scholarly journals Microbial biospherics: The experimental study of ecosystem function and evolution

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (23) ◽  
pp. 11093-11098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias C. Rillig ◽  
Janis Antonovics
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Function ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Sensor Technology ◽  
Ecosystem Ecology ◽  
The Past ◽  
Closed Systems ◽  
Reductionist Approach ◽  
Long Term Studies

Awareness that our planet is a self-supporting biosphere with sunlight as its major source of energy for life has resulted in a long-term historical fascination with the workings of self-supporting ecological systems. However, the studies of such systems have never entered the canon of ecological or evolutionary tools and instead, have led a fringe existence connected to life support system engineering and space travel. We here introduce a framework for a renaissance in biospherics based on the study of matter-closed, energy-open ecosystems at a microbial level (microbial biospherics). Recent progress in genomics, robotics, and sensor technology makes the study of closed systems now much more tractable than in the past, and we argue that the time has come to emancipate the study of closed systems from this fringe context and bring them into a mainstream approach for studying ecosystem processes. By permitting highly replicated long-term studies, especially on predetermined and simplified systems, microbial biospheres offer the opportunity to test and develop strong hypotheses about ecosystem function and the ecological and evolutionary determinants of long-term system failure or persistence. Unlike many sciences, ecosystem ecology has never fully embraced a reductionist approach and has remained focused on the natural world in all its complexity. We argue that a reductionist approach to ecosystem ecology, using microbial biospheres, based on a combination of theory and the replicated study of much simpler self-enclosed microsystems could pay huge dividends.

2. Ideas

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Dobson
Keyword(s):  
Life Support ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Deep Ecology ◽  
Ecological Modernization ◽  
Limits To Growth ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Core Belief ◽  
Aggregate Growth ◽  
Central Belief

‘Ideas’ explains the key ideas driving environmental politics. It begins with The Limits to Growth (1972) that questioned the long-term future of the Earth as a life-support system for humans. The concepts of ecological modernization, moral extensionism, ethics and the environment, deep ecology, and anthropocentrism are considered. It goes on to explain the ideology of ecologism and how it can be distinguished from conservatism, liberalism, socialism, feminism, and environmentalism. A central belief of ecologism is that aggregate growth must be reduced, and that this is very unlikely to be achieved by efficiency gains alone. The other core belief turns on the question of why (if at all) we should value the non-human natural world.

scholarly journals Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction: Current Techniques

2001 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 419-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan R. Shons ◽  
Gerard Mosiello
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Breast Reconstruction ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Surgical Techniques ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Patient Benefit ◽  
The Past ◽  
Long Term Studies

Background The techniques of breast reconstruction have evolved and matured over the past 25 years. Recent studies have proven the benefit of breast reconstruction for breast cancer patients. Methods The authors reviewed the recent literature on the techniques of breast reconstruction and the effects of reconstruction on patients following surgery for breast cancer. The findings in recent studies are correlated with the experience of the authors. Results A better understanding has been gained regarding surgical techniques of breast reconstruction as well as the proper indications for the various methods. The criteria of patient benefit have been defined by recent long-term studies. Conclusions Breast reconstruction following mastectomy has been proven to be a safe and beneficial procedure.

scholarly journals On collagen, ageing and surgical treatment options following commercial kit withdrawals - a critical analysis

2019 ◽  
pp. 58-60
Author(s):  
BURGHARD ABENDSTEIN ◽  
DMITRY SHKARUPA ◽  
PETER PETROS
Keyword(s):  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Chronic Pelvic Pain ◽  
Midurethral Sling ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Ligament Repair ◽  
The Past ◽  
Urine Loss ◽  
Repair Techniques ◽  
Long Term Studies

The banning of all mesh for prolapse by the FDA has failed to recognize that there is a major difference between mesh sheets applied behind the vagina for POP and repair of POP by shortening and reinforcing damaged suspensory ligaments, much as is used in the midurethral sling (MUS) which retains endorsement by the FDA. Mesh sheets interfere with the vaginal elasticity essential for function and may cause pain and massive urine loss postoperatively, in some cases; tapes far less so, as they have little contact with vagina and work by shortening and reinforcing damaged ligaments in the same way as the MUS operation. The main pathogenesis of POP is leaching out of collagen after the menopause. Weakened ligaments cannot support the organs so they prolapse. Only artificial collagenous neoligaments created by implanted tapes (as per the MUS) can create the new collagen required to repair these ligaments. The major advances developed over the past 30 years for treatment of POP using these ligament repair techniques has in one stroke been abolished. The treatment of POP has been set back 100 years. In their twilight years, many women will suffer the consequences of loose posterior ligaments, major prolapse, urge, nocturia, chronic pelvic pain, obstructed micturition defecation and fecal incontinence. The FDA needs to reconsider its ban, at least for tapes, which are supported by individual, multicentre and long-term studies.

