bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Testing the potential of pollen assemblages to capture composition, diversity and ecological gradients of surrounding vegetation in two biogeographical regions of southeastern Europe
Authors: Papadopoulou Maria , Tsiripidis Ioannis , Panajiotidis Sampson , Fotiadis Georgios , Veres Daniel , Magyari Enikö , Bormann Marc , Fontana Sonia , Shumilovskikh Lyudmila , Panagiotopoulos Konstantinos , Schäbitz Frank , Giesecke Thomas
Published: May 2021

Due to the complex relationship between pollen and vegetation, it is not yet clear how pollen diagrams may be interpreted with respect to changes in floristic diversity and only a few studies have hitherto investigated this problem. We compare pollen assemblages from moss samples in two southeastern European forests with the surrounding vegetation to investigate (a) their compositional similarity, (b) the association between their diversity characteristics in both terms of richness and evenness, and (c) the correspondence of the main ecological gradients that can be revealed by them. Two biogeographical regions with different vegetation characteristics, the Pieria mountains (north central Greece) and the slopes of Ciomadul volcano (eastern Romania), were chosen as divergent examples of floristic regions, vegetation structure and landscape openness. Pollen assemblages are efficient in capturing the presence or absence, rather than the abundance in distribution of plants in the surrounding area and this bias increases along with landscape openness and vegetation diversity, which is higher in the Pieria mountains. Pollen assemblages and vegetation correlate better in terms of richness, that is, low order diversity indices. Relatively high correlation, in terms of evenness, could be potentially found in homogenous and species poor ecosystems as for Ciomadul. Composition and diversity of woody, rather than herb, vegetation is better reflected in pollen assemblages of both areas, especially for Pieria where a direct comparison of the two components was feasible, although this depends on the species-specific pollen production and dispersal, the openness of landscape and the overall diversity of vegetation. Gradients revealed by pollen assemblages are highly and significantly correlated with those existing in vegetation. Pollen assemblages may represent the vegetation well in terms of composition, diversity (mainly richness) and ecological gradients, but this potential depends on land use, vegetation structure, biogeographical factors and plant life forms.
Alters- und geschlechtsbezogene Verteilung von Zuführung, Ersteinschätzung, Entlassart und Verweildauer in der zentralen Notaufnahme
Authors: Michael M. , Al Agha S. , Böhm L. , Bosse H. M. , Pohle A. N. , Schürmann J. , Hannappel O. , Tengg E. , Weiß C. , Bernhard M.
Published: May 2021

Einleitung

Jährlich stellen sich bundesweit zahlreiche Patienten in zentralen Notaufnahmen vor. Ziel der vorliegenden Untersuchung war es, alters- und geschlechtsabhängig Zuführung, Ersteinschätzung, Entlassart und Verweildauer an einem universitären Standort zu analysieren.

Material und Methodik

In dieser retrospektiven Studie wurden alle Patientenkontakte der zentralen Notaufnahme des Universitätsklinikums Düsseldorf des Jahres 2019 erfasst und anhand der Prozesskriterien Zuführung, Ersteinschätzung, Entlassart und Verweildauer kategorisiert und deren Verteilung untersucht.

Ergebnisse

Vom 01.01. bis 31.12.2019 wurden insgesamt 43.821 Patientenkontakte erfasst. Das durchschnittliche Alter der Patienten betrug 47 ± 24 Jahre (Median: 47, Min.–Max.: 0–106). Der Anteil weiblicher Patienten betrug 48 %. Ein Alter ≤ 17 Jahren wiesen 10 % der Patienten (♀ vs. ♂: 4 vs. 6 %, p < 0,0001) und ein Alter ≥ 70 Jahre 24 % auf (♀ vs. ♂: 13 vs. 11 %, p < 0,0001). Für beide Geschlechter nahm der Anteil der Triagekategorien „blau“ und „grün“ über die aufsteigenden Altersgruppen stetig ab. Ab der Altersgruppe der 50- bis 59-Jährigen lag für beide Geschlechter führend eine höhere Dringlichkeit („gelb“ bis „rot“) vor. Während im Alter ≤ 17 Jahren mit 84–90 % vorwiegend eine ambulante Behandlung erfolgte, reduzierte sich dieser Anteil über die weiteren Altersgruppen bis auf 22 % bei Männern und 28 % bei Frauen in der Altersgruppe der ≥ 90-Jährigen. Für die drei Entlassarten „ambulant“, „prästationär“ und „stationär“ stieg die Verweildauer bei beiden Geschlechtern mit dem Alter kontinuierlich an.

