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Simple Summary: Glioblastomas are very malignant and essentially incurable brain tumors. One problem is the extensive penetration of tumor cells into the adjacent normal brain tissue. Thus, the testing of novel drugs requires appropriate tumor models, preferentially avoiding animal studies. This paper describes so-called brain tissue slice tandem-culture systems. They consist of a slice of normal brain tissue and a second layer of tumor tissue. The microscopic analysis of these slice tandem-cultures allows for the simultaneous assessment of single cells invading into the normal brain tissue and the space occupying growth of the total tumor mass. It is shown that the direct application of test drugs onto the slices exerts inhibitory effects on both mechanisms. We thus describe a system mimicking the situation in glioblastoma patients. It reduces animal studies, allows for the direct application of test drugs and the precise quantitation of their inhibitory effects on tumor growth and invasion.
Abstract: Glioblastomas (GBMs) are the most malignant brain tumors and are essentially incurable even after extensive surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, mainly because of extensive infiltration of tumor cells into the adjacent normal tissue. Thus, the evaluation of novel drugs in malignant glioma treatment requires sophisticated ex vivo models that approach the authentic interplay between tumor and host environment while avoiding extensive in vivo studies in animals. This paper describes the standardized setup of an organotypic brain tissue slice tandem-culture system, comprising of normal brain tissue from adult mice and tumor tissue from human glioblastoma xenografts, and explore its utility for assessing inhibitory effects of test drugs. The microscopic analysis of vertical sections of the slice tandem-cultures allows for the simultaneous assessment of (i) the invasive potential of single cells or cell aggregates and (ii) the space occupying growth of the bulk tumor mass, both contributing to malignant tumor progression. The comparison of tissue slice co-cultures with spheroids vs. tissue slice tandem-cultures using tumor xenograft slices demonstrates advantages of the xenograft tandem approach. The direct and facile application of test drugs is shown to exert inhibitory effects on bulk tumor growth and/or tumor cell invasion, and allows their precise quantitation. In conclusion, we describe a straightforward ex vivo system mimicking the in vivo situation of the tumor mass and the normal brain in GBM patients. It reduces animal studies and allows for the direct and reproducible application of test drugs and the precise quantitation of their effects on the bulk tumor mass and on the tumor’s invasive properties
Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) represents a significant challenge to health care systems around the world. A well-functioning primary care system is crucial in epidemic situations as it plays an important role in the development of a system-wide response.
Methods 2,187 Austrian and German GPs answered an internet suvey on preparedness, testing, staff protection, perception of risk, self-confidence, a decrease in the number of patient contacts, and efforts to control the spread of the virus in the practice during the early phase of the COVID-pandemic (3rd to 30th April).
Results The completion rate of the questionnaire was high (90.9%). GPs gave low ratings to their preparedness for a pandemic, testing of suspected cases and efforts to protect staff. The provision of information to GPs and the perception of risk were rated as moderate. On the other hand, the participants rated their self-confidence, a decrease in patient contacts and their efforts to control the spread of the disease highly.
Conclusion Primary care is an important resource for dealing with a pandemic like COVID-19. The workforce is confident and willing to take an active role, but needs to be provided with the appropriate surrounding conditions. This will require that certain conditions are met.
Registration Trial registration at the German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00021231
Risk evaluations for agricultural chemicals are necessary to preserve healthy populations of honey bee colonies. Field studies on whole colonies are limited in behavioural research, while results from lab studies allow only restricted conclusions on whole colony impacts. Methods for automated long-term investigations of behaviours within comb cells, such as brood care, were hitherto missing. In the present study, we demonstrate an innovative video method that enables within-cell analysis in honey bee (Apis mellifera) observation hives to detect chronic sublethal neonicotinoid effects of clothianidin (1 and 10 ppb) and thiacloprid (200 ppb) on worker behaviour and development. In May and June, colonies which were fed 10 ppb clothianidin and 200 ppb thiacloprid in syrup over three weeks showed reduced feeding visits and duration throughout various larval development days (LDDs). On LDD 6 (capping day) total feeding duration did not differ between treatments. Behavioural adaptation was exhibited by nurses in the treatment groups in response to retarded larval development by increasing the overall feeding timespan. Using our machine learning algorithm, we demonstrate a novel method for detecting behaviours in an intact hive that can be applied in a versatile manner to conduct impact analyses of chemicals, pests and other stressors.
Perspectives on participation in continuous vocational education training - an interview study
(2020)
In European industrialized countries, a large number of companies in the healthcare, hotel, and catering sectors, as well as in the technology sector, are affected by demographic, political, and technological developments resulting in a greater need of skilled workers with a simultaneous shortage of skilled workers (CEDEFOP, 2015, 2016). Consequently, employers have to address workers who have not been taken into account such as low-skilled workers, workers returning from a career break, people with a migrant background, older people, and jobseekers and train them, in order to guarantee the professionalization of this workforce (Festing and Harsch, 2018). Continuing vocational education and training (CVET) is seen as an indispensable tool; because CVET has advantages for both employers and employees, it helps to increase the productivity of companies (Barrett and O’Connell, 2001), to prevent the widening of socioeconomic disparities (Dieckhoff, 2007), and to open up career opportunities for the workforce (Rubenson and Desjardins, 2009). However, participation rate on CVET seems to differ, depending on institutional factors (such as sector and size of the company) and individual characteristics (such as qualification level, migration background, age and time of absence from work) (e.g., Rubenson and Desjardins, 2009; Wiseman and Parry, 2017). In contrast to previous research, our study aims to provide a holistic view of reasons for and against CVET, combining the different perspectives of employers and (potential) employees. The analysis of reasons and barriers was carried out based on semi-structured interviews. Fifty-seven employers, 73 employees, and 42 jobseekers (potential employees) from the sectors retail, healthcare and social services, hotels and catering, and technology were interviewed. Results point to considerable differences in the reasons and barriers mentioned by the disadvantaged groups. These differences are particularly significant between employees on the one side and employers, as well as jobseekers, on the other side, while the reasons to attend CVET of jobseekers are more similar to those of employers. The results can be used to tailor CVET more closely to the needs of (potential) employees and thus strengthen both the qualification and career opportunities of (potential) employees and the competitiveness and productivity of companies.
This paper summarizes key elements of the German Federal Constitutional Court’s decision on the European Central Bank’s Public Sector Asset Purchase Programme. It briefly explains how it is possible for the German Court to disagree with the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union. Finally, it makes suggestions concerning a practical way forward for the Governing Council of the ECB in light of these developments.
