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GEO Mountains Workshop: Interdisciplinary Monitoring, Data & Capacity Sharing across the Andes
Get PDFThe workshop was the final event of a series of regional engagements undertaken in 2023-–24 by the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) in its role co-leading the Global Network on Observation and Information in Mountain Environments (GEO Mountains) under the Adaptation at Altitude programme (A@A). The workshop for the region took place from Tuesday 20 to Thursday 22 February 2024, and was co-convened by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), the Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecorregión Andina (CONDESAN), the Instituto de Hidrología, Meteorología y Estudios Ambientales (IDEAM), the Humboldt Institute, AmeriGEO, and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The workshop was held at the Movich Hotel in Bogotá, Colombia. It sought to bring together data providers and data users from a range of disciplines working across the Andes. More specifically, through a series of invited presentations and group discussion activities, the workshop sought to:
• Identify examples of good practices, challenges, and solutions / opportunities regarding mountain monitoring, data exchange, and capacity sharing;
• Enhance the sharing of data, capacities, and training resources between monitoring authorities (e.g. National Hydrological and Meteorological Services; NHMSs) and researchers, as well as identify opportunities for students / Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to (further) engage in mountain monitoring;
• Explore opportunities to enhance the thematic scope of existing monitoring efforts; and
• Propose future projects with the potential for high scientific, practical, and/or policy impact which could be conducted collaboratively by some of the workshop participants going forwards.
Researchers, representatives of national environmental monitoring agencies, and other local institutions attended the workshop. In total, 69 participants attended the workshop, of whom 40 attended in person and 29 online. Participants came from across the region, including Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. In addition, researchers working in the region or in a co-convening role from the USA, Switzerland, and Romania were in attendance. For the full list of in-person attendees, please see Annex 2.
This report presents the workshop proceedings and summarises the key points, outcomes, and recommendations that arose from the discussions
Short-wavelength-sensitive 1 (SWS1) opsin gene duplications and parallel visual pigment tuning support ultraviolet communication in damselfishes (Pomacentridae).
Get PDFDamselfishes (Pomacentridae) are one of the most behaviourally diverse, colourful and species-rich reef fish families. One remarkable characteristic of damselfishes is their communication in ultraviolet (UV) light. Not only are they sensitive to UV, they are also prone to have UV-reflective colours and patterns enabling social signalling. Using more than 50 species, we aimed to uncover the evolutionary history of UV colour and UV vision in damselfishes. All damselfishes had UV-transmitting lenses, expressed the UV-sensitive SWS1 opsin gene, and most displayed UV-reflective patterns and colours. We find evidence for several tuning events across the radiation, and while SWS1 gene duplications are generally very rare among teleosts, our phylogenetic reconstructions uncovered two independent duplication events: one close to the base of the most species-rich clade in the subfamily Pomacentrinae, and one in a single Chromis species. Using amino acid comparisons, we found that known spectral tuning sites were altered several times in parallel across the damselfish radiation (through sequence change and duplication followed by sequence change), causing repeated shifts in peak spectral absorbance of around 10 nm. Pomacentrinae damselfishes expressed either one or both copies of SWS1, likely to further finetune UV-signal detection and differentiation. This highly advanced and modified UV vision among damselfishes, in particular the duplication of SWS1 among Pomacentrinae, might be seen as a key evolutionary innovation that facilitated the evolution of the exuberant variety of UV-reflectance traits and the diversification of this coral reef fish lineage
Discourses of Gender, Religion, and National Security in the Legal Mediation of Citizenship: A Case Study from India
No full textThe topic of this article was chosen in a moment of defiance to research cultures prevalent in an increasingly neoliberal world—where “politics” is separated from “economics” and both these spheres made impossible to reach, from a critical studies perspective, by forces larger than ourselves. As an article co-authored by writers who realize the growing religious unrest in our countries and in the modern world, we felt it was necessary to illustrate how discourses of religion are contorted and overlapped with discussions of “national security,” in a bid to create an enemy and a form of threat that is wholly predicated on populist imaginaries. We are scholars who have had increasingly tenuous relationships with epistemically unjust narratives of nationalism while at the same time realizing that we have the financially privileged status to not be the “subject” of our own research projects. Instead, we highlight the misery and violence of unjust laws played out on women’s bodies by looking
at a body different to us. However, the irony of this “outward projection” of our insecurities is not lost on us, for in such regimes of suspicious surveillance, each of us is scrutinized. We write this chapter in the hope that the micropolitics of self-surveillance and compliance does not completely colonize our life-worlds
Social complexity affects cognitive abilities but not brain structure in a Poeciliid fish.
