Successive Decades Research Articles

Efficient delivery of a DNA aptamer-based biosensor into plant cells for glucose sensing through thiol-mediated uptake.

DNA aptamers have been widely used as biosensors for detecting a variety of targets. Despite decades of success, they have not been applied to monitor any targets in plants, even though plants are a major platform for providing oxygen, food, and sustainable products ranging from energy fuels to chemicals, and high-value products such as pharmaceuticals. A major barrier to progress is a lack of efficient methods to deliver DNA into plant cells. We herein report a thiol-mediated uptake method that more efficiently delivers DNA into Arabidopsis and tobacco leaf cells than another state-of-the-art method, DNA nanostructures. Such a method allowed efficient delivery of a glucose DNA aptamer sensor into Arabidopsis for sensing glucose. This demonstration opens a new avenue to apply DNA aptamer sensors for functional studies of various targets, including metabolites, plant hormones, metal ions, and proteins in plants for a better understanding of the biodistribution and regulation of these species and their functions.

A Decade of Success in Melanoma Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy: What Every Radiologist Should Know.

Treatment strategies for malignant melanoma have rapidly evolved over the past decade. Because of its propensity to develop advanced stage and metastatic disease, melanoma has contributed to the majority of mortalities among patients with skin cancer. The development of novel therapeutics such as immunotherapy and targeted molecular therapies has revolutionized the treatment of patients with advanced stage and metastatic malignant melanoma. Immune checkpoint inhibitors, BRAF/MEK inhibitors, and other revolutionary therapies have demonstrated remarkable success in the treatment of this common malignancy. Along with these advancements in systemic therapies, imaging has continued to play a critical role in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with malignant melanoma. As the use of these novel therapies continues to expand, knowledge of the evolving therapeutic landscape of melanoma is becoming critical for radiologists. In this review, we provide a primer for radiologists outlining the evolution of immunotherapy and targeted therapy in the treatment of melanoma. We discuss the critical role of imaging in evaluation of treatment response, including a summary of current imaging response guidelines. Last, we summarize the essential role of imaging in the evaluation of potential adverse events seen in patients with malignant melanoma undergoing treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Additive Manufacturing Strategies for Personalized Drug Delivery Systems and Medical Devices: Fused Filament Fabrication and Semi Solid Extrusion.

Novel additive manufacturing (AM) techniques and particularly 3D printing (3DP) have achieved a decade of success in pharmaceutical and biomedical fields. Highly innovative personalized therapeutical solutions may be designed and manufactured through a layer-by-layer approach starting from a digital model realized according to the needs of a specific patient or a patient group. The combination of patient-tailored drug dose, dosage, or diagnostic form (shape and size) and drug release adjustment has the potential to ensure the optimal patient therapy. Among the different 3D printing techniques, extrusion-based technologies, such as fused filament fabrication (FFF) and semi solid extrusion (SSE), are the most investigated for their high versatility, precision, feasibility, and cheapness. This review provides an overview on different 3DP techniques to produce personalized drug delivery systems and medical devices, highlighting, for each method, the critical printing process parameters, the main starting materials, as well as advantages and limitations. Furthermore, the recent developments of fused filament fabrication and semi solid extrusion 3DP are discussed. In this regard, the current state of the art, based on a detailed literature survey of the different 3D products printed via extrusion-based techniques, envisioning future directions in the clinical applications and diffusion of such systems, is summarized.

PlasmidHostFinder: Prediction of Plasmid Hosts Using Random Forest.

