bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tofacitinib for the treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis: a systematic review, network meta-analysis and economic evaluation
Authors: Lohan Christoph , Diamantopoulos Alex , LeReun Corinne , Wright Emily , Bohm Natalie , Sawyer Laura Marie
Published: July 2019

Background and aims

In the UK, treatments for patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis who have an inadequate response to conventional therapies comprise four biological therapies—the tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) agents adalimumab, golimumab and infliximab and the anti-integrin vedolizumab—and an orally administered small molecule therapy, tofacitinib. However, there have been few head-to-head studies of these therapies. This study aimed to compare the clinical and cost-effectiveness of tofacitinib with biological therapies.

Methods

A systematic literature review was conducted to identify all relevant randomised controlled trial (RCT) evidence. Clinical response, clinical remission and serious infection rates were synthesised using network meta-analysis (NMA). The results were used to compare the cost-effectiveness of tofacitinib and biologics with conventional therapy, using a Markov model, which incorporated lifetime costs and consequences of treatment from a UK National Health Service perspective. Analyses were conducted separately for TNFi-naïve and TNFi-exposed populations.

Results

Seventeen RCTs were used in the NMAs. There were no statistically significant differences among biological therapies and tofacitinib for either TNFi-naïve or TNFi-exposed patients. In TNFi-naïve patients, all therapies were more efficacious than placebo. In TNFi-exposed patients, only tofacitinib was significantly more efficacious than placebo as induction therapy, and only tofacitinib and vedolizumab were significantly more efficacious than placebo as maintenance therapies. There were no significant differences in serious infection rates among therapies. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for tofacitinib versus conventional therapy were £21 338 and £22 816 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) in the TNFi-naïve and TNFi-exposed populations, respectively. TNFi therapies were dominated or extendedly dominated in both populations. Compared with vedolizumab, tofacitinib was associated with a similar number of QALYs, at a lower cost.

Conclusion

Tofacitinib is an efficacious treatment for moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis and is likely to be a cost-effective use of NHS resources.
Acupuncture for chronic neck pain with sensitive points: study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial
Authors: Sun Mingsheng , Geng Guoyan , Chen Jiao , Ma Xingsha , Yan Mingxi , Liu Xiaojia , Du Jiarong , Cai Dingjun , Zheng Hui , Zhao Ling , Liang Fan-rong
Published: July 2019

Introduction

Chronic neck pain is a challenging condition to treat in clinical practice and has a considerable impact on quality of life and disability. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, acupoints and tender points may become sensitised when the body is in a diseased state. Stimulation of such sensitive points may lead to disease improvement and improved clinical efficacy. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of needling at sensitive acupoints in providing pain relief, improvement of cervical vertebral function and quality of life in patients with chronic neck pain.

Methods and analysis

This multicentre, randomised controlled, explanatory and parallel clinical trial will include 716 patients with chronic neck pain. Study participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to four treatment groups: the highly sensitive acupoints group, low/non-sensitive acupoints group, sham acupuncture group and waiting-list control group. The primary outcome will be the change in the visual analogue scale score for neck pain from baseline to 4 weeks. Secondary outcomes will be the Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire and McGill pain questionnaire, 12-item Short-Form health survey, Neck Disability Index, changes in the pressure pain threshold, range of cervical motion, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale and adverse events before treatment, post-treatment, and at 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 weeks post-treatment. The intention-to-treat approach will be used in the statistical analysis. Group comparisons will be undertaken using χ2tests for categorical characteristics, and analysis of variance for continuous variables to analyse whether acupuncture in the highly sensitive acupoints group achieves better treatment outcomes than in each of the other three groups.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval of this study has been granted by the local Institutional Review Board (ID: 2017 KL-038). The outcomes of the trial will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR1800016371; Pre-results.
Prevalence and factors associated with underweight children: a population-based subnational analysis from Pakistan
Authors: Kumar Ramesh , Abbas Faisal , Mahmood Tahir , Somrongthong Ratana
Published: July 2019

Objectives

This study aims to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with underweight children under the age of 5 in Punjab, Pakistan.

Design

We analysed cross-sectional household-level subnationally representative Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey.

Settings

Punjab province, Pakistan.

Participants

24 042 children under 5 years of age.

Data analysis

Multilevel multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

Prevalence of moderately and severely underweight children was found to be (33.3% and 11.3%, respectively). Multivariate multilevel logistic regression results show that as the child grows older the likelihood of the child being underweight increases significantly (eg, children between 12 and 23 months are one and half times more likely to be underweight, whereas children between the ages of 36 and 47 months are two and a half times more likely to be underweight). Gender was found to be another significant factor contributing to underweight prevalence among children under the age of 5. The likelihood of a girl child being underweight is more than that of a boy child being underweight (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.8 to 1.0). Similarly, a child whose birth order is three or more is two times more likely to be underweight (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.5 to 2.5) relative to a child of a lower birth order. Moreover, diarrhoea also significantly increases the likelihood of the child being underweight (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.5). Child size is another determinant for underweight prevalence among children under 5, for example, a child with a size smaller than average at the time of birth is 2.7 times more likely to be moderately underweight than a child with an average or larger than average size at the time of birth.