Schlussfolgerung

Es finden sich deutliche und vor allem altersabhängige Unterschiede in den Prozesskriterien Zuführung, Ersteinschätzung, Entlassart und Verweildauer. Rund 15 % der Patienten sind kritisch krank oder verletzt („orange“ und „rot“). Mit steigendem Alter nimmt der Anteil dieser Triagekategorien zu. Bei rund 30 % der Patienten besteht eine stationäre Aufnahmeindikation, entsprechende Bettenkapazitäten müssen täglich eingeplant werden.
Multi-plane echocardiographic assessment of right ventricular function in adults with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot
Authors: Bowen Daniel J. , van Berendoncks An M. , McGhie Jackie S. , Roos-Hesselink Jolien W. , van den Bosch Annemien E.
Published: May 2021

In patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF), detailed assessment of right ventricular (RV) function is important for management and timing of possible pulmonary valve re-intervention. The aim of this study was to evaluate RV function using two-dimensional multi-plane echocardiography (2D MPE), a novel four-wall imaging method obtained from one apical acoustic window utilising electronic plane rotation. In sixty-two ToF patients (aged - 28 [22, 39] years, 65% male), systolic function of four different RV walls (lateral, anterior, inferior and inferior coronal) were evaluated using MPE. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), tricuspid annular peak systolic velocity (RV-S′) and RV wall longitudinal strain (RV-LS) measurements were compared with those of matched healthy individuals. 2D MPE measurements were highly feasible across the four RV walls (93.5–100% for TAPSE/S′; 66.1–95.1% for RVLS) and could be performed more reliably than 3D RV ejection fraction (RVEF − 56.5%). All functional values were significantly reduced when compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Higher RV-LS values were seen in the lateral (− 17.8 ± 4.5%) and inferior (− 17.8 ± 4.2%) walls compared to the anterior (− 15.9 ± 3.8%) and inferior coronal (− 15.1 ± 3.9%) walls. 3D RVEF correlated strongest with RV-LS values from the lateral (r − 0.50; p = 0.002) and anterior walls (r − 0.74; p < 0.001) and furthermore the four-wall average (r − 0.57; p = 0.001). 2D MPE evaluation of the RV is highly feasible in ToF patients. This novel method provides new insights into regional RV wall function, enabling a more comprehensive and quantitative approach to RV assessment in daily clinical practice.
Kettle Logic
Authors: Neocleous Mark
Published: May 2021

This article unearths the political logic of the police kettle. Rather than add to the mundane debate about civil liberties or models of policing, this article argues that the kettle reveals nothing less than the police war at the heart of modernity. This is a police war carried out as a logic of containment against the enemy within—within the kettle and within society. The kettle is a microcosm of the police war of containment.
Recurrence-mediated suprathreshold stochastic resonance
Authors: Knoll Gregory , Lindner Benjamin
Published: May 2021

It has previously been shown that the encoding of time-dependent signals by feedforward networks (FFNs) of processing units exhibits suprathreshold stochastic resonance (SSR), which is an optimal signal transmission for a finite level of independent, individual stochasticity in the single units. In this study, a recurrent spiking network is simulated to demonstrate that SSR can be also caused by network noise in place of intrinsic noise. The level of autonomously generated fluctuations in the network can be controlled by the strength of synapses, and hence the coding fraction (our measure of information transmission) exhibits a maximum as a function of the synaptic coupling strength. The presence of a coding peak at an optimal coupling strength is robust over a wide range of individual, network, and signal parameters, although the optimal strength and peak magnitude depend on the parameter being varied. We also perform control experiments with an FFN illustrating that the optimized coding fraction is due to the change in noise level and not from other effects entailed when changing the coupling strength. These results also indicate that the non-white (temporally correlated) network noise in general provides an extra boost to encoding performance compared to the FFN driven by intrinsic white noise fluctuations.
Flexible zinc oxide photoelectrode for photo electrochemical energy conversion
Authors: Shiyani T. , Banerjee I. , Mahapatra Santosh K. , Ray Asim K.
Published: May 2021

Photoelectrochemical properties have been investigated for flexible photoelectrodes containing 310 nm thick ZnO film on spin-coated ITO/PET. The high crystalline structure of ZnO was studied using x-ray diffraction pattern. A value of 3.4 eV has been estimated for optical band gap from its absorption spectra. The flexible ZnO photoelectrode was demonstrated to generate photoelectrochemical current. The photocurrents are enhanced by 4% whereas flat-band potential is shifted by 8 V due to the illumination. Values of 1.022 and 0.714 AW−1 were found to be for photo switching and photoresponsivity, respectively. ZnO/ITO/PET can be used as a substrate for making flexible hybrid PEC devices to generate solar power and solar fuels.
Care of Children with DiGeorge Before and After Cultured Thymus Tissue Implantation
Authors: Gupton Stephanie E. , McCarthy Elizabeth A. , Markert M. Louise
Published: May 2021

Background

Children with complete DiGeorge anomaly (cDGA) have congenital athymia plus a myriad of other challenging clinical conditions. The term cDGA encompasses children with congenital athymia secondary to 22q11.2DS, CHARGE syndrome (coloboma, heart defects, choanal atresia, growth or mental retardation, genital abnormalities, and ear abnormalities and/or deafness), and other genetic abnormalities. Some children have no known genetic defects. Since 1993, more than 100 children with congenital athymia have been treated with cultured thymus tissue implantation (CTTI). Naïve T cells develop approximately 6 to 12 months after CTTI. Most of the children had significant comorbidities such as heart disease, hypoparathyroidism, and infections requiring complex clinical care post cultured thymus tissue implantation (CTTI).

Objective

The purpose of this guidance is to assist multidisciplinary teams in caring for children with cDGA both before and after CTTI.

Methods

Thirty-one specialists, in addition to the authors, were asked to share their experience in caring for children with cDGA at Duke University Health System, before and after CTTI. These specialists included physicians, nurses, dentists, therapists, and dieticians.

