bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Kidney Transplantation under Urgency Priority Condition
Authors: Veras de Sandes-Freitas Tainá , Gomes Ramalho de Oliveira Juliana , Loiola de Alencar Dantas Gilberto , Lobo Mesquita Lucas , Barbosa de Almeida Eliana Régia , de Matos Esmeraldo Ronaldo
Published: February 2019

Background: In several countries, patients with end-stage renal disease who are ineligible for dialysis are considered urgency priority (UP) for kidney transplantation (KT) through distinct allocation rules. There are scarce published data on clinical features and outcomes after KT of these patients. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed and compared demographic and clinical pretransplant characteristics and outcomes after KT of all patients transplanted under UP allocation in a single Brazilian transplant center from January 10 to March 16 (n = 74) and 1: 1 patients transplanted under standard allocation in the same period (n = 74). A propensity score (PS) matching analysis was performed to evaluate risk factors for death-censored graft loss. Results: UP KT group presented higher percentage of women (58.1 vs. 33.8%, p = 0.005), higher class I (22.2 ± 32.9 vs. 13.1 ± 25.3%, p = 0.027) and class II panel reactive antibodies (11.5 ± 24 vs. 5.2 ± 19.1%, p = 0.002), higher HLA mismatches (4.9 ± 0.9 vs. 3.7 ± 1.2, p < 0.001), higher percentage of retransplants (27 vs. 4.1%, p < 0.001), and spent longer time on dialysis off the waiting list (WL; 54.5 ± 52.5 vs. 31.2 ± 29.0 months, p = 0.03). After transplantation, UP KT patients presented longer hospital stay (29.3 ± 35.7 vs. 18.5 ± 19.5 days, p = 0.003) and inferior death-censored graft survival at 3 years (82 vs. 95.8%, log rank = 0.016), with 33.3% of graft losses due to vascular thrombosis. In PS-matched multivariable analysis, UP status hazard ratios (HR 4.791, 95% CI 1.052–21.722, p = 0.042) and donor age (HR 1.071, 95% CI 1.003–1.145, p = 0.041) were independent risk factors for death-censored graft loss. Conclusion: Patients transplanted under UP status remained a longer time on dialysis off the WL, suggesting that long-term dialysis led to exhaustion of accesses. After transplantation, outcomes are inferior and UP status was a risk factor for graft loss. These results point to the need for local policies to encourage and monitor the early referral to KT.
Epidemiology and Management Challenges in Prolactinomas
Authors: Vroonen Laurent , Daly Adrian F. , Beckers Albert
Published: February 2019

Clinically relevant pituitary adenomas are present in about 1 per 1,000 of the general population and prolactinomas are by far the most common clinical subtype of pituitary adenomas. Usually prolactinomas affect premenopausal women and present with typical symptoms of menstrual disturbance and/or galactorrhea. They are generally managed with dopamine agonists to restore fertility and to control symptoms and tumor size. In a subset of prolactinomas, however, management remains challenging. Studies in recent years have identified the factors related to dopamine agonist resistance, such as male sex, genetic features, and aggressive tumor behavior. Certain other patient groups represent particular challenges for management, such as pediatric patients and pregnant women. Treatment with dopamine agonists is usually safe and effective, and adverse effects such as clinically relevant cardiac valvular complications and impulse control disorders may occur in isolated instances. A number of important disease characteristics of prolactinomas remain to be explained, such as the difference in sex prevalence before and after menopause, the higher prevalence of macroadenomas in older males, and the biochemical mechanisms of resistance to dopaminergic agonists.
Changes of salivary biomarkers under different storage conditions: effects of temperature and length of storage
Authors: Barranco Tomás , Tvarijonaviciute Asta , Escribano Damián , Tecles Fernando , Cerón José J , Cugat Ramón , Lamy Elsa , Damia Elena , Rubio Mónica , P Rubio Camila
Published: February 2019

Introduction: In this report, we aimed to examine the stability of various analytes in saliva under different storage conditions. Materials and methods: Alpha-amylase (AMY), cholinesterase (CHE), lipase (Lip), total esterase (TEA), creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LD), lactate (Lact), adenosine deaminase (ADA), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), ferric reducing ability (FRAS), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), uric acid (UA), catalase (CAT), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were colorimetrically measured in saliva obtained by passive drool from 12 healthy voluntary donors at baseline and after 3, 6, 24, 72 hours, 7 and 14 days at room temperature (RT) and 4 ºC, and after 14 days, 1, 3 and 6 months at – 20 ºC and – 80 ºC. Results: At RT, changes appeared at 6 hours for TEA and H2O2; 24 hours for Lip, CK, ADA and CUPRAC; and 72 hours for LD, Lact, FRAS, UA and AOPP. At 4 ºC changes were observed after 6 hours for TEA and H2O2; 24 hours for Lip and CUPRAC; 72 hours for CK; and 7 days for LD, FRAS and UA. At – 20 ºC changes appeared after 14 days for AST, Lip, CK and LD; and 3 months for TEA and H2O2. At – 80 ºC observed changes were after 3 months for TEA and H2O2. Conclusions: In short-term storage, the analytes were more stable at 4 ºC than at room temperature, whereas in long-term storage they were more stable at - 80 ºC than at – 20 ºC.
Plasma free DNA
Authors: Enko Dietmar , Halwachs-Baumann Gabriele , Kriegshäuser Gernot
Published: February 2019

