bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Direct antimicrobial activity of cationic amphipathic peptide WLBU2 against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms is enhanced in physiologic buffered saline
Authors: Mandell Jonathan B. , A. Koch John , Deslouches Berthony , Urish Kenneth L.
Published: June 2020

Periprosthetic joint infection of total knee arthroplasties represents a major challenge to the field of orthopedic surgery. These infections are commonly associated with antibiotic‐tolerant Staphylococcus aureus biofilms. Engineered cationic amphipathic peptide WLBU2 has shown the ability to kill antibiotic‐resistant pathogens and drug‐tolerant bacterial biofilms. The novelty of using WLBU2 during the direct irrigation and debridement of periprosthetic joint infections led our group to investigate the optimal washout conditions for treatment of S. aureus biofilms. S. aureus mature biofilms were grown on metal implant material and treated with WLBU2 dissolved in differing irrigation solvents. Mature biofilms were treated both in vitro as well as in a periprosthetic joint infection murine model. WLBU2 activity against S. aureus biofilms was increased when dissolved in diphosphate‐buffered saline (dPBS) with pH of 7.0 compared with normal saline with pH of 5.5. WLBU2 activity was decreased in acidic dPBS and increased in alkaline dPBS. WLBU2 activity could be decreased in hypertonic dPBS and increased in hypotonic dPBS. WLBU2 dissolved in less acidic dPBS displayed increased efficacy in treating periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) implants ex vivo. WLBU2 demonstrated the ability to eliminate PJI associated S. aureus biofilms on arthroplasty material. The efficacy of engineered cationic amphipathic peptide WLBU2 for intraoperative elimination of S. aureus biofilms can be further optimized when kept in a less acidic and more physiologic pH adjusted saline. Understanding optimal physical washout conditions are vital for the success of WLBU2 in treating S. aureus biofilms in PJI clinical trials going forward.
Effects of tamoxifen on tendon homeostasis and healing: Considerations for the use of tamoxifen‐inducible mouse models
Authors: Best Katherine T. , Studentsova Valentina , Ackerman Jessica E. , Nichols Anne E. C. , Myers Marlin , Cobb Justin , Knapp Emma , Awad Hani A. , Loiselle Alayna E.
Published: June 2020

The use of tamoxifen‐inducible models of Cre recombinase in the tendon field is rapidly expanding, resulting in an enhanced understanding of tendon homeostasis and healing. However, the effects of tamoxifen on the tendon are not well‐defined, which is particularly problematic given that tamoxifen can have both profibrotic and antifibrotic effects in a tissue‐specific manner. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the effects of tamoxifen on tendon homeostasis and healing in male and female C57Bl/6J mice. Tamoxifen‐treated mice were compared to corn oil (vehicle)‐treated mice. In the “washout” treatment regimen, mice were treated with tamoxifen or corn oil for 3 days beginning 1 week prior to undergoing complete transection and surgical repair of the flexor digitorum longus tendon. In the second regimen, mice were treated with tamoxifen or corn oil beginning on the day of surgery, daily through day 2 postsurgery, and every 48 hours thereafter (D0‐2q48) until harvest. All repaired tendons and uninjured contralateral control tendons were harvested at day 14 postsurgery. Tamoxifen treatment had no effect on tendon healing in male mice, regardless of the treatment regimen, while Max load was significantly decreased in female repairs in the Tamoxifen washout group, relative to corn oil. In contrast, D0‐2q48 corn oil treatment in female mice led to substantial disruptions in tendon homeostasis, relative to washout corn oil treatment. Collectively, these data clearly define the functional effects of tamoxifen and corn oil treatment in the tendon and inform future use of tamoxifen‐inducible genetic models.
Inhibition of Smad3 promotes the healing of rotator cuff injury in a rat model
Authors: Wang Yi , Zhou Zhiyou , Liu Yang , Wang Zimin , Kang Yifan
Published: June 2020

To investigate the effect of inhibiting transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β1)/Smad2/3 signaling on rotator cuff (RC) healing. A bilateral supraspinatus tendon detachment‐repair model of Sprague‐Dawley (SD) rats was utilized. A total of 120 SD rats were randomly assigned to six groups and each group received the subacromial injection of normal saline, empty vectors, or lentiviral vectors containing small interfering RNA against TGF‐β1, Smad2, Smad3 at the bone‐tendon junction. Biomechanical and histological analyses were performed to evaluate bone‐tendon junction healing quality at 8 weeks after repair. Histologically, scar healing was found in all surgical groups. Animals with inhibited Smad3 exhibited better bone‐tendon junction structures with higher density, parallel orientation, and collagen fiber continuity than other surgical group animals. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the protein expression level of collagen I in animals with inhibited Smad3 was more prominent compared with all other surgical groups. Biomechanically, Animals with inhibited Smad3 showed better results in the maximum load at 4, 6, and 8 weeks after surgery compared with other surgical groups. Besides, C3H10T1/2 (Smad3−) cells increased TT‐D6 cell migration and tendon‐associated genes expression (scleraxis, tenascin C, collagen I) in coculture system. We conclude that inhibition of Smad3 promotes RC tendon healing in the rat supraspinatus model.
Sexual Behavior Problems and Premature Termination From Pediatric Trauma‐Focused Treatment Among Sexually Abused Children
Authors: Wamser‐Nanney Rachel
Published: June 2020