Conclusion

Rigorous community-based interventions should be developed and executed throughout the province to improve this grave situation of underweight prevalence in Punjab. Mother’s education should be uplifted by providing them formal education and providing awareness about the importance of proper nutrition for children.
Patients’ perspectives on integrated oral healthcare in a northern Quebec Indigenous primary health care organisation: a qualitative study
Authors: Shrivastava Richa , Couturier Yves , Kadoch Naomi , Girard Felix , Bedos Christophe , Macdonald Mary Ellen , Torrie Jill , Emami Elham
Published: July 2019

Objective

Patient-centred care is considered to be an important element in the evaluation of integrated healthcare and has been effective in addressing oral health disparities. This study explored the patients’ perspectives of patient-centred integrated care in oral health services integrated into a primary healthcare organisation serving a northern Quebec Cree population.

Design

This study used a multiple case study design within a qualitative approach and developmental evaluation methodology. Two theoretical models, Picker’s Principles of Patient-Centred Care and Valentijn’s Rainbow Model of Integrated Care, guided data collection and data analysis. The thematic analysis included transcription, debriefing, codification, data display and interpretation.

Setting

This study was conducted in purposefully selected four Cree communities of Northern Quebec.

Participants

Adult patients in need of oral healthcare and who attended the local dental clinic were identified and recruited by maximum variation sampling and snowball techniques.

Outcome measures

Patients’ perspectives of patient-centred integrated oral healthcare.

Results

Data analysis generated six major themes: enhanced accessibility, creating supportive environment, building trust through shared decision making, appreciation of public health programmes, raising oral health awareness and growing cultural humility among healthcare providers. Patients identified the integration of dental care into primary healthcare with respect to co-location, provision of free oral healthcare services, care coordination and continuity of care, referral services, developing supportive environment, shared decision making, oral health promotion and culturally competent care.

Conclusion

These results confirmed that patient-centred care is an important element of integrated care. Patients valued the use of this concept in all domains and levels of integration. They recommended to further strengthen the clinical integration by involving parents in oral health promotion as well as optimising care coordination and empowering a supportive environment in organisational integration.
Iatrogenic antibody deficiency from B-cell targeted therapies in autoimmune rheumatic diseases
Authors: Wijetilleka Sonali , Jayne David , Mukhtyar Chetan , Karim Mohammed Yousuf
Published: July 2019

B-cell targeted therapies (BCTT) are now widely used in autoimmune rheumatic diseases, including SLE, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Early studies suggested that rituximab did not influence serum immunoglobulins. However, subsequently, with increased patient numbers, longer follow-up duration and many patients having received multiple BCTT courses, multiple subsequent studies have identified hypogammaglobulinaemia as a potential side effect. Patients developing hypogammaglobulinaemia appear to fit into two principal categories: the majority who develop transient, often mild reduction in immunoglobulins without increased infection and a much smaller but clinically significant group with a more sustained antibody deficiency, who display increased risk of infection. Monitoring immunoglobulin levels represents an opportunity for the early detection of hypogammaglobulinaemia, and the prevention of avoidable morbidity. In the two major studies, approximately 4%–5% of BCTT-treated patients required immunoglobulin replacement due to recurrent infections in the context of hypogammaglobulinaemia. Despite this, monitoring of immunoglobulins is suboptimal, and there remains a lack of awareness of hypogammaglobulinaemia as an important side effect.
Influence of spawning salmon on tree-ring width, isotopic nitrogen, and total nitrogen in old-growth Sitka spruce from coastal British Columbia
Authors: Reimchen Thomas Edward , Arbellay Estelle
Published: July 2019

Coastal watersheds of the North Pacific benefit immensely from bear-mediated uploading of salmon nutrients, which increases aquatic and terrestrial productivity. To quantify the influence of spawning salmon on tree-ring signatures, we analyzed 543 rings from the heartwood of 13 old-growth Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carrière) trees from five geographically separated watersheds in coastal British Columbia. In comparison with adjacent control trees, those receiving salmon nutrients (salmon trees) have rings that are, on average, 1.5 mm wider, 4.5‰ more enriched in isotopic nitrogen, and 0.021% more elevated in total nitrogen (P < 0.001, Mann–Whitney–Wilcoxon test). In this study, salmon nutrients enhance average stem growth by 19%. Furthermore, salmon trees show that increases in tree-ring width and nitrogen values lag sporadic, high salmon runs by 0 to 5 years. Using differences between control and salmon trees from the same site, our results collectively indicate that tree-ring width, isotopic nitrogen, and total nitrogen are valid, complementary tools for investigating historic, annual fluctuations in salmon abundance in coastal watersheds. We recommend their use in future, tree ring based reconstructions of past nutrient cycling over decadal to centennial time scales.
Acoustical-phonon and polaron mode-induced optical parametric amplification in transversely magnetized III–V semiconductors
Authors: Jangra Surajbhan , Singh Harjit Pal , Kumar Vaneet
Published: July 2019