This article studies whether people want to control what information on their own past pro-social behavior is revealed to others. Participants are assigned a color that depends on their past pro-social behavior. They can spend money to manipulate the probability with which their color is revealed to another participant. The data show that participants are more likely to reveal colors with more favorable informational content. This pattern is not found in a control treatment in which colors are randomly assigned, thus revealing nothing about past pro-social behavior. Regression analysis confrms these fndings, also when controlling for past pro-social behavior. These results complement the existing empirical evidence, confrming that people strategically and, therefore, consciously manipulate their social image.
The tremendous diversity of life in the ocean has proven to be a rich source of inspiration for drug discovery, with success rates for marine natural products up to 4 times higher than other naturally derived compounds. Yet the marine biodiscovery pipeline is characterized by chronic underfunding, bottlenecks and, ultimately, untapped potential. For instance, a lack of taxonomic capacity means that, on average, 20 years pass between the discovery of new organisms and the formal publication of scientific names, a prerequisite to proceed with detecting and isolating promising bioactive metabolites. The need for “edge” research that can spur novel lines of discovery and lengthy high-risk drug discovery processes, are poorly matched with research grant cycles. Here we propose five concrete pathways to broaden the biodiscovery pipeline and open the social and economic potential of the ocean genome for global benefit: (1) investing in fundamental research, even when the links to industry are not immediately apparent; (2) cultivating equitable collaborations between academia and industry that share both risks and benefits for these foundational research stages; (3) providing new opportunities for early-career researchers and under-represented groups to engage in high-risk research without risking their careers; (4) sharing data with global networks; and (5) protecting genetic diversity at its source through strong conservation efforts. The treasures of the ocean have provided fundamental breakthroughs in human health and still remain under-utilised for human benefit, yet that potential may be lost if we allow the biodiscovery pipeline to become blocked in a search for quick-fix solutions.
The severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, calls for the urgent development of a vaccine. The primary immunological target is the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein. S is exposed on the viral surface to mediate viral entry into the host cell. To identify possible antibody binding sites not shielded by glycans, we performed multi-microsecond molecular dynamics simulations of a 4.1 million atom system containing a patch of viral membrane with four full-length, fully glycosylated and palmitoylated S proteins. By mapping steric accessibility, structural rigidity, sequence conservation and generic antibody binding signatures, we recover known epitopes on S and reveal promising epitope candidates for vaccine development. We find that the extensive and inherently flexible glycan coat shields a surface area larger than expected from static structures, highlighting the importance of structural dynamics in epitope mapping.
Safety requirements and the need of low‐migration UV inks have received increasing attention in the packaging industry. Crucial for the development and design of low‐migration UV inkjet inks for migration‐sensitive applications is the polymerization degree. In this study, curing‐behavior of a black, high purity packaging ink (HPP‐ink) was monitored using ATR‐FTIR spectroscopy. UV irradiation of HPP‐ink led to changes in specific absorption bands of the FTIR spectra due to crosslinking reaction of double bonds. Changes in absorptions bands at 1,408 and 1,321 cm−1 permitted the determination of CC conversion of acrylic and vinyl double bond, independently of one another. In addition, a method was developed which allows the investigation of surface‐cure and deep‐cure behavior, separately.
Anna Simon-Sickley zeigt in ihrem Beitrag die historischen Verflechtungen des Begriffs des 'Anthropozäns' mit den Diskursen von Energie und Entropie. Die Gefahren einer semantischen Rückprojektion reflektierend, kann sie deutlich machen, wie die heute 'totalisierende Metapher' des Anthropozäns bis in die Diskurse der Energie und Entropie zurückreicht. Energie erscheint dabei begrifflich als Einheitswährung, mittels deren Natur einzig als auszubeutende Ressource (fossile Brennstoffe) thematisiert wird. Mit der Thermodynamik legt die Umweltforschung den Schwerpunkt auf Effizienz, Produktion und Abfall. Das wachsende Bewusstsein, dass Energie Geschichte strukturiert, erweist sich als eine Perspektive, die für die Geschichtsschreibung des Anthropozäns von entscheidender Bedeutung geworden ist. Mit ihm soll sich das wissenschaftliche Thema des Menschen vom Kontext der Geisteswissenschaften zum Kontext der Wissenschaften verschoben haben. Menschliche Systeme und Kulturen werden im Anthropozändiskurs als geologische Kräfte verstanden und erscheinen als geochronologische Epochen naturwissenschaftlich exakt berechenbar.
Rodrigues Ridge connects the Réunion hotspot track with the Central Indian Ridge (CIR) and has been suggested to represent the surface expression of a sub-lithospheric flow channel. From global earthquake catalogues, the seismicity in the region has been associated mainly with events related to the fracture zones at the CIR. However, some segments of the CIR appear void of seismic events. Here, we report on the seismicity recorded at a temporary array of 10 seismic stations operating on Rodrigues Island from September 2014 to June 2016. The array analysis was performed in the time domain by time shifting and stacking the complete waveforms. Event distances were estimated based on a 1-D velocity model and the travel time differences between S and P wave arrivals. We detected and located 63 new events that were not reported by the global networks. Most of the events (51) are located off the CIR and can be classified as intraplate earthquakes. Local magnitudes varied between 1.6 and 3.7. Four seismic clusters were observed that occurred to the west of the spreading segment of the CIR. The Rodrigues Ridge appeared to be aseismic during the period of operation. The lack of seismic activity along both Rodrigues Ridge and the sections of the CIR to the east of Rodrigues may be explained by partially molten upper-mantle material, possibly in relation to the proposed material flow between the Réunion plume and the CIR.
Omkāra to Ek Onkāra
(2020)
Background: Persistent pain in breast cancer survivors is common. Psychological and sleep-related factors modulate perception, interpretation and coping with pain and may contribute to the clinical phenotype. The present analysis pursued the hypothesis that breast cancer survivors form subgroups, based on psychological and sleep-related parameters that are relevant to the impact of pain on the patients’ life.
Methods: We analysed 337 women treated for breast cancer, in whom psychological and sleep-related parameters as well as parameters related to pain intensity and interference had been acquired. Data were analysed by using supervised and unsupervised machine-learning techniques (i) to detect patient subgroups based on the pattern of psychological or sleep-related parameters, (ii) to interpret the detected cluster structure and (iii) to relate this data structure to pain interference and impact on life.