Premature termination from child trauma‐focused treatment is common; however, the role of children's level of symptoms as a risk factor for attrition remains uncertain. In particular, children's sexual behavior problems (SBPs) have received scant attention in the prior attrition literature, and no known studies to date have thoroughly examined SBPs in relation to premature treatment termination. The current study investigated whether higher levels of children's SBPs were associated with increased risk for attrition from trauma‐focused treatment in a sample of 242 sexually abused children aged 2–12 years (M = 7.48 years, SD = 2.68; 64.5% female, 54.1% White). To assess the potential associations between SBPs and treatment dropout more thoroughly, two definitions of attrition were utilized: (a) clinician‐rated dropout and (b) whether the child received an adequate dose of treatment (i.e., 12 or more sessions). Whereas only 34.3% of the children completed treatment per their clinician, 69.4% received an adequate dose of treatment. In contrast to the study hypotheses, neither development‐related nor sexual abuse–specific SBPs were associated with either clinician‐rated dropout or adequate dose status, ORs = 0.99–1.00. Sexual acting‐out behaviors in sexually abused children may not correspond with attrition from trauma‐focused treatment at multiple points of treatment. Given the heterogeneity of SBPs, further assessment of whether attrition patterns differ across subgroups of children who exhibit SBPs is needed.
Pharmaceutical Formulation and Characterization of Dipeptide Nanotubes for Drug Delivery Applications
Authors: Porter Simon L. , Coulter Sophie M. , Pentlavalli Sreekanth , Laverty Garry
Published: June 2020

Peptide nanotubes are promising materials for a variety of biomedical applications with ultrashort (≤7 amino acids) forms providing particular promise for clinical translation. The manufacture of peptide nanotubes has, however, been associated with toxic organic solvents restricting clinical use. The purpose of this work is to formulate dipeptide nanotubes using mild techniques easily translated to industrial upscale and to characterize their physiochemical and biological properties. Phenylalanine‐phenylalanine variants can be successfully formulated using distilled water as demonstrated here. Formulations are homogenous in shape (tubular), with apparent size (50–260 nm) and a zeta potential of up to +30 mV. L‐(H2N‐FF‐COOH), and D‐enantiomers (H2N‐ff‐COOH) demonstrate no toxicity against glioblastoma cells and are explored for ability to deliver a model hydrophilic molecule, sodium fluorescein, at pH 5.5 (tumor) and 7.4 (physiological). Peptide nanotubes loaded with >85% sodium fluorescein, demonstrate burst release characteristics, fitting the Weibull model of drug release. This research provides important data contributing to the pharmaceutical formulation of peptide nanotubes as drug delivery platforms for hydrophilic drugs.
Mussel‐Inspired Biocoating for Improving the Adhesion of Dental Pulp Stem Cells in Dental Pulp Regeneration
Authors: Liu Yanan , Qiu Ying , Ni Shilei , Zhang Xuewei , Sun Hongchen , Song Wenlong , Li Xiangwei
Published: June 2020

Dental pulp engineering possesses a promising perspective to replacing lost pulp in the root canal and restoring its functions. Stable adhesion of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) on the root canal dentin wall is a key element required for reconstruction of a functional odontoblast layer in dental pulp regeneration. To address this challenge, dopamine‐modified hyaluronic acid (DA‐HA) is coated on dentin to obtain a stable adhesion of DPSCs. The dopamine segment provides adhesion ability to the coating, and the hyaluronic acid increases the biocompatibility. The results show that DPSCs can adhere on the DA‐HA coated dentin slice better than those without coating. Simultaneously, DPSCs proliferation can be further promoted on the prepared coating. Therefore, the DA‐HA coating may provide a possible way to immobilize odontoblast cell onto dentin surface for pulp regeneration.
HSPA1A gene polymorphism rs1008438 is associated with susceptibility to acute mountain sickness in Han Chinese individuals
Authors: Liu Zhicheng , Chen Hong , Xu Ting , Wang Xiaomei , Yao Chunyan
Published: June 2020

Background

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) usually occurs among non‐acclimated individuals after rapid ascending to high‐altitude environments (generally ≥2,500 m). However, the precise molecular mechanism of AMS remains unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and AMS susceptibility.

Methods

In this work, sequencing data were obtained from 69 AMS patients and 95 matched acclimated Han Chinese individuals from southwest China. Five SNPs (rs1008438, rs150877473, rs1799983, rs2153364, and rs3025039) were systematically investigated in all the participants.

Results

In our study, we found that allele frequencies of “A” (AMS 69.57% vs. non‐AMS 54.74%) and “C” (AMS 30.43% vs. non‐AMS 45.26%) in the HSPA1A gene rs1008438 were significantly different between the AMS and non‐AMS groups (p = .01). Genotypes “CC” and “CA” of the HSPA1A gene (rs1008438) were associated with lower risk of developing AMS than the genotype “AA.” Comparing the genotypes “CC + CA” and “AA,” we also observed that the “CC + CA” genotype of rs1008438 was associated with lower AMS risk.