Results

The goal of a multidisciplinary approach is to have children in the best possible condition for receiving CTTI and provide optimal care post CTTI through development of naïve T cells and beyond. The CTT (cultured thymus tissue) must be protected from high doses of steroids which can damage CTT. Organs must be protected from adverse effects of immunosuppression.

Conclusion

Creating a multidisciplinary team and a detailed plan of care for children with cDGA is important for optimal outcomes.
Assessing the Role of Developmental and Environmental Factors in Chemical Defence Variation in Heliconiini Butterflies
Authors: Sculfort Ombeline , McClure Melanie , Nay Bastien , Elias Marianne , Llaurens Violaine
Published: May 2021

Chemical defences in animals are both incredibly widespread and highly diverse. Yet despite the important role they play in mediating interactions between predators and prey, extensive differences in the amounts and types of chemical compounds can exist between individuals, even within species and populations. Here we investigate the potential role of environment and development on the chemical defences of warningly coloured butterfly species from the tribe Heliconiini, which can both synthesize and sequester cyanogenic glycosides (CGs). We reared 5 Heliconiini species in captivity, each on a single species-specific host plant as larvae, and compared them to individuals collected in the wild to ascertain whether the variation in CG content observed in the field might be the result of differences in host plant availability. Three of these species were reared as larvae on the same host plant,Passiflora riparia, to further test how species, sex, and age affected the type and amount of different defensive CGs, and how they affected the ratio of synthesized to sequestered compounds. Then, focusing on the generalist speciesHeliconius numata, we specifically explored variation in chemical profiles as a result of the host plant consumed by caterpillars and their brood line, using rearing experiments carried out on two naturally co-occurring host plants with differing CG profiles. Our results show significant differences in both the amount of synthesized and sequestered compounds between butterflies reared in captivity and those collected in the field. We also found a significant effect of species and an effect of sex in some, but not all, species. We show that chemical defences inH. numatacontinue to increase throughout their life, likely because of continued biosynthesis, and we suggest that variation in the amount of synthesized CGs in this species does not appear to stem from larval host plants, although this warrants further study. Interestingly, we detected a significant effect of brood lines, consistent with heritability influencing CG concentrations inH. numata. Altogether, our results point to multiple factors resulting in chemical defence variation in Heliconiini butterflies and highlight the overlooked effect of synthesis capabilities, which may be genetically determined to some extent.
Decision-making approaches in transgender healthcare: conceptual analysis and ethical implications
Authors: Gerritse Karl , Hartman Laura A. , Bremmer Marijke A. , Kreukels Baudewijntje P. C. , Molewijk Bert C.
Published: May 2021

Over the past decades, great strides have been made to professionalize and increase access to transgender medicine. As the (biomedical) evidence base grows and conceptualizations regarding gender dysphoria/gender incongruence evolve, so too do ideas regarding what constitutes good treatment and decision-making in transgender healthcare. Against this background, differing care models arose, including the ‘Standards of Care’ and the so-called ‘Informed Consent Model’. In these care models, ethical notions and principles such as ‘decision-making’ and ‘autonomy’ are often referred to, but left unsubstantiated. This not only transpires into the consultation room where stakeholders are confronted with many different ethical challenges in decision-making, but also hampers a more explicit discussion of what good decision-making in transgender medicine should be comprised of. The aim of this paper is to make explicit the conceptual and normative assumptions regarding decision-making and client autonomy underpinning the ‘Standards of Care’ and ‘Informed Consent Model’ currently used in transgender care. Furthermore, we illustrate how this elucidation aids in better understanding stakeholders’ ethical challenges related to decision-making. Our ethical analysis lays bare how distinct normative ambiguities in both care models influence decision-making in practice and how foregrounding one normative model for decision-making is no moral panacea. We suggest that the first steps towards good decision-making in gender-affirming medical care are the acknowledgement of its inherent normative and moral dimensions and a shared, dialogical approach towards the decision-making process.
Generalized Stoichiometry and Biogeochemistry for Astrobiological Applications
Authors: Kempes Christopher P. , Follows Michael J. , Smith Hillary , Graham Heather , House Christopher H. , Levin Simon A.
Published: May 2021

A central need in the field of astrobiology is generalized perspectives on life that make it possible to differentiate abiotic and biotic chemical systems McKay (2008). A key component of many past and future astrobiological measurements is the elemental ratio of various samples. Classic work on Earth’s oceans has shown that life displays a striking regularity in the ratio of elements as originally characterized by Redfield (Redfield 1958; Geider and La Roche 2002; Eighty years of Redfield 2014). The body of work since the original observations has connected this ratio with basic ecological dynamics and cell physiology, while also documenting the range of elemental ratios found in a variety of environments. Several key questions remain in considering how to best apply this knowledge to astrobiological contexts: How can the observed variation of the elemental ratios be more formally systematized using basic biological physiology and ecological or environmental dynamics? How can these elemental ratios be generalized beyond the life that we have observed on our own planet? Here, we expand recently developed generalized physiological models (Kempes et al. 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019) to create a simple framework for predicting the variation of elemental ratios found in various environments. We then discuss further generalizing the physiology for astrobiological applications. Much of our theoretical treatment is designed for in situ measurements applicable to future planetary missions. We imagine scenarios where three measurements can be made—particle/cell sizes, particle/cell stoichiometry, and fluid or environmental stoichiometry—and develop our theory in connection with these often deployed measurements.
Mitigating Disparity in Health-care Resources Between Countries for Management of Hereditary Angioedema
Authors: Jindal Ankur Kumar , Reshef Avner , Longhurst Hilary ,   GEHM workgroup (Global Equity in HAE Management), Aberer Werner , Betchel Stephen , Bork Konrad , Aygören-Pürsün Emel , Maurer Marcus , Magerl Markus , Bouillet Laurence , Bygum Anette , Caballero Teresa , Cancian Mauro , Farkas Henriette , Grivcheva-Panovska Vesna , Grumach Anete , Gulbahar Okan , Hide Michihiro , Jindal Ankur , Singh Surjit , Kang Hye-Ryun , Reshef Avner , Kessel Aharon , Longhurst Hilary , Lindsay Karen , Jordan Anthony , Ameratunga Rohan , Lumry William , Bernstein Jonathan , Craig Timothy , Riedl Marc , Levy Don , Malbran Alejandro , Germenis Anastasios , Psarros Fotis , Stobiecki Marcin , Porebski Grzegorz , Valerieva Anna , Wardman Fiona , Zhong Youjia , Weber Christina
Published: May 2021