Introduction: Standardized pre-analytical blood sample procedures for the analysis of circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) are still not available.
Therefore, the present study aimed at evaluating the impact of storage conditions related to different times (24 and 48 h) and temperatures (room
temperature (RT) and 4 - 8 °C) on the plasma ccfDNA concentration of blood samples drawn into Cell-Free DNA collection tubes (Roche Diagnostics
GmbH, Mannheim, Germany).
Materials and methods: Venous blood from 30 healthy individuals was collected into five 8.5 mL Cell-Free DNA Collection Tubes (Roche Diagnostics
GmbH) each. Plasma samples were processed at time point of blood collection (tube 1), and after storage under the following conditions: 24 h
at RT (tube 2) or 4-8 °C (tube 3), and 48 h at RT (tube 4) or 4 - 8 °C (tube 5). Circulating cell-free DNA concentrations were determined by EvaGreen
chemistry-based droplet digital PCR (ddPCR).
Results: No statistically significant differences between median (interquartile range) plasma ccfDNA concentrations (ng/mL) at time point of blood
collection (3.17 (2.13 – 3.76)) and after storage for 24 h (RT: 3.02 (2.41 – 3.68); 4-8 °C: 3.21 (2.19 – 3.46)) and 48 h (RT: 3.13 (2.10 – 3.76); 4-8 °C: 3.09
(2.19 – 3.50)) were observed (P values from 0.102 – 0.975).
Conclusions: No unwanted release of genomic DNA from white blood cells could be detected in plasma samples after tube storage for 24 and 48 h
regardless of storage temperature.
Propaguliferous species of Pohlia (Mielichhoferiaceae) in China, including two new records for China
Authors: LIU YONG-YING , WANG XIAO-RUI , ZHAO JIAN-CHENG
Published: February 2019

A taxonomic study of the propaguliferous species of the genus Pohlia with axillary and rhizoidal propagules in China is presented. Structure in the variation in size and form of the propagules provides a basis for distinguishing species although developmental variations often exist in the propagules. Ten species are recognized in the study area, including two new records: Pohlia andalusica and P. andrewsii. P. andalusica has obconic propagules with erect-spreading laminate leaf primordia clustered in the leaf axils. The oblong, translucent, reddish-orange, axillary propagule with inconspicuous peg-like protuberances of leaf primordia that are incurved at the apex is a distinctive trait of P. andrewsii. P. hisae is an endemic species to China. The species is distinct because of its axillary propagules, which are obconic to ovate, with long, flexuose peg-like leaf primordia. In addition, the glossy shine of the plants when dry is a good diagnostic feature of Pohlia proligera, P. andrewsii and P. andalusica. Taxonomically important characters of all Chinese propaguliferous Pohlia are provided, as are photomicrographs of propagules and an artificial key to these species. The global distribution and specify provinces in China for each species have been summarized.
Divergence time analyses suggest a Miocene origin of the narrow Amazonian endemic rheophytic Ceratolejeunea temnantha (Spruce) Reiner-Drehwald (Porellales, Lejeuneaceae)
Authors: SIERRA ADRIEL M. , BECHTELER JULIA , CARDOSO DOMINGOS , ZARTMAN CHARLES E. , VILLARREAL JUAN CARLOS
Published: February 2019

The recent rediscovery of the rheophytic endemic Ceratolejeunea temnantha ~130 years after its original description, on the upper Rio Negro in the Brazilian Amazon, has enabled the assessment of its enigmatic phylogenetic position, estimates of its divergence time, and updates on its distribution and potential habitat threats. Phylogenetic analyses strongly supported its placement in the genus Ceratolejeunea in a geographically disparate clade including a Madagascar endemic C. saroltae and two Neotropical taxa, C. confusa and C. caducifolia. Divergence time estimates date the clade’s stem age to the late Miocene (8.92 [HPD: 12.39–6.04] Ma) offering further evidence that the evolution of rheophytes in northern South America is correlated with the expansion of cryptogams into novel ecological niches promoted by dramatic landscape changes during the Miocene. Major geomorphological and hydrological transformations contributing to such diversification are most likely the changing dynamics of the inundated mega lake system to the establishment of the Amazon River due to the Andean orogeny and the subsequent cessation of marine influences in the north-western portion of the Basin. Until recently, this rheophyte of seasonally inundated black-water forests was only known from its type collection from the Rio Negro near São Gabriel da Cachoeira (Brazil) as described by Richard Spruce in 1884. These new collections extend the distribution of this rare narrow endemic to the middle Rio Uaupés, a tributary of the upper Rio Negro near the Columbian border.
A new species of Frullania (Marchantiophyta: Frullaniaceae) from the Andes of Peru, and a range extension for F. holostipula to Bolivia
Authors: ATWOOD JOHN J. , ESPINOZA-PRIETO BRYAN , GRADSTEIN S. ROBBERT
Published: February 2019