ABSTRACTPlasmids play a major role facilitating the spread of antimicrobial resistance between bacteria. Understanding the host range and dissemination trajectories of plasmids is critical for surveillance and prevention of antimicrobial resistance. Identification of plasmid host ranges could be improved using automated pattern detection methods compared to homology-based methods due to the diversity and genetic plasticity of plasmids. In this study, we developed a method for predicting the host range of plasmids using machine learning—specifically, random forests. We trained the models with 8,519 plasmids from 359 different bacterial species per taxonomic level; the models achieved Matthews correlation coefficients of 0.662 and 0.867 at the species and order levels, respectively. Our results suggest that despite the diverse nature and genetic plasticity of plasmids, our random forest model can accurately distinguish between plasmid hosts. This tool is available online through the Center for Genomic Epidemiology (https://cge.cbs.dtu.dk/services/PlasmidHostFinder/).IMPORTANCE Antimicrobial resistance is a global health threat to humans and animals, causing high mortality and morbidity while effectively ending decades of success in fighting against bacterial infections. Plasmids confer extra genetic capabilities to the host organisms through accessory genes that can encode antimicrobial resistance and virulence. In addition to lateral inheritance, plasmids can be transferred horizontally between bacterial taxa. Therefore, detection of the host range of plasmids is crucial for understanding and predicting the dissemination trajectories of extrachromosomal genes and bacterial evolution as well as taking effective countermeasures against antimicrobial resistance.

Oncoplastic reconstruction of a large chest wall defect using dual fasciocutaneous flaps: A case report.

Introduction and importanceLarge chest wall defects in the context of breast cancer or its sequelae can be challenging to address. Oncoplastic techniques have been demonstrated to be safe and feasible options for immediate reconstruction. We describe the use of dual fasciocutaneous flaps for coverage following resection of a large chest wall mass in an area with a remote history of radiation therapy.Case presentationA 67-year-old woman with a distant history of bilateral mastectomies and adjuvant chemoradiation for Stage IIB triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma presented with an enlarging left chest wall mass and chronic wound. The mass was excised with adequate margins, and the resulting defect was reconstructed with two locoregional fasciocutaneous flaps. Pathology returned negative for malignancy and follow-up demonstrated viable flaps that were healing well.Clinical discussionFasciocutaneous flaps are one of many techniques for breast reconstruction and offer advantages of a relatively superficial dissection, shorter operative time, and decreased risk of functional impairment. They are consequently an attractive option for patients with multiple comorbidities and high risk of perioperative complications. Historically used for immediate reconstruction at the time of oncologic resection, we present its successful use decades after the index cancer operation to manage a chest wall defect secondary to radiation injury.ConclusionsOncoplastic reconstruction with dual fasciocutaneous flaps is a feasible option for a large chest wall defect in the setting of previous radiation.

From Glasgow to Sham El-Sheikh (COP27): How to raise climate ambition

The Glasgow Climate Pact defined 2020–2030 as a crucial decade for climate change mitigation. Scientific experts say multiple strategies and policies must be designed and implemented over the next eight years in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C. However, the latest United Nations studies report a lack of ambition in mitigation strategies. The most recent COP26 held in Glasgow (United Kingdom) brought no breakthrough. Why do climate negotiations fail? To answer this question, this article will address the multiple meanings of “climate ambition”. We analyse and contrast the main actors’ perspectives on ambition: the ecomodernist vision of Western countries, the limits to growth requested by prominent scientists, the post-developmental approaches of the Global South, and the compensatory vision of the fossil fuel-dependent countries. A few months before COP27 – to be held in November 2022 in Sham El-Sheikh (Egypt) – it is essential to find common ground between the different visions. If we want 2020–2030 to be a successful decade, a shared definition of climate ambition has to emerge.

Implementing Epic Beaker Laboratory Information System for Diagnostics in Anatomic Pathology.

Medicine is expeditiously evolving, and the number of diagnostic opportunities has increased exponentially in the last decade. Electronic medical records (EMRs) have been welcomed in most institutions worldwide following an early period of suspicious behavior. Unfortunately, several cracks dictated the initial approach to hospital systems and leadership incompetency. However, the pathway for a successful decade of EMRs is paved. This narrative review illustrates some principles implementing Epic Beaker software for anatomic pathology in academic medical institutions. Implementing such software improves the diagnostic approach in the division of anatomic pathology because the pathologists can directly access an enormous amount of clinical and radiological information now at their front desk using extremely versatile windows.