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of skin and mucosal edema. The main treatment goal is to enable a “normal life” for all patients. However, due to high costs, there are limited options for the management of HAE in most developing and low-income countries. As a result, most of the recommended first-line treatments are not available. In this review, we attempt to highlight the disparities in health-care resources for the management of patients with HAE amongst different countries. Data was collected from HAE experts in countries who provide tabulated information regarding management and availability of HAE treatments in their countries. We reviewed the two most recent international HAE guidelines. Using India, the world’s second most populous country, as a paradigm for HAE management in lower-income countries, we reviewed the evidence for second-line and non-recommended practices reported by HAE experts. Results suggest significant inequities in provision of HAE services and treatments. HAE patients in low-income countries do not have access to life-saving acute drugs or recently developed highly effective prophylactic medications. Most low-income countries do not have specialized HAE services or diagnostic facilities, resulting in consequent long delays in diagnosis. Suggestions for optimizing the use of limited resources as a basis for future discussion and reaching a global consensus are provided. There is an urgent need to improve HAE services, diagnostics and treatments currently available to lower-income countries. We recommend that all HAE stakeholders support the need for global equity and access to these essential measures.
The role of BAFF and G-CSF for rituximab-induced late-onset neutropenia (LON) in lymphomas
Authors: Tesfa Daniel , Sander Birgitta , Lindkvist Henric , Nilsson Christer , Kimby Eva , Hägglund Hans , Wahlin Björn E. , Klimkowska Monika , Palmblad Jan
Published: May 2021

Mechanisms for late-onset neutropenia (LON) after rituximab treatment are poorly defined both for non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and for autoimmune disorders. We performed a case–control analysis of a prospective cohort of 169 evaluable consecutive rituximab-treated NHL patients to assess cytokines involved in neutro- and lymphopoiesis (G-CSF, SDF1, BAFF, APRIL) and inflammation (CRP) as possible LON mechanisms. Fifteen patients (9%) developed LON (peripheral blood /PB/ absolute neutrophil counts /ANC/ < 0.5 G/L, all with marked depletion of CD20+ B-lymphocytes in bone marrows); they were compared with 20 matched NHL controls without LON. At start of LON, significantly higher PB G-CSF and BAFF levels (P = 0.0004 and 0.006, respectively), as well as CRP rises were noted compared to controls; these G-CSF and BAFF and most CRP values returned to levels of the controls in post-LON samples. G-CSF (but not BAFF) changes correlated to CRP rises (but not to ANC levels). BAFF levels correlated significantly to absolute monocyte counts and PB large granular lymphocyte counts (but not to ANC, C-CSF or CRP values). No changes of SDF1 or APRIL levels were noted. Neither LON cases nor controls displayed anti-neutrophil autoantibodies. Collectively, LON in NHL patients was timewise related to transient bursts of blood G-CSF and BAFF concentrations, suggesting that these neutro- and lymphopoiesis growth factors play a role in emergence of rituximab-induced LON, and that inflammation may be a trigger for G-CSF production during LON.
Upfront metastasis-directed therapy in oligorecurrent prostate cancer does not decrease the time from initiation of androgen deprivation therapy to castration resistance
Authors: Triggiani Luca , Mazzola Rosario , Tomasini Davide , Bruni Alessio , Alicino Giulia , Matrone Fabio , Bortolus Roberto , Francolini Giulio , Detti Beatrice , Magli Alessandro , Bonù Marco Lorenzo , Ingrosso Gianluca , Lancia Andrea , Trippa Fabio , Maranzano Ernesto , Franzese Ciro , Ghirardelli Paolo , Vavassori Vittorio , Scorsetti Marta , Alongi Filippo , Magrini Stefano Maria
Published: May 2021