Frullania heinrichsii (subg. Chonanthelia sect. Cladocarpicae) is newly described from Peru. The new species is characterized by its robust size, undulate leaf margins, undivided underleaves with strongly auriculate bases, autoicous sexuality and 4-keeled perianths. The species has morphological affinities with F. holostipula, F. obscura and F. rio-janeirensis, blurring the subsectional classification boundaries between these species. As a result, subsect. Holostipulae and subsect. Quadriplicatae are proposed as synonyms of sect. Cladocarpicae. Frullania holostipula, hitherto only known from Venezuela, is newly reported from Bolivia. An updated key is provided to the thirteen species recognized in sect. Cladocarpicae.
One more species in the genus Jungermannia (Marchantiophyta: Jungermanniaceae)
Authors: MAMONTOV YURIY S. , KONSTANTINOVA NADEZHDA A. , VILNET ANNA A.
Published: February 2019

Jungermannia afoninae is described from the mountains of South Siberia based on a complex taxonomical approach exploring critical reinvestigation of morphological features and analyses of newly obtained trnL–trnF and trnG-intron cpDNA sequences from six Jungermannia specimens incorporated into a previously published dataset. Description and illustrations of the new species are provided with notes on its differentiation from allied species, ecology and distribution.
New species of the genus Corynoneura Winnertz (Diptera, Chironomidae) from Brazil
Authors: WIEDENBRUG SOFIA , TRIVINHO-STRIXINO SUSANA
Published: February 2019

Seven new species of the genus Corynoneura Winnertz from small streams in the Atlantic Forest are described; Corynoneura fortispicula sp. n., Corynoneura hermanni sp. n., Corynoneura mediaspicula sp. n., Corynoneura mineira sp. n., Corynoneura septadentata sp. n., Corynoneura sertaodaquina sp. n., Corynoneura unicapsulata sp. n., as male, female, pupa and larva. Diagnosis and drawings of other two morphotypes based on female, pupa and larva are given. Larvae were collected from rocks, leaves and debris near the water surface and were reared. Males here described are defined by the phallapodeme sclerotized on posterior margin, females usually have labia fused as funnel.
Machilontus (s. str.) medogensis Song & Huang, sp. nov. from Tibet, the northernmost record of the genus Machilontus Silvestri, 1912 and the first record of the family Meinertellidae (Insecta: Microcoryphia: Machiloidea) in China
Authors: SONG ZHI-SHUN , HUANG FU-SHENG , LIANG AI-PING
Published: February 2019

A new bristletail species, Machilontus (s. str.) medogensis Song & Huang, sp. nov., is described and illustrated from Medog, Tibet, southwestern China. The new species not only represents the northernmost record of the genus Machilontus Silvestri, 1912, but also represents the first record of the family Meinertellidae Verhoeff, 1910 in China. Checklists of Chinese Microcoryphia and world Machilontus spp. are provided. A distribution map and a key to the species of Machilontus are given.
Clarias gracilentus, a new walking catfish (Teleostei: Clariidae) from Vietnam and Cambodia
Authors: NG HEOK HEE , HONG DANG KHANH , VAN TU NGUYEN
Published: February 2019

Clarias gracilentus, a new Southeast Asian walking catfish species, is described from Phu Quoc Island (Vietnam) off the coast of southeastern Cambodia and from mainland southeastern Cambodia. The new species is a member of the C. nieuhofii species complex, and can be distinguished from congeners in the complex in having a combination of: head width 11.9–12.9% SL, distance between the occipital process and the base of the first dorsal-fin ray 5.3–8.4% SL, pectoral-fin length 8.5–10.1% SL, body depth at anus 8.2–11.7% SL, pelvic-fin length 4.3–5.5% SL, length of anal-fin base 60.0–63.9% SL, eye diameter 5.4–7.2% HL, interorbital distance 42.7–48.0% HL, occipital-process length 7.8–14.7% HL, 96–101 dorsal-fin rays, 84–89 anal-fin rays and 80–84 total vertebrae.
Hormonal induction of males as a method for studying tropical cladocerans: description of males of four chydorid species (Cladocera: Anomopoda: Chydoridae)
Authors: SINEV ARTEM Y. , SANOAMUANG LA-ORSRI
Published: February 2019

Methyl farnesoate, a crustacean juvenile hormone, successfully induced male development in several littoral cladocerans from Thailand in short-term multispecies cultures. Male morphology is fully described in four species of Chydoridae— Oxyurella singalensis Daday, 1898, Leberis diaphanus (King, 1853), Leydigia cf. ciliata Gauthier, 1939, Disparalona cf. hamata (Birge, 1910). Males of the latter two taxa from Thailand differ from these from the other localities, suggesting the presence of sibling-species in the Indochina region.
Faunistic and bibliographical inventory of the blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) of Morocco
Authors: BELQAT BOUTAÏNA , ADLER PETER H. , CROSSKEY ROGER W.
Published: February 2019

All published records are provided for the 42 species of black flies known from Morocco, together with appropriate literature references and misidentifications where known. New records of S. lundstromi are presented for the Rif.
New species and new records of the leafhopper genus Aguriahana Distant (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae) from China
Authors: HUANG MIN , ZHANG YALIN
Published: February 2019

Nine new species of Aguriahana Distant are described and illustrated: A. digitata, A. singularis, A. simplex, A. longicorna, A. tripoda, A. recticornis, A. furcata, A. dilatata and A. recurva spp. nov. Three previously described species, A. uncinata (Vilbaste), A. paivana (Distant) and A. distanti Dworakowska are newly recorded from China. A checklist and key to the 34 species known from China are provided.
Notionotus attenuatus sp. n. from southern China with a key to the Old World species of the genus (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae)
Authors: JIA FENGLONG , SHORT ANDREW EDWARD Z.
Published: February 2019