In this paper, a detailed analytical investigation is made to study the acoustical-phonon (AP) and polaron mode-induced optical parametric amplification (OPA) in transversely magnetized III–V semiconductors. Making use of hydrodynamic model of (one component) semiconductor plasma and adopting the coupled mode approach, an explicit expression is obtained for the threshold pump electric field [Formula: see text] and gain coefficients [Formula: see text] of AP and polaron mode-induced OPA. Externally applied magnetostatic field [Formula: see text] and doping concentration [Formula: see text] are incorporated in terms of electron cyclotron frequency [Formula: see text] and plasma frequency [Formula: see text], respectively. The dependence of [Formula: see text] on wave number [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] and the dependence of [Formula: see text] on [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and pump electric field [Formula: see text] are explored. Numerical estimates made for [Formula: see text]-InSb-CO2 system suggest that the material parameters and externally applied magnetostatic field play an important role in reducing [Formula: see text] and enhancing [Formula: see text]. We find [Formula: see text] (when [Formula: see text]); though [Formula: see text] is smaller than [Formula: see text] under identical conditions. The formulation developed in this paper highlights the importance of Frohlich interaction in transversely magnetized III–V semiconductors for OPA and replaces the conventional idea of using high power pulsed lasers. The results obtained in this analysis suggest that by controlling the material parameters and externally applied magnetostatic field, the performance of acoustical and polaron mode-induced optical parametric amplifiers may be improved. It is expected that a cheaper efficient optical parametric amplifier can be fabricated using [Formula: see text]-InSb-CO2 system as the outcome of this research work.
Trichonis basin, western central Greece: is it an immature basin in the Corinth Rift or a pull-apart in a sinistral rift–trench link?
Authors: Tranos Markos D. , Weber John C. , Bussey Jacqueline , O'Sullivan Paul
Published: July 2019

The 35 km long east–west-trending Trichonis basin in western central Greece is located between the Kephalonia Transform Fault and the east–west-trending Corinth Rift, exhibiting analogous, but smaller scale, morphotectonic features to the Corinth Rift. The final cooling and exhumation of the area started after at
c.
10 Ma, after the burial owing to the emplacement of the Pindos thrust (
c.
30–20 Ma). The deformation includes (1) an Early–Middle Miocene transpression (T
1
) during the waning stage of collision between Apulia and Eurasia, and (2) a Late Miocene–Pliocene radial extension (T
2
), which relates to the separation of the Hellenic subduction zone from the Apulia (Adria)–Eurasia collision plate boundary through the Kephalonia Transform Fault. Two extensional stress tensors, T
3
and T
4
, with

σ
3

in NNE (023°), and NNW (157°) directions, respectively, describe the modern stress regime in the Trichonis basin. This spatial stress partitioning is due to competition between back-arc stresses associated with Hellenic subduction-zone retreat and stresses of the post-collisional collapse of the Hellenic orogen. The Trichonis basin is not a pull-apart basin in a sinistral rift–trench link, but is an immature basin in the Corinth Rift along the Trichonis Fault. The later stands as a right-stepping fault branch to the main faults of the Corinth Rift.
Downregulation of calponin 2 contributes to the quiescence of lung macrophages
Authors: Plazyo Olesya , Sheng Juan-Juan , Jin J.-P.
Published: July 2019

Calponin 2 is an actin cytoskeleton-associated regulatory protein that inhibits the activity of myosin-ATPase and cytoskeleton dynamics. Recent studies have demonstrated that deletion of calponin 2 restricts the proinflammatory activation of macrophages in atherosclerosis and arthritis to attenuate the disease progression in mice. Here we demonstrate that the levels of calponin 2 vary among different macrophage populations, which may reflect their adaptation to specific tissue microenvironment corresponding to specific functional states. Interestingly, lung resident macrophages express significantly lower calponin 2 than peritoneal resident macrophages, which correlates with decreased substrate adhesion and reduced expression of proinflammatory cytokines and a proresolution phenotype. Deletion of calponin 2 in peritoneal macrophages also decreased substrate adhesion and downregulated the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. Providing the first line of defense against microbial invasion while receiving constant exposure to extrinsic antigens, lung macrophages need to maintain a necessary level of activity while limiting exaggerated inflammatory reaction. Therefore, their low level of calponin 2 may reflect an important physiological adaption. Downregulation of calponin 2 in macrophages may be targeted as a cytoskeleton-based novel mechanism, possibly via endoplasmic reticulum stress altering the processing and secretion of cytokines, to regulate immune response and promote quiescence for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
Training heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction attenuates muscle sympathetic nerve activation during mild dynamic exercise
Authors: Notarius Catherine F. , Millar Philip J. , Keir Daniel A. , Murai Hisayoshi , Haruki Nobuhiko , O’Donnell Emma , Marzolini Susan , Oh Paul , Floras John S.
Published: July 2019

Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) decreases during low-intensity dynamic one-leg exercise in healthy subjects but increases in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). We hypothesized that increased peak oxygen uptake (V̇o2peak) after aerobic training would be accompanied by less sympathoexcitation during both mild and moderate one-leg dynamic cycling, an attenuated muscle metaboreflex, and greater skin vasodilation. We studied 27 stable, treated HFrEF patients (6 women; mean age: 65 ± 2 SE yr; mean left ventricular ejection fraction: 30 ± 1%) and 18 healthy age-matched volunteers (6 women; mean age: 57 ± 2 yr). We assessed V̇o2peak (open-circuit spirometry) and the skin microcirculatory response to reactive hyperemia (laser flowmetry). Fibular MSNA (microneurography) was recorded before and during one-leg cycling (2 min unloaded and 2 min at 50% of V̇o2peak) and, to assess the muscle metaboreflex, during posthandgrip ischemia (PHGI). HFrEF patients were evaluated before and after 6 mo of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation. Pretraining V̇o2peak and skin vasodilatation were lower ( P < 0.001) and resting MSNA higher ( P = 0.01) in HFrEF than control subjects. Training improved V̇o2peak (+3.0 ± 1.0 mL·kg−1·min−1; P < 0.001) and cutaneous vasodilation and diminished resting MSNA (−6.0 ± 2.0, P = 0.01) plus exercise MSNA during unloaded (−4.0 ± 2.5, P = 0.04) but not loaded cycling (−1.0 ± 4.0 bursts/min, P = 0.34) and MSNA during PHGI ( P < 0.05). In HFrEF patients, exercise training lowers MSNA at rest, desensitizes the sympathoexcitatory metaboreflex, and diminishes MSNA elicited by mild but not moderate cycling. Training-induced downregulation of resting MSNA and attenuated reflex sympathetic excitation may improve exercise capacity and survival.
ROCK2 regulates TGF-β-induced expression of CTGF and profibrotic genes via NF-κB and cytoskeleton dynamics in mesangial cells
Authors: Nagai Yosuke , Matoba Keiichiro , Kawanami Daiji , Takeda Yusuke , Akamine Tomoyo , Ishizawa Sho , Kanazawa Yasushi , Yokota Tamotsu , Utsunomiya Kazunori , Nishimura Rimei
Published: July 2019

The small GTPase Rho and its effector Rho kinase (ROCK) are involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease. Rho kinase has two isoforms: ROCK1 and ROCK2. However, it remains unclear which is mainly involved in the progression of diabetic glomerulosclerosis and the regulation of profibrotic mediators. Glomeruli isolated from type 2 diabetic db/ db mice demonstrated increased gene expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and its downstream profibrotic mediators. Chemical inhibition of ROCK suppressed the expression of profibrotic mediators in both isolated glomeruli and cultured mesangial cells. An investigation of mechanisms underlying this observation revealed activated ROCK functions through the phosphorylation of JNK and Erk and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB via actin dynamics. Knockdown by siRNA against ROCK1 and ROCK2 showed that ROCK2 but not ROCK1 controls this fibrotic machinery. Further in vivo experiments showed that ROCK2 activity in the renal cortex of db/ db mice was elevated compared with control db/ m mice. Importantly, oral administration of ROCK2 inhibitor attenuated renal ROCK2 activity, albuminuria, and glomerular fibrosis in db/ db mice. These observations indicate that ROCK2 is a key player in the development of diabetic renal injury. Glomerular ROCK2 may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetic kidney disease.
Moxibustion Exerts a Neuroprotective Effect through Antiferroptosis in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Lu Juan , Liu Xuelei , Tian Ye , Li Hang , Ren Zhenxing , Liang Shuang , Zhang Guiyu , Zhao Caiping , Li Xinrong , Wang Tingting , Chen Dongfeng , Kuang Weihong , Zhu Meiling
Published: July 2019

The objective of this study was to explore the neuroprotective effect of moxibustion on rats with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and its mechanism. A Parkinson’s disease model was established in rats using a two-point stereotactic 6-hydroxydopamine injection in the right substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area. The rats received moxibustion at the Baihui (GV20) and Sishencong (EX-HN1) acupoints for 20 minutes, six times a week, for 6 weeks. The right SN tissue was histologically and immunohistochemically examined. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified through RNA sequencing. In addition, the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), and ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) in SN were measured. In comparison to the model group, the moxibustion group showed a significantly greater TH immunoreactivity and a higher behavioural score. In particular, moxibustion led to an increase in the number and morphological stability of SN neural cells. The functional pathway analysis showed that DEGs are closely related to the ferroptosis pathway. GPX4 and FTH1 in the SN were significantly overexpressed in the moxibustion-treated rats with PD. Moxibustion can effectively reduce the death of SN neurons, decrease the occurrence of ferroptosis, and increase the TH activity to protect the neurons in rats with PD. The protective mechanism may be associated with suppression of the ferroptosis.
An Unusual Case of Streptococcus pyogenes Causing Ruptured Aortic Mycotic Aneurysm
Authors: Someili Ali , Shroff Anjali
Published: July 2019

A 70-year-old male with a complex past medical history presents with confusion and slurred speech for 24 hours. His exam was unremarkable, and his CT head was negative. Both his C-reactive protein and white blood cell count were elevated. As part of the delirium workup, blood cultures were done which grew Streptococcus pyogenes with no obvious source. He was treated with appropriate antibiotics. To determine the source, a white blood cell scan was done, which showed increased localization within a left-sided upper mediastinum mass. Subsequently, chest CT scan with contrast showed an acute type B aortic dissection with mycotic aneurysm. Consequently, he was taken urgently for surgical management. He completed 6 weeks of penicillin G and was discharged to a rehabilitation center. This case illustrates both a rare entity, mycotic aneurysm secondary to Streptococcus pyogenes, and the importance of getting an Infectious Diseases consult in the setting of an unknown source of bacteremia.
Spatiotemporal Distribution of Air Pollution Characteristics in Jiangsu Province, China
Authors: Song Rong , Yang Liumei , Liu Mengyuan , Li Can , Yang Yanrong
Published: July 2019

