Issue Of Annals Research Articles

The power of wonder

The broad implications of acknowledging and embracing the emotions of awe and wonder are discussed in this special issue of Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, from their role as an incentive or impediment to scientific progress, to the many ways in which they connect to aesthetic experience, religious attitudes, and ethical concerns.

Note from the Editor-in-Chief

Note from the Editor-in-Chief Jürgen Buchenau I take great pleasure in greeting the readership of The Latin Americanist as our new editor-in-chief. First and foremost, these are big shoes to fill. My predecessor, Greg Weeks, served as editor for fifteen long years. During that time, he built the nation's oldest interdisciplinary Latin American Studies journal from its self-published status through an association with Wiley to its present status as a journal published by UNC Press. And Greg did so while he assumed ever greater responsibilities at UNC Charlotte: first, as Director of Latin American Studies, then, as chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, and finally, as Associate Dean of Academic Affairs of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. As co-editor of the SECOLAS Annals issue along with Gregory Crider, I have watched the growth of the journal with great pride, and I look forward to the opportunity to keep The Latin Americanist on its upward trajectory. Even on the heels of such success, a new editor inevitably brings some changes. To begin with, Gregory Crider is now the sole editor of the Annals edition. Second, five associate editors—all colleagues at UNC Charlotte—will help make publication decisions and recruit manuscripts: Frederico Batista (Political Science), David Dalton (Spanish), Erika Edwards (History), Eric Hoenes (Anthropology), and Carmen Soliz (History). I appreciate their help very much and look forward to working with them in the coming years. Third, we will be growing the book review section under the leadership of Colin Snider (University of Texas-Tyler). In addition to the traditional book reviews, Colin is looking for review essays that examine two or more works from a comparative perspective. We know that these review essays are helpful for both teaching and scholarship. Please contact Colin or me if you have an idea for such a review essay. I would also like to take this opportunity to solicit suggestions more generally on how to further advance the journal and make it more helpful to our readers. Suggestions for special issues or sections are also always welcome. We look forward to hearing from you! I appreciate the support from our staff at UNC Charlotte and at SECOLAS early on in the transition. The Dean of our college, Nancy Gutierrez, has been very supportive of our journal throughout our time here. I especially want to acknowledge our former graduate assistant, Julia Poppell, as well as our new one, Susanny Acosta, who have been patient with a new and inexperienced editor. As has the SECOLAS leadership, especially our Secretary-Treasurer, Steven Hyland, who writes the checks and makes sure we stay afloat. I look forward to working with our current president, [End Page 319] Monica Rankin, as well as our next one, Martin Nesvig. I appreciate you all and look forward to seeing many of you at the next SECOLAS conference here in Charlotte! [End Page 320] Jürgen Buchenau UNC Charlotte Copyright © 2021 Southeastern Council on Latin American Studies

Two decades of functional-structural plant modelling: now addressing fundamental questions in systems biology and predictive ecology.

Functional-structural plant models (FSPMs) explore and integrate relationships between a plant's structure and processes that underlie its growth and development. In the last 20 years, scientists interested in functional-structural plant modelling have expanded greatly the range of topics covered and now handle dynamical models of growth and development occurring from the microscopic scale, and involving cell division in plant meristems, to the macroscopic scales of whole plants and plant communities. The FSPM approach occupies a central position in plant science; it is at the crossroads of fundamental questions in systems biology and predictive ecology. This special issue of Annals of Botany features selected papers on critical areas covered by FSPMs and examples of comprehensive models that are used to solve theoretical and applied questions, ranging from developmental biology to plant phenotyping and management of plants for agronomic purposes. Altogether, they offer an opportunity to assess the progress, gaps and bottlenecks along the research path originally foreseen for FSPMs two decades ago. This review also allows discussion of current challenges of FSPMs regarding (1) integration of multidisciplinary knowledge, (2) methods for handling complex models, (3) standards to achieve interoperability and greater genericity and (4) understanding of plant functioning across scales. This approach has demonstrated considerable progress, but has yet to reach its full potential in terms of integration and heuristic knowledge production. The research agenda of functional-structural plant modellers in the coming years should place a greater emphasis on explaining robust emergent patterns, and on the causes of possible deviation from it. Modelling such patterns could indeed fuel both generic integration across scales and transdisciplinary transfer. In particular, it could be beneficial to emergent fields of research such as model-assisted phenotyping and predictive ecology in managed ecosystems.