The genus Notionotus Spangler, 1972 presently contains 16 species of small to very small water scavenger beetles in the Neotropical and Oriental Regions. The first two species were described from hygropetric habitats in Venezuela (Spangler 1972), with additional Neotropical species described from Mesoamerica (Perkins 1980). Known exclusively as a Neotropical genus for nearly thirty years, Hebauer (2001, 2003) subsequently recorded the genus in the Old World, describing six species from India and Southeast Asia. Most recently, Queney (2010) described species from northeastern South America.
Description of a new species of Macronychia Rondani (Diptera: Sarcophagidae: Miltogramminae), with a key to the New World species of the genus
Authors: MULIERI PABLO RICARDO , MARILUIS JUAN CARLOS
Published: February 2019

The Miltogramminae of the Neotropical Region are low in species diversity, with no endemic genera (Pape 1996). However, the actual number of Neotropical species in this subfamily is expected to be higher according to the few comprehensive taxonomic revisions (e.g., Pape 1987a, 1989).
Paraneetroplus synspilus is a Junior Synonym of Paraneetroplus melanurus (Teleostei: Cichlidae)
Authors: MCMAHAN CALEB D. , MURRAY CHRISTOPHER M. , GEHEBER AARON D. , BOECKMAN CHRISTOPHER D. , PILLER KYLE R.
Published: February 2019

The genus Paraneetroplus (Teleostei: Cichlidae) currently consists of 11 species that naturally occur from southern Mexico south to Panama. Paraneetroplus melanurus (Günther 1862) is found in the Lago de Petén system of Guatemala, and P. synspilus (Hubbs 1935) in the Río Grijalva-Usumacinta system, and other systems in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. Reported morphological differences between the two nominal species in the literature are vague but center around characteristics of a dark band that begins at the caudal fin and tapers anteriorly near mid-body. This band is reported as straight (horizontal) in P. melanurus but ventrally sloped in P. synspilus. Some authors have previously suggested that these two forms are not distinct. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic morphological comparison of P. melanurus and P. synspilus to further investigate their validity. We examined meristic, morphometric, and geometric morphometric characters and failed to recover diagnostic differences between these two forms. The characters proposed to separate them do not allow for their differentiation, and we conclude that P. synspilus is a junior synonym of P. melanurus. A re-description of P. melanurus is provided on the basis of existing type material and additional material recently collected.
A new species of the genus Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 from central Laos (Squamata: Gekkonidae)
Authors: DAVID PATRICK , NGUYEN TRUONG QUANG , SCHNEIDER NICOLE , ZIEGLER THOMAS
Published: February 2019

A new species of the gekkonid genus Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827, Cyrtodactylus teyniei spec. nov., is described based on a single adult female from Borikhamxay Province, central Laos. It is distinguished from any other Cyrtodactylus species by the combination of the following characters: (1) SVL 89.9 mm, (2) longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles 19, (3) ventral scales in 38 rows between ventrolateral skin folds, (4) ventrolateral skin folds without tubercles, (5) enlarged femoral and precloacal scales 54 (precloacal scales 8, plus 23 femoral scales on each side), (6) precloacal depression lacking, (7) precloacal pores 14, (8) subdigital lamellae under the firth toe 19–20, (9) enlarged median subcaudals, and (10) nuchal band absent, dorsum with blotched pattern. An extended comparison with other species of the genus Cyrtodactylus, in particular species recently described from Laos and Vietnam, is provided. Cyrtodactylus teyniei spec. nov. is the seventh species of Cyrtodactylus known to occur in Laos.
First description of the male of Sason sechellanum Simon, 1898 (Araneae: Barychelidae)
Authors: MARUSIK YURI M. , GERLACH JUSTIN
Published: February 2019

Barychelidae is a pantropical mygalomorph family with 44 genera and 303 species (Platnick 2010). Sason Simon, 1887 is a genus of average-sized spiders with nine species distributed from Seychelles to Ponape, Palau Islands and eastern Australia (Raven 1986; Platnick 2010). Five species of this genus are known from two sexes, two species are known only from females, one species is known only from the male, and one species is known only from a juvenile specimen. All species, except for S. robustum (O.P.-Cambridge, 1883), inhabit places not very far from seashore and have very limited distribution.
Catalog of Chilean Pentatominae Leach, 1815 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)
Authors: FAÚNDEZ EDUARDO I. , CARVAJAL MÁRIOM A.
Published: February 2019

The Chilean Pentatominae species are listed and catalogued; a total of 18 species have been accounted. Additionally 3 species present doubtful or incomplete records. Most of the species are endemic to South America; 2 species are considered introduced in Chile, and 6 species are exclusively Chilean.
The larva of Allopodagrion brachyurum De Marmels, 2001 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Megapodagrionidae) from Southern Brazil
Authors: NEISS ULISSES GASPAR , FIORENTIN GELSON LUIZ , DE MARMELS JÜRG
Published: February 2019

The larva of Allopodagrion brachyurum De Marmels, 2001 is the first known for the genus. The larva is described and illustrated based on exuviae of reared larvae collected in the upper course of the Rio dos Sinos, in Caraá município, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The larva of A. brachyurum can be distinguished from all other neotropical megapodagrionid larvae primarily by the presence of a well developed obtuse tubercle in sub-vertical orientation on each side of occiput; two blunt tubercles on top of the head; and caudal gills thin, stiff, triquetral and extremely long, as long as body.
Systematic revision of the genus Cerocoma Geoffroy, 1762 (Coleoptera: Meloidae: Cerocomini)
Authors: TURCO FEDERICA , BOLOGNA MARCO A.
Published: February 2019