Determining standard functional structures for hospital management boards in central hospitals: Evidence of a developing economy

Zimbabwe’s health service delivery has attracted media attention for three successive decades due to failure by public hospitals to deliver effective service with the blame leveled against the hospital management boards (HMB). Responding to the criticism, the Ministry of Health introduced reforms on public hospital governance practices towards ensuring an effective health delivery system. This was done by improving the structural capacity of hospitals to deal with the increasing demand for health services (Moyo, 2016; Sikipa, Osifo-Dawodu, Kokwaro, & Rice, 2019). Thus, the study sought to determine the standard functional structures within HMBs of Zimbabwe’s 6 central hospitals. To achieve this, the study used a mixed research design in which 66 board members responded to the questionnaire while 9 purposively selected board members were interviewed, respectively. The study revealed that public hospitals require standard functional structures in order to be effective. These include a functional board that has sub-committees, a policy to evaluate the performance of CEOs, and the board itself. Frequency of board meetings, setting of agendas, succession planning, and alignment of goals with interests of various stakeholders. Implementing such functional structures enhances would standard functional structures for hospital management boards in central hospitals

The rhetoric of the brand advertising message and its role in community awareness

The success of global institutions and their continued success for successive decades is due to the brand that they have adopted and known by. Which is defined as the characteristics, advantages and added values of the product and represents a set of emotions and feelings provoked by the use or vision of the recipient of this product. The importance of the brand for these institutions is to create a strong relationship with the recipient. It has the power to influence his attitudes and behavior. Hence the social responsibility of the brand towards the "issue of the danger of using a mobile phone while driving" because of the serious danger it poses as car accidents while driving have become the biggest danger on the roads due to the use of mobile phones, especially social networking applications. Given the role that advertising contributes to developing the recipient’s visual culture and experience, which consequently affects his ability to deal with the various visual stimuli that surround him, the importance of interpreting the language of advertising through the eloquence of the advertising message to reach the maximum levels of effectiveness. Hence the importance of employing rhetorical formulas in advertising, which is an important step in revealing the semantic values raised by the advertising message, which has social and cultural dimensions.

Syntaxonomy of secondary communities formed instead of earlier agricultural lands in the middle and south taiga subzones of the European North-East of Russia

We have identified the diversity of secondary communities formed instead of earlier agricultural lands (middle and south taiga subzones of the European North-East of Russia). The work describes 8 associations, 2 subassociations of the classes Papaveretea rhoeadis, Artemisietea vulgaris,Epilobietea angustifolii, Molinio–Arrhenatheretea, Vaccinio–Piceetea. 3 associations (Urtico dioicae–Chamaenerietum angustifolii, Centaureo phrygiae–Dactyletum glomeratae, Deschampsio cespitosae–Salicetum capreae), 1 subassociation (Galeopsietum bifidae galeopsietosum speciosae)were fixed for the first time. We noted a replacement of segetal communities (subass. Galeopsietum bifidae galeopsietosum speciosae) by meadow communities (аss. Centaureo phrygiae–Dactyletum glomeratae) through the domination stage of Cirsium setosum and Elytrigia repens (аss. Cirsio setosi–Elytrigietum repentis). Favorable conditions for development of woody plants (small size of study area, its close position to forest ecosystems, poorly sodded soil) respond for replacement of meadow succession stage by young woody plants towards the second decade of succession. Earlier agricultural lands are an appropriated place for formation of birch forests with a well-developed undergrowth of Salix caprea and herb layer of meadow and forest edge plants (аss. Deschampsio cespitosae–Salicetum capreae). Big-size study areas with a well-formed grass stand are dominated by meadow communities towards the second succession decade even in case of no haying. The highly competitive nitrophytes as Heracleum sosnowskyi, Chamaenerion angustifolium, Anthriscus sylvestris form the following communities as аss. Urtico dioicae–Heracleetum sosnowskyi, аss. Urtico dioicae–Chamaenerietum angustifolii, аss. Symphyto officinalis–Anthriscetum sylvestris. Being highly competitive, these species lead to degradation of first-formed meadow communities.