Present status of the prevention of neural tube defects

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1975 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 751-753
Author(s):  
Henry L. Nadler
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Incontinence ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Aggressive Treatment ◽  
Selective Treatment ◽  
Treatment Regimes ◽  
The Past ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Long Term Studies

During the past two decades, a number of dramatic changes have taken place in the treatment of infants born with myelomenmgocele. Since the development in the 1950's and early 1960's of more effective methods for treating hydrocephalus, urinary incontinence, and paraplegia, aggressive treatment regimes have been initiated. Numerous articles and editorials have questioned these various treatment modalities based on the lack of objective long-term studies documenting their effectiveness. More recently, dissatisfaction with the results of current surgical prodecures for children with myelomeningocele has led to the development of selective criteria for early treatment.1,2 The purpose of this commentary, however, is not to discuss the merits of selective treatment for myelomeningocele but rather to discuss some of the recent developments for the prevention of this disorder.

scholarly journals Climate change affected the spatio-temporal occurrence of disasters in China over the past five centuries

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 200731
Author(s):  
Chuan Yan ◽  
Huidong Tian ◽  
Xinru Wan ◽  
Jinxing He ◽  
Guoyu Ren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Polar Vortex ◽  
Proxy Data ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
The Past ◽  
Climate And Environmental Change ◽  
Temporal Occurrence ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Long Term Studies

Climate change may contribute to the spatio-temporal occurrence of disasters. Long-term studies of either homogeneous or heterogeneous responses of historical disasters to climate change are, however, limited by the quality and quantity of the available proxy data. Here we reconstruct spatio-temporal patterns of five types of disasters in China during the period AD 1368–1911. Our analyses of these time series reveal that warmer temperatures decreased the occurrence of disasters in the monsoon-affected parts of central-east China, but it increased the frequency and intensity of disasters along the boundary of arid and humid conditions in parts of southwest and northeast China, probably driven by the interplay among monsoon, westerlies, polar vortex and variation of temperature. Moreover, we show that drought and flood events had cascading effects on the occurrences of locust outbreaks, famine and human epidemics. Our findings suggest that climate can contribute to the spatio-temporal occurrence of disasters, and therefore may contribute to an improvement of China's regional to national risk management of future climate and environmental change.

scholarly journals Streektaaldood in de Lage Landen

2021 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-16
Author(s):  
Arjen Versloot
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Language Diversity ◽  
Drastic Reduction ◽  
Low Countries ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Sixties ◽  
Long Term Studies

Abstract Dialect Death in the Low CountriesThe death of Dutch dialects has been anticipated on various occasions in the past, a prediction that had not been borne out until the end of the twentieth century. Reliable figures about the state of autochthonous language diversity are surprisingly scarce. Lumping together and harmonizing figures from long term studies on dialect competences of students and schoolchildren from Belgium and the Netherlands, one can observe a gradual decline in the Netherlands over the 20th century and a more rapid decline in Flanders since the sixties, both ultimately heading towards (nearly) ‘zero’ for children born in 2020. Drastic reduction of linguistic diversity turns out not to be a privilege of the Amazonas or Papua New Guinea. The linguistic map of the Dutch speaking areas is filled with Randstad-oriented speech in the Netherlands, an emerging Tussentaal (‘In-between-language’) in Flanders and pockets of resistance of traditional vernaculars in Fryslân and Dutch Limburg, as well as some incidental communities in a few villages around the country.

scholarly journals Cetacean sightings in Puerto Rican waters: including the first underwater photographic documentation of a minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)

10.5597/00246 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 26-36
Author(s):  
Grisel Rodriguez-Ferrer ◽  
Roberto Reyes ◽  
Nicholas M. Hammerman ◽  
Jaaziel E. García-Hernández
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Puerto Rican ◽  
Minke Whale ◽  
Balaenoptera Acutorostrata ◽  
Cetacean Species ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cetacean Distribution ◽  
Long Term Studies

Opportunistic encounters by experts and the public (i.e. fishermen, tourists) can be great assets to understanding cetacean distribution, especially in areas where surveys are limited. Sightings of Puerto Rican pelagic cetaceans have been reported in the past, with known seasonality in some species. Within this report, we document sightings for eight species, report new monthly distributions for three of these species, as well as the presence of rough-toothed dolphins close to the coast, and the first underwater sighting of a minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) off San Juan, Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, the lack of long-term studies due to limited funding and resources has been an obstacle in determining species diversity and overall health of cetacean populations. However, this note provides evidence that collaboration between marine biologists and citizen-based science is possible and desired, and serves as a valuable resource to protect and conserve native, pelagic, and transient cetacean species around Puerto Rican waters.

Implications of Long-Term Studies of Three Model Preschool Programs for Head Start

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence J. Schweinhart ◽  
Elena V. Malofeeva ◽  
Lawrence J. Schweinhart ◽  
Michelle M. Englund ◽  
Arthur J. Reynolds ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Head Start ◽  
Preschool Programs ◽  
Long Term Studies

Primary varicose veins

Phlebologie ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 39 (03) ◽  
pp. 133-137
Author(s):  
H. Partsch
Keyword(s):  
Varicose Veins ◽  
Compression Therapy ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Clinical Severity ◽  
Compression Stockings ◽  
Primary Varicose Veins ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Convincing Data ◽  
Long Term Studies

SummaryBackground: Compression stockings are widely used in patients with varicose veins. Methods: Based on published literature three main points are discussed: 1. the rationale of compression therapy in primary varicose veins, 2. the prescription of compression stockings in daily practice, 3. studies required in the future. Results: The main objective of prescribing compression stockings for patients with varicose veins is to improve subjective leg complaints and to prevent swelling after sitting and standing. No convincing data are available concerning prevention of progression or of complications. In daily practice varicose veins are the most common indication to prescribe compression stockings. The compliance depends on the severity of the disorder and is rather poor in less severe stages. Long-term studies are needed to proof the cost-effectiveness of compression stockings concerning subjective symptoms and objective signs of varicose veins adjusted to their clinical severity. Conclusion: Compression stockings in primary varicose veins are able to improve leg complaints and to prevent swelling.

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