Conclusions

In our case‐control study, there was a significant association between the rs1008348 polymorphism and AMS susceptibility, suggesting that this particular SNP might be a Han‐specific risk factor for AMS. We believe that this study establishes a foundation for further elucidation of the genetic mechanisms underlying AMS.
Thermodynamic Effects on Grade Transition of Polyethylene Polymerization in Fluidized Bed Reactors
Authors: Kardous Sabrine , McKenna Timothy F. L. , Sheibat‐Othman Nida
Published: June 2020

An off‐line dynamic optimization procedure is employed to optimize the transition between different grades of linear low density polyethylene in a fluidized bed reactor. This type of reactor is frequently operated under condensed mode, which consists of injecting induced condensing agents (ICA) to absorb part of the reaction heat. However, the presence of ICA affects the solubility of monomers in the polymer, so it is important to account for this effect in a grade transition optimization strategy. A kinetic model is combined with a thermodynamic model based on the Sanchez–Lacombe equation of state to describe the grade transitions. Simplified correlations are then suggested to predict the impact of ICA on ethylene and comonomer solubility in a quaternary system. The results highlight the importance of the thermodynamic model during grade transition.
Deep‐learned short tau inversion recovery imaging using multi‐contrast MR images
Authors: Kim Sewon , Jang Hanbyol , Jang Jinseong , Lee Young Han , Hwang Dosik
Published: June 2020

Purpose

To generate short tau, or short inversion time (TI), inversion recovery (STIR) images from three multi‐contrast MR images, without additional scanning, using a deep neural network.

Methods

For simulation studies, we used multi‐contrast simulation images. For in‐vivo studies, we acquired knee MR images including 288 slices of T1‐weighted (T1‐w), T2‐weighted (T2‐w), gradient‐recalled echo (GRE), and STIR images taken from 12 healthy volunteers. Our MR image synthesis method generates a new contrast MR image from multi‐contrast MR images. We used a deep neural network to identify the complex relationships between MR images that show various contrasts for the same tissues. Our contrast‐conversion deep neural network (CC‐DNN) is an end‐to‐end architecture that trains the model to create one image from three (T1‐w, T2‐w, and GRE images). We propose a new loss function to take into account intensity differences, misregistration, and local intensity variations. The CC‐DNN‐generated STIR images were evaluated with four quantitative evaluation metrics, including mean squared error, peak signal‐to‐noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity (SSIM), and multi‐scale SSIM (MS‐SSIM). Furthermore, a subjective evaluation was performed by musculoskeletal radiologists.

Results

Our method showed improved results in all quantitative evaluations compared with other methods and received the highest scores in subjective evaluations by musculoskeletal radiologists.

Conclusion

This study suggests the feasibility of our method for generating STIR sequence images without additional scanning that offered a potential alternative to the STIR pulse sequence when additional scanning is limited or STIR artifacts are severe.
Mehr Biopharmazieanlagen
Authors: Bulmahn Maren
Published: June 2020

Boehringer Ingelheim setzte im Jahr 2019 mehr um und forschte mehr. Dabei kooperiert der Konzern mit anderen Pharmaunternehmen. Größter Umsatzbringer war ein Diabetesmittel.
Schwingungstechnik und Schrumpffolien
Authors: Bulmahn Maren
Published: June 2020

Das Familienunternehmen Freudenberg feierte im Jahr 2019 das 170. Jahr seiner Gründung. Heute produziert der Konzern Dichtungen, Vliesstoffe, Filter, Spezialchemie und Reinigungsprodukte.
Mineral statt Metall in Brennstoffzellen
Authors: Zhang Shifan , Koenders Eddie
Published: June 2020

Wer bei Brennstoffzellen nur an Metall‐ oder Graphitelektroden denkt, kennt die neuesten Forschungsergebnisse nicht: Denn richtig modifiziert eignen sich auch Zement oder Geopolymere als Trägersubstanzen.
Massenspektrometriker in Münster
Authors: Gross Jürgen
Published: June 2020

Die 53. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Massenspektrometrie (DGMS) fand in diesem Jahr gemeinsam mit dem 27. ICP‐MS‐Anwendertreffen statt. Zu der viertägigen Veranstaltung Anfang März trafen sich etwa 560 Teilnehmer an der Universität Münster. Die lokale Organisation hatten Uwe Karst und Heiko Hayen (beide Univ. Münster) übernommen. Zusätzlich zu neun Plenarvorträgen, 90 eingereichten Vorträgen in vier parallelen Sessions und 235 Postern in zwei Sessions informierten 19 Firmen aus MS und anderer Analytik an ihren Ständen über Produkte und Neuentwicklungen. Seit der Tagung in Rostock 2019 nutzt die DGMS Englisch als Tagungssprache, um so dem durch Studierende, Wissenschaftler und Plenarvortragende aus aller Welt internationalen Charakter zu entsprechen.
Redoxreaktionen mit dem Springbrunnenversuch
Authors: Ducci Matthias
Published: June 2020

Der Klassiker unter den Schulversuchen, der Springbrunnenversuch, lässt sich mit fluoreszierenden Farbstoffen spektakulärer gestalten als mit klassischen pH‐Indikatoren. Aber auch Redoxreaktionen, die in allen Bundesländern auf den Bildungsplänen stehen, setzt ein solcher solcher Versuch in Szene.
Bakelit: der erste seiner Klasse
Authors: Offermanns Heribert , Retzlaff Frank
Published: June 2020