Stage-specific influence of temperature on the growth rate of Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius) in early life.

Since 1850, each successive decade has been warmer than any preceding one. Warming could make a major contribution to the growth of fish larvae. To evaluate the influence of water temperature on the growth of larvae who spawned in later spring and early summer, we selected Scomberomorus niphonius, which has important ecological and economic value as a sample fish species. We conducted high-resolution spatiotemporal surveys during the 2015 spawning season at an important spawning ground in China. We found that the temperature required for larval survival was stricter than that for spawning. Within the appropriate temperature range, a rapid rise in water temperature was favourable for larval hatching, but S. niphonius hatched at relatively low temperature exhibited a faster growth rate in the yolk-sac and pre-flexion stages. The accumulated temperature and hatching temperature significantly affected the growth rate of S. niphonius larvae. The model that considered developmental stages provided a better explanation of the data than the model that only considered the temperature effect. The model improvement in terms of variance explained was higher for the early developmental stages than for the later developmental stages, suggesting that stage-specific temperature influences were prominent in the earlier stages, like the yolk-sac stage, and then reduced. Our results implied that water temperature anomalies could be hazardous to fish larvae, especially for fish spawning in late spring and early summer. Given that early-life stage fish are highly sensitive to water temperature, it is imperative to incorporate the potential effects of climate change into fisheries management.

Dam-induced difference of invasive plant species distribution along the riparian habitats

Riparian ecosystem is structurally unstable due to the frequent disturbances from water fluctuation. Moreover, dams on large rivers tend to trigger fundamental changes of the composition and structure of riparian plant communities, which provides high odds for invasive species to colonize. Yet, how the invasive species distribute along a dam-induced riparian habitat, and how the native species resist to plant invasion are still puzzles. In this study, we investigated spatial distribution of invasive floral species and its correlation with the distance from dam and the dam-triggered flooding stresses, as well as the resistance of native species to plant invasion in the water level fluctuation zone (WLFZ) of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) along the Yangtze River. By our investigation, a total of 43 alien plant species belonging to 14 families and 34 genera were found, including 20 existed and 23 newly discovered alien species recorded. Most of the new invasive species are annual herbs of the Asteraceae family. At the current successional stage, the new invasive species had not yet fully occupied the habitats of the existed invasive species. Longitudinally, number and coverages of the new invasive species showed an opposite distribution pattern to the existed invasive species, but vertically they demonstrated similar pattern. Currently, the new dominant invasive species are mainly concentrated at the intermediate elevation of WLFZ in the middle section of the reservoir, whereas the existed dominant invasive species have proliferated across the whole WLFZ. Additionally, native species showed a weak resistance to plant invasion, and water fluctuation along the elevation exerted the most significant influence on plant invasion. The results indicated that, after a decade of riparian community succession, the invasiveness of alien species remain persisted. The potential penetration site of the invasion may locate at the intermediate section along the vertical and longitudinal dimension.

Of a titan, winds and power: Transnational development of the icebreaker, 1890-1954

Icebreakers have traditionally been seen as symbols of technological nationalism. While ship science for open-water vessels developed during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, understanding of how to cope with polar and subarctic ice conditions lagged behind. This led state organizations in charge of icebreaking services to minimize risks in the development of new vessels by encouraging transnational expert cooperation. This article argues that such interactions were critical to the evolution of the modern icebreaker. We examine the development of three icebreakers in different countries in successive decades, and the critical technologies with which they are associated: the Ymer from Sweden and diesel–electric propulsion (1933); the American ‘Wind’ class and power-hull proportion (1942–1946); and the Voima from Finland and twin bow propellers (1956). We reconstruct the flow of information to explain the rationale for transnational cooperation in maritime technology development. The concept of ‘technology carriers’ is deployed in the analysis to enhance understanding of the role of international cooperation in polar and winter seafaring.

