Natural History Research Articles

Advances in pharmacotherapy for myelofibrosis: what is the current state of play?

The introduction of the first JAK inhibitor (JAKi) ruxolitinib 10 years ago represented a pivotal advancement in myelofibrosis (MF) treatment, mostly in term of spleen and symptoms response. Nowadays three more JAKi, fedratinib, pacritinib and momelotinib, are available for both ruxolitinib-resistant and naïve patients. Moreover, many drugs are currently being investigated, both alone and in combination with JAKi. In this review we discuss the long-term data of ruxolitinib and more recent evidence coming from clinical trials of fedratinib, pacritinib and momelotinib, used as first- or second-line MF therapy. More, focus is set on data from non-JAKi drugs, such as the quite extensively studied BET-inhibitors (pelabresib) and BCL-inhibitors (navitoclax), novel target therapies, and drugs aimed to improve anemia, still representing a major determinant of reduced survival in MF. It's now evident that JAKi monotherapy, though clinically effective, is rarely able to change MF natural history; novel drugs are promising but long-term data are inevitably lacking. We feel that soon MF treatment will require clinicians to select the most appropriate JAKi inhibitor, based on patient characteristics, associating either front-line or in case of early suboptimal response, non-JAKi drugs with the aim to pursue disease modification.

Cardiovascular Burden of the V142I Transthyretin Variant.

Individual cohort studies concur that the amyloidogenic V142I variant of the transthyretin (TTR) gene, present in 3% to 4% of US Black individuals, increases heart failure (HF) and mortality risk. Precisely defining carrier risk across relevant clinical outcomes and estimating population burden of disease are important given established and emerging targeted treatments. To better define the natural history of disease in carriers across mid to late life, assess variant modifiers, and estimate cardiovascular burden to the US population. A total of 23 338 self-reported Black participants initially free from HF were included in 4 large observational studies across the US (mean [SD], 15.5 [8.2] years of follow-up). Data analysis was performed between May 2023 and February 2024. V142I carrier status (n = 754, 3.2%). Hospitalizations for HF (including subtypes of reduced and preserved ejection fraction) and all-cause mortality. Outcomes were analyzed by generating 10-year hazard ratios for each age between 50 and 90 years. Using actuarial methods, mean survival by carrier status was estimated and applied to the 2022 US population using US Census data. Among the 23 338 participants, the mean (SD) age at baseline was 62 (9) years and 76.7% were women. Ten-year carrier risk increased for HF hospitalization by age 63 years, predominantly driven by HF with reduced ejection fraction, and 10-year all-cause mortality risk increased by age 72 years. Only age (but not sex or other select variables) modified risk with the variant, with estimated reductions in longevity ranging from 1.9 years (95% CI, 0.6-3.1) at age 50 to 2.8 years (95% CI, 2.0-3.6) at age 81. Based on these data, 435 851 estimated US Black carriers between ages 50 and 95 years are projected to cumulatively lose 957 505 years of life (95% CI, 534 475-1 380 535) due to the variant. Among self-reported Black individuals, male and female V142I carriers faced similar and substantial risk for HF hospitalization, predominantly with reduced ejection fraction, and death, with steep age-dependent penetrance. Delineating the individual contributions of, and complex interplay among, the V142I variant, ancestry, the social construct of race, and biological or social determinants of health to cardiovascular disease merits further investigation.

Hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance after HBsAg seroclearance

Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance is considered the functional cure and the optimal treatment endpoint for chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Patients with CHB who cleared HBsAg generally have a favorable clinical course with minimal risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or cirrhotic complications. Nevertheless, a minority of patients still develop HCC despite HBsAg seroclearance. While patients with liver cirrhosis are still recommended for HCC surveillance, whether other non-cirrhotic patients who achieved HBsAg seroclearance should remain on HCC surveillance remains unclear. This review provides an overview of the incidence of HBsAg seroclearance, the factors associated with the occurrence of HBsAg seroclearance, the durability of HBsAg seroclearance, the risk of developing HCC after HBsAg seroclearance, the risk factors associated with HCC development after HBsAg seroclearance, the role of HCC risk scores, and the implications on HCC surveillance. Existing HCC risk scores have a reasonably good performance in patients after HBsAg seroclearance. In the era of artificial intelligence, future HCC risk prediction models based on artificial intelligence and longitudinal clinical data may further improve the prediction accuracy to establish a foundation of a risk score-based HCC surveillance strategy. As different novel hepatitis B virus (HBV) antiviral agents aiming at HBsAg seroclearance are under active development, new knowledge is anticipated on the natural history and HCC risk prediction of patients treated with new HBV drugs.