Am ersten industriell produzierten Kunststoff lässt sich die historische Rohstoffbasis der industriellen Chemie des 19. und frühen 20. Jahrhunderts erkennen: Die stoffliche Basis für die Bakelitsynthese waren Produkte der Holz‐ und der Teerchemie.
Schichtbetrieb
Authors: Zbikowski Frauke
Published: June 2020

Bastian Weinert, Oberassistent an der Universität Marburg, beschreibt die Situation in der Chemie während der Corona‐Pandemie.
Socioeconomic drivers of urban pest prevalence
Authors: Sutherland Chris , Greenlee Andrew J. , Schneider Daniel
Published: June 2020

Bed bugs have re‐established themselves as a common household pest in the United States and pose significant public health and economic concerns, particularly in urban areas.

Documenting the scale of the bed bug resurgence and identifying the underlying predictors of the spatial patterns of their incidence is challenging, largely because available data come from biased self‐reporting through local government code enforcement.

Here, we make use of a novel source of systematically collected data from periodic inspections of multifamily housing units in Chicago to investigate neighbourhood drivers of bed bug infestation prevalence in Chicago.

Bed bug infestations are strongly associated with income, eviction rates and crowding at the neighbourhood level.

That bed bug prevalence is higher in lower‐income neighbourhoods with higher levels of household crowding and eviction notices provides unique empirical evidence of the disproportionate allocation of public health burdens upon neighbourhoods facing multiple dimensions of disadvantage.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Antibiotics in the Biliary Tract: A Review of the Pharmacokinetics and Clinical Outcomes of Antibiotics Penetrating the Bile and Gallbladder Wall
Authors: Thabit Abrar K.
Published: June 2020

Biliary tract infections (BTIs), including cholangitis and cholecystitis, are common causes of bacteremia. Bacteremic BTIs are associated with a mortality rate of 9–12%. The extent to which antibiotics are excreted in the bile and the ratio of their exposure to the minimum inhibitory concentration of the infecting organism are among the important factors for the treatment of BTIs. This review updates health care professionals on the distribution of antibiotics in the common bile duct, gallbladder, and gallbladder wall. Antibiotic efficacy in treating BTIs based on the latest available clinical studies is also discussed. The efficacy and pharmacokinetics of 50 antibiotics are discussed. Overall, most antibiotic classes exhibit biliary penetration that translates into clinical efficacy. Only seven antibiotics (amoxicillin, cefadroxil, cefoxitin, ertapenem, gentamicin, amikacin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole) had poor biliary penetration profiles. Three antibiotics (ceftibuten, ceftolozane/tazobactam, and doripenem) had positive clinical outcomes despite the lack of pharmacokinetic studies on their penetration into the biliary tract. Conflicting efficacy data were reported for ampicillin despite adequate biliary penetration, whereas conflicting pharmacokinetic data were reported with cefaclor and moxifloxacin. Even in the absence of supportive clinical studies, antibiotics with good biliary penetration profiles may have a place in the treatment of BTIs.
A 3D Polymeric Platform for Photonic Quantum Technologies
Authors: Colautti Maja , Lombardi Pietro , Trapuzzano Marco , Piccioli Francesco S. , Pazzagli Sofia , Tiribilli Bruno , Nocentini Sara , Cataliotti Francesco S. , Wiersma Diederik S. , Toninelli Costanza
Published: June 2020

The successful development of future photonic quantum technologies will much depend on the possibility of realizing robust and scalable nanophotonic devices. These should include quantum emitters like on‐demand single‐photon sources and non‐linear elements, provided their transition linewidth is broadened only by spontaneous emission. However, conventional strategies to on‐chip integration, based on lithographic processes in semiconductors, are typically detrimental to the coherence properties of the emitter. Moreover, such approaches are difficult to scale and bear limitations in terms of geometries. Here an alternative platform is discussed, based on molecules that preserve near‐Fourier‐limited fluorescence even when embedded in polymeric photonic structures. 3D patterns are achieved via direct laser writing around selected molecular emitters, with a fast, inexpensive, and scalable fabrication process. By using an integrated polymeric design, detected photon counts of about 2.4 Mcps from a single cold molecule are reported. The proposed technology will allow for competitive organic quantum devices, including integrated multi‐photon interferometers, arrays of indistinguishable single‐photon sources, and hybrid electro‐optical nanophotonic chips.
Overexpression of HSP70 attenuates sarcopenia by suppressing the expression of miR‐133b
Authors: Nascimento Tábata L. , Mestril Ruben , Miyabara Elen H.
Published: June 2020

Background

The aim of the present investigation is to evaluate the effect of the overexpression of inducible 70‐kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) on sarcopenic muscles of aged mice.

Methods

Tibialis anterior muscles of aged and young transgenic mice overexpressing HSP70 and wild‐type mice were evaluated. Old mice were treated with the HSP inducer O‐[3‐piperidino‐2‐hydroxy‐1‐propyl]‐nicotinic amidoxime (BGP‐15) for 10 days, and their muscles were analysed.