Results: Artificial intelligence-based detection of data structure, implemented as self-organizing neuronal maps, identified two different clusters of patients. A smaller cluster (11.5% of the patients) had comparatively lower resilience, more depressive symptoms and lower extraversion than the other patients. In these patients, life-satisfaction, mood, and life in general were comparatively more impeded by persistent pain.
Conclusions: The results support the initial hypothesis that psychological and sleep-related parameter patterns are meaningful for subgrouping patients with respect to how persistent pain after breast cancer treatments interferes with their life. This indicates that management of pain should address more complex features than just pain intensity. Artificial intelligence is a useful tool in the identification of subgroups of patients based on psychological factors.
Although immune checkpoint inhibitors such as anti-PD-1 antibodies have shown remarkable clinical success in many different tumor types, the proportion of patients benefiting from this treatment option remains low. Therefore, there is a need to sensitize tumors for immune checkpoint blockade. In this study two approaches were tested, a chemoimmunotherapy approach combining PD-1 checkpoint blockade with doxorubicin (DOX) chemotherapy, and ablation of the sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor (S1PR4) based on the following rationale. Chemotherapy was shown to induce immune paralysis which contributes to tumor relapse, while PD-1 signaling was shown to facilitate the acquisition of chemoresistance. Thus, combinatorial chemoimmunotherapy is expected to be beneficial by maintaining or even activating anti-tumor immunity during chemotherapy. S1PR4 is an immune cell specific receptor, whose ablation slowed tumor progression by activating anti-tumor immunity in a mouse model that was previously insensitive to anti-PD-1 monotherapy. This suggested that S1PR4 ablation might pre-activate immunity to sensitize for anti-PD-1 therapy.
To test these combinatorial approaches, two tumor mouse models were employed, namely the MC38 murine adenocarcinoma model as well as the transgenic polyoma middle T oncogene (PyMT) breast cancer model. In the MC38 model, a mild synergistic effect of PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade and S1PR4 ablation was observed, indicated by improved tumor progression and survival as compared to the WT control, and an increased number of tumor-free mice compared to anti-PD-1 therapy alone in WT mice. These observations correlated with an enhanced natural killer (NK) cell infiltrate and increased CXCL9 and CXCL10 production in anti-PD-1 treated S1PR4 KO tumors. As noted before, the PyMT model was largely resistant to anti-PD-1 monotherapy in a therapeutic setting. S1PR4 ablation alone showed significant tumor reduction that was not further enhanced by anti-PD-1 treatment. The same was observed when chemotherapy with DOX was added, where WT tumors relapsed, while S1PR4 KO tumor did not. Addition of anti-PD-1 did only mildly increase tumor control in S1PR4 KO mice, indicating that S1PR4 KO per se very efficiently re-activated anti-tumor immunity. Since S1PR4 KO induces type I 12 interferon (IFN-1) over-production in S1PR4 KO PyMT tumors, a link between high IFN-1 levels and tumor immunity was tested by using mice deficient in the IFN-1 receptor (IFNAR1). Unexpectedly, DOX chemotherapy was most efficient in mice with IFNAR ablation only as compared to WT, S1PR4 KO or S1PR4 and IFNAR1 double KO mice, although deficiency in IFNAR signaling is predominantly regarded as tumor promoting. The underlying mechanisms need to be tested in future studies. Interestingly, chemoimmunotherapy in WT mice prevented tumor relapse to a similar extent than S1PR4 KO and was superior to chemotherapy or immune checkpoint blockade alone. To investigate mechanisms of chemoimmunotherapy success compared to monotherapy, whole transcriptome analysis was used, which identified a set of genes that were upregulated specifically upon chemoimmunotherapy. This gene signature and, more specifically, a condensed four-gene signature predicted favorable survival of human mammary carcinoma patients in the METABRIC cohort.
Moreover, PyMT tumors treated with chemoimmunotherapy contained higher levels of cytotoxic lymphocytes, particularly NK cells. Gene set enrichment analysis and ELISA measurements revealed increased IL-27 production and signaling in PyMT tumors upon chemoimmunotherapy. Moreover, IL-27 improved NK cell cytotoxicity against PyMT cells in vitro. These data supported recent clinical observations indicating a benefit of chemoimmunotherapy compared to monotherapy in breast cancer and suggested potential underlying mechanisms.
Taken together the present work revealed new strategies to reactivate tumor immunity leading to improved chemotherapy response, namely a combination with immune checkpoint blockade and ablation of S1PR4, which activated different lymphocyte compartments within tumors.
Despite the success of immune checkpoint blockade in cancer, the number of patients that benefit from this revolutionary treatment option remains low. Therefore, efforts are being undertaken to sensitize tumors for immune checkpoint blockade, which includes combining immune checkpoint blocking agents such as anti-PD-1 antibodies with standard of care treatments. Here we report that a combination of chemotherapy (doxorubicin) and immune checkpoint blockade (anti-PD-1 antibodies) induces superior tumor control compared to chemotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade alone in the murine autochthonous polyoma middle T oncogene-driven (PyMT) mammary tumor model. Using whole transcriptome analysis, we identified a set of genes that were upregulated specifically upon chemoimmunotherapy. This gene signature and, more specifically, a condensed four-gene signature predicted favorable survival of human mammary carcinoma patients in the METABRIC cohort. Moreover, PyMT tumors treated with chemoimmunotherapy contained higher levels of cytotoxic lymphocytes, particularly natural killer cells (NK cells). Gene set enrichment analysis and bead-based ELISA measurements revealed increased IL-27 production and signaling in PyMT tumors upon chemoimmunotherapy. Moreover, IL-27 signaling improved NK cell cytotoxicity against PyMT cells in vitro. Taken together, our data support recent clinical observations indicating a benefit of chemoimmunotherapy compared to monotherapy in breast cancer and suggest potential underlying mechanisms.
Antoinettia, new genus (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae: Tritomini), is erected for three species: A. audbala (Skelley), new combination, A. huhnei Skelley, new species, and A. kovariki (Skelley), new combination. A genus complex involving Ischyrus Lacordaire, 1842, and Megischyrus Crotch, 1873, is defined and a preliminary key to neotropical genera of Tritomini with coarsely facetted eyes is presented.