Following the deepening of climate change and the increasing industrialization in recent years, the problem of air pollution in cities has become increasingly prominent. Based on the data of air pollutants and meteorological elements in Jiangsu Province, China (2013–2017), we analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics of air pollution. The results show that the air-quality index (AQI) in Jiangsu Province decreased from 2013 to 2017 and the highest AQI is in winter and the lowest in the summer, while its values in coastal cities of Jiangsu are less than those of inland cities. For the temporal distribution of primary pollutants, PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and CO present the same trend under seasonal and monthly time scales, i.e., winter is higher and summer is lower; however, the other secondary pollutant, O3, presents opposite characteristics under the same time scale: it has higher concentration levels in summer and lower in winter. For the spatial distribution, PM2.5 and PM10 are in good concord: the higher values are found in the west of Jiangsu Province and lower in the east. For the spatial distribution of NO2, this presents higher concentrations in south and lower concentrations in north according to the position of Yangzi River, while the distribution of O3 concentration is opposite to that of NO2. The meteorological elements selected are related to air pollution, the AQI is significantly negatively correlated with monthly temperature (including average, minimum, and maximum temperatures), monthly average water vapor pressure, monthly precipitation, and monthly sunshine duration; the correlation coefficients are –0.852, –0.846, –0.850, –0.797, –0.727, and –0.599, respectively. As far as the relationships between air pollutions are concerned, there is a significant positive correlation between AQI, PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NO2, while O3 is remarkably negatively correlated with other pollutants and AQI. The most prominent correlations are distinguished into two groups: one is AQI, PM2.5, and PM10, with correlation coefficients of 0.876 and 0.966, and the other is SO2, NO2, with correlation coefficient of about 0.9.
Multiple Solutions for a Class of Fractional Schrödinger-Poisson System
Authors: Chen Lizhen , Li Anran , Wei Chongqing
Published: July 2019

We investigate a class of fractional Schrödinger-Poisson system via variational methods. By using symmetric mountain pass theorem, we prove the existence of multiple solutions. Moreover, by using dual fountain theorem, we prove the above system has a sequence of negative energy solutions, and the corresponding energy values tend to 0. These results extend some known results in previous papers.
A new species of Alacran (Scorpiones: Typhlochactidae) from a cave in Oaxaca, Mexico
Authors: FRANCKE OSCAR F.
Published: July 2019

Alacran chamuco sp. nov., a new eyeless, troglobitic scorpion from Te Cimutaa, Valle Nacional, is described. This is the second known species in the genus; sharing with Alacran tartarus a very similar trichobothrial pattern and the lack of “petite” trichobothria—both unique characters in the family Typhlochactidae. The new species differs from A. tartarus in the pedipalp finger dentition and the relative size of the telson. The two cave systems in Oaxaca where the two species of Alacran occur are approximately 75 kilometers apart.
A new species of Metrarabdotos (Bryozoa, Ascophora) from Brazil
Authors: SANTANA FLÁVIA T. , RAMALHO LAÍS V. , GUMARÃES CARMEN P.
Published: July 2019

Worldwide there are approximately 40 species of Metrarabdotos, only six of which are extant. Among the living species, three were previously recorded from the Brazilian coast: M. unguiculatum, M. tuberosum, and M. gulo, collected from Bahia and Espírito Santo States. There are no records of fossil species of Metrarabdotos from Brazil. This study reports two living Metrarabdotos species, collected from three states in Brazil―Sergipe, Bahia and Espírito Santo. One of the species, M. sergipensis, is new to science. Its morphological features, such as extreme tuberculation of the zooidal frontal shield, add appreciably to the range of morphological disparity known in the genus.Key-words: Brazil, Bryozoa, Metrarabdotosidae, new species, Southwestern Atlantic, taxonomy
Three new species of Goniagnathus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from the Indian subcontinent with description of a new subgenus
Authors: VIRAKTAMATH C. A. , GNANESWARAN R.
Published: July 2019

Tropicognathus subgen. nov. of Goniagnathus is described with Goniagnathus fumosus Distant as the type species. Three new species, Goniagnathus (Tropicognathus) anufrievi sp. nov. (India: Karnataka), Goniagnathus (Tropicognathus) nepalicus sp. nov. (Nepal: Kathmandu) and Goniagnathus (Tropicognathus) zeylanicus sp. nov. (Sri Lanka) are described and illustrated. G. bicolor Distant is placed as a junior synyonym of G. fumosus Distant. A key to the subgenera and species of Goniagnathus from the Indian subcontinent is also given.
Isotomidae (Collembola) of Buryat Republic. Folsomia culter sp. nov and taxonomic value of terminalian chaetotaxy in the genus
Authors: POTAPOV MIKHAIL , CHIMITOVA AYUNA
Published: July 2019

Folsomia culter sp. nov. is described from several sites in Eastern Buryatia (Russia, East Siberia). It occupies an intermediate position between the sensibilis- and fimetaria-groups of the genus. The species is well defined by the strong foil setae on the distal abdomen, by a pair of enlarged basal setae on dens, and by the relative position of sensillary and foil setae. The taxonomic value of the sensillary and “foil” chaetotaxy on the last two abdominal segments is discussed/ described for the two groups of Folsomia species.
Synopsis of the genus Sangaris Dalman in South America (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), with description of two new species and new combinations
Authors: MONNÉ MIGUEL A. , MONNÉ MARCELA L.
Published: July 2019