Science in the service of politics. The cartographic representation of a local territorial context of the Kingdom of Naples in the early nineteenth century

The erudite priest Marciano Di Leo (1751–1819), a prominent personality in the historical and geographical panorama of his time, not only in his home territory, authored a vast literary and poetic production, but also tried his hand at producing some maps, referring to a province of the Kingdom of Naples. At a time when the principles of geodetic cartography had become increasingly known, even locally, hand in hand with improvements in technology and accuracy of measurements, the author reflects the historical narratives of progress of the European (and Neapolitan) Enlightenment and translates them into an unpublished manuscript of statistical, historical, and geographical nature, accompanied by numerous maps of various scales. The rediscovery of a largely unknown—and therefore not very thorough—minor cartographic production underscores the spread even in more marginal contexts of the most innovative ideas and increasingly precise scientific foundations in the cartographic-mathematical representation of the territory. It also illustrates the role of a number of intellectuals in the service of the political choices of their time, in an attempt-often unrealized-to bring about a decisive change of course in public administration, in accordance with Enlightenment ideals and in the spirit of reform that spread throughout Europe thanks to the French Revolution.

TUBERCULOSIS OF THE WRIST

INTRODUCTIONTuberculosis (TB) is a public health challenge. However, musculoskeletal involvement represents 10–15% of all extrapulmonary cases. Upper extremity involvement is extremely rare. The slow progressive course of clinical symptoms and lack of radiological signs lead to difficulties in establishing early diagnosis. Hence, the patients who have tuberculosis of the wrist are usually misdiagnosed. We report 5 cases of tuberculosis of the wrist seen in our unit from the year 2012 to 2021.METHODSCases were retrospectively evaluated on demographics, nature of history, clinical presentation, culture finding, and histopathological findings from 2012 to 2021 at our unit.RESULTSA total of 5 cases were evaluated retrospectively. Three patients were more than 60 years old and two were less than 30 years old. Four of the patients presented with wrist swelling 2 of them had wrist pain and only 1 patient had discharge from the wound. The duration of the symptoms ranges from 2 months to 3 years. Only one of the patients had a history of pulmonary TB contact whereas the others didn't. All patients underwent surgery. All of the patients had positive cultures for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and histopathological examination showed necrotizing granulomatous inflammation from specimens taken intraoperatively, which confirmed the diagnosis of tuberculosis of the wrist.DISCUSSIONSOur cases show that the common presentation of tuberculosis of the wrist was comparable to other literature. Most of the patients presented with chronic wrist swelling with or without wrist pain. The diagnosis of the disease was delayed an average of 10 - 12 months from symptoms onset to diagnosis. S. Bayram et al reported a case where the diagnosis was made 45 months later. Due to its rarity, it often is misdiagnosed, resulting in delays in the proper treatment.CONCLUSIONThe diagnosis of the TB wrist remains difficult because of insidious and non-specific. presentation. However, early diagnosis is essential to avoid delays in treatment and complications. Hence, chronic wrist pain, and swelling with or without unexplained bone erosion around the wrist area must be highly suspected of being osteoarticular tuberculosis.

One Hundred and Thirty-Five Years of Ornithology in Bulgaria: The Role of the National Museum of Natural History at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in the Development of Ornithology in Bulgaria—Representatives, Collections and Achievements

For the first time, an attempt has been made to present, chronologically and in a systematized form, the development of ornithological studies at the National Museum of Natural History in Sofia (Bulgaria) from its foundation in the last decades of the 19th century to the present day. This 135-year period (1889–2024) includes the work of 12 curators of the ornithological collections. Their major contributions and most-significant ornithological publications are also presented.

