body shape, appears well supported. This includes the M. collaris, M. circulatus, M. hey-denii and M. janthinus groups together with the M. simus group where a reversal to the primitive oval body shape in some species is presumed. Other well supported groups are the M. paratychioides and M. marina groups that appear more re-lated to species of the M. pascuorum complex than to the main clade of elongate species. Optimizing host plant preferenc-es onto the morphological phylogeny indicates that feeding on Plantagineae was the plesiomorphic condition for the genus Mecinus. All species feeding on Antirrhineae, which represent a minority, are included in two well supported groups, the M. heydenii and M. janthinus groups, which however do not share unequivocal morphological synapomorphies. In general there are no strict relationships between groups of weevils and their specific feeding habits, since larvae of closely related species adopt different strategies, such as seed predators, stem borers or gall inducers. Similarly no distinct biogeographic pattern of Mecinus has been observed in light of the phylogeny.
Chirostylidae of Australia’s western continental margin (Crustacea : Decapoda : Anomura), with the description of five new species
Authors: MCCALLUM ANNA W. , POORE GARY C. B.
Published: May 2013

Five new species from the squat lobster family Chirostylidae are described from the continental margin of western Aus-tralia: Uroptychus albus sp. nov., Uroptychus bardi sp. nov., Uroptychus jawi sp. nov., Uroptychus taylorae sp. nov., and Uroptychus worrorra sp. nov. New records of Indo-West Pacific species for Australia are: Gastroptychus brachyterus Ba-ba, 2005, Gastroptychus investigatoris Alcock, 1899, Uroptychodes grandirostris (Yokoya, 1933), Uroptychodes mortenseni (Van Dam, 1939), Uroptychus scandens Benedict, 1902, Uroptychus ciliatus (Van Dam, 1933) and Uroptychus vandamae Baba, 1988. New distributional records are given for species previously recorded from Australia: Uroptychus flindersi Ahyong & Poore, 2004, Uroptychus hesperius Ahyong & Poore, 2004, Uroptychus joloensis Van Dam, 1939, Uroptychus nigricapillis Alcock, 1901, and Uroptychus spinirostris (Ahyong & Poore, 2004). These new records expand the number of chirostylid species in Australia from 34 to 46. Keys to Australian species of the genera Gastroptychus, Uroptychodes and Uroptychus are provided.
A taxonomical review of the Gnathophausia (Crustacea, Lophogastrida), with new records from the northern mid-Atlantic ridge
Authors: MELAND KENNETH , AAS PÅL ØYVIND
Published: May 2013

Taxonomy of 11 species contained within the Lophogastrida genus Gnathophausia is presented. We report new records of G. affinis, G. gigas, G. ingens, and G. zoea from the Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and the Azores. We also describe a new species, G. bergstadi that resembles G. zoea, but differs in having a heart-shaped apex on the telson and having the lower later keels of the carapace not fusing with the upper lateral keels. Gnathophausia is found to be most abundant at bathyal depths. G. zoea, G. gigas, and G. ingens are reported distributed throughout the world’s oceans. G. affinis and G. bergstadi are confined to Atlantic water masses, whereas G. childressi, G. longispina, and G. elegans, are found in the Pacific. A more limited distribution in tropical regions of the world’s oceans is observed in G. gracilis, and also G. fagei and G. scapularis that are confined to the South China Sea and Indian Ocean, respectively. We include an identification key and known distribution of all accepted Gnathophausia species.
Monthly Average Temperature Modeling in an Intertropical Region
Authors: Andrade-Bejarano Mercedes
Published: May 2013

Data for this research come from time series of monthly average temperatures from 28 sites over the Valle del Cauca of Colombia in South America, collected over the period 1971–2002. Because of the geographical location of the study area, monthly average temperature is affected by altitude and El Niño–La Niña (El Niño–Southern Oscillation, or ENSO phenomenon). Time series for some of the sites show a tendency to increase. Also, because of the two dry and wet periods in the study area, a seasonal pattern of behavior in monthly average temperature is seen. Linear mixed models are formulated and fitted to account for within- and between-site variations. The ENSO phenomenon is modeled by the Southern Oscillation index (SOI) and dummy variables. Spatial and temporal covariance structures in the errors are modeled individually using isotropic variogram models. The fitted models demonstrate the influence of the ENSO phenomenon on monthly average temperatures; this is seen in the maps produced from the models for ENSO and normal conditions. These maps show the predicted spatial patterns for differences in temperature throughout the study area.
Ensemble Sensitivity Tools for Assessing Extratropical Cyclone Intensity and Track Predictability
Authors: Zheng Minghua , Chang Edmund K. M. , Colle Brian A.
Published: May 2013

This paper applies ensemble sensitivity analysis to a U.S. East Coast snowstorm on 26–28 December 2010 in a way that may be beneficial for an operational forecaster to better understand the forecast uncertainties. Sensitivity using the principal components of the leading empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) on the 50-member European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ensemble identifies the sensitive regions and weather systems at earlier times associated with the cyclone intensity and track uncertainty separately. The 5.5-day forecast cyclone intensity uncertainty in the ECMWF ensemble is associated with trough and ridge systems over the northeastern Pacific and central United States, respectively, while the track uncertainty is associated with a short-wave trough over the southern Great Plains. Sensitivity based on the ensemble mean sea level pressure difference between two run cycles also suggests that the track's shift between the two cycles is linked with the initial errors in the short-wave trough over the southern Great Plains. The sensitivity approach is run forward in time using forward ensemble regression based on short-range forecast errors, which further confirms that the short-term error over the southern plains trough was associated with the shift in cyclone position between the two forecast cycles. A coherent Rossby wave packet originated from the central North Pacific 6 days before this snowstorm event. The sensitivity signals behave like a wave packet and exhibit the same group velocity of ~29° longitude per day, indicating that Rossby wave packets may have also amplified uncertainty in both the cyclone amplitude and track forecast.
The Responsibility to Protect: Added value or hot air?
Authors: Bellamy Alex J
Published: May 2013

This article argues that the Responsibility to Protect (RtoP) adds value to international efforts to protect populations from genocide and mass atrocities, but not in the ways commonly thought. It suggests that RtoP is not particularly effective as a ‘rallying call’ that mobilises action in cases where international society may be initially reluctant to act. Where it does add value is in helping to reshape states’ identities and interests such that consideration of the protection needs of populations, in relation to the threat of genocide and mass atrocities, has been internalised to some extent by the UN Security Council. As such, RtoP is best seen as being a ‘habit former’. The principle does not, however, determine particular behaviours or guarantee international consensus because decision-making is heavily influenced by contextual factors. The argument proceeds in three parts. The first examines instances where RtoP has been invoked since early 2006. The second explores the role of context in shaping how the UN Security Council responds to particular crises. Finally, to amplify the points made in these sections, the third section considers the UN Security Council’s response to the crisis in Somalia after 2006.
Confucian Work and Homeschooling
Authors: Sheng Xiaoming
Published: May 2013

This study conducted a case study of homeschooling in order to provide in-depth information regarding the demographic characteristics of homeschooling parents, the motivations and the process of practicing it and its outcomes in Shanghai. The public and the policy-makers, and education officials have had little substantive information in relation to homeschooling, in particular the homeschooling which emphasizes the Confucian education. This study has revealed that the main characteristics of homeschools in Shanghai can be summarized as: the majority of the parents are dissatisfied with school education; the parents come from a complex educational background. Most of the parents prefer the traditional culture norms and values, such as Confucian work; and all the homeschooling families come from the middle class, who are relatively wealthy.