The aim of the present study was to explore the potential impact of upfront metastases-directed therapy (MDT) in terms of prolongation of castration-sensitive phase in a series of oligorecurrent castration-sensitive prostate cancer (PC) patients. The present article is a multicenter retrospective study. The population of interest was castrate-sensitive oligorecurrent PC, defined as the presence of 1–3 uptakes in non-visceral sites such as bones or nodes detected by means of 18F-Choline PET/CT or 68-Gallium PSMA PET/CT. Primary endpoint was the time to castration resistance. Secondary endpoints were ADT-free survival, local progression-free survival, and overall survival. Eighty-two patients and 118 lesions were analyzed. The median time to castration resistance for the entire population of the study was 49 months (95% CI 43.6–54.4 months). The 1- and 2-year TTCR-free survival rates were 94% and 82%, respectively. At the time of analysis, 52 patients were still in the castration-sensitive phase of the disease. In this cohort of patients, the median ADT-free survival was 20 months (range 3–69 months). On the other hand, during follow-up 30 patients switched to the castration-resistant phase of disease. In this last group of patients, the median ADT-free survival was 20 months (range 4–50 months). After the ADT administration, the median castration-sensitive phase was 29 months (range 5–71 months). Castration resistance generally occurs at a median follow-up of 24–36 months following ADT. In the current study, upfront MDT does not decrease the time from initiation of ADT to castration resistance.
Novel Monoclonal Antibodies Against Mouse C1q: Characterisation and Development of a Quantitative ELISA for Mouse C1q
Authors: Byrne Robert A. J. , Torvell Megan , Daskoulidou Nikoleta , Fathalla Dina , Kokkali Eirini , Carpanini Sarah M. , Morgan B. Paul
Published: May 2021

Recent studies have identified roles for complement in synaptic pruning, both physiological during development and pathological in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). These reports suggest that C1q initiates complement activation on synapses and C3 fragments then tag them for removal by microglia. There is an urgent need to characterise these processes in rodent AD models; this requires the development of reagents and methods for detection and quantification of rodent C1q in fluids and pathological tissues. These will enable better evaluation of the role of C1q in disease and its value as disease biomarker. We describe the generation in C1q-deficient mice of novel monoclonal antibodies against mouse and rat C1q that enabled development of a sensitive, specific, and quantitative ELISA for mouse and rat C1q capable of measuring C1q in biological fluids and tissue extracts. Serum C1q levels were measured in wild-type (WT), C1q knockout (KO), C3 KO, C7 KO, Crry KO, and 3xTg and APPNL-G-F AD model mice through ageing. C1q levels significantly decreased in WT, APPNL-G-F, and C7 KO mice with ageing. C1q levels were reduced in APPNL-G-F compared to WT at all ages and in 3xTg at 12 months; C3 KO and C7 KO, but not Crry KO mice, also demonstrated significantly lower C1q levels compared to matched WT. In brain homogenates, C1q levels increased with age in both WT and APPNL-G-F mice. This robust and adaptable assay for quantification of mouse and rat C1q provides a vital tool for investigating the expression of C1q in rodent models of AD and other complement-driven pathologies.
Performance of a finite mixture model in CPUE standardization for a longline fishery with target change
Authors: Shibano Ayumi , Kanaiwa Minoru , Kai Mikihiko
Published: May 2021

Standardized catch per unit effort (CPUE) is frequently used to represent annual fish-stock abundance trends. In multispecies fisheries, the catchability coefficient differs depending on the target strategy. Consideration of the target strategy in CPUE standardization is therefore crucial in improving the accuracy and precision of annual CPUE estimates. This study focuses on the potential of a finite mixture model (FMM), where target species and their annual trends are estimated simultaneously in a single model. The eight candidates of CPUE standardization methods—including the FMM—were used to evaluate the methodological performance as to whether they could identify the target strategy. A numerical simulation was undertaken using simplified data that mimic a Japanese longline fishery considering the target change over years, area effect, and multispecies abundance trends. Our simulation study indicated that the FMM outperformed other methods in the various scenarios, and therefore it is concluded that the FMM is an effective and robust methodology for clarifying the target strategy in the modeling of CPUE standardization.
eG Coated Stents Exhibit Enhanced Endothelial Wound Healing Characteristics
Authors: Rodriguez-Garcia Belen , Bureau Christophe , Barakat Abdul I.
Published: May 2021

Purpose

Despite their widespread use, a significant fraction of coronary stents suffer from in-stent restenosis and stent thrombosis. Stent deployment induces extensive injury to the vascular endothelium. Rapid endothelial wound closure is essential for the success of a stenting procedure. A recent study has demonstrated that the BuMA Supreme® sirolimus-eluting stent exhibits particularly attractive strut coverage characteristics. A unique feature of this stent is the presence of a thin brush layer of poly-butyl methacrylate (PBMA), covalently bonded to the stent’s cobalt-chromium frame via electro-grafting (eG™). The present study aimed to determine whether the PBMA coating has an effect on endothelial cell wound healing and stent strut coverage.

Methods

We used an in vitro coronary artery model whose wall consisted of an annular collagen hydrogel and whose luminal surface was lined with a monolayer of endothelial cells. Mechanical wounding of the endothelial lining was preformed prior to deployment of a bare cobalt-chromium stent either with or without the PBMA layer. The migration of fluorescently labeled endothelial cells was monitored automatically over a period of 48 h to determine endothelial wound healing rates.

Results

Quantitative assessment of endothelial wound healing rates within the simulated arterial model is achievable using automated image analysis. Wound healing is significantly faster (44% faster at 48 h) for stents with the PBMA eG Coating™ compared to bare metal stents.