Several taxonomic and nomenclatural issues are reviewed, clarified, and resolved for multiple genera of the Erotylinae (Coleoptera: Erotylidae). Generic-group names discussed: Brachymerus Dejean, 1836, Cypherotylus Crotch, 1873, Cytorea Laporte, 1840, Erotylus Fabricius, 1775, Eudaemonius Lewis, 1887, Eutriplax Lewis,1887, Gibbifer Voet, 1806, Neobarytopus Alvarenga, 1965, Neomorphoides Alvarenga, 1977, Ogcotriplax Heller,1920, Paratritoma Gorham, 1888, Platichna Thomson, 1863, Pseudochrysomela Voet, 1806, Pseudotriplax Heller,1920, Triplax Herbst, 1793, Tritomapara Alvarenga, 1970, Typocephalus Hope,1841, and Xestus Wollaston, 1864. Reviewing these issues resulted in a several nomenclatural actions. Eutriplax Lewis,1887,was found to be an unnecessary replacement name for Eudaemonius Lewis,1887.The genus name is reverted to Eudaemonius,
resulting in one new combination: Eudaemonius quinquepustulatus (Li and Ren, 2006).
The Neotropical Tritomapara Alvarenga,1970,was found to be a new objective synonym of Paratritoma Gorham,1888, which is a synonym of Triplax Herbst,1793,leading to the following eight new combinations:
Triplax atricaudata (Kuhnt,1910),Triplax brasiliensis (Guérin,1946),Triplax bruchi (Kuhnt,1910),Triplax caduca (Gorham,1888),Triplax dimidiata (Gorham,1888),Triplax melanoderes (Kuhnt,1910),Triplax triplacoides
(Crotch,1876), and Triplax vivida (Gorham,1888). Erotylus tibialis Duponchel, 1825, is recognized as the valid type species for Brachymerus Dejean 1836, which moves the name Brachymerus to a different genus-group taxon and renders Neomorphoides Alvarenga, 1977, a new synonym. This revalidates Neobarytopus Alvarenga, 1965, as originally proposed. These genus-group names are presently subgenera in Iphiclus Dejean, 1836, and the move creates 23 new combinations in Iphiclus(Brachymerus) Dejean, 1836: I. (B.) amazonus (Crotch, 1876), I. (B.) atriventris (Mader,1943), I. (B.) bicolor(Lacordaire,1842), I. (B.) clavicornis (Olivier,1792), I. (B.) columbiae (Crotch,1876), I. (B.) costaricensis (Mader,1943), I. (B.) disconigrum (Mader,1942), I. (B.) dorsonotatus (Lacordaire, 1842), I. (B.) fulviventris (Gorham,1888), I. (B.) humeropictus (Mader,1943), I. (B.) lateripunctatus (Crotch,1876), I. (B.) melanopus (Gorham,1888), I. (B.) neglectus (Guérin,1956), I. (B.) nigritarsis (Mader,1942), I. (B.) nigriventris (Crotch, 1876), I. (B.) nigropectus (Mader,1942), I. (B.) posticenigrum (Mader,1942), I. (B.) pyrrhocephalus (Erichson,1847), I. (B.) rubripennis (Lacordaire,1842), I. (B.) signaticollis (Kuhnt,1910), I. (B.) simplex (Lacordaire,1842), I. (B.) spilotus (Gorham,1888), I. (B.) tibialis (Duponchel,1825); and, 75 new combinations in Iphiclus (Neobarytopus) Alvarenga, 1965: I. (N.) adustus (Duponchel,1825), I. (N.) alboniger (Guérin,1956), I. (N.) amictus (Erichson,1847), I. (N.) andicola (Kirsch,1867), I. (N.) assequens (Mader,1942), I. (N.) bajulus (Lacordaire,1842), I. (N.) batesi (Gorham, 1889),I. (N.) bellulus (Lacordaire,1842), I. (N.) bicinctus (Olivier,1807), I. (N.) bistrifoliatus (Gorham,1889), I. (N.) bizonatus (Crotch,1876), I. (N.) bremei (Guérin-Méneville,1841), I. (N.) brongniarti (Lacordaire,1842), I. (N.) brunneostriolatus (Kuhnt, 1910), I. (N.) cerasinus (Lacordaire,1842), I. (N.) conformis (Lacordaire,1842), I. (N.)distinctus (Duponchel, 1825), I. (N.) divisus (Guérin,1956), I. (N.) dorsalis (Olivier,1792), I. (N.) eburneus (Crotch,1876), I. (N.) elegans (Mader,1942), I. (N.) epipleuralis (Crotch,1876), I. (N.) erichsoni (Lacordaire,1842), I. (N.) flavofasciatus (Duponchel,1825), I. (N.) flavosignatus (Duponchel,1825), I. (N.) fragmentatus (Gorham,1888), I.(N.) friedei (Mader,1938), I. (N.) geometra (Lacordaire,1842), I. (N.) hebriacus (Lacordaire,1842), I. (N.) hexastictus (Crotch,1876), I. (N.) incas (Gorham,1889), I. (N.) iris (Guérin,1956), I. (N.) jacinthoi (Alvarenga,1977), I.(N.) laceratus (Mader,1938), I. (N.) lugens (Lacordaire,1842), I. (N.) lunaris (Guérin,1956), I. (N.) luteozonatus (Crotch, 1876), I. (N.) miles (Mader,1942), I. (N.) mirus (Mader,1942), I. (N.) musicalis (Lacordaire,1842), I. (N.) neophyta (Lacordaire, 1842), I. (N.) nigripennis (Demay,1838), I. (N.) nigropictus (Lacordaire,1842), I. (N.) nigrofasciatus (Mader,1942), I. (N.) nitidulus (Oliver,1807), I. (N.) obsoletesignatus (Crotch, 1876), I. (N.) octoguttatus (Olivier,1807), I. (N.) octopustulatus (Guérin,1956), I. (N.) odyneroides (Crotch, 1876), I. (N.) ornatus (Kuhnt,1909), I. (N.) pantherinus (Kuhnt, 1909), I. (N.) pauper (Guérin,1956), I. (N.) peraffinis (Crotch,1876), I. (N.) perplexus (Mader,1942), I. (N.) peruvianus (Mader,1942), I. (N.) planipennis (Kuhnt,1909), I. (N.) puncticollis (Kirsch,1876), I. (N.) quadrifasciatus (Kirsch,1865), I. (N.) quinquefasciatus (Lacordaire,1842), I. (N.) ramosus (Olivier,1807), I. (N.) regularis (Erichson, 1848), I. (N.) rhomboidalis (Guérin,1956), I. (N.) rufipennis (Panzer,1798), I. (N.) salamandra (Erichson,1847), I. (N.) spectabilis (Lacordaire,1842), I. (N.) stramineus (Lacordaire,1842), I. (N.) subsanguineus (Crotch,1876), I. (N.) superbus (Mader,1942), I. (N.) tigrinatus (Guérin,1956), I. (N.) tricinctus (Duponchel,1825), I. (N.) trifasciatus (Olivier,1807), I. (N.) tripartitus (Lacordaire,1842), I. (N.) ucayalensis (Gorham,1889), I. (N.) venezuelae (Crotch, 1876), I. (N.) westwoodi (Guérin-Méneville,1841).