Get PDFSome cognitive abilities are suggested to be the result of a complex social life, allowing individuals to achieve higher fitness through advanced strategies. However, most evidence is correlative. Here, we provide an experimental investigation of how group size and composition affect brain and cognitive development in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). For 6 months, we reared sexually mature females in one of 3 social treatments: a small conspecific group of 3 guppies, a large heterospecific group of 3 guppies and 3 splash tetras (Copella arnoldi)-a species that co-occurs with the guppy in the wild, and a large conspecific group of 6 guppies. We then tested the guppies' performance in self-control (inhibitory control), operant conditioning (associative learning), and cognitive flexibility (reversal learning) tasks. Using X-ray imaging, we measured their brain size and major brain regions. Larger groups of 6 individuals, both conspecific and heterospecific groups, showed better cognitive flexibility than smaller groups but no difference in self-control and operant conditioning tests. Interestingly, while social manipulation had no significant effect on brain morphology, relatively larger telencephalons were associated with better cognitive flexibility. This suggests alternative mechanisms beyond brain region size enabled greater cognitive flexibility in individuals from larger groups. Although there is no clear evidence for the impact on brain morphology, our research shows that living in larger social groups can enhance cognitive flexibility. This indicates that the social environment plays a role in the cognitive development of guppies
Advanced Practice Nurses and Their Roles in Swiss Cancer Care: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Get PDFOBJECTIVES
To examine the advanced practice nurse workforce in Swiss cancer care and how their roles are being implemented (eg, role structures, processes) to achieve optimal outcomes for patients and their families, care organizations, and the broader health care system.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample included master-prepared advanced practice nurses in cancer care, who completed an online questionnaire from December 2021 to January 2022. Thirty-nine items assessed structures (eg, role characteristics, utilization), processes (eg, role activities, interventions), and perceived outcomes (eg, for patients, the health care system) of advanced practice nurses in Swiss cancer care. Data from closed questions were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Data from open-ended questions were organized and summarized into categories related to domains of advanced practice nursing and its reported frequency by the advanced practice nurses.
RESULTS
The participating advanced practice nurses (n = 53), worked in half of the 26 Swiss cantons. Interventions were identified within nine categories, of which most were targeted to patients and their families (n = 7), followed by health care professionals (n = 2). Perceived positive outcomes were patient symptom management, length of hospital stay, and health care costs. Participants felt less confident in cancer care (eg, autonomous practice) and reported 15 professional development needs (eg, medical interventions, teaching).
CONCLUSIONS
This study provides a comprehensive examination of 53 advanced practice nurses, detailing the characteristics of their roles and utilization across various jurisdictions and health care settings. The results highlight the diverse dimensions of advanced practice nursing and its potential to enhance cancer services and outcomes in Switzerland. Opportunities for role development support and expansion are identified.
IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE
More systematic health human resource planning is needed to expand the deployment of advanced practice nurses across jurisdictions, practice settings, and more diverse patient populations. Role development needs show the desire for specialized educational preparation in cancer care
Influence of scan extension and starting quadrant on the accuracy of four intraoral scanners for fabricating tooth-supported crowns.
No full textSTATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Multiple factors can influence the accuracy of intraoral scanners (IOSs). However, the impact of scan extension and starting quadrant on the accuracy of IOSs for fabricating tooth-supported crowns remains uncertain.