On three species of the genus Habrocestum Simon, 1876 (Araneae: Salticidae: Hasariini) from India

Two new species of the ground-dwelling jumping spider genus Habrocestum Simon, 1876 from the wet evergreen forests of the southern Western Ghats, India are described: H. benjamin sp. nov. (♂♀) and H. swaminathan sp. nov. (♂♀). Furthermore, H. emanasakgrensis Kadam & Tripathi, 2023 is synonymized with Chinattus validus (Xie, Peng & Kim, 1993) syn. nov.. Diagnoses, digital illustrations, morphological descriptions, natural history notes and discussion are provided.

Beyond access: (re)designing archival guides for changing landscapes

AbstractIn 2013, the authors of this article and their colleague Gavan McCarthy published Stories in Stone: an annotated history and guide to the collections of Ernest Westlake (1855–1922). The guide provided contextual information and digital access to the entire paper archives relating to the three large stone collections formed by Westlake during his lifetime: French and English geological specimens housed in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History from 1924, and a collection of Tasmanian Aboriginal stone tools stored in the Pitt Rivers Museum since 1923. The Tasmanian collections, formed by Westlake from 1908 to 1910, are highly significant to the Palawa (or Pakana or Tasmanian Aboriginal) community because they include objects made by ancestors, and words spoken by ancestors to Westlake and recorded in his field notebooks. Stories in Stone was created to improve access to Westlake’s Tasmanian collections for the Palawa community with whom author Rebe Taylor had worked closely since 1999. Nonetheless, the structural and technical design of Stories in Stone was not Palawa-led. It was driven by Australian and international archiving standards; by stipulations set out by the collecting institutions; and by the stories of collecting and subsequent scholarship on the collections. In 2023, Stories in Stone is offline, and the authors are planning a relaunch. This time they aim to reach beyond their original aim of providing archival access to the Palawa community, and work with Palawa community to co-design how that access is delivered. This consultative work will be done at the University of Tasmania, where Palawa advisors and other Indigenous scholars have been integral to developing international Indigenous data sovereignty principals. This article precedes those formal discussions and thus offers a timely reflection on the original aims and design of Stories in Stone as well as an extensive analysis of broader changes in the management and dissemination of First Nations collections and culture. Such changes include: international human rights frameworks; movements supporting data and archival sovereignty; co-designed archival technologies; and increased focus on archives as process not merely product. These developments will lay the foundations for the next version of Stories in Stone, which aims to go beyond access, scholarship, and standards by helping to facilitate First Nations’ aspirations for dignity, sovereignty, and self-determination.

Clinical, genetic, and cognitive correlates of seizure occurrences in Phelan-McDermid syndrome

BackgroundPhelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) is a genetic neurodevelopmental disorder caused by SHANK3 haploinsufficiency and is associated with an increased risk for seizures. Previous literature indicates that around one third of individuals with PMS also have epilepsy or seizures, with a wide range of types and ages of onset. Investigating the impact of seizures on intellectual and adaptive functioning for PMS is a primary concern for caregivers and is important to understanding the natural history of this syndrome.MethodsWe report on results from 98 individuals enrolled in a prospective, longitudinal study. We detailed seizure frequency, type, and age of onset, and we analyzed seizure occurrence with best estimate IQ, adaptive functioning, clinical features, and genotype. We conducted multiple linear regression analyses to assess the relationship between the presence of seizures and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, Second Edition (VABS-II) Adaptive Behavior Composite score and the best estimate full-scale IQ. We also performed Chi-square tests to explore associations between seizure prevalence and genetic groupings. Finally, we performed Chi-square tests and t-tests to explore the relationship between seizures and demographic features, features that manifest in infancy, and medical features.ResultsSeizures were present in 41% of the cohort, and age of onset was widely variable. The presence of seizures was associated with significantly lower adaptive and intellectual functioning. Genotype–phenotype analyses were discrepant, with no differences in seizure prevalence across genetic classes, but with more genes included in deletions of participants with 22q13 deletions and seizures compared to those with 22q13 deletions and no seizures. No clinical associations were found between the presence of seizures and sex, history of pre- or neonatal complications, early infancy, or medical features. In this cohort, generalized seizures were associated with developmental regression, which is a top concern for PMS caregivers.ConclusionsThese results begin to eludicate correlates of seizures in individuals with PMS and highlight the importance of early seizure management. Importantly, presence of seizures was associated with adaptive and cognitive functioning. A larger cohort might be able to identify additional associations with medical features. Genetic findings suggest an increased capability to realize genotype–phenotype relationships when deletion size is taken into account.