The taxonomy of the Palaearctic genus Cerocoma is revised using a classical morphological approach. A catalogue to species with current synonyms, type information and repositories is provided as well as diagnostic keys to species (male and female) and subspecies (only male), illustrations of male dimorphic and diagnostic characters and detailed distribution data, including literature and collection records. The biology of Cerocoma is summarised, based on available literature and original field observations. Three new species are described and figured: Cerocoma confusa sp.n. (= C. syriaca Auctorum), C. longiseta sp.n. and C. martae sp.n. New status is assessed for two taxa: C. latreillei sterbai stat.n. and C. marginiventris stat.n. New synonymies are proposed as follows: C. syriaca Abeille de Perrin, 1880 = C. barthelemyi Baudi, 1878 syn. nov.; C. latreillei schah Kaszab, 1968 = C. latreillei sterbai Mařan, 1944 syn. nov.; C. scovitzi mirabilis Dvořák, 1993 = C. scovitzi intermedia Mařan, 1944 syn. nov. Adult morphological characters and molecular datasets (nuclear ITS2 and mitochondrial 16S) are used, separately and combined, to carry out the first attempt to elucidate the Cerocoma phylogeny, using Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian Inference. The resulted phylogeny supports the arrangement of Cerocoma into five subgenera: Cerocomina, Mesocerocoma and Metacerocoma as previously defined; the nominate subgenus, restricted to the species group of C. schaefferi Linnaeus, 1758; and Meloides Piller & Mitterpacher, 1783, recently resurrected on morphological data only.
Optimization of Accurate Quantification in Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography Myocardial Imaging
Authors: Alzimami Khalid , Abuhadi Nouf , Alanazi Abdulaziz , Kadri Omran , Alfuraih Abdulrahman , Podolyak Zsolt , Bradley David , Mahmoud Mustafa Z. , Sassi Salem
Published: February 2019

Purpose: The wide availability and reputation for accuracy of the single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of the myocardium has made it a top global choice for nuclear cardiology procedures. The goal of this research is to determine the effectiveness and measurable
accuracy of 3D iterative reconstruction algorithms compared to filtered back projection techniques for cardiac SPECT images. Effectiveness is determined by the ability of the various techniques to produce accurate cardiac SPECT images. Materials and Methods: A Siemens Symbia T16 SPECT/CT
scanner was used to acquire SPECT/CT images and the Monte Carlo simulations whilst a GATE package was used with the implementation of Infinia™ (GE) dual head SPECT gamma camera–simulated data. The recordings were acquired from point and linear sources and a cardiac insert
was created along with a simulation of a computerized phantom XCAT. Result: The results of this study demonstrated an improvement in image quality and the use of a Flash 3D algorithm relative to FBP technique enhances its accuracy. The data presented in this article further show that
the image quality of myocardium images and quantification accuracy, particularly for high-resolution studies reconstructed using the Flash 3D algorithm, can be greatly affected by a respiratory-induced motion. Conclusion: Image quality and quantification accuracy can be better improved
with respiratory-gating techniques, utilization of ordered-subsets maximization (OSEM) algorithms with attenuation and scatter correction. A simulation of respiratory-induced motion resulted in a reconstructed SPECT recording of 73% reduction in the quantified image resolution for Flash 3D
and 43% for FBP. It also caused the underestimation for the left ventricle volume by 18% using FBP and 41% for the Flash 3D. In conclusion, our physical phantom studies and Monte Carlo simulation studies agree with the main hypothesis of our investigation. They showed improvement in image
quality with increased accuracy when using the Flash 3D algorithm relative to the FBP technique.
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Quantitative Tissue Markers in the Clinical Application Value for the Diagnosis of Acute Myocarditis
Authors: Gang Liu , Mu Zeng , Zenglin Ma , Jiayi Liu , Zhanming Fan , Dongting Liu , Zhaoying Wen
Published: February 2019