The works of Voet (1766–1778,1806) do not follow binominal nomenclature and are therefore unavailable by the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, Article 11.4.Thus, Voet’s (1806) generic names “Pseudochrysomela” and “Gibbifer”, and the species names proposed in each, are unavailable. Removing them from nomenclatural considerations resulted in the following nomenclatural acts: the resurrection of Erotylus rufipennis Panzer,1798, now Iphiclus (Neobarytopus) rufipennis (Panzer) new combination; the proposal of a new name, Iphiclus (Brachymerus) fabricii Skelley for Erotylus rufipennis Fabricius, 1801, not Erotylus rufipennis Panzer, 1798; new combinations for the two species, Cypherotylus adrianae (Alvarenga, 1976) and Cypherotylus borgmeieri (Alvarenga, 1976); and revalidated status for the five species names, Erotylus variegatus Fabricius,
1781, Barytopus gronovii (Herbst, 1783), Prepopharus notatus (Olivier, 1792), Iphiclus (Iphiclus) sedecimguttatus (Olivier, 1792), and Cypherotylus duponcheli Arrow, 1937.
We honor the life and accomplishments of Michael C. Thomas with a short narrative of his professional life along with appendices listing his scientific artwork, bibliography and patronyms. This paper is the first of a Festschrift with contributed remembrances and separate papers honoring him with additional patronyms.
Dyslexia Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez, new genus (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Erotylinae: Erotylini), is described and illustrated. The genus is comprised of four new species, all described by Skelley and Gasca-Álvarez: D. belamyi, D. dathomirria, D. pulcricolor, and D. tomasi. The unique broad head structures of this genus are characterized and compared with other genera. Problems associated with the taxonomy of Erotylini are discussed.
Two species of the early-diverging lineages of Pharaxonotha Reitter (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Pharaxonothinae) are described: Pharaxonotha taylori Skelley and Tang, new species, and Pharaxonotha thomasi Skelley and Tang, new species. A new key to described species of Pharaxonotha, based on previously unused characters, is presented.
Activations with neutrons in the keV energy range were routinely performed at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany in order to simulate stellar conditions for neutron-capture cross sections. A quasi-Maxwell-Boltzmann neutron spectrum of kT = 25 keV, being of interest for the astrophysical s-process, was produced by the 7Li(p,n) reaction utilizing a 1912 keV proton beam at the Karlsruhe Van de Graaff accelerator. Activated samples resulting in long-lived nuclear reaction products with half-lives in the order of yr 100 Myr were analyzed by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). Comparison of the obtained reaction cross sections to literature data from previous Time-of-Flight (ToF) measurements showed that the selected AMS data are systematically lower than the ToF data. To investigate this discrepancy, 54Fe(n,γ)55Fe and 35Cl(n,γ)36Cl reaction cross sections were newly measured at the Frankfurt Neutron Source (FRANZ) in Germany. To complement the existing data, an additional neutron activation of 54Fe and 35Cl at a proton energy of 2 MeV was performed. The results will give implications for the stellar environment at kT = 90 keV, reaching the not yet experimentally explored high-energy s-process range. AMS measurements of the activated samples are scheduled.
Description of two new genera and a taxonomic key to the world genera of Cybocephalidae (Coleoptera)
(2020)
The sixteen genera of Cybocephalidae (Coleoptera) occurring worldwide are listed and keyed. The genera included are Amedissia Kirejtshuk and Mantič, Apastillus Kirejtshuk and Mantič, Cybocephalus Erichson, Endrodiellus Endrödy-Younga, Eupastillus Lawrence, Hierronius Endrödy-Younga, Horadion Endrödy-Younga, Pacicephalus Kirejtshuk and Mantič, Pastillocenicus Kirejtshuk and Nel, Pastillodes Endrödy-Younga, Pastillus Endrödy-Younga, Pycnocephalus Sharp, Taxicephomerus Kirejtshuk, Theticephalus Kirejtshuk, a description of a new genus, Microthomas T. R. Smith, with one new species, M. brevicornis T. R. Smith, from Bolivia, and a new genus, Conglobatus T. R. Smith, with two new species, C. armatus T. R. Smith from Central and South America and C. fullertoni T. R. Smith from Dominica. A key to genera, illustrations of morphological features, and distributional data are provided. The genus Nodola Bréthes is found to be a new synonym of Cybocephalus Erichson. The transfer of Nodola chilensis Bréthes into Cybocephalus creates a secondary homonymy with C. chilensis Reitter. Nodola chilensis Bréthes is here given a new name, Cybocephalus brethesi T. R. Smith.
Macrophages acquire anti-inflammatory and proresolving functions to facilitate resolution of inflammation and promote tissue repair. While alternatively activated macrophages (AAMs), also referred to as M2 macrophages, polarized by type 2 (Th2) cytokines IL-4 or IL-13 contribute to the suppression of inflammatory responses and play a pivotal role in wound healing, contemporaneous exposure to apoptotic cells (ACs) potentiates the expression of anti-inflammatory and tissue repair genes. Given that liver X receptors (LXRs), which coordinate sterol metabolism and immune cell function, play an essential role in the clearance of ACs, we investigated whether LXR activation following engulfment of ACs selectively potentiates the expression of Th2 cytokine-dependent genes in primary human AAMs. We show that AC uptake simultaneously upregulates LXR-dependent, but suppresses SREBP-2-dependent gene expression in macrophages, which are both prevented by inhibiting Niemann–Pick C1 (NPC1)-mediated sterol transport from lysosomes. Concurrently, macrophages accumulate sterol biosynthetic intermediates desmosterol, lathosterol, lanosterol, and dihydrolanosterol but not cholesterol-derived oxysterols. Using global transcriptome analysis, we identify anti-inflammatory and proresolving genes including interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN) and arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase (ALOX15) whose expression are selectively potentiated in macrophages upon concomitant exposure to ACs or LXR agonist T0901317 (T09) and Th2 cytokines. We show priming macrophages via LXR activation enhances the cellular capacity to synthesize inflammation-suppressing specialized proresolving mediator (SPM) precursors 15-HETE and 17-HDHA as well as resolvin D5. Silencing LXRα and LXRβ in macrophages attenuates the potentiation of ALOX15 expression by concomitant stimulation of ACs or T09 and IL-13. Collectively, we identify a previously unrecognized mechanism of regulation whereby LXR integrates AC uptake to selectively shape Th2-dependent gene expression in AAMs.