PURPOSE
The purpose of the present in vitro study was to measure the influence of scan extension (half or complete arch scan) and the starting quadrant (same quadrant or contralateral quadrant of the location of the crown preparation) on the accuracy of four IOSs.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A typodont with a crown preparation on the left first molar was digitized (T710) to obtain a reference scan. Four scanner groups were created: TRIOS 5, PrimeScan, i700, and iTero. Then, 3 subgroups were defined based on the scan extension and starting quadrant: half arch (HA subgroup), complete arch scan starting on the left quadrant (CA-same subgroup), and complete arch scan starting on the right quadrant (CA-contralateral subgroup), (n=15). The reference scan was used as a control to measure the root mean square (RMS) error discrepancies with each experimental scan on the tooth preparation, margin of the tooth preparation, and adjacent tooth areas. Two-way ANOVA and pairwise multiple comparisons were used to analyze trueness (α=.05). The Levene and pairwise comparisons using the Wilcoxon Rank sum tests were used to analyze precision (α=.05).
RESULTS
For the tooth preparation analysis, significant trueness and precision differences were found among the groups (P<.001) and subgroups (P<.001), with a significant interaction group×subgroup (P=.002). The iTero and TRIOS5 groups obtained better trueness than the PrimeScan and i700 groups (P<.001). Moreover, half arch scans obtained the best trueness, while the CA-contralateral scans obtained the worst trueness (P<.001). The iTero group showed the worst precision among the IOSs tested. For the margin of the tooth preparation evaluation, significant trueness and precision differences were found among the groups (P<.001) and subgroups (P<.001), with a significant interaction group×subgroup (P=.005). The iTero group obtained best trueness (P<.001), but the worst precision (P<.001) among the IOSs tested. Half arch scans obtained the best trueness and precision values. For the adjacent tooth analysis, trueness and precision differences were found among the groups (P<.001) and subgroups tested (P<.001), with a significant interaction group×subgroup (P=.005). The TRIOS 5 obtained the best trueness and precision. Half arch scans obtained the best accuracy.
CONCLUSIONS
Scan extension and the starting quadrant impacted the scanning trueness and precision of the IOSs tested. Additionally, the IOSs showed varying scanning discrepancies depending on the scanning area assessed. Half arch scans presented the highest trueness and precision, and the complete arch scans in which the scan started in the contralateral quadrant of where the crown preparation was obtained the worst trueness and precision
Contrast-enhanced point of care ultrasound for the evaluation of stable blunt abdominal trauma by the emergency physician: A prospective diagnostic study.
Get PDFOBJECTIVES
Clinical examination alone cannot reliably rule out significant traumatic abdominal injury. Computed tomography (CT) has become the primary method for evaluating blunt abdominal trauma and clinicians rely heavily on it to rule out abdominal injury. Ultrasound examination may miss significant abdominal injury particularly in stable patients. The use of a contrast agent improves ultrasound sensitivity to visceral abdominal injuries. The objective of this diagnostic study is to compare bedside contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) performed by emergency physicians to CT in hemodynamically stable adults for the assessment of blunt abdominal trauma and evaluate CEUS accuracy outcomes.
METHODS
Hemodynamically stable patients with blunt trauma were prospectively enrolled in the trauma bay. After initial evaluation, we included patients at risk of abdominal injury and for whom an abdominal CT was planned by the trauma leader. Ultrasonography was performed prospectively and at the bedside by the emergency physician followed by abdominal CT used as a reference standard.
RESULTS
Thirty-three patients were enrolled in the study; among them, 52% showed positive traumatic findings in abdominal CT scans, and 42% were diagnosed with solid organ lesions. Compared to CT, a focused abdominal sonography (FOCUS) examination, looking for free fluid or perirenal hematoma, showed limited performance for traumatic findings with a sensitivity of 65% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 38%-86%), a specificity of 75% (95% CI: 48%-93%), a negative likelihood ratio (NLR) of 0.47 (95% CI: 0.23-0.95), and a positive likelihood ratio (PLR) of 2.59 (95% CI: 1.03-6.48). When combining FOCUS with CEUS, the sensitivity of the sonography increased to 94% (95% CI: 71%-100%) with a specificity of 75% (95% CI: 48%-93%). The PLR was 3.76 (95% CI: 1.6-8.87) and the NLR was 0.08 (95% CI: 0.01-0.54). In our population, abdominal sonography with contrast failed to identify a single positive abdominal CT with a grade 1 kidney injury.