Results

Old HSP70 transgenic mice presented a less pronounced decrease in myofiber size, lower protein levels of Foxo3a, and a spared increase in miRNA‐133b expression when compared with old wild‐type mice. Moreover, in BGP‐15‐treated old mice, the reduction in myofiber size was less intense, and the decline in muscle specific force was attenuated.

Conclusions

These results suggest that HSP70 overexpression attenuates sarcopenia in old mice, and this effect may be mediated by miR‐133b down‐regulation. In addition, BGP‐15 treatment may be a useful strategy to mitigate the effects of sarcopenia in old mice.
Controlling Ocean One: Human–robot collaboration for deep‐sea manipulation
Authors: Brantner Gerald , Khatib Oussama
Published: June 2020

Deploying robots to explore venues that are inaccessible to humans, or simply inhospitable, has been a longstanding ambition of scientists, engineers, and explorers across numerous fields. The deep sea exemplifies an environment that is largely uncharted and denies human presence. Central to exploration is the capacity to deliver dexterous robotic manipulation to this unstructured environment. Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) are successful in providing passive solutions for observation and mapping but currently are far from capable of delivering human‐level dexterity. The ones providing manipulation typically are UUVs coupled with position‐controlled hydraulic arms using disjoint controllers for navigation and manipulation that require expert operators. Ocean One is a humanoid underwater robot designed specifically for underwater manipulation. In this paper, we present Ocean One's control architecture that, through a collaboration between this humanoid robot and a human pilot, enables the deployment of dexterous robotic manipulation to the deep sea. We provide detailed descriptions of this architecture's two main components: first, a whole‐body controller that creates functional autonomy by coordinating manipulation, posture, and constraint tasks, and second, a set of haptic and visual human interfaces that enable intimate interaction while avoiding micromanagement. We test the presented methods in simulation and validate them in pool experiments and in two field deployments. On its maiden mission into the Mediterranean Sea, Ocean One explored the Lune, a French naval vessel that sank in 1664 off the coast of Toulon, France. In its second expedition, Ocean One assisted human divers in investigating underwater volcanic structures at Santorini, Greece.
Retraction: “Dissolution Behavior of Boron Nitride Inclusions and Segregation of Nb Element in Martensitic Ferritic Steel”
Authors: Ma Yulin , Zhang Jun , Zhang Junjia , Yang Jiaqi , Liu Chunming , Wang Pengzhe
Published: June 2020

DOI: 10.1002/srin.201900488

The above article from steel research international, published online on 21 November 2019 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the authors, the journal Editor‐in‐Chief, Sandra Kalveram, and John Wiley and Sons Ltd. After publication in EarlyView section, the authors asked for this retraction as they noticed in subsequent experiments that the presented results are not reproduceable.
Hyperforin induces apoptosis through extrinsic/intrinsic pathways and inhibits EGFR/ERK/NF‐κB‐mediated anti‐apoptotic potential in glioblastoma
Authors: Hsu Fei‐Ting , Chen Wei‐Ting , Wu Ching‐Te , Chung Jing‐Gung
Published: June 2020

Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor with poor survival rate and without effective treatment strategy. Notably, amplification and active mutation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) occur frequently in glioblastoma patient that may be a potential treatment target. Several studies indicated that various type of herbal compounds not only regulate anti‐depressant effect but also shown capacity to suppress glioblastoma growth via inducing apoptosis and inhibiting oncogene signaling transduction. Hyperforin, an herb compound derived from St. John's wort was used to treat depressive disorder by inhibiting neuronal reuptake of several neurotransmitters. Although hyperforin can reduce matrix metallopeptidases‐2 (MMPs) and ‐9‐mediated metastasis of glioblastoma, the detail mechanism of hyperforin on glioblastoma is remaining unclear. Here, we suggested that hyperforin may induce extrinsic/intrinsic apoptosis and suppress anti‐apoptotic related proteins expression of glioblastoma. We also indicated that hyperforin‐mediated anti‐apoptotic potential of glioblastoma was correlated to inactivation of EGFR/extracellular signal‐regulated kinases (ERK)/nuclear factor kappa‐light‐chain‐enhancer of activated B cells (NF‐κB) signaling.
Changes in Fish Communities of the Seine Basin over a Long-Term Perspective
Authors: Belliard Jérôme , Beslagic Sarah , Tales Evelyne
Published: June 2020

Using both historical and current data, we retrace the long-term evolution of fish assemblages in the Seine River basin since 1880, from headwaters to upstream of the Seine River estuary. Successive phases are observed, related to anthropogenic impacts on habitat conditions and river water quality. Temporal trajectories were thus reconstructed on several reaches based on the change of the proportion of species’ ecological traits, in order to detect the main drivers of alteration. Contrasted trends occur between large rivers and small streams of the basin. In this context, migratory fish declined, whereas the proportion of non-native species increased in the fish community of the Seine River.
Aquatic Organic Matter in the Seine Basin: Sources, Spatio-Temporal Variability, Impact of Urban Discharges and Influence on Micro-pollutant Speciation
Authors: Varrault G. , Parlanti E. , Matar Z. , Garnier J. , Nguyen P. T. , Derenne S. , Rocher V. , Muresan B. , Louis Y. , Soares-Pereira C. , Goffin A. , Benedetti M. F. , Bressy A. , Gelabert A. , Guo Y. , Cordier M.-A.
Published: June 2020