A synopsis of the South American species of Sangaris Dalman, 1823 is presented. Sangaris luteonotata Monné & Monné sp. nov. and S. ordinale Monné & Monné sp. nov. are described from Ecuador. Sangaris luctuosa (Pascoe, 1859) comb. nov. and Sangaris obtusicarinata (Zajciw, 1962) comb. nov. are transferred from Colobothea Lepeletier & Audinet-Serville, 1825. New distributional data are given for S. trifasciata Melzer, 1928, S. zikani Melzer, 1931, and S. luctuosa (Pascoe, 1859). A key to the South American species is provided.
Experimental population genetics in insects: inheritance of ISSR-PCR bands in an artificial population
Authors: HUNDSDOERFER ANNA K. , WINK MICHAEL
Published: July 2019

Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR)-PCR fingerprints are being increasingly used to establish relationships between closely related animals, although their inheritance patterns have not been examined closely as yet. To better understand the genetics of this relatively novel genomic fingerprint technique and to assess the tokogenetic information content of the data for the Hyles euphorbiae (Linnaeus, 1758) complex (HEC; Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) precisely, we examined five separated pairs of moths of Hyles euphorbiae from Spain (10 moths) and their offspring as an artificial population. ISSR-PCR fingerprints were obtained with four primers and the 0/1 matrix analysed. The cluster algorithm Neighbour Joining was successful in reconstructing the families as monophyletic, although intra-familial cluster formation cannot be represented by a dichotomous branching pattern. In contrast, the band sharing index did not detect significant differences in variability between siblings and individuals of H. euphorbiae from different localities compared at random. Rather high levels of recombination were detected, which surprisingly did not appear to obscure the tokogenetic signal to a significant degree. Thus ISSR-PCR fingerprints appear to be appropriate markers to study relationships between HEC individuals of two consecutive generations, while being too variable for higher levels.
Nipponentomon jaceki sp. nov. from the Russian Far East (Protura: Acerentomidae, Nipponentominae)
Authors: SHRUBOVYCH JULIA
Published: July 2019

Nipponentomon jaceki sp. nov. is described from the Russian Far East. This new species is characterized by a short rostrum, presence of an additional seta on the head, absence of seta P1a on tergite VII, and concave hind margin of comb VIII. It is similar to N. khabarovskense Nakamura, 2004, also from the Russian Far East, but differs in the shape of the comb and maxillary sensilla, and in the length of sensilla e and g on the foretarsus. Collection for N. nippon (Yoshii, 1938) also is reported from the same area.
A new species of Liolaemus from Añelo sand dunes, northern Patagonia, Neuquén, Argentina, and molecular phylogenetic relationships of the Liolaemus wiegmannii species group (Squamata, Iguania, Liolaemini)
Authors: AVILA LUCIANO JAVIER , MORANDO MARIANA , PEREZ DANIEL ROBERTO , SITES, JR. JACK W.
Published: July 2019

The wiegmannii group of Liolaemus includes L. arambarensis, L. azarai, L. lutzae, L. occipitalis, L. multimaculatus, L. rabinoi, L. riojanus, L. salinicola, L. scapularis, L. wiegmannii, and the species described here. We used sequences of the mitochondrial cyt–b, 12S, and ND4, and the nuclear C–mos gene regions to infer the phylogeny of the majority of the species of the wiegmannii group. We describe a new species that is closely related to L. multimaculatus and L. riojanus, but can be distinguished by a different dorsal coloration, absence of suprascapular spots, and smaller size. Liolaemus cuyumhue sp. nov. lives in marked geographic isolation with respect to other closely-related species of the wiegmannii group.
Entedoninae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) associated with gall-inducing insects (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in Panama
Authors: PANIAGUA MIGUEL , HANSSON CHRISTER , MEDIANERO ENRIQUE
Published: July 2019

A new species of Ametallon Ashmead, A. carinatum sp. n. and five new species of Chrysonotomyia Ashmead, C. dussiae sp. n., C. longicaudata sp. n., C. machaeriae sp. n., C. unimaculata sp. n. and C. claviger sp. n. (Eulophidae: Entedoninae) are described from Panama. New host associations are recorded for Ametallon gorgonaense Hansson, Chrysonotomyia auripunctata (Ashmead), Chrysonotomyia galbina Hansson, Chrysonotomyia laeviscuta Hansson, Chrysonotomyia phenacapsia Yoshimoto and Tropicharis cecivora Hansson. All these species belong to the Omphale genus group, and were reared from galls collected in the canopy and understorey of two tropical forests in Panama.
Battle of two replacement names for the genus Metagonia Kolbe, 1899 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)
Authors: LACROIX MARC , BEZDĚK ALEŠ
Published: July 2019