From the pages of AllergyWatch: July 2020

For this month's issue of Annals, which focuses on vaccines, there are 3 article summaries from recent AllergyWatch columns that reviewed studies on various aspects of vaccines. The first reports data from a pivotal study on the improved efficacy of the new recombinant subunit herpes zoster vaccine. The second review describes a report of a unique vaccine for cats that induces immunoglobulin G–blocking antibodies for Fel d 1. The third review reports discrepant results of pneumococcal titers from different laboratories.

Bile spillage and incidental gall bladder adenocarcinoma

The Editor-in-Chief of ‘ Hepatobiliary Surgery and Nutrition ’ invited me to write an editorial on the article entitled “ Adverse outcomes after bile spillage in incidental gall bladder cancer ” by Horkoff et al . which was published in the 2019 April issue of Annals of Surgery (1).

Bridging clinical medicine with innovative scientific research

The present issue of Annals of Pancreatic Cancer is a special one co-edited by Dr. Yingbin Liu, Chair of the Department of General Surgery and dedicated to the Eighth Xinhua International Surgical Forum.

Wood formation and tree adaptation to climate

This special issue of Annals of Forest Science compiles ten papers on “Wood formation and tree adaptation to climate”, which were presented at “Le Studium” International Conference in May 2018 in Orleans (France). These papers present observational, experimental and modelling studies investigating the influence of climatic changes on tree growth from the hour to the century, and from the cell to the landscape.

Progress in regulatory peptide research.

The field of regulatory peptide research has developed significant momentum owing to several recent converging trends. Dozens of peptide-based drugs have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the past decade, the majority for the treatment of metabolic disorders, including diabetes. These are the "tip of the spear" for peptide therapeutics, revealing that impediments of delivery, stability, and bioavailability inherent in peptide drugs have in many cases been overcome. While most are orally available, and directed at peripheral targets, pharmaceutical delivery of peptides to the central nervous system through nasal mucosal routes has also seen much progress. Cell-based high-throughput drug discovery methods, the X-ray crystallographic structural definition of G protein-coupled receptors, and deorphanization of peptide-liganded receptors have contributed to the emergence of new targets for pharmacological intervention and accelerated the development of peptide-based as well as nonpeptide congeners for existing ones. Finally, the recognition that peptides act at their receptors, in a cellular context, in conjunction with other peptides and other first messengers, including neurotransmitters, hormones, and autocrine and paracrine factors, has led to an increased appreciation for the combinatorial possibilities of regulatory peptide action, now penetrating to drug design and discovery efforts. The fifteen reviews, reports, and perspectives collected in this special issue of Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences provide a snapshot of the frontiers of the field of regulatory peptide research as they expand physiologically, pharmacologically, and therapeutically.

Root traits benefitting crop production in environments with limited water and nutrient availability.

Breeding for advantageous root traits will play a fundamental role in improving the efficiency of water and nutrient acquisition, closing yield gaps, and underpinning the "Evergreen Revolution" that must match crop production with human demand. This preface provides an overview of a Special Issue of Annals of Botany on "Root traits benefitting crop production in environments with limited water and nutrient availability". The first papers in the Special Issue examine how breeding for reduced shoot stature and greater harvest index during the Green Revolution affected root system architecture. It is observed that reduced plant height and root architecture are inherited independently and can be improved simultaneously to increase the acquisition and utilisation of carbon, water and mineral nutrients. These insights are followed by papers examining beneficial root traits for resource acquisition in environments with limited water or nutrient availability, such as deep rooting, control of hydraulic conductivity, formation of aerenchyma, proliferation of lateral roots and root hairs, foraging of nutrient-rich patches, manipulation of rhizosphere pH and the exudation of low molecular weight organic solutes. The Special Issue concludes with papers exploring the interactions of plant roots and microorganisms, highlighting the need for plants to control the symbiotic relationships between mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobia to achieve maximal growth, and the roles of plants and microbes in the modification and development of soils.

Trends and topics on the science of ophthalmic education

This new focused issue of Annals of Eye Science is dedicated to the science through which the knowledge, skills and values of medicine are conveyed through generations: the science of Medical Education. We selected a variety of topics of interest for teachers and trainees in different stages of training; topics related to knowledge, clinical and surgical teaching, and the acquisition of professional values.

Anatomic reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament—concept, indication and its efficacy

The recent focused issue of Annals of Joint ( AOJ ) deals with “Anatomic reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament—concept, indication and its efficacy”. I worked as an invited editor. Professor Freddie Fu, an Editor-in-Chief of AOJ, kindly and unexpectedly asked me to do so. It is an extraordinarily honorable invitation to me.