Objectives: To determine the value of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) quantitative tissue markers in the diagnosis of acute myocarditis, compared with the traditional Lake-Louise criteria (LLC). Methods: Totally 35 cases of patients diagnosed as acute myocarditis in Beijing
Anzhen Hospital and 35 healthy volunteers were enrolled in our study, from May 2014 to August 2016. CMR protocol included quantitative assessment of T1 relaxation times using modified Look-Locker inversion recovery (MOLLI), extracellular volume fraction (ECV), T2 relaxation times. Established
Lake-Louise criteria (LLC) consisting of T2-weighted signal intensity ratio (T2-ratio), early gadolinium enhancement ratio (EGEr), and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) were assessed. Receiver operating characteristics analysis was performed to compare diagnostic performance. Results:
T2-ratio (1.85±0.21 vs. 1.58±0.15; P = 0.002) and EGEr (3.87±1.62 vs. 2.15±1.36; P =0.024) were significantly higher in myocarditis subjects than in control subjects. Non-ischemic LGE was found in 27/35 (77.1%) of all myocarditis patients. Regional myocardial edema
was found in 23/35 (65.7%) of all myocarditis patients. Myocardial T1 and T2 relaxation times and ECV were significantly prolonged in the myocarditis group compared with the control group (T1 native relaxation time: 1310±62 vs. 1247±27 ms, T2 native relaxation time: 65.46±8.49
vs. 55.17±3.59 ms; ECV: 34.47±8.52 vs. 27.68±5.82, P < 0.001, respectively). Areas under the curve of native T1 (0.94) and T2 relaxation times (0.91) were higher compared with those of the other CMR parameters (T2-ratio: 0.73, EGEr: 0.72, LGE: 0.88, LLC: 0.90, ECV:
0.79). Combined with LGE, each native mapping technique outperformed the diagnostic performance of LLC (P < 0.01, respectively). A combination of native parameters (T1, T2 relaxation times) significantly increased the diagnostic performance of CMR compared with LLC without need of contrast
media application (0.99 vs. 0.90; P < 0.05). Conclusion: CMR quantitative tissue markers has good diagnostic efficiency for acute myocarditis, it may be potential to replace the Lake-Louise criteria in the future in patients with contraindications for the use of gadolinium-based
contrast agents.
A Meta Analysis on Prognostic Value of Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Rui Jiang , Yingping Li , Gu Lijun , Wang Zhiyan , Zuo Jing , Zha Lin
Published: February 2019

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), a key nuclear transcription factor, is associated with prognosis in a variety of human cancers. However, the clinical value of NF-κB in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still controversial. Therefore, the aim of this meta-analysis
was to obtain an accurate evaluation of the relationship between NF-κB expression and survival prognosis of NSCLC patients based on published articles. PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases were systematically searched for potential articles. A total of 1159 patients from
7 eligible studies comparing prognostic significance of NF-κB expression levels in NSCLC were included in our meta-analysis. I2 statistic and P value were performed to evaluate heterogeneity using Review Manager version 5.3. The results of analysis were
presented as hazard ratio (HR) or odds ratios with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Subgroup analysis based on ethnicity of NSCLC patients was conducted to illustrate the potential discrepancy. Significant heterogeneity was considered at I2 > 50% and P < 0.05,
and random-effects model was used. The combined results indicated that higher NF-κB expression was associated with shorter overall survival of NSCLC patients (HR = 2.78, 95% CI = 1.51–5.12, P = 0.001). Moreover, NF-κB expression was closely associated
with tumor stage (HR = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.18–0.57, P < 0.0001) and lymph node metastasis (HR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.38–0.83, P = 0.004). We conclude that NF-κB expression may be a potential unfavorable prognostic marker for NSCLC patients.
“New” Nationalism and Autochthony –Tales of Origin as Political Cleavage
Authors: Bøås Morten
Published: February 2019

The conflicts in Liberia, Eastern DRC and Côte d'Ivoire can be “read” as “wars of modernity” as they are concerned with the composition of their respective polities: who is a citizen and who is not. However, these contemporary conflicts are deeply embedded in a long history of violence: integral to this history is the issue of land. Citizenship in itself does not secure access to land, but at the very least it allows those with this status a legitimate entry to the competition for land. There is therefore a direct link between contested citizenship and land rights issues. Drawing on fieldwork material from the above-mentioned countries, this article will show how localised identity narratives under certain circumstances destroy as well as reformulate national identities, and that insight from ethnographic work on autochthonic issues can help us understand conflicts in a broad range of African countries.
Discrimination, Despoliation and Irreconcilable Difference: Host-Immigrant Tensions in Brazzaville, Congo
Authors: Whitehouse Bruce
Published: February 2019

For generations, immigrants from other African countries have comprised a significant minority of residents in Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of Congo. These immigrants constitute several distinct “stranger” populations within Congolese society. While they play a significant role in the Congolese economy, they also encounter discrimination in their daily lives and face hostility from indigenous Congolese. Popular discourses in Brazzaville widely represent African foreigners as a malevolent presence and a threat to Congolese interests. Such discourses fit into broader conflicts over identity, belonging, and access to resources on the continent. This paper, based on ethnographic and survey research carried out in Brazzaville, examines the case of that city's immigrants from the West African Sahel. It situates tensions between them and their hosts in the context of contemporary political and economic dynamics in post-colonial Congo, and specifically links them to exclusionary place-based identity as a political force in contemporary Africa.
Ethiopian Nationalism: An Ideology to Transcend All Odds
Authors: Gebrewold Belachew
Published: February 2019

This paper attempts to show how nationalism has served to transcend political, social, economic and cultural challenges in Ethiopia. Nationalists in Ethiopia have attempted to harness national cohesion against threats from both within and outside of Ethiopia. External threats have always provided an opportunity to mobilize the citizens and suppress internal dissent in the name of national identity. This paper discusses different forms of nationalism in Ethiopia and attempts to demonstrate that in the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia, though territory and economic issues indeed played a role, to reduce the causes of conflict merely to these two factors is a mistake. This conflict has to be approached from a political-psychological aspect as well. Unless there is a change in the expression of nationalism and in the perception of national identity, it will be difficult to address the dynamic of the Eritrean-Ethiopian border conflict and find lasting solutions.
The Vitality of Kabiye in Togo
Authors: Essizewa Komlan Essowe
Published: February 2019

