The effect of climate variation on agro-pastoral production in Africa

Using national crop and livestock production records from 1961–2003 and satellite-derived data on pasture greenness from 1982–2003 we show that the productivity of crops, livestock, and pastures in Africa is predictably associated with the El Niño Southern Oscillation and the North Atlantic Oscillation. The causal relations of these results are partly understandable through the associations between the atmospheric fluctuations and African rainfall. The range of the explained among-year variation in crop production in Africa as a whole corresponds to the nutritional requirements for ≈20 million people. Results suggest reduced African food production if the global climate changes toward more El Niño-like conditions, as most climate models predict. Maize production in southern Africa is most strongly affected by El Niño events. Management measures include annual changes in crop selection and storage strategies in response to El Niño Southern Oscillation-based and North Atlantic Oscillation-based predictions for the next growing season.Keywords: nonlinear statistical modelling, food production, North Atlantic Oscillation, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, El Nino Southern Oscillatio

Against the odds: Network and institutional pathways enabling agricultural diversification

Farming systems that support locally diverse agricultural production and high levels of biodiversity are in rapid decline, despite evidence of their benefits for climate, environmental health, and food security. Yet, agricultural policies, financial incentives, and market concentration increasingly constrain the viability of diversified farming systems. Here, we present a conceptual framework to identify novel processes that promote the emergence and sustainability of diversified farming systems, using three real-world examples where farming communities have found pathways to diversification despite major structural constraints. By applying our framework to analyze these bright spots in the United States, Brazil, and Malawi, we identify two distinct pathways—network and institutional—to diversification. These pathways emerge through alignment of factors related to social and ecological structure (policies, institutions, and environmental conditions) and agency (values, collective action, and management decisions). We find that, when network and institutional pathways operate in tandem, the potential to scale up diversification across farms and landscapes increases substantially

Untersuchungen zu verschiedenen Füllungskomponenten eines porösen, keramischen Knochenersatzstoffes auf Basis von TiO2 und Glas und deren Auswirkungen auf das Einwachsverhalten in vitales Knochengewebe

The substitution of bone tissue is necessary in case of traumatic tissue infraction, after degenerative processes of the skeletal system and finally in all endoprothetic interventions. Respective in the research of open-porous ceramics many experimental and clinical trials confirmed that non-organic ceramics such as calcium phosphate, bioactive glasses and glass-ceramic-hybrids have potential applications in hard tissue replacement. In previous in-vitro experiments we have shown that the TiO2/glass composite Ecopore is well tolerated and the modification of Ecopore with cell adhesion mediator fibronectin or bone morphogentic protein-2 (BMP-2) led to enhanced spreading and growth of human osteoblasts without cell damage. BMP-2 is a morphogen and a growth factor with osteoinductive properties – it has been studied to improve the integration of bone replacement materials and thus to accelerate bone healing [1,2]. In the present study we implanted Ecopore-cylinders filled with BMP-2 and combined with Heparin/Collagen in a rabbit bone defect model to find out whether bone ingrowth could be further enhanced by this modification. We implanted 5 different modified Ecopore cylinders into critical size defects of 10 medial rabbit femora and applied pulsed polychrome sequence staging weekly. To overcome loss of function due to chemical surface coupling, we filled the pore system of Ecopore with heparinized collagen sponge and loaded this secondary matrix with BMP-2 in 2 approaches. After a period of 6 weeks we evaluated the resulting bone/implant interface radiographically and histologically to describe the bone apposition rate by fluorescence microscopy and the ingrowth by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis (EDX). Statistical significance was estimated using Student’s t-test. During 6 weeks following the implantation blinded histological analysis revealed all implanted cylinders to be fully biocompatible and partially ingrown. For quantification of the bone built-in we analyzed the specimen by EDX: BMP-2 loaded Ecopore/collagen had significantly higher bony ingrowth quantities in vivo, with the heparinized modification yielding the highest value (16.09 ± 3.51%, p<0,005) compared to the non-heparinized matrix (10.72 ± 4.07%, p<0,05) and the BMP-2-free controls (5.60 ± 1.47%). Revealed by the fluorescence microscopy these results were confirmed – BMP-2 loaded Ecopore/collagen cylinders (22.325 ± 3.78 µm/week) had higher bone apposition rate as the control group (18.01 ± 2.83 µ/week). We conclude that the TiO2/glass composite is well tolerated without toxic reactions or inflammation processes. In summary, etching and filling BMP-2 on a heparinized collagen matrix can enhance bone tissue ingrowth. Furthermore the Ecopore/collagen as the BMP-2/Heparin-release system can be a new path for a greater degree, e.g. the control of pore dimensions by cross-linking, additional modification and the variation of loading quantities of BMP-2

Untersuchungen zu verschiedenen Füllungskomponenten eines porösen, keramischen Knochenersatzstoffes auf Basis von TiO2 und Glas und deren Auswirkungen auf das Einwachsverhalten in vitales Knochengewebe