Electroencephalographic Correlates of Clinical Severity in the Natural history study of RTT and Related Disorders.

This study was undertaken to characterize quantitative electroencephalographic (EEG) features in participants from the Natural history study of RTT and Related Disorders and to assess the potential for these features to act as objective measures of cortical function for Rett syndrome (RTT). EEG amplitude and power features were derived from the resting EEG of 60 females with RTT (median age = 10.7 years) and 26 neurotypical females (median age = 10.6 years). Analyses focus on group differences and within the RTT group, associations between the EEG parameters and clinical severity. For a subset of participants (n = 20), follow-up data were available for assessing the reproducibility of the results and the stability in the parameters over 1 year. Compared to neurotypical participants, participants with RTT had greater amplitude variability and greater low-frequency activity as reflected by greater delta power, more negative 1/f slope, and lower theta/delta, alpha/delta, beta/delta, alpha/theta, and beta/theta ratios. Greater delta power, more negative 1/f slope, and lower power ratios were associated with greater severity. Analyses of year 1 data replicated the associations between 1/f slope and power ratios and clinical severity and demonstrated good within-subject consistency in these measures. Overall, group comparisons reflected a greater predominance of lower versus higher frequency activity in participants with RTT, which is consistent with prior clinical interpretations of resting EEG in this population. The observed associations between the EEG power measures and clinical assessments and the repeatability of these measures underscore the potential for EEG to provide an objective measure of cortical function and clinical severity for RTT. ANN NEUROL 2024.

Unusual diagenesis of Cambrian chancelloriids from Greenland and Siberia

Phosphatized sclerites of Chancelloria and Allonnia are described from the Henson Gletscher Formation (Cambrian, Miaolingian Series, Wuliuan Stage) of North Greenland and the lower Cambrian of Siberia. They preserve diagenetic, unusually large, elongate crystals within the internal cavity (lumen) that maintain the imbricate lamellar structure of the original microstructure of the aragonitic sclerite wall. John S. Peel [john.peel@pal.uu.se], Department of Earth Sciences (Palaeobiology), Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, SE-75236, Uppsala, Sweden; Artem Kouchinsky [artem.kouchinsky@gmail.com], Department of Paleobiology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, SE-10405, Stockholm, Sweden.

Natural history collections help resurrecting Glomeris herzogowinensis Verhoeff, 1898 and further clarify the nomenclature of two Onychoglomeris subspecies of Attems (Diplopoda, Glomerida, Glomeridae)

Based on the study of freshly-collected material and old museum specimens, we have solved a decades-old riddle surrounding the name Onychoglomeris herzogowinensis (Verhoeff, 1898). The southern Dinaric coastal species Glomeris herzogowinensis Verhoeff, 1898 is revived, while Onychoglomeris herzogowinensis australis Attems, 1935 and O. h. media Attems, 1935, are treated here as full species after returning the specific name to Glomeris Latreille, 1902, O. australis Attems, 1935, stat. nov. and O. media Attems, 1935, stat. nov. Besides the designation of lectotypes, we provide comprehensive illustrations, diagnoses, detailed remarks and a distribution map for all three species. In addition, DNA barcoding provided COI sequences for Glomeris herzogowinensis and Onychoglomeris australisstat. nov., along with the first barcoding data of one additional species of Onychoglomeris Verhoeff, 1906, O. ferraniensis Verhoeff, 1909 and two Glomeris species, the Balkan G. balcanica Verhoeff, 1906 and the trans-Adriatic G. pulchra Koch, 1847. The significance of historical specimens from natural history museums is briefly discussed.