Kolbe (1899) established the new subgenus Metagonia to accommodate four species of African Melolonthinae in the genus Apogonia Kirby, 1819: Apogonia platypyge Kolbe, 1899; A. platypus Kolbe, 1899; A. pusilla Laporte, 1840; and A. mediocris Kolbe, 1891. However, he did not designate a type species. Moser (1918) elevated the subgenus Metagonia Kolbe to the genus rank. This genus-group name was then used regularly in taxonomic papers dealing with the genus Apogonia and its relatives (e.g., Dalla Torre 1912; Burgeon 1945; Frey 1974, 1976). In his catalogue of Old World Diplotaxini, Bezděk (2004) subsequently designated A. mediocris as the type species of the genus Metagonia Kolbe and listed ten species belonging to this genus. However, Kolbe and all subsequent authors overlooked that the genus-group name Metagonia Kolbe was already preoccupied by Metagonia Simon, 1893, which was proposed for the Brazilian pholcid spider M. bifida Simon, 1893 (see Huber 2000 for more details).
A new species of Gekko Laurenti, 1768 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Dong Nai Province, Southeastern Vietnam
Authors: VAN TRI NGO , BAUER AARON M. , WOOD JR. PERRY L. , GRISMER JESSE L.
Published: July 2019

A new endemic species of Gekko, G. russelltraini, is described from Chua Chan Mountain, an isolated granitic peak in the Xuan Loc district, Dong Nai province, southeastern Vietnam. The species is distinguished from its congeners by its moderate size (SVL 70.3–82.9 mm), 8–11 precloacal pores in males, 12–16 longitudinal rows of very weakly enlarged, smooth dorsal tubercles, 17–18 lamellae beneath digit IV of pes, and dorsal pattern of five to seven white vertebral blotches between nape and sacrum and four to seven pairs of short white bands on flanks between limb insertions. Gekko russelltraini is a member of a group of mid-sized Indochinese Gekko sharing similar habitus, scalation, and color pattern elements and is the seventh member of its genus confirmed for Vietnam.
Hansenomysis sorbei n. sp., a new suprabenthic mysid (Crustacea: Mysida: Petalophthalmidae) from the Bellingshausen Sea (Southern Ocean)
Authors: SAN VICENTE CARLOS
Published: July 2019

A new Petalophthalmidae mysid, Hansenomysis sorbei n. sp., is described from specimens sampled with a suprabenthic sled in the Bellingshausen Sea (Southern Ocean). Hansenomysis sorbei is distinguishable from its closest congener, H. carinata Casanova, 1993, by the carapace and abdominal somites sculpturing and the relative size of uropods and telson. This new species is the fifth Hansenomysis species described from the Southern Ocean. An identification key for the Antarctic and Subantarctic Hansenomysis species is also included.
A new species of Lysmata (Crustacea, Decapoda, Hippolytidae) from Venezuela, southeastern Caribbean Sea
Authors: BAEZA J. ANTONIO , BOLAÑOS JUAN A. , HERNANDEZ JESÚS E. , LÓPEZ RÉGULO
Published: July 2019

Lysmata udoi n. sp., a new peppermint shrimp, is described from Venezuela, southeastern Caribbean Sea. All individuals were collected from dens of the toadfish Amphichthys criptocentrus (Valenciennes, 1837) in the subtidal zone. This new species can be distinguished from other closely related species of Lysmata by the number of teeth, length and shape of the rostrum, the relative length of the antennular peduncle, and the number of carpal articles of the second pereiopod. The color pattern is distinctive. The fourth abdominal segment almost lacks color, but bears a posterior red thin line with three short forward projections. Morphological and molecular characters demonstrate that L. udoi n. sp. is most closely related to the Gulf of Mexico L. boggessi Rhyne and Lin, 2006 and the Caribbean L. rafa Rhyne and Anker, 2007 and L. ankeri Rhyne and Lin, 2006. Field observations suggest that L. udoi n. sp. is a protandric simultaneous hermaphrodite, with a primary male phase followed by a simultaneous hermaphrodite phase.
A Revision of the Holarctic Genus Rocetelion Matile (Diptera: Keroplatidae)
Authors: FITZGERALD SCOTT J.
Published: July 2019

The Holarctic genus Rocetelion Matile is revised and three species are recognized; R. fenestrale (Fisher), R. fasciola (Coquillett), and R. humerale (Zetterstedt). Rocetelion fasciatum (Garrett) is proposed as a new junior synonym of R. fasciola. A new key, photographs of all species, and characters of the male and female terminalia are provided. The presence/absence of an antennal apicule was found to vary intraspecifically, thus making this character unreliable for distinguishing species in this genus.
Bias Correction of Gauge Data and its Effect on Precipitation Climatology over Mainland China
Authors: Zhang Yingxian , Ren Yuyu , Ren Guoyu , Wang Guofu
Published: July 2019

Typical rain gauge measurements have long been recognized to underestimate actual precipitation. Long-term daily precipitation records during 1961–2013 from a dense national network of 2379 gauges were corrected to remove systematic errors caused by trace precipitation, wetting losses, and wind-induced undercatch. The corrected percentage was higher in cold seasons and lower in warm seasons. Both trace precipitation and wetting loss corrections were more important in arid regions than in wet regions. A greater correction percentage for wind-induced error could be found in cold and arid regions, as well as high wind speed areas. Generally, the annual precipitation amounts as well as the annual precipitation intensity increased to varying degrees after bias correction with the maximum percentage being about 35%. More importantly, the bias-corrected snowfall amount as well as the rainstorm amount increased remarkably by percentages of more than 50% and 18%, respectively. Remarkably, the total number of actual rainstorm events during the past 53 years could be 90 days more than the observed rainstorm events in some coastal areas of China. Therefore, the actual amounts of precipitation, snowfall, and intense rainfall were much higher than previously measured over China. Bias correction is thus needed to obtain accurate estimates of precipitation amounts and precipitation intensity.
Nonlocal Transport and Implied Viscosity and Diffusivity throughout the Boundary Layer in LES of the Southern Ocean with Surface Waves
Authors: Large William G. , Patton Edward G. , Sullivan Peter P.
Published: July 2019