The substitution of bone tissue is necessary in case of traumatic tissue infraction, after degenerative processes of the skeletal system and finally in all endoprothetic interventions. Respective in the research of open-porous ceramics many experimental and clinical trials confirmed that non-organic ceramics such as calcium phosphate, bioactive glasses and glass-ceramic-hybrids have potential applications in hard tissue replacement. In previous in-vitro experiments we have shown that the TiO2/glass composite Ecopore is well tolerated and the modification of Ecopore with cell adhesion mediator fibronectin or bone morphogentic protein-2 (BMP-2) led to enhanced spreading and growth of human osteoblasts without cell damage. BMP-2 is a morphogen and a growth factor with osteoinductive properties – it has been studied to improve the integration of bone replacement materials and thus to accelerate bone healing [1,2]. In the present study we implanted Ecopore-cylinders filled with BMP-2 and combined with Heparin/Collagen in a rabbit bone defect model to find out whether bone ingrowth could be further enhanced by this modification. We implanted 5 different modified Ecopore cylinders into critical size defects of 10 medial rabbit femora and applied pulsed polychrome sequence staging weekly. To overcome loss of function due to chemical surface coupling, we filled the pore system of Ecopore with heparinized collagen sponge and loaded this secondary matrix with BMP-2 in 2 approaches. After a period of 6 weeks we evaluated the resulting bone/implant interface radiographically and histologically to describe the bone apposition rate by fluorescence microscopy and the ingrowth by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis (EDX). Statistical significance was estimated using Student’s t-test. During 6 weeks following the implantation blinded histological analysis revealed all implanted cylinders to be fully biocompatible and partially ingrown. For quantification of the bone built-in we analyzed the specimen by EDX: BMP-2 loaded Ecopore/collagen had significantly higher bony ingrowth quantities in vivo, with the heparinized modification yielding the highest value (16.09 ± 3.51%, p<0,005) compared to the non-heparinized matrix (10.72 ± 4.07%, p<0,05) and the BMP-2-free controls (5.60 ± 1.47%). Revealed by the fluorescence microscopy these results were confirmed – BMP-2 loaded Ecopore/collagen cylinders (22.325 ± 3.78 µm/week) had higher bone apposition rate as the control group (18.01 ± 2.83 µ/week). We conclude that the TiO2/glass composite is well tolerated without toxic reactions or inflammation processes. In summary, etching and filling BMP-2 on a heparinized collagen matrix can enhance bone tissue ingrowth. Furthermore the Ecopore/collagen as the BMP-2/Heparin-release system can be a new path for a greater degree, e.g. the control of pore dimensions by cross-linking, additional modification and the variation of loading quantities of BMP-2

Endovascular Management of a Combined Subclavian and Vertebral Artery Injury in an Unstable Polytrauma Patient: Case Report and Literature Review

While blunt trauma of the head and neck are a common pattern of injury, significant problems related to the prompt diagnosis and optimal management of traumatic artery injuries have been reported in the literature. While patients with major artery injuries might develop hemorrhagic shock very rapidly, patients with blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVI) can present asymptomatic, but complications like basilar territory infarction, cortical blindness and death may occur. We report the life- and limb-saving management in a 57-year-old hemodynamically unstable trauma patient. The individual developed hemorrhagic shock, and other major complications, including cortical blindness, related to a posterior circulation stroke. Full recovery was achieved by immediate endovascular prosthesis for subclavian artery (SA) rupture and stenting of a traumatic vertebral artery occlusion. Endovascular and alternative treatment options are discussed and the management of subsequent sequelae associated with aggressive anticoagulation in trauma patients is reviewed, including intracranial, abdominal and other sites of secondary hemorrhage

Repatriation of French Citizens from China during 1945

This record is part of a group of data resources tracing European persons who were resident or serving in East Asia during the early 20th century and who were displaced as a result of national border changes and conflicts. It is one component of Divisive Power of Citizenship-an SNSF-funded project (grant number 100011_184860/1). The attached dataset contains information about 4,784 persons affected by the allied repatriation effort. These persons were transported on or before August 1946 by the U.S. military from China to French Indochina. The dataset is an export from an Invenio corpus repository, maintained at https://citizenship.freizo.org/ which is searchable via a tailored historic persons data model and supports a IIIF service. However the data is independently-consumable JSON described by a JSON Schema. WC3-based scientific annotation has been employed to structure digital representations of the printed and hand-written source material

Muscular changes after minimally invasive versus open spinal stabilization of thoracolumbar fractures: A literature review

PURPOSE This review addressed the question of whether minimally invasive surgery after traumatic thoracolumbar spine fractures can reduce paraspinal muscle injury, limit changes in muscular structure and function, and lead to better functional outcome. Special emphasis was given to studies using imaging techniques or electromyography to evaluate the lumbar multifidus muscle structure and function. METHODS The authors searched the literature in the PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, by cross-referencing and additional hand search. Included were comparative studies between conventional open and minimally invasive or percutaneous surgical approaches. Twelve studies were included. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The literature review supports the assumption that minimally invasive surgery preserves muscles for the early post-operative period, even though the level of evidence is still low. The correlation of changes in muscular structure to pain, strength, disability, and quality of life remains ambiguous and should be addressed in further studies with a focus on the surgical approach