CONCLUSIONS
A FOCUS examination shows limited sensitivity and specificity to detect positive abdominal CT in stable adults with abdominal trauma. With the addition of contrast and careful inspection of solid organs, abdominal sonography with contrast performed by the emergency physician improves the ability to rule out traumatic findings on abdominal CT. CEUS performed by emergency physicians may miss injuries, especially in the absence of free fluid, in cases of low-grade injuries, simultaneous injuries, or poor-quality examinations
Decadal-to-centennial increases of volcanic aerosols from Iceland challenge the concept of a Medieval Quiet Period
Get PDFExisting global volcanic radiative aerosol forcing estimates portray the period 700 to 1000 as volcanically quiescent, void of major volcanic eruptions. However, this disagrees with proximal Icelandic geological records and regional Greenland ice-core records of sulfate. Here, we use cryptotephra analyses, high-resolution sulfur isotope analyses, and glaciochemical volcanic tracers on an array of Greenland ice cores to characterise volcanic activity and climatically important sulfuric aerosols across the period 700 to 1000. We identify a prolonged episode of volcanic sulfur dioxide emissions (751–940) dominated by Icelandic volcanism, that we term the Icelandic Active Period. This period commences with the Hrafnkatla episode (751–763), which coincided with strong winter cooling anomalies across Europe. This study reveals an important contribution of prolonged volcanic sulfate emissions to the pre-industrial atmospheric aerosol burden, currently not considered in existing forcing estimates, and highlights the need for further research to disentangle their associated climate feedbacks
Immune modulation in transplant medicine: a comprehensive review of cell therapy applications and future directions.
Get PDFBalancing the immune response after solid organ transplantation (SOT) and vascularized composite allotransplantation (VCA) remains an ongoing clinical challenge. While immunosuppressants can effectively reduce acute rejection rates following transplant surgery, some patients still experience recurrent acute rejection episodes, which in turn may progress to chronic rejection. Furthermore, these immunosuppressive regimens are associated with an increased risk of malignancies and metabolic disorders. Despite significant advancements in the field, these IS related side effects persist as clinical hurdles, emphasizing the need for innovative therapeutic strategies to improve transplant survival and longevity. Cellular therapy, a novel therapeutic approach, has emerged as a potential pathway to promote immune tolerance while minimizing systemic side-effects of standard IS regiments. Various cell types, including chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T), mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), regulatory myeloid cells (RMCs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs), offer unique immunomodulatory properties that may help achieve improved outcomes in transplant patients. This review aims to elucidate the role of cellular therapies, particularly MSCs, T cells, Tregs, RMCs, macrophages, and dendritic cells in SOT and VCA. We explore the immunological features of each cell type, their capacity for immune regulation, and the prospective advantages and obstacles linked to their application in transplant patients. An in-depth outline of the current state of the technology may help SOT and VCA providers refine their perioperative treatment strategies while laying the foundation for further trials that investigate cellular therapeutics in transplantation surgery
Apixaban in bridge to transplant and destination LVAD - rationale and study design: the ApixiVAD trial.
Get PDFAIMS
Use of novel anticoagulation in mechanical circulatory support is controversial. We report the rationale and design of the ApixiVad pilot trial, a pilot study testing the safety of apixaban as an anticoagulant in patients bridged to transplant (BTT) or for destination (DT) with Heartmate 3 (HM3) left ventricular assist device (LVAD).
METHODS AND RESULTS
Apixaban has been used in small non-randomized cohorts in LVAD patients and shown to be effective in ex vivo studies. The ApixiVAD study examines apixaban use in a multicentre, international, open-label, randomized, controlled trial aiming to include 50 BTT or DT HM3 patients with a 1:1 randomization ratio. This event-driven study has a maximum follow-up period of 24 months with interim analysis at 6 months. The primary outcome is death, thromboembolic events and major bleeding, including operative bleeding and immediate transplant outcomes. The secondary outcome focuses on patients' quality of life related to anticoagulation. This investigator-driven pilot study is not powered to determine the non-inferiority of apixaban. An increase in primary outcome in the apixaban group of 20% will be considered a signal of harm.
CONCLUSIONS
A positive outcome in the ApixiVAD study would provide the basis for future, larger, pivotal anticoagulation trials in LVAD patients
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