Victorian Internationalisms: Response

The articles included in “Victorian Internationalisms” stress how attention to geopolitical contexts beyond those associated with imperialism can enrich our understanding of the Victorian engagement with the wider world. At the same time, they largely resist the temptation to recast Victorian cultural production within the often valorized rhetoric of transnationalism and cosmopolitanism. They reveal instead, for instance, the subtle ways in which national self-interest could overlap with humanitarian concerns or how British authors such as Oscar Wilde both welcomed and resisted the influence of French literature and culture. “Victorian Internationalisms” likewise draws renewed attention to the category of the “literary” itself as a discursive space perhaps uniquely suited to dramatizing the complexities of geopolitical involvement

Waterloo and its afterlife in the nineteenth-century periodical and newspaper press

This special issue commemorates the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Napoleon’s final defeat was of course a watershed event in the history of Europe, and the political and cultural impact of the battle would remain fresh for decades to come. Wellington, for instance, lived well into the Victorian period, and his massive state funeral in 1852—the same year that saw the nephew of his adversary at Waterloo crowned emperor of France—was a major cultural and historical event in its own right. These and other events shaped by the historical legacy of Waterloo inspired intense coverage and debate in the periodical press of the time. This special issue presents papers on a variety of perspectives and from across disciplines which re-examine this legacy and shed light on the conventions of periodical and newspaper journalism of the period

Mapping Soil Pore Water Salinity of Tidal Marsh Habitats Using Electromagnetic Induction in Great Bay Estuary, USA

Electromagnetic induction was used to measure apparent conductivity of soil pore water within 15 oligohaline to polyhaline tidal marshes of the Great Bay Estuary in New Hampshire, USA. The instrument was linked to a differential global positioning system via a hand-held field computer to geo-reference data. Apparent conductivity was converted to salinity using a regression derived from field data, and mapped to illustrate spatial salinity gradients throughout the marshes. Plant communities occurring at the study sites included native low marsh, high marsh, and brackish tidal riverbank marsh, as well as communities dominated by native and non-native common reed, Phragmites australis. Results revealed mean salinity values were significantly different between each of the community categories sampled within the Estuary. Due to management concerns over expansion of Phragmites within the Estuary, we mapped the salinity range for this community and provided graphic and numerical estimates of potential Phragmites habitat based on salinity alone (26% of the total acreage surveyed). Electromagnetic induction is an efficient tool for rapid reconnaissance of apparent conductivity and salinity gradients in tidal marsh soils that can be superimposed on aerial imagery to estimate suitable habitat for restoration or invasive control based on salinity ranges

Belowground Biomass of Phragmites australis in Coastal Marshes

The distribution of below ground biomass within monotypic stands of invasive Phragmites australis (Common Reed) was documented from a series of oligo-, meso-, and polyhaline coastal marshes in New Hampshire. Soil profiles were described, and live biomass was documented growing to a maximum depth of 95 cm for roots and 85 cm for rhizomes. Our data show that invasive P. australis utilizes a greater depth range than native graminoids (90% within the top 70 cm and top 20 cm, respectively). We corroborate prior anecdotal observations and provide further evidence illustrating the potential for this invasive plant to access resources (i.e., water and nutrients) at depths greater than the native species with which it competes

Phase 2 study of AV-GBM-1 (a tumor-initiating cell targeted dendritic cell vaccine) in newly diagnosed Glioblastoma patients: safety and efficacy assessment.

BACKGROUND: Vaccine immunotherapy may improve survival in Glioblastoma (GBM). A multicenter phase II trial was designed to determine: (1) the success rate of manufacturing the Aivita GBM vaccine (AV-GBM-1), (2) Adverse Events (AE) associated with AV-GBM-1 administration, and (3) survival. METHODS: Fresh suspected glioblastoma tissue was collected during surgery, and patients with pathology-confirmed GBM enrolled before starting concurrent Radiation Therapy and Temozolomide (RT/TMZ) with Intent to Treat (ITT) after recovery from RT/TMZ. AV-GBM-1 was made by incubating autologous dendritic cells with a lysate of irradiated autologous Tumor-Initiating Cells (TICs). Eligible patients were adults (18 to 70 years old) with a Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS) of 70 or greater, a successful TIC culture, and sufficient monocytes collected. A cryopreserved AV-GBM-1 dose was thawed and admixed with 500 μg of Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) before every subcutaneous (s.c.) administration. RESULTS: Success rates were 97% for both TIC production and monocyte collection. AV-GBM-1 was manufactured for 63/63 patients; 60 enrolled per ITT; 57 started AV-GBM-1. The most common AEs attributed to AV-GBM-1 were local injection site reactions (16%) and flu-like symptoms (10%). Treatment-emergent AEs included seizures (33%), headache (37%), and focal neurologic symptoms (28%). One patient discontinued AV-GBM-1 because of seizures. Median Progression-Free Survival (mPFS) and median Overall Survival (mOS) from ITT enrollment were 10.4 and 16.0 months, respectively. 2-year Overall Survival (OS) is 27%. CONCLUSIONS: AV-GBM-1 was reliably manufactured. Treatment was well-tolerated, but there were numerous treatment-emergent central nervous system AEs. mPFS was longer than historical benchmarks, though no mOS improvement was noted. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT, NCT03400917 , Registered 10 January 2018