Observations from the Southern Ocean Flux Station provide a wide range of wind, buoyancy, and wave (Stokes) forcing for large-eddy simulation (LES) of deep Southern Ocean boundary layers. Almost everywhere there is a nonzero angle Ω between the shear and the stress vectors. Also, with unstable forcing there is usually a depth where there is stable stratification, but zero buoyancy flux and often a number of depths above where there is positive flux, but neutral stratification. These features allow nonlocal transports of buoyancy and of momentum to be diagnosed, using either the Eulerian or Lagrangian shear. The resulting profiles of nonlocal diffusivity and viscosity are quite similar when scaled according to Monin–Obukhov similarity theory in the surface layer, provided the Eulerian shear is used. Therefore, a composite shape function is constructed that may be generally applicable. In contrast, the deeper boundary layer appears to be too decoupled from the Stokes component of the Lagrangian shear. The nonlocal transports can be dominant. The diagnosed across-shear momentum flux is entirely nonlocal and is highly negatively correlated with the across-shear component of the wind stress, just as nonlocal and surface buoyancy fluxes are related. Furthermore, in the convective limit the scaling coefficients become essentially identical, with some consistency with atmospheric experience. The nonlocal contribution to the along-shear momentum flux is proportional to (1 − cosΩ) and is always countergradient, but is unrelated to the aligned wind stress component.
Origin of Strong Winds in an Explosive Mediterranean Extratropical Cyclone
Authors: Brâncuş Mihaela , Schultz David M. , Antonescu Bogdan , Dearden Christopher , Ştefan Sabina
Published: July 2019

During 2–3 December 2012, the Black Sea and east coast of Romania were affected by a rapidly deepening Mediterranean cyclone. The cyclone developed a bent-back front along which short-lived (2–4 h) strong winds up to 38 m s−1 were recorded equatorward of the cyclone center. A mesoscale model simulation was used to analyze the evolution of the wind field, to investigate the physical processes that were responsible for the strong winds and their acceleration, and to investigate the relative importance of the stability of the boundary layer to those strong winds. The origin of the air in the wind maximum equatorward of the cyclone center was twofold. The first was associated with a sting jet, a descending airstream from the midlevels of the cloud head and the lower part of the cyclonic branch of the warm conveyor belt. The sting jet started to descend west of the cyclone center, ending at the frontolytic tip of the bent-back front. The second was a low-level airstream associated with the cold conveyor belt that originated northeast of the cyclone center and traveled below 900 hPa along the cold side of the bent-back front, ending behind the cold front. Both airstreams were accelerated by the along-flow pressure gradient force, with the largest accelerations acting on the sting-jet air before entering into the near-surface strong-wind area. The sensible heat fluxes destabilized the boundary layer to near-neutral conditions south of the cyclone center, facilitating downward mixing and allowing the descending air to reach the surface. Mesoscale instabilities appeared to be unimportant in the sting-jet formation.
Hierarchical Assemblages of Citizenship and Belonging: The Pedestrian Speech Acts of British Gujarati Indian Walkers
Authors: Ratna Aarti
Published: July 2019

The 2018 Windrush generation controversy, made public state-induced hostilities towards African Caribbean citizens of the nation. However, this is not a new phenomenon. The state’s de-humanising treatment of racial and ethnic minority migrant settlers has a much longer history. I make visible this history by exploring the informal walking pastimes of five, married, British Gujarati Indian couples, many of whom, like other South Asian migrants, arrived in England during the 1960s and 1970s. Using the notion of pedestrian speech acts, I explore the relationship between race, urban multiculture, citizenship and belonging. The findings signal how public and state discourses are mobilised by these walkers to repeatedly invoke their citizenship, mainly by ‘Othering’ Eastern European communities, as well as in terms of what I have called hierarchical assemblages of citizenship and belonging, elucidating the dynamic complexities of racial, ethnic, religious, caste, class, gender, and generational unities and tensions.
A note on the cutoff values of alternative fit indices to evaluate measurement invariance for ESEM models
Authors: Jin Ying
Published: July 2019

This research examines the performance of the previously proposed cutoff values of alternative fit indices (i.e., change in comparative fit index [[Formula: see text]], change in Tucker–Lewis index [[Formula: see text]], and change in root mean squared error of approximation [[Formula: see text]]) to evaluate measurement invariance for exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) models with simulated data. It is important to revisit these cutoff values because they were used widely in validity studies utilizing ESEM models to evaluate measurement invariance for ordinal indicators, but in fact, these cutoff values were developed under confirmatory factor analysis models with continuous indicators. Results of this study show that different cutoff values of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] should be used for ESEM models with ordinal indicators. Evaluation of partial invariance for ESEM models is also discussed.