We study the influence of the baryon chemical potential μB on the properties of the Quark–Gluon–Plasma (QGP) in and out-of equilibrium. The description of the QGP in equilibrium is based on the effective propagators and couplings from the Dynamical QuasiParticle Model (DQPM) that is matched to reproduce the equation-of-state of the partonic system above the deconfinement temperature Tc from lattice Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). We study the transport coefficients such as the ratio of shear viscosity η and bulk viscosity ζ over entropy density s, i.e., η/s and ζ/s in the (T,μ) plane and compare to other model results available at μB=0 . The out-of equilibrium study of the QGP is performed within the Parton–Hadron–String Dynamics (PHSD) transport approach extended in the partonic sector by explicitly calculating the total and differential partonic scattering cross sections based on the DQPM and the evaluated at actual temperature T and baryon chemical potential μB in each individual space-time cell where partonic scattering takes place. The traces of their μB dependences are investigated in different observables for symmetric Au + Au and asymmetric Cu + Au collisions such as rapidity and mT -distributions and directed and elliptic flow coefficients v1,v2 in the energy range 7.7 GeV ≤sNN−−−−√≤200 GeV.
Direct nanoscopic observation of plasma waves in the channel of a graphene field-effect transistor
(2020)
Plasma waves play an important role in many solid-state phenomena and devices. They also become significant in electronic device structures as the operation frequencies of these devices increase. A prominent example is field-effect transistors (FETs), that witness increased attention for application as rectifying detectors and mixers of electromagnetic waves at gigahertz and terahertz frequencies, where they exhibit very good sensitivity even high above the cut-off frequency defined by the carrier transit time. Transport theory predicts that the coupling of radiation at THz frequencies into the channel of an antenna-coupled FET leads to the development of a gated plasma wave, collectively involving the charge carriers of both the two-dimensional electron gas and the gate electrode. In this paper, we present the first direct visualization of these waves. Employing graphene FETs containing a buried gate electrode, we utilize near-field THz nanoscopy at room temperature to directly probe the envelope function of the electric field amplitude on the exposed graphene sheet and the neighboring antenna regions. Mapping of the field distribution documents that wave injection is unidirectional from the source side since the oscillating electrical potentials on the gate and drain are equalized by capacitive shunting. The plasma waves, excited at 2 THz, are overdamped, and their decay time lies in the range of 25-70 fs. Despite this short decay time, the decay length is rather long, i.e., 0.3-0.5 μm, because of the rather large propagation speed of the plasma waves, which is found to lie in the range of 3.5-7 × 106 m/s, in good agreement with theory. The propagation speed depends only weakly on the gate voltage swing and is consistent with the theoretically predicted 1/4 power law.
Management of decompensated cirrhosis is currently geared towards the treatment of complications once they occur. To date there is no established disease-modifying therapy aimed at halting progression of the disease and preventing the development of complications in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. The design of clinical trials to investigate new therapies for patients with decompensated cirrhosis is complex. The population of patients with decompensated cirrhosis is heterogeneous (i.e., different etiologies, comorbidities and disease severity), leading to the inclusion of diverse populations in clinical trials. In addition, primary endpoints selected for trials that include patients with decompensated cirrhosis are not homogeneous and at times may not be appropriate. This leads to difficulties in comparing results obtained from different trials. Against this background, the LiverHope Consortium organized a meeting of experts, the goal of which was to develop recommendations for the design of clinical trials and to define appropriate endpoints, both for trials aimed at modifying the natural history and preventing progression of decompensated cirrhosis, as well as for trials aimed at managing the individual complications of cirrhosis.
Many species of plants and a few species of animals are believed to have resulted from hybridization of parental species, and the ability of species to occasionally hybridize in captivity and in nature is even more widespread. In the present study, we describe a hybridization experiment conducted in the laboratory between the sexually dimorphic Automeris io (Fabricius), a widespread, variable species ranging from Canada to Costa Rica, and its congener A. louisiana (Ferguson and Brou), a more local, sexually monomorphic species (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae). The A. louisiana populations occur in a highly specialized habitat—the coastal marshland along the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana and Texas and is nested inside the broad distribution of A. io, demonstrating strong differences from the latter in its ecology and morphology. No natural hybridization between the two species has been described. While the separate species status of A. io and A. louisiana is supported by morphology and ecology of their populations, we were able to create a hybrid lineage in the laboratory and maintained it for three generations. The hybrids were phenotypically intermediate between the parental species. Under a stricter reading of the biological species concept, such an ability to hybridize would be interpreted by some as a sign of conspecificity. Our experiments once again demonstrate the complexity of ‘species’ as a concept, which may need major redefinition in the popular interpretation of sciences.
Capparis macrantha Souvannakhoummane, Fici & Lanorsavanh sp. nov., a new shrub species characterized by erect or ascending habit, stipular thorns, large lanceolate-elliptic leaves and large flowers in supra-axillary rows, is described and illustrated from the deciduous forest in Nam Kading National Protected Area (central Lao PDR). The new species belongs to Capparis sect. Monostichocalyx Radlk. and is morphologically similar to C. radula Gagnep., a shrub widespread in the Indochinese area, differing in the shorter, straight stipular thorns, larger leaves, larger sepals and petals, higher number of stamens with longer filaments and longer gynophore and ovary. Its affinities with related taxa are discussed and a key is provided for the species of Capparis L. known from Lao PDR. The conservation status of the new species is provisionally assessed as Vulnerable (VU D1).
High-pressure single-crystal to 20 GPa and powder diffraction measurements to 50 GPa, show that the structure of Pb2SnO4 strongly distorts on compression with an elongation of one axis. A structural phase transition occurs between 10 GPa and 12 GPa, with a change of space group from Pbam to Pnam. The resistivity decreases by more than six orders of magnitude when pressure is increased from ambient conditions to 50 GPa. This insulator-to-semiconductor transition is accompanied by a reversible appearance change from transparent to opaque. Density functional theory-based calculations show that at ambient conditions the channels in the structure host the stereochemically-active Pb 6s2 lone electron pairs. On compression the lone electron pairs form bonds between Pb2+ ions. Also provided is an assignment of irreducible representations to the experimentally observed Raman bands.