Persistence and risk factors of occult hepatitis B virus infections among antiretroviral therapy-naïve people living with HIV in Botswana

AimThis study aimed to determine the kinetics of occult hepatitis B virus infections (OBI) among people with HIV (PWH).MethodsThe study used archived plasma samples from longitudinal HIV natural history studies. We identified new OBI cases and assessed risk factors for OBI using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.ResultsAt baseline, 8 of 382 [(2.1%) (95% CI: 1.06–4.1)] samples tested positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg+). Of the 374 HBsAg-negative samples, 76 had sufficient sample volume for HBV DNA screening. OBI positivity (OBI+) at baseline was reported in 11 of 76 [14.7 95% CI (8.3–24.1)] HBsAg-negative (HBsAg−) participants. Baseline HBsAg-negative samples with sufficient follow-up samples (n = 90) were used for analysis of newly identified OBI cases. Participants contributed 129.74 person-years to the study and were followed for a median of 1.02 years (IQR: 1.00–2.00). Cumulatively, there were 34 newly identified OBI cases from the 90 participants, at the rate of 26.2/100 person-years (95% CI: 18.7–36.7). Newly identified OBI cases were more common among men than women (61.1% vs. 31.9%) and among participants with CD4+ T-cell counts ≤450 cells/mL (p-value = 0.02). Most of the newly identified OBI cases [55.9% (19/34)] were possible reactivations as they were previously HBV core antibody positive.ConclusionThere was a high rate of newly identified OBI among young PWH in Botswana, especially in men and in participants with lower CD4+ T-cell counts. OBI screening in PWH should be considered because of the risk of transmission, possible reactivation, and risk factors for the development of chronic liver disease, including hepatocellular carcinoma.

Natural History of Myocardial αvβ3 Integrin Expression After Acute Myocardial Infarction: Correlation with Changes in Myocardial Blood Flow.

Angiogenesis is an essential part of the cardiac repair process after myocardial infarction, but its spatiotemporal dynamics remain to be fully deciphered.68Ga-NODAGA-Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) is a PET tracer targeting αvβ3 integrin expression, which is a marker of angiogenesis. Methods: In this prospective single-center trial, we aimed to monitor angiogenesis through myocardial integrin αvβ3 expression in 20 patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In addition, the correlations between the expression levels of myocardial αvβ3 integrin and the subsequent changes in 82Rb PET/CT parameters, including rest and stress myocardial blood flow (MBF), myocardial flow reserve (MFR), and wall motion abnormalities, were assessed. The patients underwent 68Ga-NODAGA-RGD PET/CT and rest and stress 82Rb-PET/CT at 1 wk, 1 mo, and 3 mo after STEMI. To assess 68Ga-NODAGA-RGD uptake, the summed rest 82Rb and 68Ga-NODAGA-RGD images were coregistered, and segmental SUVs were calculated (RGD SUV). Results: At 1 wk after STEMI, 19 participants (95%) presented increased 68Ga-NODAGA-RGD uptake in the infarcted myocardium. Seventeen participants completed the full imaging series. The values of the RGD SUV in the infarcted myocardium were stable 1 mo after STEMI (1 wk vs. 1 mo, 1.47 g/mL [interquartile range (IQR), 1.37-1.64 g/mL] vs. 1.47 g/mL [IQR, 1.30-1.66 g/mL]; P = 0.9), followed by a significant partial decrease at 3 mo (1.32 g/mL [IQR, 1.12-1.71 g/mL]; P = 0.011 vs. 1 wk and 0.018 vs. 1 mo). In segment-based analysis, positive correlations were found between RGD SUV at 1 wk and the subsequent changes in stress MBF (Spearman ρ: r = 0.17, P = 0.0033) and MFR (Spearman ρ: r = 0.31, P < 0.0001) at 1 mo. A negative correlation was found between RGD SUV at 1 wk and the subsequent changes in wall motion abnormalities at 3 mo (Spearman ρ: r = -0.12, P = 0.035). Conclusion: The present study found that αvβ3 integrin expression is significantly increased in the infarcted myocardium 1 wk after STEMI. This expression remains stable after 1 mo and partially decreases after 3 mo. Initial αvβ3 integrin expression at 1 wk is significantly weakly correlated with subsequent improvements in stress MBF, MFR, and wall motion analysis.