Conclusion

The PBMA eG Coating™ has the effect of promoting endothelial wound healing. Future studies will focus on elucidating the mechanistic basis of this observation.
Segmental Volatility in Ethnically Divided Societies: (Re)assessing Party System Stability in Southeast Europe
Authors: Kapidžić Damir , Komar Olivera
Published: May 2021

This article examines the role of ethnicity and ethnic parties as stabilizing factors in Southeast European party systems. It compares two ethnically divided countries in Southeast Europe: Bosnia and Herzegovina, where ethnic identities that form the political cleavage are firm, and Montenegro, where they are malleable. Theoretically, it addresses the debate between scholars who either find stability or instability in East European post-communist party systems. The article traces the role of ethnicity in the formation and development of electoral contests and compares the two cases by utilizing measures of block volatility, based on analysis of official electoral data. We argue that party systems in ethnically diverse countries are stable at the subsystems level, but unstable within them. In BiH, firm ethnic identity stabilizes the party system by limiting competition between blocks, leading to closure. Malleable ethnic identity in Montenegro opens competition to non-ethnic parties seeking to bridge ethnic divisions, leading to more instability. We find that party system dynamics in ethnically divided new democracies depend on identity rigidity and cleavage salience, in addition to levels of heterogeneity.
Quantitative plant biology—Old and new
Authors: Morris Richard J. , ten Tusscher Kirsten H.
Published: May 2021

Quantitative approaches in plant biology have a long history that have led to several ground-breaking discoveries and given rise to new principles, new paradigms and new methodologies. We take a short historical trip into the past to explore some of the many great scientists and influences that have led to the development of quantitative plant biology. We have not been constrained by historical fact, although we have tried not to deviate too much. We end with a forward look, expressing our hopes and ambitions for this exciting interdisciplinary field.
Morphological and molecular identification of four isolates of the entomopathogenic fungal genus Akanthomyces and their effects against Bemisia tabaci on cucumber
Authors: Broumandnia Fereshteh , Rajabpour Ali , Hamed Ghodoum Parizipour Mohamad , Yarahmadi Fatemeh
Published: May 2021

The cotton whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gen. (Hem., Aleyrodidae), is a key pest of many vegetables. Entomopathogenic fungi are promising microbial control agents against B. tabaci, but limited information is available concerning indigenous Iranian isolates. In this study, three isolates of Akanthomyces lecanii (PAL6, PAL7, and PAL8) and one isolate of A. muscarius (AGM5) were obtained from citrus hemipteran pests, Pulvinaria aurantii Cock. and Aphis gossypii Glover, in Mazandaran province, northern Iran. The isolates were then morphologically and molecularly identified. The efficacies of five different agar media for vegetative growth and conidiation of each isolate were determined. Potato dextrose agar was the medium on which the fungal mycelia developed at a relatively high rate. However, the highest rate of conidiation was found on Sabouraud dextrose agar. To determine the effects of the isolates on B. tabaci, a dose–response bioassay was carried out to estimate lethal concentration (LC50) and lethal time (LT50) values of each fungal isolate to second instar nymphs. The mean LC50 values of A. lecanii isolates ranged from 4.22 × 106 to 7.35 × 1013 conidia ml−1 at 5 to 7 days after the treatment. For A. muscarius, the values varied from 9.2 × 104 to 8.7 × 1010 conidia ml−1 at 5 to 7 days after the treatment. The lowest and the highest mean LC50 values were observed for A. mucarius (AGM5) and A. lecanii (isolate PAL6), respectively. The mean LT50 values of A. lecanii and A. muscarius isolates were 7.1–9.0 and 4.9–7.2 days, respectively. The LT50 values of A. muscarius were significantly lower than the other isolates. Overall, all isolates, especially A. muscarius (AGM5), exhibited appropriate potential as a biological control agent against B. tabaci.
Coronavirus disease 2019: changing the future of emergency epistaxis management
Authors: Devabalan Y , Cereceda-Monteoliva N , Lorenz H , Magill J C , Unadkat S , Ferguson M , Rennie C
Published: May 2021

Background

Acute epistaxis can be a life-threatening airway emergency, requiring in-patient admission. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic placed significant strain on hospital resources, and management has shifted towards an out-patient-centred approach.

Methods

A five-month single-centre retrospective study was undertaken of all epistaxis patients managed by the ENT department. A pre-coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic group was managed with pre-existing guidelines, compared to new guidelines for the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic group. A telephone survey was performed on out-patients with non-dissolvable packs to assess patient comfort and satisfaction.

Results

A total of 142 patients were seen. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic group had significantly more patients aged over 65 years (p = 0.004), an increased use of absorbable dressings and local haemostatic agents (Nasopore and Surgiflo), and fewer admissions (all p < 0.0005). Rates of re-presentation and morbidity, and length of hospital stay were similar. The telephone survey revealed out-patient management to be efficacious and feasible.

Conclusion

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has shifted epistaxis management towards local haemostatic agents and out-patient management; this approach is as safe and effective as previously well-established regimens.
Effectiveness and comparative effectiveness of evidence-based psychotherapies for posttraumatic stress disorder in clinical practice
Authors: Maguen Shira , Madden Erin , Holder Nicholas , Li Yongmei , Seal Karen H. , Neylan Thomas C. , Lujan Callan , Patterson Olga V. , DuVall Scott L. , Shiner Brian
Published: May 2021

Background

While evidence-based psychotherapy (EBP) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a first-line treatment, its real-world effectiveness is unknown. We compared cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure (PE) each to an individual psychotherapy comparator group, and CPT to PE in a large national healthcare system.