The recruitment processes and resulting distribution pattern of bird-dispersed Canary Island Date Palm, Phoenix canariensis (family Arecaceae) in a riverine forest setting are described. All palms on a near-urban peninsula of the Murrumbidgee River near Hay, New South Wales were GPS mapped and classified into height-dependent age categories. The distribution of the plants was examined spatially in relation to possible source palms and in relation to elevation with regard to flooding levels. Successful recruitment is subject to a range of environmental parameters, primarily palatability to vectors and seedling mortality due to lack of moisture, frost or grazing by herbivores. If a seedling survives that critical period of the first 18 months, long-term success is (almost) guaranteed, unless catastrophic events (bushfires, prolonged flooding) intervene. Based on the findings, a conceptual model for the recruitment of Phoenix canariensis palms is provided. Even though the palms produce fruit for much of the year (March–December), the time window for successful recruitment is restricted to a period from August to mid-September with short shoulder periods on either side.
Radiating exposures
(2020)
The brief explorations of radiation exposures presented within this essay draw primarily from nuclear art and culture and contribute to the field of nuclear aesthetics, which has long been fixated on the problem of visibility and the representation of nuclear residues. The examples draw primarily from photographic technologies and other aesthetic registers that capture visual residues of radiation. The challenges of nuclear aesthetics are also political and social. This constellation of objects and inquiries is meant to explore the fraught political, environmental, and social relations between radiation, visibility, toxicity, through the concept of exposure. They offer feminist glimpses into other ways of thinking exposure, as it develops in relation to (often imperceptible) toxicity that is not inscribed into a logic that partitions the passive victim of suffering from some pure or unaffected subject. They are examples that are both forms of exposure specific to the nuclear while also, perhaps, helping to expose more nuanced and complex ways of understanding forms of exposure that extend beyond nuclearity.
The issue of data security has become increasingly complex in the age of the internet and artificial intelligence. The developments seem to be almost unmanageable in some areas. Cooperation between jurisprudence and information technology is the only thing that can protect the individual and certain social groups from discrimination.
A new millipede species of the genus Sechelleptus Mauriès, 1980 is described and illustrated from Mayotte Island, Indian Ocean. This new species, S. arborivagus sp. nov., found on trees, looks particularly similar to the sympatric S. variabilis VandenSpiegel & Golovatch, 2007, but is much larger and has a very different ecological behavior. Phylogenetic analyses based on a concatenated dataset of the COI and 16S rRNA genes and including nine species of Spirostreptidae (including Sechelleptus, Doratogonus Attems, 1914, Bicoxidens Attems, 1928 and Spirostreptus Brandt, 1833), strongly support the monophyly of Sechelleptus. Despite the similarity of their genitalia, the molecular analyses also reveal a clear-cut genetic divergence between S. arborivagus sp. nov. and S. variabilis (22.55% for COI and 6.63% for 16SrRNA) and further suggest the presence of a higher diversity within the genus Sechelleptus on Mayotte.
A link between populism and social media is often suspected. This paper spells out a set of possible mechanisms underpinning this link: that social media changes the communication structure of the public sphere, making it harder for citizens to obtain evidence that refutes populist assumptions. By developing a model of the public sphere, four core functions of the public sphere are identified: exposing citizens to diverse information, promoting equality of deliberative opportunity, creating deliberative transparency, and producing common knowledge. A wellworking public sphere allows citizens to learn that there are genuine disagreements among citizens that are held in good faith. Social media makes it harder to gain this insight, opening the door for populist ideology.
We investigate hadronic particle spectra and flow characteristics of heavy-ion reactions in the FAIR/NICA energy range of 1 AGeV ≤ Elab ≤ 10 AGeV within a relativistic ideal hydrodynamic one-fluid approach. The particlization is realized by sampling the Cooper-Frye distribution for a grand canonical hadron gas on a hypersurface of constant energy density. Results of the hydrodynamic calculations for different underlying equations of state are presented and compared with experimental data and microscopic transport simulations. The sensitivity of the approach to physical model inputs concerning the initial state and the particlization is studied.
Virtual reality (VR) headsets offer a large and immersive workspace for displaying visualizations with stereoscopic vision, as compared to traditional environments with monitors or printouts. The controllers for these devices further allow direct three-dimensional interaction with the virtual environment. In this paper, we make use of these advantages to implement a novel multiple and coordinated view (MCV) system in the form of a vertical stack, showing tilted layers of geospatial data. In a formal study based on a use-case from urbanism that requires cross-referencing four layers of geospatial urban data, we compared it against more conventional systems similarly implemented in VR: a simpler grid of layers, and one map that allows for switching between layers. Performance and oculometric analyses showed a slight advantage of the two spatial-multiplexing methods (the grid or the stack) over the temporal multiplexing in blitting. Subgrouping the participants based on their preferences, characteristics, and behavior allowed a more nuanced analysis, allowing us to establish links between e.g., saccadic information, experience with video games, and preferred system. In conclusion, we found that none of the three systems are optimal and a choice of different MCV systems should be provided in order to optimally engage users.
Fragment-based screening has evolved as a remarkable approach within the drug discovery process both in the industry and academia. Fragment screening has become a more structure-based approach to inhibitor development, but also towards development of pathway-specific clinical probes. However, it is often witnessed that the availability, immediate and long-term, of a high quality fragment-screening library is still beyond the reach of most academic laboratories. Within iNEXT (Infrastructure for NMR, EM and X-rays for Translational research), a EU-funded Horizon 2020 program, a collection of 782 fragments were assembled utilizing the concept of “poised fragments” with the aim to facilitate downstream synthesis of ligands with high affinity by fragment ligation. Herein, we describe the analytical procedure to assess the quality of this purchased and assembled fragment library by NMR spectroscopy. This quality assessment requires buffer solubility screening, comparison with LC/MS quality control and is supported by state-of-the-art software for high throughput data acquisition and on-the-fly data analysis. Results from the analysis of the library are presented as a prototype of fragment progression through the quality control process.
Neutron-induced fission cross sections of isotopes involved in the nuclear fuel cycle are vital for the design and safe operation of advanced nuclear systems. Such experimental data can also provide additional constraints for the adjustment of nuclear model parameters used in the evaluation process, resulting in the further development of fission models. In the present work, the 237Np(n,f) cross section was studied at the EAR2 vertical beam-line at CERN's n_TOF facility, over a wide range of neutron energies, from meV to MeV, using the time-of-flight technique and a set-up based on Micromegas detectors, in an attempt to provide accurate experimental data. Preliminary results in the 200 keV – 14 MeV neutron energy range as well as the experimental procedure, including a description of the facility and the data handling and analysis, will be presented.