Patient Characteristics, Management, and Outcomes in a Novel Cohort of Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Abstract Context Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) increases the risk of bone loss, debilitating fractures, kidney stones, impaired renal function, and neurocognitive symptoms. Studies describing the natural history of PHPT have been limited to small samples, single-institutions, or specific populations. Objective We assessed the natural history of PHPT through a large, diverse national cohort from an electronic health record (EHR) dataset representing over 100 million patients. Methods The TriNetX database was queried for adult patients with PHPT. We extracted demographics, comorbidities, and longitudinal biochemistries. Primary outcomes included major osteoporotic fracture (MOF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Outcomes were stratified by treatment strategy (surgical parathyroidectomy (PTX) vs non-surgical) and age. Results Among 49,119 patients with PHPT, 23.6% were treated surgically at a median of 2.0 years post-diagnosis. At diagnosis, median age was 72 years, 73.2% were female, and median calcium level was 10.9 mg/dL. Black and older patients underwent PTX less frequently than white and younger patients. MOF 10-year incidence was 4.5% (PTX) and 6.7% (non-surgical), with median 2.7-year delay with PTX compared to non-surgical. PTX-associated MOF absolute risk reduction (ARR) was 0.54% (age &amp;lt; 65) and 2.42% (age ≥ 65). CKD 10-year incidence was 22.1% (PTX) and 33.5% (non-surgical), with median 2.8-year delay with PTX. PTX-associated CKD ARR was 17.1% (age &amp;lt; 65) and 8.28% (age ≥ 65). Conclusions We report one of the largest, representative, population-based natural histories of PHPT with different management strategies. A minority of patients underwent PTX, especially in older age. Patients managed surgically had lower incidence of fracture and CKD, and older patients experienced differential benefit.

Antitrypsin deficiency; still more to learn about the lung after 60 years

The past 60 years has seen multiple publications related to lung disease in Alph-1 Antitrypsin deficiency largelyreflectingthe pathophysiology, biochemical effect and outcomes of augmentation therapy. However, the complexity of disease phenotype and the impact of the natural history presents problems of patient management, study design and hence interpretation of outcome. Although many National and some International registries exist the lack of consistent in-depth assessment and importantly, the impact of augmentation therapylikelyinfluences our perception of the true natural history.Development of new therapeutic strategies, and even assessment of the role and efficacy of augmentation remain a challenge as powering such studies for conventional COPD outcomes is impractical due to relative rarity of the genetic condition and the presence ofclinicalphenotypic variation.The current review approaches these issues, discusses the nature and complexity of assessing patient variability, and provides guidance on further studies required to address them.

Diet, sexual dimorphism, and fertility aspects of Melanophryniscus fulvoguttatus (Mertens, 1937) from Central-East Brazil

Melanophryniscus fulvoguttatus is a small toad that inhabits the Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, and humid Chaco of South America. Due to its aposematic coloration and behavior, it is a species that may present chemical defenses such as alkaloids and a restricted diet similar to other species of the genus. Although it was described in the early 20th century, there is still little information on its natural history and ecology. Here, we described the diet, tested the sexual dimorphism, and calculated the fertility index of M. fulvoguttatus based on a sample of eight males and 21 females from a population within the Cerrado. Sexual dimorphism was assessed using 15 morphometric measures; diet was calculated as an index of relative importance by prey item and tested for sex differences; fertility was tested for relations between body size and the number of eggs; and we also estimated the reproductive investment. Our results demonstrate that this population’s diet consisted mostly of ant species, with Pheidole radoszkowskii being the most important, followed by Crematogaster sp. and Cyphomyrmex transversus. Regarding sexual dimorphism, we observed that females were significantly larger than males, with a positive relationship between female size and the number of eggs. We did not find significant differences in the diets of males and females. Although the diet and reproductive aspects of M. fulvoguttatus are similar to those of its congeneric species, further studies are needed in order to address the relationship between the species diet and its chemical defenses.