Methods

We utilized effectiveness and comparative effectiveness emulated trials using retrospective cohort data from electronic medical records. Participants were veterans with PTSD initiating mental healthcare (N = 265 566). The primary outcome was PTSD symptoms measured by the PTSD Checklist (PCL) at baseline and 24-week follow-up. Emulated trials were comprised of ‘person-trials,’ representing 112 discrete 24-week periods of care (10/07–6/17) for each patient. Treatment group comparisons were made with generalized linear models, utilizing propensity score matching and inverse probability weights to account for confounding, selection, and non-adherence bias.

Results

There were 636 CPT person-trials matched to 636 non-EBP person-trials. Completing ⩾8 CPT sessions was associated with a 6.4-point greater improvement on the PCL (95% CI 3.1–10.0). There were 272 PE person-trials matched to 272 non-EBP person-trials. Completing ⩾8 PE sessions was associated with a 9.7-point greater improvement on the PCL (95% CI 5.4–13.8). There were 232 PE person-trials matched to 232 CPT person-trials. Those completing ⩾8 PE sessions had slightly greater, but not statistically significant, improvement on the PCL (8.3-points; 95% CI 5.9–10.6) than those completing ⩾8 CPT sessions (7.0-points; 95% CI 5.5–8.5).

Conclusions

PTSD symptom improvement was similar and modest for both EBPs. Although EBPs are helpful, research to further improve PTSD care is critical.
Legitimizing China's Growing Engagement in African Security: Change within Continuity of Official Discourse
Authors: Carrozza Ilaria
Published: May 2021

Peace and security were once marginal in Sino-African relations. Recently, however, reflecting China's more proactive role as a global security actor, they have become central. Yet while China's actions mirror this shift, the official China–Africa discourse has not changed. This article, based on fieldwork interviews and discourse analysis of official Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) documents, proposes a theoretically grounded study of China's Africa discourse to account for the role it plays in maintaining continuity through time. It makes a threefold claim. First, while the China–Africa discourse has not been given much attention in the literature, it is crucial to explaining the overall success of China's engagement in the continent. Second, the shift in China's policies towards greater participation in peace and security is not mirrored by changes in the official discourse. Third, and related, this is owing mostly to the successful articulation of the link between the promotion of economic growth and the achievement of stability – the security–development nexus – and to the generally positive reception the discourse has found among African leaders.
A Relational Marxist Critique of Posthumanism in Archaeology
Authors: McGuire Randall H.
Published: May 2021

In archaeology, a Posthumanism has arisen from the ashes of post-modernism and declared that Marxism is dead in archaeology. Archaeological advocates of the posthumanist theory of Symmetrical Archaeology cherry-pick ideas to dismiss Marxism out of hand without considering the depth and nuances of different Marxist theories. They misrepresent the relational dialectic as oppositional thinking and ignore the fundamental dualism of their own polemic. They equate humans and things by arguing that they share a common ontology. A relational Marxism resolves the dualistic nature of their polemic and shows that things, animals and people may be studied relationally while still recognizing ontological differences. Marxism lives.
Taking the Wrong Turn? Re-examining the Potential for Practice Approaches in Archaeology
Authors: Gardner Andrew
Published: May 2021

Is the ‘material’ or ‘ontological’ turn a major new paradigm in archaeological theory? Or is it another iteration of the cycle of piecemeal innovation which has created a very fragmented discipline? While there are insights from recent scholarship in this vein which are certainly important, this paper will err toward the latter view. Even though ‘symmetrical’ and other object-agency approaches are still growing in mainstream archaeological debate, much of the source literature upon which they draw has been around for several decades, and accumulated a fair amount of critique. At the very least, therefore, we need to learn from the way the materiality debate is playing out in other sub-fields. Beyond that, I will argue, we should go back to the turn before this one—the practice turn—and explore that road a bit more thoroughly, if we are to find the most useful approaches to develop in the future.
Indigenous Theory is Theory: Whakapapa for Archaeologists
Authors: Marshall Yvonne
Published: May 2021

Drawn by their foundation in fundamentally ‘otherwise’ posthuman ethical and moral worlds, archaeologists have in recent years employed a number of indigenous theories to interpret archaeological materials. In this paper I consider the potential of New Zealand Maori whakapapa, loosely and reductively translatable as genealogy or ancestry, to become a strand of general theory in archaeology. The qualities of whakapapa which I feel have particular potential are its moral and ethical embeddedness and its insistence on multiple forms of relating. Importantly, whakapapa has an accessible indigenous voice. There is an extensive published literature, both Maori and non-Maori, academic and general, discussing, interpreting and applying Maori social theory, including whakapapa. In addition, whakapapa remains today fundamental to everyday and ceremonial Maori life. It is lived. Employing whakapapa as archaeological theory does not, then, depend on a having a specific authoritative interpreter. Here I have taken recent work by installation artist Maureen Lander as a forum to outline the key principles of whakapapa and to inform my discussion of whakapapa as archaeological theory.
Bodily Entanglements: Gender, Archaeological Sciences and the More-than-ness of Archaeological Bodies
Authors: Fredengren Christina
Published: May 2021