It gets better: childhood sexual abuse and trauma symptoms in female older adults

ABSTRACT While there has been great deal of research conducted on the effects of child sexual abuse (CSA) on trauma symptoms in children and adults, there is less knowledge on the effects on trauma symptoms in female older adult CSA survivors. The aim of this study was to investigate current symptoms of trauma in adult female survivors of child sexual abuse across each successive decade, beginning with eighteen year olds. This retrospective, anonymous online study gathered a sample of 223 adult female survivors of CSA (38 of whom were aged 50–59 (17%), and 20 of whom were 60+ years of age (9%)), and surveyed their trauma history and their current symptomology. In our sample, the survivors with the most severe trauma symptoms were between 18 and 29 years old. Each subsequent decade reported fewer trauma symptoms, with respondents in the 60+ age group reporting the lowest trauma symptom severity. While a cross-sectional study does not allow us to evaluate individuals’ experiences over time, these results suggest that the negative impacts of CSA may abate over the life course. Future research should consider these questions longitudinally to explore whether these results are related to survivorship (those with worse outcomes dying younger) and whether these effects endure as female older adults experience physical and mental challenges in later life.

A brief history of the Australasian Neuroscience Society

ABSTRACT The collective efforts of Australasian neuroscientists over the past 50 years to forge a binational presence are reviewed in this article. The events in the 1970s leading to the formation of an informal Australian Neurosciences Society are discussed in the context of the international emergence of neuroscience as an interdisciplinary science. Thereafter, the establishment in 1980 of the Australian Neuroscience Society, subsequently renamed as the Australasian Neuroscience Society (ANS), is described. The achievements of ANS—including its active role in developing national, regional, and global cooperation to promote neuroscience—are chronicled over successive decades, followed by a discussion of the future challenges facing the society and its associated neuroscience institutions.

PROMISE UNFULFILLED: A Brief History of Educational Wargaming in the Marine Corps

This article offers a comprehensive historical overview of educational wargaming in the U.S. Marine Corps and how it can evolve in the future. The tradition of leveraging wargames for educational and training purposes is deeply rooted in the Marine Corps. From humble beginnings at the Naval War College to Service-wide wargaming initiatives like TACWAR, the Marine Corps has always sought to develop the intellectual edge of its Marines through wargames. Yet, in successive decades, the Marine Corps has consistently struggled to maintain its wargaming efforts. This article concludes with recommendations on how to develop, expand, and evolve educational wargaming in the Marine Corps.

Need of transdisciplinary research for accelerating land restoration during the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

The United Nations has declared 2021–2030 as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration to gear up the restoration of degraded ecosystems worldwide and thereby facilitating the timely realization of the UN‐SDGs and post‐2020 biodiversity targets. The UN Decade will also further the targets of the Bonn Challenge and several other ongoing restoration initiatives. While restoration is often viewed as a branch of applied ecology, transdisciplinarity is essential for implementing restoration on the ground successfully. The present article is therefore aimed to propose a transdisciplinary framework consisting of three defined phases ‐such as (1) the problem identification phase, (2) its analysis, and (3) finally the integration and application of transdisciplinary approaches for effective land restoration. This integrated framework would help in drawing strategic measures by crossing various disciplinary boundaries to accelerate land restoration efforts globally while deriving co‐benefits during restoration for maintaining the continuity of the restoration drive. We conclude that the implementation of the proposed framework along with due consideration of the regional and location‐specific attributes, management strategies as well as the successful involvement of various stakeholders will lead to a successful restoration Decade.