In Togo, speakers of Kabiye have been in contact with the speakers of Ewe for several decades due to migration. As a result of this language contact, many members of the Kabiye speech community have become bilingual in Kabiye and Ewe. There have been a number of claims that Kabiye “est une langue en péril” (Aritiba 1993: 11). These claims have been based mainly on the observation of Kabiye speakers in Lomé and other major cities, where younger speakers seem to be losing their mother tongue to the benefit of Ewe. However, the extent of the loss of Kabiye is not well known because no extensive sociolinguistic study has been carried out among Kabiye speakers in these areas, and more specifically, in major Kabiye-speaking areas. The current study which has been carried out in Kara, the major Kabiye-speaking city and Awidina, a Kabiye village of the prefecture of Kara, fills the gap. The paper examines Kabiye speakers' reports of patterns of language use in these areas of the Kabiye community.
Voting Behaviour in the 2009 South African Election
Authors: Kersting Norbert
Published: February 2019

This article analyses voting behaviour in the South African election of 2009 and draws conclusions regarding the significance of party affiliation and issue-based voting in South Africa. It demonstrates the low level of voter registration and voter turnout. In the 2009 election the Independent Electoral Commission had problems with electoral management for the first time; however, it was able to prevent electoral violence. During the campaign the newly founded COPE focused on institutional reforms and the oppositional Democratic Alliance concentrated too much on negative campaigning. In the post-Mbeki era, the ANC has been able to reinvent itself by being the only party with a strong focus on pro-poor policies. Nevertheless, the lack of alternatives in electoral democracies may lead to alternative instruments of political action.
Cape Verde: Marketing Good Governance
Authors: Baker Bruce
Published: February 2019

Faced with a lack of natural resources Cape Verde has made good governance one of its most marketable products. Running parallel to the institutionalisation of democratic politics there has been an overhaul and growing sophistication in public administration, though certain weaknesses persist. This report argues that it is reform and improvement in this area in particular that has enabled this small island state to punch above its weight and achieve remarkable social, economic and political results. But will the successful formula of the past decade prove sufficient for the future? Poverty and unemployment have by no means been conquered. Much of the economic growth has been based in the tourist sector and the government is well aware of the dangers of over-reliance on a single industry. Cape Verde's midway location between South America and Europe and its increasing international transport connections will continue to offer advantages to drug traffickers. The next few years of the world financial crisis will show whether marketing good governance is enough and whether this is the model for small resource developing states.
The Perils of Power-Sharing: Africa and Beyond
Authors: Sriram Chandra Lekha , Zahar Marie-Joëlle
Published: February 2019

The purpose of international conflict-resolution efforts is, in the short term, to bring an end to violent armed conflict, and, in the medium to longer term, to prevent the revival of conflict. However, at least one of the mechanisms often utilised in conflict resolution and peace agreements, power-sharing, may not only prove problematic in early negotiation and implementation, but may potentially be at odds with the longer-term goal of preventing resurgence of conflict. Why might this be the case? Longer-term peacebuilding seeks to prevent conflict in part by building strong and sustainable states. Such states should be able to avoid reverting to armed conflict because they would be more responsive to grievances and more effective in dealing with violent dissent. However, power-sharing arrangements may undermine such efforts by placing in power individuals and groups not fully committed to, or unable to take part in, governance for the benefit of the entire populace; in part because it necessarily places in power those who have engaged in significant violence to achieve their ends. This is likely to create less democratic states, although we do not insist that democracy is or should be the only goal of peacebuilders. Rather, we suggest that power-sharing arrangements may tend not only towards undemocratic states, but towards states which are not responsive to the needs of the citizenry for security in ways which may undermine human security and state legitimacy.
The Prevalence of Power-Sharing: Exploring the Patterns of Post-Election Peace
Authors: Jarstad Anna K.
Published: February 2019

Why are some elections followed by armed conflict, while others are not? This article begins to explore this question by mapping the prevalence of power-sharing agreements and patterns of post-election peace in states shattered by civil war. While democracy builds on the notion of free political competition and uncertain electoral outcomes, power-sharing reduces the uncertainty by ensuring political power for certain groups. Nevertheless, new data presented in this article – the Post-Accord Elections (PAE) data collection – shows that the issues of peace, power-sharing and democracy have become intertwined as the vast majority of contemporary peace agreements provide for both power-sharing and elections. First, in contrast to previous research which has suggested that power-sharing is a tool for ending violence, this study shows that conflict often continues after an agreement has been signed, even if it includes provisions for power-sharing. Second, this investigation shows no evidence of power-sharing facilitating the holding of elections. On the contrary, it is more common that elections are held following a peace process without power-sharing. Third, a period of power-sharing ahead of the elections does not seem to provide for postelection peace. Rather, such elections are similarly dangerous as post-accord elections held without a period of power-sharing. The good news is that power-sharing does not seem to have a negative effect on post-election peace.
Power-Sharing, Conflict and Transition in Burundi: Twenty Years of Trial and Error
Authors: Vandeginste Stef
Published: February 2019