Critical feminist Posthumanism provides novel ways of dealing with bodies as material-discursive phenomena. As such, bodies come about, change and dissolve by re-workings of entangled relations. Such relationships are making human bodies more-than-human. Bodies can be understood as full of excesses—that will not be captured by, for example, gender or age categories alone—albeit occasionally materially shaped by them. Examples of such excessive relations are captured by DNA analysis or various isotope analyses—where diet as well as geological habitat gets imprinted into the body and become a part of the personhood—and can be discussed as the landscape within. This paper deals with some misunderstandings around Posthumanism, but also with how critical posthumanist feminist theory can breathe new life into archaeological gender studies and thereby also forge new relationships with the archaeological sciences.
James Bryce and Parliamentary Sovereignty
Authors: de Campos-Rudinsky Jordan
Published: May 2021

This article considers the important but neglected contribution of James Bryce (1838–1922)—noted historian, Gladstonian statesman, and ambassador to the US—to the constitutional debates over Home Rule for Ireland in late Victorian Britain. It focuses on Bryce's reflections on the nature of sovereignty and constitutional government provoked by the need to reconcile Home Rule with parliamentary sovereignty, recently canonized by Bryce's Unionist counterpart and friend, A. V. Dicey. Challenging a tradition of scholarship that sees the Home Rule debates as “a sideshow” and Bryce's contribution as “illogical,” I suggest that Bryce's contribution in fact represents an innovative imperial constitutionalism of what may be called “soft” federalism, which rests not on a codified constitution enforced by courts but on a paradoxical understanding of Parliament's de facto sovereignty as constrained by moral commitments. In this light, the jurisprudential debates appear less a sideshow than an important part of the political contest itself.
Ethnic Identity, Democratization, and the Future of the African State: Lessons from Nigeria
Authors: Abubakar Dauda
Published: May 2021

The issues of ethnicity and democratization and the prospects for development in postcolonial Africa have long preoccupied scholars. When most African countries gained independence from the colonialists in the 1960s, the ruling elites who inherited state power insisted that Africa could not afford the luxury of democracy because of its potential for exacerbating ethnic pluralism and political conflict, which would be detrimental to the more pertinent projects of development and integration/nation building. The ideology of development and national integration in postcolonial Africa thus became the justification for one-party rule, autocracy, and military dictatorship.
The Non‐Negligible Effect of Viscosity Diffusion on the Geodynamo Process
Authors: Dong Chao , Zhang Huai , Jiao Liguo , Cheng Huihong , Yuen David A , Shi Yaolin
Published: May 2021

Exploring geodynamo's scaling laws is of great importance when a tremendous gap still lies between realistic physics and estimated model parameters. Existing scaling laws need to be tested by numerical simulations. To boost these, taking the outer core viscosity , we studied its impacts on weak and strong field geodynamo outputs by varying in two orders of magnitudes. In the weak field mode, the fluid velocity varies with by a scaling law of . While in the strong field mode, varies very slowly by a scaling law of . The magnetic field does not change much with when the driving force is not too strong () but decreases with by a scaling law of when geodynamo operates in a very vigorous mode (). The reason that increases with is essential that increasing breaks the Taylor‐Proudman constraint and drops the critical Rayleigh number, but this kind of increase of does not give a stronger . Furthermore, we conducted a local force balance analysis and demonstrated that the balance shifts under different . In a quasi‐MAC regime, the Lorentz force instead of the inertial force enters into the first‐order agostrophic force balance, though the viscous force still plays a role. Comparing with other scaling laws previous wisdom holds, we propose that the effect of viscosity diffusion is non‐negligible for both existing weak and strong dynamo regimes. Still, appropriate assumptions can be made to take this variation into account.
Low Biodegradability of Dissolved Organic Matter From Southeast Asian Peat‐Draining Rivers
Authors: Nichols Robert S. , Martin Patrick
Published: May 2021

Southeast Asia's extensive tropical peatlands account for a significant proportion of the global riverine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) flux to the ocean. Peat‐derived DOC is rich in polyphenolic compounds, the microbial degradation of which is thought to rely on extracellular phenol oxidases. Despite substantial interest in the biogeochemical fate of terrigenous DOC (tDOC), few studies have quantified phenol oxidase activity in aquatic environments, and microbial remineralization rates of tDOC have never been measured in Southeast Asia. Here, we assess the potential for using phenol oxidase assays as a proxy for tDOC biodegradation across peat‐draining rivers and the coastal waters of Sarawak, Borneo, and report experimental measurements of microbial tDOC remineralization rates from this region. We first show that phenol oxidase assays in aquatic samples are problematic because of the rapid, pH‐dependent autoxidation of the assay substrate. Our field measurements of phenol oxidase activity detected only substrate autoxidation, suggesting that real phenol oxidase activity was low or absent. Second, we report that peatland tDOC, collected from one of the few remaining intact peatlands on Borneo, showed at most very limited biodegradation (0%–6% loss of DOC, and 0%–12% loss of colored dissolved organic matter) during several 56‐day incubation experiments at an in situ temperature of ∼30°C, even when diluted with seawater or amended with nutrients. Our results suggest that direct microbial respiration is perhaps not a major pathway for peatland tDOC remineralization in Southeast Asia and that photo‐oxidation is more likely to control the fate of this carbon.