Under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, new controls are being implemented to reduce emissions of HFC-23 (CHF3), a by-product during the manufacture of HCFC-22 (CHClF2). Starting in 2015, China and India, who dominate global HCFC-22 production (75% in 2017), set out ambitious programs to reduce HFC-23 emissions. Here, we estimate that these measures should have seen global emissions drop by 87% between 2014 and 2017. Instead, atmospheric observations show that emissions have increased and in 2018 were higher than at any point in history (15.9 ± 0.9 Gg yr−1). Given the magnitude of the discrepancy between expected and observation-inferred emissions, it is likely that the reported reductions have not fully materialized or there may be substantial unreported production of HCFC-22, resulting in unaccounted-for HFC-23 by-product emissions. The difference between reported and observation-inferred estimates suggests that an additional ~309 Tg CO2-equivalent emissions were added to the atmosphere between 2015 and 2017.
Recent research has identified significant correlations between traumatic events and depression in refugees. However, few studies have addressed the role of acculturation strategies in this relationship. This study explored the relationship between cultural orientation, traumatic events and depression in female refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, and Somalia living in Germany. We expected acculturation strategies to moderate the effect of traumatic experiences on depression. The sample included 98 female refugees in Germany. The depression scale of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL) represented the dependent measure. The trauma checklists derived from the Post-traumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ) as well as the Frankfurt Acculturation Scale (FRACC) were used as independent measures for traumatic events and orientation toward the host culture as well as orientation toward the culture of origin, respectively. A moderation analysis was conducted to examine whether the relationship between the number of traumatic events and depression was influenced by the women’s orientation toward the culture of origin and the host culture. We identified a significant model explaining 26.85% of the variance in depressive symptoms (Cohen’s f2 = 0.37). The number of traumatic events and the orientation toward the host culture exerted significant effects on depressive symptoms. The moderating effect was not significant, indicating that the effect of the number of traumatic events was not influenced by cultural orientation. Based on our results, orientation toward the host culture as well as traumatic experiences exert independent effects on depressive symptoms in refugees.
Chronic inflammation is considered to be a cause of the autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, etc. The search for effective compounds with anti-inflammatory properties to combat these diseases is still ongoing. Natural compound narciclasine, derived from plants of Narcissus species, demonstrated its anti-inflammatory activity in in vivo arthritis models. Further investigation of narciclasine’s anti-inflammatory activity together with its impact on the interaction between leukocytes and endothelial cells was the main focus of this PhD thesis.
Narciclasine reduced the infiltration of monocytes and neutrophils to the abdomen and the concentration of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF, IL-6 and IL-1β. Together with this, it reduced acute visceral pain caused by zymosan injection. Narciclasine interfered with leukocyte-endothelial cell interaction in both in vivo and in vitro models. In vivo microscopy revealed that the compound reduced rolling, adhesion and transmigration of leukocytes in the vessels of an injured murine cremaster muscle. This observation was confirmed in the in vitro models for adhesion and transmigration where narciclasine reduced the level of leukocyte’s interaction with HUVECs. Narciclasine demonstrated profound anti-inflammatory properties based on its interference with leukocyte-endothelium interaction by downregulation of endothelial cell adhesion molecules expression (ICAM-1, VCAM-1, E-selectin, CX3CL1) and shutdown of NF-κB pathway. All these effects were a result of the TNF receptor 1 protein translation blocking by narciclasine.
In this work the ability of the compound to reduce visceral pain, downregulate the expression of the endothelial cell adhesion molecules and to interfere with the interaction between leukocytes and endothelial cells was demonstrated for narciclasine for the first time. Obtained results open a promising insight into the understanding of narciclasine’s anti-inflammatory properties and justify further investigation of its potential for treatment of inflammatory diseases.
In this paper we describe Macrobiotus engbergi sp. nov. and Tenuibiotus zandrae sp. nov. from Greenland. Our study has involved both classical taxonomic methods, which include morphological and morphometric analyses conducted with the use of light and scanning electron microscopy, and genetic analysis based on four molecular markers (three nuclear: 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, ITS-2, and one mitochondrial: COI). Moreover, we re-examined the type series of Tenuibiotus voronkovi (Tumanov, 2007) as well as the original sample where the species was found and we provide new morphological data from light and scanning electron microscopy which enabled us to amend its description. Finally, we also analysed slides with animals and egg of two populations from Nordaustlandet and Edgeøya (archipelago of Svalbard, Norway) designated as T. voronkovi within its recent redescription. The results and comparisons presented in our study question the validity of this designation.
Objective: Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has markedly increased survival and quality of life in people living with HIV. With the advent of new treatment options, including single-tablet regimens, durability and efficacy of first-line cART regimens are evolving.
Methods: We analyzed data from the prospective multicenter German Clinical Surveillance of HIV Disease (ClinSurv) cohort of the Robert-Koch Institute. Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards models were run to examine the factors associated with treatment modification. Recovery after treatment initiation was analyzed comparing pre-cART viral load and CD4+ T-cell counts with follow-up data.
Results: We included 8788 patients who initiated cART between 2005 and 2017. The sample population was predominantly male (n = 7040; 80.1%), of whom 4470 (63.5%) were reporting sex with men as the transmission risk factor. Overall, 4210 (47.9%) patients modified their first-line cART after a median time of 63 months (IQR 59–66). Regimens containing integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTI) were associated with significantly lower rates of treatment modification (adjusted hazard ratio 0.44; 95% CI 0.39–0.50) compared to protease inhibitor (PI)-based regimens. We found a decreased durability of first-line cART significantly associated with being female, a low CD4+ T-cell count, cART initiation in the later period (2011–2017), being on a multi-tablet regimen (MTR).
Conclusions: Drug class and MTRs are significantly associated with treatment modification. INSTI-based regimens showed to be superior compared to PI-based regimens in terms of durability.
The first Oriental species of the genus Trichopsomyia Williston, 1888, Trichopsomyia pilosa sp. nov. (Java), has been discovered and is now described. This Oriental species of Trichopsomyia has several characters strongly differing from the other species within this genus. It is hypothesized that it forms a separate group within Trichopsomyia. One species, Trichopsomyia formiciphila Downes, Skevington & Thompson, 2017, from Australia, is similar to the Oriental species described here, and the group is named after this first described species, hence the formiciphila group. The characters for a future phylogenetic analysis are discussed. The character states of the pilosity of the katepisternum and the shape of the metasternum hitherto used in a phylogenetic analysis of Syrphidae Latreille, 1802 are discussed too.