For the past twenty years, Burundi has experimented with power-sharing as an instrument of political liberalisation, democratisation and conflict resolution. This contribution analyses the different meanings the concept of power-sharing has had throughout Burundi's recent and extremely violent political transition, in particular during the lengthy peace process. It shows how national and international actors have found inspiration in the toolbox of consociationalism to negotiate and design the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement for Burundi signed in August 2000 and its post-transition Constitution. Power-sharing has been instrumental in achieving the – short-term – objective of war termination. It has also de-ethnicised political competition and reduced the (potentially) destabilising effect of elections. Measured against more ambitious state-building objectives (democracy, rule of law, accountable and effective governance), power-sharing has (so far) not been able to make a difference. Several factors and developments threaten the “survival” of the power-sharing model in Burundi.
Kenya's Grand Coalition Government -Another Obstacle to Urgent Constitutional Reform?
Authors: Amadi Henry
Published: February 2019

Kenya's Grand Coalition Government was formed in the aftermath of a serious post-electoral crisis including widespread violence. No political progress has been recorded; in striking contrast to all expectations for more moderation and consensual preparation of a constitutional reform. Based on secondary data from textbooks, newspapers, journals, and documents from both governmental and non-governmental organisations, the author finds that the continuing wrangles within the Grand Coalition Government, the fear of the debilitating effects of a constitutional referendum and the hard-line positions on the contentious issues pose a big threat to the achievement of a new constitution before the 2012 Elections.
Perspectives on African Studies and Development in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: de Haan Leo J.
Published: February 2019

In this farewell lecture on the occasion of his departure as Professor of Development in sub-Saharan Africa at Leiden University and Director of the African Studies Centre (ASC), Leiden, the author starts with the vuvuzela issue as an illustration of the lack of confidence the world has in South Africa organizing and running the World Cup smoothly. He takes that as a sign that there still exists a stereotype of African incompetence, despite the social and economic progress Africa has witnessed in the last decade. He does not want to argue that African Studies have not been able to offset such a stereotype. What he tries to show is that it is not clear from the wealth of actor-oriented research in African Studies what the main social, political and economic trends in Africa are. He argues that actor-oriented research in African Studies should try to increase its relevance by contributing—through meta-analyses and comparative research—to the discussion on social, political and economic trends in Africa. Special attention should be paid to the possible rise of the developmental state in Africa. In doing so, African Studies may also substantiate its claim that it is able to challenge the universal pretensions of mainstream social science.
Contested Inclusions: Pitfalls of NGO Peace-Building Activities in Liberia
Authors: Fuest Veronika
Published: February 2019

In post-war situations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) feature highly in peace-building processes in their (perceived) capacities as both representatives of civil society and as grassroots agents to be employed in the reconstruction and transformation of society. As elsewhere, in Liberia, peace-building approaches include, first, international blueprints of representation that intend to empower groups generally perceived to be socially subordinate and, second, supporting traditional institutions considered social capital in reconciliation. Using the example of Liberia, this paper explores how in local conflict arenas, NGO workshops – the most popular mode of participatory intervention – are interpreted and appropriated by local actors; it highlights some fallacies and unintended consequences of inclusive procedures in practice and questions the support furnished to heads of gendered secret societies.
The Role of Amateur Football in Circular Migration Systems in South Africa
Authors: Steinbrink Malte
Published: February 2019

This article explores the significance of amateur football for the changing patterns of circular migration in post-Apartheid South Africa. Even after the end of Apartheid, the abolishment of the migrant labour system has not brought a decline of circular migration. The state-institutionalised system has merely been replaced by an informal system of translocal livelihood organisation. The new system fundamentally relies on social networks and complex rural-urban linkages. Mobile ways of life have evolved that can be classified as neither rural nor urban. Looking into these informal linkages can contribute to explaining the persistence of spatial and social disparities in “New South Africa”. This paper centres on an empirical, bi-local case study that traces the genesis of the socio-spatial linkages between a village in former Transkei and an informal settlement in Cape Town. The focus is on the relevance of football for the emergence and stabilisation of translocal network structures.
Under Familiar Fire: Making Decisions during the “Kivu Crisis” 2008 in Goma, DR Congo
Authors: Oldenburg Silke
Published: February 2019

This paper explores the decision-making processes used by the inhabitants of Goma during the Kivu Crisis in October 2008. The paper's aim is twofold: After providing a short history of the October 2008 events, it seeks in the empirical part to distinguish and clarify the role of rumours and narratives in the setting of violent conflict as well as to analyse their impact on decision-making processes. As the epistemological interest lies more on the people who stay rather than those who flee, in the second part the paper argues that the practice of routinization indicates a conscious tactic whose purpose is to counter the non-declared state of exception in Goma. Routinization is defined as a means of establishing order in everyday life by referring to narratives based on lived experiences.
Deepening Democracy through Multipartyism: The Bumpy Road to Uganda's 2011 Elections
Authors: Makara Sabiti
Published: February 2019

The 2011 elections will be one of the several elections (and the second-ever multiparty election) organized by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) since it captured power in 1986. Despite the regular elections since the 1990s, the quality and outcomes of these elections have remained subjects of debate. Democracy has remained elusive in Uganda despite the re-introduction of multiparty politics. Incumbency advantages, manipulation and unconstitutional use of state resources and apparatuses, and removal of the constitutional term limits on the presidency have combined to hamper effective growth of multiparty politics and democracy in the country. The question is: Does electioneering necessarily produce democratic governance or does it simply create the conditions and norms necessary for institutionalization of democratic rule? In particular, does the existence of multiparty politics necessarily deepen democratic governance? This paper stresses that despite the return of multiparty politics in Uganda, neither has democracy been consolidated nor have elections acted as effective instruments for advancing democratization in the country.