Scorzonera sensu lato (Asteraceae, Cichorieae) – taxonomic reassessment in the light of new molecular phylogenetic and carpological analyses

Scorzonera comprises 180–190 species and belongs to the subtribe Scorzonerinae. Its circumscription has long been the subject of debate and available molecular phylogenetic analyses affirmed the polyphyly of Scorzonera in its wide sense. We provide a re-evaluation of Scorzonera and other related genera, based on carpological (including anatomical) and extended molecular phylogenetic analyses. We present, for the first time, a comprehensive sampling, including Scorzonera in its widest sense and all other genera recognised in the Scorzonerinae. We conducted phylogenetic analyses using Maximum Parsimony, Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses, based on sequences of the nuclear ribosomal ITS and of two plastid markers (partial rbcL and matK) and Maximum Parsimony for reconstructing the carpological character states at ancestral nodes. Achene characters, especially related to pericarp anatomy, such as general topography of the tissue types, disposition of the mechanical tissue and direction of its fibres, presence or absence of air cavities, provide, in certain cases, support for the phylogenetic lineages revealed. Confirming the polyphyly of Scorzonera, we propose a revised classification of the subtribe, accepting the genera Scorzonera (including four major clades: Scorzonera s. str., S. purpurea, S. albicaulis and Podospermum), Gelasia, Lipschitzia gen. nov. (for the Scorzonera divaricata clade), Pseudopodospermum, Pterachaenia (also including Scorzonera codringtonii), Ramaliella gen. nov. (for the S. polyclada clade) and Takhtajaniantha. A key to the revised genera and a characterisation of the genera and major clades are provided

Separation of 44Sc from Natural Calcium Carbonate Targets for Synthesis of 44Sc-DOTATATE

The rapid increase in applications of scandium isotopes in nuclear medicine requires new efficient production routes for these radioisotopes. Recently, irradiations of calcium in cyclotrons by , deuteron, and proton beams have been used. Therefore, effective post-irradiation separation and preconcentration of the radioactive scandium from the calcium matrix are important to obtain the pure final product in a relatively small volume. Nobias resin was used as a sorbent for effective separation of 44Sc from calcium targets. Separation was performed at pH 3 using a column containing 10 mg of resin. Scandium was eluted with 100 L of 2 mol L1 HCl. Particular attention was paid to the reduction of calcium concentration, presence of metallic impurities, robustness and simple automation. 44Sc was separated with 94.9 2.8% yield, with results in the range of 91.7–99.0%. Purity of the eluate was confirmed with ICP-OES determination of metallic impurities and >99% chelation efficiency with DOTATATE, followed by >36 h radiochemical stability of the complex. A wide range of optimal conditions and robustness to target variability and suspended matter facilitates the proposed method in automatic systems for scandium isotope separation and synthesis of scandium-labeled radiopharmaceuticals

A Qualitative Investigation of Individual, Interpersonal, and Institutional Contributions to Postpartum Work-Family Balance

Managing personal and professional responsibilities may be challenging during the postpartum period, as employees navigate new roles, responsibilities, and family dynamics. The purpose of this paper was to understand the work/life balance experiences of diverse stakeholders and identify opportunities to improve the work environment. We conducted a series of in-depth focus groups with faculty, staff, and graduate students (n = 22), and in-depth interviews with administrators (n = 10) at a research-intensive university in the United States. A six-phase thematic analysis approach was used to examine the experiences and perspectives of individuals with different roles. Three themes with subsequent subthemes emerged: 1) employee role shapes perspectives on campus policies and practices; 2) confusion about policies exacerbates return-to-work issues; and 3) coworkers and supervisors are the primary sources of postpartum support in this workplace. Employees in our study expressed strong desires for clear, consistent institutional policies to ensure employees’ postpartum return-to-work experiences were not dependent on informal arrangements with coworkers and supervisors. Faculty, staff, and graduate student postpartum needs are shaped by individual, interpersonal, and community factors. Clear communication between individuals who make policy decisions and those who are subject to the policies may reduce employee issues during the postpartum period

Safety and biodistribution of a double-deleted oncolytic vaccinia virus encoding CD40 ligand in laboratory Beagles

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Constrained phosphine chalcogenide selenoethers supported by peri-substitution

A series of phosphorus and selenium peri-substituted acenaphthene species with the phosphino group oxidized by O, S, and Se has been isolated and fully characterized, including by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The P(V) and Se(II) systems showed fluxional behavior in solution due to the presence of two major rotamers, as evidenced with solution NMR spectroscopy. Using Variable-Temperature NMR (VT NMR) and supported by DFT (Density Functional Theory) calculations and solid-state NMR, the major rotamers in the solid and in solution were identified. All compounds showed a loss of the through-space JPSe coupling observed in the unoxidized P(III) and Se(II) systems due to the sequestration of the lone pair of the phosphine, which has been previously identified as the major contributor to the coupling pathway.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Perspectives on innovation: The role of engineering design

The aim of the paper is to foster a discussion in the engineering design community about its understanding of the innovation phenomena and the unique contribution that comes from engineering design. The paper reports on the dialouge originating from a series of workshops with participants from different backgrounds in engineering design, systems engineering, industrial design psychology and business. Definitions of innovation are revisited as used in business, management and engineering design contexts. The role of innovation is then discussed related to product development from (i) the management perspective, (ii) a systems architecture perspective and (iii) in relation to sustainable development as one driver of innovation. It is argued that engineering design has a central role in how to realise the novelty aspect of innovation and often plays a critical role in maturing these into the valuable products, and there is a need to articulate the role of engineering design in innovation to better resonate with the business and management research

Strukturierte Versorgung von Patient*innen mit atraumatischen Bauchschmerzen in der Notaufnahme

Background: Patients with atraumatic abdominal pain are common in the emergency department and have a relatively high hospital mortality, with a very wide spectrum of different causes. Rapid, goal-directed diagnosis is essential in this context. Methods: In a Delphi process with representatives of different disciplines, a diagnostic treatment pathway was designed, which is called the Abdominal Pain Unit (APU). Results: The treatment pathway was designed as an extended event process chain. Crucial decision points were specified using standard operating procedures. Discussion: The APU treatment pathway establishes a consistent treatment structure for patients with atraumatic abdominal pain. It has the potential to improve the quality of care and reduce intrahospital mortality over the long term

Keratinocytes regulate the threshold of inflammation by inhibiting T cell effector functions

Whilst the importance of keratinocytes as a first-line defense has been widely investigated, little is known about their interactions with non-resident immune cells. In this study, the impact of human keratinocytes on T cell effector functions was analyzed in an antigen-specific in vitro model of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) to nickel sulfate. Keratinocytes partially inhibited T cell proliferation and cytokine production. This effect was dependent on the keratinocyte/T cell ratio and was partially reversible by increasing the number of autologous dendritic cells. The inhibition of T cell proliferation by keratinocytes was independent of the T cell subtype and antigen presentation by different professional antigen-presenting cells. Autologous and heterologous keratinocytes showed comparable effects, while the fixation of keratinocytes with paraformaldehyde abrogated the immunosuppressive effect. The separation of keratinocytes and T cells by a transwell chamber, as well as a cell-free keratinocyte supernatant, inhibited T cell effector functions to the same amount as directly co-cultured keratinocytes, thus proving that soluble factor/s account for the observed suppressive effects. In conclusion, keratinocytes critically control the threshold of inflammatory processes in the skin by inhibiting T cell proliferation and cytokine production