Editorial for focused issue "Pompe disease: from basics to current and emerging therapies".

In this special issue of Annals of Translational Medicine , well distinguished clinicians, academic researchers, industry scientists, and patient advocates address recent advances and challenges in current and future therapies for Pompe disease, a prototypical lysosomal storage disorder. As is the case with many maladies, the history of Pompe disease, a severe neuromuscular disorder, is a reflection of the accelerating pace of basic science discoveries and the speed with which scientific knowledge is translated into medical progress.

Diagnostic Criteria for Symptomatic Neuroma: Erratum.

the April 2019 issue of Annals of Plastic Surgery in the article by Arnold et al, Diagnostic Criteria for Symptomatic Neuroma, a portion of the abstract under the Results section was incorrect. It mistakenly reads: In addition, patients must have at least 2 of the following 4 findings: (1) positive Tinel sign on examination at/along suspected nerve injury site, (2) tenderness/pain on examination at/along suspected nerve injury site, (3) positive response to a diagnostic local anesthetic injection, and (4) ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging confirmation of The correct statement is: In addition, patients must have at least one of the following 3 findings: (1) positive Tinel sign on examination at/ along suspected nerve injury site, (2) positive response to a diagnostic local anesthetic injection, and (3) ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging confirmation of neuroma.

Tumors of the spine and spinal cord.

This special issue of Annals of Translational Medicine focuses on tumors in and around the spine. The field of spine tumor surgery is undergoing a transition period, as multidisciplinary care of the patient with the spinal tumor has become the standard of care.

Benefits of supplementation with multiple micronutrients in pregnancy.

A task force was convened by the New York Academy of Sciences to evaluate new evidence that was not available at the time of, and to help countries interpret, recent World Health Organization guidelines for nutrition interventions in pregnancy as they relate to multiple micronutrient supplementation. The report of the task force is published in a recent special issue of Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. Here, we provide a short introduction to the special issue.

Antimicrobial resistance in a One Health context: exploring complexities, seeking solutions, and communicating risks.

Four articles presented in this special issue of Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences stem from a meeting of experts on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in food animal production hosted by the New York Academy of Sciences on May 8 and 9, 2018. The articles discuss (1) competing considerations of the criticality of different classes of antimicrobials used for human and animal health and how guidelines and regulations might result in more prudent patterns of use; (2) the increasingly recognized importance of the environment (i.e., soil, water, and air) as a reservoir of resistant bacteria and resistance genes as well as a pathway for the dissemination of AMR between human and animal host populations; (3) established and novel solutions for measuring and containing the AMR problem; and (4) effective strategies for communicating to consumers the risks of AMR spreading from food production and other nonhuman sources. The authors of this commentary served as the scientific advisory committee to the meeting.

Evolving trends in reverse shoulder arthroplasty

This issue of Annals of Joint that I have had the pleasure to guest edit, is truly focused on the revolutionary effects of reverse shoulder arthroplasty on the orthopedic patient in 2019. We have been lucky enough to assimilate leading authors from around the world to help shed insight and highlight the current practice patterns around reverse shoulder arthroplasty (both the primary and revision setting).

Which is safer in anastomosis, transanal or robotic total mesorectal excision?

The article “ A multicenter matched comparison of transanal and robotic total mesorectal excision for mid and low-rectal adenocarcinoma ” as published in the 2018 issue of Annals of Surgery , reports very informative data. The transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) is the most noteworthy item in recent years. Surgical robot enables precise dissection within narrow and deep pelvis. Therefore, it is a very useful tool to perform total mesorectal excision (robotic TME, RTME).

Cancer cachexia: definitions, outcomes, and treatments

The January issue of Annals of Palliative Medicine is a focused issue dedicated to the incredibly important syndrome of cancer cachexia. This issue is guest edited by Mellar Davis, MD, the Director of Palliative Services at Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pennsylvania and Eduardo Bruera, MD, the FT McGraw Chair in the Treatment of Cancer and Chair of the Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

Which is safer in anastomosis, transanal or robotic total mesorectal excision?

The article “ A multicenter matched comparison of transanal and robotic total mesorectal excision for mid and low-rectal adenocarcinoma ” as published in the 2018 issue of Annals of Surgery , reports very informative data. The transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) is the most noteworthy item in recent years. Surgical robot enables precise dissection within narrow and deep pelvis. Therefore, it is a very useful tool to perform total mesorectal excision (robotic TME, RTME).