This research has been conducted over the last 10 years to characterise the spatio-temporal variability of aquatic organic matter (OM) composition in the Seine River watershed upstream and downstream of Paris Megacity and its effect on micro-pollutants. For this purpose, a large number of samples were collected under different hydrological conditions, and, over 1 year, three representative sites were monitored monthly. Furthermore, the evolution of the OM composition along an urbanisation gradient, from upstream to downstream of the Paris agglomeration, was characterised, highlighting the very strong impact of urban discharges, especially during low-water periods. Substantial differences in the chemical composition are emphasised relative to the urban or natural origin of the organic matter. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) interactions with metallic and organic micro-pollutants were studied, allowing us to (1) identify the key role of DOM on their speciation and bioavailability in aquatic systems and (2) demonstrate that these interactions depend on DOM composition and origin. The essential role of urban DOM on the speciation of trace metals in the Seine River downstream of the Paris agglomeration is also shown.
How Should Agricultural Practices Be Integrated to Understand and Simulate Long-Term Pesticide Contamination in the Seine River Basin?
Authors: Blanchoud H. , Schott C. , Tallec G. , Queyrel W. , Gallois N. , Habets F. , Viennot P. , Ansart P. , Desportes A. , Tournebize J. , Puech T.
Published: June 2020

Modelling long-term pesticide transfer to rivers at the catchment scale is still difficult due to a lack of knowledge of agricultural practices and poorly adapted field observation. The Orgeval experimental catchment was first investigated to validate a modelling approach. In addition to pesticide practices investigated over 20 years, directly collected from farmers, monthly integrated river samples were analysed for 10 years. To explicitly integrate agricultural practices and crop rotation, the STICS crop model was adapted to simulate pesticide transfer in soil. Annual load simulations were compared to observed pesticide fluxes in rivers. To simulate the contamination of groundwater, the STICS-Pest model was coupled to the MODCOU hydrogeological model. The results are discussed at the subbasin scale in relation to available data. To upscale the approach at the Seine River basin scale, other strategies need to be developed.
Pluri-annual Water Budget on the Seine Basin: Past, Current and Future Trends
Authors: Flipo Nicolas , Gallois Nicolas , Labarthe Baptiste , Baratelli Fulvia , Viennot Pascal , Schuite Jonathan , Rivière Agnès , Bonnet Rémy , Boé Julien
Published: June 2020

The trajectory of the Seine basin water resources is rebuilt from the early 1900s to the 2000s before being projected to the end of the twenty-first century. In the first part, the long-term hydrological data of the Paris gauging stations are analysed beginning in 1885, highlighting the effect of anthropogenic water management on the Seine River discharge. Then a detailed water budget of the Seine basin is proposed. It quantifies for the first time the water exchanges between aquifer units and the effect of water withdrawals on river–aquifer exchanges. Using this model, the trajectory of the system is evaluated based on a downscaled climate reanalysis of the twentieth century and a reconstruction of the land use in the early 1900s, as well as the choice of a climate projection which favours the model that best reproduces the low frequency of precipitation. The trajectory is synthesised as average regimes, revealing a relative stability of the hydrosystem up to the present, and drastic changes in the discharge regime in the future, especially concerning the decreased amount of low flow and its increased duration. These expected changes will require the definition of an adaptation strategy even though they are rather limited in the Seine basin when compared to other French regions.
The Seine Watershed Water-Agro-Food System: Long-Term Trajectories of C, N and P Metabolism
Authors: Billen Gilles , Garnier Josette , Le Noë Julia , Viennot Pascal , Gallois Nicolas , Puech Thomas , Schott Celine , Anglade Juliette , Mary Bruno , Beaudoin Nicolas , Léonard Joël , Mignolet Catherine , Théry Sylvain , Thieu Vincent , Silvestre Marie , Passy Paul
Published: June 2020

Based on the GRAFS method of biogeochemical accounting for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and carbon (C) fluxes through crop, grassland, livestock and human consumption, a full description of the structure and main functioning features of the French agro-food system was obtained from 1850 to the present at the scale of 33 agricultural regions. For the period since 1970, this description was compared with the results of an agronomic reconstitution of the cropping systems of the Seine watershed based on agricultural census and detailed enquiries about farming practices at the scale of small agricultural regions (the ARSeine database), which were then used as input to an agronomical model (STICS) calculating yields, and the dynamics of N and C. STICS was then coupled with a hydrogeological model (MODCOU), so that the entire modelling chain can thus highlight the high temporal inertia of both soil organic matter pool and aquifers. GRAFS and ARSeine revealed that the agriculture of the North of France is currently characterised by a high degree of territorial openness, specialisation and disconnection between crop and livestock farming, food consumption and production. This situation is the result of a historical trajectory starting in the middle of the nineteenth century, when agricultural systems based on mixed crop and livestock farming with a high level of autonomy were dominant. The major transition occurred only after World War II and the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy and led, within only a few decades, to a situation where industrial fertilisers largely replaced manure and where livestock farming activities were concentrated either in the Eastern margins of the watershed in residual mixed farming areas or in specialised animal production zones of the Great West. A second turning point occurred around the 1990s when regulatory measures were taken to partly correct the environmental damage caused by the preceding regime, yet without in-depth change of its logic of specialisation and intensification. Agricultural soil biogeochemistry (C sequestration, nitrate losses, P accumulation, etc.) responds, with a long delay, to these long-term structural changes. The same is true for the hydrosystem and most of its different compartments (vadose zone, aquifers, riparian zones), so that the relationship between the diffuse sources of nutrients (or pesticides) and the agricultural practices is not immediate and is strongly influenced by legacies from the past structure and practices of the agricultural system. This has strong implications regarding the possible futures of the Seine basin agriculture.
Bathing Activities and Microbiological River Water Quality in the Paris Area: A Long-Term Perspective
Authors: Mouchel Jean-Marie , Lucas Françoise S. , Moulin Laurent , Wurtzer Sébastien , Euzen Agathe , Haghe Jean-Paul , Rocher Vincent , Azimi Sam , Servais Pierre
Published: June 2020