Variation in dietary composition of the Banna fanged frog (Limnonectes bannaensis Ye, Fei, Xie &amp; Jiang, 2007) from Vietnam

Abstract The Banna fanged frog (Limnonectes bannaensis) is known from China, Laos, and Vietnam; however knowledge about the natural history and dietary requirements of this species is virtually lacking. In this study, we provide data on the variation in dietary composition of L. bannaensis based on stomach-flushing of 117 individuals (41 males and 76 females) captured and subsequently released during our recent field work in Son La Province, northwestern Vietnam. A total of 19 prey categories with 513 items, comprising 502 items of invertebrates, seven items of vertebrates, and four unidentified items were found in the stomachs of L. bannaensis. The most important groups among the prey of L. bannaensis were Coleoptera (38.04%), followed by Hymenoptera (9.31%), Araneae (7.93%), Polydesmida (7.07%), Orthoptera (6.37%), Hemiptera (5.23%), and Lepidoptera (5.01%). Adult males (16 prey categories) consumed preys with slightly lower diversity than adult females (17 prey categories). There was 88.25% overlap in the diet between males and females and in both sexes the trophic spectrum was similar, predominantly consisting of Coleoptera, Polydesmida, Araneae, Hymenoptera, Orthoptera, Lepidoptera, and Hemiptera.

THE NATURAL HISTORY OF UNDISPLACED LISFRANC-TYPE INJURIES INITIALLY TREATED CONSERVATIVELY

BackgroundUndisplaced Lisfranc-type injuries are subtle but potentially unstable fracture-dislocations with little known about the natural history. These injuries are often initially managed conservatively due to lack of initial displacement and uncertainty regarding subsequent instability at the tarsometatarsal joints (TMTJ). The aim of this study was to determine the secondary displacement rate and the need for delayed operative intervention in undisplaced Lisfranc injuries that were managed conservatively at initial presentation.MethodsOver a 6-year period (2011 to 2017), we identified 24 consecutive patients presenting to a university teaching hospital with a diagnosis of an undisplaced Lisfranc-type injury that was initially managed conservatively. Pre-operative radiographs were reviewed to confirm the undisplaced nature of the injury (defined as a diastasis&lt; 2mm at the second TMTJ). The presence of a ‘fleck’ sign (small bony avulsion of the second metatarsal) was also noted. Electronic patient records and sequential imaging (plain radiographs/CT/MRI) were scrutinized for demographics, mechanism of injury and eventual outcome.ResultsThe mean age of the patients at the time of injury was 42 years (19 Female). 96% (23/24) were low energy injuries and 88% (21/24) had a positive ‘fleck sign’. The secondary displacement rate in this group of patients was 62.5% (15/24) over a median interval of 14 days (range 0 to 482 days). 12 patients underwent open reduction internal fixation after a median interval of 29 days (range 1 to 294 days) from their initial injury. One patient required TMTJ fusion at 19 months and two patients were managed non-operatively. The injury remained undisplaced in 37.5% patients (9/24) with only one patient requiring subsequent TMTJ fusion at 5 months.ConclusionUndisplaced Lisfranc injuries have a high rate of secondary displacement and warrant close follow-up. Early primary stabilisation of undisplaced Lisfranc injuries should be considered to prevent unnecessary delays in surgical treatment.

Sharing data, caring for collections. Open data on collection agents affiliated with the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin

Linked open data on collection agents contribute to increased discoverability, accessibility and transparency of natural history collections. Despite major efforts to digitise and open up museum and university object collections, related information is often stored in internal resources. This paper describes a project conducted at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN) contributing to its collection disclosure and development initiatives. Information on historical collectors and other collection agents was transferred from the internal MfN collector wiki to Wikidata. For a total of 600 collection agents, existing Wikidata items were enriched or new items created. Special emphasis was put on linking these people to the Museum, to document their affiliation with the MfN, its collection and its archive. Within the project, an open participatory approach was taken. Several Wikidata edit-a-thons were organised to test this collaborative and innovative format for possible future application by the Museum. By opening up institutional silos and openly sharing data on agents connected to museum holdings, these data become more widely accessible and reusable, for example, as a resource for transdisciplinary provenance research.