Local habitat characteristics influence abundance and community structure of rodents in a regenerating Lulanda reserved forest, southern Tanzania

Restoration of degraded natural areas to enhance species conservation is widely gaining pace; however, effort assessing restoration impact on the animal community particularly in restored African forests is still rare. We used a capture‐mark‐recapture method to trap rodents and to assess effect of restoration and ecological covariates on the rodent abundance and community structure in Lulanda Forest Reserve, southern Tanzania, 20 years after restoration. We found five species in the restored corridor and three in the natural fragments, with Grammomys dolichurus the most abundant in the former and Praomys delectorum in the latter forest type. Species diversity was highest in the restored corridor and lowest in the natural forest, supporting earlier studies in this forest reserve. Further, the rodent communities were broadly similar by >55% between studied sites but showed strong association with local habitat characteristics in the restored corridor, suggesting the importance of restoration on reassembling the small‐mammal communities. Our regression models revealed number of saplings and shrub cover were the strongest predictors of the rodent abundance across the study sites. Despite the rodent colonization of the secondary forest, we found most measured biophysical properties significantly lower in the restored corridor, suggesting that the secondary forest is still far from attaining conditions of the old‐growth natural fragment at its second decade of succession. Future monitoring to see how other animal taxa recolonize these forests will increase our knowledge on how the animal communities assemble in the restored habitats following disturbance threats.

Inconsistent effects of species diversity and N fertilization on soil microbes and carbon storage in perennial bioenergy cropping systems

AbstractPositive relationships between plant species diversity, soil microbial function and nutrient cycling have been well documented in natural systems, and these relationships have the potential to improve the production and sustainability of agroecosystems. Our objectives were to study the long-term effects of planted species composition and nitrogen (N) fertilization on soil microbial biomass C, extracellular enzyme activity, changes in total soil C, soil fertility and aboveground biomass yield in mixtures of native prairie species managed with and without N fertilizer for bioenergy production at four sites in Minnesota (MN), USA. Species were sown into mixture treatments and composition was not maintained (i.e., no weeding) throughout the duration of the study. Species mixture treatments at establishment included a switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) monoculture (SG), a four-species grass mixture (GM), an eight-species legume/grass mixture (LG) and a 24-species high diversity forb/legume/grass mixture (HD). Species diversity and aboveground productivity were similar for most mixture treatments at final sampling after 11 or 12 years of succession. Despite this homogenization of productivity and diversity throughout the study, the effects of planted species diversity and a decade of succession resulted in some differences in soil variables across species mixture treatments. On a peat soil in Roseau, MN, soil enzyme activities including β-glucosidase (BG), cellobiohydrolase (CBH) and phosphatase (PHOS) were highest in HD compared to GM treatments. On a sandy soil at Becker, MN, total soil C increased in all treatment combinations at the 0–15 and 15–30 cm depth intervals, with SG showing greater increases than HD at the 15–30 cm depth. Final soil pH also varied by species mixture at the Becker and Roseau sites, but differences in treatment comparisons varied by location. Nitrogen fertilization did not affect any response variable alone, but interacted with species mixture treatment to influence PHOS and total soil C at Becker. The inconsistent effects of species mixture and N fertilization on soil biological and chemical properties observed across sites highlight the importance of local soil and climate conditions on bioenergy and ecosystem service provisioning of perennial bioenergy cropping systems.

Overcoming a corporate crisis: The role of a hegemonic elite – The Banco Ambrosiano case (1982)

This article explores how an elite was able to facilitate the recovery of one of the greatest European banks, the Banco Ambrosiano, from a corporate crisis which led it to bankruptcy. Drawing on Gramsci’s theory of ‘intellectual and moral leadership’ or ‘hegemony’, this study undertakes a critical analysis of the role played by an elite, mainly composed of public servants, in enabling financial and political forces to avoid the loss of the great heritage of the bank, built over decades of success and public commitment. The study reveals how this elite positively constructed the path to allow the recovery process, using accounting data to identify the forward-looking solutions. This research helps expand historical and critical studies on crises, pointing out how accounting has been an instrument enabling new governing technologies while Gramsci’s theory has been applied extensively to interpret an institutional setting and an action towards an apt solution for protecting public interest.