This chapter presents the historical aspects regarding swimming in rivers in the Paris region since the seventeenth century, including the concept of fecal contamination indicator bacteria (FIBs) developed at the very beginning of the twentieth century, and historical contamination data covering more than one century in the Paris agglomeration. The sources of microbiological contamination of river waters are quantified, showing the importance of rain events. The present contamination levels are presented with reference to the European Directive for bathing water quality. FIB levels show that the sufficient quality for bathing is not reached yet in any of the monitored stations. A comprehensive data set regarding waterborne pathogens (viruses, Giardia, Cryptosporidium) in the Seine and Marne rivers is presented as a necessary complement to the regulatory FIB data to better evaluate health risks. The last section concludes on the actions to be conducted to improve the rivers’ microbiological quality in the coming years.
A Broken Child – A Diseased Woman
Authors: Kirkengen Anna Luise
Published: June 2020

In this text, general practitioner Anna Luise Kirkengen illustrates why a genuinely person-centered healthcare, as described in Part I, is of vital importance. Only by going beyond the biomedical realm and considering the lived experiences of the person seeking care, will the full causal complexities behind the medical symptoms be understood. Failure to consider the whole person and all their causal complexity, places the patient at risk of being misunderstood and mistreated by the healthcare system. Here, the lived experience of violation during childhood and adolescence, reported by a woman, is the vantage point for exploring the relationship between her experience and her health. The violation history, as related by the person herself, will be juxtaposed to her sickness histories, as documented in medical records. This approach allows for comparing a biomedical and a biographical account of serious disease development.
Complexity, Reductionism and the Biomedical Model
Authors: Rocca Elena , Anjum Rani Lill
Published: June 2020

In this chapter we discuss the idea of complexity. While this concept is widely used, its meaning and interpretation usually remain implicit. We show that a mereological view, in which complexity is seen as composition of multiple unchanged parts, motivates an investigation that starts from the separation of causal factors, and their investigation in isolation. In contrast, we propose what we call ‘genuine complexity’, in which the parts of a whole not only compose and interact, but also change each other through such interaction. This, however, requires that we start an investigation from the higher level of complexity: by observing the whole. At such a level, indeed, it is possible to focus on interactions between context, lived experience and physical body parts. Several clinicians, globally, are pushing for a change in this direction. An ecological shift in medicine, we argue, will be not only necessary, but also unavoidable, if we acknowledge that human biology is genuinely complex, and we truly reflect on the meaning and implications of this.
Nostalgia and Hope: Narrative Master Frames Across Contemporary Europe
Authors: Hellström Anders , Norocel Ov Cristian , Jørgensen Martin Bak
Published: June 2020

After the fall of the Berlin wall and the end of the Cold War, a certain sense of optimism swept across Europe. Some 25 years later, everything seems radically different. With the considerable inroads made into mainstream politics by right-wing populist parties across the continent, there is no shortage of gloom and worry. Nevertheless, despite numerous examples of retrogressive forms of mobilization, there are also many cases of progressive mobilization. To capture this dynamic complexity, we posit politics as a site of struggle that constitutes an arena for the conflicting demands of the two master frames of nostalgia and hope. Following this logic of a polarized political terrain, the volume is divided into three parts that address both right-wing populist politics across Europe (Part I) and politics beyond party politics through either retrogressive mobilization (Part II) or emancipatory initiatives (Part III).
“Impossible” Activism and the Right to Be Understood: The Emergent Refugee Rights Movement in Finland
Authors: Haavisto Camilla
Published: June 2020

In 2017, in the center of Helsinki, the Right to Live collective, consisting of Iraqi and Afghan asylum seekers and their allies, protested day and night for more than 6 months against unjust asylum processes and deportation. By so doing, the collective broke the culture of gratefulness that asylum seekers in Finland have traditionally adhered to and stretched the understanding of who and what constitutes civil society. In this chapter, I explore the following questions: what are the strategies used by the collective for gaining voice, visibility and legitimacy as information sources or experts in the public sphere; and what are the main obstacles that hinder protesting asylum seekers from being understood? The theoretical framework through which these questions are approached is formed around the contradiction between the “right to be under stood” (Husband 1996) and the “impossibility” of political activism by asylum seekers (Nyers 2003).
Hope as Master Frame in Feminist Mobilization: Between Liberal NGO-ization and Radical-Intersectional Street Politics
Authors: Ana Alexandra
Published: June 2020

The feminist critique of “family wage” central to the state-organized capitalism legitimates the contemporary supple capitalism, relying on low-waged work of less-privileged women. The shift from redistribution to identity politics concealed the structuring role of class. While the first decade, following the collapse of the state-socialist regime was characterized by the emergence of an NGO-ized feminism, embracing a women’s empowerment discourse, permeated by individualism and neoliberal free-market assumptions, the second decade was sequenced by the rise of a street feminism – contentious and intersectional, making room to queer, anarcho-feminism, and Roma feminism, to engage in social justice struggles addressing an anti-capitalist and anti-racist critique and the collective role of political economy. The financial and the refugee (reception) crisis opened a discursive window of opportunity in Romania where class, economic inequalities, the racialization of poverty began to penetrate the liberal right-wing curtain, that promoted privatization and deregulation, welfare chauvinism, delegitimizing the use of welfare provisions, by deepening the cleavage between the worthy and non-worthy. In this context, a politics of intersectional hope was contoured, through a three-dimensional process of bridge-building at the level of discourse, movements and repertoires of action.
Trouble in the Homeland: How Cultural Identity and Welfare Politics Merge in Contemporary Danish and Swedish Politics
Authors: Hellström Anders , Tawat Mahama
Published: June 2020

This chapter examines differences in the discourses on migration from two socio-economically similar countries—Denmark and Sweden. It employs the notion of conventional discourse to show how cultural identity and welfare politics intersect in the policy debates and blogospheres of the two countries. It also shows that a discursive shift had already occurred in the mainstream political discourse in Denmark before the 2015 refugee crisis—a discourse in which the dominant view is that cultural diversity is incompatible with social cohesion and thus a perceived threat to the welfare system. The same line of thinking is prevalent in Denmark’s blogosphere. In contrast, Sweden’s cultural issues have been consistently associated with redistributive policies in the mainstream political discourse, and these vary along the Left versus Right ideological cleavage. However, in Sweden’s blogosphere, welfare chauvinism and opposition to multiculturalism appear to be equally as strong as in Denmark.
Endangered Swedish Values: Immigration, Gender Equality, and “Migrants’ Sexual Violence”
Authors: Edenborg Emil
Published: June 2020

This chapter examines the relation between welfare and culture by examining Swedish debates about sexual violence, immigration, and gender equality in the wake of reports about large-scale sexual harassment in Cologne on New Years’ Eve 2015 and at a summer festival in Stockholm. Looking at newspaper representations on the one hand, and at party leaders’ speeches on the other, the chapter shows how the trope of “migrants’ sexual violence” contributed to a narrative portraying “Swedish values” of gender equality as endangered by immigration. I argue that the circulation of the “migrants’ sexual violence” trope constituted a bordering practice, implicitly or explicitly confirming the necessity of the stricter border regime introduced in November 2015. The idea of “endangered gender equality” was part of a securitization process where immigration was portrayed as an existential threat to the Swedish welfare model, which effectively closed off the possibilities to argue for a return to previous asylum policies.
Divorce, Emotions, and Legal Regulations: Shared Parenting in a Climate of Fear
Authors: Moore Elena
Published: June 2020

Research on post-divorce families has neglected the expressive or emotional aspects that are key elements of post-divorce everyday family practices. This chapter examines how the emotional experience of divorce is shaped by the social, economic, cultural, and legal context in which it occurs. Drawing on qualitative longitudinal data from separated and divorced parents in Ireland, the chapter focuses on the emotion of fear and the way in which fear is constructed through the legal system. The chapter reveals how feelings of fear are shaped by the legal and policy context of a “pro-contact culture”, shared parenting, private regulation, and the welfare principle. The object of fear includes the reduction or loss of fathering or a mother’s loss of power over parenting. The cause of fear lies in the structural inequalities of power that point to the fearing subject’s vulnerability. Parents manage their fear by developing new ways of parenting. I argue that fear motivates actions and “shared parenting”.
The Consequences of Separation for Mothers’ Perception of Their Parenting Capacity
Authors: Haux Tina , Platt Lucinda
Published: June 2020

In the context of high rates of parental separation and divorce, there has been extensive scholarly interest in exploring the consequences of separation for both children and parents. However, little is currently known about whether separation impacts mothers’ sense of their own efficacy as parents. In this chapter, we investigate whether mothers’ confidence in their parenting drops following separation, and if so, whether it recovers over time. Arguing that reduced confidence in their competence as parents may stem from the challenges of sole parenting, we explore whether greater involvement of fathers in parenting after separation lessens the impact of the breakup on mothers’ confidence. Using the Millennium Cohort Study, a large, nationally representative study of children born in the UK in 2000–2001, we analyse the experiences of around 12,000 mothers who were living with their child’s father when the baby was around nine months old. By tracking these mothers until their child is around seven years old, we show that those who separate experience a reduction in their parenting confidence relative to those who did not separate, and that this gap persists. Counter to our expectations, we find that greater paternal involvement post-separation does not mitigate these effects. We discuss these findings in the context of theories of self-efficacy and the stigmatisation of lone mothers in society.